Pakistan | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Sri Lanka on Thursday concluded a two-week joint counterterrorism exercise in northwestern Pakistan, aimed at strengthening operational coordination and refining combat tactics between the armed forces of the two countries, the military said.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Thursday voiced optimism about a possible agreement between Iran and the United States “sooner rather than later.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday that Islamabad was hopeful about and would expect an agreement between the US and Iran “sooner rather than later”. He said this during a weekly briefing, where he was asked how soon the agreement could be expected. “You have asked us how soon we can expect an agreement. We remain optimistic. A simple answer would be that we expect an agreement sooner rather than later. We hope that the parties will come to a peaceful, sustainable solution and bring peace, not just to our region but internationally as well,” he said. In this regard, Andrabi also said Pakistan would welcome a settlement between Iran and the US wherever it may be reached. “If an agreement is reached in Pakistan, it would be an honour for us,” he said. The FO spokesperson also said he could not say whether the draft of the agreement would be one page or longer. Asked whether the US government could be under pressure to end the war due to the upcoming mid-term elections, Andrabi said:...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday rejected the two lowest evaluated LNG bids from BP Singapore and TotalEnergies, priced at $17.28 and $16.98 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), respectively, for delivery next week and in the last week of the current month. State-run Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) received a total of seven bids — three cargoes for May 12-14 and four for May 24-26 — against urgent tenders floated a day earlier. For the first cargo, PetroChina bid $17.69 per mmBtu, BP Singapore $17.28 and Vitol Bahrain $17.84. For the second cargo (May 24-26), TotalEnergies bid $16.98 per mmBtu, OQ Trading $18.58, SOCAR Trading $17.21 and PetroChina International $17.49. PLL on Wednesday floated urgent tenders on a 36-hour notice for the import of two LNG cargoes for delivery between May 12-14 and May 24-26 amid rising temperatures and a power shortfall. The tender was floated following expectations among authorities that the Gulf crisis would ease and the Strait of Hormuz would reopen. PLL had rejected two bi...

Pakistan and Iran held talks on bilateral relations, railway connectivity, and the overall regional situation during a meeting between Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi and Iranian Ambassador Dr Reza Amiri Moghadam.

Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry congratulated the nation on the first anniversary of Marka-e-Haq, commemorating Pakistan’s victory over India, a five-time stronger enemy.

The military’s media affairs wing has said that any hostile design against Pakistan will be countered with “even greater strength, precision and resolve far stronger than what was witnessed by the adversary during Marka-i-Haq”. Last year’s military conflict with India, starting from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the end of Pakistan’s Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, with a ceasefire ending a military escalation between the two countries on May 10, has been called “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth) by the state. In a statement released late Wednesday night to mark the first anniversary of the conflict with India, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the armed forces, particularly the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) “proudly commemorate a defining chapter in the nation’s military history; one that strengthened national confidence, reaffirmed institutional resolve and validated PAF’s relentless pursuit of modernization and focused capability enhancement”. “This historic milestone reflects PAF’s steadfast journey ...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday expressed optimism over the possibility of an agreement between the United States and Iran, saying Pakistan hoped ongoing exchanges between the two sides would lead to a positive outcome.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that Pakistan desires a permanent end to the US-Iran war for peace in the region.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Thursday that the Australia men’s cricket team will tour the country for a three-match one-day international (ODI) series. In a press release, the cricket board said that the visitors would arrive in Islamabad on May 23 and take on the Green Shirts in the first ODI scheduled at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on May 30. The second and third ODIs of the series will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on June 2 and 4, respectively, it said. “All three ODIs are scheduled to begin at 4:30pm local time, with the toss taking place at 4pm,” the press release said. It went on to say that the upcoming bilateral ODI series would be Australia’s first in Pakistan since 2022. It also highlighted that Australia last visited Pakistan earlier this year to participate in a three-match T20I series, which the hosts won 3-0 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. It further said that Australia also featured in ICC Champions Trophy 2025 matches in Pakistan, including a five-wicket win...

ISLAMABAD: Key capital market institutions of Pakistan on Wednesday established the Capital Market Development Fund (CMDF), aimed at promoting financial literacy, expanding financial inclusion and increasing retail investor participation in the capital markets across the country. The main participants of the CMDF included the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), Central Depository Company (CDC), National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited (NCCPL), Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMX) and the Institute of Financial Markets of Pakistan (IFMP). The CMDF was established under the auspices of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to ensure coordination in the industry and strengthen the institutional capacity in Pakistan’s capital markets. Addressing the ceremony, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said recent regional tensions had reinforced the need for Pakistan to make independent commercial decisions, diversify energy resources, and mobilise domestic capital for national development. “We must re...

