Pakistan: News & Insights

Women's Wealth

Asia's female financial firepower surges to record highs

Combined wealth of women in Asia now world's second-highest, but systemic issues challenge equality

5 December 2022

Podcast

Asia Stream: Pakistan's New 'General Manager'

The most powerful man in Pakistan isn't the prime minister. It's the army chief. And there's a new chief in town.

3 December 2022

Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan sit on scaffoldings to see their leader speak on Nov. 26. He announced a halt to major protests and plans to quit provincial assemblies.

Politics

Imran Khan attempts provincial power play to spur Pakistan polls

4 things to know about the ousted prime minister's shifting strategy

2 December 2022

Pakistani cricket fans watch the T20 World Cup final, held in Australia, on a big screen in Karachi on Nov. 13.

Sports

Cricket-crazy Pakistan hosts England in a respite from crises

Embattled nation aims to prove it can ensure safety to unlock opportunities

1 December 2022

Protesters gather with the body of a school bus driver killed by a gunman in Mingora, in Pakistan's province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in October. The region is facing rising violence, much of it blamed on the Pakistani branch of the Taliban.

Terrorism

Pakistan's Taliban scraps cease-fire as political turmoil festers

Militants step up attacks, testing cash-strapped government and next army chief

29 November 2022

Lt. Gen. Syed Asim Munir has been nominated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to lead the country's powerful army.

Politics

Pakistan nominates next army chief as incumbent blasts Imran Khan

Munir to succeed Bajwa, who takes parting shot at ousted PM over 'false' conspiracy

24 November 2022

A man sells gas cylinders in Karachi in 2021: Pakistan faces a shortage of gas as winter approaches. (File photo by EPA/Jiji)

Economy

Pakistan winter gas crunch threatens to chill economy, stoke unrest

Cash-strapped country looks for answers as leaks waste precious supplies

23 November 2022

Residents walk through flood water as they head to their villages in Sehwan, Pakistan on Sept. 6: Empowered authorities on the ground could have better handled evacuations.

Opinion

Climate change not only reason for Pakistan's flooding toll

Political parties' failure to empower local authorities left millions helpless

23 November 2022

Budget carrier Fly Jinnah is a joint venture between Lakson Group of Pakistan and Air Arabia Group of the United Arab Emirates. (Screenshot from Fly Jinnah's Facebook page)

Travel & Leisure

Can Pakistan's new budget airline give domestic travel a lift?

Low-cost operator Fly Jinnah expected to inject competition into market

22 November 2022

The imminent retirement of Pakistan's Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, has sent the rumor mill into overdrive regarding his successor.

Politics

Pakistan nears moment of truth in army chief sweepstakes

Government's nomination of 'real boss' critical for democracy and stability

18 November 2022

Flooding on the outskirts of Bhan Syedabad during Pakistan's monsoon season in September.

COP27

Pakistan, island states dig in at COP27 over climate compensation

Rift over loss and damage overshadows talks as summit clock ticks down

17 November 2022

COP27

Pay for climate change, Pakistan and others tell rich nations

Prime Minister Sharif calls his country's floods a 'man-made disaster' at COP27

9 November 2022

Flaring, or burning off gas from oil production, is a key emitter of methane -- the second-most common greenhouse gas and the most powerful one.

Asia Insight

Soaring methane emissions raise stakes for Asia at COP27

Poor nations face astronomical cost as cycle of warming, thawing spins out of control

8 November 2022

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan sits in a wheelchair as he meets the press at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre in Lahore on Nov. 4.

Politics

Pakistan 'long march' to resume as wounded Imran Khan wins sympathy

Recovering from shooting, ex-PM to address protesters online at first

8 November 2022

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, left, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inspect an honor guard in Beijing on Nov. 2.

International relations

Pakistan PM Sharif's China trip brings 'more words, little action'

Experts say Beijing wants better security as turmoil rocks Islamabad

4 November 2022

A supporter of Pakistan former Prime Minister Imran Khan attends a protest in Karachi after the assassination attempt.

Politics

Pakistan's Imran Khan survives assassination bid as protests flare

Former PM demands top officials be investigated for attack, prompting gag order

4 November 2022

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, pictured at the United Nations General Assembly in September, has flown to China to discuss infrastructure and financial support.

International relations

Pakistan PM Sharif lands in Beijing to discuss economy, debt

Leader to be one of first to meet Xi since he sealed third term in power

1 November 2022

Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh will host the 27th annual United Nations climate change conference (COP27) from Nov. 6 to 18.

Your Week in Asia

Vietnam leader in China, Hong Kong investment summit, COP 27

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

30 October 2022

A laborer pulls a car loaded with sacks of lentils at a grain market in Ahmedabad. The government has said the country's low rank on an index of global hunger is intended to "taint India's image."

Economy

India gets mixed marks on poverty, with hunger rank behind Pakistan

New Delhi slams 'misinformation' as other study hails 140m saved from destitution

30 October 2022

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, center, gestures to his supporters in Lahore on Oct. 28, launching his protest march to Islamabad.

Politics

Pakistan ex-PM Khan starts march to capital, pressuring government

Experts say ousted leader will remain a 'thorn' even if bid for early election fails

28 October 2022

Experts say that fintech companies have been far more successful than brick-and-mortar banks at drawing people into Pakistan's formal financial systems. (Source photo by AP)

Technology

Digital wallets, other apps drive Pakistan's fintech ambitions

Analysts say technology is filling a vacuum left by traditional banks

28 October 2022

The revival of the Karachi Circular Railway inner-city train service is among the projects on the agenda for Pakistan's talks with China.

Belt and Road

Pakistan, China aim to jump-start Belt and Road plans in key talks

Islamabad said to accept higher railway cost before PM Sharif's trip to Beijing

28 October 2022

Pakistan's floodwaters have been receding in some areas, but others remain inundated. Here, a girl sits on a cot in a flooded street in the Jaffarabad district of Balochistan on Oct. 4.

Natural disasters

Malaria, snakes, misery: Pakistan flood victims wait for elusive aid

Approach of winter raises fears of pneumonia, missed planting season

26 October 2022

In possibly his last big diplomatic move before retiring, Pakistan's army chief, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, presented Washington with a vision for relations "much like the Americans' understanding with South Korea."

Asia Insight

Pakistan's top gun seeks U.S.-China balance before retirement

Gen. Bajwa's diplomatic ambitions clash with domestic political tensions

25 October 2022

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan addresses an anti-government rally in Islamabad in August. The election authority on Oct. 21 disqualified him from public office.

Politics

Pakistan's ex-PM Imran Khan disqualified from public office

PTI party calls for protests over election body's ruling in state gifts case

23 October 2022