Pakistan

• Foreign Minister Fidan says platform may include Pakistan, Turkiye, S. Arabia, Egypt, Gulf states and potentially Iran • Gaza death toll nears 73,000 with seven more killings in a day TURKIYE’S Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, has said that Israel can join a cooperative “regional platform” if it recognises a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, according to an Al Jazeera report. “If that problem is solved, I think the security of Israel will be very much assisted by the regional countries, too,” he told Nikkei Asia. Fidan said this framework could include Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, other Gulf countries, and “when things come [back to] normal, maybe Iran should also be part of it”. “All the countries in the region should be committing to each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and security,” Fidan told Nikkei. These comments come as Turkiye is expected to host a pivotal Nato summit in July in Ankara. On Monday, Trump laid out his vision for expanding the Abraham Accords, a series of no...

• Prolonged agitation threatens AJK’s upcoming elections • Abolishing 12 assembly seats for Pakistan-based refugees remains key stumbling block • Govt says talks still on MUZAFFARABAD: Mara­thon talks between a federal ministerial team and the core leadership of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) ended without a breakthrough late on Saturday night, prompting the latter to announce that its June 9 strike would proceed as planned. The lengthy dialogue, convened to persuade the JAAC to withdraw its strike call and resolve differences over its charter of demands, stretched for more than nine hours with intermittent breaks. The outcome has heightened concerns over political stability in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), where general elections are expected in the last week of July. “Today, we held talks with the representatives of the governments of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir throughout the day on all issues, including the 12 refugee seats,” JAAC core member Shaukat Nawaz Mir told reporters...

• Pentagon chief says Trump is ‘patient’, wants to make a ‘great deal’ to ensure Iran doesn’t have nukes • US military fires on Gambia-flagged ship ‘violating Iran blockade’ • War secretary asserts Iran under pressure to open Strait of Hormuz with or without deal • Iran asks vessels traversing vital waterway to comply with its regulations • Hegseth lauds PM Shehbaz, CDF Munir for role in US-Iran peace talks, says ‘true friendship’ developing with Islamabad SINGAPORE: As negotiators from Washington and Tehran worked to bridge major differences blocking an agreement to end the weeks-long war, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday warned that the US was ready to restart attacks on Iran if a deal was not reached. “Our ability to recommence if necessary…we are more than capable,” Mr Hegseth said while speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. “Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, so we’re in a very good place,” he claimed. The Pentagon chief said President Don...

QUETTA: Pakistan Rai­lways resumed train operations from Balochistan on Saturday, restoring services after a three-day suspension, railway officials said. According to the officials, train operations from the province have been fully restored, with the Jaffar Express departing from Quetta for Peshawar. They said that the return service of the Jaffar Express will also depart from Peshawar for Quetta as per the timetable, restoring connectivity between the province and other parts of the country. The Jaffar Express, the only train service from Quetta to Peshawar, was suspended last Sunday following a vehicle-borne suicide bombing that targeted a shuttle train near the Chaman railway crossing. The Jaffar Express, which was ready to depart for its destination, was immediately stopped and later cancelled. Passengers were asked to collect refunds. However, after two days, the train service was restored, but on Wednesday it was again suspended. Railway authorities have not mentioned the reason for the suspension of ...

• Dismisses husband’s appeal against lower courts’ decisions • Rules technical objections over ordinary stamp paper cannot defeat proven matrimonial rights LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has upheld concurrent judgements of two lower courts granting a divorced woman possession of a house as dower (haq mehr), ruling that a separately executed dower agreement was valid and enforceable even though the property was not mentioned in the nikahnama (marriage certificate). Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi of the LHC dismissed a petition filed by Muhammad Khan, who had challenged decisions of a family court and an appellate court in Chiniot in favour of his former wife, Anwar Bibi. The woman claimed that on the day of their marriage in 2017, the petitioner executed an agreement promising her a constructed five-marla house in Canada Colony, Chiniot, as dower and also undertook to pay Rs300,000 in the event of divorce. After the marriage ended in 2021, she sought recovery of the house, its market value, maintenance for the idd...

