Page 7 - Pakistan

'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

US-Iran peace talks begin in Islamabad under Pakistan's 'mediation'

The White House declined to confirm whether direct meetings between US and Iranian officials had taken place, stating only that there had been a bilateral engagement with Pakistani officials earlier

Iran, US delegations meet Pakistani leaders separately ahead of peace talks

An Iranian delegation held meetings with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir on Saturday to discuss issues related to the peace talks with the US and bilateral matters. The delegation, which includes Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, arrived in Islamabad on Friday night for peace talks with the US delegation led by Vice President J D Vance. Prime Minister Sharif, while announcing a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday, had said that the US and Iran would hold talks in Islamabad this weekend. On Saturday morning, the Iranian delegation held meetings with senior Pakistani civilian and military leaders, including Prime Minister Sharif and Army Chief Munir, among others, state-run Press TV reported, without providing any details. The peace talks are taking place during a two-week halt in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began with the former launching attacks on the latter on February 28. Sharif also held

US-Iran talks in Islamabad likely to proceed via indirect channels: Reports

The process is expected to follow a facilitated format aimed at "keeping dialogue alive", with mediators shuttling between delegations, rather than seeking an immediate breakthrough

Pakistani handler expanding network in India via social media: UP police

Two men arrested in Bijnor for allegedly being in touch with a Pakistan-linked handler based in Saudi Arabia told police that the Pakistani handler was expanding his network in India via social media. Circle Officer Najibabad, Anjani Kumar Chaturvedi, said on Saturday that police arrested Uvaid Malik and Jalal Haider in Bijnor following a tip-off regarding their alleged links with Aqib, a native of Sathla village in Meerut's Mawana area who is currently staying in West Asia. According to police, Aqib earlier come into the spotlight after a video surfaced on Instagram on November 23, purportedly showing him displaying an AK-47 rifle and explosives. During interrogation, the arrested men allegedly told police that Aqib used to incite youngsters against Hindus and encourage anti-national activities, disseminating radical and inflammatory ideas on Instagram, the officer said. Police said both the arrested men came in contact with Aqib and Maizul (who is based in South Africa) three yea

JD Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner reach Pak as Iran-US talks set to kick off

Iran's 71-member delegation will be led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and central bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati

India's 5-year opportunity: Stay disciplined in a shifting world order

We now live in a world order that will keep shifting. India must use this window. This also means we remain disciplined enough not to be knee-jerked into reacting to what Pak sees as its moment in sun