Category: National

Pakistan’s armed forces carried out airstrikes late on March 16 under ‘Operation Ghazab-lil Haq’, targeting sites in Kabul and Nangarhar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesday.

“Technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage facilities at two locations in Kabul were effectively destroyed. The visible secondary detonations after the strikes clearly indicate the presence of large ammunition depots,” Tarar wrote on X.

He stated that four sites were also struck in Nangarhar, targeting logistics, ammunition and technical infrastructure.

According to Tarar, the strikes were limited to infrastructure used by the Afghan Taliban regime to support its “multiple terror proxies”, including Fitna Al Khawarij and Fitna Al Hindustan, terms used by Pakistani authorities for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).

“False claims made by the propagandists Taliban regime cannot befool the Afghans and the world from their heinous actions supporting and sponsoring terrorism in the region,” he stated.

In a fact check issued on Tuesday at 12:48pm by Fact Checker Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) stated that the Omid Hospital, which was claimed to have been hit, is located several kilometres away from Camp Phoenix.

The ministry stated that the hospital is a multi-storey structure, while the site targeted was identified as a military ammunition and equipment storage facility.

It also questioned the claim regarding a drug rehabilitation facility, stating: “Another important question also lingers, as to why would an alleged drug rehabilitation facility be co-located with lethal ammunition storage site in a military camp?”

The operation was launched last month following border clashes after Afghan Taliban forces opened fire at multiple locations, prompting retaliation by Pakistan.

“Operations under Ghazab Lil Haq to safeguard Pakistani citizens against terrorism waged by Master Terror Proxy will continue until the desired objectives are fully achieved,” Tarar said.

Reports quoted security sources as saying that operations were also carried out in the Kurram sector, targeting positions used by Afghan Taliban operatives and Fitna al-Khawarij.

They reported that several positions were hit and casualties were caused, while others withdrew.

In Bajaur, Pakistani forces carried out retaliatory strikes near the border, targeting positions using guided missiles, security sources added.

Pakistan has previously conducted airstrikes targeting Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State Khorasan Province positions inside Afghanistan following attacks in Pakistan.

Islamabad has maintained that TTP leadership operates from Afghan territory, an allegation Afghan authorities have denied.

A petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking directions for the early announcement of the Eid ul Fitr moon sighting to avoid confusion among the public and manage crowds in markets.

The plea was submitted by Islamabad resident Abdullah Shafiq Jan in his personal capacity. In the application, the petitioner requested the court to direct the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to announce the sighting of the Eid moon immediately after it is confirmed.

According to the petition, delays in the official announcement often create uncertainty among citizens regarding the start of Eid ul Fitr.

The petitioner stated that such delays also affect religious practices, saying that many people offer Taraweeh prayers before the official declaration of the moon sighting.

“Delays in announcing the moon sighting often lead people to perform Taraweeh prayers before the official declaration, which creates confusion among the public,” the petition stated.

The application further pointed to the impact of late-night announcements on public movement and market activity.

It said that when the moon sighting is announced late at night, people rush to markets for last-minute Eid shopping, resulting in overcrowding in commercial areas.

The petitioner told the court that the sudden increase in shoppers creates management issues for authorities responsible for maintaining order in public places.

He argued that announcing the moon sighting earlier would help authorities regulate crowds and take necessary steps to manage movement in markets.

The petition also requested the court to issue directions regarding market operations in order to reduce pressure on commercial centres.

The petitioner asked the court to direct the authorities to keep markets closed except for outlets selling Eid-related items so that crowds can be controlled and public safety can be ensured.

Through the plea, he urged the court to instruct the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to announce the sighting of the Eid ul Fitr moon as soon as the crescent is sighted.

A Pakistani national was killed in Abu Dhabi after debris from an intercepted missile fell in the Bani Yas area, Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday, citing the Abu Dhabi Media Office.

Since the US-Israel attack on Iran began 18 days ago, three Pakistanis have lost their lives in the conflict and one killed near Balochistan due to falling debris from a missile. 

The incident occurred as missile and drone activity linked to the ongoing regional conflict continues to affect parts of the Gulf.

The Abu Dhabi Media Office identified the victim as a Pakistani national and stated that the death was caused by falling debris following an interception.

Earlier incidents have also involved Pakistani nationals during aerial interceptions in the UAE.

On February 28, a Pakistani citizen died during the interception of an Iranian missile after strikes on Iran triggered retaliatory attacks. On March 8, another Pakistani was killed in Dubai’s Al Barsha area when debris from an interception fell onto a vehicle.

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif had expressed grief over the deaths and directed authorities to facilitate the repatriation of the bodies.

On the same day, a fisherman from Gwadar was killed in Iranian waters after debris from a missile struck his boat. Local officials identified him as Muhammad Tayyab, a resident of Gwadar district in Balochistan.

On March 6, falling debris in Abu Dhabi injured six Pakistani and Nepalese nationals following the interception of a drone.

