Kabul, May 8 (IANS) Migrants returning from Pakistan to Afghanistan said that they faced extortion and intimidation from Pakistani police officers, local media reported on Friday.While attempting to leave Pakistan, some migrants were stopped multiple times and compelled to hand over money.“Pakistani police officers were demanding money from migrants at border crossings, particularly at the busy Torkham crossing, often using force or threats,” Afghan media outlet Amu TV reported citing local …
Latest Islamabad News & Updates
Islamabad, May 8 (IANS) Pakistan’s reliance on proxy militant networks, its heavy-handed handling of local grievances, and its failure to respond to emerging militant alliances have fuelled the current crisis in Balochistan. Far from being a peripheral theatre, the province is turning into the epicentre of a multilayered insurgency shaped by decades of strategic miscalculations by Pakistani authorities, a report has detailed. According to a report in Eurasia Review, Balochistan has once again de…
Tehran, May 7 (IANS) Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the country is ready to pursue diplomatic paths to end the war with the United States and Israel, while insisting on safeguarding the Iranian nation’s rights. In a call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday (local time), Pezeshkian expressed deep distrust of the United States, citing recent hostile actions, including two attacks on Iran during bilateral talks, which he described as “stabbing Iran in the back,” accordin…
Tehran, May 7 (IANS) Iran has said it has not exchanged any new written messages with the United States, pushing back against reports that the two sides are close to a one-page agreement to end hostilities. The semi-official Fars news agency called recent media reports “fabricated,” saying they were designed to influence global markets and drive down oil prices rather than reflect the situation on the ground.Fars, citing two unnamed sources, said Iran has not yet responded to the latest US messa…
Tehran, May 6 (IANS) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister-Designate Ali al-Zaidi, during which Pezeshkian said Iran is ready for dialogue within the framework of international law, but will not acquiesce to force. Pezeshkian said that “our problem is that on the one hand, the United States is pursuing a policy of maximum pressure against our country, and on the other hand, it expects Iran to come to the negotiating table and ultimately surrender to its …
Washington, May 6 (IANS) The United States announced the phased closure of its Consulate General in Peshawar, saying diplomatic engagement with Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province will now be handled by its embassy in Islamabad.In a brief media note, the US Department of State said the move reflected “our commitment to the safety of our diplomatic personnel and efficient resource management.”The announcement marks a significant diplomatic shift in a region that has long been at the cent…
Islamabad, May 5 (IANS) Pakistan is talking peace while waging war with Afghanistan. While portraying itself as a diplomatic actor committed to talks by attending formal and informal negotiations, backing Track 1.5 processes in Istanbul and indicating openness for de-escalation, Pakistan is also using coercion and pressure to influence Afghanistan, a report has detailed. “In geopolitics, credibility is considered as currency. States may pursue complex, even contradictory policies, but when the g…
Washington, May 5 (IANS) Two US Navy destroyers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf after navigating an Iranian barrage, US media outlet CBS News reported. The USS Truxtun and USS Mason, supported by Apache helicopters and other aircraft, faced a series of coordinated threats during the passage, said the report, citing Pentagon officials, who spoke under condition of anonymity, on Monday night (local time).No US warship was struck, though Iran launched small boats, miss…
Tehran, May 5 (IANS) Fifteen of the remaining 22 crew members of an Iranian container ship seized by the United States last month have entered Iran, media reported.The Iranian-flagged vessel, the Touska, was boarded and seized by US forces off the coast of Iran’s southeastern port of Chabahar in the Gulf of Oman on April 19 under a US naval blockade targeting Iranian shipping. Semi-official Fars news agency said on Monday that the ship had a total of 28 crew members, who were taken into US custo…
Islamabad, May 4 (IANS) Media bodies and civil society organisations have voiced concern over increasing curbs on press freedom and growing risks to journalists in Pakistan, local media reported on Monday. In a joint statement released to mark the World Press Freedom Day, the Joint Action Committee — comprising the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), the Association of Electronic Media Editors an…