Pakistan

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington on an official visit during which he is scheduled to hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral relations and regional developments.

Soldiers of the Pakistan Army deployed at the Siachen Glacier on the occasion of Eidul Azha reaffirmed their commitment to defending the country under extreme weather and operational conditions.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is the headline speaker at Asia’s premier defence summit opening on Friday, but China’s top officials are not expected, despite weighty questions like Taiwan and the war in Iran. Beijing’s defence minister is to skip the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore for the second year running, which analysts viewed as a sign of China’s rising power. Yet, the forum that brings together top officials from around 45 nations has historically provided a setting for debate as well as quiet and high-profile diplomacy. Defence Minister Dong Jun’s absence means no meeting there with Hegseth as China warns the US over its involvement with Taiwan and Washington seeks an end to the Middle East war. The Middle East was the source of 57 per cent of China’s direct seaborne crude imports in 2025 — 5.9 million barrels per day (mbd) — maritime tracking firm Kpler said. Hegseth’s second trip to the Shangri-La Dialogue comes after US President Donald Trump’s visit to China in May, and his subsequent sug...

President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned separate sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate on June 5 to announce the federal budget for the fiscal year (FY) 2026-27. According to an official press release issued by the Presidency on Friday, the NA has been summoned at 5pm on June 5, while the Senate session is scheduled for 6pm. Meetings of the Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) and the National Economic Council (NEC) — forums which review economic and development performance during the outgoing FY and set targets for the following year — are scheduled in the first week of June. The schedule hints that presentation of the federal budget to parliament may slip to the second week of June from the first week, as earlier contemplated by the authorities concerned. The government is set to approve a consolidated national development programme of more than Rs3.5 trillion and a macroeconomic framework envisaging an economic growth rate of 4.1 per cent with an elevated inflation rate of 8.5pc for FY2026-...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday called for concerted efforts to strengthen the federation, affirming that the government wanted Pakistan to make economic progress. He made the remarks at a public gathering in Naushahro Feroze district’s Moro city, where he interacted with local notables and elected members, and visited the residence of Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar. “We will together strengthen the hands of the establishment, strengthen our own hands, and strengthen the country,” the president said. Zardari said the country must ensure food self-sufficiency and strengthen its economy to become more stable and stronger. He reaffirmed the government’s aim to improve agriculture, raise per-acre yield, increase incomes and uplift people’s living standards. The president said the government was aware of public difficulties and was working to address them with a focus on long-term benefits for future generations. He noted that development plans in Gwadar were expected to bring positive economic change to ...

Israeli and Russian security forces have been added to a United Nations blacklist on sexual violence in conflict, according to a report reviewed on Thursday by AFP. Published annually by the UN, the list includes dozens of state and non-state groups credibly suspected of having engaged “systematically” in sexual violence in countries such as Sudan, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Syria and Mali. Last August, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Israel and Russia of their possible inclusion on the list. Despite the warning, the report says that “incidents and patterns of sexual violence continued to be documented by the United Nations” in the war in Ukraine and in the occupied Palestinian territories. UN investigators faced “continued denial of access” from authorities in both countries, according to the report, seen by AFP before its circulation among Security Council members. Regarding Israel, “in 2025, patterns of sexual violence against Palestinians detained in Israel and the Occu...

BAHAWALPUR: The sizzling heat, which has been gripping the Cholistan desert for the previous one month, has caused an acute water shortage for the desert areas residents and their livestock, as around one-third of the water ponds in the area have gone dry. Dawn has learnt that around one-third of the 2,000 open ponds, locally called ‘toba’, which are the main source of drinking water, besides very few water supply lines in some of the desert areas, for the locals and their livestock, have dried up, causing an acute water shortage in Cholistan. According to experts, during the hot months in the desert areas, the high water evaporation rate, caused bythe scorching sunlight and high temperatures, turns these open ponds dry. According to local sources, these 2,000 open water ponds cater to water needs of around 0.3 million humans and their 1.5 million cattle heads. CDA head claims efforts on to supply water to desert area residents However, a number of tobas, including those at Chhoriwala, Kaliwala, Balochanwala,...

