Category: 1. Pakistan

PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – Opposition parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have decided to boycott the All Parties Conference (APC) scheduled for tomorrow.

Leader of the Opposition in the Provincial Assembly, Dr Ibadullah Khan, said it is a unanimous decision by all opposition parties.

Dr Ibadullah further remarked that the time for mere statements is over, and practical actions are needed. He called the government’s attitude on every platform regrettably unserious, describing the APC as a mere showpiece event.

He stressed that the opposition remains united and will not compromise on public interests, urging the government to prove its commitment through actions, as an APC alone is insufficient. He added that opposition parties are aligned on a practical plan, with significant decisions expected soon, and political seriousness is essential to resolve public issues.

JUI-F spokesperson Abdul Jalil Jan confirmed that his party will not participate in the PTI’s APC. Following JUI-F’s decision, the Awami National Party (ANP) also refused to attend the conference called by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, formally excusing themselves.

ANP’s provincial president, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, clarified that they would have participated if the APC was convened by PTI as a political party, but they will not attend a government-organised APC. He emphasised that ANP stands with the public and will not support actions against their aspirations.

Earlier, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) announced a boycott of the provincial government’s APC. PPP provincial president Syed Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha labeled the government as unserious, calling the APC a mere formality.

He noted that if the government were serious, previous discussions on law and order and other issues would have yielded results. Bacha urged the government to focus on public issues instead of protests and sit-ins, confirming that PPP will not attend tomorrow’s APC.

Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur – who was clueless about why the opposition parties were boycotting it – said the PPP should have participated in the APC as the law and order situation is a problem concerning everyone.

Speaking to the media in Peshawar, Gandapur said that “APC is scheduled for tomorrow, emphasizing that the issue of law and order is a shared concern, and the opposition should not politicise everything.”

Gandapur further remarked that those who manipulated candidate lists for the Senate elections should apologise, noting that only a person of character seeks forgiveness.

QUETTA, Pakistan: A father has shot and killed his teenage daughter and nephew in a so-called “honor killing” in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, police said on Wednesday, days after a similar killing sparked outrage across the country.

The incident took place Tuesday evening in the Lashar Abad area along Quetta’s Qambrani Road, and came just days after a viral video showed a young couple being executed in a separate honor killing in

Balochistan’s Digari area in Quetta district. That case, involving a tribal jirga ordering the deaths of a woman and man over an alleged illicit relationship, has drawn widespread condemnation and renewed calls for legal reform.

According to Abdul Majeed, the Station House Officer of Kechi Baig Police Station, the latest victims were identified as Ghulam Qadir, 19, and Nazneen, 18.

“The slain man and woman were cousins and the father, named Abdul Latif, shot and killed both his daughter and nephew inside his house,” Majeed told Arab News. “The girl was from the Lehri tribe and the boy hailed from the Rind tribe.”

The officer said the killings were motivated by accusations of an “illicit relationship” between the pair, adding that the case had been handed over to the Serious Crime Investigation Wing (SCIW) and a search was underway for the father, who was on the run.

The family of the male victim had retrieved his body for burial, but no one from the girl’s family had come forward to claim her, Majeed added. 

Rights groups say honor killings – the murder of individuals, often women, by relatives for allegedly tarnishing family “honor” – remain widespread in Pakistan, particularly in tribal and rural regions. Activists estimate as many as 1,000 deaths a year in the name of so-called honor.

Although Pakistan passed a landmark law in 2016 to close loopholes that once allowed families to “forgive” perpetrators, conviction rates remain extremely low, often below 2 percent, according to UN estimates. 

The recent video from Balochistan, showing the execution-style killing of a couple in the Digari area in Quetta district, reignited public debate over jirga justice and the state’s failure to prevent such crimes.

Police said 11 suspects had been arrested in the Digari case, including two men named in the first information report (FIR) filed by police after the killing.

That attack, caught on video, appeared to show the victims being shot in a mountainous area on the orders of a tribal council. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s willingness to engage in “meaningful dialogue” with India to resolve all outstanding matters. 

