Malik Waqar Ahmed

ISLAMABAD: More than 30 presidents of women&#39;s chambers of commerce gathered in the capital for a two-day conference aimed at expanding opportunities for women&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-offers-major-investment-opportunities-for-us-entrepreneurs-ambassador-says" target="_blank" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" rel="noopener noreferrer">entrepreneurs</a>&nbsp;across Pakistan. The 4th All Pakistan Women Chambers Presidents International Conference centered on capacity building, financial inclusion, and market access for women-led enterprises. It was organized by the Islamabad Women&#39;s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan inaugurated the event, stating that women are <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistans-powerhouses-the-women-who-owned-2025" target="_blank" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" rel="noopener noreferrer">reshaping Pakistan</a>&#39;s economy by entering new sectors, creating jobs, and strengthening household incomes. &quot;Women-led enterprises are no longer confined to micro or informal activities,&quot; the special assistant said. &ldquo;They are increasingly visible in manufacturing, services, information technology, agribusiness, and exports.&rdquo; Haroon Khan mentioned that this shift is altering market dynamics and how families cope with inflation, rising energy costs, and slow growth. He observed a clear move from survival-based businesses to growth-oriented firms led by educated women utilizing digital platforms and formal banking channels. The special assistant highlighted that official data indicate increased women&#39;s participation in small and medium enterprises over the past decade. However, policy gaps and limited access to finance still restrict scaling and productivity. He emphasized unlocking women&#39;s potential as essential for maintaining economic growth under fiscal pressure. Women entrepreneurs are helping diversify exports through value-added products in textiles, food processing, and digital services, reducing dependency on a few commodities and bolstering foreign exchange earnings. Haroon Khan pointed to recent initiatives aimed at easing business registration, expanding credit guarantees, and connecting women-owned firms to public procurement. He noted that firms led by women tend to be more resilient during economic shocks. He also acknowledged that despite policy announcements, access to affordable credit remains limited. Chamber representatives reported that high interest rates, collateral requirements, and delays in bank approvals continue to exclude many capable businesses. The Vice President of the Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rabia Farhan, mentioned that the country&rsquo;s central bank&#39;s loan programs are currently paused. Previously, a special women&#39;s grant with only a 5% markup was available. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/565084e1-6c1e-4bfd-86ab-7f2912791d7e-80463ddd-6664-419d-a8c0-8e715ce96a4d.jpg" alt="80463ddd-6664-419d-a8c0-8e715ce96a4d.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">A participant speaking at the 4th All Pakistan Women Chambers Presidents International Conference held in Islamabad, January 19, 2026.</figcaption> Meanwhile, Naima Ansari, Senior Vice President of the Pakistan-Azerbaijan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the Islamabad location offers direct access to government agencies and regulatory bodies, facilitating networking opportunities. Shabista Bakhtiyar, President of the Women&rsquo;s Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Karachi, discussed the importance of safe workplaces and increased participation in policy-making. &quot;Women need comfortable, safe, and healthy environments,&quot; Bakhtiyar said. &quot;They require spaces where they can work freely and be more deeply involved in policy-making.&quot; Other speakers included Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce &amp; Industry Founder President Samina Fazil, Azerbaijan Ambassador Khazar Farhadov, Securities and Exchange Commission Commissioner Muzaffar Mirza, Deputy Director DGTO Pir Shah Gul, and Secretary General of UBG Zafar Bakhtawri.

Economy

More than 30 women chambers presidents met in Islamabad to discuss capacity building, financial inclusion and market access, highlighting women-led enterprises’ growing role in Pakistan’s economy amid economic challenges nationwide.

Women entrepreneurs target exports and tech at Islamabad summit

ISLAMABAD: The aroma of freshly cooked chicken and rice drifts through a parking lot as a brightly colored van pulls up near PIMS Hospital. Within minutes, a line forms, delivery riders still wearing helmets, security guards on lunch breaks, day laborers with dust clinging to their clothes.&nbsp;They are not waiting for charity. They are customers at Islamabad&rsquo;s most unusual restaurant: The Food ATM.&nbsp;For just Rs100 [$0.36], barely enough to buy a cup of tea elsewhere, they receive steaming plates of home-cooked meals that would cost three times as much at a street vendor. But this mobile kitchen serves something more valuable than food: self-respect.&nbsp;&ldquo;We charge a minimum price so no one&rsquo;s dignity is compromised,&rdquo; Tehreem Zakia, the young woman who founded Food ATM, told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;We want to eradicate the dependency culture in Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;In a country where many families face economic challenges, the model offers a positive alternative, providing affordable meals while encouraging self-reliance and preserving dignity by turning beneficiaries into valued patrons.&nbsp;Saddam Hussain, a delivery rider who stops by regularly, still marvels at the value.&nbsp;&ldquo;You get nothing for Rs100 these days,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A normal meal costs Rs330 to Rs350 now. But this, excellent food for Rs100.&rdquo;&nbsp;The menu rotates daily, pushing back against the monotony of poverty. Fridays bring chicken rice with dessert, while Mondays feature bread and curry. Each day offers a small surprise, a modest luxury for people accustomed to skipping meals.&nbsp;Behind the counter, young women work swiftly, serving portions with easy smiles. University student Hoorain Mariam joined as a volunteer on her first day, inspired by watching senior students lead the effort.&nbsp;&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very passionate about working with them and serving humanity,&rdquo; she said, her eyes bright with purpose.&nbsp;The van follows a daily route through Islamabad, PIMS Hospital, the Blue Area, and neighborhoods where working people gather. Since its launch, Food ATM has served more than 49,000 meals, powered entirely by student volunteers and small donations.&nbsp;Operating in memory of Rakhshanda Memorial, these young women are doing more than feeding the hungry. They are quietly rewriting the rules of charity, proving that dignity matters as much as sustenance.&nbsp;As Hussain finishes his meal and returns to his motorcycle, he waves. Tomorrow, he will be back, not as a beggar, but as a customer.

