Benta News

The federal government on Friday night increased the price of petrol by Rs2.43 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs3.02 per litre for the next fortnight.

In a late-night announcement, the Ministry of Finance said the revision followed movements in international markets and recommendations from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and relevant ministries.

According to the notification, the price of petrol now stands at Rs265.45 per litre from Rs263.02 per litre. Meanwhile, the price of diesel has increased to Rs278.44 per litre from Rs275.42 per litre.

Most of the transport sec­tor runs on HSD and its price is considered inflationary as it is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles, trains and agricultural engines like trucks, buses, tractors, tube-wells and threshers and particularly adds to the prices of vegetables and other eatables.

Petrol is primarily used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws, and two-wheelers, and directly impacts the budgets of the middle and lower-middle classes.

Ogra also notified a Rs5.88 per kilogram (2.83pc) cut in LPG’s consumer price to Rs201.60 per kg (from Rs207.49 per kg).

The price of an 11.8kg cylinder has been set at Rs2,378.89 for November, down Rs69.44 from Rs2,448.53 for October. The government charges about Rs37,342 per tonne in GST and petroleum levy on LPG.

The government charges about Rs99 per litre on both petrol and diesel. Although the general sales tax (GST) is zero on all the petroleum products, the government charges Rs79.50 per litre on diesel and Rs80.52 per litre on petrol and high-octane products on account of the petrol levy and climate support levy.

It also charges about Rs17-18 per litre customs duty on petrol and HSD, irrespective of their local production or imports. In addition, about Rs17 per litre of distribution and sales margins are going to oil companies and their dealers. Petrol and HSD dominate consumption at 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes a month compared to about 10,000 tonnes for kerosene.

Petroleum levy collections reached Rs1.161 trillion in FY25 and are budgeted to rise about 27pc to Rs1.47tr in the current fiscal year.

Senior PTI leader and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was hospitalised at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute in Lahore for gallbladder stone complications, his daughter stated on Friday.

Shah Mahmood has been indicted in multiple cases pertaining to the May 9, 2023 riots and has remained behind bars since August 2023. In July 2024, the PTI leader was indicted by a Lahore anti-terrorism court in a case registered by the Shadman police over allegedly attacking and burning the police station.

Meher Bano Qureshi took to X today to announce that the PTI leader was undergoing baseline tests for the stones, which he had “lived with … for years”.

“In 2023, while incarcerated in Adiala Jail, doctors had advised surgery after his condition deteriorated. He chose not to undergo any procedures, then unwilling to do so while in solitary confinement,” she wrote.

“Since then, the stones have increased in size and surgery is now unavoidable. We await the doctors’ final report and a confirmed date for the operation,” Meher Bano added.

She added that Shah Mahmood also had a “cardiac emergency” while imprisoned at Kot Lakhpat Jail near Lahore earlier this year.

“What remains deeply painful is knowing that he is not alone in this suffering,” Meher Bano wrote. “Every single PTI leader and worker who has endured imprisonment over the past year has faced serious health consequences under inhumane and unjust conditions.

“Many continue to battle the effects of prolonged confinement, neglect and isolation … some of our workers have also lost their lives whilst unjustly imprisoned,” she added.

Former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry also took to X and wrote that Shah Mahmood has been in the hospital for several days and was visited by family members and constituents.

“If the PTI leadership can’t even go to inquire about him, then saying that we shouldn’t even visit him is strange logic,” Chaudhry wrote. “We have not only met Shah Mahmood Qureshi but also met workers and leadership in Kot Lakhpat Jail.”

Posts from multiple social media users, including PTI supporters, shared an image on social media platform X on October 29, 2025, allegedly showing a ‘Move on Pakistan’ banner of Field Marshal Asim Munir with text referring to his tenure. However, the poster is doctored.

In September 2025, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan said that the tenure of the army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, would end in 2027 and a decision whether to extend it or not will be taken at that time.

He said that earlier, the army chief’s term comprised four years, and it was reduced to three years before it was extended to five years. The army chief’s tenure and extension have been under discussion for a while.

In 2024, the government extended the tenure of the chiefs of the army, navy and air force from three to five years under the Pakistan Army Amendment Act 2024. The hasty passage of the law was severely criticised by opposition parties such as the PTI and Jamaat-i-Islami, with even the PPP, a federal coalition partner of the PML-N, also later distancing itself from the development.

On Oct 29, a user who appears to be a PTI supporter based on his previous posts, shared an image on X showing a banner featuring Field Marshal Munir with the text: “For God’s sake, let go of the talk about leaving“, while questioning the authenticity of the banner.

The post was captioned: “Is this panaflex really hanging on Rawalpindi Murree Road? Need guidance from friends in Rawalpindi. A friend sent this picture from Pindi, which I didn’t believe, and now he has sent it again at night.”

The post gained over 51,100 views.

Mirza Shehzad Akbar, former adviser to ex-PM Imran Khan on accountability and interior, also shared the same image of the banner featuring COAS Munir and compared it with similar banners of former army chief Raheel Sharif, captioning it: “Nothing has changed in ten years! Not even the poster.”

That post received 66,000 views.

The same image, along with similar claims, was also shared by several other PTI supporters on X as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here, collectively garnering more than 62,000 views.

Except for one, none of these posts mentioned anything about the location where the alleged poster was seen or provided any other contextual information or alternate pictures.

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and keen public interest in the matter.

