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Pakistan, Russia commence joint military drill ‘Druzbha VII’ at Pabbi

Pakistan and Russia have commenced a joint military exercise codenamed Druzhba (Friend­ship) VII, marking the 7th bilateral joint counterterrorism exercise between the two militaries, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday. According to the military’s media wing, the drill is “aimed at refining professional skills through joint training, besides harnessing the historic military-to-military relations among friendly countries”. “The two-week long exercise commenced on October 13 at National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Pabbi, with the participation of Light Commando Troops of Pakistan Army and Russian Military Contingent,” the ISPR said. According to the statement, the Commandant National Counter-Terrorism Centre graced the exercise’s opening ceremony as a chief guest. The last military drill — Druzbha VI — was held at the Molkino Trg area of Krasnodar, Russia, in 2021. Pakistani armed forces routinely conduct joint military exercises with other nat
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Swedish prosecutor confirms ‘rape’ probe without naming Mbappe

Swedish prosecutors confirmed on Tuesday a rape probe following media reports that French footballer Kylian Mbappe was being investigated after a visit to Stockholm but did not name the suspect. On Monday, Swedish newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen reported that a rape investigation had been opened following Mbappe’s two-day visit to the Nordic capital. “In response to media reports about a suspected rape in Stockholm, the prosecutor can confirm that a criminal report has been submitted to the police,” Sweden’s Prosecution Authority said in a statement. It added that the alleged incident occurred at a hotel on October 10, but did not name a suspect and said no further information could be shared for the moment. Expressen on Monday identified Mbappe as the suspect, citing anonymous sources, while Aftonbladet said on Tuesday it had also obtained information confirming Mbappe was the suspect. Expressen said Mbappe was “reasonably suspected” of rape and sexual assault, the l
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Hardeep Singh Nijjar — The Sikh separatist whose murder sparked India-Canada row

Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose murder in June 2023 near his home in Vancouver sparked a diplomatic storm between India and Canada, was a long-time campaigner for a separate homeland for people of his faith. Nijjar was shot dead aged 45 by masked gunmen outside the temple he presided over after being wanted by Indian authorities for alleged terrorism offences and conspiracy to commit murder — accusations he denied. India has called allegations it was involved in his assassination “absurd”. Born in 1977 in India’s Punjab state, Nijjar grew up during a violent insurgency that ended in the late 1990s with extremists seeking to carve out a Sikh nation known as Khalistan. Punjab is the spiritual heartland of Sikhs, where nearly 60 per cent of the population follow the religion. Settled in Canada In 1997, aged around 20, Nijjar arrived in Canada, home to around 770,000 Sikhs — about two pc of the country’s population and the biggest Sikh community outside India. He became
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Pakistan ‘vigilantes’ behind rise in online blasphemy cases

Aroosa Khan’s son was chatting on WhatsApp but suddenly found himself the target of “vigilante” investigators who accused him of having committed blasphemy online. The 27-year-old is one in hundreds of young men standing trial in courts accused of making blasphemous statements online or in WhatsApp groups, an offence for which arrests have exploded in recent years. Many of the cases are being brought to trial by private “vigilante groups” led by lawyers and supported by volunteers who scour the internet for offenders, rights groups and police say. The families of young Pakistanis, including doctors, engineers, lawyers, and accountants, say that their relatives were duped into sharing blasphemous content by strangers online before being arrested. “Our lives have been turned upside down,” Khan told AFP , saying that her son, who has not been named for security reasons, had been tricked into sharing blasphemous content in the messaging app. One local police report suggests that the
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‘Mob-led narcissism’: Sherry Rehman calls out PTI for arranging protest during SCO summit

PPP Vice-President Senator Sherry Rehman on Sunday said that PTI’s “worst legacy” was that it had “incessantly shrunk the space for democratic politics by resorting to extremes no one has gone to before” as the opposition prepared for a protest at D-Chowk on October 15. Her statement came as the PTI announced the suspension of its protests in Punjab and issued a nationwide call urging party leaders and workers to converge in Islamabad on Oct 15 when the two-day Shanghai Coopera­tion Organisation (SCO) summit will begin. The PTI has also demanded immediate access for party leaders and family members to its founder, Imran Khan, who is incarcerated in Adiala Jail. The government earlier banned visits to prisoners at the prison until Oct 18 due to security concerns rela­ted to the high-profile SCO summit. “If the PTI goes forward [with] its call for protest in Islamabad on the day of the SCO summit when 7 Prime Ministers are visiting, then no one should be faulted for shaming them as
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Traders, analysts condemn PTI’s protest call amid SCO summit

Traders and analysts on Sunday expressed “grave concerns” over PTI’s call to protest ahead of the highly anticipated Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) moot on October 15, urging the party’s leadership to reconsider the move. The PTI has announced the suspension of its protests in Punjab and issued a nationwide call urging party leaders and workers to converge in Islamabad on Oct 15. The party has also demanded immediate access for party leaders and family members to its founder, Imran Khan, who is incarcerated in Adiala Jail. The government earlier banned visits to prisoners at Adiala Jail until Oct 18 due to security concerns rela­ted to the high-profile SCO summit. Talking to state-owned PTV , analysts criticised PTI’s protest call during the SCO Summit as “self-destructive,” citing concerns over economic instability and damage to Pakistan’s global image. The business community in Islamabad stressed that the SCO conference was an important platform to promote regional
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England captain Stokes in line for 2nd Pakistan Test return

England captain Ben Stokes looks on course to return for the second Test against Pakistan, starting in Multan on Tuesday, reported AFP . The 33-year-old had missed the first Test which England won under stand-in skipper Ollie Pope by an innings and 47 runs on Friday. An England team spokesman said Stokes practised with the team on Sunday. If Stokes is declared fit, he is likely to replace Chris Woakes. “Ben bowled about four overs at full pace today. He has done some high-intensity running and had about a 45-minute batting session in the nets,” said the spokesman. “He will be assessed after today and a decision will be made on his availability over the course of the next 24 hours.” England normally name their team two days before the start of a Test, but will wait until a final verdict on Stokes’s fitness on Monday before announcing their side. Stokes tore his left hamstring while batting during the Hundred domestic competition in August which forced him to sit out of England’s 2
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