Culture

Young women in Islamabad combat poverty with dignity, serving affordable Rs100 meals that transform charity into empowerment, restoring self-respect for thousands of working people daily.

Meals on wheels: Mobile kitchen feeds thousands for Rs100 a meal   

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s senior policymakers and business leaders underscored macroeconomic stability, reform momentum, and investment-focused governance at the Pakistan Policy Dialogue in Islamabad, positioning the forum as a signal of renewed economic confidence for international investors.&nbsp;Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan had achieved macroeconomic stabilization and now needed growth led by the private sector.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are not talking about any other country,&rdquo; Dar said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re talking about Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Macroeconomic stability in the country,&rdquo; the deputy PM said, citing lower interest rates, improved export financing and rising foreign exchange reserves.&nbsp;He added that while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program are &ldquo;generally anti-growth,&rdquo; the government&rsquo;s focus is now on sustaining stability and unlocking growth potential.&nbsp;The dialogue brought together federal ministers, economic advisers, corporate leaders and development experts to discuss reforms spanning exports, digital infrastructure, climate resilience and institutional strengthening.&nbsp;Khurram Schehzad, adviser to the finance minister, said the dominant sentiment at the forum was confidence tempered with realism.&nbsp;&ldquo;Everyone is confident, everyone is positive, and of course, at the same time, critical as well,&rdquo; Schehzad said, pointing to recent macroeconomic gains and reforms as key takeaways, talking to Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;Digital infrastructure and investor accessibility featured prominently in the discussions.&nbsp;Mujeeb Zahoor, managing director at S&amp;P Global, said sustained investment in connectivity and enabling policy frameworks was critical to attract global capital.&nbsp;He emphasized the need for regulations that allow institutional investors and private markets to participate more effectively in Pakistan&rsquo;s economy.&nbsp;Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said inclusive growth required a sharper focus on human capital, particularly youth and women.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have to empower our youth and women, the drivers of economic growth,&rdquo; Iqbal said, noting Pakistan&rsquo;s young demographic profile and low female workforce participation, talking to Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;Participants said the Dialogue reflected a broader effort to project policy continuity and reform discipline at a time when Pakistan is seeking long-term investment, export-led growth and resilience against economic and climate shocks.

Pakistan’s policymakers and business leaders highlighted macroeconomic stability, ongoing reforms and investment-led growth at the Islamabad Policy Dialogue, projecting renewed confidence, policy continuity and reform discipline to international investors

Pakistan leaders highlight stability, reforms at Islamabad policy dialogue

RAWALPINDI: For months, she told her family she was visiting a friend. Instead, she was slipping into a classroom, learning how to design logos for strangers thousands of miles away. The secret held until the day she earned her first $80.&nbsp;She showed the payment to her father.&nbsp;&ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t say anything at first,&rdquo; recalls the academy&rsquo;s founder, who watched the moment unfold. &ldquo;Then his expression changed. He gave permission. After that, he started telling the neighbors himself.&rdquo;&nbsp;That single transaction did what months of arguments could not.&nbsp;She isn&rsquo;t alone.&nbsp;When 28-year-old Haal-e-Noor arrives at the small skills center in densely populated Rawalpindi, after sunset, she is already exhausted. Tucked inside a crowded neighborhood of narrow streets and concrete homes, her day has been split between an eight-hour job and household responsibilities. Her feet ache. Her hands are sore. Still, she sits down in front of a computer, eyes locked onto the screen, carefully adjusting the colors of a logo.&nbsp;&ldquo;This course of mine is almost three months long. I&rsquo;ve completed half of it and there&rsquo;s a little time left,&rdquo; she tells Pakistan TV Digital, barely looking away. &ldquo;I chose graphic designing because I want to earn from home in the future. In my opinion, the international freelancing market is a huge source of income.&rdquo;<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/665e4240-bc44-46ae-a013-34a778fbd8fa-1228f304-e2c9-4801-916e-0ca5cfff7f12.jpg" alt="1228f304-e2c9-4801-916e-0ca5cfff7f12.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Haal-e-Noor works on a design project during her evening class in Rawalpindi.</figcaption></figure> For Noor, this is not simply about mastering software. It is about autonomy. About earning her own money, making her own choices, and proving, to herself as much as to others, that her life does not have to be limited by expectation.&nbsp;She is one of hundreds of women enrolled at this tuition-free academy, where quiet transformations take place every evening. Some students arrive straight from college. Others rush in after work.A few are young mothers who study while their children sleep in the next room.&nbsp;In just two years, more than 600 women have passed through these classrooms. 60% are now earning on international freelancing platforms, designing logos for clients in New York, managing social media pages for businesses in London, and building websites for startups in Dubai.&nbsp;Yet the hardest lessons have little to do with design.&nbsp;&ldquo;Encouraging girls toward freelancing is the most difficult part,&rdquo; says Areeba Sajjad, the instructor who founded the academy. &ldquo;Sometimes husbands don&rsquo;t allow it. Sometimes parents say, &lsquo;Why does she need this? She&rsquo;ll get married anyway.&rsquo; We face these barriers every day.&rdquo;&nbsp;She pauses, then adds quietly, &ldquo;But we keep trying. We keep explaining.&rdquo;&nbsp;The story of the girl who studied in secret is one Areeba knows well. Months of hidden classes. One completed logo. Eighty dollars. And a father who suddenly saw possibility where he once saw risk.&nbsp;&ldquo;Our institute&rsquo;s goal is to make women self-reliant,&rdquo; Areeba says. &ldquo;Our entire staff is female. Many girls who learn here are earning well now. Most come from middle-class families. They are educated but have no opportunities. We want them to earn, to stand on their own feet, and to play a role in Pakistan&rsquo;s progress.&rdquo;&nbsp;The impact reaches far beyond individual lives. In the last fiscal year, Pakistani freelancers generated $400 million in foreign exchange earnings. Women are claiming an increasingly visible share of that digital economy, often from bedrooms, kitchens, and borrowed desks.&nbsp;From this modest classroom on the outskirts of Pakistani capital, Noor and women like her are quietly challenging deeply held assumptions about women&rsquo;s roles and worth. They are connecting to a global marketplace that does not ask permission, only skill.&nbsp;As Noor saves her work and shuts down the computer for the night, she is already thinking about the next class. The obstacles remain real, and the journey is far from over. But for the first time, the future feels like something she is building herself, pixel by pixel, decision by decision.

