Pakistan | Pakistan

Pakistan’s passport has marked a significant achievement by entering the top 100 of the Henley Passport Index 2025, according to the latest global rankings released by Henley & Partners.

Pakistan proved their dominance yet again after crushing Japan 79-39 on Monday at the Asian Youth Netball Championship in South Korea. The victory was the fourth consecutive for Pakistan, who now lead Pool B with 8 points. The green shirts were 16-9 in the first quarter before extending their lead to 39-17 by halftime. The score jumped to 60-26 in the third quarter, with the women cruising to 79-39 to end the match. Leya Raza Shah, Alisha Naveed, Haleema, Sarina Hussain, Jasmine Farooq, Farah Rasheed, Amani, Parisa, Sumayya Ahmed and Alina played exceptional roles in securing the team’s victory. Senior officials of the Pakistan Netball federation, including chairman Mudassar Arain, president Samreen Malik, and secretary general congratulated Muhammad Riaz congratulated the team on their impressive win over Japan. Pakistan now faces Maldives tomorrow. Pakistan thrashed hosts South Korea 91-6 yesterday after opening the tournament with a strong 71-15 over Saudi Arabia on Friday, followed by a 56-32 victory over...

ISLAMABAD - Türkiye President Recep Tayy­ip Erdogan has condemned the heinous terrorist attack against Pakistan on Saturday.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s passport has marked a significant achievement by entering the top 100 of the Henley Passport Index 2025, according to the latest global rankings released by Henley & Partners, ARY News reported. The Pakistani passport now ranks 100th, a notable improvement from its 113th position in 2021. This ranking grants visa-free or visa-on-arrival access […]

KARACHI: China has rolled over $3.4 billion in loans to Pakistan, two senior Pakistani government officials told Reuters on Sunday, in a move that will help boost Islamabad’s foreign exchange reserves, a requirement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Beijing rolled over $2.1 billion, which has been in Pakistan’s central bank’s reserves for the last […]

Pakistan and Vietnam have agreed to expand cooperation in the Halal seafood industry, signaling a new chapter in bilateral trade relations between the two countries.

Pakistan thrashed hosts South Korea 91-6 at the Asian Youth Netball Championship on Sunday to mark their third consecutive win of the tournament. The green shirts had a strong first quarter to lead 23-2 and extended their lead to 45-3 by halftime. The score was 70-4 in the third quarter, and the women managed to end the game 91-6 to sit at the top of the rankings of Pool B. According to details, Leya Raza Shah, Alisha Naveed, Haleema, Sarina Hussain, Jasmine Farooq, Farah Rasheed , Amani, Parisa , Sumayya Ahmed and Alina were recognised as outstanding players in the match. Senior officials of the Pakistan Netball Federation congratulated the team on their victory. Pakistan now faces Japan on Monday and the Maldives a day later. In a post on Instagram, the netball federation extended its gratitude to coach Amanda Newton “for her exceptional coaching, technical expertise, and unwavering dedication to the Pakistan Youth Girls Netball Team.” “Under her guidance, our team has shown incredible skill and determinati...

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in technology, with plans to jointly advance regional digital connectivity and innovation.

KARACHI: India’s attempt to disrupt Pakistan’s external trade by banning ships carrying Pakistani goods from anchoring at its ports has failed to yield the desired impact, according to shipping industry representatives. On May 2, India imposed a ban on ships carrying goods originating from or destined for Pakistan, barring them from entering Indian ports or transiting through Indian territory. The move followed military aggression under ‘Operation Sindoor’ launched on May 7, which ended within four days due to Pakistan’s forceful retaliation. While India initially sought to hurt Pakistan’s trade flows, the outcome fell short of expectations. Shipping companies reportedly adapted by separating cargo bound for and from Pakistan, thereby avoiding dependence on Indian ports. Importers, however, said the Indian ban has resulted in longer shipping times and higher freight charges. “Mother vessels are not coming to Pakistan due to this Indian action, which delays our imports by 30 to 50 days,” said Javed Bilwani, Pr...

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir on Saturday stated that Pakistan proved itself as a “net region stabiliser” after having repelled Indian military aggression twice and demonstrating its commitment to regional security. The remarks followed recent tensions between India and Pakistan over New Delhi’s allegations against Islamabad, without evidence, about a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Pakistan had strongly denied the allegations and called for a neutral probe. As the situation turned into a military confrontation between the nuclear powers, it took American intervention for both sides to agree to a ceasefire. Speaking at the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi, COAS Munir said that Pakistan will protect its sovereignty and national interests decisively and without hesitation, state media PTV reported. The report quoted the army chief as saying, “In recent years, India has twice undertaken acts of unprovoked aggression against Pakistan, which were met with our resolute response....

Pakistan is leading the Global Emerging Markets (EM) Rankings, indicating improvement in default risk, Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said on Saturday. The current government has reassured that the country has moved onto a path of economic recovery and growth, witnessing “economic stabilisation” after a period of turbulence and uncertainty. Some assessments by global rating agencies have signalled gradual improvements in key economic indicators. In a statement on X, Schehzad said, “As per the latest data posted by Bloomberg Intelligence, Pakistan stands out globally as the most improved economy in terms of reduction in sovereign default risk, as measured by CDS-implied probability.” He said that the country has topped the Global Emerging Markets rankings with the “largest drop in sovereign default risk globally over the last 12 months”. The statement said, “[The] default probability [went] down from 59 per cent to 47pc, a massive 1,100 basis points improvement.” “This marks the sharpest decl...

