Page 3 - Pakistan

Islamabad turns fortress as US envoy heads to Pakistan for Iran talks

The US and Iran held rare direct talks in Pakistan on April 11 and 12 in Islamabad aimed at ending their conflict, but the talks concluded without any agreement

Standstill at Strait of Hormuz weighs on US-Iran peace deal hopes

Threatens to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy

Pak plunging into darkness as war in Persian Gulf cuts off oil, gas supply

The crunch could not come at a worse time for Pakistan, just as the heat rises ahead of the monsoon season, boosting air conditioner use and power demand

Next round of US-Iran talks likely to be held in Pakistan on April 20

Earlier, Islamabad Peace Talks, held on April 11-12, marked a historic but inconclusive diplomatic attempt to end the 39-day Gulf War between the United States and Iran

Pakistan says it will keep backing US-Iran talks, urges ceasefire to hold

Pakistan on Sunday said it will continue to facilitate talks between the US and Iran, while urging both sides to uphold the ceasefire. In a brief statement to the media after marathon negotiations between the US and Iran ended without a breakthrough, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan has helped mediate several rounds of "intense and constructive" discussions over the past 24 hours. "I, along with the Defence Forces Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Sim Munir, helped mediate several rounds of intense and constructive negotiations between the two sides that continued through the last 24 hours and ended this morning," he said. Expressing hope for progress, Dar said both sides should maintain a positive spirit to achieve durable peace and regional stability. "It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to the ceasefire," he said. Dar said Pakistan would continue to play its role in facilitating engagement and dialogue between Iran

Pakistan prepares to host second round of US-Iran talks next week

Pakistan has started preparing to host the second round of high-stakes talks between the US and Iran during the next week for a landmark peace deal to end the war in West Asia that has crippled global energy supplies, officials said on Friday. The US and Iran held rare direct talks in Pakistan over the weekend aimed at ending their conflict, but the talks ended early Sunday without any agreement. Official sources in Pakistan on Friday said that a feverish diplomatic activity followed to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table. It was met with success as both continue to observe the temporary two-week ceasefire, allowing Pakistan to relaunch its mediatory push. After working behind the scenes, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif embarked on a tri-nation tour on Wednesday, while Field Marshal Asim Munir landed in Tehran on the same day. The Prime Minister, after discussion with the Saudi and Qatari leaders, reached Turkiye on Thursday night as the Field Marshal spent more than 2

'Might go to Pakistan to sign deal if agreement reached with Iran': Trump

US President Donald Trump on Thursday once again claimed that progress is being made in talks with Iran and suggested he could be involved in the signing of a peace agreement, if one is reached. "If the deal is signed in Islamabad, I might go," said Trump, who heaped praise on Pakistani Prime Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistani Army Chief Gen Asim Munir for their role as mediators in the US-Iran talks. "The field marshal has been great. The prime minister has been really great in Pakistan, so I might go. They want me," he said.

Trump says Iran war near end as Pakistan army chief reaches Tehran

The diplomatic push came as US and Iranian officials weighed a return to Pakistan for further talks after negotiations there ended on Sunday without a breakthrough

Pakistan plans two-hour evening power cuts to tackle energy crisis

Distribution companies in Pakistan have been directed to inform consumers in advance about scheduled outages and to avoid unscheduled power cuts

Syringe reuse linked to HIV outbreak infecting 331 children in Pakistan

Questions mount over medical oversight in Pakistan after an investigation links unsafe injection practices to a major HIV outbreak among children

US, Iran seek second round of talks as Hormuz blockade stops ships

The war has damaged Gulf energy infrastructure and disrupted oil and gas supplies beyond the region, rattling markets and triggering fears of a global inflation crisis

Iran-US talks may resume in Pak with JD Vance likely to lead delegation

Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who have headed diplomatic talks since before the war began, are also expected to attend any possible second meeting

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 weighs multi-source financing to sustain reserves after UAE move

Pakistan this month failed to reach an agreement with the UAE to roll over the debt for the first time in seven years

US, Iran mull second meeting in attempt to revive ceasefire talks

US President Donald Trump signalled his own openness to more talks earlier Monday, saying good people from Iran had reached out

'I don't care': Trump on going back to negotiation table with Iran

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Trump claimed that Iran was in a 'very bad shape' and 'very desperate'

21 hours in Pakistan: How Vance tried and failed to end a war he opposed

JD Vance leaves Pakistan without a deal as US-Iran talks collapse, deepening uncertainty over ceasefire and escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz

US-Iran ceasefire talks in Pak conclude third round, to resume after break

The United States and Iran concluded a third round of historic, face-to-face negotiations before dawn on Sunday in Pakistan, days after a fragile, two-week ceasefire was announced, as the war that has killed thousands of people and shaken global markets entered its seventh week. Two Pakistani officials said discussions between the heads of the delegations will resume after a break. Some technical personnel from both teams are still meeting, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the press. Meanwhile, the US military said two destroyers transited the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine-clearing work, a first since the war began. Iran's state media, however, said the joint military command denied that. "We're sweeping the strait. Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me," Trump told journalists as talks continued. He called the negotiations "very deep." Iranian state TV noted what it called "serious" .

Islamabad talks: Vance leads US delegation in direct negotiations with Iran

Direct negotiations between the United States and Iran have officially commenced in Islamabad to find a lasting solution to the West Asia conflict, Pakistan's state media and a government official said. "After Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held separate meetings with delegations from the United States and Iran, formal round of direct negotiations between Iran and the United States has officially begun on Saturday evening," a senior official of the Shehbaz administration told PTI. "Iran and the United States sit at one table -- landmark peace negotiations between Iran and the United States have begun in Islamabad, where both sides are sitting face-to-face for the first time after heightened tensions," Pakistan TV said. It further said the arrival of high-level delegations, Pakistan's effective diplomacy, and positive statements from global leaders have strengthened hopes for a ceasefire and lasting peace in the region, while the world watches closely for the outcome of these

Pakistan deploys troops, jets to Saudi Arabia under defence pact

A Pakistani military contingent comprising around 13,000 soldiers and 10 to 18 jets has reached Saudi Arabia as part of a joint strategic defence agreement signed last year, the Gulf Kingdom announced on Saturday. The military contingent's deployment to King Abdulaziz Air Base in the Eastern Sector includes fighter jets and support aircraft from the Pakistan Air Force, according to a statement from Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defence. The deployment aimed to enhance joint military coordination, improve operational readiness between the armed forces of the two countries, and support security and stability at regional and international levels, it added. A Pakistan government official also confirmed sending troops and jets to Saudi Arabia as part of the two countries' strategic defence agreement, under which any attack on one country would be considered an attack on another. Expert on international affairs Mohammad Mehdi told PTI that Pakistan had sent aircraft and troops to Saudi Arab