ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday evening that the United States would temporarily halt its newly launched naval operation to escort stranded commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, saying the pause would allow time for negotiations toward a broader agreement to end the conflict with Iran.
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Pakistan’s trade deficit hits $4.07 billion in April, widest in 46 months as imports surge
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s trade deficit climbed to $4.07 billion in April, the widest in 46 months, as a surge in imports more than offset a modest recovery in exports, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics released on Tuesday.
Pakistan’s financial system proved resilient in 2025, SBP says, even as Iran war clouds outlook
KARACHI: Pakistan’s financial system remained stable and resilient throughout 2025, the State Bank of Pakistan said on Tuesday, citing stronger capital buffers, easing inflation and improved macroeconomic conditions even as the central bank warned that the war in Iran could pose fresh risks to financial stability.
‘Takes two to tango’: Pakistan urges US and Iran to revive talks after Gulf attacks shatter fragile ceasefire
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister expressed guarded optimism Tuesday that his country’s intensive diplomatic campaign could still produce a negotiated end to the six-week-old conflict between the United States and Iran, even as renewed fighting broke out the previous day in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan’s HIV response under strain as 20,000 patients disappear from care
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s health authorities told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that nearly 20,000 people who began antiretroviral treatment for HIV have since disappeared from care, a stark illustration of the gaps in a national response to one of the world’s fastest-growing epidemics in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
JUI-F calls for nationwide protests after prominent cleric is assassinated in targeted attack
CHARSADDA: A prominent religious scholar and former lawmaker affiliated with the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) was shot dead on Tuesday in a targeted attack in northwestern Pakistan, prompting the Islamist party to announce two days of nationwide protests and accuse federal and provincial governments of failing to protect citizens.
Imran Khan’s sisters again denied jail visit as PTI calls for mass rally at prison gates
RAWALPINDI: Imran Khan’s three sisters were again denied entry to Adiala Jail on Tuesday for what has become a routine but increasingly futile weekly visit, the latest flashpoint in the Pakistani government’s standoff with the jailed founder of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.
Pakistan’s military leaders urge restraint amid Mideast tensions, press counterterrorism campaign against Afghan-based militants
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s senior military command on Tuesday linked regional peace to “collective restraint, responsibility and respect for sovereignty,” issuing the call as a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East continued to hold following US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February that escalated into a broader crisis.
US maintains ceasefire with Iran holds as fresh attacks hit Hormuz and UAE targets
ISLAMABAD: US military leaders insisted on Tuesday that a fragile ceasefire with Iran remained intact a day after Tehran was blamed for fresh attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and on the United Arab Emirates, even as the key American ally reported yet another wave of Iranian drones and missiles.
Iranian drone strike hits UAE oil terminal as US naval push in Hormuz risks shattering fragile ceasefire
ISLAMABAD: A drone launched from Iran struck the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone on Monday, igniting a fire at the critical UAE oil export terminal and injuring three Indian nationals, authorities said, even as the country’s air defences intercepted multiple incoming missiles and drones in what officials described as a dangerous escalation.