ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Saturday dismissed as “cynical and diversionary” India’s expressions of concern over the treatment of Pakistan’s Shia community, framing the remarks as an attempt to deflect attention from New Delhi’s own record of violence and discrimination against religious minorities.
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PM Sharif briefs Iranian president on mediation drive for US-Iran talks
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif informed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday of Pakistan’s active diplomatic campaign to arrange indirect peace talks between Washington and Tehran, according to a detailed official account of a telephone conversation that lasted more than an hour.
Pakistan to host Saudi, Turkish and Egyptian foreign ministers for talks on easing tensions in US-Iran conflict
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt this weekend for two days of discussions focused on de-escalating the widening regional conflict sparked by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, the Foreign Office said on Saturday.
Pakistan extends banking relief for food, drug exports to Iran as Gulf tensions disrupt sea routes
ISLAMABAD: The government has waived mandatory banking instruments for land-route exports of rice, other food items and pharmaceuticals to Iran, a three-month exemption aimed at shielding traders from growing uncertainty in maritime shipping caused by the Gulf crisis.
Pakistan to convene national leadership summit on fuel crisis as provinces reject subsidy burden
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is organising a high-level national dialogue early next week to hammer out an “all-inclusive” strategy on austerity and energy conservation, after the country’s four provinces signalled they are unwilling to shoulder a collective Rs200 billion share of the fuel-subsidy bill amid surging international oil prices.
Karachi transhipment volumes jump as Middle East conflict prompts Gulf reroutes
KARACHI: Long queues of container ships have begun forming at Pakistan’s Karachi ports as global shipping lines divert vessels from the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened risks from the ongoing Middle East conflict, with government facilitation measures accelerating the shift.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa demands NFC formula revamp or interim grants after walkout over merged districts share
ISLAMABAD: The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has formally asked federal authorities to revise the National Finance Commission resource-distribution formula or, failing that, to provide discretionary grants to all provinces until a new consensus is reached.
IMF staff agree on $1.2bln Pakistan disbursement after reviews, backing fuel policy amid Middle East crisis
ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistani authorities for the release of about $1.2 billion, clearing the way for the third review under the country’s Extended Fund Facility and the second under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility, the fund said on Saturday.
PM Sharif rejects fresh fuel-price hike, absorbs Rs56bln cost to shield consumers from Middle East oil shock
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif rejected yet another proposal to raise petrol and high-speed diesel prices, choosing instead to have the government absorb an additional Rs56 billion in costs as global oil prices remain elevated by the conflict in the Middle East.
IHC schedules March 31 hearing on Imran Khan’s appeal in £190 mln corruption conviction
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Friday scheduled a March 31 hearing on petitions filed by former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, seeking to suspend their prison sentences in a major corruption case involving £190 million.