In crowded Rawalpindi, women like Haal-e-Noor gain digital skills, earning global incomes while challenging social barriers, reshaping futures through freelancing, determination, and quiet resilience.

Pakistani women quietly reshape futures through screens, skills, and stubborn hope

ISLAMABAD: Volunteers drive through Islamabad after dark, their cars packed with blankets and quilts, searching for workers who will spend another night sleeping on the streets. At intersections in sectors G-9, G-10, G-11, and G-13, thousands of daily wage workers gather each day. Most travel from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Punjab to seek work in the capital. They wait. Sometimes contractors arrive with job offers. Sometimes they don&#39;t. When night falls, and no work has come, the workers have nowhere to go. They spread out across footpaths and open grounds as temperatures drop, settling in for another freezing winter night. That&#39;s when Act of Kindness arrives.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/3602a02f-c215-4e3d-b1a3-dc54c9ecdf20-pic 1.jpg" alt="winter warmth" class="fr-fil fr-dib"></figure> For a decade, the volunteer organization has worked to bring relief to Islamabad&#39;s most vulnerable workers. Founder Atiq Afridi built the group on a simple premise: crowdfunding through social media to purchase blankets, pillows, and comforters, then sending teams of students and young professionals into the streets to deliver them directly. &quot;We&#39;ve been doing this for 10 years now,&quot; Afridi said. &quot;Our friends on social media contribute, then their friends join in, our teachers support us, their relatives participate &mdash; everyone becomes part of this chain of giving.&quot;<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/f37ce50a-26ad-4624-a50c-48d744f677d3-pic 2.jpg" alt="Act of Kindness" class="fr-fil fr-dib"></figure>The chain has grown. What started as winter relief has expanded into medical camps, blood donation drives, and meal distribution programs. The organization now helps people start small businesses and operates teams in multiple cities across Pakistan. &quot;We have teams in different cities now,&quot; Afridi said. &quot;This isn&#39;t charity &mdash; it&#39;s community. It&#39;s about recognizing that the people who build our cities deserve our support.&quot; Each night, the volunteers finish distributing supplies, and workers across Islamabad settle down with new blankets against the cold. And each morning, they return to the same intersections, waiting again for work.

Volunteers use social media crowdfunding to deliver blankets and supplies nightly to thousands of laborers sleeping rough across Islamabad.

Volunteers bring winter relief to Islamabad's daily wage workers

ISLAMABAD: As dusk settles over the outskirts of Pakistan&rsquo;s capital, the narrow lanes of a low-income settlement come alive with an unusual sight. Children, many still in the clothes they wore while sorting garbage or helping their parents at construction sites, file quietly into a small neighborhood mosque.&nbsp;They leave behind the clatter of donkey carts and the metallic rustle of scrap yards, stepping into a space where the scent of incense mingles with the soft murmur of lessons.&nbsp;Inside, the prayer hall doubles as a classroom. Woven mats become desks. Chalkboards lean against marble pillars. And the mosque, a place of devotion for generations, has become something else entirely: a refuge for children denied a place in Pakistan&rsquo;s formal education system.&nbsp;These students belong to the margins of Pakistani society, overage children, daily wage earners, and garbage collectors whose families cannot navigate the bureaucracy or costs of mainstream schooling. The national picture is stark: 26.2 million out-of-school children, according to government data, giving Pakistan one of the world&rsquo;s highest rates.&nbsp;Against that backdrop, the work of this community-run initiative stands out.&nbsp;&ldquo;We go door to door and tell parents about the importance of education,&rdquo; said Farzana Naveed, a volunteer teacher, speaking to Pakistan TV Digital on Friday. &ldquo;These kids are 8 to 12 years old. I complete their primary education in 2.5 years.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Our organization provides everything. Books, notebooks, pens.&rdquo;&nbsp;Her voice carries across the hall as she guides children through beginner English sentences. Some grip their pencils as if they are tools more unfamiliar than the metal hooks or sorting baskets they use at work.&nbsp;While many mosques across Pakistan host traditional madrasas focused on religious learning, this initiative offers an entirely secular curriculum. Science, mathematics, social studies, and English are taught in an accelerated format designed to prepare students for placement in regular schools.&nbsp;Attendance is remarkably high: 75&ndash;80 children arrive each day, often after finishing morning shifts.&nbsp;The setting may be unconventional for international readers, but its logic is rooted in local realities. Mosques are familiar, trusted, and free, eliminating the barriers that keep impoverished families from sending their children to school buildings they cannot afford to reach.&nbsp;Among the students is Hamza Khan, who spends early mornings picking through waste to supplement his family&rsquo;s income.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/89764863-06e4-4c57-8c7b-e3f771b0d175-WhatsApp Image 2025-12-06 at 20.22.21.jpeg" alt="Hamza-Mosque-School-PTV-Digital" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Hamza, 10, studies inside an improvised classroom in a local mosque in Islamabad on December 5, 2025. (Pakistan TV Digital)</figcaption></figure>&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t afford school before,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Now I collect garbage with my father in the morning, then come to school. So I can study and become an officer one day.&rdquo;&nbsp;His aspiration encapsulates a broader struggle in Pakistan, where 3.3 million children between the ages of 5 and 16 are engaged in child labor, including waste picking, brickmaking, and domestic work.&nbsp;For many, education is not simply a dream; it is a distant luxury.The initiative is run by the Junior Jinnah Trust, whose director, Muhammad Al Khyaam, believes this model can chip away at structural poverty.&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;re breaking the generational poverty cycle by educating children doing child labor,&rdquo; Khyaam said. &ldquo;We open mosque schools within their communities to eliminate access barriers.&rdquo;&nbsp;By reimagining existing community spaces, the model sidesteps the costs and complexities of building formal schools. It also leverages the cultural role of the mosque as a trusted communal anchor, something particularly potent in under-resourced neighborhoods.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s literacy rate stands at about 60.6%, a statistic that reflects decades of inequality and underinvestment. Yet inside this small mosque classroom, the atmosphere feels almost defiant.&nbsp;Children sit cross-legged under ornate calligraphy inscriptions, sounding out multiplication tables and practicing handwriting. Between their morning labor and their evening lessons lies a fragile but profound shift: the realization that they are allowed to dream.&nbsp;They are not only learning to read or count. They are learning to imagine.&nbsp;In this transformed prayer hall, where devotion has expanded into inclusion, education is more than instruction, it is liberation. And for the working children who gather here each day, it is the first step toward futures once written off by circumstance.

