Pakistan

Tremors were felt in Gilgit, Skardu, Astore, and surrounding areas on Sunday, prompting residents to rush out of their homes in alarm.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call on Saturday night, the Foreign Office (FO) said, adding that the two leaders reaffirmed the commitment to strengthen bilateral ties and discussed regional and international developments. “Deputy Prime Minister/ Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar received a call tonight from the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio. “The two leaders expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of Pakistan-US ties and discussed recent regional and international developments. They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations across multifaceted areas of cooperation,” the FO said. The phone call between Dar and Rubio has taken place against the backdrop of improving Pakistan-US ties and amid significant developments in the Middle East. Last month, it was noted in an analysis published by Dawn that the “positive signals” between Islamabad and Washington, “which began emanating soon after President Donal...

Federal Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan reached Tehran on Sunday for a three-day official visit to boost economic relations between Pakistan and Iran, according to a press release from the commerce ministry. Pakistan and Iran share close ties and have signed multiple agreements across sectors such as energy and trade. According to the press release, Khan is expected to lead the Pakistan-Iran Joint Economic Commission and Business Forum during his visit. “He was received at Imam Khomeini International Airport by Mr Amin Tarfa’a, adviser to Iran’s Ministry of Roads and Urban Development,” the press release read. “During the visit, [Khan] will lead the 22nd Session of the Pakistan–Iran Joint Economic Commission and co-chair the Pakistan–Iran Joint Business Forum. He is also scheduled to hold meetings with key Iranian ministers and senior officials to strengthen bilateral trade and investment cooperation.” Khan’s visit aims to give fresh momentum to economic and commercial ties between the two nations through th...

Veteran sports journalist Syed Muhammad Sufi has passed away in Karachi on Sunday. He was 80 and died after a prolonged illness. Sufi is survived by his wife and four sons. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), among others, expressed grief and sorrow over Sufi’s death in a condolence message. “The PCB management, along with its staff, extends heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family and prays that the Almighty grants the departed soul eternal peace and gives strength to the family and loved ones to bear this irreparable loss.” Separately, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi also paid a tribute to the late journalist, describing his passing as the end of a golden era in sports journalism. Naqvi lauded Sufi’s lifelong dedication to promoting sports, particularly cricket, and said that his journalistic legacy would be cherished and remembered. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also expressed grief over Sufi’s death in a statement. Former cricketer Shahid Afridi also condoled his death, remembering him as a “man of fin...

Nepal’s new leader vowed Sunday to follow protesters’ demands to “end corruption” as she began work as interim prime minister, after “Gen Z” youth demonstrations ousted her predecessor. Sushila Karki, the 73-year-old former chief justice, has been tasked with restoring order and addressing protesters’ demands for a corruption-free future ahead of elections in six months. Protests, sparked by a ban on social media and feeding into long-standing economic woes, began on Monday and quickly escalated, with parliament and key government buildings set ablaze. “We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” Karki said in her first public comments since taking office on Friday. A fifth of people in Nepal aged 15-24 are unemployed, according to the World Bank, with GDP per capita standing at just $1,447, in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people. “What this group is demanding is the end of corruption, good governance and economic equality,” she added. ‘From the streets’ Karki held a minute’s sil...

British police charged a 37-year-old man with religiously-motivated criminal damage after several attacks on synagogues and Jewish premises in north-west London. Seven Jewish premises have been targeted in separate incidents over the last ten days, police said, including four synagogues being smeared with a substance, while a liquid was thrown towards a school and over a car. The substance and the liquid were bodily fluids, Sky News reported. Police called the acts “revolting and appalling”. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians in Gaza in retaliation for the kidnappings of 251 Israeli citizens by Hamas. According to a February statement from the Community Security Trust (CST) charity, which advises Britain’s estimated 280,000 Jews on security matters, “more than 3,500 antisemitic incidents” were recorded in the country since Tel Aviv launched its onslaught on Gaza. Police said they charged Ionut-Cristian Bold of no fixed address with six counts of racially or religiously aggr...

Finance Minister and Senator Mohammad Aurangzeb announced on Sunday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has declared a climate and agricultural emergency, pledging urgent relief and long-term rehabilitation for flood-hit communities.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday announced a major relief measure for flood-hit people, directing electricity distribution companies to immediately stop the collection of August 2025 electricity bills in flood-affected areas.

PM Shehbaz Sharif says terrorist leaders responsible for attacks in Pakistan operating from Afghan soil with backing of India Tells Afghanistan to choose between terrorists or Pakistan Warns anyone facilitating or advocating for terrorists will be dealt with accordingly Security forces impose curfew in North.

KARACHI - The top International Monetary Fund (IMF) official in Pakistan said on Saturday his organ-isation is assessing flood damage and will use its next review mission to evaluate appro-priate policy responses to support affected people and strengthen national resilience.

ISLAMABAD - Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), on Saturday visit-ed Kasur Sector and the flood relief camp in Jalalpur Pirwala, Multan to review the prevail-ing flood situation and ongoing relief efforts.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President and Senator Sherry Rehman has welcomed the adoption of the United Nations resolution supporting a two-state solution for Palestine, terming it a historic development and a defeat of Israel’s aggressive narrative.

MUZAFFARABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi on Saturday underlined the need of using the latest technology to achieve the set targets of the judicial system.

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday emphasised the importance of expanding cooperation between Pakistan and China in political, economic and cultural fields, underlining Pakistan’s commitment to deepening people-to-people contacts and public diplomacy.

ISLAMABAD - In line with its commitment to prudent use of public resources, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has streamlined and rationalized the security of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, scaling down the number of official vehicles from eight to two, resulting in release of considerable number of security personnel for routine policing.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will visit State of Qatar to participate in the Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit being held in Doha on 15 September 2025.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, on Saturday reaffirmed that Pakistan’s position on Palestine was “absolutely clear” and well known to the entire world.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday lauded the security forces for successful operation against Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists in Lal Qila Maidan area of Lower Dir district.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued a condemnation on Sunday after it was reported that an 11-member committee of elders had declared that all transgender persons would be expelled from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi district. “The HRCP strongly condemns the reported decision by community elders in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to form a committee aimed at expelling transgender persons from the district. Such actions are unconstitutional, discriminatory and amount to incitement to violence against an already marginalised community,” the HRCP said in a statement on X. It added that “no citizen can be deprived of the right to reside, work or earn a livelihood anywhere in Pakistan on the basis of gender identity”. The human rights body called on the provincial and district authorities to “immediately ensure the safety and dignity of transgender persons in Swabi and uphold their fundamental rights under the Constitution and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018”. The committee of elder...

Authorities have announced that the spillways of Rawal Dam will be opened today (Sunday) at 3:30 PM following a sharp rise in the reservoir’s water level, which has reached 1,752 feet.