Bilawal Bhutto

SCO Summit Day 2: S Jaishankar to attend talks on trade, terrorism in Pak

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif exchanged pleasantries during an informal dinner hosted by the latter on Tuesday

Pak PM assures Bilawal Bhutto-led PPP of addressing its Budget concerns

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has assured Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari that the government would take steps to address the key ally's reservations on multiple issues by forming a committee after tensions rose among ruling coalition partners over the budget. A delegation of the PPP headed by Bilawal on Thursday met Prime Minister Sharif to sort out differences over the budget which was presented in Parliament last week. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the federal budget on June 12 but the PPP, which is the major ally of the government, was not happy as it was not consulted when the budget was being prepared. As the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government lacks a majority, there is a genuine concern that the government may not be able to get the budget passed in Parliament if not supported by the PPP. Geo News reported that Sharif assured Bilawal Bhutto of taking steps to address the key concerns. The Dawn newspaper quoting sourc

Shehbaz set to return as Pak's PM after old-guard parties form coalition

Sharif was prime minister until parliament was dissolved in August in the leadup to elections, and he handed power to a caretaker government

Pakistan's old-guard parties to form coalition to thwart Imran Khan

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party will join a coalition with the Sharif clan's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Bhutto Zardari said at a joint news conference in the capital Islamabad

Bilawal Bhutto rejects power-sharing formula for the post of Pakistan PM

Bhutto revealed that the PML-N suggested a time-sharing formula, proposing that they lead the government for three years, with the PPP taking over for the remaining two years

Bilawal's PPP split on whether to join coalition govt or sit on in Oppn

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. The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the PPP which met in Islamabad to deliberate on the post-poll scenario and proposals regarding the coalition government has decided to reach out to all political parties, including the PTI-backed independents, for a possible power-sharing deal. Addressing a press conference after the CEC meeting on Monday night, Senator Sherry Rehman said, The PPP will approach all (political) parties, and a committee will be set up. The committee will be formed on Tuesday, while the CEC meeting which ended without reaching any final decision will also resume at 3 pm. A highly reliable source within the party said this was the main reason for the party's central executive committee which met on Monday.

Pak elections: Nawaz, Bilawal eye new alliance to run federal govt

The leaders of both parties engaged in substantive discussions regarding the prevailing political landscape and the imperative of collaborative efforts for the betterment of the country

Pakistan's old guard parties near coalition deal to thwart Imran Khan

The parties of the Sharif and Bhutto clans "agreed in principle to save the country from political instability," according to a statement posted on X last night

Pakistan's former PM Nawaz Sharif claims election win, seeks coalition

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif Friday called for a unity government as the cash-strapped Pakistan appeared to be heading towards a hung parliament, with independent candidates backed by jailed ex-premier Imran Khan's party springing a surprise by winning 92 out of the 224 seats for which results were declared so far. Addressing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supporters at the party's central secretariat in Lahore, 74-year-old Sharif said his party respects the mandate of all parties, including the independent candidates backed by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. According to the latest Election Commission data, results of 224 constituencies out of 265 were declared. Independent candidates (mostly supported by PTI) bagged 92 seats while PML-N got 63 and PPP 50. Smaller parties secured 19 seats. To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 in the National Assembly. Election to one seat was postponed after the death of a candidate. Overall, 169 seats

Pakistan Election 2024 Results: Pakistani stocks plunge amid tight race

PSE's benchmark KSE-100 index fell 1,700 points in early morning trade on Friday amid delays in the declaration of results and political uncertainty

Pakistan elections amid political, economic turmoil tomorrow: Details here

Pakistan Elections 2024: The country is set to go for polling to elect its 16th National Assembly on February 8. This comes at a time when it is facing several issues

Nawaz Sharif seeking fourth term via selection: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto

The PPP chairman's remarks come as political parties in Pakistan prepare for the upcoming general elections slated for February 8 next year

Next Pak PM won't be from Lahore: Bilawal Bhutto's veiled dig at Sharif

In an apparent dig at PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed his hope that the next prime minister will not be from Lahore and hinted that his party will contest the polls "on its own" in the February 8 general election. Former foreign minister Bhutto Zardari, 35, also clarified that his party PPP does not need to look towards anyone to emerge victorious in the upcoming polls, Geo News quoted him as saying. "When it comes to elections, we [PPP] only look towards the people of Pakistan. We do not look or pin any hope from anywhere elsethe PM would only become that person, who is elected by the people of Pakistan. And I understand that this time the prime minister of the country will not be from Lahore, he told reporters. Bhutto Zardari's comments came after PPP on Sunday won big in the by-polls held across 14 districts of Sindh and also weeks after a telephonic call between his father and former president Asif Ali Zardar

