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BAJAUR: After talks between local militant commanders and the Bajaur Amn Jirga for their return to Afghanistan hit a snag on Saturday, the locals are apprehensive about the resumption of a military offensive, ‘Operation Sarbakaf’, in Lowi Mamund tehsil.

Initially, the anti-terror operation had been postponed after both sides agreed to a ceasefire until the conflict was completely resolved thro­ugh talks.

The failure of the peace talks has also plunged the local population into fear and a state of uncertainty. Accor­ding to reports, a number of families from 16 areas of Lowi Mamund tehsil left their homes for peaceful areas in the district on Saturday. The reports added that more families from the said areas were expected to leave their homes today.

“The collapse of negotiations between members of the Bajaur Aman Jirga and militant leaders, aimed at convincing them to leave the region peacefully, has left no option but to resume Operation Sarbakaf to neutralise militants in the region, who pose a significant threat to peace and people’s lives,” the sources added.

Jirga leader says dialogue with militants for their return hit snag due to ‘some issues’

On Friday night, Sahibzada Haroon Rashid, head of the 50-strong Bajaur jirga, told reporters that the talks with militants “concluded without desired results owing to the development of a serious deadlock over some key issues necessary to resolve the conflict peacefully”. He was talking to reporters after separate meetings with militants’ leaders and high-ups held on Friday evening.

“We (members of the Bajaur Amn Jirga) have tried our best with great sincerity and commitment to make the talks with militant leaders a success by convincing them to return peacefully to Afghanistan…but unfort­­unately, we couldn’t succeed in our mission due to the development of a serious deadlock on some main issues,” Mr Rashid said while sharing the details of the seventh round of talks. He did not elaborate on the issues that stalled the dialogue.

According to the jirga leader, there would be no further negotiations with militant leaders on the issue until the deadlock was resolved. Accompanied by all jirga members, including PTI’s local MPA Dr Hamidur Rehman and former local MNA Gul Zafar Khan, Sahibzada Haroon Rashid appealed to both sides, the security forces and militants, to show tolerance and refrain from fighting, as it was causing suffering among the local people.

However, he told reporters that both sides had assured the jirga that civilians and their properties would be spared in the event of any fighting in the region. He said the jirga would remain functional and work with local residents to devise an action plan in case the residents and their properties were affected in any potential conflict between the security forces and terrorists. Mr Rashid said the jirga members would resume their activities in the larger interest of Bajaur and its people after a meeting with the Khyber Pakht­unkhwa chief minister in Peshawar on Saturday. There had been no statement about the meeting by the time this report went to press.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2025

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will resume on Aug 12 the hearing of a set of appeals moved by ex-premier and PTI founding chairman Imran Khan against the denial of bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC) in cases related to the May 9 violence.

A three-judge SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and including Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, will take up the matter on Tuesday.

The apex court had previously adjourned the proceedings due to unavailability of Salman Safdar, senior counsel for the ex-premier.

In his appeals, the incarcerated PTI leader claimed that the LHC on June 24 denied post-arrest bail to him in eight cases related to May 9 violence, including attacks on Askari Tower at Liberty Chowk, PML-N offices in Model Town, Shadman police station, the burning of police vehicles near the Lahore corps commander’s residence and violence at Sherpao Bridge. The appellant said he moved the LHC after an anti-terrorism court had denied bail to him in the eight cases on Nov 27, 2024.

CJP-led bench put off previous proceedings due to unavailability of ex-PM’s lawyer

He said he was accused of conspiring and abetting violence on May 9, whereas, at the time of the alleged offence, he was in the custody of National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Therefore, his involvement in the May 9 violence was “impossible”, the appeal arg­ued, while reminding that the Supreme Court had already held that the case of an abettor who was not present at the scene of occurrence stands on a lower legal footing than that of a principal accused.

According to the set of appeals, the PTI founder had been subjected to an “unprecedented campaign of political victimisation” since his ouster as prime minister in 2022. The SC was informed that the cases were yet another attempt by the state and the police to “implicate” him in a criminal matter, based solely on “vague and unsupported allegations of abetment” as the prosecution had no “convincing” evidence connecting Mr Khan to the alleged offence.

After Mr Khan’s “unlawful and invalid” arrest from the premises of the Islamabad High Court on May 9, 2023, multiple FIRs were registered in Lahore and Islamabad, it contended, adding none of the complaints contained any specific allegations or details regarding the purported conspiracy.

At a later stage in these cases, the prosecution introduced supplementary statements by police officials in an apparent attempt to “falsely implicate” Mr Khan, it added. If, as per the prosecution’s claim, the police allegedly knew about the conspiracy to orchestrate violence as early as May 7, why did they not take any action to prevent the attacks, the appeal questioned. This was “highly illogical” and further exposed the “malafide and politically motivated nature of the proceedings”, it claimed.

