PARIS: Sarvanaz remembers celebrating Iranian new year as a girl under the bombs of the Iran-Iraq war. As Tehran is again shaken by explosions, she said marking the Nowruz festival has again taken on new meaning. &quot;For me, it&#39;s an obligation of being Iranian, it&#39;s our root, it&#39;s not just celebrating springtime and rebirth of the earth,&quot; the 45-year-old told AFP from Paris, where she lives now. &quot;For me it&#39;s resistance.&quot; The ancient holiday is celebrated in Iran and neighbouring countries on the equinox in March, typically marked by weeks of anticipation as families prepare Haft-Seen tables -- a symbolic arrangement of foods and objects, including apples, sprouted greens, painted eggs and poetry. This year Sarvanaz, who asked to only use her first name for security, decorated her egg with a blue sky and a sun. &quot;For me it&#39;s peace, it&#39;s a sky with no bombs and always shining.&quot; Iranians inside the country and around the world are marking the Nowruz holiday on Friday under the shadow of the US-Israeli war with Iran that has sent shockwaves around the world. But while the conflict has made marking the normally joyful festival of spring and the new year painful for some, many told AFP it felt even more important to celebrate under the circumstances. Sarvanaz&#39;s parents in Iran will also celebrate, she said, though she may not be able to be in touch with them as usual due to the near-total communications blackout since the war started. In Tehran in the days before the holiday, there was a sense of normalcy with shops open and streets again full of traffic, but there was little of the usual celebratory atmosphere, AFP reporters there said. While many may forgo the usual travel or gatherings this year, others in Iran said they would still celebrate. Hoda, who lives in Saveh, south of Tehran, said she would &quot;definitely gather with family&quot; and even travel to the capital, which has seen some of the worst of the war&#39;s strikes. &quot;We assume and hope that there will be no attacks on the first day of the new year,&quot; she told an AFP reporter based outside Iran. But others left the country seeking reprieve. A Kurdish resident of Mahabad in Iran&#39;s West Azerbaijan province, said her family travelled to Iraqi Kurdistan to celebrate, making part of the roughly 170-kilometre (100-mile) journey to Erbil on foot through the mountains because the borders have been closed. &quot;We were determined to come here because, in Iran, I felt that the Nowruz atmosphere just wasn&#39;t what it should be,&quot; she said. &quot;The Kurds of Iraq are much more accustomed than we, the Kurds of Iran, to war and to the idea of celebrating even during times of conflict.&quot;&nbsp;&#39;Hard to be far away&#39;&nbsp;For Kiarash in Germany, the holiday has been darkened by the war and the death of thousands in anti-government protests in Iran during which he saw people killed. &quot;Last year was with hope, this year is with hope and fear,&quot; he said. &quot;I invited many friends of mine to come here, because during these traumas, we have to sit together and talk, and prepare ourselves for something better.&quot; In a corner of north London known as &quot;Little Tehran&quot;, Shahabi, a baker, said the war shouldn&#39;t steal the Nowruz spirit. &quot;We&#39;ve got to celebrate. I mean, this is the culture. We&#39;ve been doing it for thousands of years. So we have to look for a brighter future,&quot; Shahabi told AFP. Butch Ali Nasiri, 48, said most Iranians around the world &quot;don&#39;t feel like celebrating&quot;. &quot;But just to keep this tradition alive, we&#39;re celebrating. We&#39;re all celebrating, but we&#39;re all thinking of the people lost,&quot; he said. Sasha Khoshabeh, a 44-year-old physical therapist living in Los Angeles where there is a large Iranian community, said he would usually call his friends and family in Iran on Nowruz to wish them good health. But this year, &quot;we don&#39;t even know if they&#39;re safe... what I wish for them is just to stay alive, to stay away from crowded places and to watch out for each other. And hopefully we can all celebrate a free Iran soon,&quot; he said. Like Khoshabeh, Mahnaz Panjehpour in Paris, is feeling the distance from Iran starkly this year. She said at home people say that what you&#39;re doing at the exact moment the calendar turns -- a time that shifts each year -- sets the tone for the year. &quot;That&#39;s why we try to celebrate with family, with dignity, to be calm, with Hafez&quot; the renowned 14th-century poet, she said. &quot;This year, everything is messed up.&quot; Ahead of Nowruz, she returned to a line of poetry for hope for the year to come: &quot;These bitter days will pass -- more bitter than poison; Once again a day will come when life is sweet as sugar.&quot;

Central Asia

Iranians mark Nowruz at home and abroad under the shadow of war, with celebrations muted by fear and displacement but still seen as an act of cultural resilience and hope for peace.

'Hope and fear': Iranians celebrate new year under shadow of war

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi on Tuesday rejected reports of contacting senior US envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Iran&rsquo;s semi-official Tasnim News Agency.&nbsp;The denial follows reports by Axios and other outlets reporting that Aragchi had attempted to directly communicate with Steve Witkoff, with messages reportedly focused on ending the ongoing conflict.&nbsp;&ldquo;My last contact with Mr. Witkoff was prior to his employer&rsquo;s decision to kill diplomacy with another illegal military attack on Iran,&rdquo; the minister said in a post on X.&nbsp;&ldquo;Any claim to the contrary appears geared solely to mislead oil traders and the public,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;The reports suggested a possible backchannel between Washington and Tehran, since US, &nbsp;Israel carried out airstrikes against Iran almost 3 weeks ago.&nbsp;US President Donald Trump, on multiple occasions, suggested that Iran wanted a deal for a ceasefire.&nbsp;&ldquo;They want to make a deal. They are talking to our people&hellip; we have people wanting to negotiate, [but] we have no idea who they are,&rdquo; Trump told reporters earlier.&nbsp;Iranian officials have maintained publicly that no ceasefire negotiations are underway

Iran denies reports of renewed contact with a US envoy, rejecting claims of backchannel talks with Donald Trump’s administration and insisting no ceasefire negotiations are underway amid escalating conflict.

