Current Final

Category: National

  • WATCH: ASF officer clashes with passenger at Islamabad airport

    WATCH: ASF officer clashes with passenger at Islamabad airport

    A video that has been going viral on social media since Tuesday reportedly shows an officer of the Airport Security Force (ASF) slapping a passenger at Islamabad airport. 

    According to details, the incident took place on Tuesday morning when a passenger named Javed Ahmed was travelling to Saudi Arabia with his family.

    In the video, it can be seen that an ASF officer named Zia allegedly slapped Javed Ahmed in front of his children, which led to a commotion.

    “He [ASF officer] has slapped me,” Ahmed can be heard saying. In response, the ASF officer said that Ahmed has interfered with government [protocols]. 

    In another video, some witnesses present at the airport can be heard attempting to calm down the passenger wearing a blue T-shirt.

    Ahmed’s purported daughter is crying in fear while standing in a corner at the airport.

    A leading English newspaper has reported that the incident began when the passenger attempted to use the staff gate. Both the passenger and the ASF staff exchanged inappropriate language.

    The media report quoted an ASF official as saying that the passenger attempted to enter the lounge through the staff gate as the place was quite crowded, however, the staff gate is designated exclusively for airport staff and other authorised personnel.

    Meanwhile, the Director General of ASF reportedly took notice of the incident and ordered an investigation.

  • Three dead as car falls into Lahore canal

    Three dead as car falls into Lahore canal

    Three people have lost their lives after a speeding car crashed into the canal near Johar Town on Lahore’s Canal Road early Wednesday morning.

    According to Rescue 1122, the overspeeding vehicle veered off the road and plunged into the canal.

    Rescue teams arrived quickly at the scene and managed to pull the car out after a difficult operation.

    However, all three occupants, believed to be between 18 and 25 years old, had died on the spot.

    The bodies were shifted to Jinnah Hospital. The identities of the deceased have not yet been confirmed.

    Following the accident, traffic on Canal Road was severely disrupted, causing major inconvenience to commuters.

    Police and rescue officials are investigating the incident to determine the exact cause of the crash.

    It is not yet clear whether the car fell into the canal as a result of a technical fault or driver negligence.

  • China pledges continued backing for Pakistan’s sovereignty

    China pledges continued backing for Pakistan’s sovereignty

    China has reaffirmed its support for Pakistan’s sovereignty following the recent escalation with India, which concluded with a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10 after four days of military exchanges.

    During talks in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi referred to Pakistan as an “ironclad friend” and reiterated China’s commitment to their bilateral relationship. Wang met with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who chose Beijing as his first destination following the ceasefire. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the meeting reflected the traditional warmth and cordiality between the two nations.

    The discussions addressed the current situation in South Asia, bilateral cooperation, and multilateral initiatives. Dar expressed gratitude to China for its support in safeguarding Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and right to self-defence.

    He also highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership and emphasised the importance of resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions to ensure lasting peace in the region.

    Wang Yi expressed China’s interest in enhancing collaboration with Pakistan across sectors including trade, investment, information technology, agriculture, and industrial development. Both sides reviewed progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), particularly Phase-II, and discussed the potential for third-party participation in CPEC projects.

    The two leaders agreed to maintain close communication and coordination across various levels, including on international platforms, to advance their shared goals of regional peace, security, and sustainable development.

    The meeting took place amid increased tensions following the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which led to military confrontations between India and Pakistan. While India blamed Pakistan for the attack, it has yet to provide any concrete evidence to support its claim.

    Dar’s visit also included talks with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China. Both sides agreed to strengthen ties between their political parties as part of ongoing strategic collaboration.

    The Pakistani Foreign Minister arrived in Beijing for a three-day official visit amid continued regional tensions. His meetings focused on political, regional, and global issues, as well as the recent India-Pakistan conflict.

    Afghanistan’s interim Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is also expected to join the discussions in Beijing, contributing to efforts for regional peace and stability.

  • Four children among six killed in Khuzdar attack on school bus

    Four children among six killed in Khuzdar attack on school bus

    A blast near Zero Point in Balochistan’s district Khuzdar targeted a school bus on Wednesday, martyring six, including four students and wounding over a dozen, Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti has told reporters.

    The chief minister said that among the martyred are the bus driver and his assistant, while those critically injured were being shifted via air to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Quetta. 

    A media report quoted security sources as claiming that three of the victims are grade six student Sania Soomoro, grade seven student Hifza Kousar, and grade 10 student Esha Saleem.

    Separately, during a press conference in Quetta on Wednesday, the chief minister condemned the brutal act targeting innocent children, revealing that 44 children were onboard the bus targeted in the attack. 

