Israel struck Beirut on Wednesday for the first time since agreeing to a ceasefire with Hezbollah last month, with Israel claiming it targeted a commander of the group’s elite Radwan force in the city’s southern suburbs.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the action in a joint statement. Israeli media reported that the commander was killed in the strike, but there was no immediate confirmation from the Israeli military or Hezbollah.

The Lebanon ceasefire has underpinned a broader US-Iran truce, with a halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon being a key Iranian demand.

As Iran and the US say they are drawing closer to a deal to halt their conflict, the strikes threaten the ceasefire that halted Israeli attacks on Beirut. Israeli troops have remained in areas south of the Litani River and strikes continued in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has responded by firing and launching armed drones towards Israeli soldiers.

Israel earlier on Wednesday called for residents to evacuate several villages north of the Litani River, which could represent an expansion of Israel’s zone of action.

Talks between Israel and Lebanon have continued, but have largely been at the ambassador level.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Wednesday that it was premature to talk of any high-level meeting between Lebanon and Israel.

High-level meetings premature

Salam, in comments reported by Lebanon’s National News Agency on Wednesday, said shoring up a ceasefire would be the basis for any new negotiations between Lebanese and Israeli government envoys in Washington.

Washington last month hosted two meetings between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States. Hezbollah strongly objects to the contacts.

Since March 2, when the fighting erupted, the Lebanese administration led by Salam and President Joseph Aoun has initiated Beirut’s highest-level contacts with Israel in decades, reflecting deep divisions between the group and its Lebanese opponents.

Announcing a three-week extension of the ceasefire on April 23, US President Donald Trump said he looked forward to hosting Netanyahu and Aoun in the near future, and that he saw “a great chance” the countries would reach a peace deal this year.

Salam said Lebanon was not seeking normalisation with Israel, but rather achieving peace.

“Our minimum demand is a timetable for Israel’s withdrawal,” he said, adding that the government would develop its plan to restrict weapons to state control — an effort aimed at securing Hezbollah’s disarmament.

Aoun said this week the timing was not right for a meeting with Netanyahu. Lebanon “must first reach a security agreement and a halt to the Israeli attacks before we raise the issue of a meeting between us,” he said.

Trading blows

Israel has carved out a self-declared security zone extending as deep as 10 kilometres into southern Lebanon, saying it aims to protect northern Israel from Hezbollah fighters embedded in civilian areas.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on Wednesday that an Israeli airstrike killed four people, including two women and an elderly man, in the town of Zelaya in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military said Hezbollah had launched explosive drones and rockets towards Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, injuring two Israeli soldiers.

It also said the Israeli air force intercepted a hostile aircraft before it crossed into Israel, and announced strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in several areas in Lebanon.

More than 2,700 people have been killed in the war in Lebanon since March 2, the Health Ministry says.

The Israeli military says Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel since March 2. Israel has announced 17 soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon, along with two civilians in northern Israel.

ISLAMABAD: PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Wednesday maintained that the formation of the Punjab Coordination and Monitoring Committee would not be discussed, as the party leadership planned to raise the issue in the upcoming party meeting.

The composition of the aforementioned committee has been a subject of internal rift within the party, with leaders opposing the nomination of Amjad Khan Niazi as the convenor of the body, as he had parted ways with the party in the wake of May 9, 2023, protests.

A senior PTI leader, on condition of anonymity, told Dawn that a number of party leaders believe that the newly formed body was nothing but an attempt to “occupy” the party in Punjab.

His claim referred to the committee’s terms of reference, which include the task of coordinating organisational matters between Punjab’s four regions through engagement with their presidents and general secretaries. PTI’s Punjab chapter comprises four regions — Central, West, North and South — each led by its respective president and secretary.

“However, it has been decided that the matter will be discussed in PTI’s upcoming political committee meeting. Participants will express their views on whether the committee should be abolished,” he added.

