Pakistan

On 27th day of the US-Israeli war on Iran, the conflict has continued to be fully kinetic with no sign of de-escalation, even as US President Donald Trump’s five-day pause expires on Friday. Meanwhile, the overall trajectory of the conflict points towards an imminent widening of hostilities across multiple theatres. Over the past 24 hours, direct strikes inside Iran intensified. Multiple explosions were reported across central, southern and eastern Tehran, with air defence systems activated across the capital, while additional strikes hit Khorramabad, triggering blackouts and being followed by rescue operations. Reports also indicated damage in areas where residences and infrastructure are located in Mashhad. Iran’s response, both directly and through its regional network of allies, showed a marked escalation in tempo and scale. Missile and drone strikes continued against Israeli targets, with reports suggesting improved penetration rates against air defences and expanded targeting of defence, industrial and ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met a delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) in Karachi on Thursday and commended the services of former Sindh governor Kamran Tessori, who has been replaced by the PML-N’s Nehal Hashmi, a statement issued by the PM’s Office (PMO) said. Both Tessori and Hashmi also attended the meeting. During the meeting, views were also exchanged on the country’s political situation, the statement said, adding that the PM informed the delegation about Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts and initiatives for establishing peace in the region. The meeting also discussed matters related to the situation in Sindh, including Karachi, and development projects, the statement said. According to the statement, the MQM-P delegation was led by party Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and included Tessori, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, Farooq Sattar and others. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahsan Iqbal, Attaullah Tarar, Minister of St...

A US judge questioned on Thursday whether the US can bar Venezuela from funding Nicolas Maduro’s legal defence without violating his US constitutional rights, but stopped short of dismissing drug-trafficking charges against the ousted Venezuelan president facing trial in New York. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, wore beige prison garb to the hearing in Manhattan federal court over two months after US military forces captured them in a surprise raid on Caracas and ferried them to American soil. Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, have pleaded not guilty to charges including narcoterrorism conspiracy and have been jailed in Brooklyn pending trial. They had asked US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to dismiss the charges, saying their inability to rely on Venezuelan public funds due to US sanctions on Venezuela was interfering with their right to have a lawyer of their choosing under the Sixth Amendment of the US Constitution. All criminal defendants in the US have constitutional rights regardless of whether they are...

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Musadik Malik yesterday said weekly tree plantation drives would be held across Islamabad after March 31, as the government stepped up efforts to promote environmental protection in the capital.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday appreciating China’s steadfast economic support, reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advancing CPEC 2.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) attempts at disrespecting the country’s dignity under the guise of political disagreement are unacceptable.

KARACHI - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Karachi on Thursday and visited the residence of Senator Sherry Rehman to offer condolences over the demise of her daughter, Marvi Malik.

ISLAMABAD - The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has held that while underage marriages may invite criminal liability under the Child Marriage Act, 1929, such unions cannot be declared void, holding that the law provides only for penal consequences and does not invalidate the marriage itself.

Deputy PM says dialogue, diplomacy only way forward Foreign Office says Pakistan to play proactive role in regional de-escalation Spokesperson says PM Sharif personally leading diplomatic outreach to promote understanding among all concerned parties.

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari chaired a high-level consultative meeting in Islamabad on Thursday to review the evolving economic and energy situation in the backdrop of oil supply constraints, rising petroleum prices, and regional security developments.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed the relevant authorities to formulate a practical strategy to further promote investment in the construction and housing sector and ensure its implementation.

Peshawar - Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Sohail Afridi, on Thursday formally launched the Good Governance Roadmap 2.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday for an unannounced visit, as the war in Iran spurs interest among Gulf countries in Ukrainian arms technology. The two countries are set to sign an agreement on “security cooperation — in particular, the protection of the skies”, later on Thursday, a senior official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. They did not provide further details of what was set to be in the accord. Kyiv has sought to leverage its expertise in downing Russian drones to help Gulf nations, which are being attacked with the same Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia fires on Ukraine. Zelensky has said that more than 200 Ukrainian anti-drone experts have been deployed to several countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, since the US-Israel strikes on Iran spurred retaliatory drone and missile attacks targetting US assets and bases from Tehran. While Tehran accepts responsibility for some of the attacks, it denies having a role in others, ...

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Thursday approved a Rs100 billion supplementary grant for the prime minister’s austerity fund created to finance the petroleum pricing subsidy. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presided over the ECC meeting, which approved a summary submitted by the Ministry of Finance, seeking a Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) of Rs100bn for onward transfer to the austerity fund. “The committee was informed that, in light of evolving developments in the Gulf region and their potential impact on international petroleum prices, the prime minister had directed the mobilisation of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) resources to meet price differential requirements on petroleum products and to cushion consumers from price volatility,” an official statement said. During the discussion, the ECC noted that the proposed allocation was being met through rationalisation and surrender of PSDP funds by various ministries and divisions, as coordinated by the Ministry o...

