Page 15 - Pakistan

Pak govt stepping up efforts to sell cash-strapped PIA by 2025-end: Report

Pakistan's government is firming up efforts to sell Pakistan International Airlines by the end of 2025, following a botched bid to sell the loss-making national flag-carrier last year, according to a media report on Wednesday. The Privatisation Commission board on Tuesday declared four local parties, including three associated with the cement business, eligible for bidding for the acquisition of the airline, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. In its previous attempt, the government had set the minimum price at Rs 85.03 billion with a Rs 45 billion negative balance sheet; however, it only managed to secure an offer of Rs 10 billion. The Privatisation Commission board, which met under the chairmanship of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation Muhammad Ali, approved the pre-qualification of four interested parties for the divestment of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL), according to a press statement. The board reviewed recommendations of the ...

Turkish FM, defence minister to meet Pak PM, look to boost defence ties

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defence Minister Yasir Guler are in Pakistan to hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on issues of mutual interest, including defence industry cooperation. The two arrived here on Wednesday on an official visit. Radio Pakistan reported that during their official engagements, important issues of mutual interest will be discussed. The visit reflects the close and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, rooted in shared history, culture, and mutual trust, it reported. Sources said that among other engagements, the two would also hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on bilateral ties, regional issues, and defence industry cooperation. Turkiye has strong ties with Pakistan and expressed solidarity with it during the military conflict with India in May, which angered India but Istanbul has continued efforts to bolster ties with Islamabad.

CDS warns against Pak-China-Bangladesh collusivity for security interests

Possible convergence of interest among China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh may result in serious implications for India's stability and security dynamics, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan said on Tuesday. In an address at a think-tank, Gen Chauhan, delving into the May 7-10 military conflict between India and Pakistan, said it was perhaps for the first time that two nuclear weapon states were directly engaged in hostilities. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), referring to Beijing-Islamabad collusivity, said Pakistan has acquired almost 70 to 80 per cent of its weapons and equipment from China in the last five years. He said Chinese military firms have commercial liabilities in Pakistan. The top military officer said economic distress in the countries in the Indian Ocean region has given "outside powers" to leverage their influence which could create vulnerabilities for India. "There is a possible convergence of interest we can talk about between China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh th

CDS warns of strategic implications for India in the neighbourhood

General Anil Chauhan highlights the strategic implications for India, citing potential convergence of interests among China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in the evolving geopolitics of South Asia

Trump secures 2nd Nobel Peace Prize nomination - this time from Israeli PM

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu cites Trump's role in brokering the Abraham Accords as key to West Asian diplomacy

Armed men hijack 3 oil tankers, abduct 7 crew members in northwest Pakistan

Unidentified armed men hijacked three oil tankers and abducted seven crew members in northwestern Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday, police said. The incident took place in the Tuchi bridge area near Marwat Canal in Bannu district, which borders north Waziristan, District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Khan Kulachi said. He said the convoy was intercepted while it was coming from north Waziristan and a total of three oil tankers were seized. An FIR has been registered at the Baka Khel police station and a search operation is underway, he added. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the hijacking and abduction, and no ransom demands have been made, the DPO said. Last week, at least one person was killed and three others injured after armed men opened fire on a jirga in Bannu. Earlier this month, a police officer was shot dead by unknown gunmen near his house in Ghoriwala town of the district.

CPI slams reports linking Youtuber Jyoti Malhotra to Kerala govt event

The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Monday strongly condemned reports that YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who has been arrested on espionage charges, was invited by the Kerala government for promoting tourism in the state. "The Communist Party of India strongly condemns the BJP's attempt to drag the Kerala government into the Jyoti Malhotra espionage case to cover up its own grave failures on national security," CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar said in a statement. Kumar said it was outrageous to suggest that a state government was responsible for a YouTuber's travel to Pakistan when passport issuance, visa clearance, and intelligence monitoring are all under the control of the Union government. "Did the Kerala government approve her visits to Pakistan? Did it place her in contact with ISI handlers in Delhi? This is a desperate and politically motivated deflection," he said. He added that the BJP has a long list of embarrassments involving its members linked to "espionage and terrorism." "Dhruv

