Pakistan

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that Washington does not view yesterday’s strike carried out by Israel in Gaza as a violation of a US-backed ceasefire, terming it an act of “self-defence”. Israel claimed it struck a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group on Saturday, accusing the individual of planning to attack Israeli troops. However, Islamic Jihad denied it was planning an attack. Speaking aboard US President Donald Trump’s plane during a trip to Asia, Rubio said: “We don’t view that as a violation of the ceasefire.” The US top diplomat added that Israel has not surrendered its right to self-defence as part of the agreement brokered by Washington, Egypt and Qatar that saw Hamas release the remaining living hostages held in Gaza this month. “They have the right if there’s an imminent threat to Israel, and all the mediators agree with that,” Rubio insisted. Rubio said the ceasefire in Gaza, which remains in force between Israel and Hamas just over two years since the confli...

Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani said on Monday that export-led growth was essential to stabilise the economy, as he presented a screenshot of the country’s improving financial situation achieved through the efforts of the government. During a media talk in Islamabad, Kayani expounded on the improvement in Pakistan’s economy over the last 1.5 years, highlighting that the target of primary balance had been achieved. He said the country saw a 26 per cent increase in tax collection during the last fiscal year despite modest gross domestic product (GDP) growth and a low inflation rate. “We also increased the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR’s) tax-to-GDP ratio and decreased the inflation from 33pc to 4.5pc,” Kayani mentioned. The ratio, he specified, saw a 1.4pc increase, going from 8.8pc to around 10.2 to 10.3pc. “We posted the first current account surplus in 14 years, which is also the largest current account surplus in 22 years,” he said, adding that foreign exchange reserves were one of the mos...

Eight people, including seven Levies Force personnel, were injured in a bomb blast targeting the convoy of Kech Deputy Commissioner (DC) Major (retd) Bashir Barech in Balochistan’s Turbat on Monday, according to police. Kech Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Captain (retd) Zohaib Mohsin told Dawn.com that a remote-controlled bomb was used in the attack that took place at Press Club road. “The bomb, which was planted in a motorcycle, was triggered using a remote control when the DC’s convoy was passing by the area,” he said, adding that five Levies personnel and a passerby were injured in the incident. He later told Dawn.com that the number of the injured had increased to eight, including seven Levies personnel. The Kech DC remained safe as he was in a bulletproof vehicle, he added. He was travelling from his home to office and his car was only partially damaged in the incident, the SSP said. “The blast was so intense that four of the vehicles parked nearby and closely located buildings were also damaged,”...

Pakistan and Bangladesh have reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing bilateral defence and security cooperation, recognizing its importance in promoting regional peace and stability.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has departed for Saudi Arabia to participate in the Ninth Edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) being held in Riyadh from October 27 to 29, 2025, at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

The ongoing talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban in Istanbul have so far failed to produce any breakthrough, with both sides expected to hold a third round of negotiations today (Monday) to continue efforts toward resolving key security concerns.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Monday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against “unconstitutional restrictions” on the inter-provincial movement of wheat to the province. The development comes as the Punjab government has faced criticism by the KP and Sindh governments for choking wheat flow to the two provinces. However, a day earlier, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari insisted that there was no ban on the inter-provincial movement of wheat, terming the “ongoing propaganda in this regard baseless and contrary to facts”. In a post on social media platform X today, the KP governor said he had written to the premier, urging his “immediate intervention to lift the unconstitutional restrictions” on the inter-provincial movement of wheat to the province. “Such limitations not only affect the province’s food security but also go against the spirit of cooperative federalism enshrined in our Constitution,” he said. He expressed his confidence that the matter would be r...

