MIRANSHAH, Pakistan: A blast at the office of a Pakistani political party injured 10 people in the country’s northwestern tribal belt Tuesday, as the campaign for nationwide polls on July 25 picks up pace.
The explosion occurred at the office of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), or Pakistan Movement for Justice party, which is one of the main challengers to the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
“A huge explosion happened when I was inaugurating my election office in Razmak city,” Malik Aurangzeb Khan, PTI’s candidate from the North Waziristan tribal district bordering Afghanistan, told AFP.
“At least 10 people were injured in the blast,” he said, adding he could not confirm the nature of the explosion.
A local administration official told AFP on condition of anonymity that an unidentified person threw a grenade at the gathering. A security source also confirmed the attack.
There was no immediate claim by any militant groups for the blast.
North Waziristan is one of Pakistan’s seven tribal districts bordering Afghanistan, a region long rife with militancy.
But the Pakistani army has conducted a series of operations there in recent years and claims to have flushed the militants out, with the region set to be merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The US has repeatedly accused Pakistan of allowing the tribal areas to harbor militants fighting in Afghanistan — an allegation Islamabad has consistently denied.
Pakistan is set to complete its second-ever democratic transition when voters go to the polls on July 25, with PTI’s Khan one of the main candidates to lead the next civilian government in a country that has been ruled by the military for roughly half its 70-year history.
10 injured in blast at Pakistani political party office
10 injured in blast at Pakistani political party office
- The explosion occurred at the office of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s party
- There was no immediate claim by any militant groups for the blast
Trump eyes anti-drug operations in Mexico, Colombia as Venezuela looms -Politico
- The Republican president also told Politico that he could extend anti-drug military operations to Mexico and Colombia
- “They’re weak,” Trump told Politico, referring to Europe’s political leaders
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump continued his threats of land strikes against suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers in an interview published on Tuesday as Trump administration officials prepared to brief top US lawmakers amid mounting tensions.
The Republican president also told Politico that he could extend anti-drug military operations to Mexico and Colombia, speaking in a wide-ranging interview that also took aim at Europe, including another call for Ukrainian elections and support for Hungary’s leader.
His comments, in an interview conducted Monday, reiterated much of his world view after releasing a sweeping US strategy roadmap last week seeking to reframe the country’s global role.
That National Security Strategy described a nation focused on reasserting itself in the Western Hemisphere while warning Europe that it must change course or face “erasure.”
“They’re weak,” Trump told Politico, referring to Europe’s political leaders. “They want to be so politically correct.”
“They don’t know what to do,” he added. “Europe doesn’t know what to do.”
In the Americas, Trump repeatedly declined to rule out sending American troops into Venezuela as part of an effort to bring down President Nicolas Maduro, saying he did not want to discuss military strategy: “I don’t want to rule in or out.”
Asked if he would consider using force against targets in other countries where the drug trade is highly active, including Mexico and Colombia, he said: “I would.”
Later on Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to brief congressional leaders and the heads of Congress’ intelligence panels, sources told Reuters.
The briefing follows a months-long military campaign against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific that has come under intense scrutiny following a September 2 decision to launch a second strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean.
“WEAK” EUROPE
A spokesperson for the European Commission, asked about Trump’s comments, defended the bloc’s leaders and said the region remained committed to their union despite challenges such as Russia’s war in Ukraine and Trump’s tariff policies.
“I will refrain from commenting, other than confirming that we are very pleased and grateful to have excellent leaders,” EU Spokesperson Paula Pinho said at a daily briefing for journalists, adding that they were “leading the EU with all the challenges that it is facing, from trade to war in our neighborhood, and who are showing that they can be united.”
In his interview, Trump again said he thought it was time for Ukraine to hold elections as the war nears its four-year mark. Ukraine is expected to share a revised peace plan with the US later on Tuesday, one day after hastily arranged talks with European leaders.
He also said he did not offer a financial lifeline to the government of ally Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who met with Trump last month at the White House.
“No, I didn’t promise him, but he certainly asked for it,” he said.
