ISLAMABAD, JUN 13: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Saturday received a telephone call from Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar Saturday afternoon and discussed matters of mutual interest.

During their warm and cordial conversation, the Prime Minister conveyed his warm greetings and good wishes to Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar as well as to the brotherly people of Qatar. These sentiments were reciprocated by the Qatari Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister expressed his deep appreciation for Qatar’s strong and steadfast support for Pakistan’s peace efforts throughout the Gulf crisis and stated that a peace deal was ready for signatures by the relevant parties very shortly.

While sincerely appreciating Pakistan’s remarkable efforts for peace, the Qatari Prime Minister paid tribute to the Prime Minister and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for playing an instrumental role in steering the diplomatic efforts. He assured the Prime Minister that Qatar was proud to extend its support to Pakistan’s endeavors and hoped that this would bring lasting peace to the region.

The Prime Minister also reiterated his invitation to the Amir of Qatar to undertake an official visit to Pakistan very soon, as was agreed between the two leaders. Both leaders agreed to remain in close contact in the coming days.

ISLAMABAD, JUN 13 /DNA/ – Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Saturday, spoke with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.

Welcoming the encouraging progress towards an understanding between the United States and Iran, they expressed hope that ongoing efforts would soon contribute to peace and stability in the region, the Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release.

Both sides agreed to remain in close contact.=DNA

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ISLAMABAD, JUN 13 – Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Saturday, said that Pakistan was close to a peace deal between Iran and the United States, as its finalization was likely within the next 24 hours.

Expressing confidence, the prime minister described the development as a historic milestone that would lay a strong foundation for lasting peace and stability across the region.

On his X handle, the prime minister posted, “We are closer to a peace deal than ever before. With finalisation likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical-level talks next week.”

He also thanked the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran for their ongoing commitment during the negotiations, and extended sincere appreciation to their brothers in the region for their support.

“We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace,” he added.

ISLAMABAD, JUN 13 /DNA/ – (Staff Reporter) — The head of Pakistan Awami Quwat Party and Chairman of Rawal General & Dental Hospital and Rawal Foundation, Khawaja Khaqan Waheed, has completely rejected the recent federal budget, calling it “nothing more than a deceptive play of words” with no relief for the common man.

While speaking to a group of journalists, Khawaja Khaqan Waheed said that the budget contains no policies or reforms capable of changing the lives of ordinary citizens. He stated that the 85% of the population living in poverty has not been given any meaningful relief, adding that the budget is merely “a game of numbers.”

He further said that no reforms have been introduced for farmers, nor has any fixed pricing mechanism been established. “Pakistan is an agricultural country, yet no serious agricultural reforms or policies have been introduced. There is no clear plan regarding where revenue will come from or how foreign exchange will be generated,” he remarked.

Criticizing the government further, he said that while foreign investors are being invited and assets are being expanded, preparations are also underway to seek more loans from the IMF. According to him, the current budget is no different from those presented by previous governments and is merely based on statistical figures.

Khawaja Khaqan Waheed noted that the government has set a tax collection target between 15,000 and 18,000 billion rupees, but he believes it will fail to achieve this target because most of the funds are distributed to provinces through the NFC Award. He argued that unless the existing provincial system under the NFC Award is restructured, new provinces are created, and local government elections are held, the system cannot improve.

“The system itself is flawed and institutions are weak, so what kind of budget are we even talking about? A budget is not made through money alone; it is built through reforms,” he said. He added that reforms do not produce results overnight and that even if implemented today, their benefits would only become visible over the next 10 to 15 years.

He further emphasized that only a government truly emerging from the people and understanding the suffering of ordinary citizens can formulate comprehensive policies capable of improving the lives of the common man. He said such change would only be possible when sincere political forces and individuals genuinely committed to the country are supported.

Concluding his remarks, Khawaja Khaqan Waheed said that Pakistan Awami Quwat genuinely seeks to transform the lives of ordinary people and urged the public to support the party.

RAWALPINID, JUN 13: Security forces neutralised 21 India-backed Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists, including four ring leaders, in the Miran Shah area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district over the past 72 hours, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday.

In a statement, the military’s media wing said that security forces engaged multiple terrorist locations in Miran Shah and its surroundings in North Waziristan in continuation of a series of intelligence-based operations in the district.

It added that following fierce exchanges of fire, 21 more militants, including four terrorist ring leaders — identified as Khalid Raza alias Salar, Muftoon, Musa and Imran alias Ayan — were killed.

“Killed Kharji ring leaders were highly wanted for their involvement in numerous terrorist activities, including the killing of security forces personnel and innocent civilians,” the ISPR added.

In a similar operation in the area last week, 27 India-sponsored militants were killed in Miran Shah.

“So far, a total of 48 khawarij have been killed in these highly skilful and precise operations,” the military’s media wing said on Saturday.

Security forces also recovered weapons and ammunition from the killed India-sponsored terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities and the targeted killing of innocent civilians.

“Sanitisation operations continue to eliminate holed-up khawarij from these areas, as the relentless counter-terrorism campaign under the vision ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan) by the security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” the military said.

The IBOs were conducted amid ongoing counter-terrorism efforts in the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Pakistan conducted precise and calibrated strikes along Afghanistan’s border, targeting hideouts and safe havens of planners involved in recent terrorist incidents in the country. At least 26 militants were killed in the precise strikes, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday.

The minister said that the strikes were conducted in the aftermath of multiple attacks, including the terrorist attack on a Federal Constabulary post in Musa Dara on June 9, 2026, vehicle-borne suicide attacks on a military post in North Waziristan on June 2, 2026, and an attack on a police station in Bannu on May 9, 2026.

Pakistan witnessed a surge in terror activities, particularly in its KP and Balochistan provinces, since 2021, when the Afghan Taliban came into power.

Pakistan launched “Operation Ghazab lil-Haq”, killing scores of Afghan Taliban operatives and allied militants and injuring hundreds more.

In October 2025, border clashes erupted after the Afghan Taliban and affiliated militants launched unprovoked attacks on Pakistani border posts.

Despite several rounds of talks, both countries have been unable to reach an agreement, largely due to the Afghan Taliban regime’s reluctance to take action against terrorist outfits.