The premier made these remarks during a meeting with British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, who called on him in Islamabad.

The April 22 Pahalgam attack sparked heavy fighting between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India in the latest escalation of a decades-old rivalry as New Delhi blamed it on Islamabad without offering any evidence.

In response to the Indian aggression, Pakistan’s armed forces launched a large-scale retaliatory military action, named “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos”, and targeted several Indian military targets across multiple regions.

Pakistan downed its six fighter jets, including three Rafales, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.

The ceasefire was first announced by US President Donald Trump on social media after Washington held talks with both sides, but India has differed with Trump’s claims that it resulted from his intervention and threats to sever trade talks.

However, Pakistan has acknowledged Trump’s efforts and formally recommended him for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in defusing tensions between Pakistan and India last month.

During today’s meeting, the prime minister conveyed his warm wishes for King Charles III and Prime Minister Keir Starmer and said he looked forward to his meeting with the UK leadership later this year.

PM Shehbaz also welcomed the UK government’s recent decision to resume PIA flights to and from the UK. He added that this would go a long way in alleviating the hardships faced by the British Pakistani community as well as enhancing people-to-people exchanges.

The ban was enforced in July 2020 by the UK and European aviation authorities following the fake pilot licence scandal.

Although the removal from the list marks a significant milestone, Pakistani carriers will still need to secure individual operating permits from the UK Civil Aviation Authority before flights can resume.

On Pakistan-UK relations, the premier expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral cooperation and said that the recently held trade talks between the two countries would lead to mutually beneficial opportunities for both sides.

He said that Pakistan was also cooperating closely with the UK at the UN Security Council, where Pakistan currently holds the monthly Presidency.

The regional situation in South Asia and the Middle East was also discussed. The prime minister expressed his appreciation for the UK’s role in de-escalation of tensions during the Pakistan-India standoff.

The UK High Commissioner thanked the premier for receiving her and briefed him about her recent visit to London, where she had extensive consultations on enhancing Pakistan-UK bilateral ties.

She lauded the government’s economic performance in the last year and a half, under the vision and leadership of PM Shehbaz, which had brought about a significant improvement in all key macro-economic indicators.

She also shared with the premier, the UK’s perspective on regional developments in South Asia and the Middle East.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to engage in a “meaningful dialogue” with India on all outstanding issues, calling for diplomacy to address long-standing regional tensions, Radio Pakistan reported.

In a meeting with British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, who called on the premier in Islamabad on Wednesday, he stressed the importance of resolving disputes through peaceful means and reiterated that Pakistan remained committed to constructive engagement with its neighbours.

PM Shehbaz expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of Pakistan-UK relations and said the recent trade talks between the two countries were expected to yield mutually beneficial opportunities while noting that Pakistan and the UK were cooperating closely at the United Nations Security Council, where Pakistan currently holds the monthly presidency.

The prime minister also welcomed the UK government’s recent decision to resume Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to and from the UK, saying that the move would ease travel difficulties for the British Pakistani community and promote greater people-to-people exchanges. He also appreciated the high commissioner’s role in facilitating the decision.

Also Read: PIA plans UK flights from Aug 14

He conveyed his warm regards to King Charles III and newly elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, adding that he looked forward to meeting the British leadership later this year. Marriott, in turn, thanked the prime minister for the meeting and briefed him on her recent visit to London, during which she held consultations on advancing bilateral cooperation.

She commended the Pakistani government’s economic performance over the past year and a half under the leadership of PM Shehbaz, highlighting improvements in key macroeconomic indicators. The high commissioner also shared the UK’s perspectives on regional issues.

Tensions between Pakistan and India deteriorated following the Pahalgam incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in April, which claimed the lives of 26 people. New Delhi hastily blamed Islamabad for the attack, despite failing to provide any evidence.

Over a span of four days in May, fighter jets, missiles, drones, and artillery were deployed in fierce clashes. A ceasefire was eventually announced on May 10 — a development the United States claimed to have brokered, though India has publicly denied any third-party involvement.