ISLAMABAD: Defence minister Khawaja Asif on Friday forcefully disavowed comments by a government spokesman suggesting that Pakistani troops deployed to a new international force in Gaza would help disarm Hamas, highlighting tensions within the government over a prospective, and politically fraught, commitment.
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Punjab govt consolidates Imran Khan’s May 9 cases for video trials in anti-terrorism court
RAWALPINDI: The provincial Punjab government notified on Friday that 11 criminal complaints filed against former Prime Minister Imran Khan in connection with the deadly riots that erupted two years ago would be tried together before a single anti-terrorism court here, with Khan set to appear via video link from the high-security Adiala Jail where he has been held for more than two years.
FBR misses October target by Rs76bn as shortfall balloons
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue posted a Rs76 billion shortfall in October tax collections, pushing the cumulative miss for the first four months of fiscal year 2026 to Rs274 billion and raising pressure for austerity measures under its $7 billion IMF bailout.
Pakistan wins 23 bids for offshore oil blocks in first round after 18-year gap
ISLAMABAD: The government received 23 bids, mostly from state-run firms, for 40 offshore oil and gas exploration blocks offered in a licensing round after an 18-year hiatus, the petroleum ministry said on Friday, hailing the response as a sign of renewed investor confidence.
US delegation in Islamabad seeks partnership with Pakistan on critical minerals
ISLAMABAD: A high-level American delegation arrived in Islamabad on Friday to court Pakistan as a potential partner in securing vital mineral supply chains, part of a broader Washington effort to loosen China’s stranglehold on the rare earths and other metals essential to everything from electric vehicles to fighter jets.
Govt lifts fuel prices as global oil fluctuates
ISLAMABAD: The government increased gasoline and diesel prices for the next fortnight, tracking swings in the international crude market.
Fragile new truce with Taliban hinges on Kabul’s action against militants
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday portrayed a fragile new truce with the Afghan Taliban as a hard-won step toward peace along their volatile border, but one laden with stern conditions and deep scepticism, as Islamabad demanded verifiable action against militants using Afghan soil to stage attacks inside its soil.
Punjab disburses Rs6.4bn in flood aid as reconstruction push gathers pace
LAHORE: The provincial Punjab government has handed out Rs6.39 billion in emergency compensation on Thursday to tens of thousands of people battered by recent floods, a milestone in one of South Asia’s most ambitious reconstruction drives.
Report warns India could weaponise Indus River flows against Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: India lacks the capacity to abruptly halt the flow of the Indus River or fully divert its tributaries in the near term. But a report warns that New Delhi could soon wield the timing of its dams to manipulate river levels in ways that could cripple Pakistan’s agriculture, at a moment when trust between the nuclear-armed neighbours has frayed to its lowest point in years.
KP chief minister forms cabinet after repeated setbacks over Imran Khan consultations
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s new chief minister, Sohail Afridi, announced his provincial cabinet early on Friday, selecting 10 ministers, two advisers and one special assistant in a move that ends weeks of political suspense in this volatile northwestern province.