https://www.scmp.com/rss/522788/feed The latest news and top stories on Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s Prime Minister since March 2024, having previously held the office from April 2022 to August 2023. He has a background as a prominent businessman and was the longest-serving Chief Minister of Punjab province, a role he held three times. His work at the provincial level involved infrastructure development including the Metro Bus and Orange Line projects, educational reforms and public health initiatives. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Orange Wang Orange Wang The world breathed a sigh of relief as US President Donald Trump announced he would extend the ceasefire with Iran, but uncertainty remains in the Middle East over how the US-Israeli war will end. These are the main takeaways from what happened overnight. Last-minute extension Trump indefinitely extended the ceasefire with Iran hours before it was due to expire, at the request of Pakistan. But he said the US naval blockade would continue. “Based on the fact that the government of Iran is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350936/iran-war-latest-trumps-ceasefire-reversal-and-tensions-simmer-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350936/iran-war-latest-trumps-ceasefire-reversal-and-tensions-simmer-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:03:57 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Yemen’s Tehran-aligned Houthi movement has threatened to besiege a second key Middle East waterway as Iran launched drone attacks against US Navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend after a diplomatic effort to end the war appeared to collapse. A closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, would effectively sever Saudi Arabia’s only remaining oil export route. The kingdom has been shipping up to 7 million barrels of crude per day through the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350671/iran-war-escalates-houthis-threaten-sever-saudi-oil-exports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350671/iran-war-escalates-houthis-threaten-sever-saudi-oil-exports?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 03:42:32 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain A temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon unveiled by US President Donald Trump on Thursday was the final turn in the diplomatic maze leading to a breakthrough in Pakistan-mediated peace talks between Washington and Tehran, analysts say. Arranged by Pakistan with help from Saudi Arabia, the 10-day cessation of hostilities in Lebanon was a key Iranian condition for a second and potentially conclusive round of talks in Islamabad on a date yet to be set. Marathon talks between high-powered... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350522/lebanon-becomes-key-iran-us-peace-talks-amid-fears-israels-hegemony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350522/lebanon-becomes-key-iran-us-peace-talks-amid-fears-israels-hegemony?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:00:07 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain As Islamabad prepares to host a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran, Pakistani mediators are seeking ways to extricate the Gulf monarchies from the conflict, according to a well-placed diplomatic source. While the success of those efforts depends largely on the outcome of talks that US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday could resume by the end of the week, Pakistan’s mediation has produced a second confidence-building phone call in a week between the Iranian and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350175/pakistan-seeks-shield-gulf-states-us-iran-talks-set-resume?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350175/pakistan-seeks-shield-gulf-states-us-iran-talks-set-resume?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:00:04 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Days before Pakistan had helped to secure a ceasefire in the Iran war this week, the United Arab Emirates was seeking repayment of a US$3.5 billion deposit from Islamabad’s central bank. The withdrawal, brushed off as a “routine financial transaction” by Pakistan’s foreign ministry, equated to roughly 21 per cent of the country’s foreign exchange reserves. It was accompanied by a wave of criticism on Emirati social media directed at Islamabad. “When our security is directly threatened, we hear... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349673/uae-pulls-us35-billion-pakistan-after-iran-war-mediation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349673/uae-pulls-us35-billion-pakistan-after-iran-war-mediation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Dewey Sim Yuanyue Dang,Dewey Sim US President Donald Trump on Friday pressed Iran to meet US demands, as Vice-President J.D. Vance travelled to Pakistan to lead high-stakes negotiations seen as a key effort to end the more than month-long Middle East conflict. The talks between the US and Iran, taking place during the agreed two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, are expected to begin on Saturday morning in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Clouding the talks were Iranian demands, namely a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3349714/us-presses-iran-talks-gear-pakistan-under-fragile-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3349714/us-presses-iran-talks-gear-pakistan-under-fragile-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:24:00 +0000 Chenjie Song Chenjie Song On April 7, less than two hours before US President Donald Trump’s declared deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz expired, a two-week ceasefire was announced after being floated by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The deal followed Iran’s delivery of a 10-point proposal to the United States through Pakistani mediators on April 6. According to Iranian officials, Tehran’s acceptance came after a last-minute intervention by China. The breakthrough came seven days after China and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349462/chinas-role-iran-us-ceasefire-reflects-its-strategic-distance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349462/chinas-role-iran-us-ceasefire-reflects-its-strategic-distance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Agencies Agencies Israel renewed its strikes in southern Lebanon and urged residents in parts of Beirut to evacuate on Wednesday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the US-Iran truce does not extend to the war against Hezbollah. Israel hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut on Wednesday afternoon. Israel’s military called it the largest coordinated strike in the current war, striking more than 100 Hezbollah targets within 10 minutes in Beirut, southern Lebanon... