Pakistan

PESHAWAR: Two officials were martyred and two others injured when militants attacked Yarik police station and a customs office in Dera Ismail Khan on Wednesday, police said. According to officials, attackers opened fire with automatic weapons on the Yarik police station and a nearby customs office, located along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route. A police spokesperson said the officials martyred in the attack were customs official Israr Khan and police constable Mohammad Bilal. The injured, identified as Hazrat Umar and Khayal Mohammad, were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital’s trauma centre, where they were undergoing treatment. Police said the attackers also fired at passenger buses travelling on the CPEC route, causing panic in the area. A customs vehicle was set ablaze during the assault. Security personnel returned fire, prompting the assailants to flee. A heavy police contingent reached the site soon after the incident, and a search operation was launched in the surrounding ar...

Israeli police has arrested the imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Mohammed al-Abbasi, from inside the mosque’s courtyards in occupied Jerusalem. The Palestinian news agency Wafa, citing local sources, reported that “Israeli forces detained Sheikh al-Abbasi inside the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque“ on Monday evening without giving any reason. It added that the arrest “comes amid escalating Israeli measures against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, including restrictions on imams, preachers and worshippers stationed there, limitations on the entry of worshippers, and intensifying incursions carried out by settlers under heavy protection from Israeli police”. Hamas condemned the arrest of al-Abbasi in a statement on Tuesday, saying he had been “served with an order banning him from the mosque”. The movement said the measure “constitutes blatant interference in the affairs of Al-Aqsa and an unacceptable assault on its imams”. Hamas added: “The escalating violations by the fascist occupation government against the sanctity ...

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators were to resume a second round of peace talks in Geneva on Wednesday, as Washington’s top envoy signaled optimism in its bid to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. The talks are the latest diplomatic bid to halt the fighting, which has killed hundreds of thousands, forced millions to flee, and decimated much of eastern and southern Ukraine. The United States has been pushing for an end to the nearly four-year war, but has failed to broker a compromise between Moscow and Kyiv on the key issue of territory. Two previous rounds of negotiations between the two sides in Abu Dhabi failed to yield a breakthrough. But US envoy Steve Witkoff, representing the Trump administration at the talks, said President Donald Trump’s diplomatic efforts had made strides in Washington’s bid to end the conflict. “President Trump’s success in bringing both sides of this war together has brought about meaningful progress,” he wrote on X, without elaborating. “Both parties agreed to upd...

LAHORE: The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) have traded blame over alleged mismanagement during the national hockey team’s participation in the second leg of the FIH Pro League in Hobart, Australia, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take notice and order an immediate inquiry. The Green Shirts returned to Lahore late Tuesday night after suffering defeats in all their matches against Germany and hosts Australia, concluding a winless campaign across both legs of the competition. Media reports highlighted serious lapses in arrangements, particularly inadequate and delayed accommodation in Hobart, which left players discontented and affected their preparation. PHF president Tariq Hussain Bugti, speaking to Dawn, said the responsibility for all logistical and financial arrangements — including hotel bookings, air travel, TA/DA and visas — rested with the PSB. He cited directives from the senate standing committee on sports, which had designated the PSB as the body to ha...

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is set to convene in Peshawar on Wednesday to determine the sighting of the crescent marking the beginning of Ramadan 1447 AH.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday conveyed heartfelt congratulations to Tarique Rahman following his swearing-in as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

YouTube said on Tuesday it has resolved an issue that briefly affected access to the video-sharing platform, after outage-tracking website Downdetector reported widespread global disruptions. YouTube said that an issue with its recommendation system had prevented videos from appearing across YouTube surfaces. “The issue with our recommendations system has been resolved, and all of our platforms (YouTube.com, the YouTube app, YouTube Music, Kids, and TV) are back to normal,” YouTube said in an update. At its peak, there were more than 320,000 user reports of YouTube issues in the US, according to Downdetector. Downdetector’s numbers are based on user-submitted reports. The actual number of affected users may vary. YouTube also faced outages in countries including India, Britain, Australia, and Mexico, according to DownDetector. YouTube reached more than 2.5 billion viewers globally by the start of 2025, with its music and premium tier subscribers hitting 100 million, according to market tracker Statista. Users...

