Pakistan’s Bomb Disposal Squad has successfully defused two massive explosive devices in Benazir City, foiling a potential disaster. According to Director General of Operations (DPO) Yasar Afridi, the team successfully rendered 150 kilograms of explosive material useless. In a separate operation, the DPO revealed that 140 kilograms of explosive material were hidden in two drums placed under a bridge on Mian Shah Road in the limits of Tehsil Bakkakhel, while a 10-kilogram bomb was attached to the main entrance of the Kakki Police Station. The bomb disposal squad displayed exceptional professionalism, averting a major catastrophe.
In other news, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar made a phone call to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Federal Minister Senator Mohsin Nawaz. Sindh will observe a general holiday in educational institutions on the occasion of Youm-e-Ali, while government employees have expressed concerns over the deplorable condition of the police quarters in Artillery Ground.
In a significant development, the Supreme Court has issued a verdict in a case related to a medical student, Khadija Ghaffar, who was a victim of harassment and violence in Faisalabad. The Khaleej Airlines has planned its flight operations from today to 19th March. In a separate development, the Minister of Finance, Aisha Aurangzeb, will chair a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee to approve the duration of petroleum product prices.
The cumulative number of canceled flights from Pakistan to Middle Eastern countries over the past seven days has reached 814. An investigation committee, headed by Additional Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. Zulfiqar Lark, has begun probing into the incidents of violence and casualties during a protest outside the US Consulate in Karachi. Under Operation Rabbani, Pakistani troops are continuing their operations against the Taliban along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. PTI leader Sheikh Waseem Akram has urged Pakistan to immediately part ways with the Board of Peace, while the Punjab government has decided to establish anti-drone units in all districts.
In a separate development, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to start a train service in the Peshawar Valley with federal assistance. In a major security operation, the Punjab police are on high alert, with over 83,000 police officials deployed across the province. The police have identified the prime suspects in the killing of a taxi driver and his son, with one of the accused being the leader of a notorious gang involved in robbery and street crime.
In international news, Russia has given Iran the locations of US aircraft and warships, while Dr. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, has claimed that the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln has retreated from the battlefield. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has stated that some countries have initiated mediation efforts, while the global crude oil prices have surged by 9% following the failure of the US to open the Strait of Hormuz. The Khaleej Airlines has planned its flight operations from today to 19th March.
In a separate development, the British government has offered heavy compensation to 150 families to voluntarily leave the country, while the Secretary for Interior, Shabana Mahmood, has come under criticism for launching the scheme without consulting with British taxpayers.
