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Pakistan vowed to combat terrorism as it held various counter-terrorism dialogues with the United Kingdom, European Union and Japan, according to a statement by the Foreign Office on Friday. Pakistan’s counterterrorism policy, primarily governed by the National Action Plan (NAP) and the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997 , focuses on dismantling terrorist networks, regulating madrassas, and curbing extremist financing. The establishment of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority ( NACTA ) aims to coordinate efforts across intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Military-led operations like Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad have targeted militant strongholds, while legal reforms have strengthened prosecution mechanisms. However, challenges remain in addressing extremism at the ideological level and ensuring long-term de-radicalisation, particularly amid regional security dynamics and evolving militant tactics. In today’s press briefing, FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that ...

Ten people, including a Frontier Corps (FC) soldier, were injured on Friday when an explosion occurred on a main thoroughfare in Quetta, authorities said. Gowalmandi Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Anwar Ali told reporters at the scene that the explosion on Jan Muhammad Road occurred near an FC convoy, damaging five nearby shops and an FC vehicle. “FC personnel and other injured were shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta and [its] Trauma Centre,” he told Dawn.com . DSP Ali added that the explosion was caused by a remote control device, in which an estimated 2-3 kilogrammes of explosives were used. According to a statement issued by the provincial health department, Trauma Centre head Arbab Kamran Kasi imposed an emergency in the centre and summoned all the health staff immediately. Meanwhile, Health Department Spokesperson Dr Waseem Baig said in a statement that one person is in critical condition, while all the injured are being given medical assistance. He confirmed that the 10 pe...

At least five people were killed and several others injured in a suicide blast at the Jamia Darul Uloom Haqqania madressah in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district on Friday afternoon. Among the deceased was Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani, a political leader and religious scholar. Maulana Hamid was the son of prominent Pakistani cleric Samiul Haq Haqqani, who was also known as the “ father of Taliban ”. After his father’s assassination in 2018, Hamid assumed the position of vice-chancellor of the sprawling seminary, located at a distance of 60 kilometres from Peshawar. The madressah, one of the country’s largest and oldest seminaries, is home to roughly 4,000 students who are fed, clothed and educated for free, according to AFP . According to the Darul Uloom Haqqania website, several prominent Taliban leaders — including the leader of the Haqqani network, Sirajuddin Haqqani — were among those who graduated from it. Pakistani religious students attend a lesson at Darul Uloom Haqqan...

A man who self-immolated on Tuesday at the Lahore High Court in protest against a delay in justice died in a hospital on Friday, his family confirmed. On Tuesday, eyewitnesses saw the man, identified as Asif Javed, walk out of Justice Shujaat Ali Khan’s courtroom. As soon as Javed reached an open area, he poured petrol on himself, took out a lighter, and set himself ablaze. While engulfed in flames, Javed kept shouting that he was not getting justice and that he wanted justice. People present at the scene threw water on Javed and covered him with a shawl. A police official used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. Rescue 1122 staff also arrived at the scene and provided medical aid to Asif, who was shifted to Mayo Hospital, where his condition was stated to be out of danger. Javed’s brother confirmed to Dawn.com on Friday that he had died at the hospital. As per Rescue 1122, Asif was a union leader at a Kabirwala-based plant of a multinational food and beverage company. He ...

Pakistan’s democracy ranking went down six spots in 2024 while being ranked among the “top 10 worst performers” in the Democracy Index published by the Economist Intelligence Unit on Thursday. The report analysed global trends in democracy within 165 independent states and two territories. The Index examines countries based on five areas: electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties. Each country was categorised into four kinds of regimes: full democracy, flawed democracy, hybrid regime or authoritarian regime, based on its score. According to the study, an overall democratic decline was observed around the world, and Pakistan was ranked 124 in the global ranking with an overall score of 2.84, categorising it as an authoritarian regime. The decline in the global index was attributed to “further worsening in the average score for the ‘authoritarian regimes.’ This trend of recent years appears to confir...

Four outlaws were killed during an encounter with the police in Punjab’s Hazro, officials said on Thursday. The police spokesman said that the police team was transferring suspect Wali Khan, who was accused of killing a constable Qadeer Khan, when five people riding on two motorbikes intercepted them and opened indiscriminate fire on the team to release the suspect from police custody. On Feb 8, constables Qadeer Khan and Nusrat Khan, deputed at a checkpost in Hattain, were on patrolling duty when they intercepted three suspicious persons riding on a motorcycle. As soon as they disembarked from the motorcycle, the suspects opened indiscriminate firing at the policemen, killing Qadeer on the spot and injuring Nusrat critically. Police said the assailants were able to escape from the scene successfully. Soon after the incident, officials from law enforcement agencies reached the crime scene and cordoned off the area as the police launched a manhunt to trace the attackers. The offi...

