Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday launched its second nationwide polio vaccination campaign of the year, aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children under the age of five across the country. During the campaign, which will last until April 19, over 400,000 frontline health workers will go door to door across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad, ensuring that every child is vaccinated, including those in the most remote and high-risk areas. Vitamin A supplements will also be administered during the campaign to help strengthen children’s overall health and immunity. The drive is being carried out in coordination with Afghanistan as part of joint efforts to curb the cross-border spread of the virus. According to the head of the polio programme, Anwarul Haq, Pakistan has made significant progress. In 2026, the poliovirus has been detected in 23 of 87 districts, compared to 82 districts in 2025. The number of positive environmental samples has also d...

Pakistan has launched its second nationwide anti-polio campaign of 2026, according to health officials, as efforts intensify to eradicate the virus.

The US military said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian ports on Monday, after talks between the warring sides in Pakistan failed to produce an agreement, with President Donald Trump blaming the Islamic republic’s refusal to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Trump had announced on social media he would blockade the strategic Strait of Hormuz trading route that he has been demanding Tehran fully reopen, after his vice president, JD Vance left negotiations with an Iranian delegation in Islamabad on Sunday. The stall in talks dashed global hopes of a deal to permanently end the war that has killed thousands and thrown the global economy into turmoil since it began in late February. As negotiating teams flew out, mediator Pakistan said it would keep facilitating their dialogue and has called on both sides to honour the fragile two-week ceasefire struck last week that experts said could be put at risk by any maritime military blockade. “The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations en...

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb arrived in Washington on Monday to attend the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings 2026, the Ministry of Finance said. According to a statement, the minister is scheduled to hold key meetings with global financial leaders to advance “Pakistan’s reform agenda and economic priorities”. Aurangzeb departed for the United States on Saturday to participate in the high-level gathering, which will take place from April 13 to 18 in Washington, DC. The Spring Meetings bring together finance ministers, central bank governors, policymakers and development experts from around the world amid ongoing global economic uncertainty. As per an earlier statement, during his visit, the finance minister will “represent Pakistan at important events organised by the IMF and the World Bank Group”. At the conference, he is expected to engage with “leading academics, policymakers, and members of the Pakistani diaspora, and share Pakistan’s economic outlook, reform tra...

A survey conducted by the Institute for Public Opinion Research has reflected a largely positive public perception of the two-year performance of the Punjab government.

PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, Muhammad Sohail Afridi inspected living conditions of Afghan refugees in Hamza Baba Camp situated in Landi Kotal, district Khyber.

ISLAMABAD: A police search operation targeting Afghan residents in Islamabad turned violent when officers were attacked, resulting in injuries to four officers and the arrest of 23 people who now face terrorism charges, authorities said. The clash erupted in the Sarai Kharboza area when residents resisted the operation, according to an FIR filed at the Golra Police Station. The report, lodged by Assistant Sub-Inspector Saqib Mehmood, alleges that a group led by a suspect identified as Mubeen abducted a police official, held him inside a house, and then set the building on fire. Attackers also snatched a submachine gun from an officer and opened fire with the “intent to kill,” the formal complaint stated. The 23 individuals arrested in connection with the incident are being investigated under multiple statutes, including Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. A team from the Counter Terrorism Department has launched a wider operation to find and apprehend additional suspects who fled the scene, police said. In a...

• Govt mulls diversion from households, CNG and fertiliser • Minister warns unless additional gas diverted, tariffs may rise sharply or result in massive loadshedding ISLAMABAD: Domestic natural gas supply to the power sector is expected to at least double by the end of the current month to minimise tariff hikes and loadshedding, which have become inevitable following the non-availability of imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) and upcoming hike in summer consumption. Informed sources told Dawn that arrangements were being made on a war footing to increase gas supply to around 160-170 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) by end-April or early May, up from about 85-90mmcfd at present. An additional 20-25mmcfd could be diverted from the CNG sector, provided the government is able to sustain political pressure. Gas supplies to the fertiliser sector would be protected as far as possible, alongside vigilance on stocks due to a wide price gap between locally produced urea at Rs4,500 per bag and imported one at Rs15,0...

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday stormed the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem under heavy police protection. Citing the Jerusalem Governorate, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa said the incursion came amid an ongoing escalation of violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in East Jerusalem, as well as continued restrictions on worshippers’ access to the mosque. Such incursions by Ben-Gvir are typically carried out without prior public announcement. Israeli ministers are only permitted to enter the Al Aqsa compound with advance approval from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The minister has continued these provocations despite repeated Arab, Islamic, and international condemnations. Al Aqsa Mosque is the world’s third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times. Sunday’s raid comes after Israeli forces turned parts of East Jerusalem, including...

