PARIS (The Thursday Times) — A recent IPSOS report titled "Pakistan General Elections 2024: Perceptions on Transparency & Rigging" has cast a spotlight on the varying degrees of trust in the electoral processes across different regions of Pakistan, with a particular focus on the perceptions held by residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).
Per a new purchasing managers’ survey released by HBL and S&P, Pakistan’s manufacturing PMI rose to 50.9 in May, returning to expansion as new orders recovered and export orders posted their strongest rise since February 2025.
Pakistan’s major ports are seeing a sharp rise in container and transshipment activity as Gulf disruption redirects cargo towards Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar.
Iranian officials are preparing three days of farewell ceremonies and a 24-hour funeral procession for Ali Khamenei, with events expected in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad.
Trump reportedly warned Netanyahu against further escalation in Lebanon as US-Iran diplomacy faced renewed pressure, with Pakistan and Qatar involved in efforts to preserve a fragile regional framework.