Page 2 - Pakistan

Teenager apprehended in Punjab for sharing info with Pakistani handlers

A 15-year-old boy has been apprehended in Punjab's Pathankot for allegedly sharing information about sensitive locations with Pakistani handlers, police said on Tuesday According to police, the boy was radicalised on a social media platform. Police had received information that the boy was in contact with and was providing information concerning the country's security to Pakistan military officers, ISI and frontal organisations running terror modules in that country, Pathankot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Daljinder Singh Dhillon said. On the basis of this information, the boy was apprehended on Monday and questioned, the SSP told reporters in Pathankot. The SSP said the boy had lost his father, who resided in J-K, over an year back and suspected that he was murdered. Police investigations did not find that the boy's father was murdered but the boy suspected so and it affected his psyche, the SSP said. The boy visited many social media platforms and during this he fell in

Pak, Afghan agree to establish joint committee to reopen border

Pakistan and Afghanistan on Monday agreed to establish a 13-member joint committee of business leaders to hold formal negotiations for the opening of the border for trade. The border has been shut since October last year after the two sides clashed over the issue of militancy emanating from Afghanistan. The Express Tribune newspaper reported that the joint committee comprises six members from Pakistan and seven from Afghanistan. The Pakistani delegation will be led by Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi, Adviser to the President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), while the Afghan side will be headed by Mohammad Wali Amini. Speaking to the media, Kazmi said the primary objective of the talks is the immediate reopening of Pak-Afghan trade routes, the removal of obstacles in border management, and ensuring the continuity of bilateral trade. He added that a comprehensive and practical roadmap would be formulated to provide a lasting solution to the issues fa

India, Pakistan exchange lists of nuclear installations amid strained ties

The list exchange took place under the provisions of an agreement on the prohibition of attack against nuclear installations and facilities, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said

Pakistan witnesses drop in terror attacks since Afghan border closure

Since closing down its border with Afghanistan, Pakistan has recorded a significant drop in cross-border terrorist attacks and deaths related to violence. Pakistan shut its border on October 11 last year after clashes with Afghanistan, which were prompted by the allegations that Kabul was not doing enough to stop the use of its soil by terrorists. Dawn reported from the data collected by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), a local think-tank, that terrorist attacks went down by almost 17 per cent in December, preceded by 9 per cent decline in November, while terrorism-linked fatalities among civilians and security officials also fell in the last quarter of 2025, by nearly 4 per cent and 19 per cent each in November and December. However, the data of CRSS showed that with an almost 34 per cent surge in overall violence, the year 2025 went by as the most violent year for Pakistan in a decade. The comparative data for 2024 and 2025 reveals a sharp escalation in terror

Govt must rebut Chinese claims of mediation between India, Pak: Owaisi

AIMIM president and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi has said Chinese claim of mediation between India and Pakistan is an affront to the country and that it must be strongly rebutted by the Union Government. Normalcy in ties with China cannot be at the cost of India's honour or its sovereignty, he said. "After US President (Donald Trump) announced a ceasefire before us and claims to have used trade sanctions to secure peace, we now have the Chinese foreign minister making similar claims officially. This is an affront to India and must be strongly rebutted by the government," Owaisi said in a social media post late on Wednesday. China wants to place India and Pakistan at the same level and is trying to project itself as superior in South Asia. "Is this what the Modi government agreed to when the PM visited China," he said. The Chinese Foreign Minister's claim of mediation is surprising and the Centre must rebut it officially and assure the country that no third party intervention is .

Pahalgam attack, shelling from Pak, floods mark a bleak year for Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir's quest for restoration of statehood suffered twin blows during the year in the form of the Pahalgam terror attack and the Delhi car blast. The elected government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made all the right noises in the first six months in office for the restoration of statehood, but the deadly strike by terrorists on tourists on Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam on April 22 put a halt to any immediate talk of Jammu and Kashmir's returning as a state. The terrorists shot dead 26 men -- 25 tourists and a local ponywalla. Survivors alleged that the assailants chose their targets after confirming that they were not Muslims a revelation that sent communal shockwaves to the rest of the country. The attack was denounced widely across the valley. For the first time in 35 years, spontaneous protests were held across the length and breadth of the valley in condemnation. The protestors unequivocally declared: "Not in my name." On May 7, the Indian forces launched

MEA trashes Pakistan's comments on condition of minorities in India

India on Monday said Pakistan's "horrific and systemic victimisation" of minorities of various faiths is a well established fact and no amount of "finger pointing" will "obfuscate" it. New Delhi said this while strongly trashing Pakistan's comments on the condition of minorities in India. "We reject the reported remarks from a country whose abysmal record on this front speaks for itself," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "Pakistan's horrific and systemic victimisation of minorities of various faiths is a well established fact. No amount of finger pointing will obfuscate it," he said. In Islamabad, Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, responding to media queries on alleged vandalism during Christmas celebrations in some places in India, said "persecution of minorities in India is a matter of deep concern". Andrabi referred to what he called "recent condemnable incidents" of vandalism during Christmas, as well as campaigns allegedly targeti

US, Russia were concerned about Pak's nuclear weapons: Declassified files

Putin told Bush that uranium of Pakistani origin had been found in Iranian centrifuges, pointing to possible illegal transfers

