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31Dec

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ISSI accords warm Farewell to Director General Ambassador Sohail Mahmood

Islamabad 31 December 2025(Nosheen): In a gracefully hosted event, the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) bid a warm and respectful farewell to Ambassador Sohail Mahmood upon the completion of his term as Director General of the Institute. Ambassador Sohail Mahmood took charge as the Director General of the ISSI on 1st January 2023, following his retirement from the Foreign Service of Pakistan. He served with distinction as the 30th Foreign Secretary of Pakistan. During his tenure at ISSI, the Institute underwent far-reaching reforms aimed at strengthening its research capacity, institutional efficiency, and national and international outreach. Several new initiatives including: establishment of dedicated ‘ASEAN Corner’, ‘China Corner’ and the ‘Kashmir Resource Centre’ were un...

Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister Undertakes Official Visit to China

31Dec

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Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister Undertakes Official Visit to China

Islamabad December 31,2025(Kamran Raja): At the invitation of Mr Wang Yi, Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and Minister for Foreign Affairs of China, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar will visit China to co-chair the 7th round of the Pakistan–China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, scheduled to be held in Beijing on 4 January 2026. The Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue is the highest consultative mechanism between Pakistan and China, providing a structured platform to review the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation, as well as regional and international developments of mutual interest.During the Dialogue, the two Foreign Ministers will also anno...

Minister Ahsan Iqbal Chairs 7th Task Force Meeting on Pay Scale Reforms for Higher Education Faculty

31Dec

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Minister Ahsan Iqbal Chairs 7th Task Force Meeting on Pay Scale Reforms for Higher Education Faculty

Islamabad, December 31(Kamran Raja): The seventh meeting of the Task Force constituted to review the pay scale system for recruitment in higher educational institutions was held today under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal. Addressing the meeting, Professor Ahsan Iqbal stated that salaries of teachers recruited under the Tenure Track System (TTS) would be made market-competitive to ensure the retention of competent and talented faculty in higher education institutions. He emphasized that attracting and retaining quality human capital is essential for improving academic standards across the country. The Minister noted that during the tenures of Pakistan Muslim League (N) governments, substantial financial resource...

Prime Minister Meets UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in Rahim Yar Khan; Reaffirms Strategic Economic Partnership

31Dec

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Prime Minister Meets UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in Rahim Yar Khan; Reaffirms Strategic Economic Partnership

Rahim Yar Khan, 30 December 2025(Kamran Raja): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, at Sheikh Zayed Palace, Rahim Yar Khan, this afternoon. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, and other senior officials. During the warm and cordial meeting, the two leaders carried forward discussions held during their recent meeting in Islamabad on 26 December 2025, when His Highness paid his first official visit to Pakistan as President of the UAE. The Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s firm resolve to elevate ...

Statement by Ambassador Usman Jadoon Acting Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN During the UNSC Briefing on Israel’s recognition of “Somaliland” region of the Federal Republic of Somalia

30Dec

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Statement by Ambassador Usman Jadoon Acting Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN During the UNSC Briefing on Israel’s recognition of “Somaliland” region of the Federal Republic of Somalia

United Nations 29 December 2025(Ghufran):Mr. President, We thank you for convening today’s meeting at this critical moment for Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa region. I thank ASG Khalid Khiari for the briefing.2. At the outset, let me express Pakistan’s unwavering and steadfast support to the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.3. We strongly condemn the unilateral and unlawful recognition by Israel of the “Somaliland” region of the Federal Republic of Somalia. It is a direct assault on Somalia’s internationally recognized borders and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law. The “Somaliland” region remains an integral, inseparable, and inalienable part of Somalia. No external actor has either the legal standing or ...