Education

A local mosque in Pakistan’s capital has been transformed into a free school, giving working and out-of-school children access to education, breaking cycles of poverty, and fostering hope for their futures.

In Islamabad, mosque school gives working children hope through education

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises have locked in their retained players and released several big names ahead of the league&rsquo;s first-ever players&rsquo; auction, scheduled for February 11, marking a major shift in how squads are built.<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-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 922px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2018771511897911472&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2F&sessionId=2c33c371487d07e8c8e629e0532d2a728993df1e&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2018771511897911472"></iframe></div></div>Under the revised rules for PSL 11, teams were allowed to retain only four players, compared to up to eight in previous seasons, forcing franchises to make tough calls and release several established stars into the auction pool. Entering the auction pool is a high-risk, high-reward situation for players. While strong demand can lead to higher prices, shifting team needs and limited budgets can result in a player going unsold.&nbsp;Lahore Qalandars, the defending champions, retained skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi (Platinum), Abdullah Shafique (Diamond), Sikandar Raza (Gold), and Mohammad Naeem (Silver). Big names such as Fakhar Zaman and Haris Rauf were released and will be available in the auction.&nbsp;Peshawar Zalmi held on to their core by retaining captain Babar Azam (Platinum), spinner Sufiyan Muqeem (Diamond), Abdul Samad (Gold), and young pacer Ali Raza (Emerging). Players like Mohammad Haris, Hussain Talat, and Saim Ayub were released.&nbsp;Quetta Gladiators opted for a balanced mix, keeping Abrar Ahmed (Platinum), Usman Tariq (Diamond), Hassan Nawaz (Gold), and Shamyl Hussain (Emerging). Notably, experienced campaigners Mohammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, and Saud Shakeel, the skipper in PSL 10, were released.&nbsp;Karachi Kings retained Hasan Ali (Platinum), Abbas Afridi (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold), and wicketkeeper Saad Baig (Emerging). Former captain Shan Masood, star bowler Mir Hamza, and overseas star David Warner were among the high-profile names heading to the auction.&nbsp;Islamabad United kept captain Shadab Khan (Platinum), pacer Salman Irshad (Gold), and USA batter Andries Gous (Silver). Senior players, including Naseem Shah, Imad Wasim, and Mohammad Nawaz, were released.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pcb-invites-bids-for-multan-sultans-franchise-ahead-of-psl-11" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Multan Sultans</a>&nbsp;took the boldest route, opting for zero retentions. As a result, marquee players such as Mohammad Rizwan, Usama Mir, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Mohammad Hasnain will all enter the auction, with the franchise heading in with a full purse of $1.6 million.&nbsp;PSL 11 auction The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/psl-governing-council-approves-sweeping-player-auction-model-for-season-11" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">PSL&rsquo;s first-ever auction</a>&nbsp;will be held on February 11 and comes ahead of a historic expansion of the league from six to eight teams. Hyderabad and Sialkot Stallionz will make their debut in PSL 11.<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-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 947px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2015403911864303842&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2F&sessionId=2c33c371487d07e8c8e629e0532d2a728993df1e&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2015403911864303842"></iframe></div></div>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/psl-auction-hyderabad-franchise-sells-for-a-record-61-million" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hyderabad franchise</a>&nbsp;was acquired by Fawad Sarwar for approximately $6.25 million, while Hamza Majeed secured ownership of Sialkot Stallionz with a winning bid of around $6.6 million.&nbsp;The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League is set to begin on March 26 and will run until May 3, with the auction expected to reshape team combinations ahead of the expanded season.

Haris Rauf celebrates after taking Babar Azam's wicket in a PSL 10 encounter.

Cricket

Entering the auction pool is a high-risk, high-reward situation for players. While strong demand can lead to higher prices, shifting team needs and limited budgets can result in a player going unsold. 