SUKKUR: A coalition of human rights advocates, legal experts and civil society leaders have demanded an urgent overhaul of the justice system, warning that statutory protections for women are being actively undermined by poor institutional implementation and deep-rooted societal stigma. Speaking at a seminar titled “Violence Against Women: Culture of Silence, Societal Accep­tance and Institutional Response” at the Sukkur Arts Council, speakers cautioned that legislation alone is insufficient to combat gender-based violence without a drastic shift in public mindset and state accountability. The event, co-hosted by the Sindh Women Lawyers Alliance, the National Commission for Rights of Women, and the Community Development Foundation (CDF), highlighted the stark contrast between written law and reality on the ground. Keynote speaker Ms Rubina Brohi categorised violence against women as a severe breach of fundamental human rights rather than a private domestic matter. While acknowledging that protective legislati...

LARKANA: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has lodged a strong protest with the federal government over the Indus River System Authority’s (Irsa) decision to impose a 27 per cent water shortage exclusively on Sindh during the Kharif season. Khuhro criticised the decision for maintaining zero cuts for Punjab, while continuing the release of 25,500 cusecs from the Indus River into the Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal and Tunsa-Panjnad Link Canal. In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Khuhro condemned Irsa ‘s actions as a direct violation of the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991 and demanded that the prime minister take immediate notice of what he described as the deliberate “economic destruction” of the lower riparian province. Mr Khuhro pointed out that under the 1991 water accord, Sindh requires over 80,000 cusecs of water at the Guddu Barrage during the Kharif season. However, as of Tuesday, only 65,304 cusecs had been released — a significant shortfall at a critical time for standin...

The largest online expression of dissent against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 12-year rule began with a satirical riposte to a jibe about young people, triggering death threats to its founder and pushback from ruling party politicians. The rapid fame of 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke and his Cockroach Janta Party, which says it represents “the lazy, the unemployed, and the chronically correct”, is driven by the concerns of the young in a country where those below 30 are estimated to number more than half a population of 1.42 billion. Political analysts say the group’s enormous popularity has begun to dent Modi’s image, despite his party’s recent victories in key state elections, even as wider frustration grows over rising fuel prices and gas shortages brought by the Iran war. “If all was well with the country and the economy, 20 million young people would not rally around something like this,” said political activist Yogendra Yadav, who was a top leader of a national movement against corruption in 2011. ...

US President Donald Trump could soon appear on a new $250 bill, in the Republican’s latest move to shatter US traditions by putting his personal stamp on national institutions. A proposal for the new bill, featuring a glaring Trump, was reported on Thursday by The Washington Post. If carried out, it would be the first time the image of a living person — let alone a president — had appeared on US currency in a century and a half. The design mock-up obtained by The Washington Post also shows the words “America 250 anniversary,” a nod to the United States declaring its independence on July 4, 1776. According to the Post, two Trump appointees at the Treasury Department last year began urging staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to prepare prototypes. Employees there, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Post that the plan raised concerns because it would violate a federal law banning the depiction of living presidents on US money. Printing bureau director Patricia Solimene had pushed back, warnin...

LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested 11 ‘social media activists’ in different cities of Punjab for allegedly spreading anti-state propaganda and inciting unrest among the public. According to the NCCIA Punjab spokesperson, the 11 individuals had been under surveillance. They were allegedly involved in spreading provocative content and running campaigns against state institutions, particularly the army, through social media and other online platforms. The NCCIA spokesperson said raids were carried out on Thursday and two suspects were arrested from Lahore, three from Faisalabad, four from Multan, and one from Gujranwala on charges of anti-state propaganda and creating unrest among the public. The spokesperson added that digital evidence and social media records were being collected from the arrested individuals to trace their possible networks and online activities. The arrested suspects have been booked under different sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (...