    “There was concrete intelligence about such an incident,” he said, adding, “However, we did not expect that innocent children would be targeted.”

    The chief minister stated that the children were brutally martyred and injured, adding, “The enemy has stooped so low as to choose soft targets like innocent children.”

    He further revealed that they were aware that the enemy could choose Balochistan in an attempt to overcome the humiliation of defeat in warfare. “The government and the state will hunt down each and every one of those responsible and send them to hell,” he vowed.

    “These people take money from India to target innocent citizens,” he alleged, reminding the Afghan interim government that its territory was repeatedly being used against Pakistan.

    Citing preliminary information, he said that the Khuzdar blast was not a suicide bombing but an IED attack. “Further facts will come to light after the investigation,” he stated. 

    Earlier in the day, in a statement, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, “In yet another cowardly and ghastly attack planned and orchestrated by [the] terrorist state of India and executed by its proxies in Balochistan, [an] innocent school-going children bus was targeted today in Khuzdar.”

    The military media wing further said that after having miserably failed on the battlefield through these most heinous and cowardly acts, Indian proxies have been unleashed to spread terror and unrest in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    “Having failed in the Operation Bunnianum Marsoos and being hunted by military and law enforcement agencies, these Indian terror proxies are being employed as a state tool by India to foment terrorism in Pakistan against soft targets such as innocent children and civilians,” said the ISPR.

    The use of terrorism as a state policy by Indian political government is abhorent and reflective of their low morality and disregard of basic human norms, the ISPR said, noting that the planners, abettors and executors of this cowardly Indian sponsored attack will be hunted down and brought to justice and heinous face of India will be exposed in front of the entire world.

    Additionally, the military media wing reaffirmed that with the support of the brave Pakistani nation, the Pakistan Armed Forces stand united to uproot Indian sponsored terrorism from Pakistan in all its manifestations.

  • COAS Gen Asim Munir promoted to field marshal rank

    COAS Gen Asim Munir promoted to field marshal rank

    The federal cabinet on Tuesday promoted Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir to the rank of field marshal.

    According to reports, a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif approved Gen Munir’s promotion to the rank of field marshal for ensuring the country’s security and defeating the enemy with the success of Operation Bunyan Um Marsoos.

    After his promotion, Gen Munir has become the country’s second field marshal – only after former president and military ruler Ayub Khan (1907–1974).

    The federal cabinet’s decision comes two weeks after Pakistan gave a befitting response to India’s cross-border aggression, inflicting heavy losses to military infrastructure in retaliatory strikes. The operation was carried out under the leadership of Gen Munir, who has since been lauded by both the government and the public for his strategy, skills and courageous leadership.

    The strikes, described by officials as “precise and proportionate” continued till the clashes between the two nuclear-armed neighbours ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States (US).

    Addressing troops following the ceasefire, PM Shehbaz declared the success of the operation a historic moment, saying the armed forces had avenged the 1971 war by giving a decisive and powerful response to Indian aggression.

    “History will eternally record, how within a few hours, Pakistan’s defenders extinguished India’s unprovoked aggression with unmatched precision and resolve,” he said while addressing soldiers deployed at the frontline areas in Pasrur Cantonment near Sialkot.

    The premier, who was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, was received at the Cantonment by COAS Gen Munir and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu.

    Addressing the personnel, PM Shehbaz said the valiant armed forces of Pakistan, fortified by the unwavering resolve of the nation, had defended the motherland in a heroic manner and dealt a decisive blow to the adversary’s dastardly aggression.

    He said books would be written on Pakistan’s recent military success, calling it a testament to the bravery and professionalism of the armed forces. He went on to commend the military leadership, especially Gen Munir, a video of which has also gone viral.

  • Noor Mukadam case: Supreme Court upholds Zahir Jaffer’s death sentence

    Noor Mukadam case: Supreme Court upholds Zahir Jaffer’s death sentence

    The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the death sentence of Zahir Jaffer in the Noor Mukadam murder case while modifying his sentence in other charges pertaining to rape and abduction.

    As per the details, the top court dismissed Jaffer’s appeal against his previous conviction under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), maintaining both his death sentence and fine. However, the court commuted his death sentence under Section 376 (rape) to life imprisonment besides overturning his conviction for kidnapping, declaring the charge void.

    The court also reduced the sentences of Jaffer’s household staff and co-accused, the watchman and gardener, ruling that the punishments already served by both would suffice.

    The case was heard by a three-member bench led by Justice Hashim Kakar and consisting of Justices Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Ali Baqar Najafi.

