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Tag: KP

  • Eight security personnel martyred in suicide blast in North Waziristan

    Eight security personnel martyred in suicide blast in North Waziristan

    At least eight security personnel were martyred in a suicide blast in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district Mir Ali on Saturday, KP chief minister’s office has said in a statement. 

    According to the statement, KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the attack, expressing his condolences and prayers for the martyrdom of the personnel.

    “I salute security personnel and their families who have sacrificed their lives for the country and the nation,” Gandapur was quoted as saying.

    The chief minister further stated, “Security forces have made unprecedented sacrifices to establish peace in the country and eliminate terrorism. These sacrifices further raise the resolve and morale of the nation against terrorism.”

    The statement concluded, “Everyone in the nation stands with security forces in the war against terrorism.”

    Earlier, Dawn News, citing District Police Officer (DPO) Waqar Ahmed, reported that four civilians were wounded in the “suicide attack” carried out through a vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

    No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

  • Top Haqqania seminary leader among 6 killed in Nowshera suicide attack

    Top Haqqania seminary leader among 6 killed in Nowshera suicide attack

    At least six people, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Samiul Haq (JUI-S) emir Maulana Hamid Ul Haq, were killed and 12 others injured when an explosion ripped through Darul Uloom Haqqania in Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Inspector General Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed said.

    As per the details, the explosion at the seminary’s mosque occurred in the front rows during Friday prayers that attract a large number of worshippers every week.

    The top cop said that the blast claimed the life of the historic seminary’s Vice Administrator Haq while his son, Sani Haqqani, was said to be in critical condition. Citing initial reports, he added that it appeared to be a suicide bombing targeting the top religious leader.

    The mosque is located at the heart of Akora Khattak’s Dar Ul Uloom Haqqania with Dar Ul Hadith situated next to it. It is a large building where senior students carry out their studies. In the vicinity, there also are hostels and residential quarters, including those of Haq and his sons.

    The explosion, that comes a day before the seminary’s annual break during Ramzan has, been draw widespread condemnations, including one from KP Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur, who termed it a deplorable act.

    The KP CM ordered authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the incident and submit a comprehensive report besides ensuring the best possible medical care for the wounded.

    “Targeting innocent people in a place of worship is an inhumane act,” he said and emphasised that all available resources should be utilised to bring the perpetrators to justice. 

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) spokesperson Aslam Ghauri said that the incident in Akora Khattak was deeply tragic. “We pray for the martyrs to be granted the highest ranks in the hereafter.”

    It merits a mention that Haq was the son of influential religious scholar and former senator Maulana Samiul Haq, who was killed in Rawalpindi in 2018.

    The news of his death had come at a sensitive time with religio-political parties out on the streets protesting the Supreme Court’s acquittal of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman, in a blasphemy case.

    The chief of his own faction of the JUI, Sami was unable to take part in the protest that was underway against Bibi’s acquittal due to road blockades and had returned home. His driver/gunman had left the house for approximately 15 minutes when he was stabbed.

    Yousaf Shah, the maulana’s spokesman, had said the attacker’s identity and their motive were not immediately known.

    With police starting an investigation into the killing, they had arrested Sami’s secretary Syed Ahmed Shah on murder charges.

    A senior police official had told media that the arrest came about after the police investigating team examined Shah’s first and last statements, which were conflicting.

  • PTI’s Swabi power show a flop due to funding shortage: report

    PTI’s Swabi power show a flop due to funding shortage: report

    Despite some parliamentarians’ financial support requests to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur, no additional funds were released for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) February 8 rally in Swabi.

    According to reports, CM Gandapur used to provide funds to party lawmakers to mobilise workers for rallies. However, he did not approve any additional funds for the party’s Feb 8 “Black Day” power show to mark one year since what it claims was a “rigged election” in 2024.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, CM’s spokesperson Faraz Mughal said that while Gandapur personally funded some lawmakers to help bring workers to the event, no official funds were released.

    PTI Peshawar’s Regional President Muhammad Asim said that a large number of party followers attended the event despite the fact that no special financial assistance was provided to lawmakers for the rally.