Paris Saint-Germain claimed back-to-back Champions League triumphs with a 4-3 shootout win over Arsenal following a 1-1 draw after extra time in Budapest, with Eberechi Eze and Gabriel missing from the spot. Mikel Arteta’s Premier League champions showed great resilience to take the game beyond 120 minutes, but fell to a second final defeat, 20 years after their first in Paris against Barcelona. Luis Enrique’s side became only the second besides Real Madrid to win the competition in consecutive years in the Champions League era. PSG’s first triumph was 55 years in the making, 14 of those under Qatari ownership, the second could start what they hope is an era of dominance and dynasty-building. Luis Enrique rebuilt the team swiftly and efficiently, removing the club’s superstars and building a cohesive and committed attacking side, capable of shredding opposition with terrifying pace. It was the Spaniard’s third Champions League triumph, making him one of only five coaches to complete a hat-trick – the first co...

The post-Hajj repatriation operation officially commenced on Sunday as the first flight carrying pilgrims back from Saudi Arabia arrived at Islamabad International Airport, according to the Pakistan Aviation Authority.

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Saturday said Washington and Islamabad were developing a “true friendship” as he lauded Pakistan’s role in the ongoing US-Iran peace negotiations. With Pakistan acting as the official interlocutor between Washington and Tehran in the ongoing peace negotiations that resulted in the April 8 US-Iran ceasefire, Trump and his top officials have hailed Islamabad’s role several times. At the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth was asked about former director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s remarks on Pakistan’s future missile capabilities potentially posing a threat to the US, and whether India’s Agni-VI missile programme posed a similar threat. The question was posed after Hegseth, in his speech, had lauded US defence cooperation with Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asian countries, as well as India, which he termed a “critical anchor to hold the line”. “I mentioned India here, but I very easily could have mentioned Pakistan and the role that th...

Pakistan out-spun Australia by five wickets in the first one-day international in Rawalpindi with spinner Arafat Minhas becoming the first home bowler to take five wickets on ODI debut on Saturday. Minhas finished with 5-32 as an under-strength Australia were bowled out for 200 in 44.1 overs before Pakistan chased down the target in 42.3 overs for a memorable win in their 1,000th ODI. Babar Azam notched a 94-ball 69 while Ghazi Ghori hit an impressive 92-ball 65 as Australia’s inexperienced spinners failed to match Pakistan’s slow bowlers on a dry spin-assisting Pindi Stadium pitch. Azam and Ghori added 127 runs for the third wicket after Sahibzada Farhan (28) and Maaz Sadaqat (eight) fell with the score at 49. Azam hit four boundaries and a six while Ghori’s knock had eight hits to the rope before both falling to pacer Nathan Ellis, but with just 16 to win that did not hurt Pakistan. Minhas smashed a six to complete the victory. Australia’s Matt Renshaw (L) is clean bowled during the first one-day internatio...

The European Union’s (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas will visit Pakistan on June 1 (Monday) to take part in the 8th EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the EU announced on Saturday. According to the statement issued by the bloc, Kallas — also the European Commission’s vice president — will also hold meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. “This is the eighth round of the Strategic Dialogue between the EU and Pakistan, providing an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations under the Strategic Engagement Plan, signed in June 2019,” the EU said in the statement. “HR/VP Kallas will hold a joint press conference with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Mohammad Ishaq Dar at 12:30 local time.” The EU is Pakistan’s sec­ond-largest trading partner, with the GSP+ status allowing...

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• US warns capable of resuming war with Iran as deal remains elusive • 20 ships cross Hormuz over past day in coordi

US war secretary hails Islamabad's role in US-Iran negotiations

Pakistan outspin Australia in first ODI

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