India | Pakistan

The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday issued a statement rejecting the comments made by Israel’s ambassador to India, calling them a “baseless characterisation”. The FO statement referred to a video clip of the Israeli ambassador circulating on social media and said: “We firmly reject this baseless characterisation. The real record of aggression and rogue conduct is evident in the illegal occupation, the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and the indictment of Israeli leadership in international courts. “Responsible states uphold international law — not deflect from it.” While the statement did not specify which clip was being referred to, it was issued after a video of Israel’s ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, during an interview with Indian news anchor Arnab Goswami began circulating on social media. During the interview, Goswami asked Azar about a defence pact signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia — which was signed in September 2025 and states that “any aggression against either country shall be ...

LAHORE: Pakistan will take on arch-rivals India on Aug 19 in this year’s hockey World Cup, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) anno­unced on Wednesday. The 2026 World Cup is expected to showcase top-quality hockey, with fans set to witness thrilling and competitive encounters during the event to be co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. The game’s international governing body unveiled the schedule of the World Cup, featuring teams from 16 nations, being staged from Aug 15 to 30. Former four-time World Cup winners Pakistan are placed in pool ‘D’ alongside England, India and Wales. The Green-shirts, who will be competing in a World Cup after eight years, begin their campaign in the event with a match against England on Aug 15 at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Pakistan in their second pool-stage match face Wales on Aug 17 at the same venue before locking horns with India two days later. Pakistan secured qualification for the mega event by reaching the final of the qualifier held ...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Wednesday firmly rejected as a baseless, misleading and unwarranted statement issued by India regarding Pakistan’s ongoing actions against terrorist infrastructure in Afghanistan, asserting that New Delhi’s comments reflected hypocrisy and ignored its own alleged role in regional.

The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday rejected the “baseless, misleading, and unwarranted statement” issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs on action against terrorist infrastructure in Afghanistan. The development comes after targeted overnight airstrikes were carried out in Kabul and Nangarhar amid Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. A day earlier, Pakistan maintained that it had targeted ‘Camp Phoenix’ — a former US military base currently being used by Afghan Taliban forces — even as Afghanistan claimed a drug rehabilitation centre had been bombed instead. Subsequently, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had condemned Pakistan’s actions, calling it a “direct threat” to regional peace and stability. In a statement issued on Wednesday, FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said, “Pakistan rejects the baseless, misleading, and unwarranted statement issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Pakistan’s ongoing action against terrorist infrastructure in Afghanistan.” “Against the backdrop of India’s active sp...

India is considering shelving three planned privatisation sales amid weak investor appetite, two government sources said, a slump that has already derailed its attempt to sell a stake in IDBI Bank and is a fresh blow to the government’s flagship divestment programme. The privatisation plan, delayed for years, is now facing fresh setbacks that include dwindling interest in state-run firms such as Shipping Corporation of India and HLL Lifecare, besides the collapse of the IDBI Bank stake sale last week after bids fell short of the government’s minimum price. India’s finance, shipping and health ministries and the companies did not respond to Reuters’ queries. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious privatisation plan was aimed at having the state exit most sectors while remaining only in sensitive ones such as telecom and banking. But the government could only sell Air India to Tata Sons, and indirect holdings in steel-maker Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd to Tata Steel, and Ferro Scrap Nigam to Konoike Trans...

Iran has asked India to release three tankers seized in February as part of talks ​seeking the safe passage of Indian‑flagged or India‑bound vessels out of the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, three sources ‌with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Indian authorities seized the three Iran‑linked tankers near Indian waters, alleging they had concealed or altered their identities and were involved in illegal ship‑to‑ship transfers at sea. Tehran has also sought supplies of certain medicines and medical equipment, according to one of the sources, an Iranian official. Iran’s ambassador to ​New Delhi met Indian foreign ministry officials on Monday to discuss the issue, the source said. The sources declined to be named ​due to the sensitivity of the matter. India’s foreign ministry, the Iranian embassy in New Delhi, and Iran’s ⁠foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Iran recently allowed two Indian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers to pass through the ​strait, according t...

A fire at a government-run hospital in eastern India killed at least 10 critically ill patients who were admitted in the trauma care unit, officials said on Monday. Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and a routine disregard for safety regulations. The fire broke out early on Monday on the first floor of the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Odisha state’s Cuttack city, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told reporters. “A short circuit caused the fire in the trauma ICU ward where patients were being treated,” he said, adding that 23 patients were present on the floor at the time of the incident. Ten people died following the blaze, while the remaining patients were moved to other wards, he added. At least 11 staff members suffered burn injuries as they tried to rescue the patients. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “deeply painful” in a post on social media and offered his condolences to the families of the victims. He also announced compensation ...

The Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday rejected a statement made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs criticising Pakistan’s cross-border action in Afghanistan, stating that the statement was “absurd, unwarranted” and “shamefully hypocritical”. The development comes as Pakistan continues with Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, which was launched in late February following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. A day earlier, the Indian MEA’s spokesperson Shri Randhir Jaisal claimed that Pakistan’s strikes in Afghanistan had led to “death of several civilians”, terming it an “act of aggression”. In response, the FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi rejected the claim, stating that the remarks against Pakistan’s “legitimate, targeted and precise actions against terrorist hideouts and support bases inside Afghanistan are not only absurd and unwarranted but also shamefully hypocritical”. The spokesperson maintained that India’s “active support and sponsorship” for terrorist groups operating from Afghan ...

India on Saturday ended the preventive detention of prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk, freeing him six months after he was arrested over protests in India-held Ladakh. The Buddhist-Muslim enclave was deprived of its autonomy in 2019 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government carved it out of occupied Kashmir, placing the region under New Delhi’s direct control. Wangchuk, 59, an environmental advocate who became a key figure in Ladakh’s movement for greater autonomy, was held in September and later charged under India’s National Security Act (NSA) following protests that left four people dead and dozens wounded. New Delhi had blamed the violence on “provocative speeches” by Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike demanding either full federal statehood for India-held Ladakh or constitutional protections for its tribal communities, land and fragile environment. Authorities in the sparsely populated, high-altitude region bordering China and Pakistan at the time said the order, issued by the district magist...

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday rejected suggestions of unequal treatment after the West Indies and South Africa squads were stranded in India for more than a week following the T20 World Cup. Airlines have cancelled or rerouted flights because of the war in the Middle East, throwing international travel into chaos. Cricket West Indies said on Tuesday its squad had waited nine days for a charter flight that was “repeatedly delayed”, calling the uncertainty “increasingly distressing”. Former England captain Michael Vaughan also criticised the situation, noting on social media that England departed 36 hours after their semi-final exit last week while the West Indies and South Africa remained in Kolkata more than a week after being knocked out of the tournament. The ICC said it “rejects any suggestion that these decisions have been driven by anything other than safety, feasibility and welfare”. “We understand that players, coaches, support staff and their families who have completed their IC...

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Indian energy giant Reliance Industries was backing a deal to build the first new major oil refinery in the United States in half a century. Trump made the announcement via his Truth Social platform, saying the company America First Refining would construct the new facility at the Port of Brownsville, Texas. “This is a historic $300 billion dollar deal — the biggest in US history,” Trump wrote, framing the project as a cornerstone of his energy agenda, but offering no details on the plan. “Thank you to our partners in India, and their largest privately held Energy Company, Reliance, for this tremendous Investment,” he said, without specifying the company’s commitment. Reliance is India’s biggest privately held conglomerate and its Jamnagar refinery is the world’s largest. The America First Refining website says the company is a project of Element Fuels, which first announced plans in 2024 to build a Brownsville refinery at a cost of between $3-$4bn. The facility would...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday rebuked India for consistently playing the role of a spoiler in Afghanistan and urged it to cease its policy of supporting terrorism from Afghan soil.

India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh was fined by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday after an incident during the Twenty20 World Cup final when he hurled the ball at New Zealand batsman Daryl Mitchell. In the 11th over of New Zealand’s chase on Sunday, Mitchell played the ball to Arshdeep and the bowler threw it straight back at him, hitting the New Zealand batter on the pads. Mitchell was livid and advanced on Arshdeep, who turned around and walked back without apologising, forcing the umpire to step in. India captain Suryakumar Yadav then came over and apologised. The ICC said Arshdeep breached the ICC Code of Conduct for “throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment) at or near a player in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner”, handing him a fine of 15 per cent of his match fee. Arshdeep, who apologised to Mitchell at the end of the over and again after the match, accepted the sanction. India beat New Zealand by 96 runs to become the first side to lift the men’s T20 World Cup for...

West Indies players are leaving India on commercial flights in batches after their departure was delayed due to international airspace closures amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Caribbean side’s governing body CWI said on Tuesday. Indian media reported that a charter flight for the West Indies and South Africa Twenty20 World Cup teams scheduled to fly to Johannesburg before continuing on to Antigua was cancelled earlier on Tuesday. Some players and staff have departed and others are scheduled to leave on different flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, CWI said in a statement. West Indies were eliminated from the tournament’s Super Eight stage on March 1, but remained in India as their charter flight organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) was repeatedly delayed. “As is customary for both men’s and women’s ICC World Cups, all travel and accommodation arrangements for participating teams are coordinated and managed by the ICC,” CWI said. “Ongoing uncertainty surrounding the ICC-organised ch...

