Category: 1. Pakistan

NEELUM VALLEY (Dunya News) – A tourist vehicle met with an accident in Neelum Valley, resulting in the deaths of five people.

According to rescue officials, the accident occurred near Shundas in upper Neelum Valley, claiming the lives of five individuals, including a woman, while a young girl was injured.

The accident was caused by the poor condition of the road.

Rescue authorities stated that six people, including the driver, were in the vehicle. The deceased were transferred to ADS Halmat.

 

QUETTA, Pakistan — Security forces in southwestern Pakistan arrested a university lecturer accused of planning a foiled suicide attack that would have targeted last week’s Independence Day celebrations in insurgency-hit Balochistan province, officials said Monday.

The suspect, Usman Qazi is claimed to have links with the outlawed Majeed Brigade, the suicide squad of the Balochistan Liberation Army, according to the province’s Chief Minister, Sarfraz Bugti.

During a press conference in the city of Quetta, Bugti showed video footage with Qazi admitting to planning the thwarted attack as well as aiding militants in recent years. It was unclear whether Qazi made those remarks under duress.

Bugti did not clarify when the arrest was made, and only said the man was still being questioned.

The arrest comes a week after the U.S. State Department designated BLA and the Majeed Brigade a foreign terrorist organization. The group is already banned at home.

Bugti said it was the first time security forces acting on intelligence had captured a senior member of the Majeed Brigade. He said Qazi confessed to involvement in past attacks, including last year’s railway station bombing in Quetta that killed 32 people.

There was no immediate comment from the BLA about the arrest.

Balochistan has long seen violence blamed on separatist groups, including the BLA. The province is rich in natural resources and home to projects tied to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, where Chinese nationals and Pakistani security forces have also been targeted by insurgents.

The separatists demand independence from Pakistan’s central government in Islamabad. Though the government said it had quelled the insurgency, violence persists there.

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Security forces in southwestern Pakistan arrested a university lecturer accused of planning a foiled suicide attack that would have targeted last week’s Independence Day celebrations in insurgency-hit Balochistan province, officials said Monday.

The suspect, Usman Qazi is claimed to have links with the outlawed Majeed Brigade, the suicide squad of the Balochistan Liberation Army, according to the province’s Chief Minister, Sarfraz Bugti.

During a press conference in the city of Quetta, Bugti showed video footage with Qazi admitting to planning the thwarted attack as well as aiding militants in recent years. It was unclear whether Qazi made those remarks under duress.

Bugti did not clarify when the arrest was made, and only said the man was still being questioned.

The arrest comes a week after the U.S. State Department designated BLA and the Majeed Brigade a foreign terrorist organization. The group is already banned at home.

Bugti said it was the first time security forces acting on intelligence had captured a senior member of the Majeed Brigade. He said Qazi confessed to involvement in past attacks, including last year’s railway station bombing in Quetta that killed 32 people.

There was no immediate comment from the BLA about the arrest.

Balochistan has long seen violence blamed on separatist groups, including the BLA. The province is rich in natural resources and home to projects tied to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, where Chinese nationals and Pakistani security forces have also been targeted by insurgents.

The separatists demand independence from Pakistan’s central government in Islamabad. Though the government said it had quelled the insurgency, violence persists there.

Sebastian Vandermeersch
BBC Verify journalist

We’ve verified footage showing the aftermath of an Israeli strike yesterday on the Haziz power plant in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on X it had targeted “energy infrastructure used by the Houthi terrorist regime” in response to the group continuing to fire missiles towards Israel.

The Houthis have previously said they will not halt such attacks until the war in Gaza ends.

The video shows the remains of a large structure destroyed at the site and firefighters spraying water over the debris.

According to local reports, the strike hit the plant’s central generators with the resulting fire spreading across the site.

We verified the footage by matching the distinctive electricity pylons on the site to those seen on Google Earth.

Damage from earlier strikes is also visible on Google’s satellite imagery from June.

New low-resolution satellite pictures also appear to show the results of yesterday’s strike.

Three previous strikes have been reported at this facility in December and January.

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (APP):In the aftermath of the devastating 2024 floods that swept away homes and halted education across Badin, Government Girls Primary School (GGPS) Chanri has emerged as a symbol of resilience.

The GGPS Chanri, once ill-equipped to handle repeated disasters, has been transformed into a safe space for learning and shelter through UK support under the BRAVE (Building Resilience and Addressing Vulnerability in Emergencies) programme.

The 2024 floods were not the first to batter Chanri village. Each time disaster struck, families sought refuge in the school, with up to 175 people crammed into its limited space. But conditions were dire. “There were no toilets, no clean water, no lights,” recalled teacher and activist Faheem Ali Memon. “Women and children suffered the most.”

That reality has now changed. Through the BRAVE programme, implemented with Concern Worldwide and the SAMI Foundation, the school has been upgraded with working toilets, handwashing stations, and a hand pump for clean drinking water. A 5KW solar power system keeps lights and fans running even during outages, allowing families to stay cool, safe, and connected in emergencies.