A keyword search conducted to corroborate whether such a poster was reported about by credible mainstream news outlets did not yield any reports or other images and videos from different angles and viewpoints from the public or media outlets on any such alleged banner.

Observing the image closely revealed visual inconsistencies. The English text at the bottom right of the banner is not decipherable and appears to be gibberish — a common feature of text generated using AI.

The same is also the case with the text on the logo inscribed on the banner. Moreover, the edges appear smudged, and the internal text looks half-rendered or fuzzy, typical of AI-generated symbols.

This is in contrast to similar posters featuring former army chief Gen (r) Raheel Sharif that were hung in major cities in 2016 by Move on Pakistan, a political party established in 2013 by a businessman from Faisalabad and working for education, health and peace. The posts were also reported about by mainstream news outlets such as Dawn, Express Tribune, Dunya News and Al Arabiya English.

The posters were strung up in the year that the former army chief retired at the end of.

The current banner featuring Field Marshal Munir follows the same design. However, in the original post showing Gen Sharif, the text on the banner reads coherently and says: “Education”, “health” and “peace”.

Analysing the current image through verification tools for potential manipulation showed that AIorNot flagged the photo as likely created using artificial intelligence.

Only one of the numbers mentioned on the banner picked up when called for corroboration with the person on the end of the line denying having printed the poster or having anything to do with it. He said the poster circulating on social media was likely AI-generated and he would publicly address the matter as well.

Dawn correspondents in major cities across Pakistan — Imran Gabol in Lahore, Malik Asad in Islamabad, Tahir Naseer in Rawalpindi, Abdullah Zehri in Quetta, Zahid Imdad in Peshawar and Imtiaz Ali in Karachi — also confirmed that they hadn’t seen the posters in their respective cities or heard about them.

Lastly, a keyword search yielded a November 8, 2022, fact-check report by Geo Fact Check titled: “Fact-check: Posters requesting army chief to seek extension are fake”.

The report showed that manipulation of the original Gen Sharif poster is not a new phenomenon and was done previously as well with the image of former army chief Gen (r) Qamar Javed Bajwa crudely doctored onto the original banner and shared in the same way as the current one featuring Field Marshal Munir.

Therefore, the fact-check determined that the claim that a viral image shows a ‘Move on Pakistan’ banner of Field Marshal Asim Munir is false. The poster is doctored.

This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.

At least 13 people, including two police officials, were injured as two separate attacks were reported in Balochistan on Wednesday, according to local officials.

A grenade attack on a police mobile was reported along the national highway in the province’s Dera Murad Jamali area, which injured 13 people, including 2 officers.

According to police officials, unknown suspects attacked the vehicle while it was patrolling along the highway.

Immediately after the attack, police and law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and started an investigation into the incident, while security in the area was tightened.

Civil Hospital Dera Murad Jamali Medical Superintendent Dr Naseer Ahmed Imrani confirmed that 13 people, including two policemen, were injured in the attack and transported to the facility.

“A woman and two children are also among the injured, who are being provided medical assistance,” Imrani said. “The police have started investigating the incident.”

Meanwhile, Nasirabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ghulam Sarwar Bhiyo told local journalists that unidentified suspects fired four rockets at Jaffar Express on the railway track near Nutal.

“The attack was on the Jaffar Express, but fortunately, there was no loss of life,” he said. “FC and police personnel immediately retaliated, as a result of which the attackers fled the scene.”

Police officials said that the incident took place at Altafabad, where four rockets were fired, but the train safely reached Dera Murad Jamali railway station.

Security forces reached the area and established a cordon to sanitise the incident site.

“The Jaffar Express and Bolan Mail have been sent to Jacobabad after clearance from Dera Murad Jamali,” SSP Bhiyo said. “After the incident, security forces have further tightened security around the railway track.”

The Sindh government has introduced a new e-challan system that aims to improve the city’s traffic while minimising the traffic police’s interaction with the public.

Under the new system inaugurated recently, at least 5,500 challans have already been issued to traffic rule violators throughout the city. Here is what you need to know about the system.

What is the e-challan system?

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Admin Karachi Traffic Police Kashif explained that the system has been introduced as part of the Karachi Safe City Project.

A total of 1,076 cameras have been installed on main thoroughfares in the first phase.

When phase 2 and 3 of the initiative are completed, up to 12,000 cameras will have been installed in all areas of Karachi as well as on toll plazas.

Once a challan is initiated, it will be sent via Pakistan Post to an address linked to the number plate issued by the Sindh Excise and Taxation Department.

While the total time to pay off the challan is 21 days, if it is paid within 14 days, the violator would get a 50 per cent waiver on the amount.

However, failure to pay within 21 days will result in the total amount being doubled on the 22nd day.

How can you appeal?

If you believe you’ve been fined unfairly, there’s a system to file an appeal as well.

Desks have been established across 11 police stations across the city in case you believe you’ve been charged with a challan despite not breaking any traffic rules. The addresses of the said stations can be found on the back of the challan itself.

Once you file a complaint, a token will be issued while a committee of three members will review the appeal.

The committee, established in every district, is led by a senior superintendent of police (SSP) and includes a senior police official and one offcial from the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC).

The CPLC is a non-political statutory organisation that provides community safety and crime prevention services in Sindh.

If your appeal is successful — the processing of which will take three to four days — the challan will be removed from the system. During the process, the timer of 21 days for challan payment remains on pause.

What if you don’t pay the challan?

Failure to pay the challan in three months can result in suspension of one’s driving license.

