Pakistan

Pak won't tolerate use of Afghan soil for conduct of terrorism: Asim Munir

Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Thursday said the country "would not tolerate the use of Afghan soil for conduct of terrorism against our people". Munir made the comment during an interaction with Ulema of Ahl-e-Tasheeh (Shiite) community at Rawalpindi, the army said in a statement. Referring to Operation Ghazab lil Haq (Righteous Fury), he emphasised that "Pakistan will not tolerate use of Afghan soil for conduct of terrorism against our people, and reiterated the resolve to eliminate terrorists and their infrastructure operating against Pakistan." Pakistan launched the operation on February 26 in response to alleged attacks by the Afghan Taliban forces along the 2,600-km-long border. Munir further said that Afghan Taliban must prevent the use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan. He also highlighted Pakistan's efforts and "pro-active diplomacy in seeking regional de-escalation". He emphasised the critical role

India-Pakistan ties 'remain at risk' of nuclear conflict: US intel report

India and Pakistan relations remain at risk for nuclear conflict, according to the Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community presented to the US Senate on Wednesday. According to the 34-page report, though India and Pakistan do not seek to open conflict, conditions exist for terrorist actors to continue to create catalysts for crises. "India-Pakistan relations remain a risk for nuclear conflict given past conflicts where these two nuclear states squared off, creating the danger of escalation. The terrorist attack last year near Pahalgam, in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, demonstrated the dangers of terrorist attacks sparking conflict," the document said. "President Trump's intervention de-escalated the most recent nuclear tensions, and we assess that neither country seeks to return to open conflict, but that conditions exist for terrorist actors to continue to create catalysts for crises," it said. On South Asia, the document said that ISIS-K (Isla

Pakistan developing missiles that could strike US, says Tulsi Gabbard

The US National Intelligence Director said Islamabad's long-range ballistic missile efforts may evolve into intercontinental systems capable of targeting the American mainland

Pakistan extends airspace ban on Indian airlines for another month

Pakistan on Wednesday extended the airspace ban for Indian aircraft for another month. The Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) made the decision through a fresh Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). The notice was issued days before the previous one was set to expire on March 23. PAA said that Pakistan's airspace would remain closed to all aircraft registered in India till April 24, adding the restriction would continue to apply to aircraft operated, owned, or leased by Indian airlines or operators. It added that the restriction also covered Indian military flights. Pakistan's airspace is divided into two Flight Information Regions (FIRs) - Karachi and Lahore, according to a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022. The NOTAM applies to both the Karachi and Lahore FIRs. India and Pakistan closed their respective airspace to each other's airlines last year due to tension in the wake of an attack on Pahalgam that killed 26 people.

Pakistan announces 'temporary pause' in operation against Afghan Taliban

Pakistan on Wednesday announced a "temporary pause" in the ongoing operation against the Afghan Taliban in view of Eid and at the request of several countries, a day after the Afghan government accused Islamabad of killing 400 people in an attack on a rehabilitation hospital in Kabul. Information Minister Ataullah Tarar made the announcement in a post on X, hours after Pakistan carried out fresh attacks on alleged Taliban positions in the border region. "In view of the upcoming Islamic festival of Eid-ul-Fitr, upon its own initiative as well as on the request from the brotherly Islamic countries" of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye, Pakistan has decided to announce a temporary pause amidst ongoing Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq, he said. Tarar said the pause would be applicable from "midnight March 18/19 to midnight March 23/24". He, however, added that in case of any cross-border attack, drone attack or any terrorist incident inside Pakistan, the operation will immediately resume. Pakist

Pakistan's deadly strikes in Afghanistan prompt calls for ceasefire

The European Union called Pakistan's attack on a medical facility in Kabul "another deadly escalation in a conflict that needs to end as soon as possible"

Kabul airstrike explained: 400 dead, Afghanistan accuses Pakistan, tensions surge

A deadly airstrike in Kabul has triggered global alarm. Afghanistan says a hospital was hit, killing 400. Pakistan denies it. Here’s what we know and why this could mark a dangerous turning point.

Pakistan airstrikes on Kabul leave heavy toll, raising risk of escalation

Pakistan said it carried out 'precision airstrikes' on Taliban sites in Kabul and Nangarhar, targeting military depots and infrastructure, and accused the Taliban of making 'false claims'

'Barbaric' attack: India slams Pakistan over Kabul hospital strike

India condemned Pakistan's airstrike on a Kabul hospital that killed 400 people, calling it a barbaric act; it said the attack violates Afghanistan's sovereignty and urged global action

Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict: What's behind the latest escalation?

