Pakistan

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached a staff-level agreement with the Pakistani authorities on the second review of the 37-month Extended Arrangement under the Ex-tended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review of the 28-month arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have agreed to continue polit-ical consultations on matters of national importance.

Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime on Wednesday agreed to a temporary 48-hour easefire, effective from 6:00pm Wednesday, following days of intense cross-border fighting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

At least 13 people, including women and children, were killed when a speeding truck overturned on the Swat Motorway on Thursday, according to motorway police officials.

The government has announced a reduction in petroleum product prices for the next fortnight, bringing relief to consumers across the country.

US President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he authorised the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, marking a sharp escalation in US efforts to pressure President Nicolas Maduro’s government. The New York Times first reported the classified directive, citing US officials familiar with the decision, saying the Trump administration’s Venezuela strategy aims to remove Maduro from power. The administration has offered $50 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest and conviction on drug trafficking charges. The new authority would allow the CIA to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean, the Times reported. Asked why he authorised the CIA to operate in Venezuela, Trump told reporters his reasons were migration of Venezuelans to the United States and drug trafficking. “I authorised for two reasons really,” Trump said. “Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America…they came i...

ISLAMABAD: A judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has surrendered his US permanent residency, commonly known as a green card, after the introduction of a stringent vacation and travel policy that requires judges to seek prior approval from the Chief Justice before travelling abroad. According to well-placed sources in the IHC, the judge has obtained a five-year visa on his official passport following the cancellation of his Green Card. The decision came in the wake of recently introduced amendments to the Presidential Order and a General Standing Order which make it mandatory for judges to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from chief justices of their respective courts before leaving the country, even during holidays or vacations. The new standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued under the policy state that the entire time of a judge, including leave, vacations and holidays, is at the disposal of the state. The chief justice has been empowered to regulate such leave and may cancel it even after a j...

PESHAWAR: As tensions with Afghanistan spike, the country’s security forces claimed to have killed dozens of militants who were attempting to infiltrate Pakistan, state media and official sources said. The action was undertaken in Mohmand district, officials said, thwarting an attempt by dozens of militants to enter Pakistan, PTV News reported. The operation was carried out on the basis of credible intelligence rep­orts, indicating that a large group of militants was mobilising near the mountainous Khor area of Baha­dar Kalay, officials said. “Security forces swiftly cordoned off the area and launched an intensive operation,” sources said. State media claimed that at least 30 terrorists had been eliminated, but local sources said the number may be higher. There was no official word from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) until going to press, but PTV News claimed the incident demonstrated how the Afghan government was now relying on militant groups to try and exact revenge after their attempts to attack P...

• 48-hour ‘Qatar-brokered’ truce initiated at Afghan Taliban’s request • Both sides pledge to seek resolution through dialogue • Khawaja Asif says ceasefire may not hold as Taliban have become ‘proxy for Delhi’ • Latest round of clashes erupted after Afghan fighters target Chaman border posts overnight • Pakistan confirms retaliatory strikes on militant camps in Kandahar city, Spin Boldak • Two explosions rock Afghan capital; TTP leadership targeted in ‘precision strikes’, state-run PTV reports ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghan­istan on Wednesday agreed to a temporary ceasefire after a fresh round of deadly cross-border clashes that threatened to escalate into a wider conflict. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the ceasefire, implemented at the Taliban’s request and with mutual consent, took effect at 6pm local time and would last for 48 hours. “During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive resolution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue,” the Foreign Office...

The federal government on Wednesday night slashed the price of petrol by Rs5.66 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs1.39 per litre for the next fortnight. According to a notification issued by the Finance Division, the petrol price now stands at Rs263.02 per litre from Rs268.68 per litre. Meanwhile, the price of diesel has dropped to Rs275.41 per litre from Rs276.81 per litre. Meanwhile, superior kerosene oil (SKO) and light diesel oil (LDO) also experienced rate cuts, with SKO dropping in price from Rs184.97 per litre to Rs181.71 — a drop of Rs3.26. LDO price dropped by Rs2.74 from Rs165.50 per litre to Rs162.76. The notification added that the new rates were decided on the recommendations from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and the relevant ministries. Widely used in motorcycles, rickshaws, and private vehicles, petrol has a direct impact on the budgets of middle- and lower-income households. HSD fuels heavy transport, agricultural machinery, and trains. Its price is considered h...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday expressed a lack of confidence in the 48-hour ceasefire agreed between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as the latter has become a “proxy of Delhi”. Today’s fighting was the third major skirmish between Pakistan and Afghanistan within a week, following the incident in Kurram last night and earlier skirmishes that began on Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning at several locations. Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada ke Saath’ on Wednesday night, the defence minister said that the Afghan Taliban are “fighting a proxy war” on behalf of India and stated that they have become a “stooge” for New Delhi. “I have my doubts that the ceasefire will hold, because the [Afghan] Taliban are being sponsored by Delhi,” he added. “Right now, Kabul is fighting a proxy war for Delhi.” Asif reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness and capability to defend itself in the face of further aggression from Kabul. “We have the capability and we will attack them, God willing, if the...

