Pakistan | Pakistan

• Rejects New Delhi’s call for agency’s oversight of Islamabad’s nuclear arsenal • India says water treaty to remain suspended until end to ‘cross-border terrorism’ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to investigate the ‘nuclear black market’ in India and repeated incidents of theft and illicit trafficking of radioactive material, as it rejected a call by India’s defence minister for the nuclear watchdog to monitor Islamabad’s nuclear programme. Pointing to multiple incidents of radioactive material theft in India and other security lapses, the Foreign Office said, “Pakistan urges a thorough investigation of these incidents and calls upon India to ensure the safety and security of its nuclear facilities and arsenal.” “If anything, the IAEA and the international community should be worried about the repeated theft and illicit trafficking incidents involving nuclear and radioactive material in India,” the statement added. The Foreign Office was responding to comme...

• Military contacts lead to extension of ceasefire till 18th; US wants both nations to uphold truce • Dar says ultimately ‘political dialogue’ will take place to address all issues; reiterates opposition to Indian move to end Kashmir’s autonomy • Senate resolution condemns India for unprovoked strikes against Pakistan • Trump claims hostilities between nuclear neighbours ‘settled’, asks both to focus on trade ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan and India extended the nascent ceasefire till May 18, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday informed the Senate that Pakistan sought a “composite dialogue” with New Delhi to put all contentious matters to rest. According to the foreign minister, the ceasefire was extended through military-to-military communication, but a political dialogue will ultimately have to take place to resolve the problems between the two neighbours. “We have told the world that we will hold a composite dialogue,” he informed the Senate. The FM said Pakistan had never accepted the unilateral revocation of ...

Pakistan on Thursday called on the international community to investigate recurring incidents of nuclear material theft and security breaches at India’s nuclear facilities.

Lawmakers at the Senate Session continued discussion on recent escalation of hostilities by India and the swift, resolute, and effective response by Pakistan’s Armed Forces in defending the people, sovereignty, territorial integrity and dignity of Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch on Thursday briefed Islamabad-based diplomatic missions on the latest developments in Pakistan-India relations.

Pakistan has welcomed the United States’ decision to lift all sanctions on Syria, terming the move a “pivotal step towards regional stability”, according to a statement from the Foreign Office. US President Donald Trump, on his Gulf tour, met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday. Despite concerns within sectors of his administration over Syria’s leaders’ former ties to Al Qaeda, Trump said on Tuesday during a speech in Riyadh that he would lift sanctions on Syria in a major policy shift. “Pakistan has consistently advocated for constructive engagement and dialogue. The easing of sanctions is expected to facilitate economic growth, improve access to essential services, and support the rebuilding efforts of the Syrian authorities,” the FO statement read. Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment towards Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, the statement said, “Pakistan supports a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned resolution.” “We commend the commitment of all countries, in particular the US, T...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a phone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Thursday, voiced strong concern over recent provocative remarks by Indian leaders, asserting that Pakistan would firmly defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against any future aggression.

The Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of Pakistan and India held their third hotline conversation on Wednesday since agreeing to uphold a ceasefire brokered with the support of the United States and other friendly nations.

Pakistan has called for revitalizing the political process in Yemen, emphasizing that only a comprehensive, diplomatic solution can secure a peaceful and stable future for the war-torn Arab nation.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday sent a letter to India reminding that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) was fully in force and there was no change in its status.

ISLAMABAD - The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has received the second tranche of funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme.

