PAKISTAN NEWS

MADRID, 23 August, 2026 (News Desk): Jose Mourinho’s second spell in charge of Real Madrid got off to a winning start as the Spanish giants secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Espanyol in their opening La Liga fixture on Saturday. Substitute Carlos Espi scored the decisive goal in the 90th minute to seal all three points for Madrid after Jude Bellingham had opened the scoring and Alex Calatrava equalised for Espanyol.Bellingham put Real Madrid ahead after heading home Arda Guler’s dangerous free-kick. Espanyol responded in the 30th minute when Calatrava finished Javi Hernandez’s cut-back following an impressive team move. Real Madrid continued to create opportunities, with Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic making an important save to deny Kylian Mbappe after the French forward broke into...

LAHORE, 23 August 2026 (Nosheen): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived at Jati Umra to meet Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, where the two leaders held consultations on the country’s political situation and other important matters.According to sources, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif briefed Nawaz Sharif on the overall political situation in the country. The meeting also focused on key political issues and the government’s future strategy.Sources said the two leaders also discussed the matter of the transfer of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to hospital. The possible formation of an alliance among opposition parties and its potential political impact also came under discussion during the meeting. According to sources, various aspects of t...

RAWALPINDI, 23 August 2026 (Ghufran): The Punjab government has approved a major project to provide clean and safe drinking water to residents of Rawalpindi through the construction of a surface water treatment plant and a water supply system at Dadocha Dam. The project, once completed, will add 35 million gallons of water per day to the supply system for Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas. The project has an estimated cost of Rs36 billion and is scheduled for completion by December 2029. According to the Rawalpindi commissioner, the additional 35 million gallons of treated water from Dadocha Dam will help meet the growing demand for clean drinking water in the city. Following completion of the dam, the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) will undertake work on the transmission line and w...

ISLAMABAD, 23 August 2026 (Nosheen): The Ministry of Religious Affairs has started collecting dues from applicants under the Private Hajj Scheme 2027 and directed intending pilgrims to complete all bookings and payments through the official Hajj Portal and Pak Hajj App. According to the ministry, applicants can choose an authorised Hajj organiser and select their preferred Hajj package through the designated digital platforms. The ministry clarified that Hajj companies are not authorised to collect payments directly from pilgrims. All financial transactions under the private Hajj scheme will be processed through the official Hajj Portal. Intending pilgrims have been warned against handing over money to unauthorised agents or individuals. The ministry said applicants would be responsible fo...

 LAHORE, 23 August, 2026(Ghufran): Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has announced a nationwide shutter-down strike after 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal against the petroleum levy, demanding that the government reduce petroleum prices. Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem said the Jamaat-e-Islami’s struggle was progressing successfully and stressed that the government would have to reduce the prices of petroleum products. He said the country could not make progress in the presence of flour and sugar mafias and urged people to come forward and join their struggle. He also expressed concern over the high cost of fertilizers for farmers, while criticizing government officials for using expensive vehicles at taxpayers’ expense. The JI chief announced that a nation...

ISLAMABAD, 23 August, 2026(Kamran Raja): Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir will visit Tehran on Monday, where he is scheduled to hold important meetings with Iranian officials, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said. According to Baghaei, the purpose of Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit is to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Iran and discuss matters of mutual interest. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the visit was part of Pakistan’s continued efforts to promote peace and security in the region. During the visit, the two sides are expected to discuss regional security issues and explore ways to enhance bilateral cooperation. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, while addressing a ceremony, said Ir...

ISLAMABAD, 23 August, 2026 (Karan Raja): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will undertake a five-day official visit to the United Kingdom from Monday, aimed at further strengthening Pakistan-UK relations and discussing matters of mutual interest, the Foreign Office said on Sunday. During his visit, Dar is scheduled to hold meetings with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister of State for Pakistan Stephen Doughty. The deputy prime minister will also meet other senior British government officials to discuss bilateral cooperation and matters of mutual concern. A key issue on Dar’s agenda will be the situation of Pakistani crew members held by Somali pirates. According to the Foreign Office, he will meet the Secretary-Gener...

ISLAMABAD, 22 August, 2026 (Kamran Raja): The federal government has approved the deployment of the Pakistan Army in Rawalpindi for six months to assist the district administration in maintaining law and order.According to the decision, the deployment has been authorised under Article 245 of the Constitution following a request from the Punjab Home Department.Three companies of the Pakistan Army, comprising more than 400 personnel, will be deployed in Rawalpindi for a period of six months. The army personnel will work alongside the district administration to strengthen security arrangements and maintain law and order in the city. Under the approved plan, security will be enhanced at sensitive locations and key roads, while the military will assist the civil administration in dealing with a...

 ISLAMABAD, 22 August, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan and Malaysia have agreed to enhance cooperation in counterterrorism, drug trafficking, illegal immigration and cybercrime prevention during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Malaysian counterpart Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in Islamabad on Saturday. The Malaysian Interior Minister visited the Ministry of Interior, where he was received by Mohsin Naqvi. The two sides held delegation-level talks focusing on security and law-enforcement cooperation between the two countries. Both sides agreed to enhance intelligence sharing to counter terrorists and drug traffickers and expressed their commitment to developing more effective joint strategies against terrorism, drug trafficking and human smuggling. The talks also...

 ISLAMABAD, 22 August, 2026 (Nosheen): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the provision of financial assistance to families affected by recent monsoon rains and floods, including families of those who lost their lives and owners of houses completely or partially damaged in the disasters. The directives were issued during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to review the impact of recent monsoon rains and the damage caused by them across the country. The prime minister directed that financial assistance be provided to the families of all those who lost their lives in the floods. He also ordered financial support for owners of houses that were completely or partially destroyed due to floods and rains. Shehbaz Sharif directed that the restoration of electricity...