Pakistan

The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Rawalpindi on Saturday announced a revised schedule for the postponed matriculation Urdu compulsory papers across 64 examination centres in the city.

Silver prices in Pakistan extended their firm upward trend on Friday, with the per tola rate reaching Rs8,321, reflecting sustained strength in both international markets and local demand.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced that its pre-Haj operation will formally commence on April 19, during which more than 55,000 pilgrims will be transported to the Holy Land through 191 flights from across Pakistan. A PIA spokesperson said that under the government scheme, 49,000 pilgrims will travel, while over 6,000 pilgrims through private Haj group operators will also be facilitated via PIA flights. He also noted that the first flight of the Haj operation, PK-747, will depart from Sialkot for Madinah on April 19 at 1:55am, carrying over 390 pilgrims. Under the pre-Haj operation, PIA will transport over 15,400 pilgrims from Islamabad to Saudi Arabia through 46 flights. From Karachi, over 15,000 pilgrims will be flown through 55 flights; from Lahore, 12,377 pilgrims through 34 flights; from Faisalabad, 3,680 pilgrims through 23 flights; from Multan, 5,383 pilgrims through 13 flights; from Sialkot, 2,075 pilgrims through five flights; and from Quetta, 4,487 pilgrims through 15 pre-Haj flight...

The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt exchanged views on “evolving regional dynamics,” the Foreign Office (FO) said in a post on X on Saturday. According to the FO, the meeting took place on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkiye. It included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Turkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty. In an effort to halt the US-Israeli war on Iran, the foreign ministers of the four countries had held two meetings ahead of the announcement of ceasefire, which is set to expire on April 22. The first meeting was held in Riyadh on the sidelines of a consultative ministerial meeting, while the second meeting was held in Islamabad. On Saturday, the FO said that the foreign ministers “exchanged views on evolving regional dynamics, reaffirming the vital role of dialogue and diplomacy in promoting peace, stability and shared prosperity”. ...

Pakistan on Saturday reduced the prices of jet fuel and light diesel oil following a decline in global crude oil rates after Iran announced the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

US and Iranian teams are likely to hold a second round of talks involving their technical-level teams in Pakistan’s capital as early as Monday, sources told Anadolu on Saturday.

Pakistan’s Hajj operation 2026 commenced on Saturday, with the first flight carrying 160 pilgrims departing from Jinnah International Airport under the Road to Makkah programme.

Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday accused Israel of using security as a pretext to acquire “more land”. “Israel is not after its own security. Israel is after more land. Security is being used by the Netanyahu government as an excuse to occupy more land,” Fidan told the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking in English at a panel discussion, Fidan said Israel had created an “illusion” internationally by portraying itself as acting purely in its own defence. “It has become very clear, especially in recent years, that it is more than that,” he said. From Palestinian lands including Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and now extending towards Lebanon and Syria, Israel was pursuing “an onward occupation and expansionism in the region,” Fidan said. “I think this has to stop,” the Turkish FM added. “Israel has to know that the only way to live peacefully in the region … is to let the other countries enjoy their own security, and territorial in...

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei visited US officials at the White House on Friday, where they struck a different tone from the recent dispute between the United States’ government and the AI startup. US media reported Amodei met with Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, as well as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Today, the White House hosted an introductory meeting with Anthropic that was both productive and constructive,” a White House spokesperson told AFP. “We discussed opportunities for collaboration, as well as shared approaches and protocols to address the challenges associated with scaling this technology.” The rhetoric marks a departure from months earlier, when US President Donald Trump instructed the US government to “immediately cease” using Anthropic’s technology after the company refused to allow the Pentagon have unconditional use of its Claude AI models for military purposes. “We look forward to continuing this dialogue and will host similar discussions with other leading AI c...

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi have concluded a three-day official visit to Iran, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday. The discussions focused on “bringing sustainable peace to the region, with particular emphasis on the evolving regional security environment, ongoing diplomatic engagements, and collaborative measures aimed at promoting enduring peace and stability in the region”, the ISPR said in a statement. Munir underscored the need for dialogue, de-escalation, and peaceful resolution of outstanding issues through sustained diplomatic engagements, it added. During the visit, the field marshal called on Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and held separate meetings with Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and the commander of Khatamul Anbiya Headquarters, Major General Ali Abdollahi. According to the ISPR statement, the CDF expressed deep app...

The Trump administration on Saturday renewed a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil at sea for about a month, even as lawmakers accused the government of going easy on Moscow as its war on Ukraine grinds on. The United States Treasury Department’s waiver lets countries purchase Russian oil and petroleum products loaded on vessels as of Friday through May 16. It replaces a 30-day waiver that expired on April 11 and excludes transactions involving Iran, Cuba and North Korea. The move is part of the administration’s effort to control global energy prices that have shot higher during the US-Israeli war with Iran. It came after countries in Asia, suffering from the global energy shock, pressed Washington to allow alternative supplies to reach markets. Reversal by treasury “As negotiations (with Iran) accelerate, Treasury wants to ensure oil is available to those who need it,” a Treasury Department spokesperson said. Just two days earlier, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would no...