If the traffic tickets remain unpaid for 6 months, the National Database and Registration Authority will be approached, for blocking of Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC). Nadra will notify the traffic rule violator, and if the challan still remains unpaid, the CNIC can be blocked by the authority.

Moreover, a demerit points system has been built into the e-challan process to further discourage transgression of traffic laws. Every violation a vehicle driver commits will have a demerit point, with 30 demerit points in a year resulting in driving license suspension.

While the mechanism is currently only operational for number plates registered in Sindh, discussions are underway to include vehicles from other provinces.

‘Fear, responsibility, accountability’

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Traffic Karachi Pir Mohammed Shah told Dawn.com, “This system represents a significant milestone in ensuring compliance with traffic laws and enhancing effective monitoring.”

He said the e-challan system is built on the principles of fear, responsibility, and accountability — fear of being captured by cameras, the responsibility that arises from that awareness, and the accountability that comes with knowing that any violation will be recorded and acted upon.

Unlike the previous manual system, where discretion rested with individual officers on the road, the new digital process ensures complete transparency and uniform enforcement, added the traffic police chief.

In addition, citizens can make use of the Trax4Citizens App, available on the Sindh Police website.

The app can be found on the main page (bottom right corner). To download and access it, users simply need to enter their CNIC, mobile number, and e-mail address.

Once registered, the app displays all vehicles registered under the CNIC, along with details of violations and warnings issued against them.

“The application not only allows users to track the status of their challans but also serves as an educational tool, helping citizens understand their driving patterns and avoid future violations,” said the senior traffic cop.

By studying the warnings generated by the system, users can become more aware and responsible drivers, contributing to safer roads for all, said DIG Shah.

“With public cooperation, this system will continue to improve further,” he said, urging citizens to follow traffic rules strictly so that the city’s traffic flow can be improved and road accidents reduced.

President Donald Trump on Monday declined to dismiss speculation that he would seek a third term and said he hadn’t considered whether he would go to court to contest the US constitution’s two-term limit for presidents.

Here is a look at the legal barriers Trump faces.

What does the US constitution say?

The 22nd Amendment states in part: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”

The amendment was ratified in 1951 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt broke with a self-imposed two-term limit set by presidents since George Washington, the nation’s first.

Roosevelt, a Democrat who was president during the Great Depression and World War Two, served a third term and then died months into his fourth term in 1945.

Wayne Unger, a law professor at Quinnipiac University, said the Constitution was clear that presidents are limited to two terms of four years each. He said that while that had not been tested in court, any challenge by Trump would likely be unsuccessful.

“I would predict the Supreme Court to say nope, it’s clear, two terms of four years each, Donald Trump, you cannot run for a third,” said Unger, who teaches constitutional law.

Can Trump’s allies change the constitution?

Yes, but that is highly unlikely in an era of intense political polarisation between Democrats and Trump’s Republican Party.

Any constitutional amendment would require two-thirds support in the House and Senate or a convention called by two-thirds of the states, and then ratification by 38 of the 50 state legislatures.

Republicans hold a razor-thin 219-213 majority in the House and a 53-47 majority in the Senate. Republicans control 28 state legislatures.

Andy Ogles, a Republican US representative from Tennessee and a strong Trump supporter, in January proposed amending the 22nd Amendment to allow people to serve three non-consecutive terms as president.

Since Trump’s terms beginning in 2017 and in 2025 were non-consecutive, the amendment, if passed, would allow him to serve a third term starting in 2029.

Could Trump run as vice president?

Trump dismissed on Monday the idea that he could run as vice president and then have the candidate for president resign after taking office, which would return Trump to the presidency.

“I’d be allowed to do that,” Trump said in an exchange with reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Tokyo from Malaysia.

But he added: “I think the people wouldn’t like that. It’s too cute.”

However, Trump is barred from running for vice president because he is not eligible to be president.

The 12th Amendment to the US Constitution reads, “No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.”

Top Chinese and US economic officials on Sunday hashed out the framework of a trade deal for US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to decide on later this week that would pause steeper American tariffs and Chinese rare earths export controls, US officials said.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur had eliminated the threat of Trump’s 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports starting November 1. Bessent said he expects China to delay implementation of its rare earth minerals and magnets licensing regime by a year while the policy is reconsidered.

Chinese officials were more circumspect about the talks and offered no details about the outcome of the meetings.

Trump and Xi are due to meet on Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea to sign off on the terms. While the White House has officially announced the highly anticipated Trump-Xi talks, China has yet to confirm that the two leaders will meet.

“I think we have a very successful framework for the leaders to discuss on Thursday,” Bessent told reporters after he and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and top trade negotiator Li Chenggang for a fifth round of in-person discussions since May.

Bessent said he anticipates that a tariff truce with China will be extended beyond its November 10 expiration date, and that China will revive substantial purchases of US soybeans after buying none in September in favour of soybeans from Brazil and Argentina.

US soybean farmers “will feel very good about what’s going on both for this season and the coming seasons for several years” once the deal’s terms are announced, Bessent told the ABC programme ‘This Week’.

Greer told the ‘Fox News Sunday’ programme that both sides agreed to pause some punitive actions and found “a path forward where we can have more access to rare earths from China, we can try to balance out our trade deficit with sales from the United States”.

Chinese caution

China’s Li Chenggang said the two sides reached a “preliminary consensus” and will next go through their respective internal approval processes.

“The US position has been tough,” Li said. “We have experienced very intense consultations and engaged in constructive exchanges in exploring solutions and arrangements to address these concerns.”

