NFC meeting cancelled without reason: Afridi

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday accused the federal government of sidelining PTI and making key national decisions behind closed doors without taking stakeholders into confidence. Addressing a news conference in the federal capital, Afridi said the federal government had abruptly cancelled a scheduled meeting on NFC issue without providing reasons, adding that decisions affecting the entire country were being made without transparency. He alleged that PTI, which he described as the country's largest political party, was being "pushed against the wall", while unfair treatment continued against party's founding chairman Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and family members. The K-P chief minister maintained that the public had overwhelmingly voted for the PTI founder and wanted him to lead national decision-making, but neither he nor his party was being consulted on key matters. Criticising the government's economic management, the chief minister said Pakistan's trade deficit had exceeded $20 billion, agricultural growth was turning negative, and youth were seeking ways to leave the country. He also questioned rising fuel prices, saying petrol had reached Rs321 per litre despite lower global oil prices.

from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/xuhfJzL

Pakistan set to begin Hajj flight operation from April 18

Pakistan finalised its Hajj 2026 flight schedule and completed visa issuance for pilgrims under the government scheme, with the pre-Hajj flight operation set to begin on April 18, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony said on Wednesday. According to the release issued by the ministry, all visas for approximately 120,000 selected pilgrims were issued following the completion of required procedures within the Saudi timeline. "The Hajj flight operation will continue until May 21, with a total of 468 flights scheduled to transport pilgrims to Saudi Arabia over a 34-day period. The first flights will depart from Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot, and Multan, carrying pilgrims to Madinah," it added. Read More: Saudi Arabia extends visa validity for stranded visitors until April 18 Ministry officials said that during the initial 15 days of the operation, pilgrims would be flown to Madinah, while flights to Jeddah would commence from May 4. *عازمین حج کے لیے خوشخبری* وزارت نے حج پروازوں کا شیڈول جاری کر دیا۔ عازمین حج *پاک حج موبائل* ایپ کے ذریعے اپنی پرواز کی معلومات حاصل کریں۔ حج پرواز کی معلومات وزارت کی ویب سائٹ https://t.co/EzMa0HjyFM پر بھی دستیاب ہے. آئندہ اعلانات کے لیے پاک حج 2026 موبائل ایپ دیکھتے رہیں pic.twitter.com/dweSq7R8Ma — Ministry of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony (@MORAisbOfficial) March 25, 2026 "The first long-haul Hajj flight to Madinah is scheduled for May 7. Out of the total flights, 186 will land in Madinah and 282 in Jeddah. The operation will involve multiple airlines, including Pakistan International Airlines, Airblue, AirSial, and Saudi carriers," said the ministry in a statement. It further said that under the government scheme, around 119,000 pilgrims would travel to Saudi Arabia, including 67,230 men and 51,846 women, adding that flights will operate from eight cities across Pakistan. "Islamabad will have 129 flights, Karachi 124, and Lahore 104. Other cities include Quetta with 18 flights, Multan 34, Sialkot 26, Faisalabad 23, and Sukkur five. On the first day of operations, four flights will transport pilgrims to Madinah," the statement added. Read More: PMDC cracks down on universities offering unrecognised postgrad courses The ministry said all logistical arrangements, including accommodation in Makkah and Madinah, allocation of maktabs, and transportation, were finalised after completing the biometric process by February 17. To facilitate pilgrims, the government enhanced its digital system and advised all travellers to use the “Pak Hajj 2026” mobile application for flight schedules, departure details, and accommodation information. The app would also serve as an official platform for updates and announcements during the Hajj operation. The ministry urged pilgrims to stay connected with the application and the official website to remain informed about any changes in schedules or training programmes. The government reaffirmed its commitment to providing quality travel and accommodation facilities to ensure that pilgrims can perform Hajj with ease and focus.

