Maryam Shah

FAISALABAD: In the industrial heart of Pakistan, where the hum of textile machines rarely stops, hundreds of women quietly power one of the country&rsquo;s most important industries. Inside a modest garment unit in Faisalabad, rows of workers sit behind sewing machines, carefully stitching fabrics that will eventually become everyday clothing items worn around the world. Among them are dozens of women whose skill and dedication keep the production lines moving. For many, the workday begins early and stretches well into the evening. &ldquo;We work the whole week,&rdquo; Shaheen, an employee, told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;Our duty is from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, but sometimes it continues until 8:00 PM.&rdquo; Despite the long hours, the women handle a wide range of tasks inside the factory. From operating Singer sewing machines to managing overlock machines and other equipment, they move seamlessly between roles depending on where they are needed. &ldquo;Those sitting at the Singer machine do Singer work, and those on the overlock do overlock work,&rdquo; another worker, Shagufta Banu, explained. &ldquo;But we can work on all machines. Wherever they seat us, we do the job.&rdquo; Inside the workshop, garments move from one stage to another in a steady rhythm. Midis, bras, hoodies and other clothing items arrive in stacks of fabric and the workers stitch, assemble and prepare them for the next step in production. From the first seam to the final stitch, much of the process is carried out by these women, workers whose precision and attention to detail are essential to maintaining quality. For many of them, the work represents far more than a paycheck. Their income helps support families, contributes to children&rsquo;s education and, for some, offers a meaningful step toward financial independence and confidence. Factory management says encouraging women to join the workforce is also a conscious effort. &ldquo;We try to help the women we hire as much as possible so they can stand shoulder to shoulder with men,&rdquo; Kashif Rashid, the factory&rsquo;s production in charge, said. &ldquo;Women perform very well in maintaining quality, especially in the kind of garments we produce.&rdquo; According to management, the precision required for products such as undergarments often makes female workers particularly well-suited for the task. &ldquo;Quality is our standard,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;When it comes to our products, women often perform even better than men, which is why we give them preference whenever possible.&rdquo; Faisalabad is widely known as the backbone of Pakistan&rsquo;s textile sector, producing everything from yarn and fabric to finished garments. Behind these industries and exports are skilled workers whose dedication sustains the country&rsquo;s manufacturing strength. On International Women&rsquo;s Day, the story of these women reflects a broader reality: across Pakistan, women continue to play an increasingly important role in economic progress, contributing their talent, resilience and determination to industries that drive the nation forward. Their work may happen inside factory walls, but their impact reaches far beyond them, strengthening families, communities and the country&rsquo;s economic future.

Women garment workers operate sewing machines at a textile unit in Faisalabad, the industrial hub of Pakistan, producing clothing for local and international markets

Culture

On International Women’s Day, the dedication of women garment workers in Faisalabad highlights their vital role in Pakistan’s textile industry, where skill, resilience and hard work support families, strengthen communities and contribute to the country’s economic progress.

Women power Pakistan’s textile industry with skill, dedication and resilience

ISLAMABAD: The official White House account this week posted an AI-generated image of President Donald Trump striding across a frozen landscape toward Greenland, hand-in-wing with a penguin carrying a US flag. The caption was brief and cryptic: &ldquo;Embrace the penguin.&rdquo; Shared on X, the post raced past 30 million views, igniting confusion, mockery, and rapid-fire debate across platforms. Trump&rsquo;s penguin post landed against the backdrop of renewed US interest in Greenland.&nbsp; Earlier this week, the president said there is a &ldquo;framework of a future deal&rdquo; involving the semi-autonomous Danish territory, arguing Greenland is critical to US security plans, including a proposed &ldquo;Golden Dome&rdquo; missile defense system, and to access strategic minerals essential for modern technology. But the problem, critics quickly noted, was zoological, not political.&nbsp; Penguins simply do not live in Greenland, the Arctic, or anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. Every penguin species exists exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, primarily in Antarctica. &ldquo;There are no penguins in Greenland,&rdquo; the account PatriotTakes wrote, adding: &ldquo;Perhaps you shouldn&rsquo;t have dismantled the Department of Education so quickly.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2014835024999186902&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=ebfb1c7c4793dc4344a331bf075173eae200a796&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 942px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi offered a shorter correction: &ldquo;Wrong hemisphere.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2014833837960786337&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=ebfb1c7c4793dc4344a331bf075173eae200a796&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 822px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Others went sharper. Conservative commentator Erick Erickson joked that the administration &ldquo;must be planning to invade Antarctica.&rdquo;<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2014845138988634474&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=ebfb1c7c4793dc4344a331bf075173eae200a796&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div> Danish MP Rasmus Jarlov delivered the harshest line: &ldquo;The message from the White House is clear: Trump belongs in Greenland as much as penguins do.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2014871105450791309&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=ebfb1c7c4793dc4344a331bf075173eae200a796&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 846px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Some users interpreted the image as a nod to the &ldquo;nihilist penguin&rdquo; meme circulating online, inspired by Werner Herzog&rsquo;s 2007 documentary, &quot;Encounters at the End of the World.&quot; The film features an Ad&eacute;lie penguin walking alone toward the Antarctic mountains. A moment Herzog famously frames as a doomed, existential march. The White House did not immediately clarify the intent of the post. The Department of Homeland Security later shared a related image, reinforcing the impression that the symbolism was intentional rather than accidental. A familiar patternThe episode fits a broader pattern in Trump&rsquo;s online presence since returning to office. He remains one of the most prolific political figures on social media, regularly pushing out memes, AI-generated images and content engineered for virality alongside policy messaging. A recent Wired investigation reported that Trump personally types roughly 5% of his posts. The rest are produced by aides, including Natalie Harp and Dan Scavino, who convert the president&rsquo;s dictation into a steady stream of attention-grabbing content. &ldquo;The entire ethos and aesthetic of this administration is spectacle and subversion of norms,&rdquo; Dannagal Young, director of the Center for Political Communication at the University of Delaware, told CNN. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t do that through deliberation or argument, but through symbols.&rdquo; TikTok politics, penguin editionTrump&rsquo;s meme-forward strategy is widely seen as an attempt to connect with younger audiences. During the 2024 campaign, his TikTok account became one of the platform&rsquo;s fastest-growing, tapping into Gen Z&rsquo;s preference for visual, ironic and remixable content. The penguin post shows both the upside and downside of that approach. It captured massive attention, but lost narrative control almost instantly, as users reframed it through jokes, fact-checks and satire. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended the strategy in a statement to CNN, saying: &ldquo;The success of the White House&rsquo;s social media pages speak for itself. Through engaging posts and banger memes, we are successfully communicating the President&rsquo;s extremely popular agenda.&rdquo; For the internet, though, the takeaway was simpler: if the White House wanted everyone talking, the penguin delivered, even if it waddled in from the wrong hemisphere.