    Reports, on the other hand, claimed that the rally was not a success as most of the arena remained empty. Around 5,000 to 6,000 individuals attended the gathering, reports said and further claimed that some KP assembly lawmakers did not have enough funds to provide workers with transportation.

    However, Adviser to CM on Information and Broadcasting Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif dismissed all claims of a low turn-out, stressing that the rally was successful and attracted a large crowd.

    Speaking to the private media outlet, Saif alleged that convoys coming for the rally from Punjab were intercepted, which affected the attendance.

    “We had won elections in Punjab. Our mandate was stolen in the darkness of the night [during the polls],” PTI chief Barrister Gohar Ali Khan alleged during his address at the rally in question on Saturday.

    The PTI chief stressed the need for independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. “There will be political stability if the judiciary is independent,” he said. 

    Moving on to the stalled talks between the PTI and the ruling coalition, he said that they entered the negotiation process in line with directions from incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan. “Imran Khan directed to initiate talks for the sake of the country,” he said.

    Addressing the rally, CM KP said his party wanted the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution in the country.

    For his part, Gandapur warned that if his party decided to take revenge, then the ruling coalition “won’t be able to bear it”. He said that the country would suffer if hatred increased.

  • PTI says will replace ‘homeopathic’ leaders with ‘hardliners’; vows to march on Islamabad again

    PTI says will replace ‘homeopathic’ leaders with ‘hardliners’; vows to march on Islamabad again

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chapter President Junaid Akbar on Tuesday vowed to bring “hardliners” to the party’s key positions, saying that PTI would march again towards Islamabad.

    In a show on a private news channel, the recently appointed Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Junaid Akbar, said, “After the May 8 party reorganization, hardliners will come forward…homeopathic leadership will be sidelined, regardless of whether they hold central or provincial [party] positions.”

    Defining hardliners, Akbar referred to those who had resisted during the May 9, 2023, protest, as well as those who might resist in the future. He added that PTI was deliberating three options for orchestrating protests in February.

    In the same breath, he said, “We’ve finalised the protest at Sawabi on February 8. Another option is to record protests district-wise.”

    Akbar further claimed that the party would bring changes to KP’s provincial cabinet, adding that two new members would be inducted.

    Responding to a question about alleged political victimisation and “conspiracies” being hatched by the federal government, Akbar said attempts were being made to create a forward block in the former ruling party. “We also know who is in contact with whom,” he added.

    Moreover, the PTI provincial president said that he would support the option to close the main roads of KP linked to Gilgit Baltistan, Punjab, and motorways. “Party leadership is deliberating this option,” he sternly said.

    Programme host Hamid Mir asked if PTI was going for a full-fledged war against the incumbent government and whether Imran Khan had no intentions of becoming Prime Minister (PM) again. Akbar quoted Imran Khan as saying, “I have forgotten to become PM again. PTI has to think beyond the government and premiership.”

    When asked if his new position in the party suggested that there would be no negotiations with the government and the matters would be solved on the streets, Akbar replied, “Yes, definitely.”

    The PTI leader further said that they would not engage with anyone when they take to the streets this time.

    Advisor to the PM on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, hours after Junaid’s remarks, responded by cautioning that if PTI violates the law while taking to the roads in the future, the law would take its own course.

    “If they want to solve the problem on the roads, then come… problems can only be solved at the negotiation table in a democratic political system,” Sanaullah emphasised while speaking to a private news channel.

  • ‘Gandapur likely to be removed as KP CM’

    ‘Gandapur likely to be removed as KP CM’

    Days after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur was removed from the post of provincial party president, journalists seem to have analyzed the fate of his Chief Minister post.

    Prominent journalist Muneeb Farooq took to his YouTube channel on Monday to claim that influential and powerful personalities have emphasised that following Gandapur’s removal from the provincial party president seat, he might be removed from the CM chair too.

    “When I asked powerful persons whether it would be easy to remove Gandapur from the CM chair, they stated that preparations are in full swing to remove Gandapur as provincial chief executive,” Farooq maintained.