Iran denies contact with US envoy

WASHINGTON: The US defense secretary on Monday declined to rule out putting troops on the ground in Iran and indicated the war launched over the weekend could go on for as long as six weeks.&nbsp;US forces began carrying out sweeping strikes on Iran Saturday in concert with military action by Israel, and have struck hundreds of targets across the country since then, including the Islamic republic&#39;s missiles, navy and command-and-control sites.&nbsp;When asked if the United States already had boots on the ground, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth told a news conference: &quot;No, but we&#39;re not going to go into the exercise of what we will or will not do.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;ll go as far as we need to go,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;I think it&#39;s one of those fallacies for a long time that this department or presidents or others should tell the American people and our enemies by the way, &#39;Here&#39;s exactly what we&#39;ll do, here&#39;s exactly how long we&#39;ll go,&#39;&quot; he said.&nbsp;As for how long the war will last, Hegseth said: &quot;Four weeks, two weeks, six weeks, it could move up. It could move back.&quot;&nbsp;He sought to differentiate the Iran operation from past long-running US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying the war is not an effort to build democracy in Iran.&nbsp;&quot;No stupid rules of engagement, no nation building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise. No politically correct wars. We fight to win and we don&#39;t waste time or lives,&quot; the Pentagon chief said.&nbsp;&quot;This is not Iraq. This is not endless,&quot; Hegseth said. &quot;Our generation knows better and so does this president. He called the last 20 years of nation building wars &#39;dumb&#39; and he&#39;s right.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;With every passing day, our capabilities get stronger and Iran&#39;s get weaker. We set the terms of this war from start to finish. Our ambitions are not utopian, they are realistic scoped to our interests and the defense of our people and our allies,&quot; he added.&nbsp;General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, spoke alongside Hegseth, saying that air superiority had been achieved over Iran.&nbsp;Strikes by American forces &quot;resulted in the establishment of local air superiority. This air superiority will not only enhance the protection of our forces, but also allow them to continue the work over Iran,&quot; Caine said.&nbsp;

The US defense secretary declined to rule out putting troops on the ground in Iran and indicated the war launched over the weekend could go on for as long as six weeks.

Pentagon chief refuses to rule out 'boots on ground' in Iran

PARIS: Iran said Monday that a US attack of any scale would spur the Islamic republic to respond &quot;ferociously&quot;, after President Donald Trump said he was considering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-considering-limited-military-strike-on-iran" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">limited strikes against</a>&nbsp;the country.&nbsp;The United States has built up forces in the Middle East to pile pressure on Iran to make a deal at negotiations due to restart on Thursday, with Trump weighing a limited strike if no agreement is reached.&nbsp;On Monday Iran&#39;s foreign ministry reiterated that any strike, even limited, would be &quot;would be regarded as an act of aggression. Period&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;And any state would react to an act of aggression as part of its inherent right of self-defence ferociously so that&#39;s what we would do,&quot; ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a briefing in Tehran attended by an AFP journalist.&nbsp;The two countries concluded a second round of indirect talks in Switzerland on Tuesday under Omani mediation.&nbsp;Further talks, confirmed by Iran and Oman but not by the United States, are scheduled for Thursday.&nbsp;The European Union, which has been sidelined in mediation on Iran, called for a diplomatic solution ahead of the talks.&nbsp;&quot;We don&#39;t need another war in this region. We already have a lot,&quot; EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers.&nbsp;&quot;It is true that Iran is at its weakest point that they have been. We should be really using this time to find a diplomatic solution.&quot;&nbsp;Iran&#39;s clerical authorities have faced recent steep challenges, including a wave of mass protests that peaked in January, last year&#39;s 12-day war with Israel, and the weakening of Iran&#39;s regional proxies.&nbsp;Fears of conflictIran has, however, insisted only discussions on the country&#39;s nuclear programme are on the table at mediated talks. The West believes the programme is aimed at making a bomb, which Tehran denies.&nbsp;Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is leading the negotiations for Iran, while the United States is represented by envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner.&nbsp;Trump is wondering why Iran has not &quot;capitulated&quot; in the face of Washington&#39;s military deployment, Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News broadcast over the weekend.&nbsp;Baqaei responded Monday by saying that Iranians had never capitulated at any point in their history.&nbsp;Trump had initially threatened military action over the violent crackdown on the protests that rights groups say saw thousands of people killed by security forces, but his attention soon shifted to Iran&#39;s nuclear programme.&nbsp;Scattered anti-government protests have continued in the country, despite the threat of suppression and arrests.&nbsp;Students rallied to commemorate those killed in competing pro- and anti-government demonstrations as the university semester restarted over the weekend.&nbsp;Iranians&#39; fears of a new conflict have grown and the concerns have also prompted several foreign countries to urge their citizens to leave Iran.&nbsp;India on Monday joined Sweden, Serbia, Poland and Australia in calling for its citizens -- estimated at 10,000 in the country by the foreign ministry -- to leave Iran.

Iran says that US attack of any scale would spur the Islamic republic to respond "ferociously", after President Donald Trump said he was considering limited strikes against the country

Iran says would respond 'ferociously' to any US attack, even limited strikes

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump&#39;s lead negotiator with Iran, Steve Witkoff, said on Saturday that he visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, currently in the Arabian Sea, as Washington and Tehran prepare to hold further talks soon.&nbsp;&quot;Today, Adm. Brad Cooper, Commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, Jared Kushner, and I met with the brave sailors and Marines aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, her strike group, and Carrier Air Wing 9 who are keeping us safe and upholding President Trump&#39;s message of peace through strength,&quot; said Witkoff in a social media post.&nbsp;Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday he hoped talks with the United States would resume soon, while reiterating Tehran&#39;s red lines and warning against any American attack.