Americas

A viral White House penguin meme sparks laughs online, but lands amid Trump’s renewed push for Greenland, blending Gen Z internet culture with real geopolitical ambition.

Penguins, memes and Greenland: Trump’s viral post breaks the internet

ISLAMABAD: As 2025 comes to a close, Pakistani women across sports, culture, exploration, and legal activism have made their mark on national and international stages. From cricket grounds and mountain summits to pageants and courtrooms, these trailblazers have expanded opportunities and challenged conventional boundaries. Sidra Amin&rsquo;s cricket milestones<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/cf94c1a3-e5a6-4fec-8907-fc3f939f7423.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @sidraamin31 Opening batter Sidra Amin, 33, emerged as one of Pakistan&rsquo;s most consistent performers during the 2025 ICC Women&rsquo;s ODI World Cup. The Lahore-born cricketer became the first Pakistani to score back-to-back ODI centuries, a landmark in Pakistan&rsquo;s cricket history. <div class="fr-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Back-to-back centuries for Sidra Amin as the batter continues her brilliant run with the willow 👊<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">#PAKvSA</a> 📝: <a href="https://t.co/fKEHXWL3l7" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">https://t.co/fKEHXWL3l7</a> | 📸: <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">@TheRealPCB</a> <a href="https://t.co/LMXPJ7cVzj" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">pic.twitter.com/LMXPJ7cVzj</a>&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1969093586667855973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">September 19, 2025</a></blockquote></div> According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official match report, Amin also recorded the fastest ODI century by a Pakistani woman, reaching 100 runs in just 97 balls. With more than 150 international appearances and 2,221 ODI runs, including six centuries, she remained a linchpin of Pakistan&rsquo;s batting line-up. Gaddafi Stadium has become her personal stronghold, where she has scored three centuries at an average exceeding 120. Since debuting in 2011, Amin has helped elevate women&rsquo;s cricket in Pakistan to new heights. Naila Kiani&rsquo;s unprecedented climbing record<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/611a7e42-2866-45d0-a73a-3855db9729f0.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Picture credits: Radio Pakistan Mountaineer Naila Kiani continued her extraordinary ascent in 2025, having summited 12 of the world&rsquo;s 14 peaks above 8,000 metres. Imagine Nepal, the expedition organizer, confirmed that Kiani scaled Kangchenjunga (8,586m), the world&rsquo;s third-highest mountain, in May, staying on course to become the first Pakistani woman to complete all fourteen eight-thousanders. A former aerospace engineer and a mother of two, Kiani also became the fastest Pakistani to summit 11 eight-thousanders in under three years, Alpine Club of Pakistan reported. The Embassy of Pakistan in Turkiye also congratulated her on this achievement.&nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1787508031929962698&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2696e4393e4ed6d9d4f0ffa87d85e770d1536c72&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 673px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Beyond her personal achievements, she has championed reforms in Pakistan&rsquo;s mountaineering sector, helping reduce helicopter rescue costs and exposing exploitative commercial practices. According to Radio Pakistan, Naila Kiani remains the only female athlete to currently hold the Sitara-i-Imtiaz.&nbsp; Roma Riaz at Miss Universe<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/6a61b8ec-3923-4895-a670-e3e057da2cd4.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @romariaz_official Roma Riaz, 25, a British-Pakistani from Lahore, represented Pakistan at Miss Universe 2025 in Thailand after winning the Miss Universe Pakistan title earlier in the year. Her participation returned Pakistan to the global pageant stage and sparked conversations about beauty standards, colorism, and representation. Raised between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, Riaz is a graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University and has worked in merchandising and international fashion. Her advocacy focuses on girls&rsquo; education and challenging narrow definitions of beauty. In response to criticism over her skin tone and background, she posted an Instagram reel condemning colorist and body-shaming remarks, asserting that diversity should be celebrated, not policed. Mahnoor Omer and discriminatory taxation<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/aeb6f1e9-2e44-46f3-9f28-e37cedb48d66.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @learningwithmahnoor Lawyer and gender rights advocate Mahnoor Omer, 25, gained national and international attention in 2025 for challenging Pakistan&rsquo;s taxation of sanitary products. A former Supreme Court law clerk, Omer is pursuing postgraduate studies in Gender, Peace, and Security at the London School of Economics. She has also served as a Gender Consultant with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, co-authoring Pakistan&rsquo;s first UNODC Gender Equality Strategy. Her constitutional petition contends that menstrual hygiene products, essential for women&rsquo;s health, are unfairly taxed, violating constitutional guarantees of equality and dignity.&nbsp; Natasha Noorani&rsquo;s cultural innovation<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/e235b212-ad97-4260-bf42-9a6cd0616e0f.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @natashanoorani Emerging artist Natasha Noorani has established herself as one of Pakistan&rsquo;s most innovative contemporary musicians. Her debut album Ronaq, released in 2023, continued to influence the country&rsquo;s music scene throughout 2025. Blending R&amp;B, pop, electronic music, and neo-soul, the album reflects both creativity and cultural depth. Noorani coined the term &ldquo;Lolly-Pop&rdquo; to describe her approach, which merges retro subcontinental sounds from the 1940s&ndash;1980s with modern electronic production. Produced by Talal Qureshi and Abdullah Siddiqui, Ronaq features tracks including &ldquo;Choro,&rdquo; &ldquo;Thandi,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Faltu Pyar,&rdquo; a collaboration with Hasan Raheem. Her work continues to bridge Pakistan&rsquo;s musical past with its contemporary soundscape. While their paths differed, a common thread ran through their stories, questioning long-standing norms and opening space for wider participation.&nbsp; As Pakistan moves into 2026, the impact of these women&rsquo;s work continues to shape public debate. It offers a broader understanding of what achievement and leadership look like for Pakistani women today.

