Pakistan

• CM Bugti says 75 terrorists killed in joint ops since July 5; 39 killed in ‘Operation Shaban’ • Claims attempt to attack police station in Khuzdar foiled • NA panel to visit Quetta for security assessment • Police issue detailed account of how attack on Mangi dam post unfolded • Deny reports of policemen resigning, regret spread of ‘fake, planted material’ QUETTA: Security forces have killed 39 more terrorists during the last 48 hours in a massive operation launched in the Shaban area of Quetta district, officials said on Friday. They said security forces, including the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and police, had been conducting a joint operation in the Shaban area since July 5 against terrorists involved in the killing of 27 police personnel during an attack on a police post at Mangi dam pumping station. The terrorists had martyred nine police personnel, including two station house officers, and took away 18 other policemen at gunpoint. Later, they killed the abducted police personnel, whose bodies were ...

Super sub Mikel Merino broke Belgian hearts and sent Spain through to a World Cup semi-final against France with a late goal in a gripping 2-1 win on Friday. The stunning finish at SoFi Stadium sets up a tantalising showdown between European champions Spain and the tournament favorites France and the red-hot Kylian Mbappe in Dallas on Tuesday. But it was heartbreak for Belgium’s substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens, sent on late, who spilled a shot into the path of Merino. The dramatic finale came after Fabian Ruiz had opened the scoring for Spain, before Charles De Ketelaere grabbed one back for Belgium against the run of play before halftime. Welcoming Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku back to the starting XI, Belgium were rocked by a hamstring injury during the warm-ups to captain Youri Tielemans that hit them hard. Having already lost Amadou Onana to a ruptured ACL, the Red Devils would have to play a near second-choice midfield against the Spanish possession masters. Ruiz, brought in for Pedri, wasted no ti...

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• Senate panel seeks transparent probe into tunnel collapse, project cost escalation • Wapda reports Rs23bn loss due to fake bank guarantee in Nai Gaj Dam scheme ISLAMABAD: The over Rs500 billion Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHPP), shut since a tunnel collapse on April 2, 2024, may resume power generation by March 2028, nearly four years after its closure. This was disclosed to a parliamentary committee on Friday by Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman retired Lt Gen Muhammad Saeed, who also reported a Rs23bn loss caused by a fake bank guarantee submitted by the defaulting contractor of the Nai Gaj Dam project in Sindh. The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources, chaired by Senator Jam Saifullah Khan, was also informed that groundwater levels had been falling beyond sustainable limits, particularly in Punjab’s agricultural belt, because of overexploitation, worsening Pakistan’s water crisis despite it already being among the world’s most water-stressed countries. Gen Saeed told t...

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Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Friday stated that a total of 75 terrorists had been killed since July 5 in various intelligence-based operations in the province. In a post on social media platform X, CM Bugti said: “Operation Shaban is progressing successfully following the terrorist attack on Mangi Dam Police Station.” He elaborated that 39 terrorists had been killed in Operation Shaban as a result of joint ground and air operations by the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police in rugged mountainous areas, while a total of 75 terrorists had been killed in various intelligence-based operations since July 5. Bugti further said that a terrorist attack on Zehri Police Station in the Kachhar area of Balochistan had also been foiled today. “The writ of the state will be maintained in Balochistan at any cost; terrorists cannot escape their fate,” he declared. A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the country’s civil and military leadership had taken a “mutual and singular deci...

The seven-time champion crashed out in the semifinal against Sinner

The government raised the price of petrol by Rs13.18 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs13.80 on Friday. Following the increase, the price of petrol stands at Rs310.71 per litre and HSD’s at Rs323.30. The Petroleum Division’s press release notifying the increase said the new prices would be effective from July 11. The diesel price has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 recorded on April 3. Its price had started rising from Rs281 per litre after the US-Iran war broke out on February 28. The petrol price had peaked at Rs458.41 on April 3 after beginning its upward trajectory from Rs266 in the first week of March. Petrol is mainly used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers, and changes in its price affect the middle and lower-middle classes. Similarly, changes in diesel prices also impact the public at large, as it is mainly used in the heavy transport sector, power plants and large generators. Under IMF conditions, the government doubled the climate support levy to Rs5 ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called on Iran and all other parties involved in the Middle East conflict to exercise restraint following an escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran. Efforts to end the Middle East war have suffered a setback following an escalation in hostilities after Iranian attacks on ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Iran struck at least three ships in recent days, prompting extensive US strikes on Iranian targets on Tuesday and Wednesday, which were followed by retaliatory attacks by Iran on Gulf countries. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier issued the call during a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which he expressed “deep concern” over the escalation and “underscored the urgent need to restore regional peace and stability”. “He called on Iran and all other parties to exercise restraint and refrain from any action that could jeopardise the hard-earned peace gains achieved over the past few months,” the s...

Candidate for UN Secretary-General, Ms.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Friday stated that a total of 75 terrorists had been killed since July 5 in various intelligence-based operations in the province. In a post on social media platform X, CM Bugti said: “Operation Shaban is progressing successfully following the terrorist attack on Mangi Dam Police Station.” He elaborated that 39 terrorists had been killed in Operation Shaban as a result of joint ground and air operations by the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police in rugged mountainous areas, while a total of 75 terrorists had been killed in various intelligence-based operations since July 5. Bugti further said that a terrorist attack on Zehri Police Station in the Kachhar area of Balochistan had also been foiled today. “The writ of the state will be maintained in Balochistan at any cost; terrorists cannot escape their fate,” he declared. A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the country’s civil and military leadership had taken a “mutual and singular deci...

ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a flood and landslide alert ahead of a fresh spell of monsoon rains expected to affect large parts of Pakistan from July 10 to 13.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Friday decided to withdraw the controversial clauses from recently enacted legislation that expanded lawmakers’ powers and privileges after widespread backlash. In April, the provincial assembly passed the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, granting blue passports to members and their spouses, arms licenses, blanket immunity from preventive detention and making the speaker’s permission necessary before arresting members on criminal charges. The law faced harsh criticism from the media and general public, prompting KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to order a review of the legislation on Wednesday. In a video message shared on X, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan said: “On the directives of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, the provincial government has decided to withdraw all controversial provisions incorporated into the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026.” He said that cabinet members met with the c...

He had to cope with personal tragedy during the FIFA World Cup

Petrol up Rs13.18, diesel Rs13.80 per litre as global oil rally returns