KOHAT – A police checkpoint in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Kohat district came under a fierce overnight assault, resulting in the martyrdom of one police officer and injuries to a Frontier Constabulary (FC) official. The attack, confirmed by police on Monday, underscores the sustained and brutal threat faced by law enforcement agencies in Pakistan’s northwest. Kohat District Police Officer (DPO) Dr. Zahidullah Khan reported that a “large number of miscreants” launched the attack on the post in Darra Adamkhel from “multiple sides” around 1 am. A subsequent exchange of fire between the security personnel and the unidentified assailants lasted for two-and-a-half…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) announced on Monday that cyclonic storm Shakhti over the Arabian Sea has weakened in severity, though it is still expected to trigger isolated rainfall across the coastal belts of Sindh and Balochistan today. The weather system, which originated as a deepening depression over the Arabian Sea on Friday before quickly intensifying into a severe cyclonic storm, is now on a dissipating trajectory. An 11 am update from the PMD confirmed that the “severe cyclonic storm Shakhti over west central and adjoining northwest of the Arabian Sea has weakened into a cyclonic storm during…
LAHORE – Heavy rainfall across Pakistan’s Punjab province has resulted in a deadly toll, claiming the lives of at least four people and injuring another 28 over the last 24 hours, according to Rescue 1122 officials. The fatalities, which include two children, underscore the immediate danger posed by the severe weather system currently impacting the region. The severe downpour was anticipated after the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued an alert last week, forecasting “heavy to very heavy wind-thunderstorms and rains” across Punjab, Islamabad, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from October 5 to October 7, driven by a strong westerly weather system. …
PUTRAJAYA – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday hailed his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement to import $200 million worth of Halal meat from Pakistan as a “welcome step,” anticipating a significant boost in bilateral engagement within the Halal sector. The announcement followed comprehensive bilateral talks between the two leaders in Putrajaya. During a joint press conference, PM Shehbaz shared that he had a “most productive exchange of views” with PM Ibrahim, focusing on strengthening their “historic partnership.” Discussions covered a wide array of areas, including trade and investment, climate, defence, education, and tourism, reflecting a strategic intent to deepen…
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FO) announced on Monday that it is engaged in intense diplomatic efforts for the safe evacuation of former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, who was detained by Israeli forces last week. The detention occurred after Israel intercepted a Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) carrying essential aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. The FO stated that its embassy in Amman is “working tirelessly to secure the safe evacuation of former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan.” Highlighting the critical role of a key ally, the statement added, “With the invaluable assistance of the Jordanian government, we…
ISLAMABAD – Former Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani has strongly urged the federal government to “immediately” take Parliament into confidence regarding its evolving policy towards the United States. His assertion focuses on alarming media reports concerning the sale of rare earth minerals and the purported plan to offer Pasni port to Washington, raising fundamental questions about national sovereignty and resource ownership. In a press release issued on Monday, Rabbani voiced deep concern that the federal government “has not taken the people or parliament into confidence on the dynamics of the new relationship with the United States.” He emphasised that “It is…
ISLAMABAD – An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad has issued bailable arrest warrants for key Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, and central information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, in a case stemming from the Sangjani rally held in September last year. The move marks a renewed legal escalation against the leadership of the party founded by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The case dates back to September 8, 2024, when clashes erupted between PTI supporters and the Islamabad police during a rally on the outskirts of the capital. The demonstration was staged to demand the “immediate release”…
Opinion | The “Chicken Man” Who Threatened Imran Khan in Jail — The Modern Koça Reza: The Nouveau Riche and the Rusted Mirror By Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada ⸻ They say that in the narrow streets of old Istanbul lived a humble copper merchant named Koça Reza. He polished pots for a living, earning barely two coins by the end of the day. Then, one day, fortune stumbled upon him — the Sultan’s royal kitchen commissioned thousands of utensils. Within months, Reza, who once knocked on doors saying, “Sir, would you buy this bowl?”, was bribing palace guards for…
TEL AVIV / GAZA – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed hope that he will be able to announce the release of hostages held in Gaza “in the coming days,” sparking cautious optimism amidst the continuation of Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 70 Palestinians on Saturday. In a televised statement, Netanyahu reaffirmed his uncompromising stance on the military outcome: “Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarised — either the easy way or the hard way, but it will be achieved.” His remarks followed Hamas’s announcement that it had agreed to release captives under a U.S.-brokered peace…
GAZA – Israeli airstrikes continued to pound Gaza on Saturday, defying a public call by U.S. President Donald Trump to “stop bombing” the besieged enclave, resulting in the deaths of at least 70 Palestinians throughout the day. The persistent attacks follow Hamas’s recent partial acceptance of Trump’s 20-point peace proposal aimed at ending the nearly year-long conflict. The Israeli military has maintained that the northern part of Gaza, including the devastated Gaza City, remains an active “combat zone.” In a statement on X, the army urgently instructed residents north of Wadi Gaza to evacuate south via the coastal Rashid Street…
