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Police say terrorist attack foiled in Bannu

Law enforcers foiled an attack by terrorists at a police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Sunday, police said. Police said in a statement that terrorists belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij — a term the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — tried to attack the Baka Khel police station from a distance. However, it added, police personnel opened fire on them after detecting their movement using “latest technology”. As a result, the statement said, the terrorists couldn’t come near the police station and fled. According to police, “residents from nearby areas also fired at the attackers” and helped law enforcers. The statement did not mention any loss of lives or property in the incident, which was earlier confirmed by Bannu Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan. He told Dawn.com that the attackers had used a hand grenade to target the police station. “Unidentified attackers threw a hand grenade toward the police station, but it fell at a distance...
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Brother of National Party’s central leader killed in Balochistan’s Panjgur

The National Party (NP) central leader and MPA Rehmat Saleh Baloch’s brother, Waleed Saleh Baloch, was killed in Balochistan’s Panjgur area on Sunday, according to statements by the party and the province’s chief minister. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the incident in a statement and ordered the immediate arrest of the suspects. “All resources will be used to provide justice to the affected family,” the CM said, according to a statement issued by his office. According to the statement, the CM had sought a report from police regarding the incident. Dawn.com has reached out to the police for further details. Meanwhile, the NP also strongly condemned the incident in a statement, adding that the party would observe three days of mourning. It added that at the time of the incident, Waleed was celebrating his wedding. It said that the incident was not only “the murder of an ordinary citizen but also the murder of a person belonging to a dignified and political fam...
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‘No Kings’ protesters rally across US against Trump policies

• Participants express concern over ‘authoritarianism’, immigration crackdowns and threats to democracy • Republican leaders criticise the events as ‘Hate America’ rallies; US president offers muted response, says ‘I’m not a king’ WASHINGTON: Huge crowds took to the streets Saturday in all 50 US states to vent their anger over President Donald Trump’s hardline policies at “No Kings” protests that top Republicans ridiculed as “Hate America” rallies. From New York and Washington to smaller cities in Michigan, more than 2,700 protests were planned coast to coast, with organisers saying they expected millions to attend what could be one of the largest protest turnouts in modern US history. The mass mobilisation, the second of its kind after similar events in June , is aimed at what opponents say is an agenda pushing the country toward autocracy. “This is what democracy looks like!” chanted thousands at a protest in Washington near the National Mall. Many carried American flags while o...
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Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to immediate ceasefire after Doha talks: state media

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire following high-level negotiations in Doha, where both sides also decided to establish a permanent mechanism to ensure lasting peace and stability between the two neighbours, state-run PTV News reported on Sunday. Amid heightened tensions along the Pak-Afghan border, a high-level Pakistani delegation led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif travelled to Doha on Saturday for talks with Afghan Taliban officials, aimed at ending cross-border hostilities and addressing Pakistan’s security concerns. Facilitated by Qatar, the talks followed days of clashes and Pakistani strikes on Gul Bahadur group camps in Afghanistan, after a 48-hour ceasefire was extended to allow negotiations. A post on the X account of PTV News , citing the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “During the negotiations held in Doha between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both countries agreed on an immediate ceasefire.” “During the talks, both countries not...
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PPP decides to give PML-N ‘more time’ to fulfil demands

The PPP on Saturday, following a meeting of its Central Executive Committee (CEC), said it was giving its coalition ally, the ruling PML-N, more time to fulfil its demands. The two parties are partners in the federation, though the PPP does not have a presence in the cabinet. The disagreement between the ruling allies first surfaced last month, soon after heavy monsoon rains and flooding devastated parts of Punjab and other provinces. The PPP pushed for using the BISP to deliver immediate relief to flood-affected families, a demand resisted by the Punjab government. Tensions deepened when PPP leaders publicly criticised the Punjab government, accusing it of politicising relief and sidelining the federal mechanism for assistance. On the other hand, PML-N ministers also voiced frustration, with Rana Sanaullah calling for a complete overhaul of BISP and arguing that its current structure was unfit. The technical disagreement soon turned into a political confrontation, with both the r...
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Mediators asked to push for next steps in Gaza ceasefire

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• Trump urges patience as Hamas reiterates commitment to finding, handing over bodies of all Israeli prisoners • Outcry in Gaza as several Palestinian prisoners’ remains show signs of torture, mutilation, ‘organ theft’ GAZA: Amid an outcry over the return of mutilated remains of Palestinian prisoners by Israel, Hamas has called on mediators to push for the next steps under the ceasefire deal in Gaza, including reopening the border, letting in aid, beginning reconstruction, setting up an administration and completing Israel’s withdrawal from the besieged enclave. Although bombing and airstrikes in Gaza have largely stopped under US President Donald Trump’s plan, endorsed by mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye, Tel Aviv has continued to violate the truce with shelling and aid restrictions. Local media reported artillery attacks in al-Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza, resulting in at least 10 people wou­nded over the past 24 hours, Middle East Eye reported. According to an Al Jazeer...
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National Judicial Policy-Making Committee proposes KPIs for judges to ensure accountability

• Automated evaluation systems will consider both qualitative and quantitative performance indicators • Safeguards for judicial independence discussed • AGP says steps taken to address enforced disappearances through tweaks to ATA ISLAMABAD: The National Judicial Policy-Making Committee (NJPMC) on Friday discussed wide-ranging reforms aimed at strengthening the performance and independence of the judiciary, with a particular focus on introducing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for judges to ensure accountability and uniform standards across the district judiciary. The meeting, chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, also underscored the need for harmonised policies among high courts and data-driven evaluation mechanisms to enhance judicial efficiency and integrity. The committee, about the district judiciary reforms, discussed the comprehensive recommendations submitted by the subcommittee on harmonising policy innovations across various high courts. The recomm...
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