Pakistani women who made headlines in 2025 (Pakistan TV Digital)

Entertainment

In 2025, Pakistani women made headlines across cricket, mountaineering, music, law, and global platforms, redefining representation and excellence while challenging social norms through record-breaking achievements, creative innovation, and rights-based advocacy at home and abroad. 

Pakistan's Powerhouses: The Women Who Owned 2025

ISLAMABAD: The catastrophic floods that have killed more than 1,200 people across Southeast Asia in recent weeks are not a distant warning for South Asia but &ldquo;a mirror of what Pakistan has already experienced and will face again,&rdquo; according to climate scientists.&nbsp;Across Indonesia and Sri Lanka, rapid heatwaves followed by early monsoon onset and cloudburst-style rainfall, the same sequence that devastated Pakistan in 2022 and again in 2025, have displaced more than 1.5 million people since late November.&nbsp;&ldquo;South Asia has entered &lsquo;new operating conditions&rsquo; where traditional monsoon timelines no longer apply,&rdquo; said Dr. Zainab Naeem, an environmental sciences researcher at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute. Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, she added: &ldquo;What&rsquo;s happening in Southeast Asia right now mirrors exactly what we&#39;ve been experiencing in Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;Parallel crises across regionIn Indonesia, the island of Sumatra recorded 604 deaths after a rare tropical storm triggered widespread flash floods and landslides. In Sri Lanka, Cyclone Ditwah killed at least 355 people and forced nearly 180,000 residents into emergency shelters. In both countries, prolonged dry spells were followed by sudden, moisture-laden systems that unleashed months&rsquo; worth of rainfall in a matter of days.&nbsp;Asia warming faster than global averageAccording to regional climate assessments, Asia is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, leading to more frequent and more intense extreme weather events. In 2023 alone, the continent experienced 79 water-related disasters, the majority of them floods and storms.&nbsp;Pakistan has already felt the force of this shift. The 2022 floods submerged one-third of the country, killed more than 1,700 people, and caused damages and economic losses estimated at $30 billion, according to the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment and World Bank figures.&nbsp;This year, unseasonably early monsoon systems again triggered deadly flooding across multiple provinces.&nbsp;Women face disproportionate impactsWomen remain at heightened risk during climate-driven disasters. During Pakistan&rsquo;s 2022 floods, the UN Population Fund estimated that 650,000 pregnant women were in affected areas, with around 73,000 expected to give birth without access to maternal health services.&nbsp;Protection systems frequently collapse in displacement camps, increasing incidents of gender-based violence. Women, who often work agricultural land without legally owning it, are also excluded from compensation schemes when crops are destroyed.&nbsp;Science&ndash;policy gap leaves countries exposedDespite growing scientific clarity, preparedness remains uneven across the region.&nbsp;&ldquo;The biggest problem is not the absence of policies, it&rsquo;s the disconnect between high-level frameworks and ground implementation,&rdquo; Dr. Naeem said. &ldquo;Technical expertise is missing in many departments. Without integrating scientific evidence into urban planning and governance, we simply cannot manage these impacts.&rdquo;&nbsp;Cities across South and Southeast Asia continue to expand into flood-prone zones, while drainage systems and protective infrastructure remain outdated or overstretched.&nbsp;Warning Pakistan cannot ignoreRescue operations in Indonesia and Sri Lanka are ongoing, with military aircraft airlifting patients from inundated hospitals and naval vessels delivering supplies to isolated districts. The events underscore a clear message for Pakistan: such disasters are no longer &ldquo;once in a generation.&rdquo;&nbsp;Regional environmental agencies stress the urgent need to strengthen early-warning systems, redesign land-use planning, and invest in climate-resilient infrastructure. Without such measures, they warn, human and economic losses will accelerate.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s 2022 floods were described as unprecedented. Three years later, similarly devastating events have become routine across Asia. The question is no longer whether such disasters will strike again, but whether governments will be prepared when they do.

