ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that over six countries have shown interest in joining the Makkah Defence Agreement. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, he stressed that the pact is meant for defence only and has no offensive purpose. What the Makkah Defence Agreement Says Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, a few weeks before Yemen’s Houthis launched attacks on Saudi Arabia. The pact, later renamed the Makkah Defence Alliance, follows the same logic as NATO’s Article 5. An attack on any one of…
Author: Web Desk
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has received Rs799.359 billion from the war on terror fund between 2010-11 and September 2026, official documents show. The money comes as the province continues to deal with a steady stream of militant attacks. According to the documents, the federal government released the funds to make up for the economic, infrastructure and financial damage caused by terrorism. The Finance Department said KP gets the allocation every year, and other provinces receive money under the same arrangement. Why KP Gets an Extra 1% Under the 7th NFC Award The 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award was agreed…
Security forces killed 11 militants in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, security sources said on Saturday. The sources described all 11 as India-backed terrorists. The raids took place in South Waziristan and in the Gorindar-Mashkel area, as part of continuing counterterrorism campaigns in both provinces. South Waziristan Operation Leaves Five Militants Dead In KP’s South Waziristan district, troops acted on intelligence and moved against hideouts used by Fitna al-Khawarij, according to the sources. Five militants died in the action, and the hideouts were hit and destroyed. Security sources added that a large stock of weapons and…
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s military leadership has cautioned that any attempt to stir unrest or recreate a May 9-like situation will be met with decisive force under the law, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The message came out of the 277th Corps Commanders Conference, held on Friday at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir chaired the session. Firm Message on Domestic Security An ISPR statement said the forum assessed the current security environment. Participants resolved that any effort to cause agitation or a May 9-like situation, whatever…
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is facing two crises at once. One is a long-running militant threat that keeps claiming soldiers, police officers and civilians. The other is a political standoff between the federal government and the PTI-led provincial administration. Now the two have merged into a single question: should the Centre impose an emergency in the province? Where things stand Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the federal government was “seriously” considering an emergency because of the worsening security situation. He framed the move as a response to the growing terrorist threat rather than a political decision, with Article 232…
Chicken is one of the most widely eaten foods in Pakistani households, served in everything from a simple home-cooked curry to restaurant menus across the country. Because prices can change quickly, many consumers check today chicken rates before buying. People notice when chicken prices move, sometimes within the same week. Shoppers also notice that chicken rarely costs the same in every city. A buyer in Lahore and a buyer in Quetta may pay noticeably different prices on the very same day, even though both are buying the same product. These changes are not random. Chicken prices in Pakistan respond to…
Seven India-backed terrorists were killed in a North Waziristan operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security sources said on Friday. The action was an intelligence-based operation (IBO) carried out against the group the authorities refer to as Fitna al-Khawarij. Sources said the militants’ hideouts were destroyed during the operation. They added that security forces remain committed to wiping out terrorism and securing lasting peace under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision. Kachhi Operation a Day Earlier The North Waziristan action followed another operation just a day before, in Balochistan’s Kachhi district. Security sources said six militants linked to Fitna al-Hindustan were killed there under Operation…
The federal government has raised the rates of return on a number of national savings schemes, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Finance. The revised national savings rates cover multiple savings and investment certificates, with increases ranging from 12 to 74 basis points. Defence Savings Certificate Rate Goes Up The return on the Defence Savings Certificate has been raised by 19 basis points, bringing it to 11.80%. Behbood and Pensioners Benefit Returns According to the notification, the rate of return on the Behbood Savings Certificate and the Pensioners Benefit Account has risen by 12 basis points to…
Pakistan has strongly condemned an attack by the Houthi militia on the Taibah power distribution station in Madina, describing it as a “grave provocation.” The Foreign Office made the announcement in a statement issued on Friday. “This reprehensible attack against civilian infrastructure supplying electricity to the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) Mosque is a grave provocation and a matter of deep concern and anguish for millions of Muslims worldwide,” the statement said. What the Saudi-Led Coalition Said The Foreign Office statement followed an announcement on Thursday by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis. The coalition said the group had struck a power…
ISLAMABAD: The first round of PTI government talks took place on Friday at the National Assembly speaker’s chamber, with both sides holding discussions just days before the party’s planned long march towards the capital on October 4. The meeting brought together a six-member PTI delegation and a government team led by senior ministers. It lasted around an hour, and no breakthrough was announced. Who Attended the Negotiations The PTI side was headed by party Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. He was joined by Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, along with party leaders Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja, Amir…
