Pakistan | Pakistan

Pakistan has strongly denounced recent statements made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing them as “hate-filled and violent,” and a serious breach of diplomatic conduct.

LAHORE - President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistan is a strong state whose defence is in strong hands.

• Shehbaz, Pezeshkian agree to boost bilateral trade, investment • PM expresses gratitude for Iran’s support amid tension with Delhi • Renews offer for talks with India on Kashmir, other issues • Meets Ayatollah Khamenei ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran on Monday rene­wed their commitment to permanent peace in South Asia, underlining that frie­ndly relations with neighbouring countries formed a core part of both nations’ foreign policy. The reaffirmation came during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s meeting with Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian at a reception hosted at the Sa’dabad Palace in Tehran. The meeting took place during the prime minist­er’s official visit to Tur­k­iye, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, aimed at expre­ssing gratitude to fri­endly Muslim nations for their support during the recent Pakistan-India conflict. Both leaders resolved to enhance cooperation to boost bilateral trade and investment and work together to maintain peace and security in the region. View this post on Instagram Prim...

In another incident amid a growing crackdown on alleged espionage, Indian authorities on Monday said they arrested a paramilitary police officer on charges of “spying for Pakistan” following a recent military confrontation between the two neighbouring countries. The developments follow a military confrontation between India and Pakistan over New Delhi’s allegations against Islamabad, without evidence, about a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes in Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties. Islamabad responded by downing five Indian jets. After intercepting drones sent by India and tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally drop their guns as a ceasefire was reached. Last week, Indian police arrested 10 people in Haryana, Punjab and Delhi —including a travel vlogger and a university professor — over their alleged connections to Pakistan or comments related to the r...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Iran, which stood at $3 billion, would be taken to $10 billion in the next few years, as there was immense potential for growth.

Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are set to hold virtual discussions today (Monday) regarding the federal budget for the fiscal year 2025–26, with a key focus on the growing circular debt in the gas sector.

Lahore Qalandars’ all-rounder Sikandar Raza has opened up on his dramatic return to Pakistan just in time for the PSL 10 final. The veteran all-rounder remained unbeaten on 22 off just seven balls alongside Kusal Perera (62)* to guide the Qalandars to triumph in the ultimate game of the tournament. Reports said that the Zimbabwe […]

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed gratitude to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his nation’s support during a brief military confrontation with India. The PM is visiting Turkiye for two days as part of his four-nation tour to friendly countries, where he will express his gratitude for supporting Pakistan during the recent conflict. Earlier, state broadcaster PTV News reported that the PM and Erdogan had a delegation-level meeting in which Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Minister of Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar took part. According to PTV News, the meeting was “warm and most cordial” and both nations “reaffirmed the deep-rooted, historic, and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Türkiye, anchored in shared values, mutual respect, and a common vision for progress and prosperity”. A video posted by the broadcaster showed PM Shehbaz embracing President Erdogan before boarding a car and leaving Dolmabahce Pal...

Pakistan Army spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has accused India of using Afghan soil to wage terrorism against Pakistan and urged the Afghan people not to allow their land to be used for such activities.

Pakistan has termed India's decision to illegally and unilaterally suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty as a grave violation of international law, including human rights law, the treaty law and customary international law.

The Pakistan Polio Programme on Sunday launched the third drive of the year against the crippling disease at the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), Islamabad. 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. Earlier this week, two new cases of polio were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts, taking the tally for the current year to 10. “The Pakistan Polio Programme today launched its third National Immunisation Days (NIDs) campaign of the year at the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), Islamabad,” a statement from the Centre read. The campaign was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq, alongside members of the Polio Programme’s core group and representatives of partner organisations, the statement added. “To...

KARACHI: The Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) organised an interactive session on ‘The Pakistan-India conflict’ in the institute library on Saturday. It was explained by PIIA chairperson Dr Masuma Hasan there was a need to hear different voices, especially the voices of the youth, regarding the recent conflict. Therefore, they decided to call on their research assistants to talk about the different themes of the conflict, as identified by them, for the audience to then take it from there. Taking the audience through the events of the past month or so, she also reminded how India, out of the blue, with no credible evidence, held Pakistan responsible for April 22’s Pahalgam attack, which was an intelligence failure on the part of India. “Then India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and Pakistan suspended the Simla Agreement of 1972,” she said. “Then on May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. While defending the country very well, Pakistan retaliated on May 10, which w...

India’s portrayal of Pakistan as a subordinate state to China has come under scrutiny, as international experts push back against what they describe as misleading propaganda aimed at deflecting attention from recent setbacks.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday said that Pakistan will raise its defence budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26 keeping in view the recent escalation with India and New Delhi suspending a key river water-sharing treaty with Islamabad. Earlier this month, the minister had announced that the federal budget would be presented on June 2, however, Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said yesterday that the budget would be presented on June 10, while the Pakistan Economic Survey would be released a day earlier. Meeting a delegation at the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) in Lahore, led by IEP Secretary General Engr Ameer Zameer, the planning minister told reporters that the budget had not been delayed due to any pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but because of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming visit to friendly nations and the Eidul Azha holidays. “We had very good negotiations with the IMF,” Iqbal said. “As you’ve seen, they acknowledged our government’...

The Pakistan China Institute has released a landmark report titled “Historic Change in South Asia in 16 Hours,” declaring that Pakistan has restored the balance of defensive power in the region by decisively countering Indian aggression.

In a major move to curb illegal migration and restore the country’s international reputation, Pakistan has decided to cancel the passports of individuals deported from other countries and initiate legal action against them.

ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON - The Junaid Family Foundation has signed a landmark Letter of Cooperation (LoC) with the Gates Foundation and UNICEF to strengthen collaboration on the promotion and scale-up of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) for women in Pakistan, with a particular focus on maternal and newborn health.

In a significant step toward improving public health access, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the government of Pakistan have announced the establishment of 26 new vaccination centres across the country, aimed at reaching over 750,000 people in underserved areas.

TAXILA: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, criticised the Indian government’s refusal to issue visas to Sikh pilgrims intending to perform religious rites in connection with two religious events next month in Pakistan. He was addressing a press conference at Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hassanabdal on Friday. Chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board Dr Muhammad Sajid Chau­han, Additional Secretary Shrines Saifullah Khokhar, Rawalpindi Zone Administrator Tanveer Hus­sain, Deputy Administrator Yasir Asghar Monga, and other leaders of the Sikh community were also present on this occasion. He strongly condemned the Indian government’s move to not allow Indian Sikh pilgrims to offer religious rituals in June on the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Ji and the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The minister stated that the Modi-led government is rattled by Pakistan’s diplomatic success and is now resorting to religious restrictions in clear violation of...

WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday defended its decision to release a $1 billion tranche to Pakistan, despite India’s objection, by pointing out the country had met all requisite targets under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).