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PAKISTAN REAFFIRMS ‘UNWAVERING SOLIDARITY’ WITH KUWAIT, STEPS UP PEACE DIPLOMACY Thursday, 30 July, 2026 | 15 Safar, 1448
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PM SHEHBAZ STRONGLY CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON KUWAIT AND GULF STATES, REITERATING PAKISTAN’S ROLE AS AN HONEST MEDIATOR KUWAIT COMMENDS DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS OF PM SHEHBAZ, DPM DAR AND FIELD MARSHAL MUNIR IN PROMOTING DIALOGUE AMID REGIONAL CRISIS
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PREMIER, KUWAITI FM PLEDGE TO DEEPEN COOPERATION IN TRADE, INVESTMENT, ENERGY, IT AND OTHERS
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FIELD MARSHAL ASIM MUNIR REAFFIRMS PAKISTAN’S COMMITMENT TO KUWAIT AS VISITING MINISTER PRAISES ISLAMABAD’S CONTRIBUTION TO REGIONAL STABILITY
PAKISTAN WELCOMES KUWAIT’S RATIFICATION OF DEFENCE PACT, HAILS NEW MILESTONE IN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP ISLAMABAD
Staff CorreSpondent
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ISLAMABAD
Saleem Jadoon
RIME MINISTER Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with Kuwait, strongly condemning the recent attacks targeting Kuwait and other Gulf countries amid the ongoing regional conflict, while reiterating that Islamabad would continue to play the role of an
honest and sincere mediator and facilitator in efforts aimed at restoring regional peace and stability. The prime minister expressed these views during a meeting with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber AlAhmad Al-Sabah, who called on him at the Prime Minister’s Office, according to a statement issued by the PM Office.
ADB likely to approve Border Connectivity and Logistics Upgrade Facility for Pakistan in coming weeks ISLAMABAD newS deSk
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is expected to approve a Border Connectivity and Logistics Upgrade Facility for Pakistan in the coming weeks, aimed at modernising the country's border infrastructure and boosting regional trade and connectivity, a delegation from the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Secretariat informed Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan. The delegation called on the minister and briefed him on regional initiatives aimed at strengthening trade, connectivity, investment and economic integration among CAREC member countries. It noted that Pakistan remains an active participant in the Regional Trade and Investment Facilitation Partnership (CARIF) framework, which is now entering its operational phase to advance trade facilitation, logistics cooperation and investment across the CAREC region.
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Pakistan on Wednesday welcomed Kuwait’s ratification of the 2023 Defence Cooperation Agreement, describing it as a significant milestone that would further strengthen the longstanding defence partnership and institutional security ties between the two brotherly countries. Responding to media queries, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr. Tahir Andrabi said the agreement reflected the shared commitment of Pakistan and Kuwait to expand bilateral defence cooperation and elevate their strategic security partnership. He noted that the defence relationship between the two countries dates back to the early 1980s and has continued to grow on the basis of mutual trust, shared interests and close institutional cooperation. According to the Foreign Office, the agreement provides a comprehensive framework for enhancing defence collaboration in key areas, including military training, joint exercises, exchange
of expertise and other mutually agreed fields of cooperation. It is expected to further strengthen institutional linkages between the armed forces of both countries and broaden the scope of bilateral defence engagement. The spokesperson said Pakistan and Kuwait would work closely to implement the agreement in accordance with its provisions, with the objective of reinforcing their enduring defence partnership while contributing to regional peace, security and stability. The development coincided with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar’s meeting with his Kuwaiti counterpart, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, in Islamabad. During the talks, Dar welcomed Kuwait’s ratification of the agreement, terming it an important milestone in bilateral defence relations that would deepen military-to-military cooperation and further institutionalise security collaboration between the two countries.
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Pakistan, Egypt step up diplomatic push for Palestine, call for immediate end to Gaza hostilities ISLAMABAD
Staff report
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Wednesday agreed to intensify diplomatic coordination among Arab and Islamic countries in support of the Palestinian people, expressing grave concern over the rapidly deteriorating situation in Gaza, the Occupied West Bank and the repeated violations at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound amid escalating regional tensions. According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO), the two foreign ministers held a telephone conversation during which they stressed the urgent need for an immediate end to all hostilities, the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance and full adherence to international law. “The two Foreign Ministers expressed grave concern over the deteriorating situation in Palestine, condemning the continued Israeli military actions in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank, escalating settler violence, and repeated violations at the Al-Aqsa
Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem,” the FO said. During the conversation, Dar and Abdelatty also discussed Jordan’s proposal to convene a meeting of a group of Arab and Islamic countries to coordinate diplomatic efforts aimed at supporting the Palestinian people and advancing a unified regional response to the ongoing crisis. The high-level consultation comes less than a week after Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, a move that drew widespread condemnation from Arab and Muslim countries. The discussions also took place against the backdrop of continued Israeli military operations in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation has continued to worsen, heightening international concern over civilian suffering and regional instability. The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on broader regional developments and underscored the imperative of restraint, dialogue and diplomacy to prevent further escalation and preserve peace and stability in the region, the Foreign Office added.
Bilawal demands re-polling in AJK, escalates rift with PML-N over 'rigged elections'
MUZAFFARABAD
Staff CorreSpondent
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday intensified his criticism of coalition partner Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), alleging widespread rigging in the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections and demanding fresh polling in Mirpur. Addressing a PPP workers' convention in Muzaffarabad, Bilawal urged the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission to order re-polling in Mirpur if it wished to prove its impartiality. "If you are not involved in this rigging, then conduct re-polling in Mirpur," he said. Taking a direct swipe at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Bilawal claimed their governments lacked a genuine public mandate, alleging they were beneficiaries of electoral manipulation. "Even a child knows that those occupying the offices of the prime minister and chief minister are there not because of the people's votes or performance, but because of Form-47," he said, referring to the term widely used by the opposition to allege manipulation in the 2024 general elections. The remarks came after the PML-N secured nine of the 13 seats contested in the first phase of the threestage AJK elections, while the PPP won the remaining four seats.
Security forces kill 32 terrorists in operations in KP and Balochistan
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ISLAMABAD
Staff report
Security forces killed 32 militants in operations carried out over the past 24 hours in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Wednesday. The military’s media wing said 24 militants were killed in multiple intelligence-based area sanitisation and targeted operations in Khyber district on the night of July 28 and 29, while another eight were killed after what it described as an intense engagement in Nushki district of Balochistan. ISPR said the actions were part of ongoing operations against what it called the “terrorist nexus” of Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna alHindustan. The state uses Fitna al-Khawarij for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, while Fitna alHindustan is used for militant groups operating in Balochistan that Pakistan links to India. According to the statement, weapons, ammunition and improvised explosive devices were recovered and destroyed during the operations. It added that sanitisation efforts were continuing in the affected areas to clear out any remaining militants and facilitators. ISPR said the broader counterterrorism drive under “Azm-iIstehkam”, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, would continue “at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.”
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