Category: Pakistan

KABUL/ISLAMABAD: Pakistani aircraft carried out strikes in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar and southern Helmand provinces before dawn on October 1, with sharply conflicting claims about the casualties from both sides.

Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed nine civilians, including women and children, were killed, 11 others wounded and three homes destroyed. He condemned the attacks as “an aggression and crime in violation of all accepted principles”.

Pakistan, however, presented a different account. Islamabad said the strikes targeted hideouts used by armed groups, including the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Pakistan’s Ministry of Information described the operation as based on “credible intelligence” and said 22 militants had been killed while weapons and ammunition caches were destroyed.

Reports emerging from the affected Afghan communities painted a starkly different picture. In Kunar province, local sources said a strike hit a civilian home in the Chaugam area of Shultan district, where six people, including four children, were killed and three others injured. The victims belonged to a poor shepherd family, according to local journalists. Resident Musafer Khan said the attack happened around 3 a.m. and that livestock were also killed.

Daily Hayat could not independently verify the conflicting claims. The strikes come amid ongoing tensions across the Durand Line, with both sides trading allegations over civilian casualties.

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday increased the price of petrol by Rs3.26 per litre while reducing the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs1.01 per litre. The revised rates are effective from Friday, October 2.

According to the Petroleum Division notification, petrol has risen from Rs387.40 to Rs390.66 per litre, while high-speed diesel has been fixed at Rs399.34 per litre, down from Rs400.35.

The adjustment was made under Pakistan’s daily petroleum pricing mechanism, in which the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) sets fuel prices based on movements in international oil prices and related import costs. The new mechanism uses a rolling seven-day average of international petroleum prices.

According to Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, the daily price fixation mechanism was introduced to pass on the impact of global market movements to consumers more quickly and transparently. Current reporting puts taxes and duties at around Rs114 per litre on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel.

The latest increase reverses the small relief announced for October 1, when petrol was reduced by just 14 paisas to Rs387.40. International oil markets remain volatile amid Middle East tensions.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday strongly condemned the attack by the Houthi militia on the Taibah power distribution station in Madinah on September 29, 2026. According to the Foreign Office, the drone attack targeted civilian infrastructure supplying electricity to the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) Mosque.

In a statement issued by Foreign Office Spokesperson Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan, the attack was described as a grave provocation and a matter of deep concern and anguish for millions of Muslims worldwide. The statement said the sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques and the safety of worshippers and pilgrims must be respected under all circumstances.

Sajad Haider Khan called for an immediate and unconditional end to such reckless actions, which he said also constituted a grave threat to regional peace and security.

He said Pakistan reaffirmed its unwavering solidarity with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and expressed its full support for the Kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security. Pakistan stood firmly with Saudi Arabia in its efforts to safeguard the Two Holy Mosques, protect its people and ensure the safety of pilgrims.

The statement concluded with Pakistan pledging to continue all efforts for achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.

ISLAMABAD: The government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opened negotiations on Friday at the National Assembly speaker’s chamber, ahead of the party’s scheduled long march towards Islamabad on October 4.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan had confirmed on Thursday that his party had accepted the government’s invitation for talks. According to him, the government’s message regarding the meeting had been received on Wednesday and was accepted in light of decisions taken during an opposition leaders’ meeting.

The six-member opposition delegation includes Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja, Amir Dogar and Haleem Adil Sheikh. The government delegation includes Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, PM’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and PPP’s Sherry Rehman, among others.

During the meeting, the interior minister presented a briefing on the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The PTI reconstituted its delegation after Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai refused to attend the meeting at the NA speaker’s chamber, saying he would attend the talks if they were held at a neutral location.

The PTI had postponed its planned long march towards Islamabad from September 27 to October 4. The party says the protest is aimed at seeking the release of its jailed founding chairman and the restoration of constitutional supremacy. Rana Sanaullah had earlier confirmed that “off-the-record” talks with PTI were underway.

The decision for talks followed a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the President House on Thursday, where the country’s overall political and security situation was discussed.