Pakistan

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Pakistan and Uzbekistan on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to elevating bilateral relations to a qualitatively new level as President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev concluded a two-day state visit to Pakistan, marked by wide-ranging agreements on trade, connectivity, culture, security, and regional cooperation.

KARACHI: Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho said on Friday that, on the directives of the provincial government, an operation was launched against riverine bandits last month. Speaking at a press conference at the Central Police Office, the provincial police chief said since the launch of the operation, 113 encounters had taken place with criminals in which 27 kidnappers were gunned down, 82 others were injured, and 77 were arrested. Flanked by Sindh Additional Inspector General of Police Iqbal Dara, Odho said 123 bandits had also surrendered before law enforcers as part of the government’s policy. “These were not ordinary criminals,” he said. He further said that 15 people who had been kidnapped had been recovered safely. He lamented that some of the citizens rescued were in the custody of the bandits for up to three years. Way forward In an oblique reference to past operations against riverine bandits that failed to deliver desirable results, Odho said a comprehensive plan had been chalked ou...

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said the revival of Basant under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has reignited public enthusiasm and restored a festive spirit across Lahore.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan from now onwards would be measured by trade flows, investment projects, industrial partnerships and people-to-people exchanges, Radio Pakistan reported. According to the report, he made the remarks while addressing the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Business Forum in Islamabad alongside Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is in Islamabad on an official visit. In his remarks, the premier said that it was in this spirit that both countries had set an “ambitious yet easily achievable target of increasing our bilateral trade to $2 billion”, the report said. He said the two countries had also signed a protocol, which would lead to the constitution of a working group to draft a five-year roadmap in order to promote trade, investment, and joint collaboration in research and development, information technology and agriculture, it added. PM Shehbaz also said that tourism was another area in which both countries could benefit from each othe...

Pakistan captain Salman Agha defended off-spinner Usman Tariq’s unorthodox bowling action on Friday and called him the side’s “X factor” on the eve of their Twenty20 World Cup opener against the Netherlands in Colombo. Tariq, who has played three T20 Internationals since his debut against South Africa in November, has been reported twice for a suspect bowling action in the Pakistan Super League. His bowling style culminates in him pausing near the crease before firing the ball in with a side-arm sling-shot action. The 28-year-old claimed two wickets in his second T20 International, against Australia, and Australia batsman Cameron Green — one of his two victims in that match in Lahore — made a chucking gesture after being dismissed as he made his way off. “I don’t understand why we are talking about his action because in my opinion it is a fair action,” Salman told reporters. “He has been tested twice and he has been cleared,” he said. “I think there is no problem in his action. Yes, he is the X factor of the ...

At least 31 people were killed and more than 160 others injured in a suicide bombing during Friday prayers at an imambargah in the Tarlai area of the federal capital, officials confirmed, prompting strong condemnation from the country’s leadership.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday rejected an offer from his Russian counterpart to voluntarily extend the caps on strategic nuclear weapons deployments after the treaty that held them in check expired. “Rather than extend ‘New START … we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved and modernised Treaty that can last long into the future,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. Arms control advocates warn that the expiration of the treaty will fuel an accelerated nuclear arms race, while US opponents say the pact constrained the US ability to deploy enough weapons to deter nuclear threats posed by both Russia and China. Trump’s post was in response to a proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the sides to adhere for a year to the 2010 accord’s limit of 1,550 warheads on 700 delivery systems — missiles, aircraft and submarines. New START was the last in a series of arms control treaties between the world’s two largest nuclear weapons powers dating back more than half a cen...

LAHORE: As Basant festivities kicked off on Friday after an 18-year hiatus, at least six kite-flying-related injuries have been reported in the city so far. In December last year, the Punjab government lifted the ban on kite flying and allowed the celebration of Basant with strict regulations. The kite-flying festival was banned in 2007 in Punjab because of an increasing number of deaths and serious injuries caused by sharp strings, particularly to motorcyclists and pillion riders, as well as by celebratory gunfire. In the first incident, a 21-year-old man sustained injuries around his neck after coming in contact with a stray kite string in Lahore’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA). The young man was returning home from a local market on a bike when the string became entangled around his neck, leaving visible deep wounds. However, a police official claimed that the injured person was riding the bike without a safety rod. Earlier, the government had instructed the motorcyclists to install protective steel wire...

A man lost his life and at least five others, including children, were injured in separate kite-flying-related incidents across the city as Basant festivities commenced, rescue officials said on Friday.

Security forces killed 24 militants described as “Indian-sponsored terrorists” during two separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Orakzai and Khyber districts, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.

The United States on Friday expressed solidarity with Pakistan following recent militant attacks in Balochistan, reiterating its support for efforts to bring those responsible to justice. In a post on X, the US State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) said it stood “steadfast with Pakistan” in the wake of the attacks, which it described as “horrific”. The bureau noted that the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) remains a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). In August last year, the US State Department added the BLA and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, to its FTO list, according to a press release. FTO designations are made by the secretary of state, following section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), and “are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism business”. “We support efforts to hold the perpetrators of these horrific attacks accountable,” the SCA added. Earlier on Thursday, securi...

