Pakistan

Series of fires in Karachi raise alarm, authorities probe foul play

A spate of fire incidents in Pakistan's largest city of Karachi, following last month's deadly Gul Plaza shopping mall blaze, has raised alarm among authorities, who are also examining the possibility of foul play, officials said on Saturday. At least five fire outbreaks were reported from different parts of the city on Friday, while an explosion damaged a pipeline of a main water pumping station in Dhabeji, disrupting water supply to millions of residents. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zubair Nazir Sheikh said law enforcement agencies and fire service officials were closely monitoring the situation and probing the causes of the fires, including the possibility of foul play. The renewed concern follows the January 17 inferno at the Gul Plaza shopping mall in the Saddar commercial area, which completely gutted the building and claimed at least 79 lives. It took two days to bring the blaze under control, while a week-long rescue operation led to the recovery of dozens of bodie

MEA trashes Pakistan's claims of Indian link to Islamabad mosque bombing

India on Friday categorically rejected Pakistan's allegations of an Indian link to the suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad that killed at least 31 people. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), describing the attack as "condemnable", said it is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan chose to "delude" itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills. At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in Islamabad. The powerful explosion took place at Khadijah al-Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in the Tarlai area of Islamabad, police said in a statement. "The bombing at an Islamabad mosque earlier today is condemnable and India condoles the loss of life it has caused," the MEA said. "It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself by blaming others for its

31 killed, over 169 injured in suicide bombing at Shia mosque in Pakistan

The explosion occurred at the Khadijatul Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah, which caters to the Shia denomination, in the Tarlai area of Islamabad

Pak must create 30 mn jobs in 10 yrs to avoid instability: World Bank chief

Banga said Pakistan's population dynamics mean employment creation will remain a binding constraint on growth over the long term, rather than a secondary policy goal

UNSC condemns latest militant attacks in Pakistan that killed dozens

The UN Security Council strongly condemned the latest surge in militant attacks in southwestern Pakistan that has killed dozens of people, mostly civilians, as security forces on Wednesday pressed their operations in the insurgency-hit region. The authorities said scores of militants have been killed in recent days as Pakistani forces crack down on the insurgents in the volatile Balochistan province, where about a dozen coordinated attacks began on Saturday, targeting civilians and buildings housing police and security personnel. Federal and provincial officials said at least 36 civilians and 17 members of the security forces have been killed. Security forces so far killed 197 militants from the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, which has claimed responsibility for recent suicide bombings and gun attacks. In a statement issued overnight, UN Security Council President James Kariuki said council members condemned in the "strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks across

Why violence keeps returning to Pakistan’s Balochistan | Baloch militants | Pakistan Army

Nearly 40 hours of coordinated violence in Pakistan’s Balochistan has left close to 200 people dead. The government claims control. The military claims success.

92 militants, 15 security personnel killed in ops across Pak's Balochistan

The violence was reported from many parts of Balochistan, including Mastung, Noshki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, and Pasni

57 militants, 10 security personnel killed in ops across Pak's Balochistan

The attacks happened in several areas, including Quetta, Gwadar, Makran, Hub, Chaman and Naseerabad

'Terrorism can never be normalised as Pakistan wishes to do': India at UNSC

In a strongly-worded retort in the UNSC, India said it is not normal to tolerate Pakistan's continued use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy, as New Delhi hit back at Islamabad's envoy for advancing a "false and self-serving" account of Operation Sindoor. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, delivered a sharp response to comments made by Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad. Ahmad spoke about Operation Sindoor, Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty in his remarks at the UN Security Council open debate on Monday on 'Reaffirming International Rule of Law: Pathways to Reinvigorating Peace, Justice, and Multilateralism.' Harish said Pakistan, an elected member of the Security Council, has a single-point agenda - to harm India and its people. With Ahmad telling the Council that Pakistan's response to Operation Sindoor "established that there can be no 'new normal' based on coercion or impunity", Delhi slammed ...

Pakistani human rights lawyers jailed for 17 years over social media posts

A Pakistani court on Saturday sentenced two human rights lawyers to 17 years in prison each over social media posts the authorities claimed were hostile to the state and its security institutions. Judge Afzal Majoka announced the verdict a day after Zainab Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha were arrested in Islamabad, according to court documents. The couple appeared briefly via video link but boycotted the hearing, prompting the court to conclude the trial and deliver the verdict. Family and friends denounced the ruling. The couple denied all the changes. The court verdict said Mazari had posted multiple tweets in recent years that "portrayed the agenda" of the outlawed Baloch separatist group and Pakistani Taliban. The case stems from a complaint filed in August 2025 with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, alleging the couple used social media to malign the state and its security institutions. They were formally indicted last October and had repeatedly refused to

Pakistan PM accepts Trump's invitation to join 'Board of Peace' on Gaza

The "Board of Peace" was unveiled as part of phase two of the fragile ceasefire agreement with Hamas to end the Israel-Gaza conflict, as reported by Al Jazeera

“Don't fuel terrorism in our neighbourhood”: EAM Jaishankar's blunt message to Poland

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday cautioned Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski against supporting or legitimising terrorism

Pakistan se azaadi: Why the gap with India will only keep widening

The hard fact is that the only area where Pakistan can narrow the gap with India is population. Its growth here is about twice as much as India's

Pakistan signs deal with Trump-linked crypto firm on $1 stablecoin

The announcement represents one of the first publicly announced tie-ups between World Liberty, a crypto-based finance platform launched in September 2024, and a sovereign state

2025 was a reckoning for 'experts' who claim to forecast the future

There's no shortage of forecasts for 2026, but 2025 shows why we should treat them with scepticism

Pakistan bets big on crypto: Here's why the rush is raising concerns

In December 2025, Pakistan allowed global exchanges Binance and HTX to receive preliminary approvals as the government accelerates crypto adoption

A restructured Army: IBGs cleared, 30 other organisational changes approved

Defence sources told Business Standard that four IBGs will be raised initially, with the focus on the Army's strike corps

Turkey in talks to join Saudi-Pakistan defence alliance, says report

The trilateral defense talks come in the wake of a cease-fire between Pakistan and India that ended a four-day military clash between the nuclear-armed neighbors in May

Suspected Pakistan drones spotted along LoC, IB in J&K: What we know | India-Pakistan

Security forces detected suspected drone activity along the International Border and the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba, Rajouri and Poonch districts on Sunday evening.

Pakistan, US launch joint anti-terror exercise Inspired Gambit 2026

Pakistan and the US have started joint anti-terrorism military exercises at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Pabbi town of Punjab's Kharian district, the military's media wing said on Saturday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement said that the 13th Pakistan-United States bilateral joint exercise, Inspired Gambit2026', commenced on Friday. The NCTC serves as a key facility for joint anti-terrorism exercises by Pakistan with international partners like China and the US. The two-week-long exercise is being conducted in the Counter Terrorism (CT) domain, involving contingents from the armies of Pakistan and the United States, the ISPR said. According to the ISPR, the exercise is aimed at enhancing mutual understanding and interoperability through the sharing of counter-terrorism experiences, while further refining tactics, techniques and procedures essential for effective CT operations. The ISPR said such joint training exercises are of vital ...