Asia

Bangladesh removes visa requirement for Pakistani officials for 1st time since 1971

DHAKA — Holders of diplomatic and official passports from Bangladesh and Pakistan will no longer need visas to travel between the two countries, officials said on Thursday. The Advisory Council of Bangladesh’s interim administration, led by Muhammad Yunus, approved a mutual visa exemption agreement, his press secretary Shafiqul Alam told a news conference in Dhaka. […]

Asia

Iran-Israel conflict raises alarm in Pakistan amid fears over own security

ISLAMABAD — In January 2024, Pakistan and Iran fired missiles into each other’s territory in a brief military escalation between the neighbours. Yet 17 months later, after Israel attacked Iran with strikes on the latter’s nuclear facilities, and assassinated multiple Iranian generals and nuclear scientists, Pakistan was quick to condemn the Israeli action. Islamabad described […]

Asia

India strikes Pakistan over Kashmir tourist killings

MUZAFFARABAD/NEW DELHI — India attacked Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday and Pakistan said it had shot down five Indian fighter jets in the worst fighting in more than two decades between the nuclear-armed enemies. India said it struck nine Pakistani “terrorist infrastructure” sites, some of them linked to an attack by Islamist militants on […]

Asia

Pakistan urges Muslim countries to impress upon India to de-escalate tensions

ISLAMABAD — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Friday urged brotherly countries, including Saudi Arabia, to impress upon India to de-escalate and defuse tensions heightened after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Sharif separately met Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliky, UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Al-Zaabi and Kuwait Ambassador Nasser Abdulrahman Jasser in Islamabad when […]