Page 13 - Pakistan

Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif set to visit Japan in October, first in 20 years

Shehbaz Sharif's visit, the first by a Pakistani prime minister in 20 years, is being planned following a 'special invitation' from the Japanese government

At least 2 killed, 14 injured in blast in Pak's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

At least two people were killed and 14 others, including police personnel, injured in a bomb blast in northwestern Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday, police said. District Police Officer Tahir Shah said the improvised explosive device (IED) blast occurred close to a police patrol vehicle near a taxi stand in Wana tehsil in South Waziristan district. The powerful explosion killed two people and injured 14 others, including two police personnel, he said. Tahir said security forces have been deployed in the area following the blast and subsequent firing. The injured were shifted to Wana Headquarters Hospital. Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in terrorist attacks, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, since the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) called off its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

Four paramilitary personnel killed in attack in Pak's Khyber Pakhtnukhwa

At least four personnel of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary were killed by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday, police said. The assailants fired indiscriminately on a Frontier Constabulary (FC) vehicle in Amn Kot Toi area in Karak district, killing the four personnel. Security forces and police swiftly cordoned off the area and initiated a search operation to apprehend the attackers. A police official indicated that the attack was pre-planned, with the assailants lying in wait. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur strongly condemned the attack and directed relevant authorities to take immediate action to apprehend those responsible.

Pak will not develop closer ties with US at cost of China: Chinese Experts

As US President Donald Trump has ramped up his country's ties with Pakistan, China's all-weather ally, Chinese strategic experts say Islamabad understands the limits given his strategy to contain Beijing's global influence. Last month, Pakistan's army chief, General Asim Munir, made his first official visit to China since assuming office as field marshal. His visit came shortly after a rare five-day trip to Washington, where he attended a private luncheon with Trump. That meeting culminated in Trump's announcement of enhanced US-Pakistan cooperation in various fields, including an oil deal. According to a recent "Economist" article, the outcome of General Munir's US visit marks a shift in American foreign policy, with implications not only for India but also China and the Middle East. During his time in Beijing, General Munir met with Vice President Han Zheng, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and senior members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), though not with President Xi Jinping. Thi

Indian Army shares 1971 news clip highlighting US role in arming Pakistan

In the backdrop of mounting US criticism of India's purchase of crude oil from Russia, the Indian Army on Tuesday posted a news clip of August 1971 which highlighted the role played by the US in arming Pakistan "since 1954". The news clip was shared in a post by the Eastern Command on X. "#IndianArmy #EasternCommand #VijayVarsh #LiberationOfBangladesh #MediaHighlights 'This Day That Year" Build Up of War - 05 Aug 1971 #KnowFacts. US Arms Worth $2 Billion Shipped to Pakistan Since '54," it said. The news, published few months before the Indo-Pak War of 1971 that led to creation of Bangladesh, talks about the role US had played in arming Pakistan the preceding nearly two decades. "US Arms Worth $2 Billion Shipped to Pakistan Since '54," the headline says. The report quotes V C Shukla, then minister for defence production, who had told the Rajya Sabha about the estimated valuation of the arms supplied for that period. The social media post comes amid mounting criticism by Washingto

DRDO guest house manager held on suspicion of spying for Pakistan

Manager of a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) guest house was detained in Jaisalmer district on suspicion of spying for Pakistan, police said Tuesday. Mahendra Prasad, a resident of Uttarakhand's Almora, was posted as the manager of DRDO guest house in Chandan area of Jaisalmer. "He was detained on Monday. A joint interrogation will be conducted today," Superintendent of Police, Jaisalmer, Abhishek Shivhare said. "He is suspected to have provided sensitive information related to strategic operations and activities in the region," the police said. DRDO conducts tests and trials of missiles and weapons in Pokaran firing range in Jaisalmer, and experts and officials involved in the process stay in the guest house.

The world nearly beat polio, but missteps and fake records revived it

For the past decade, Sughra Ayaz has travelled door to door in southeastern Pakistan, pleading with parents to allow children to be vaccinated against polio to wipe out the paralytic disease. She hears their demands and fears. Some are practical families need basics like food and water more than vaccines. Amid rampant misinformation and immense pressure for the campaign to succeed, Ayaz said, some managers have instructed workers to falsely mark children as immunised. And the vaccines, which must be kept cold, aren't always stored correctly, she added. The World Health Organisation and partners embarked on their polio campaign in 1988 with the bold goal of eradication a feat seen only once for human diseases, with smallpox in 1980. They came close several times, including in 2021, when just five cases of the natural virus were reported in Pakistan and Afghanistan. But since then, cases rebounded, hitting 99 last year, and officials missed at least six self-imposed eradication ...

Security agencies confirm Pakistani nationality of Pahalgam attackers

Security agencies have gathered evidence, including documents issued by the government of Pakistan and biometric data, confirming that the three slain foreign terrorists involved in the deadly Pahalgam attack were Pakistani nationals, officials said on Monday. The terrorists, identified as senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Dachigam forest on the outskirts of Srinagar on July 28 during an operation code-named 'Mahadev'. They had been hiding in the Dachigam-Harwan forest belt since the April 22 attack in Pahalgam's Baisaran meadow, which claimed 26 lives. The evidence collected shows that no local was among these terrorists, the officials said. Biometric records of Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), voter identity slips and digital satellite phone data, including logs and GPS waypoints, are among the clinching evidence gathered by the security agencies confirming the Pakistani nationality of the .

