Pakistan

At least three people were killed and four others, including a woman, were injured in an exchange of gunfire between two rival groups in the Kharkai area of Dargai tehsil in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Malakand district, a local official said on Monday. “The violence was sparked by a personal feud,” Dargai Assistant Commissioner Shahbaz Khan told Dawn.com. He confirmed that two men from one group and one from the opposing side were killed in the shootout. Rescue officials transported the deceased and the injured to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Dargai, while one of the critically wounded individuals was referred to Mardan Medical Complex for further treatment. The levies force was quickly deployed to the area to prevent further violence and secure the scene. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the complete details of the incident. “This appears to be a result of longstanding personal enmity,” said AC Khan, adding that further inquiries are underway. Last month, two people, including a woman...

Three coaches of the Jaffar Express train were derailed near Shikarpur in Sindh due to an explosion on Monday, leaving one injured, The Associated Press of Pakistan reported. According to the report, rescue teams from Sukkur were dispatched to start repair work after the incident. Sukkur Railways Divisional Superintendent Jamshaid Alam said that the Jaffar Express was travelling from Peshawar to Quetta when it was caught in the explosion near Sultanpur. “Following the blast, train operations have been suspended,” Alam said, adding that passengers “faced serious difficulties due to the train’s derailment”. Railways officials stated that it may take up to another five hours to restore the track. Meanwhile, the Sindh government authorities have taken notice of the explosion on the track and ordered an investigation. This is not the first time the train service has been attacked. In June, the detonation of a remote-controlled explosive device fitted to rail tracks derailed four bogies of the Jaffar Express near t...

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Monday criticised the federal government’s move to ban Pakistani piligims from travelling to Iran and Iraq by road. Pilgrims visit Iraq to attend the chehlum commemoration — also known as Arbaeen (40 in Arabic) — to mark the 40th day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Husain, the grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). A day earlier, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that zaireen (pilgrims) will be barred from travelling by road to Iran and Iraq for the Arbaeen pilgrimage due to public and national security. PPP leader Hassan Murtaza issued a statement today, saying: “The federal and provincial governments should ensure the safety of pilgrims with the help of security agencies.” The state was responsible for the security of travellers, he added. He criticised the ban, stating that it will severely affect the common man. “Why can’t a common man, who pays taxes to the state, travel by land?” he said. The PPP leader said that pilgrimages were being removed from the ...

The finance ministry on Monday projected consumer inflation for July to remain in a range of 3.5-4.5 per cent, citing stable prices and improved supply conditions, as price pressures ease further after the previous fiscal year’s sharp decline. Inflation stood at 3.2pc in June, the ministry said in its monthly economic report, while average inflation for the fiscal year ending June 30 dropped to 4.49pc, a nine-year low, from 23.4pc the year before. The country’s fiscal year begins on July 1. The ministry said the economy is expected to sustain its recovery in the early months of fiscal year 2026, underpinned by an improved macroeconomic backdrop and growing investor confidence. Large-scale manufacturing likely maintained momentum in June, supported by rising private sector credit offtake and expanding production activity, the report said. The rebound is expected to lift imports of raw materials and intermediate goods, while aiding value-added exports, it added. Strengthening domestic demand, a stable exchange ...

The German Consulate General in Karachi on Monday announced on social media that it will be closed for services to non-EU citizens “until further notice”. According to the announcement, all services for non-EU citizens have been suspended, including visa appointments. “All confirmed visa appointments for non-EU citizens for an undisclosed time are cancelled and will not be rescheduled,” the notice read. “Applicants will need to register again via our appointment system.” A similar notice has been published on the consulate’s website. The German Embassy in Islamabad has not issued a similar notice. Dawn.com has reached out to the embassy for comment. Last month, United States consulates in Karachi and Lahore requested that all applicants for F, M or J nonimmigrant visas make their social media accounts public for vetting, after similar instructions were issued by the US Embassy in New Delhi.

Police on Monday arrested a man after footage showing him allegedly molesting a minor girl in Punjab’s Kasur district went viral online. According to Kasur District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Isa Khan, the suspect was arrested in an injured condition. “The suspect had molested a little girl playing in a street in Shah Inayat Colony three days ago,” the statement said. DPO Khan took notice of the footage and directed Station House Officer Asif Javed to arrest the suspect within 24 hours, it added. The police said that the suspect was caught at Dhanpat Road where he pulled out a pistol to escape arrest. However, he was shot during a firing exchange and was arrested in an injured condition, the statement said. It added that the suspect had been taken to the Kasur District Hospital for treatment. “According to the vision of the Punjab chief minister, sexual abuse of women and innocent children will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” the statement said. As many as 3,364 child abuse cases were reported f...

Pakistani security sources said on Monday that India has once again begun “fake encounters” under the guise of countering terrorism, with an alleged plan to “use” detained Pakistanis in them, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. The statement came after the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps said they killed three alleged “terrorists” under ‘Operation Mahadev’ in occupied Kashmir’s Srinagar. While Indian media, citing sources, has been linking one of the dead to the Pahalgam attack, no official has stated that on record. The April 22 attack in held Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed 26 people and sparked heavy fighting between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, as New Delhi blamed the attack on Islamabad, which strongly denied the allegations while calling for a neutral investigation. India had launched Operation Sindoor in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, which included the deadly strikes launched on Pakistan on May 7. “After the failure of Operation Sindoor, India has once again initiated fake encounters under the guise of Ope...

