Every story, newest first

Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei killed, claims Israel

Israeli officials claim Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Tehran, a claim not confirmed by Iran, as retaliatory missile attacks ripple across Gulf states hosting US assets.

Pakistan security forces take control of 32 sq km Afghan territory in Zhob, Ghudwana Enclave: security sources

Pakistani security forces have taken control of the 32 sq km Ghudwana Enclave in the Zhob sector, security sources say, after alleged Afghan Taliban raids and unprovoked firing on Pakistani positions triggered a hard and effective response.

Afghan media’s “Pak jet shot down, pilot captured” claim exposed as false

Afghan media and Afghan-linked accounts pushed a dramatic claim that a Pakistani fighter jet was shot down in Nangarhar and the pilot captured, but Pakistan flatly denied any loss as the supposed “proof” failed scrutiny and several posts driving the story were quietly deleted.

Khawaja Asif to Haqqani: Afghans are our guests, but this is “Made in America jihad”

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, in a message addressed to Sirajuddin Haqqani, recalled the anti-Soviet era by saying Pakistan stood “shoulder to shoulder” with the Haqqanis, hosted Afghan families as guests, and still carries millions of refugees on its soil.

US backs Pakistan’s “right to defend itself” after Taliban attacks

The U.S. has voiced support for Pakistan’s self-defence after Allison M Hooker said she spoke with Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch to offer condolences for the dead, backing Pakistan’s right to respond to Taliban attacks.

Imran Khan gets specialist eye treatment per Supreme Court oversight

Imran Khan was transported from Adiala Jail to PIMS for his second anti-VEGF eye injection after being declared clinically stable by a specialist medical board, with the Supreme Court, jail authorities and the federal government ensuring coordinated, high-standard healthcare provision.

Pakistan airstrikes ignite Taliban leadership crisis in Kabul

Pakistan’s targeted airstrikes inside Afghanistan have triggered more than cross-border tension. According to sources, a high-level Taliban conference in Kabul exposed rare and deepening fractures within the regime, with disagreements over Pakistan policy, militant sanctuaries, and even leadership succession.

Punjab’s new aircraft row: Politics or practical investment?

Punjab’s aircraft acquisition has become politically charged, yet aviation experts argue that replacing an ageing jet with a modern, lower-maintenance asset may be fiscally rational in the long run. The Thursday Times analysis explores the tension between optics and economics.

Trump raises global tariffs to 15% after Supreme Court blocks core trade powers

After the Supreme Court ruled he exceeded his authority under emergency powers legislation, President Trump has increased global tariffs to 15%, signalling a renewed push to reshape US trade policy through alternative legal mechanisms.

Somalia in talks to buy 24 JF-17 Thunder jets as Pakistan-India clash fuels demand

After being presented as combat-tested during Pakistan’s confrontation with India, the JF-17 Thunder is drawing new global interest. Somalia’s potential 24-jet deal would mark the Horn of Africa nation’s largest air force modernisation in decades.

US Supreme Court strikes down Trump tariffs as illegal

The US Supreme Court ruled that President Trump’s sweeping emergency tariffs were unlawful, curbing a signature trade strategy and opening the door to large-scale refund claims from businesses that paid the duties.

Employment crisis deepens in IOJK as official data disputes India’s development claims

More than 357,000 educated young people in IOJK are unemployed while thousands of sanctioned government posts remain vacant. The scale of the backlog suggests a structural hiring freeze that contradicts official claims of economic progress in the region.

Punjab’s crime drop: CCD claims sharp fall in murders and robberies

Punjab Police says murders, robberies and motorcycle theft have fallen sharply after intelligence-led operations across Lahore and the wider province.

No deal offered to Imran Khan, relief lies only in courts, establishment sources

Senior establishment sources deny any backchannel deal with Imran Khan, stating his only recourse lies in courts through constitutional and legal processes, not political negotiation or pressure tactics.

India’s AI summit humiliated by a “Chinese Robot” moment

A robot dog clip has derailed India’s AI summit after online users identified the device as a Chinese-made model. Congress and Rahul Gandhi seized on the claim, turning it into a credibility crisis for the event.

Munich Security Conference: Field Marshal Asim Munir meets Marco Rubio as Pakistan pushes new defence ties

According to ISPR Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir held meetings with senior US and German officials and counterparts from Brazil and Lebanon at the Munich Security Conference, with counterterrorism and defence cooperation at the centre of discussions.

UN condemns Islamabad mosque bombing, calls for accountability for those behind it

The UN Security Council condemned the Islamabad mosque suicide bombing and cited at least 32 dead and 92 injured, saying ISIL claimed responsibility. It urged states to cooperate with Pakistan to hold perpetrators, organisers and financiers accountable

Indian official directed Gupta plot to kill US based Sikh leader, US Department of Justice

A federal case in New York sets out an alleged India-linked assassination plan against a US citizen. Prosecutors say the plot was disrupted before it could be carried out.

Counterterrorism without heavy armour and air power is a gamble

What confronts Pakistan today is a hybridised militant ecosystem strengthened by transnational financing, external sanctuaries and the diffusion of advanced weaponry left behind in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of foreign powers.

