Pakistan

Fatima Sana will lead Pakistan in the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday announced a 15-member squad for the tournament, as well as a tri-series featuring Ireland and the West Indies. According to a press release by the PCB, Pakistan will feature in a tri-series in Dublin from May 28 to June 4, where hosts Ireland and the West Indies are the other two participating teams. Pakistan is set to play four matches in the event. “The tournament will help Pakistan and the other two sides gear up for the 12-team ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place from June 12 to July 5,” the cricket board said. Among the 15 players selected by the Women’s National Selection Committee, Eyman Fatima, Natalia Pervaiz, Rameen Shamim, Saira Jabeen and Tasmia Rubab will feature in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time. It said 24-year-old Fatima, who will feature in her third ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, would captain the side for the second successive T20 World C...

Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China on May 19 for a two-day visit, hot on the heels of United States President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing, the Kremlin said on Saturday. During the trip, the Russian leader will discuss with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping how to “further strengthen the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between Moscow and Beijing, according to a Kremlin statement. Putin and Xi will “exchange views on key international and regional issues” and sign a joint declaration at the conclusion of their talks, it added. As part of the visit, Putin is also scheduled to discuss economic and trade cooperation with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The announcement of Putin’s trip comes just after Trump wrapped up on Friday the first visit to China by a US president in nearly a decade, with the grand reception belying a roster of unresolved trade and geopolitical tensions, including over the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Although Trump and Xi discussed the more than four-year-l...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building a peaceful, tolerant and inclusive society, saying Pakistan remained dedicated to ensuring dignity, equality and mutual respect for all citizens regardless of race, ethnicity or religion.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held separate engagements with Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov and senior US official Paul Kapur, focusing on bilateral ties, regional developments and diplomatic cooperation.

Alleged cocaine dealer Anmol alias “Pinky” on Thursday accused police of torture and fabricating cases against her during a hearing before a judicial magistrate in Karachi.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Abu Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, had been eliminated in an operation conducted by US and Nigerian forces. “Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield. “Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. He also thanked the Nigerian government for its partnership in the operation. Nigeria had earlier come under scrutiny from Trump who had said that Christians there were being persecuted, which the African nation’s government denies. The US had struck what it said were militant bases in northwestern Nigeria on Christmas Day last year, following Trump’s accusations. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and ...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday met a delegation from Egypt during which the two sides discussed promoting cooperation in the fields of security, counter-terrorism, combatting narcotics, cybercrime, and safe city initiatives, the interior ministry said. Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation between the interior ministries of the two countries, it said in a social media post on X. The delegation from Egypt’s interior ministry was led by Major General Magdy Helal and included Brigadier Essam Abu Al-Khair, Brigadier Engineer Mohamed Rady and Brigadier Dr Mohamed Mounir. The ministry said it was decided that cooperation would be enhanced between the National Police Academy and Egypt’s police academy for joint training of officers. “The visit of the Egyptian delegation will help explore new avenues of bilateral cooperation,” Naqvi was quoted as saying. He further said that practical steps would be taken to further strengthen the relations between the two countries, while a Pakistani delegation will v...

Indian veteran Virat Kohli said he has nothing left to prove and would consider playing the 2027 One-Day International (ODI) World Cup only if he can still contribute meaningfully. The 37-year-old, who retired from Twenty20 Internationals after India’s 2024 World Cup triumph and ended his 123-test career last year, is now active only in the ODI format. Kohli played 13 ODIs last year, scoring 651 runs, and returned to the Indian Premier League after last representing India in January. He has already struck one century in the current IPL season. Asked about his prospects for the 2027 World Cup, Kohli said he remains ready to represent India but would not pursue selection unless convinced he could add value. “If I can add value to the environment that I’m a part of and the environment feels like I can add value I’ll be seen,” Kohli said on a podcast of his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore. “When I arrive to play, I put my head down, I work as hard, if not harder, than anyone else. And I play the game in the ...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday appreciated IBI Group’s decision to establish its Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters in Pakistan and expressed satisfaction at the expanding business to business (B2B) cooperation between Pakistan and China.

QUETTA - Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during his visit to Quetta on Friday inaugurated 11 transformative public welfare and healthcare projects launched by the Balochistan government, including the province’s first-ever Air Ambulance Service and a state-of-the-art Trauma Center in Quetta —.

ISLAMABAD - The federal government has slightly reduced the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel prices by Rs 5 per litre each.

ISLAMABAD - In a stark reminder of the persistent security challenges emanating from the neighborhood, Russia has reiterated that Afghanistan remains a hub of global terrorism and cross-border narcotics trafficking, severely threatening the stability of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) region.

• Proposes Rs430bn new budgetary measures • Suggests 18pc hike in petroleum levy target • Asks provinces to mobilise extra Rs430bn • Links power tariff relief to BISP • Sees economic growth at 3.5pc • Estimates average inflation at 8.4pc • Seeks hike in BISP payment to Rs18,000 with 40pc population vulnerable ISLAMABAD: With Rs430 billion in new budgetary measures and an 18 per cent higher petroleum levy, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has targeted Pakistan’s federal revenues at Rs17.145 trillion for 2026-27, along with a series of administrative and policy measures committed by the government for the federal and provincial budgets to be passed by the parliament. In its staff report on completion of third review of $7bn Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and second review of $1.4bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), the fund has projected total federal revenues for FY27 at Rs17.144tr — over Rs2.03tr higher than the current fiscal year, up 13.5pc. The report showed that Pakistan had to commit and d...

