Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday hailed US President Donald Trump’s peace efforts following his role in brokering the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal. A day earlier, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed an initial US-brokered peace agreement during a meeting with Trump, a deal aimed at boosting economic ties between the two countries after decades of conflict. “Pakistan welcomes the historic peace agreement signed between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia at the White House Summit under the auspices of US President Donald J Trump,” the premier wrote in a statement on X. He congratulated both countries on “charting a course for a peaceful future for their region”, stating: “Pakistan has always stood by the brotherly nation of Azerbaijan and we stand with them at this proud moment of their history.” PM Shehbaz continued: “We also appreciate the facilitation role of the United States, under President Donald Trump, in bringing the two sides together and securing an agreement that opens new av...

Three Thai soldiers were injured by a landmine on Saturday while patrolling a border area near Cambodia, the Thai army said in a statement, days after the two neighbours agreed to a detailed ceasefire following a violent five-day conflict last month. One soldier lost a foot and two others were injured after one of them stepped on a landmine as they patrolled an area between Thailand’s Sisaket and Cambodia’s Preah Vihear provinces. “The soldiers are being treated at a hospital,” the army said. Thailand said the incident took place within its territory and in an area recently cleared of landmines. It added that it would lodge a complaint against Cambodia for violating a treaty that bans the use of landmines and for infringing Thai sovereignty, the Thai foreign ministry said in a statement. Both Thailand and Cambodia are signatories to the Ottawa Convention against landmines. Cambodia’s defence ministry said on Saturday that it “has yet to receive clear confirmation from Cambodian frontline forces concerning the...

Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, H.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday warned that “decisions without Ukraine” would not bring peace and ruled out ceding territory to Russia. “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” he said on social media, as United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin prepare to hold a summit next week in Alaska to discuss peace in Ukraine. “Any decisions against us, any decisions without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace. They will achieve nothing,” he said, adding that the war “cannot be ended without us, without Ukraine”. Zelensky said Ukraine was “ready for real decisions that can bring peace” but said it should be a “dignified peace”, without giving details. Later, Zelensky wrote in a post on X that he exchanged views on a “diplomatic solution” to the conflict with French President Emmanuel Macron. Expressing gratitude for France’s support, the Ukrainian leader wrote: “Ukraine, France, and all our partners are ready to work as productively as possible fo...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to engage with the US and China have reached a stalemate, which exposes limitations to India’s powers on the global stage, The New York Times reported. Modi’s first attempt came in 2014 through a high-level engagement with China came. The Indian premier rolled out the red carpet for China’s President Xi Jinping in his home town, organising an intimate riverside dinner in Ahmedabad. The meeting at the time focused on economic cooperation, with India seeking Chinese funding for an overhaul of its dilapidated railways and cooperation in nuclear energy. However, the talks were overshadowed by a stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops along their shared border. “The flare-up in 2014 was the first of several acts of aggression that would ultimately leave Mr Modi embarrassed, his economy squeezed by the need to keep tens of thousands of Indian troops on a war footing high in the Himalayas for several years,” The New York Times said. Subsequently, Modi steered towards...

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Nawaf bin Said Al-Malky, Saturday, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and handed over a signed invitation letter from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud to participate in the ninth Future Investment Initiatives (FII) Forum to be held in Riyadh from 27-30 October.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has delivered on his commitment to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, as the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved a 100-megawatt solar power project for the region.

The Pakistan-Tajikistan Joint Counter-Terrorism Exercise Dosti-II was held from 4 to 9 August 2026 at Fakhrobod Base, Tajikistan.

Three people were shot and wounded in New York’s Times Square, the New York Police Department said on Saturday. The people — an 18 year-old female, 19 year-old male, and a 65 year-old male - are in a stable condition in hospital, an NYPD spokesperson said. A 17-year-old male is in custody, the NYPD added. The police also recovered a firearm. The shooting took place at around 1:20am ET (10:20am PKT) and followed a verbal altercation with one of the victims, the NYPD added. It said it was not known at this time whether the shooter or the victims knew each other. Mass shootings are relatively common in the United States, where guns are widely available. The incident at one of New York’s most iconic tourist spots comes after July’s high-profile shooting in a Manhattan office tower, which left four people dead, including a senior Blackstone executive and an NYPD officer. New York experienced record-low shooting incidents and victims in the first seven months of this year, and in July, according to a statement publ...

Security forces have killed 14 more terrorists attempting to infiltrate across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Balochistan’s Zhob district, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. The development adds to 33 terrorists, belonging to the “Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij”, who were eliminated on the night of August 7 and 8. “On [the] night 8/9 August 2025, a deliberate sanitisation operation was conducted in surrounding areas of Sambaza along Pakistan-Afghanistan border,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release. “During the conduct of the operation, 14 more Indian-sponsored khwarij were hunted down and successfully neutralised. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed khwarij,” the ISPR noted. This followed the “successful engagements by the security forces in general area Sambaza, Zhob District on 7-8 August 2025, during which 33 khwarij were sent to hell”. “The number of khwarij killed in two days anti-infiltration operation has risen to 47,” the m...