The Government of Pakistan has suspended new gas connections across the country due to an ongoing supply crisis, according to official sources.

ISLAMABAD: State-run Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) on Wednesday floated urgent tenders for the import of two liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes for delivery between May 12-14 and May 24-26 amid rising temperatures and power shortfall. The company set May 7 (Thursday) as the deadline for bids, which will be opened the same day, given the urgent need to meet the power demand expected to spike again as the cargo imported in the last week of April has been consumed. The tender comes after authorities’ expectations of the Middle East crisis easing and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz did not materialise. Last month, PLL had rejected two bids for the same delivery period but accepted one cargo at $18.4 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). Qatar, a long-term LNG supplier to Pakistan, had been reluctant to dispatch LNG cargoes stranded in the Gulf amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier, three LNG cargoes from Qatar destined for Pakistan were turned back from the strait due to security reasons. Bot...

Islamabad - Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue, diplomacy, and peaceful coexistence in South Asia.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s quest to attract over $8 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and to generate 500,000 jobs between 2018 and 2024, remained well below the target, according to the investment minister. As of 2025, only four SEZs have advanced beyond the planning stage with partial implementation, Investment Minister Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh said on Tuesday. Speaking at the ‘Pakistan-China Industrialisation Dialogue’ in Islamabad, the minister explained that the four SEZs are located in Rashakai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Allama Iqbal Industrial City in Punjab, Dhabeji in Sindh, and Bostan in Balochistan.” “Under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), nine SEZs were designated in the first phase, targeting sectors including food processing, ceramics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and auto assembly, he added. Sheikh emphasised that Pakistan is now entering a decisive phase of CPEC, shifting focus towards industrialisation, export-led growth, and enhanced business-to-busines...

Last year’s military confrontation with India delighted us with something Pakistan rarely experiences: a unified national response. One voice and one direction from a collective will that held under pressure. We have the same reaction, at a smaller scale, during a cricket match against India. And then we watch as it dissolves. A pressing question lies behind this pattern. It is one I have asked for ten years on my podcast and in private conversations. I have asked people from the corridors of power, the circles of military brass, the layers of our Establishment, and the captains of industry. I have asked four Prime Ministers, Generals, CEOs. I have asked them all the same thing, on the record and off it: how do we fix Pakistan? Their answer is almost always the same. We know the problems. We often know the solutions. So why, after a decade of these conversations, does nothing change? We only unite when there is an enemy Pakistan’s capacity for collective action is not a myth. It exists and activates reliably ...

Pakistan on Monday conducted a successful test of its Fateh missile system as part of the Exercise Indus, underscoring its operational readiness, official sources said.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar was informed by the petroleum ministry on Monday that the country has sufficient reserves of POL products till the third week of June. The information was conveyed to the deputy premier during a high-level meeting to review the country’s petroleum, oil, and lubricants stock position. “The Petroleum Ministry briefed the committee on the prevailing supply situation, confirming that, after factoring in incoming shipments, sufficient stock levels are available to ensure uninterrupted availability of POL products throughout Pakistan until the third week of June 2026.” Global fuel prices have skyrocketed over the past two months as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains paralysed since the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28. The attendees were also informed that the supplies are being continuously monitored on a daily basis by the National Coordination and Management Committee (NCMC), to “ensure effective oversight and proactive supply chain management...

Iranian sailors, who had been evacuated to Pakistan after being released by the United States, crossed the border and entered their home territory on Monday, reported Iranian state media. According to IRNA, 15 of the 22 sailors crossed through the Rimdan border terminal in Sistan-Baluchistan. Earlier, the Foreign Office (FO) said that as a “confidence-building measure” by the US, 22 crew members on an Iranian ship seized by US forces had been evacuated to Pakistan. The statement came hours after American outlet ABC News reported that an Iranian ship seized by the US after it “failed to comply” with the blockade imposed by the country on Iranian ports had been transferred to Pakistan for repatriation. “US forces completed the transfer of 22 crew members of M/V Touska to Pakistan for repatriation,“ the report quoted US Central Command Spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins as saying. “Six other passengers were already transferred to a regional country for repatriation last week,” he said. According to the report, Ira...

US releases MV Touska crew as confidence-building measure; Pakistan facilitates transfer to Iran