Only biological female athletes, whose gender has been determined by a one-time gene-screening test, will now be eligible to take part in female category events at the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday. The IOC unveiled its new policy, following an 18-month consultation phase, on the protection of the female category as part of its initiative to have a universal rule for competitors in female elite sports after years of fragmented regulation that led to major controversies. The new rules essentially stop transgender athletes from competing in female category events at the Olympics. They had previously been eligible to compete at the Olympics once cleared by their respective federations. All athletes wanting to qualify or take part in female category events from the LA2028 Olympics onwards will have to undergo an SRY gene test to determine their eligibility. “Based on scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the presence of the SRY gene is fixed throughout life and re...

Oman’s envoy to Pakistan, Fahad Bin Sulaiman Bin Khalaf Alkharusi, assured Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik on Thursday that Islamabad’s request for preferential energy cargoes would be “considered favourably”, a statement issued by the Petroleum Division said. The statement detailed the meeting between the two dignitaries in Islamabad, stating that Ambassador Alkharusi “welcomed Pakistan’s push towards diversification and conveyed that Oman stands ready to support Pakistan in enhancing its energy security”. “In this regard, the federal minister expressed optimism that Oman would consider Pakistan’s request for preferential energy cargoes to meet its growing requirements. The ambassador responded positively and assured that the request would be considered favourably,” it added. The statement said that the two discussed the evolving energy situation in the region and avenues for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. “The federal minister highlighted that Pakistan and Oman enjoy long-sta...

A Nepal commission has recommended the prosecution of ex-prime minister KP Sharma Oli in connection with the deadly September 2025 uprising that toppled his government, according to a leaked report. At least 77 people were killed in the anti-corruption youth uprising on September 8 and 9, which began over a brief social media ban but tapped into longstanding fury over economic hardship. Four-time prime minister and Marxist leader Oli, 74, was defeated in the polls this month by the 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, whose Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won in a landslide after promising to oust an ageing elite, stem corruption and fix the economy. The commission’s recommendations, set out in a report leaked by Nepali media, came ahead of the swearing-in on Thursday of newly elected members of parliament. “It was decided to recommend to the government of Nepal that an investigation, inquiry, and prosecution be carried out against the then executive head, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli,” reads a ...

With the US-Israel war on Iran in its fourth week, Pakistan has stepped onto the diplomatic stage amid high-stakes wrangling to end the hostilities. Pakistan has repeatedly emphasised that it wants an end to the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East. And with the situation fluctuating by the hour, Islamabad has emerged as a potential venue for talks between the two sides. Here’s what we know so far. Rumours abound Since the conflict began on Feb 28, Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership has been engaging with the leaders of regional and friendly countries and calling for a de-escalation of hostilities. Over the past week, several global publications, including Reuters and Axios, claimed that Islamabad had actively offered itself as a facilitator for engagement between the US and Iran. Some reports hinted that a meeting could be held if things proceeded smoothly, with Axios and The Guardian claiming that mediators were considering Islamabad as a potential venue for talks. Amid the speculation, the Forei...

The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday said that the temporary pause in Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban had concluded and the operation would continue “until its objectives are achieved”. FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi made the remarks while answering questions during his weekly press briefing regarding whether the pause had been extended. Operation Ghazab lil-Haq was launched on the night of Feb 26 following cross-border firing by the Afghan Taliban. “Operation Gazab Lil-Haq is ongoing. It is a precise, targeted operation, military campaign directed against terrorist leadership and their support and command, infrastructure, logistics, logistic networks and facilitators and abettors of these terrorist acts within the Taliban regime and in the Taliban controlled area,” he said. Andrabi said that a temporary pause was observed in “deferrence to Eidul Fitr celebrations and in response to requests from our brotherly Islamic countries”. “The pause has concluded [on] midnight between, I think, March...

Another Pakistani national died due to “falling debris” from missile interception in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said. The development takes the total number of Pakistani nationals killed in the UAE as a result of falling debris from missile interceptions amid the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran to four. In a post on X earlier in the day, the media office said that an incident “involving falling debris” from the interception of a ballistic missile resulted in “deaths of two unidentified individuals, three injuries, and damage to a number of cars”. It said that the incident occurred on Sweihan Street. In a later post, it confirmed that the incident resulted in the death of “two individuals of Pakistani and Indian nationality”. It added that the incident also resulted in “injuries ranging from serious to moderate sustained by three individuals of Emirati, Jordanian and Indian nationality”. “The public is advised to obtain information only from official sour...