Pakistan

The first solar eclipse of 2026 is set to take place on Tuesday; however, skywatchers in Pakistan will not be able to observe the phenomenon.

A terrorist attack, involving an explosive-laden vehicle, on a checkpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district martyred 11 security personnel, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “On February 16, a cowardly terrorist attack was attempted on security forces and law enforcement agencies’ joint check Post in Bajaur District by Khwarij belonging to Indian Proxy, Fitna al Khwarij”. Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term that the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. The statement added that 12 terrorists were eliminated after security forces retaliated and “engaged the fleeing khwarij with precision”. “In their desperation, the attackers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall. Due to the blast impact infrastructure at check post collapsed resultantly eleven brave sons of soil, rendered the ultimate sacrifice and [embracing] martyrdom.” ISPR elaborated that the blast affected residential buildings in the area as well, “leading...

LAHORE: A suspected serial killer, accused of kidnapping and murdering at least four people, was reportedly killed by gunfire from his own accomplices during an alleged encounter with the Gujranwala police on Tuesday. A spokesperson for the Gujranwala police said that the suspect, who was caught while attempting to flee from Lahore to Karachi via train, had been in the custody of the Gujranwala police on physical remand. He claimed that the police team was taking the suspect to an area he had identified to recover the murder weapon, when unidentified armed accomplices of the suspect intercepted the police party. The police spokesperson further claimed that four armed accomplices opened fire on the police in an attempt to free the suspect from custody. “However, the suspect was killed by gunfire from his own accomplices while trying to flee,” the spokesperson added. The attackers fled the scene shortly afterward, he said. The police later moved the suspect’s body to the Gujranwala District Headquarters Hospita...

The Punjab government has unveiled a large-scale relief initiative aimed at assisting more than four million families during the holy month of Ramazan.

Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider has promulgated two new ordinances, the Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Ordinance and the Immovable Property Ownership Protection (Amendment) Ordinance 2026, aimed at overhauling the province’s land administration framework and reinforcing safeguards for property owners.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has projected mixed weather conditions across the country over the next 24 hours, with rain and thunderstorms expected in several regions.

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is scheduled to assemble in Peshawar on Wednesday to observe the crescent marking the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would be involved “indirectly” in high-stakes talks between Iran and the US over Tehran’s nuclear program set for Tuesday in Geneva, adding he believed Tehran wanted to make a deal. “I’ll be involved in those talks, indirectly. And they’ll be very important,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. Tensions are soaring ahead of the talks, with the US deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. The US military is preparing for the possibility of a sustained military campaign if the talks do not succeed, US officials have told Reuters. Asked about the prospects for a deal, Trump said Iran has long sought a tough posture in negotiations but learned the consequences of that approach last summer when the US bombed Iranian nuclear sites. Trump suggested Tehran was motivated this time to negotiate. “I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal,” Trump said. Washington pushes Tehran to forego enrichment Prior to the US strikes in June, U...

French President Emmanuel Macron begins a three-day visit to India on Tuesday, with talks focused on artificial intelligence cooperation and a potential multibillion-dollar Dassault Rafale fighter jet deal. France is seeking to expand its military partnership with New Delhi, with discussions expected on a potential contract for 114 additional French fighter jets. Macron and his wife Brigitte arrived around midnight on Monday in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, for his fourth visit to India since taking office in 2017. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later on Tuesday. Macron will then travel to New Delhi for an artificial intelligence summit on Wednesday and Thursday. The visit follows New Delhi’s confirmation last week that it intends to place a major order for Rafale jets, as well as the signing of a landmark free trade agreement between India and the European Union in January. ‘Contract of the century’ New Delhi has sought over the past decade to reduce its dependence on Russia, its t...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday termed his visit to Austria as of special significance, noting it was the first high-level visit in more than three decades and coincided with the 70th anniversary of Pakistan-Austria diplomatic relations.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Mohsin Naqvi met Sri Lanka’s Secretary of Defence, Air Vice Marshal (Retd.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday called upon young people to safeguard the country, refrain from violence and protect public property, saying the nation’s future rests in the hands of its youth.

ISLAMABAD - The Chief Justice of Pakistan/Chairman of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) Monday chaired the 47th meeting of the Commission at the Supreme Court of Pakistan, to deliberate upon proposals for advancing law reform in line with constitutional mandates and contemporary societal needs.

ISLAMABAD - Dr Irfan Neziroğlu, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Pakistan, Monday called on Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, at the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD - Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, COAS & CDF, on Monday met in Abu Dhabi with Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Advisor of the United Arab Emirates.

Opposition parties continue protest sit-in, demand govt to shift PTI leader to hospital from jail Federal minister says no major complications emerged during examination inside jail Ex-PM’s physician says report cannot be verified.

Shehbaz Sharif addresses Austrian Cabinet Meets Austrian Chancellor for bilateral talks in Vienna Seeks Austrian investment in Pakistan’s key economic sectors.

Pakistan and Austria on Monday agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Chancellor Christian Stocker in Vienna. PM Shehbaz arrived in Vienna a day earlier on a two-day visit, with the Foreign Office (FO) noting that it marked the first visit by a Pakistani prime minister to Austria since 1992. PM Shehbaz and Stocker held a “restricted meeting” at the Federal Chancellery today, which was followed by delegation-level talks, a press release issued by PID said. The delegation talks included Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi, and Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch. The statement read: “Both leaders recalled the friendly and historic ties between the two countries and committed to work together more closely to further strengthen the bilateral relationship in diverse fields, including economic cooperation, trade and investment, tourism, hospitality, education, IT, healthcare and human reso...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi apologised to the people of his province on Monday, saying that PTI workers had taken to the streets of their own accord. His statement comes against the backdrop of protests at multiple places by PTI activists in KP. The party workers have blocked entry and exit points to the province, resulting in inconveniences for the people and KP being cut off from the rest of the country. The protests began on Friday, simultaneously with sit-ins by opposition parliamentarians and Tehreek Tahafuz-i-Ayeen Pakistan leaders in Islamabad, over PTI founder Imran Khan’s health. When KP CM was asked today about what would be the next line of action for PTI workers, he said: “We have not given any line of action to the workers. The workers have come out on their own. Our strategy was just for the parliamentarians.” He said the plan devised for parliamentarians was to stage a “peaceful sit-in” outside the Parliament in Islamabad. “But, unfortunately, some of us were stopped at the ...

Iran said on Monday that the United States’s position on Iran’s nuclear programme “has moved towards a more realistic one”, a day ahead of a second round of US-Iranian talks in Geneva. Tehran’s foreign minister arrived in Geneva for the new round of indirect negotiations with the US, as the Revolutionary Guards began military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for oil and gas. The two sides recently resumed indirect talks, mediated by Oman, after US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened military action against Iran over a deadly crackdown on protesters last month. A previous attempt at negotiations collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran, beginning a 12-day war that Washington briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites. “A cautious assessment is that, from the discussions that have taken place in Muscat to date, at least what we have been told is that the US position on the Iranian nuclear issue has moved towards a more realistic one,” said foreign ministry spokesma...