Category: National

Pakistani-American student Amara Khan has rejected an admission offer from a prestigious institution in the United States (US), Columbia University, in protest against the apprehension of pro-Palestinian students on campus.

As per a report, Amara conveyed her concerns in an email to the university administration, criticising Columbia for failing to uphold students’ freedom of expression.

In her letter, she dubbed the university’s claim of promoting diversity and inclusion “hypocritical.” She highlighted that the university’s inability to protect marginalised voices contradicts its stated values.

She stressed that an institution committed to fostering critical thinking and free speech should not suppress those advocating for justice.

Furthermore, Amara maintained that, as a Muslim American, she could not choose to study at a university where pleasing the authorities is prioritised over intellectual freedom.

Additionally, she emphasised that a university that claims to foster critical thinking and free speech should not silence those advocating for justice.

Her decision follows the arrest of multiple Palestinian graduate students and activists, including Mahmoud Khalil, by federal immigration authorities on Saturday night for protesting against Israel’s war on Gaza.

Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun alleged in a statement on Thursday that India’s notorious intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was behind Tuesday’s terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express in Balochistan’s Bolan district.

Over 400 passengers were taken hostage when militants attacked the Jaffar Express in Balochistan’s Bolan district, which was en route from Quetta to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) capital, Peshawar, on Tuesday.

Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, while speaking to a private media channel on Wednesday, announced the completion of the two-day-long rescue Green Bolan operation.

 
DG ISPR claimed that security forces eliminated all 33 Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) terrorists who had hijacked the Jaffar Express. He added that the army, air force, Frontier Corps (FC) and Special Services Group had taken part in the operation and recovered the hostages.

Urging international organisations to take action against India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and RAW, Pannun warned that if India was not held accountable, their next attack could take even more innocent lives. 

Emphasising that the Narendra Modi-led government is not just a regional threat but a full-fledged terrorist state, the SFJ leader said that the country is executing a secret war strategy against Pakistan.

Pannun claimed that the Balochistan train attack is evidence of India’s aggressive defense doctrine, adding that India seeks to destabilise neighboring countries through covert terrorist operations and is involved in the assassinations of opponents abroad, extremism, and cross-border terrorism.

He accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supremo Modi of turning India into a global hub for state-sponsored terrorism, noting that RAW’s unchecked operations are endangering South Asia while setting dangerous global precedents for state violence.

He called on diplomatic and security sanctions on India’s intelligence apparatus, stressing that the world can no longer turn a blind eye to India’s covert terrorist activities. 

In September 2024, Canada had accused the Indian government involvement in the fatal shooting of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was brazenly shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, B.C., on June 18.

Speaking at the House of Commons, the then Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau said, “Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.”

Trudeau claimed that Canada’s national security apparatus has reason to believe that “agents of the Indian government” carried out the killing of this Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.

The Punjab Home Department has sent a letter to the School Education Department, recommending the inclusion of ‘good touch, bad touch’ awareness in the curriculum to protect children from sexual abuse and inappropriate behaviour.

The letter highlights the rising cases of child abuse in recent months and stresses the need for a comprehensive and effective awareness campaign to educate children about their safety. The initiative aims to help children identify and report inappropriate behaviour.

The Home Department has suggested that a special module be introduced in early-grade textbooks to educate children about ‘good touch, bad touch’ and equip them with the knowledge to prevent potential exploitation.

The Punjab government has directed relevant authorities to take immediate action on this sensitive issue to ensure child protection. The Child Protection Bureau has also been instructed to collaborate with the School Education Department to launch an awareness campaign and educate as many children as possible on the subject.

Child Protection Bureau Chairperson and Punjab Assembly member Sarah Ahmed emphasised the importance of educating children on this critical issue, stating, “It is essential to teach children about inappropriate behaviour so they can recognise and report it.”

She further mentioned, “The Child Protection & Welfare Bureau has already been running a ‘Good Touch, Bad Touch’ awareness campaign, and after Ramadan, we will intensify our efforts.”

Sarah Ahmed stressed, “Victims of sexual abuse suffer from lifelong psychological and emotional trauma, making early awareness crucial. Through this initiative, we are committed to protecting children and bringing a positive change in society.”

The military on Wednesday announced that the Jaffar Express rescue operation was successfully completed after nearly 30 hours as all attackers were eliminated and hostages freed.

Speaking to a private news channel, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that the complex operation had been completed by units from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Special Services Group (SSG), army and Frontier Corps (FC).

He said that all 33 terrorists had been killed while confirming that no  passenger was harmed during the clearance operation.

However, he added, before the clearance operation, 21 passengers were martyred by the terrorists.

At least four FC soldiers were also martyred during an exchange of fire.

Furthermore, Lt Gen Sharif said that the attackers had placed the hostages in groups with suicide bombers sitting amongst them. The suicide bombers were taken out by snipers, he added.

The chief of the military’s media-wing confirmed reports that the terrorists were in contact with their handlers in Afghanistan, and said that security personnel were now conducting a sweep of the train as per the SOPs.

The attack, the most brazen one carried out by BLA till date, began on Tuesday afternoon when terrorists attacked the train near the Mashkaf tunnel, about 150 kilometers out of Quetta, taking hostage all 400 passengers on board. Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry told a news channel that between 70-80 terrorists were involved in the attack. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to X (formerly Twitter) to state that he had been briefed about the attack. “I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs … and [may God] and bless those injured with a swift recovery. Dozens of the terrorists have been sent to hell,” he wrote in the post, stressing that Pakistan’s resolve for peace will not be shaken.