from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/H5BJ6lQ

Kasim urges UNHRC intervention to end Imran's persecution, detention immediately

Kasim Khan, son of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Wednesday, urging the body to intervene and press the government of Pakistan for the immediate release of his father. “We ask this council and the OHCHR to urge Pakistan to end this persecution immediately. They must comply with the UN Working Group's opinion, and they must release my father,” Kasim said during the UNHRC’s 61st session. Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023, currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) related to the protests of May 9, 2023. The brothers have not seen their father since November 2022 after he survived an assassination attempt. They said they applied for visas in January of this year but have yet to receive a response. Read More: Imran's sons don't need visas to visit Pakistan In his address at UNHRC, Kasim described his father’s prolonged detention, revealing that Imran has been held in a small cell designed for solitary confinement under constant surveillance for more than two and a half years.  “We go months without any contact, and the last time I spoke to him was a brief phone call. When we recently tried to travel to Pakistan to visit him, the government deliberately refused to process our visas,” he said. “Denying a prisoner’s children the right to see him is collective punishment. From the limited contact we had, I know my father is suffering,” he stated. He stressed that his father’s case was not isolated, but rather part of a much broader pattern of oppression in Pakistan since 2022. He also labelled the 2024 elections as "rigged," claiming they were designed to prevent his father's political project from taking over. Referring to Pakistan's commitment under the GSP-plus framework to uphold international human rights conventions, Kasim pointed out several violations, including the arbitrary detention of his father, his solitary confinement, the denial of medical care, the blocking of family visits, and the trial of civilians in military courts. "Each of these violates those treaty obligations," he said. He further stated that he and his brother were not political people. "But my father’s life demands that we take action. We cannot stand by as his health deteriorates and he is kept away from us. That is the very least we can do for him,” he added. Also Read: Imran's sons raise concerns over his health in jail Imran was allowed to telephone his sons from Rawalpindi's Adial Jail on Eid day. The jailed PTI founder spoke to his children for around 25 to 30 minutes. During the conversation, the sons inquired about their father's health, while Imran expressed happiness at being able to speak with them on the festive occasion. The PTI founder was brought out of the compound to a special room for the call and, after the conversation, was taken back to the compound. Last week, Jemima Goldsmith, the ex-wife of Imran, made a direct appeal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to allow their sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, to visit their father in prison. In response, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that the sons of Imran do not require visas to visit Pakistan to meet their father, upon which Jemima replied that the government was refusing visas for their sons, in an attempt to deprive them of British protection in the case of a possible arrest upon arrival in Pakistan.

from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/HotXyLI

Clerics urge fighting pause until Eidul Azha

A group of clerics from Pakistan and Afghanistan have appealed to authorities on both sides to extend the pause in hostilities until Eidul Azha. Eleven Pakistani and as many Afghan clerics signed a joint statement released on Tuesday night. "With the joint efforts and cooperation of the esteemed public and political scholars and respected tribal leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan, we are making a sincere, serious and conciliatory move towards a sustainable and dignified solution to the conflict between our two countries," the statement read.

