Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson, Tahir Hussain Andrabi, has revealed evidence that India had sought the intervention of a third country during the May conflict, in a bid to hinder peace negotiations. Speaking at a weekly briefing, Andrabi stated that India’s fabricated narrative on terrorism and its aggressive stance against Pakistan cannot be concealed, as India continues to create obstacles to peace in the region. He further accused India of extrajudicial killings and interfering in the internal affairs of its neighbors.
Andrabi alleged that India had sponsored terrorism in Pakistan through operatives like Kulbhushan Jadhav, provided safe havens to wanted fugitives, and subjected minority communities to increasing harassment and coercion in India. He also pointed out that thousands of Kashmiri political leaders and civil society members remain incarcerated in Indian-occupied Kashmir, including senior Kashmiri leader Shabir Shah, who has been in prolonged detention for several years.
In a separate development, the Foreign Office Spokesperson stated that Pakistan had opposed external aggression and threats against Iran, as well as restrictions imposed on Iran in the past, and would continue to do so in the future. He also clarified that the restrictions on Iran’s nuclear agreement were deemed non-productive, and that Iran’s internal situation was an internal matter, with Pakistan not intervening in the affairs of any neighboring country.
Andrabi also highlighted the strong and multi-faceted defense cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, stating that there was no information on any specific defense platform or loan agreement between the two countries. He emphasized that any confirmation of a possible defense agreement would only be made after its formal completion, with the existing defense cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia continuing to progress under a two-way framework.
In other news, the Privatization Commission Board has established a transaction committee to oversee the privatization of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Sukkur Electric Supply Company (SEPCO). Bloomberg reports that Turkey is likely to be inducted into the Pakistan-Saudi defense alliance in the next phase, with a possible agreement between the three countries in the near future.
In a separate development, the Advisor to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Information, Shafiq Jan, has stated that the PML-N is in a state of confusion, with things slipping out of their hands. A PTI spokesperson has denied that the party is planning to launch a street movement, while the Adviser to the Prime Minister, Senator Rana Sanaullah, has stated that the PTI is not in a position to initiate a street movement.
The Privatization Commission Board has also recommended that the existing process of privatizing House Building Finance Corporation Limited (HBFC) be terminated. The police have arrested a mobile snatcher using modern technology within 12 hours of the crime, recovering a stolen mobile phone.
In a different context, the Environmental Protection Agency has issued a notice to a housing society to explain why they cut down trees without permission. The Sindh government has announced that it will plant 10 billion trees in the province over the next five years, while the federal government has launched a campaign to plant 1 billion trees across the country.
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced that its first flight from Lahore to London will depart on March 30, 2024, with flights from Lahore to London landing at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4. The Bureau of Immigration has released data showing that over 100,000 Pakistanis migrated abroad for employment in 2025.
The Traffic Police have reported that traffic flow has been affected in various areas of the city, including Abdul Hafeez Shaheed Road and Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Road. The opposition alliance, the Movement for the Protection of the Constitution, has criticized the PTI for lacking discipline, with every 100 members having their own leader.