The Islamabad Capital Police arrested a man for allegedly brutally attacking his wife with an axe, leaving her severely injured in the jurisdiction of Phulgran Police Station on Wednesday. A public relations officer told APP that a case was registered and further investigation was under way. He said the victim’s father reported a complaint stating that his daughter was attacked with an axe and severely injured by her husband. Responding swiftly, the Phulgran Police registered a case and launched an immediate investigation. The officer said that the police team successfully traced and arrested the suspect using modern technology and forensic evidence, adding that the man was now in custody and legal proceedings were ongoing. Deputy Inspector General of Police Muhammad Jawad Tariq said that the police were committed to taking strict action against cases of domestic violence and abuse against women and children. “The suspect will be prosecuted with solid evidence to be brought to ju...

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday stressed that all sectors will have to “chip in” to increase the country’s exports. Addressing the business community in Peshawar, the finance minister stressed the need to move away from the boom and bust cycle experienced in the past, adding that “it’s very easy to just pump in liquidity. “However, when you reach four per cent growth — and because you are import-led and import-dependent — you run out of dollars and face the problem of balance of payment,” he said, highlighting that the country then reaches out to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stop it from defaulting on its payments. In 2023, the country’s dwindling foreign reserves had raised alarm bells, as they reached $4.6 billion — barely enough to cover three weeks’ worth of imports — while the rupee underwent its biggest devaluation in history of 15pc. Pakis­tan and the IMF had reached a three-year, $7bn aid package deal in July 2024, with the new programme set t...

Former prime minister and President of the Awaam Pakistan party Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday said those in power were “suppressing democracy and dismantling the judicial system” as he addressed a moot organised by the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan . After talks between the government and the opposition collapsed in January, the PTI made another push to establish a joint front against the federal government and roped in Abbasi to become part of its anti-government movement. The two-day moot conference kicked off in Islamabad today, where opposition parties gathered to discuss the current political situation and national issues. Speaking during the conference, Abbasi — while referring to the ruling coalition of PML-N and PPP— said, “These are the same people who used to talk about the same things that I am talking about today. “They talked about these issues for ages but today, they are suppressing democracy, dismantling the judicial system, suppressing ...

Lahore police arrested a suspect in the Mianwali district after a man was found dead in the servant quarters of an outhouse belonging to PTI leader Mian Aslam Iqbal. A day ago, a team of Lahore’s Samanabad police had been alerted about the body and recovered it, following which a case was registered against unidentified individuals. “A joint team arrested the suspect, Constable Arshad, from Mianwali,” read an official statement issued today by Faisal Kamran, the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) deputy inspector general (DIG). According to sources, an initial investigation had revealed that Arshad, a CIA official, was living in the servant quarters he had rented through a property dealer. The investigation had further revealed that Arshad had neither been attending his office for the last month nor he could be contacted. Police were still trying to identify the man found dead. DIG Kamran confirmed in his statement today that Arshad had rented the “quarters on the dera (outhouse)...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Russia’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Albert P. Khorev, on Tuesday in Islamabad, where both agreed to activate antiterrorism dialogue between their countries. Pakistan and Russia witnessed a couple of bilateral exchanges last year, including Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s visit to Islamabad in October for the 23rd summit of the Shanghai Coope­r­ation Organisation. “There was an agreement between both countries to activate antiterrorism dialogue,” said a statement issued by the interior ministry after the meeting between Naqvi and Khorev. According to the ministry, the two leaders also decided to increase cooperation between Pakistan and Russia in countering terrorism and drug trafficking. “Terrorism is a global challenge and only joint multilateral actions can control this scourge,” the interior ministry statement said. “We will promote bilateral contacts to further strengthen relations with Russia,” the statement quoted Naqvi as sayi...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be embarking on a two-day official visit to Uzbekistan today with the aim of enhancing bilateral relations with the Central Asian country, the state-owned Radio Pakistan reported . Pakistan and Uzbekistan are strengthening ties through trade and economic cooperation. A $1 billion trade deal was signed in 2023, and plans for further collaboration, including a roadmap for industrial cooperation, show the two sides’ commitment to boosting regional connectivity. Last month, Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Alisher Tukhtaev had announced his government’s plan to introduce a new direct flight route between Tashkent and Karachi this year, describing it as a “significant step to foster closer ties between the two nations.” According to the report, the prime minister will be visiting the country at the official invitation of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. “The prime minister and president of Uzbekistan, during their meeting, will dis...

Rain and wet outfield delayed the toss in the Champions Trophy Group B match between Australia and South Africa, with covers on at the Rawalpindi Stadium on Tuesday. Umpires Chris Gaffaney and Richard Kettleborough inspected the conditions under light drizzle before deciding to delay the toss, which had been scheduled for 1:30pm. The weather forecast suggested the rain could continue for much of the day. Australia beat England while South Africa defeated Afghanistan in their opening matches of the 50-over tournament. India and New Zealand have qualified for the semi-finals from Group A while title-holders Pakistan and Bangladesh crashed out of the tournament. from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/hFtKun7

Germany’s conservative election winner Friedrich Merz faced an uphill struggle to build a coalition government on Monday, a day after an election which saw a record performance by the right. Merz has warned against more paralysis in Berlin at a time US President Donald Trump is driving head-spinning change, the German economy is in recession, and society split after a polarising campaign. In a post on X, Merz insisted Ukraine “must be part of peace negotiations” after Trump unsettled European allies by reaching out to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Europe remains firmly by Ukraine’s side,” Merz said, as European leaders gathered in Kyiv to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Speaking late Sunday, his victory dampened by a far-right surge, Merz had warned a united Europe must build up its own defences as he had “no illusions at all about what is coming out of America”. With over 28 per cent of the vote, Merz’s CDU/CSU bloc handily defeated Chancellor Ol...