Meanwhile, talking to Dawn, Raja said the matter was going nowhere and would not be discussed in the political committee meeting.

Earlier this week, Raja constituted a five-member body under the convenership of Niazi to “coordinate organisational matters between the four regions of Punjab through engagement with the presidents and general secretaries of those regions”.

PTI leaders Naeem Haider Panjotha, Shaukat Mahmood Basra, Ali Ijaz Buttar and Mehr Abdul Sattar were also named as members.

Raja had also affirmed that his decision regarding the composition of the committee, saying that no existing member would be excluded and no new name would be added to the body.

PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Wednesday held protest rallies across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the killing of prominent cleric and former MPA Maulana Muhammad Idrees, said a statement issued by the party’s media cell.

On Tuesday, JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced that the party would hold protests all over the country on Wednesday and Friday against the “martyrdom” of the cleric.

“At the call of JUI-F, protest rallies were held in all districts across the province against the killing of Maulana Idrees. Participants demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible,” the statement said.

“The participants said the frequent killings of religious scholars and government actions against seminaries indicate the implementation of an international agenda, and that JUI is being punished for standing with the Constitution, law, and the state,” it added.

The statement also quoted JUI-F provincial spokesperson Abdul Jalil Jan as saying, “Protests were held today across district and tehsil headquarters in Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera, Swabi, Haripur, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Kohistan, Battagram, Torghar, Shangla, Swat, Buner, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Chitral, Malakand, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Karak, Hangu, Kohat and the tribal districts against the killing of Maulana Idrees.”

During the rallies, the speakers condemned the worsening law and order situation, the killing of religious scholars, and government measures against madrasas, warning that those targeting religious scholars should take note that JUI-F would continue to fight for the defence of Islam and Pakistan, it added.

Meanwhile, the statement added that a large protest demonstration was led from Namak Mandi Mosque in Peshawar by Jalil Jan, Peshawar district emir Syed Miskeen Shah, General Secretary Maulana Ahmad Ali Darvesh, former mayor Haji Zubair Ali, Inamullah Advocate, former Tehsil Nazim Kaleemullah, and other leaders. Slogans were also raised against the government.

Addressing the demonstration, the speakers added that despite government oppression and injustice, JUI-F would continue its mission, the statement said.

Maulana Idrees was killed on Tuesday after unidentified assailants opened fire on his vehicle in the Tari­qabad area of Utmanzai.

According to the police, the initial investigations suggested that the attack was a targeted killing

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had also issued statements, expressing grief over his killing and condemning the incident.

ISLAMABAD: The Sixth International Paigham-i-Islam Conference, held on Wednesday, awarded the titles of “Leader of Peace” and “Greatest Victorious General of the Century” to Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, in recognition of his role in promoting peace and strengthening stability across the Muslim Ummah.

The conference, organised by the International Tazeem-i-Haramain Sharifain Council and Pakistan Ulema Council, strongly condemned the attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.

The conference also expressed concern over the strikes targeting Arab countries, terming them detrimental to regional stability.

It called for national security, unity of the Muslim world, and enhanced interfaith harmony.

The conference was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, Palestinian ambassador Dr. Zuhair Mohammad Hamdallah Zaid, Grand Mufti of Palestine Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, and Chief Justice of Palestine Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash, alongside senior Saudi and Palestinian representatives, religious scholars, and international delegates.

In addition to the CDF, prominent national and international figures were conferred global honours at the conference in recognition of their contributions to peace, stability and unity in the Muslim world.

PM Shehbaz was presented a shield of appreciation for his firm and unequivocal stance on key international issues, particularly Palestine.

Additionally, Prime Minister and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman — who has been named “Global Personality of 2025” — was honoured with a special award for contributions to defence cooperation with Pakistan, fostering unity in the Muslim world, and promoting peace at the regional and global levels.

The prime minister’s coordinator for the National Paigham-i-Aman Committee and chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, reaffirmed full support for the government, the armed forces, and national security institutions, acknowledging their efforts in safeguarding the country.

