US, Iran hold first face-to-face meeting in decades marking a significant moment for two countries Marathon meet ISLAMABAD: Mediated by Pakistan, senior figures from Iran and the United States held a 14-hour long talks on Saturday, including first face-to-face meeting at the highest level since 1979, in Islamabad, seeking to iron out key…
Pakistan has sent fighter jets and other military forces to Saudi Arabia to boost security under a defence pact between the two countries, the kingdom’s defence ministry said on Saturday. In September 2025, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement”, declaring that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an…
GILGIT: General elections in Gilgit-Baltistan will be held on June 7, the GB Election Commission announced on Saturday after a four-month delay. General elections for the G-B Assembly were scheduled for Jan 24, 2026. However, days after the announcement, the elections were postponed indefinitely due to harsh weather conditions in the region. The G-B Election…
. ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia and Qatar will provide Pakistan $5 billion in financial assistance, enabling Islamabad to avert stress on the country’s weak foreign reserves while making external payments by June, Pakistani official sources told Anadolu on Saturday. The development comes as Islamabad is set to repay a $3.5 billion debt to the UAE by…
. ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on a significant constitutional petition seeking that women convicted in narcotics cases be sent home on probation instead of being imprisoned. A three-member bench led by Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar and comprising Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, concluded the hearing after extensive legal…
. CHAKDARA: In a daring daylight robbery, armed dacoits held a local trader hostage at gunpoint in Chakdara, severely beating him before snatching Rs7 million in cash. According to Lower Dir police, the incident occurred when unidentified armed men targeted Khushal Khan. The robbers not only took away the huge amount but also subjected the…
Trump says US begins the process of clearing the Strait of Hormuz as a favour to countries around the world First container vessel, MV SELEN, arrives at Karachi Port after reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Express The vessel MV SELEN arrived at Karachi Port on Saturday, becoming the first Pakistan-bound vessel to do…
. Public money, meant to build roads, schools, hospitals and livelihoods, is once again sitting idle. The latest data on the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) has revealed that funds allocated with political fanfare were spent with bureaucratic lethargy and selective urgency. In the first nine months of the current fiscal year, barely 41.5 per…
The tram is expected to carry more than 300 passengers across a 27-kilometer route An Image of Lahore E tram. PHOTO: PMLN, X account LAHORE: The proposed electric tram project along Lahore’s canal—touted as a modern, eco-friendly transport solution—has yet to take off and continues to face persistent delays. Earlier this year, the government announced…
Over 13,000 glaciers face rising threats; rapid glacier melt threatens northern regions Experts say region is prone to various natural disasters. PHOTO: AFP ISLAMABAD: Pakistan must take urgent and decisive action to curb the accelerating melt of glaciers in its northern mountainous regions by strengthening monitoring systems, improving policy implementation, and expanding community-based adaptation measures,…