Arthayudh Srisamoot, former Thai Ambassador to China, described the China-Thailand relationship as being “like one family” as the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand approaches. He shared his insights on the deep-rooted and multifaceted ties between China and Thailand, and his perspective on China-ASEAN relations. “It’s a significant milestone in the relations between Thailand …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has asked the United States to focus on strengthening bilateral ties and supporting its ongoing democratic reforms rather than adopting ‘unconstructive’ resolutions. Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this at a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, with Senator Irfanul Haq Siddiqui in the chair, on Tuesday. The officials were referring to foreign …

ISLAMABAD: Approximately 350 Pakistani nationals, including 245 pilgrims, have successfully crossed the Syria-Lebanon border after being stranded in Syria for an extended period. The operation was carried out under the guidance of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, with the Embassy of Pakistan in Damascus facilitating the repatriation process. Deputy Head of Mission …

ISLAMABAD: Director General Civil Aviation, Nadir Shafi Dar, expressed hope that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to the UK would resume soon, following the European Union’s recent clearance. In a statement, Dar confirmed that a UK Department for Transport delegation is scheduled to visit Pakistan next month, with an online meeting set for the third week of December. He noted …

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, has claimed that the partnership between former Prime Minister Imran Khan and retired General Faiz Hameed, which played a central role in bringing Imran Khan to power, continued beyond the events of May 9. Speaking to the press in Parliament House, Asif stated that the collaboration between Khan and Faiz Hameed was key to the …

ISLAMABAD: The PTI on Wednesday reiterated its demand for a probe into the alleged deaths of its supporters during its Islamabad protest last month, as MNA Barrister Gohar Ali Khan called on the government to have the “courage to give answers”. Gohar’s remarks come a day after National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub called for a judicial probe into the …

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court’s Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail termed the existing law allowing phone tapping “ambiguous” as the court’s constitutional bench heard a case related to the issue on Wednesday. In July, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication authorised the country’s spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to intercept and trace calls in the “interest of national security”. The ministry’s …

ISLAMABAD: On the opening day of the National Assembly’s winter session, the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday reiterated its call for a judicial probe into the alleged killing of its workers during the Nov 26 protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk. Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan accused Prime Minister Sheh­baz Sharif of issuing an “order to kill”, alleging that security personnel …

RAWALPINDI: Former intelligence chief retired Lt Gen Faiz Hameed has been formally indicted on “charges of engaging in political activities”, the military’s media affairs wing said on Tuesday. The development comes almost four months after the army announ­ced the arrest of and Field General Court Martial (FGCM) proceedings against Gen Hameed, the previous head of the premier Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) …

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court’s (SC) constitutional bench on Tuesday dismissed the objections of the registrar’s office to a petition filed by incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan seeking a judicial commission for the events of May 9 last year. Nationwide violent protests erupted last year after the arrest of former premier Imran in a corruption case, with his supporters vandalising and …