On behalf of the clerics, he congratulated the nation on recent achievements — particularly its triumphant victory in Marka-i-Haq and Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, the first anniversary of which is being celebrated across the nation and Pakistan’s diaspora abroad.

He emphasised the need for unity and cohesion within the Muslim Ummah, endorsing Pakistan’s stance on regional issues, including its position regarding Iran and relations with Arab and Islamic countries.

Highlighting defence cooperation, Ashrafi described the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia strategic partnership as a significant development for the Muslim world, noting that such collaboration could contribute to strengthening collective security among Islamic nations.

The conference also condemned the killing of a prominent religious scholar, Maulana Muhammad Idrees Tarangzai. It stated that acts of violence, extortion, and lawlessness have no connection with Islam or Shariah, and expressed solidarity with state institutions in maintaining law and order.

The conference also noted that efforts should be made to strengthen coordination among religious scholars across Pakistan and other Muslim countries.

It was announced that the Seventh International Paigham-i-Islam Conference will be held next year in March 2027, with invitations to be extended to global religious leaders, including the imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, the Grand Mufti of Palestine, the sheikh of Al-Azhar, and the Pope, in a bid to promote inter-sect and interfaith harmony.

It was also announced that similar conferences will be held under the aegis of the International Tazeem-i-Haramain Sharifain Council in different parts of the world.

The final session of the conference is scheduled to be held at Aiwan-i-Sadr under the leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari, after which the international delegates will begin departing for their respective countries.

Ted Turner, the flamboyant US entrepreneur who transformed television news with the creation of CNN in 1980, died at the age of 87, the network said on Wednesday.

The moustached southerner, yachting enthusiast and philanthropist, whose empire also included sports clubs, had been suffering from the degenerative disease Lewy Body Dementia.

Cable News Network upended established broadcasting with its dedication to around-the-clock breaking news and shot to global recognition with its coverage of the Gulf War in 1990-91.

The 24-hour network was the first in the United States to run non-stop news and quickly built a worldwide footprint.

Correspondents brought live coverage from major events ranging from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the Chinese crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests.

CNN’s decision to keep reporters in Baghdad amid US bombing on the Iraqi capital cemented the network’s reputation as an indispensable source of breaking news.

“Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognise him and his impact on our lives and the world,” Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement.

“He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN.”

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in November 1938, Robert Edward “Ted” Turner III went to a military boarding school in Tennessee and then attended Brown University but was expelled before graduating.

Turner took over a faltering family advertising business after his father, despondent over financial problems, died by suicide.

After buying several radio stations, Turner’s purchase of a struggling Atlanta station in 1970 was his first move into television.

Ten years later, that became the flagship of his nationwide Turner Broadcasting System, the profits from which he parlayed into the launch of CNN.

CNN’s success inspired the creation of other 24-hour news channels, including Fox News by longtime Turner rival Rupert Murdoch, MSNBC and countless networks worldwide.

Turner’s television empire expanded beyond CNN and included TBS and TNT channels for sports and entertainment, Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network, among others.

ISLAMABAD: Electricity consumers across the country are expected to receive an unusual relief of Rs1.75 per unit over the next three months (June to August), due to Rs64 billion in savings mainly on account of lower capacity charges paid to power producers during the first quarter (January–March 2026) of the current year, it emerged on Wednesday.

Under the annual tariff rebasing mechanism, the government revised tariff-setting to a calendar-year basis, with effect from January 1, 2026, from the historic practice of fiscal-year adjustments.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has called a public hearing on May 19 at the request of former Wapda distribution companies (Discos), which have sought a Rs63.94 billion refund to consumers under the quarterly tariff adjustment (QTA) mechanism. The refund is estimated to result in a negative QTA of about Rs1.75 per unit for three billing months.

