Adnan Aamir

1 week ago | asia.nikkei.com | Adnan Aamir

ISLAMABAD -- As the Iran-Israel conflict rolls on, Pakistan is walking a tightrope between maintaining the country's position as an important part of the Islamic world in diplomacy and closing the border with Iran to mitigate a spillover effect on the ground. Since Friday, the day Israel launched strikes on Iran, Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's foreign minister, has intensified diplomatic interactions.

2 weeks ago | asia.nikkei.com | Adnan Aamir

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan has drastically raised its defense spending in its latest budget, citing heightened security demands following its recent military standoff with India. In contrast, development allocations have been trimmed to meet the International Monetary Fund's conditions for fiscal discipline. Pakistan on Tuesday announced its budget for fiscal 2026, which begins on July 1, with a total outlay of $62 billion. Out of this budget, $29 billion will go toward debt financing.

3 weeks ago | asia.nikkei.com | Adnan Aamir

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan has unveiled a plan to establish a national crypto reserve, making the country an early adopter of digital currencies as a national asset. However, the move faces a mounting backlash, with critics expressing concerns about a possible erosion of national wealth. The quickly taken decision is also seen as way to garner the favor of U.S. President Donald Trump.

3 weeks ago | asia.nikkei.com | Adnan Aamir

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan has decided to upgrade its diplomatic relationship with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and to send an ambassador to Kabul, highlighting Islamabad's drastic change in its neighborhood policy in the aftermath of its recent warlike conflict with India. "I am pleased to announce the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its Charge d'Affaires in Kabul to the level of Ambassador," Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's foreign minister, posted on X on Friday.

1 month ago | asia.nikkei.com | Adnan Aamir

ISLAMABAD -- After military clashes between India and Pakistan broke out earlier this month -- at more than three days' duration, making them the most inflamed between the two countries in decades -- a ceasefire was agreed on May 10. But the bilateral water-sharing Indus Waters Treaty remains in abeyance, as India unilaterally suspended it on April 23, a day after a deadly attack killed 26 civilians in the India-administered part of Kashmir.