🇵🇰 Pakistan

Latest Dispatches

• Naqvi defends officials over horse carriage controversy at Islamabad parade — Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has defended two senior government officials who faced public criticism after appearing in a horse carriage during an Independence Day parade in Islamabad, citing unavoidable circumstances and scheduling delays.
• MQM-P launches push for national dialogue on provincial reorganization — The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan said Sunday it would seek consensus among political parties for a comprehensive discussion on creating new provinces, arguing that Pakistan's current administrative divisions lack legal validity.
• Big-Tent Parties: Democratic Stabilisers or Fragile Coalitions? — Political scientists view broad-based parties as essential safeguards against democratic polarisation, yet their internal diversity can become a critical weakness. Pakistan's experience with the PPP, PML-N and PTI illustrates both the strengths and vulnerabilities of this political model.
• Bangladesh makes history with maiden Test victory in Australia — Bangladesh achieved a historic milestone on Sunday, defeating Australia by nine wickets in the first Test at Darwin. The commanding victory marks the South Asian nation's first Test win on Australian soil.
• Indonesian woman rescued from domestic violence in Hyderabad — Hyderabad police have recovered an Indonesian national from alleged wrongful confinement and domestic abuse, handing her over to her country's consulate following court intervention. The woman and her infant daughter are now under the protection of Indonesian diplomatic authorities.
• Social media creator shot dead on Taxila road; sister critically injured — A female TikToker was killed and her teenage sister critically wounded in a broad daylight shooting on GT Road near Taxila in Punjab. Police are investigating a monetary dispute as a possible motive.
• Britain pledges rapid resolution to Pakistan student visa delays — Pakistan's law minister has raised concerns with the British High Commissioner over mounting delays in UK student visas, with hundreds of Pakistani students at risk of losing their academic year. The British envoy has assured swift action to resolve the issue.
• Balochistan seeks dialogue as violence persists, security challenges mount — Balochistan's Chief Minister has called for peace talks with militant groups, even as terrorist attacks and sabotage continue to plague the troubled province. Officials acknowledge the security situation remains critical despite attempts to downplay the scale of the crisis.
• Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye seal landmark collective defence pact — The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in early August, establishes a mutual defence commitment among the three nations and signals a significant shift in regional security architecture.
• Pakistan's cycle of external hope leaves domestic reforms neglected — As Pakistan marks its 79th Independence Day, analysts caution that recurring reliance on foreign partnerships and agreements risks perpetuating a pattern that diverts attention from necessary internal structural reforms needed for sustainable economic development.
• FPCCI urges government to reverse steep tax hike on hybrid vehicles — Pakistan's business community has called for an immediate rollback of sales tax on hybrid cars, which jumped to 25 percent after preferential rates expired, warning the policy threatens energy security and the automotive sector's recovery.
• Pakistan Embassy Unveils Quaid's Statue in Washington During Independence Day Ceremony — Pakistan's ambassador to the United States inaugurated a statue of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah at the embassy in Washington on Friday, coinciding with Independence Day celebrations. The donation from the Quaid-i-Azam Foundation of Houston marks a permanent tribute to Pakistan's founder ahead of his 150th birth anniversary later this year.