The Karachi provincial assembly. Pakistan's four provincial assemblies vote on April 2 to elect national senators.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan votes for senators as public trust in politics declines

30 out of 48 will be elected unopposed; controversy delays vote for others

2 April 2024
Police examine the site of a suicide bombing that killed five Chinese nationals on a highway in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on March 26.
International relations

Deadly Pakistan attacks threaten China economic ties

Beijing calls on Islamabad to boost security for Chinese workers in nation

29 March 2024
Baloch activists hold portraits of missing family members during a sit-in protest in Islamabad in December: No mainstream political party showed interest.
Opinion

Pakistan's national parties never mind the Balochs

Political abandonment of country's largest province only feeds discontent

27 March 2024
Pakistani soldiers on patrol at the China-developed port of Gwadar in 2017. A deadly attack near the port this week once again underscored the difficulty of protecting Chinese interests, which have become a target for militants.
International relations

Attack in Pakistan's Gwadar strikes near heart of China's interests

Challenge of securing Belt and Road projects resurfaces for new Sharif government

22 March 2024
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, far left, and top military officials attend a funeral on March 17 for officers killed in a militant attack.
International relations

Pakistan's strikes in Afghanistan hint at new government's hard line

Experts warn tackling Pakistani Taliban threat will be more difficult than ever

20 March 2024
A man counts Pakistani rupee notes at a currency exchange in Peshawar, Pakistan, in September 2023. The country is attempting to escape an economic crisis with the help of the International Monetary Fund.
Economy

Pakistan targets new IMF deal with banker atop Finance Ministry

Government accused of bending rules on cabinet selection

19 March 2024
Students, campaigners and lawmakers protest in 2019 against Home Office actions against alleged cheaters on a test of English-language skills. (Migrant Voice) 
Education

South Asian students fight accusations of U.K. visa fraud 10 years on

Over 35,000 visas were canceled over English test scandal in 2014

17 March 2024
A supporter of Pakistani former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), holds a mobile phone during a protest demanding fair election results in Peshawar on Feb. 10.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan's X blockage puts new PM Sharif in hot seat over free speech

Post-election restrictions stifle business and journalism despite soaring VPN use

14 March 2024
Asif Ali Zardari, right, greets Pakistan's newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the legislature on March 3. Zardari was elected president on March 9.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan 'survivor' Asif Zardari wins presidency, capping tense polls

Resistance to granting PTI-backed lawmakers reserved seats called 'mockery' of law

9 March 2024
Shehbaz Sharif, pictured at a climate summit in Egypt, has been elected Pakistan's prime minister for the second time after the controversial Feb. 8 polls.
Pakistan elections

Shehbaz Sharif elected Pakistan's PM for second time

New government faces fierce opposition from Imran Khan's allies after rocky polls

3 March 2024
Pakistan's National Assembly has reopened under controversial circumstances, following elections the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan claims were rigged.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan National Assembly opens as election disputes mar proceedings

Coalition poised to elect Shehbaz Sharif as PM amid fight over seat allocations

29 February 2024
Protesters in Lahore on Jan. 19 condemn Iran's attack on targets in Pakistani border areas: Public pressure played into both governments' actions. 
Opinion

Clash with Pakistan shows Iran must take its neighbors more seriously

Tehran should focus on frontier security rather than rely on cross-border strikes

28 February 2024
Maryam Nawaz arrives for a provincial assembly session in Lahore on Feb. 26, before her election as chief minister of Punjab province.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif passes torch as daughter Maryam elected Punjab chief

'Inexperienced' politician takes high-stakes role atop most populous province

26 February 2024
A portrait of former Pakistani army chief Raheel Sharif on a truck in Peshawar in 2023: The army has been downgraded in the public's estimation.
Opinion

Pakistan's army was the clear election loser

Defiant votes for Imran Khan's PTI reflect resentment of military interference

23 February 2024
Pakistan former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, left, and ex-President Asif Zardari are expected to reprise their roles after their parties struck a power-sharing deal. (Source photos by Reuters and AP)
Pakistan elections

Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Zardari, the duo poised to grab Pakistan's reins

Power-sharing deal ends deadlock as PML-N and PPP face treacherous task of governing

22 February 2024
News coverage of Pakistani strikes in Iran on Jan.18, two days after Tehran said it attacked militant bases in Pakistan.
Opinion

New Pakistan PM's foreign policy must focus on trade, not insurgents

Country cannot afford confrontational stance with three neighbors at once

20 February 2024
Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), demand free and fair election results in Karachi on Feb. 17.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan's anti-Imran Khan coalition stuck on power-sharing formula

Fears of emergency rule grow as PML-N and PPP struggle to form government

20 February 2024
Chinese and Pakistani flags fly in Islamabad to mark 10th anniversary celebrations for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in July 2023. 
Pakistan elections

Pakistan vote elevates Belt and Road critic in key port of Gwadar

Activist wins provincial seat; analysts say China may have to heed complaints

18 February 2024
Protesters demand free and fair elections in Jamshoro, in Pakistan's province of Sindh, on Feb. 16. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party has called for separate nationwide protests, as it claims recent elections were rigged.
Pakistan elections

Imran Khan allies call Pakistan-wide protests over alleged vote rigging

Influential leader Fazal ur Rehman's tilt toward PTI raises alarm for Sharif camp

17 February 2024
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks in Lahore on Feb. 13. He is poised to return to power after being nominated as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's candidate, backed by a new coalition.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan coalition nominates Shehbaz Sharif to be next PM

Power-sharing still contentious, Imran Khan's opposition set to exert strong pressure

14 February 2024
PTI supporters in Peshawar block a highway to the capital on Feb. 13 in protest against the election results.
Opinion

Pakistan's election was supposed to end deadlock. It failed

Country needs stable national government to tackle economic crisis

14 February 2024
Supporters of Pakistan's imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan protest the election results in Karachi on Feb. 11. Independents backed by Khan's party won the most seats but two other parties are better positioned to form a coalition government.
Pakistan elections

Imran Khan's rivals eye deal to share Pakistan prime ministerial term

Election-leading PTI vows no cooperation as tough economic test awaits

13 February 2024
Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif cheer outside the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz office in Lahore on Feb. 9.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan elections draw sharp critiques from U.S. and Europe

Islamabad 'surprised by negative tone,' says polls were successful

12 February 2024
A portrait of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan is seen amid flags of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the religious party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) as protesters demand free and fair election results in Karachi on Feb. 10.
Pakistan elections

Pakistanis protest elections as Khan, Sharif camps claim they can govern

Facing limited options despite strong showing, PTI pushes tampering allegations

11 February 2024
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif delivers a victory speech at the office of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in Lahore on Feb. 9.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan's Sharif eyes coalition amid rival claims of election victory

Khan hails PTI win via AI as controversial polls point to more instability

10 February 2024