Big retentions, high-profile releases ahead of PSL 11 auction

ISLAMABAD: Indian External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Tuesday, with both sides highlighting efforts to deepen India-US strategic cooperation.&nbsp;According to the US State Department, Rubio and Jaishankar discussed formalizing bilateral cooperation on critical minerals, including exploration, mining, and processing.&nbsp;The State Department readout said the two leaders welcomed the trade deal reached between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stressing that closer economic ties could unlock new opportunities and strengthen shared energy security goals.&nbsp;Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad, emphasizing that a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region remains vital to advancing shared interests.&nbsp;In a post on social media platform X, Jaishankar said the meeting involved a wide-ranging exchange covering bilateral cooperation as well as regional and global issues.<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: 815px; 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=2018811808220582060&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2F&sessionId=2c33c371487d07e8c8e629e0532d2a728993df1e&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>He said discussions on the India-US strategic partnership included trade, energy, nuclear cooperation, defense, critical minerals, and technology.&nbsp;&nbsp;He also said both sides agreed on holding early meetings of various bilateral mechanisms to advance shared objectives.&nbsp;The talks were held against the backdrop of a recently finalized bilateral trade deal between India and the United States, which has drawn attention across the region. US President Donald Trump on Monday said he had agreed&nbsp;to a trade deal with India that would slash US tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50% in exchange for India lowering trade barriers, stopping its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/russia-says-india-has-not-said-it-will-halt-oil-purchases" target="_blank">purchases of Russian oil</a>, and buying oil instead from the US and potentially from&nbsp;Venezuela.&nbsp;Following that, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on his X account, thanked the US president for the &ldquo;wonderful announcement&rdquo;, saying that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/modi-wants-to-please-me-trump" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">&ldquo;President Trump&rsquo;s leadership</a>&nbsp;is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace.&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" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" 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=2018377090840830101&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2F&sessionId=2c33c371487d07e8c8e629e0532d2a728993df1e&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;He added: &ldquo;I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights.&rdquo; Russia, on the other hand, said it has not received any indication from India that it would stop buying Russian oil following the announcement of a trade deal with US President Donald Trump.

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on February 3, 2026. (Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar)

India

US State Department says both leaders discussed formalizing bilateral cooperation on critical minerals, including exploration, mining, and processing.

Jaishankar, Rubio discuss critical minerals, strategic partnership in Washington

KYIV: Russia launched the &quot;most powerful&quot; attack this year on Ukraine&#39;s battered energy facilities overnight, Kyiv said on Tuesday, leaving hundreds of thousands without heating in frigid temperatures ahead of talks to end the four-year <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/russian-strikes-in-ukraine-kill-12-target-passenger-train" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">war</a>. Russia&#39;s strikes hit as temperatures dropped to their lowest since the start of the war in February 2022, killing two teenagers in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia and damaging a&nbsp;Soviet-era&nbsp;World War II monument. The attack came a day before Ukrainian and Russian negotiators were due to meet for a second round of US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi. &quot;Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorize people is more important to Russia than turning to diplomacy,&quot; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, denouncing the attack. He said Russia had &quot;once again disregarded the efforts of the American side.&quot; US President Donald Trump urged Vladimir Putin to &quot;end the war,&quot; adding that he &quot;would like&quot; his Russian counterpart to extend a brief halt in attacks due to the frigid temperatures. NATO chief Mark Rutte, who visited Kyiv on Tuesday, said &quot;Russian attacks like those last night do not signal seriousness about peace.&quot; An air alert blared out across Kyiv during Rutte&#39;s visit. AFP journalists heard explosions across the capital overnight, and residents in hundreds of buildings woke to find their heating cut off as temperatures dipped toward minus 20 Celsius. More than 1,100 residential buildings remained without heat as of late Tuesday, Restoration Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said. Some residents gathered around a damaged building, stepping over creaking debris and a thick layer of ice coating the ground. &quot;Our windows are broken, and we have no heating,&quot; Anastasia Grytsenko told AFP. &quot;We don&#39;t know what to do.&quot; Russia&#39;s defense ministry confirmed it had launched &quot;a massive strike&quot; against &quot;Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises and energy facilities.&quot; The Kremlin had last week said it agreed to a US request not to strike Kyiv for seven days, ending Sunday. Ukraine had not reported large-scale Russian attacks on the capital last week, while denouncing continued attacks in other parts of the country. &quot;Several types of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, were used to strike high-rise buildings and thermal power plants,&quot; Energy Minister Denys Shmygal said. &quot;Hundreds of thousands of families, including children, were deliberately left without heat in the harshest winter frosts,&quot; he added. Tuesday&#39;s strike on energy facilities was &quot;the most powerful&quot; since the start of 2026, Ukraine&#39;s largest private energy provider confirmed. Ukraine&#39;s air force said Russia had attacked with 71 missiles and 450 attack drones. Six people were wounded in the capital, officials said. A drone strike on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia also killed two teenagers and wounded at least 11 people, officials said. &#39;Symbolic and cynical&#39;&nbsp;The base of Kyiv&#39;s towering Soviet-era Motherland statue was damaged. &quot;It is both symbolic and cynical: the aggressor state strikes at a place of remembrance of the struggle against aggression in the 20th century, repeating its crimes in the 21st century,&quot; Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna wrote on social media. Recent Russian strikes have repeatedly cut power and heating to tens of thousands of homes. Strikes also hit Ukraine&#39;s second-largest city, Kharkiv, temporarily cutting heating to around 100,000 subscribers. Authorities had to cut heating to more than 800 homes to prevent the wider network from freezing, the regional governor said. Overnight temperatures had plunged to minus 19 Celsius in Kyiv and minus 23 Celsius in Kharkiv. US pushes for deal&nbsp;Russian occupation authorities in southern Ukraine said Ukrainian shelling had killed three people in the town of Nova Kakhovka. Kremlin-installed authorities said the shelling hit a municipal building and a fruit shop. &quot;There are dead: three people, including an employee of the administration,&quot; said Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-backed head of the Russian-controlled part of the Kherson region. Nova Kakhovka fell to Russian forces in the first days of their 2022 invasion. The United States has sought to craft a settlement between the two sides, but a first round of <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/first-round-of-usrussiaukraine-talks-ends-in-abu-dhabi" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">trilateral</a> talks held in Abu Dhabi last month failed to yield a breakthrough. A second round is due to <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/kremlin-confirms-ukraine-war-talks-this-week-in-abu-dhabi" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">begin</a> on Wednesday in the Emirati capital, and is expected to focus on the crucial issue of territory. Russia has demanded Kyiv withdraw from the Donetsk region and has repeatedly said it is ready to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine by force if diplomacy fails.

Europe

The US has sought to craft a settlement between the two sides, but a first round of trilateral talks failed to yield a breakthrough. A second round is due to begin on Wednesday in the Emirati capital.

