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Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The two leaders discussed the latest situation in the region. They also exchanged views on the recently concluded Makkah Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. The conversation comes as the regional security situation remains sensitive. Both sides discussed developments in the region and efforts to promote peace and stability. According to reports, Araghchi briefed Dar on recent discussions with Oman. The talks focused on a proposed new trade corridor in the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz remains an important international trade and energy route. Developments in the area have raised concerns about regional security and the movement of commercial shipments. During the telephone call, Dar also explained Pakistan’s position on the Makkah Defence Agreement. He told his Iranian counterpart that the agreement was aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation between the participating countries. Dar also stressed that the pact was intended to support peace and stability in the region. The agreement involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye has attracted regional attention. Questions have also been raised about its possible impact on the wider security environment. Iran has previously sought clarification about the nature and objectives of the defence cooperation. Pakistani officials have maintained that the agreement is focused on strategic cooperation and regional stability. The latest conversation between Dar and Araghchi provided an opportunity for both countries to discuss these developments directly. The two foreign ministers also discussed diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing further instability in the region. Their conversation highlights the importance of continued engagement between Pakistan and Iran. Both countries share close regional ties and have an interest in maintaining peace and stability.

The Pakistan Peoples Party has accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of electoral irregularities during the Azad Kashmir elections. PPP leaders made the allegations during a press conference in Islamabad on Monday. PPP leader Sharmila Faruqui alleged that the PML-N was attempting to form a government in Azad Kashmir through rigging. She questioned claims that migrant seats had already been secured by the ruling party. Faruqui also criticised the Punjab government over its spending priorities. She questioned the concentration of development funds in Lahore and asked what had been done for other parts of the province. She said the PPP had avoided politicising incidents involving collapsed roofs in Punjab. However, she called for stronger measures to protect women and children. Faruqui also raised concerns about crime and law enforcement in Punjab. She referred to an alleged incident involving a girl with a mental disability in Lahore and criticised the police response. She further alleged that the Crime Control Department had carried out hundreds of encounters. According to her, the department had conducted around 670 encounters. Faruqui questioned whether the government was giving sufficient importance to courts and due process. She also claimed that a large majority of reported child abuse cases had occurred in Punjab. The PPP leader questioned the effectiveness of governance in cities where children and vulnerable citizens do not feel safe. Another PPP leader, Shahla Raza, also accused the PML-N of manipulating the Azad Kashmir election process. Raza claimed that the PML-N had entered the elections expecting to secure around 12 seats. She alleged that irregularities were reported in several constituencies because the party feared an outcome similar to the political situation in Gilgit-Baltistan. Raza said the alleged incidents demonstrated serious concerns about the credibility of the electoral process. She claimed that the Election Commission had received 26 complaints before 1pm on election day. She also alleged that election-related material was taken from police personnel and that gunfire occurred during the incidents. Raza further claimed that a PPP member of the National Assembly was shot. The PPP leaders called for greater transparency in the electoral process. They also urged authorities to investigate complaints submitted during polling. PPP leader Palwasha Khan said her party remains an ally of the PML-N at the federal level. However, she stressed that the PPP would not remain silent if it believed that the government was taking an incorrect step. Khan said the president has constitutional powers regarding official summaries and can act according to the law. She made it clear that the PPP considers itself a political partner rather than a subordinate of the PML-N. She warned that the government could face difficulties in achieving its political objectives if it ignored concerns raised by its allies. The allegations have added to political tensions surrounding the Azad Kashmir elections. The PPP and PML-N are coalition partners at the federal level. However, differences between the two parties have emerged over the election process and political developments in Azad Kashmir. The allegations made by PPP leaders have not, by themselves, established that electoral fraud occurred. The claims are expected to be examined by the relevant electoral and legal authorities.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the newly signed defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye is strictly defensive in nature. He said the pact is not intended to promote aggression or create tensions in the region. The prime minister made the remarks while addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet on Monday. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 in Makkah. The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation among the three countries in the field of defence and security. Under the pact, an attack against any one of the three signatories would be treated as an attack against all three. The arrangement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence and improve coordination among the countries. PM Shehbaz said the main objective of the agreement was to promote peace, stability, progress and prosperity across the region. He stressed that the agreement should not be viewed as a preparation for military aggression. The prime minister described the pact as a source of strength for Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. He also said its benefits could extend to the wider Muslim world. Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir for their role in the agreement. He said discussions on stronger defence cooperation between the countries had continued for several years before the latest agreement was finalised. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had already signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September 2025. The prime minister said Pakistan and Turkiye had also maintained defence and security arrangements for decades. Shehbaz highlighted Pakistan’s long-standing defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia. He recalled that Pakistani personnel had served alongside Saudi forces in protecting the holy cities of Makkah and Madina. He said the latest trilateral agreement builds on those longstanding ties and provides a broader framework for cooperation. The agreement has also received attention across the Muslim world. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation described it as an important strategic development. Several countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Somalia, have welcomed the agreement. Iran has also responded in a relatively positive tone. Tehran reiterated its preference for regional security arrangements based on cooperation among countries in the region. The agreement comes amid growing security concerns across the Middle East and wider region. Its signatories have presented the pact as a mechanism for collective defence rather than an offensive alliance. The Pakistani government has maintained that the arrangement is aimed at strengthening regional stability and protecting the sovereignty and security of its members.