The appeal alleged Mr Khan had been “maliciously implicated” in these cases as part of a “calculated and politically motivated design to prolong his incarceration”, harass him and tarnish his public image.

Mr Khan’s arrest was “never genuinely required” in cases pertaining to May 9 violence, it pleaded, adding that police took no action to arrest Mr Khan for over five months even after his bail applications were dismissed by an anti-terrorism court in Lahore. Despite knowing Mr Khan’s whereabouts — Adiala jail where he was confined — the police “made no meaningful attempt to effect his arrest”, it argued.

“This lack of urgency or interest on part of the investigating agency strongly supports the inference that the arrest was not necessitated by the merits of the case, but rather was a tool of oppression, thereby further justifying the grant of post-arrest bail,” the appeal said.

According to the appeal, the LHC decision to deny bail to Mr Khan was based on “engineered and fabricated evidence” comprising stale, discredited, and delayed statements of police officials recorded long after the occurrence, without any plausible explanation for the inordinate delay.

It argued that the LHC while rejecting the bail plea also failed to appreciate that the prosecution has been consistently shifting its stance like a pendulum, by introducing materially improved versions of the case narrative.

Each new version was introduced only after the preceding one failed to withstand before the courts of law, thereby rendering the prosecution’s case doubtful and entitling the petitioner to the benefit of further inquiry, the appeal pleaded. These material contradictions and afterthoughts clearly made out a case falling within the ambit of Section 497(2) of the criminal procedure code, warranting the grant of bail, the SC was requested.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2025

LAHORE: Two more people died on Saturday, taking the death toll due to monsoon rainfall in Punjab to 166, as another spell of torrential monsoon lashed several cities in Punjab. The deaths were reported in Sialkot and Jhelum, with the former receiving 78 millimetres of rain — the highest in the province.

According to the Pakistan Meteorologi-cal Department (PMD), Sialkot City received 78mm of rain, Lahore 43.4mm, Gujranwala 36.8mm, Chakwal 23mm, Attock 13.6mm, Mangla 12.2mm, Gujrat 10.6mm, Narowal 5.0mm, Rawalakot 4.0mm, Islamabad Airport 3.9mm, and Mandi Bahauddin 0.5mm.

The Met Department said mainly hot and humid weather was expected in most parts of Punjab, but rain-wind/thundershower was expected at isolated places in northeastern Punjab, Potohar, Islamabad, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, and adjoining hilly areas on Sunday.

According to provincial figures issued on Aug 8, 164 people have died and 82 have sustained injuries during the ongoing monsoon season that has also killed 121 head of cattle. About 216 houses were also destroyed across the province.

Sialkot receives 78mm rainfall, the highest in the province

In Lahore, the rain started at 1:30pm and continued till 4:30pm. According to the Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa), 86mm rain was reported at Pani Wala Talab, 85mm at Farrukhabad, 83mm at Lakshmi Chowk, 81mm at Nishtar Town, 60mm at Gulberg, 57mm at Chowk Nakhuda, 45mm at Iqbal Town, 44mm at Johar Town, 43mm at Samanabad and less than 30mm at Gulshan-i-Ravi, Qurtaba Chowk, Jail Road, and Tajpura.

Due to rain, water accumulated in Model Town, Kot Lakhpat, Peco Road, Township, Green Town, Factory Area, Muslim Town, Garden Town and adjacent localities. The water was also accumulated in Nishtar Park Sports Complex, which caused the cancellation of ‘Independence Family Fun Race’, which was planned in the evening. The rain also caused electricity problems in the city as more than 120 feeders in different areas had tripped.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued a warning about low-level flooding in rivers in the province. According to the latest update, Tarbela Dam is currently 96 per cent full with its water level standing at 1546.00 feet, while Mangla Dam is 63pc full at 1205.25 feet.

On the Indus River, low-level flooding has been reported at Chashma Barrage, while flows at other key barrages — including Tarbela, Kalabagh, Taunsa, Guddu, Sukkur, and Kotri remain normal. Similarly, the Jhelum, Sutlej, and Kabul Rivers are flowing at expected levels without any immediate threat.

The Chenab River and its adjoining streams are also stable, with no unusual rise in water levels. However, the Ravi River is experiencing low-level flooding in the Basantar Nullah, though the main river’s flow remains normal.

Meanwhile, the hill torrents in Koh-i-Suleman and Dera Ghazi Khan Division are currently dry, posing no flood risk. With the monsoon season in full swing, the director general of the Punjab PDMA advised citizens to exercise extreme caution, especially near water bodies.

