Pakistan

Pakistan has stepped up its diplomatic efforts to help ease tensions in the Middle East, as foreign ministers from key regional countries gather in Islamabad for high-level discussions.

Seafarers’ helplines say they are overwhelmed with messages from crews stuck in the Gulf by the Middle East war, desperately seeking repatriation, compensation and onboard supplies. “Writing to urgently inform you that our vessel is currently facing a critical situation regarding provisions and one crew health conditions,” read an email from one seafarer on March 24 to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)’s Seafarer Support team. “Immediate supply of food, drinking water, basic necessities is required to sustain the crew,” said the message to the team’s helpline. The ITF said it had received more than 1,000 emails and messages from seafarers stuck around the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region since the war erupted with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Bomb strikes Some sought to clarify what their rights are while navigating a war zone, while others sent videos of bombings striking next to their ship and asked the federation for help to get off board, according to ITF documents s...

KARACHI - Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Barrister Salman Akram Raja has said that no significant economic improvement has been witnessed in the last four years, claiming that the country’s economy continues to decline.

PESHAWAR: A Pak-Afghan peace jirga will be held in Peshawar on March 31 to urge the leadership of both countries to immediately de-escalate tensions and work towards peace, former chief secretary Arbab Shehzad Khan said here on Saturday. Speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club, Mr Khan, who is head of Aspire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which, along with Qaumi Islahi Tehreek, is organising the jirga, said the forum would be attended by national and political leaders, tribal elders, religious scholars, members of civil society, traders and media representatives from KP as well as Afghans residing in Pakistan. Qaumi Islahi Tehreek chief Haji Sohrab Ali Khan was also present at the presser. Mr Shehzad Khan stressed that war was not a solution to any problem and that ultimately issues were resolved through dialogue. He added that the forum would focus on promoting sustainable peace through mutual respect, confidence-building measures and serious negotiations. Former chief secretary says forum to urge leadersh...

• 42-year-old rickshaw driver was sole breadwinner and father of three • Experts urge govt to relocate all dogs from streets to shelters with animal rights activists’ support • Absence of life-saving RIG at most hospitals termed unacceptable KARACHI: As the city lost another life to rabies on Saturday, raising the tally to seven this year, medical experts expressed their utter disappointment over the persistent government failure in addressing the public health crisis triggered by a massive increase in dog population across Karachi, while calling for humane dog culling as the last resort to provide immediate relief to hapless citizens. The latest victim, a 42-year-old rickshaw driver and resident of a Garden locality, was the sole breadwinner and father of three. Family sources said that the patient was “treated” at a major government tertiary care hospital in Saddar for serious dog bite injuries over a month ago. Two weeks back, they said, he developed fever, restlessness and pain at the wound site, forcing ...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s exports to major Western European markets are experiencing a consistent decline despite GSP+ status, sparking concerns over diminishing demand for Pakistani goods. The decline occurs as the European Union has signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with India on Jan 27, a major textile competitor of Pakistan, and amid initial concerns that Pakistan might be excluded from the GSP+ scheme, which offers duty-free access for certain products. Trade analysts warn that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East may further reduce export demand, as rising energy costs are likely to constrain consumer spending in Europe, which is already under pressure from the economic fallout of the Ukraine war. They caution that these strains could decrease purchasing power and further impact demand for imported goods, including those from Pakistan. Official data compiled by the State Bank of Pakistan showed that exports to European countries recorded a marginal year-on-year increase of 0.95 per cent to $6.122 billi...

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday offloaded two passengers at Multan International Airport over their alleged involvement in an illegal immigration attempt. According to an FIA spokesperson, the action was taken by immigration staff at Multan airport during routine screening of outbound passengers. Noor Islam and Sikandar Alam were scheduled to depart for Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. However, initial scrutiny raised suspicions, prompting officials to refer them to secondary screening for detailed profiling. During further examination, the officials found Moroccan visas affixed to their passports. Upon questioning, both admitted that their actual destination was Spain, rather than Saudi Arabia. The FIA officials said the development aligns with recent alerts issued by FIA headquarters regarding a growing trend in which travellers attempt to use Umrah visas as a cover to enter Europe illegally via Morocco. Following the findings, both passengers were offloaded from the flight and shif...

