Pakistan Archives - Page 17 of 19

Pakistan, Afghanistan set to resume talks in Istanbul

October 30, 2025 by Newsdesk

ISTANBUL: Pakistan has agreed to reopen dialogue with Afghanistan in an effort to revive stalled peace talks, diplomatic sources revealed on Thursday.

According to diplomatic sources, the Pakistani delegation was scheduled to return home today after earlier negotiations with Afghan representatives failed to yield results. However, Turkish officials requested the delegation to stay in Istanbul.

Sources added that Afghan authorities also made diplomatic contacts regarding the stalled dialogue, leading both sides to agree on reviving bilateral talks.

According to diplomatic sources, Turkey is keen to ensure that the ongoing Pakistan-Afghanistan talks under its mediation yield positive and lasting results.

Sources said the Pakistani delegation, which was earlier set to return home, will now extend its stay in Istanbul to resume dialogue and give peace another chance.

The negotiations, sources added, will primarily focus on Pakistan’s core demand that Afghanistan take clear, verifiable, and effective action against terrorist elements operating from its soil.

Pakistan has once again emphasized that Afghan territory must not be used for activities against Pakistan, sources confirmed.

The delegation participating in the renewed talks comprises the same officials who took part in the earlier round of discussions with Afghan counterparts.

Earlier, Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar had announced that the previous round of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul had ended without success.

On October 19, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to an immediate ceasefire, which was later extended by mutual consent.

Pakistan denounces Israel’s breach of Gaza Truce Deal

October 29, 2025 by Newsdesk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the renewed attacks by the Israeli occupying forces in Gaza, which have reportedly resulted in civilian casualties.

“These actions constitute a clear and flagrant violation of international law, as well as a breach of the recently concluded peace agreement,”.

He said that such aggressive measures by the Israeli occupation forces threatened to undermine the international efforts aimed at establishing durable peace and stability in the region.

“Pakistan calls upon the international community to ensure an immediate cessation of ceasefire violations by the Israeli occupation forces,” the spokesperson said and reiterated Pakistan’s principled position for the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Pakistan, KSA reaffirm enduring strength of brotherly bonds: PM

October 28, 2025 by Newsdesk

RIYADH: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman renewed their commitment to advancing the deep-rooted partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, with a particular focus on expanding trade and investment cooperation.

In a post on X, he said, “It was a great pleasure and honor to meet my brother, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh today.” “I remain deeply grateful for His Royal Highness’s personal commitment and resolute support in advancing our shared vision for deeper collaboration and prosperity for our two nations and peoples,” he added.

It was a great pleasure and honor to meet my brother, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh today.

We reaffirmed the enduring strength of the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia brotherly bonds and discussed ways to further expand this historic and time-tested… pic.twitter.com/dYdqylsalw
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) October 27, 2025

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff, also attended the meeting.

Upon arrival at the Al-Yamamah Palace, the Saudi Crown Prince warmly received Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation.

The Prime Minister is visiting Saudi Arabia at the special invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and will participate in the 9th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference during his stay.

US seeks balance with Pakistan, India: Marco Rubio

October 27, 2025 by Newsdesk

NEW YORK: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington seeks to strengthen its strategic partnership with Pakistan while ensuring its relations with India remain unaffected.

“We see an opportunity to expand our strategic relationship with Pakistan, and I think we’ve made – that’s our job, is to try to figure out how many countries we can find how we can work with on things of common interest,” Rubio told journalists, traveling with him En Route to Doha, Qatar, according to a transcript of his remarks released by the State Department..

He was asked if India has raised concerns about the United States’s growing relationship with Pakistan, which have improved rapidly over the past few months with President Donald Trump hosting Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House.

“They really haven’t – I mean, we know they’re concerned for obvious reasons because of the tensions that have existed between Pakistan and India historically,” Rubio said in response to a question if New Delhi raised concerns over Pakistan ties.

The top American diplomat said New Delhi has to understand that the United States needs to have relations with a lot of countries.

“But, I think they have to understand we have to have relations with a lot of different countries,” he noted.

“So, I think the Indians are very mature when it comes to diplomacy and things of that nature. Look, they have some relationships with countries that we don’t have relationships with,” Rubio added.

Rubio added: “So, it’s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy. I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship with India, which is deep, historic, and important.”

The relationship between the United States have grown dramatically under President Donald Trump, whose administration has hailed Pakistan as a “phenomenal” counter-terrorism partner.

The two countries have also signed a $500 million agreement on exploration of rare earth, with Pakistan recently shipping the first consignment this month.

Islamabad’s praise for President Trump’s role in working out a ceasefire in May conflict with India and nomination for Nobel Peace Prize for the U.S. leader have also generated goodwill for the ties.