These improvements have gone beyond disaster response as they have revitalised education. Hygiene sessions led by the school’s Hygiene Club are instilling healthy practices in children, who in turn share them with their families. Enrollment has risen by 20 percent, with more girls attending regularly.

“This support has brought back our dignity,” said Mairaj, a local elder. “Now, when floods come, our women and children have a clean, private place to stay. It’s more than a shelter- it gives us strength.”

Talking to APP, Headmistress Ms. Reeta praised the changes, noting that the upgrades have strengthened both learning and disaster preparedness. “The UK-supported upgrades were a blessing. Now we have electricity, water, and sanitation all the time. We can even stay connected during disasters and receive early warnings.”

For the people of Chanri, GGPS is no longer just a school. It is a beacon of safety, a centre of learning, and a place where hope is rebuilt. In a district where floods often bring fear and displacement, the BRAVE programme has shown how targeted support can safeguard futures.

This year’s monsoon rains continue to threaten communities across the country, but BRAVE remains active, supporting vulnerable areas and standing ready to mobilise a national-level response if disaster strikes again.

GGPS Chanri’s journey reflects what is possible when immediate relief is paired with long-term planning: a community strengthened, dignity restored, and futures protected.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has stated that the State Bank of Pakistan is working on the exchange rate and interest rate, and the situation is expected to improve further.

The federal finance minister inaugurated the Job and Education Expo at the Expo Centre, Karachi, organised by the Pakistan Hindu Council. At the expo, around 120 stalls were set up by various institutions and companies for students.

Speaking to the media, Aurangzeb expressed gratitude to the organisers, saying that he had the opportunity to meet the country’s future leadership here. He noted that both public and private institutions were present at the job fair, but the absence of the corporate sector was felt.

He said that technology is the path to the future. Youth should work with their hearts and minds, and always strive for excellence.

Speaking about the Independence Day celebration of the “Marka-e-Haq,” the finance minister said that followers of all religions in the country commemorated it with great spirit.

Read: PM pushes for cashless, digital economy

He added that the corporate sector needs to step forward. Interest rate should not be made the single-point agenda.

In order to promote working capital, Pakistan must look beyond banks and include capital markets as well. He emphasised that the debt capital market also needs to be shifted to the Pakistan Stock Exchange mechanism for greater efficiency.

Aurangzeb highlighted that the circular debt in the power sector is declining, with three distribution companies (DISCOs) set to be privatised soon. He added that the government is also working to resolve circular debt in the gas sector, which has long been a burden on the economy.

On monetary policy, the minister clarified that the government has no role in setting interest rates, as this falls under the mandate of the State Bank of Pakistan. He said the exchange rate would continue to be determined by the market. Pakistan already has funding available, he noted, and the challenge now is to put those resources to effective use.

He praised Mustafa Kamal’s efforts in population control and underlined the importance of women’s economic participation, saying it could be a key driver in eradicating poverty. Aurangzeb confirmed that discussions with the World Bank regarding funding to support such initiatives have already taken place.

The finance minister said the IMF’s review mission would soon arrive in Pakistan under the ongoing 37-month programme, adding that the government remains in constant contact with the Fund. Looking ahead, he expressed optimism that by 2047 Pakistan’s economic situation would be that of a developed nation.

Aurangzeb also pointed to Pakistan’s strong anti–money laundering laws, which he said had enabled the country’s removal from the FATF grey list. He expressed confidence that Pakistan would remain off the list going forward.

Speaking on the recent rainfall damage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said his immediate priority was helping and rehabilitating affected people, while it was still too early to estimate the scale of losses.

When asked about traders’ demand for a new province, the finance minister refrained from giving a direct response.

There is no button for growth; the real thinking should be about sustainable growth. The role of the government is to provide an enabling environment. Public-private partnerships are working successfully. We are moving toward the AI world, and there is no room for doubt that we must move forward.

The finance minister said that ups and downs keep coming, but talent remains unaffected. Economic stability has now been achieved in the country.

The three major rating agencies are positive about Pakistan. The State Bank is working on the exchange rate and interest rate, and as stability increases, the situation will improve further.

One new poliovirus case was confirmed each in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, bringing Pakistan’s total count this year to 21, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Monday.

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress.

A statement from the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Islamabad’s NIH said the latest cases involve a six-year-old girl from Union Council Pattan in KP’s Kohistan district, and a 21-month-old girl from UC Matli-2 in Sindh’s Badin.

“With these detections, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 21, including 13 from KP, six from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan,” the statement noted.

Polio was a highly infectious and incurable disease that could cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection against the debilitating virus is through the repeated administration of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) for every child under five during each campaign, alongside timely completion of all routine immunisations, the statement said.

It added that from September 1 to 7, a sub-national polio vaccination campaign will take place, targeting more than 28 million children under the age of five in 99 districts across all provinces and regions.

“The campaign in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be conducted from 15 September. The goal is to ensure every child in these districts receives the vaccine to protect them from the lifelong consequences of polio,” it said.

It added that the campaign was part of the ongoing efforts to quickly strengthen immunity among children and close existing protection gaps.

“Parents and caregivers are strongly urged to ensure their children receive the polio vaccine during this and every campaign.”