from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/Xg2m3C9

Pakistan leans on US and Iran ties to emerge as potential peacebroker

Pakistan's role as a possible host of talks aimed at ending the Iran war builds on its courtship of United States President Donald Trump and its reputation as a relatively neutral player with long-standing ties to neighbouring Iran's Islamic Republic. If talks happen, it could raise Pakistan's global prominence to heights not reached ‌since the country helped mediate the secret diplomatic opening that led to US President Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1972. It would cap over a year of relationship building with Trump that has involved astute diplomacy and crypto deals. Pakistan, which maintains direct contact with both Washington and Tehran at a time when such channels are frozen for most other countries, would also benefit directly from an end to the war. The country is home to the world's second-largest Shia Muslim population after Iran, and faced nationwide protests the day after US and Israeli strikes assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the start of the conflict on February 28. The risk of a prolonged war in Iran spilling over into Pakistan is among Islamabad's biggest fears, analysts and security officials say. Pakistan, which has been engaged in ⁠a conflict with the Afghan Taliban, has also suffered from fuel disruptions caused by the Iran war. Also Read: Dar speaks with UK, China and UAE as US-Iran diplomacy ramps up "Pakistan has unusual credibility as a mediator, maintaining workable ties with both Washington and Tehran, while a history of strained relations with each gives it just enough distance to be seen as a credible go-between," Adam Weinstein, deputy director of the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute, told Reuters. Relationship building with Trump Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir has built a close relationship with Trump to repair years of mistrust. Pakistan joined Trump's Board of Peace just after CDF Munir flew to Davos to meet Trump in January. https://ift.tt/oAvSfI2 Pakistan has also struck a deal with a crypto business linked to Trump's family to use its USD1 stablecoin for cross-border payments, while White House envoy Steve Witkoff helped broker an agreement to redevelop New York's Roosevelt Hotel, owned by Pakistan International Airlines. Pakistan has been involved in diplomacy to end the Iran conflict since it began, including shuttling at least half a dozen messages between the US and Iran, according to five official Pakistani sources. Before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed the offer of talks on Tuesday, one of the Pakistani sources and a foreign source said that officials from both countries could hold talks in Islamabad as early as the end ‌of this week. ⁠The Pakistani source said US Vice President JD Vance, Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were expected to take part. According to official press releases, over the past month, PM Shehbaz and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar have held over 30 conversations with counterparts in the Middle East, including half a dozen with Iranian officials. Two took place on Monday, the same day the US said mediation efforts were underway, and came alongside a phone conversation between CDF Munir and Trump that was confirmed by the White House. "Pakistan hosting US-Iran talks represents a major upgrade in Islamabad’s strategic standing," Kamran Bokhari, senior resident fellow with the Middle East Policy Council in Washington, told Reuters. Read More: PM Shehbaz says Pakistan ready to host US-Iran talks as FO acknowledges role in de-escalation efforts "After decades of being a troubled state, ⁠Pakistan appears to be re-emerging as a major American ally in West Asia," he said. Ties with Tehran Bokhari said Pakistan was Iran's least adversarial neighbour while maintaining "the closest ties with its historic regional adversary Saudi Arabia and [being] trusted by Washington". Pakistan shares a sensitive border with Iran across Balochistan. The neighbours clashed along their border in January 2024, but ties have since been repaired. Iran may perceive it as more neutral than other ⁠possible mediators. "Unlike Gulf states like Qatar, Pakistan does not host US military bases and is a military power in its own right," said Weinstein. Pakistan can also lean on its historic role as an intermediary — Tehran's de facto diplomatic mission in the US has been hosted at Pakistan's embassy in Washington since diplomatic relations between the US and Iran ruptured in 1979. Islamabad's mutual defence agreement with Riyadh, signed in September, requires both countries ⁠to come to the other's aid and has therefore weighed on calculations. As the US war in Iran entered its second week and Tehran struck Saudi Arabia, FM Dar said he had reminded Iran of the pact and was attempting to mediate with Iran. Security sources in Pakistan said Islamabad was bound by the pact but was working to avoid entering the conflict through its backchannel talks with Tehran.

from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/gS1b0IP

E-bike sales surge amid rising fuel prices

Following the continued rise in petroleum prices, the sale and demand for electric and battery-powered motorcycles have increased significantly in the open market. Government employees, takeaway delivery workers and ride-hailing riders have increasingly begun using electric bikes as a cost-effective alternative. Electric bikes and battery scooters are now commonly seen across the city's roads, being ridden by female students, young people and delivery riders in large numbers. Motorcycle dealers have also started offering electric scooters and bikes both on cash payment and instalment plans. The trend of using electric scooters is particularly growing among female students, working women and other female commuters. In Pakistan, the prices of electric bikes (e-bikes) vary depending on the brand, battery capacity and features. They are generally available from around Rs170,000 to over Rs600,000. Popular brands include Jolta, Pakzon, United and Vlektra. These bikes help reduce fuel consumption and have lower maintenance costs as they do not require petrol or engine oil. Each model offers a different range. A fully charged electric scooter can travel up to around 100 kilometres, while a single battery typically provides a range of around 80 kilometres. Another advantage is that these vehicles operate almost silently. Dealers say electric scooters are being offered with full warranty and can be purchased on instalments with an advance payment of Rs10,000 to Rs15,000. Monthly instalments usually range between Rs5,000 and Rs10,000, depending on the initial payment, while most dealers offer repayment plans for up to one year. Users say e-bikes significantly reduce fuel expenses. Haris Ali, an electric bike user, said dealers claim that one battery can run 80 to 100 kilometres, while a full electric charge can exceed 100 kilometres, but in reality the effective range is closer to 50 kilometres before the bike begins to lose power. However, he added that because the bikes do not run on petrol or diesel, owners save money on engine tuning and maintenance. Working woman Ayesha Sultana said she purchased a low-capacity scooter on instalments and has saved substantially on petrol costs. Dealers also report that many motorcycle riders have sold their petrol-powered bikes and switched to electric models.

