Pakistan

The interior ministry on Thursday directed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to investigate, in coordination with Cambridge International Education (CIE), the leaking of the latter’s exam papers. According to a handout issued by the interior ministry, the development came as Interior Secretary Muhammad Khurram Agha chaired a high-level meeting regarding the “alleged leakage of Cambridge examination papers” at the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control. A day earlier, CIE confirmed the leak of an AS-level Mathematics exam paper held on Tuesday and announced the postponement of another Mathematics paper scheduled for Friday (tomorrow). This was the second such incident it had confirmed during the ongoing session. However, the statement issued by the ministry mentioned the “alleged leakage of Cambridge O Level Mathematics examination papers”. Thursday’s meeting was attended by the Education Secretary Nadeem Mahbub, representatives from CIE, NCCIA Director General Syed Khurram Ali, represe...

The Election Commission of Pakistan has released the final list of candidates for the 2026 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections 2026, with a total of 403 candidates set to contest the polls.

Four people, including the Vice Chancellor and Pro Vice Chancellor of University of Gwadar, reportedly went missing while travelling from Gwadar to Quetta, officials said on Wednesday.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Thursday expressed alarm at the continued captivity of Pakistanis aboard an oil tanker seized by Somali pirates, demanding urgent action by the government and the relevant authorities. The MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged product tanker, was seized on April 21, approximately 30 nautical miles off Somalia’s Puntland region with 17 crew members aboard, 10 of them Pakistani. In a post on X, the HRCP said that it was “deeply alarmed by the continued captivity of the Pakistan crew members aboard the MT Honour 25 by Somali pirates and demands urgent action by the Pakistan government and all relevant international authorities”. The commission also expressed concern at reports over the living conditions of the hostages. “Reports that hostages are surviving on contaminated water and minimal food while their families endure severe psychological distress are unacceptable,” HRCP said. The human rights body stated that it stood in solidarity with “the families in Karachi prot...

Former Indian army chief Gen (retired) Manoj Naravane has supported the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) secretary general’s remarks calling for keeping the window for dialogue between Islamabad and New Delhi open. In an interview with Press Trust of India aired on Tuesday, RSS Secretary General Dattatreya Hosabale said there “should always be a window for dialogue” between Pakistan and India, terming people-to-people contacts as key to breaking the deadlock in ties. Responding to a query about how India should deal with Pakistan, Hosabale said, “If Pakistan is like a pinprick trying to create incidents like Pulwama, etc, we have to answer appropriately according to the situation because the security and self-respect of a country and nation have to be protected.” Over 40 Indian paramilitary troops were killed in the Pulwama attack in occupied Kashmir in 2019. India alleged that those who planned the attacks had links with the Pakistani state — a charge that Pakistan has vigorously denied. The RSS secretary g...

India, one of the world’s largest sugar producers, has banned exports of the key commodity until the end of September to ensure enough domestic supplies and prevent prices from rising. The government prohibited exports “with immediate effect”, according to an order issued late on Wednesday, other than limited exceptions, including consignments already in the pipeline. Exports under government deals for food security with other countries would also be allowed, the order said. The ban will stay in place until September 30. The move comes amid concerns that the country’s next sugar harvest, which starts around October, could be affected by a lower-than-average monsoon because of the El Nino weather pattern. The US-Iran war has strained India’s economy, heavily reliant on Middle Eastern energy supplies and fertiliser imports, and has cast uncertainty over New Delhi’s growth outlook. India’s sugar exports have fallen sharply since their peak in 2021-22, government data shows. Shipments reached a record 11 million ...

CHARSADDA: A constable, who was critically injured in an attack on a checkpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Charsadda last month, succumbed to his wounds, police said on Thursday. Charsadda police spokesperson Safiullah said Constable Sajjad Khan was injured when unidentified militants targeted the Azizabad checkpost with explosive material on April 22. He said the constable was taken to the hospital in a critical condition, where he remained under treatment before embracing martyrdom late on Wednesday night. Saifullah said that the constable’s funeral prayers were offered on Thursday morning with official honours at Police Lines Charsadda. A smartly turned-out police contingent saluted the martyr, while floral wreaths were laid on the coffin, he added. District Police Officer (DPO) Mohammad Waqas Khan, Superintendent Police Investigation Alamzeb Khan, Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Headquarters Anwar Khan, Counter Terrorism Department DSP Jamshed Khan, the relatives of the deceased and a large number of resid...

