Islamabad | DD News

April 25, 2026 11:25 AM

US negotiators to go to Islamabad, but Iran says no direct talks

U.S. negotiators are scheduled to leave for Pakistan on Saturday, but Iran said its officials did not plan to meet the Americans to discuss ending the war that has killed thousands and roiled global markets. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are due to depart on Saturday morning for talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the White House said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that Iran had a chance to make a "good deal" wi...

April 24, 2026 3:29 PM

No US-Iran peace talks in sight, but Islamabad maintains security lockdown

For nearly a week, Pakistan's capital has been waiting for peace talks between the U.S. and Iran to take place there, and although there is no sign the two sides will meet, large parts of the city remain sealed off by authorities. Key roads leading into Islamabad are shut down and a strict security cordon envelops the administrative centre, the so-called "Red Zone". In the adjacent "Blue Area", cafes have run out of fruit, markets are deserted and with no service at bus terminals, weekend commu...

April 13, 2026 3:03 PM

China urges restraint over US blockade of Strait of Hormuz, backs talks

China urged calm and restraint by all sides on Monday, following U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz after the failure of weekend talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the Iran war. Before the war, most Iranian oil exports were shipped to China, the top global importer of crude. Keeping the key Strait of Hormuz waterway safe, stable and unimpeded served the interest of the international community, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press conf...

April 13, 2026 8:48 AM

Iran blames US ‘maximalism’ as near-final Islamabad MoU collapses

Iran has accused the United States of derailing a potential breakthrough agreement, saying that "maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade tactics" prevented what was "inches away" from becoming the proposed "Islamabad MoU", after 21 hours of intense negotiations ended without a deal. In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had entered into its highest-level direct engagement with Washington in 47 years with sincerity and intent to help bring an end to the ongoi...

April 11, 2026 9:52 AM

Iranian delegation lands in Islamabad ahead of ‘make-or-break’ talks

Iran's negotiating team arrived in Islamabad on Friday for peace talks with the United States, even as Tehran insisted on measures it said needed to be addressed first, throwing last-minute doubt over the meetings. U.S. President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire in the six-week war on Tuesday, just hours before a deadline after which Trump had threatened to destroy Iran's civilisation. The ceasefire has halted U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran. But it has not ended Iran's blockade...

March 30, 2026 2:21 PM

Pakistan, Afghanistan trade fire as Islamabad prepares to host US-Iran talks

Afghanistan and Pakistan have traded heavy fire, both sides said, days after they announced a temporary pause in fighting, escalating tensions in the volatile region as Islamabad said it hopes to host potential talks between the U.S. and Iran. The border clashes came on Sunday, the day Pakistan hosted regional powers to discuss de-escalation in the war in the Middle East, with an announcement that Islamabad could host the talks in coming days. Both sides used artillery and heavy weapons to hit...

March 17, 2026 12:12 PM

India calls for universal condemnation of religious violence at UN, points out persecution of Ahmadiyyas in Pakistan

India has called for a uniform and global approach to combating religious hatred, asserting that violence in the name of religion must be condemned irrespective of faith. Delivering India’s statement at the observance of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia at the United Nations General Assembly, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, outlined New Delhi’s position on tackling religious discrimination and extremism. In his address, Harish emphasised that ...

March 17, 2026 9:43 AM

From sponsor to enemy: What’s behind Pakistan’s attack on Afghan Taliban?

Pakistan has been the Afghan Taliban's closest friend for decades. It was Islamabad that helped give birth to the Taliban in the early 1990s – as a way to give Pakistan "strategic depth" in its rivalry with India. What's gone wrong? On Monday night, Pakistan carried out an air strike on Afghan capital Kabul, the latest attack in fighting between the neighbours that has flared in recent weeks. The Afghan Taliban said at least 400 people were killed and 250 injured in the strike on a drug r...

February 6, 2026 6:05 PM

Suicide bomber kills 31 in Shi’ite mosque in Pakistan’s capital, officials say

A suicide bomber killed at least 31 people and wounded almost 170 others during Friday prayers in a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, police and government officials said. Images from the site showed bloodied bodies lying on the carpeted mosque floor surrounded by shards of glass, debris and panicked worshippers. Dozens more wounded were lying in the gardens of the Khadija Tul Kubra Imambargah, in a semi-urban area on the outskirts of Islamabad, as people called for help. ...

November 13, 2025 9:32 AM

Sri Lanka players request to leave Pakistan after bombing, board says no

Some Sri Lanka cricketers requested to return home from their Pakistan tour on Wednesday for safety reasons after a suicide bombing in Islamabad, but their board issued a stern directive to stay put or face consequences. Sri Lanka are touring Pakistan, playing three one-day internationals followed by a Twenty20 tri-series along with Zimbabwe this month. Sri Lanka were scheduled to play Pakistan in the second ODI on Thursday in Rawalpindi. But the bombing, which killed 12 people in Pakistan’s...