The mother of Shahzaib, one of the individuals taken hostage by terrorists after capturing the Jaffar Express train in the Bolan district of Balochistan, has lashed out at the government. 

In a video that has surfaced online today, a woman introduced herself as hostage Shahzaib’s mother. She was heard asking government officials about why train service was not suspended if the security situation in the area was dire.

“If you had suspended the trains, there wouldn’t have been any tickets available. If we had known the train wouldn’t hit the track, we wouldn’t have come. It was your job,” she said. 

Criticising the government, she lambasted the Chief Minister (CM) of Balochistan, Sarfraz Bugti, for being absent from the scene. “Where is Sarfraz Bugti? Take me to him,” she urged, adding that Bugti travels with a huge protocol.

The hostage’s mother further hit out at Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, asking where is the Interior Minister who had said that the terrorists were “aik SHO ki maar hain (They can be handled even by a SHO).” 

She was referring to the statement Naqvi made on August 27, 2024, during a press conference in Quetta flanked by the Balochistan CM. He said there is no need for an operation in Balochistan. These terrorists “can be handled by a SHO. Taking action against cowardly terrorists doesn’t require any complex strategy,” Naqvi had said.

An unknown number of terrorists on Tuesday bombed the railway track before storming the train near the Bolan Pass of Balochistan, opening fire on the locomotive and injuring the driver. The train was hijacked when it stopped just before a tunnel in a remote, mountainous region.

The train, carrying over 400 passengers in nine bogies, was en route from Quetta to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) when it came under attack. Among the hostages were a number of security personnel, a leading English newspaper reported.

The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they had taken a significant number of people hostage.

The rescue operation for the Jaffar Express is underway, with security forces successfully rescuing around 155 hostages and eliminating at least 27 terrorists who had hijacked the train.

The hijacking was an unprecedented event, as terrorists had never previously attempted to seize an entire train along with its passengers.

According to reports, the security forces’ operation forced the militants to split into small groups. Meanwhile, 17 injured passengers were shifted to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment.

Yasmeen Lari, Pakistan’s pioneering architect and humanitarian, has declined the 2025 Wolf Prize in Architecture, citing the ongoing crisis in Gaza as her reason. Along with rejecting the prestigious honour, she has also turned down the accompanying $100,000 prize money (approximately 28 million Pakistani rupees), stating that accepting it would go against her conscience.

Lari, known for taking architecture and social justice side by side, formally conveyed her decision to the Wolf Foundation. While she expressed gratitude for the recognition, she also emphasised that she could not accept the award amid Israel’s continued military actions in Gaza.

“The least I could do was to decline the award,” she remarked, stressing that the ongoing “genocide” made accepting any recognition associated with Israel untenable.

The Wolf Prize, which has been presented annually since 1978, honours excellence across six fields: agriculture, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, physics, and the arts—where architecture, music, painting, and sculpture are rotated. Although the Wolf Foundation operates independently, its base in Israel was a significant factor in Lari’s decision. 

Her refusal occurs in the context of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Since Israel intensified its military campaign, a retaliatory genocide, following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. Israel has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, including countless women and children.

The ongoing 15-month bombardment has ravaged the Gaza Strip, destroying hospitals, schools, and entire neighbourhoods. Despite a tenuous ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes have persisted, leading to additional casualties in the last 24 hours. Furthermore, Israel has restricted the supply of goods and electricity to Gaza, exerting economic pressure to influence ceasefire talks.

Yasmeen Lari’s Legacy and Dedication to Humanitarian Architecture

As Pakistan’s first female architect, Yasmeen Lari has committed her career to humanitarian and sustainable architecture, emphasizing the needs of marginalised communities. She co-founded the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan in 1980 with her husband, Suhail Zaheer Lari, and has since constructed over 50,0neighbourhoods00 eco-friendly, self-constructed shelters and 80,000 fuel-efficient stoves using natural materials such as mud, lime, and bamboo. 

Her contributions champion low-carbon, climate-resilient architecture, demonstrating that traditional construction methods can be sustainable and socially beneficial. In acknowledgement of her impact, Lari received the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Royal Gold Medal in 2023, which is one of the highest honours in international architecture. 

By refusing the Wolf Prize, Lari has reaffirmed her commitment to human rights and ethical responsibility, leveraging her platform to protest against the ongoing violence in Gaza. Her choice not only reflects a personal dedication to justice but also underscores the influence of global figures in advocating for change through principled actions.

A train carrying over 400 passengers was hijacked on Tuesday by terrorists in the Bolan area of Balochistan.

Amid conflicting reports on which terror group the attackers belonged to, a clearance operation was launched by security agencies to free the hostages which include dozens of women and children.

As per the details of the attack, militants wounded the driver and took control of the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express from Quetta as it was crossing the Peru Kanri area of Kach district.

The attackers, reports said, blew up the railway track and later opened fire on the train. A heavy exchange of fire between the militants and security personnel, allegedly aboard the train, was also reported.

While there hasn’t been an official confirmation on the presence of security personnel aboard the train, security sources told The Current that despite the extremely difficult terrain, law enforcement had reached the scene and a clearance operation had been initiated against the attackers “who are in contact with their foreign facilitators”.

The operation, they said, would continue till all terrorists were eliminated.

Meanwhile, the provincial government has imposed an emergency at local hospitals and said that all resources were being utilised to deal with the situation.

A relief train and contingents of security forces were also dispatched to the site, reports said.