Trump arrived in Malaysia on Sunday for a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, his first stop in a five-day Asia tour that is expected to culminate in a face-to-face with Xi in South Korea on Thursday.

After the talks, Trump struck a positive tone, saying: “I think we’re going to have a deal with China”.

Trump threatened new 100pc tariffs on Chinese goods and other trade curbs starting on November 1, in retaliation for China’s expanded export controls on rare earth magnets and minerals.

China and the United States rolled back most of their triple-digit tariffs on each other’s goods under a trade truce due to expire on November 10.

The US and Chinese officials said that in addition to rare earths, they discussed trade expansion, the US fentanyl crisis, US port entrance fees and the transfer of TikTok to US ownership control.

Bessent told NBC’s “Meet the Press” programme that the two sides have to iron out details of the TikTok deal, allowing Trump and Xi to “consummate the transaction” in South Korea.

Talking points

On the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, Trump hinted at possible meetings with Xi in China and the United States.

“We’ve agreed to meet. We’re going to meet them later in China, and we’re going to meet in the US, in either Washington or at Mar-a-Lago,” Trump said.

Among Trump’s talking points with Xi are Chinese purchases of US soybeans, concerns around democratically governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, and the release of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

The detention of the founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily has become the most high-profile example of China’s crackdown on rights in Hong Kong.

Trump also said that he will seek China’s help in US dealings with Moscow, as Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on.

Fragile truce

Tensions between the world’s two largest economies flared in the past few weeks as a delicate trade truce, reached after a first round of trade talks in Geneva in May and extended in August, failed to prevent the United States and China from hitting each other with more sanctions, export curbs and threats of stronger retaliatory measures.

China’s expanded controls of rare earths exports have caused a global shortage. That has prompted the United States to consider a block on software-powered exports to China, from laptops to jet engines, according to a Reuters report.

Veteran Bollywood comedy actor Govardhan Asrani died after a prolonged illness on Monday at the age of 84, Indian media outlets reported.

A post on his Instagram account confirmed his demise, saying: “The news of the demise of Asrani ji, the king of laughter, ruling over millions of hearts has immersed us all in deep sorrow. He gave a new identity to Indian cinema with his unique acting, simplicity and humor. The life they put into every character, will live in our memories forever. Their departure is not just for the film industry, but the loss of everyone who ever smiled at their acting.”

Indian wire agency ANI reported that his last rites were performed at Santacruz Crematorium in the presence of his family.

His manager, Babu Bhai Thiba, told the outlet that Asrani died at 3pm at Arogya Nidhi Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra. “He is survived by his wife, sister, and nephew,” the manager added.

The outlet added that over his long and successful career, Asrani became one of Hindi cinema’s “most loved faces” who became known for his “perfect comic timing and screen presence”, adding that he appeared in over 350 films across five decades.

It added that he began his career in the 1960s and reached his peak in the 1970s, “when he became one of the most dependable character actors of the time”.

The media outlet further said that among his “most memorable roles” were in Mere Apne, Koshish, Bawarchi, Parichay, Abhimaan, Chupke Chupke, Chhoti Si Baat and Rafoo Chakkar while among his hit films were Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Dhamaal, Bunty Aur Babli 2, R… Rajkumar, All The Best and Welcome, among others.

“However, one of his most iconic performances remains his role as the eccentric jail warden in the 1975 classic Sholay, which became a part of Indian pop culture and is still remembered today,” the report added.

The Indian Express reported that he was born in Jaipur on January 1, 1941. It added that while reflecting on the “enduring appeal” of his Sholay character, Asrani told the BBC earlier this year, “As Sholay completes 50 years, I can tell you — there has not been a single function or event where I haven’t been asked to recite those dialogues. It’s all because of Sippy saab’s direction and the writing of Salim-Javed. I got a chance to learn how to truly prepare for a role, and what a lesson it was. I salute Ramesh Sippy saab, I salute Salim-Javed saab. Even after 50 years, people still remember that role and those lines by heart.”

Various Indian celebrities paid tribute to the actor on his passing and told about the impact he left on them.

Pakistan bowler Rameen Shamim said on Monday that although the weather was out of their control, the team was trying their best to make the semi-finals ahead of their pivotal South Africa ICC Women’s World Cup encounter on Tuesday.

Monsoon rains in Colombo have seen Pakistan’s last two matches end in washouts against England and New Zealand, respectively, costing the team a chance to pick up more points in their last-four push.

The washed-out New Zealand fixture on Saturday saw South Africa become the second team to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament, with the Green Shirts still searching for their first win.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Colombo, Rameen said: “Yeah, obviously, rain is not in our control. We cannot control the weather. Yeah, unfortunately, we are upset because we were up to the mark against England.

“… But we are confident because we played some good cricket in the last two matches. And now we have to play against South Africa and Sri Lanka.”

The off-spinner added that playing a series against South Africa in the lead-up to the World Cup would come in handy going into the Tuesday clash.

“We are really prepared against them because we have played a series against South Africa before this World Cup. So, we know what to do in the next two matches, and our aim is just to win those two matches,” she said.

The Green Shirts played a home series in Lahore in September against the Proteas, where they lost the first two games before beating the visitors in the final ODI on a spin-friendly track.

They also faced each other in a World Cup practice match in Colombo ahead of the tournament itself, where the Proteas won by four wickets.

Although the conditions at the R. Pramedasa Stadium have been seamer-friendly, the pitch has seen turn later in the innings and with the pitches getting older as the tournament progresses — Pakistan will be looking for a spin-friendly pitch like Lahore from last month.