Weeks of cross-border attacks and rising casualties have pushed Pakistan and Afghanistan into a major crisis, driven by historic tensions over the Durand Line, militancy and shifting regional ties

400 killed in Pakistan strike on Afghanistan hospital treating drug users

Afghanistan's deputy government spokesman said early Tuesday the death toll from an airstrike by Pakistan that hit a hospital treating drug users in the Afghan capital Kabul has increased to 400. In a post on X, Hamdullah Fitrat said the strike on Monday night had destroyed large sections of the hospital. He said the death toll so far stood at 400, while a further 250 people had been reported injured. Fitrat said rescue teams were trying to control the fire at the building and recover the bodies of the victims. Pakistan had earlier denied that it had hit a hospital, saying its strike in Kabul and other strikes in eastern Afghanistan Monday had not hit any civilian sites. Afghanistan on Monday accused Pakistan's military of targeting a Kabul hospital that treats drug users in airstrikes, with the country's Health Ministry spokesman saying more than 200 people had been killed. Pakistan dismissed the accusation, saying the strikes - which were also conducted in eastern Afghanistan - di

India condemns Pakistan's air strikes on Afghanistan, calls it aggression

India on Saturday condemned Pakistan's air strikes inside Afghan territory, asserting that Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be fully respected. "India condemns the air strikes by Pakistan in Afghanistan's territory, leading to the death of several civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "This is yet another act of aggression by a Pakistani establishment that remains hostile to the idea of a sovereign Afghanistan," he said. Jaiswal was responding to a media query on the Pakistani aerial raid on Afghanistan. "India reiterates that Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be fully respected," he said. The Pakistani military carried out air strikes inside Afghanistan in the last few weeks amid an escalating conflict between the two sides.

Islamabad airport to suspend flight operations for 2 hours on Mar 16

Flight operations at Islamabad International Airport will remain suspended for two hours on March 16, Pakistani authorities said on Saturday. In a social media post, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) advised passengers to check with their airlines for any updates. "Due to operational reasons, flight operations at Islamabad International Airport will remain temporarily suspended on 16 March 2026 from 08:30 am to 10:30 am PKT," it said. In a notice to airmen (Notam), the PAA specified segments of air traffic service (ATS) routes within the Lahore flight information region (FIR) that would not be available from ground to flight level 210 due to "operational reasons". The Notam stated that arrival and departure operations at Islamabad International Airport would remain closed, and urged arriving aircraft to "bring sufficient holding fuel to cater for delay". No reason was given for the closure of the airspace, but media reports suggested that it would be for the rehearsal of the .

Pakistani airstrikes cause civilian casualties in Kabul, say Taliban and UN

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said the airstrikes in Kabul had killed at least four civilians and injured 14 in the Pul-e-Charkhi area, including women and children

Pak PM pledges 'solidarity, support' to Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Iran war

Pak PM's solidarity pledge came during his Saudi visit, part of Islamabad's efforts to engage Tehran and Jeedah and de-escalate regional tensions

US to permanently close Peshawar consulate near Afghan border, citing costs

The State Department will permanently close the US consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, which has been America's closest diplomatic mission to the Afghan border and was a primary operations and logistics point before, during and after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. The department notified Congress this week of its intent to close the consulate and said it would save USD 7.5 million per year, while not adversely affecting its ability to advance US national interests in Pakistan, according to a copy of the notification obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. The move has been under consideration for more than a year since the Trump administration began downsizing nearly all federal agencies and is not related to the Iran war, which has sparked protests in various Pakistani cities, including Karachi and Peshawar, where the US consulates temporarily suspended operations. The administration's cuts to the State Department last year included the dismissal of several thousand diplomat

From school closures to WFH: How Asia is tackling oil supply crunch

Countries across Asia are imposing fuel curbs, remote work and price caps as oil supply disruptions from the West Asia conflict trigger price volatility and threaten energy security

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia discuss joint measures to counter Iranian attacks

Munir and Saudi's defence minister discussed the gravity of the security situation accruing from Iranian drone and missile attacks on the Kingdom and joint measures needed to halt them

Pakistan, Saudi discuss security measures after Iran strikes in Gulf

Field Marshal Asim Munir met Khalid bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement from the Pakistan military's press wing on Saturday