
PM reaffirms Pakistan's commitment to ceasefire
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday vowed to defend Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity against any future aggression, amid rising tensions sparked by recent provocative remarks from Indian leaders.
In a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the ceasefire agreement with India, stressing that it was agreed upon in the interest of regional peace.
Shehbaz described the Kashmir dispute as the central cause of instability in South Asia and reiterated that its resolution in line with UN Security Council resolutions was essential for lasting peace. He thanked President Aliyev for Azerbaijan's continued and principled support to the Kashmir cause.
The prime minister expressed gratitude for Azerbaijan's solidarity during the recent regional crisis, describing the gesture as a sign of enduring friendship and brotherhood between the two nations.
Highlighting Pakistan-Azerbaijan relations, Shehbaz called the bilateral ties "time-tested and special," and said Pakistan was committed to upgrading them into a robust economic partnership. He noted ongoing efforts to finalise Azerbaijani investments worth $2 billion in various sectors of Pakistan's economy.
President Aliyev congratulated Pakistan on recent diplomatic successes and welcomed the ceasefire initiative. He reaffirmed Azerbaijan's resolve to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan across political and economic fronts.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Express Tribune
If ISI and RAW sit together, there could be a significant decrease in terrorist activities: Bilawal
Listen to article Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that if ISI and RAW sit together, there could be a significant decrease in terrorist activities in the region. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman addressed a press conference at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday. "Pakistan has been a very responsible partner in the fight against terrorism. We have suffered in this fight and grown through our combat experience with terrorists. We have learned our lessons; now it is time for the world to learn theirs," he added. Bilawal, leading a high-level parliamentary delegation, condemned India's illegal strikes inside Pakistan on May 7, calling them a violation of the United Nations Charter and international law. He said the attacks targeted civilian infrastructure, places of worship, dams, and water and energy facilities, causing civilian casualties, including women and children. 'Pakistan would still like to cooperate with India to combat terrorism. We can't leave the fate of 1.5 or 1.7 billion people in the hands of non-state actors and terrorists, allowing them to decide on a whim that two nuclear-armed powers should go to war. This is the new normal — the new abnormal that the Indian government is trying to impose on the region,' he maintained. Pakistan only ever acted in self defence. We never initiated any violence against India. On the first night when their planes attacked our country, Pakistan's military responded with precision. PAF only targeted and downed six planes because we believed those six planes were the… — PPP (@MediaCellPPP) June 3, 2025 He blamed India of using the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as a pretext for aggression. 'We express our sympathy with the victims of terrorism and Pakistan has consistently condemned terrorism in all its forms,' he added. Bilawal recalled that following the Pahalgam attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly offered Pakistan's cooperation in any impartial international investigation, confident of Pakistan's innocence. However, India rejected the offer and launched strikes, to which Pakistan responded in self-defence by downing six Indian planes that had attacked its territory. He highlighted that subsequent missile strikes were exchanged between the two countries before a ceasefire was brokered, crediting the international community—particularly US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio—for facilitating the truce. Bilawal warned that while the ceasefire is a welcome first step, the risk of full-scale conflict between two nuclear-armed neighbors remains dangerously high. 'The threshold for war has lowered, not risen,' he said, urging the global community to continue pursuing dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path to lasting peace. This story is being updated.


