Pakistan

Oil prices extended gains on Monday as efforts to end the Iran war appeared to have stalled, after a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates came under attack and as US President Donald Trump is expected to discuss military options on Iran. Brent crude futures climbed $2.01, or 1.84 per cent, to $111.27 a barrel by 0432 GMT, but were off the $112 they had touched earlier for their highest since May 5. US West Texas Intermediate crude stood at $107.75 a barrel, up $2.33, or 2.21pc, after a rise to $108.70, its highest since April 30. The front-month June contract expires on Tuesday. Both contracts gained more than 7pclast week as hopes dimmed for a peace deal to end ship attacks and seizures around the key waterway of the Strait of Hormuz. Last week’s talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended without an indication from the world’s top oil importer that it would help resolve the conflict unleashed by the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Drone attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia and rhetoric ...

Pakistan Army says India hasn’t learnt right lessons even after eight decades Threatening a sovereign nuclear neighbour with elimination is sheer bankruptcy of cognitive capacities Such geographic obliteration will certainly be mutual, comprehensive Delhi’s aggressive posturing stems from frustration.

Islamabad - The United States has described Pakistan as an important and key partner in global counterterrorism efforts, underscoring Islamabad’s growing significance as a “net regional stabilizer” amid evolving security challenges in South and Central Asia.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman yesterday described recent developments related to the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) as a significant legal and diplomatic affirmation of Pakistan’s principled stance.

President Aliyev appreciates Pakistan’s constructive and responsible diplomatic role in regional peace efforts, particularly in context of recent Iran-US tensions.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a phone call with his Qatari counterpart on Sunday and thanked the leadership of Qatar for its “strong endorsement and support of Pakistan-led peace efforts”. According to a statement shared by PM’s spokesperson for foreign media Mosharraf Zaidi on X, the premier had a “warm and cordial conversation” with Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani, and the two leaders exchanged views on the evolving regional and international situation. “The prime minister thanked the leadership of Qatar for its strong endorsement and support of Pakistan-led peace efforts aimed at de-escalation and promoting regional peace and stability,” the statement added. It said that PM Shehbaz expressed his “deep appreciation for Qatar’s constructive role in regional diplomacy and for building a consensus in support of ongoing mediation efforts”. Both leaders agreed on the need for continued close coordination and dialogue among all stakeholders to address common challenges, it added. ...

Islamabad and Baku are developing their ties under a trilateral framework involving Pakistan, Turkiye and Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday. The Azeri president met with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Baku, where CM Maryam arrived on a three-day visit on Saturday to represent Pakistan at the 13th UN World Urban Forum (WUF13). “President Ilham Aliyev also emphasised that Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations are currently developing within a trilateral framework involving Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Pakistan,” read a statement issued by the Azeri president’s office on the meeting. During the meeting, the two sides “commended the development of fraternal relations and strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Pakistan”. “They discussed cooperation in political, economic, diplomatic, defence, and other fields, while also highlighting the importance of interregional cooperation and the strong potential for further expanding trade ties,” the statement said. It was also highlighted during the meeting...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has termed Pakistan’s emergence as a key mediator between the US and Iran as a “shining moment in our history”, crediting the “political-military partnership” for the change in the country’s image internationally. The premier made these remarks during an interview with The Sunday Times, as Islamabad remained engaged in efforts for de-escalation between the US and Iran. “It’s one of the shining moments in our history. Pakistan is acknowledged worldwide as an honest mediator and as a country in which international leadership has full trust and faith. It’s our shining hour, and I feel a very proud Pakistani — as do 240 million Pakistanis,” he was quoted as saying in the interview published on Saturday night. The PM’s expressed optimism even as military pressure and fears of renewed confrontation continue to shape the conflict that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. While a deal for a complete end to the war is yet to happen, hostilities have largely ceased since...

QUETTA: The Balochistan government on Sunday imposed Section 144 across the province for a month. In a notification available with Dawn, the provincial government imposed a complete ban on gatherings of five or more than five persons, including sit-ins, processions, or rallies throughout the province for 30 days, effective immediately. The ban also extended to covering faces in public places, “particularly through the use of mufflers, masks, or any other means that obstruct identification”, as well as the display or use of weapons, pillion riding, tinted glasses on vehicles and using unregistered motorcycles. In light of the development, Special Assistant to the Home Department Babar Khan Yousafzai, in a statement, said that security had been placed on high alert. “If Fitna-al-Khawarij and Fitna-al-Hindustan make any attempt of any misadventure, they will be met with full force,” he said, adding that security forces remained ready to thwart such attempts and all institutions remained on high alert. The state ...

ISLAMABAD: The National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) has imposed a ban on the entry of vehicles loaded with sacrificial animals on motorways, according to an official statement released on Sunday. “Overloaded, unfit, and improperly loaded vehicles often lead to traffic congestion and serious road accidents,” the statement said. It added that such vehicles would be diverted to alternative routes. The statement said that several vehicles transporting animals had been involved in “serious accidents” in the past, resulting in significant loss of life and property. “Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have also been requested to establish check posts near motorway entry points and cattle markets to ensure the effective implementation of these measures,” it said. The statement said the initiative had been taken to “ensure the safety, security, and convenience of commuters travelling on motorways during the Eidul Azha season”.

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Pakistan expressed on Sunday “utmost satisfaction” over a supplemental award by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) that it said affirmed Islamabad’s position of the Indus Waters Treaty placing “substantive limits on India’s water-control capability” on Indus River system’s western rivers. The decision pertained to maximum pondage — a technical term for the maximum volume of water that could be stored in a reservoir — in Indus Waters Treaty proceedings arising from design disputes concerning the Ratle Hydroelectric Plant and the Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project in occupied Kashmir, a statement issued by the Pakistan government said. According to the statement, the supplemental award was issued on May 15. However, the decision has not been publicly shared by the PCA yet. Pakistan had first instituted arbitral proceedings against India regarding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in 2016. And while India continues to boycott the proceedings, the court shares its procedural updates and decisions with both India...

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