'Pakistan in no hurry to recognise Taliban govt, will act in self-interest'

Pakistan is in no hurry to recognise the Afghan Taliban government, and any decision will be made keeping the country's interest in mind, officials here have said. The remarks came days after Russia became the first country to officially recognise the Taliban's rule. Moscow's decision, some observers feel, may be a prelude to other regional countries finally embracing the Taliban. However, officials in Pakistan told The Express Tribune newspaper that the decision of Russia was not a surprise, as Moscow for some time had indicated they would reconcile with the fact that the Taliban were now in charge and there was no other option but to accept their rule. The Russian decision also stems from the fact that greater engagement with the Taliban government would help address the terrorist threat and advance its geostrategic interests. We, of course, will take a decision keeping in view our interest. I can tell you there is no hurry, said a Pakistani official when asked whether Islamabad

Best of BS Opinion: Post-Op Sindoor, India must plan five years ahead

Today's articles revolve around the idea of succession, whether it's the US Federal Reserve's chief, a Pak army chief, or the Dalai Lama

Microsoft shuts Pakistan office after 25 years amid global overhaul

Tech giant Microsoft has announced to shut down its limited operations in Pakistan as part of its global strategy to reduce workforce, which various stakeholders termed on Friday as a troubling sign for the country's economy. Microsoft, while closing its office in Pakistan on Thursday after 25 years, cited global restructuring and a shift to a cloud-based, partner-led model. The move came as the tech giant cut roughly 9,100 jobs worldwide (or about 4 per cent of its workforce) in its largest layoff round since 2023. Jawwad Rehman, former founding Country Manager of Microsoft Pakistan, urged the government and IT minister to engage with the tech giants with a bold KPI (Key Performance Indicators) driven plan. He said the exit reflected the current business climate. Even global giants like Microsoft find it unsustainable to stay, he posted on LinkedIn. Former Pakistan president Arif Alvi, in a post on X, also expressed concern over Microsoft shutting down operations. It is a troubl

Pak, Russia to expand road, rail connectivity for access to warm waters

Pakistan and Russia have agreed to collaborate on establishing a robust rail and road network to link the South Asian country with Central Asia and Russia, providing landlocked states direct access to warm waters, a media report said on Friday. Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan and Russian Deputy Minister of Transport Andrey Sergeyevich Nikitin, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial conference in Tianjin, China, agreed to accelerate infrastructure development across the region to facilitate trade and economic integration. The initiative aims to transform Pakistan into a strategic transit hub by enhancing trade corridors and logistical routes extending to Russia and Central Asia, Geo News reported. Highlighting Pakistan's ongoing modernisation efforts, Khan said the country was digitising its transport infrastructure, introducing barrier-free motorways, mandatory e-tagging, and comprehensive CCTV surveillance. He said the refo

Pak Air Force chief visits US; first trip by a serving officer in a decade

Pakistan's Chief of the Air Staff Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu paid an official visit to the US to further enhance bilateral defence cooperation after Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir recently undertook a similar tour. This was the first visit by a serving Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief in over a decade, an indication of stepping up military engagements between Pakistan and the US. The Chief of the Air Staff of Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, paid an official visit to the US, the first visit by any serving Air Chief of the Pakistan Air Force in over a decade, which will further enhance bilateral defence cooperation and mutual interests, a PAF statement said on Wednesday. This high-level visit is a strategic milestone in the Pak-US defence partnership. The visit will play a significant role in addressing key regional and global security issues as well as building institutional ties, it said. It further said Sidhu held several important meetings with th

Operation Sindoor's message conveyed with great clarity, says Jaishankar

Operation Sindoor conveyed to the world with great clarity that India will act against terrorism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a statement in line with the UN Security Council calling for those responsible for the Pahalgam attacks to be brought to justice. "What is important for us in the Quad statement, as also the statement that the Security Council had issued on April 25, is that the perpetrators of terrorism must be held accountable. They must be brought to justice, Jaishankar said during a press conference in Washington on Wednesday. And that's important because we then have to communicate to the world what we did. On May 7, the objective of Operation Sindoor is that if there are terrorist attacks, we will act against the perpetrators, the supporters, the financiers, and the enablers. So that message, I think, was conveyed with great clarity, he said. A joint statement issued by Quad Foreign Ministers -- Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Foreign .

