Pakistan | Pakistan

Pakistan will stick to their strategy of relying on all-rounders rather than specialists in T20 cricket going into the tri-series — also involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe — which starts in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. The opener at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium — which will host the entirety of the tournament — will be played between the hosts and Zimbabwe, and Pakistan will look up to their all-rounders to make a difference again. The strategy, which has emerged as a blueprint of Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson since was appointed in May this year, has come under heavy criticism due to its nature of ignoring the importance of specialist batters and bowlers. But for Pakistan T20 captain Salman Ali Agha, it is the go-to approach given what he believes is a “luxury” to have good enough all-rounders to deliver with both bat and ball. “As you may have seen, we try to go for all-rounders mostly, and thankfully we have some who bowl and bat equally well,” he said in the pre-series press conference at the ven...

Indian army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday issued a pointed warning to Pakistan, comparing the brief May conflict to a “trailer” rather than a full-length film. The Indian army chief’s remarks come a week after an explosion near the Red Fort in New Delhi on November 10, leaving 12 people dead in the first such explosion in the Indian capital since 2011. Delivering a speech at a defence conference in New Delhi, Gen Dwivedi said, “I’d like to say that the movie hasn’t even started — only a trailer was shown, and, after the trailer, it was over within 88 hours.“ “So, we’re fully prepared for the future, and if Pakistan gives us such an opportunity, we’d like to provide them with a thorough education on how a responsible nation should behave with its neighbours.“ The conflict between the two countries in May was sparked by an attack on tourists in India-occupied Kashmir, which New Delhi, without evidence, linked to Pakistan. Islamabad strongly denied responsibility while calling for a neutral investigati...

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Monday said that Pakistan had become “extremely relevant” on the global stage after its performance during the military conflict against India in May. The conflict between the two countries in May this year was sparked by an attack on tourists in India-occupied Kashmir, which New Delhi, without evidence, linked to Pakistan. Islamabad strongly denied responsibility while calling for a neutral investigation. New Delhi then launched deadly air strikes in Punjab and Azad Kashmir on May 7. After tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases during the four-day escalation, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally reach a ceasefire. Both governments launched diplomatic blitzes after the conflict to take their stance on the ordeal to other countries. Elaborating on Pakistan’s image and standing in the world in the conflict’s aftermath while speaking at a function, the information minister said, “In a very short span of time, we have become extremely rele...

A smile lit up Shaheen Shah Afridi’s face as he mentioned Pakistan’s victory against India at the Rising Stars Asia Cup. Addressing the post-match ceremony after his side completed a series sweep against Sri Lanka on Sunday, Pakistan’s One-day International captain hailed a good day for cricket in the country. “We’ve now won two consecutive [ODI] series,” said Shaheen, referring to the team’s victory against South Africa a week earlier, after Pakistan eased to a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI in Rawalpindi. “Today Pakistan Shaheen also won, and more importantly they against our neighbours … it makes you happy that all the youngsters performed,” he added when asked to comment on Pakistan Shaheens’ eight-wicket thrashing of India ‘A’ in Qatar. “Here [in Pindi] as well, everyone chipped in across the three matches, everyone played their best cricket which is why we won.” Pakistan’s bowlers set up the victory for the hosts after they shot down Sri Lanka for 211 before Mohammad Rizwan...

PML-N senior leader and former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafique on Monday expressed deep concern over the recent wave of judicial resignations, calling it a worrying moment for everyone who believes in the supremacy of the Constitution, justice, law, and democracy in Pakistan.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar will lead Pakistan’s delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting in Moscow on November 17-18, 2025.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja Sunday said that Pakistan is working to strengthen its IT industry, expand exports, and build a “Digital Nation” based on a digital economy, digital society and digital governance.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has urged the international community to act swiftly to protect the rapidly deteriorating cryosphere, warning that accelerated glacier melt in the Hindu Kush–Karakoram–Himalaya (HKH) region is placing millions at increasing risk.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Jordan have injected new momentum into their long-standing, 78-year diplomatic relationship as King Abdullah II held wide-ranging talks with Pakistani leadership including President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the two-day official visit to Islamabad.

A brilliant bowling show from Pakistan and a laboured chase later saw the hosts beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to complete a 3-0 series sweep over the visitors in the third and final One-day International at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Pacers Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim Junior (3-47) and left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram (2-42) starred with the ball before contrasting half centuries by Fakhar Zaman (55 off 45) and Mohammad Rizwan (61 not out off 92) guided Pakistan to the 212-run target with 32 balls remaining. It was Pakistan’s second successive ODI series triumph after their 2-1 win over South Africa earlier this month, with focus now shifting to the T20I tri-series featuring the hosts alongside Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. After Pakistan won the toss and opted to field, Haris, Wasim and Faisal struck at regular intervals through the innings, preventing Sri Lanka from building momentum at any stage. A flurry of crisp strokes on a batting-friendly pitch by Sri Lankan openers Patthum Nissanka and ...

Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir reiterated on Sunday Pakistan’s commitment to further enhancing military-to-military cooperation with Jordan and jointly realising the mutual vision of a stable and peaceful region, according to the military’s media affairs wing. The army chief also underscored the “strong defence partnership” between Pakistan and the Hashemite Kingdom — the royal family of Jordan — during a visit of Jordan’s King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein at the Tilla Field Firing Ranges near Jhelum, a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. The Jordanian king, who arrived in Pakistan for a two-day official visit on Saturday, also visited Global Industrial and Defence Solutions, the state-owned conglomerate involved in the export and marketing of military, industrial and technological products and services. He was accompanied by Princess Salma bint Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein and a delegation of Jordanian civil and military officials and was received by Field Marshal Munir an...