The Pakistan bowler added that although the circumstances for the semis were not in their control, adding, “We just want to win those upcoming matches and just leave our mark.”

South African pacer Masabata Klaas also alluded to the challenge Pakistan posed going into the encounter.

“Oh, obviously Pakistan is [a] strong team. We cannot just go there and think that we’re just going to walk in the park. But then one thing that’s going to work for us is to stick to basics and do what we’ve been doing from day one of the World Cup,” the right-arm medium pacer said.

She added that her side would not be taking the Green Shirts for granted.

The Proteas go into the clash with a result in a rain-affected encounter in Colombo against Sri Lanka — where they won by 10 wickets in a 20-over contest.

For Pakistan, their skipper Fatima Sana’s form with the ball has been a positive going into this must-win encounter. The right-arm pacer has taken nine wickets at an outstanding average of 16 so far.

The Women in Green will also be looking for the weather to relent in the Sri Lankan capital, which caused their pre-match practice session to be moved indoors yet again — at an alternate venue near the Sinhalese Sports Club.

What needs to fire for the Green Shirts is their batting, which again faltered in their stop-start clash against New Zealand — with the scoreline at 92-5 with half their batting innings to go.

A much improved batting performance — and results from the rest of the World Cup matches somehow going in their favour is what the Green Shirts need to sneak past the rains and book a berth in the semi-finals.

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, causing no damage,” he said.

The RPO added that the attackers fled after the attempt and a search operation to hunt them was under way.

Pakistan has lately been witnessing an uptick in terrorist activities, mainly in KP and Balochistan. In November 2022, the TTP, after breaking a ceasefire deal with the government, had vowed to escalate attacks against the security forces, the police, and other law enforcement agencies’ personnel.

On Friday night, police intercepted an explosive-laden rickshaw in the Bannu district, killing three terrorists and foiling a potential suicide attack on a police post in Mazanga in the jurisdiction of the Havaid police station.

On Saturday, unkn­own assailants launched a rocket and gun attack on the Azam Warsak police station in South Waziristan’s

According to police, the attackers targeted the police station from multiple directions, but the police and the FC personnel responded swiftly, forcing the assailants to flee. No casualties were reported in the incident.

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 family who has always believed in peace, non-violence, patience and tolerance and political values ​​and traditions”.

“The government has completely failed to protect the lives and property of citizens, and such incidents clearly indicate this failure,” the statement added, further calling the murder “a deep shock for the […] people and political classes of entire Balochistan”.

“Such violent incidents are conspiracies of anti-peace elements who are enemies of peace, development and political stability in Balochistan,” the NP said.

PPP leader Haji Ali Madad Jattak and adviser to the CM Dr Rubaba Khan Buledi also condemned the killing, calling it a “tragic and alarming incident” that threatened the peace of the entire province.

Today’s incident comes around two months after another brother of Rehmat Saleh Baloch was injured in an attack at the Quetta-Karachi National Highway near Mastung. He was travelling along with the Panjgur deputy commissioner, who was killed in the attack.

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 ruling allies issuing counter-accusations almost on a daily basis. Earlier in October, PPP walked out of Senate and National Assembly sessions to protest what it called insults from Punjab’s PML-N leadership over the controversial Cholistan canal project and criticism of the PPP’s Sindh administration.

Today’s CEC meeting was held on the 18th anniversary of the 2007 Karsaz bombing when twin blasts ripped through the homecoming procession of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, killing over 180 people.

PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and PPP leader Nadeem Afzal Chan addressed a press conference after the meeting, where Rehman said the PPP chairman discussed the use of BISP to disburse flood relief funds to those affected by flooding.

“The world recognises BISP and knows that those affected by flooding need immediate assistance at their doorstep,” the senator said. “If their doorstep has been washed away, then the aid can be directly disbursed into their account.”

“We have demanded that the first tranche of aid be disbursed. Rather than engaging in political mudslinging, the government should review how we immediately distributed aid through BISP during the 2022 floods,” she added.

“We want the federal government to take notice of Chairman Bilawal’s demands and disburse aid to affected areas.”

Chan added that the party has decided to give the federal government more time to fulfil its demands, including the use of BISP to provide flood relief funds to those affected by the deluge in Punjab.

Other demands included changes to the system for electing local government bodies in Punjab, addressing rising energy costs and the import of crops.

“There are some promises that the prime minister promised to fulfil during our last meeting,” Chan stated. “He said, ‘these are the people’s issues’ and requested time. Today, at the CEC, the president and chairman delivered a full briefing and the meeting decided to give the [PML-N] leadership more time.”

However, our demands, which are those of the public, still stand,“ he added. “When we have our next CEC, hopefully in a few months, then we will review the situation.”

On Thursday, the PPP leadership met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other PML-N leaders, with the ruling party saying it valued and respected its coalition ally.

“The prime minister has agreed to utilise BISP for helping flood victims and that the PPP will be taken on board while decision-making about flood victims and farmers,” Chan told Dawn after Thursday’s meeting.

Chan said the PM had agr­eed to all the PPP’s demands “as they were justified and logical”.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday and said that the PML-N valued and respected its relationship with its coalition partner.

The parties are partners in the federation, though the PPP does not have a presence in the cabinet. Ties between the allies came under immense strain recently as they were engaged in a war of words over flood relief, as Bilawal asserted that the Benazir Income Support Programme was the “sole method” of providing relief to those affected by floods in the country, while Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz accused his party of “politicising” the issue.