    Farooq said that Imran Khan will sideline compromised party leaders. “Imran Khan will prioritise those who dislike the establishment and have no link with them,” he said while referring to the recent appointment of Member National Assembly (MNA) Juniad Akbar Khan as the KP party president and Aliya Hamza as the party’s chief organiser for Punjab.

    Veteran journalist Fakhar Durrani has shared similar insights on his YouTube channel on Sunday about Gandapur’s possible removal as CM.

    He observed that if any PTI lawmaker resigned from the KP assembly in the forthcoming days, then it would be a sign of a new CM in KP.

    Durrani claimed that Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi had a row with CM KP after November 26 protests at Speaker KP Assembly Babar Saleem Swati’s house, noting that she played a major role in Gandapur’s removal from KP party president.

    “Many politicians were barred from meeting Imran Khan on Gandapur’s directive, which ultimately prompted party leaders to raise complaints,” the journalist said.

    Moreover, he claimed that it was not the government that often removed PTI members’ names from a meeting list for Imran Khan, but instead it was Gandapur. “Only Ali Amin’s given names were allowed to visit Imran Khan in jail,” he alleged.

    Recently, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, while speaking outside Adiala Jail Rawalpindi, announced that Akbar will be the new party provincial president

    Raja claimed that Gandapur’s departure from the role was voluntary, allowing him to focus on his responsibilities as chief minister amidst pressing challenges, including law and order issues in the province.

    “This decision aligns with Gandapur’s request, as he wanted to dedicate himself entirely to the governance of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Raja said, noting that Gandapur has a lot of responsibilities as CM of the province.

    “Imran Khan was angry with Ali Amin Gandapur for taking pictures with Mohsin Naqvi [Interior Minister],” Farooq said while referring to the meeting between Mohsin Naqvi and Gandapur in Peshawar after the November 26 protest march.

  • I don’t disown my people who made mistakes on May 9: Ali Amin Gandapur

    I don’t disown my people who made mistakes on May 9: Ali Amin Gandapur

    Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Ali Amin Gandapur, stated in an interview on ARY News that he does not disown Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers who made “mistakes,” referring to their involvement in the May 9 events.

    “There are many of our [PTI] people who were uninformed or made mistakes, but I never disown them. They were my people. They were our party’s workers,” stated the CM KP.

    Programme host Waseem Badami then asked Gandapur whether he believed those individuals should be punished or forgiven, to which Gandapur replied, “It is straightforward. Whatever the law says, the punishment should be according to the crime committed. 

    “I own them because if my worker has crossed a red line for any reason, whether it is ignorance, immaturity or emotions, there is a relative punishment in the law for crossing that line. That lawful punishment should be given to them.”

    The Chief Minister, however, asserted that fairness does not justify unjust punishments, which must not be handed out to innocent people.

    Badami also asked why Gandapur and his party did not publicly apologise for the May 9 accused if he accepted that they were “his people. “

    CM KP replied with a stern expression, recalling that “my leader,” Imran Khan, had stated he was ready to be arrested. However, the manner of his arrest by the Rangers on May 9, 2023, within the court premises, was bound to provoke a reaction.

    He added, “He is an internationally renowned leader, and they broke the windows, grabbed Imran Khan by the collar in front of everyone, and dragged him to the vehicle. This was a deliberate provocation, playing with the emotions of the people. It’s natural that, in such a protest, some individuals might cross a few lines. But does that mean they should be labelled as terrorists?”

    As many as 25 civilians allegedly involved in the May 9 riots were sentenced by the military courts in December 2024. The sentences ranged from two to ten years and were handed out following the civilians’ court martial.

    Previously, the seven-member constitutional bench of the Supreme Court on December 13 had allowed military courts to announce the decision of under custody civilians about the May 9 incidents.

    “On May 9, the nation witnessed politically provoked violence and arson at multiple places, marking a dark chapter in the history of Pakistan,” announced the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) following the military courts’ verdict.

