Eight Muslim countries that collaborated with President Donald Trump’s administration on a proposal to halt Israel’s military campaign in Gaza welcomed on Sunday what they described as “steps taken by Hamas” toward accepting the plan, viewing the militant group’s partial agreement as a potential breakthrough for a cease-fire after nearly two years of devastating conflict.
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Coalition partners trade barbs over flood aid and provincial rivalries
KARACHI: A senior leader from Pakistan Peoples Party accused the Punjab provincial government on Sunday of using his party as a pretext to undermine the central administration led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, escalating a public feud between two key allies in the federal coalition.
Pakistani official denies offering US access to proposed Pasni port, calls talks ‘exploratory’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday pushed back against reports that it had extended an offer to the United States for access to a proposed port in the coastal town of Pasni, with a senior security official insisting there had been no formal outreach to Washington and characterising any related talks as “purely exploratory.”
Army says India is seeking pretext for conflict, warns any future war would bring mutual destruction
ISLAMABAD: The military on Saturday accused India of fabricating pretexts for renewed aggression and warned that it would strike deep inside its nuclear-armed neighbor if fresh hostilities erupt, escalating a war of words that threatens to unravel a fragile ceasefire along their disputed border.
Security forces kill 14 militants in raid in restive Balochistan
ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed more than 14 terrorists in a raid in the restive Balochistan province, officials said on Saturday, in what the interior minister described as a “major success” against groups the government accuses India of sponsoring to destabilise the region.
Sharif hails Hamas response to Trump peace plan as a ‘window’ for Gaza ceasefire
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed Hamas’s response to President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan as a critical opening for ending the war, urging all sides not to let the opportunity slip away as world leaders scrambled to build on the momentum late on Friday.
Islamabad, Kashmiri protesters reach deal to end deadly unrest in Himalayan region
MUZAFFARABAD: The government has reached a deal with protesters in Azad Jammu and Kashmir to end weeks of unrest that turned deadly, reopening roads and restoring calm to the territory after clashes left at least 10 people dead and scores injured, officials announced on Saturday.
Security forces kill seven terrorists in Balochistan operation
ISLAMABAD: Security forces have killed seven terrorists in a high-stakes intelligence-based operation in Balochistan’s Sherani district, the military announced on Friday, marking another blow to militant groups in the restive region.
Second round of negotiations launched in AJK to defuse protests, strike continues
ISLAMABAD: A second round of negotiations convened on Friday in Muzaffarabad between the government officials and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a civil society alliance spearheading weeks of protests that have plunged Azad Jammu and Kashmir into turmoil, as both sides sought to defuse a crisis marked by deadly violence and a regionwide shutdown.
FM Dar says Trump Gaza peace plan differs from Muslim nations’ draft but backs final outcome
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar distanced Pakistan on Friday from a 20-point Gaza peace plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump, saying it differed from a draft proposed by Muslim nations but insisting the negotiated result left no room for political maneuvering.