Pakistan

Pakistan Railways will operate five Eid Special Trains from various cities to facilitate passengers during the Eid-ul-Adha.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Iran, which stood at $3 billion, would be taken to $10 billion in the next few years, as there was immense potential for growth.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday said that the government was focused on developing a “strategic” federal budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026. Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had opened high-level policy talks in Islamabad on May 19 to discuss the FY2025-26 budget. As deliberations with the IMF remained inconclusive, the government has postponed the budget announcement till June 10. While speaking at an event in Islamabad, the finance minister said they were working on a “strategic budget” instead of “just making the math work”. He said that the “DNA” of the economy had to change. “And therefore we are going to bring some bold measures during the budget because the budget is not just about revenue and expenditure but has to provide the strategic direction where the economy is and where it is heading,” he said. “So it’s our full effort to make this document more strategic, rather than just making the math work,” he said. “Of course, we have to make the math work.” On debt servi...

India’s coastguard raced on Monday to contain an oil spill from a container ship with hazardous cargo that sank off the southern coast a day earlier, Kerala’s state government said. The Liberian-flagged MSC ELSA 3, listed as a 184 meter freight ship, went down off the coast of Kerala on Sunday, with all 24 crew members rescued. It was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide, a chemical used for fertiliser production and steelmaking. The vessel also contained some 370 tonnes of fuel and oil. “The Coast Guard is taking action to prevent the spread of oil using two ships,” Kerala’s government said in a statement. “The work of spraying dust to destroy the oil is in progress using a Dornier aircraft”. Crew members of a Liberian-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3 sit after they were rescued off Kerala Coast, India on May 24, 2025. — Reuters India’s defence ministry said the ship sank “due to flooding” some 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi, raising concerns f...

Federal Minister for Communications Aleem Khan met with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday to discuss the long-delayed Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway (M-6) and other key road projects aimed at improving connectivity in the province.

The Supreme Court emphasized on Monday that judicial consent is mandatory at four distinct stages in the process of transferring judges, reinforcing the principle of judicial independence.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday stated that the significant reduction in the policy rate has had a positive impact on Pakistan’s economy, drawing international recognition for the country’s improving economic outlook.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Monday expressed optimism over the possible release of PTI founder Imran Khan ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, calling it a long-awaited relief for party supporters.

India has initiated work on a series of hydropower projects in the disputed Ladakh region, sparking serious concerns over violations of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and escalating regional tensions.

In a bid to accommodate the surge in passenger traffic during Eid-ul-Adha, Pakistan Railways has announced the operation of five special trains from various cities across the country.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday said that the recent significant reduction in the policy rate has positively impacted Pakistan’s economy, drawing global recognition for the country’s economic progress.

The Supreme Court’s constitutional bench has raised serious questions over the Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) claim to reserved seats, observing that the party is not entitled to them as it did not participate in the 2024 general elections and has no presence in Parliament.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted a spell of windstorms and rain-thunderstorms across upper and central parts of the country from the night of May 27 to May 31, with intermittent gaps.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday departed for Iran after concluding his two-day official visit to Turkiye.

Bears continued their stampede on Monday at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) as shares declined by more than 600 points in intraday trade. The benchmark KSE-100 index declined by 886.10, or 0.74 per cent, to stand at 118,216.57 from the last close of 119,102.67 at 1:13pm. At 3:04pm, the index decreased by 642.92 points, or 0.54pc, from the last close. Mohammed Sohail, chief executive of Topline Securities, attributed the decline to “delay in budget announcement”, in addition to “lack of clarity” on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) “conditions related to budget pushing investors to trim their exposure”. Yousuf M. Farooq, director research at Chase Securities, said, “The market is consolidating ahead of the budget, with pressure on the oil sector following media reports of disagreements with the IMF over the circular debt resolution plan and the onset of rollover week.” “We expect a rerating to the upside once there is clarity on key budgetary measures,” he added. The government has delayed unveiling the ...

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will convene in Islamabad on Tuesday to sight the moon for Zil Hajj 1446 Hijri, which will determine the date of Eid ul Azha in Pakistan.

US President Donald Trump backed away on Sunday from his threat to slap 50 per cent tariffs on imports from the European Union next month, agreeing to extend the deadline until July 9 for talks between Washington and the 27-nation bloc to produce a deal. Trump on Friday said he was recommending a 50pc tariff go into place on June 1 because of frustration that talks with the EU were not moving quickly enough. The threat roiled global financial markets and intensified a trade war that has been punctuated by frequent changes in tariff policies toward US trading partners and allies. Trump, who has repeatedly expressed disdain for the EU and its treatment of the US on trade, relented after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told him on Sunday that the EU needed more time to come to an agreement. She asked him during a call to delay the tariffs until July, the deadline he had originally set when he announced new tariffs in April. Trump told reporters he had granted the request. “We had a very nice c...

Iran will not consider temporarily suspending uranium enrichment to secure a nuclear deal with the US, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, adding that no date had yet been set for a sixth round of talks with Washington. The negotiations between Washington and Tehran aim to resolve a decades-long dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and both sides have taken a tough stance in public over the issue of Iran’s uranium enrichment. Asked about reports that Iran could freeze enrichment for three years to reach an agreement, spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told a press conference: “Iran will never accept that.” Baghaei also ruled out the possibility of an interim nuclear deal with the US, dismissing media reports that a provisional agreement was being considered as a temporary step towards a final deal. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that US negotiators had “very good” talks with an Iranian delegation over the weekend. Iran is waiting for further details from mediator Oman regarding the timing of the...

Political and religious leader Hafiz Abdul Karim has been elected as the new emir of the Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith (JAH). Karim was elected unopposed after the position fell vacant following the demise of former emir Professor Sajid Mir on May 3, Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Hafiz Abdul Karim on his election and expressed his good wishes for the newly elected chief of the religio-political party. The PML-N has nominated Hafiz Abdul Karim, who was earlier the secretary-general of JAH, as its candidate for the Senate seat which fell vacant after the demise of Prof Mir. According to a PML-N press release, party president Nawaz Sharif offered the Senate seat to Prof Mir’s son, Ahmad Mir, but he declined the offer. The PML-N then nominated Karim for the vacant Senate seat. Karim earlier served as a senator from March 2018 to March 2024 on a technocrat seat from Punjab. He was also a member of the National Assembly from June 2013 to 2018. Besides, he served as ...

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday ordered authorities to take decisive action against the beggar mafia operating in Punjab and directed the development of a dedicated mobile application to help curb the practice.