Pakistan records one more poliovirus case; countrywide tally reaches 14

One more case of poliovirus has been confirmed in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, taking the total countrywide tally to 14, officials said. The new case, a 19-month-old boy, was reported in the North Waziristan district of the province, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad said on Tuesday. With the latest case, the total number of polio cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has risen to 8. Four cases were confirmed in Sindh and one each in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan earlier this year. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress. This year, Pakistan has undertaken three nationwide polio campaigns so far in February, April, and May. Polio eradication efforts in Pakistan routinely face security issues. The cas

Militants attack govt offices in Balochistan; 2 terrorists, teen dead

Heavily-armed militants attacked government offices and a bank in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province on Tuesday, killing a boy and wounding seven civilians, officials said. The militants targeted local administration offices and the bank building in Mastung district in the restive province. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. According to Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind, militants launched the armed attack and the security forces responded to it. The paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC), Counter Terrorism Department and Levies personnel cordoned off the site and surrounded the terrorists. Two terrorists were killed and three others injured in the exchange of fire between the security forces and the terrorists, Rind said on X. He also said that a 16-year-old child was killed and seven people were injured in the firing by militants. He said a full-scale operation is underway against the militants present in the area. Intelligence-based acti

Pakistan to take over UNSC presidency for July starting from today

Pakistan is set to assume on Tuesday the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of July 2025, the state media said here. The presidency of the Security Council - the world body's power centre - is part of Pakistan's two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, which began in January 2025. Pakistan was elected as a non-permanent member with overwhelming support of the UN membership, securing 182 votes out of 193. The presidency rotates monthly among its 15 members, in alphabetical order. Pakistan's Presidency will be transparent, inclusive and responsive, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad told the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) correspondent at the UN, as he prepared to face the challenges ahead. Ambassador Iftikhar, who will preside over the Council meetings on key global issues in July, said he was fully aware of the complex geo-political scenario, growing instability and threats to international peace and security, marked by rising ...

State-backed terrorism must be called out publicly, says Jaishankar at UN

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said it is imperative to call out terrorism publicly when it is supported by a state against a neighbour and is fuelled by the bigotry of extremism, a strong reference to Pakistan. Jaishankar, who is on a three-day visit to the US, made the remarks while inaugurating an exhibition titled The Human Cost of Terrorism' at the UN headquarters. The exhibition, which will be on display at two locations in the UN headquarters from June 30-July 3 and July 7-July 11, opened a day before Pakistan begins its Presidency of the UN Security Council for July on Tuesday. "When terrorism is supported by a state against the neighbour, when it is fuelled by the bigotry of extremism, when it drives a whole host of illegal activities, it is imperative to call it out publicly and one way of doing so is to display the havoc that it has wreaked on global society, Jaishankar said. A large number of UN ambassadors, senior UN personnel, officials and envoys ..

EAM Jaishankar inaugurates exhibition 'human cost of terrorism' at UN

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday inaugurated an exhibition at the UN headquarters here, highlighting the human cost of terrorism and attacks perpetrated by terror groups, including by those based in Pakistan. The exhibition was inaugurated a day before Pakistan begins its Presidency of the UN Security Council for July on Tuesday. The exhibition titled The Human Cost of Terrorism' has been organised by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN and highlights the devastating toll of heinous terrorist acts around the world, and the steps taken by the international community to combat terrorism. The exhibition will be on display at two locations in the UN headquarters from June 30 to July 11. From the 2006 Mumbai terror attacks perpetrated by Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to the recent Pahalgam terror attacks, the exhibition highlights the numerous terror attacks perpetrated across the globe, names the terror outfits responsible for the attacks and ..

China, Pakistan lead bid to replace SAARC with new regional bloc: Report

The proposed bloc, discussed at a Kunming trilateral, aims to boost trade and connectivity among willing SAARC members

52 satellites for border, ocean watch: India ramps up defence surveillance

India's SBS-3 project aims to deploy 52 satellites by 2029 for sharper, real-time surveillance across borders and seas; move comes after key takeaways from Operation Sindoor