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349405/israel-says-battle-lebanon-continues-despite-iran-war-truce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349405/israel-says-battle-lebanon-continues-despite-iran-war-truce?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:12:54 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin,Orange Wang Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin,Orange Wang Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz under a ceasefire agreement with the United States brokered by Pakistan, as the two sides also agreed to start negotiations in Islamabad on Friday for a peace deal. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the US would pause its bombing campaign in Iran for two weeks, calling it a “double-sided ceasefire” requested by Pakistani mediators in a last-minute bid to create space for diplomacy. In a social media post, Trump said the suspension of military action was... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3349299/trump-agrees-suspend-bombing-iran-2-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3349299/trump-agrees-suspend-bombing-iran-2-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:28:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse State-run public transport in Pakistan’s capital and most populous province will be free for the coming month, officials said, after the government drastically raised fuel prices due to the Iran war. The announcement came after street protests and long queues of motorcycles at fuel stations triggered by a late-night decision on Thursday to impose a 42.7 per cent rise in the price of petrol to 485 rupees (US$1.70) per litre. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif back-pedalled late on Friday, saying he... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349010/pakistan-offers-30-days-free-public-transport-following-40-petrol-hike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349010/pakistan-offers-30-days-free-public-transport-following-40-petrol-hike?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 01:46:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pakistanis faced record fuel price increases on Friday, as petrol and diesel prices rose by up to 54 per cent driven by the war in the Middle East that has caused global oil prices to surge. The increase adds pressure to a cash-strapped nation already grappling with high inflation, as economists warned the hike would push up food prices and living costs. Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Pervez Malik said late on Thursday that the increase was “unavoidable”. He said the government was forced to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348988/pakistanis-face-54-rise-fuel-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348988/pakistanis-face-54-rise-fuel-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:02:16 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Pakistan is hoping that its role in building a diplomatic off-ramp from the US-Israel war on Iran will enable it to become a key actor in the Middle East after the conflict ends, analysts say. If Islamabad can deliver without being sucked into the maelstrom, it can capitalise on its position as peacemaker by signing defence deals with Gulf monarchies and attracting investment from them to strengthen its weak economy. This will help finance Pakistan’s military expansion for its envisioned new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348621/pakistan-eyes-gulf-investment-defence-deals-return-playing-peacemaker-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348621/pakistan-eyes-gulf-investment-defence-deals-return-playing-peacemaker-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:21:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Top diplomats from key regional powers were gathering in Pakistan on Sunday to discuss how to end the fighting in the Middle East, but there were few signs of progress as Israel and the US kept up strikes on Iran, and Tehran responded by firing missiles and drones across the region. Pakistan said foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt were taking part in the talks in Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held “extensive... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348296/regional-diplomats-gather-pakistan-talks-end-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348296/regional-diplomats-gather-pakistan-talks-end-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 09:59:55 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju As the Iran war reshapes West Asian geopolitics, Pakistan has unexpectedly emerged as a backchannel mediator between Tehran and Washington, potentially sidelining India’s efforts to assert itself as a credible global diplomatic actor. India, despite its growing partnerships with the US, Israel and the Gulf states, has been absent from any meaningful conflict-resolution initiative on Iran. Umer Karim, a political science researcher at the University of Birmingham, said India’s strengthening... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347999/pakistan-steps-iran-mediator-while-india-watches-wings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347999/pakistan-steps-iran-mediator-while-india-watches-wings?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:21:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse In Pakistan’s southwestern mountains, pickup trucks loaded with plastic cans of fuel smuggled from Iran line dusty roads as youngsters unload the containers, fill smaller cans and strap them onto motorbikes to supply nearby markets. The illicit trade has long thrived in the region but is feeling the knock-on effects of the war which has engulfed the Middle East following US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Supplies coming across the 900km (560-mile) border between Pakistan and Iran have dropped by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3347066/pakistans-fuel-smugglers-squeezed-rising-costs-iran-war-hits-supply?