Concerted efforts were made by leading figures, such as the premier and President Asif Ali Zardari, who stepped in to defuse tensions, with the latter also calling on Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to play his role for a possible rapprochement. PM Shehbaz and Bilawal had a phone call last week in which they discussed the “country’s prevailing political situation”.

A statement issued by the PPP today said a senior delegation led by Bilawal met PM Shehbaz with federal ministers and PML-N bigwigs in attendance as well.

It said the meeting involved discussions on the overall situation and political landscape of the country.

“The PPP is our allied party, and we view our relationship with it with respect and value,” the statement quoted PM Shehbaz as telling the delegation.

It added that PPP delegation also paid tribute to the prime minister for Pakistan’s role in the Gaza peace agreement.

After last week’s high-level engagement between the PML-N and PPP, an eme­r­ging thaw temporarily paused the political firestorm between the two parties, along with the Afghan conflict seemingly overshadowing the issue over the weekend.

The phone call between PM Shehbaz and Bilawal sparked hopes of reconciliation, although sources suggested the truce appeared to be temporary — more like a ‘pact of silence’ rather than a complete ceasefire.

According to insiders, the tensions that ignited the dispute are still simmering beneath the surface.

Although the intensity of the growing divide between the two sides appeared to have significantly diminished following these high-level engagements, sources said the underlying disagreements remained.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday expressed a lack of confidence in the 48-hour ceasefire agreed between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as the latter has become a “proxy of Delhi”.

Today’s fighting was the third major skirmish between Pakistan and Afghanistan within a week, following the incident in Kurram last night and earlier skirmishes that began on Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning at several locations.

Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada ke Saath’ on Wednesday night, the defence minister said that the Afghan Taliban are “fighting a proxy war” on behalf of India and stated that they have become a “stooge” for New Delhi.

“I have my doubts that the ceasefire will hold, because the [Afghan] Taliban are being sponsored by Delhi,” he added. “Right now, Kabul is fighting a proxy war for Delhi.”

Asif reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness and capability to defend itself in the face of further aggression from Kabul.

“We have the capability and we will attack them, God willing, if they escalate or widen the radius of this war,” he said. “There have been deep strikes in Afghanistan and a ceasefire was agreed on after the intervention of friendly countries, but it is fragile. I don’t believe this will last long.”

However, Asif added that in this situation, Pakistan will respond positively to any constructive dialogue, but will not tolerate ceasefire violations or attacks on its territory.

“If they bombard our border areas or attack our posts, then we have to respond in kind,” he explained. “We do not want to fight, but if we are attacked, we have the right to respond.”

The defence minister also said that the situation along the Afghan border was in line with the FO’s communique about a ceasefire, but spoke about disinformation emerging from Afghanistan following the clashes today.

“I endorse the 48-hour ceasefire, but there has been a wave of lies coming from Kabul,” he said. “They are showing videos claiming they have captured a Pakistani tank; we do not have those tanks in our inventory. They probably bought it from some junk dealer.”

When asked about the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) role, Asif did not provide specific details but said Pakistan “has the right and the capability to bomb or attack any part of Afghanistan”.

To a question about whether the mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia could come into play here, the minister said friendly countries will “effectively intervene” but noted that it is speculation at present.

Islamabad has repeatedly called on Kabul to bar terrorist groups from using its territory to attack Pakistan, however, Afghanistan denies the allegations and claims Afghan soil is not used for attacks on neighbouring countries.

The issue of terrorists using Afghan soil against Pakistan has long strained ties between the two countries and the ties seem to have nose-dived with recent increase in hostilities at the border.

The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday night issued a strongly-worded statement telling Afghanistan to focus on issues pertinent to itself and not to interfere in Islamabad’s internal affairs.

The FO was responding to a statement by Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid slamming the police crackdown on the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

The TLP, which began its protest march in Lahore on Friday, was planning to reach Islamabad and stage a demonstration in support of Gaza and Palestine outside the US embassy. On Monday, police and law enforcement agencies launched an early-morning operation to disperse the protesters, who were encamped in Muridke. The clashes left a police officer and four civilians dead, including three TLP workers.

Mujahid issued a statement earlier today in which Kabul expressed its condolences and said it was “profoundly saddened” by the violence and deaths and noted that the demonstrations were carried out “in accordance with the country’s legal framework”.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and to the entire nation of Pakistan, and we wish a swift recovery to those who have been wounded,” Mujahid’s statement read.

“We urge the Pakistani government and its ruling authorities to cease any further acts of violence against their people and to pursue resolution through dialogue and mutual understanding.”

In response, the FO took to X and acknowledged the statement, urging Kabul to “prioritise issues pertinent to Afghanistan and refrain from commenting on matters outside their jurisdiction”.

“The principle of non-interference in matters of other countries should be adhered to as per international diplomatic norms. Pakistan does not require outside advice on its internal matters,” the FO wrote.

It also urged Kabul to abide by its obligations to the international community under the Doha Process and to “not allow its land to be used for terrorism against other countries”.

“Besides, the regime should focus on [the] formation of an inclusive and truly representative government, instead of engaging in baseless propaganda,” the FO concluded.

The latest hearing of cases against Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) chief Dr Mahrang Baloch and other group leaders was held in Quetta District Jail instead of an anti-terrorism court (ATC), it emerged on Sunday, with the advocacy group terming the development a “disturbing display of institutionalised repression”.

