QUETTA: Interim Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai on Tuesday said that six militants were killed after security for­ces thwarted three terror attacks in the province’s Mach town last night. Security for­ces had thwarted three “coordinated attacks” launched by terrorists using rockets and sophisticated weapons in Mach town on Monday night, some 70km from the provincial capital, officials said. While Achakzai had initially …

ISLAMABAD: A special court established under the Official Secrets Act on Tuesday handed both former premier Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi 10 years in jail in the cipher case. The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency’s charge sheet alleges was never returned by Imran. The PTI has long held that the document contained a threat from the …

RAWALPINDI: In the aftermath of recent unprecedented missile exchanges and the tragic killing of nine Pakistani laborers in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province, Pakistan and Iran announced on Monday their agreement to operationalise a mechanism deploying military liaison officers in each other’s country to bolster coordination and efficiency in responding to common threats. The decision was reached during a meeting between Iran’s …

BEIJING: China’s role in upholding multilateralism and promoting peace and sustainable development has been praised by Dennis Francis, president of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), who is paying a visit to China from January 27 to 31 at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist …

BEIJING: Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng on Sunday called for efforts to find the right answers to questions of how China and the United States can get along, how to clear obstacles to educational exchanges and how to renew the friendship between the two countries’ youth. Xie said these three questions are critical to China-U.S. relations in …

BEIJING: China and Thailand on Sunday pledged to deepen pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in multiple sectors. Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Thai deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs on Sunday held the first annual consultations in Bangkok. Noting two countries are as close as family, Wang, also a member of the Political …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday to immediately withdraw the notices issued to journalists in the matter pertaining to a “malicious campaign” against the judiciary and the institutions on social media. The suo motu notice against the harassment of journalists by FIA was heard by a three-member bench of the apex court presided by …

ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian asserted on Monday that there was “no doubt” that militants positioned in the border regions of both Pakistan and Iran were “led and supported by third countries”. Abdollahian’s visit came as the two countries reeled from unprecedented missile exchanges a fortnight ago, and the killing of nine Pakistani labourers in the Sistan-Blauchistan province of Iran on Saturday. During a …

RAWALPINDI: As the political environment is highly charged in the country with political parties making their canvassing efforts, supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf clashed with police in different parts of Rawalpindi city where Pakistan People’s Party was holding a public rally at Liaquat Bagh on Sunday. Police took more than 25 workers of the PTI into custody for violating Section 144 …

LAHORE: The police launched a brutal crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidates and activists in several districts of Punjab on Sunday to stop them from taking out election rallies. The party in Lahore, however, showed defiance and its candidates with their workers and supporters organised rallies in all constituencies. Enthusiastic participants of the rallies said they had shunned fear on …