Chief of the Air Staff Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu on Friday said Pakistan remains committed to peace and dialogue, while warning that any aggression against the country would be met with a swift and strong response.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday attended a trilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar’s Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has been appointed as head coach for the two-match Test series in Bangladesh next month, the Pakistan Sports Board (PCB) said on Saturday. The first of the two matches – part of the ICC World Test Championship — will be played at Sher-i-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka from May 8 to 12, while Sylhet International Cricket Stadium will host the second Test, which will be played from May 16 to 20. Sarfaraz, who led Pakistan to the Champions Trophy title in 2017, has worked with the under-19 team as well as Pakistan Shaheens after his retirement. Since Australian Jason Gillespie quit as Pakistan’s red-ball coach in December 2024, Aaqib Javed and Azhar Mahmood temporarily guided the team led by Shan Masood, who will continue as captain in Bangladesh. Pakistan have named four uncapped players — Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori — to their 16-member squad for the Bangladesh series starting in Dhaka on May 8. Sarfaraz’s former teammate Umar Gul will j...

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held a “productive” meeting with officials of the United States Department of the Treasury, with both sides discussing avenues for cooperation in the mineral and energy sectors, the finance ministry said on Saturday. Aurangzeb arrived in the United States on Monday to participate in the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings 2026, taking place from April 13 to 18 in Washington, DC. The Spring Meetings bring together finance ministers, central bank governors, policymakers and development experts from around the world amid ongoing global economic uncertainty. On the sidelines of the World Bank-International Monetary Fund (WB-IMF) Spring Meetings 2026 in Washington, DC, Aurangzeb held a “productive” meeting with Francis Brooke, the deputy secretary at the US Department of the Treasury, the ministry said in a post on X. “Both sides discussed avenues for cooperation and collaboration in energy, mineral development, and strengthening the anti-money...

Tremors were felt in several parts of the country, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar, on Saturday, causing panic among residents who rushed out of their homes and workplaces.

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, concluded a three-day official visit to Iran along with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and a high-level delegation, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.

• 159 patients admitted to three city hospitals this year • Majority of them contracted the incurable virus due to ‘unsafe healthcare practices’ • Alarm raised over lack of basic infection control protocols in hospitals KARACHI: Three hospitals in Karachi have recorded a dramatic increase in the number of paediatric human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases over the last nine months and their numbers continue to grow, it emerged on Friday. According to sources, 10 HIV positive children were admitted to the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre (SIDH&RC) in 2024 and their number rose to over 70 in 2025. This year, 30 children with HIV positive status were admitted to the hospital. At the Indus Hospital, 144 HIV positive patients were reported in 2024, whose number rose to 176 in 2025. In the first quarter of this year, 69 HIV patients have been reported at the facility. “There has been an alarming surge in paediatrics cases registered at our hospital. Since August 2025 till date, 72 children le...

WASHINGTON: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Friday that while he has discussed with International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials the impact of the Iran conflict on Pakistan’s economy, “our focus is on getting an early approval for the next tranche” of the IMF package and that a team of the global lender will visit Pakistan next month for consultations on the upcoming review. Talking to Dawn after his news conference at the Pakistan Embassy, the minister reiterated that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was “a very good development”, which would ease pressure on global oil supplies, bring down oil prices everywhere and benefit Pakistan as well. Had the conflict persisted, it would have adversely affected everything “from economic growth to inflation”, he said, adding: “We hope the situation will improve, but hope is not a strategy, and that’s why we had planned for everything.” Aurangzeb said he also discussed the possible consequences of the Iran crisis with the IMF, which has established facil...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced a reduction of Rs32.12 per litre in diesel prices while keeping petrol rates unchanged for the week ending April 24, passing on the impact of easing global prices following the ceasefire announced by the United States and Iran. The last-minute reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting 12-13 per cent decline in global prices were not taken into account before the prime minister approved the diesel price cut through a written statement. The sharp fall, which came soon after the agreement between the US and Iran, along with further expected reductions in the coming days, is likely to be reflected in domestic prices next week. Accordingly, the ex-depot price of high-speed diesel (HSD) has been fixed at Rs353.42 per litre, down from Rs385.54, marking a decline of 8.3pc. Diesel prices have dropped significantly from their peak of Rs520.35 on April 10. HSD is considered the most inflationary fuel due to its widespread use in freight transportatio...