Hasan Nawaz made a triumphant one-day international (ODI) debut, going 63 not out on Friday to power Pakistan over the West Indies by five wickets in their ODI series opener. Nawaz and Hussain Talat formed a sixth-wicket partnership of 104 not out to rally the visitors in the day-night affair, with game two on Sunday and the final ODI on Tuesday. West Indies went 280 all out with Evin Lewis leading the way on 60 from 62 balls with three sixes and five fours, while Shai Hope added 55 and Roston Chase contributed 53. Needing 281 to win, Pakistan got 53 runs from Mohammad Rizwan before he was bowled lbw by Shamar Joseph in the 38th over with the visitors still 101 runs shy of victory, setting the stage for heroics by Nawaz and Talat. Nawaz struck for six on the second ball of the 49th over and blasted the winning shot to the boundary off the final delivery by Joseph, giving Pakistan the victory with seven balls to spare. In all, Nawaz reached 63 on 54 balls with three sixes and five fours while Talat finished on...

Flooding caused by the outburst of the Shispar Glacial Lake in Hunza has caused widespread destruction in Gilgit-Baltistan, intensifying land erosion and forcing evacuations from multiple areas.

Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC), an attached department of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OP&HRD), would export skilled workers to the State of Kuwait after a long time.

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Saturday refuted claims of a fee increase of 80 per cent for their colleges admission test, announcing that the test is scheduled for October 5 this year. The PMDC is the national statutory organisation responsible for regulating the standards of medical and dental education throughout the country. In a press release today, PMDC announced that the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) was scheduled to be held on Sunday October 5, while addressing the concerns regarding the fee. “It has come to the notice of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) that there has been a misunderstanding regarding the MDCAT examination fee, which claims that it has increased by 80pc,” it said. “PMDC would like to clarify that the fee for the MDCAT has increased modestly and gradually over the past years,” it added, noting that it was Rs8,000 in 2024 and is set at Rs9,000 for 2025 — the Rs1,000 increase marking an increment of only 12.5pc, not 80pc as had been ...

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore has dismissed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub’s interim bail applications in three high-profile cases linked to the May 9 riots.

Security forces have killed 14 more Indian-sponsored terrorists during a sanitisation operation in the surrounding areas of Sambaza, along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has finalised nominations for various ex-cadre judicial posts across the province, following approval by the Chief Justice.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain was discharged from a London hospital in the early hours of Saturday after being admitted for a second time in a month, a party leader said. The MQM founder was last hospitalised in London on July 10 due to “severe illness”. After undergoing multiple tests and blood transfusions, he was discharged on July 23. Hussain was allowed to leave the hospital at 12:30am GMT (5:30am PKT) today after being treated in its emergency ward for nine hours and undergoing various tests, London-based senior MQM leader Mustafa Azizabadi said on X. “After various tests, doctors diagnosed him with severe flu and a chest infection. The doctors prescribed antibiotics and other medications for Mr Altaf Hussain and advised him to take complete rest,” Azizabadi said. Detailing Hussain’s hospital stay, Azizabadi noted the MQM founder “underwent a blood test, [electrocardiography], chest X-ray, and monitoring of oxygen levels”. “Hussain has expressed his gratitude to all the workers an...

DUBAI: The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) is confident that the high-voltage Pakistan-India clash at the Asia Cup will go ahead. The neighbours have been at loggerheads since a terrorist attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam sparked a brief war and saw the cricketing relations between the two nations nose-dive. Recently, two World Championship of Legends fixtures between the two countries were called off as the India Champions players decided not to play against their Pakistan counterparts. The Asia Cup was originally scheduled to be staged in India but was shifted to the UAE due to tensions between the two countries. India and Pakistan have been drawn in the same group at the Asia Cup. With a Super Four phase and a final to follow, it is possible they could face each other three times in Dubai between September 14 and 28. And with just over a month remaining before the start of the tournament, ECB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed has suggested that it is highly unlikely that the two teams would avoid playi...

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan to visit China for the first time in seven years to participate in the Aug 31-Sept 1 summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) would strengthen the gathering’s friendship with the promise of great results, said the hosts on Friday. Several Indian media outlets quoted official sources on Wednesday as saying that Mr Modi would visit China for the summit, which was planned ahead of the rising tensions with the US. In response to Indian media reports, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that China welcomed Indian Prime Minister Modi to the SCO summit at Tianjin. “We believe that with the concerted effort of all parties, the Tianjin summit will be a gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results, and the SCO will enter a new stage of high-quality development featuring greater solidarity, coordination, dynamism and productiveness.” Guo was quoted by the Global Times, a Chinese newspaper seen as close to the Commu...