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PakiStan-mEdiatEd iran-US talkS Show BrEakthroUgh SignS aS ‘EncoUraging ProgrESS’ rEPortEd Sunday, 24 May, 2026 | 7 Zilhaj, 1447
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IRANIAN, PAKISTANI LEADERSHIP HOLDS HIGH LEVEL CONSULTATIONS ON PEACE PROCESS AS PAKISTAN CREDITED FOR FACILITATING TALKS AMID REGIONAL DE-ESCALATION PUSH ISPR SAYS NEGOTIATIONS MOVING TOWARD ‘FINAL FRAMEWORK UNDERSTANDING,’ AS FIELD MARSHAL MUNIR COMPLETES ‘HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE’ IRAN VISIT
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TEHRAN/ISLAMABAD
Saleem Jadoon/agenCieS
RAN, the United States, and mediator Pakistan on Saturday said that significant progress has been achieved in talks aimed at ending nearly three months of conflict, with Pakistan’s military describing the latest round of negotiations as yielding “encouraging progress” toward a final understanding, while Tehran indicated focus on finalising a memorandum of understanding (MoU) following highlevel engagements with Pakistan’s Chief of
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XVII No 59 | 8 Pages | Lahore Edition
IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON SAYS IN FINAL STAGES OF DRAFTING A FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT AIMED AT ENDING WAR WITH US
IRANIAN AND QATARI DELEGATIONS ENGAGED IN INTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS IN TEHRAN TO FINALISE A ‘TEMPORARY’ AGREEMENT WITH US: REPORTS
Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir. According to Pakistan’s military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the talks marked “encouraging progress” toward a framework for a final agreement with the United States after intensive diplomatic engagements with Iranian leadership. In a statement issued on Saturday, ISPR said Field Marshal Asim Munir concluded a “highly productive” short visit to Iran, which formed part of ongoing mediation efforts aimed at de-escalation and constructive en-
gagement amid regional tensions following the ceasefire of April 8, 2026. During the visit, the field marshal held high-level meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, the statement added. ISPR said the discussions focused on expediting the consultative process to support regional peace and stability and to move towards a conclusive agreement. It added that the engagements were held in a “positive and constructive environment” and contributed meaningfully to the mediation process.
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SAYS WITHIN A 30 TO 60-DAY WINDOW, DETAILS OF ARRANGEMENT WOULD BE FURTHER NEGOTIATED BEFORE A FINAL AGREEMENT IS CONCLUDED
kh aSif SayS PakiStan'S US-iran mEdiation moving towardS 'PoSitivE oUtcomE' SIALKOT
aSad nizami
Khawaja Asif on Saturday said Pakistan’s mediation efforts between the United States and Iran were gradually moving towards a “positive outcome," expressing optimism that regional peace efforts would soon yield results. “We have slowly moved closer to a positive result in the US-Iran mediation,” the defence minister told reporters in Sialkot. According to Asif, the recent visit of Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir to Iran, along with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, indicated that diplomatic efforts were nearing an important stage. Field Marshal Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday as Pakistan intensified diplomatic engagement aimed at helping end the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran and promoting regional de-escalation. During the visit,
Munir and Mohsin Naqvi held meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to discuss mediation efforts and the broader regional situation. Pakistan has emerged as a key diplomatic intermediary between Washington and Tehran following six weeks of fighting that erupted on February 28 after coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The conflict escalated after Tehran responded with retaliatory attacks on US military bases in the region and moved to close the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. Hostilities were temporarily halted on April 8 following Pakistan-facilitated ceasefire efforts, which later paved the way for direct talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad on April 11 and 12.
iran Envoy SignalS ‘caUtioUS oPtimiSm’ aS PakiStan-BackEd diPlomacy gainS momEntUm CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
ISLAMABAD
Staff report
The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Pakistan on Saturday expressed cautious optimism that ongoing diplomatic ef-
Xi orders all-out rescue after deadly Shanxi mine blast
Pakistan–China ties enter new phase of practical cooperation as PM Shehbaz meets Zhejiang leadership
BEIJING
Staff CorreSpondent
Chinese President Xi Jinping has given important instructions following a coal mine gas explosion on Friday in north China's Shanxi Province, urging allout rescue of the missing and treatment of the injured. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, called for proper handling of the aftermath of the accident and urged a thorough investigation into its cause, with accountability pursued in accordance with the law. The gas explosion occurred underground at 7:29 p.m. on Friday at Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, Changzhi City, resulting in heavy casualties. As of 6 a.m. on Saturday, eight people have been confirmed dead, and 38 remain trapped underground. Xi stressed that authorities across the country must learn from the accident, remain vigilant on workplace safety, and intensify efforts to identify and eliminate potential risks in order to prevent major accidents. As China has entered its flood season, he also called for strengthened emergency preparedness and solid flood control and disaster relief measures to safeguard people's lives and property. Premier Li Qiang also instructed on the rescue and accident investigation efforts. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, urged strengthening workplace safety supervision across the country and called for workplace safety overhaul in key sectors to curb the occurrence of major accidents. Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, has led a team to the site to oversee the rescue efforts and the handling of the accident's aftermath.
