Pakistan

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) posted a pre-tax profit in the first half of 2025, which a company source said is its first such for the period in about two decades, ahead of a planned sale of the national carrier later this year. The PIA, part of the PIA Holding Company, recorded a pre-tax profit of Rs11.5 billion ($40.64 million) in the six months to June, compared with the same period in 2024 when it remained in a loss before taxes and only managed a rare annual profit through deferred tax adjustments. Net profit for the current half year stood at Rs6.8bn. The disclosure comes as Islamabad presses ahead with a fresh attempt to privatise the airline, a key condition under Pakistan’s $7bn IMF bailout. A company source said it was the state-run airline’s first such profit since 2004. Financial records before 2014 are no longer publicly available on the airline’s and the stock exchange’s websites. The planned sale of the PIA would mark the country’s first major privatisation in about two decades, wit...

The country’s debt trajectory “is more sustainable today than suggested by headline rupee figures”, the finance ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, citing its continued focus on debt-to-GDP reduction, early repayments, lower interest costs and a stronger external account. It asserted that it continued to centre its debt management strategy on aligning public debt-to-GDP ratio to the Debt Limitation Act, which provides for the reduction of federal fiscal deficit and debt-to-GDP ratio to a prudent level by effective public debt management. Moreover, the strategy considered “minimising refinancing and rollover risks while generating interest savings to support sustainable public finances”, the ministry said. According to latest data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the country’s total government debt has increased by Rs9 trillion in just one year up to June 2025, with domestic debt representing the ma­­jority of this increase. As per SBP, the total government debt in­­creased from Rs68.91 trillion in ...

Posts from multiple Indian users on social media platform X on Monday were sharing the post of an account allegedly belonging to Zimbabwean cricket referee and former player Andy Pycroft, saying he stood by his decision that raised controversy in the Asia Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan and criticised the latter’s players. However, the account is fake. Pakistan lodged a complaint a day ago with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over Pycroft’s conduct during the Asia Cup clash with India, as political tensions between the neighbours spilt onto the field. India beat Pakistan by seven wickets in Dubai on Sunday in the first meeting between the two sides since a four-day military conflict in May. The match, overseen by Pycroft, passed without incident but ended without the customary handshakes, intensifying the rancour between the two camps. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) alleged that Pycroft told captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav before the toss. No...

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Atta Tarar has accused India of extending its irresponsible behavior into the sporting arena.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a high-risk alert for dengue fever outbreaks between September 20 and early December 2025, warning that favorable weather conditions and widespread flooding could trigger large-scale transmission across the country.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, on Tuesday, stressed the need for serious reforms in the multilateral system, emphasised that the UN Security Council must evolve mechanisms to enforce its resolutions through physical actions or interventions.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has dismissed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) complaint seeking the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the ongoing Asia Cup over a dispute during the recent Pakistan-India match, Indian media outlets claimed on Tuesday. The PCB had yesterday lodged a complaint with the ICC against Pycroft over his alleged violations of rules pertaining to the “Spirit of Cricket“, with the board claiming that the referee had asked the Pakistan and India captains “not to shake hands at the time of the toss” for Sunday’s match. “Late last night, ICC had sent a reply to PCB stating that Pycroft won’t be removed and their plea has been rejected,” an unnamed ICC source told the Press Trust of India. However, Cricbuzz reported, “When contacted, the PCB has denied receiving any communication from the ICC.” The PCB has yet to issue an official statement on the development. The Times of India (TOI) reported it was “actually the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) officials on the ground who in...

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the appeal of a convict in the murder of his mother-in-law and father-in-law, upholding the life imprisonment awarded by the Lahore High Court.

Floodwaters in Punjab have begun to recede, but restoration work remains stalled, leaving homes, crops, and infrastructure in ruins across several districts.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a high-risk dengue outbreak alert for the period between September 20 and early December 2025, warning that post-monsoon weather patterns combined with widespread flooding have created ideal conditions for the spread of the virus.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani in Doha on Tuesday and reaffirmed Pakistan’s “all-out support and solidarity” for the Gulf state after last week’s Israeli attack on its capital. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha, where leaders from the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) yesterday called for a review of ties with Israel following its deadly strike on Hamas members in the Qatari capital as they discussed a Gaza ceasefire proposal. “While reaffirming Pakistan’s all-out support and solidarity with Qatar at this critical time, the prime minister termed Israel’s attack of September 9, a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as a serious breach of international law,” read a press release issued today by the government-run Press Information Department (PID). Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed A...

Pakistan has “very large” and “effective” armed forces that have proven their capabilities in conventional warfare, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said during an interview to Al Jazeera when asked about the possible position Islamabad would take in case a united body in the Middle East was formed to stop Israeli aggression. The interview, recorded ahead of an Arab-Islamic summit on Israel’s recent strikes in Qatar and published late on Monday night, saw Dar in conversation with Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javed. who asked the foreign minister if the formation of a united body in the Middle East, away from the United Nations structure, to intervene in Gaza was an option on the table. To that, Dar began his response by mentioning that “vis a vis UN Security Council, a mechanism could be chalked out”. “For example, they have [imposed] very serious sanctions on countries that don’t listen to them. And that is a very severe economic dent or pain they can cause to any country.” He then went on to say that there had been tal...

An Afghan man was sentenced to life in prison by a German court on Tuesday for a knife attack that killed a police officer and injured five others at an anti-Islam rally last year. The verdict comes at a time of heated debate about immigration and security in Germany, and a strong surge in support for the country’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The defendant, named only as Sulaiman A to protect his privacy, was found guilty of using a large hunting knife to attack people during a demonstration in the western city of Mannheim that was organised by the anti-Islam group Pax Europa in late May 2024. Sulaiman A attacked a speaker and several demonstrators at the event before stabbing a police officer who rushed in to help. The officer later succumbed to his injuries. The attacker was taken into pre-trial custody in June 2024 after leaving intensive care for injuries he sustained during his arrest. Though prosecutors say he sympathised with the Islamic State group, he was not tried as a terrorist. ...

The suspect accused of assassinating right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in Utah wrote a text message before the shooting that he planned to kill Kirk, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Monday. In an appearance on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” Patel said investigators believe Tyler Robinson also wrote a physical note saying he had the “opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk” and would do so. The note was destroyed, Patel said, but investigators have collected forensic evidence that it had existed and confirmed its contents through interviews. Patel did not say who had received the text message or whether anyone had seen the written note before the attack. Investigators have not publicly identified a motive. Law enforcement authorities have said they believe Robinson acted alone when he shot Kirk, but are investigating whether anyone else had a role in plotting the killing. Separately, the Washington Post reported on Monday that Robinson had sent a message via the online platform Discord to friends, apparently confessin...

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial has dismissed reports alleging a Rs100 billion loss under the Faceless Customs System, calling them “baseless and misleading.

Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to providing relief during natural disasters and emergencies, ensuring that no citizen is left unaided in times of crisis.

Water officials on Tuesday reported a high flood in the Indus River at Sukkur and Guddu barrages, while Kotri Barrage is currently experiencing a low flood.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has underscored the need for unity within the Muslim Ummah in the face of repeated Israeli provocations, urging that Israel’s aggression in the Middle East be halted immediately.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to construct a new “KP House” in the Makhnial area of Haripur district, located just 15 kilometers from Islamabad.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, in her message on the occasion of World Ozone Day, stressed the importance of protecting the ozone layer, calling it humanity’s vital duty.