In August, Rubio said every single day the United States keeps an eye on what happens between India and Pakistan, the two nuclear powers who fought a deadly 87-hour long conflict in May.

President Trump announced on May 10, the two countries agreed to a ceasefire, something Pakistan openly acknowledged while India denied US had any role.

Washington’s ties with India have been strained over a delay in trade agreement and Washington’s 50% tariff on Indian goods for its purchases of Russian oil.

Pakistan, Türkiye consider launching ferry service

October 25, 2025 by Newsdesk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Türkiye are exploring the possibility of launching a ferry service to enhance maritime connectivity between the two countries.

The development came during a meeting between Pakistan’s Minister for Maritime Affairs, Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, and Türkiye’s Minister of Transport. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in shipbuilding, maritime operations, and ship-breaking industries.

During the meeting, Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry invited Turkish investors to invest in Gwadar’s maritime and port sectors.

In response, the Turkish side informed him that a delegation of investors would soon visit Pakistan to explore potential opportunities.

Earlier, the federal government has approved the first ferry service licence.

Applications by ferry operators have been pending since 2017 -18. Taking a fast-track route, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs on Monday approved the first ferry service licence to an international ferry operator.

The UK-based company — ‘Sea Keeper’— will operate ferry routes connecting Pakistan with Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The government is under serious pressure from around one million pilgrims who attend Arbaeen (Chehlum of Imam Hussain) in Karbala, as land travel to Iran has been stopped without any notice recently.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has led the move by fast-track approval to ferry service operators who had filed applications in 2017 and 2018.

The minister emphasised that ferry service will not only provide the pilgrims going to Iraq and Iran a safe and secure travel but it also provides an opportunity for boosting regional connectivity as well as economic activity via sea routes.

Pakistan, Afghan Taliban to resume key negotiations in Türkiye

October 25, 2025 by Newsdesk

ISTANBUL: The second round of high-level talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban is set to begin in Türkiye on Saturday, focusing on counterterrorism cooperation and border security mechanisms.

The talks aim to establish a robust and verifiable monitoring mechanism to address the growing threat of terrorism.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi and Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid have confirmed that the meeting will be held in Istanbul.

The meeting will focus on establishing a clear, verifiable, and effective monitoring mechanism to counter the threat of terrorism. “Pakistan supports the creation of a robust and credible framework to combat terrorism,” the spokesperson said.

On the other hand, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that an Afghan delegation, led by Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib, has departed for Türkiye to participate in the talks.

It is worth noting that the first round of negotiations—mediated by Qatar and Türkiye—was held in Doha, resulting in a temporary ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Pakistan, Qatar pledge stronger partnership across key economic sectors

October 24, 2025 by Newsdesk

ISLAMABAD: In a significant step toward deepening bilateral ties, Pakistan and Qatar have agreed to expand collaboration across multiple sectors, notably energy, agriculture, information technology, tourism, trade, and investment.

The understanding came during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Faisal bin Thani Al Thani, who is in Pakistan to co-chair the session of the Pakistan-Qatar Joint Ministerial Commission.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of Pakistan-Qatar relations and lauded Qatar’s role as an important partner and influential regional mediator.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister highlighted Pakistan’s investor-friendly policies and emphasized the significance of expanding bilateral cooperation in areas such as energy, agriculture, food security, information technology, tourism, and infrastructure development.

Shahbaz Sharif invited Qatari investors to explore new avenues of cooperation under the SIFC framework.

Sheikh Faisal bin Thani Al Thani expressed good wishes on behalf of the Qatari leadership and the Qatari Minister of Commerce reiterated Qatar’s determination to further strengthen economic ties with Pakistan.

The Prime Minister expressed Pakistan’s appreciation for Qatar’s continuous support on regional and global issues and reiterated Pakistan’s desire to strengthen cooperation at regional and multilateral forums.

The two leaders agreed to maintain close ties to translate common understandings into concrete results.

Pakistan seeks probe into Israel’s war crimes in Gaza

October 24, 2025 by Newsdesk

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has called for accountability over what it described as “grave atrocity crimes” committed by Israel in Gaza, urging an immediate halt to the occupying power’s unlawful actions in the West Bank, including forced displacements, illegal settlements, and annexations.

Speaking in the UN Security Council, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, acting permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, condemned “the killing of more than 68,000 innocent Palestinians, mostly women and children”, in Gaza, stressing: “The ceasefire, the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the restoration of humanitarian flows are welcome steps.”

At the same time, he denounced Israel’s continued attacks and aid restrictions. He rejected “the Israeli Knesset’s preliminary approval of draft laws to impose Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank” as blatant violations of international law.