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday that any military vessels attempting to approach the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the two-week ceasefire with the US, and warned that it would be dealt with harshly and decisively. “The strait is under the control and smart management of Iran’s Navy,” the Guards said in a statement reported by Iranian state media, adding it is “open for the safe passage of non-military vessels in accordance with specific regulations”. The IRGC has also warned that enemies would be trapped in its “deadly vortex” in case of any miscalculation. “All traffic … is under the full control of the armed forces,” the Guards naval command said in a Persian language post on X. “The enemy will become trapped in a deadly vortex in the strait if it makes the wrong move,” it added, posting a video showing vessels in crosshairs. The IRGC’s warning came after US President Donald Trump, in a surprise announcement, said the United States Navy would begin the p...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged the United States and Iran to remain committed to a ceasefire after both countries ended historic face-to-face talks without an agreement on Sunday. “It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to the ceasefire,” Dar said in a press conference following the conclusion of the 21-hour marathon talks. Dar expressed Pakistan’s readiness to continue to play its role to “facilitate engagement and dialogue” between the US and Iran. He hoped that both sides would “continue with the positive spirit to achieve durable peace and prosperity for the entire region and beyond”. The foreign minister also thanked Iran and the US for following through on the ceasefire call by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and accepting the invitation for the Islamabad Talks. Dar stated that he, along with Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, “helped mediate several rounds of intense and constructive negotiations between...

Nationalist Viktor Orban, who has ruled Hungary for 16 years, on Sunday conceded defeat to conservative Peter Magyar in parliamentary elections. With votes in almost 67 per cent of precincts counted, Magyar’s party stood to have gained 137 seats, or more than two-thirds of all 199 parliamentary seats, according to official election results. The vote on Sunday was being closely watched across Europe and in the United States, with US President Donald Trump endorsing Orban, a self-described “thorn” in the European Union’s side and a defender of “illiberal democracy” who is also close to  Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The election results, though not yet final, are clear and understandable; for us, they are painful but unambiguous,” Orban, 62, told reporters. “We have not been entrusted with the responsibility and opportunity to govern. I congratulated the winning party,” he said. Magyar, 45, a political newcomer and former government insider, posed on social media that Orban “just called to congratulate us ...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to continue supporting diplomatic efforts for sustaining dialogue and promoting peace. His remarks came during telephonic conversations with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye after the conclusion of US-Iran talks in Islamabad on early Sunday morning. In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Dar had spoken with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal Bin Farhaan, today and shared developments regarding the Islamabad Talks. During the phone call, Dar “stressed the importance of all parties adhering to their ceasefire commitments,” the FO stated. Underscoring Pakistan’s role in facilitating the dialogue, Dar reaffirmed the “resolve to continue supporting all diplomatic efforts and sustain dialogue to promote peace and stability in the region and beyond,” the FO said. In his conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Dar briefed him on the Islamabad Talks and Pakistan’s contin...

The Global Sumud Flotilla left Barcelona symbolically for Gaza on Sunday, but delayed its departure into international waters due to adverse weather conditions, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition coordinator, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reported. “Due to weather conditions, our mission will sail from this port today, but will not be sailing to international waters because we cannot make this journey safely today,” said Thiago Avila. He added that the mission would proceed towards Gaza in phases, with possible delays depending on weather conditions along the route. “We are leaving here, going to Gaza in different steps, maybe sometimes having to stop a little bit to wait for the weather,” he said. He stressed that the convoy would remain flexible, adding that safety and technical requirements would determine movements at sea. The Global Sumud Flotilla was created to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, deliver humanitarian aid, and draw international attention to the situation in the enclave. The miss...

LAHORE - Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed authorities to complete all sewerage and rainwater drainage projects across Punjab before June, ordering round-the-clock work to ensure preparedness ahead of the upcoming monsoon season.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday expressed cautious optimism over the prospects of regional peace, with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar emphasizing the need for sustained dialogue between the United States and Iran following the conclusion of high-level talks in Islamabad.

Islamabad - The US has understood our logic and principles, and now it’s time for it to decide whether it can earn our trust or not, said Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Muhammad Baqir Ghalibaf on Sunday.

LAHORE - Punjab Minister for Housing and Ur­ban Development Bilal Yasin on Sunday visited var­ious areas of his constituency, where local elders and workers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) apprised him of civic issues and develop­ment-related concerns.

A historic meeting, 21 hours of negotiations, and one “final” offer. Yet, the high-level ‘Islamabad Talks’ between the United States and Iran ended inconclusively early Sunday morning. Although commentators and analysts say the dialogue was unlikely to end any other way, the heart wants what it wants, and the entire world sat on the edge of their seats, hoping for nothing short of a miracle. After a day and an entire night of talks, US Vice President JD Vance finally addressed journalists at a press briefing at 6:30am, where he announced the “bad news”. “We have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America,” he said, elaborating that Iran had chosen “not to accept our terms”. “We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance added. Shortly after, he flew back to the US. On the other hand, Iran’s Parl...

Italy’s Jannik Sinner dethroned defending champion Carlos Alcaraz ​7-6(5) 6-3 in Sunday’s Monte Carlo final to claim his first Masters title on clay and snatch back the world ‌number one ranking from the Spaniard. The victory capped a remarkable run for Sinner, who became just the second player to win the Sunshine Double and Monte Carlo in the same season — a feat previously achieved only by Novak Djokovic in 2015. It marked Sinner’s fourth consecutive Masters 1000 crown ​following triumphs in Paris, Indian Wells and Miami, and his eighth Masters title overall. “We came here just trying to ​get as many matches as possible before other big tournaments coming up. Today was a ⁠very high level from both of us,” Sinner said in an on-court interview. “It was a bit windy, breezy — completely ​different conditions the tournament has brought until today. “The result is amazing, getting back to number one means a lot to me. ​At the same time, as I always say, the ranking is secondary. I’m very happy to win at least one...