Pakistan

Women in the southern Pakistani village of Molvi Suleman Jat gather to discuss their informal community savings program, which they use instead of formal bank accounts, in February. (Photo by Betsy Joles)
The Big Story

Pakistan's financial gender gap aggravates chronic poverty

With little access to bank accounts, women rely on one another to save

10 May 2023
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been arrested.
Politics

Former PM Imran Khan's arrest sets Pakistan on edge

Popular ex-cricketer detained on corruption allegations

9 May 2023
The Discord leaks have thrown a spotlight on the diplomatic positioning of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government between the U.S. and China. (Source photos by AP) 
International relations

Pakistan faces more 'difficult choices' after pivot-to-China leak

Discord memo underscores Islamabad's growing frustration with U.S.

8 May 2023
Shanghai Cooperation Organization foreign ministers including Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, second from left, and India's S. Jaishankar, fifth from left, pose for photos in Goa, India, on May 5.
International relations

India talks tough on terrorism as it hosts SCO foreign ministers

Pakistan's top diplomat present in person for Jaishankar's thinly veiled jabs

6 May 2023
People gather to receive sacks of free flour at a distribution point in Peshawar, Pakistan, on March 30. The government blames smugglers for compromising its efforts to ease food shortages.
Afghanistan turmoil

Pakistan cracks down on food smuggling to Afghanistan

Islamabad targets black market between crisis-hit neighbors to ease inflation

30 April 2023
An oil tanker and bulk carrier are seen near the Russian port of Nakhodka in December.
International relations

Pakistan eyes economic relief from Russian oil imports due in May

Delicate diplomacy, refining capacity and forex payments pose challenges

27 April 2023
A police officer stands guard as government workers collect digital census data in Peshawar, Pakistan, on March 1.
Politics

Pakistan census sparks outcry as Karachi count 'doesn't make sense'

Experts blame flawed digital process; embattled government faces new protest risk

21 April 2023
People stand in line to receive sacks of free flour at a distribution point in Peshawar, Pakistan, on March 30.
Inflation

Pakistan inflation hits record 35% as IMF talks drag on

Sharif government struggles with economic crisis after a year in power

13 April 2023
Mohammad Rizwan bats for Pakistan against India at the Dubai International Stadium on Sept. 4, 2022.
Sports

India-Pakistan spat threatens Cricket World Cup

Both countries are refusing to play on each other's home grounds

11 April 2023
Security forces guard the entrance to Pakistan's Chinese-built Gwadar Port in 2018. Separatists in Balochistan have targeted Chinese interests. (Photo by Getty Images) 
Terrorism

Pakistan's arrest of anti-China militant felt from Beijing to Tehran

Islamabad aims to secure Belt and Road as it vows new campaign against terror

10 April 2023
Taliban forces inspect an Islamic State hideout on the outskirts of Kabul in November 2021.
Terrorism

ISIS-K threat rising from Afghanistan casts shadow over the West

Officials and experts warn of risks to U.S., Europe on top of Chinese interests

7 April 2023
Pakistan's government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif insists it cannot afford to fund provincial elections nor guarantee their security, while the Supreme Court has ordered polls to proceed. (Source photos by Reuters and AP)
Politics

Pakistan faces constitutional crisis over elections: What to know

Parliament passes motion rejecting Supreme Court order for polls to proceed

6 April 2023
The Supreme Court of Pakistan in Islamabad has ruled that provincial elections should go ahead.
Politics

Pakistan top court rules provincial polls delay illegal

Government has insisted that elections cannot be held amid economic crisis

4 April 2023
Fishermen in Karachi: The Delta Blue Carbon mangrove restoration project in Pakistan has had a positive impact on the local fishery community.
Opinion

Rows over Asian carbon credits overlook project benefits

Efforts to offset emissions can benefit communities most in need

30 March 2023
An officer stands guard after an attack on a police station in Karachi in February. Pakistan has seen an alarming rise in terrorism in recent months, prompting a fresh warning from China.
Terrorism

Pakistan police resort to shutting Chinese shops over terror risk

Authorities say some establishments failing to take security seriously enough

29 March 2023
Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan stand guard outside his house in Lahore on March 21, following clashes with police that prevented his arrest last week.
Politics

Pakistan election spat enters new stage as IMF cash remains elusive

Imran Khan slams decision to delay polls in defiance of court ruling

24 March 2023
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Moscow on Jan. 30: Moscow is believed to harbor suspicions about Islamabad's position.
Opinion

India is guzzling cheap Russian oil, but Pakistan cannot afford it

Teetering on edge of default, Islamabad needs IMF aid and exports to U.S.

15 March 2023
Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan block a road during clashes with police believed to be seeking to arrest the ex-leader in Lahore on March 14.
Politics

Pakistan police try to arrest ex-PM Imran Khan, confront supporters

Former leader urges nation to keep up fight 'if I go to jail or they kill me'

15 March 2023
A suicide blast killed 101 in a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan in January. Terror attacks in the country have increased since the Taliban took power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021.
The Big Story

Pakistan faces terrorism surge post-Afghan war

Islamabad helped bring the Taliban to power, now it faces the consequences

15 March 2023
A U.S. soldier uses night vision goggles in Afghanistan in 2013. Pakistani Taliban militants are apparently using such gadgets to attack police under the cover of darkness.
Terrorism

U.S. arms left in Afghanistan surface in Pakistan Taliban insurgency

Advanced sniper rifles and night vision goggles used in attacks on police

12 March 2023
A Pakistan Army soldier stands guard near the Line of Control in the Charikot Sector of Kashmir in 2020.
International relations

Kashmir hopes 2-year cease-fire rekindles India-Pakistan trade

Locals say commerce across Line of Control offered glimpse of 'golden future'

5 March 2023
The Supreme Court of Pakistan in Islamabad has ruled that provincial elections must go ahead -- a verdict that poses a serious challenge for the ruling alliance.
Politics

Pakistan court orders provincial polls to go ahead, roiling politics

Imran Khan, government urged to negotiate on elections to avoid deeper crisis

1 March 2023
A school for young women in Islamabad: Activists say over 5,000 rapes were reported in the country in 2021, and that the conviction rate for such crimes is less than 3%.
Crime

Pakistan rape case turns harsh spotlight on misogyny, justice system

Experts call for drastic legal reforms and better police training

26 February 2023
A camp for flood victims in Sindh province in December 2022: Pakistan faces an arduous road ahead.
Opinion

The world has a responsibility to Pakistan's displaced millions

Last year's floods were deadliest in series of climate change-related disasters

26 February 2023
India's opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi speaks in Srinagar, in Indian-controlled Kashmir, on Jan. 30. Hundreds of members of various opposition groups joined the gathering in freezing temperatures. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)
Politics

Modi opponents in Kashmir eye Rahul Gandhi as a unifying force

Recent visit by Congress party scion seen as potential shift in territory's politics

25 February 2023