ODI World Cup: Pakistan panel likely to visit India to review security

The committee headed by foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto might not take a tough stand stance on Pakistan's participation in ICC ODI World Cup in India

Pak Foreign Minister Bhutto to visit UAE today, discuss bilateral ties

During the visit, the foreign minister will hold a meeting with his United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press statement

Pakistan is not providing weapons, ammunition to Ukraine: Bilawal Bhutto

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday said that Pakistan was not supplying weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, as he called for a peaceful resolution of hostilities between Russia and the eastern European country. Bilawal made the remarks at a joint press appearance with Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba after the two held detailed talks on matters of mutual and bilateral interests. He said the two sides discussed the situation in Ukraine and Pakistan shared with the foreign minister "our deep concern at the prevailing situation and offered our condolences on the loss of precious lives and immense human suffering". Responding to a query, Bilawal said that "Pakistan is not providing any weapons to Ukraine". Bilawal also said that Pakistan believed that prolonged conflict brings immense hardship and suffering to the civilian populations and hoped that peace would prevail so that the people of Ukraine and Russia can enjoy peace dividends. "In our meeting, I emphasised

Pak FM Bilawal to travel to China and Japan to boost bilateral ties

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will embark on a two-nation visit to China and Japan from June 27 to deepen bilateral cooperation. He will travel to China in the last week of June to attend the 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the World Economic Forum's (WEF) "Summer Davos", to be held from June 27 to June 29 in China's Tianjin Municipality, official sources told The Express Tribune newspaper on Wednesday. Bilawal will also undertake a maiden visit to Japan in the first week of July. Japan is a key development partner of Pakistan and the foreign minister's visit would likely further deepen the cooperation, it said. Pakistan has tried to maintain a fine balance while pursuing ties with its all-weather ally China and its rival Japan. Tokyo has old ties with Islamabad and supported the country financially. But in the preceding years, Japan's relationship has grown exponentially with India while Pakistan found greater comfort in the arms of ...

Imran Khan upset over losing powerful army's backing, claims Pak FM Bilawal

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that deposed prime minister Imran Khan is not against the army's interference in politics but is upset with the powerful establishment only because it is no longer supporting him, according to a media report. "Khan's problem with the Pakistan Army began in April of last year when it declared that it would not get involved in politics and would not take sides, Bilawal told Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel on Saturday. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman's issue with the army is not that they're involved in politics; his problem with the army is they're not getting involved to support him, he said. Bilawal said that the role of the army in Pakistan's politics cannot be denied. "More than half of our history has been covered by military rule. My party, the Pakistan Peoples Party, has challenged each and every single dictatorship in Pakistan's history." He said Khan, however, supported every dictatorship in Pakistan, includ

Pak to release 200 Indian fishermen, 3 civilian prisoners: Bhutto Zardari

Pakistan will release 200 Indian fishermen and three civilian prisoners on Friday as a humanitarian gesture, foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has announced. Last month, Pakistani authorities released 198 Indian fishermen, languishing in a prison in Karachi after being arrested for allegedly fishing illegally in the country's waters. They were handed over to India at the Wagah border. "Today, Pakistan is releasing 200 Indian fishermen and 3 civilian prisoners. Earlier, 198 Indian fishermen were repatriated on 12 May 2023," Bhutto Zardari said in a tweet. "This is in line with Pakistan's policy of not politicising humanitarian matters. Compassion should take precedence over politics," he added. Pakistan and India regularly arrest rival fishermen for violating the maritime boundary, which is poorly marked at some points.

Visit to India to attend SCO meet was 'productive': Pak's Bilawal Bhutto

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the decision to attend the SCO's Foreign Ministers meeting in India earlier this month proved "productive and positive" for the country. Addressing a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Thursday, Bilawal said that it was important for his ministry to project Pakistan's case and point of view not only in India but also in front of other participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). "As far as the Kashmir issue, bilateral issues between Pakistan and India and the responsibilities of multilateralism are concerned, my conclusion after the trip is that it is a productive and positive decision to participate in the event, he said. "We thought we should project Pakistan's case and point of view in front of not only Indian but the other participant countries, he informed the committee. Bilawal travelled to Goa on May 4 to attend a conclave of the SCO the next day, the first such high-le