A man allegedly shot dead his parents and wife over a domestic dispute in the Asadullahpur village of Phalia Tehsil in Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin district, police said on Monday. Mandi Bahauddin Police Sub-Inspector Zohaib Warraich confirmed the incident, stating: “A deeply tragic event took place in Asadullahpur village where a young man shot and killed his parents and wife. “Evidence has been collected, and search teams have been formed. The suspect will be arrested soon.” A first information report (FIR) was registered at the Bhagat police station under Section 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the FIR, the police “received a call about the suspect allegedly shooting and killing his father, mother, and wife over a disagreement involving the sale proceeds of agricultural land”. The deceased father had recently sold four kanals of agricultural land for approximately Rs20 million. His son, who returned to his native area from Kuwait just four days ago, demanded his share of the sale proceeds...

Thailand and Cambodia’s leaders agreed to an “unconditional” ceasefire on Monday, after five days of combat along their jungle-clad frontier that has killed at least 36 people. More than 200,000 people have fled as the two sides fired artillery, rockets and guns in a battle over the long-disputed area, which is home to a smattering of ancient temples. The flare-up was the deadliest since violence raged sporadically from 2008-2011 over the territory, claimed by both sides because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia’s French colonial administrators in 1907. Reading a joint statement from the leaders of both countries after peace talks, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said they had agreed “an immediate and unconditional ceasefire” with effect from midnight on Monday (10pm PKT). “This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,” he said at a press conference in Malaysia’s administrative capital Putrajaya, flanked by Thai acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai and Camb...

The National Highway Authority (NHA) has successfully reopened the Kaghan, Naran, Babusar Top, and Chilas highways after a massive landslide clearance operation, restoring full access to the 242-kilometer-long N-15 route from Mansehra to Jalkhand.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has distributed a total of 8,467 relief items in flood-hit areas from June 26 to July 28, according to official data.

Former finance minister Miftah Ismail has strongly rejected recent allegations linking him to the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), insisting he never earned a single rupee from it.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police foiled a terrorist attack bid in the Nurar area of Bannu district late last night, an officer said on Monday. Over the past few months, multiple areas of KP — including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur — have seen a series of attacks, particularly targeting police personnel in Bannu this month. Bannu District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Abbas Kulachi told Dawn.com: “A terrorist group was attempting to plant an improvised explosive device (IED) in the Nurar area.” Upon receiving timely information, police and security forces took immediate action and surrounded the area, he added. During the action, the police targeted the terrorists through drones and thwarted their plans. “According to initial reports, the terrorists were killed while attempting to plant the IED,” the police official added. “Bannu police are fully alert and ready to deal with any kind of threat, and all resources are being utilised to ensure the safety of the lives and property of the public,” DPO Kul...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the federal government to hold meaningful consultations with provincial governments for effective and comprehensive implementation of the Digital Transformation Plan.

Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan reaffirmed an agreement to enhance their bilateral trade volume up to $100 million at a session of their inter-governmental commission on Monday. Pakistan and the Kyrgyz Republic share longstanding relations, founded on deep-rooted cultural, historical and spiritual affinities. However, the bilateral trade volume has declined significantly, from $11.2m in 2022-23 to $5.18m in 2024-25. Addressing the fifth session of the Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, Power Minister Sardar Awais Leghari said: “We acknowledge the pressing need to revitalise our trade engagement and reaffirm our shared aspiration to elevate bilateral trade up to $100m.” He added that Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan’s trade and economic relations would continue to serve as a foundation of their bilateral partnership. Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Edil Baisalov was present at the session, along with delegates from the Kyrgyz Republ...

Information Secretary of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Mushtaq Ahmed Butt, said that August 5 will be remembered as a very painful and tragic day in the history of the Kashmiri people.

The Babusar Highway was partially reopened on Monday as the search for missing people continued after heavy rains last week prompted flash floods in Gilgit-Baltistan. The devastating impacts of climate change have become more visible in GB as unprecedented heat­­waves, erratic weat­her patterns and glacial melting have triggered cloudbursts and intense floods across the region. On July 21, floods swept across GB, causing landslides and leaving many stranded, and damaging more than 500 houses, roads and other infrastructure. At least 10 people died and four were injured as a result. In a statement today, GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said: “The Babusar-Naran Highway has been reopened for one-way traffic.” He noted that heavy machinery was used to reopen it, while work for complete restoration was underway. He also advised passengers to be cautious and avoid unnecessary travel. Faraq further said, “Several families, including five members of a TV anchor’s family, have contacted the government about...

In a landmark achievement under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s “Suthra Punjab – Waste to Value Project,” Punjab has successfully produced biogas from animal waste for the first time.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially implemented a visa exemption for holders of Pakistani diplomatic and official passports, effective July 25, 2025.

The unidentified bodies of a man and a woman were recovered from Karachi’s China Port area on Monday, police said. The deceased remain unidentified, but their age was estimated to be between 25 and 30 years old, according to South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza. “There are bullet marks on the body,” he said, adding that two 9mm shells were also recovered from the site of the incident. “Evidence is being collected from the crime scene,” the DIG said. “The identification of the deceased and further investigation are underway.” Situated near Clifton beach, China Port, also known as Oyster Rocks or the South Asia Pakistan Terminal (SAPT) breakwater, is a man-made structure built by China to protect the port from waves. It’s a popular spot for locals, offering views of the port, cargo ships, and cranes. Last month, a partially decomposed body of a young man was found in a desolate area in Karachi’s Scheme 33. Sachal Station House Officer Aurangzeb Khattak had said the body of the man, who appeared t...