Pakistan

India and China have agreed to expedite the resumption of direct air services and step up communication, the two countries’ foreign ministries said on Friday, as Beijing and New Delhi continue to mend bilateral ties. The ministries’ statements came after a meeting on Thursday of Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, who is visiting India. The two countries reached an agreement in October regarding patrolling along their Himalayan border, thawing a standoff that began in 2020 and had strained bilateral ties, impacting areas from trade to technology to air travel. Sun said in the meeting that the two sides should properly handle disputes and differences, and jointly play a constructive role in maintaining international and regional peace and stability, according to the Chinese ministry’s statement. The two sides agreed to continue to stabilise and rebuild ties, the Indian ministry’s statement said. In January, the neighbours agreed to work on resolving trade and ec...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed all relevant authorities to provide every possible assistance for the safe return and protection of Pakistani Zaireen currently in Iran following Israel’s deadly strikes. Israel launched widescale strikes against Iran earlier today, saying it targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders and that this was the start of a “prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon”. Iran promised a harsh response and Israel said it was working to intercept about 100 drones launched towards Israeli territory in retaliation. In light of PM Shehbaz’s directives, a Crisis Management Cell has been established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to monitor the situation and coordinate efforts. The Pakistani Embassy in Iran has also been instructed to remain vigilant and actively assist the pilgrims. Earlier today, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar shared the embassy’s hotline number: (0098)-2166941388. The prime minister emphasised ...

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is expected to hold its policy rate on Monday, a Reuters poll showed, as many analysts shifted their previous view of a cut in the wake of Israel’s military strike on Iran, citing inflation risks from rising global commodity prices. Israel said on Friday (today) it targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders in a “preemptive strike” to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Several brokerages had initially expected a cut but revised their forecasts after the Israeli strikes sparked fears of a broader conflict. The escalating hostilities triggered a sharp spike in oil prices — a worry for Pakistan given the broader impact on imported inflation from a potentially prolonged conflict and tightening of crude supplies. Eleven of 14 respondents in a snap poll expected the SBP to leave the benchmark rate unchanged at 12 per cent. Two forecast a 100 basis-point cut and one predicted a 50 bps cut. “There remains an upside risk of a rise in gl...

Posts from multiple users on social media platform X on Friday shared a video amid the outbreak of Israeli attacks on Iran, claiming that it allegedly showed a missile attack on Tehran. However, the footage dates back to October 2024 and shows Iranian airstrikes on Israel’s Nevatim airbase. Israel launched widescale strikes against Iran, saying it targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders and that this was start of a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards corps said its top commander, Hossein Salami, was killed and state media reported that the unit’s headquarters in Tehran had been hit. Additionally, at least six nuclear scientists were also killed along with civilians, as per reports. Today, an Israeli X user posted a video of missile attack on an unidentified location, with the following caption: “Crazy documentation from Iran, dozens of periods at the same time.” The post was viewed nearly 30,000 times....

Amid escalating regional tensions following Israeli strikes on Iran, the Pakistan Airports Authority has confirmed that the country’s airspace remains fully operational and safe for international transit.

In the rugged heart of Pakistan's Karakoram Mountains, a quiet revolution is unfolding.

An Air India flight from Phuket in Thailand to India’s capital New Delhi received an onboard bomb threat on Friday and made an emergency landing on the island, airport authorities said. All 156 passengers on flight AI 379 had been escorted from the plane, in line with emergency plans, an Airports of Thailand official said. The aircraft took off from Phuket airport bound for the Indian capital at 9:30am (7:30am PKT) on Friday, but made a wide loop around the Andaman Sea and landed back on the southern Thai island, according to flight tracker Flightradar24. Screengrab of flight path of the affected flight. — FlightRadar24 The incident follows the crash of an Air India flight in Ahmedabad on Thursday shortly after takeoff, in which more than 265 people were killed. AOT did not provide details on the bomb threat. Air India did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Indian airlines and airports were inundated with hoax bomb threats last year, with nearly 1,000 hoax calls and messages received in the fir...

