Pakistan

IT IS strategically possible for Dhaka to join a regional bloc with Paki­stan at some point — one that does not include India — unlike other South Asian states, a top Ban­gladeshi official said on Wednesday. The state-owned Bang­ladesh Sangbad Sangstha news agency quoted Dha­ka’s Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain as saying: “It is possible for us (Bang­ladesh) strategically … (but) it is not possible for Nepal or Bhutan to form a grouping with Pakistan excluding India”. His remarks are being interpreted as a response to a statement by Pakis­tan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the recent ‘Islamabad Conclave’, where he had said a trilateral initiative involving Bangladesh, China and Pakistan had begun and may expand to include countries within and beyond the region. According to the Bang­ladeshi outlet, Mr Hossain said Mr Dar “has said something, and perhaps at some point this could see some progress”. In August, Foreign Minister Dar visited Bangladesh for the first time in 13 years. PM Shehbaz Sharif and Bangl...

The United States has approved the sale of advanced technology and support for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets, valued at $686 million, according to a letter the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) sent to Congress on December 8. The package includes Link–16 systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics updates, training, and comprehensive logistical support. The DSCA letter makes clear the rationale for the sale, stating that it “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations.” The proposed sale is also aimed at modernising Pakistan’s F-16 fleet and addressing operational safety concerns. The letter notes that it will “maintain Pakistan’s capability to meet current and future threats by updating and refurbishing its Block–52 and Mid Life Upgrade F–16 fleet.” These updates will provide more “seamless integ...

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Says progress hinges on terror elimination; CDF Munir urges Ulema to help foster unity

PM's aide says things have reached a point of no return

Demands access to PTI founder; condemns police action against party leaders, workers and Imran's family members

Says PPP cannot be accused of being a beneficiary of Form 47

It takes a village to raise a child, and, in the case of Hamza Asif, it took a village to raise a national record holder. The “village” in question is Faisalabad, where Hamza is already something of a local celebrity. Most of Pakistan’s top swimmers were produced by Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, and then international quarters far and wide. Hamza’s roots came to the forefront when his triumph in the 50m freestyle in 2023 earned him the nickname of “The Rocket” since the event denotes the fastest aquatic Pakistani. It was in Faisalabad where he was shuttled to and from 5am swim practices by his grandparents, nurtured by Imran Nazir at the Chenab Club. When he began swimming at the age of six, it was his mother who would pace the edge of the pool teaching him the basics of the sport, much to the disapproval of conservative men who were uncomfortable by her presence. It did not faze her. The country’s textile hub does not have a 50m pool, whose single lap he completed in historic fashion on Wednesday afternoon ...

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At the 35th National Games, the story of sport has so often been of sheer will against long odds. But on Wednesday, the narrative splintered into two distinct, dazzling truths: one written in the chronometric perfection of chlorinated water, the other etched in the sun-baked sand of the long jump pit. In the pool, a digital clock froze at a number never before seen in Pakistan: 29.99 seconds. On the track, a measuring tape confirmed a distance of 5.52 metres, sealing a historic triple crown. The fourth day of the competitions belonged to 19-year-old swimmer Hamza Asif, who shattered a time barrier and a 26-year-old Olympian who shattered expectations, proving that national sporting history can be made in parallel universes. The sun played the role of spotlight over the swimming arena, its zenith aligning with the men’s 50m breaststroke final. The audience was on its feet, phone cameras held horizontally. In lane six was Rayan Awan, the national record holder in the event. The buzzer sounded. Seven swimmers fl...

United States President Donald Trump’s administration plans to order visa-exempt foreign tourists to disclose their social media histories from the last five years before entering the country, according to an official notice. The proposal, laid out in a notice published on Tuesday in the Federal Register, would apply to visitors from 42 countries, including Britain, France, Australia and Japan, who do not need a visa to enter the United States. Currently, those travellers only need to apply for a waiver known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), which still requires them to provide certain personal details. Under the proposed new rules, the collection of social media data would become a “mandatory” part of ESTA applications. Applicants would need to provide their social media histories from the last five years, according to the notice. They would also have to submit other “high-value data fields” including phone numbers from the last five years, email addresses from the past decade, perso...

In a strange development, the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) announced on Wednesday that Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other Meta services will experience slow performance for 36 hours starting after midnight on December 11. The company stated in a customer advisory that due to maintenance activity from 1am on Thursday till 1pm on Friday, Meta services will face degradation as engineers carry out planned technical upgrades. Meanwhile, an official representing PTCL said that, as the country’s key internet and backend service provider, the company has received user complaints about slower performance or intermittent outages of these services. Meta has not provided any details regarding the nature of the maintenance or whether it would affect all regions uniformly. The ‘Meta AI’ tool has disowned any maintenance notice and information regarding service degradation on Facebook, Instagram or other Meta services. It added, “Meta (formerly Facebook) does perform scheduled maintenance, but che...

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday said the PTI cannot differentiate between “anti-establishment and anti-army” politics, highlighting that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif always engaged in the former and not the latter. Yesterday, the Punjab Assembly adopted a resolution to ban incarcerated PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his party for being “anti-state”. Last week, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry assailed Imran for creating and spreading an “anti-army” rhetoric, stating that such narratives were now out of the realm of politics and had become a “national security threat”. “People hate the establishment, but they love Pakistan and its army. The PTI’s narrative against the army and its leadership is creating political damage for them and could cause the party irreparable harm,” said Sanaullah while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’. He added that MQM founder Altaf Hussain’s hours-long ...

LAHORE - Punjab will officially revive one of South Asia’s most vibrant spring festivals next month, as the govern­ment lifted the a ban of more than a decade on Basant, the centuries-old kite-flying celebration once halted after deadly incidents caused by ra­zor-sharp kite strings.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a productive meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Wednes­day during his visit to Brussels.

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared that safeguarding married male and female government employees from transfers that disrupt their family life is a responsibility of the State.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Wednesday said Pakistan and Türkiye are “all-weather, time-tested friends,” stress­ing that the historic ties between the two brotherly nations continue to strengthen across multiple sectors.

ISLAMABAD - The United States on Wednesday approved a landmark financing package of $1.

The United States has approved the sale of advanced technology and support for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets, valued at $686 million, according to a letter the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) sent to Congress on December 8. The package includes Link–16 systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics updates, training, and comprehensive logistical support. The DSCA letter makes clear the rationale for the sale, stating that it “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations.” The proposed sale is also aimed at modernising Pakistan’s F-16 fleet and addressing operational safety concerns. The letter notes that it will “maintain Pakistan’s capability to meet current and future threats by updating and refurbishing its Block–52 and Mid Life Upgrade F–16 fleet.” These updates will provide more “seamless integ...

Shazia Marri alleges PML-N, PTI 'collusion'