Two US Navy aircraft crashed into the South China Sea in separate incidents on Sunday, officials said, with no fatalities reported. The first crash involved an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, which “went down in the waters of the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz,” according to a statement from the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet. All three crew members aboard the helicopter were recovered by search and rescue teams, the statement said. A half-hour later, according to the Navy, a Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet crashed into the South China Sea, also “while conducting routine operations” from the USS Nimitz. The Navy’s statement said both crew members aboard ejected themselves from the vessel and were safely recovered. “All personnel involved are safe and in stable condition,” the US Navy said. “The cause of both incidents is currently under investigation.” The crashes come as US President Donald Trump is in the region, on his first visit to Asia of his second...

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and Bangladesh’s air and navy chiefs have vowed to improve defence and security collaboration, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Monday. Ever since a popular uprising in Bangladesh toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government in August last year, there has been a thaw in ties between Islamabad and Dhaka, with trade and bilateral relations seeing a marked improvement. According to the press release by the ISPR, during an official visit to Bangladesh, Gen Mirza held separate meetings with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan and Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen S.M. Kamrul Hassan. “Both sides expressed optimism about improving defence and security collaboration and reaffirmed their commitment to expanding military-to-military engagements and related initiatives,” the military’s media wing said. ...

A five-member Constitutional Bench (CB) of the Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on PTI leader Shibli Faraz’s appeal against his disqualification as a senator. On July 31, Faraz, along with PTI’s Omar Ayub and other lawmakers, was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment by a Faisalabad anti-terrorism court for his involvement in the May 9, 2023 riots. Subsequently, he was disqualified as the Senate opposition leader under Article 63(1h) (disqualification from parliament due to conviction) of the Constitution. After being denied relief by the Peshawar High Court (PHC), Ayub and Faraz approached the SC on October 4 against the former’s order under Article 185(3) of the Constitution (appellate jurisdiction). Headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, the CB took up four appeals — two each by Ayub and Faraz — for hearing today, according to the cause list. The bench also included Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Shakeel Ahmad. ...

A senior BJP leader and regional minister has said that two Australian cricketers who were inappropriately touched by a man last week during the Women’s World Cup would “learn a lesson” from the incident and stay cautious in the future, according to Indian media. The incident in question took place in the central Indian city of Indore on Thursday morning when the two players left their hotel to go to a cafe, a day after Australia’s six-wicket victory over England in the group stage of the World Cup, when they were allegedly approached by a motorcyclist. The two players were not identified by Indian police or Cricket Australia, which confirmed the incident, and one man has been arrested in connection with the case. NDTV reported on Sunday that senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya had stated that the incident was “a lesson for everyone.” “Sometimes, players don’t realise their popularity. Players are very popular, so they should be careful,” Vijayvargiya said. “This incident has ha...

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is set to announce its new monetary policy today (Monday), with analysts widely expecting the central bank to keep the key interest rate unchanged at 11 percent amid stable inflation and ongoing economic challenges.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, stressing that it is in the shared interest of all regional states and the international community to end.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced a groundbreaking initiative to enhance healthcare, safety, and digital skill development for special children across the province — marking a historic step toward inclusive education and empowerment.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Malaysia on Monday, as the two countries push trade talks and ease tensions over Washington’s punishing tariffs. Few details were released, but Rubio’s meeting with Jaishankar is the highest-level contact since the US imposed sanctions last week on Russian oil companies, a key source of India’s crude supplies. Jaishankar posted a photograph on social media showing him smiling and shaking hands with Rubio, saying he “appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues”. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Malaysia, which US President Donald Trump attended in person and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed by video link. Modi had backtracked from his proposed visit to Kuala Lumpur to attend the Asean summit, with Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim saying that his Indian counterpart had cite...

Polluted winds drifting from India continue to smother Punjab’s major cities, propelling Lahore, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala to the top of global air pollution charts.

25 terrorists slain in N Waziristan, Kurram; 5 soldiers embrace martyrdom; Leaders vow to pursue Azm-e-Istehkam

Islamabad questions Kabul's sincerity over cross-border attacks

Rubio says ties with Pakistan not at India's expense

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