Pakistan and Afghanistan have often engaged in minor border skirmishes, particularly since the withdrawal of US forces and the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. However, tensions have recently escalated to an unprecedented level, with clashes over the past few days prompting intervention from mediators. The latest flare-up coincided with a historic visit by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India, raising alarm in Islamabad after he referred to Kashmir as part of India and said terrorism was Pakistan’s “internal problem” that the country should solve itself. Escalation The recent clashes began late on Saturday night, when 23 Pakistani troops were martyred and 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists killed at the border following an attack from the Afghan side at around 9pm, according to the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The ISPR said skirmishes between the two sides began “on the night of Oct 11/12, 2025, [after] Afghan Taliban and India-sponsored Fitna-al-Khawarij lau...

The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday announced that a temporary ceasefire has been agreed with Afghanistan for the next 48 hours amid recent border hostilities between the two countries. “A temporary ceasefire has been decided between the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban regime, with the mutual consent of both parties, for the next 48 hours from 6pm today, at the request of the Taliban.” “During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue,” the FO said. Taliban regime spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said on X that Afghan forces were instructed to respect the ceasefire, “unless any aggression takes place”. Strikes on Kabul, Kandahar Earlier, state broadcaster PTV News reported that the Pakistan armed forces conducted “precision strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and capital Kabul. A statement uploaded on X, quoting security sources, said: “Pakistan Army’s retaliatory action against Afghan Talib...

A high-level delegation from the Pakistan Romania Business Council (PRBC) met with Rear Admiral Ateeq Ur Rehman Abid, Chairman of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), to discuss strengthening economic ties between the two nations.

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg revealed that she was beaten, humiliated and threatened with being “gassed in a cage” during her time in Israeli custody, Swedish news outlet Aftonbladet reported in an interview published on Wednesday. Greta was one of 450 people aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian aid mission involving over 40 vessels which aimed to deliver food, water and medicine to the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s two-year onslaught on the besieged enclave. The boats were intercepted by the Israeli navy on October 1, with Greta and all other activists being arrested and kept in Israeli custody. She was released and deported to Greece on October 6. In her interview, Greta recounted her treatment in Israeli custody, which ranged from humiliation, threats of violence and physical beatings. “She doesn’t want headlines about herself and the torture she says she was subjected to,” Aftonbladet reported. “That was one of the first things she said on the evening she returned home, at a press conference in ...

Pakistan’s hopes of of a first victory at the Women’s World Cup were hit by rain on Wednesday with their crucial fixture against England being abandoned after a second downpour at the R. Pramedasa Stadium in Colombo. Chasing a revised target of 113 to win after earlier rains had reduced the match to 31 overs per side, Pakistan were 34-0 in 6.4 overs when rains returned to end any chance of the match being completed. Fatima Sana shone with the ball earlier as England could only make 133-9 after being put into bat. The Pakistan skipper ended with figures of 4-27 that included three of the English top-order batters including their captain Nat Sciver-Brunt. England’s innings was interupted in the 25th over when rains first arrived in the Sri Lankan capital before the game resumed several hours later. Having lost their first three matches at the tournament, Pakistan needed a win to boost their chances of reaching the semi-finals and they looked a team on a mission. Just in the second over of the first innings, Dia...

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the Presidency on Wednesday, where both discussed internal and external security threats. The meeting comes in the wake of escalating border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with security forces repelling an attack by the Afghan Taliban along the Balochistan border this morning and killing 15 to 20 fighters, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. Today’s clash, the third major skirmish between Pakistan and Afghanistan within a week, follows the incident in Kurram on Tuesday night and earlier skirmishes that began on Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning at several locations. According to a statement from the President’s Secretariat, Field Marshal Munir briefed the president on Pakistan’s overall internal and external security landscape. “He (army chief) also apprised the president of the recent security situation arising from the aggressive and provocative actions of the Afghan Taliban reg...

A police constable deployed for the security of a polio team was killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on him in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district on Wednesday, police said. The attack comes a day after a Levies constable was shot dead while guarding a polio team in the province’s Swat district. The government launched a nationwide polio eradication campaign earlier this week, aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children. A special order was issued for the drive, with the deployment of 285 police personnel across the country to provide security to the vaccination teams. A statement shared with Dawn.com by Nowshera police spokesperson Turk Ali Shah said that the constable, identified as Maqsood, was killed on the spot when assailants opened fire on him. However, he managed to protect the polio workers he was accompanying. “The attack took place within the jurisdiction of the Nizampur police station,” the statement said. “Following the incident, security for polio teams across the area was tighte...

Posts from Afghan media outlets and users on social media platform X on Wednesday shared a video allegedly showing a Pakistani tank captured by the Afghan Taliban. However, the tank in the clip is not Pakistani. On Sunday, fierce border clashes between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban resulted in the martyrdom of 23 troops and left over 200 Taliban fighters dead, including a number of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan terrorists. Both nations claimed to have destroyed the border posts of the other side. On Tuesday, fighting flared up again between the neighbours in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The next day, the third major skirmish also took place, with the Pakistani security forces saying an attack by the Afghan Taliban was repulsed in Spin Boldak, killing about 15-20 Taliban fighters. Meanwhile, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a social media post that the Afghan forces were “forced to retaliate” after attacks by Pakistani forces in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. Mujahid claimed...

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Wednesday visited the Huawei booth at GITEX Global 2025—one of the world’s largest and most influential technology exhibitions—and reaffirmed the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Huawei in advancing digital transformation.