Pakistan

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israel is supporting an armed group in Gaza that opposes Hamas, following comments by a former minister that Israel had transferred weapons to it. Israeli and Palestinian media have reported that the group Israel has been working with is part of a local Bedouin tribe led by Yasser Abu Shabab. The European Council on Foreign Relations (EFCR) think tank describes Abu Shabab as the leader of a “criminal gang operating in the Rafah area that is widely accused of looting aid trucks”. Knesset member and former defence minister Avigdor Liberman had told the Kan public broadcaster that the government, at Netanyahu’s direction, was “giving weapons to a group of criminals and felons”. Popular Forces outfit denies being ‘a tool of the occupation’ “What did Liberman leak? That security sources activated a clan in Gaza that opposes Hamas? What is bad about that?” Netanyahu said in a video posted to social media on Thursday. Michael Milshtein, an expert on Palestin...

ISLAMABAD: The minister of state for crypto and blockchain, Bilal Bin Saqib, met with top US lawmakers and the New York City mayor this week to strengthen cooperation on digital assets, blockchain regulation and financial innovation. The minister held discussions with Senator Cynthia Lummis, a key architect of US crypto legislation, as well as senators Bill Hagerty, Rick Scott, Tim Sheehy and Jim Justice in Washington, DC. Mr Saqib also engaged with members of the House Financial Services Committee and White House advisers, according to a press release issued on Friday. He said Pakistan is “here to lead” the world of crypto and blockchain. “From Capitol Hill to the White House, I shared a new face of Pakistan: one driven by youth, innovation, and global partnerships.” Mr Saqib’s discussions with US officials focused on Pakistan’s recent initiatives, including plans for a strategic bitcoin reserve, a virtual asset regulatory framework and stablecoin adoption to streamline remittances. With $36 billion in annua...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has thanked the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Bin Salman, for his role in ending the conflict between Pakistan and India last month. The prime minister, acco­mpanied by his delegation, including the army chief, deputy PM and federal ministers, also performed Umrah on Friday when pilgrims performed the last major ritual of Haj — the “stoning of the devil”. The PM, who is on a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, met the Saudi crown prince in Makkah, according to an official press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. “The prime minister expressed appreciation for the kingdom’s proactive role during recent tensions between Pakistan and India, and its steadfast commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region and beyond.” Performs Umrah alongside army chief; Haj winds down with pilgrims ‘stoning the devil’ in Mina PM Shehbaz also underscored Pakistan’s policy of responsible restraint in the face of Indian aggression, emphasising that “sustain...

Climate change poses a risk to Balochistan’s marine fisheries and resources and coastal livelihoods

As development continues along the Indus, reduced water flow & fertility plague locals’ survival in Sindh’s delta

With education & employment still a challenge, the transgender community struggles to access safe housing

Forts of Potohar presents a vivid journey through the region’s crumbling citadels, blending history & folklore

A taut & moody whodunit, it will grip you with its satisfying dose of shock & acerbic Scottish wit

Despite no legal or religious basis, many Pakistani mothers stay single fearing custody loss after remarriage

When war drums echoed, India’s celebrities chose between silence, spectacle, or safe nationalism

KARACHI: As the government prepares to unveil the federal budget for the next fiscal year, the upcoming National Tariff Policy 2025-30 — designed under IMF guidance — is triggering alarm among local auto assemblers. The plan proposes gradually lowering import duties, liberalising used car imports and permitting commercial imports of used vehicles. Industry stakeholders warn these measures could destabilise the local auto sector, erode foreign exchange reserves and widen the current account deficit. Under the proposed tariff rationalisation, duties on completely built-up (CBU) vehicles would be slashed to 15 per cent over five years, down from the current 20pc. Additional Customs Duty (ACD) and Regulatory Duty (RD) will be phased out, and the number of tariff slabs reduced from five to four. The government also plans to eliminate the fifth schedule and lower the maximum slab rate to 15pc. This sweeping overhaul of the trade regime is apparently aimed at fostering export-led growth, but the auto sector sees it ...

ICT Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2025 marks a pivotal step toward a safer, progressive Pakistan

'The irreparable harms I have suffered, and continue to suffer, are the result of the government’s actions against me'

Report identifies over 300m unorganised sector workers denied wages, contracts, leaves, safe conditions

Republicans urge reconciliation, refocus on party's legislative goals; Trump says the billionaire has 'lost his mind'

Renewed ban follows a rally attack; broadens travel curbs on Muslim states

• Ex-foreign minister says threshold for war in South Asia ‘lowest it’s ever been’; his stark assessment highlights tenuous nature of ceasefire • Calls on US to help bring New Delhi to negotiating table after Trump acknowledges presence of ‘strong leadership’ in Islamabad WASHINGTON: Warning that the current ceasefire between India and Pakistan was quite tenuous, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the world is now a less safe place than it was before the crisis in the Subcontinent. The statement comes a day after US President Donald Trump acknowledged the presence of “very strong leadership” in Islamabad as being one of the contributing factors to a recent de-escalation of tensions with India. In meetings with US lawmakers and think tanks, the PPP chief, who is currently heading a high-powered Pakistani delegation to the US, said the ceasefire was “a welcome start”, but cautioned that “South Asia, India, and Pakistan, and by extension, the rest of the world, are less safe today than ...

ISLAMABAD - The parliament, which is considered as the heart of democratic deliberation and a platform for accountability, a troubling trend continues to unfold within country’s Parliament with widespread absenteeism and a stark lack of interest from elected representatives.

SHANGLA - Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and SAFRON, and President of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Engineer Amir Muqam, here Friday inaugurated the solarization project at the District Headquarters Hospital in Alpuri, Shangla.

PM, president, armed forces extend message of hope, selflessness; express solidarity with Palestinians, Kashmiris