Pakistan

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the Jinnah Square Murree Road underpass project site and directed that the project be completed in full by the end of May.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has declared the observance of Youm-e-Tashakkur (Day of Gratitude) in recognition of Pakistan’s resolute response to Indian aggression and the successful execution of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos.

Talks between top US and Chinese officials resumed for a second day on Sunday, after US President Donald Trump voiced optimism over the negotiations aimed at de-escalating trade tensions sparked by his aggressive tariff rollout. In a Truth Social post following the first day of talks in Geneva on Saturday, Trump praised the “very good” discussions and deemed them “a total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner”. Earlier, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua also described the talks in Switzerland as “an important step in promoting the resolution of the issue”. The second day of closed-door meetings between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng resumed shortly after 10am (1pm PKT) on Sunday. As of Saturday, the talks were taking place at the residence of the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, a discrete villa with sky-blue shutters near a large park on the left bank of Lake Geneva. “These talks reflect that t...

US President Donald Trump has said he would work with Pakistan and India to see if a solution could be reached to the Kashmir dispute, just a day after his country mediated a ceasefire between the South Asian neighbours.

KARACHI: The local auto industry and its suppliers are facing uncertainty ahead of the FY26 budget as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is reportedly pressuring the government to rationalise auto tariffs and permit the commercial import of used cars. The IMF believes the auto sector is highly protective, and there is a need to rationalise tariffs to improve competitiveness and efficiency to benefit consumers. There are over 40 per cent taxes and duties on locally produced vehicles. On May 6, auto assemblers and part vendors met Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAMP) Haroon Akhtar Khan in Islamabad and conveyed their concerns that the local industry would collapse if commercial imports of used cars are allowed and tariffs on CBU are lowered below a certain threshold. The SAPM assured them that the government did not intend to jeopardise the industry and the investments. On the contrary, the ministry will protect the local industry and try to achieve balanced tariffs with industry consultation. The old ...

A policeman was martyred in an exchange of fire after attackers threw a hand grenade near a masjid in Gwadar, according to police. According to Gwadar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zia Mandokhail, a residential quarter of people belonging to Punjab was targeted with a hand grenade near Bilal Mosque located on Syed Hashmi Avenue. The attackers fired in the air and fled the scene. As the attackers attempted to flee, the police constable present at the scene took immediate action and chased one of the attackers. The timely police action led to one attacker, Shah Jahan, being killed, while the other, Shahzad, was seriously injured. In the exchange of fire, however, policeman Muhammad Khamari was martyred. Three others were also injured in the attack, according to SSP Mandokhail. Militant violence and security operations intensified in the country in March 2025, with the number of militant attacks surpassing 100 for the first time since November 2014, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute fo...

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr.

A fragile ceasefire held between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan on Sunday after four days of the most intense cross-border fighting in nearly three decades, which left nearly 70 people dead and heightened fears of all-out war.

• India, Pakistan agree to stop all fighting after days of missile, drone attacks • Trump announces surprise ceasefire, congratulates two nations on using ‘common sense’ • State secretary, vice president also actively involved in mediation • Dar engages with Chinese, Saudi and Turkish FMs, receives appreciation for restraint • Indian foreign secretary says two DGMOs spoke to each other; conflicting statements by Indian ministries on their next talk • Reports of ceasefire violations from both sides of LoC • Indian officials say ‘punitive measures’ announced after Pahalgam attack remain in place • PM calls for dialogue, urges peace talks on Kashmir, water issues ISLAMABAD: Norma­lity returns to the Sub­continent after Pakistan and India agreed on Saturday to a full and immediate ceasefire after days of deadly jet fighter, missile, drone and artillery attacks — news surprisingly announced by US President Donald Trump, who congratulated them on using “common sense”. Officials from Islam­abad and New Delhi confirm...

Bangladesh’s interim government has banned all activities of the Awami League, the political party of deposed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, under the country’s Anti-Terrorism Act, citing national security concerns. The decision, announced late Saturday, follows days of street protests led by the student-driven National Citizen Party, which emerged from last year’s uprising that toppled Hasina. Several Islamist and right-wing parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and other opposition groups, joined the demonstrations, demanding that the Awami League be designated a terrorist organisation. The ban would remain in place until the trial of the party and its leadership over the deaths of hundreds of protesters at the International Crimes Tribunal is completed, the government said in a statement. The government also announced an amendment to the ICT Act, allowing the tribunal to prosecute not only individuals but also political parties and organisations. The change clears the way for the Awami League to be trie...

LAHORE: People burst into celebrations after the armed forces early on Saturday responded to Indian war hysteria in a befitting manner and brought India to its knees. They celebrated the victory of the army after the ceasefire was announced in the wake of the US intervention. Earlier in the day, Lahore also faced the first missile attack on Saturday that struck the Sundar Industrial Estate and, according to law enforcement agencies, sank into the ground. No loss of life or injury was reported. People, however, were skeptical over Pakistan’s delayed response to India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ and aggressively asked for a befitting response. All the skepticism, however, evaporated when the army announced the launch of Bunyan-um-Marsoos and launched a powerful and well-coordinated military operation, targeting Indian military infrastructure. As the Pakistan Army came out, saying it had avenged the blood of the innocent kids martyred in missile and drone attacks, the people shared the pictures of army artillery truck...