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff visits USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, projecting US military resolve as Washington and Tehran prepare further talks, with Iran signalling readiness to resume negotiations while warning against any American attack.

Top Trump Iran negotiator visits US aircraft carrier in Middle East

ISLAMABAD: More than 1 billion people worldwide affected by neglected tropical diseases are experiencing a largely invisible mental health crisis, according to a new World Health Organization (<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/who-regrets-us-notification-of-withdrawal-rejects-accusations-over-covid19-response" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">WHO</a>) report. The WHO&#39;s &quot;Essential Care Package to Address Mental Health and Stigma for Persons with Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)&quot; reveals stark findings. People with these conditions experience depression, anxiety, and suicidal behaviors at rates significantly higher than the general population. &quot;Over 1 billion people worldwide are affected by neglected tropical diseases and a similar number are affected by mental health conditions,&quot; the report noted. &quot;These independently burdensome conditions are significantly interlinked.&quot; Stigma drives the crisis as people with NTDs face discrimination and social exclusion. They encounter barriers to employment and marriage. These experiences create distress. Worry, fear, sadness and insecurity contribute to isolation and worsening&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/over-million-users-talk-about-suicide-weekly-to-chatgpt-open-ai" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">mental health</a>. The stigma prevents affected persons from seeking treatment. Many delay care or avoid it entirely, worsening both their physical rehabilitation and mental well-being. &quot;Stigma creates barriers to participation in society,&quot; the report warned, leading to decreased quality of life and delayed help-seeking. Some NTDs directly affect the brain, including human African trypanosomiasis and neurocysticercosis. Others cause visible disfigurement. Leprosy, cutaneous leishmaniasis and lymphatic filariasis make affected people particularly vulnerable to social&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/former-australia-great-gillespie-faces-backlash-over-bangladesh-t20-world-cup-exclusion" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">exclusion</a>. Women and girls suffer more severe stigma than men. Existing societal disadvantages compound the problem. Female genital schistosomiasis is wrongly associated with sexual misconduct, leading to social ostracism. Suicide rates are elevated among people with stigmatizing conditions like leprosy while increased substance use has also been documented. Addressing this crisis requires more than health services. Social, psychological and socioeconomic factors must be tackled. This ensures inclusion and improved well-being. &quot;Historically, the intersection of mental health and NTDs has been neglected,&quot; the document states. &quot;Without its adoption the broader agenda of eliminating NTDs will be hindered.&quot; The essential care package outlines evidence-based interventions. These cover prevention, identification and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/german-president-enjoys-royal-treatment-on-uk-state-visit" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">treatment</a> of mental health conditions. The package provides strategies to reduce stigma through education, social contact and advocacy. Health workers need training to screen for mental health conditions. They must provide basic psychological support. The report recommends integrating mental health indicators into routine NTD data collection. Community-level interventions matter. Peer support groups can reduce self-stigma. They promote physical and mental self-care. The WHO calls for multisectoral collaboration. This involves education,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/ai-risks-mass-unemployment-in-london-mayor" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">employment</a>, and water and sanitation services. Policy reforms must eliminate discriminatory laws and practices. These perpetuate structural stigma. &quot;A person-centered approach is essential,&quot; the report states. This ensures people&#39;s multiple specific needs are addressed effectively. WHO developed the document through collaboration. Partners included civil society organizations and representatives of people affected by NTDs. The Coalition for Research on NTDs and UK Aid provided financial support.

More than 1 billion people worldwide affected by neglected tropical diseases are experiencing a largely invisible mental health crisis, the World Health Organization warned. (WHO)

More than 1 billion people with neglected tropical diseases face a hidden mental health crisis driven by stigma and discrimination, a new WHO report reveals. The conditions cause depression and anxiety at rates far higher than the general population.

One billion people with neglected diseases face mental health crisis warns WHO

Web Desk/AFP

DUSHANBE: Tajikistan said Friday its border security officials had killed three &quot;drug traffickers&quot; crossing over from Afghanistan, in the latest clash on their mountainous border, AFP reported. Tajikistan shares a 1,350-kilometer (840-mile) frontier with Afghanistan and has tense relations with the Afghan Taliban. The Khovar state news agency quoted <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/tajikistan-says-four-neutralised-in-latest-incident-on-afghan-border" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tajik officials</a> as saying that three of five &ldquo;drug traffickers&rdquo; were killed in the southern Khatlon region after showing &ldquo;armed resistance.&rdquo; Sixth deadly incidentTwo others &ldquo;managed to escape towards Afghanistan under the cover of darkness.&rdquo; This is the sixth deadly incident on the border that <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/five-killed-in-afghanistantajikistan-border-clash-heres-what-to-know" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tajikistan</a> has reported since November. According to a count by AFP based on official Tajik data, 19 people have been killed in total. These include Tajik border guards, Chinese workers, and what Dushanbe calls &quot;smugglers&quot; and &quot;terrorists,&quot; without providing details. Chinese condemnation&nbsp;The Chinese embassy in Tajikistan on Nov. 28, 2025, strongly condemned the armed attack that occurred on the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan on Nov. 26, which killed three Chinese nationals and injured another one, CGTN reported. The embassy, in a statement, demanded that Tajikistan urge the relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate the attack in Shamsiddin Shohin district of Khatlon region and severely punish the perpetrators. Taliban urged to act&nbsp;Tajikistan has called on the Afghan Taliban to address the incidents to avoid destabilizing the volatile border region, AFP reported. Tajikistan&#39;s longtime ruler Emomali Rakhmon has been critical of the Afghan authorities and has urged Kabul to respect the rights of ethnic Tajiks who account for a fourth of Afghanistan&#39;s population.