The United Arab Emirates said Thursday it “denies reports” that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the country, after Netanyahu’s office said he had met with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) president during the war with Iran. Netanyahu’s office said on Wednesday he had “paid a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates” during the war, “where he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan”. The announcement came a day after US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced that Israel had sent its Iron Dome air-defence systems, plus personnel to operate them, to the UAE during the war with Iran. While stopping short of confirming Huckabee’s comments, Netanyahu’s office said the visit “marked a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates”. The UAE did not directly deny any such visit, referring to “reports” of a visit. “The United Arab Emirates denies reports circulating regarding an alleged visit by Netanyahu to the UAE, or receiving any Isr...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed government’s commitment to providing better opportunities to youth in education, skill development, employment and entrepreneurship.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday briefed the visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission on Pakistan’s macroeconomic outlook, fiscal strategy, reform priorities, and the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure sustainable economic stability and long-term.

ISLAMABAD - The National Assembly (NA) saw a scuffle between opposition members from PTI over disagreement to suspend the running proceedings by pointing out lack of quorum in the House.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted mainly hot and dry weather across most parts of the country during the next 24 hours, with very hot conditions expected in Sindh.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday will chair the federal cabinet meeting.

LAHORE: Punjab has decided to include the four-day war between Pakistan and India — Marka-i-Haq — in the national curriculum and make films on it. The decision was taken in a meeting of the Information Steering Committee with Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari in the chair here on Wednesday. “To instil a spirit of patriotism among the younger generation, the content related to Marka-i-Haq will be incorporated into the academic curriculum. Besides, the programmes related to it (Marka-i-Haq) and national unity would be held in private educational institutions with the same enthusiasm as that of the public,” the minister said. The four-day armed conflict between Pakistan and India in May last year marked one of the most serious military escalations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in recent years. Tensions erupted after a militant attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based elements, an allegation Islamabad denied. Films on war narrative will also be prod...

ISLAMABAD - Chairman Senate of Pakistan Yousaf Raza Gillani hosted a reception in Prince Édouard de Ligne La Trémoïlle and Princess Isabella Orsini de Ligne La Trémoïlle of the Belgian Royal Family during their visit to Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD - US Assistant Secretary of State for Pakistan Affairs S.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday approved multi-billion-rupee development projects across Punjab under the district development plan, directing commissioners to ensure visible improvement on the ground and warning officials against “eyewash” instead of actual performance.

ISLAMABAD: With visa-free access to 30 countries, Pakistan’s passport has been ranked at the 100th spot in the world by the Henley Passport Index. The Henley Passport Index compares 199 different passports across 227 different travel destinations, and calculates the score based on the number of destinations that can be accessed visa-free. Over the past decade, Pakistan has remained close to the bottom of the rankings, although its position has steadily improved since 2021. In January, Pakistan’s rank improved to 98th, up from the 103rd spot in 2025. In the current rankings, only Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan have scored lower. In February 2026, Pakistani citizens had access to 32 destinations, up from 31 in January following the reinstatement of The Gambia. However, the latest May ranking reduces the total to 30 destinations, highlighting ongoing adjustments in global visa policies and bilateral travel arrangements. The list is dominated by Asian countries, with Singapore retaining its position, while Japan, So...

• Aurangzeb, mission discusses revenue targets, tax measures, reforms, fiscal strategy • Lender stresses need for fiscal discipline • Minister heads to China for Panda bond launch ISLAMA­BAD / KARACHI: Pakistan has received fresh inflows of $1.3 billion from the Interna­tional Mon­e­t­ary Fund (IMF), which has pushed the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) foreign exchange reserves above $17bn and closer to the central bank’s target of $18bn. Meanwhile, a visiting IMF mission on Wednesday began a pre-budget review of Pakistan’s economy, focusing on revenue collection targets, proposed tax measures, reforms and the fiscal strategy for 2026-27. The Fund approved special drawing rights (SDR) worth 760 million for Pakistan under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and SDR 154 million under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). “The SBP has received SDR 914m (equivalent to about $1.3bn) under the EFF and RSF in value dated May 12, 2026, from the IMF,” the central bank said on Wednesday. The SBP’s foreign exch­...

ISLAMABAD: PTI on Wednesday defended MNA Iqbal Afridi’s son, who surrendered his passport and sought asylum in a European country, saying he had no other option left to prevent detention and harassment. The matter came to light during a recent meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior, where State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry alleged that MNA Iqbal Afridi’s son had sought asylum in Italy. The minister had alleged that the young man held a diplomatic passport, and proceeded to Italy via a European nation that does not require Pakistanis who hold official passports to obtain a visa before arrival. Talking to Dawn, Sheikh Waqas Akram, the information secretary of PTI, said he had personally spoken to Afridi about the issue. “Afridi’s son is 28-year-old so he does not carry a diplomatic passport. According to rules, only dependents, which include children below 18 years and spouses of MNAs, can carry a diplomatic passport,” he said. Waqas further claimed that Afridi’s son travelled t...