    Barrister Salman Safdar appeared as Zahir’s counsel while Advocate Shah Khawar was present on behalf of Noor’s father and retired diplomat Shaukat Mukadam. The verdict comes hours after both sides concluded their arguments earlier in the day.

    The apex court’s ruling marks a major moment in the trial for the brutal murder that took place in July 2021 when Noor, 27, was discovered dead at a private residence in Sector F-7/4 of Islamabad.

    Jaffer, the prime suspect, was taken into custody at the crime scene and an FIR was filed by the victim’s father later the same day. According to the FIR, she had been “beheaded after being killed with a sharp weapon”.

    The case sparked nationwide outrage and prompted debates about women’s safety in the country.

    In February 2022, a district and sessions court sentenced Jaffer to death, alongside a 25-year prison term with hard labour and a fine of Rs200,000. Besides the prime accused, two members of his domestic staff, Iftikhar and Jameel, were each handed 10-year prison sentences, while other co-accused — including Jaffer’s parents and several TherapyWorks employees — were acquitted.

    In March 2023, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) upheld Jaffer’s death sentence and upgraded his 25-year sentence to an additional death penalty. An appeal challenging the IHC verdict had then been filed with the SC in April last year.

    It merits a mention that after the SC ruling, only a presidential pardon under Article 45 of the Constitution can overturn Jaffer’s death sentence. According to the Constitution, the president has power to grant pardon, reprieve and respite, and to remit, suspend or commute any sentence passed by any court, tribunal or other authority.

  • Azma Bukhari calls Faisal Vawda ‘mental patient’, ‘cheap Shah Rukh Khan’

    Azma Bukhari calls Faisal Vawda ‘mental patient’, ‘cheap Shah Rukh Khan’

    Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari took a personal jab at Senator Faisal Vawda, calling him a mental patient.

    “He [Vawda] is a mental patient. He neither has a political party nor has a political background and he wanders about like a cheap Shah Rukh Khan,” Azma said during a press conference held in Lahore on Tuesday.

    She further said that one should feel pity and not respond to those questions of “mental patients” who have to act out or say controversial things to stay politically alive.

    The minister’s response followed a journalist’s question about the recent remarks of Senator Faisal Vawda, criticising the Punjab government over its silence during the Pak-India clashes.

    “During the war environment, we saw that Faisal Vawda was nowhere to be seen. Later, instantly he came out of the cave and initiated criticism against the Punjab government,” a journalist asked.

    Vawda had raised questions on a television show about Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Maryam Nawaz’s led provincial government and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif’s silence during the military clash between India and Pakistan.

    He said that Nawaz Sharif maintained a “criminal silence” while the “TikTok provincial government’s” silence was also widely felt.

    “We have never questioned the patriotism of anyone, be it Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari or Imran Khan,” Vawda said, adding that the meaningless silence has “hurt Pakistanis.”

    On Maryam Nawaz’s recent comment, which she made during an address at an event in Faisalabad, attributing the development of the JF-17 Thunder aircraft to her father, Vawda decried the statement.

    “Pakistan Air Force is the only force that has been manufacturing their own aircraft, and you are claiming to make the JF-17 jet,” he said incredulously.

  • 12 terrorists of Indian proxy outfits killed in KP, Balochistan: ISPR

    12 terrorists of Indian proxy outfits killed in KP, Balochistan: ISPR

    Twelve terrorists of Indian proxy outfits were killed by security forces while two personnel were martyred in separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release issued on Monday.

    The military’s media wing said the intelligence-based operations (IBOs) were conducted on Saturday and Sunday against the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group in KP and the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) in Balochistan.

    The ISPR said an IBO was conducted in Lakki Marwat district during which troops engaged the enemy at its location and sent “five Indian sponsored” terrorists to “hell”.

    In a second IBO in Bannu district, two “Indian sponsored Khawarij were successfully neutralised” by the security forces.

    It added that terrorists ambushed a security forces convoy in another incident in North Waziristan district’s general area of Mir Ali, adding that two “Indian sponsored” terrorists were “sent to hell” after the effective response of troops.

    “However, during the intense fire exchange, two brave sons of soil, Sepoy Farhad Ali Turi (age: 29 years, resident of Kurram district) and Lance Naik Sabir Afridi (age: 32 years, resident of Kohat district), having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom.”

    The military media wing said sanitisation operations were being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian abetted and prosecuted terrorism perpetrated through their proxies, and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” it said.

    Troops engaged the terrorists during the Balochistan operation at their location in Awaran district’s general area of Gishkur and killed “Indian-sponsored terrorist Younas” in an intense fire exchange, while two more were wounded.

    “In another engagement in Turbat City, Kech district, security forces successfully neutralised two Indian-sponsored terrorists; terrorist ring leader Sabr Ullah and terrorist Amjad alias Bichoo,” the ISPR said.

