ISLAMABAD: Amid a deepening political deadlock that has gripped Pakistan for months, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asserted on Friday that the government was not demanding the exclusion of Imran Khan, the jailed founder of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, as a prerequisite for negotiations.
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For the fifth time, Islamabad’s local elections appear headed for postponement
ISLAMABAD: The long-delayed local government elections in the capital, Islamabad, are poised for yet another postponement, the fifth in a row, after the federal cabinet on Friday approved a raft of amendments to the law governing the polls, casting fresh doubt on a vote already scheduled for Feb. 15.
Pakistan’s internet users surge 57 percent household access hits 70 percent, survey shows
ISLAMABAD: Individual internet use in Pakistan jumped to 57% from 17% over the past year, while household access to the web more than doubled to 70%, according to a government survey that highlights pockets of progress amid broader economic strains.
PM aide calls for talks among Pakistan’s ‘top five’ power brokers to break political deadlock
ISLAMABAD: A top adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pressed for steps to rebuild trust among five most influential figures in Pakistan’s politics on Thursday, saying that without agreement at the highest levels, the nation would remain mired in political deadlock.
Pakistan discovers oil, gas in northwestern province amid push to cut imports
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan announced the discovery of oil and gas in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a find that could bolster domestic production and help narrow the country’s widening energy shortfall.
ECP extends deadline as 446 lawmakers fail to file asset statements
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said on Thursday 446 lawmakers, including 125 members of the National Assembly, had failed to submit required statements detailing their assets and liabilities by a Dec. 31 deadline, setting up a potential wave of suspensions that could disrupt legislative proceedings across the country.
Pakistan saw a sharp rise in militant attacks in 2025, though a border closure brought late relief
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan suffered its most violent year in a decade in 2025, with a sharp escalation in terrorist attacks and clashes that claimed more than 3,400 lives, even as a decision to seal its border with Afghanistan in October helped curb cross-border assaults in the year’s final months, according to a report by an independent think tank.
Rivals swap nuclear site lists, but Pakistan flags concerns over Indian dam project
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India exchanged lists of their nuclear installations on Thursday, adhering to a longstanding agreement aimed at preventing attacks on such facilities, even as Islamabad raised fresh concerns over New Delhi’s plans for a hydroelectric project that it said could violate a separate water-sharing treaty.
PTI seeks to oust defector senator who backed controversial constitutional change
ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party formally moved on Thursday to disqualify one of its own senators, Saifullah Abro, accusing him of defection after he broke ranks to support a controversial constitutional amendment that has deepened divisions in the country’s fractured political landscape.
Inflation slow to 5.6 percent in December, matching government estimate
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s consumer prices inflation rose 5.6% in December from a year earlier, easing from November’s pace and landing within the government’s projected range as food costs dropped.