PAKISTAN NEWS

 Islamabad, 6 October, 2026 (Ghufran): President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are likely to meet at the Presidency today to discuss the prevailing political situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and formulate a future course of action, according to sources. The meeting is expected to take place around 4:00 pm, during which the prime minister will take the president into confidence regarding important government decisions. Recent negotiations, ongoing political activities and protests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are also expected to be discussed. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is likely to brief the participants on key engagements and consultations held over the past few days. Senior government leaders, representatives of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), legal experts an...

 Islamabad, 6 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered negotiations to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), urging the party to call off its long march and sit-ins and resolve political differences through meaningful dialogue. Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kashmir Chowk Underpass in Islamabad, the prime minister said the government was ready to hold purposeful talks with the PTI leadership to find solutions to national issues through mutual understanding. He said roads, underpasses and bridges were being constructed to facilitate citizens and expressed hope that one day the Kashmir Highway would extend to Srinagar. Shehbaz Sharif regretted what he described as the return of long marches and sit-ins, saying the government’s negotiating c...

 Lahore, 5 October, 2026 (Nosheen): Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has received the prestigious UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award in Oman in recognition of the Punjab government’s flagship housing initiative, Apni Chhat Apna Ghar. The international award recognises the programme’s efforts to help eligible residents secure affordable homes across the province. Launched on August 21, 2024, the initiative is being implemented over a period of four and a half years and primarily focuses on low-income families living in rented accommodation or informal settlements. Senior Punjab government officials welcomed the recognition, describing it as a significant honour for Pakistan and an acknowledgement of the efforts behind the housing programme. Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said ...

 Islamabad, 5 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced that the three remaining Pakistani crew members of MT Honour 25, an oil tanker hijacked off the coast of Somalia in April, have been successfully rescued and are expected to return to Pakistan on Wednesday. Dar said Imran Ali, Muhammad Yasin and Syed Husain Yousuf were flown to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, accompanied by a team from the Pakistan Embassy in Djibouti. The three crew members will be received in Addis Ababa and are expected to travel to Karachi on the first available Ethiopian Airlines flight on October 7. Dar expressed gratitude to the government of Somalia and the European Union Naval Force Operation Atalanta for their assistance and cooperation in securing the crew membe...

 Karak, 5 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday resumed the PTI march, addressing supporters at Jail Chowk in Karak before his convoy moved towards Kohat. The march is being held to demand the release of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, despite warnings from the federal government against gatherings in Islamabad. The PTI decided to proceed with the march after weekend talks with the federal government ended in a deadlock, with differences reportedly remaining over several issues, particularly the federal government’s counterterrorism policy. Addressing supporters, Chief Minister Afridi criticised the Centre’s counterterrorism policy and questioned past military operations and drone attacks. He also responded to rema...

Islamabad, 5 October, 2026 (Nosheen): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced the safe recovery of the remaining three Pakistani crew members of MT Honor 25 — Imran Ali, Muhammad Yasin and Syed Hussain Yusuf. In a statement, Dar said the three Pakistanis had been taken to Addis Ababa along with a team from the Pakistani Embassy in Djibouti, where they would be received. He said the crew members would, God willing, return to Pakistan on the first available Ethiopian Airlines flight to Karachi, expected to depart on October 7. The deputy prime minister expressed the government’s sincere gratitude to Somalia and the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation Atalanta, which were present in the vicinity of MT Honor 25 and provided assistance and cooperation in secur...

 Islamabad, 5 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met Poland’s Minister, Member of the Council of Ministers and Coordinator for Special Services Tomasz Siemoniak and discussed bilateral relations, trade, business ties and the regional situation. The prime minister expressed satisfaction over the positive developments in Pakistan-Poland relations, saying Pakistan wanted to transform the historic friendship between the two countries into a strong, long-term and multifaceted partnership. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed recent contacts between Pakistan and Poland, while Shehbaz Sharif stressed the importance of high-level leadership exchanges to further strengthen bilateral relations. The prime minister also emphasised the need to expand links be...

 Riyadh, 5 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye held an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Riyadh to review the latest regional security developments and strengthen defence cooperation under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers, defence ministers and military chiefs of the three countries in a 3+3 format. Pakistan was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. The emergency session was convened ahead of the committee’s next regular meeting, scheduled for late October or early November, in view of the latest s...

Karachi, 4 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan Customs authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle foreign currency at Jinnah International Airport, recovering foreign currency equivalent to more than US$42,000 from a female passenger travelling to Dubai on Emirates flight EK-601. According to customs officials, the passenger had allegedly made a false declaration and provided incorrect information regarding the currency she was carrying. Acting on suspicion, customs personnel searched her baggage and recovered 33,600 US dollars, 300 euros, 2,570 British pounds and 19,815 UAE dirhams. The total value of the seized foreign currency was estimated at around Rs11.8 million. Customs authorities said the currency was confiscated under the Customs Act, 1969, over the alleged false declaration...

 Islamabad, 4 October, 2026 (Ghufran): The eighth meeting of the Moscow Format on Afghanistan is scheduled to take place in Russia on October 5 amid strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, providing another regional platform to discuss terrorism, border security and bilateral differences. Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Muhammad Sadiq, is expected to lead the Pakistani delegation, which will include Additional Secretary/Director General Afghanistan, Iran and Türkiye Naeem Iqbal Cheema, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia Faisal Niaz Tirmizi. The Afghan Taliban delegation will be led by Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, although no bilateral meeting between Sadiq and Muttaqi has s...