Bangladesh’s political earthquake: BNP crosses two-thirds

The BNP has stormed past a two-thirds majority, sealing one of Bangladesh’s most decisive electoral outcomes in decades. With Jamaat claiming a strong bloc, Tarique Rahman now stands on the doorstep of power.

Saudi Defence Minister Meets Asim Munir in Riyadh as World Defence Show Highlights Growing Defence Alignment

Prince Khalid bin Salman met Pakistan’s COAS Field Marshal Asim Munir in Riyadh as the World Defence Show convenes global defence leaders, reinforcing strategic ties that were formalised in a mutual defence agreement last year.

Manipur’s slow break

Separatism rarely begins with a declaration. It begins with a sentence that sounds almost reasonable in a frightened place: we cannot live under them. We, as Pakistanis, know this better than anyone.

JF-17’s May moment reaches Riyadh Defence Show 2026 as Pakistan makes its pitch

The JF-17 arrives in Riyadh with momentum after the May clash reignited scrutiny of air power, and Pakistan is using the spotlight to pitch an export package built around training, sustainment and reliability.

Moody’s shifts Pakistan banking sector outlook to ‘Stable’

Moody’s sees a steadier Pakistan banking system in 2026, with strong capital and liquidity underpinning stability as reforms gradually lift growth.

Independent Republic of Manipur?

Manipur has stopped behaving like a state and started behaving like a border. When a cabinet changes land like a provocation and a confidence vote inside the Assembly cannot calm the street outside, the idea of “Republic of Manipur” stops being metaphor and starts sounding like a warning.

Operation Radd-ul-Fitna -1 concludes in Balochistan, 216 terrorists neutralised, ISPR

Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1 has been successfully completed in Balochistan, with ISPR saying intelligence-based operations dismantled terrorist networks and dealt a major blow to their leadership and operational capacity.

The night India’s command structure lit itself aflame

In military doctrine, Modi's instructions to Naravane are not operational freedom. It is abdication. Decisions that could trigger a war between nuclear-armed states are not meant to be pushed downward at the last moment.

The BLA’s poseurs receive the death they deserve

While the BLA's violence seeks to manufacture inevitability in Balochistan, the answers it receives from Pakistan collapse distance and deny it spectacle it craves so dearly—time and time again.

Pakistan enters T20 world cup 2026 but will not play India

Pakistan has confirmed its participation in the T20 World Cup 2026, but the national team will not take the field against India on 15 February, with officials citing national interest, player safety and a principled position after Bangladesh declined to participate.

Pakistan foils coordinated Balochistan attacks, 133 terrorists of Indian-sponsored Fitna al Hindustan killed, ISPR

ISPR says security forces killed 133 terrorists linked to Indian-sponsored Fitna al Hindustan after coordinated attacks across Balochistan, adding that sanitisation operations remain under way.

UAE strongly condemns terror attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan

The UAE has condemned terrorist attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, reaffirming its rejection of violence and extending condolences to the victims and the Pakistani nation.

Epstein’s emails are now haunting Modi’s diplomacy

Epstein's emails about Modi's Israel visit read less like commentary and more like a mission report. The action was “for the benefit of” Donald Trump. And finally, the verdict is delivered in capital letters: IT WORKED.

We can finally be proud

Davos was not a redemption arc but a stress test. Pakistan did not arrive seeking applause or indulgence, but to demonstrate whether discipline could finally replace denial. What mattered was constraint—and the recognition that the old escape routes no longer exist.

Coordinated militant assaults across Balochistan foiled as security forces regain control

Pakistan named among Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’, reshaping Gaza diplomacy

Pakistan has emerged as a founding member of President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, a new diplomatic body unveiled at Davos to oversee Gaza’s post-war security, reconstruction and political transition.

EU and India seal historic trade deal after two decades of talks

After two decades of stalled talks, the European Union and India have sealed a sweeping free trade agreement designed to cut tariffs, expand market access and reshape their strategic partnership.

Tirah evacuation exposed: KP government letter contradicts claims of military-led displacement

An official KP government letter has contradicted claims that the Tirah Valley evacuation was the result of a military operation, revealing it was a voluntary civilian-led decision agreed through jirgas and prompting questions over the handling of Rs 4 billion in relief funds.

No decision on Pakistan joining Gaza stabilisation force, parliament to decide, security sources

Pakistan has ruled out any move against Palestinian interests, rejected participation in any mission to disarm Hamas, and clarified that no decision has yet been taken on joining an international stabilisation force, according to a high-level security briefing.

Kuwait puts $100m on the line to launch Raqami Bank in Pakistan

Raqami Bank, backed by the Kuwait Investment Authority, is set to launch in Pakistan with a planned $100 million investment, positioning itself as the country’s first fully Shariah-compliant digital retail bank under the State Bank of Pakistan’s new digital banking framework.

Trump wants Pakistan on his Gaza Peace Board. Here’s why that matters

Pakistan has been invited onto a US-backed Gaza peace board, a development that elevates its diplomatic profile and raises expectations on ceasefire, aid access and civilian protection.