Section 144 has been imposed along rivers, canals, and streams to prevent accidents, and people have been strictly warned against swimming or bathing in these areas. Authorities have assured the public that all necessary measures are in place to handle any emergency, but residents in low-lying areas should stay alert for further updates.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2025

• 47 terrorists eliminated in two-day operation along Pak-Afghan border
• Three soldiers, woman martyred in spate of attacks in Lakki Marwat

QUETTA / LAKKI MARWAT: Security forces have thwarted yet another terrorist infiltration attempt in the Sambaza area of Balochistan’s Zhob district, eliminating 14 terrorists, the military’s media wing said on Friday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the latest action brings the total number of terrorists killed in the last two days to 47, following successful operations by security forces in Sambaza. This adds to the earlier neutralisation of 33 militants.

“Following the successful engagements by the security forces in the general area Sam­baza, Zhob district, on Aug 7-8 night, during which 33 Khwarij were sent to hell; on the night of Aug 8-9, a deliberate sanitisation operation was conducted in the surrounding areas of Sambaza along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border,” the ISPR said.

“During the conduct of the operation, 14 more Indian sponsored Khwarij were hunted down and successfully neutralised. Wea­p­ons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed Khwarij,” the ISPR said in a statement.

“The number of Khwarij killed in two days anti-infiltration operation has risen to 47,” it said, adding that the security forces “remain committed to securing the nation’s frontiers and thwarting attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Pakistan”.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday praised the security forces for eliminating 47 militants during the last two days.

The president observed that it was the biggest success of the security forces, the President’s Secretariat said in a statement, according to APP.

He reiterated the government’s resolve to eradicate terrorism, stressing that the nation stands united behind the security forces in their fight against militancy.

PM Shehbaz also praised the forces’ timely actions, which successfully foiled the militants’ infiltration attempt. “The entire nation is standing with the security forces in the fight against terrorism,” he said, reaffirming his commitment to the eradication of terrorism in all its forms from Pakistan, the PM Office said.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also paid tribute to the security forces, commending their professionalism and swift actions.

“The nation looks with admiration at the successes of the security forces against the terrorists of the Indian conspiracy. The security forces have brought the Indian-sponsored terrorists involved in spreading chaos in Balochistan to an exemplary end,” he said in a post on X.

In May, the government officially designated all terrorist organisations operating in Balo­chistan as “Fitna al-Hindustan”, aiming to highlight India’s alleged role in fomenting instability and violence in the region.

Lakki Marwat attacks

In a series of militant attacks across Lakki Marwat district, three soldiers and a woman were martyred, while three others, including two soldiers, sustained injuries, police and rescue officials said on Saturday.

The first incident took place on Friday evening in the Tatta Bash­ikhel area, where Merajuddin, a clerk in the Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan, who had been on leave for the past week, was attacked.

“The FC official and his cousin Fareedullah were sitting outside their home when two armed suspects wearing masks suddenly app­eared from the eastern side,” a police official said, quoting an FIR.

The attackers opened fire as Meraj and Fareed attempted to flee towards the house. Meraj’s wife, Nusrat Bibi, rushed out upon hearing the gunshots and attempted to shield her husband, but was also gunned down by the assailants.

Both Meraj and Nusrat were gravely wounded, and the FC personnel succumbed to his injuries on the spot, while his wife died en route to a hospital in Bannu.

Following the attack, a large police contingent was dispatched to the rural area to search for the assailants.

In another attack on Saturday, a soldier of the Frontier Corps, Sepoy Jehangir Khan, was martyred in the Mir Hazar Khanzadkhel area.

According to officials, Jehangir and his cousin Asmatullah were grazing cattle when two armed motorcyclists wearing masks opened fire on them. Jehangir was killed on the spot and his cousin was injured. The body and the injured were later transferred to the District Headquarters Hospital at Tajazai.

In yet another attack, a former soldier of the Pakistan Army, Habibullah Khan, 55, was shot dead by a group of seven militants near a rainwater course in the Ghazikhel area. The attackers, who fled towards the Karmukhel Mountain, also took away an AK-47 assault rifle from the martyred soldier.

In a separate incident, two soldiers were injured when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) near Abdulkhel on Saturday.

Officials said that the roadside bomb, planted by “terrorists from the Fitna al-Khawarij group”, exploded as the soldiers were on patrol. The injured soldiers, Mohammad Salim and Mohammad Malook, were immediately shifted to the Government City Hospital. Rescue 1122 dispatched medical teams and ambulances to the scene.

Authorities later cordoned off the area and launched a combing operation in an effort to capture the attackers.

Bannu’s Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan visited the Tatta Bashikhel area to offer his condolences to the family of the martyred FC official Merajuddin. He expressed his sorrow for the loss and assured the family that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

“The martyred security personnel are the pride of the nation and the supreme sacrifices offered by them will not go in vain,” he said.

Mr Sajjad also expressed his heartfelt condolences and sympathies with the family of martyred policeman Rukh Niaz Khan in the Kalan Tughalkhel area of Bannu.

Constable Khan had embraced martyrdom in a fierce gun battle with terrorists in the Fatehkhel area of Bannu last week.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2025