QUETTA: Train services were once again suspended in Balochistan on Friday, a day after resuming, following a five-day suspension in the wake of a spate of attacks in the province. Spokesperson of Pakistan Railways Quetta division, Muhammad Kashif, in a statement, said that Jaffar Express (from Quetta to Peshawar) and Karachi-bound Bolan Mail had been suspended again. “The passenger train to Chaman also remains suspended,” he added. A day earlier, train services were restored in Balochistan as the security situation improved. Authorities had also said on Thursday that mobile internet services remained suspended in many parts of Balochistan, but Quetta was expected to be back online on Friday (today). On Thursday, after several days of “mop-up” actions in parts of the province following the January 31 attacks, the military announced that security forces successfully concluded “Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1” in Balochistan, killing a total of 216 terrorists. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said 36 civilia...

Australia and Indonesia signed a security treaty on Friday, paving the way for closer cooperation and new military training facilities in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The pact will facilitate defence initiatives that include embedding a senior Indonesian officer within Australia’s defence force, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a joint statement after the signing in Jakarta. Australia will also support the development of military training facilities to boost Indonesia’s ability to conduct joint drills, he said. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund Danantara chief Rosan Roeslani show signed document at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, February 6, 2026. —Reuters Canberra has been seeking to bolster its military power in the Asia-Pacific region to counter China’s growing influence. Indonesia has proven more cautious with its foreign policy, not wanting to be seen taking sides and upsetting Beijing, its biggest trading partner. Albanese hailed the agree...

ISLAMABAD - Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday briefed Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong about operations conducted by security forces in Balochistan after recent spate of attacks across the province.

Security forces killed 24 terrorists in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) released on Friday. “On 4-5 February 2026, twenty four khwarij belonging to Indian Proxy Fitna Al Khwarij were killed in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province,” said the statement from the military’s media wing. Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Two intelligence-based operations were conducted in the province’s Orakzai and Khyber districts. During the operation conducted in Orakzai district, troops engaged the terrorists and killed 14. While in Khyber, during the conduct of another IBO, security forces killed 10 terrorists. “On reported presence of khwarij, an intelligence-based operation was conducted by the Security Forces in Orakzai District. During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and after an intense fire exchange...

K-Electric (KE) Chief Executive Officer Moonis Alvi on Friday stepped down from his position, according to a disclosure submitted to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). In July last year, the provincial ombudsman for protection against harassment of women ordered the removal of Alvi for harassing a former chief marketing and communication officer of KE and also directed him to pay Rs2.5 million to the complainant in compensation. Alvi, however, had denied the charges and vowed to challenge the decision of the ombudsman before an appropriate legal forum. “Syed Moonis Abdullah Alvi has tendered his resignation from the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of K-Electric Limited,” stated the disclosure, dated February 6, submitted to the PSX and available to Dawn. The PSX was informed in “accordance with Section 96 and Section 131 of the Securities Act, 2015 and Clause 5.6.1(a) of the Rule Book of Pakistan Stock Exchange Limited”. “You are requested to disseminate the information to the TRE Certificate Holder...

LAHORE: Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ihsan Mani has called on incumbent Jay Shah to play a role in defusing tensions after Pakistan decided to boycott its match against arch-rivals India, scheduled to be held in Colombo on Feb 15. Speaking to Dawn from London, Mani — who has also served as the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) — said that being the current ICC chief, Jay Shah should not only speak to Mohsin Naqvi to defuse tensions, but also save world cricket from potential financial losses. “He should go to Pakistan to convince the government to end the boycott and also listen to their grievances,” he said. Asked about media that the ICC had appointed Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja to negotiate with the PCB, Mani said that Khawaja represented associate member Singapore, and was not the right man to deal with the matter. “It is better for the ICC chairman to deal with the government of Pakistan on his own.” He was of the opinion that if the government of Pakistan had taken such ...

LONDON: British police have charged three more men in an investigation into a series of violent incidents targeting Pakistani dissidents in the United Kingdom, according to a statement released by the Metropolitan Police on Wednesday night. The latest charges bring the total number of people arrested in connection with the investigation to seven. The charges relate to attacks on properties in Cambridge and Chesham in late December 2025 and form part of a wider counter-terrorism investigation being led by Counter Terrorism Policing London. Although the police statement did not name the victims, earlier reports indicate that the arrests are linked to attacks reported by former Imran Khan adviser Shahzad Akbar and YouTuber-blogger Adil Raja. Adil Raja’s home was targeted on December 24, 2025, while Shahzad Akbar’s residence was attacked on December 24 and 31, 2025, and again on January 10, 2026. Following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service, Asaf Afsar, 38, of Birmingham; Liam McGarry, 24, of Warwic...