Pakistan

QUETTA: The Frontier Corps headquarters in Nokundi, a town in Chagai district, which came under attack on Sunday night, was targeted by a woman suicide bomber, officials said on Monday. According to officials, a woman “launched the suicide bombing” at 8:40pm, targeting the paramilitary force’s headquarters. The banned Balochistan Liberation Front issued the bomber’s picture and identified her as Zinat Rafiq. Officials said that three militants were killed as soon as they entered the FC fort, while others managed to enter the compound, adding that they had cleared the compound. Locals, however, said intermittent firing continued till Monday evening. Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2025

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said the IMF’s Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment (GCDA) report was a step towards much-needed institutional reforms, adding that the government had itself initiated and facilitated the process. Winding up the debate on a motion moved by JUI-F’s Kamran Murtaza in the Senate on Monday, the finance minister said the report covered seven areas, including judicial oversight and corruption, and identifies structural deficiencies — which he termed a positive development. He said it provided 15 recommendations for institutional reforms. He assured the Senate that work on these recommendations was underway, citing the recent law passed by parliament requiring public servants to declare their assets. “We will share our action plan on institutional reforms with the public and parliament,” he said, adding that such diagnostic reports had been released for many countries and represented best practices to assess governance in other jurisdictions. He dismissed...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan held a brief but high-stakes round of unannounced talks in Riyadh, but the engagement ended swiftly and without progress as both sides stuck rigidly to their positions, multiple diplomatic sources told Dawn. The meeting, mediated by Saudi Arabia late on Sunday evening, was aimed at addressing tensions between the two countries following border clashes in October and Pakistan’s demand for action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil. According to officials, the Afghan Taliban delegation was led by Anas Haqqani and Rahmatullah Najib. The Pakistani side included officials who had participated in earlier rounds in Istanbul under the Turkiye-Qatar track. A diplomat from the Foreign Office (FO) was added to the Pakistani delegation. However, unlike the lengthier sessions held in Doha and Qatar, the Riyadh conversation wrapped up quickly, with one source describing it as “a short exchange rather than extended negotiations”. Saudi authorities facilitate talks quietly;...

• Speaker slams ‘irresponsible’ remarks by opposition lawmaker, warns against attempts to disrupt proceedings • Blocks voting on resolution seeking Achakzai’s disqualification • PTI links talks to meetings with Imran, but minister says categorical ‘no’ to such demands ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Monday took a strong exception to reported anti-parliament statements made by Pakhtunkhwa Mili Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai — nominated as opposition leader by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) but not notified by the custodian of the house so far — declaring that he would firmly defend it. Without naming Mr Achakzai or giving specifics, Mr Sadiq said the MNA entered the Parliament House and announced in the opposition lobby that he planned to approach the [speaker’s] chair in order to disrupt the proceedings when Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah was presiding. He added that the same member later issued another “irresponsible and provocative statement”, declaring he would u...

Peshawar - PESHAWAR: World AIDS Day is observed every year on 1st December with the resolve to spread the message that AIDS is not an incurable disease; rather, through timely diagnosis and proper treatment, individuals can live a healthy life.

Peshawar - Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi has formally launched the province-wide Ehsaas Umeed Programme, an initiative designed to support individuals with severe disabilities across the province.

Peshawar - Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Monday held a meeting with delegation of traders from the province’s border districts, who apprised him of the severe economic impacts caused by the closure of the Pakistan–Afghanistan border.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan is confronting one of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics in the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, prompting a strong call to action from WHO, UNAIDS, and the Ministry of Health on World AIDS Day.

ISLAMABAD - The High Commissioner of Australia to Pakistan, H.

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar yesterday chaired a comprehensive preparatory meeting ahead of the upcoming visit of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic to Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD - During the ongoing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts in Sri Lanka, the embarked Z-9 helicopter on Pakistan Navy Ship SAIF conducted rescue operations in the flooded Kotikawatta area.

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that there can be no compromise on the protection of citizens’ employment, reputation, and fundamental rights.

RAWALPINDI - An anti-terrorism court (ATC) here on Monday directed the State Bank of Pakistan to unfreeze accounts of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKTM) and Namal University in Mianwali while hearing a case related to November 26 protests against Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.

ISLAMABAD - A massive humanitarian operation launched by Pakistan to assist cyclone-ravaged Sri Lanka has been hampered after the Indian government refused to allow the Pakistani relief aircraft to use its airspace.

ISLAMABAD - Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr.

ISLAMABAD - As the federal capital is abuzz with rumours of imposing governor’ rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa creating unrest in the PTI’s provincial government, the federal government yesterday explained that the imposition of governor’s rule in a province is an option provided by the Constitution, even as KP Chief.

Interior minister says Afghan nationals being protected in KP Afghans found involved in all recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan Kabul govt asked to rein in militant groups Asks illegal Afghans to leave Pakistan with dignity Rejects rumours over delay in CDF notification.

The government stressed on Monday that the imposition of governor’s rule in a province is an option provided by the Constitution, even as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi dared the Centre to impose the measure. The federal government is seriously considering imposing governor’s rule in KP, citing “security and governance issues” in the province as the reason for this potential move. “Governor’s rule is not the face of any martial law. It is provided for in the Constitution by its creators,” said Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar while speaking at the National Assembly today. He argued that if the conditions merit it, then it was within the Constitution to implement it. Similarly, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also told reporters, “It is a constitutional option that is available to every government, so such discussions arise when governance is weak. Let’s see how matters proceed.” Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhary advised CM Afridi not to exacerbate friction between t...

A notification from the Islamabad district magistrate ordered that Section 144 be imposed in the Islamabad Capital Territory for two months, while another notification from the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner ordered that the ban be imposed on Monday until December 3. Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period. According to the Islamabad magistrate’s notification — dated November 18 and available with Dawn — the order was imposed due to “certain segments of society … planning to organise unlawful assemblies … within the jurisdiction of Islamabad Capital Territory”. It did not elaborate on what unlawful assemblies were expected to take place. The order prohibits “all kinds of gatherings of five or more persons, processions/rallies and demonstrations at any public place within the Revenue Limits of District Islamabad, including the Red Zone”, the notification read. The notifi...

Several people on social media platform X shared a video on November 28 that allegedly showed Imran Khan’s sister Noreen Niazi requesting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch Operation Sindoor 2.0 for her brother’s release. However, the video is doctored through AI. Last week, Imran’s sisters had camped outside Adiala Jail, where the PTI founder is currently incarcerated, along with other party members after being denied a meeting. According to the PTI, Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen were “sitting peacefully” outside the jail when they were manhandled and “violently detained” by police. After repeatedly being barred from meeting their brother, Noreen and Aleema gave separate interviews to the Indian media on the matter. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had slammed the sisters for giving interviews to the Indian media. ‘Operation Sindoor’ is the term New Delhi used for its May 7, 2025, strikes on Pakistan amid the conflict between the two countries. On Nov 28, a user, who appeared to be a PM...