ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on the international community on Friday to urge Afghanistan to fulfil its international “obligations” and rein in terrorist outfits operating from its territory. The premier made these remarks while addressing an international forum in Turkmenistan, where he also held bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. During those …

JHELUM: Rescue services recovered six more bodies from the river Jhelum near the Garari Bridge in Rawalpindi on Friday after a hi-ace van plunged into the river a day earlier, taking the death toll from the incident to 10. On Thursday, a van carrying more than 12 passengers was coming from Hajera in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) when it …

ISLAMABAD: After Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan alleged on Friday that “corruption of billions of rupees” was being committed daily at the foreign affairs ministry in the attestation of documents, a Senate body decided to raise the matter with the Foreign Office (FO). The attestation of documents, such as educational and marriage certificates, by the foreign affairs ministry is typically required …

ISLAMABAD: Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fa­­tima has said that around 60 per cent of lower staff positions in the federal government have become redundant due to digitisation, and these posts will gradually be abolished. Speaking to the media recently, the minister high­lighted the benefits of the e-office system for both the government and the public. At the same …

RAWALPINDI: Former chief of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Faiz Hameed has been sentenced to 14 years rigorous imprisonment by a military court, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday. In a statement, the military’s media affairs wing said that the process of Field General Court Martial (FGCM) was initiated against Hameed on August 12, 2024 under provisions of the Pakistan Army …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday arrived in Turkmenistan on a two-day official visit, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said. It added that the premier was undertaking the visit at the invitation of Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, with whom he would hold a bilateral meeting today. PM Shehbaz and the delegation accompanying him were welcomed by …

ISLAMABAD: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Thursday that it had received $1.2 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after the global money lending agency approved the review of Pakistan’s loan programmes. In a statement on social media platform X, the central bank said that the Fund’s Executive Board had completed the second review of the Extended …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan told the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday that terrorism emanating from Afghan soil posed the “gravest threat” to the country’s national security and sovereignty. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad made the remarks while addressing a debate in New York on the situation in Afghanistan. In his statement, he highlighted Islamabad’s …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said Pakis­tan could not achieve sustainable economic development without the complete elimination of terro­rism, extremism and se­­­­ctaria­n­ism from the country. Addressing the National Ulema Conference, the prime minister urged religious scholars to play a proactive role in discouraging sectarianism and promoting unity, harmony and brotherhood among all schools of thought. “Creating an atmosphere …

ISLAMABAD: The United States has approved the sale of advanced technology and support for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets, valued at $686 million, according to a letter the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) sent to Congress on December 8. The package includes Link–16 systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics updates, training, and comprehensive logistical support. The DSCA letter makes clear the rationale …