TEHRAN: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday hailed Iran and Pakistan as partners in maintaining regional peace and stability during a meeting with President Masoud Pezeshkian. Pakistan and Iran agreed in August that peace and prosperity in their border regions hinged on effectively combating terrorism. The nearly 900-kilometre border between the two countries has long faced security threats from proscribed …

RIYADH: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday launched the Economic Cooperation Framework, which is based on their shared economic interests and reaffirms their desire to strengthen trade and investment relations. The decision to launch the framework was taken during a Monday meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the Ninth …

ISTANBUL: A second round of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan kicked off in Istanbul on Saturday, with Islamabad eyeing a “concrete” mechanism to monitor Afghan Taliban actions aimed at preventing cross-border terrorist attacks. Today’s meeting follows the first round of Pakistan-Afghanistan talks mediated jointly by Qatar and Turkiye in Doha on October 18-19. The Qatar talks had come after days …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that cooperation in trade and economic spheres was a “win-win proposition” which offered “rich dividends” to all parties involved. He made the remarks while addressing the Regional Transport Ministers’ Conference in Islamabad. Transport ministers and senior officials from Türkiye, Sri Lanka, Iran, Maldives, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan are …

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar hailed the visit of his Polish counterpart to Pakistan on Thursday as “significant”, saying that during the delegation-level talks, the two sides had agreed to expand bilateral cooperation. “During the delegation-level talks, Minister Sikorski and I took stock of the Pakistan-Poland bilateral ties, which continue to develop on a very positive …

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday that regional connectivity was not optional, terming it essential for growth and shared progress. “Connectivity is not optional. It is essential for stability, growth and shared progress. Regional cooperation directly impacts the lives of millions of our people,” he said while addressing the Regional Transport Ministers’ Conference in …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday condemned Israel’s renewed hostilities in Gaza, following a US-backed ceasefire agreement, calling on the international community to take “urgent and effective” measures against the violation. Israeli forces have killed at least 87 Palestinians, among them civilians, since the ceasefire began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and two Israeli soldiers were killed by Palestinian freedom fighters …

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan has partnered with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, to expand local currency financing and support private sector growth in Pakistan. The agreement, signed under the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) framework, will enable the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to manage currency risks more effectively …

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia joined other nations on Monday in welcoming the ceasefire agreed between Pakistan and Afghanistan after days of border hostilities, affirming its support for efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability between the two countries. The ceasefire was agreed early yesterday morning during talks between Afghan and Pakistani delegations in Doha with the mediation of Qatar and Turkiye. …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire during talks in Doha, both sides said on Sunday, after a week of fierce border clashes, the worst violence between the South Asian neighbours since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021. The ceasefire “has been finalised”, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif posted on X on Sunday, saying both …