The conflict began on February 28 after the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran, followed by missile and drone attacks targeting locations across the region.

Pakistan could face a shortage of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) after April 14 as imports from Qatar remain suspended amid tensions in the Middle East, officials told the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum on Monday.

The committee, chaired by Senator Manzoor Ahmed, was informed that LNG shipments from Qatar had been halted since March 2, raising concerns about gas availability for the power sector in the coming weeks.

Officials told the panel that Pakistan has two LNG supply agreements with Qatar but deliveries have been disrupted due to the regional situation. Of the eight LNG cargoes scheduled to arrive in March, only two reached Pakistan, while six cargoes expected in April are unlikely to arrive.

“LNG supply from Qatar had been completely stopped since March 2,” officials told the committee. They added that LNG would not be available in the country after April 14 and that gas demand from the power sector would not be fully met in April.

The committee was informed that supply reductions had already begun in parts of the gas network. Officials said Sui Southern Gas Company had reduced gas supply to one fertiliser plant by 50 per cent, while supply to the power sector had dropped from 300 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) to 130 mmcfd.

Officials told lawmakers that domestic consumers would continue to receive gas supplies despite the shortage. They said alternative arrangements were being considered to bridge the gap, including possible LNG purchases from Azerbaijan’s state oil company Socar.

However, officials said spot purchases could be significantly higher than existing contracts. “Spot purchases could cost around $24 per unit compared with $9 under the Qatari contract,” they said, adding that this would raise electricity generation costs.

During the briefing, Petroleum Secretary Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh told the committee that the Middle East situation had also affected petroleum shipments, noting that around 70 per cent of Pakistan’s petrol imports come from the region.

He said shipping movement had been disrupted and two Pakistani ships were also stuck in the Strait of Hormuz.

The secretary told the committee that global fuel prices had increased during the crisis. According to officials, the price of high-speed diesel rose from $88 per barrel to $187, while petrol increased from $74 per barrel to $130.

Officials also briefed the committee on the country’s fuel reserves. They said Pakistan currently has petrol reserves for 27 days, diesel reserves for 21 days, crude oil reserves for 11 days, liquefied petroleum gas stocks for nine days and jet fuel reserves for 14 days.

Separately, the petroleum secretary said the government was preparing a relief package for motorcycle and rickshaw users to offset the impact of rising fuel prices.

“The government is working on a package to provide relief to owners of motorcycles and rickshaws,” Sheikh told the committee.

Officials added that the government had allowed imports of oil below the Euro-5 standard to ease supply pressure while a ministerial committee reviews the petroleum supply situation on a daily basis.

An initial inspection by Pakistan Railways has found that 10 of the 18 passenger coaches of the 27-Up Shalimar Express were operating as “dummy” units, including nine that were running without functional brakes.

The train was involved in an accident on Sunday afternoon after it hit a stationary freight train at the loop line of Lakha Road Railway Station in Naushahro Feroze district.

According to the examination report, nearly 60 percent of the coaches had brake-related faults and required maintenance. The report noted that the brake cylinders of nine coaches were not working during checking at Rohri station.

In contrast, an initial inquiry report, referred to as the Joint Certificate, held the driver and assistant driver responsible for the accident, stating that they failed to control the train and overshot.

“It is really surprising to see both reports — the train’s rake examination [inspection of coaches] and the initial probe report called the ‘Joint Certificate’ in railway terminology. The examination of the rake has revealed that nine of the total 18 coaches [nearly 60pc] had no brakes and other issues.

“On the other hand, the initial investigation surprisingly holds the driver and assistant driver responsible for the accident,” an official source in Pakistan Railways stated.

“When the brake system is not working, why are the driver and assistant driver being declared guilty? Even if the driver knew it, why was a faulty train handed over to him to operate?” he questioned, urging authorities to take action against those responsible for maintenance and safety.

The rake examination report, jointly signed by a team led by the train examiner in Sukkur, identified faults in multiple coaches, including ZBH (15028), ZBXH (11264), ZBXH (11288), ZRGH (11496), ZRGH (11499), ZRHG (11421), ZRGH (11561), ZRGH (11507), ZRGH (11461) and ZRGH (11475).

Meanwhile, the Joint Certificate, signed by five officers, stated that the points for the train’s passage were not set for the main line. It added that the pointsman and station master had shown a red signal, but the driver could not stop the train, leading to a collision with the QSSCTR goods train at around 1:43pm.

“The collision resulted in the derailment and capsizing of the engine and the derailment of two coaches next to it. Three wagons loaded with containers of the goods train were also derailed, leading to the blocking of both the up and down main lines as well as the loop line,” the report stated.

“After checking all aspects, we came to the conclusion that the accident took place due to the negligence of the crew of the 27-Up (Shalimar Express). Hence, the driver and assistant driver are held responsible for this accident,” the initial investigation concluded.

In August last year, train drivers had protested against being held responsible for accidents and warned of a countrywide strike over the continued use of faulty coaches and wagons.