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3347066/pakistans-fuel-smugglers-squeezed-rising-costs-iran-war-hits-supply?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:45:54 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pakistan’s president on Saturday warned neighbouring Afghanistan’s Taliban government that it had “crossed a red line” by launching drone attacks on civilian areas in Pakistan and said the administration in Kabul had brought “grave consequences upon itself”. The statement by Asif Ali Zardari was the latest in what has become the deadliest fighting yet between the two neighbours. The cross-border clashes, which erupted late last month, have shown no signs of abating despite efforts by China and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3346619/afghan-talibans-drone-attacks-civilians-crossed-red-line-pakistan-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3346619/afghan-talibans-drone-attacks-civilians-crossed-red-line-pakistan-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:30:08 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Iran’s nuclear-armed neighbour Pakistan has invoked its mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia in response to Tehran’s missile and drone attacks on the kingdom, in what analysts have described as a key test of Islamabad’s emerging role in the Middle East’s security architecture. A gently worded warning to the Islamic Republic, delivered by Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, has established Islamabad as a go-between to manage the escalation. Briefing the Senate on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345466/pakistan-aims-walk-tightrope-between-saudi-arabia-and-iran-war-flares-region?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345466/pakistan-aims-walk-tightrope-between-saudi-arabia-and-iran-war-flares-region?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 13:22:39 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg At least 10 pro-Iranian protesters were killed in clashes with police as they tried to storm the gates of the US consulate in Pakistan’s main port city of Karachi on Sunday. Security forces opened fire at the consulate, resulting in the deaths of 10 protesters, with 34 injured, said Sukhdew Assardas Hamnani, a spokesman for the Sindh government. “The police reached the site and took the situation into control,” he said. Faisal Edhi, who runs Edhi Foundation, a rescue service, said several of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345061/10-killed-karachi-pro-iran-protests-erupt-across-pakistan-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345061/10-killed-karachi-pro-iran-protests-erupt-across-pakistan-india?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 01:12:41 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Central Asia has long been someone else’s crossroads. Squeezed between an overbearing Russia to the north and an increasingly unstable Iran to the west, the region’s landlocked ex-Soviet republics have settled on a different solution: send railways south, through Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, all the way to the Arabian Sea. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan – Central Asia’s two largest economies – have in recent months struck preliminary multilateral agreements for the construction of two... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344798/central-asias-plan-bypass-russia-and-iran-railways-through-afghanistan-and-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344798/central-asias-plan-bypass-russia-and-iran-railways-through-afghanistan-and-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Thursday promised US$10 billion and Muslim-majority nations offered funding and troops for Gaza as he inaugurated his “Board of Peace”, a new institution whose ultimate mission has drawn questions. Trump brought together allies from around the world - many authoritarians, with few Western democrats who traditionally ally with the United States - to hail his peacemaking just as he sends US military might near Iran and threatens war. Presiding with a gavel over the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344048/trump-kicks-his-board-peace-war-clouds-loom-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344048/trump-kicks-his-board-peace-war-clouds-loom-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 17:06:55 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A suicide bomber backed by a group of gunmen rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the wall of a security post after troops signalled for it to stop in a former Pakistani Taliban stronghold in northwestern Pakistan, causing part of the compound to collapse and killing 11 soldiers and a child, the military and police said on Tuesday. The military said in a statement that the attackers had sought to breach the checkpoint overnight but were thwarted by security forces. It said troops later pursued... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343839/11-soldiers-1-child-killed-pakistan-after-explosive-laden-vehicle-rams-security-post?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343839/11-soldiers-1-child-killed-pakistan-after-explosive-laden-vehicle-rams-security-post?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:44:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pakistan’s government on Monday directed the country’s cricket team to play India in the T20 World Cup on February 15 in Colombo, ending a week-long stand-off. The decision came after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and was briefed on negotiations between Pakistan’s cricket board, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and other stakeholders. “In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3343013/pakistan-play-india-colombo-t20-world-cup-after-boycott-called?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3343013/pakistan-play-india-colombo-t20-world-cup-after-boycott-called?