A woman carrying a child wades through a flooded street after heavy rainfall in Wellampitiya on the outskirts of Colombo on November 30, 2025, after a powerful cyclone. (AFP)

Natural Disaster

Climate

In regions across Asia, intensifying heatwaves, early monsoons and extreme floods are overwhelming communities, exposing weak infrastructure and highlighting urgent need for climate-resilient planning protection.

Southeast Asia’s deadly floods echo Pakistan’s escalating climate extremes

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s independent film scene is making global headlines once again, with short films A Door to My Memory (Yaadan de Boohay) and Toxicity earning international acclaim.&nbsp;A Door to My Memory, a Punjabi sci-fi romantic drama directed by Sheryar Ali and produced by Suhail Ahmad, had its world premiere at the Tasveer Film Festival in Seattle &mdash; the only Oscar-qualifying South Asian festival in the world.&nbsp;Following its success in the US, the film has been officially selected at multiple Indian festivals, including the Bollywood International Film Festival, the International Kolkata Short Film Festival, and the Global Taj International Film Festival, where it is currently a semi-finalist.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the filmmakers&rsquo; second project, Toxicity, which focuses on Pakistan&rsquo;s smog crisis, continues to gain international attention. Co-directed by Suhail Ahmad and Sheryar Ali, the short film recently premiered at the Festival Internazionale Nebrodi Cinema Doc in Sicily, Italy.&nbsp;Both films are a source of pride, but their success opens up a much larger conversation: What does it really take for Pakistani filmmakers to take their stories international?&nbsp;The struggle of independent filmmaking&nbsp;Independent filmmaking in Pakistan has always been an act of resilience. With limited resources, scattered infrastructure, and an audience still hesitant to embrace experimental cinema, even completing a short film is a major achievement.&nbsp;Then comes distribution, the real test. It can take years for local filmmakers to see their films on screen, if they ever do. Without the support of a major production house, getting a film in front of an audience is nearly impossible.&nbsp;By no means is this a critique of a broken system, but a look at what it takes to survive in it. Pakistan&rsquo;s film scene has seen its share of ups and downs. With Bollywood off local screens and Hollywood still not our main source of entertainment, the revival of local cinema remains slow and uncertain.&nbsp;Most film graduates today enter the industry without knowing how to position or distribute their work. Investors avoid taking risks on new talent, leaving independent filmmakers with scarce funds and no real marketing plan.&nbsp;To better understand this struggle, Pakistan TV Digital spoke with some of the most promising talent in indie filmmaking to get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes.&nbsp;What it really takes&nbsp;&ldquo;When people talk about hurdles, funding always comes up, and rightly so,&rdquo; says director Sheryar Ali.&nbsp;&ldquo;But for me, the real challenge was learning the distribution process itself. I had to travel abroad and talk to distributors and producers just to understand how it works, despite being a film school graduate who&rsquo;s been in the industry for years.&rdquo;&nbsp;It isn&rsquo;t about gatekeeping, he explains, but the lack of structure.&nbsp;&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have a stable industry. No one really knows the way forward. That can be very discouraging for young filmmakers. I hope people returning from festivals share their learnings more openly. I know I will.&rdquo;&nbsp;No roadmapAnother example of Pakistani cinema breaking through internationally is Jujji, a feature film recently acquired by the American distribution company Buffalo 8. Eifa Ahmad, the film&rsquo;s head of distribution, explained how it reached this milestone:&nbsp;&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no clear roadmap for taking an independent film international. You&rsquo;re mostly figuring it out as you go, who to reach out to, what materials are needed, how contracts work.&rdquo;&nbsp;Guidance within Pakistan is limited, leaving filmmakers to learn through trial and error. &ldquo;There isn&rsquo;t much local guidance for that process,&rdquo; she says.&nbsp;She adds, &ldquo;When we were working on Jujji, every step was a mix of research, intuition, and persistence. Another big challenge is confidence; we underestimate the strength of our own stories.&rdquo;&nbsp;Ahmad emphasizes the uniqueness of Pakistani narratives. &ldquo;Our stories are rooted in experiences no one else can replicate. Once we start owning that instead of trying to fit external molds, things will shift.&rdquo;&nbsp;The way forwardDespite the hurdles, Pakistan&rsquo;s indie filmmakers are proving their stories can reach international audiences. Each success story helps pave the way for the next generation, gradually building a stronger presence for local cinema on the global stage.

