Pakistan | Pakistan

The flyadeal, Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing low-cost airline, has begun scheduled flights to Lahore amid a fanfare of celebrations marking the airline’s fifth destination in Pakistan.

Babar Azam showed his mastery with the bat after Shaheen Shah Afridi led a sparkling bowling performance from Pakistan as the hosts cruised to a four-wicket victory over South Africa in the series-deciding third T20 International at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday. Shaheen picked up 3-26, being the standout of Pakistan’s bowling attack, in which Faheem Ashraf and debutant Usman Tariq picked up two wickets each, as South Africa were restricted to 139-9 after being put into bat. Babar then provided an anchor in the chase with a brilliant 68, featuring nine fours, as Pakistan eased to victory with six balls to spare. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the team on X, saying, “Very well-played boys in Green!” He also commended Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and his team for their “great efforts”. In a statement, Naqvi hailed Babar’s batting and Shaheen’s bowling skills for playing an “important role” in the win. Conveying his congratulations to Captain Salman Agha, Head Coach Mike Hesson and...

Babar Azam showed his mastery with the bat after Shaheen Shah Afridi led a sparkling bowling performance from Pakistan as the hosts cruised to a four-wicket victory over South Africa in the series-deciding third Twenty20 International at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday. Shaheen picked up 3-26, being the standout of Pakistan’s bowling attack, in which Faheem Ashraf and debutant Usman Tariq picked up two wickets each, as South Africa were restricted to 139-9 after being put into bat. Babar then provided an anchor in the chase with a brilliant 68, featuring nine fours, as Pakistan eased to victory with six balls to spare. Shaheen got Pakistan off to a flyer with two wickets halfway through the first over and almost bagged a third victim two balls later. Opener Quinton de Kock’s stumps were undone on the second ball of the innings with a delivery that jagged back, found an edge and clattered into the woodwork. On the very next ball, Lhuan-dre Pretorious then spooned a catch to Usman Tariq at short fine-leg. Pakis...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Saturday that India wanted to keep Pakistan busy and engaged on the eastern and western fronts amid tensions with Kabul and New Delhi. Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed early on Friday morning to continue a ceasefire between the two countries following a rapid deterioration of ties and a brief conflict along their shared border last month. The Istanbul talks followed a sharp escalation in tensions that saw Pakistan launch Oct 9 airstrikes on Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan sanctuaries in Afghanistan, triggering Oct 11 border clashes that continued for days before a ceasefire was formalised in Doha on Oct 18-19. The Istanbul agreement came after days of deadlock that nearly brought the process to a halt, with mediators pulling both delegations back to the table even as Pakistan’s team had already begun preparations to return home. Meanwhile, an uneasy peace persists between Pakistan and India after their May conflict earlier this year that led to a United States-brokered ceasefir...

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday that a fisherman from Pakistan was arrested by the Indian Coast Guard and was coerced into carrying out tasks for the neighbouring country’s intelligence agency. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhary, Tarar said that the Indian media was creating a false narrative in the aftermath of the four-day May conflict with Pakistan. The minister said that law enforcement agencies had recently apprehended a fisherman named Ijaz Mallah while he was out fishing in the sea. “In September this year, when he was out fishing, he was arrested by the Indian Coast Guard and after the arrest, he was taken to an undisclosed location and was coerced and forced to do some tasks for the Indian intelligence agency,” he said. “He was told that he would be compensated and if he did not comply, he would have to stay imprisoned for two to three years,” the minister said. “So this common fisherman was eventually released by...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday addressed the 78th Independence Day celebrations of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), lauding the region’s historic and ongoing contributions to Pakistan’s development.

• Critical Minerals Forum chief meets Aurangzeb • Islamabad welcomes move; asks team to revert with a detailed framework for collaboration ISLAMABAD: A leading US delegation met with Pakistani officials in Islamabad on Friday, seeking to build secure and transparent mineral supply chains for American industry amid Washington’s growing concerns over China’s upper hand in global rare earth materials. The delegation led by Robert Louis Strayer II, president of the US government-funded Critical Minerals Forum (CMF), “discussed avenues of cooperation in the minerals and mining sector, strengthening supply-chain security, and encouraging responsible and sustainable investment in Pakistan’s critical minerals landscape” with a Pakistani team headed by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, according to an official statement. The meeting took place as the US and India announced a 10-year defence framework agreement. The CMF’s focus is driven by the strategic threat posed by Beijing’s control over key resources. “China’s...

Opener Saim Ayub hit a blistering half century after pacers starred as Pakistan thrashed South Africa by nine wickets in the second Twenty20 International of the three-match series to level it 1-1. Saim smashed an unbeaten 71 off 38, hitting six fours and five sixes, to help Pakistan chase down the paltry 111-run target in the 14th over. Earlier, Faheem Ashraf and Salman Mirza had kept South Africa quiet with a brilliant pace bowling show. Pakistan openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim had seen the side cruise to 49-0 by the end of the powerplay with a measured approach with no pressure on them whatsoever. But right at the end of the period, Corbin Bosch trapped Sahibzada lbw with his pace. However, the incoming Babar Azam triggered raucous roars among the capacity crowds, getting off the mark with a scintillating cover drive. Saim too carried on, launching Ottneil Baartman for a huge six over long-on as Pakistan edged closer to the small target. The southpaw followed that up with a powerful cut through the off-s...

Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrani said on Friday that Pakistan does not seek further tension with Afghanistan and hopes that Afghan soil will not be used against it.

Pakistan and Canada have reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen mutually beneficial economic cooperation, focusing on expanding trade and investment across diverse sectors.

The information ministry on Friday denied “unverified or politically charged claims” by an Indian news channel about Pakistan preparing to dispatch 20,000 troops to Gaza and the country removing the clause from its passports that makes it invalid for travel to Israel. Indian news outlet Republic TV had made the allegations, specifying the number of soldiers Pakistan was planning to send to Gaza “under the supervision of Western countries and Israel.” The channel, according to a statement by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, had also “ridiculously claimed that Pakistan had also removed the ‘Not valid for Israel’ clause from the passport.” In a statement on X, the information ministry referred to a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa), reiterating that “Pakistan’s stance on Israel remains unchanged, that is, Islamabad does not recognise Israel, and no military cooperation or engagement exists or is under discussion”. Moreover, the ministry clarified that the passport clause remain...

Pakistan is expected to experience a weak La Niña phase in November and December, which will result in below-normal rainfall and higher temperatures across most regions of the country, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Thursday.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has categorically dismissed baseless propaganda aired by an Indian television channel, Republic TV, which falsely alleged that Pakistan was preparing to send 20,000 troops to Gaza under the supervision of Western countries and Israel.

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed early Friday morning to continue the ceasefire following a rapid deterioration of ties between the two neighbours and a brief conflict along their shared border earlier this month. Discussions between Pakistani and Afghan Taliban delegations began in Istanbul on Saturday, but Islamabad’s long-standing concern over terror attacks emanating from Afghanistan remained a major point of contention, resulting in a stalemate. Last-ditch efforts on Thursday by the mediating countries brought both sides back to the negotiating table. A joint statement released after the conclusion of the latest round of dialogue stated “further modalities of the implementation will be discussed and decided” during a Principal level meeting in Istanbul on November 6. During this period, the two countries also agreed on a “monitoring and verification mechanism” to ensure the maintenance of peace and to impose a penalty on the side that breaches the ceasefire. “All parties have agreed to put in place a moni...

Posts from multiple social media users, including PTI supporters, shared an image on social media platform X on October 29, 2025, allegedly showing a ‘Move on Pakistan’ banner of Field Marshal Asim Munir with text referring to his tenure. However, the poster is doctored. In September 2025, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan said that the tenure of the army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, would end in 2027 and a decision whether to extend it or not will be taken at that time. He said that earlier, the army chief’s term comprised four years, and it was reduced to three years before it was extended to five years. The army chief’s tenure and extension have been under discussion for a while. In 2024, the government extended the tenure of the chiefs of the army, navy and air force from three to five years under the Pakistan Army Amendment Act 2024. The hasty passage of the law was severely criticised by opposition parties such as the PTI and Jamaat-i-Islami, with even the PPP, a...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that a “ray of light” was visible in the Istanbul negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan amid current tensions, and there was room for “guarded optimism” for a breakthrough, although nothing conclusive could be said at this stage. Discussions between Pakistani and Afghan Taliban delegations had begun in Istanbul on Saturday, but Islamabad’s long-standing concern of terror attacks emanating from Afghanistan had been a bone of contention, resulting in a stalemate. Asif said earlier today that talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan on cross-border terrorism could resume if Kabul signaled a shift in its attitude. Speaking in an interview on Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, Asif said that whereas hope had completely flatlined before, there were “some signs now”, although he made it clear that he could not say anything conclusive. Describing how the process of the talks worked, he said different drafts were prepared and when one side agreed to one,...

Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said on Thursday that Pakistan sought peace with all neighbours, including Afghanistan, but reiterated that the country will not allow cross-border terrorism to be perpetrated from Afghan soil. According to a statement from the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Field Marshal Munir made the comments during a trip to Peshawar, where he held an interactive session with a jirga of tribal elders. Later on, he was given a comprehensive briefing at Headquarters 11 Corps on the prevailing security environment, operational preparedness and ongoing counter terrorism efforts to maintain peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border. Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have worsened sharply in recent weeks, marked by border clashes and mutual accusations. Islamabad has repeatedly warned Kabul against permitting the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to use Afghan territory for attacks — an allegation the Taliban reject. After ...

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf announced on Thursday that Pakistan will host the First International Qirat Competition from November 24 to 29, bringing together top Qaris from member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Pakistan has agreed to resume talks with the Afghan Taliban in Istanbul on Thursday, following renewed mediation efforts by Türkiye, marking a cautious step toward reviving dialogue aimed at easing border tensions and promoting regional stability.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stated that India is waging a “low-intensity” war against Pakistan from Afghanistan, adding that New Delhi is trying to “settle the score” after facing defeat in the four-day conflict with Islamabad in May. Asif expressed these views during an interview with Al Arabiya English that was released late on Wednesday. His remarks are a continuation of the censure he has been directing toward Kabul in connection with terror incidents in Pakistan, recent border hostilities and the subsequent failure of talks with its Taliban rulers. He was asked during his interview with Al Arabiya about the evidence he had to back his assertions that New Delhi was “pulling the strings” during talks with Taliban representatives in Doha and Turkiye. “When it comes to showing the evidence, or tabling the evidence, we will do that. We have the evidence,” Asif replied, highlighting that the Afghan foreign minister was visiting the Indian capital when border clashes began between Pakistan and Afghanistan...