North Korea does not seem keen to engage with the United States, South Korea or Japan and is focused on building up its self-reliance and military deterrence, Singapore’s foreign minister said following a trip to the reclusive state. According to a transcript shared by the foreign ministry, Vivian Balakrishnan spoke to Singaporean media on Thursday after a visit to both Koreas respectively on May 26 and 27. His last trip to North Korea was in 2018. “What’s clear is that they’re certainly in a closer relationship now with Russia. China remains indispensable to it, but they are not yet ready to open up significant channels of communication with the United States or with ROK and Japan at this point in time,” he added. US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have repeatedly expressed interest in holding talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Pyongyang’s ties with Moscow deepened in recent years after North Korea sent thousands of troops to fight with Russian forces in Kursk. Beijin...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has promised that Pakistan’s “best days lie ahead”, highlighting the country’s economic progress and inviting overseas Pakistanis to “honour their roots” and invest. The DPM delivered these remarks while addressing an Eidul Azha dinner for Pakistani-American community leaders in New York. He arrived two days ago to attend a high-level meeting of the United Nations Security Council, according to the Foreign Office (FO). According to a transcript of Dar’s speech published on Thursday, “He (Dar) stated that the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has successfully steered the country through a period of significant economic challenges toward stability.” “He further noted that Pakistan is now pursuing a path of sustainable, high-growth development aimed at improving the quality of life of its people,” the FO said. Dar spotlighted declining inflation, improved credit ratings, a strengthening external account and rising investor confidence as evidence of P...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Thursday announced that a new maximum temperature record had been set in Sindh’s Dadu, with a sizzling 51.5 Celsius on record. Last week, the PM forecast hot to very hot weather across the country during Eidul Azha, with temperatures expected to remain 5C to 7C above normal levels. According to PMD data, today’s readings in Dadu surpassed the normal temperature by 4.5C. The PMD added that Larkana and Jacobabad followed closely behind with readings of 50.5C. “Maximum temperatures are likely to remain 4-6C above normal and may rise to 47-50C in [the] districts of Sukkur, Shikarpur, Qambar Shahdadkot, Jacobabad, Larkana, Mohenjo Daro, Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tharparkar, Badin, Sujawal, Thatta, Hyderabad, Matiyari, Tando Muhammad Khan, Umerkot, Ghotki, Khairpur, Nausheroferoze, Mirpur Khas, Jamshoro, Sanghar, Sibbi, Turbat and Panjgur,” the department said in a press release. It added that mainly hot and dry weather was forecast over most parts of the country tod...

China and Pakistan have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral military cooperation and strategic coordination, with the Chinese Defence Ministry describing the relationship between the two countries as an enduring iron-clad friendship. Speaking at the monthly press briefing on Thursday, Chinese Defence Ministry Spokesman Colonel Jiang Bin commented on the recent high-level exchanges between the two countries during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official visit to China. Responding to a question regarding meetings between Chinese and Pakistani leaders and military officials, Colonel Jiang Bin said China and Pakistan were good neighbours linked by mountains and rivers, good friends who trust each other, good partners who support each other, and good brothers who stand together in difficult times. Colonel Jiang Bin highlighted the close military ties between the two countries and said practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results in the areas of strategic communication, joint exercises and...

If carried out, it marks the first appearance of a living person on US currency in nearly 150 years

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Washington on Friday where he will meet with US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday. The visit comes as Islamabad is attempting to negotiate a peace pact to permanently end the US-Israeli war with Iran. The meeting with Rubio was originally scheduled for today but later moved to Friday. Dar will meet Rubio “to review bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest”, the foreign ministry said in a statement. “The discussions will also focus on strengthening cooperation in key priority sectors, as well as Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy,” the foreign office elaborated, adding that the visit “reflects Pakistan’s commitment to further deepening its longstanding and broad-based partnership with the United States.” DPM Dar is expected to leave for Islamabad later in the day af...

Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Thursday that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz underwent ‘major surgery’ at the Sharif Medical City Hospital in Lahore. In a post on the social media platform X, Aurangzeb said: “Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz underwent major surgery at Sharif Medical City Hospital, after which she has been shifted home.” She added that despite being in the hospital, the chief minister monitored security, cleanliness and other administrative matters pertaining to the province on the first day of Eid. Responding to Aurangzeb’s post, Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja prayed for Maryam’s health and well-being. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq also prayed for her speedy recovery. He prayed for her continued good health, strength, and well-being, and appreciated her “commitment to public service and leadership during her recovery period”, according to a post by the NA’s account on X.

US and Iran reach MoU to extend ceasefire, White House declines to comment