Russia resumes large-scale Ukraine strikes in freezing weather

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday condemned the &ldquo;heinous and cowardly&rdquo; coordinated <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/balochistan-cm-vows-wont-surrender-even-an-inch-after-coordinated-attacks" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">terrorist attacks</a>&nbsp;in Pakistan&rsquo;s Balochistan province.&nbsp; Pakistan has faced a renewed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-reaffirms-resolve-after-security-forces-kill-108-indianbacked-terrorists" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">surge</a> in militant violence in recent years, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, following the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan&rsquo;s (TTP) decision to end its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.&nbsp; Last week&rsquo;s coordinated assaults, claimed by Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), left 17 security personnel martyred and 31 civilians dead.&nbsp; Consequently, Pakistani security forces, in counter terrorism operations, eliminated 177 terrorists, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told the National Assembly. In a press statement issued today by Council President James Kariuki, the members of the UNSC expressed their &ldquo;deepest sympathy and condolences,&rdquo; wishing a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured. &ldquo;The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,&rdquo; the statement shared by Pakistan&rsquo;s permanent mission to the UN said. The members underline the need &ldquo;to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable,&rdquo; bringing them to justice. They also urged all states to cooperate actively with the Pakistani government.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever, and by whomsoever committed,&rdquo; the statement said, reaffirming the need for all to combat threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. Several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, etc., have separately <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/condemnations-pour-in-for-pakistan-as-security-forces-kill-another-22-indianbacked-militants" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">condemned</a> the attacks, expressing solidarity with Pakistan. BLA is listed as a terrorist organization by Pakistan, China, Iran, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.

Security

Foreign Affairs

Security Council members underline need “to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable,” and to bring them to justice. 

Balochistan attacks: UNSC condemns ‘heinous, cowardly’ terrorists

TRIPOLI: Seif al-Islam Kadhafi, the son of Libya&#39;s late longtime ruler, was killed Tuesday by gunmen who stormed his home in western Libya&#39;s Zintan, his French lawyer Marcel Ceccaldi told AFP. &quot;He was killed today at 2 pm (1200 GMT)... in Zintan in his home by a four-man commando,&quot; Ceccaldi said. Seif al-Islam, 53, had been seen by some as his father&#39;s successor, despite being targeted by a warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity. In 2021 he announced he would run for president, but those elections were indefinitely postponed. His adviser, Abdullah Othman Abdurrahim, told Libya&#39;s Al-Ahrar television channel that the four unidentified men had stormed the home before &quot;disabling surveillance cameras, then executed him.&quot; It remained unclear who was behind the killing. Ceccaldi said that a close associate of Seif al-Islam had told him days ago &quot;that there were problems with his security.&quot; &quot;So much so that the head of the (Kadhafi&#39;s) tribe had called Seif and told him, &#39;I will send you people to ensure your security&#39;. But Seif refused,&quot; he said. While Seif al-Islam held no official position in the North African country under his father&#39;s rule, he had been described as Libya&#39;s de facto prime minister, cultivating the image of a moderate and reformer prior to the 2011 Arab Spring revolt. But that reputation soon collapsed when he promised &quot;rivers of blood&quot; in the face of the uprisings. A divided country Seif al-Islam was arrested in November 2011 in southern Libya following a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. A Tripoli court later sentenced him to death in 2015 after a speedy trial, but he was granted amnesty. His whereabouts had long been unknown. Ceccaldi said he &quot;often moved around.&quot; Libya expert Emadeddin Badi said Seif al-Islam&#39;s death was &quot;likely to cast him as a martyr for a significant segment of the population, while also shifting electoral dynamics by removing a major obstacle to presidential elections.&quot; &quot;His candidacy and potential success had been a central point of contention,&quot; Badi wrote on X. Moamer Kadhafi&#39;s last spokesperson, Moussa Ibrahim, also posted on the social network: &quot;They killed him treacherously. He wanted a united, sovereign Libya, safe for all its people. &quot;I spoke with him two days ago. He spoke of nothing but a peaceful Libya and the safety of its people.&quot; Libya has struggled to recover from chaos that erupted after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 overthrew longtime ruler Moamer Kadhafi. Libya remains divided between an UN-backed government based in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by Haftar.

Africa

Libya has struggled to recover from chaos that erupted after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 overthrew longtime ruler Moamer Kadhafi; country remains divided between an UN-backed government based in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by Haftar.

Son of Libya's late ruler Kadhafi killed by armed gang

Web Desk/AFP

ISLAMABAD/RIYADH: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday met with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, where the two reviewed prospects for improving relations between the two countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported.&nbsp;An official reception ceremony was held in honor of the Turkish president.&nbsp;During an official talks session, the crown prince welcomed the president to the country. President Erdoğan also expressed his pleasure at the visit.&nbsp;The two sides reviewed prospects for &ldquo;relations between the two countries, avenues of cooperation, and promising opportunities to further develop ties across various fields,&rdquo; SPA reported.&nbsp;The talks, attended by several officials from both sides, also discussed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-saudi-arabia-agree-to-enhance-cooperation-in-energy-and-minerals" style="color:#0073e6;">regional</a>&nbsp;and international developments and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-joins-saudi-arabia-turkey-in-backing-un-gaza-peace-plan" style="color:#0073e6;">efforts</a>&nbsp;made in this regard.&nbsp;In the first visit in more than two years, Ankara hopes to &quot;finalize negotiations towards a free trade agreement between Turkey and the member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)&quot;, the Turkish presidency said.&nbsp;&quot;The two sides agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the fields of oil, petroleum products, and petrochemicals,&quot; as well as in &quot;electricity and renewable energy... building on Saudi Arabia&#39;s massive energy investments,&quot; the statement added.&nbsp;Ties between Turkiye and Saudi Arabia have steadily recovered in recent years, with the countries cooperating on a range of diplomatic issues.&nbsp;This includes support for Gaza and backing Syria&#39;s new government in the wake of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.&nbsp;Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu reported that Erdogan would then travel to Cairo on Wednesday.