ISLAMABAD: Port activities in Pakistan have increased following Iran’s retaliatory closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to illegal US-Israel attacks. Meanwhile, fuel supply to Pakistan via sea remains steady and regular. The details released by the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) showed that it recorded the highest vessel traffic. In March, 450,000 tonnes of petroleum fuel were handled across 17 ships, with arrivals from Oman, Fujairah, Singapore, Sohar, Yanbu, and Iraq. With the introduction of night navigation for LPG ships, modernised systems and dedicated terminals ensured smooth operations without congestion, while bunkering activities also increased. This includes 11 ships carrying 417,000 tonnes of petroleum products and six ships carrying 33,000 tonnes of LPG. As war wages in the Persian Gulf, the shipping lines rerouted to Pakistan. The transhipment operations too have increased, and the Qasim International Container Terminal, situated in Port Qasim, handled 3,485 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) ac...

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank is expected to approve a loan of $250 million to Pakistan for resilience, early action, and disaster preparedness in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one of the country’s most flood-prone regions. The loan, provided by the International Development Association (IDA), aims to improve flood resilience in selected areas of the province. It is expected to be approved by the World Bank’s executive board in June this year. The province has sustained significant damage and losses from flooding over the years, with approximately $2.3 billion in cumulative damages from major flood events in 2010, 2022, and 2025 alone. More recently, the 2025 monsoon triggered localised riverine, glacial, and flash flooding, resulting in 509 fatalities. Building flood resilience is fundamental to KP’s long-term development, poverty reduction, and job creation. However, the scale of flood risk facing the province far exceeds what public finances can absorb through reactive recovery and reconstruction. Funding to be provided...

GILGIT: While concerns had been raised about the potential adverse impact of the escalating war in the Middle East and the resulting rise in fuel prices on Gilgit-Baltistan’s tourism and hospitality industry, the situation on the ground suggests otherwise, with a surge in both foreign and domestic tourists. According to officials from the GB tourism department, applications from foreign adventure tourists for climbing and trekking permits have already surpassed last year’s figures. An official told Dawn that the tourism season typically begins in May, although both foreign and domestic visitors also arrive during the blossom season, which peaks towards the end of April. Despite tensions in the wake of the US-Israel war on Iran as well as the fuel price hike, the number of tourists in Skardu has significantly increased since Eidul Fitr. Applications from foreign adventure tourists for climbing and trekking permits has surpassed last year’s figures The official noted that a large number of both foreign and dome...

• Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain hit by Iranian missiles, drones; strike wounds US troops at Saudi airbase • Drone strike disrupts shipping hub in Salalah • Explosions rock Tehran as Israeli attacks intensify; Iran halts steel production • IRGC warns of retaliation against regional economic infrastructure • Israel reports 5,689 wartime injuries; hospitals under pressure • Vance says US nearing exit but war to continue a ‘little longer’ TEHRAN: Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced their entry into the Middle East war on Saturday by launching a barrage of ballistic missiles towards Israel, while Gulf countries came under missile fire and Israeli forces struck Iran, as the war raged into its second month with Washington expressing hopes for progress in talks with Tehran. The intervention of Iran’s Yemeni allies in the US-Israel war on Iran will spark concern about disruptions to Red Sea shipping, with trade from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz already choked off. With Hormuz all but impassable, many shipments to an...

PESHAWAR Zalmi batter Michael Bracewell plays a shot during the Pakistan Super League match against Rawalpindiz at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.—AFP LAHORE: A combined display of hard hitting by batters steered Peshawar Zalmi to a well-deserved five-wicket victory against debutants Rawalpindiz in a high-scoring match of the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday. Needing 21 for victory in the final two overs, Michael Bracewell (35 not out) and Aamer Jamal (13 not out off four balls) stood firm to complete the job with five balls to spare as the duo added 24 runs for the undefeated sixth-wicket partnership. Bracewell was named man-of-the-match for his vital knock. Chasing a gigantic 215, openers Mohammad Haris (47) and captain Babar Azam (39) along with Abdul Samad (33) and Kusal Mendis (31) had made invaluable contributions earlier as Zalmi completed the task — their highest-ever chase in PSL history — in their first game of the edition. In a flying start, Haris and Babar post...