Film & TV

Pakistani indie filmmakers Sheryar Ali and Suhail Ahmad gain global recognition as their films A Door to My Memory and Toxicity make international festival rounds, highlighting both creativity and the challenges of distribution and funding.

Breaking the mold: how Pakistani filmmakers are going global

ISLAMABAD: Afghan officials recently&nbsp;raised objections to the&nbsp;use of the word &#39;border&#39; in&nbsp;a statement Qatar issued in the wake of a ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Doha.&nbsp; The border has long been internationally recognized as Pakistan&rsquo;s western frontier, a position Islamabad has maintained and articulated consistently. The Durand AgreementThe Durand Agreement was&nbsp;signed on Nov. 12, 1893, between the British Indian government and Afghan ruler Amir Abdur Rahman Khan. Negotiated by a British diplomat, Sir Mortimer Durand, the treaty demarcated zones of influence between the British Empire and Afghanistan. Later, the agreement was reaffirmed three times between the British Indian government and Afghan leaders &mdash; in March 1905, August 1919, and November 1921 &mdash; leading to the recognition of the Durand Line as the international border. Following Pakistan&rsquo;s creation in 1947, it inherited the line&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;which runs from the Chinese border in the north to the Iranian border&nbsp;in the south-west &mdash;&nbsp;as its international frontier with Afghanistan, a status it has upheld ever since. The 1988 Geneva Accords included an agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan that underscored mutual recognition of the Durand Line as the international border. Afghanistan, however, has periodically disputed what it recognized earlier. During an online press briefing on Oct. 19, 2025, soon after the Doha agreement, Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said:&nbsp;&ldquo;We do not agree to the term &lsquo;border&rsquo;... the Durand Line is imaginary. Its future will be determined by the Afghan nation.&rdquo; Pakistan&rsquo;s position: &lsquo;A closed and settled issue&rsquo;In contrast, Pakistan &mdash; like countries around the world &mdash; has consistently maintained that the Durand Line is its western international border. In 2012, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) stated:&nbsp;&quot;The Durand Line between Pakistan and Afghanistan is the internationally recognized border. It is a closed and settled issue.&rdquo; In a more recent statement on Jan. 2, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s position: &ldquo;The Pakistan-Afghanistan border is an internationally recognized border. Anybody&rsquo;s statement cannot change the legality of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. It is not up for any discussion.&rdquo; MoFA has repeatedly emphasized that Pakistan retains the sovereign right to regulate and defend its border, condemning what it describes as &ldquo;unprovoked aggression&rdquo; from Afghan territory. Chronology of Pakistan&rsquo;s stanceThe Foreign Office has reiterated this stance on multiple occasions over the years: <blockquote>2012: It described the Durand Line as &ldquo;a closed and settled issue.&rdquo; 2019: It rejected Afghan claims of non-recognition, calling them &ldquo;irresponsible and unwarranted.&rdquo; It reaffirmed that the border was defined under &ldquo;all relevant international laws and conventions.&rdquo; 2020: In response to Afghan objections to border fencing by Pakistan, MoFA said the activity was in line with international norms and aimed at addressing Pakistan&rsquo;s security concerns without encroaching on Afghan territory. 2023: It asserted that any unauthorized construction by Afghanistan inside Pakistani territory was a violation of sovereignty. 2025: It reiterated that the border is &ldquo;not up for any discussion&rdquo; and rejected any challenges to its legitimacy.</blockquote> International recognitionWhile Afghanistan is the only country in the world that refuses to acknowledge the Durand Line, the international community recognizes it as Pakistan&rsquo;s legitimate western border. In October 2012, the US State Department formally endorsed the line. Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said: <blockquote>&ldquo;We see this [Durand Line] as the internationally recognized boundary.&rdquo;</blockquote> More recently, in February 2024, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said: <blockquote>&ldquo;We support the territorial integrity of both Afghanistan and Pakistan within their internationally recognized borders.&rdquo;</blockquote> Today, the United Nations and all countries of the world, except Afghanistan, recognize the Durand Line as the internationally recognized border of Afghanistan and Pakistan in official maps and bilateral dealings.

Foreign Affairs

The 1988 Geneva Accords included an agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan that underscored mutual recognition of the Durand Line as the international border

The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan 

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday that China does not recognize the &ldquo;so-called &lsquo;Arunachal Pradesh&rsquo; illegally set up by India.&rdquo;&nbsp;He made the remarks at the ministry&rsquo;s regular press conference in Beijing. China&rsquo;s newly announced standardized names for places in Zangnan are &ldquo;fully within China&rsquo;s sovereign rights,&rdquo; he said, using the Chinese name for the region, adding that&nbsp;&ldquo;Zangnan region is China&rsquo;s territory.&rdquo; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2044256901417054517&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=59cf929660b953b1a57fd64f6b4703305659807c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 640px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The statement followed the publication by China&rsquo;s Ministry of Civil Affairs of a sixth batch of standardized names for places in Zangnan on April 10, according to Guo&rsquo;s remarks at the briefing. At the same press conference, Guo said China-India relations are &ldquo;generally stable at the moment,&rdquo; adding that&nbsp;China&rsquo;s commitment to improving and growing relations with India &ldquo;has not changed.&rdquo; India has rejected China&#39;s decision to assign new names to places in the region India calls Arunachal Pradesh. The foreign ministry statement was China&rsquo;s response to India&rsquo;s criticism. The English-language&nbsp;China Daily, in a report, quoted Guo as saying that both countries should &ldquo;move toward each other&rdquo; and take more steps conducive to bilateral relations. It reported that India said the move detracted from efforts to stabilize bilateral ties.

