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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...