QUETTA: The counter-terrorism forces killed 14 suspected militants in two separate gun battles in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan on Wednesday, officials said, as the government presses ahead with operations against insurgent groups amid heightened violence in the region.
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Opposition alliance ends protest over jailed ex-PM Khan’s health but presses for doctor access
ISLAMABAD: An opposition alliance has called off its sit-in outside parliament on Wednesday after reports of a slight improvement in jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s eyesight, but demanded the government allow his personal doctors to examine him and permit family visits.
Pakistan to begin Ramadan on Thursday after crescent sighted
PESHAWAR: Pakistan will begin the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Thursday after the crescent moon was sighted on Wednesday, the country’s moon-sighting committee announced, aligning the South Asian nation with neighbours Bangladesh and India.
Silence from Punjab officials fuels questions over reports of $40 million luxury jet purchase
LAHORE: Reports that the provincial Punjab government has acquired a luxury Gulfstream business jet for VIP use have met with a wall of official silence, even as the move draws sharp rebukes from opposition figures and amplifies concerns over public spending in a nation grappling with soaring poverty and debt.
PM Sharif heads to Washington for Trump-hosted peace summit amid Gaza stabilisation push
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrives in Washington on Wednesday to attend a global summit convened by the Board of Peace (BoP), hosted by US President Donald Trump. The gathering aims to extend beyond the immediate crisis in Gaza, seeking to restore broader global peace and stability in a forum that bypasses traditional multilateral structures.
Pakistan’s factory output rises 4.8 percent in first half on auto, oil surge
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s large-scale manufacturing sector expanded 4.82% in the first half of fiscal 2026, buoyed by surging automobile production and robust gains in petroleum refining, though a slowdown in textiles and declines in some key industries tempered the overall advance.
Slight rebound in Pakistan’s textiles masks broader export decline, import surge
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s textile exports, the backbone of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings, posted a modest 1.25% gain in the first seven months of the fiscal year, climbing to $10.904 billion from $10.777 billion a year earlier, even as broader shipments faltered and imports swelled, widening the trade deficit.
Pakistan’s current account flips to surplus in January on remittance boost
KARACHI: Pakistan’s current account swung to a surplus in January as remittances from overseas workers climbed, helping offset a widening trade deficit and offering a brief respite in the South Asian nation’s efforts to stabilise its external finances.
Pakistan commits to peaceful nuclear use at Vienna talks with IAEA chief
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed his country’s backing for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) efforts to promote the responsible use of nuclear technology during a meeting with the agency’s director general in Vienna on Tuesday.
Pakistan on track to meet most IMF targets ahead of key review, brokerage says
KARACHI: Pakistan is on track to satisfy nearly all of the International Monetary Fund’s quantitative performance criteria under its current bailout program, according to brokerage Topline Securities, a development that could smooth the path for the lender’s upcoming review and the release of further funds.