Pakistani | Pakistan

In a major development for Pakistan’s aviation sector, the United Kingdom has officially lifted its long-standing ban on Pakistani airlines, a move confirmed by British High Commissioner Jane Marriott and welcomed as a positive step in UK-Pakistan relations.

The United Kingdom’s government on Tuesday launched e-visas for Pakistani students and workers as part of an “enhanced” border and immigration system. The announcement came just a day after the two countries formally signed the Trade Dialogue Mechanism Agreement and decided to establish the UK-Pakistan Business Advisory Council to institutionalise bilateral economic cooperation. In a statement today, the British High Commission (BHC) in Islamabad said: “The UK Government is replacing physical immigration documents for most student and worker visas with a digital proof of immigration status, an e-visa.” British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said on X that the facility was for “most students and workers applying for more than 6 months”. An e-visa is an online record of a person’s immigration permission in the UK and will make the visa process easier and more secure, the BHC noted in its statement. “E-visas are tried and tested, with millions of people already using them on select immigration routes,” it highl...

The United Kingdom has introduced a digital visa system for Pakistani nationals on most student and worker routes, replacing traditional physical immigration documents with an online eVisa.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid an official visit to the United Arab Emirates. He met with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to strengthen bilateral cooperation in security, counter-narcotics, and immigration matters. Minister Naqvi received a warm welcome at the UAE Ministry of Interior, […]

Indian government seeks to eradicate influence of Pakistani artists – again

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed on Friday termed “Pakistani talent and Chinese technology an invincible wall” for peace, security and stability in South Asia during a dialogue held in Islamabad. Pakistan has held strong bilateral relations with China which has supported it through many investments and development projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), termed as a “lifeline” for the country’s economy. The senator’s comment came during a keynote address at the Pakistan-China Dialogue hosted by the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) under the auspices of the “Friends of Silk Road”, according to a statement by the PCI. The event was attended by diplomats, parliamentarians, students and scholars. Mushahid, who serves as the PCI chairman, observed: “The global balance of economic and political power is shifting from West to East, heralding the Asian Century.” He lauded China’s “peaceful rise as a source of strength for developing nations across Asia, Africa and Latin America” and thanked Beijing fo...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani citizens planning to visit Sweden in 2025 must meet strict financial documentation requirements to secure a short-term Sweden Schengen visa. Among the most critical documents is a bank statement, which serves as proof that the applicant has sufficient funds to cover their stay in the Scandinavian country. Sweden, known for its rich cultural […]

The German Embassy in Islamabad has introduced a new Consular Services Portal aimed at simplifying and accelerating the application process for Pakistani citizens seeking work visas.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in close coordination with the Iraqi Airways, successfully facilitated the repatriation of 268 Pakistani nationals earlier Monday through two special flights from Basra to Karachi and Islamabad.

Uzbekistan Airlines on Saturday flew its inaugural Pakistani route from Islamabad to Tashkent, marking a key moment in connectivity between the two nations, a statement from the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said. Uzbekistan announced earlier this year that air routes between Karachi, Samarkand and Bukhara would be launched, describing it as a significant step to foster closer ties between the two nations. According to a PAA statement, the flight took off at 1:09pm with 126 passengers on board, with Zone 1 of Islamabad International Airport specially adorned with colourful balloons for the milestone. “The event was graced by the esteemed ambassadors of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan,” the statement read, adding that the Chief Operating Officer of Islamabad Airport, the managing director of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation and the Country Manager of Uzbekistan Airlines also attended. “Guests warmly welcomed passengers at Stand 3 and a formal cake-cutting ceremony was held in the ...

The Ministry of Religious Affairs confirmed on Friday that 18 Pakistani pilgrims, including 10 men and eight women, passed away during Hajj 2025 in Saudi Arabia.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed all relevant authorities to provide every possible assistance for the safe return and protection of Pakistani pilgrims currently in Iran.

Former Pakistan women’s captain Sana Mir became the first female cricketer from the country to be inducted into the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Hall of Fame on Monday. She took the top spot in women’s one-day international rankings in 2018 and helmed the team that took home gold from the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games. Her rise dovetailed with the growth in sporting opportunities for Pakistani women, who were not allowed to play in open fields until the early 2000s. Sana played 226 international matches since her 2005 debut. She is one of only nine women cricketers to have taken 100 wickets and scored 1,000 runs in ODI matches. She also led Pakistan to two World Cups and five T20 World Cups. She was among seven notable cricketers added by the ICC today, the others being India’s MS Dhoni, Australia’s Matthew Hayden, New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori, England’s Sarah Taylor and South Africa’s Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith. The ICC said that with over 200 international wickets against the white-ball, Sana was ren...

KARACHI: It is disappointing that only two Urdu films will be released on Eidul Azha. They are: Love Guru directed by Nadeem Baig and Deemak helmed by Rafay Rashdi. Although half-a-dozen Pakistani films hit the cinema screens on Eidul Fitr (five Urdu and one Punjabi), they did not manage to create a splash in the placid waters of our local movie scene. It is abundantly clear now that the only way for the film exhibitors and cinema owners to do business is by virtue of big Hollywood releases. For example, prior to Eidul Azha, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, the popular franchise starring Tom Cruise, did well at the box office. (It is difficult to ascertain the exact number that it has managed to attract because MI is still in theatres.) On Eidul Azha, too, a couple of major English language films — apart from a few Turkish projects dubbed in Urdu — will be there to compete with the Pakistani movies: Ballerina and Karate Kid: Legends. The former is a spin-off of the John Wick series and the latter a th...

The Kingdom of Morocco has announced 10 fully funded scholarships for Pakistani and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) nationals for the academic year 2025-26, according to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.

A top Pakistani delegation briefed elected members of the United Nations Security Council on Monday about the “threat to regional peace” posed by India’s actions amid the recent spike in tensions between the two countries. The high-level team — consisting of three former foreign ministers, two former foreign sec­­retaries, two former ambassadors to the US, and a serving federal minister — arrived in New York yesterday for consultations at the United Nations, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement today. The delegation will also visit Washington DC, London and Brussels, the FO said. Ex-FMs PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Hina Rabbani Khar and Khurram Dastgir; Senators Sherry Rehman, Musadik Malik, Faisal Sabzwari and Bushra Anjum Butt; and Jalil Abbas Jilani and Teh­mina Janjua are members of the first delegation. The PPP said in a post on X that the delegation met elected UNSC members “to expose Indian propaganda” and present Pakistan’s position to representatives from Denmark, Greece, Panama, Somal...

In a significant crackdown on human trafficking, Iranian authorities have rescued ten Pakistani nationals who were being held hostage by traffickers under false promises of passage to Europe.

Peace and Culture Organization Chairperson Mushaal Hussein Mullick and wife of jailed Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Muhammad Yasin Malik, raised the Pakistani forces, describing them as a ‘steel wall’ against enemies.

ISLAMABAD - China on Tuesday announced a major step to foster stronger bilateral relations with Pakistan by opening new employment avenues for Pakistani youth.

In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, Kuwait has lifted its 19-year-long visa ban on Pakistani citizens, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis’ Focal Person, Mustafa Malik, announced on Monday.