• PM Shehbaz arrives in Washington today to attend Trump-led moot • Summit to focus on Gaza ceasefire, $5bn US pledge and board’s institutional design • Muslim states wary of combat role, seek viable pathway to Palestinian statehood WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrives here on Wedne­sday (today) to attend the global summit of the Boa­rd of Peace (BoP) hosted by US President Donald Trump, stepping into a forum that seeks to go beyond Gaza in restoring global peace and stability. The summit’s immediate focus is expected to be threefold: consolidating a ceasefire in Gaza, mobilising financial pledges for the BoP — with Washin­gton announcing an initial commitment of $5 billion — and finalising the contours of a proposed global forum that Trump hopes can achieve what the United Nations could not. Participants are also likely to discuss the proposed International Stab­ilisation Force (ISF), tas­k­ed with securing reconstruction zones and supporting a post-conflict governance arrangement in Gaza. For P...

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12 terrorists also killed by forces; Civilian girl dies, seven others injured; Security forces respond with precision

Interior minister says routine eye treatment exaggerated for political mileage

LAHORE: Punjab officials are tight-lipped on reports that claim the provincial government has acquired a Gulfstream aircraft for “VIP transport role”. Meanwhile, the alleged move continues to draw criticism. On Monday, it was claimed by an X account, The Stratcom Bureau — which mainly shares defence- and security-relates news — that the “government of Punjab, Pakistan has acquired a new, 2019-manufactured Gulfstream GVII-G500 aircraft for their VIP transport role”. In a separate post by the same account, it was claimed that “the registration number of the luxury plane is N144S” and its “old Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) registration would be changed to Pakistani registration soon”. The post also said that the approximate asking price for the aircraft was $38 million to $42m. Meanwhile, the US FAA registry shows that the aircraft is currently owned by TVPX Aircraft Solutions Inc. Trustee, which, as per its website, commonly acts as the registered owner for aircraft trusts, facilitating the buying, sell...

The Ramazan moon was sighted in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday night, according to Gulf News. In separate reports, the publication said that Wednesday (Feb 18) would be the first day of the holy month in both countries. The official Saudi Press Agency also said on X that Wednesday would be the first day of the holy month in the kingdom. Tolo News, meanwhile, also announced that Ramazan would begin on February 18 in Afghanistan. “In a statement issued by the Supreme Court, it said that in the provinces of Parwan, Kandahar, Helmand, and Zabul, a large number of people sighted the crescent moon of Ramadan and reported it to the Sharia courts,” it said in a post on X. Saudi Arabia’s Gulf neighbours Oman, Qatar and the UAE also made similar announcements. Last week, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) said that the first day of Ramazan in Pakistan “likely to fall” on February 19 (Thursday). However, the agency said the final announcement regarding the beginning of the...

Indian cricket greats Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev joined a dozen other former international captains on Tuesday in demanding better prison treatment for “one of the finest all-rounders” of the game, former prime minister Imran Khan. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran, 73, has been in jail since August 2023, convicted in a string of cases that he says were politically driven following his ouster in a 2022 parliamentary vote. Imran’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, told the Supreme Court last week that the former premier had lost a significant amount of vision in his right eye while in custody. On Monday, a medical board said the swelling had reduced after treatment, and his vision had improved. On Tuesday, former India captains Gavaskar and Kapil signed a petition expressing “deep concern” about Imran’s treatment and prison conditions. Former Australia captain Greg Chappell, his brother Ian Chappell and compatriots Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Belinda Clark and Kim Hughes have signed the petition. England’s Mike Atherton...

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s prime minister on Tuesday, marking a decisive political shift in the South Asian nation after his party’s sweeping parliamentary election victory. Rahman, 60, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and assassinated President Ziaur Rahman, takes office facing urgent challenges, including restoring political stability, rebuilding investor confidence, and reviving key industries such as the garment sector after the prolonged turmoil that followed the Gen Z-led uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024. An interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus ran the country through the transitional period leading up to the election. Breaking with tradition, the swearing-in ceremony was held under the open sky at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the national parliament building, instead of the Bangabhaban, the president’s official residence, where such events are usually organised. President M...

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan has fixed multiple important cases relating to founder PTI for hearing today.

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM), Senator Moham-mad Ishaq Dar will visit New York on February 18 to participate in the high-level United Nations Securi-ty Council briefing on the situation in Palestine.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday directed authorities to take strict action against profiteers and hoarders ahead of Ramazan, while announcing that Ramazan Nigehban cards will be provided to four million families across the province.

Lahore - President Asif Ali Zardari chaired a meeting of Pakistan Peoples Party’s local and provin-cial leadership at Bilawal House on Tuesday and discussed internal party affairs as well as the overall political and economic situation in the country.

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) supremo, surprised many after some abrupt charged speeches, pointed criticism of rivals and visible re-entry into active political mobilisation.