The Khovar state news agency quotes Tajik officials as saying that three of five ‘drug traffickers’ were killed in the southern Khatlon region after showing ‘armed resistance.’

Tajikistan says 3 'drug traffickers' killed on Afghan border

BRUSSELS: The US government has asked countries to pay up to $1 billion for a permanent spot on its &ldquo;Board of Peace,&rdquo; aimed at resolving conflicts, according to its charter, seen by AFP. The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, but the charter does not appear to limit its role to the Palestinian territory. What will it do?The Board of Peace will be chaired by Trump, according to its founding charter. It is &ldquo;an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict,&rdquo; reads the preamble of the charter sent to countries invited to participate. It will &ldquo;undertake such peace-building functions in accordance with international law,&rdquo; it adds. Who will run it?&nbsp;Trump will be the chairman but will also &ldquo;separately serve&rdquo; as the representative of the United States. &ldquo;The chairman shall have exclusive authority to create, modify, or dissolve subsidiary entities as necessary or appropriate to fulfil the Board of Peace&rsquo;s mission,&rdquo; the document states. He will pick members of an executive board to be &ldquo;leaders of global stature&rdquo; to &ldquo;serve two-year terms, subject to removal by the chairman.&rdquo; The charter says the chairman can be replaced only in case of &ldquo;voluntary resignation or as a result of incapacity.&rdquo; A US official confirmed that Trump can keep the chairmanship, even after leaving the White House, &ldquo;until he resigns it,&rdquo; although a future US president can appoint a different US representative. Who can be a member?&nbsp;Member states must be invited by the US president and will be represented by their head of state or government. Each member &ldquo;shall serve a term of no more than three years,&rdquo; the charter says. But &ldquo;the three-year membership term shall not apply to member states that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the charter&rsquo;s entry into force,&rdquo; it adds. The US official said that membership itself &ldquo;does not carry any mandatory funding obligation beyond whatever a state or partner chooses to contribute voluntarily.&rdquo; The board will convene annual meetings, with decisions made by majority vote, and the chairman breaking any tie. Who&rsquo;s on the executive board?The executive board will be chaired by Trump and include seven members:<ul><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">US Secretary of State Marco Rubio</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Steve Witkoff, Trump&rsquo;s special negotiator</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jared Kushner, Trump&rsquo;s son-in-law</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Tony Blair, former UK prime minister</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Marc Rowan, billionaire US financier</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ajay Banga, World Bank president</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Robert Gabriel, loyal Trump aide on the National Security Council</li></ul> Which countries are invited?&nbsp;Dozens of countries and leaders have said they have received invitations, including close US allies as well as adversaries. China has been invited, but a foreign ministry spokesman said Wednesday that Beijing would defend the international system with the United Nations &ldquo;at its core.&rdquo; Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been invited, despite Russia&rsquo;s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. A number of governments immediately said they would join. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a nationalist who is Trump&rsquo;s most ardent supporter in the European Union, is in, as is another close ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Azerbaijan&rsquo;s autocratic President Ilham Aliyev. The United Arab Emirates, a close US partner, also said it would join. Canada said it would take part but explicitly ruled out paying the $1 billion fee for permanent membership. Who won&rsquo;t be involved?&nbsp;Longtime US ally France has indicated it will not join. The response sparked an immediate threat from Trump to slap sky-high tariffs on French wine. Zelensky said it would be &ldquo;very hard&rdquo; to be a member of a council alongside Russia, and diplomats were &ldquo;working on it.&rdquo; Britain echoed the sentiment, saying it was &ldquo;concerned&rdquo; that Putin had been invited. &ldquo;Putin is the aggressor in an illegal war against Ukraine, and he has shown time and time again he is not serious about peace,&rdquo; said a Downing Street spokesperson. The charter says the board enters into force &ldquo;upon expression of consent to be bound by three states.&rdquo;

US President Donald Trump speaks during a briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2026 (AFP)

US President Donald Trump’s government has asked countries to pay up to $1 billion for a permanent spot on his “Board of Peace,” aimed at resolving conflicts, according to its charter seen by AFP.

What is Trump's 'Board of Peace'? 

TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian&nbsp;warned that an attack on the country&#39;s supreme leader would be a declaration of war &mdash; an apparent response to US counterpart Donald Trump saying it was time to look for new leadership in Iran. Limited internet access briefly returned in Iran before dropping again, a monitor said on Sunday, 10 days into a communications blackout.<div class="fr-embed"> Demonstrations sparked in late December by anger over economic hardship exploded into protests widely seen as the biggest challenge to the Iranian leadership in years. Monitor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/internet-connectivity-in-iran-improves-slightly-netblocks" style="color:#0073e6;">Netblocks</a>&nbsp;said late on Sunday that &quot;traffic levels have fallen after a brief, heavily filtered restoration of select Google and messaging services in Iran.&quot; Iranian officials have said the demonstrations were peaceful before turning into &quot;riots&quot; and blamed foreign influence from Iran&#39;s arch-foes, the United States and Israel. Trump, who joined Israel&#39;s 12-day war against Iran in June, had repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-protest-movement-subsides-as-white-house-says-all-options-on-table-for-trump" style="color:#0073e6;">threatened</a>&nbsp;new military action against Tehran if protesters were killed. While Washington appeared to have stepped back, Trump hit out at Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an interview with Politico on Saturday, saying it was &quot;time to look for new leadership in Iran.&quot; &quot;The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people,&quot; Trump said. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday warned on X: &quot;An attack on the great leader of our country is tantamount to a full-scale war with the Iranian nation.&quot; As leaders in Washington and Tehran have exchanged barbs, Iranian officials have said calm has been restored in the streets. Security forces with armoured vehicles and motorcycles were seen in central Tehran, according to AFP correspondents. &#39;Cannot just stay silent&#39;&nbsp;Schools reopened on Sunday after a week of closure. Pezeshkian, meanwhile, told a cabinet meeting that he &quot;recommended to the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council that internet restrictions be lifted as soon as possible.&quot; Some users reported access to WhatsApp, while outgoing international calls had resumed since Tuesday, and text messaging was restored on Saturday. Fars News Agency on Sunday reported that the chief executive of Irancell, Iran&#39;s second-largest mobile phone operator, was dismissed for failing to comply with the government&#39;s decision to shut down the internet. Solidarity demonstrations have continued in multiple cities in recent days, including in Berlin, London, and Paris. &#39;Not be spared&#39;&nbsp;On Saturday, Khamenei said &quot;a few thousand&quot; people had been killed by what he called &quot;agents&quot; of the United States and Israel, and Iranian local media have reported multiple deaths among security forces. Khamenei said authorities &quot;must break the back of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/irans-khamenei-says-authorities-must-break-the-back-of-the-seditionists" style="color:#0073e6;">seditionists</a>,&quot; as local media have reported thousands of arrests, and rights groups have estimated up to 20,000 people have been detained. On Sunday, judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir reiterated that swift trials would be held, warning that some acts warranted the capital offence of &quot;moharebeh,&quot; or &quot;waging war against God.&quot; &quot;All those who played a decisive role in these calls for violence, which led to bloodshed and significant damage to public finances, will not be spared,&quot; he said. Alarm has grown over the threat of capital punishment against arrested protesters, even as Trump said Iran had called off hundreds of executions. Analyst Arif Keskin cast doubt on Trump&#39;s claim, saying &quot;the Iranian leadership sees executions... as an effective tool to end protests, prevent them and suppress them&quot;. </div>

Pezeshkian tells the cabinet meeting that he "recommended to the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council that internet restrictions be lifted as soon as possible"; Supreme Leader Khamenei says authorities "must break the back of the seditionists"; Iranian officials have said the demonstrations were peaceful before turning into "riots," blaming foreign influence.
 


Iran president says any attack on supreme leader would be declaration of war

DUSHANBE: Tajikistan officials on Sunday said they &quot;neutralised&quot; four &quot;terrorists&quot; who crossed over from neighbouring Afghanistan in an area where deadly incidents have been on the rise in recent weeks, state media reported.&nbsp;Tajikistan, in Central Asia, shares a mountainous border with Afghanistan and has had <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/five-killed-in-afghanistantajikistan-border-clash-heres-what-to-know" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">tense relations with Kabul&#39;s Taliban</a> authorities.&nbsp;According to Tajik security services cited by the state-owned Khovar news agency, &quot;four terrorists were neutralised&quot; after they refused to put down arms in the southern Khatlon region.&nbsp;Tajik authorities have reported at least five deadly incidents on the mountainous border, which is some 1,350 (840 miles) long, since November.&nbsp;An AFP count using official data found that 16 people have been killed in total.&nbsp;These include <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/two-tajik-border-guards-killed-in-crossborder-militant-attack-from-afghanistan" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tajik border guards</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-stands-with-tajikistan-china-after-afghan-attack-kills-chinese-workers" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chinese workers</a> and what Dushanbe calls &quot;smugglers&quot; and &quot;terrorists&quot;.&nbsp;After attacks on Chinese nationals in November, Tajik authorities urged the Taliban government to take measures to prevent destabilisation of the volatile border region, where drug traffickers and Islamist militants are active.&nbsp;Unlike other Central Asian leaders who are strengthening ties with the Taliban government, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon -- in power since 1992 -- openly criticises Afghanistan&#39;s authorities.&nbsp;Dushanbe is also concerned about the presence in Afghanistan of members of the jihadist organization Islamic State in Khorasan.&nbsp;Rakhmon has urged the Taliban government to respect the rights of ethnic Tajiks, estimated to represent around a quarter of Afghanistan&#39;s population.&nbsp;But Tajikistan is also taking steps towards cooperation with Kabul, through electricity supplies, the opening of border markets and meetings between Afghan and local Tajik officials.

Tajikistan's forces neutralise four alleged militants crossing from Afghanistan, amid rising border violence that has killed 16 people since November, highlighting security tensions with the Taliban despite cooperation and concern over Islamist groups.

Tajikistan says four 'neutralised' in latest incident on Afghan border

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday issued its first-ever presidential statement on closer cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)&nbsp;to address regional challenges, including maritime security, terrorism, and food and water security.&nbsp; The statement, submitted by Bahrain&#39;s UN representative in his capacity as Council President for April, recognizes the GCC&rsquo;s &quot;position and expertise&quot; in promoting regional peace and security, and acknowledges its &quot;contributions to regional and international stability through mediation, preventive diplomacy, technical and financial support, and humanitarian engagement.&quot; The Council requested that the UN Secretary-General, Ant&oacute;nio Guterres, include recommendations on strengthening institutional ties with the GCC in his next report, and encouraged regular briefings by the GCC Secretary-General. &quot;The ongoing escalation underlines the urgent need for coordinated multilateral action,&quot; said Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General, stressing the importance of &ldquo;strengthened&rdquo; UN-GCC cooperation. He highlighted the GCC&#39;s role in de-escalating regional tensions, supporting mediation in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, and its cooperation with the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism. &#39;Cornerstone of the global economy&#39;GCC Secretary-General Jassim Albudaiwi told the Council the bloc is a &quot;cornerstone of the global economy&quot;, noting its combined output exceeded $2.3 trillion in 2024 and its members&rsquo; major contribution to global oil and gas supplies. He warned that instability in the Gulf carries global consequences. &quot;Stability in the Arabian Gulf is not merely a regional concern, but is rather a global necessity,&quot; he said. Bahrain&#39;s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al Zayani announced that his country had submitted a separate draft resolution to the Council addressing what he described as Iran&#39;s &quot;unlawful and unjustified&quot; attempts to control navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, with a vote expected Friday. Delegates from the United Kingdom and France backed GCC states&#39; right to defend their sovereignty, with France stating Iran &quot;bears the primary responsibility for the current escalation.&quot;&nbsp; Russia countered that the conflict was &quot;the direct result of an unprovoked act of aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran&#39;s territory.&quot; China and Pakistan jointly called for an immediate ceasefire and the launch of peace talks. The GCC, founded in 1981, comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Americas

