ISLAMABAD: A fragile bid for peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan teetered on the brink of collapse on Tuesday, with defence minister accusing Afghan negotiators of sabotaging talks under orders from Kabul, and, ultimately, from India.
Politics
Trump recounts seven “brand new, beautiful planes” shot down in India-Pakistan conflict
ISLAMABAD: United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday again stated that seven aircraft were shot down during the brief military escalation between Pakistan and India in May, crediting his threat to withhold trade deals for swiftly ending the hostilities and averting what he described as a potential nuclear war.
Pakistan rejects report of secret CIA, Mossad meetings over Gaza troop plan
ISLAMABAD: The information ministry on Tuesday denied a report claiming that Pakistan’s top military leader had held clandestine meetings with the CIA and Israel’s Mossad to deploy thousands of troops to Gaza, calling the account “completely fabricated” and a “deliberate fabrication aimed at misrepresenting Pakistan’s foreign policy.”
PM Sharif meets Saudi crown prince in Riyadh, signalling deepened ties
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held talks on Monday with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, on the eve of a major global investment forum, in a meeting that underscored the deepening economic and strategic partnership between the two nations.
Pressure mounts on Azad Kashmir’s premier to quit amid coalition push for new government
ISLAMABAD: The prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Anwar ul Haq, confronted mounting pressure on Monday to resign, as the two dominant parties in the coalition government moved aggressively to topple his administration through a no-confidence vote in the regional assembly.
After days of talks, Pakistan and Afghanistan struggle to bridge divide on terror safeguards
ISLAMABAD: The third day of delicate negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan veered sharply between guarded optimism and mounting frustration on Monday, as the two sides grappled with a persistent impasse over measures to stanch cross-border terrorism.
Pakistan weighs sending troops to Gaza as part of US-backed peace force
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is poised to decide within days whether to dispatch troops to a multinational stabilisation force for Gaza, with officials saying internal discussions have reached an advanced stage and point toward participation in the American-brokered peacekeeping mission.
Eight wounded in roadside bomb targeting deputy commissioner in southwest Pakistan
QUETTA: A remote-controlled bomb exploded near the convoy of a local official in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan on Monday, wounding eight people, including seven members of a paramilitary force, and underscoring the persistent threat of militant violence in a region long plagued by insurgency and attacks on security forces.
Deadlocked talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan extend into third day as Trump renews offer to mediate
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Afghan officials convened for a third day of negotiations in Istanbul on Monday, struggling to forge a durable peace accord amid mutual recriminations over cross-border terrorism, even as President Donald Trump reiterated his willingness to step in as a mediator.
PPP nears control of AJK after defections, with fourth premier likely in four years
MUZAFFARABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party appeared poised to assume control of the government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir after 10 lawmakers from a dissident faction defected to its ranks, paving the way for the ouster of Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq and the installation of a PPP leader through a no-confidence motion or his resignation.