Israel appears ready to attack Iran, officials in US and Europe say — The New York Times, June 11 Israeli attack on Iran could come within days, US and Israeli officials say — The Wall Street Journal, June 12 Iran doubles down as US signals Israel could strike despite nuclear talks — Al Jazeera, June 12 Trump says he doesn’t want Israel to attack Iran, but strike ‘could very well happen’ — The Times of Israel, June 12 In a rather anticipated move, Israel on Friday launched widescale strikes on Iran, claiming that it targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories, and military commanders. In a message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacks were the beginning of a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Iranian media and witnesses reported explosions, including at the country’s main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, Reuters reported. Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards corps said its top commander, Hossein Salami, was killed, and state media report...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned Israel's airstrikes on Iran, calling them an unprovoked and deeply irresponsible act that threatens to escalate tensions in an already volatile region.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has adjusted its flight operations following Israel’s deadly military strikes on Iran, which targeted nuclear sites, missile facilities, and military leadership, including the reported killing of Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami.

The National Assembly of Pakistan on Friday unanimously passed a resolution condemning Israel’s military strike on Iran, expressing full solidarity with the Iranian people and government, and calling for urgent international intervention.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday struck down a notification issued by the caretaker Punjab government that had removed Nabeela Hakim Ali from the post of provincial ombudsperson for women, declaring the move unconstitutional and beyond the mandate of an interim administration.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday strongly condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Iran, denouncing them as a blatant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and international law.

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has announced the commencement of Fall Semester Admissions for 2025, scheduled to begin on July 1.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a weather advisory predicting a mix of weather conditions across Pakistan from June 13 to 18.

The Sindh Excise and Taxation Department has announced a temporary relaxation in biometric verification requirements for vehicle ownership transfers, allowing sellers to complete the process using only their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) until August 14.

RAWALPINDI/LAH­ORE: The sizzling heatw­a­­ve that has swept Pakistan over the past week may subside, as the Pakistan Meteorological Depart­m­ent (PMD) forecast gusty winds and rain in the northern and central parts of the country from Friday (today) to Monday. According to the PMD, moist currents are penetrating the upper parts of the country, and a westerly wave is also like­­ly to approach the upper parts on June 13. Under the influence of this weather system, dust storms, rain, and thundershowers (with isolated hailstorms) are expected in Azad Kash­mir, Gilgit-Baltis­tan, Murree, Galiyat, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Mala­kand, Ma­­nsehra, Batta­gram, Shan­g­­la, Kohistan, and Abbott­abad, with occasional gaps. Identical conditions are expected in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Cha­k­w­­al, Jhelum, Mianwali, Sargodha, Hafiz­abad, Ma­­n­di Bahauddin, Gujran­w­ala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Nar­o­wal, Lahore, Faisal­abad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Haripur, Peshawar, Mar­dan, Swabi, Nowshera, Charsadda, Bajaur, Moh­mand, Khyber, ...

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has declared null and void the Punjab caretaker government’s decision to remove Nabila Hakim Ali Khan from her position as Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace, restoring her to office with immediate effect. Justice Raheel Kamran issued a detailed 21-page judgement on a writ petition filed by Ms Khan, who had challenged her de-notification on Aug 4, 2023, on the grounds of lack of legal authority, procedural impropriety, and infringement of her guaranteed tenure. The petitioner was appointed for a fixed term of four years under the amended Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Amendment) Act, 2022. The judge held that no removal is permissible during the tenure except for proven misconduct or incapacity, and even then, only after due process, which was entirely absent in this case. The judge observed that the caretaker government lacked the authority to remove the ombudsperson, terming the act outside its limited constitution...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday thanked the leadership of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for its “constructive role” in helping defuse tensions during the recent conflict between Pakistan and India. During a meeting with UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, PM Shehbaz appreciated the Gulf state’s consistent efforts in promoting peace, dialogue and stability in the region. The high-level engagement took place as part of the prime minister’s day-long official visit to Abu Dhabi, aimed at reaffirming Pakistan’s gratitude to friendly nations that supported Islamabad’s position during its recent standoff with New Delhi. Tensions flared following what Islamabad termed a “false flag operation” by India in the mountainous resort town of Pahalgam. In the wake of the incident, both countries carried out missile and air strikes. According to Pakistan’s military, India lost six aircraft in the exchange, including a Rafale fighter jet. According to the Prime Ministe...

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Planning, Ahsan Iqbal, has said that as India has weaponized water and on the face New Delhi’s bad intentions, the government of Pakistan has decided to complete Di-amer-Bhasha and Mohmand hydropower projects on an emergency footing.