The Thursday Times’ Pakistani news section dives into the pulse of Pakistani politics, offering sharp analysis and timely updates on the decisions and debates shaping the nation’s future, from the corridors of power to grassroots movements.
U.S. President Donald Trump unveils Project Freedom to move trapped ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, combining naval pressure, humanitarian messaging and fresh diplomatic signals toward Iran.
Washington has awarded a $488 million F-16 radar support contract that includes Pakistan among several operators. The move follows an earlier package focused on Pakistan’s F-16 fleet and continues existing defence sustainment cooperation.
Pakistan’s foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, told the American chargé d’affaires in Islamabad that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only workable path to regional stability, urging Washington and Tehran to consider extending the ceasefire and give negotiations more time.
Pakistan said late Tuesday that it is still awaiting formal confirmation from Iran on whether Tehran will attend the proposed Islamabad peace talks, as the ceasefire nears expiry and Islamabad intensifies last-minute diplomacy to keep negotiations alive.
Sohail Afridi, the Chief Minister for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has claimed that Imran Khan first proposed the peace talks now unfolding in Pakistan as far back as 2002, adding a new burst of controversy to the country’s already charged political landscape.
Trump says his representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are travelling to Pakistan for peace negotiations with Iran in Islamabad, after issuing a sharp warning to Tehran, placing Pakistan at the centre of a fast-moving diplomatic showdown.
Pakistan’s capital region moved into an unusual state of alert after hotels were reportedly cleared, transport was suspended in Rawalpindi and security tightened across key routes, sharpening speculation that Islamabad could soon host another major diplomatic push tied to the US-Iran crisis.
After the Islamabad Talks, Pakistan reportedly launched a major air operation to escort Iran’s negotiators home amidst an Israeli terror threat, reflecting both the danger hanging over the diplomatic track and Islamabad’s increasingly central role in trying to keep dialogue alive.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said India has remained the principal obstacle to regional cooperation, as Pakistan steps up efforts to build alternative links through travel, trade and tourism while calling for dialogue from Kashmir to Palestine.
Two Iranian IRGC gun boats opened fire without warning on a tanker 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The vessel and its crew were reported safe, while authorities investigate, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre.
وزیراعظم شہباز شریف نے ڈیزل کی قیمت میں 32 روپے 12 پیسے فی لیٹر کمی کی منظوری دے دی۔ ڈیزل کی نئی قیمت 353 روپے 43 پیسے فی لیٹر ہو گی جبکہ پیٹرول کی قیمت کو برقرار رکھا گیا ہے۔
Trump signals visit Pakistan if a US–Iran deal is signed in Islamabad, praising Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while placing Pakistan firmly at the heart of the diplomatic drive.
The package, including an extended $5 billion deposit and a new $3 billion injection, underscores deepening ties between Riyadh and Islamabad while helping Pakistan navigate mounting economic pressures.
سعودی عرب نے پاکستان کیلئے 8 ارب ڈالر کی مالی معاونت کا اعلان کر دیا، اسٹیٹ بینک میں 5 ارب ڈالر کے ڈپازٹ کی توسیع اور مزید 3 ارب ڈالر کا اضافہ شامل۔ یہ اقدام پاکستان کی معیشت کو سہارا دینے اور استحکام کو مضبوط بنانے کی جانب اہم پیش رفت ہے۔