ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan’s Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Saturday agreed to continue working together in building on fraternal bilateral relations. “Expanding cooperation in connectivity, trade, security, counterterrorism and people-to-people contacts is a top priority for Pakistan,” the foreign minister posted on X, after he received a congratulatory call from the Afghan minister. A statement posted …

RAWALPINDI: Commander of the National Guard of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Gen Shaikh Mohamed bin Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, called on Pakistan’s Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir at the GHQ on Saturday. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral military cooperation. Both leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, including regional security dynamics, counterterrorism efforts and training exchanges, …

ISLAMABAD: Nominations for the 48 Senate seats up for grabs came as a bolt from the blue, with the ruling PML-N supporting “outsiders” and the PTI choosing hawks for the upper house elections scheduled for April 2. Those who submitted nomination papers to send shockwaves within the party include former caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, former Punjab caretaker chief minister …

KARACHI: Amnesty Inter­n­a­tional has called for the im­mediate restoration of soc­ial media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) 29 days after the government blocked access to it. In a post on X, the human rights group said it has signed a joint statement with 28 civil society organisations for the restoration of X and urged “Pakistani authorities to uphold the rights …

ISLAMABAD: A day after a protest was held outside the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters in the US against the alleged rigging in the Feb 8 polls, PTI founder Imran Khan sought high treason proceedings against the officials who purportedly stole the people’s mandate in the general elections. Speaking to reporters after the hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust case in which his …

RAWALPINDI: The funeral prayers of two army officers, who were among seven martyred yesterday in a terrorist attack on a security forces’ post in North Waziristan, were offered on Sunday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. At 6:15am on Saturday, a group of six militants stormed the Frontier Corps’ post in the Khaddi market area in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali area. The militants rammed …

BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Wednesday that it is in the common interest of China and India to resolve the border issue as soon as possible, responding to a question related to claims by Indian officials that stationing of so many troops on the border is not in the common interest of both sides.  Wang said during …

BEIJING: China on Friday urged the U.S. to stop arming China’s Taiwan region and cease all forms of official exchanges and military contacts with the region. The remarks were made by Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, in response to reports that the White House budget proposal for the 2025 Financial Year included a $100 million item …

NEW YORK: Freedom of expression should not be wielded as a shield for hate speech against Muslims, let alone as a pretext for governmental inaction, stated a Chinese envoy on Friday. China urges all nations to adopt a zero-tolerance stance, take tangible measures to combat discrimination and violence against Muslims, prohibit the incitement of hatred based on religion or belief, …

RAWALPINDI: The civil and military leadership on Friday agreed to work together to uphold the country’s national interests and for a “prosperous and secure” Pakistan. The statement came from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif along with his key cabinet members visited the GHQ. “The Honourable Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by key members …