Trump repeats claim he ended India-Pakistan conflict through trade

US President Donald Trump on Sunday yet again took credit for stopping conflicts around the world, including the recent one between India and Pakistan. Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire after a long night of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim on several occasions. Trump's latest claim comes days after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for ending several conflicts around the world including the one between India and Pakistan. On Sunday, in a post on Truth Social, Trump slammed radio host and author Charlamagne Tha God, and said he (God) knows nothing about him or what he has done, like just ending 5 Wars, including a 31 year bloodbath between Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, where Seven Million people have died, and there was no end in sight. He didn't know that, or India and Pakistan or, wiping out Iran's nuclear .

Pak, Iran agree to increase bilateral trade volume to $10 billion annually

Pakistan and Iran on Sunday agreed to enhance bilateral trade volume to USD 10 billion from the current USD 3 billion annually as they signed 12 agreements and MoUs after talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Prime Minister Sharif announced the new bilateral trade target while addressing a joint press meeting with President Pezeshkian after their talks during which they also agreed to strengthen cooperation to combat militancy along their shared border, according to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). The agreement to enhance bilateral trade volume to USD 10 billion was reached earlier in the morning during a meeting between Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Iranian Minister for Industry, Mines and Trade Mohammad Atabak. Sharif also said that Iran has the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, which had been at the heart of the current conflict with Israel. Pakistan stands with Iran for the acquisition of peacefu

Midnight quake of 4.8 strikes Pakistan, follows earlier 5.4 tremor

Earlier on Saturday, a 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck parts of Pakistan, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Islamabad

Pakistan renews deportation drive, forces thousands of Afghans to border

Millions of Afghans have fled into Pakistan over the past several decades due to conflict and instability, including hundreds of thousands who arrived after the Taliban returned to power in 2021

NIA attaches properties of Pak-based Dawood gang's operative in Gujarat

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has attached two immovable properties belonging to an aide of Pakistan-based fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim in connection with 2015 double murder case in Gujarat's Bharuch, officials on Friday said. The properties of the arrested accused, Mohammad Yunus alias Manjro, have been attached under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on the orders of NIA special court, Ahmedabad, in the case, they said. "The attached properties include his residential house in ward no 3, city survey no 3614, Bharuch City (Total area: 143.96 sq. mt.) and ward no 3, city survey no 3615, Bharuch City (Total area: 29.59 sq. mt.)," said a statement issued by the probe agency. Manjro was arrested for his role in the criminal conspiracy and murder of the BJP workers -- Shirish Bengali and Pragnesh Mistry -- in November 2015, it said. "These attachments by the NIA are a very important step towards dismantling the terror ecosystem of D-company gang operating from ...

Pakistan to import US crude for first time after Trump trade deal

Pakistan's top refiner will receive its first-ever US crude shipment in October, following a new Trump-brokered energy pact aimed at deepening trade and geopolitical ties

Trump strikes oil deal with Pakistan, says 'maybe they'll sell to India'

Trump announced a new oil partnership with Pakistan via Truth Social, saying both the nations would jointly develop reserves and hinting that Islamabad may one day supply oil to India

Pak launches remote sensing satellite from China to tackle climate woes

Pakistan on Thursday launched a new remote sensing satellite from China aimed at enhancing its capacity to monitor and respond to climate change-related threats. The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China with technical support from Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), which played a key role in the launch. The Satellite is expected to play a critical role in addressing pressing challenges including floods, landslides, glacier melt and deforestation, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal hailed the development in a social media post: Today marks another proud moment for our nation as Pakistan successfully launches its fourth Earth Observation Satellite under the URAAN (flight) Pakistan Space Program from the XiChang Space Centre, China. Iqbal praised SUPARCO's contribution and said the achievement reflects the growing strength of PakistanChina space cooperation. This ...

Massive oil reserves in Pakistan, says Trump: Here's what US said in 2015

Pakistan's untapped shale reserves have long intrigued energy analysts. A 2015 US report had already mapped billions of barrels underground

India ready to help Pakistan act against terrorism, says Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said if Pakistan cannot take action against terrorism on its soil, India is ready to help the neighbouring country as Indian forces are capable of fighting terror on the other side of the border as well. Initiating a special discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Rajya Sabha, Singh said three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack have been eliminated by Indian forces. He further said that Operation Sindoor India's response to the Pahalgam attack -- has been suspended, and can be resumed anytime if Pakistan indulges in terror activities in India again. "India wants terrorism to end in the whole world, including Pakistan. I would advise Pakistan, if you are not able to take action against terrorism, take help from India, we are ready to help. Our forces are capable of fighting terror on this side of the border, as well as on the other side, this has been proved by Operation Sindoor," he said. "If Pakistan commits any terror incidents in

No Modi-Trump call took place, Jaishankar clarifies on Operation Sindoor

EAM S Jaishankar defends Operation Sindoor and highlights India's diplomatic wins against Pakistan-backed terror groups and China's influence in Parliament

Pakistan urges social media platforms to block banned militant accounts

Pakistan on Friday urged global social media companies to take action to block hundreds of accounts allegedly run by outlawed militant groups that Islamabad claims spread propaganda and glorify insurgents in the South Asian country. According to Pakistan's Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States have been using X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram to promote violence in Pakistan. Chaudhry, who spoke to reporters at a news conference, urged the tech companies to remove or disable these accounts, as well as those run by supporters of the militant groups. Deputy Law Minister Aqeel Malik, who also spoke at the news conference, said Pakistani investigators have identified 481 accounts associated with the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and the Balochistan Liberation .