WASHINGTON: Pakis­tan has made substantial progress in countering terrorist financing and addre­ssing regional extremist networks, a US State Dep­ar­tment report states while also highlighting significant security challenges including a sharp rise in terrorist attacks in 2023. The report released this week commends Pakistan for completing its updated National Risk Assessment (NRA) on money laundering and terrorist financing in 2023. This …

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 …

WASHINGTON: Since Donald Trump’s election to the White House, US media have highlighted the global issues the new president may prioritize during his early days in office and Pakistan has been notably absent from this discussion, while both opposition and government leaders in Pakistan are embroiled in a heated debate over whether Trump will pressure Islamabad to release Imran Khan …

ISLAMABAD: Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has dismissed claims of US pressure for the release of the founding chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, stating it was a “baseless assumption.” He added that if the US wished, it could exchange Imran for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. In an interview, Rana Sanaullah suggested that if …

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday emphasised that ‘non-interference’ should be the cornerstone of Pakistan-United States ties, expressing the hope for a strengthened relationship under the Trump administration. Speaking at the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch commented on Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election. She conveyed that Pakistan anticipated its longstanding ties with the …

LAHORE: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday congratulated US president-elect Donald Trump for winning the US presidential election, as conflicting narratives prevailed in the PTI regarding the impact of Mr Trump’s victory on the fate of the incarcerated party founder. A statement posted on Imran Khan’s X account said: “Congratulations on behalf of myself and PTI to Mr Trump …

PALM BEACH (Florida): “America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” US President-elect Donald J. Trump told a roaring crowd of supporters as he delivered his victory speech early on Wednesday. The 78-year-old clinched the White House with 291 electoral college votes against Kamala Harris’ 223, becoming only the second man in the country’s history — after Grover Cleveland …

WASHINGTON: The United States has reiterated its non-involvement in Pakistan’s internal politics, dismissing suggestions that former prime minister Imran Khan’s legal troubles are linked to American influence. Responding to a journalist’s inquiry about claims from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Latif Khosa, who suggested that former US President Donald Trump’s return to office could lead to Khan’s release, State Department Spokesperson …

WASHINGTON: An Islamabad-based national security think tank has engaged a new lobbying firm in the US, the official list of registered foreign agents reveals. The US Foreign Agents Registration Act requires the public listing of all lobbyists or lobbying firms working for a foreign entity, including governments and private corporations. The posting on the US Justice Department’s site identifies the …

ISLAMABAD: Around 60 Democratic lawmakers from the US House of Representatives have written to President Joe Biden urging him to pressure Pakistan into releasing of Imran Khan, the jailed founding chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). “We write today to urge you to use the United States’ substantial leverage with Pakistan’s government to secure the release of political prisoners including …