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:18:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pakistan’s government says the national cricket team will be allowed to take part in the coming T20 World Cup but must boycott its group game against arch-rival India. India and Sri Lanka are co-hosts for the 20-team tournament, which starts on Saturday. Pakistan will play all its games in Sri Lanka – including any in the knockout stage – because of political tensions with India. The two teams are scheduled to meet in a Group A game in Colombo on February 15 in what is often a tournament... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342031/pakistan-play-t20-world-cup-will-boycott-india-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342031/pakistan-play-t20-world-cup-will-boycott-india-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 01:52:30 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Pakistan is increasingly confident of making billion-dollar arms sales, headlined by the JF-17 fighters its co-produces with China, as up to six Muslim-majority countries look to upgrade their air forces amid growing geopolitical turbulence and civil wars. A preliminary deal worth US$4 billion was struck last month with the Libyan National Army for an unspecified number of JF-17s and other training aircraft manufactured by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Reuters reported, citing Aamir Masood, an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339961/pakistans-arms-deals-cleared-take-jf-17-orders-soar-muslim-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339961/pakistans-arms-deals-cleared-take-jf-17-orders-soar-muslim-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 04:52:11 +0000 Asma Khalid Asma Khalid At the Islamabad Conclave earlier this month, Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, urged a rethink of how South Asia approaches security, trade, climate and connectivity. He called for practical cooperation, disaster response mechanisms and economic integration rather than allowing old rivalries to dictate every interaction. This reimagined vision for South Asia seems to have emerged from a renewed confidence in Pakistan given that the country has recently achieved a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335741/how-pakistans-rising-confidence-could-shape-cooperative-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335741/how-pakistans-rising-confidence-could-shape-cooperative-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Tom Hussain,Sarmad Iqbal Tom Hussain,Sarmad Iqbal In Pakistan, a nation where power often seems to serve itself above all else, the latest constitutional overhaul has been received with a weary sense of resignation. Pushed through parliament on November 13 with barely a murmur of opposition, the 27th amendment to the country’s 1973 constitution made two major changes: splitting the Supreme Court into separate appellate and constitutional benches, and upgrading the army chief of staff to overall commander of Pakistan’s armed forces. Viewed in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334562/schrodingers-pakistan-young-feel-sidelined-their-own-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334562/schrodingers-pakistan-young-feel-sidelined-their-own-state?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 08:00:21 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain A ceasefire between Afghanistan’s Taliban regime and Pakistan, agreed after intense clashes last month, is hanging by a diplomatic thread, following a wave of suicide bombings in Pakistan and disputed claims that it retaliated with cross-border drone strikes on Tuesday. With both countries vowing vengeance, analysts say regional states acting as mediators – Qatar and Turkey, and Iran and Russia – have only a narrow window of opportunity to prevent another round of hostilities. Otherwise,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334306/can-mediators-stop-afghan-pakistani-war-cat-and-mouse-game-enters-retaliatory-phase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334306/can-mediators-stop-afghan-pakistani-war-cat-and-mouse-game-enters-retaliatory-phase?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 05:30:09 +0000 Tom Hussain,Sarmad Iqbal Tom Hussain,Sarmad Iqbal Tensions are again mounting in South Asia after suspected terrorist attacks in Pakistan and India triggered a furious exchange of accusations, including claims of proxy warfare conducted through Afghanistan. Analysts are cautiously optimistic that renewed conflict can be averted, following deadly clashes between Pakistan and India in May and skirmishes between Pakistani forces and the Afghan Taliban in October. The hope is that restraint and international diplomatic pressure may yet stave off... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332728/india-pakistan-conflict-risks-surge-amid-terror-attacks-afghan-proxy-war-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332728/india-pakistan-conflict-risks-surge-amid-terror-attacks-afghan-proxy-war-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 08:00:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A suicide bomber struck outside the gates of a district court in Islamabad on Tuesday, detonating his explosives next to a police car and killing 12 people, Pakistan’s interior minister said, the latest in an uptick in violence across the country. Witnesses described scenes of mayhem in the immediate aftermath of the explosion, which also wounded 27 people. The blast was heard several kilometres away and came at a busy time of day when the area outside the court is typically crowded with... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3332361/islamabad-court-bombing-kills-12-amid-rising-taliban-violence-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3332361/islamabad-court-bombing-kills-12-amid-rising-taliban-violence-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 10:56:26 +0000 Tom Hussain,Sarmad Iqbal Tom Hussain,Sarmad Iqbal In the predawn hours of a recent October morning, more than 10,000 riot police and paramilitary troops swept through the streets of a small city on the outskirts of Lahore, seeking to end a cycle of violence and capitulation that had dictated the tempo of Pakistan’s democracy for years. Their target? Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), a hardline Islamist movement that repeatedly paralysed major cities with its deadly protests, forced ministers into humiliating retreats and wielded the country’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331105/blasphemy-politics-why-pakistan-finally-declared-tlp-terrorist-organisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331105/blasphemy-politics-why-pakistan-finally-declared-tlp-terrorist-organisation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 08:00:14 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The US is seeking to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan but those ties do not come at the expense of Washington’s relations with India, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said. Just like India had ties with countries that the US did not, the vice versa applies, Rubio told reporters on board a flight to Doha. “It’s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy,” he said on Saturday. “I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330440/us-pakistan-ties-not-expense-india-rubio?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330440/us-pakistan-ties-not-expense-india-rubio?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 06:28:51 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Pakistan has vowed to respond to future terrorist attacks launched from Afghanistan with overwhelming military force after deadly cross-border clashes over the weekend, with the conflict setting the stage for prolonged hostilities between Islamabad and the Taliban regime. Analysts say the fighting, sparked by retaliatory Pakistani air strikes against insurgents in Kabul and the eastern Afghan province of Paktika on Thursday, is unlikely to break into an all-out war, but a diplomatic solution... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328926/pakistan-vows-no-compromise-against-taliban-patience-wears-thin-after-deadly-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328926/pakistan-vows-no-compromise-against-taliban-patience-wears-thin-after-deadly-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 08:30:17 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The United States is likely to seriously consider Pakistan’s proposal for a new port in the Arabian Sea and use it to ship the South Asian country’s rare minerals, even as observers warn of commercial and geopolitical risks of investing in a volatile region. Advisers to Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have approached US officials regarding the proposal for American investors to build and run the port in Pakistan, according to a Financial Times report last week. Located in Gwadar... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328622/will-plan-port-pakistan-us-involvement-fuel-regional-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328622/will-plan-port-pakistan-us-involvement-fuel-regional-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Advisers to Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have approached US officials with an offer to build and run a port on the Arabian Sea, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing a plan seen by the newspaper. The plan envisages American investors building and operating a terminal to access Pakistan’s critical minerals in the town of Pasni, according to the paper. Pasni is a port town in Gwadar District in the province of Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. The move... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3327865/pakistan-proposes-us-backed-port-deal-unlock-mineral-wealth-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3327865/pakistan-proposes-us-backed-port-deal-unlock-mineral-wealth-report?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 04:21:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan India remains a democratic counterweight to China in the Indo-Pacific region, a senior US State Department official said on Wednesday, dismissing any suggestion that sharp bilateral disputes over trade had fundamentally changed that position for US President Donald Trump’s administration. “Absolutely still see India as a critical partner in the Indo-Pacific,” the official said, suggesting India is the “indo” in Indo-Pacific and adding that ties with New Delhi remain strong. The official noted... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326745/us-reaffirms-india-counterweight-china-despite-trade-rifts-pakistan-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326745/us-reaffirms-india-counterweight-china-despite-trade-rifts-pakistan-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:24:28 +0000 Meredith Chen,Dewey Sim,Zhao Ziwen,Seong Hyeon Choi Meredith Chen,Dewey Sim,Zhao Ziwen,Seong Hyeon Choi Saudi Arabia’s new mutual defence pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan underscores deepening doubts over Washington’s security commitments in the region amid its strategic rivalry with Beijing, according to observers. They said China was likely to view such diversified partnerships positively, which could also open new opportunities to expand arms sales, although the security dynamics in the region might become further complicated. The mutual defence pact signed late on Wednesday significantly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326200/new-saudi-pakistan-pact-signals-evolving-alliances-amid-us-china-tension-qatar-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326200/new-saudi-pakistan-pact-signals-evolving-alliances-amid-us-china-tension-qatar-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 14:00:14 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain A week after Israel bombed Qatar, Saudi Arabia has signed a mutual defence pact with Pakistan in what analysts say will be an extension of Islamabad’s nuclear umbrella over the Gulf kingdom and is a clear signal to the United States for failing to intercept Israeli missiles during the attack. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement in Riyadh on Wednesday, which stipulated that “any aggression against either country shall be... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325972/saudi-arabia-pakistan-pact-sends-nuclear-umbrella-signal-over-israels-attack-qatar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325972/saudi-arabia-pakistan-pact-sends-nuclear-umbrella-signal-over-israels-attack-qatar?