Pakistan

As gravediggers prepared new burial plots for those killed in the US-Israeli attack on Iran, Marzia Razaei wept for her son Arfan Shamei, who died in a blast at a military training camp days before he was due home on leave. The war that began on February 28 with a blitz of air strikes on Tehran and other cities has killed more than 1,300 Iranians so far, according to Iranian officials, and plunged the Middle East into crisis. Marzia Rezaei reacts while standing near the grave of her son, Erfan, who was killed in strikes, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, at Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, in Tehran, Iran, March 16, 2026. — Reuters Tears streamed down Razaei’s face and she stared vacantly, hugging a large portrait of Shamei, 23, her voice breaking with grief as she recalled her last conversation with him when they discussed his coming trip back home to his family. “I hadn’t seen him for two months,” she said, adding that his last day before heading home was meant to have been Monday, the day Reuters met her....

WASHINGTON: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for three months, with all 15 members — including Pakistan — voting in favour. The mandate will now run from March 16 to June 17, marking a departure from UNAMA’s customary one-year renewal amid differences among council members over the duration of the extension. Explaining its vote, Islamabad said it supported the extension because UNAMA played a vital role in promoting “peace, security and stability in Afghanistan,” warning that the country faces an “exponential rise in the threat of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.” Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, stated: “Pakistan supports UNAMA in promoting peace, security and stability in Afghanistan which confronts multiple challenges, particularly the increasing threat of terrorism, human rights, narcotics and diminishing humanitarian ...

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday thanked the government and people of Pakistan for extending their “strong solidarity and support” with Iran and its people who he said were facing aggression from the United States and Israel. In a post in Urdu on X, Araghchi said: “On this blessed, divine, and spiritual day and hour, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for their strong expression of solidarity and support with the people and government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the face of the aggression by America and the Zionist regime.” Araghchi added that Iran stood with “steadfastness and perseverance in defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, with complete reliance on Allah Almighty”. His post comes amid an ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The strikes also assassinated Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliatory strikes, Iran has targeted US assets and bases in Gulf...

RAHIM YAR KHAN: At least seven women died and several others were injured on Monday when the roof of a shop collapsed in Rahim Yar Khan’s Chak 123-P Tibba locality. A statement issued by the district administration said the incident occurred at 10:39am when beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) had gathered at the grocery store that housed a retailer for BISP payments. The statement confirmed that seven women lost their lives in the incident and several others had been injured. The death toll was also confirmed by Rescue 1122, which said 75 people had been injured in the incident. The district administration’s statement quoted Divisional Commissioner Musarrat Jabeen as stating that an investigation was being conducted, and if it was found that the roof collapsed due to anyone’s negligence, strict legal action would be taken against those responsible. The statement also said that an investigation committee had been constituted, which was led by the additional deputy commissioner (general...

Jemima Goldsmith, the former spouse of PTI founder Imran Khan, made a “direct appeal” to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday to allow her sons, Kasim Khan and Suleiman Khan, to meet their incarcerated father. Kasim and his older brother Suleiman live in London with their mother and will have to travel to Pakistan to meet Imran, who is imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail. Jemima said in a post on X: “My sons Sulaiman and Kasim Khan applied for visas in January (again… ) to allow them to visit their father, Imran Khan, in Pakistan. The Pakistan consulate states that online visa processing normally takes 7–10 working days. It has now been 60 days.” She said the delay in the issuance of visas was despite Defence Minister Khawaja Asif publicly “promising that they (Kasim and Suleiman) could safely travel there to see their father after four years”. She added that PM’s spokesperson for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, had made a similar commitment. “Meanwhile, they (Kasim and Suleiman) are not allowed to spea...

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to review the latest regional developments.

KARACHI: The country’s current account has recorded a surplus of $479 million in February, leading to a substantial decrease in the current account deficit for the ongoing fiscal year. According to details shared by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday, the country’s current account has posted a surplus in the first two months of the calendar year 2026, after recording a deficit of $244m in December 2025. In the first two quarters of FY26, the current account was in deficit against a $1.9 billion surplus recorded in FY25. The current account deficit — which has been a long-standing issue facing Pakistan’s economy — has been addressed by a significant reduction in imports, which has resulted in a surplus. But, low imports have affected the gross domestic product (GDP) growth as it hardly reached 3 per cent in FY25. In the first quarter of FY26, from July to Sept 2025, the current account deficit was $737m, while in the second quarter, from October to December 2025, the deficit was recorded at $458m. But,...

Iran won't submit to 'lawless aggression' Saudi source rubbishes NYT report of encouraging prolonged war More st

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ISLAMABAD: A committee tasked with monitoring petrol prices was informed on Monday that Pakistan was “adequately positioned in terms of fuel availability”, with March requirements fully secured and, based on current cargo planning and supply arrangements, coverage was available up to mid-April. The development comes after the government announced a Rs55 per litre hike in the prices of both petrol and high-speed diesel to deal with the fuel crunch resulting from the ongoing Middle East conflict. According to a finance ministry statement, the committee was briefed today on the national inventory of crude oil and refined petroleum products, ongoing import arrangements, and supply chain logistics. The committee was informed that the country “remains adequately positioned in terms of fuel availability, with March requirements fully secured”. It was further briefed that, “based on current cargo planning and supply arrangements, coverage is available up to mid-April” and efforts were being taken to extend coverage t...

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PR taking steps to shift cargo transportation from roads to railways to reduce fuel consumption

Says economic stability, public relief top priorities

'Cruel Numbers 2025' shows rising cases and persistent gender-based violence nationwide

Letter say eight-month delay in fixing cases deprives them of timely justice

Wet spells across Pakistan likely from March 17-20