MUZAFFARABAD: Voting in the third phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir general elections began on Monday in four constituencies of Bagh and Haveli districts. Polling started at 8am and will continue until 5pm. Security has been tightened across the constituencies due to concerns over possible clashes and disturbances. Authorities have declared most of the 803 polling stations sensitive or highly sensitive. A large security contingent has been deployed to maintain law and order. Around 10,300 additional security personnel have been sent to Bagh and Haveli. Officials said the deployment was aimed at providing a safe environment for voters and election staff. The third phase was originally planned for all 11 constituencies of Poonch Division. However, voting was restricted to Bagh and Haveli after authorities reviewed the security situation. The remaining seven constituencies are expected to be polled later this month. Election officials have indicated that voting could take place on August 20 or 21, depending on the security situation. The current phase has attracted considerable political attention. Several prominent leaders are contesting the four seats. AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore is seeking to retain his constituency. Two former prime ministers, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas and Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, are also in the electoral race. A total of 460,371 voters are eligible to cast their ballots. They include 238,664 men and 221,707 women. The election is being held at 803 polling stations. These stations have 1,254 polling booths. As many as 82 candidates are competing in the four constituencies. LA-14 Dhirkot has the highest number of candidates. Thirty candidates are contesting the seat. LA-17 Haveli has nine candidates, the lowest number among the four constituencies. In LA-17 Haveli, Prime Minister Rathore is facing PML-N candidate Engineer Mohsin Aziz and independent contender Khawaja Tariq Saeed. Rathore and Saeed were previously political allies. They had reportedly agreed to contest the seat alternately. Their political relationship changed after Rathore became prime minister. Rathore sought Saeed’s withdrawal from the contest. Saeed refused to step aside. The two former allies are now competing against each other. Mohsin Aziz is also running an active campaign. His father, Chaudhry Mohammad Aziz, had won the constituency several times in the past. The PML-N candidate is expected to receive support from sections of the Gujjar community. Saeed is believed to have support among parts of the Kashmiri community and several smaller clans. Rathore has expressed confidence about retaining the seat. He has highlighted the performance of his government during his tenure. The constituency has also witnessed allegations of electoral irregularities. Claims circulated on social media about alleged manipulation by two presiding officers. Election officials rejected the allegations as presented on social media. However, they confirmed receiving complaints against the two officials. Both were subsequently removed from election duties. In LA-15 Wasti Bagh, former prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas is facing several strong contenders. The candidates include PML-N nominee and former minister Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas. PPP candidate and sitting minister Sardar Ziaul Qamar is also contesting. Jamaat-i-Islami candidate retired Brigadier Dr Mohammad Khan is another key contender. Ilyas had initially announced a boycott of the third phase. He later reversed the decision and returned to the election campaign. He has described the contest as important for his political future. He has also linked his campaign to the possibility of securing a senior constitutional position after the election. Ilyas and Ziaul Qamar belong to the same Madiyal tribe. Brigadier Khan belongs to the Narma clan. He is backed by several influential Jamaat-i-Islami figures and local supporters. Mushtaq Minhas is benefiting from the PML-N’s position as the leading party in the elections held so far. The party has secured the largest number of seats in the previous phases and is expected to play a major role in forming the next government. In LA-16 Sharqi Bagh, former ministers Sardar Mir Akbar and Sardar Qamar Zaman are among the main contenders. Mir Akbar is contesting on the PML-N ticket. Qamar is representing the PPP. The LA-14 Dhirkot contest has also emerged as one of the closely watched races. Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, head of the Muslim Conference, is seeking another victory from the constituency. He has represented the seat for several years and previously served as AJK prime minister. He is facing a strong challenge from Sajid Iqbal Abbasi of the Awam Dast-o-Bazu Party. Abbasi is a contractor and philanthropist. He has reportedly spent substantial personal resources on welfare and development projects in the constituency. His supporters believe his community work has helped him build a strong voter base. The contest has become more interesting because Attique and Abbasi belong to the same tribe. PML-N candidate Raja Faisal Azad and PPP nominee Raja Mubashar Ejaz are also contesting Dhirkot. However, the main competition is expected to remain between Attique and Abbasi. The results of the third phase could influence the political balance in AJK. The PML-N has already emerged as the strongest party in the earlier phases. The PPP and other political groups will now seek to strengthen their position in the remaining contests.

ISLAMABAD: Kuwait has congratulated Pakistan on the signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, signalling growing regional interest in the new security arrangement. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar received a telephone call from Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah late on Sunday, during which the two officials discussed the agreement as well as the wider regional situation. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the Kuwaiti foreign minister felicitated Dar on the agreement signed in Makkah on Friday. The two ministers also exchanged views on developments in the region, including the situation in occupied East Jerusalem. Their conversation also covered bilateral relations and ways to expand cooperation between Pakistan and Kuwait, particularly in investment and other key sectors. The officials also discussed follow-up to Sheikh Jarrah’s recent visit to Pakistan. “The two sides agreed to remain closely engaged,” the Foreign Office said. The development comes as Pakistan continues to explain the objectives and scope of the landmark defence pact, which brings Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye closer together on security matters. Dar has stressed that the agreement is defensive in nature and is not directed against any particular country. Under the pact, an armed attack against any one of the three signatories would be treated as an attack against all three. The foreign minister said the arrangement was designed to strengthen collective deterrence while supporting regional peace, stability and security. He also maintained that the agreement was consistent with the right of individual and collective self-defence recognised under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. Importantly, Dar clarified that the Makkah agreement does not replace or cancel existing bilateral or multilateral defence arrangements involving the three countries. The pact could also have a broader regional dimension. Dar said the agreement remains open to other countries in the region that are willing to respect its principles and resolve differences through dialogue, cooperation and peaceful means. His comments came amid reports that Egypt could potentially join the arrangement. Earlier, Dar also spoke with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, with the two officials discussing regional developments and the newly signed agreement. Pakistan has presented the Makkah accord as part of its broader foreign-policy objective of promoting regional stability and peaceful conflict resolution. With Kuwait now extending its congratulations, attention is increasingly turning to how the new defence framework could influence cooperation and security across the wider region.