Minister for Climate Change Dr Musadik Malik has called for expedited efforts to address climate-induced glacial melt in the Himalayas-Karakoram-Hindu Kush (HKH) mountain range, warning at the sidelines of COP30 that glacial melt was occurring at an “unprecedented rate”. Pakistan is home to about 13,000 glaciers. According to a 2023 report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Hima­layan glaciers, which provide critical water to nearly two billion people, are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters. The minister made the remarks at the sidelines of COP30, at an event titled “Cryosphere Adaptation & Disaster Risk Reduction”, where he delivered the keynote address via video, the Press Information Department (PID) said on Saturday. Malik told the participants that “climate-induced glacier melt is occurring at an unprecedented pace,” calling for the “urgent need” to protect the HKH cryosphere, which he de...

Interpol has officially closed the case related to Pakistan’s request for issuing a Red Notice against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Moonis Elahi, officials confirmed on Friday.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II is set to arrive in Pakistan today (Saturday) for a two-day state visit on the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, marking a renewed push to deepen relations between the two nations.

• Global watchdog ranks country 27th out of 100 • India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh fared better • China, Iran and Russia at bottom ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been ranked 27th out of 100 — ‘Not Free’ — in terms of internet freedom by a global democracy watchdog in a recent report, which cited government measures to expand censorship practices. During June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025, the report issued by the US-based Freedom House noted that the authorities threatened to block virtual private networks (VPNs) and adopted amendments to the country’s cybercrime law that rights groups said could be abused. On the other hand, countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh are markedly more open, classified as ‘Partly Free’, with much higher freedom scores of 51, 53, and 45, respectively. The watchdog was unable to track Afghanistan’s score. The countries placed at the bottom are China, Myanmar, Iran and Russia with scores of 9, 9, 13¸and 17, respectively. The watchdog noted that governments in the countries that suffered...

Babar Azam finally ended his 807-day wait for a One-day International century, scoring an unbeaten 102 to lead Pakistan to an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the second match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, sealing the three-match series with a game to spare. The former Pakistan skipper, under intense scrutiny after 83 innings without a three-figure score, struck eight boundaries in a 119-ball innings that blended patience with poise. He reached his milestone in the 47th over, pulling pacer Pramod Madushan to midwicket for a single, before collapsing to his knees in prostration and embracing Mohammad Rizwan at the non-striker’s end. The Rawalpindi crowd erupted, having waited long for this moment. Reaching the milestone, Babar equalled former opener Saeed Anwar’s record for the most ODI hundreds for Pakistan — 20 centuries. Rizwan played the ideal supporting role, remaining unbeaten on 51 off 54 balls, hitting five fours and a six. The pair added an unbroken 112 for the third wicket, guidi...

Chief of General Staff (CGS) Lieutenant General Aamer Raza met his Saudi counterpart, General Fayyadh Bin Hameed Al-Rowaily, in Riyadh to discuss broadening strategic ties and strengthening the mutual defence agreement signed by the two nations, the military’s media wing said on Friday. The two countries have long shared a multifaceted relationship rooted in strategic military cooperation, mutual economic interests, and shared Islamic heritage. These ties have encompassed economic assistance and energy supplies, with Riyadh being a significant source of financial aid and oil for Islamabad. According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “matters of mutual strategic interest” were discussed during the meeting, including strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, enhancing interoperability and advancing collaboration under the mutual defence agreement. “Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening the long-standing fraternal ties between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Sau...

King of Jordan King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein is undertaking a two-day state visit to Pakistan from tomorrow on the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II will arrive in Pakistan for a two-day state visit on Saturday at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during which he is expected to hold high-level meetings with the prime minister and the president, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) on Friday. The Jordanian monarch’s last visit to Pakistan was at the invitation of former president Mamnoon Hussain. Two memoranda of understanding were signed by both nations, with one related to cooperation in civil protection and defence and the other to cooperation in the housing sector. According to the FO, Saturday’s high-level visit reflects the “longstanding, fraternal relations” between Islamabad and Amman. “It will serve to further strengthen the strategic direction of Pakistan–Jordan relations and place them on a higher trajectory, encompassing a comprehensive and broad-based partnership in the political, economic, and cultural spheres,” the statement read. “During his visit … King Abdullah II … will hold ...

Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi asserted on Friday that Pakistan had never eschewed dialogue with any government in Kabul but would not hold talks with any terrorist groups. The spokesperson’s speech came in the context of the third round of talks that concluded on November 7 in Istanbul between Pakistan and Afghanistan, aimed at ending cross-border terrorism and consolidating a fragile ceasefire that was initially agreed upon after border clashes last month. Since the skirmishes, representatives of the two countries held two rounds of talks — first in Doha and then in Istanbul — but a final agreement could not be achieved. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that a ceasefire, however, was still in place “for the time being”. “Pakistan has never eschewed dialogue with any government in Kabul. However, Pakistan will not hold dialogue with any terrorist groups, be it Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA),” he said while addressing his weekly press briefing. ...