Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman yesterday called for calm and constructive engagement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, emphasizing the need to end not only armed hostilities but also the war of words that fuels regional tensions.

ISLAMABAD - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday hosted an important briefing for representatives of foreign diplomatic missions based in Islamabad, focusing on the recent developments along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the measures taken by Pakistan to ensure peace, stability, and security in the region.

RAWALPINDI - An Anti-terrorism court (ATC) here on Tuesday issued non-bailable warrants of arrest for Aleema Khan, sister of Imran Khan – founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in a case related to November 26, 2024 protests.

RAWALPINDI - Rawat and Taxila police have registered two criminal cases against Saad Hussain Rizvi, chief of TLP and numerous other nominated and unidentified activists of the religious party for carrying out unlawful and violent protests in the city on October 13.

ISLAMABAD - Abid Zuberi Advocate citing the Supreme Court judgment in Practice and Procedure Act (PPA), 2023 case on Tuesday said that the Chief Justice of Pakistan has the power to form Full Court.

Islamabad - Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch on Tuesday appointed senior foreign service career officer Dr Tahir Andrabi as new spokesman of the foreign ministry.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Tuesday that the Palestinian people’s freedom, dignity and prosperity remain a primary concern for Pakistan.

Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached a staff-level agreement (SLA) on reviews of the implementation of the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and $1.1bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), the Fund said on Wednesday. Last week, an IMF mission led by Iva Petrova concluded talks with Pakistani authorities on the second review of the EFF — agreed in 2024 to shore up the economy after a severe financial crisis — and the first one of the RSF climate loan. “The IMF team has reached a staff-level agreement with the Pakistani authorities on the second review of the 37-month Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review of the 28-month arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF),“ Petrova said in a statement issued by the IMF. The SLA is subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, Petrova added. Once approved, Pakistan will have access to about $1bn (SDR 760 million) under the EFF and about $200m (SDR 154m) under th...

QUETTA - Balochistan Chief Minister (CM) Mir Sarfraz Bugti has issued a firm declaration that narcotics cultivation will not be tolerated anywhere in the province.

Fighting flared up again on Tuesday night between Pakistani forces and the Afghan Taliban in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reported state media. “Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij opened unprovoked fire in Kurram. Pakistani Army responded with full force and intensity,” reported state broadcaster PTV News, quoting security sources on X. Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. It added that Taliban regime posts suffered heavy damage and a tank caught fire after being hit, with Taliban fighters fleeing from their posts. In a subsequent post, PTV said: “Another post and tank position of the Afghan Taliban destroyed in Kurram sector.’’ PTV added that a fourth tank position at Shamsadar post was destroyed. “There are reports of the killing of an important commander of Fitna al-Khawarij in this important operation of the Pakistan Army.’’ Earlier today, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch gave...

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said on Tuesday that the government has decided to take a firm stand against the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), and that action against the protesters will be taken in a manner similar to that of May 9. Speaking to Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, the state minister said that since the formation of the current administration under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, TLP has attempted to march on Islamabad twice. “In every march, the government signed agreements with them; many of the terms of were not favourable for the state,” he said. However, he added, the state has taken a decisive stance. “We have to move forward and learn from past mistakes. We will not be blackmailed anymore. Those who bring extremism and violence into politics, whether it’s May 9, November 26, or the TLP dharnas, will not be tolerated. Action against them will be similar to what was taken after May 9,” he said, referring to the 2023 protests f...

Pakistan has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2026-2028 term, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday. The United Nations General Assembly also announced 13 other countries for the term beginning on January 1, 2026, namely: Angola, Chile, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, India, Iraq, Italy, Mauritius, Slovenia, South Africa, United Kingdom and Viet Nam. “My profound gratitude to all UN Member States for their support!” FM Dar said on X. “Pakistan’s election is a recognition of its strong credentials and contributions in strengthening the global human rights framework.” Dar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to work with the international community on the basis of “TRUCE”, i.e., tolerance, respect, universality, consensus-building, and engagement. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed delight at the development, saying it reflected Pakistan’s effective and active role at the United Nations. “We reaffirm Pakistan’s strong commitment to play an active r...

China’s foreign ministry has said that Pakistan keeps its strategic ally aware of its cooperation with the United States in the mining sector, and the two countries have maintained a “high-level strategic mutual trust and close communication”. “The two countries have maintained high-level strategic mutual trust and close communication on major issues concerning each other’s common interests. From what I’ve learned, the two countries have been in communication on Pakistan-US mining cooperation,” said spokesperson Lin Jian. US Strategic Metals, which signed a memorandum of understanding with Pakistan in September to invest rou­ghly $500 million to establish mineral processing and development facilities in the country, rece­ntly dispatched its first consignment of mineral samples to the US to advance the deal. The sample shipment, prepared locally in collaboration with the Frontier Works Organisation, includes antimony, copper concentrate, and rare earth elements such as neodymium and praseodymium. Pakistan also...

Pakistan has secured a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2026–2028 term, winning with a strong majority and reaffirming its role as an active participant in advancing the global human rights agenda.

A Levies constable deployed for the security of a polio team was killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on him in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district on Tuesday, according to the police. The attack comes a day after the government launched a nationwide polio eradication campaign, aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children. A special order was issued for the campaign, with the deployment of 285 police personnel across the country to provide security to the vaccination teams. According to Swat’s District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Umar Khan, the martyred Levies constable was performing his duty along with a polio team comprising two female health workers. “The workers were administering vaccines inside a house while the constable was standing guard outside when he was attacked,” he said. “The assailants fled the scene after the incident.” Khan added that police and law enforcement officials had reached the area and launched an investigation. “The area has been cordoned off, and a search operation i...

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