Lahore, Pakistan, was declared the world's most polluted city on Friday, October 24, 2025, with Air Quality Index (AQI) levels reaching hazardous highs of 362. The severe smog prompted urgent public health warnings and highlighted ongoing environmental challenges in the region.
Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan are convening in Istanbul, Turkiye, for a second round of talks aimed at de-escalating border tensions and addressing cross-border terrorist activities. The discussions follow a recent ceasefire brokered in Doha, Qatar, and seek to establish a verifiable monitoring mechanism to ensure regional peace and stability.
Pakistan's government has banned the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) under the Anti-Terrorism Act, citing its involvement in violent and terrorist activities. The decision follows recent deadly clashes during a 'Gaza solidarity' march, which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries among protesters and law enforcement personnel.
State-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has resumed direct flights to the United Kingdom on Saturday, October 25, 2025, ending a five-year suspension. The ban, imposed in June 2020 due to a fake pilot license scandal and safety concerns, was lifted after extensive audits and reforms in Pakistan's aviation sector. The first flight, a Boeing 777, departed from Islamabad to Manchester with 284 passengers.
Pakistan's Hindu community is celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights, with leaders extending greetings and the Sindh government declaring a two-day public holiday on October 20 and 21. The celebrations emphasize unity, interfaith harmony, and the triumph of light over darkness.
Pakistani authorities and the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) have signed a peace agreement, concluding days of violent protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The unrest, which stemmed from long-standing grievances over economic issues and governance, resulted in at least 10 deaths. The accord addresses key demands including subsidies, compensation for victims, and administrative reforms.
Thousands have taken to the streets across Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in an indefinite anti-government protest led by the Awami Action Committee. Demanding fundamental rights, including subsidized flour and fairer electricity tariffs, the demonstrations have been met with significant security deployments and widespread internet and mobile service blackouts, leading to clashes and casualties.
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif called on the United Nations to establish governance over military applications of artificial intelligence, warning of significant dangers from unregulated use. Speaking at a UN Security Council debate on September 24, 2025, Asif emphasized the need for human control in AI applications and highlighted the potential for AI to destabilize international order and lower the threshold for conflict.
A female camel was brutally tortured and crippled in Sukkur's Saleh Pat area by an influential feudal lord and his men after allegedly straying into farmland. The incident, which left the camel with severe injuries including a broken leg, prompted immediate public outrage and official intervention from Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. The animal, named Sumi, has been transferred to Karachi for specialized medical treatment, and police have arrested two suspects in connection with the case.