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is set to depart for Baku on Saturday (today) for a three-day official visit to participate in the World Urban Forum, where she will present Punjab’s flagship affordable housing initiative on an international platform.

BAHAWALPUR: Following the revelations by cocaine trafficker Ms Anmol alias Pinki, who is in Karachi police’s custody, that one of her countrywide drug supply network’s member, Tahir Saleem, belonged to Hasilpur, Bahawalpur district, the district as well as regional police have swung into action to nab the suspect. The district and regional police officials in Bahawalpur confirmed to Dawn that Tahir Saleem hailed from Hasilpur and was allegedly a drug trafficker. District police spokesperson Naeem Ahmed confirmed to Dawn that Tahir Saleem was a resident of Chak No 16-Fordwah in Hasilpur tehsil. Quoting Hasilpur police officials, he said that Tahir later shifted to Chak 62-Fateh in Hasilpur tehsil, but he left the place too. According toHaji Saqib Ajmal, the PRO of the regional police officer, Tahir had moved to Lahore, where on Oct 27, 2019, a drug trafficking case (FIR No.1334/19) was registered against him at Liaquatabad police station of Lahore district, under the relevant sections of the Control of Narcoti...

QUETTA: Despite the passage of more than 48 hours, no clue has been found regarding the vice chancellor, pro-vice chancellor, and two other employees of Gwadar University who went missing while travelling to Quetta from the port city of Gwadar on Friday. Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Abdul Razzaq Sabir (Sitara-i-Imtiaz), Pro-Vice Cha­n­c­ellor Prof Dr Syed Manzoor Ahmed; VC’s staff officer Irshad Ahmed; and driver Hatim Ali left Gwadar on Wednesday morning in an official vehicle. They rem­ained in contact with their families until reaching the Mastung area, after which their mobile phones were switched off. After losing contact with them, the vice chancellor’s family informed the police and other authorities about their disappearance in the Mastung area. Police believe the educationists may have been abducted by unidentified individuals. Security forces launched an intelligence-based search operation and raided various suspected locations for the safe recovery of the senior officials of Gwadar University. However, ...

GILGIT: Preparations for a visit by Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, have reached fever pitch, prompting a large-scale mobilisation of federal and regional resources in Gilgit-Baltistan, officials said on Friday. Authorities have been directed to complete all arrangements for the visit, scheduled for May 21-25. Prince Rahim will be accorded the status of a state guest as he visits GB areas, attends public gatherings, and addresses different ceremonies. The plans were reviewed on Friday at a meeting, where Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, Amir Muqam, was briefed on the details. Officials anticipate large gatherings in the Passu Cones area of Hunza; Gilgit City, Gahkuch Bala, and Taus Yasin. The administration is considering holding multiple sessions at certain venues to manage the expected crowds, officials told the minister. For security and travel, the federal government has been requested to provide a bulletproof vehicle. Recommendations were also mad...

• Araghchi says uranium issue off the table for now • Pezeshkian seeks ‘strategic cooperation’ with Iraq • 11 Pakistanis, 20 Iranians being repatriated from US-seized ships, says Dar • Riyadh floats idea of non-aggression pact between Gulf nations, reports FT IRAN’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Friday hailed the country’s “courageous resistance” as having strengthened Tehran and making it better prepared to confront the United Stated, as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared the stockpile of enriched uranium was “not under negotiation”. In a statement marking National Persian Language Preservation Day, the supreme leader said Iran “has demonstrated during the recent sacred defence [against the US-Zionist invasion] that Ferdowsi’s legendary tales are a reality of their lives and a reflection of their heroic character,” Al Jazeera reported. Ayatollah Khamenei said, “Valiant, Quranic concepts” in the epic poem Shahnameh by poet Ferdowsi “unite all Iranian ethnicities and social strata in prese...

KARACHI: State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad on Friday revealed that the designs of new currency notes have been finalised and forwarded to the federal cabinet for approval. The SBP governor disclosed this while responding to a question about the delay in the introduction of new currency notes during his meeting with members of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Friday. In January 2024, the SBP had invited the general public to submit designs for new currency notes as it initiated the process of replacing the existing banknotes. According to the central bank, the new notes would have advanced security features and address the issue of counterfeit notes. The SBP had said that it was an “established practice” to introduce new banknotes every 15 to 20 years for security purposes. At the KCCI meeting, Jameel Ahmad clarified that exchange company rates are fully determined by market forces, and the State Bank has no direct role in setting exchange rates. He said progress was underway on the licens...

The federal government on Friday reduced petrol and diesel prices by Rs5, according to a notification issued by the Petroleum Division. According to the notification, the revised prices will take effect from May 16. Following the decrease, the price of petrol stands at Rs409.78 per litre and that of HSD at Rs409.58. Petrol is mostly used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers and has a direct bearing on the budget of the middle and lower-middle class. High-speed diesel is mainly used in the heavy transport sector and for large generators. The government has been revising petroleum prices every week on Friday night following the now-paused US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28. The war also led to a global fuel crunch caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s supply of oil and gas used to pass in peacetime. Last week, the government approved a hike of Rs14.92 per litre in petrol and Rs15 on HSD prices. After the US-Israeli war o...