Pakistan’s request to reduce the 18 percent GST on condoms and other contraceptives has been rejected by the International Monetary Fund, leaving the government unable to make birth-control products cheaper in a period of rising population and financial pressure. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had asked the Federal Board of Revenue to approach the IMF for immediate approval to remove the tax, but the lender made it clear that such changes cannot be made mid-year and may only be considered du

Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has strongly defended the Taliban government's right to maintain political and economic relations with India, pushing back against Pakistan’s criticism over Kabul-Delhi engagement. Speaking at a conference in Kabul, Muttaqi dismissed Islamabad's accusations that India supports anti-Pakistan groups, calling them inconsistent and politically motivated. He reminded that Pakistan itself maintains diplomatic presence in New Delhi with act

Senior advocate Sai Deepak has challenged the account presented by the Pakistan High Commission in the United Kingdom regarding a scheduled debate between Indian and Pakistani speakers at the Oxford Union. The event, which was expected to feature prominent figures from both countries, became the centre of a controversy after the Pakistan High Commission publicly claimed that Indian participants withdrew at the last moment, resulting in what it described as a walkover. Deepak rejected this ver

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has once again become the centre of intense social media speculation after unverified rumours of his death went viral online. Khan, who has been in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail since January 2025, was the subject of sensational claims shared by an X handle known as Afghan Times. The account alleged, without evidence, that Imran Khan had been murdered in custody and that his body had been moved out of jail. No official agency or government department

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has issued a sharp warning that the country cannot rule out the possibility of an all-out war with India, stating that Islamabad remains on full alert as tensions rise across the region. Speaking to Samaa TV, Asif said his analysis suggested India could adopt hostile strategies, including border incursions or coordinated attacks, and stressed the need for complete preparedness. His remarks follow Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi’

More than six months after the four-day conflict between India and Pakistan, satellite imagery suggests that Pakistan is still struggling to repair critical military installations damaged during India’s Operation Sindoor. OSINT specialist Damien Symon, known for uncovering India’s strike on Pakistan’s Kirana Hills nuclear depot, has released new imagery showing reconstruction activity at key sites, raising doubts about Islamabad’s earlier claims of victory. Symon posted that

In yet another provocative statement, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has claimed that his country is fully prepared for a two-front war against India on the eastern border and the Taliban on the western front. Speaking at a public event, Asif said, “We are ready for war on two fronts. Allah helped us in round one and He will help us in round two.” His remarks came just a day after a deadly suicide bombing in Islamabad that killed 12 people and injured 36 others. The Pakis

On Tuesday afternoon in Pakistan’s capital, a powerful blast rocked the premises of the district judicial complex in Islamabad, injuring multiple individuals and triggering a swift response from law-enforcement and bomb-disposal teams. According to police officials and local sources, the explosion occurred in one or more vehicles parked within the premises of the District Judicial Complex Islamabad, prompting an immediate cordon of the surrounding area and activation of emergency services.&

The streets of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) are once again engulfed in protests, this time led by Gen Z students angered by rising tuition fees and a controversial digital evaluation system. What began as a small student-led protest over unfair exam results has evolved into a large-scale anti-government movement targeting the Shehbaz Sharif administration. Demonstrations first erupted in Muzaffarabad, where students voiced outrage over the newly introduced e-marking system. The i

A fresh controversy has erupted after Farhatullah Babar, former adviser to Pakistan’s ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, claimed that the 26/11 Mumbai attacks were a reaction to Zardari’s ‘no first use’ nuclear weapons offer to India. According to Babar’s book The Zardari Presidency: Now It Must Be Told, the offer was made during an interview with Indian journalist Karan Thapar in November 2008. He suggests Pakistan’s military establishment retaliated through the terror assau

In a move that has sparked outrage and concern, Pakistani authorities denied entry to 12 Hindu pilgrims who were part of a 1,932-member Sikh Jatha traveling to Pakistan to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The group crossed the Attari–Wagah border on Tuesday for the annual pilgrimage, but the 12 Hindu devotees were stopped at the immigration counters despite being initially cleared for travel. According to reports, their passports even bore immigration stamps before Paki

Pakistan has offered Bangladesh the use of its Karachi port for exporting jute and other goods, marking a significant geopolitical move amid deteriorating India-Bangladesh relations. The offer comes shortly after India banned the import of jute products through land routes, a major blow to Bangladesh’s export sector. The development was formalized during the Pakistan-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting in Dhaka, held after a gap of nearly 20 years, signaling a thaw in relatio

Islamist groups in Bangladesh are mobilising for a massive rally in Dhaka on November 15, demanding that the Ahmadiyya Muslim community be officially declared “non-Muslim,” following Pakistan’s precedent. The rally, organised by the International Majlis Tahaffuz Khatme Nabuwwat and supported by Hefazat-e-Islam, has invited clerics from Pakistan, India, and Saudi Arabia, including leaders from Darul Uloom Deoband. The event has escalated fear within the small Ahmadiyya community, which n

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has sharply criticised the United Nations, saying the global body has become increasingly ineffective and paralysed by internal divisions. Speaking in New Delhi at the release of a commemorative postage stamp marking the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, Jaishankar said the organisation’s decision-making has failed to reflect the realities of its membership or the priorities of the modern world. He emphasised that meaningful reforms are

In a major geopolitical development, Taliban-ruled Afghanistan has decided to restrict Pakistan’s access to cross-border river water by constructing a dam on the Kunar River. The directive came from Supreme Leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, who ordered the Ministry of Water and Energy to begin construction “as fast as possible.” This move comes just weeks after deadly border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan that claimed hundreds of lives and amid heightened tensions followin

In a major embarrassment for the Maryam Nawaz-led Punjab government, Imperial College London has publicly denied claims that it plans to open a campus in Lahore, Pakistan. The announcement of the alleged collaboration had been made just days earlier by the provincial administration, stating that a campus and a 300-bed hospital would be established at the Nawaz Sharif IT City, with a foundation stone-laying ceremony planned for November. The claim was amplified by Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz, Minis

Heavy fighting has erupted once again between Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters along the volatile border separating Pakistan and Afghanistan, leaving dozens dead and escalating one of the most serious confrontations between the two sides since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. The clashes, centered around Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, have plunged relations between Islamabad and Kabul to a new low, with both governments trading accusations over who initiated the latest round

Paul Kapur, a noted American academic and expert on South Asian security, has been appointed as the new Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia in the United States government. Known for his hardline stance against Pakistan’s military establishment, Kapur’s appointment marks a significant shift in Washington’s regional approach, especially amid renewed tensions in South Asia. His selection comes as the US seeks to redefine its engagement with both India and Pakistan whil

British Member of Parliament and Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has ignited a storm of criticism after describing the multicultural Soho Road locality in Birmingham as “a slum” and “one of the worst integrated places” in the United Kingdom. His remarks, made earlier this year during a Conservative Association dinner, have triggered a strong backlash from residents, community leaders, and political figures who denounced the comments as divisive and racially insensitive.

The United States has approved the supply of AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to Pakistan, marking a new phase in defence cooperation between the two countries. The US Department of War announced the inclusion of Pakistan as one of several international buyers under a recently modified arms contract with Raytheon, the American defence manufacturer responsible for producing the missile systems. According to the department’s notification, Raytheon received