Pakistan Government

Pakistan juggles mediation role abroad, deepening power crisis at home

Blackouts, LNG shortages and policy lapses hit Pakistan as it hosts key US-Iran talks amid rising energy stress

Pak issues notice to channel for airing Indian content on Asha Bhosle death

Pakistan's media watchdog has issued a show-cause notice to a leading news channel for running "Indian content" while broadcasting the news about the death of legendary singer Asha Bhosle. A ban on Indian content in Pakistan has been in place since 2018. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issued the show-cause notice to GeoNews on Monday seeking an explanation as to why it aired Indian content along with the news of Bhosle's death. The leading news channel is considered close to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government and the military establishment. Bhosle passed away on Sunday due to multi-organ failure. She was 92. "It has always been customary to revisit and celebrate the work of iconic artists when reporting on them. In fact, for an artist of Asha Bhosle's stature, we should have shared even more of her timeless and memorable songs than we did. Yet, Pakistan's electronic media regulator, PEMRA, has chosen to restrict this," Azhar Abbas, the Managing

Pakistan rejects media reports of setback in US-Iran peace talks initiative

Pakistan on Saturday rejected media reports that its initiative to facilitate talks between the US and Iran to end the ongoing conflict in West Asia had hit obstacles after initial exchange of peace proposals. Speculation emerged after a senior official of the Foreign Ministry briefed a select group of journalists on Pakistan's efforts to find a negotiated settlement of the ongoing conflict. Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi in a statement rejected the media reports as "baseless" and a "figment of imagination". "We have noted several reports in the media, including on social media, citing so-called official government sources regarding the ongoing conflict in the region and Pakistan's efforts to promote peace and dialogue," he said. "We categorically reject these false insinuations attributed to purported official sources as baseless and a figment of imagination. Any attribution to official sources in this regard is incorrect." He said that it was a matter of concern that

Pakistan cuts petrol price by PKR 80, day after hike saw severe backlash

A day after an unprecedented surge in fuel prices triggered severe backlash, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced slashing the petrol price by PKR 80. Sharif in a midnight address Friday announced that the government has decided to reduce petrol levy by PKR 80 per litre, making the commodity available to the end consumer for PKR 378 per litre. The government on Thursday announced an unprecedented hike of 43 per cent and 55 per cent in the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD), respectively. The rise in petrol price from PKR 321.17 to PKR 458.41 per litre came as the government levy increased from PKR 105 to PKR 160 per litre. The government had also increased HSD price by PKR 184.49 per litre -- from PKR 335.86 to PKR 520.35 -- but had abolished the levy, prompting demands that the government should follow suit with regard to petrol price, providing some relief to citizens. "I am announcing an immediate reduction of PKR 80 per litre in petrol levy," he said,

Pakistan strikes Kabul, other provinces hours after Afghan retaliation

Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Kabul and two other Afghan provinces early Friday, Afghanistan's government spokesman said, hours after Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in the latest escalation of violence between the volatile neighbours that made a Qatar-mediated ceasefire appear increasingly shaky. At least three explosions were heard in Kabul, but there was no immediate information on the exact location of the strikes in the Afghan capital, or of any potential casualties. Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistan also carried out airstrikes in Kandahar to the south and in the southeastern province of Paktia. Afghanistan said its military launched its attack across the border into Pakistan late Thursday in retaliation for deadly Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan border areas Sunday, and claimed to have captured more than a dozen Pakistani army posts. Pakistan's government, which had described last Sunday's airstrikes as an attack on militants ...

Gavaskar, Kapil Dev lead appeal to PAK govt for Imran Khan's fair treatment

Addressed to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the appeal deliberately rises above the usual India-Pakistan sporting rivalry.

Pak must create 30 mn jobs in 10 yrs to avoid instability: World Bank chief

Banga said Pakistan's population dynamics mean employment creation will remain a binding constraint on growth over the long term, rather than a secondary policy goal

'No embargo' on Imran Khan's sons meeting him in jail: Pakistan govt

Pakistan government said on Saturday that there is "no embargo" on former prime minister Imran Khan's sons meeting their incarcerated father if they travel to the country. Pakistani authorities have reportedly imposed unannounced restrictions on meetings with Khan on the grounds that the visitors use such meetings for political ends. Following the move, his family and party members have expressed concerns about the conditions in which he is being kept inside the prison. "There has been no embargo on Suleman Khan and Kasim Khan to meet their father, Imran Khan, at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi," Interior State Minister Talal Chaudhry told reporters here. Suleman and Kasim, who currently live in London, are Khan's sons from his first marriage with British TV personality Jemima Goldsmith. Chaudhry's statement comes days after the brother-duo in an interview with Sky News earlier this week said they fear they might never see their jailed father ever again.

