News Updates Pk

The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday expressed condolences over the deaths of five crew members, including three Pakistani nationals, during the operation to recover the hijacked vessel MT Honour 25 off the coast of Somalia. According to a post on X, the FO said the government was making efforts to arrange medical treatment for the three injured Pakistani nationals and ensure that the bodies of the deceased nationals were transported to Pakistan. The three deceased Pakistani nationals were identified as Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer, and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari. "The Government and people of Pakistan extend their deepest condolences to the bereaved families," the FO said. It added, "We share their grief at this painful time and pray for strength, patience, and comfort for the families, and for the departed souls to rest in peace." The statement noted that four other crew members were injured during the incident, of which three were Pakistani natio...

Security forces killed three terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday. According to sources, a large quantity of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the terrorists. The sources also added that security forces precisely destroyed the hideouts of Fitna al-Khawarij in Mir Ali and surrounding areas. Fitna al-Khawarij is the term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). They also foiled an attempt by the terrorists to intercept a truck carrying rations near Mir Ali Bazaar, the sources added. 3 terrorists have been killed by security forces in an intelligence based operation in #MirAli, North Waziristan@OfficialDGISPR #RadioPakistan #News https://t.co/R8N6cqJ5br pic.twitter.com/RnFgFDmIse — Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) September 30, 2026 President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended securit...

Troops from Pakistan and four other countries participated in the multinational special forces exercise Eternal Brotherhood-5 held in Uzbekistan from September 13 to 25, 2026, PTV reported on Wednesday. According to the state media, Kazakhstan participated in the exercise as an observer country, and the Eternal Brotherhood-5 exercise aimed to enhance cooperation, coordination and professional capabilities among special forces. The participating forces exchanged experiences in modern operations, combat tactics and dealing with security challenges during the joint exercise, it stated. The exercise reflected growing defence and security cooperation, mutual trust and the strengthening of military ties among the participating countries, the statement added. پاکستان، ترکیہ، آذربائیجان اور ازبکستان کی اسپیشل فورسز کی مشترکہ مشق ایٹرنل برادرہُڈ-5 کا انعقاد ازبکستان میں منعقدہ کثیرملکی اسپیشل فورسزکی مشق میں پاکستان سمیت پانچ ممالک کے دستوں نے شرکت کی 13 سے 25 ستمبر2026 تک...

Three Pakistani sailors were among five crew members killed after Somali pirates opened indiscriminate fire on the abducted crew of the Honour 25 while fleeing the vessel, while four sailors were injured, according to survivors and the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust. Three of the injured sailors are also reportedly Pakistani nationals. Pakistani sailors Hussain Yousuf and Imran Ali, who survived the attack, contacted the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust office in Karachi using the ship captain’s mobile phone and provided details of the incident. Read More: Pirate hostage blame game According to the surviving crew members, the governments of Somalia and the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in northeastern Somalia launched a joint operation on Tuesday to free the hostages from the pirates. An exchange of fire took place between Somali security forces and the pirates during the operation. The Pakistani crew members said that when the pirates came under pressure and began retreating...

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday stressed the need for continued coordination among relevant authorities to facilitate beneficiaries and ensure the uninterrupted provision of services under the Prime Minister’s Special Fuel Relief Scheme across the country. Dar made the remarks while chairing a meeting of the National Steering Committee on the scheme following his return from New York, according to his post on X. The meeting reviewed the implementation of the fuel relief initiative, including beneficiary registration, issuance and redemption of tokens, payments and mechanisms for addressing complaints, it added. It further said officials briefed the committee that around 7.6 million consumers had so far been successfully registered under the scheme. The meeting was also informed that 7.71 million fuel tokens had been redeemed, with the token redemption process having entered its second week, the statement added. DPM Dar expressed s...

A fifth polio case of the year has been confirmed in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) said on Tuesday. Four of the five polio cases reported in Pakistan this year have been detected in Bannu division, including three in Bannu district. The latest case involves a 17-month-old girl from Union Council Khandar Khankhel in Domel tehsil of Bannu district. Pakistan has reduced polio cases by 99.8% through vaccination, from an estimated 20,000 cases annually in the early 1990s to 31 cases in 2025 and five so far this year. While poliovirus transmission across the country has declined since 2025, the virus continues to circulate persistently in southern K-P, posing an ongoing threat to children in the region. Health authorities said the latest case underscored the need to maintain robust surveillance and vaccination efforts across the country, stressing that children would remain...

