ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday that Pakistan had successfully re-established itself as a respected voice in regional and international forums due to the efforts of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “Through the prime minister’s sustained diplomatic outreach, Pakistan has successfully re-established itself as a respected voice in regional and international forums, from the United Nations and SCO to …

LAHORE: An election tribunal has dismissed a petition challenging the victory of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz from PP-159, Lahore, it emerged on Monday. PTI-backed independent candidate Mehar Sharafat had filed the petition, claiming that he initially emerged victorious in the constituency based on the Form 45 results. The tribunal was presided over by retired justice Rana Zahid Mahmood. He …

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepen cooperation with Türkiye across political, economic, and defence spheres in a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, while agreeing to continue working together on the issue of Palestine, the Foreign Office (FO) said. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Coordination Meeting of …

PESHAWAR: Six cops were injured on Monday when gunmen opened fire at the North Waziristan district police officer’s (DPO) vehicle near Bannu district’s Mamash Khel town, an official said. Bannu Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Khan confirmed the details, adding that the incident took place on Miranshah road, which connects Bannu and North Waziristan. “Armed men open fire at the …

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday said that Pakistan’s economic direction had been set right through a series of structural reforms, which were now being operationalised to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth. “I believe there is a broad consensus that we have made significant inroads and achieved considerable progress in terms of macroeconomic stability,” he said while addressing a …

KARACHI: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Monday termed Pakistan a “natural maritime bridge” between the East and the West as he inaugurated the second edition of Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC) in Karachi. The event is being held from today to November 6 (Thursday) at Karachi’s Expo Centre, and will see the participation of 45 countries, including Pakistan. …

ISLAMABAD: PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Monday that a PML-N delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had visited him and President Asif Ali Zardari, seeking their support for the approval of a 27th Constitutional Amendment. Separately, the PPP also issued a similar statement that quoted Bilawal as saying that the proposal included setting up constitutional courts, restoring executive …

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Navy expects its first Chinese-designed submarine to enter active service next year, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf told Chinese state media. A deal under which Islamabad will take delivery of eight Hangor-class submarines by 2028 is “progressing smoothly,” Admiral Ashraf told the Global Times in an interview published on Sunday, adding that the successful launch …

TORKHAM: Pakistan on Saturday reopened the Torkham border crossing in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa for Afghan refugees returning to their country, ending a nearly two-week closure following deadly clashes between border forces last month. Meanwhile, nearly 10,700 individuals returned through the Chaman border in a single day as authorities expanded the process to the crossing. The repatriation of Afghan families with or without …

KARACHI: Imran Ismail — one of the three ex-PTI leaders who visited the party’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi at a hospital in Lahore on Thursday — insisted on Sunday that the former foreign minister had agreed that the stalemate in Pakistan’s politics must end. Ismail’s claim has come even when Qureshi’s lawyer Rana Mudassar maintained that no political discussion had taken …