from Punjab News Updates and Insights - The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/3PYHc4G

Pakistan casts itself as chief peace broker

Pakistan has emerged as a key player seeking an end to the escalating US-Iran conflict, with Islamabad being quietly positioned as a potential venue for negotiations between Tehran and Washington, according to American media reports and officials familiar with the developments. The diplomatic opening came soon after US President Donald Trump announced a temporary halt in hostilities, citing what he described as "constructive engagement" with Iran. In the immediate aftermath, reports suggested that Pakistan, Türkiye and Egypt had stepped up efforts to facilitate indirect messaging between the two adversaries. According to Axios, Islamabad is being considered for possible talks involving a US delegation that may include special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, alongside senior Iranian leadership, potentially including the parliamentary speaker. Tehran, however, publicly rejected any suggestion of direct or indirect negotiations with Washington. Yet, diplomatic activity over the past 24 hours indicates a flurry of behind-the-scenes engagement suggesting otherwise. Pakistan's civil and military leadership remained actively engaged with key stakeholders. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, reaffirming solidarity with Iran while urging restraint and dialogue. According to an official statement, the prime minister extended Eidul Fitr and Nowruz greetings to the Iranian leadership and people, while expressing condolences over the loss of lives in the ongoing conflict. He warned of the "dangerous" trajectory of hostilities in the Gulf and underscored the urgent need for collective efforts to de-escalate tensions through diplomacy. Importantly, he stressed the need for unity within the Muslim world, highlighting that cohesion in the Ummah was "more critical than ever" amid the unfolding crisis. Sharing details of Pakistan's diplomatic outreach, Shehbaz assured Tehran that Islamabad would continue to play a constructive role in facilitating peace and stability in the region. Meanwhile, the country's military leadership also engaged Washington. A report in the Financial Times said Field Marshal and Chief of Army Staff Syed Asim Munir held a telephone conversation with President Trump to discuss the evolving situation. Diplomatic sources said the contacts reflected Pakistan's attempt to leverage its unique ties with both Tehran and Washington to create space for dialogue. At the same time, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar led hectic diplomatic outreach, speaking separately with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi and Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. In both conversations, Dar emphasised the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to ensure peace, security and stability in the region and beyond, with all sides agreeing to remain in close contact. These parallel engagements, involving Türkiye and Egypt as well, point to a coordinated but still nascent mediation effort, largely centred on backchannel messaging rather than a formal negotiation process. While there has been no official confirmation from Islamabad regarding hosting talks, sources did not rule out the possibility, suggesting Pakistan is willing to provide a neutral venue if required. Analysts caution, however, that despite the diplomatic flurry, the prospects for a breakthrough remain uncertain given the deep mistrust between Washington and Tehran and the rapidly evolving battlefield dynamics. Still, Pakistan's proactive diplomacy underscores its attempt to position itself as a bridge, maintaining solidarity with Iran as a neighbour while preserving its strategic ties with the United States and key Gulf partners. Since the war began, Pakistan has been walking a tight diplomatic rope as it has to navigate the situation. Pakistan wants to avoid getting embroiled directly into the conflict despite having mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia. That was the reason it was pushing for dialogue and diplomacy. Sources said if Pakistan efforts were successful that would be a major diplomatic coup.

from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/jYhLIrp