    It added that weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered from the terrorists, who were actively involved in multiple activities against law enforcement agencies and target killing of innocent civilians.

    “Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any terrorist present in the area, as security forces of Pakistan, in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts by Indian proxies at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan.”

  • This awesome Twitter thread corrects Indian historians’ false claims about women in Pakistan army

    This awesome Twitter thread corrects Indian historians’ false claims about women in Pakistan army

    Indian historian and columnist Ramachandra Guha used an appearance on The Wire on Saturday to propagate falsehoods about Pakistan Army. 

    He said that during the recent military clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbouring countries, the Indian military brought forth two women officers in their press briefing, which Pakistan can never do. 

    He further said that Pakistan’s armed forces would never include Hindu male or female officers in significant roles.

    Guha’s remarks were contested by author and technologist Amir Husain. He wrote a thread on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday against the “false” claims, backing it with examples of women and Hindus serving in the Pakistan military.

    Husain asked whether Guha was aware of three-star Lieutenant General Nigar Johar who had served at the highest rank after the Chief of Army Staff himself.

    In 2021, retired Lt. Gen. Johar also became the first-ever female general to be appointed the colonel commandant of the Army Medical Corps (AMC).

    The author further asked, “Has he [Guha] seen pictures of the successful PAF pilots who returned after downing five Indian jets? Does he see the brave female pilot in the centre of this picture?” 

    He went on to remind the historian further about the units of the Pakistan Army where women serve with distinction and have been serving for decades, questioning, “Does he know women paratroopers exist in the Pakistan Army?”

    Husain further inquired, “Has he seen Pakistan Army women soldiers fiercely guarding bases, events and operational centres?”

    In Guha’s second argument that Pakistan can never have a Hindu officer, Husain wrote that the Pakistan army has been recruiting Hindu officers for more than 25 years.

    “Have you heard of Lt. Col. Kelash Kumar? Pakistanis were overjoyed at his promotion a few years ago wishing him to become General. You can probably find those posts right here on Twitter. Have you heard of Maj. Aneel Kumar,” he asked.

    Concluding his rebuttal, the author stated, “Most who pretend to be experts on Pakistan DON’T KNOW PAKISTAN. In India, many are motivated by hatred, as in the case of the BJP/RSS. Or at best, by ignorance, as is hopefully the case with Mr. Guha. Will the Pakistan Army get Mr. Guha’s apology?”

  • ‘India is not Israel and Pakistan is not Palestine,’ says ISPR chief

    ‘India is not Israel and Pakistan is not Palestine,’ says ISPR chief

    Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Sunday said that Pakistan will never be deterred and can never be coerced.

    “The truth is that India is not the US and Pakistan is not Afghanistan. India is not Israel, and Pakistan is not Palestine. The reality is that Pakistan will never be deterred. Can never be coerced,” he said in an interview with the Turkish state-run news agency, Anadolu Agency.

    Without conducting an investigation and presenting evidence, New Delhi had accused Islamabad of orchestrating the April 22 attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in Pahalgam, which had killed 26 people. 

    Pakistan had strongly rejected the allegations and called for a neutral and transparent probe into the matter. 

    On the night of May 6-7, India launched a series of strikes in Punjab and Azad Kashmir, killing over 30 civilians. Pakistan responded by downing five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, one Su-30 and one MiG-29 and later also intercepted dozens of its drones.

    As the situation turned into a military confrontation between the neighbouring nuclear powers, it took US President Donald Trump’s intervention for both sides to agree to a ceasefire last week.

    “We are a peace-loving nation, but if provoked, coerced, and aggression is done… retribution will be swift and brutal. There should be no doubt about that,” DG ISPR clarified.

    He further said that Pakistan will never bow down to Indian hegemony, adding, “the sooner they realise this, the better it will be for regional peace and the world.”

    He highlighted that Pakistan has been the biggest victim of terrorism in the world. 

    “Since January 2024, there have been 3,700 terrorist incidents in Pakistan. In these less than 17 months, the casualties have been 3,896, out of which 1,315 are shaheeds (martyrs),” he said, adding that terrorism is being sponsored and abetted by India.

    Emphasising that terrorism, extremism and hatred were India’s internal problems, DG ISPR said that the New Delhi government was cracking down on groups, including Muslims and Sikhs in the country, which was fuelling more anger, extremism and terrorism.

    “Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute. Three countries have a claim on Kashmir, including Pakistan, China and India. There are United Nations Security Council resolutions. So it has to be solved externally as per the will of the people, as per the UN charter, and that India is trying to internalise,” the military spokesperson said.