PAKISTAN NEWS

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...

 DHAKA, 22 August, 2026 (Ghufran): Bangladesh has indicated that it is open to the possibility of joining an economic or defense framework involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. According to Bangladeshi media reports, Bangladesh’s Adviser for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir said in an interview that Dhaka viewed positively the possibility of joining an economic or defense framework involving the three countries. Humayun Kabir said Bangladesh would assess the proposal while keeping in view its national interests, the evolving global economic environment and developments in international trade. He said Bangladesh was strengthening practical bilateral relations with Pakistan as part of its normal diplomatic activities. The Bangladeshi foreign affairs adviser added that efforts w...

 ISLAMABAD, 22 August, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting on Friday to review preparations for Pakistan’s forthcoming high-level diplomatic engagements scheduled to take place in the coming weeks. During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister underscored key substantive priorities and provided guidance on advancing Pakistan’s diplomatic objectives through the upcoming engagements. Senator Ishaq Dar also reviewed preparations for the engagements and emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts among all relevant stakeholders to ensure their successful conduct. Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attended the meeting.The m...

ISLAMABAD, 21 August, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a meeting with Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on Friday. During the meeting, the two sides reaffirmed the close and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Malaysia and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade and economic relations, mutual legal assistance and people-to-people exchanges. They also exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to working closely toward shared objectives of peace, stability and prosperity.The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana ...

 Rawalpindi, 21 August 2026 (Ghufran): The government early Friday sent former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan back to Adiala Jail after he underwent a medical check-up at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. According to jail sources, Imran Khan was taken back to his cell under tight security following his medical examination. Earlier, he had been shifted from Adiala Jail to Shifa Hospital late Thursday night. Jail officials said Imran Khan was transferred to the hospital amid strict security arrangements, while large contingents of police were deployed outside the facility. Sources said arrangements had been finalized for the PTI founder’s medical treatment and examination, with a team of doctors constituted for the purpose. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court o...

 Rawalpindi, 21 August 2026 (Kamran Raja): Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani, leading a delegation, called on Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, where both sides discussed ways to further strengthen defence and security cooperation. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting covered matters of mutual interest as well as the prevailing security situation in the region. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir highlighted Pakistan’s longstanding fraternal ties with Syria and shared Pakistan’s perspective on global peace and regional stability. He also emphasized the importance of enhanced cooperation and joint efforts to address shared security challenges.The Syrian F...

 Rawalpindi, 21 August 2026 (Kamran Raja): Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has said that hostile designs aimed at destabilizing Balochistan will be defeated through the collective resolve of the nation and an unwavering, resolute and decisive response by the state. The Field Marshal expressed these views while interacting with notables and political leadership of Balochistan. He said that Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan were foreign-sponsored proxies being employed by hostile elements to destabilize Balochistan, obstruct its development and create a wedge between the state and its people. During the interaction, COAS and CDF Field Marshal Asim Munir underscored that the present and future of Balochistan and Pakistan ar...