Pakistan

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PPP chief condemns US-Israel strikes on Iran; announces his party's support for budget

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Following new visa rules by the Trump administration, the United States Embassy in India on Monday asked all applicants for F, M, or J nonimmigrant visas to make their social public accounts public for vetting. US President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday ordered the resumption of student visa appointments but significantly tightened its social media vetting in a bid to identify any applicants who may be hostile towards the country, according to an internal State Department cable reviewed by Reuters. US consular officers are now required to conduct a “comprehensive and thorough vetting” of all student and exchange visitor applicants to identify those who “bear hostile attitudes toward our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles”, said the cable, which was dated June 18 and sent to US missions on Wednesday. In a post on X today, the US Embassy in India said: “Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the pr...

The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday strongly condemned a suicide bombing in Damascus the day prior, as the death toll from the attack rose to 25. At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood of the Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday, health authorities and security sources said. In a statement issued today, the FO said: “Pakistan strongly condemns the heinous suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood of Damascus, Syria, on June 22, 2025, which resulted in the loss of precious lives and left many injured. “Pakistan stands in full solidarity with the brotherly people of Syria in this hour of grief, and reaffirms its strong support for efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace and stability in the country.” Meanwhile, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported that the death toll rose to 25. The agency cited the country’s health ministry. Syria’s interior ministry on Sunday said the suicide bomber wa...

A Bangladesh government-appointed commission investigating hundreds of disappearances by the security forces under ousted premier Sheikh Hasina on Monday warned that the same “culture of impunity” continues. The Commission of Inquiry into Enforced Disappearances is probing abuses during the rule of Hasina, whose government was accused of widespread human rights abuses. That includes the extrajudicial killing of hundreds of political opponents and the unlawful abduction and disappearance of hundreds more. The commission was established by interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, 84, who is facing intense political pressure as parties jostle for power ahead of elections expected early next year. Bangladesh has a long history of military coups and the army retains a powerful role. “Enforced disappearances in Bangladesh were not isolated acts of wrongdoing, but the result of a politicised institutional machinery that condoned, normalised, and often rewarded such crimes,” the commission said, in a ...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Monday declared that he is ready to dissolve the provincial assembly if instructed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday arrived in the UAE for the upcoming 12th session of the Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) to be held in Abu Dhabi. The 12th session of Pak-UAE JMC is being held following a hiatus of 13 years after it was scheduled in October 2024. The last session was held in Islamabad from 6-7 November 2013. According to a statement by the Foreign Office (FO), Dar will lead the Pakistan delegation to the meeting scheduled on June 24. “The JMC serves as the highest institutionalised platform for bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE. The upcoming session will take forward the agenda of deepening strategic, economic and development cooperation between the two brotherly countries,” the statement said. It said that the delegation “will comprise secretaries and senior officials from key ministries including Economic Affairs, Commerce, Energy, Maritime Affairs and Interior”. “The UAE side will be led by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, D...

Oman issued a royal decree to become the first country in the Gulf to impose a personal income tax, its tax authority said on Sunday, as the small oil producer works to diversify its revenue stream. Oman, among the smaller Gulf economies, launched a medium-term fiscal programme in 2020 to reduce public debt, diversify revenue sources and spur economic growth, which has improved public finances. The sultanate, which still remains largely reliant on oil revenue, will impose a five per cent tax on taxable income for individuals earning over 42,000 Omani rials ($109,091) per year starting from 2028, according to the decree. “The law also includes deductions and exemptions that take into account the social situation in the Sultanate of Oman, such as education, healthcare, inheritance, zakat, donations, primary housing,” the country’s tax authority said in a statement. According to the state-run Oman News Agency (ONA), the plan also contributes to the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 by diversifying income sources an...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast monsoon rain across the country from Wednesday, June 25, the weather agency said in a statement. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. They are also vital for agriculture, and therefore the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security for South Asia’s nearly two billion people. According to the Met Office, “moist currents are penetrating upper and central parts of the country and likely to become intensified in next couple of days.” “A westerly wave is expected to approach upper parts on June 25 and likely to become significant on June 26,” it said. Under the influence of these meteorological conditions, Punjab is expected to receive rainfall and thundershowers with scattered heavy rains in Islamabad,Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Sial...

The United States President Donald Trump launched direct airstrikes targeting Iran’s main nuclear sites on Saturday, joining Israel’s war with Tehran in a flashpoint moment for the Middle East. This marked the first time since the Iranian revolution in 1979 that the US has deployed assets to target major facilities in the country. Iran denounced the US attacks as “lawless and criminal”, warning of “everlasting consequences” for which it said the US would be held fully responsible. In retaliation, Iran’s parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which approximately 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas supply passes. Global attention has now turned to Iran, with observers questioning whether it will escalate the conflict by targeting US interests, or heed President Trump’s call to negotiate — an offer which in practice means giving up all nuclear enrichment plans in Iran. Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Reza Amiri Moghadam has warned that Tehran could retaliate by striking ...

An emergency meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Monday reaffirmed Iran’s right to self-defence following the airstrikes by the United States on three nuclear facilities. After months of attacking Gaza — flattening homes, targeting hospitals, and starving a besieged population — Israel expanded its assault by launching wide-scale air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, military sites and private residences on June 13, killing top commanders, scientists and civilians. A day earlier, President Donald Trump said US air strikes “totally obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites, as Washington joined Israel’s war with Tehran in a flashpoint moment for the Middle East. The strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which came four days after Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s meeting with Trump and a day after the government said it decided to formally recommend Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for his role during the recent conflict with India, were condemned by Pakistan. A meet...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the formation of three specialized committees: the Digital Payments Innovation and Adoption Committee, the Digital Public Infrastructure Committee, and the Government Payments Committee to promote cashless economy across the country.

Former National Assembly Speaker and senior PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Monday criticized the opposition for disrupting Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s speech, saying such actions damage the dignity of Parliament and distract from important budget discussions.

Pakistan has urged the United Nations Security Council to unequivocally reject and condemn the attacks against Iran since 13th of this month, which are in clear contravention of international law and the UN Charter.

Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has announced a comprehensive code of conduct in consultation with Ulema and religious scholars of all schools of thought for maintaining peace and religious harmony during Muharram ul Haram.

The National Assembly descended into chaos on Monday as a physical altercation broke out between government and opposition lawmakers during a heated session.

Charges will be formally framed on the next hearing date against PTI workers involved in the November 26 protest, as per cases filed under anti-terrorism laws.

The Karachi Police ordered an investigation on Monday of alleged threats being made to boxer Aliya Soomro. Earlier this year, Soomro became the first Pakistani woman to win a world boxing title. She knocked out her opponent from Thailand in just 45 seconds in Bangkok to claim victory in the WBA Asia 105-pound category. A day ago, Soomro issued a video statement on her Instagram account, saying that she and her family were being harassed by an alleged facilitator of the Lyari gang war who was impersonating a media worker. “Don’t drag me into political and ethnic disputes and conflict between boxing institutions. Why is the entire machinery being used against me? My family and I are facing life threats,” she said. Soomro alleged that certain elements were “spreading unfounded information” against her, expressing fear that she could be physically harmed. She appealed to the Sindh police chief and other officials for protection and legal assistance. View this post on Instagram A statement issued today from the of...

In a historic moment for Pakistan, the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Prof.