Business Recorder
4 hours ago
- Business Recorder
PM Shehbaz vows to resolve all issues concerning KP
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday assured to address all issues concerning Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Addressing a Jirga in Peshawar, he announced to form a committee to look into all the demands and issues raised by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, according to a statement from Prime Minister's office. The Honourable Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, along with Federal Ministers of Defence, Interior, Information and Federal Minister for Kashmir & GB Affairs, visited Peshawar today. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI(M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS) was also with PM on the visit to Peshawar. On arrival, CM & Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhawa welcomed the Prime Minister. During the visit, Prime Minister addressed a Grand Jirga attended by eminent tribal elders from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Governor and Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also present at the occasion. In his address, the Prime Minister paid tributes to the indomitable spirit and historic sacrifices of the valiant Pakhtun people in their enduring quest for peace and stability. He remarked, 'The sacrifices rendered by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are indelibly inscribed in the annals of our national history. The entire nation salutes your courage, resolve, and unwavering commitment.' The Prime Minister called upon tribal elders to remain resolute in countering the Indian-sponsored Fitna-ul-Khawarij, and to expose its malignant ideology and deceitful narrative. Commending the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, Police, and other Law Enforcement Agencies for their exemplary service and sacrifices, the Prime Minister affirmed, 'Peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shall be preserved at all costs. The Pakistan Army, in unison with all security institutions and the valiant people of the province, stands firmly united against the Fitna-ul-Khawarij and its foreign abettors.' Reiterating Pakistan's commitment to regional harmony, the Prime Minister stressed the imperative of enhanced bilateral cooperation with Afghanistan, and urged that Afghan soil must not be allowed to be used by Indian proxies to perpetrate terrorism against Pakistan. He further lauded the youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a vital national asset, encouraging them to play a constructive role in advancing peace, opportunity, and national cohesion for future generations. The tribal elders warmly received the Prime Minister and the Chief of Army Staff, terming the Grand Jirga a significant and timely initiative. They expressed deep appreciation for the Armed Forces' professional excellence and unwavering resolve, particularly in the successful conduct of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos. Earlier, the Prime Minister laid a wreath at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada in Peshawar Cantonment. Upon arrival, he was received by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI(M), and Corps Commander Peshawar.


Business Recorder
4 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Global alarms rise as China's critical mineral export ban takes hold
Alarm over China's stranglehold on critical minerals grew on Tuesday as global automakers joined their U.S. counterparts to complain that restrictions by China on exports of rare earth alloys, mixtures and magnets could cause production delays and outages without a quick solution. German automakers became the latest to warn that China's export restrictions threaten to shut down production and rattle their local economies, following a similar complaint from an Indian EV maker last week. China's decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets has upended the supply chains central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world. The move underscores China's dominance of the critical mineral industry and is seen as leverage by China in its ongoing trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has sought to redefine the trading relationship with the U.S.' top economic rival China by imposing steep tariffs on billions of dollars of imported goods in hopes of narrowing a wide trade deficit and bringing back lost manufacturing. Trump imposed tariffs as high as 145% against China only to scale them back after stock, bond and currency markets revolted over the sweeping nature of the levies. China has responded with its own tariffs and is leveraging its dominance in key supply chains to persuade Trump to back down. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to talk this week and the export ban is expected to be high on the agenda. Shipments of the magnets, essential for assembling everything from cars and drones to robots and missiles, have been halted at many Chinese ports while the Chinese government drafts a new regulatory system. Once in place, the new system could permanently prevent supplies from reaching certain companies, including American military contractors. The suspension has triggered anxiety in corporate boardrooms and nations' capitals - from Tokyo to Washington - as officials scrambled to identify limited alternative options amid fears that production of new automobiles and other items could grind to a halt by summer's end. 'If the situation is not changed quickly, production delays and even production outages can no longer be ruled out,' Hildegard Mueller, head of Germany's auto lobby, told Reuters on Tuesday. Frank Fannon, a minerals industry consultant and former U.S. assistant secretary of state for energy resources during Trump's first term, said the global disruptions are not shocking to those paying attention. 'I don't think anyone should be surprised how this is playing out. We have a production challenge (in the U.S.) and we need to leverage our whole of government approach to secure resources and ramp up domestic capability as soon as possible. The time horizon to do this was yesterday,' Fannon. Diplomats, automakers and other executives from India, Japan and Europe were urgently seeking meetings with Beijing officials to push for faster approval of rare earth magnet exports, sources told Reuters, as shortages threatened to halt global supply chains. A business delegation from Japan will visit Beijing in early June to meet the Ministry of Commerce over the curbs and European diplomats from countries with big auto industries have also sought 'emergency' meetings with Chinese officials in recent weeks, Reuters reported. India, where Bajaj Auto warned that any further delays in securing the supply of rare earth magnets from China could 'seriously impact' electric vehicle production, is organizing a trip for auto executives in the next two to three weeks. In May, the head of the trade group representing General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai and other major automakers raised similar concerns in a letter to the Trump administration. 'Without reliable access to these elements and magnets, automotive suppliers will be unable to produce critical automotive components, including automatic transmissions, throttle bodies, alternators, various motors, sensors, seat belts, speakers, lights, motors, power steering, and cameras,' the Alliance for Automotive Innovation wrote in the letter.