Pakistan

POLITICAL uncertainty in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has been deepening with each passing day, as both major coalition partners in the Chaudhry Anwarul Haq-led government have urged their leaders to allow them to withdraw from the coalition, ahead of the upcoming elections. Following recent shifts in political affiliations in the 53-member AJK Legislative Assembly, the PPP has raised its strength to 17 and the PML-N to nine, while the PTI forward bloc stands at 20. The PTI, which holds the office of the leader of the opposition, is left with only five lawmakers — one of whom has tendered his resignation, although it hasn’t been accepted yet — while two seats are held by members of other parties. The PPP’s parliamentary party and some key ticket holders, who met in Islamabad on Wednesday with its regional president Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin in the chair, unanimously resolved that the party should quit the government “sooner rather than later” to protect its political goodwill among the masses. Amid suspicions t...

• Insiders say truce appears to be more like a ‘pact of silence’ than complete ceasefire • Observers see ‘calculated political strategy’ behind PML-N’s use of ‘Punjab card’ KARACHI: After high-level engagement between the PML-N and PPP, an eme­r­ging thaw has temporarily paused the political firestorm between the two parties. A phone call between Pri­me Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday further sparked hopes of reconciliation, although sources suggest the truce appeared to be temporary — more like a ‘pact of silence’ rather than a complete ceasefire. According to insiders, the tensions that ignited the dispute are still simmering beneath the surface. A brief statement issued by Bilawal House confirmed that PM Shehbaz called Mr Bhutto-Zardari. The two discussed the “current political situation, floods, and foreign policy”, it added. However, there was no offi­c­ial readout from the PM Office regarding the conversation. A day earlier, a PML-N delegation including Deputy...

Police personnel face off against TLP activists outside their headquarters on Multan Road.—Murtaza Ali/White Star • Containers placed at key points to prevent march on Islamabad • Over a dozen cops injured in clashes; outfit claims casualties due to violence • Minister says TLP using ‘Gaza March’ as pretext to spread unrest LAHORE: The city remai­ned on edge throughout Thur­sday after late-night clashes between the police and the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) left several people injured, including around a dozen policemen. The standoff came following a call by the religious outfit to march on the federal capital, where it planned to stage a protest outside the US embassy in solidarity with Palestinians. In a bid to prevent the group from following through on its plans, authorities cracked do­wn, cordoning off the Mult­an Road headquarters of the TLP with shipping containers and sealing the city’s entry/exit points. Meanwhile, in Islamabad, the administration also placed containers at entry points to keep p...

ISLAMABAD: The auth­o­rities are hopeful for the finalisation of a staff-level agreement (SLA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s upcoming visit to the United States, subject to the consensus on the external account and verified flood-related losses, as well as their fiscal adjustment across central and provincial accounts. Official sources confirmed that the IMF had shared the draft Memor­andum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) with the authorities before a visiting mission left Pakistan after two weeks of engagements. “We were at the cusp of finalising the SLA, but two crucial tables that form part of the MEFP required further adjustments,” an official said, hoping that the latest data on foreign remittances had strengthened Pakist­an’s stance about the external account. He said the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) would hold its cautious monetary policy stance for now in light of the rebounding inf­l­a­tion. Moreover, the flood-related losses still n...

Israel, Hamas sign ceasefire agreement; Both sides to free captives, allow aid; Pakistan hails peace opportunity

Army major martyred in DI Khan IBO

Afghan authorities reported an explosion in the Afghan capital of Kabul late on Thursday night. Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabeehullah Mujahid said in a post on X: “The sound of an explosion was heard in the city of Kabul. However, no one should worry, it is all well and good, the investigation of the incident is underway, no report of any damage has been given so far.” Sources reported a Land Cruiser vehicle was apparently hit in the area of Abdul Haq Square in Kabul. Afghan media outlet Tolo News reported that, according to locals, the Abdul Haq intersection was closed, resulting in widespread traffic congestion in the area. AFP journalists reported that two explosions were heard in the capital. The two blasts occurred around 9:50pm local time (10:20 PKT). In the streets of the Afghan capital, numerous security forces were alerted and were searching cars, an AFP journalist saw. Mobile telephone service was down in several neighborhoods.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the nation was united in its resolve to eradicate terrorism from the country, and the government would take all measures to crush violence perpetrated from across the border. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued a similar warning in the National Assembly about going after terrorist facilitators “wherever they are”. The government’s warning came a day after a lieutenant colonel and a major, among 11 security personnel, were martyred in an exchange of fire with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan terrorist group in the Orakzai district. In his opening remarks during today’s federal cabinet meeting, PM Shehbaz paid tribute to army officers and soldiers involved in conducting operations against terrorists. He said facilitators were protecting terrorists who were coming from across the border. The premier stressed that the situation had reached a critical point and terrorists would not be spared. PM Shehbaz added that the government’s achievements on the economic an...

SBP's holdings increase to $14.42b; gold steady against global decline

Fellowship will enable financial sector channel more investment into clean energy, resilient infrastructure

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Governor projects stability while economists call optimism misplaced

Turtle Excluder Devices to help meet sustainability standards, regain access to US seafood market

Index falls for 4th straight day, sheds 736 points on selling by local, foreign players

Designs Project Kuiper to expand high-speed internet access worldwide, including Pakistan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he spoke to United States President Donald Trump on Thursday, adding that they “reviewed good progress achieved in trade negotiations” and agreed to stay in close touch over the coming weeks. Indian commerce ministry officials have said that after the latest meetings of trade officials in Washington, another round of trade negotiations is expected soon in either country. Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on most exports from India, among the highest for any US trading partner. The move impacts about $50 billion of Indian exports to the US, mainly hurting labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, gems and jewellery and the shrimp industry. The tariffs were doubled on Indian goods from 25pc due to New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil. Washington earlier said India’s purchase of Russian oil helped fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine and that New Delhi also profits from it. India had rejected the accusation as a double standard, pointing to US and European trade links w...

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Country's biggest reservoir now holds 7.277 million acre feet of water

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