More than 2 million Afghan refugees still living in Pakistan: UNHCR

More than two million Afghan refugees are still living in Pakistan despite over a million returning to their country in 2025. In November alone, 171,055 Afghans returned to Afghanistan, with 37,899 deported through the Chaman, Torkham and Barabcha borders, Dawn reported from the statistics of a UN refugee agency. Also in November, over 31,500 Afghan Proof of Registration Cards (PoRs) card holders were sent to Afghanistan through UNHCR's repatriation centres. Heightened Pakistan-Afghanistan border tensions in November disrupted humanitarian operations, restricted cross-border movements, and prompted temporary relocation of UN agencies from the Chaman border area. Despite intensified implementation of the third phase of the Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan (IFRP) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the UNHCR and partners ensured that essential and life-saving services were provided, including resumption of women and girls safe spaces and child friendly spaces, continued legal and mental

IMF asks Pakistan to scale back remittance incentives amid hawala fears

The recommendation was included in a staff-level report released by the IMF earlier this month after the second review of its $7 billion bailout programme

Pakistan's oldest brewery resumes alcohol exports after decades-long ban

Murree's suspension was highlighted in 2017 when another brewery, run by a Chinese company, was allowed to operate in Pakistan

PM Shehbaz offers talks to Imran Khan's party to ease political tension

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday offered talks to the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to ease political tension in the country, days after the party founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years in jail each in a corruption case. Shehbaz made the offer while presiding over a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad after recent overtures by the opposition leaders. These days, PTI and its allies are talking about dialogue. I have repeatedly stated in the National Assembly that if the PTI is serious about negotiations, the government is equally prepared, the prime minister said. Shehbaz also said that talks could only move forward if they focused on legitimate issues and were free of blackmailing". He stressed that political harmony among all parties was essential for Pakistan's development and prosperity. His offer comes days after the opposition alliance - Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) - of which PTI is a part, said that its door to dialog

Op Sindoor strikes hit Pakistan where it hurt the most: ex-IAF chief

When Pakistan attacked Indian defence installations during Operation Sindoor, which was "getting a little out of hand", the Indian Air Force retaliated hard, striking their military targets and hitting where it "hurt the most", a former IAF chief said on Tuesday. This prompted Islamabad to waive the "white flag" after the four-day-long conflict in May, said Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari (retd). Chaudhari emphasised the Indian government took a very bold decision to strike deep inside Pakistan to destroy terror camps in retaliation of the Pahalgam massacre in April in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by attackers backed by the neighbouring country. Operation Sindoor was result of a very bold planning by joint teams of all the three services - the Army, Navy and Air Force, he noted. Chaudhari was speaking at an event in IIT Bombay where former Navy chief R Hari Kumar and ex- Army chief Manoj Pande were also present. On May 7, India struck nine terror camps deep inside

Jailed Imran Khan calls for street movement against 'Asim Law' in Pakistan

Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has directed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of his party to prepare for a street movement against "Asim Law", in an apparent reference to Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir. Khan, 73, who has been in jail since August 2023, faces multiple cases launched against him since his ouster from power in April 2022. He and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to 17 years in jail each by a court on Saturday in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case. "My message for Sohail Afridi is to prepare for a street movement. The entire nation must rise for its rights. To strive for justice is a sacred duty, and I am ready to lay down my life for Haqeeqi Azadi (true freedom) of my nation," Khan said in a post on X on Monday.

Pakistan sells national carrier PIA for PKR 13,500 crore in open auction

Pakistan sold 75% of its national carrier, PIA, for PKR 13,500 crore in a televised auction, with Arif Habib Corp emerging as the highest bidder

Pakistan's national airline PIA is up for sale: Who are the 3 bidders?

To attract more investors, the government reduced PIA's debt, removed sales tax on new aircraft, and offered protection from select taxes and legal issues to revive interest in the sale

Pak's Asim Munir conferred with Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour

Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, has been awarded Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour, the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellence. Munir is currently on an official visit to the Kingdom. Under a Royal Decree issued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's highest national honour was also conferred upon the Field Marshal, the army said on Monday. The Saudi leadership conveyed its appreciation for Field Marshal Asim Munir's professionalism and strategic outlook, noting his commitment to strengthening the longstanding, brotherly ties between the two countries. Field Marshal Munir expressed gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Saudi leadership for the honour, describing it as a reflection of the enduring bonds between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the security, stability, and prosperity

Pak's ex-PM Imran Khan calls for protests after 17-year jail sentence

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan urged his supporters to gear up for countrywide protests following a 17-year jail term handed to him and wife Bushra Bibi in a corruption case. Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years in jail each by a court on Saturday in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case. Khan, 73, who has been in jail since August 2023, faces multiple cases launched against him since his ouster from power in April 2022. The Toshakhana 2 case involves alleged fraud in state gifts that the former first couple received from the Saudi government in 2021. In a conversation with his lawyers in Adiala Jail after the military-style trial decision Khan urged his supporters to stand up in protest after the decision, according to a midnight statement posted on Khan's X account. It was not known who posted his conversation on his personal account as Khan has no access to his social media handles in jail. I have sent a message to (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister)

Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan sentenced to 17 years in graft case

Judge Shahrukh Arjumand of an anti-graft court handed Khan the maximum prison sentence for illegally undervaluing and then obtaining expensive gifts from the national treasury when he was premier