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesday that Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be misconstrued as weakness, warning that Islamabad would respond to any attempt to disrupt peace in the country. “Any attempt from Afghanistan to disrupt peace in Pakistan, these attempts to destabilise Pakistan have been responded to and shall be responded to,” said Tarar while addressing a seminar titled “Afghan Predicament and the Trajectory to Peace” in Islamabad. Tarar said Pakistan and Afghanistan were neighbours and would remain neighbours, with links and connections between the two countries. “Pakistan believes in peace, Pakistan has always believed in peace,” Tarar said, adding that Pakistan believed in peaceful coexistence. He said Pakistan had made various attempts to ensure negotiations were held, as every problem could be resolved through negotiations and talks, saying various high-level delegations had travelled from Pakistan ...

The judicial commission probing the murder of Mir Raza adjourned its proceedings until October 2 as its existing term expired and the Sindh government is yet to decide on a proposed extension. The Sindh Home Department on August 24 notified the formation of a judicial commission to probe the death of 25-year-old Mir Raza Ali, with Justice Omar Sial appointed as its head following his nomination by the Sindh High Court (SHC) chief justice through a letter dated the same day. The first hearing of the commission took place on September 1. A written order issued by the commission, headed by Justice Sial, said its term had expired on Monday. The commission had requested the Sindh government to extend its tenure until October 15. Read: Mir Raza commission rejects family's plea to summon top cops In response, the provincial government’s focal person Javed Ahmed Abro informed the commission that the summary seeking an extension had been approved by the chief minister and was...

At least 122 people have been arrested in cases related to attacks on police personnel, injuries to law-enforcement officials and damage to public property during unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Inspector General of Police (IGP) Captain (Retired) Liaquat Ali Malik said on Monday. Speaking at a press conference alongside AJK Chief Secretary Khushal Khan in Muzaffarabad, Malik said 69 FIRs had been registered against groups involved in the unrest and that 122 “disruptive elements” had so far been arrested in connection with the 2025 Chamyati incidents. He said the cases related to attacks in which police personnel were killed or injured and public property was damaged, adding that the state had exercised “patience and restraint” while attempting to resolve the situation peacefully. The IGP said the press conference was held to pay tribute to police and other law-enforcement personnel who had been killed during the unrest, as well as to their injured...

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia reaffirmed their commitment to continue joint efforts aimed at confronting attacks targeting Makkah Al-Mukarramah, as well as civilian and economic facilities in the kingdom, in accordance with the Makkah Agreement for Joint Defence. "We commended the outcomes of the meeting of the Chiefs of Staff of the countries party to the Makkah Agreement for Joint Defence, and discussed the sinful attacks that targeted Makkah Al-Mukarramah, as well as civilian and economic facilities in the Kingdom," Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said in a post on his social media platform X. "I met with His Excellency the Chief of the Pakistan Army, Field Marshal Asim Munir, Commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces," he further said. Saudi Minister of State, Cabinet Member and National Security Adviser Dr Musaad bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Chief of General Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, and the Minister of Defence's adviser for intelligen...

Pakistan is set to hold the first meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of National Coordinators (CNC) under its chairmanship in Islamabad from Monday, with the three-day session set to contribute to preparations for the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting that Pakistan will host in August 2027, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Sunday. According to a statement on X, the meeting will be held from September 28 to 30 and will be chaired by Pakistan’s National Coordinator for the SCO, with national coordinators from SCO member states and representatives of the SCO Secretariat in attendance. The national coordinators will discuss a “wide range of issues relating to SCO cooperation and coordination”, including the “programme of activities under Pakistan’s Chairmanship”, preparations for upcoming SCO meetings and events, and other matters on the organisation’s agenda, the FO said. The meeting would mark an ...

Pakistani-American physicist Dr Nergis Mavalvala has called for greater investment in scientific research, saying curiosity and access to opportunity were central to scientific discovery and that universities had a responsibility to nurture both. Speaking at Habib University on Thursday, Mavalvala, dean of the School of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a leading figure in the Nobel Prize-winning LIGO collaboration, said some of humanity’s most consequential discoveries had originated from questions with no immediate practical application. “Every single person at birth is research-minded,” she said during an extended question-and-answer session following her lecture. “The reason some of us get to do it in adulthood is [access to] opportunity.” Mavalvala was speaking at the 10th Yohsin Lecture, titled "The Joy of Discovery: Curiosity, Science, and the Pivotal Role of Universities", which drew an estimated 4,000 ...