Residents of Upper Kohistan staged a sit-in outside the deputy commissioner’s office on Monday, observing a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike in Komila bazaar against the Water and Power Development Authority’s (Wapda) failure to honour its commitments on the 4,700MW Dasu Hydropower Project. The Dasu dam affectees’ committee gave the sit-in call. A day prior, it brought hundreds of protesters, including traders and transporters, to shut down businesses and observe a shutter-down strike across Upper Kohistan. The protesters marched in Komila and Dasu bazaars while carrying banners, and placards inscribed with their demands and shouted slogans against Wapda and its management. Hafeez Ur Rehman, a committee leader, told Dawn.com that months of meetings with Wapda had yielded only hollow promises. “Wapda agreed to our 13 demands but it failed to fulfil them, forcing us to t to take to the streets again,” he emphasised. The demands of the Dasu project affectees included compensation ...

New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner won the toss and chose to bowl against Bangladesh on Monday in Rawalpindi as the Black Caps look to seal a place in the Champions Trophy semi-finals. A win for New Zealand would also knock Bangladesh and hosts Pakistan out in the group phase of the 50-over tournament. India would go through with the Black Caps. New Zealand won the opening match of the competition against Pakistan, who then lost to India on Sunday to be on the brink of an early exit. New Zealand made two changes, bringing in fast bowler Kyle Jamieson and batter Rachin Ravindra on a pitch which is expected to be batting-friendly. Ravindra, a left-handed batsman and spinner, has recovered from a nasty hit on the forehead in a recent tri-series match. Bangladesh, led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, need a win to stay alive in the eight-nation tournament after they went down to India in their first match. They made two changes with senior batsman Mahmudullah and fast bowler Nah...

On February 8, a police party visited a residence on Khayaban-i-Momin, a secure and serene part of Karachi’s upscale Defence locality. They were there to find out about the whereabouts of a 23-year-old who had been missing for over a month. But instead of answers, they received a hail of bullets. An hours-long shootout ensued, with the resident using automatic weaponry, and even a drone, to keep the police at bay. Two cops were shot and reinforcements had to be called in, with the lone gunman forced to retreat to the roof, from where he continued to fire with a German-made MP-47. The gunman was eventually arrested and identified as 28-year-old Armaghan Kamran Qureshi, who had been living on rent in the 1,200-yard house for around 18 months. In the garage was a Ford Raptor and an Audi, both without number plates, while outside the gate was a plaque that read “ARMY”, which apparently is Armaghan’s nickname and also a reference to Pakistan’s most influential entity. While the police ...

A prison official closes the main door of the Central Jail in Karachi on December 16, 2023: 102,026 people are housed in 128 functioning jails across Pakistan, with prisons operating at 152.2 percent capacity | AFP Prison conditions in Pakistan fall significantly short of international standards, with inmates facing numerous systemic challenges, including severe overcrowding , unhygienic living conditions, insufficient access to clean water, nutritious food and healthcare, exploitative labour practices, limited contact with family and legal counsel, and a lack of effective complaint mechanisms. Furthermore, prisons fail to provide adequate rehabilitative, educational, vocational or recreational activities, undermining the core objectives of incarceration. With a population of 102,026 inmates housed in 128 facilities across the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan’s prison system operates under immense strain. Encouragingly, the nati...

The lopsided nature of arguably cricket’s fiercest rivalry in recent years notwithstanding, emotions in both countries will run high when bitter neighbours India and Pakistan clash in a Champions Trophy blockbuster in Dubai on Sunday. India has prevailed in seven of the eight completed ODIs in the last decade against rivals they play only in multi-team events because of a strained political relationship between the two countries. India, who refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy citing government advice, will be playing all their matches at the 25,000-capacity Dubai International Stadium and kicked off their Group A campaign with a six-wicket victory against Bangladesh. Pakistan’s title defence, meanwhile, looks in disarray after their comprehensive defeat by New Zealand and the team led by Mohammed Rizwan needs a drastic turnaround against Rohit Sharma’s India. India vice-captain Shubman Gill said today the eagerly-awaited match is a fan favourite, but for h...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday announced the construction of a cancer hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan and vowed to never leave south Punjab behind in development. Addressing a rally in DG Khan, the premier said: “I announce the making of a cancer hospital here [in DG Khan].” He also announced the establishment of a university in Rajanpur. The prime minister said that an era of progress and prosperity had dawned upon the area, promising job opportunities for the youth. “I remember very well that this was not a favour done to you but I just want to recall what we did, we built Daanish schools, free medicine, laptops and a conditional cash transfer programme for the whole region’s children,” he said. He continued, “Whether that was for the rozgar scheme or girl’s education programme, me and Nawaz Sharif have always kept quota higher for south Punjab compared to the rest of Punjab. “This was your right and to complete it we will also work towards it and you should as wel...