HANGZHOU
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Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday held a high-level meeting with Wang Hao, Party Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhejiang Provincial Committee, in Hangzhou, focusing on expanding bilateral cooperation and deepening provincial-level linkages between Pakistan and China. Welcoming the Prime Minister to Zhejiang Province, Wang Hao underscored the importance of continued engagement between the two sides at the sub-national level. The prime minister lauded Zhejiang’s remarkable transformation and development achievements while paying tribute to the visionary leadership of President Xi Jinping, particularly the guiding principle that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” He noted that Zhejiang’s experience reflected a successful model where ecological preservation, green development, and high-quality economic growth reinforce one another. He emphasized that Pakistan attached great importance to strengthening cooperation with Zhejiang Province across multiple sectors, including the digital economy, e-commerce, information technology, telecommunications, agriculture, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and skills development. Highlighting the significance of provincial partnerships, the PM said such cooperation forms a vital pillar of Pakistan–China relations and could play a transformative role in advancing the next phase of the CPEC, particularly in industrial collaboration, agricultural modernization, technological exchange, and export-oriented growth.
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A gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China has killed at least 90 people, state media reported on Saturday, the country’s biggest mining disaster in 17 years. The blast occurred at 7:29pm on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province, according to state news agency Xinhua. At least 90 people had died and 123 others were sent to hospital for treatment, four of whom were in critical or severe condition, state broadcaster CCTV said. Of those sent for treatment, 33 had returned home as of 2:00pm on Saturday, it added. A total of 755 emergency and medical personnel were dispatched to the site, with rescue efforts still ongoing Saturday afternoon, CCTV added. Survivor and injured miner Wang Yong told CCTV there was a “puff of smoke” and he smelled sulphur. He recalled seeing people choked by the smoke before he fainted. “I lay down for about an hour and woke up by myself.
I called the people next to me and got out of the mine together,” Wang said, according to CCTV. Helmeted rescuers were carrying stretchers at the site, with ambulances visible in the background, video by CCTV showed. President Xi Jinping urged “all-out efforts” to treat the injured and called for thorough investigations into the incident, Xinhua said. He “emphasised that all regions and departments must draw lessons from this accident, remain constantly vigilant regarding workplace safety… and resolutely prevent and curb the occurrence of major and catastrophic accidents”. A person “responsible for” the company involved in the explosion has been “placed under control in accordance with the law”, Xinhua said. Premier Li Qiang called for timely and accurate release of information and rigorous accountability. State media initially reported four deaths and dozens trapped after levels of carbon monoxide — a highly toxic, odourless gas — in the mine were found to have
Minister Mohsin Naqvi had congratulated him on the progress made during recent talks with Iranian officials following his return from Tehran.
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Eight terrorists eliminated, cop martyred in intense Bannu gunbattle RAWALPINDI
Staff report
During the visit, the Prime Minister witnessed the signing of two key cooperation agreements. The first was a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a sister-province relationship between Zhejiang Province and Punjab Province, aimed at promoting collaboration in trade, investment, agriculture, education, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. The second was a Document of Understanding between Hangzhou Normal University and the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing for the establishment of the China–Pakistan Joint Technology Research Centre. The centre will strengthen academic cooperation, applied research, technology transfer, and institutional partnerships between the two countries. Marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, the Prime Minister said both countries were now entering a new phase of practical, people-centric, and development-oriented cooperation.
China coal mine blast kills at least 90, more missing BEIJING
forts could lead to lasting peace in the region, while lauding Pakistan’s leadership role in facilitating mediation amid continuing regional negotiations. In a post on X, Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam said Pakistan’s Interior
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“exceeded limits”. Some of those stuck underground were in “critical condition”, that report said. The death toll then jumped sharply as the morning wore on. The mine is operated by Shanxi Tongzhou Group Liushenyu Coal Industry, which was established in 2010 and is controlled by Shanxi Tongzhou Coal Coking Group, according to corporate database Qichacha.
LAX SAFETY PROTOCOLS: Shanxi, one of China’s poorer provinces, is the country’s coal-mining capital. Mine safety in the country has improved in recent decades, but accidents still occur in an industry where safety protocols are often lax and regulations vague. In 2023, a collapse at an open-pit coal mine in the northern Inner Mongolia region killed 53 people. And in 2009, an explosion at a mine in northeastern Heilongjiang province killed more than 100. China is the world’s top consumer of coal and the largest greenhouse gas emitter, despite installing renewable energy capacity at record speed.
As many as eight terrorists were eliminated and a policeman was martyred in an intense gunbattle between terrorists and CTD personnel in Barakzai Akhundkhel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Saturday morning. Backed by advanced technology and drone surveillance, the Bannu police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel launched a joint intelligence-based operation after learning about the presence of terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Khwarij in the area. The terrorists opened indiscriminate firing on the raiding teams. In the ensuring battle, eight terrorists were sent to hell while several others were injured. One police official was also martyred and another wounded in the gunbattle. The security personnel also defused a 10-kg locallymade remote-controlled bomb they recovered from the terrorists’ hideout. The Bannu City Police Officer (CPO) said that the area was cordoned off after the operation as security forces conducted a search operation to clear any remaining threats. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General Police Zulfiqar Hameed praised the operation, describing it as successful and crediting police and CTD personnel for their response. He said that “every attack by hostile elements will be responded to firmly,” adding that operations against militant groups would continue across the province. The IGP said that police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were on the frontline in protecting the life and property of citizens. He also announced rewards for the police team involved in the Bannu operation in recognition of their performance, according to an official statement.