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After reports of the murder of four Pakistani farmers in Italy, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday that the “exact nationality” of the deceased was not confirmed yet. The FO’s statement came hours after Corriere della Sera daily reported that Italian police had arrested two Pakistani nationals for the murder of four Pakistani farm workers found dead in a burnt-out minivan in southern Italy. The FO said that while the deceased individuals were reported to be Pakistanis, their “exact nationality” was not confirmed yet. It added that the matter was being investigated by local police, who were also carrying out forensics. “The Pakistani embassy in Italy is following up on the matter and is in touch with local authorities regarding further developments,” the FO said. According to Corriere della Sera, the burnt-out vehicle with four bodies was found at a petrol station near the village of Amendolara in a vast farming area in the Calabria region. CCTV images from the petrol station showed two people blocking th...

KARACHI: Pakistani freelancers have earned more than $950 million in foreign exchange during 10MFY26, up 49 per cent year on year (YoY), according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Dr Imran Batada, the newly appointed President and CEO of the Pakistan Freelancers Association (PFA), said Pakistani freelancers had outperformed those in India, China, the UAE, and several other countries despite multiple global and domestic challenges. In a statement, he said the growth in freelancers’ income was driven by the increasing participation of Pakistani freelancers on various platforms, including Upwork, Fiverr, and social media. He noted that awareness of freelancing has increased significantly among Pakistanis over the past few years, encouraging many individuals to acquire skills through online learning, private institutions, government-led training programmes, and initiatives by various NGOs. Pakistan’s freelancing community is estimated at around three million people, and this number should con...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited camps of Pakistani pilgrims in Mina, where he reviewed arrangements and inspected the facilities being provided to Hajj pilgrims.

In a message to Pakistani pilgrims in Makkah, Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf urged them to show patience, unity, and discipline, saying their behaviour represents Pakistan on an international level.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Friday said the United States never sought the use of Pakistani airspace or land routes for any action against Iran, while reaffirming that Pakistan would continue playing its role as a facilitator and mediator for peace and de-escalation in the region.

ISLAMABAD: With visa-free access to 30 countries, Pakistan’s passport has been ranked at the 100th spot in the world by the Henley Passport Index. The Henley Passport Index compares 199 different passports across 227 different travel destinations, and calculates the score based on the number of destinations that can be accessed visa-free. Over the past decade, Pakistan has remained close to the bottom of the rankings, although its position has steadily improved since 2021. In January, Pakistan’s rank improved to 98th, up from the 103rd spot in 2025. In the current rankings, only Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan have scored lower. In February 2026, Pakistani citizens had access to 32 destinations, up from 31 in January following the reinstatement of The Gambia. However, the latest May ranking reduces the total to 30 destinations, highlighting ongoing adjustments in global visa policies and bilateral travel arrangements. The list is dominated by Asian countries, with Singapore retaining its position, while Japan, So...

The number of Pakistani pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia under the government Hajj scheme has reached 61,147 as Hajj flight operations continue successfully from different cities of Pakistan.

Pakistani players and teams will be able to participate in multilateral events hosted by India but bilateral events ​remain off the table, India’s sports ministry has said. India ‌also said the visa process for sportspersons and officials will be simplified, while office bearers of international sports governing bodies will be ​granted multi-entry visas. “With regard to international and multilateral events, ​in India or abroad, we are guided by the ⁠practices of international sports bodies and the interest of ​our own sportspersons,” the ministry said in a memorandum. “It is ​also relevant to take into account India’s emergence as a credible venue to host international sports events.” “In so far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be ⁠participating in ​competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we ​permit Pakistani teams to play in India,” the ministry added. The statement comes as India is set to host the Commonwealth Games ​in 2030, while they have also bid for t...

India opens door to Pakistani athletes

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of 16 Pakistani entrepreneurs and business leaders is participating in the ‘SelectUSA Investment Summit’ that has opened in National Harbour, Maryland, to establish new connections and opportunities to grow through investing in the United States. The four-day Investment Summit, which opened on Sunday, is the highest-profile event in the United States to facilitate business investment by connecting thousands of investors, companies, economic development organisations (EDOs), and industry experts to make deals happen. US Charge d’ Affaires Natalie A. Baker, in a video statement issued on Monday, welcomed the Pakistani delegation’s participation in the summit, stating that strong economic ties are the heart of the US-Pakistan relationship. “I look forward to helping Pakistani investors expand their global footprint in the United States,” the acting US envoy said. “This is the premier event to promote foreign direct investment in the United States. By facilitating investment, innovation, a...

More than 100 activists, including former Pakistani senator Mushtaq Ahmad, who were aboard aid ships bound for Gaza were released and taken to the Greek island of Crete on Friday, a day after Israeli forces seized their vessels in international waters near Greece. The activists were part of a second Global Sumud Flotilla, launched in recent months in an attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian assistance. The ships set sail from the Spanish port of Barcelona on April 12. On Friday, an Israeli army ship transferred 168 members of the flotilla crew to Greek boats, which then took them to shore, where buses and an ambulance waited for them, organisers said and Reuters footage showed. Before communications were jammed, former senator Ahmad posted videos to social media platform X saying, “Flotilla under attack, Israeli terrorist army has captured 11 of our boats.” On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on X that the former senator, “who was unlawfully det...

Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, Tuesday, said that due to Pakistan Embassy’s efforts in Cambodia, the host authorities agreed to the early repatriation of 54 Pakistani nationals detained in Siem Reap Province.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s exports to major Western and Northern European markets have recorded negative growth in the first nine months of the current fiscal year compared with a year ago, despite the continuation of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) status, raising concerns about weakening demand for Pakistani goods. The development comes against the backdrop of a shifting global trade environment, as the US-Iran conflict sends shockwaves through the Middle East, impacting global goods transport, accelerating the fall in exports to European markets. Additionally, earlier this year, European Union preferential market access was offered to India, one of Pakistan’s key competitors in textiles. Earlier this month, the EU Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis also warned Pakistan that access to the GSP+ — which allows duty-free entry into most European markets — was neither guaranteed nor automatic, signalling a more conditional approach from Brussels reliant on Islamabad’s progress on human rights iss...

ISLAMABAD: Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry sought on Friday a detailed report on the purported hijacking of an oil tanker by pirates near Somalia, with Pakistanis said to be among the hostages. A statement issued by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs referred to the reported incident, mentioning that the crew of the hijacked vessel was said to comprise 11 Pakistanis. It added that the ministry was monitoring the situation and was in contact with relevant departments, including the Foreign Office. The statement said efforts were also being made to contact the Somali authorities regarding the matter. According to media reports, an oil tanker named “Owner 25” was hijacked by pirates near Somalia’s coast on April 21, and 11 Pakistani crew, as well as the Indonesian captain of the vessel, were taken hostage. The incident is said to have taken place in the Gulf of Aden, while the name and nationality of the tanker’s operator have not been reported. In 2024, Somali pirates had hijacked an Iranian fishi...

China has selected two Pakistani astronauts as candidates for its manned space programme, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday. Both will travel to China for training, and one will participate in a flight mission as a payload specialist and become the first foreign astronaut in China’s space station, CCTV said. Meanwhile, China Daily reported on Wednesday that the astronauts were identified as Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud. The report said the two had passed multiple rounds of selection procedures and will soon come to China to take part in spaceflight training. It quoted the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) as saying that the selection and training of Pakistani astronauts was a “landmark event in the history of China’s space industry”. Separately, in a statement issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) said the astronauts were set to depart for China to “begin advanced astronaut training at the Astronaut Centre...

A total of 5,250 government-sponsored Pakistani pilgrims have arrived in Madinah so far on 21 flights, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Tuesday announced that it would hold the National Equivalence Board (NEB) examination on May 16, with the PMDC chairperson terming it the “best opportunity” for students affected by the US-Israeli war on Iran. The PMDC conducts the NEB exam twice a year to assess the knowledge, clinical skills, and professional competence of students who have partially completed medical or dental education abroad and seek transfer to/ admission in Pakistan. The exam is computer-based and consists of multiple-choice questions. Speaking to Dawn, PMDC Chairperson Dr Rizwan Taj said, “Although students from across the world can appear in the exam, but it will provide the best opportunity to those who have been stuck [due to the war] and want to return to Pakistan without facing any loss of education and time.” He said that Pakistani students, who were enrolled in foreign medical or dental institutions, had completed two years of study and reached at least the third year...

Efforts to facilitate talks between the US and Iran are still ongoing, two Pakistani sources with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters on Tuesday, as US strikes on Iran intensified and US President Donald Trump’s deadline to unleash “hell” neared. One of the sources, a senior security official, said Iran’s overnight strike on Saudi Arabia’s industrial facilities linked to US firms threatened to derail the talks. If Saudi Arabia were to respond to the strikes, the talks would be over, the source said, adding that retaliation could also draw Pakistan into the conflict under its defence pact with Riyadh. The second source said Iran was “walking on thin ice” and that the next three to four hours were critical for the future of dialogue. Pakistan has been at the centre of negotiations between the US and Iran in recent weeks, acting as the main go-between for proposals shared by both sides, but there has been no sign of a compromise. “We are in touch with Iranians. They have lately shown flexibility that they ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed concern over an incident at the Khor Fakkan port in the United Arab Emirates, where a missile interception injured three Pakistani nationals. Gulf countries, including the UAE, have come under attack in Iran’s retaliatory campaign against the ongoing US-Israeli war on the country. In a post on X, the premier said, “Deeply concerned at the incident at Khor Fakkan port in the UAE, where an intercepted projectile caused injuries to civilians, including Pakistani nationals”. He prayed for the “swift recovery” of the injured. The prime minister stated that Pakistan remained in “close contact” with the UAE authorities to extend all possible support to Pakistani nationals in the country. “Pakistan stands in solidarity with the brotherly people of the UAE and reiterates the urgent need for restraint and de-escalation in the region,” the premier added. On Sunday, the Sharjah Media Office said that three Pakistani nationals and a Nepalese national sustained injuries aft...

The body of a Pakistani national who lost his life in a reported missile strike in Bandar Abbas has been returned to Pakistan via the Taftan border and handed over to his family after completion of legal formalities.