Europe

Middle East

The statement, submitted by Bahrain's UN representative, recognizes the GCC’s 'position and expertise' in promoting regional peace and security, and calls for deeper UN-GCC coordination on terrorism, maritime security, water and food security.

UNSC backs stronger cooperation with Gulf bloc in first-ever presidential statement

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday extended Good Friday greetings to the Christian community at home and abroad, emphasizing the values of compassion, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Prime Minister Sharif in a post on X on Friday stated: &quot;On the occasion of Good Friday, I extend sincere greetings to our brothers and sisters of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pm-sharif-extends-heartfelt-greetings-on-joyous-blessed-christmas" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Christian community</a>&nbsp;in Pakistan and members of the Christian faith across the world.&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=2039943098672025844&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=cf1149a8b3beaafec088d9fab9bb7e3150ffa371&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>&ldquo;May this sacred day, marked by sacrifice and reflection, strengthen our shared commitment to compassion, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence,&quot; the prime minister added.

Culture

Says, ​'May this sacred day, marked by sacrifice and reflection, strengthen our shared commitment to compassion, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence'. 

Pakistan's PM Sharif extends Good Friday greetings, urges compassion and tolerance

PARIS:&nbsp;Iran should make a deal with the United States to end the war by offering to curb its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief, a former Iranian foreign minister said. Mohammad Javad Zarif, who served as foreign minister from 2013-2021, claimed in an op-ed for American journal Foreign Affairs that Tehran had the &quot;upper hand&quot; in the conflict against the US and Israel, but argued Iran needed to stop the war to prevent the loss of more civilian lives and damage to infrastructure. &quot;Iran should use its upper hand not to keep fighting but to declare victory and make a deal that both ends this conflict and prevents the next one,&quot; Zarif said in the piece published late Thursday. &quot;It should offer to place limits on its nuclear program and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to all sanctions a deal Washington wouldn&#39;t take before but might accept now,&quot; he added. &#39;Nonaggression pact&#39;&nbsp; Iran should also be prepared to accept a mutual &quot;nonaggression pact&quot; with the United States, as well as economic relations, he said. Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic ties since shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution. Zarif, one of the architects of the now moribund 2015 deal over the Iranian nuclear program, is seen as a relative moderate within the Islamic republic elite, but has no official post in the current government. However this is one of the first times during this conflict that a high profile figure in Iran has called for a deal and an end to the war, with top military and political officials urging daily for fighting to continue until the US is defeated. &#39;Back to the stone ages&#39;US President Donald Trump has evoked ongoing talks with Tehran without giving details but also threatened to send the country &quot;back to the stone ages&quot; if it fails to agree terms. &quot;As an Iranian, outraged by Donald Trump&#39;s reckless aggression and crude insults, yet proud of our armed forces and resilient people, I am torn about publishing this peace-plan in Foreign Affairs,&quot; Zarif wrote in English on X Friday. &quot;Yet I&#39;m convinced that war must end on terms consistent with Iran&#39;s national interests,&quot; he added. Zarif in the Foreign Affairs piece warned that &quot;although continuing to fight the United States and Israel might be psychologically satisfying, it will lead only to the further destruction of civilian lives and infrastructure&quot;.

Mohammad Javad Zarif (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Mohammad Javad Zarif urges Iran to end the conflict with the US by negotiating a deal to limit its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief.

Iran's former top diplomat urges deal with US to end war

ISLAMABAD: Congress&rsquo; National spokesperson Dr Shama Mohamed renewed scrutiny of alleged RSS backing for propaganda-style films in an X post, on Thursday.&nbsp;Dr. Shama said producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah had &ldquo;openly admitted&rdquo; that the RSS supported &ldquo;Kerala Story 2&rdquo; and arguing that this showed the organisation had backed a film meant to defame Kerala. Her post brought fresh attention to a wider debate over how the BJP and the RSS ecosystem support politically aligned cinema through ideological links, endorsements, tax breaks and promotion.<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=2039579655645348127&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=c92d3faf5176e582d37f5cad3e26fa7ac3e0dbe2&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>At least ten films have been produced or directed by individuals linked to the BJP, the RSS, or affiliated Hindutva organisations, an Indian news outlet, The Quint, reported on Friday. The films named in the report include The Kerala Story, The Kerala Story 2 Goes Beyond, Bastar: The Naxal Story, Razakar, Swatantra Veer Savarkar, PM Narendra Modi, Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra, Bengal 1947, The Accidental Prime Minister, and Jahangir National University.&nbsp;One of the most striking claims in that report concerns producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah. The Quint said Shah acknowledged at the 2023 World Hindu Congress that The Kerala Story could not have been made without RSS &ldquo;guidance and support.&rdquo; The report said he described the RSS as the film&rsquo;s &ldquo;guardian angels.&rdquo;&nbsp;Political endorsement has also come from the top. Reuters reported that Indian PM Narendra Modi publicly praised The Kashmir Files in 2022. BJP-ruled states then moved to make the film tax-free, helping widen its reach.&nbsp;A similar pattern was seen with The Kerala Story and Article 370. NDTV reported that BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh made The Kerala Story tax-free. NDTV also reported that the BJP government in Chhattisgarh made Article 370 tax-free.&nbsp; Taken together, the reporting suggests these films are not just cultural products. They are increasingly part of a political ecosystem where cinema, ideology, and state patronage intersect.

