Pakistan

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday offered to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan to ease tensions, days after border clashes heightened friction between the two neighbours. On Sunday, 23 Pakistani troops were martyred and 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists were killed in border clashes following an attack from the Afghan side, according to the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). It said clashes began “on the night of Oct 11/12, 2025, after Afghan Taliban and India-sponsored Fitna-al-Khawarij launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan, along the Pak-Afghan border.” Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “In the past, I played a role in reducing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and I can do it now, too,” Fazl told reporters in Islamabad. The JUI-F chief, the only Pakistani political leader who has met the Taliban supreme leader, Shaikh Hibatullah, has an ...

The first Test between Pakistan and South Africa was set for a thrilling conclusion after rival spinners Noman Ali and Senuran Muthusamy wrought destruction on day three in Lahore on Tuesday. Muthusamy took a maiden 10-wicket match haul to help bowl Pakistan out for 167 in their second innings on another day dominated by spin to give South Africa a target of 277 for victory. But Noman, following up his 6-112 in the first innings, dismissed captain Aiden Markram for three and Wiaan Mulder (nought) to keep the visitors down to 51-2 at the close. Ryan Rickelton, 29 not out, and Tony de Zorzi, unbeaten on 16, fought till stumps with South Africa needing another 226 runs. Pakistan need eight wickets for a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. With the threatening spin duo of Noman and Sajid Khan the home team will fancy their chances, especially because no visiting team in Pakistan has ever chased more than the 220-8 Sri Lanka did in Rawalpindi in 2000. Pakistan head coach Azhar Ali was in buoyant mood. “We will defin...

Pakistan women’s all-rounder Syed Aroob Shah said on Tuesday that the team was looking to “perform better with the bat” ahead of the pivotal encounter with England in the ICC Women’s World Cup. Last week‘s defeat against Australia left their knockout hopes hanging by a thread as Pakistan registered three losses on the trot. A superb century from Beth Mooney dragged defending champions Australia back from the brink of disaster after being 76-7 before they completed a crushing 107-run win over the Green Shirts. “We’re working hard in the nets, and our main focus is for our batters to fight as much as possible on the ground. “It’s very important for us to post a big total — around 200+ — because that will increase our chances of winning. We’re working on this, and hopefully, in the next match, you’ll see us perform better,” the spin all-rounder said. She was answering a question about Pakistan’s batting struggles amidst high-scoring encounters in the rest of the tournament. The Green Shirts are yet to cross the ...

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has expressed his willingness to help defuse tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, saying he has successfully played a similar role in the past.

The Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) has announced the implementation of a new, modernized Curriculum 2024, replacing the previous syllabus with immediate effect.

Iran’s foreign ministry on Tuesday criticised US President Donald Trump’s call for dialogue, accusing Washington of “hostile and criminal behaviour” after his remarks to Israel’s parliament about being ready to strike a deal with Tehran. The ministry said in a statement that Trump’s call for peace is in conflict with his actions towards Iran. “Mr Trump can either be a President of Peace or a President of War, but he cannot be both at the same time,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a separate comment on X on Tuesday. In June, the US joined Israel in striking Iranian nuclear facilities after five rounds of indirect nuclear talks with Tehran that stalled over issues like domestic nuclear enrichment. The foreign minister reiterated his position that Tehran has always been open to “respectful and mutually beneficial diplomatic engagement”. US demands that Tehran stop enriching uranium were rejected earlier this year as “excessive and outrageous” by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said Teh...

Pakistan is poised to sign a staff-level agreement (SLA) on a review of its loan programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this week, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said. Last week, an IMF mission led by Iva Petrova concluded talks with Pakistani authorities on reviews of the implementation of the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and $1.1bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). The programme’s performance as of the end of June this year — the period under review — has been mixed. The mission left Pakistan without signing an SLA on the second review of the EFF — agreed in 2024 to shore up the economy after a severe financial crisis — and the first one of the RSF climate loan. However, the Fund said “significant progress” had been made towards reaching the staff deal. “During the course of this week, we’re hoping that we can get the SLA done,“ Aurangzeb told Reuters during an interview on the sidelines of the IMF World Bank annual meeting in Washington. “The mission was on the gro...