China

Asia

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun has said that China’s latest standardized place names in Zangnan are within its sovereign rights, and that Beijing rejects Indian occupation of Arunachal Pradesh.

China says it has never recognized Arunachal Pradesh as part of India

RAIPUR: The death toll from a boiler blast at a power plant in central India has risen to 19, a police officer said Wednesday, noting that 17 others were injured. The explosion occurred Tuesday at a facility operated by Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of London-listed Vedanta Resources, in Chhattisgarh state&#39;s Sakti district. &quot;The death toll in the power plant blast has reached 19 whereas 17 are undergoing treatment in various hospitals,&quot; district police chief Praful Thakur told AFP. The explosion likely occurred after a pipeline burst, spewing &quot;superheated steam&quot; onto people having lunch at the time, the Indian Express newspaper said. Indian-born billionaire Anil Agarwal, chairman of Vedanta Resources, said he was &quot;distressed by the extremely tragic accident&quot;. &quot;A high-level investigation into this incident has been initiated. We will leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of this matter,&quot; he said in a statement. Chhattisgarh state authorities have also launched a probe, with chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai vowing the &quot;strictest possible action&quot; against those found guilty. Industrial accidents are common in India, often due to poor adherence to safety regulations and weak enforcement. A fire at a fireworks factory in western India last month killed 17 people.

India

A boiler explosion at a Vedanta power plant in central India kills 19 people and injures 17, prompting investigations into the cause.

India power plant blast death toll climbs to 19: Police

ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has granted a license to Alibaba-backed Koko Tech Pakistan Pvt. Ltd. to operate a &quot;Buy Now Pay Later&quot; business in Pakistan. In a press release issued on Tuesday, the SECP said the development marked a significant step for Pakistan&rsquo;s digital financial ecosystem.&nbsp; Koko Tech is owned by Alibaba, making the move a notable entry by a major global technology company into Pakistan&rsquo;s fintech space. The regulator said Alibaba&rsquo;s move reflected growing international confidence in Pakistan&rsquo;s large consumer base, expanding digital economy and untapped financial services market.&nbsp; It added that Koko Tech was expected to introduce innovative, data-driven lending solutions in the Buy Now Pay Later segment by using advanced AI-driven credit assessment systems and globally tested digital infrastructure. According to the SECP, the company&rsquo;s entry would help expand access to consumer financing, particularly for young users, freelancers and small businesses that remain underserved by traditional banking channels.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2044020211641397593&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=59cf929660b953b1a57fd64f6b4703305659807c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The commission said the new license could also help support small and medium-sized enterprises, increase e-commerce activity and accelerate the shift toward a more inclusive, technology-led financial system. The SECP described the development as a direct inflow of foreign investment into Pakistan&rsquo;s financial sector.&nbsp; In the press release, SECP Chairman Dr Kabir Ahmed Sidhu said the entry of Alibaba Group would boost competition and innovation in Pakistan&rsquo;s fintech market.&nbsp; He added that Pakistan remains an attractive destination for international investment because of its large population, growing digital adoption and an improving regulatory framework. The licensing of KTPL comes as Pakistan seeks to deepen financial inclusion and broaden the use of digital financial services across the economy.&nbsp; Buy Now Pay Later services, which allow consumers to pay for purchases in installments, have expanded rapidly in many markets as an alternative form of short-term consumer credit, especially in online retail. The move is likely to be closely watched by Pakistan&rsquo;s banking, fintech and e-commerce sectors, as Alibaba&rsquo;s entry in the Buy Now Pay Later segment could intensify competition and spur further innovation in consumer lending and digital payments. Alibaba Group has a significant and growing presence in Pakistan. Its operations span e-commerce, digital payments, logistics, and cloud computing, including platforms such as Daraz and AliExpress.

Economy

Pakistan’s SECP grants a 'Buy Now Pay Later' license to Alibaba-backed Koko Tech Pakistan, signaling the growing confidence of foreign companies in its digital financial market.