At least 12 people were killed and 35 others injured when a blast struck a joint checkpoint near Aman Mela in the Darazinda area of Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday, with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claiming responsibility for the attack, police said. Regional Police Officer (RPO) Ghulam Mubashir Maken said in a statement that 12 people were killed and 35 injured in the blast at the joint checkpoint. One Customs official was among those killed while the remaining victims were civilians, he said, adding that no Pakistan Army or police personnel were among the deceased. Makan said the dead included nine men, two women and a child. Of the 35 injured, he said, 25 were referred to the District Headquarters Hospital in Dera Ismail Khan, while efforts were under way to provide immediate medical aid to the wounded and shift them to hospitals. Radio Pakistan reported that the blast was extremely powerful after a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) rammed into the ch...

Pakistan on Friday hit back after an Indian delegate branded the country as being a sponsor and promoter of terrorism at the UN General Assembly, asserting that New Delhi had “elevated propaganda into statecraft”. “It (India) exports terrorism and violence while trying to import victimhood and sympathy,” Saima Saleem, a counsellor at the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations, said while exercising her right of reply in the UN General Assembly. Right of Reply to India: Let me present the extraordinary balance sheet of today’s incredibly intolerant India. It exports terrorism and violence while trying to import victimhood and sympathy. pic.twitter.com/1vUkkhYyjr — Saima Saleem (@SSaima11) September 26, 2026 Saima was reacting to a statement made by India’s delegate, Petal Gahlot, in response to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s speech earlier in the day in which he made a reference to the 2025 military conflict with India...

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday reiterated the need to eliminate the terrorist threat from Afghanistan, saying terrorism emanating from Afghan soil was undermining efforts to promote peace, prosperity and development in the region. Chairing the 27th Informal Meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, DPM Dar said Pakistan had always sought a peaceful, prosperous and stable Afghanistan that was integrated into the region and at peace with itself and its neighbours. “Regrettably, the issue of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil undermines these efforts,” he added. The foreign minister said Pakistan had pursued constructive engagement with the Taliban regime, extending bilateral and transit trade concessions to Afghanistan and making the signing of a framework agreement for a feasibility study on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday met Prince Rahim Aga Khan V on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, with the prince paying tribute to PM Shehbaz's efforts for regional peace and stability at a time of heightened tensions. According to a post on X by the Government of Pakistan, the premier warmly welcomed Prince Rahim and fondly recalled their meeting earlier this year during the Aga Khan’s visit to Pakistan. “The prime minister appreciated the commitment of Prince Rahim Aga Khan to maintaining longstanding friendly and positive relations with Pakistan and reiterated his resolve to continue close cooperation with him for achieving the shared objectives of peace, stability and development,” the statement said. It added that PM Shehbaz “appreciated the longstanding services of the Ismaili community in Pakistan’s socio-economic development and highlighted its valuable tradition of service to societ...

Sindh has remained crucial to the longstanding relationship between Pakistan and the United States, with growing commercial engagement between the two countries offering further opportunities for cooperation, US Consul General Charles Goodman said on Thursday. Speaking at a reception hosted by the US Consulate General in Karachi to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, Goodman traced the friendship between the two countries back to Pakistan’s independence and highlighted Sindh’s role in strengthening bilateral ties. “Lasting stability is built on economic prosperity, and our consulate team in Karachi plays a vital role in unlocking that potential across Sindh and Balochistan,” Goodman said, according to a statement issued by the Public Diplomacy Section of the US Consulate General Karachi. 250 years of American history. 🇺🇸 Nearly 80 years of U.S.-Pakistan partnership. 🤝 One unforgettable night. This week, the U.S. Consulate General Ka...

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday sought reports from relevant authorities on a petition challenging the detention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan and her driver after provincial law officers told the court that the home secretary had fixed September 28 for a review hearing on the detention. Aleema Khan was detained for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law through an order issued by the Lahore administration. The petition sought judicial intervention against the detention order, while the government placed on record that the home secretary would hear the matter on September 28. LHC Justice Abher Gul Khan heard the petition filed by Aleema’s son Shahraiz, challenging the detention of his mother and her driver. At the outset of the hearing, Punjab law officers placed before the court a letter stating that the home secretary had fixed Monday, September 28, for a review hearing on Aleema’s detent...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday invited businesses from the United States to invest in Pakistan, pointing to the country’s “biggest potential” in agriculture and opportunities in mining, information technology, artificial intelligence, and infrastructure during a meeting with American business councils in New York. Shehbaz met delegations from the US Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) and the US-Pakistan Business Council (USPBC) on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Business figures from the IT, AI, finance, beverages, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and organic products sectors attended the meeting, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. PM SHARIF MEETS BCIU, US-PAKISTAN BUSINESS COUNCIL DELEGATIONS https://t.co/YpcmudeT5g — Pakistan TV (@PakTVGlobal) September 25, 2026 PM Shehbaz briefed the business representatives on what he called Pakistan’s business-and investment-...