  • 16 Atomic Energy Commission officials kidnapped

    16 Atomic Energy Commission officials kidnapped

    Unidentified armed men have kidnapped 16 employees of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission accompanied by a driver in the southern Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.


    The local police say that the incident took place on Thursday morning in the area of Qabul Khel, known to have a huge collection of uranium mines operated under the Atomic Energy Commission.


    The security official further said that all the employees were traveling in a van when armed men stopped their vehicle near Painda Khan area, took the employees with them and set their vehicle on fire.
    Locals told BBC that the employees were kidnapped from Lakki Marwat en route to Mianwali, located on the border of Punjab province.


    It is not yet known where the kidnappers have taken the employees. 


    However, security forces and police officials have cordoned off the area and a search operation is underway to recover them with help from the local peace committee. 


    Reportedly, a few hours after the kidnapping, alleged videos of the kidnapped employees have emerged online, in which they are seen saying that they are in a safe place with the Taliban. The hostages appealed to the government to accept the kidnappers’ demands and rescue them. 


    However, BBC reports that they have not been able to independently verify the videos.


    The banned militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) threatened to target the Pakistani military’s economic projects in a statement last week.


    The situation in Lakki Marwat has been tense for the past year and a half, with repeated attacks on law enforcement officials. 


    Two days ago, unidentified assailants shot and killed two police officers in the Ghaznikhel area of Lakki Marwat, after which the local peace committee and police personnel chased the armed attackers and killed one of the gunmen in a clash.

  • 15 killed as Pakistan foils joint infiltration bid by Afghan Taliban, Khawarij

    15 killed as Pakistan foils joint infiltration bid by Afghan Taliban, Khawarij

    Pakistani security forces on Saturday morning successfully foiled a joint infiltration attempts by Fitna al Khawarij (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) and the Afghan Taliban through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Kurram district and North Waziristan regions.

    According to reports, 25 Khawarij, in coordination with Afghan Taliban, initiated an unprovoked attack on Pakistani posts using heavy weaponry. They were met with a strong response from the Pakistani side, resulting in the killing of 15 infiltrators. Multiple others were wounded.

    The operation compelled the Afghan Taliban to abandon six posts along the border, reports said, adding that no fatalities were reported on the Pakistan side but at least three paramilitary personnel were injured.

    Pakistan has witnessed a spike in terrorist attacks since the Afghan Taliban-led administration took control in Kabul.

    After repeatedly urging Taliban authorities in Kabul to not allow the use of Afghan soil for terrorism in Pakistan, Islamabad on Tuesday night launched an intelligence-based operation (IBO) targeting Khawarij camps in Afghanistan’s Paktika province.

    Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday confirmed that Pakistan had conducted the operations in border areas to protect the people of Pakistan from terrorist groups.

    “Our security and law enforcement personnel conduct operations in border areas to protect the people of Pakistan from terrorist groups. These counterterrorism operations are carefully selected and based on accurate intelligence,” the FO spokesperson said in a statement.

    The FO reiterated that there were “threats posed by terrorist elements to Pakistan and its citizens”.

    This is Pakistan’s second airstrike in Afghanistan since March of this year, when similar attacks targeted Khawarij hideouts in the border region.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing a cabinet meeting on Friday, also addressed the issue pertaining to cross-border terrorism. “We desire good ties with them [Kabul], but Fitna al Khawarij should be stopped from killing our innocent people [….] This is our red line,” he said.

    Separately, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in a media briefing also said that the country was resolute in eliminating threats to its citizens.

    “Networks operating from Afghan soil continue to target Pakistan, and we are resolute in eliminating them,” the chief of military’s media wing said. He added that Pakistan had fought a long war against terrorism and the same was still ongoing.

    “Pakistan has rendered highly valued sacrifices in this fight,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said.

  • ‘Peace in Kurram dependent on warring tribes surrendering weapons’

    ‘Peace in Kurram dependent on warring tribes surrendering weapons’

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister’s (CM) adviser, Barrister Muhammad Saif, said on Thursday that peace in Kurram could not be achieved unless all clans surrendered their arms to the government.

