Blaze News - Pakistan

Pakistan, the European Union and the United Nations chief on Tuesday strongly condemned fatal attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon by Israel over the weekend. Three United Nations peacekeepers from Indonesia were killed in two separate incidents in southern Lebanon after a bloody weekend in which Lebanese journalists and medics ​were killed in Israeli strikes. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the killings. “My deepest condolences to the peacekeepers’ families, friends and colleagues and to Indonesia, and wishing a full and fast recovery to the injured peacekeeper,” he said on X. I strongly condemn Monday’s incident that led to the killing of two Indonesian @UNIFIL_ peacekeepers in South Lebanon. A third peacekeeper was severely injured & a fourth was also hurt. My deepest condolences to the peacekeepers’ families, friends & colleagues & to Indonesia,… — António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 31, 2026 Permanent representative of...

Lahore Qalandars imposed a Rs1 million fine on franchise captain Shaheen Shah Afridi on Monday for breaching security protocols. The decision followed allegations from the Punjab Police, which sent a letter to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Pakistan Super League chief, claiming that both Afridi and another player had forcefully brought unauthorised individuals into their hotel room. The police highlighted the need for stricter measures to prevent such incidents in the future. In a statement, Lahore Qalandars acknowledged the incident, which occurred on March 28, concerning "an alleged breach of security protocol involving our players". The franchise stated that it had promptly launched a comprehensive internal review to ascertain the facts and confirmed that the event was an isolated incident at the team hotel. However, the franchise emphasised that the situation had been overstated in public discourse and amplified beyond its actual context. "In the interest o...

The Kremlin said on Sunday that the US-Israeli aggression in the Middle East caused devastating consequences for the global economy, which will have a long-term impact. Speaking to Russian state news agency Tass, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We are now seeing extremely devastating consequences of this war for the global economy and for regional geopolitics. “These consequences will probably not be short-term; they will have a long-term effect.” Russia had not yet made a decision on joining the Board of Peace, established by US President Donald Trump, he said, adding that "the concept appears less relevant than before against the backdrop of US aggression in the Middle East." The Board of Peace was officially established in January, when 19 countries signed its charter in Davos. Initially, the structure was created to manage the Gaza Strip as part of agreements between Israel and Hamas, but Washington is actively promoting the idea of using the body to prevent a...

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday defended the recent statement by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s son, Kasim Khan, at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), describing it as a natural expression of concern for his father rather than a political act. Earlier this week, Kasim Khan had urged the UNHRC to intervene and press the Pakistani government for the immediate release of his father. He highlighted several alleged violations, including arbitrary detention, solitary confinement, denial of medical care, restricted family visits, and the trial of civilians in military courts, asserting that these actions contravened Pakistan’s obligations under the European Union’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP Plus) framework. In response, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused the PTI and Imran Khan’s family of acting against Pakistan’s national and economic interests, claiming that Kasim Khan’s statement undermined the country...

The Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday rejected remarks by the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson regarding Pakistan’s Shia community as “cynical and diversionary" that were intended to deflect from the neighbouring country's own human rights record on minorities. The statement followed comments by India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Andhir Jaiswal, during his weekly press briefing on Friday, about the Shia community and the army chief. In response, the FO issued a statement today saying: "Pakistan rejects India's remarks as cynical and diversionary-an exercise in deflection masquerading as concern. “India’s comments cannot mask its own record of the steady normalisation of discrimination and violence against Muslims, Christians, and other marginalised communities — from curbs on worship to mob vigilantism and the targeting of homes and livelihoods. These patterns are well documented." 🔊 PR No. 7️⃣8️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ Statement by the Spokesperson in R...

Gulf Arab states are telling the United States that any deal with Tehran should do more than end the war, and must permanently curb Iran's missile and drone capabilities and ensure global energy supplies are never again "weaponised", four Gulf sources said. US President Donald Trump has extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, or face the destruction of its energy plants. But the big question confronting Gulf policymakers is no longer how the Iran war ends, but what kind of regional order follows, the four Gulf sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. A ceasefire alone isn’t enough Gulf officials, whose countries have been repeatedly fired on by Tehran during the US-Israeli war on Iran, have told Washington in private meetings that the Islamic Republic has left them no diplomatic "off-ramp", the sources said. The officials want any deal to lock in enforceabl...