ISLAMABAD: US President Trump convened an emergency meeting in the White House Situation Room on Friday to weigh what he described as a sweeping agreement with Iran — one that would demand Tehran permanently renounce nuclear weapons, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted shipping, and allow American forces to unearth and destroy the Islamic Republic’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
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Pakistan sets June 5 budget session with IMF targets and regional risks in focus
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday summoned both houses of Parliament to convene next week for the annual federal budget session, launching what is expected to be one of the most closely watched fiscal exercises in years as Pakistan balances International Monetary Fund demands, lingering economic fragility, and fresh uncertainty from the US-Iran conflict.
Pakistan opens inquiry into collision of two foreign vessels near Karachi Port
KARACHI: Pakistani authorities have launched a formal investigation into a collision between two foreign-flagged vessels just outside Karachi Port, officials said Friday, the latest test for the country’s ambitious efforts to position itself as a vital maritime and transshipment hub even as global shipping routes face fresh disruptions.
Rubio praises Pakistan’s mediation as US-Iran ceasefire talks reach critical juncture
ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Friday with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the State Department, praising Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts to help broker an end to the conflict with Iran as negotiations over a potential ceasefire extension appeared to hang in the balance.
Pakistan slashes petrol and diesel prices by Rs22 a liter
ISLAMABAD: The government cut retail prices of petrol and high-speed diesel by Rs22 a liter each on Friday, the third reduction in recent weeks, handing relief to consumers on the third day of Eid al-Adha as millions of travelers prepare to head home over the weekend.
Opposition PTI leaders detained and expelled from Gilgit-Baltistan as election code dispute erupts ahead of June 7 vote
Gilgit: Police in Gilgit-Baltistan detained and later expelled Junaid Akbar, president of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter and a member of the National Assembly, along with six other party figures on Friday as the region’s political parties intensified campaigning for legislative elections set for June 7.
US and Iran near accord even as Gulf erupts
ISLAMABAD: American and Iranian negotiators have reached the outlines of a sweeping 60-day memorandum of understanding that would freeze their three-month-old war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted shipping, and launch direct negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program — but President Trump has yet to give his blessing, and the Gulf itself offered a stark reminder Thursday of how easily the arrangement could unravel.
Pakistan plans strategic oil reserves and trader storage to counter Hormuz dependence
KARACHI: Pakistan is preparing to build its first strategic petroleum reserves and invite international traders to hold commercial stocks on its soil, a push aimed at shielding the economy from supply disruptions after years of relying on shipments through the volatile Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.
Pakistan marks nuclear anniversary with pledge of deterrence, not aggression
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared Thursday that Pakistan “harbors no aggressive intentions” against any country as the nation observed the 28th anniversary of its nuclear tests, a milestone that transformed it into the world’s newest declared atomic power and reshaped the balance of terror in South Asia.
Sindh shatters heat record with 51.5°C in Dadu as UN predicts years of record global heat
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Meteorological Department said on Thursday that the country had set a new temperature record, with the mercury soaring to 51.5 degrees Celsius in the southern district of Dadu in Sindh province.