Consumers are currently paying about 42 paisa per unit in positive QTA on account of higher costs of Rs10.8 billion for the fourth quarter (October–December 2025), which expires by the end of next month. This will be replaced by a negative QTA for the following three months, resulting in a net reduction of about Rs2.15 per unit. This impact may be partially diluted by higher monthly fuel cost adjustments due to expensive fuel imports.

It may be noted that consumers are currently paying about 42 paisa per unit positive QTA on account of higher costs (Rs10.8bn) for the fourth quarter (Oct-Dec 2025) that expires by the end of next month. That would be replaced by a negative QTA for the following three months, resulting in a net reduction of about Rs2.15 per unit. This may be diluted partially in the case of higher monthly fuel cost adjustments because of expensive fuel imports.

The Discos sought adjustments on account of capacity charges, transmission charges and market operator fee; the impact of the incremental consumption package announced by the government for industrial and agricultural consumers for three years; and the impact of transmission and distribution losses on monthly fuel costs, as well as variable operations and maintenance charges for the first quarter of the calendar year, i.e., January–March 2026.

The total negative impact of capacity charges comes to about Rs37bn for the said quarter. However, this is partly offset by Rs4.876bn in higher operations and maintenance costs and Rs2.8bn on account of system losses’ impact on monthly fuel cost adjustments (FCAs). Savings have also accrued from the service charge and market operator fee (Rs11.24bn) and the Rs23.5bn impact of the incremental package, bringing net savings for consumers to Rs63.94bn.

All 11 Discos have sought a negative QTA charge for the first quarter. The Faisalabad Electric Supply Company leads in savings with Rs10.45bn, followed by Hyderabad Electric Supply Company with Rs10.14bn, Peshawar Electric Supply Company with Rs8.63bn, and the Lahore Electric Supply Company with Rs7.9bn.

Islamabad and Multan Electric Supply Companies have sought refunds of Rs6.37bn and Rs6.33bn, respectively, followed by Gujranwala Electric Supply Company with Rs5.1bn and Tribal Electric Supply Company with Rs3bn. Sukkur and Quetta Electric Supply Companies have proposed refunds of Rs2.9bn and Rs2.6bn, while Hazara Electric Supply Company has called for a refund of Rs495m to consumers.

Once approved, the QTA will also apply to all Discos and K-Electric. However, QTAs, the Debt Service Surcharge (DSS) and negative FCAs do not apply to eligible consumers under the special tariff package announced by the government on incremental consumption.

Under the tariff mechanism, changes in fuel cost are passed on to consumers monthly through an automatic mechanism, while quarterly tariff adjustments—on account of variations in power purchase price, capacity charges, variable operation and maintenance costs, and use of system charges, as well as the impact of transmission and distribution losses—are built into the base tariff by the federal government.

Pakistani players and teams will be able to participate in multilateral events hosted by India but bilateral events ​remain off the table, India’s sports ministry has said.

India ‌also said the visa process for sportspersons and officials will be simplified, while office bearers of international sports governing bodies will be ​granted multi-entry visas.

“With regard to international and multilateral events, ​in India or abroad, we are guided by the ⁠practices of international sports bodies and the interest of ​our own sportspersons,” the ministry said in a memorandum.

“It is ​also relevant to take into account India’s emergence as a credible venue to host international sports events.”

“In so far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be ⁠participating in ​competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we ​permit Pakistani teams to play in India,” the ministry added.

The statement comes as India is set to host the Commonwealth Games ​in 2030, while they have also bid for the ​2036 Olympics and the 2038 Asian Games in Ahmedabad.

India and Pakistan engaged in ‌a military ⁠conflict last year, and the deterioration of ties reflected in sporting events as well.

Although India were co-hosts of the Twenty20 World Cup earlier this year, Pakistan played all their matches in Sri Lanka — including ​a group ⁠game against India — as part of an arrangement that the two sides agreed on after India refused to play the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan .

When the two sides met for the ICC Asia Cup last year — their first meeting since the military conflict in May 2025 — the Indian team refused to shake hands with Pakistan’s players at the toss and after the match.