The BYC, a Baloch advocacy group working against enforced disappearances since 2018, posted in a statement on X that the judicial remand of the detained BYC leaders was further extended for ten days.

Mahrang and other BYC leaders, including Sibghatullah Baloch, Beebow Baloch, Beebarg Baloch and Gulzadi Baloch, were arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO) in March and have remained in custody since then, being remanded multiple times.

Israr Baloch, the counsel for Mahrang, confirmed Saturday’s developments to Dawn.com. The case was heard by Judge Muhammad Ali Mobin of ATC-1, he said.

“Instead of presenting the BYC leaders in ATC-1, the BYC legal team was summoned to District Jail Quetta, where the cases were heard,” Israr said.

“During the hearing, the prosecutor could not submit the challan, due to which the charges could not be framed against the detained BYC leader and nor could a formal trial be initiated,” he added.

The hearing was adjourned until October 18 and Judge Mobin ordered the prosecution to submit a challan by then, he said.

Earlier, the BYC said in its X post that the shift to “jail hearings marks a grave and deliberate attempt to suppress transparency, exclude public scrutiny, and further institutionalise the criminalisation of peaceful political dissent in Balochistan.

“By moving the proceedings behind prison walls, the state effectively bars families, journalists, and neutral observers from witnessing the process which is a direct violation of Pakistan’s own constitution and international standards on fair trial and due process.”

BYC leaders’ arrest

Mahrang, along with other BYC members, was arrested on March 22 on allegations of “attacking” the Quetta Civil Hospital and “inciting people to violence”. The arrests were made a day after the group faced a police crackdown while protesting against alleged enforced disappearances.

She was taken into custody under Section 3 of the Mainte­nance of Public Order (MPO) — a law that empowers authorities to arrest and detain individuals suspected of posing a threat to public order — for a period of 30 days (first term). Thereafter, her detention was extended for an additional 30 days (second term) through a decision of the Balochistan Home Department in April.

After the BYC leaders had completed three months in custody in June, the provincial government issued a fourth extension order, extending their imprisonment by another 15 days.

Following their detention under the MPO, cases were also registered against Mahrang and other BYC leaders under different sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Pakistan Penal Code.

Former US president Joe Biden is undergoing radiation and hormone therapy to fight prostate cancer that was revealed in May, a spokesperson said Saturday.

“As part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, President Biden is currently undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment,” the spokesperson said.

In May, the 82-year-old ex-president’s office announced that Biden had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that spread to his bones after he experienced urinary symptoms and a prostate nodule was found.

“Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places,” Biden, whose son Beau Biden died of cancer in 2015, said at the time in a post on X. “Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.“

Biden’s health had been in the spotlight due to a new book detailing his declining health as he campaigned last year for a second presidential term against Donald Trump.

In July 2024, Biden announced he was dropping out of the race after a disastrous debate performance against Trump and endorsed his vice president Kamala Harris for the presidency. She went on to lose to Trump, who began his second term in January.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, according to the American Cancer Society. It is particularly common in the elderly — around 80 per cent of men over 80 have some cancerous cells in their prostate gland, research has estimated.

While it is highly treatable if discovered early, it is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, the organisation said. Hormone therapy is a common treatment that can shrink tumours and slow cancer growth, but it is not a cure.

Trump, 79, the oldest person ever elected president, underwent his second medical checkup of the year on Friday and his doctor declared him to be in “excellent overall health“.

Multiple people were dead or missing after a massive blast rocked a US explosives factory on Friday, sending emergency responders rushing to the site and prompting official warnings for the public to avoid the area, authorities said.

“We can confirm there has been an explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems in the Bucksnort area,” located in Hickman County, Tennessee, the local sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook.

“Emergency services are currently on the scene working to address the situation,” it added.

The mayor’s office in Hickman County told AFP that it could not immediately confirm any fatalities or the cause of the explosion.

Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates told CNN the plant did not have a history of safety problems, although there was a small ammunition explosion there in 2014. That incident killed one person and injured three, according to the Tennessean newspaper.

However, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis reported “some” fatalities and added that several people were missing in the “very devastating blast” that engulfed an entire building at the facility.

“We do have several people at this time that’s unaccounted for. We are trying to be mindful of families and that situation,” Davis said. “We do have some that are deceased. But we’re going to go back and, like I say, talk to these families, notify these families.”

Davis said authorities had secured the area, but warned of the possibility of smaller explosions around the site.

Accurate Energetic Systems, an explosives manufacturer founded in 1980, develops, manufactures and stores explosives for “military, aerospace, and commercial demolition markets,” according to the company’s website.

The 1,300-acre headquarters in Bucksnort, Tennessee, includes eight production buildings and a quality lab.

It did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he spoke to United States President Donald Trump on Thursday, adding that they “reviewed good progress achieved in trade negotiations” and agreed to stay in close touch over the coming weeks.

Indian commerce ministry officials have said that after the latest meetings of trade officials in Washington, another round of trade negotiations is expected soon in either country.

Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on most exports from India, among the highest for any US trading partner. The move impacts about $50 billion of Indian exports to the US, mainly hurting labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, gems and jewellery and the shrimp industry.

The tariffs were doubled on Indian goods from 25pc due to New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil.

Washington earlier said India’s purchase of Russian oil helped fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine and that New Delhi also profits from it. India had rejected the accusation as a double standard, pointing to US and European trade links with Russia.

To offset the impact of tariffs, Modi cut taxes on everything from shampoos to cars last month in the biggest tax overhaul since 2017, even as India continues to spend aggressively on infrastructure projects.

