You are here

  • Home
  • Pakistan president vows to eradicate militancy after suicide attack kills five in northwest

Pakistan president vows to eradicate militancy after suicide attack kills five in northwest

Pakistan president vows to eradicate militancy after suicide attack kills five in northwest
Security personnel examine the site of a blast in Peshawar district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on March 10, 2024. (AFP/File)
Short Url

https://arab.news/c4d5y

Updated 5 min 18 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan president vows to eradicate militancy after suicide attack kills five in northwest

Pakistan president vows to eradicate militancy after suicide attack kills five in northwest
  • The incident in Mir Ali happened as a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle in a security checkpoint
  • Unknown militants also targeted the residence of a former senator in Pakistan’s South Waziristan
Updated 5 min 18 sec ago
REHMAT MEHSUD
Follow

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday vowed to eradicate militant violence from the country after a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a security checkpoint in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing four policemen and one security personnel while injuring others.
The incident occurred near Mir Ali, a settlement in the volatile North Waziristan tribal district, where security forces have conducted several intelligence-based operations, though the militants’ capacity to launch deadly attacks has not been fully degraded.
The area has frequently been targeted by the banned militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), whose leadership is reportedly based in neighboring Afghanistan.
“Terrorists will never succeed in their evil designs,” the president said in a statement quoted by the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan, expressing sorrow over the attack.
He condemned the incident as a “cowardly act,” paying tribute to those who lost their lives.
Speaking to Arab News, District Police Officer in North Waziristan Rohanzeb Khan confirmed the bomber used his explosive-laden car to target a checkpoint jointly manned by police and security forces.
“The attack on the security check post took place at around 12:30 PM,” Khan said over the phone. “One security official and four policemen were martyred, while five others suffered multiple injuries.”
He added that a heavy police contingent rushed to the area soon after the incident to begin the investigation.
KP has seen a surge in militant attacks since a fragile ceasefire between the government and the TTP collapsed in November 2022.
Earlier in the day, unknown militants targeted the residence of former Senator Saleh Shah in South Waziristan.
A day earlier, militants killed a 19-year-old Pakistan Military Academy cadet in his hometown of Lakki Marwat during evening prayers at a mosque.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, last year saw more suicide attacks than any since 2014, with 29 such incidents claiming 329 lives, making it Pakistan’s deadliest year in a decade.
The provincial administration of KP also condemned the Mir Ali attack.

Topics: Mir Ali suicide bomb

Skipper Shan Masood says Pakistan need stability after famous England win

Skipper Shan Masood says Pakistan need stability after famous England win
Updated 26 October 2024
AFP
Follow

Skipper Shan Masood says Pakistan need stability after famous England win

Skipper Shan Masood says Pakistan need stability after famous England win
  • Pakistan thrashed England by nine wickets in the third Test inside three days for a 2-1 series win
  • Masood tenure as captain was tainted by a string of defeats until Pakistan won against England
Updated 26 October 2024
AFP

RAWALPINDI: Captain Shan Masood said Pakistan need stability to build on Saturday’s memorable victory over England, their first home Test series win in nearly four years.
Masood’s team thrashed England by nine wickets in the third and final Test inside three days in Rawalpindi for a 2-1 series win.
England destroyed Pakistan by an innings in the first Test, before the hosts roared back with their spinners doing most of the damage.
“Like London buses they come together,” a relieved Masood told reporters.
“The first win came after a long time and it was backed up by a series win. It’s special.”
Until Pakistan levelled the series in Multan last week, Masood’s tenure had been tainted by a string of six successive defeats, including a 2-0 loss at home to Bangladesh.
He faced loud calls for his resignation.
Pakistan cricket has been struggling in all formats recently, with a revolving door of leadership overseeing chopping and changing among both players and management.
“For me the biggest thing is progress,” said Masood.
“The Pakistan team needs stability at the moment,” he added. “But when we think that changes are necessary to put the team on a winning track, we will do so.”
Spinners Noman Ali grabbed 6-42 and Sajid Khan 4-69 to bowl England out for 112 in 37.2 overs.
The duo did not feature in the first Test, which saw England post a record first innings score of 823 and led to the axing of star players Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Noman and Sajid combined for a spectacular 39 wickets in the subsequent two Tests, tearing through the England batting and delivering a famous series triumph.
“Noman and Sajid were outstanding, like they were in the second Test,” said Masood. “To be here and standing as the winning team, it’s the most special thing for us.”
Between the duo’s spin wizardry across both England innings, Pakistan were buoyed by a gritty century from middle-order batter Saud Shakeel, ensuring they had vital runs to defend.
“People have grown in stature,” said Masood. “It’s about the whole team and its spirit.”
Saturday’s match ended with Masood smashing Shoaib Bashir for six to chase down the 36-run target in 3.1 overs before lunch.
Pakistan next play a two-Test series in South Africa in December.