TOBA TEK SINGH:A recklessly driven car struck a motorcycle on Canal Road in Faisalabad on Friday night, killing all three members of a family riding the motorcycle. Waris Ali (40) of Dhudhi Wala was riding the bike with his wife Sonia Bibi and their five-year-old son Subhan Ali as pillion riders when the collision occurred near the FCCI Secretariat bridge. The high-speed car collided with the bike head-on. Waris died on the spot, while his wife succumbed to her injuries at Allied Hospital. Their child is feared to have fallen into the canal, as only his shoes were found on the roadside. Rescue 1122 divers have been searching the canal since the night of the accident. Relatives blocked Canal Road for several hours, demanding the arrest of the underage driver, who is the son of a textile mill owner. Madina Town SP later assured protesters that the driver would be arrested soon, after which the protest was called off. In another accident occurred near Chak 396-GB, Rorranwali, in Tandlianwala tehsil, a motorcycle...

• Launches retaliation attack at military targets after three days of restraint • Brahmos, S-400 missile sites hit • Indian missiles fired at Shorkot, Rawalpindi, Chakwal shot down: ISPR • Six martyred in Gujrat amid shelling on LoC ISLAMABAD: After demonstrating restraint in the face of blatant Indian aggression since Wednesday, Pak­istan launched strikes early Satur­day morning targeting military installations in India and India-held Kashmir. The strikes were launched under operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos at 5:16am. “Bunyan-um-Marsoos” translates as a concrete structure or firm foundation. The missiles, launched by aircraft and ground-based systems, targeted multiple strategic and military sites of India, security sources and state media reported. According to the military’s media wing and Radio Pakistan, the targeted locations included S-400 missile system in Adampur; military intelligence’s training ce­n­tre in Rajouri and brigade hea­d­quarters in Uri; Adampur, Udha­mpur, Pathan­kot, Suratgarh, Sirsa, Bathin...

Veteran Pakistani actor Behroze Sabzwari has praised the Pakistan Armed Forces for their decisive retaliation to India’s recent unprovoked aggression following the Pahalgam incident.

Despite a ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India and the formal restoration of airspace operations, around 150 flights were cancelled across Pakistan on Sunday, aviation sources confirmed.

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs and Chairman of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora has strongly condemned the Indian drone attack near the revered Sikh holy site of Nankana Sahib, calling it a blatant violation of international laws, religious freedom, and human rights. Speaking at a press conference along with Lahore Press Club (LPC) President Arshad Ansari and prominent Sikh personalities including Sardar Bishan Singh, Satwant Kaur, Sardar Jaskaran Singh, and Kalyan Singh Kalyan, here at LPC on Saturday, the minister decried recent missile attacks on mosques and drone strikes on minority worship places, declaring these actions as part of a wider Indian conspiracy to malign Pakistan’s image and ignite religious tensions in the region. Sardar Arora said that Pakistan could never even imagine of targeting Sikh religious sites, and emphasised that the country’s bond with the Sikh community is founded on sincerity, reverence, and mutual respect. He categorically re...

DEBRIS is strewn across the runway and lounge of Sheikh Zayed International Airport after it was hit by a missile fired by India on Saturday.—Dawn RAHIM YAR KHAN: The Sheikh Zayed International Airport (SZIA) in Rahim Yar Khan district of Punjab — a landmark viewed as a symbol of friendship between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates — was struck by an air-to-surface missile fired by India in the early hours of Saturday, causing significant damage to its infrastructure, including the Royal Lounge used by the UAE president and his family. Deputy Commissioner Khuram Javed confirmed that India targeted the airport with both a missile and a drone. He said the airport is occasionally used by the Abu Dhabi royal family, as commercial flight operations have been suspended since 2023. The attack destroyed the Royal Lounge, and a 10-foot-wide crater was left at the apron area of the airport. The deputy commissioner also confirmed that the UAE embassy has been informed about the damage caused to the airport. Locals l...

• Two police vans set on fire • Five grenade attacks reported in Quetta • Blast near Sibi railway station QUETTA/ GWADAR: Unknown armed men snatched official weapons from the police and Levies force personnel on various highways of Noski and Mastung districts and also set on fire their two vehicles. Earlier, the armed men had blocked the highways at different points in the districts. Officials said armed men blocked the main road in Washbo area late on Friday night and intercepted two police vehicles patrolling in the area. They took the police personnel into custody and after snatching their weapons, burnt both vehicles. Reports suggested that the miscreants also blocked the Quetta-Taftan highway in Ahmedwal area of Noshki district. They intercepted four vehicles carrying gas from Taftan and took away four persons with them at gunpoint who belonged to Punjab. They also entered police and Levies stations and snatched their weapons. The armed men also blocked roads in the Dasht area of Mastung district and som...

ISLAMABAD: The Reg­istrar Office of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has returned a petition seeking the release of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan on parole, citing multiple procedural objections. The plea was filed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur through senior advocate Latif Khosa. The petition, which sought Mr Khan’s release under parole, was dismissed for not fulfilling basic legal requirements. The Registrar Office objected that the plea was not filed by the aggrieved individual himself and failed to name Mr Khan as a party in it. Additionally, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) — the prosecuting authority in the case in which Mr Khan is serving the sentence — was not listed as a respondent. The registrar also noted that the full addresses of involved parties were missing, and raised concerns over the legal standing of a third party seeking such relief on behalf of a convicted individual. Returns petition for not fulfilling basic legal requirements Following t...

MOSCOW: After European leaders backed a US plan for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and threatened Russia with “massive” sanctions if it failed to comply, the Kremlin accused European countries on Saturday of making contradictory and confrontational statements. “We hear many contradictory statements from Europe. They are generally confrontational in nature rather than aimed at trying to revive our relations. Nothing more,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying. Ukraine and European leaders agreed on Saturday to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire on May 12 with the backing of US President Donald Trump, threatening Presi­dent Vladimir Putin with new “massive” sanctions if he failed to comply. The announcement was made by the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Poland and Ukraine after a meeting in Kyiv, after which they held a phone call with Trump. The US leader, who wants a rapid peace, has not commented publicly on the course of action. “So all of us here, together with the US, are calling Putin...