Last week, poliovirus was found in 36 per cent of samples across 87 nationwide districts tested in July.

In 2024, the country reported at least 71 polio cases, with the virus detected in around 90 districts.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Monday said security agencies had arrested an alleged “would-be suicide bomber” as they foiled a terrorist attack on Independence Day.

The security situation in Balochistan has worsened in recent months, as terrorists, long involved in a low-level insurgency, have stepped up the frequency and intensity of their attacks. The banned so-called Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in particular, has adopted new tactics to inflict higher casualties and directly target Pakistani security forces.

Addressing a press conference in Quetta alongside other top officials, the chief minister said: “On August 14, the suicide bombers had planned to target innocent citizens who were celebrating Independence Day.”

He commended the security agencies, the Balochistan Counter-Terrorism Department, and the police for saving the province from “huge destruction”.

CM Bugti then aired a recorded statement of a highly educated man who had been arrested for his alleged involvement in facilitating terrorists.

In the video, the man, working as a lecturer at Balochistan University, confessed to having links with terrorist groups. After airing the man’s statement, CM Bugti noted that the information being shared was “not in great detail”, so as not to sabotage ongoing investigations.

He recalled that the Nov 2024 Quetta Railway Station bombing, in which “32 precious lives were lost and 50-plus were injured”, and explained how the arrested lecturer was allegedly involved in facilitating the attack.

“He (the lecturer) had him (the suicide bomber) sit on a motorcycle and dropped him near the railway station, and after that, handed him over to another handler about one kilometre away from the railway station,” Bugti said.

Stating that some attributed the Balochistan militancy issue to “deprivation,” the chief minister rhetorically asked: How are these people deprived?

“The mother is still receiving a pension which means she was a government employee, his wife is also a government employee, he himself is a Grade-18 [officer], has studied and done a PhD on Pakistani scholarship, brother is an employee in Reko Diq [project], which means he was not deprived in any way,” Bugti added.

CM Bugti explained that the BLA’s Majeed Brigade operated in “three to four tiers” — “footsoldier” being the lowest and comprising uneducated people, the second tier using women for targeted killings in cities, and the top-most “sophisticated” tier that the lecturer was a part of.

“This is the first time security forces have accomplished such a big success, of arresting a leader of Majeed Brigade’s ‘sophisticated’ tier,” Bugti said.

He said that the narrative about “deprived people engaging in such acts,” which he noted was also echoed in a multi-party conference (MPC) in Islamabad yesterday, was “an attempt to legitimise this entire fight against Pakistan”.

In a gathering organised by the Awami National Party on Sunday, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman questioned the government’s writ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s tribal areas. Balochistan National Party-Mengal and Jamaat-i-Islami were among the various parties that attended the moot.

Bugti mentioned that when the CTD went to arrest the “would-be suicide bomber”, his neighbours intervened and tried to resist the arrest.

“I want to tell the people of Balochistan: we filed an FIR (first information report) against all of them, every one of them is arrested.

“But please, stay away from these people. If you stay close to them, you will also be treated like a suicide bomber,” he advised.

“This has nothing to do with unparalleled or underdevelopment,” Bugti said, again criticising yesterday’s MPC for terming violence in KP as terrorism but describing the militancy in Balochistan as “something else.”

“We are not in favour of collective punishment. But the Balochistan government will also see when relatives of those who join these groups do not alert their security agencies, political leadership or tribal elders, which means the entire family is involved,” Bugti warned.

Responding to reporters’ queries, the Balochistan CM, while asserting he did not want to “go into any blame game”, said it seemed the previous provincial governments had divorced themselves from the issue.

Pointing out the listing of individuals in the Fourth Schedule, Bugti stressed the importance of further strengthening the CTD’s Special Branch for improved intel.

“We have investigated 2000 to 2,500 people, especially government employees. Some were innocent and their names were from the Fourth Schedule, some were sent explanation letters, some were suspended, some were terminated.

“We will not spare. We’ll fight this war, in warfare and lawfare too,” CM Bugti asserted.

“Those who wish to talk to us will find our doors open,” the chief minister said, urging all political parties to stand against terrorism and to acknowledge the state’s sacrifices in countering it.

‘Betrayal of state’

In his statement, the lecturer provided details of his alleged links to terrorist outfits, saying that in 2020, he was introduced to three individuals affiliated with “an organisation”, two of whom were later killed. He said that two men, Dr Habetan and Feh Khaliq, got him to join a militant group and had him meet with a man named Basheerzai.

He said that all introductions were carried out through the Telegram messaging app, known for privacy features like secret chats, self-destructing messages, and anonymity.

The lecturer recalled that, on the instructions of Dr Habetan and Feh Khaliq, he had assisted the group by providing shelter to a militant injured in a clash in Kalat and stated that he had handed the man over to another individual before the incident, and that the militant died the next day in a railway suicide bombing.

He further recounted another incident in which he sheltered a man for seven to eight days, who was later intended to be used in an August 14 attack. The lecturer also confessed that he had purchased a pistol, which was subsequently used in targeting security forces and government employees.

The man expressed regret over his actions, admitting that they were unlawful and amounted to a betrayal of the state.