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said yesterday that Pakistan and the United States were actively engaged in talks for a win-win conclusion.

• Reiterates firm support for two-state solution to Israel-Palestine conflict • Insists Trump’s Nobel nomination a joint civil-military decision • Dismisses claim Islamabad sought ceasefire ISLAMABAD: Foreign Mini­ster Ishaq Dar on Friday ruled out the possibility of Pakistan joining the Abraham Accords, stating that such a move would effectively mean abandoning the country’s longstanding support for a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict and recognising Israel. Speaking at a news conference at the Foreign Office, Mr Dar, who also serves as deputy prime minister, reiterated Pakistan’s firm support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His comments came in response to recent remarks by US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who suggested that more countries, which were not previously “contemplated”, were preparing to join the US-brokered accords, which normalise ties with Israel. Witkoff had joined President Donald Trump at the White House lunch for Army Chief Fie...

Pakistan on Friday welcomed the decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague to issue a “Supplemental Award of Competence” in the Indus Waters case, stating that India cannot unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance, a statement issued by the government said. According to the PCA’s rules, a supplemental award is an additional ruling issued by a court or tribunal after its initial decision, usually to address a specific issue that wasn’t fully resolved or to clarify certain points, such as jurisdiction, competence, or interpretation of a treaty or agreement. India in April held the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence. Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an “act of war”, noting the IWT had no provision for unilateral suspension. It later said it was considering court action, citing a violation of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Acc...

PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday said that following the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir and the brief but intense military escalation with Pakistan last month, India “lost its international credibility due to a lack of transparency and widespread disinformation”. Earlier this month, Pakis­tan launched a broad-based engagement campaign to present its perspective on the conflict with India to the world and counter New Delhi’s unproven allegations. As part of its global outreach, a delegation led by Bilawal visited the United States, London and Brussels. Addressing reporters at the National Press Club in Islamabad, the PPP chairman stressed that through spreading false information, both in the media and through diplomatic channels, India stripped itself of credibility. “Pakistan gained victory on the narrative front, which is beneficial,” Bilawal said. “The whole world saw what the Indian [and] Pakistani media were doing. “People all over the world were reading and a...

The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday welcomed the United Nations Secretary General’s decision to remove references to Pakistan from its annual report on children and armed conflict. The UN’s Children and Armed Conflict agenda, led by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, works to protect children affected by war by monitoring six grave violations: killing and maiming, recruitment and use of children, sexual violence, abduction, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access. The annual report of the Secretary-General lists parties committing these violations, aiming to hold them accountable and promote measures for child protection in conflict zones. In its latest report released on June 17, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General noted that, “In view of the level of grave violations in Pakistan and the preventive measures adopted as agreed by the government in June 2025 in cooperation with the United Nations to protect children, the situation of Pakistan will be r...

A poliovirus case has been confirmed in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa’s Tank district, marking the seventh case from KP this year and bringing the total countrywide tally to 13, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said in a press release on Friday. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress. This year, Pakistan has undertaken three nationwide Polio campaigns so far — in February, April, and May. Polio eradication efforts in Pakistan routinely face security issues. According to the press release, the case was detected in an 18-month-old child from the Union Council Amakhel in KP’s Tank district. “With this latest detection, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 13, including seven from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, four from Sindh, and one ...

Federal Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema held high-level discussions on Thursday with the World Bank leadership in Washington DC, and welcomed the strengthened collaboration with the global financial institution in strengthening the economy, according to statement by the ministry on Friday. In January, the World Bank pledged to provide $20bn to Pakistan under a 10-year country partnership framework (CPF) to support inclusive and sustainable development within the country. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had welcomed a $40 billion “investment” by the World Bank, stating that the inflow will open “a new chapter” in various sectors of the economy. In a meeting with WB Operations Managing Director Anna Bjerde and South Asia Regional Vice President Martin Raiser, the federal minister welcomed the strengthened collaboration between Pakistan and the Bank over the past year, the statement read. This enhanced engagement has culminated in the development of the new country partnership framework (CPF) 2026-2035,...

Defence ministers attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting on Thursday failed to reach a consensus on a joint statement due to India’s refusal, while Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reaffirmed the country’s commitment to combating terrorism and promoting regional peace and security within the SCO framework. The SCO is a 10-nation Eurasian security and political grouping whose members include China, Russia, Pakistan, India, and Iran. Their defence ministers’ meeting was held as a precursor to the annual summit of its leaders set for the autumn. Addressing the session, Asif condemned Israel’s recent 12-day war against Iran and stressed the importance of collective efforts to address evolving global and regional security challenges, state broadcaster PTV News reported. “Terrorism is a common threat. Pakistan calls on all states to desist from politicising the joint effort of the International Community to fight the means of terrorism to deflect attention from their internal failures...

The Ethiopian Embassy in Islamabad and the United Nations, Pakistan, have agreed to cooperate on mobilizing international participation for the 2nd United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake, taking place from July 27-29, 2025, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.