Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Friday avoided directly acknowledging strikes in Kabul, instead framing Pakistan’s counter-terrorism actions as legitimate self-defence against militants operating from Afghan soil. The FO, moreover, also emphasised the need for continued dialogue and cooperation with Kabul to address cross-border terrorism. At the weekly FO briefing, spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said, “Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the security and well-being of its people.” Pakistan “respects the sovereignty of Afghanistan, and remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering dialogue and cooperation with our neighbour to address the shared challenges of terrorism”, the spokesperson said, adding that the security operations were intelligence-driven and aimed at protecting its citizens from terrorist groups, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The statement came after twin explosions shook Kabul on Thursday night. Local Afghan media, quoting witnesses, reported fighter jet overf...

For now, there is no clarity on where Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation really is. A day after he stepped down as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister — on the directive of PTI founder Imran Khan — it seemed that his resignation got lost in red tape, with the Governor House denying having ever received it. Officials at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat told Dawn that Gandapur’s resignation had been delivered to the Governor House on Wednesday night — the same day he was asked to vacate the post. A copy of the letter seen by Dawn showed it was received by the governor’s staff at 10:57pm. However, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, who was in Islamabad on Thursday, and other officials at the Governor’s Secre­tariat remained tight-lipped about the issue. An official on Kundi’s staff told Dawn that they were yet to receive the resignation letter. “As far as I know, the resignation has not yet reached the Governor’s Office,” the official said, adding that the governor would sign it whenever he received it. Meanwhile, s...

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At least three terrorists, including a suicide bomber, were killed in retaliatory fire by police forces after an attack on a police training centre in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan was repulsed on Friday night. DI Khan District Police Officer (DPO) Sajjad Ahmed Sahibzada confirmed that three terrorists were killed by police forces and added that a large contingent of security forces reached the incident site and cordoned off the area. Police confirmed that the training centre premises were cleared and all terrorists involved in the attack were killed. A search operation, led by DPO Sahibzada, was also conducted in the surrounding areas to ensure no other terrorists were present. A large contingent of security forces reached the incident site soon after the attack commenced and cordoned off the area. Earlier, there were reports of a loud explosion in the vicinity of the police facility. DI Khan Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Yaqoob Khan earlier told Dawn.com that a “suicide bomber and two terror...

Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) supporters reached Lahore’s Shahdara bridge late on Friday night as the religious party attempted to march towards Islamabad and hold an anti-Israeli demonstration outside the US embassy. A spokesperson for the party told Dawn.com that they have stopped the march for the night. A Dawn.com correspondent in Lahore reported earlier on Friday evening that the protesters were trying to remove obstacles at the city’s Chauburji Chowk and march ahead. A statement by Edhi spokesperson Younis Bhatti said several policemen had been injured in clashes with TLP protesters. The statement added that Edhi volunteers moved the injured personnel to various hospitals in the city. Meanwhile, TLP spokesperson Usman Naushahi told Dawn.com that one of the protesters had died and 22 were injured. Ahead of the march, without naming the TLP, the US embassy in Islamabad posted on social media platform X that “the US consulates general in Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar are monitoring planned protest activ...

Multiple people were dead or missing after a massive blast rocked a US explosives factory on Friday, sending emergency responders rushing to the site and prompting official warnings for the public to avoid the area, authorities said. “We can confirm there has been an explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems in the Bucksnort area,” located in Hickman County, Tennessee, the local sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook. “Emergency services are currently on the scene working to address the situation,” it added. The mayor’s office in Hickman County told AFP that it could not immediately confirm any fatalities or the cause of the explosion. Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates told CNN the plant did not have a history of safety problems, although there was a small ammunition explosion there in 2014. That incident killed one person and injured three, according to the Tennessean newspaper. However, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis reported “some” fatalities and added that several people were missing in the “very devastating...

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