ISLAMABAD: The information ministry on Sunday branded as fake a widely circulated notification that claimed the government had ordered a complete weekend lockdown to conserve fuel, urging citizens to stop sharing unverified social media posts that could sow confusion during an acute energy crisis.
Independent Pakistan – I know what I believe I know
Latest News
PM Sharif reaffirms ‘unwavering’ support for Saudi Arabia as regional powers meet on Middle East crisis
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday praised Saudi Arabia’s “remarkable restraint” in the face of Iranian missile and drone attacks and assured Riyadh of Pakistan’s steadfast solidarity, as Islamabad hosted a high-level gathering of foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt to discuss ways to end the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
PIA resumes direct London flights after six-year hiatus
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines operated its first direct flight to London in six years on Sunday, sending flight PK-785 from Islamabad International Airport to Heathrow as the newly privatized national carrier pushes to rebuild its international network.
Pakistan Tries to Keep Diplomacy Alive
The bombs fell again on Friday, this time on two of Iran’s largest steel plants, a power station and civilian nuclear sites that Tehran insists have nothing to do with its military program. Israel also struck universities, according to Iranian officials. These were precisely the kinds of attacks on non-military targets that Pakistani diplomats had warned would kill any chance of talks. Yet even as the smoke rose over Iran’s industrial heartland, Islamabad was still trying to keep the door open. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke for more than an hour with President Masoud Pezeshkian. Foreign ministers from Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are gathered in Islamabad on the Middle East crisis. And Pakistan’s de facto leader, Field Marshal Asim Munir, continues to shuttle messages between Washington and Tehran.
Iran opens Hormuz to more Pakistani ships in gesture Islamabad calls a ‘harbinger of peace’
ISLAMABAD: Iran has agreed to allow 20 additional ships flying the Pakistani flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, with two vessels crossing daily, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister said late Saturday in a move that officials here described as a significant confidence-building gesture amid a month-long war that has crippled global energy supplies.
Pakistan hosts key regional ministers as US-Iran diplomatic push accelerates with direct talks possibly days away
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has thrust itself into the center of a high-stakes diplomatic scramble to halt nearly a month of open conflict between the United States and Iran, convening senior diplomats from across the Muslim world in Islamabad this weekend, while signalling that face-to-face American and Iranian talks could begin as early as Tuesday.
Pakistan rejects Indian criticism of its treatment of Shia Muslims as cynical deflection, points to mob lynchings in India
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Saturday dismissed as “cynical and diversionary” India’s expressions of concern over the treatment of Pakistan’s Shia community, framing the remarks as an attempt to deflect attention from New Delhi’s own record of violence and discrimination against religious minorities.
PM Sharif briefs Iranian president on mediation drive for US-Iran talks
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif informed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday of Pakistan’s active diplomatic campaign to arrange indirect peace talks between Washington and Tehran, according to a detailed official account of a telephone conversation that lasted more than an hour.
Pakistan to host Saudi, Turkish and Egyptian foreign ministers for talks on easing tensions in US-Iran conflict
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt this weekend for two days of discussions focused on de-escalating the widening regional conflict sparked by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, the Foreign Office said on Saturday.
Pakistan extends banking relief for food, drug exports to Iran as Gulf tensions disrupt sea routes
ISLAMABAD: The government has waived mandatory banking instruments for land-route exports of rice, other food items and pharmaceuticals to Iran, a three-month exemption aimed at shielding traders from growing uncertainty in maritime shipping caused by the Gulf crisis.