ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's military said a soldier and four militants were killed Sunday in a shootout during a raid near the border with Afghanistan.
The military said two soldiers were also injured during the raid in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
North Waziristan served as a headquarters for local and foreign militants until 2017, when the army said it had cleared the mountainous region of insurgents following several operations. The region still sees sporadic attacks, mainly targeting security forces.
Such incidents have raised fears that the Pakistani Taliban are regrouping.
Separately, in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, a Pakistani official said Indian cross-border firing killed a 7-year-old girl and wounded 10 villagers.
Umar Azam, the deputy commissioner of Kotli district in Azad Kashmir, said Pakistani troops returned fire across the border.
There was no immediate comment from India.
The fighting came amid increasing tensions between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors.
Earlier this month, Pakistani and Indian troops exchanged fire across the frontier, leaving 12 people dead, including three Indian and one Pakistani soldier, and wounding at least 36 on both sides. The fatalities were some of the highest reported in recent years.
Since gaining independence from Britain in 1947, Pakistan and India have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, which is split between them and claimed by both in its entirety.
Pakistan and India routinely accuse each other of unprovoked attacks along the tense Kashmir frontier in violation of a 2003 ceasefire agreement.
Pakistan says soldier, 4 militants killed near Afghan border
https://arab.news/8jnmx
Pakistan says soldier, 4 militants killed near Afghan border
- Two soldiers were also injured during the raid in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
- Separately, in the disputed region of Kashmir, a Pakistani official said Indian cross-border firing killed a 7-year-old girl and wounded 10 villagers
US says trade with Pakistan could top $8 billion in 2025
- US chargé d’affaires links rising trade to deeper economic engagement with Pakistan
- Visit comes amid broader effort by Islamabad and Washington to improve bilateral ties
ISLAMABAD: Trade between the United States and Pakistan is projected to exceed $8 billion in 2025, the US Embassy said on Tuesday, as Washington signaled confidence in Pakistan’s export base and economic potential during a high-profile visit to the industrial city of Sialkot.
The projection was highlighted by US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker during meetings with Pakistani exporters and business leaders, underlining the importance Washington places on trade, investment and supply-chain cooperation as the two countries seek to stabilize and expand their economic relationship.
“Highlighting the growth in trade between the United States and Pakistan, which was projected to reach over $8 billion in 2025, Baker said, ‘Expanding trade reflects a strong foundation that highlights the positive impact of US economic engagement in Pakistan and globally. The United States and Pakistan are pursuing a fair and balanced trade relationship that creates prosperity for both our nations’,” the US embassy said in a statement.
The envoy said the United States had been Pakistan’s largest export market and a leading investor, presenting significant opportunities for expanded trade and shared prosperity.
“The United States remains deeply invested in Pakistan and its people,” Baker said, “building on a partnership that dates back to Pakistan’s independence and continues to grow through trade, innovation, education, and cultural exchange.”
The visit comes amid a broader effort by Islamabad and Washington to improve bilateral ties under US President Donald Trump’s second term, after years of uneven engagement. Since mid-2025, the two sides have stepped up diplomatic contacts, including meetings between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s military leadership and US officials, alongside discussions on trade, minerals, security cooperation and regional stability.
Pakistan has also sought to re-energize economic diplomacy with Washington as it works to boost exports, attract foreign investment and stabilize its economy under an IMF-backed reform program.
In July 2025, the two countries agreed to a bilateral trade deal that included reciprocal tariff reductions and frameworks for US investment in Pakistan’s energy and mineral sectors, a step Islamabad has hailed as opening new avenues for economic collaboration.
During her visit, Baker toured leading exporters including Forward Sports, First American Corporation (FAC) and CA Sports, companies that are deeply embedded in global supply chains. The embassy said nearly 70 percent of FAC’s exports go to the United States, illustrating sustained US consumer demand for Pakistani-made goods.
Baker also visited Sialkot International Airport and met with the leadership of AirSial, highlighting private-sector-led infrastructure and logistics as key to Pakistan’s export growth.