Furthermore, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav was said to have “politicised” India’s win in the match by bringing up the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir, saying the victory was “a perfect gift” for his nation.

There has also been a long freeze in bilateral cricket between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who have not played a full series since ​2012-13 and now ​meet largely ⁠at neutral venues.

The Sindh police on Wednesday suspended three police officials for alleged mistreatment of Aurat March activists, including Sheema Kermani.

On Tuesday, the activists were detained after they gathered at Karachi Press Club (KPC) for a press conference to demand a no-objection certificate (NOC) for their upcoming annual march in Karachi.

However, the police released all activists after briefly detaining them on the orders of Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar.

“In connection with the arrest and alleged mistreatment of Sheema Kermani and women human rights activists, Karachi Additional Inspector General (AIG) Azad Khan has issued orders to suspend Saddar Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nasir Afridi, Women Station House Officer (SHO) Hina Mughal, and Artillery Maidan Police Station SHO Nadeem,” according to an official press release by Karachi Police spokesperson.

“On the orders of the police chief, a transparent inquiry will be conducted and action will be taken against those responsible in accordance with the law,” the release added.

The police chief also directed that such incidents must be avoided by ensuring professional conduct and full respect for the constitutional rights of citizens.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the spokesperson for Sindh home minister said, “On the instructions of the home minister, action has been taken in connection with the arrest and alleged mistreatment of Sheema Kermani and women human rights activists”.

“The Sindh home minister has ordered an inquiry into the incident,” the spokesperson said.

“Lanjar said there is a zero-tolerance policy against misuse of authority,” the spokesperson stated, adding that respect for women and protection of their rights would be ensured at all costs.

Home minister phones Sheema Kirmani, expresses regrets

The home minister also spoke personally with Kirmani and expressed his regrets. He assured Kirmani that the requirements of justice would be fulfilled.

He observed that he was personally saddened over such a regrettable incident.

Lanjar said that the PPP had always been a torchbearer of respect and equal rights to women and the transgender community.

He said that human dignity, equality and justice were the vision of the former premier and party chairwoman Benazir Bhutto and the current chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, adding that the PPP government would ensure the implementation of these principles.

ISLAMABAD: Key capital market institutions of Pakistan on Wednesday established the Capital Market Development Fund (CMDF), aimed at promoting financial literacy, expanding financial inclusion and increasing retail investor participation in the capital markets across the country.

The main participants of the CMDF included the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), Central Depository Company (CDC), National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited (NCCPL), Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMX) and the Institute of Financial Markets of Pakistan (IFMP).

The CMDF was established under the auspices of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to ensure coordination in the industry and strengthen the institutional capacity in Pakistan’s capital markets.

Addressing the ceremony, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said recent regional tensions had reinforced the need for Pakistan to make independent commercial decisions, diversify energy resources, and mobilise domestic capital for national development.

“We must rely on our own resources and strengthen self-sufficiency. Capital markets can play a vital role in providing the financing needed for economic independence,” he stated.

Aurangzeb reaffirmed the government’s commitment to economic stability, sustainable growth and financial sector reforms.

He also emphasised the importance of strengthening capital markets, promoting local investment, achieving self-reliance, and implementing key energy sector reforms, noting that Pakistan’s economy continues to move in a positive direction despite regional and economic challenges.

The finance minister noted that despite regional uncertainties and global economic pressures, Pakistan’s economic indicators were showing consistent improvement.

He added that the government remained focused on strengthening the current account balance and reducing the fiscal deficit while maintaining macroeconomic stability.

Aurangzeb further stated that Pakistan’s stock market had demonstrated resilience during challenging times, reflecting growing investor confidence in the country’s economic direction.

The finance czar also emphasised that the SECP had a critical role in expanding investor awareness, improving ease of investment, and introducing legal and regulatory reforms in the capital market sector.

He assured the government’s full support for reforms aimed at deepening Pakistan’s financial markets.

