ISLAMABAD: Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday welcomed Pakistan’s mediation efforts to end the Middle East war but offered no direct comment on a last-minute extension of the cease-fire announced hours earlier by President Donald Trump, even as a second round of US-Iran talks in the Pakistani capital appeared to be unraveling before it began.
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China selects two Pakistani astronauts for training, with one set to become first foreigner aboard Tiangong space station
ISLAMABAD: China has chosen two Pakistani astronauts as candidates for its manned space program, a step that will send one of them into orbit aboard the Tiangong space station as the first foreign national to fly on a Chinese spacecraft, state media reported on Wednesday.
Pakistan targets 30 percent electric-vehicle shift in five years to save $4.5 billion on fuel imports
ISLAMABAD: The government plans to convert 30% of the country’s vehicles to electric power within the next five years, a push that officials say will deliver fuel-import savings of as much as $4.5 billion and help ease chronic pressure on the economy.
Ceasefire Holds, but Diplomacy Fractures
The latest twist in the two-month-old war between the United States and Iran arrived, as so many have lately, via a late-night Truth Social post from President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, with the two-week ceasefire on the brink of expiration, Trump announced he was extending it indefinitely — or at least until Tehran submits a “unified proposal” and talks run their course. The decision, he said, came at the direct request of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. It followed hours of frantic deliberations in the White House, where Air Force Two sat fueled and ready to carry Vice President JD Vance to Islamabad for what was supposed to be the next round of mediated negotiations.
Pakistan seeks fixed underwriting teams for eurobonds, sukuk and rupee-dollar bonds to smooth external borrowing
ISLAMABAD: The government moved to institutionalise its access to international capital markets on Tuesday, soliciting proposals from global banks to act as underwriters and lead managers for all its foreign-currency debt issuance over the next three years.
Pakistan condemns Israeli settlers’ storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and raising of flag as ‘reprehensible’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday denounced in the strongest terms the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem by Israeli settlers and the raising of Israel’s flag in its courtyard, describing the actions as “reprehensible” and a serious threat to regional stability.
Trump extends Iran ceasefire at Pakistan’s request, buying time for Tehran to submit peace proposal
ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he had directed the US military to extend an already strained ceasefire with Iran, keeping a naval blockade in place while Tehran prepares what he called a “unified proposal” to end the conflict that began with American and Israeli strikes in late February.
Pakistan extends ban on Indian aircraft in its airspace, pushing restrictions into a second year
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s airports authority on Tuesday extended its prohibition on Indian-registered aircraft using Pakistani airspace for another month, a step that will carry the restrictions into their second year and continue to impose significant financial strain on Indian airlines.
Pakistan Navy test-fires indigenous Taimoor air-launched cruise missile, showcasing precision strike capability
KARACHI: The Pakistan Navy successfully test-fired the indigenously developed Taimoor air-launched cruise missile on Tuesday, the military’s media wing announced, in what officials described as a significant demonstration of the service’s ability to detect, track and neutralize enemy vessels at extended ranges.
Pakistan gets second Saudi deposit tranche of $1 billion
KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank received $1 billion from Saudi Arabia on Monday, the second installment of a fresh $3 billion deposit designed to cushion the country’s foreign-exchange reserves as it navigates more than $3.5 billion in debt repayments to Gulf allies and international bondholders this month.