Pakistan passes Bill to protect minorities, set up rights commission

Pakistan's Parliament has approved a long-pending bill to strengthen protections for minority communities and create a statutory commission to oversee their rights and address discrimination

'He is fine': Pak govt, PTI dismiss rumours about Imran Khan's condition

Speculation intensified on social media after reports suggested the 73-year-old could be shifted to a high-security facility, a move that would further restrict interaction

Pakistan, Afghanistan to maintain ceasefire after peace talks in Istanbul

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to maintain a ceasefire following peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey's Foreign Ministry has announced, after a dialogue between the two sides collapsed earlier in the week. The sides plan to meet again at a higher-level gathering in Istanbul on Nov 6 to finalise how the ceasefire will be implemented, the ministry said in a statement released on behalf of Pakistan, Afghanistan and mediators Turkey and Qatar on Thursday. All parties have agreed to put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and imposing penalty on the violating party, the statement read. The new round of negotiations, facilitated by Turkey and other friendly nations, was aimed at easing border tensions between the two sides who earlier this month exchanged fire, leaving dozens of soldiers, civilians and militants dead. Despite the collapse of the previous round of talks, a ceasefire has largely held and no new border clashes were reporte

Twin attacks raise concerns over security situation in Pak's Balochistan

In a separate yet equally alarming incident, unidentified armed men attacked the Jaffar Express passenger train in the same region, firing bullets and launching four rockets

Peace talks with Afghanistan's Taliban govt in Istanbul fail, says Pakistan

Peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan have failed in Istanbul after four days of negotiations, Pakistan's information minister said before dawn Wednesday, accusing the Taliban government in Kabul of refusing to act against militants blamed for deadly cross-border attacks. The talks followed an earlier round in Doha that produced a ceasefire on October 19 after deadly border clashes between the two sides left dozens dead, including soldiers, civilians and militants. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of harboring militants linked to a surge in attacks, while Kabul denies its territory is being used against Pakistan. Before dawn on Wednesday, Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar took to social media platform X, saying the dialogue failed to bring about any workable solution, despite mediation by Qatar and Turkey. There was no immediate comment from Kabul about Tarar's remarks. The latest development came hours after the state media in both countries said there was an imp

Pakistan, Afghanistan continue talks to resolve cross-border tensions

Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan were still trying to find common ground to settle their dispute over cross-border military and other issues despite three days of talks held in Turkiye. Talks began on Saturday and continued through Monday, but without any final agreement. Quoting officials, the Dawn newspaper reported that a final agreement still remained elusive. Sources familiar with the closed-door discussions said that while most of the points had been mutually agreed between the two sides, the mechanism for verifiable action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory continued to be the main sticking point. We kept hoping that we would be able to sign a mutual document with Afghanistan soon, followed by a joint statement, but it still remains out of our reach, the newspaper quoted one source as saying. The atmosphere early on Monday had been markedly positive. Participants described encouraging progress and serious engagement from both delegations. As th

Pakistan expects finalisation of staff-level agreement with IMF soon

Pakistani officials are hopeful for the finalisation of a staff-level agreement (SLA) with the IMF during Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb's upcoming visit to the US, according to a media report on Friday. The finalisation is subject to consensus on the external account and verified flood-related losses, as well as their fiscal adjustment across central and provincial accounts, the Dawn newspaper reported. These issues are expected to be finalised during the upcoming IMF-World Bank annual meetings, where the Pakistani delegation, led by the finance minister and including the SBP governor and FBR chairman, will depart this weekend. Official sources confirmed to the paper that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had shared the draft Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) with the authorities before a visiting mission left Pakistan after two weeks of engagements. The IMF team visited Karachi and Islamabad from September 24 to October 8 to discuss the second review .

Pakistan offers Arabian Sea port to US for mineral export: Key details here

The proposal, supported by Army chief Asim Munir, is commercial and seeks to diversify Pakistan's partnerships by reducing reliance on China while strengthening ties with the US

Pakistan's rooftop solar boom sparks concern for debt-strapped govt

The government buys power from generators and sells it to consumers, using revenues to pay back creditors such as China

US-Pakistan hold talks, reaffirm commitment to fight terrorism in all forms

Both sides reaffirmed their intention to work closely in multilateral fora, including the United Nations, to promote effective and enduring approaches to counterterrorism

Pakistan renews deportation drive, forces thousands of Afghans to border

Millions of Afghans have fled into Pakistan over the past several decades due to conflict and instability, including hundreds of thousands who arrived after the Taliban returned to power in 2021

Pakistan urges social media platforms to block banned militant accounts

Pakistan on Friday urged global social media companies to take action to block hundreds of accounts allegedly run by outlawed militant groups that Islamabad claims spread propaganda and glorify insurgents in the South Asian country. According to Pakistan's Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States have been using X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram to promote violence in Pakistan. Chaudhry, who spoke to reporters at a news conference, urged the tech companies to remove or disable these accounts, as well as those run by supporters of the militant groups. Deputy Law Minister Aqeel Malik, who also spoke at the news conference, said Pakistani investigators have identified 481 accounts associated with the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and the Balochistan Liberation .