Security forces kill 13 militants in foiled Afghan border infiltrations; cross-border shelling kills 9 Pakistani civilians

ISLAMABAD: The security forces have killed at least 13 militants in two separate attempts to cross the Afghan border this week, the military said, in operations that underscored Islamabad’s deepening frustration with what it described as the Afghan Taliban government’s failure to control its side of the frontier.

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Imran Khan’s lawyers urge Islamabad court to grant release on humanitarian grounds, citing solitary confinement and eye ailment

ISLAMABAD: Lawyers for former prime minister Imran Khan told the Islamabad High Court on Thursday that their client should be freed on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, pointing to more than a year of solitary confinement and an untreated eye infection that have worsened his condition in prison.

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Trump receives briefing on Iran options as new supreme leader wows to safeguard nuclear program amid surging oil prices and Hormuz standoff

ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump will receive a classified briefing on Thursday on US military options for the Strait of Hormuz and potential actions inside Iran, as the administration grapples with a punishing naval blockade that has driven energy prices to their highest levels in years and shown no sign of breaking an impasse with Tehran.

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Islamabad keeps lines open to Washington and Tehran, urges immediate reopening of vital oil chokepoint

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said Thursday that Islamabad remains deeply engaged with both Washington and Tehran in an effort to broker a resolution to their conflict, even as a second round of direct negotiations failed to materialize and the strategic Strait of Hormuz stayed closed for a second month.

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Pakistan unveils Rs3.2 trillion housing program to build 500,000 homes and revive construction-led growth

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally launched a five-year, Rs3.2 trillion housing initiative on Thursday, committing the government to finance the construction of 500,000 homes nationwide as part of a broader effort to stimulate economic activity and address a chronic shortage of affordable shelter.

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Pakistan flags external risks from Middle East conflict as inflation outlook ticks higher

ISLAMABAD: The finance ministry said on Thursday that the country’s external sector faces fresh risks from global uncertainties and supply disruptions tied to the Middle East conflict, even as a healthy primary fiscal balance and three straight months of current-account surpluses underpin domestic stability.

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