News Updates Pk

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia expressed satisfaction on Monday over progress under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and stressed the need to strengthen defence cooperation, institutional linkages and strategic coordination. The understanding was reached during a meeting between Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Rajeh Tami Albugamy at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The two sides discussed matters of mutual interest and regional security dynamics, with a focus on further strengthening defence collaboration between the two countries. Field Marshal Munir congratulated Dr Albugamy on his appointment as Saudi ambassador to Pakistan and expressed confidence that his tenure would contribute to further strengthening the longstanding fraternal ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia rooted in shared faith, mutual tr...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday that "winning peace was more important than winning the war" as he discussed Pakistan's mediation efforts between Iran and the United States. Speaking at the 8th Global Security Forum being held in Doha, Naqvi stressed that Pakistan chose the "path of peace" during a critical time and made efforts to bring both sides to the negotiating table, further highlighting the personal efforts of the Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir to achieve peace. "The aim of both countries, Pakistan and Qatar, was never to take credit, the only aim was to stop further conflict and to save innocent lives. Pakistan has always believed that dialogue is better than war. We believe that winning peace is far more important than winning a war". Read: Pakistan mediation pulls off elusive deal "At such a critical time, Pakistan chose the path of peace. Pakistan made every...

The Supreme Court on Monday established a Legal Aid Cell at its Public Facilitation Centre (PFC) to assist deserving litigants seeking guidance in pursuing or defending their legal rights. According to Shumaila Naz of the Judicial Reforms Initiative, a dedicated legal assistant has been appointed at the cell to guide eligible individuals towards appropriate legal assistance. Naz said the facility was aimed at making access to justice simpler and more responsive, and would complement the administrative and facilitation services already being provided through the PFC. The centre functions as a one-window facility for litigants and visitors to the Supreme Court, allowing them to seek assistance at a single point instead of approaching different branches of the court separately. Naz said the PFC coordinates internally with the relevant branches to help citizens access the service they require. Also read: SC restores female heirs’ inheritance in ancestral property after 71 ye...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said every child in Pakistan deserved equal access to education, regardless of their family’s wealth or social status, stressing that the country could not fulfil Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision without providing equal opportunities to all. “Whether she is the daughter of a poor person or he is the son of a labourer, whether it is an orphan girl or an orphan boy, whether he is the son of a rich person or she is the daughter of a rich person, everyone should have equal opportunities for education and treatment,” The prime minister said while addressing the inauguration of a Daanish School in Islamabad. PM Shehbaz said the accounts of students from disadvantaged backgrounds had moved the audience, highlighting how access to quality education had transformed their lives and opened doors to opportunities that might otherwise have remained out of reach. “Until we achieve this goal, Pakistan will not be th...

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu will visit Pakistan from October 20 to 22, with the two countries set to explore wider cooperation in trade, investment, defence and maritime security as they mark 60 years of diplomatic relations, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Sunday. “The State Visit, the first by a President of Maldives to Pakistan in eleven years, assumes special significance as the two countries commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1966,” the FO said in a statement shared on its X account. Muizzu will visit Pakistan at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by First Lady Sajidha Mohamed and a high-level delegation comprising cabinet ministers and senior officials, according to the statement. During the visit, Muizzu will meet President Asif Ali Zardari, who will host a state banquet in his honour, and hold restricted and delegation-level talks with PM Shehbaz. “The two leaders will review...

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal announced on Sunday that Pakistan’s first astronaut would embark on a space mission from China on November 25, as he set out the country’s ambitions for a lunar mission by 2035, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. Addressing the concluding ceremony of World Space Week 2026 in Narowal, Iqbal said cooperation with China would help Pakistan reach new heights in space exploration. He also announced plans to establish Pakistan’s first Space Museum at the University of Narowal to promote scientific awareness and encourage young people to pursue space science and technology. The planning minister said World Space Week had been celebrated in Narowal for the first time in collaboration with Suparco under his vision, with the aim of raising awareness among young people about space science, scientific research, and modern technology. The proposed Space Museum at the University of Narowal is also intended to inspire students to explore scienti...