Prime Minister ShehbPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Condemns Targeting of Russian President’s Residenceaz Sharif Condemns Targeting of Russian President’s Residence

30Dec

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Prime Minister ShehbPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Condemns Targeting of Russian President’s Residenceaz Sharif Condemns Targeting of Russian President’s Residence

Islamabad, 30 December 2025(Kamran Raja): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned the reported targeting of the residence of His Excellency Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. The Prime Minister termed the incident a heinous act and a grave threat to international peace, security, and stability, particularly at a time when efforts toward peace are underway. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed Pakistan’s full solidarity with President Vladimir Putin, and with the Government and people of the Russian Federation. Reiterating Pakistan’s principled position, the Prime Minister underscored Pakistan’s firm rejection of all forms of violence and any acts aimed at undermining security or threatening peace. Pakistan remains committed to the promotion of pe...

Attempted suicide by jumping from the upper floor in Masjid Al-Haram

27Dec

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Attempted suicide by jumping from the upper floor in Masjid Al-Haram

Makkah, 27 December 2025(Kamran Raja): A tragic incident took place in the Grand Mosque where a man attempted to commit suicide by jumping from an upper floor. In a video viral on social media, it can be seen that the security guard present at the scene immediately intervened and tried to prevent the man from falling to the ground. The security guard himself was also injured during the incident. Immediately after the incident, both men were taken to the hospital for necessary medical attention. According to Saudi authorities, after the incident, both the man and the injured security officer were transferred to the hospital for medical treatment, while the necessary legal proceedings related to the incident were also completed. According to the statement, a security guard tried to stop him...

Ration Bags Distributed Among 1,000 Christian Families on Christmas

24Dec

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Ration Bags Distributed Among 1,000 Christian Families on Christmas

Sheikhupura 24 December 2025(Ghufran): On the joyous occasion of Christmas, government institutions, private organizations, and philanthropists stepped forward to share happiness with the Christian community. In this regard, two special events were organized in the Farooqabad area of Sheikhupura by the All Pakistan Pastors Alliance and Helping Hand Ministry, during which ration bags were distributed among 1,000 deserving Christian families.Addressing the gatherings, Chairman All Pakistan Pastors Alliance Dr. Qaiser Shahzad, along with Christian religious leaders Bishop Amanat Masih Nazim Ashraf Athwal, Pastor Akhtar Masih, and other speakers, highlighted that Pakistan is a country where minorities enjoy a strong sense of belonging and religious freedom. They stated that minorities in P...

Saudi Arabia Sets Guinness World Record for Largest Seasonal Seed Storage Collection

23Dec

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Saudi Arabia Sets Guinness World Record for Largest Seasonal Seed Storage Collection

Riyadh, December 23, 2025(Kamran Raja): The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved a new global environmental milestone by earning a Guinness World Records title for the largest seasonal seed storage collection in the world, underscoring its strong commitment to environmental protection and sustainability.The landmark achievement crowns a year of intensive efforts led by the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification. Throughout the year, trained and specialized field teams traveled across the Kingdom to collect extensive quantities of native plant seeds in support of land rehabilitation projects and long-term environmental sustainability initiatives.As part of this nationwide effort, field teams successfully collected seeds from 31 species of loca...

ISSI Hosted a High-Level Roundtable Meeting on Rapid Population Growth in Collaboration with Population Council, Pakstan

23Dec

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ISSI Hosted a High-Level Roundtable Meeting on Rapid Population Growth in Collaboration with Population Council, Pakstan

Islamabad 23 December 2025(Nosheen): The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), in collaboration with the Population Council Pakistan, convened a High-Level Roundtable Meeting with Security and Policy Experts on “Rapid Population Growth and its Security Implications.” The meeting brought together senior policymakers, security and public policy experts, academics, and development practitioners to examine population dynamics as a critical non-traditional security challenge for Pakistan. Opening the session, Dr. Ali Muhammad Mir, Senior Director, Programs and Research, Population Council Pakistan, welcomed the participants and underscored that population dynamics are no longer peripheral to national security thinking but central to it. He highlighted that Pakistan’s population has ...