Topics: Shan Masood

Pakistani province seeks to boost projects with Beijing amid concerns over Chinese safety

Pakistani province seeks to boost projects with Beijing amid concerns over Chinese safety
Updated 26 October 2024
Follow

Pakistani province seeks to boost projects with Beijing amid concerns over Chinese safety

Pakistani province seeks to boost projects with Beijing amid concerns over Chinese safety
  • Sindh CM calls for greater collaboration with China in transport, energy sectors
  • He meets a top diplomat from Beijing after a blast killed two Chinese in Karachi
Updated 26 October 2024
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: The chief executive of Pakistan’s Sindh province on Saturday expressed his administration’s desire to bolster collaboration with Beijing in transport, energy and agriculture sectors during a meeting with a top diplomat, nearly three weeks after two Chinese engineers were killed in an explosion in the city.
The two countries jointly initiated a series of energy and infrastructure development projects under the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to aid Pakistan’s development.
However, militants have persistently targeted Chinese nationals in different parts of the country, raising concerns about the safety of these workers and the prospects of the economic collaboration between the two nations.
Only a day earlier, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong urged the local authorities to apprehend the perpetrators of the violent attacks on Chinese citizens.
“China is a key partner in electricity, coal and other projects in Sindh,” Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was quoted in a statement circulated by his office after the meeting with Chinese Consul General Yang Yundong in Karachi.
“With China’s help, the Sindh government aims to improve agriculture, transport and other projects,” he added.
The meeting comes at a time when Pakistan has been reeling from a prolonged economic crisis and has sought to enhance bilateral trade and investment cooperation with friendly countries like China to bolster its fragile economy.
Earlier this month, Pakistani state media reported that a Chinese development association would invest up to $13 billion in a free trade zone in Pakistan in the next five years.
The Chinese consul general also noted that businesses in his country were interested in collaborating with the provincial administration on a number of projects.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties

Pakistan lifts prison visit ban at Adiala after pushback from Imran Khan’s legal team

Pakistan lifts prison visit ban at Adiala after pushback from Imran Khan’s legal team
Updated 26 October 2024
Follow

Pakistan lifts prison visit ban at Adiala after pushback from Imran Khan’s legal team

Pakistan lifts prison visit ban at Adiala after pushback from Imran Khan’s legal team
  • Restriction was imposed by Punjab provincial administration on October 4, citing security reasons
  • Khan’s lawyers moved the court on Thursday, which ordered authorities to facilitate their meeting
Updated 26 October 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The government has lifted a temporary restriction on prisoner visits at Central Jail Rawalpindi, commonly known as Adiala Prison, following resistance from the legal team defending former prime minister Imran Khan, who is incarcerated there, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party confirmed on Saturday.
The restriction was imposed by the Punjab provincial administration on October 4, citing security concerns ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in the federal capital, which hosted top government officials from several regional states on October 15 and 16.
Due to the trust deficit between the government and opposition, the restriction, which applied to all inmates, raised concerns about the ex-premier’s health. PTI leaders threatened to march on Islamabad unless Khan’s medical team and lawyers were granted access to him in prison.
PTI lawyers also moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday, prompting a judge to order the government to facilitate a meeting between Khan and his legal team, which took place later that day.
“Jail authorities have lifted a ban on meeting with prisoners in Adiala Prison, Rawalpindi,” the party said in a brief message to the media. “Ban was imposed on Oct 4, citing security concerns and lifted today, Oct 26.”
“IHC judge, Justice Sardar Ijaz had ordered to submit concrete evidence on possible security concerns during the hearing of a petition challenging ban on meetings with the Former Prime Minister Imran Khan,” it added. “So far, the authorities have not given a reply. However, the ban is now lifted and hopefully schedule of meeting with Imran Khan will resume.”
Khan’s party members had a brief meeting with him while the restriction was in place to discuss the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which the government passed earlier this week on Monday.
Pakistani authorities also conducted drills at the prison facility recently to prepare for potential militant attacks.

