Pakistan

Islamabad - Pakistan and Turkiye have underscored the importance of further strengthening military cooperation between the two countries, with a particular focus on training and joint military exercises.

• Orders fast-tracking of Battery Energy Storage System project • Says demand for Pakistani products rising in Gulf markets • In a meeting with top Turkish judge Kadir Ozkaya, premier highlights growing judicial cooperation with Ankara ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that no electricity crisis had occurred and no disruption to the country’s exports had been witnessed despite disruptions in oil supply due to the Gulf war. “Despite disruptions in oil supply caused by regional tensions, no electricity crisis has emerged in the country owing to a significant share of renewable energy in electricity generation,” the prime minister said while presiding over a meeting on long-term energy planning and export strategy amid the current international situation. He also directed authorities to expedite work on the Battery Energy Storage System project. “Solar energy and other renewable energy sources are the future of the power sector,” he said, directing the formulation of a comprehensive nation...

• Families say victims hailed from Gujrat, Gujranwala regions; one survives • Over 80 migrants went missing after boat carrying 120 people sank in Mediterranean GUJRAT: After a boat carrying more than 100 migrants capsized off the coast of Italy on Sunday, at least 20 Pakistani nationals, hailing from Gujranwala and Gujrat regions, were said to be among dozens of victims who were lost at sea. According to the UN’s Int­er­national Organisation for Mig­ration, more than 80 migrants had gone missing when their boat capsized in the Central Mediterranean after departing from Tajoura Libya, with around 120 people onboard. 32 people were rescued and two bodies were found. Local sources said that at least 20 of the missing Pakistanis had been from Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad and Sialkot districts. At least six victims were from the Phalia tehsil of Mandi Bahauddin. About 11 people hailed from the Pindi Bhattian and Hafizabad tehsils of Hafizabad district, and one each from Gujranwala’s Noshehran Virkan and...

ISLAMABAD: In the first batch, Rs1.2 billion has been disbursed digitally to over 32,000 beneficiaries, including operators of buses, trucks, long-haul vehicles, and delivery vans under the PM Fuel Package 2026. The disbursement has been made through easypaisa digital bank, enabling fast, secure, and transparent transfer of financial assistance to millions of eligible citizens nationwide. Easypaisa is the first digital wallet to facilitate transfers to truck operators, and it will soon cover tank lorries, buses, and motorcycles. The initiative aims to provide relief amid rising fuel costs. Through the mobile wallet ecosystem, easypaisa enables real-time transfers directly to beneficiaries, enhancing financial inclusion and reducing dependency on traditional cash-based systems. “We are honored to partner with the Government of Pakistan in delivering timely financial relief to citizens,” said Jahanzeb Khan, President and Chief Executive Officer of easypaisa digital bank, in a statement. Meanwhile, Shaza Fatima,...

Pakistan on Wednesday announced that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, had agreed to an immediate ceasefire, including in Lebanon, effective immediately, and invited their delegations to Islamabad on April 10 for talks aimed at reaching a lasting settlement of disputes. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the ceasefire in an early-morning post on X, welcoming the move and extending his “deepest gratitude” to the leadership of both countries. Both sides have displayed “remarkable wisdom and understanding” and remained constructively engaged in furthering the cause of peace and stability, the prime minister said, expressing hope that the ‘Islamabad Talks’ would succeed in achieving sustainable peace and that more positive developments would follow in the coming days. The prime minister, who helped mediate the ceasefire, also invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad on April 10 to “hold further negotiations towards a conclusive agreement to se...

ISLAMABAD: A Senate committee on Tu­­esday directed the Ministry of Defence to conduct an impartial third-party inquiry into the alleged misconduct of Pakistan Interna­tional Airlines (PIA) cabin crew with a parliamentarian. The directive stems from a privilege motion moved by Senator Bilal Ahmad Khan Mandokhail on February 12, 2026, regarding alleged misconduct by Ms Saima Rana, a cabin crew member on PIA flight PK-326 from Quetta to Islamabad on February 7. The committee recalled that its recommendations issued on February 17, 2026, had called for grounding both the cabin crew member and the pilot involved. However, it observed that PIA failed to implement these directives. Senator Mandokhail expressed disappointment over the airline’s non-compliance, stating that the crew continued performing duties despite clear instructions. Incident occurred on flight PK-326 on February 7 The directives were issued during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges at Parliament House...