The Pakistani envoy also demanded an end to Israeli illegal actions in the West Bank, including forced displacements, upholding of the legal and historical status of Al-Haram Al-Sharif – Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the unhindered functioning of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

“As reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its advisory opinion yesterday, Israel is under an obligation to facilitate relief provided by the UN and its entities, particularly UNRWA,” Ambassador Jadoon pointed out.

In addition, he stressed the need for the launch of a credible, time-bound political process consistent with international legitimacy and relevant UN resolutions to establish an independent, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

In his remarks, Ambassador Jadoon also welcomed the peace efforts led by President Donald Trump and commended the crucial role played by the mediators—Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the United States —in facilitating the negotiations.

“We sincerely hope these efforts will yield sustainable results, including a permanent cessation of hostilities and a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.”

“Looking ahead,” the Pakistani envoy said, “the roles of the UN, the Palestinian Authority, and the Palestinian people will be vital to ensuring legitimate governance, reconstruction, and institution-building in Gaza”, along with the Security Council whose role will also be critical for the next phases of the peace plan including for designing and mandating the deployment of an international stabilization force to fulfill its tasks.

Pakistan, he said, will continue to work with all partners to advance these shared objectives and to help restore peace, justice, and dignity to the Palestinian people.

Briefing the 15-member Council, the UN’s Deputy Middle East envoy, Ramiz Alakbarov, said that the Gaza ceasefire provides a rare opportunity to end one of the most destructive phases of the wider Israel-Palestine conflict.

Alakbarov warned that without decisive support for reconstruction and aid delivery, the region risks sliding back into violence.

The State of Startup Funding in Pakistan: What’s Changing in 2025

October 23, 2025 by Newsdesk

Pakistan ,startup, funding ,2025, Pakistan, venture ,capital, startup ecosystem ,Pakistan, hybrid financing ,startups Pakistan

Pakistan startup funding falls but ecosystem matures

Pakistan’s startup ecosystem is experiencing a shift in 2025. Although the numbers show a slowdown, many analysts believe this represents maturation rather than collapse. According to a recent report by Invest2Innovate (i2i), disclosed funding in Q3 2025 stood at US$15.2 million across six deals, a steep drop from roughly US$58 million in Q2.

The largest raise that quarter was by Trukkr (logistics), which secured US$10 million through a hybrid equity-and-debt structure. Investors note that the number of deals may be smaller, but the ecosystem is diversifying: fintech, Web3, fashion and mobility deals all featured.

Why the slowdown? Several factors: global venture capital is tighter post-pandemic; Pakistan’s macroeconomic headwinds (currency instability, inflation, regulatory uncertainty) make investors cautious; and start-ups themselves are pivoting toward sustainable business models rather than growth-at-all-cost.

“Founders are choosing hybrid financing — convertible notes, equity-plus-debt — to reduce dilution and risk,” the i2i report noted. This is a sign the market is maturing, emphasising resilience over hype.

However, the drop in funding underscores serious challenges. Early-stage start-ups still struggle to secure funding beyond seed rounds, while growth-stage funding remains scarce.

The gender-funding gap remains visible: women-led start-ups receive smaller checks on average.
What should founders and policy-makers do? First, focus on building strong unit economics and export-oriented models to appeal to global investors.

Second, leverage government initiatives like the Pakistan Startup Fund (PSF) and incubators to de-risk early stages. Third, embrace hybrid financing models and structured debt to extend runway.

For Pakistan’s ecosystem, this period of lower funding is not necessarily a downturn—it may be a “spring cleaning” phase toward sustainable growth. Founders who prioritise product-market fit, revenue generation and capital efficiency will emerge stronger.

Climate Finance Gap: Pakistan’s Vulnerability and Global Inaction

October 23, 2025 by Newsdesk

Climate ,finance , Pakistan, Germanwatch, Climate ,Risk, Index, UNDP ,report, World Bank ,CCDR, Pakistan ,vulnerability

Pakistan remains one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations yet receives less than 0.5% of global climate finance, according to the UNDP Climate Finance Report (2024).

The Germanwatch Climate Risk Index 2023 ranked Pakistan as the eighth most affected country by climate disasters, largely due to the 2022 floods and recurring heatwaves.

“Despite contributing less than 1% of global emissions, Pakistan pays a disproportionate price for global inaction,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

The World Bank Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) estimates that Pakistan requires $348 billion by 2030 to meet adaptation and mitigation needs, yet available funding is less than 10% of that target.

The Ministry of Climate Change has proposed the Pakistan Climate Investment Fund (PCIF) to attract both public and private capital into renewable energy, water conservation, and green transport projects.

“We need predictable and accessible climate finance, not promises that never materialize,” stated Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, climate policy expert.

Analysts warn that Pakistan’s limited fiscal space and rising debt burden constrain domestic investment in climate adaptation. International donors are calling for better transparency and project readiness to attract concessional funding.