MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari intensified his confrontation with the ruling PML-N on Wednesday, demanding fresh polling in Mirpur and accusing his party’s own coalition partner of stealing the mandate of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s voters in the first phase of assembly elections.
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AJK police say 26 officers killed this year in clashes with banned protest group
MUZAFFARABAD: Police in Azad Kashmir have said 26 of their officers have been killed this year in clashes linked to a banned protest movement, as violence surrounding the region’s staggered legislative elections left both sides trading starkly conflicting casualty figures.
Pakistan and Kuwait pledge deeper ties as Gulf allies ratify defence pact amid Middle East turmoil
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kuwait agreed on Wednesday to broaden cooperation across trade, investment, energy, labour and defence, as the two governments moved to institutionalise a relationship that has deepened rapidly against the backdrop of an escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Petrol, diesel costs rise again in Pakistan as Mideast tensions keep pressure on pump prices
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan raised gasoline and diesel prices for a second consecutive day, as the country’s new daily fuel-pricing mechanism continued to pass through the effects of Middle East volatility to motorists and transporters.
Pakistan sees US trade doubling to $20 billion in five years
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government is betting it can double trade with the United States to $20 billion within five years, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said, as Islamabad steps up efforts to attract American capital following last year’s International Monetary Fund bailout.
PM Sharif orders faster civil service cuts to trim deficit
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered officials to speed up the elimination of redundant government posts, pressing ahead with a downsizing drive that has already shuttered three state bodies as Pakistan seeks to narrow its fiscal deficit and unlock the next tranche of International Monetary Fund support.
Fresh flooding fears grip Pakistan as forecasters warn of week of heavy rain
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is bracing for another bout of heavy monsoon rain from Wednesday, weather officials have warned, as communities across the country continue to reel from flooding that has already killed at least 110 people and displaced thousands of families.
Trump says Iran talks ‘going well’ but warns bridges and power plants remain targets
ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that talks between Washington and Tehran were “going well”, even as he repeated a threat to destroy Iran’s power stations and bridges within hours if the two sides fail to reach a lasting agreement, hours before sitting down with Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for the first time since the war between Israel, the US and Iran began.
Pakistan approves $6 billion refinery overhaul after six-year delay
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan approved a long-delayed overhaul of its oil refining industry, clearing the way for roughly $6 billion in investment to modernize aging plants and reduce the South Asian nation’s dependence on imported fuel.
Blood money value nearly doubles to Rs19.35mln as silver prices surge
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has fixed the value of diyat, or blood money, at Rs19,352,390 for the financial year 2026-27, a rise of nearly 97 per cent driven by a sharp climb in silver prices.