Blaze News - Pakistan

The US Embassy in Islamabad has suspended visa services from March 9 to 13 but says it will continue to provide routine and emergency services to US citizens as tensions rise in the Middle East. “All immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments are cancelled for March 9–13,” the embassy said in a statement on X, adding that visa applicants affected by the suspension would receive instructions by email on how to reschedule their appointments. The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad will continue to serve U.S. citizens requiring routine and emergency services. All immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments are cancelled for March 9-13. Visa applicants will receive instructions by email on rescheduling their appointments. All… pic.twitter.com/8ATavoIum5 — U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) March 8, 2026 “The US Embassy in Islamabad will continue to serve US citizens requiring routine and emergency services,” the statement said. Meanwhile, all consular services at the US Consulates General i...

Over nearly a decade leading the United Nations, I have seen our world repeatedly tested – by climate shocks, deepening poverty, violent conflict and shrinking civic space. But I have also watched many solutions take root, and they shared one common denominator: women. As the world marks International Women's Day, it is time to recognise that gender inequality is the greatest human rights challenge of our time – and advancing equality is one of the strongest drivers of sustainable development and peace. Here are eight actions, drawn from my own experience, to advance women's rights and deliver results. 1) Fix the Power Gap: Gender equality is a question of power. But male-dominated institutions still shape our world. A rising tide of authoritarianism is deepening these inequalities, rolling back hard-won protections – from fair work practices to reproductive rights – and entrenching racial and gender biases that hold women back. Gender equality lifts societies. When power is sh...

A classified report by the National Intelligence Council (NIC) has concluded that even a large-scale military assault on Iran by the United States would be unlikely to dislodge the Islamic republic’s entrenched military and clerical establishment, The Washington Post reported on Saturday. The assessment comes as the President Donald Trump administration signals the possibility of an extended military campaign, which officials have described as “only just begun”. Tensions in the Middle East surged last week after US and Israeli air strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several senior officials, sparking retaliatory attacks from Tehran and broadening the regional conflict. In response, Iran targeted US military bases across multiple Gulf countries, significantly escalating the confrontation. The findings, confirmed by three sources familiar with the report, raise questions about Trump’s stated plan to “clean out” Iran’s leadership and install a rule...

A microscopic view of the youth bulge will reveal its fractures. Whether it's a girl jumping from a hostel balcony, a candidate sobbing on the bench outside the classroom, a boy locking himself in before an exam, a bright student disappearing into silence or someone escaping reality with drugs — all of these point towards the most urgent question: are our young people well? Pakistan is one of the youngest countries in the world. Two-thirds of our population is under 30. Nearly 63 million are between 15 and 29. This generation will define Pakistan's economic productivity, political stability and social cohesion. But these statistics are plagued by the mental health crisis. Today's Pakistani student grows up in a climate of relentless pressure. Academic competition is brutal. University admissions are scarce. Scholarships are limited. Jobs are fewer still. Every year, millions enter a labour market that cannot absorb them. The World Bank estimates that over a third of those a...

The federal government dropped a fuel bomb on Friday night and increased the price of petrol and high-speed diesel by Rs55 per litre as the raging conflict in the Middle East grinds on and chokes supply lines. Regional tensions escalated sharply after air strikes by the United States and Israel last week killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, along with several senior officials. The strikes triggered retaliatory actions by Iran, widening the conflict across the region. In response, Iran launched attacks on US military bases in several Gulf countries, significantly expanding the confrontation. Iran has also closed the Strait of Hormuz, halting the movement of oil supplies to many countries. As a result, crude oil prices were set on Friday for their strongest weekly gain since the extreme volatility seen during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, with shipping and energy exports through the key waterway disrupted. Amid the unfolding crisis, Pakistan is also facing pressu...

The US-Israel attacks on Iran, including the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei, has triggered a regional crisis whose shockwaves are already being felt from the Gulf to South Asia. For Pakistan, the timing could hardly be worse. Islamabad is simultaneously engaged in a growing conflict with Afghanistan which has been described as "open war", while already struggling with persistent militancy and economic fragility. The Iran crisis multiplies Pakistan's security and economic stresses. Iranian retaliation across the region, including missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US military facilities, has heightened fears of a prolonged confrontation that will destabilise energy markets. Pakistan remains heavily dependent on imported oil and liquefied natural gas, leaving its fragile economy particularly vulnerable to price shocks and supply disruptions. A sustained regional conflict would therefore translate quickly into fiscal strain and increased economic strain. The secta...