Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday underscored the crucial role of the blue economy in Pakistan’s development, stating it cannot be overlooked as the country charts its path toward economic progress.

After the unveiling of Sindh’s budget last week was met with protests by opposition lawmakers, PPP Senator Quratulain Marri on Monday lamented that Sindh was “being treated like a colony of the federation”. Last week, Sindh Chief Minister Shah Murad had also warned that the PPP — a coalition partner of the PML-N-led federal government — would not support the passage of the federal budget in parliament if Islamabad continued to manage development schemes in Sindh instead of transferring them to the provincial government. “The federal government has wronged us. They have dissolved the Public Works Department (PWD), which was responsible for overseeing development projects across provinces,” Murad had said, adding that while the other three provinces received funding for development projects accompanied by their budgets, Sindh was completely overlooked. Senator Marri, chairing a meeting of the Senate Planning and Development Committee today, questioned why Sindh was “being treated like a colony of the federation...

Pakistan beat Japan 3-2 in their second match of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup at Kuala Lumpur’s National Stadium on Monday. Ghazanfar Ali gave Pakistan the lead when he scored in the first quarter. Less than a minute later, Japan’s Kazumasa Matsumoto scored to level the field 1-1. Koji Yamasaki scored Japan’s second goal of the match within two minutes, bringing the score to 2-1. The second quarter saw the score remain steady, but vice-captain Waheed Ashraf Rana scored for Pakistan in the third quarter to tie the score at 2-2 once more. Sufyan Khan scored a decisive goal in the final quarter to take the score to 3-2 and give the Green Shirts their first win of the eight-team tournament. A day earlier, Pakistan and Malaysia played out a pulsating 3-3 draw in their opening fixture of the Nations Cup, with the Green Shirts relinquishing a lead late in the match. Pakistan will now face New Zealand on Wednesday, June 18 at 3pm PKT. The 20-member national squad was announced earlier this month, with Imad Butt being a...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated Pakistan's condemnation of the recent Israeli aggression against Iran, and expressed solidarity with the Iranian people and government amidst the tense regional situation.

Bangladesh’s war crimes court ordered fugitive ex-leader Sheikh Hasina on Monday to return to face trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity. Hasina, 77, fled Dhaka by helicopter to India in August 2024 at the culmination of a student-led mass uprising. She has defied an extradition order to return to Bangladesh. Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 when Hasina’s government launched a crackdown in a failed bid to cling to power, according to the United Nations. Hasina and former senior figures connected to her ousted government and her now-banned party, the Awami League, are being prosecuted in Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). Prosecutors have filed five charges against Hasina, including abetment, incitement, complicity, facilitation, conspiracy and failure to prevent mass murder — charges that amount to crimes against humanity under Bangladeshi law. “The court directed the prosecution team to issue a notice as soon as possible summoning them to appear befor...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in close coordination with the Iraqi Airways, successfully facilitated the repatriation of 268 Pakistani nationals earlier Monday through two special flights from Basra to Karachi and Islamabad.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar firmly denied false claims suggesting Pakistan's involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict, calling the spread of such misinformation reckless and dangerous.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced the schedule for the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 set to be held in India and Sri Lanka in September. Pakistan will play all their matches of the 50-over World Cup in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo when India hosts this year’s tournament. Following India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy earlier this year, a “hybrid model” was decided upon whereby India would play all its matches in Dubai, chosen as a neutral venue. Hosts India will get the tournament underway against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru on September 30 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, with action starting at 3pm local time, according to the schedule. Defending champions Australia then get their campaign up and running against neighbours New Zealand at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on October 1, while Pakistan will face Bangladesh a day later in Colombo. The highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash is set for October 5, after which Pakistan will play Australia on the 8th, Engl...

Security forces killed five terrorists belonging to “Indian proxies” during operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Peshawar and North Waziristan districts, the military’s media wing said in a statement on Monday. “On 15-16 June 2025, five Khwarij belonging to Indian Proxy, Fitna-al-Khwarij, were killed in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in the statement. In July last year, the government designated the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna-al-Khawarij, while mandating all institutions to use the term khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan “An intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces in Peshawar district on the reported presence of Indian-sponsored khwarij”, it said. “During the conduct of the operation, own troops skillfully surrounded and effectively engaged the Indian-sponsored khwarij’s location, and after an intense fire exchange, four Indian-sponsored kh...

Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem was named in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia list following his historic Olympic performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, it emerged on Monday. The entertainment and sports list, which was originally published last month, aims to “[spotlight] the next generation of talent — on court and the screen.” Nadeem, 28, changed Pakistan’s sporting trajectory when he won gold and broke the Olympic record with a massive 92.97m throw in Paris — which Forbes called a “stunning show” — winning Pakistan’s first individual gold medal and the first of any colour in more than 30 years. His Olympic feat got him more than Rs153 million in cash prize from Punjab and Sindh, in addition to several other rewards handed out by various government entities and companies. The government also named a road in Islamabad in Nadeem’s honour, while Pakistan Post issued a commemorative stamp on Independence Day to pay tribute. Nadeem retained his javelin supremacy when he took home gold at last month’s Asian Athletic Cha...

The central ceremony commemorating the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev Ji was held on Monday at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Ali Zafar launched a scathing critique of the federal government during Monday’s Senate session, accusing it of crippling the economy through excessive taxation and flawed fiscal planning.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has paid tribute to Pakistan’s security forces for their successful operations against Indian-sponsored terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran on Monday told staff that last week’s plane crash that killed at least 271 people should be a catalyst to build a safer airline, urging employees to stay resolute amid any criticism. In a town hall held at the headquarters of the Tata Group-owned airline near New Delhi and attended by 700 staff, Chandrasekaran said the crash was the “most heartbreaking” crisis of his career, a spokesperson told Reuters. “I’ve seen a reasonable number of crises in my career, but this is the most heartbreaking one,” he said, according to a transcript provided by a Tata Group spokesperson. “We need to use this incident as an act of force to build a safer airline,” Chandrasekaran said. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board bound for Gatwick Airport south of London began losing height seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad on Thursday, and erupted in a huge fireball as it hit buildings below. All but one on board were declared dead in the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade, ...

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore has issued a three-page written verdict addressing the prosecution’s request to conduct polygraphic and photogrammetric tests on the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal on Monday urged politicians, religious scholars, academia, civil society’s members, parents and media to use their influence with renewed determination by actively participating in the anti-polio campaign to help ensure a polio-free Pakistan in the near future.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) maintained its policy rate on Monday at 11 per cent, after many analysts cited inflation risks from rising global commodity prices amid Iran-Israel tensions. The central bank’s policy rate, after being slashed by 1,000bps from 22pc since June 2024 in seven intervals, was cut to 11pc last month. “The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to keep the policy rate unchanged at 11 per cent,” the SBP said in a statement. Several brokerages had initially expected a cut but revised their forecasts after the Israeli strikes sparked fears of a broader conflict. The MPC observed that global oil prices had “rebounded sharply, reflecting the evolving geopolitical situation in the Middle East and some ease in US-China trade tensions”. “Taking stock of these developments and potential risks, the committee assessed that the real interest rate remains adequately positive to stabilise inflation within the target range of 5–7pc,” the MPC stressed. The escalating hostilities after Israel’s atta...

Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar Monday emphasized the importance of further expanding Pakistan-Japan bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, IT, and industrial cooperation.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday paid tribute to the security forces for killing five terrorists of Indian proxy, Fitna al Khawarij in two different operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif says a sustainable and modern Information and Computer System will be developed in the country which will help Pakistan emerge as a hub of the IT sector in the region.