Pakistan

Chief of the Air Staff Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu on Friday said Pakistan remains committed to peace and dialogue, while warning that any aggression against the country would be met with a swift and strong response.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday attended a trilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar’s Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has been appointed as head coach for the two-match Test series in Bangladesh next month, the Pakistan Sports Board (PCB) said on Saturday. The first of the two matches – part of the ICC World Test Championship — will be played at Sher-i-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka from May 8 to 12, while Sylhet International Cricket Stadium will host the second Test, which will be played from May 16 to 20. Sarfaraz, who led Pakistan to the Champions Trophy title in 2017, has worked with the under-19 team as well as Pakistan Shaheens after his retirement. Since Australian Jason Gillespie quit as Pakistan’s red-ball coach in December 2024, Aaqib Javed and Azhar Mahmood temporarily guided the team led by Shan Masood, who will continue as captain in Bangladesh. Pakistan have named four uncapped players — Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori — to their 16-member squad for the Bangladesh series starting in Dhaka on May 8. Sarfaraz’s former teammate Umar Gul will j...

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held a “productive” meeting with officials of the United States Department of the Treasury, with both sides discussing avenues for cooperation in the mineral and energy sectors, the finance ministry said on Saturday. Aurangzeb arrived in the United States on Monday to participate in the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings 2026, taking place from April 13 to 18 in Washington, DC. The Spring Meetings bring together finance ministers, central bank governors, policymakers and development experts from around the world amid ongoing global economic uncertainty. On the sidelines of the World Bank-International Monetary Fund (WB-IMF) Spring Meetings 2026 in Washington, DC, Aurangzeb held a “productive” meeting with Francis Brooke, the deputy secretary at the US Department of the Treasury, the ministry said in a post on X. “Both sides discussed avenues for cooperation and collaboration in energy, mineral development, and strengthening the anti-money...

Tremors were felt in several parts of the country, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar, on Saturday, causing panic among residents who rushed out of their homes and workplaces.

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, concluded a three-day official visit to Iran along with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and a high-level delegation, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.

• 159 patients admitted to three city hospitals this year • Majority of them contracted the incurable virus due to ‘unsafe healthcare practices’ • Alarm raised over lack of basic infection control protocols in hospitals KARACHI: Three hospitals in Karachi have recorded a dramatic increase in the number of paediatric human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases over the last nine months and their numbers continue to grow, it emerged on Friday. According to sources, 10 HIV positive children were admitted to the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre (SIDH&RC) in 2024 and their number rose to over 70 in 2025. This year, 30 children with HIV positive status were admitted to the hospital. At the Indus Hospital, 144 HIV positive patients were reported in 2024, whose number rose to 176 in 2025. In the first quarter of this year, 69 HIV patients have been reported at the facility. “There has been an alarming surge in paediatrics cases registered at our hospital. Since August 2025 till date, 72 children le...

WASHINGTON: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Friday that while he has discussed with International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials the impact of the Iran conflict on Pakistan’s economy, “our focus is on getting an early approval for the next tranche” of the IMF package and that a team of the global lender will visit Pakistan next month for consultations on the upcoming review. Talking to Dawn after his news conference at the Pakistan Embassy, the minister reiterated that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was “a very good development”, which would ease pressure on global oil supplies, bring down oil prices everywhere and benefit Pakistan as well. Had the conflict persisted, it would have adversely affected everything “from economic growth to inflation”, he said, adding: “We hope the situation will improve, but hope is not a strategy, and that’s why we had planned for everything.” Aurangzeb said he also discussed the possible consequences of the Iran crisis with the IMF, which has established facil...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced a reduction of Rs32.12 per litre in diesel prices while keeping petrol rates unchanged for the week ending April 24, passing on the impact of easing global prices following the ceasefire announced by the United States and Iran. The last-minute reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting 12-13 per cent decline in global prices were not taken into account before the prime minister approved the diesel price cut through a written statement. The sharp fall, which came soon after the agreement between the US and Iran, along with further expected reductions in the coming days, is likely to be reflected in domestic prices next week. Accordingly, the ex-depot price of high-speed diesel (HSD) has been fixed at Rs353.42 per litre, down from Rs385.54, marking a decline of 8.3pc. Diesel prices have dropped significantly from their peak of Rs520.35 on April 10. HSD is considered the most inflationary fuel due to its widespread use in freight transportatio...

MUZAFFARABAD: As many as 125 people, including women and children, were safely rescued from Mangla Dam on Thursday night after a sudden thunderstorm disrupted their return journey from Ramkot Fort, an official said on Friday. According to Mirpur SSP Khurram Iqbal, the group had travelled to Ramkot Fort for a day-long outing on a locally desi­gned floating transport platform. The platform, operated with the help of boats, has a capacity of around 100 passengers. Ramkot Fort is a 16th-century fortified structure featuring around 440 stairs to reach the top, offering panoramic views of Mangla Lake, which surrounds it on three sides. The group, comprising employees of a life insurance company and their families from Mirpur and adjoining districts, had taken nearly three hours to reach the historic site. They were returning around 8pm when a severe thunderstorm, accompanied by torrential rain and strong winds, struck the area. The SSP said the adverse weather caused the floating platform to lose stability and drif...

KARACHI: After three years, the US dollar slipped below Rs279 on Friday in the inter-bank market, reflecting a sign of exchange rate stability. According to data issued by the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan, the buying rate in the inter-bank market on Friday was Rs278.95, against Rs279 a day earlier. The US dollar was traded between Rs277-278 in March 2023 in the interbank market. However, before this appreciation of the rupee, the country was on the verge of default but recovered after the IMF programme and support from China. Atif Ahmed, a currency dealer, said that since Jan 16, the rupee had kept appreciating against the dollar and had reached this level. “For more than a year, currency dealers have not been working on ready transactions but have been doing swaps only, as the State Bank has strict rules for dollar trading,” he added. The stable exchange rate played a key role in the stabilisation of the economy despite poor growth and very high inflation during this period. Inflation has come ...

He insists the incident didn’t affect him even “one percent”

ISLAMABAD - The Ambassador of Ethiopia to Pakistan, Dr.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Bangladeshi counterpart Dr Khalilur Rahman exchanged views on regional developments, said a post shared on X by Pakistan’s top diplomat on Friday.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved free Google certification courses for more than 100,000 students across the province, waiving fees that typically range from $400 to $1,000, as part of a broader push to equip youth with modern digital skills.

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar yesterday held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with foreign counterparts on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), reinforcing Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach and engagement on regional and global developments.

Islamabad - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday approved a significant reduction in diesel prices, in a move aimed at providing immediate relief to the public amid ongoing economic pressures.

Govt welcomes LHC verdict on ending free electricity units for power sector employees LAHORE/ ISLAMABAD - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday upheld the government’s policy of monetising free electricity units for officers of power distribution companies, dismissing a petition challenging the move.

ANTALYA /ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, with both leaders reaffirming support for Pakistan’s efforts to advance peace in the Middle East.

ISLAMABAD - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday met British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, where both sides discussed the evolving regional situation and avenues for enhanced bilateral cooperation.