KARACHI: The United States has approved the sale of advanced communications systems and other support for Pakistan’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets, a package valued at $686 million that aims to bolster interoperability with American forces in counterterrorism operations, according to a letter from the Defence Security Cooperation Agency to Congress.
Top Stories
Police weigh charges against PTI leaders after clash outside Imran Khan’s jail
RAWALPINDI: Police in Rawalpindi on Wednesday sought legal advice on filing formal charges against leaders and supporters of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party over a protest outside Adiala jail, where the former prime minister Imran Khan is imprisoned.
ADB upgrades Pakistan growth outlook on less severe flood impact
KARACHI: The Asian Development Bank boosted its economic growth forecast for Pakistan in the current fiscal year, citing a milder-than-expected hit from flooding, stepped-up public investment and cooling inflation.
PM Sharif urges clerics to combat militancy, linking national unity to Pakistan’s progress
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged religious scholars on Wednesday to help stamp out militancy and sectarianism, warning that the nation’s progress hinges on fostering unity amid a spike in extremist violence that has plagued the border regions.
Kites back in Lahore skies: Basant festival scheduled from Feb. 6
LAHORE: The Punjab government has lifted an 18-year ban on the historic Basant festival, paving the way for a three-day celebration of kites, colors and spring in Lahore starting Feb. 6, 2026, under strict new regulations aimed at preventing the deadly accidents that led to the prohibition.
Jailed Imran Khan to remain in Adiala as transfer rumors swirl
ISLAMABAD: The prison authorities on Wednesday dismissed reports that imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan could be relocated from a jail near the capital to a more isolated facility, possibly in remote Balochistan province, calling the claims “pure speculation” even as a senior government official confirmed deliberations over such a move amid escalating political clashes that have reached a “point of no return.”
US EXIM Bank approves $1.25 billion for Reko Diq critical minerals project
ISLAMABAD: The US Export-Import Bank has approved $1.25 billion in financing to back the mining of critical minerals at Pakistan’s Reko Diq project, marking one of the largest such commitments in the South Asian nation’s resources sector and underscoring a push by Washington to secure global supply chains.
PPP cries foul after NA session halted ahead of Benazir airport renaming notice
ISLAMABAD: The ruling coalition showed fresh signs of strain on Wednesday as lawmakers from the Pakistan Peoples Party accused their allies in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of conspiring with the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to derail a parliamentary push to rename Islamabad’s international airport after slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
ECP rejects bid to delay local polls in Quetta amid security concerns
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday turned down a request from the chief minister of Balochistan province to postpone local government elections in the restive capital of Quetta, dismissing the plea as “devoid of force” and ordering the vote to proceed as scheduled on Dec. 28 despite warnings about deteriorating security and harsh winter weather.
PTI plans national conference amid growing rift with government, military
ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party announced Wednesday that it would convene a “national conference” later this month to unveil a “national agenda” aimed at addressing the country’s deepening political and economic instability, a move that underscores the widening rift between the PTI and the ruling coalition amid accusations of anti-state rhetoric.