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NAQVI DELIVERS FIELD MARSHAL’S ‘SPECIAL LETTER’ AND PM’S MESSAGE TO IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER AMID MEDIATION PUSH Monday, 8 June, 2026 | 22 ZilHaj, 1447
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INTERIOR MINISTER MEETS IRANIAN FM ARAGHCHI IN TEHRAN AS PAKISTAN INTENSIFIES US–IRAN MEDIATION PUSH
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ISLAMABAD/TEHRAN SALEEM JADOON
AKISTAN’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and handed over a “written message” from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, according to Iranian state media, as Islamabad stepped up efforts to ease tensions between the United States and Iran. The meeting in Tehran came amid intensified regional tensions and ongoing diplomatic exchanges involving multiple actors seeking to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East. Iran’s state-run IRNA news
agency said Naqvi conveyed the message during his meeting with Araghchi, following earlier talks with Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni. Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Saturday evening and held multiple engagements, including three meetings in as many days with Momeni, including on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) interior ministers’ meeting in Bishkek earlier this week. Pakistan TV Digital reported that discussions focused on regional developments and security dynamics. ‘Special Letter from Field Marshal Munir and message from PM’ Speaking to the media alongside Momeni in Tehran on Saturday night, Naqvi said he had brought a “special
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PAKISTAN CONTINUES DIPLOMATIC FACILITATION BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND TEHRAN AS TALKS FOCUS ON REGIONAL TENSIONS AND STRAIT OF HORMUZ SECURITY
letter” from Pakistan’s military leadership and a message from the prime minister for the Iranian leadership regarding the evolving situation. “I am here to deliver a special letter from the field marshal [General Asim Munir] for his Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei and a message from the prime minister regarding the current situation,” Naqvi said. According to IRNA, the written message was from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and was addressed to the Iranian leadership, with no official details disclosed about its contents. Pakistan has been playing what officials describe as a facilitative diplomatic role aimed at bridging communication between Washington and Tehran, with support from regional partners including Qatar, Turkiye and Egypt, to reduce tensions and promote dialogue, including on maritime stability in the Strait of Hormuz. The visit comes against the backdrop of heightened military tensions in the region, including reported exchanges of strikes between the United States and Iranian-linked targets. Earlier, US forces said they had intercepted drones and missiles near the Strait of Hormuz and carried out retaliatory strikes on coastal radar installations, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed it had targeted US-linked military positions in the Gulf region.
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dar assures ppp budget ppp leads gB polls as proposals to be included counting continues amid amid ‘iMF-driven fiscal talks’ rigging allegations ISLAMABAD
GILGIT/DIAMIR/ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
STAFF REPORT
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday assured the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) that its proposals would be incorporated in the upcoming federal budget during a pre-budget consultation meeting held with a PPP delegation led by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. The meeting was held at Zardari House in Islamabad, where Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari led a delegation comprising Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar, Murad Ali Shah and Jam Khan Shoro. According to an official PPP statement, matters related to the federal budget were discussed in detail. The discussion covered overall fiscal planning, expenditure priorities, development spending under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), as well as broader economic objectives including fiscal sustainability, public welfare, development initiatives and inclusive growth. With the federal budget for FY2026-27 scheduled to be announced on June 10 (Wednesday), the meeting marked the second round of pre-budget consultations between the two key coalition partners, the PML-N and PPP, while a third and final round is expected on Monday.
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XVII No 74 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) emerged as the leading political force in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly elections on Sunday, securing a majority in 11 of the 24 constituencies on the basis of unofficial and preliminary results, as counting continued across the mountainous region after largely peaceful polling. Polling for the 24 directly elected seats of the 33member Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly was held from 8am to 5pm across 1,691 polling stations, with over 7,500 polling staff deployed to facilitate voting. A total of 13 seats are required to form the next government in the strategically significant region. According to preliminary and unofficial results, the PPP was leading with 11 seats, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 5 seats, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with 3 seats, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen with 1 seat, while independent candidates were leading in 2 constituencies. The GB Assembly comprises 33 seats in total, including 24 elected through direct polls, 6 reserved for women and 3 reserved for technocrats and professionals.
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REGIONAL PLAYERS INCLUDING QATAR, TÜRKIYE AND EGYPT LINKED TO MEDIATION EFFORTS