ATHENS: Twenty-two migrants hoping to reach Europe from North Africa have died off the coast of Greece after six days at sea in a rubber boat, survivors told the Greek coastguard on Saturday. The coastguard said 26 people, including a woman and a minor, were rescued by a Euro­pean border agency vessel off the island of Crete. The coastguard later said that 21 Bangladeshis, four South Sudanese and a Chadian citizen had emer­ged from the ordeal alive. Survivors said the bodies of those who had died were thrown into the Mediterranean sea on the orders of one of the people smugglers aboard the ship. Two survivors were tak­en to hospital in Heraklion on Crete, the coastguard said. Based on survivor statements, the coastguard said the boat had left Tobruk, a port city in eastern Libya, on March 21, bound for Greece, the ga­­teway for many migrants hoping for asylum in the European Union. “During the journey, the passengers lost their bearings and rem­a­­ined at sea for six days without fo­­od or water,” the coastgu...

WASHINGTON: Demonstrators decrying President Donald Trump’s policies took to city streets across the United States on Saturday in the third edition of the “No Kings” rallies that organisers hoped will be the largest single-day non-violent protest in US history. The two previous No Kings events attracted millions of participants. Singers Bruce Springsteen and Joan Baez headlined a rally at the state capitol in Minnesota, where upward of 100,000 people gathered in an area that became a flashpoint over Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration and the incursion of federal immigration agents into Democratic-led urban centres. Other major rallies took place in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, but two-thirds of the events were happening outside major city centres, a nearly 40 per cent jump for smaller communities from the movement’s first mobilisation last June. “The defining story of this mobilisation is not just how many people are protesting, but where they are protesting,” said Leah Greenberg, co-founder of...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has developed a national drought action plan in an attempt to transition from a reactive to a proactive risk-based approach for drought management, as climate change is making droughts frequent and severe, leading to water stress. Federal Secretary for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Aisha Humera Moriani, while speaking as a keynote speaker at a national consultative workshop on the National Drought Action Plan (NDAP) on Saturday, said drought was “no longer a distant or occasional risk” but an increasingly persistent threat driven by rising temperatures, water stress, and climate variability. “Pakistan is already among the countries facing high water risk and drought directly affects agriculture, water resources, food security, ecosystems and livelihoods,” she said, adding that past responses had largely focused on post-impact relief rather than preparedness. Ms Moriani highlighted the need for a coordinated institutional and policy framework to translate data into action. S...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said late on Saturday that the government of Iran had agreed to allow “20 more ships under the Pakistani flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz”. In a post on X, he said two ships will cross the Strait daily. “This is a welcome and constructive gesture by Iran and deserves appreciation. It is a harbinger of peace and will help usher stability in the region,” he said. “This positive announcement marks a meaningful step toward peace and will strengthen our collective efforts in that direction,” he said. “Dialogue, diplomacy, and such confidence-building measures are the only way forward,” he said. He also tagged US Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff in the post. The world has been facing a global fuel crunch in the aftermath of a US-Israeli war on Iran, which has been going on for nearly a month. The fuel crisis has resulted from the disruption of traffic in...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to host the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt from March 29-30 for “in-depth discussions” on a variety of issues, including efforts to reduce the ongoing tensions in the region amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. In a press release issued on Saturday, the Foreign Office said that at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Saudi Arabia’s FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Turkiye’s FM Hakan Fidan, and Egypt’s FM Dr Badr Abdelatty will visit Islamabad from March 29 to March 30. “During the visit, the foreign ministers will hold in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region,” the FO said, adding that the visiting dignitaries will also call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “Pakistan highly values its relations with the brotherly countries of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt,” the FO statement underscored. “The visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen Pakistan’s cooperat...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday said the government was making every effort to mitigate the impact of ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

LAHORE - On the directions of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Earth Hour was observed across the province with widespread participation, as lights were switched off and candles lit to promote energy conservation and environmental awareness.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Saturday rejected India’s remarks regarding its Shia community as cynical and diversionary calling it an exercise in deflection masquerading as concern.