Alibaba-backed firm granted Buy Now Pay Later license for Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has departed for Jeddah for an official visit to Saudi Arabia, kicking off a significant four-day official tour spanning Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkiye from April 15 to 18, according to an official statement.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 688px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2044273504418447435&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8826cd1edd93237dc0a2dec520b30130f6da51cf&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, the statement said, without sharing further details. The announcement comes shortly after Finance Minister Aurangzeb said that Saudi Arabia has committed an additional $3 billion in deposits to Pakistan, with disbursement expected within a week, providing timely support for the country&rsquo;s external financing needs.&nbsp;Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-finance-minister-outlines-macroeconomic-outlook-reform-progress-at-uspakistan-business-council-luncheon" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings 2026</a>, the finance minister said the Kingdom has also agreed to extend its existing $5 billion deposit for a longer period, moving away from the earlier annual rollover arrangement. During his visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the prime minister is expected to hold high-level meetings with the leadership of both countries to discuss bilateral cooperation as well as regional peace and security. In T&uuml;rkiye, the prime minister will participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, where he will join a leaders&rsquo; panel to present Pakistan&rsquo;s perspective on key global issues. On the sidelines of the forum, Sharif is also expected to meet Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other world leaders.Pakistan&rsquo;s participation in the forum reflects its commitment to constructive diplomacy, multilateral cooperation and engagement on global challenges. The prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, along with other senior officials.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Muhammad bin Salman on March 12, 2026, in Jeddah.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has departed for Jeddah for an official visit to Saudi Arabia, kicking off a significant four-day official tour spanning Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkiye from April 15 to 18.

Pakistan's PM begins three-nation visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said Tuesday that the country&#39;s leadership is not giving up on efforts to help the US and Iran negotiate.&nbsp; &quot;We would very much like to see if we can continue to pursue the dialogue,&quot; he said during an interview with the Associated Press on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. &quot;We&#39;ll keep at it, and our leadership is at it.&quot; Aurangzeb said&nbsp;the&nbsp;talks marked the first direct discussion between the two nations in nearly 50 years. The finance minister said he also met this week with US officials, including Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, to discuss trade and finance concerns. He plans to meet Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday. In a phone call with The New York Post, President Trump said Tuesday a second round of talks with Iran &quot;could be happening over the next two days,&quot; indicating that the venue could be Islamabad.

Muhammad Aurangzeb - (File Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Pakistan's Finance Minister says Pakistan will continue to push US-Iran dialogue as talks resume, and Donald Trump signals a possible second round soon.

Pakistan won't quit US-Iran mediation, says finance minister

BEIJING: Russia&#39;s foreign minister said that his country could make up for China&#39;s energy shortages as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is choked by the US-Israeli war with Iran, Russian state media reported Wednesday. &quot;Russia can, without a doubt, compensate for the shortfall in resources that has arisen&quot; for China and &quot;other countries that are interested in working with us&quot; Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference in Beijing, in response to a question about the Hormuz blockage. He also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China in the first half of the year, Moscow&#39;s TASS state news agency reported. Russia and China&#39;s close economic and political partnership has deepened since Moscow&#39;s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Lavrov, who began a two-day visit to Beijing on Tuesday and met President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, characterised the bilateral relationship as &quot;unshakable in the face of any storms&quot;, Russia&#39;s TASS and RIA Novosti news agencies reported. Ties between the countries &quot;play a stabilising role in world affairs&quot; and are &quot;becoming increasingly important... for the global majority that does not want problems or turbulence&quot;, he said. Lavrov&#39;s visit comes during the same week as a string of foreign leaders meet with Xi in the Chinese capital, including To Lam of Vietnam and Pedro Sanchez of Spain.

Sergei Lavrov says Russia can offset China’s energy shortfall amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, as Moscow and Beijing deepen strategic ties.

Russia can 'compensate' for China's resource gap from Iran war

Web Desk/AFP

WASHINGTON:&nbsp;Israel and Lebanon released a joint statement saying that they held &ldquo;productive discussions&rdquo; and agreed to launch direct negotiations as the two sides met in Washington, the United States said on Tuesday. &quot;The participants held productive discussions on steps toward launching direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon,&quot; State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement. &quot;All sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue,&quot; he said. The announcement came after Israeli and Lebanese envoys held more than two hours of talks mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. &quot;The United States congratulated the two countries on this historic milestone and expressed its support for further talks, and for the government of Lebanon&#39;s plans to restore the monopoly of force and to end Iran&#39;s overbearing influence,&quot; Pigott said. And it &quot;affirmed that any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached between the two governments, brokered by the United States, and not through any separate track,&quot; he added. Lebanon was pulled into the region-wide Iran war on March 2 after pro-Tehran Hezbollah attacked Israel. Since then, Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than one million, despite international calls for a ceasefire, and Israeli ground forces have invaded southern Lebanon.

Middle East

Israel and Lebanon agree to launch direct negotiations after “productive” talks in Washington mediated by Marco Rubio, marking a potential step toward de-escalation.

