ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has asked China to expand its currency swap line by 10 billion yuan, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said, as the cash-strapped nation seeks to bolster reserves and plans a debut panda bond by year-end to diversify funding.
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Military says 15 militants killed, two soldiers martyred in KP operations
ISLAMABAD: The military said on Saturday that two soldiers were killed, and 15 militants were eliminated in three separate intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, as the country battles a surge in militant violence.
Trump-backed WLF, Pakistan Crypto Council strike blockchain deal
ISLAMABAD: World Liberty Financial (WLF), a decentralised finance (DeFi) platform backed by US President Donald Trump, has signed a landmark Letter of Intent (LoI) with the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) to accelerate blockchain innovation, stablecoin adoption, and DeFi integration across Pakistan.
Defence minister Asif denies Pakistan role in Kashmir attack, seeks international inquiry
Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s defence minister on Friday rejected accusations of Islamabad’s involvement in a terror attack that killed 26 people this week in occupied Kashmir, calling for an international investigation into the incident, The New York Times reported.
Pakistan calls for neutral probe into Pahalgam attack
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday urged a “neutral and transparent” investigation into a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir earlier this week, dismissing Indian suggestions of cross-border involvement as “baseless allegations.”
Saudi, Iran reach out to ease Pakistan-India tensions
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia and Iran separately offered on Friday to mediate between India and Pakistan, urging de-escalation after a deadly attack in Indian occupied Kashmir reignited tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals, raising concerns of a broader confrontation.
Lifeline under siege
India’s abrupt suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty on April 24, 2025, following a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir, has thrust South Asia into a perilous standoff, with Pakistan warning that any tampering with its water lifeline would be an “act of war.” The decision, outlined in a sharply worded letter from India’s Jal Shakti Ministry Secretary Debashree Mukherjee to her Pakistani counterpart Syed Ali Murtaza, dismantles a 65-year-old pact that has endured wars and crises, exposing the fragility of trust between two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Pakistan challenges India to provide evidence over Kashmir attack
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday challenged India to provide evidence backing its claims of Pakistani involvement in a weekend attack in occupied Kashmir that killed 26 people, dismissing the allegations as “baseless” while warning of reciprocal measures against New Delhi’s diplomatic and economic escalations.
Banking sector grows 15.8pc in 2024, NPLs decline: SBP
KARACHI: Pakistan’s financial system maintained its stability and operational strength in 2024 despite global headwinds, as improved macroeconomic conditions and regulatory safeguards helped curb credit risks and bolster capital buffers, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said in its annual Financial Stability Review (FSR) released on Thursday.
Govt pauses controversial Indus canal project after Sindh protests, seeks provincial consensus
ISLAMABAD Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Thursday that the government will halt construction of new canals on the Indus River until a consensus is reached among the country’s provinces, following weeks of protests in southern Sindh province over fears of water shortages.