SIALKOT: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif accused India on Saturday of preparing a “false-flag operation” designed to blame Islamabad for terrorism, warning that any such attempt would draw a strong Pakistani reaction as the two nuclear-armed rivals approach the anniversary of last year’s deadly attack in occupied Kashmir.
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Five killed, 13 hurt in suicide attack on police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
ISLAMABAD: A suicide bomber driving an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into the rear of the Domel Police Station in this northwestern district late on Thursday, killing at least five civilians and injuring 13 others, including one police officer, authorities said Friday.
PM Sharif urges provinces to slash development spending, prioritise relief as oil crisis deepens from Iran war
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on federal and four provinces governments on Thursday to set aside political differences, curtail development spending and redirect resources toward agriculture, public goods and transport as the country confronts the economic fallout from the global oil crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Pakistan dismisses Afghan claims of border fence removal as fabricated
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday rejected as “fabricated and devoid of facts” claims by the Afghan Taliban that barbed wire fencing along the Durand Line had been dismantled or was being removed.
China backs Pakistan’s diplomatic push to end Middle East conflict
ISLAMABAD: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister that Beijing appreciates Islamabad’s “active diplomatic role” in trying to end the Middle East conflict, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Wednesday, as the two countries unveiled a joint five-point initiative aimed at halting hostilities in the Gulf and broader region.
PM Sharif orders crackdown on petroleum smuggling as Middle East conflict strains fuel supply
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities to impose stringent measures against the smuggling and illegal hoarding of petroleum products, his office said on Tuesday.
India plots false-flag border operation using Pakistani detainees to mask diplomatic reversals
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security officials said on Monday that Indian authorities are preparing a false-flag operation against Pakistan that would press innocent Pakistani detainees held in Indian prisons — including Kashmiris who crossed the border inadvertently — into service as unwitting participants in a staged border provocation.
Pakistan’s top leaders hold talks on security and economic strain amid regional tensions
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday to review the country’s national security situation and the array of economic and energy challenges confronting Pakistan, the President’s Secretariat said.
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.
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.