Middle East

Ankara hopes to "finalize negotiations towards a free trade agreement between Turkey and the member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)."


Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince review prospects for improving bilateral ties

JERICHO/JERUSALEM: Palestinian health officials said Israeli forces shot dead a man and wounded three others in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Palestinian Authority would play no role in post-war governance of <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/gaza-civil-defence-says-22-killed-in-israeli-strikes" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Gaza</a>. The Ramallah-based health ministry said that Saeed Nael Saeed al-Sheikh was martyred by &ldquo;occupation gunfire in Jericho, and three others were injured.&rdquo; The Israeli military said the soldiers opened fire after &quot;rocks&quot; were thrown at them. The death of the 24-year-old Saeed was confirmed to AFP by Riad Eid, director of the Jericho Governmental Hospital. The Israeli military alleged that soldiers carrying out an operation in the Jericho area &quot;identified a number of terrorists who hurled rocks at the forces.&quot; &quot;The soldiers responded with live fire, one terrorist was eliminated, and hits were identified on the additional terrorists,&quot; a military statement claimed. Violence has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-muslim-nations-denounce-israeli-ceasefire-breaches-killing-palestinians-in-gaza" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">surged</a>&nbsp;across the West Bank since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023 after an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel. At least 1,033 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since the war started, according to the Palestinian health ministry. During the same period, 45 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the territory, according to official Israeli figures. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. PA won&#39;t be part of post-war Gaza governance: Netanyahu tells USSeparately, while meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Netanyahu said that the PA would not be part of post-war Gaza&#39;s governance &quot;in any way.&quot; &quot;The Prime Minister clarified that the Palestinian Authority will not be involved in administering the Strip in any way,&quot; Netanyahu&#39;s office said in a statement after the meeting ended. Under US President Donald Trump&#39;s Gaza ceasefire plan that ended a two-year war in the Palestinian territory, the PA&#39;s post-war role in Gaza was left unclear. The technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) was established to oversee day-to-day affairs until the PA completes its reform program. Witkoff held talks with Netanyahu on Tuesday, during a visit that followed the reopening of Gaza&#39;s Rafah crossing with Egypt. This was the second meeting between the two in less than a fortnight. At the meeting, Netanyahu also &quot;reiterated the uncompromising demand for the disarmament of Hamas, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, and the fulfilment of the war objectives prior to the reconstruction of the Strip,&quot; according to his office. Israel has demanded that neither Hamas nor the PA should be involved in the governance of post-war Gaza. On Monday, Netanyahu&#39;s office lamented that the NCAG logo includes a PA symbol, suggesting a link between the two. &quot;Israel will not accept the use of a Palestinian Authority symbol; the Palestinian Authority will have no part in the administration of Gaza,&quot; his office said in a statement. The NCAG replied on X on Tuesday, saying it &quot;has been testing a range of visual concepts&quot; and that logo designs may evolve, and added that its focus is &quot;humanitarian relief, civilian administration, recovery, and a livable future for Gaza.&quot; &quot;That&#39;s the conversation that matters,&quot; it said.

Israeli military says soldiers opened fire after "rocks" were thrown at them; at least 1,033 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since the Gaza bombardment started.

Israeli army kills Palestinian man in West Bank as Netanyahu rejects PA role in Gaza

WASHINGTON:&nbsp;A US fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached an American aircraft carrier in the Middle East on Tuesday, Washington said, as renewed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-joins-iranus-talks-as-tensions-rise-foreign-office" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">tensions</a>&nbsp;on the high seas overshadowed plans for nuclear talks, AFP reported. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that US envoy Steve Witkoff is still expected &quot;to have conversations with the Iranians late this week,&quot; despite the incident. The downing of the drone was the second clash between the foes in Middle Eastern waters on the same day, after Iranian forces attempted to detain a US-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington and Tehran have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-hopeful-of-iran-deal-after-tehran-warns-of-regional-war" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">agreed</a> to talks after US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened Iran with military action &mdash; and Iran warned that it would respond with strikes on US vessels and bases. The United States bombed Iran&#39;s nuclear sites last summer and has sent a naval battlegroup back to the region since Tehran&#39;s deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. Negotiations are now set for Friday, but Trump has refused to rule out military action, and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, insists talks will only go ahead if they are free of threats. &quot;An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense,&quot; Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said in a statement. The aircraft carrier was dispatched to the Arabian Sea last month amid a buildup of US forces. &#39;Bad things&#39;&nbsp;Trump had told Iranians that &quot;help is on its way&quot; during anti-government protests in Iran that were met with a deadly crackdown last month. Pezeshkian <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/usiran-meetings-likely-to-take-place-in-turkey-on-feb-6-report" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">confirmed</a> on Tuesday that he had ordered the start of talks with the United States, provided they were free of threats, after Trump suggested &quot;bad things&quot; would happen without a deal. While speaking about Iran, Trump stated in an Oval Office bill signing event on Tuesday, &ldquo;They had a chance to do something a while ago and it didn&#39;t work out, and we did Midnight Hammer.&rdquo;&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gk6dQV40kfg" title="President Trump Participates in a Bill Signing, Feb. 3, 2026" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;"></iframe>&nbsp;</div>Trump also issued an explicit warning that Iran does not want a repeat, stating, &ldquo;I don&#39;t think they want that happening again, but they would like to negotiate.&rdquo;&nbsp; He further emphasized Iran&rsquo;s interest in talks: &ldquo;They&#39;d like to do something and we&#39;ll see if something is going to be done,&rdquo; and, &ldquo;They would like to negotiate.&rdquo;&nbsp; Trump confirmed that negotiations are happening immediately: &ldquo;We are negotiating with them right now.&rdquo;&nbsp; On the question of meeting locations, he declined to disclose details: &ldquo;I can&#39;t tell you that,&rdquo; adding, &ldquo;There really is more than one meeting.&rdquo; Iran has not confirmed where the talks will take place but said Turkey, Oman, and &quot;some other countries in the region&quot; had expressed willingness to host them, adding that the venue and timing were &quot;not a complicated issue.&quot; The Iranian Foreign Ministry says preparations have been completed for holding talks with the United States in the coming days, with consultations continuing on the location of the negotiations, Press TV reported on Tuesday.&nbsp;Remarking on Tuesday, spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said planning had already been carried out and that details on the venue would be announced once finalized. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Witkoff in Jerusalem on Tuesday that Iran &quot;cannot be trusted,&quot; according to a statement from Netanyahu&#39;s office. The US opposes Iran&#39;s nuclear program, which it maintains is a precursor to acquiring nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists it is for civilian research purposes. Washington also wants to curtail Iran&#39;s support for proxy forces in the region and cut its vast arsenal of ballistic missiles. &quot;I have instructed my minister of foreign affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists &mdash; one free from threats and unreasonable expectations &mdash; to pursue fair and equitable negotiations,&quot; Pezeshkian wrote in a post on X.<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" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 435px; 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=2018551561522135352&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=53e3d991498758b2d1e48e66f2cb1e47e084317d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2018551561522135352"></iframe></div></div>Iran has repeatedly stressed that any talks should focus solely on the nuclear issue and not its missile program or defense capabilities. While Trump and Pezeshkian insisted they were dedicated to talks, US and Iranian forces were in action at sea. A US-flagged tanker was challenged on Tuesday by Iranian gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command said. Spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said two Iranian boats and a drone approached the M/V Stena Imperative, &quot;and threatened to board and seize the tanker.&quot; A US destroyer responded with air support and escorted the tanker onwards. British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech reported that the Stena Imperative was approached by three pairs of small armed boats belonging to the Revolutionary Guards while transiting the strait 16 nautical miles (30 kilometers) north of Oman. The ship increased speed and maintained course, the firm added, stressing it did not enter Iranian waters. But the Iranian news agency Fars said a vessel, whose nationality it did not specify, had entered the country&#39;s territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz. &quot;It was therefore warned and immediately left Iranian waters,&quot; Fars said.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln transits through the Arabian Sea on April 5, 2012.

