Pakistan

Thailand and Cambodia agreed Thursday to extend a shaky ceasefire deal that followed five days of deadly hostilities along their border last month. At least 43 people were killed in the conflict that ended last Tuesday, after a long-standing dispute over border temples boiled over into violence. A truce was brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim — chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc — after cajoling by United States President Donald Trump and a team of Chinese mediators. The deal dictated a ceasefire, followed by a meeting of rival regional commanders, before defence officials held three days of talks in Kuala Lumpur that concluded with a joint statement on Thursday. “Both sides agree to a ceasefire involving all types of weapons, including attacks on civilians and civilian objects and military objectives of either side, in all cases and all areas,” it said. “This agreement must not be violated under any circumstances.” In the first days of the truce, both Tha...

The Ministry of Commerce on Thursday shared key details of the recently signed trade agreement with the United States, informing the National Assembly that the deal is expected to significantly boost Pakistan’s exports and positively impact the national economy.

The privatisation process of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has gained momentum, with one of the shortlisted bidding companies beginning its due diligence visit to the airline’s head office on Thursday.

The Sindh Cabinet has finalized a comprehensive plan to celebrate Independence Day in a befitting manner, embracing the theme “Marka-e-Haq” to commemorate Pakistan’s historic victory against India.

Newly appointed US Consul General Stetson Sanders called on Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore on Thursday.

In a move to curb public disturbances ahead of Pakistan’s Independence Day on August 14, Islamabad authorities have imposed a ban on the sale and use of ‘baajas’ (vuvuzelas) in the federal capital.

Four workers trapped 900 feet underground in a Swat emerald mine were rescued during an operation, Rescue 1122 said on Thursday. On Wednesday evening, a major rescue operation was launched after a section of the emerald mine collapsed, trapping multiple workers underground. According to initial reports by Rescue 1122 Swat, the mine caved in suddenly during extraction activity. “Rescue 1122 medical teams are providing immediate medical assistance to the rescued workers,” Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi told Dawn.com. “The operation continued for several hours after the mine collapsed, in which more than 40 personnel participated.” The rescue operation was led by District Emergency Officer Swat Rafiullah Marwat, as per Faizi. “The trained personnel and modern equipment of Rescue 1122 made the operation successful,” Faizi said. Meanwhile, the army was also involved in the rescue operation, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. “As soon as the incident was reported, Pakistan Army teams were immediatel...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday refuted rumours circulating on social media that he had stepped down from his position following a controversy. Asif clarified the matter after an X user named Zubair Ali Khan, in a series of posts on the platform late Wednesday night, alleged that the defence minister had handed in his resignation over a controversy but had withdrawn it and was now unreachable. Replying to the post that levelled the allegations against him, Asif wrote: “With apologies, this gentleman has written his wishes in this tweet. Not reality.” He shared a screenshot of the post thread, edited with a red stamp marking it as “FAKE”. The X user, a former journalist, had alleged that the minister resigned due to “intensified controversy regarding the arrest of the additional deputy commissioner revenue (ADCR) of Sialkot a few days ago on charges of alleged financial corruption”. “In the resignation sent to Dr Tauqeer Shah, advisor to the prime minister’s office, Khawaja Asif stated that either th...

A deadly bomb blast near a taxi stand in Lower Wana Bazaar, South Waziristan, claimed two lives and left 14 others injured on Thursday.

The federal government has decided to cancel the tender for the import of 100,000 metric tonnes of sugar due to unacceptably high prices and concerns raised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), official sources confirmed on Thursday.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Wednesday claimed that PTI lawmakers were offered millions to switch loyalties, but they remained steadfast in their commitment to the party and Imran Khan.

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Wednesday showed its concern over registration of cases against journalists under the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) and called for urgent action to address growing concerns of media persons regarding FIRs and arrests of journalists. The Senate committee headed by ruling PTI’s Ali Zafar issued the directives after it was informed by the Ministry of Interior that 689 cases had been registered under the Peca law throughout the country, including nine FIRs [First Information Report] registered against journalists. According to an official handout, the committee received a detailed briefing from officials of the information and interior ministries regarding the number and nature of cases registered under Peca since its passage from the parliament in January, with a special focus on journalists, media professionals, digital content creators, and social media activists. The committee was further informed that only ...

BAJAUR: Life in several areas of the restive Lowi Mamund tehsil here has begun returning to normalcy following the postponement of a potential anti-terrorist operation due to talks between the Bajaur Aman Jirga and the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Residents told Dawn on Wednesday that the Jirga-TTP talks, which had been continuing for the last six days and were meant to convince terrorists to leave the region for Afghanistan, had not only led to the postponement of the Operation Sarbakaf planned by security forces in 16 Lowi Mamund areas but also helped normalise situation in many villages to some extent. They said the Laghari Bazar, a major commercial centre in the tehsil, reopened on Wednesday after remaining closed since July 29 due to the curfew imposed by the district administration in those areas for the launch of the Operation Sarbakaf to flush out terrorists, who were present in the region for several weeks. Attributing normalcy to the ongoing Jirga-TTP dialogue, the residents said they we...

KARACHI: The government’s efforts to artificially bring down the dollar rate are faltering, with market forces pushing back against a Rs250 exchange rate target and foreign currencies reportedly vanishing from the open market. A crackdown on dollar smuggling launched on July 23 has led to a minor depreciation of around Rs3 in both the open and interbank markets. However, this has done little to bridge the gap between market sentiment and official expectations. The dollar continues to trade above Rs280, and a noticeable shortage has emerged. In recent meetings held in Islamabad with banks, currency dealers, and jewellers, authorities reportedly reiterated their desire to bring the dollar down to Rs250. However, participants in the meetings described the target as unrealistic. Some bankers estimate the real market parity to be closer to Rs281. Currency dealers say major foreign currencies — including the US dollar, British pound, and euro — are largely unavailable. “You might find a few hundred dollars at some ...

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, on Wednesday met with the International Multi Group of Companies, led by its Chairman Amjad Rashid, to explore collaborative ventures in Pakistan’s agricultural sector.

Peshawar - Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi has said that the war against terrorism is a collective responsibility, and lasting peace is essential for the province’s development.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s textile export has surged by 33.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced that 45,000 houses are currently under construction across the province under the ‘Apni Chat Apna Ghar’ housing scheme.

ISLAMABAD: Although the government managed to secure parliamentary approval for an ordinance promulgated to satisfy Maulana Fazlur Rehman and a group of seminary boards, their registration may be hampered by the fact that the law only applies to the capital territory. During Wednesday’s proceedings, the Nat­ional Assembly passed the Societies Regis­tration (Amendment) Act 2025, allowing religious seminaries to get registered with the authority of their choice — the federal education ministry’s Directorate Gene­ral of Religious Education (DGRE), or their relevant DC office under the Societies Act 1860. The new amendment is an addition in section 21-(C) of the law, allowing religious seminaries to choose which body they want to register themselves with. It has already been approved by the Senate. The law became a bone of contention bet­ween the JUI-F and the ruling coalition after President Asif Ali Zardari reportedly withheld presidential assent on the bill last year. The bill sailed through the Senate on Oct ...

Mobile internet services have been suspended across Balochistan, including the provincial capital Quetta, due to heightened security concerns, provincial authorities confirmed on Thursday.