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:59:00 +0000 Reuters Reuters Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a mutual defence pact late on Wednesday, significantly strengthening a decades-old security partnership a week after Israel’s strikes on Qatar upended the diplomatic calculus in the region. The enhanced defence ties come as Gulf Arab states grow increasingly wary about the reliability of the United States as their long-standing security guarantor. Israel’s attack on Qatar last week heightened those concerns. Asked whether Pakistan would now be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325923/saudi-arabia-and-pakistan-sign-defence-pact-amid-growing-wariness-over-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325923/saudi-arabia-and-pakistan-sign-defence-pact-amid-growing-wariness-over-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:09:03 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China and Pakistan have pledged to expand trade and deepen technological cooperation in areas ranging from agriculture to space exploration, at a time when Islamabad is warming to the United States. During a meeting on Thursday with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Premier Li Qiang said Beijing would advance the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship infrastructure project under the Belt and Road Initiative. “Global instability and uncertainty have grown... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324517/china-pakistan-pledge-stronger-tech-and-trade-cooperation-amid-us-charm-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324517/china-pakistan-pledge-stronger-tech-and-trade-cooperation-amid-us-charm-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 12:30:11 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang In less than a week, Chinese President Xi Jinping has held bilateral talks with leaders from more than 20 countries during two high-profile events – the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the northern port city of Tianjin and the Victory Day commemoration in Beijing. The themes of the talks have shed more light on China’s engagement with partners as Beijing casts itself as a champion of a multipolar global order and forges closer economic cooperation. Multilateralism: a keyword... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324340/xi-jinpings-diplomatic-marathon-casts-new-light-chinas-foreign-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324340/xi-jinpings-diplomatic-marathon-casts-new-light-chinas-foreign-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 09:03:56 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Chinese President Xi Jinping said the nation was “unstoppable” as he opened a massive military parade in Beijing that displayed some of the country’s most advanced weaponry. North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin joined Xi and other world leaders in watching more than 10,000 troops and an assortment of hardware parade through Tiananmen Square. More than 100 helicopters, military planes and fighter jets also soared overhead at the event, which commemorated the 80th anniversary of... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3324173/chinas-display-military-might-adds-muscle-xi-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3324173/chinas-display-military-might-adds-muscle-xi-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 09:00:55 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi A slew of foreign leaders took China’s signature high-speed railway from the northern port city of Tianjin to Beijing on Monday and Tuesday, having departed from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to attend a Victory Day parade. Seven state leaders arrived on Monday night: President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Maldives Mohamed... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324061/foreign-leaders-ride-rapid-rails-chinas-technological-prowess-after-sco-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324061/foreign-leaders-ride-rapid-rails-chinas-technological-prowess-after-sco-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:31:46 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Intense rains have lashed parts of Pakistan and India and triggered flash floods and landslides in Indian-controlled Kashmir’s Jammu region, leaving at least 34 people dead, officials said on Wednesday. A section of a mountainside in Jammu collapsed and hit a popular Hindu pilgrimage route following heavy rains in the Katra area late on Tuesday. Devotees were trekking on foot to reach the hilltop temple, which is one of the most visited shrines in northern India, officials said. The bodies of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3323342/floods-leave-32-dead-indian-controlled-kashmir-150000-displaced-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3323342/floods-leave-32-dead-indian-controlled-kashmir-150000-displaced-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 09:00:03 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pakistan will create a new force in the military to supervise missile combat capabilities in a conventional conflict, apparently a move to match the neighbouring arch-rival India. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the creation of the Army Rocket Force late on Wednesday at a ceremony held in Islamabad to commemorate the worst conflict in decades with India in May. The ceremony was held a day ahead of Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day. “It will be equipped with modern technology,” Sharif said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3321823/pakistans-new-rocket-force-aims-match-indias-missile-capabilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3321823/pakistans-new-rocket-force-aims-match-indias-missile-capabilities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 06:05:49 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Once bound by history to Iran and Russia, Azerbaijan has been actively reconfiguring relationships with its neighbours in a bid to stake a claim as a major player in Eurasia – even at the cost of ratcheting up diplomatic friction with its former colonial rulers. Emboldened by the decisive seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia in 2023, Baku has drawn on a web of diverse strategic partnerships to assert its autonomy. No longer content to be a subordinate neighbour, Azerbaijan is pushing back... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317921/how-azerbaijan-defies-russia-and-iran-eurasias-new-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317921/how-azerbaijan-defies-russia-and-iran-eurasias-new-order?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 09:00:07 +0000