WASHINGTON: During a heated debate on Afghanistan at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday, Pakistan lambasted India’s criticism of cross-border strikes, accusing Delhi of complicity in the terror threat at the western border. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad exchanged strong words with his Indian and Afghan counterparts after the former accused Islamabad of “flagrant violations of international law” during the Pak-Afghan conflict. During the session, India’s Permanent Representative Parvathaneni Harish said his country “reiterates UNSG’s deep concern at civilian casualties caused by cross-border violence and strongly condemns airstrikes which are flagrant violations of international law, UN Charter and state sovereignty”. India also expressed “grave concern on ‘trade and transit terrorism’” and said “these vulnerabilities of Land-Locked Developing Countries should not be weaponised”. India a ‘spoiler’ in Afghanistan: Pak envoy Ambassador Ahmad, following the r...

Sri Lanka and India are providing sanctuary to 434 sailors from three Iranian naval vessels targeted or threatened by the United States, a diplomatic conundrum as the US-Israel attack on Iran and the subsequent war spills into the Indian Ocean. The ships had taken part in a naval exercise organised by India off the coast of Visakhapatnam, when the US and Israel began bombing Iran. For Sri Lanka and India, wary of a US response, the dilemma of what to do with the ships and crew has sent legal officials scouring conventions and the laws of the sea. What happened? IRIS Dena, a frigate, was sunk with a torpedo fired by a US submarine on Wednesday, just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters. Between 130 and 180 sailors were on board, and at least 84 were killed. Sri Lanka rescued 32 survivors, many since discharged from hospital to be hosted at the Koggala air force base in the island’s south. IRIS Lavan, an amphibious landing ship, docked in India’s southern port of Kochi on Wednesday. It had 183 sailors aboard,...

India won a record third T20 World Cup title and became the first team to defend their crown with a 96-run thumping of New Zealand in a lop-sided final on Sunday. Suryakumar Yadav’s India were also the first team to lift the trophy on home soil as over 86,000 fans celebrated at the Narendra Modi Stadium. England and the West Indies have won two titles each. Sanju Samson’s blistering 89 off 46 balls guided the co-hosts to 255-5 and Jasprit Bumrah starred as New Zealand were bowled out for 159 in 19 overs. Part-time spinner Abhishek Sharma claimed the final wicket of Jacob Duffy, securing a dominant victory. Axar Patel struck two early blows, including the dangerous Finn Allen for nine, with his left-arm spin. Bumrah was again at his mesmerising best, delivering a succession of brilliant slower-ball yorkers to finish with figures of 4-15. Opener Tim Seifert hit 52 off 26 balls but his departure in the ninth over off struggling spinner Varun Chakravarthy effectively ended the Black Caps’ slim hopes. Wickets kept...

Tens of thousands of Indian cricket fans crowded the T20 World Cup final stadium on Sunday, and millions more were glued to their televisions, desperate to witness a historic home triumph. India face New Zealand in Ahmedabad as they attempt to become the first team to retain the trophy, the first to win it on home soil and the first to claim a third world T20 crown. Cricket’s T20 showpiece, a month-long tournament of 55 matches featuring 20 teams, concludes on Sunday evening at the 130,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket venue. Diehard supporters arrived from across the country, many clad in Indian colours and waving the tricolour flag as the match began. Anil, a wedding photographer, travelled 1,200 kilometres (745 miles) by train from the southern city of Hyderabad with his brother, dreaming they would see their team triumph. “I hope India wins,” said the 18-year-old who goes by only his first name. Hundreds of vendors, all dressed in Indian jerseys, lined the pavement from the neare...

The best way to deal with pressure is to embrace it, India captain Suryakumar Yadav reminded his teammates ahead of Sunday’s final of the T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium. India are bidding to become the first team to retain the T20 World Cup title and to achieve that, they will have to deal with not just a strong New Zealand XI but also the weight of expectation from a cricket-mad nation of about 1.4 billion people. Leading the team in the final of a home World Cup was a “special feeling”, and Suryakumar said they were looking forward to the challenge. “There are nerves, butterflies in the stomach, but as I always say — if there’s no pressure, there’s no fun,” Suryakumar told reporters on Saturday. “I’m very excited. All the boys and support staff, and I’m sure all of India is excited for tomorrow.” More than 100,000 predominantly home fans are expected to fill the world’s largest cricket stadium where Australia famously beat India in the final of the 50-overs World Cup three years ago. Expectation...

India face New Zealand on Sunday in Ahmedabad, looking to become the first side to lift the T20 World Cup for a third time but under huge pressure with the weight of a nation on their shoulders. Standing in the way of Suryakumar Yadav’s side are a team who have already upset the odds with a thumping nine-wicket win over the previously unbeaten South Africa to reach the final. New Zealand believe, after Finn Allen’s record 33-ball century in the semi-final in Kolkata, that they are capable of taking down the hosts to win their maiden T20 World Cup title. “We’ve got a lot of momentum going into the weekend,” warned Allen. “I think if we play our best cricket, we can beat anybody.” India will not only have to withstand the expectations of 100,000-plus cricket-obsessed fans in a packed Narendra Modi stadium and hundreds of millions more watching on TV, but also the weight of history. The world’s top-ranked T20 team are attempting to become the first to win back-to-back T20 World Cups and the first to lift the tro...