About one-fifth of India’s total exports in 2024 went to the United States. The new tariffs affect about three-quarters of all Indian goods exported there.

Zoofishan Ayyaz already knows who’ll be on the women’s national cricket team in the coming years. She, for one, hopes to make it. The dream could very well be a reality given that she captained the Strikers to a four-wicket win against the Conquerors in the National Women’s Under-19 T20 Tournament final, and a performance that saw her take the player-of-the-match award. But she knows, with the firmest of convictions, that the cohort of teenage girls she plays with and against will be the future of women’s cricket in Pakistan

“I’m telling you, in the coming times, cricket is about to change so much. We have incredible talent coming up,” Zoofi, as she is known to her teammates, told Dawn.com.

“You’re going to see players that make you say ‘wow, Pakistan has this kind of talent’?”

Over at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Pakistan recorded their third straight loss in the ICC Women’s World Cup match as they struggled against defending champions Australia. But the 18-year-old from Wah Cantt exuded confidence as she analysed her team’s performance throughout the tournament and was already preparing for a win against Bangladesh in the upcoming series. “It was a batter’s pitch, but the bowlers gave it their best effort too.”

Now in her fourth year playing domestic cricket, Zoofi has seen “zameen asmaan ka farq” from when she first began. “There’s so much competition now that I keep reminding myself to pull up my socks,” she laughed as she twiddled the gold medal hanging around her neck.

“But it’s great that there’s so much competition now, and it’s hopefully these players that will basically make it to the main team.”

It was evident in the mix of disbelief and quiet confidence the girls exuded that they were running head-on to the goals that once stood as distant dreams.

Aqsa Habib almost refused to collect her Player of the Tournament trophy after being glued in place by the shock of her accolade.

“I didn’t even believe it when they called my name out, because they didn’t mention it before, they just gave me a surprise!” the 17-year-old Strikers player from Lahore said. She was player-of-the-match in Monday’s semi-final against the Challengers.

“Heading into this tournament, my main goal was to just give it my best, and I’ve done that in every match,” Aqsa said. “From where to where God has taken me, even I can’t believe it.”

She admitted that playing concurrently to Pakistan’s match against Australia was inspiring but came with an immense amount of legwork.

“Obviously it’s great to think about this kind of stuff, but there’s a lot of hard work that goes into it, which is what we need to do to get to that level. The more we work hard, the closer we are to getting there.”

For now, her support system, that is her team-mates and parents and their prayers, is who she credits for today’s win.

“This team has given incredible support. We had this sort of bond to cover for each other, and I think it’s this team unity that made us win.”

“Manifestation, I’m telling you,” one of her team-mates chimed in. “Before the semi-finals we wrote it down that we would win, and now we’ve won!”

There was a sense of sportsmanship — and handshakes —that went well beyond the players’ years. Zoofi made it a point to acknowledge the fight the Conquerors put up as she gave a winning speech as captain and referred to them as the runners-up team instead of the losing team.

Maheen Irfan of the Conquerors, a right-arm leg spinner, said: “We wanted to win, but they played better today, so it was theirs to win.”

She knew where they were lacking — “we had dot balls and a lot of misfielding, which we shouldn’t have done in the final” — but like Zoofi and Aqsa, also had her eyes on swapping her red Conquerors shirt for the national green team kit one day.

“The dream is to be able to represent Pakistan at an international level. It feels good to have made it till here, hopefully we’ll continue onwards.”

Header image: Strikers pose with the championship trophy of the National Women’s U19 T20 Tournament at National Stadium, Karachi. — Photo by author

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who was arrested by Israel when they intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, called out world governments for continuing to enable Tel Aviv’s genocide in the Gaza Strip after she arrived in Greece on Monday.

The 45-vessel flotilla, with activists and politicians on board, left Spain last month to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, where the United Nations has warned of famine.

The flotilla was intercepted by the Israeli navy, with commandos boarding the boats and arresting participants. Former Pakistani senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan was also on board and is currently in Israeli custody.

In her first public comments since her release by Israeli authorities, Greta emphasised that the real story is not the interception of the flotilla, but the genocide being carried out in the Gaza Strip.

“The Global Sumud Flotilla was the biggest-ever attempt to break Israel’s illegal and inhumane siege by sea,” the Swedish activist said. “It is a story of global, international solidarity, of people stepping up when our governments fail to do so and people are saying ‘my leaders … who are supposed to represent me continue to fuel a genocide … they do not represent me’.“

She added that the mission even existing was “a shame”, condemning Israel’s “illegal and inhumane” siege of the enclave, as well as blocking routes for humanitarian aid.

“Under international law, states have a legal obligation to act to prevent … to stop a genocide, including ending complicity, applying real pressure and ending arms transfers,” Thunberg said.

“We are not even seeing the bare minimum from our governments,” she lamented. “Our international systems are betraying Palestinians. They are not even able to stop the worst war crimes from happening.“

Thunberg said she could “talk for a very, very long time” about her imprisonment and abuse at the hands of Israeli jailers, but insisted that it was not the story.

She said the story was “Israel … continuing to worsen and escalate their genocide and mass destruction with genocidal intent; attempting to erase an entire population in front of our very eyes”.

The Israeli onslaught in Gaza began in October 2023 following an attack by Hamas in Israel. Since then, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, thousands injured and millions displaced.

Last month, UN investigators said that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza in a bid to “destroy the Palestinians”, accusing Israel’s prime minister and other top officials of incitement.