ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar reached Beijing on Saturday for high-level talks with his Chinese counterpart, aiming to deepen the longstanding alliance between the two nations amid a backdrop of regional tensions and economic challenges.
top-politics
For the fifth time, Islamabad’s local elections appear headed for postponement
ISLAMABAD: The long-delayed local government elections in the capital, Islamabad, are poised for yet another postponement, the fifth in a row, after the federal cabinet on Friday approved a raft of amendments to the law governing the polls, casting fresh doubt on a vote already scheduled for Feb. 15.
Pakistan saw a sharp rise in militant attacks in 2025, though a border closure brought late relief
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan suffered its most violent year in a decade in 2025, with a sharp escalation in terrorist attacks and clashes that claimed more than 3,400 lives, even as a decision to seal its border with Afghanistan in October helped curb cross-border assaults in the year’s final months, according to a report by an independent think tank.
Army chief warns of ‘firm and decisive’ response to any breach of sovereignty
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top military commander warned on Wednesday that any breach of the country’s territorial integrity, whether direct or indirect, would provoke a firm and decisive response, as he accused Indian-sponsored proxies of fomenting violence and disrupting development in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan.
Yasmin Rashid’s election petition rejected, Nawaz Sharif victory upheld in Lahore
LAHORE: An election tribunal in the eastern city of Lahore on Tuesday dismissed a legal challenge by Yasmin Rashid, a jailed opposition leader from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, against the victory of Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister and head of the rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, in a closely watched constituency from last year’s general elections.
Convicted ex–spy chief Faiz Hameed appeals 14-year court-martial sentence
ISLAMABAD: The former head of the country’s powerful intelligence agency has appealed his conviction and 14-year prison sentence handed down by a military court this month, his lawyer said, marking the latest turn in a case that has exposed rare fissures within the country’s military establishment.
Bhutto-Zardari calls on Imran Khan’s party to abandon ‘extremism’ and rejoin democratic politics
LARKANA: Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party and a key ally in the governing coalition, called on Sunday for a return to the politics of reconciliation in the country, urging the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to abandon what he described as extremism and warning that attacks on state institutions would invite legal consequences.
PTI disavows threats to Pakistan’s military chief made at UK protest
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the opposition party led by the imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan, disavowed on Saturday threats made against the country’s top military leader during a demonstration in Britain, saying the remarks had “no connection” to the party and did not reflect its ideology.
Pakistan protests UK over threats against army chief at PTI-linked rally
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan formally protested to Britain on Friday over threats made against its top military leader during a demonstration outside its consulate in Bradford, England, summoning the British acting high commissioner to deliver a diplomatic rebuke and urging London to hold those responsible accountable under its laws.
Imran Khan’s grip from jail complicates efforts to begin dialogue with govt
LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the opposition party founded by the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, announced plans on Thursday to launch a new wave of street protests, even as some of its leaders expressed growing frustration with Khan’s unyielding demand for agitation over negotiations to resolve the country’s deepening political crisis.