Topics: adiala jail Imran Khan

Police say eight killed in western Pakistan suicide bombing

Police say eight killed in western Pakistan suicide bombing
Updated 26 October 2024
AFP
Follow

Police say eight killed in western Pakistan suicide bombing

Police say eight killed in western Pakistan suicide bombing
  • Incident happed near the town of Mir Ali in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
  • An official says among the five injured people, three are in critical condition
Updated 26 October 2024
AFP

PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber detonated at a checkpoint in western Pakistan on Saturday, killing eight people and wounding five more, officials said.
The bomber set off the blast from the back of a motorbike rickshaw near the town of Mir Ali in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a local police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Four police officers were killed alongside two members of a state paramilitary force and two civilians in the attack near the border with Afghanistan, he said.
Pakistan has seen an increase in militancy since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, with Islamabad claiming hostile groups are now using the neighboring country for shelter.
“Among the five injured personnel, the condition of three is critical, and they have been transferred to a local military hospital,” the police officer said.
A local government official who also did not want to be named confirmed the same toll of dead and wounded.
The attack was claimed by a little-known militant group calling itself “Aswad ul-Harb.”
Another checkpost near the Afghan border was raided this week by the Pakistani Taliban, killing 10 police officers.
Last year, the country saw more suicide attacks than any year since 2014, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.
There were 29 suicide attacks registered, killing 329 people in Pakistan’s deadliest year in a decade.

Topics: suicide bombing Mir Ali

Karachi lawyers march to protest parliament’s ‘unconstitutional’ 26th amendment

Karachi lawyers march to protest parliament’s ‘unconstitutional’ 26th amendment
Updated 34 min 48 sec ago
Follow

Karachi lawyers march to protest parliament’s ‘unconstitutional’ 26th amendment

Karachi lawyers march to protest parliament’s ‘unconstitutional’ 26th amendment
  • Karachi Bar Association announces plans to file a petition in the Supreme Court against the new legislation
  • Lawyers deny reports of internal fissures as only a few dozen members of legal fraternity gather for protest
Updated 34 min 48 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Lawyers in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Saturday marched in protest against what they described as an “unconstitutional” amendment passed by parliament earlier this week to introduce extensive judicial reforms, announcing their plan to challenge it in the Supreme Court.
Pakistan’s parliament narrowly approved the 26th Constitutional Amendment on Monday, granting lawmakers the authority to nominate the Chief Justice of Pakistan, among other changes to the Supreme Court’s structure and functioning.
The controversial amendment allowed the government to bypass the senior-most judge, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, in favor of appointing Justice Yahya Afridi as the country’s top judge, replacing former Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa. This decision was made by a 12-member parliamentary committee established under the new amendment.
As Afridi took oath as the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan at a ceremony at the President’s House in Islamabad on Saturday, lawyers rallied under the banner of the Karachi Bar Association for a demonstration, although many members of the legal fraternity were absent from the protest.
“If anyone chosen by parliament or the [security] establishment is in power [at the top court], then justice will not be served,” Aamir Nawaz Warraich, the association’s president, told Arab News, asserting that the protest would gain momentum as lawyers prepared to challenge the amendment in court.
“We will definitely challenge the amendment in the Supreme Court,” he added.
Among the few dozen protesters, a lawyer who identified herself only as Advocate Tania, denied reports of internal fissures among the lawyers, explaining that many of them were absent due to their involvement in election campaigns for legal bodies.
“We stand against everything that has been done to the constitution,” she said. “We will not accept the 26th amendment under any circumstances.”
Zubair Ahmed Abro, Vice President of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, argued that parliament had overstepped its authority.
“Our leadership at the national level, as well as the Karachi Bar Association, who are leading this march and struggle, have clearly stated that the 26th amendment is unconstitutional,” he said.
“Lawmakers cannot change the basic structure of the constitution,” he continued. “In this way, they have attempted to curtail the independence of the judiciary.”
Abro hinted at larger rallies in Karachi and other parts of Pakistan in the coming days.
“We will not tolerate any attempt to interfere in the independence of the judiciary,” he added.

The government has already said the 26th Constitutional Amendment will end institutional imbalance in the country, ensure parliamentary supremacy and help provide speedy justice to citizens.

Topics: Karachi lawyers

Latest updates

KSrelief chief, UNHCR official meet on sidelines of Sahel donor conference
KSrelief chief, UNHCR official meet on sidelines of Sahel donor conference
Lebanon state media say Israel army blows up houses in border villages
Lebanon state media say Israel army blows up houses in border villages
At least 124 killed after Sudan’s RSF attack village, activists say
At least 124 killed after Sudan’s RSF attack village, activists say
Israel strikes on Iran, a show of force in simmering conflict
Israel strikes on Iran, a show of force in simmering conflict
Leipzig beat Freiburg to go top, Dortmund lose away again
Leipzig beat Freiburg to go top, Dortmund lose away again

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2024 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.