Sources in the PML-N told the Press Trust of India in Lahore that Nawaz Sharif decided to withdraw himself from the race for the prime minister's office for his daughter and political heir, Maryam Nawaz, 50.
Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin was among Kashmiri militant leaders who addressed a rally organised in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Tuesday to protest alleged human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir.
India also called for immediate resolution of the matter and ensure invitation to the J&K Speaker, saying otherwise India will boycott the annual conference in Islamabad.
About 25,000 protesters on Sunday, a month after Qadri was hanged for shooting Taseer, prayed for him in Rawalpindi, and then marched towards Islamabad's Red Zone, breaking barriers that had been erected.
Rauf's central contract may be 'restored'
The court issued its reserved ruling, upsetting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which claimed the arrest was illegal and that the IHC would rule in favour of party chief Imran Khan.
Pakistan Air Force closed the Lahore-Pakistan motorway on Thursday to let it practice landing jets on the road, in what it said was routine training not related to heightened tension with India after a deadly attack in the disputed Kashmir region.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will visit Islamabad on July 15 for talks with his Pakistan counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi to work out the modalities for carrying forward the dialogue process to discuss outstanding issues in an atmosphere of mutual trust.
'They should come to Pakistan. It's not fair that they do not come to Pakistan. The Indian team is much better than us. We have a beautiful hotel just across the stadium. If Indians come it will send a good message that we are good neighbours.'
The Bilawal Bhutto-led Pakistan Peoples Party which won the third largest number of seats in the National Assembly in the elections appears to be split on whether to join a coalition government or sit on Opposition benches.
At a cost of $740 million, it would have been the biggest American mission overseas. Amir Mir reports from Islamabad on how the US embassy's expansion plans in Pakistan has run into trouble.
The United States embassy in Pakistan has warned about a possible terrorist attack against American citizens at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad and prohibited American staff from visiting the five-star facility, an official statement said.
Official sources said that in the communication to the Pakistan foreign ministry, the Indian high commission specifically highlighted three cases of harassment, including one in which the second secretary at the mission was aggressively followed today by unidentified people in a car in close proximity in an intimidating manner while he was going to a restaurant.
Continuing their tough stance against activists and lawyers, Pakistani authorities on Friday blocked all major highways leading to Islamabad to prevent a protest march demanding reinstatement of sacked judges, from reaching the capital. Police and paramilitary forces today blocked another group of activists marching from Balochistan's capital Quetta to Sukkur in Sindh and arrested the Supreme Court Bar Association President Ali Ahmed Kurd along with some others.
India blunted Pakistan's challenge on the opening day to take a 2-0 lead in the Davis Cup World Group I play-off tie with Ramkumar Ramanathan and N Sriram Balaji rising to the occasion in the high-pressure contest, in Islamabad on Saturday.
Suspected motorcycle-borne militants on Tuesday made a brazen attempt to assassinate another senior Pakistan army officer, raking his vehicle with indiscriminate fire, but the brigadier escaped unhurt, in an ambush similar to one just five days ago that resulted in killing of an army officer and a soldier.
"Our position on the entire Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir being an integral part of India is well known. We would urge the international community to respect our sovereignty and territorial integrity," Bagchi said when asked about Blome's visit.
'Will Imran compromise with the army? We are all human beings. We all compromise.'
Pakistan-India bilateral relations remained frozen for the fourth year over the vexed Kashmir issue but analysts hope the strained ties could be repaired if Nawaz Sharif becomes the prime minister for a record fourth time in the general elections in February in the absence of his main challenger Imran Khan who is in jail in multiple cases.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said that former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested for causing loss to the national treasury in a corruption case.
India is sending a 400-member contingent for the regional meet, starting on March 29.
His disqualification to participate in future elections may follow, notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W, India's external intelligence agency.
General Syed Asim Munir is now firmly ensconced as army chief after the May 9, 2023 upheavals, which were planned by Imran Khan's supporters to destabilise him, asserts Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
The ITF tribunal has rejected AITA's contention that its Davis Cup team could face security concerns during the World Group I Play-off tie in Islamabad, paving the way for an Indian tennis team's visit to Pakistan for the first time in 60 years.
'Outrage will take place sooner than later, because it's not only that their mandate has been stolen, but the most important issue right now is the sinking economy in Pakistan.' 'Inflation is 26%-27%. It is backbreaking inflation.' 'Food, energy, education, health, which are the primary things that every family requires, is going beyond the reach of the masses.'
"We have all heard about you," said a cloth merchant while he gifted a piece of Pakistani fabric to the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief.
This is the first meeting of the Joint Working Group on nuclear and conventional CBMs since October 2007 though other officials, including the two Foreign Secretaries, have discussed these issues in recent meetings in Islamabad and New Delhi, diplomatic sources told PTI.
Former Pakistan premier Imran Khan is set to appear before the Islamabad high court (IHC) on Friday for pre-arrest bail amid tight security as his party announced a rally on the occasion and asked followers to gather nearby the court for the leader's address.
Amid reports that Pakistan may seek custody of Indian nationals in connection with the Samjhauta Express case, India on Tuesday said it would be better if there is no diversion at this stage as the whole world was watching actions by Islamabad to dismantle terror infrastructure.
Indian Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and his Pakistani counterpart Syed Kamal Shah met to discuss issues of terrorism, afflicting both the countries, with New Delhi expected to dwell upon Islamabad for extradition of some of the most wanted fugitives like Dawood Ibrahim, wanted in 1993 Bombay blasts cases.
It's a historical tie, we will benefit from India team's visit: Pakistan tennis fraternity
Since Pakistan is in the middle of an intense regional and internal issue, the Rao-Bashir talks are not the "major attraction" in Islamabad, reports Sheela Bhatt from the Pakistani capital
Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of former premier Nawaz Sharif, is expected to become Pakistan's new prime minister as the coalition of leading political parties led by them is set to comfortably cross the simple majority mark to form the next government after elections produced a split mandate.
Alvi's comments walking back on the earlier stance came during a meeting with Dr Saleh bin Abdullah Humaid, Imam Khatib at Masjid Al-Haram, and adviser at Saudi Royal Courts of Saudi Arabia on Thursday, according to a report in the newspaper Dawn.
Khan was arrested on Tuesday in the case, sparking massive country-wide protests by his supporters.
In a breakthrough that could end the political uncertainty in Pakistan, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party have agreed on a power-sharing deal to form a new coalition government after intense negotiations following a fractured poll verdict.
The home minister will reach Islamabad on Wednesday and return to New Delhi the next day after attending the 7th meeting of SAARC.
Police and paramilitary security forces, including sharpshooters, have been deployed at the MOFA to deal with any untoward security situation, they said.
Recent disclosures allege large scale corruption, nepotism and kickbacks by Pakistan air chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhuin housing land deals in Islamabad and in buying of new aircraft, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.