India

The BJP and the wider RSS ecosystem are backing a string of ultra-nationalist and propaganda-style films in India; the support is not always visible as direct funding but through political links, public endorsements, tax breaks, and coordinated promotion by party leaders and allied networks. 

Scrutiny grows over BJP-RSS backing of propaganda films

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the suicide attack on a police station in the Domel area of District Bannu, said a press release issued by Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office on Friday. The prime minister expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the incident that took place in the northwest of the country. Sharif prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured, the press release said. &ldquo;We are determined to completely eradicate all forms of terrorism from the country&rdquo;, the prime minister said.

Security

‘We are determined to completely eradicate all forms of terrorism from the country,’ the prime minister said, according to a press release.

PM Sharif strongly condemns suicide attack in northwest Pakistan  

JINJA: Giggles and songs ripple across a field in rural eastern Uganda where elderly women swing cricket bats as a way to reshape what ageing, health and sports can look like in later life. The so-called &quot;cricket grannies&quot; are bound together by a growing love of a game they initially knew nothing about but is now helping them manage age-related health conditions, stress and loneliness. Clad in floor-length dresses and mostly barefoot, the women, aged 50 to 90, gather weekly at a playground in Jinja district, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the capital, Kampala. Each swing draws cheers from teammates as the women turn Saturday morning practice into a lively spectacle. &quot;With the exercises I&#39;ve been doing, my legs used to hurt, but they no longer do,&quot; Jennifer Waibi Nanyonga, 72, told AFP. &quot;I spent the whole of last year without seeing a doctor for my back, yet it had previously been paining me,&quot; added the grandmother of 29. The initiative began in 2025 with just 10 grandmothers in the remote village of Kivubuka and has since grown more than tenfold. The programme was initially aimed at children, but when cricket coach Aaron Kusasira realised their caregivers had little knowledge of the game and often kept them from joining, he decided to involve the elderly women, too. &quot;We come here, we jog, we move around, we do some stretches,&quot; Kusasira, 26, said. They &quot;unknowingly have to run because they have to compete,&quot; he added. Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for deaths from noncommunicable diseases and, according to the World Health Organization, it is more common among women globally. International health data estimates that sedentary lifestyles are costing public health systems roughly US$27 billion per year and will continue to rise if activity levels are not improved. Fresh start&nbsp; Beyond physical activity, cricket has also fostered a sense of community among the Ugandan grannies. &quot;When at home, you have no company and spend your time buried in your thoughts,&quot; said an elderly woman who only gave her first name, Patriciah. For others, the weekly meetings have proved cathartic. &quot;When I arrive here and see my friends, we get together and talk about our problems, we counsel each other,&quot; said Jennifer Waibi Nanyonga. &quot;By the time we return home, everyone is lighter and with a fresh start,&quot; she added. For coach Kusasira, training the women has been a win-win, giving him the opportunity to coach children in the area without opposition. &quot;From the kids to the elders, provided I see the smiles it&#39;s enough. I know that is a day well spent,&quot; he said.

In eastern Uganda’s Jinja district, groups of older women have embraced cricket as a way to stay physically active and socially connected later in life. Often referred to locally as “cricket grannies”, they take part in informal games and training that co

Africa

The so-called "cricket grannies" are bound together by a growing love of a game they initially knew nothing about but is now helping them manage age-related health conditions, stress and loneliness.

From bats to bonds: Uganda's 'cricket grannies'

DHAKA: The Bangladesh government has introduced a series of measures aimed at addressing the impact of global disruptions and ensuring stability in fuel oil supply, following a high-level cabinet meeting held at night at the Cabinet Room in the Parliament Secretariat.&nbsp; Under the new directives, all government and private offices will operate from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Banking hours for public transactions will run from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, while banks will officially close at 4:00 pm, Bangladeshi state media Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported.&nbsp; In an effort to conserve energy, shopping malls and markets nationwide must shut down by 6:00 pm. However, essential services including kitchen markets, food outlets, and pharmacies will remain exempt from this restriction. The decisions were taken by the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday night. Later, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani briefed the journalists at the media centre of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, saying that the government took measures considering fuel supply disruptions caused by the Middle East war.&nbsp;&nbsp;Prime Minister&rsquo;s Press Secretary Saleh Shibly was present at the briefing. Noting that several steps have been taken for the next three months to reduce government expenditure, the cabinet secretary said, &ldquo;No new vehicles, watercraft or aircraft will be purchased during this period&rdquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;Procurement of new equipment, including computers, will also remain suspended, he said, adding, internal training has been reduced by 50 percent, while all foreign training under government funding will remain suspended until further notice.&nbsp;&nbsp;Expenditure on meetings and seminars has also been cut by 50 percent, Ghani said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Besides, he said, government spending in the power, energy and gas sectors will be reduced by 30 percent. The meeting issued a directive to reduce unnecessary travel expenses by 30 percent, the cabinet secretary added.&nbsp;&nbsp;He said new directives will be issued for the education sector.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Ministry of Education will start issuing instructions in phases from Sunday, considering the needs of different levels, so that the measures do not have a negative impact on the education system, Ghani said.&nbsp;&nbsp;In a bid to reduce traffic congestion in the capital city during the school hour, he said, the government has decided to introduce electric buses for school students instead of private cars.&nbsp;&nbsp;Educational institutions joining the initiative will be able to import buses duty-free, the cabinet secretary said, adding, the private sector will also get this facility, but a 20 percent duty will apply for commercial purposes.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, only new buses will be allowed for import, he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Noting that imports from alternative sources are also being increased to maintain normal fuel supply, Ghani said initiatives have already been taken to import fuel from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan.

Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani briefed the journalists at the media centre of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (Photo : BSS)

Bangladesh

The Bangladesh government has introduced reduced working hours, spending cuts, and energy-saving measures to manage fuel shortages caused by global disruptions.

Bangladesh cuts expenditure, reduces office hours, orders markets shut after 6pm

WASHINGTON:&nbsp;US President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday and named his former personal lawyer to serve as the acting chief of the Justice Department. The US president announced the move in a social media post. &quot;Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year,&quot; Trump said on Truth Social. &quot;Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country.&quot; Bondi &quot;will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector,&quot; the president said, and will be replaced on an interim basis by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who Trump described as &quot;a very talented and respected Legal Mind.&quot; According to The New York Times, Trump may name former Republican congressman Lee Zeldin, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, to be the next attorney general.In the meantime, the post will be filled by Blanche. &#39;Honor of a lifetime&#39;Bondi, in a post on X, said serving as attorney general had been &quot;the honor of a lifetime&quot; and said she will &quot;continue fighting for President Trump&quot; in her unspecified new private sector job. &quot;Over the next month I will be working tirelessly to transition the office of Attorney General to the amazing Todd Blanche,&quot; she said. &quot;I remain eternally grateful for the trust that President Trump placed in me to Make America Safe Again.&quot; Bondi&#39;s ouster comes nearly a month after Trump fired Kristi Noem as the head of the Department of Homeland Security.&nbsp;Democratic lawmakers welcomed Bondi&#39;s firing. Bondi served as a prosecutor for 18 years before being elected Florida&#39;s attorney general in 2010, the first woman to hold the post.&nbsp;She was reelected to a second term in 2014.

Bondi 'will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector,' the president said, and will be replaced on an interim basis by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who Trump described as 'a very talented and respected Legal Mind.'

Trump sacks attorney general Pam Bondi, replaces with lawyer Todd Blanche

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: Pakistan&rsquo;s digital economy could contribute between 5%-7% of gross domestic product by 2030, provided structural constraints are addressed and reforms accelerate, according to a new report by the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI).&nbsp;Titled &ldquo;Recommendations for Pakistan&rsquo;s Digital Future,&rdquo; the OICCI Digital Report 2025 presents a detailed assessment of the country&rsquo;s digital landscape, highlighting both measurable gains and persistent bottlenecks shaping future growth.&nbsp;The report frames Pakistan&rsquo;s digital sector as a rapidly expanding but uneven ecosystem, where strong growth in connectivity, exports and digital finance is being tempered by infrastructure gaps and slow policy execution, raising the stakes for reforms needed to unlock its full economic potential.&nbsp;The report identifies the digital sector as an emerging driver of productivity, exports and financial inclusion, supported by a growing user base and rising adoption of digital services.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS) exports have reached $3.8 billion, while the freelance economy contributes $779 million in earnings.&nbsp;Digital access continues to expand, with more than 150 million broadband subscriptions and over 200 million telecom connections. The broader mobile ecosystem contributes an estimated $17 billion to the national economy.&nbsp;The report also underscores rapid growth in digital finance.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan has made notable strides in digital payments and financial inclusion. The Raast instant payment system processed Rs18 trillion in peer-to-peer transactions in FY26, demonstrating the rapid adoption of digital financial services,&rdquo; said OICCI President Yousaf Hussain.&nbsp;However, infrastructure limitations remain a key constraint.&nbsp;Only 18% of cellular towers are connected through fiber, well below the global benchmark of around 40%, limiting network capacity and readiness for next-generation technologies.&nbsp;Policy execution is another concern.&nbsp;While engagement on digital policy has improved, implementation remains slow. The report notes that only about one-quarter of recommendations from OICCI&rsquo;s 2022 Digital Report have been carried out.&nbsp;&ldquo;Only about one-quarter of OICCI&rsquo;s digital policy recommendations issued in OICCI&rsquo;s Digital Report 2022 have been implemented so far. Faster execution, improved fiber penetration and a more investment-friendly regulatory environment will be essential to unlock Pakistan&rsquo;s digital potential,&rdquo; said M. Abdul Aleem, Secretary General of OICCI.&nbsp;To address these gaps, the report recommends reducing taxes on broadband services and digital devices, accelerating fiber deployment, ensuring regulatory clarity in data protection and cybersecurity, and strengthening public-private collaboration.&nbsp;The government has set a target of $5 billion in IT exports for FY26, while analysts project exports could reach around $4.5 billion, implying annual growth of 18% to 20% from the $3.8 billion recorded in FY25.&nbsp;Under the broader Uraan Pakistan framework, policymakers are targeting $10 billion in IT exports by FY29, requiring a compound annual growth rate of approximately 27%.&nbsp;The report concludes that while Pakistan&rsquo;s digital economy is expanding and foundational elements are in place, closing infrastructure gaps, accelerating policy implementation, and investing in advanced skills such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity will determine whether current momentum translates into sustained economic impact

Economy

Pakistan’s digital economy is growing fast and could reach 5–7% of GDP by 2030, driven by rising IT exports, digital payments, and increasing internet and mobile use.

Pakistan digital economy seen reaching 7% GDP by 2030: Report

'Multiple attacks on health have been reported in the Iranian capital, Tehran, in recent days amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East,' WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X.