Americas

Downing of the drone is the second clash between the foes after Iranian forces attempted to detain a US-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz; talks are set for Friday, but Trump has refused to rule out military action; his Iranian counterpart Pezeshkian insists talks will only go ahead if they are free of threats.



US jet downs Iran drone but talks still on course

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Kazakhstan has expressed strong readiness to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in science, research, and higher education, as part of broader efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and promote knowledge-driven economic growth. Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek, in an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV, said Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a regional knowledge and research hub for Central Asia, with higher education at the core of its economic transformation.&nbsp; He noted that rapid global technological change, particularly the rise of artificial intelligence, has made investment in education, research, and human capital more critical than ever. He said Kazakhstan is building a knowledge-based economy by training its youth and attracting global expertise. Mr. Nurbek said Kazakhstan is establishing specialized research centers in key areas including mining, agriculture, nuclear research, and social sciences, aimed at supporting industrial growth and informed policymaking.&nbsp; He said Pakistan has strong universities and a large pool of talented youth, and emphasized that collaboration between the two countries could help expand access to quality education. He added that President of Kazakhstan&rsquo;s visit to Pakistan reflects strengthening bilateral relations, including in science and higher education. Highlighting people-to-people connections, the minister said Pakistan and Kazakhstan share historical roots, cultural links, and similarities in language that should bring the two nations closer. He said Kazakhstan is exploring scholarship opportunities for Pakistani students and identifying artificial intelligence and agriculture as priority areas for cooperation. Mr. Nurbek further said Kazakhstan is streamlining its visa system to provide faster processing for Pakistani students.&nbsp; He said hundreds and thousands of Pakistani students could study in Kazakhstan and also explore employment opportunities after completing their education, calling academic mobility a key pillar of future bilateral cooperation.

Kazakhstan has expressed strong readiness to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in science, research, and higher education, as part of broader efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and promote knowledge-driven economic growth

Kazakhstan ready to deepen cooperation with Pakistan in science and higher education

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s National Assembly on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution condemning recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan and calling for an immediate, aggressive, and coordinated national response. The resolution was tabled by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and passed in response to coordinated terrorist attacks across the south-western province. The country&rsquo;s lower house condemned the attacks&nbsp;&ldquo;in the strongest terms&rdquo; in which innocent civilians were targeted, and women were used as weapons through &ldquo;heinous and inhumane&rdquo; tactics. Lawmakers expressed deep sorrow that terrorist networks were exploiting women through coercion, mental pressure, and blackmail, adding that such actions were contrary to Islamic, Pakistani, and Baloch values. The resolution praised timely and effective measures by security forces, law enforcement agencies, the provincial government of Balochistan, and the civil administration. expressing full solidarity with the families of martyrs and the injured. It clarified that attacks on civilians, women, and children are unforgivable crimes, and the state will act with zero tolerance. The resolution stated that available evidence points to external sponsorship, raising serious concerns about India&rsquo;s role. It noted that some neighboring countries provide logistical and operational facilitation, financial assistance, training, treatment, transport, and propaganda support to terrorist networks. It stated that an effective national response be ensured on an immediate, aggressive, coordinated, and emergency basis against foreign sponsors and internal facilitators. This includes funding networks, smuggling routes, and propaganda hubs, with political, diplomatic, military, intelligence, legal, and rhetorical fronts united. The lower house declared that the fight against terrorism is the fight of the entire nation. Lawmakers called for national unity across political lines and said that the state will ensure the protection and security of its people in every way.

Lower house declares fight against terrorism is the fight of the entire nation; Lawmakers call for national unity across political lines, say state will ensure the protection and security of its people in every way.

Articles by Malik Waqar Ahmed