The Pakistan

  The Pakistan Foreign Ministry has said that President Asif Ali Zardari will make an official visit to the UAE from January 26 to 29, 2026. According to a statement by the ministry, during the visit, high-level meetings will be held with UAE's leadership to "review the full spectrum of bilateral ties, especially in the domains of trade and economic partnership, defence and security, and people-to-people ties." This visit comes after a  recent trip  by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Islamabad in December 2025. During that visit, the President met with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the leaders discussed broadening cooperation with Pakistan — particularly in key development-focused sectors such as the economy, energy, investment, and technology. The Pakistan Foreign Ministry added that this latest visit reflects the deep brotherly ties between the two nations and reaffirms commitment to transforming the strong friendship between Pakistan an...

  The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, where they are placed in Group A and scheduled to face Netherlands in their opening game on 7 February in Colombo. The names were unveiled during a press conference addressed by the PCB Director High Performance and member men’s national selection committee Aqib Javed, Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha and white-ball head coach Michael James Hesson at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Sunday morning. Among the players, skipper Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan and Usman Tariq have received their maiden mega-event call-ups to the Pakistan squad. Meanwhile, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Usman Khan have played in at least one or more editions of the tournament since 2021.  In the 20-team tournament, each team is set to play four group...

  Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 spoke on the phone with H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi Qatar Minister of State. They discussed bilateral cooperation, key issues of mutual interest, and ongoing global & regional developments.

  Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be attending the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders (IGWEL) session on “Restoring a Spirit of Dialogue in a Divided World” on Wednesday (today) in Davos, according to a post on the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) X account. The premier is on a three-day visit to the Swiss town (from January 20-22), primarily to lead a high-level delegation from Pakistan, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, at the 56th Annual Session of the WEF. According to the PMO, he is also expected to meet International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva today. Moreover, he is also expected to meet “various world leaders on the sidelines of the WEF”, the PMO statement on X said. It added that the premier will also attend and address a “breakfast event”. The premier  arrived  in Davos on Tuesday. In a post on X, PM Shehbaz wrote that he was visiting Davos to advance Pakistan’s engagem...

  Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday departed here for Davos, Switzerland, to participate in the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) from January 20 to 22. The prime minister was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi, and other senior officials, the PM Office said. During his official visit, he will engage in important diplomatic and economic activities besides holding bilateral meetings with various heads of state and government, as well as leaders of international organisations. The prime minister’s programme, as per the Foreign Office, includes multiple substantive engagements, including participation in the WEF’s Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders (IGWEL)’ session on “Restoring a Spirit of Dialogue in a Divided World”. Articulating Pakista...

  ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force has deployed F-16 Block-52 fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia to take part in the multinational air combat exercise Spears of Victory-2026, marking a significant overseas deployment of its frontline combat jets, the military said on Monday. The exercise is being hosted at King Abdulaziz Air Base and includes participation from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, France, Italy, Greece, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, the United Kingdom and the United States, bringing together a wide range of advanced fighter aircraft and combat support elements. Such multinational drills are designed to test air forces in complex, high-intensity scenarios, including large force employment, night composite air operations, integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and operations in advanced electronic warfare environments. For Pakistan, participation provides exposure to contemporary combat doctrines and interoperability with leading Western and regional air forces. ...

  Religious leaders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa united to condemn terrorism, calling it un-Islamic and a threat to national harmony. The National Peace Message Committee held a press conference at the Governor House on January 14, 2026, highlighting KP’s status as the province most affected by terrorism. The committee emphasized unity with the state and armed forces and announced a nationwide Peace Message Day this Friday. The committee called Pakistan’s Peace Message the strongest national consensus after the constitution. Leaders stressed that terrorism has no connection to Islam and urged all religious schools to reject violence. They highlighted Afghanistan’s role in cross-border terrorism and demanded joint efforts to ensure regional peace. The press conference showcased broad religious consensus, with scholars from all sects denouncing extremism and declaring support for Pakistan’s armed forces. Mufti Abdul Raheem described backing enemies as worse than supporting the Kharijites an...

  Pakistan’s passport ranking has improved on the   Henley Index   in 2026, rising from 103 in 2025 to 98 this year, according to figures released on Thursday. According to the latest rankings, Pakistan’s travel document was placed 98th on the list, tied with Yemen. It ranked higher than Iraq (99), Syria (100) and Afghanistan (101). The ranking showed that Pakistan’s passport allows visa-free access to 31 countries, including visa-on-arrival (VOA). Singapore ranked the highest, with visa-free access to 192 countries, followed closely by Japan and South Korea with 188. Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland tied for the third spot with visa-free access to 186 countries. According to the Henley Index, Pakistani passport holders have free visa access to Barbados, Cook Islands, Dominica, Haiti, Micronesia, Montserrat, Rwanda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu. While a visa-on-arrival was available for Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde I...

  The Pakistan Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (PVARA) said in a statement that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SC Financial Technologies, a little-known company it described as an “affiliated entity” of World Liberty, would enable “dialogue and technical understanding around emerging digital payment architectures”. The announcement represents one of the first publicly announced tie-ups between World Liberty, a crypto-based finance platform launched in September 2024, and a sovereign state. It also comes amid a warming of ties between Pakistan and the United States. Under the agreement, SC Financial Technologies will work with Pakistan’s central bank to integrate its USD1 stablecoin into a regulated digital payments structure, allowing the token to operate alongside Pakistan’s own digital currency infrastructure, a source involved in the deal said. World Liberty CEO visits Pakistan The announcement of the memorandum came during a visit to Pakistan by Zach Witkoff, son o...

  H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Ports and Borders Security Council, today opened the 27th edition of Intersec, the world's leading exhibition for security, safety and fire protection. The event, being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, runs until 14 January. This year's edition brings together more than 1,200 exhibitors from over 60 countries and is expected to welcome over 50,000 visitors from around the world. Intersec 2026 features an extensive agenda of conferences and events with the participation of more than 250 experts and speakers, while the exhibition spans approximately 65,000 square metres, underlining the scale of international participation. H.H. Sheikh Mansoor was accompanied during his visit by Lieutenant General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Civil Defense; Dr. Abdulla Busenad, Director General of Dubai Customs; Lieutenant General Awad Hader Al Muhairi, Vice President of Dubai's Stat...