Pakistan on Tuesday condemned Iranian missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia’s energy facilities, terming the attacks as “a dangerous escalation” that undermined regional peace and stability. In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said, “The government of Pakistan expresses its deep concern and unequivocal condemnation of the missile and drone attacks carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran last night against energy facilities in the Eastern Region of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” The statement said that Pakistan also mourned the loss of life resulting from these attacks and “strongly deplores the damage inflicted on vital infrastructure”. The statement also conveyed Pakistan’s condolences to the families of the victims, adding that the country firmly stood in solidarity with the government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during this difficult time. “The government of Pakistan considers these attacks a serious violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and a dangerous ...

Democrats lawmakers in the US House of Representatives called on Republicans on Tuesday “to put patriotic duty over party loyalty and stop what they called “madness” after President Donald Trump, in his latest threat to Iran, warned of decimating an entire civilisation. Trump has given Iran until 8pm ET on April 8 in Washington — 3:30am in Tehran — to end its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and enter a deal with Washington or see the US destroy every bridge ‌and power plant in Iran. Earlier in the day, Trump renewed his threat, stating in a Truth Social post: “A whole ​civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.” In a joint statement, the House Democrats said that Trump’s threat that he will destroy “a whole civilisation” in Iran required a “decisive Congressional response”. “Donald Trump is completely unhinged. His statement, threatening to eradicate an entire civilisation, shocks the conscience and requires a decisive congressional respo...

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed regret on Tuesday that an attack by Israel on Iran set out events that “severely damaged the peace process” at a time when Washington and Tehran were close to coming to the table. His statement in the Senate came ahead of an 8pm ET deadline for April 8 that US President Donald Trump has given to Iran to enter a ceasefire agreement with Washington. Trump has warned of wider bombing on power plants and other critical infrastructure otherwise. Pakistan has positioned itself as a facilitator in the peace process between the two sides, leveraging its ties with the US and its working relationship with Iran. Addressing the Senate, Dar said Pakistan had been playing a proactive diplomatic role to reduce tensions, but recent developments had dealt a severe blow to peace efforts. “Just as both parties were close to sitting at the negotiating table, Israel attacked Iran, which led Iran to target oil installations in Saudi Arabia’s Jubail city. Thi...

WASHINGTON: Russia and China on Tuesday vetoed a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while Pakistan abstained. The draft resolution prepared by Bahrain, which underwent six revisions during negotiations to bridge differences among council members, received 11 votes in favour, two against and two abstentions. Bahrain, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Panama, Somalia, the United Kingdom and the United States voted in favour of the resolution. Russia and China voted against the measure, exercising their veto power as permanent members of the 15-nation UNSC, thereby blocking its adoption despite majority support. Pakistan and Colombia were the two countries that abstained from voting. Drafted by Bahrain in coordination with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and Jordan, the resolution strongly urged nations using the commercial route to coordinate defensive measures — including escorting merchant vessels — to...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque (Al-Haram Al-Sharif) by Israeli occupation forces.

ISLAMABAD - Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Tuesday told the National Assembly that all four provincial chief ministers have official aircraft, dismissing claims that Punjab’s Chief Minister is being singled out.

ISLAMABAD - Welcoming the suggestions by the opposition in the current critical scenario, Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday informed the National Assembly the economic impact of Middle East unrest could continue for further weeks.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday oversaw key agreements with Chinese companies for launching solar panel manufacturing in Lahore and sending 50,000 students to China for advanced vocational and industrial training.

ISLAMABAD - HE Dr Oumer Hussien Oba, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE), presented his Letters of Credence to HE Asif Ali Zardari, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, during an official ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Islamabad - While attending a commemorative event organised by High Commission of Rwanda in Islamabad on the 32nd anniversary of genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda, Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has described the tragedy as one of the darkest chapters in modern human history, where, in the span of just one hundred days, over a.

ISLAMABAD - Ambassador of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) to Pakistan, Choe Chang Man, visited the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Central Secretariat yesterday, where he held meetings with senior party leadership to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments.

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday directed jail authorities to arrange a meeting between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his counsel Barrister Salman Safdar.

ISLAMABAD - Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, COAS & CDF, presided over the 274th Corps Commanders’ Conference (CCC) at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

ISLAMABAD - A high-level meeting to review the implementation of measures regarding petroleum products, energy conservation, and austerity was held in Islamabad today with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in the chair.