BENGALURU: Indians are cancelling holidays in popular resorts in Turkiye and Azerbaijan after the two countries supported Pakistan during the recent conflict, two booking firms said. Turkiye and Azerbaijan, popular budget holiday destinations for Indians, issued statements backing Islamabad after India’s air strikes last week. “Bookings for Azerbaijan and Turkiye decreasing by 60 per cent (over the last week) while cancellations have surged by 250pc during the same period,” a spokesperson for MakeMyTrip said. EaseMyTrip’s Chief Executive Officer, Rikant Pittie, said the platform had seen a 22pc rise in cancellations for Turkiye and 30pc for Azerbaijan “due to recent geopolitical tensions”. Travellers had switched to Georgia, Serbia, Greece, Thailand and Vietnam, he added. Another ticketing platform, ixigo, earlier said in a post on X that it would be suspending flight and hotel bookings for Turkiye, Azerbaijan and China. EaseMyTrip’s founder and chairman Nishant Pitti said in a post on X that 287,000 Indians ...

• PM Shehbaz asserts Islamabad ready for both war and peace • Shares with UN chief concerns about inflammatory remarks by Delhi • Pakistan returns Indian border guard ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday invited India to a comprehensive dialogue to address all contentious issues, including the Kashmir dispute and the water distribution, between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The prime minister floated this offer during his visit to the frontline area of Pasrur Cantonment in Sialkot, where he lauded the armed forces for giving an exemplary response to India under the ‘Operation Bunyanum Marsoos’ conducted in response to Indian strikes inside Pakistan following the Pahalgam incident. Pakistan had struck 26 Indian military facilities, including its airbases, using jets and missiles. He said Pakistan’s response to the Indian attack on May 6-7 caused huge losses to the neighbouring country, in which the Pakistan Air Force downed multiple Indian Rafale aircraft. In reference to the Pakistani str...

ISLAMABAD: The federal government is expected to reduce petrol prices for the next 15 days due to fluctuations in global oil prices, providing relief to consumers, ARY News reported. According to reports, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has not yet issued official confirmation, sources suggest that petrol prices may drop by Rs 2 […]

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has partnered with provincial governments to modernise civil documentation to introduce a digital birth and death registration system across hospitals and healthcare centres in Pakistan. This step is part of the Uraan Pakistan program, focused on utilising technology for effective governance and economic growth. NADRA is upgrading the […]

As a sign of improving relations, India and Pakistan exchanged one detained personnel each at the Wagah-Attari border post.

Pakistan has received the second tranche of special drawing rights (SDR) worth $1.023 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme, the central bank said on Wednesday. The amount will be reflected in its foreign exchange reserves for the week ending on May 16, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said in a post on X. It would raise the reserves to $11.355bn. Last week, the IMF had approved the immediate disbursement of about $1bn to Pakistan under the ongoing EFF and allowed an additional arrangement for the $1.4bn Resilience and Sus­tainability Facility (RSF). In a statement issued last Friday, the IMF had said its Executive Board completed the first review of Pakistan’s economic reform programme supported by the EFF arrangement. “This decision allows for an immediate disbursement of around $1bn (SDR 760 million), bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to about $2.1bn (SDR 1.52bn). In addition, the IMF Executive Board approved the authorities’ re...

Pakistan’s market has captured the attention of global investors amid its heightened tensions with India, US publication Barron’s reports. Over the past two years, the country has seen a “macroeconomic miracle”. While inflation was down from 40 per cent annually to near zero, Eurobonds maturing in 2031 rose from 40 cents on the dollar to 80 cents. The KSE-100 index has also tripled. The government reached a “stabilisation agreement” with the International Monetary Fund last September with the lender approving a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Over $2bn has already been disbursed. “Pakistan is a good story,” Genna Lozovsky, a chief investment officer at Sandglass Capital Management, was quoted by Barron’s as saying. “So good it’s not risky enough for us anymore.”’ The media outlet further stated that the recent conflict with India “won’t likely knock Pakistan’s recovery off course” but the “country’s own shaky underpinnings might”. “Pakistan has been known for boom-and-bust cycles throughout its histo...

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued a notification announcing its summer vacation schedule for 2025.

Pakistan has apprehended another Indian spy near the Iran-Pakistan border, former Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry revealed, marking the most significant espionage-related arrest since Kulbhushan Jadhav’s capture in 2016.