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Pakistan has been invited to participate in the talks between Iran and the United States aimed at de-escalation of tensions between the two countries, the Foreign Office (FO) confirmed on Tuesday. “Pakistan has received the invitation for the upcoming talks between Iran and the United States,” FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said while responding to a query. “Pakistan’s participation is seen as crucial to defusing tensions, as Islamabad has been quietly working to facilitate the talks,” a diplomatic source told Dawn . A diplomatic source said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is expected to participate in the meeting. The meeting is likely to take place in Turkiye on Friday, an Arab official told AFP on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. US outlet Axios cited two unnamed sources and a US official as saying Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was expected to meet with US envoy Steve Witkoff in Istanbul to discuss a possible deal on th...

Pakistan’s first polio vaccination campaign of the current year was launched on Monday across the country. The nationwide drive is being held from February 2 to February 5 in most cities, while Sindh is conducting a week-long campaign until February 8. Strict security measures have been taken in various districts, keeping in view past attacks on polio teams. First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, in a post on X, said: “The first nationwide polio vaccination drive of 2026 is underway, with health workers going door to door.” “This campaign is a vital step towards protecting our children and eliminating polio once and for all,” she stressed. The first lady encouraged all parents with children aged five years or below to ensure their kids receive the vaccine every time it is offered, pointing out that this was the “only way to eliminate polio for good”. Speaking at the formal inauguration of the drive in Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah noted that the campaign aimed to va...

ISLAMABAD: After a noticeable decline in violence in December 2025, the first month of the new year witnessed a renewed surge in anti-state violence, leading to higher fatalities among militants, civilians and security personnel, according to official statistics. Data released by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) shows that combat-related deaths in January 2026 rose by 43 per cent compared to December 2025. A total of 361 people were killed during the month, including 242 militants, 73 civilians and 46 security force personnel. At least 135 people were injured, among them 71 civilians, 52 security personnel and 12 militants. PICSS reported that January saw 87 militant attacks nationwide, marking a 28pc increase from the 68 attacks recorded in December 2025. Of these, 38 attacks took place in mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 20 in the province’s tribal districts (erstwhile FATA), 27 in Balochistan and two in Punjab. Balochistan emerged as ...

Saim Ayub and Babar Azam scored half-centuries on Sunday as Pakistan posted 207 runs against Australia — the Green Shirts’ highest total against the visitors in a T20 game — during the final contest of a three-match series between the two sides at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. With a target of 208 runs, Australian will have to play at a required run rate of 10.35 runs per over. Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Pakistan decided to replace Sahibzada Farhaan with Fakhar Zaman, who opened with Saim Ayub. Farhaan was dismissed in the first match of the series without scoring any runs and had managed to score just five runs in the second game. In today’s match, Saim scored 56 runs. He shared a 69-run partnership with Babar Azam, who remained unbeaten on 50. All-rounder Shadab Khan played a searing 46-run knock for Pakistan on just 19 deliveries, smashing five gigantic sixes. Pakistan skipper Salman Agha, who scored 76 runs in the previous match, flopped today and scored just five r...

Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday likened recent anti-government protests to a “coup”, warning that any US attack on the Islamic Republic following Washington’s military deployments in the Middle East would trigger a regional war. The Iranian authorities’ response to the protests sparked threats of intervention from US President Donald Trump, who dispatched an aircraft carrier group to the region. “The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, telling Iranians they “should not be scared” of Trump’s rhetoric. The demonstrations in Iran began as an expression of discontent at the high cost of living, but grew into a mass anti-government movement that the country’s leaders have described as “riots” fomented by the United States and Israel. “They (rioters) attacked the police, government centres, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps centres, banks, and mosques, and burned the Quran … It was like a coup,” Khamenei sai...

Pakistan, along with seven other Muslim-majority countries, condemned on Sunday the repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza by Israel, asserting that these actions risked undermining efforts for restoring stability at a time when regional and international partners were working collectively to advance the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan. The eight countries — Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan , Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and United Arab Emirates — had worked with Trump’s administration on a plan last year on a plan to end Israel’s genocide and invasion in Gaza. Implementation of the plan began in October 2025, leading to a ceasefire in Gaza more than two years after the onslaught began. Israel, however, has repeatedly violated the the truce, carrying out strikes in the Strip. Meanwhile, work is ongoing on the second phase of Trump’s plan, shifting focus from ceasefire implementation to demilitarisation, technocratic governance and reconstruction. In a jo...

Islamabad Police arrested 54 individuals and seized over 21,000 kites and chemical strings in January as part of a crackdown against hazardous kite-flying material, state-run APP reported on Sunday. Kite-flying is often associated with severe and sometimes fatal accidents. Kite-flying festival — Basant — was banned in 2007 in Punjab because of an increasing number of deaths and serious injuries caused by sharp strings, particularly to motorcyclists and pillion riders, as well as by celebratory gunfire. Quoting Islamabad police spokesperson, APP reported that police teams carried out raids across the capital territory during which they arrested 54 people in relation to kite-flying and trading, alongside recovering over 11,000 kites and more than 10,000 chemical strings. “ Charkis and other related material were also recovered from the suspects,” APP reported, adding that police have registered cases against the suspects. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Qazi Ali Raza told ...