    “Without disarmament, ensuring security and reopening roads remains a challenge,” Barrister Saif said in a telephonic conversation with Geo Pakistan. 

    Responding to a question about the closure of the main road in Kurram, Saif said that the basic reason to close the 20-kilometer road from Tal to Parachinar was the recent attack on a 200-vehicle convoy.

    He said that the provincial cabinet had decided that rival clans must also demolish trenches and bunkers along the road to Parachinar. “As soon as both clans disarm themselves, the road will be re-opened,” he said.

    Saif dismissed claims that Kurram was facing a shortage of medicine and goods. “We have delivered medicines there via helicopter, and life-saving drugs are also available at the District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital.”

    He was referring to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority’s (PDMA) provision of relief goods worth Rs150 million to the Kurram deputy commissioner for distribution among those affected by violence.

    To another question, Saif maintained that mutual trust was contingent upon the factions surrendering their weapons to ensure lasting peace.

    On November 21, gunmen ambushed a police-escorted convoy, which was headed towards Peshawar from Parachinar, leaving 52 dead and multiple wounded. Subsequently, clashes between warring clans escalated with the tribes agreeing to an “indefinite ceasefire” on December 6 after days of fighting.

    Businesses, educational institutions and markets remained closed across Parachinar amid the clashes. The deadly dispute, which claimed at least 122 lives and left another 168 injured, also led to thousands taking to the streets in various cities across the country, demanding peace in the troubled area.

    According to experts, land ownership issues in the region are the main bone of contention in the district. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, the scale and violence of land disputes in Kurram have intensified and are fueled by the influx of advanced weapons left behind by retreating American forces.

    Despite an All-Parties Conference (APC) led by KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, and KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur’s directions to demolish dugouts of rival tribes and for the seizure of their weapons, peace has alluded the area, resulting in an uncertain future.

  • KP govt confirms Kurram peace jirga talks have not ended

    KP govt confirms Kurram peace jirga talks have not ended

    Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) on Information and Public Affairs Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif on Monday denied reports claiming that the Kurram peace talks concluded without reaching a consensus between the provincial government and tribal leaders.

    “The Kurram [peace] jirga is not over [….] The reports regarding the dissolution of jirga are baseless,” clarified the KP government’s spokesperson in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

    Saif further clarified that the relevant parties requested an additional 24 hours for deliberation regarding the removal of bunkers and collection of weapons.

    The statement was given after it was reported on Sunday that the nine-day-long tribal jirga had failed to reach a consensus due to differences with the provincial government, with jirga member Syed Raza Hussain saying that certain points could not be agreed upon.

    Clashes between two clans erupted when a convoy comprising of 200 vehicle passengers, while en route to Peshawar in escort, came under attack on November 21 at Lower Kurram area of Manduri Charakhel and Ochat on the Peshawar-Parachinar Highway, leading to 52 casualties and multiple wounded.

    This was followed by retaliatory strikes from another tribe, targeting the Bagan Village, in which several individuals were also dead. Subsequently, clashes between the warring clans further escalated.

    The deteriorating security situation severely disrupted daily life in Kurram. Food, petrol, and medical supplies are critically low, with residents struggling to access essential services due to road closures.


    It merits a mention that the KP district, Kurram, has a long history of tribal warfare. Over the years, the land dispute conflict has involved heavy weaponry and rocket attacks, resulting in thousands of deaths and displacing many families.

    On Monday, Barrister Saif underscored the necessity of disarmament and elimination of bunkers as per the provincial cabinet’s decision.

    “It is necessary to eliminate bunkers and clear the area of weapons for lasting peace,” Saif said while stressing the need to avoid propaganda on social media platforms.

    Acknowledging that the provincial government was aware of the problems faced by the people due to road closures, the provincial government’s spokesperson also said that essential medicines are being delivered to the area via CM’s helicopter.

    Noting that the injured were being airlifted to Peshawar, Saif said that CM Gandapur had directed the Food Department to deliver 2,000 metric tonnes of wheat to the Kurram district.