Pakistan

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi over the phone once again on Wednesday, the Foreign Office (FO) said. According to a post by the FO on social media, the two leaders “discussed regional developments and underscored the importance of dialogue and diplomacy”. They agreed to continue close engagement and coordination, the statement added. The two foreign ministers have engaged in multiple phone calls since the start of the new year. On January 29, in a phone call, Dar expressed concern over the evolving regional situation. Alongside that call, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also spoke with Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian on the same day, with the two leaders exchanging views on the “evolving regional situation”. Dar and Araghchi had also already spoken the weekend prior, when he received a call from the Iranian minister while on a visit to Dubai. Dar had expressed his hope for peace and stability in Iran in another phone call with the Iranian foreign...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held separate telephone conversations with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts on Tuesday to discuss regional and international developments, the Foreign Office said.

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday strongly condemned a statement made by Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai regarding the Pakistan Army, describing it as “irresponsible” and “distressing.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced a Rs10 billion allocation for the Frontier Corps (FC) to strengthen the force’s capacity-building and bolster security in Balochistan. Addressing FC headquarters during her visit to Balochistan on Tuesday, she paid tribute to those serving in Balochistan under difficult and dangerous circumstances. In her speech, which was aired on Wednesday, Maryam shared that she found out a few months ago that the FC required Rs10 billion for “capacity building”. “I was asked to contribute whatever Punjab could,” she stated. “I decided it was not a favour … it was a responsibility. I said we will provide them the entire Rs10bn.” The chief minister highlighted that the allocation aimed to enhance operational readiness and strengthen security efforts in Balochistan, particularly in light of recent threats and attacks. CM Maryam’s visit came in the wake of a spate of attacks across Balochistan on January 31, which brought parts of the restive province to a standstill for severa...

PESHAWAR: A major terrorist attack on a police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district was foiled on Wednesday, with security forces killing three attackers and injuring nine others. Terrorists launched a late-night assault on the Khonia Khel Police Post in the district’s Wazir sub-division with heavy weapons, intending to seize control of the facility. A large number of attackers attempted to surround the police post, however, police personnel deployed at the installation were alert and responded to the threat promptly. The effective response by the law enforcers forced the militants to retreat. On the directives of RPO Bannu Sajjad Khan and DPO Bannu Yasir Afridi, additional police contingents, along with Quick Response Force (QRF) and Rapid Response Force (RRF) units, were immediately dispatched to the scene, compelling the militants to flee. According to a press release issued by the police, three terrorists were killed and nine others were injured during the operation, dealing a significant blow to t...

Gold and silver prices rose on Wednesday as US Treasury bond yields fell after data showed December retail sales growth stalled, signalling a softening economy ahead of key jobs data. Lower US yields reduce the opportunity cost of holding non‑yielding assets such as gold, and they often accompany macroeconomic shifts, like expectations of slower growth or looser policy, that tend to support precious metals. Spot gold was 0.7 per cent higher at $5,057.23 per ounce by 04:23 GMT. US gold futures for April delivery gained 1pc to $5,081.40 per ounce. Spot silver was up 2.3pc at $82.56/oz, after falling more than 3pc in the previous session. “Over the last couple of weeks, (precious metals) became very dislocated from fundamentals, so it pretty much decoupled from interest rate policy. Yields being lower are obviously supportive of gold today,” said Kyle Rodda, a senior market analyst at Capital.com. US yields fell on Tuesday after a raft of data suggested the economy may be softening, giving the US Federal Reserve...

US President Donald Trump has now raised the tally of aircraft shot down during the May 2025 conflict between Pakistan and India to 10. The latest remarks by the US president came during an interview with Fox Business, which was aired on Wednesday. The host was praising Trump’s “reciprocity policy” in trade and using tariffs for that when the US president chimed in: “And that’s being very nice and gentle. Look, I settled eight wars. Out of the eight wars, at least six were settled because of tariffs.” Trump then explained: “In other words, I said, ‘if you don’t settle this war, I’m gonna charge you tariffs because I don’t wanna see people getting killed.’ And they said, ‘no, what does this have to do with it?’ I said, ‘you’re gonna be charged.’” “Like India and Pakistan would’ve been a nuclear war in my opinion. They were really going at it. Ten planes were shot down. They were going at it,” he added. Over the past 10 months, the US president has stated numerous times that aircraft were shot down during the c...

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has expressed strong displeasure over delays in scholarships, gas supply to Sui, and slow progress in local recruitments, emphasizing that public interest remains the top priority and locals have the first right over their resources.

The Government of Sindh on Wednesday informed the Constitutional Bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) that it has withdrawn detention orders issued under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has introduced a new online identity verification system, titled “Nishan-e-Pakistan”, aimed at modernising and streamlining the country’s verification processes through a single digital platform.

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has accepted the resignation of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal from the lower house of parliament.

WASHINGTON: The United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) office has removed a controversial map of India from its official X (formerly Twitter) account after Pakistan lodged a strong diplomatic protest over the depiction of internationally-recognised disputed territories as part of India, diplomatic sources told Dawn on Wednesday. The map, which accompanied a USTR press release announcing a framework for an interim US-India trade agreement, showed the entire Jammu and Kashmir region — including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan — within Indian boundaries. It also depicted China’s Aksai Chin region as part of India, despite the fact that the area is claimed by China and remains disputed. It was posted on the site on Friday evening, but had been removed by Monday evening, which was also the first working day after the weekend. Diplomatic sources said Pakistan conveyed its protest both to the US Embassy in Islamabad and to State Department officials in Washington, stressing that the map contradicted...

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has successfully conducted its major exercise, “Golden Eagle,” in the Southern Air Command, showcasing the force’s full spectrum of operational capabilities, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has been appointed as President of Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Sialkot Stallions, as the team also unveiled its official logo at a ceremony held in Lahore.

Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi has said that the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments are jointly working to restore sustainable and durable peace in the province and eliminate terrorism.

The Sindh government on Tuesday formally notified a single-member judicial commission to investigate the causes of the devastating fire at Gul Plaza.

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari yesterday said that Pakistan and Japan enjoy a relationship rooted in decades of trust, mutual respect, and consistent cooperation as the Japanese embassy hosted a reception marking the 66th birthday of His Majesty Emperor Naruhito of Japan.

• Sanctioned load to determine monthly bill regardless of use • Industry freed from cross-subsidy, govt tells hearing ISLAMABAD: The government on Tuesday reluctantly conceded that the industrial sector had, for the first time, been fully freed from cross-subsidy to compete globally, as it disclosed a higher-than-previously known financial impact of the newly imposed fixed charges on residential electricity consumers. At an almost one-way public hearing on Rs4.04 per unit average cut in power rates for industrial consumers and imposition of fixed charges on residential consumers, industrial consumers, power division and the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) were all praise for each other for a long overdue “great move” and “first step in the right direction”. No representative appeared on behalf of more than 28.5 million residential consumers who will be subject to the fixed charges. The power division team, led by Additional Secretary Mehfooz Bhatti and comprising the chief financial offic...

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