Israel, Lebanon agree to direct negotiations after 'productive' talks: US

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb said that Saudi Arabia has committed an additional $3 billion in deposits to Pakistan, with disbursement expected within a week, providing timely support for the country&rsquo;s external financing needs. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-finance-minister-outlines-macroeconomic-outlook-reform-progress-at-uspakistan-business-council-luncheon" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings 2026</a>, the finance minister said the Kingdom has also agreed to extend its existing $5 billion deposit for a longer period, moving away from the earlier annual rollover arrangement. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2044247340308148616&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=6cce7b9fd498f49855a1f8e1b89c9a140954b443&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Aurangzeb said the fresh inflows would help strengthen Pakistan&rsquo;s foreign exchange reserves and support its external account, as the government aims to build reserves to around $18 billion, equivalent to about 3.3 months of import cover, by the end of the current fiscal year. He said Pakistan remains committed to meeting all external obligations on time, noting that the recent repayment of a $1.4 billion Eurobond was completed smoothly. The minister said Pakistan&rsquo;s external financing plan is well-defined and being implemented in a disciplined manner under the IMF-supported program. He added that during his visit, he held detailed talks with Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan and senior Pakistani officials to finalize the support package. Aurangzeb expressed gratitude to the Saudi leadership, particularly Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for continued financial backing and close cooperation. He said Pakistan is receiving strong recognition from international financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, as well as global investors, for its economic reforms and diplomatic engagement. The minister added that Pakistan is advancing efforts to diversify funding sources through initiatives such as the Global Medium-Term Note program and a planned Panda Bond issuance. Aurangzeb reaffirmed the government&rsquo;s commitment to macroeconomic stability, continuity of reforms, and sustained engagement with bilateral and multilateral partners.

Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, alongside State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, met Saudi Finance Minister H.E. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan in Washington on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings 2026.

The finance minister said the Kingdom has also agreed to extend its existing $5 billion deposit for a longer period, moving away from the earlier annual rollover arrangement.

Saudi Arabia commits $3B in additional deposits for Pakistan: FM Aurangzeb

GAZA CITY: Gaza&#39;s civil defense agency said on Tuesday that a toddler was among 10 people killed in separate Israeli strikes in the northern part of the Palestinian territory. Violence continues despite a ceasefire in the Gaza war that came into effect on October 10, with both Israel and Hamas regularly accusing each other of violations. Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for the civil defense agency, said &quot;four people were killed, including a child and several others were injured... in a strike targeting a police vehicle&quot; in Gaza City. He identified the child as three-year-old Yahya al-Mallahi. Gaza City&#39;s Al-Shifa hospital confirmed receiving the bodies of the dead. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli army said it was looking into the details. In a statement, Gaza&#39;s interior ministry said Israeli warplanes had &quot;targeted a police vehicle&quot; in the city centre, &quot;causing several deaths and injuries.&quot; Bassal also said another person had been killed by Israeli fire in the northern Beit Lahia area earlier on Tuesday. The military said in a statement that its troops had identified an &quot;armed terrorist&quot; in the area of the so-called Yellow Line &mdash; behind which its forces have withdrawn &mdash; who approached their position. The army said he was killed in a strike, but it was unclear whether it referred to the same incident in Beit Lahia. AFP footage showed Palestinians gathering around the body of a man who was then placed on a stretcher and carried away to be buried through streets lined with rubble. Later on Tuesday evening, the civil defense agency reported that multiple people were killed in another strike near an intersection in the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. The Al-Shifa hospital confirmed receiving five bodies from &quot;an Israeli drone bombing with two missiles a group of citizens in front of warehouses for electricity generators&quot; in Al-Shati. The military did not offer an immediate response regarding the latest strike. The October ceasefire followed more than two years of war on Gaza. At least 757 have been killed in Gaza since the truce came into effect, according to the territory&#39;s health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations. The Israeli army says five of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza over the same period. Media restrictions and limited access in Gaza have prevented AFP from independently verifying casualty figures or freely covering the fighting.

Violence continues despite a ceasefire in the Gaza war that came into effect on October 10, with both sides accusing each other of violations; at least 757 have been killed in Gaza since the truce came into effect.

Gaza civil defense says toddler among 10 killed in Israeli strikes

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday briefed participants at a luncheon of the US-Pakistan Business Council on the country&#39;s macroeconomic outlook and reform progress. The finance minister departed for the United States to participate in the World Bank Group&ndash;IMF Spring Meetings 2026, to be held in Washington, from April 13 to 18, 2026. The minister met the United States Trade Representative on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings 2026 to discuss trade and investment cooperation. In a post on the Finance Ministry&rsquo;s X account, Finance Minister Aurangzeb interacted with representatives of US companies operating in Pakistan on the sidelines of the World Bank&ndash;IMF Spring Meetings 2026. Highlighting the approval of a staff-level agreement on the third review under Pakistan&rsquo;s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the second review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), the finance minister outlined the economic impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly in terms of energy procurement, pricing, and logistics. According to the statement, the finance minister elaborated on the &ldquo;government&rsquo;s policy response, including measures focused on supply chain stabilization, demand management, and the provision of fiscally-neutral targeted subsidies.&rdquo; He also highlighted emerging positive developments, including a &ldquo;significant surge in transshipment volumes through Karachi Port and record inflows under the Roshan Digital Account initiative.&rdquo; Underscoring the ongoing efforts to broaden the tax base, the finance minister talked about the &ldquo;particular focus&rdquo; the government has &ldquo;on bringing segments of the informal professional economy into the tax net through targeted Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) audits and sector-specific engagement.&rdquo; An interactive question-and-answer segment was held at the end of the discussion, reflecting strong interest from participants in Pakistan&rsquo;s economic trajectory and reform agenda.

Finance minister interacts with representatives of US companies operating in Pakistan on the sidelines of the World Bank–IMF Spring Meetings 2026.



Articles by Maryam Shah