ISLAMABAD: At least 22 militants and two police officers were killed Saturday in a fierce gunbattle in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, authorities said, one of two significant counterterrorism operations conducted the same day as the country struggles with a sharp increase in attacks linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other extremist groups.
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Army chief Munir leaves Tehran with deal hopes alive, but deep divisions persist
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief departed the Iranian capital on Saturday after a round of intensive overnight talks that his government called a breakthrough in the making, even as Iran’s chief negotiator sat across from him and warned that any resumption of American military strikes would bring consequences more catastrophic than the opening salvos of a war that has already rattled the global economy and shut down one of its most vital waterways.
PM Sharif begins four-day China visit focused on trade, investment, and US-Iran conflict
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed on Saturday for a four-day official visit to China, where he will meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang as the two countries mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Opposition threatens to boycott budget session over Imran Khan’s treatment
ISLAMABAD: The leader of the parliamentary opposition issued a sharp ultimatum to the government on Friday, threatening a complete boycott of the upcoming federal budget session unless the authorities meet longstanding demands for the medical care and visitation rights of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Pakistan cuts fuel prices for second straight week, easing costs ahead of Eid travel
ISLAMABAD: The government reduced the price of petrol by 6 rupees per liter and high-speed diesel by 6.80 rupees per liter on Friday, the second consecutive weekly cut as officials respond to swings in global oil markets linked to tensions in the Middle East.
Field Marshal Munir in Tehran to salvage US-Iran ceasefire
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s most powerful military commander flew to the Iranian capital Friday night, touching down amid an urgent and precarious flurry of diplomacy aimed at preventing the fragile ceasefire in the US-Iran war from unravelling entirely — and potentially averting a new round of American strikes that, by multiple accounts, Washington was actively contemplating.
Lucky Motors bets on fuel crisis and solar surge to accelerate Pakistan EV push with China’s GAC
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Lucky Motor Corp. is counting on record fuel prices and widespread rooftop solar adoption to accelerate demand for electric vehicles, as the automaker begins rolling out models from China’s Guangzhou Automobile Group and targets local assembly by the end of 2026.
PM Sharif to visit China this weekend, with US-Iran tensions on agenda
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to China from May 23 to 26 for an official visit that will mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and offer an opportunity to deepen their long-standing “all-weather strategic partnership,” the Foreign Office said on Friday.
Karachi court sends alleged drug queenpin Anmol ‘Pinky’ to jail on 14-day judicial remand in narcotics and murder cases
KARACHI: A local court on Friday ordered alleged drug queenpin Anmol, better known as Pinky, to be held in judicial custody for 14 days as she faces more than a dozen criminal cases, including narcotics trafficking, illegal weapons possession and murder.
Field Marshal Munir heads to Tehran in final push to end US-Iran war
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top military commander flew to Tehran on Friday in what officials and mediators described as a final push to secure a framework agreement that would formally end the war between the United States and Iran and open a 30-day window for negotiations on a more sweeping accord, including a resolution of the Iranian nuclear standoff.