News from The Thursday Times' news desk.
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.
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.
Pakistan’s electricity shortages eased after a sharp rise in hydropower generation, cutting outages in some areas from around six hours a day to less than three and giving the country’s strained grid a measure of temporary relief.
Donald Trump issued a surprise public thank-you to Pakistan while praising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, a message likely to intensify debate over Pakistan’s growing strategic relevance.
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.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar and Britain’s Home Secretary Yvette Cooper discussed the US-Iran talks held in Islamabad, with London praising Pakistan’s role in facilitating dialogue.
Pakistan is aiming to attract up to 50,000 Russian tourists annually and generate $1 billion in revenue from the market. Officials say changing travel patterns and Pakistan’s northern destinations could create a new opening for the country’s tourism industry.
Seven foreign leaders phoned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif within 24 hours, publicly praising Pakistan’s role in securing the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and signalling a rare burst of direct diplomatic recognition for Islamabad.