The agreement was signed by PSX Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Farrukh H Sabzwari, CDC CEO Badiuddin Akber, NCCPL CEO Naveed Qazi, PMEX CEO Khurram Zafar, and IFMP CEO Dr Mobashar Sadik.

Chairman SECP Dr Kabir Ahmed Sidhu highlighted that investor participation in Pakistan’s capital market remained below one per cent of the population despite recent growth.

He also noted that the investor base is targeted to increase to 2.5 million in the coming years through ongoing structural reforms and investor facilitation measures.

Sidhu added that onboarding processes were being streamlined, while Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) frameworks were being simplified to facilitate investor entry without compromising regulatory safeguards.

He further identified financial literacy as a major structural constraint, noting that investor awareness efforts remained fragmented and retail outreach limited, and further emphasised the need for coordinated national efforts to strengthen investor education, improve market understanding, and build investor confidence.

Market insights shared during the ceremony indicated that approximately 24,000 new investors entered the market in April 2026. Equity markets maintained positive momentum, while the debt capital market witnessed relative slowdown, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and data-driven policy interventions.

Sadik presented the strategic framework of the CMDF and described it as a “ring-fenced institutional mechanism” designed to support long-term capital market development.

He said the fund would be seeded with an initial contribution of Rs120 million, with participating institutions contributing one per cent of their annual revenues to ensure sustainability through a self-reinforcing funding model.

Sadik added that the CMDF would operate through four core pillars: strengthening financial literacy and investor awareness, expanding retail investor participation, promoting financial inclusion, particularly among women, youth and underserved segments, and enhancing institutional capacity and market infrastructure.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing would play a “greater role” in ending hostilities in the Middle East during talks with his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday, a week before US President Donald Trump is due to meet Xi Jinping.

China is a key customer for Iranian oil, defying sanctions imposed by the United States, and is directly affected by the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, bordered by Iran.

Beijing has quietly engaged in efforts to resolve the weekslong crisis and its diplomacy is credited with playing an important role in the fragile ceasefire agreed between Washington and Tehran.

China “will work harder to ease tensions and end the fighting, continue to support the launch of peace talks, and play a greater role in restoring peace and tranquillity to the Middle East”, Wang told Iran’s Abbas Araghchi in Beijing.

“China considers that a complete cessation of fighting must be achieved without delay, that it is even more unacceptable to restart hostilities, and that continuing to negotiate remains essential,” Wang said, according to a statement from his ministry after the talks.

Manufacturing giant China has been comparatively sheltered from fuel shortages thanks to oil reserves and renewable energy, but costs of oil-derived materials like plastic and fabric have risen significantly.

More than half of the crude imported by sea to China comes from the Middle East and mainly transits through the Hormuz Strait, according to maritime analytics firm Kpler.

Analysts have warned that the war’s impact on China will be felt for months.

During Wednesday’s talks, Wang said China hopes “the parties concerned will respond as quickly as possible to the urgent call of the international community” for a resumption of normal and safe maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump trip looms

The Wang-Araghchi talks came as Trump said the US would pause escorting commercial ships through the Hormuz Strait — which drew Iranian attacks — barely a day after it began doing so.

Trump cited a desire to reach a peace deal with Iran.

Washington demands tight controls on Tehran’s nuclear programme, which Iran has refused to agree to and has led to talks crumbling.

“On the nuclear issue, China welcomes Iran’s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, while considering that Iran has the legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” Wang said.

The US leader is expected to meet Chinese President Xi in Beijing on a visit the White House said will take place May 14-15.

Beijing has not confirmed those dates.

A foreign ministry spokesman again refused to share details when asked about Trump’s visit at a regular news conference on Wednesday.

Trump would join rulers from the Gulf, Europe and Southeast Asia that have recently landed face time with Xi, who has sought to position China as a stable partner in the face of the US-and Israeli-led conflict.

