PESHAWAR: The military sharply rebuked the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday for what it described as governance failures fueling a terrorism resurgence, urging officials to prioritise protecting residents over seeking security assistance from neighboring Afghanistan.
International
Pakistan hails Israel-Hamas truce deal as ‘historic opportunity’ for Mideast peace
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday called the agreement between Israel and Hamas on the initial phase of President Donald Trump’s truce plan a “historic opportunity” for lasting peace in the Middle East, commending the United States and regional leaders for their roles in brokering the deal.
Ex-senator Ahmad detained in flotilla raid, leaves Jordan for Pakistan – embassy
ISLAMABAD: A former senator who was detained by Israeli forces last week while leading an aid flotilla bound for Gaza has safely departed for home, the Pakistani Embassy in Jordan said late Wednesday, capping a diplomatic effort to secure his release amid ongoing tensions over Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory.
Islamabad on alert as hardline TLP plans march, anti-Israel protest
RAWALPINDI: Police ramped up security in Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Thursday ahead of a planned march by the hardline Islamist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), following violent clashes that injured officers during a raid on the group’s headquarters in Lahore.
Military says major martyred, seven militants killed in Dera Ismail Khan operation
ISLAMABAD: An army major was martyred, and seven militants were killed in a clash during an intelligence-led raid in the restive northwest, the military said on Thursday, underscoring the persistent threat of insurgent violence along the Afghan border.
ECP orders Punjab local polls in December after years of delay
ISLAMABAD: The election authorities ordered local government polls in the country’s most populous province to be held in the last week of December, ending a yearslong delay marked by repeated changes to provincial laws and requests for more time.
Military warns India of ‘swift retributive response’ to any aggression
ISLAMABAD The military leadership warned India on Wednesday that any “imaginary new normal” in their fraught bilateral relations would be met with a “new normal of swift retributive response,” escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors in a fresh exchange of bellicose rhetoric.
Army says 19 militants killed, 11 soldiers martyred in northwest gunbattle
ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed 19 militants in an overnight raid in the restive northwestern district of Orakzai, but the operation came at a heavy cost, with 11 soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel and a major, losing their lives in the fierce exchange of fire, the military said on Wednesday.
Regional powers urge no foreign military presence in Afghanistan after US talk of reclaiming Bagram base
ISLAMABAD: Major regional powers including Pakistan, China, Russia, Iran and India issued a joint statement, calling for “no foreign military presence” in Afghanistan, emphasising the need to respect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as part of broader efforts to stabilise the region.
US adds Pakistan, Saudi Arabia to new air-to-air missile contract
ISLAMABAD: The US Department of War has included Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in a new contract for the supply of US-made air-to-air missiles, and separately approved a deal to upgrade communications systems on Saudi fighter jets, according to an official statement on its website.