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the world had witnessed the genocide of Palestinians, describing the recent ceasefire in Gaza as a welcome but fragile development.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi clarified that he never refused to administer the oath and is fully committed to performing his constitutional responsibilities.

Lahore police announced that they have traced Hafiz Saad Rizvi and Anas Rizvi just a day after the two went into hiding.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday ordered the Karachi Zoo administration to move the female brown bear Rano to a sanctuary within 48 hours, amid uproar over her worsening condition. On October 7, a two-judge SHC bench directed the senior zoo director and Sindh Council for Conservation of Wildlife (SCCW) secretary to appear in court today along with a report about the health of the brown bear. Animal rights activist Jude Allen Pereira petitioned the SHC and submitted that he approached the court in the public interest to seek a declaration of recognition of animal cruelty to the female brown bear, currently confined at Karachi Zoo, in violation of relevant law. A two-member bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and including Justice Syed Fiazul Hassan Shah, resumed hearing the petition today. Justice Kalhoro expressed his anger at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). “How could the bear be kept in such conditions,” he asked, in reference to Rano’s condition, and ordered the handing over of...

Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Muhammad Ali Randhawa on Tuesday met with a delegation of architects and consultants from Baku, Azerbaijan, here, to discuss bilateral cooperation on the establishment of the Asan Khidmat Markaz — a one-stop citizen service center planned for Islamabad.

A day after experiencing a significant downturn, the Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark KSE-100 index rebounded by 7,000 points on Tuesday, recouping the previous day’s losses. Bearish sentiment had taken hold of the market on Monday, with the 100-Index plummeting 4,600 points, wiping out Rs534 billion from market capitalisation, amid rising tensions with Afghanistan, political instability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and violent protests in Punjab. The market had closed at 158,443 points, lower by 4,654 points, or 2.85 per cent. Today, the KSE-100 index surged 7,032.6 points, or 4.44pc, to close at 165,476.02 points. Of 483 active scrips, 391 advanced , 69 declined while 23 remained unchanged. Yousuf M. Farooq, director of research at Chase Securities, told Dawn.com that the market had rebounded today as “tensions with Afghanistan and domestic unrest following the breakup of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protests had eased overnight”. “After entering a corrective phase following the trade data released o...

The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFE&PT) is planning to expand and enhance the Pink Bus Service, which is a free-of-cost public transport facility for working women and girl students in Islamabad, to ensure wider accessibility, safety, and convenience for female commuters.

Pakistan’s federal authorities have ordered the immediate closure of all Afghan refugee camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, directing refugees to return to Afghanistan.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Tuesday dismissed the presence of an insurgency in the province, blaming “India-backed so-called separatist movements” for the worsening security situation. In recent months, Balochistan has witnessed a rise in terrorist attacks. The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in particular, has adopted new tactics to inflict higher casualties and directly target Pakistani security forces. Addressing participants of the 17th National Workshop in Quetta, the chief minister maintained that there was “no insurgency in Balochistan but so-called separatist movements” in the province. “The purpose of these anti-state elements is to harm and divide Pakistan,” he said. He added that the Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was behind the deterioration of the security situation in the province. “The Indian agency RAW has a clear role behind the deteriorating situation in Balochistan,” he said. “Separatists are pleased with India but want to harm Pakistan.” CM B...

Police have arrested 57 people in a crackdown against individuals accused of spreading unrest and propaganda on social media following the recent Muridke protest.

Police have filed cases against the leadership and workers of a religious party for holding protests in violation of Section 144 in Rawalpindi and Faisalabad.

Iran Air has announced the launch of its flight operations to Pakistan, beginning with a weekly direct flight between Mashhad and Lahore starting October 29, marking the resumption of air connectivity between the two cities.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reiterated his praise for United States President Donald Trump, stating that Pakistan would continue to “express admiration” for the American leader’s “unique contribution” to peace. The statement comes a day after Trump and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye had signed a declaration meant to cement a ceasefire in Gaza, hours after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners. PM Shehbaz had also attended the ceremony held at the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. At a later press conference, the US president had especially mentioned the premier and the army chief. In a post on X, the premier said: “As I board the plane to return home after the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, I want to share some reflections on the potentially transformational nature of what took place and why Pakistan has been so deeply involved.” He stated that Pakistan’s biggest priority was the “immediate cessation of the genocidal campaign imposed on Gaza”, which he said he ...