KARACHI: Pakistan has tapped into China’s vast and growing financial system through its inaugural Panda Bond, opening a new low-cost funding channel with fewer political strings attached that policymakers and analysts believe could help diversify the country’s external financing sources beyond traditional dollar- and euro-denominated borrowing. The RMB1.75 billion ($250 million) sovereign bond, issued in…
. ISTANBUL: A Turkish journalist with Deutsche Welle (DW) went on trial in Ankara on Thursday for allegedly “insulting the president”, with the court granting him conditional release, the German broadcaster said. Alican Uludag was arrested at his home in Ankara on February 19 over allegations of “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and “disseminating false…
ISLAMABAD: The reported deportation of Pakistani nationals from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) triggered a heated debate in the Senate on Thursday as the opposition warned of severe economic consequences of the development. However, the government disputed the scale of the figures and promised that a verified date would be presented in the parliament. Minister…
KARACHI: Pakistan’s foreign exchange buffers strengthened sharply during the week ended May 15, 2026, as the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) reserves increased $1.214 billion to $17.081 billion, driven primarily by multilateral inflows and recent market-based external borrowing. According to official data, the jump in reserves was largely attributed to receipts from the International Monetary…
. KABUL: The Taliban government’s new decree governing the separation of spouses “reinforces systemic discrimination” and erodes the rights of Afghan women and girls, the United Nations said on Thursday. Published in mid-May, the 31-article code sets out various grounds for separation in Afghanistan, including a husband’s prolonged disappearance, “incompatibility” between couples, renunciation of Islam…
Resolution states any decision by Achakzai would be binding on all parliamentary party members ISLAMABAD: A grand opposition alliance on Thursday formally empowered leaders of the opposition in the National Assembly and the Senate to hold negotiations on its behalf with the government and their decisions would be binding after an eight-hour huddle, even as…
A veteran salutes Chief of Defence Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir during an investiture ceremony at the GHQ in Rawalpindi. Photo: PPI RAWALPINDI: Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on Thursday reaffirmed that Pakistan’s fight against terrorism “will continue with full national resolve” until “enduring…
RAWALPINDI: At least 23 terrorists belonging Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij were killed during a series of intelligence-based operations carried out by security forces over the past 48 hours in various areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said on Thursday. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces are continuing a series…
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, along with other regional countries, is believed to have been pushing for a “standby agreement” aimed at bringing a formal closure to the Iran-US war while laying down a framework for resolving contentious issues that continue to divide Tehran and Washington, it emerged on Thursday. As part of those efforts, Interior Minister Mohsin…
President says ties with Beijing built on mutual trust PM says China indispensable to world progress President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress of China Cai Dafeng, and China’s envoy cut a cake during a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the…