Trump’s visit would also come more than a year after his sweeping global tariffs wreaked havoc on the supply chain, causing chaos in China’s manufacturing sector.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast heatwave conditions across the country this week, starting in the south and central areas from Thursday.

“Due to the presence of high pressure in the upper atmosphere, heatwave conditions are likely to develop over southern and central parts of the country from May 7-11 [and] in upper parts from May 8-10,” a press release issued on Wednesday by the PMD said.

It noted that daytime maximum temperatures may rise to 46-50°C in Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Ghotki, Khairpur, Nausheroferoze, Jacobabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Sibbi, Turbat and Panjgur.

It also forecast 43-47°C weather in Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Bhakkar, Rajanpur, Kot Addu, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Khanewal, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan; and 39-43°C in the upper regions, namely Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kohat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Sargodha, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Khushab, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Okara and Kasur.

Very hot weather is expected in Karachi during the forecast period and the maximum temperature is likely to remain between 35-38°C, the statement added.

However, the Met Office noted that a shallow westerly wave is likely to affect the upper parts of the country on the evening of May 10 and is likely to persist until May 13.

“This system is likely to bring relief from the prevailing hot conditions in the upper parts of the country,” it said.

The PMD advised the general public, “especially children, women and senior citizens”, to be “cautious”, avoiding unnecessary exposure to direct sunlight and remaining hydrated.

It also advised farmers to manage their crop activities and take care of their livestock in view of the weather conditions.

At least 10 people died across Karachi on Monday due to intense heat as the mercury surged to 44.1°C — the highest temperature recorded since 2018 — accompanied by gusts of continental winds that persisted throughout the day, officials said.

The same day, the Nati­onal Disaster Manage­ment Authority (NDMA) issued sweeping emergency protocols and placed hospitals on alert as extreme, above-normal summer temperatures threatened millions across the country.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed hope on Wednesday that the indefinitely extended ceasefire between the United States and Iran could be made permanent.

US President Donald Trump has indefinitely extended what was initially a two-week ceasefire between the two countries, brokered with the help of Pakistan’s mediation, but the conflict — and its widespread economic fallout — remains unresolved.

Addressing the second session of the Ulema Council Conference in Islamabad, the foreign minister said that Pakistan’s efforts had been directed towards securing direct negotiations and a ceasefire — “first it happened, then it was extended, then extended a second time, then a third time”.

“At least the deaths of several hundred people a day — with the toll going into the thousands — has stopped,” he added.

He called on the council to pray for Pakistan’s efforts, saying that they were now geared towards turning the ceasefire into a “permanent end to the war”.

Dar also called on Muslim states to unite in case they had developed any rifts between them, stressing his belief that they would be stronger in their efforts if they worked together.

The deputy premier further noted Pakistan’s role in bringing the US and Iran to direct negotiations for the first time in 47 years. He said that Pakistan “played its full part” from February 28 until today in its response to the conflict.

“After 47 years, we brought the US and Iran to sit down at the same table,” he added, contrasting it with the indirect negotiations that had taken place previously, facilitated by Oman.

He highlighted that Pakistan had engaged with Iran on the issue of their strikes on US bases in other Middle Eastern countries that had heightened tensions in the region, stressing its part in the Muslim Ummah in an effort to halt the intra-regional hostilities.

US and Israeli forces launched the war against Iran on February 28, after which the Islamic republic closed the Strait of Hormuz — a vital route for oil and gas exports — while American forces later launched a blockade of Iranian ports.

The Islamabad Talks, which marked the highest engagement between the two sides since 1979, ended without an agreement, but also without a breakdown.

As the Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire agreed on April 8 neared its original deadline, Trump posted on social media that he had decided to extend it indefinitely “upon the request of [Chief of Defence Forces] Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif”.

However, further efforts to secure more face-to-face talks have fallen through, with Trump stating that the two sides could negotiate by phone call if necessary. The Strait of Hormuz and Iranian ports both remain blocked.