ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on Wednesday the fight against “terrorism” would continue until the “menace” was eradicated from the country, as the army said two soldiers had been killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack on a security forces’ convoy in the northwest.
In a second attack, a bomb exploded at a shop in a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP group, in the northwestern city of Wana, killing a pro-government elder, Aslam Noor, and two others civilians.
They claimed responsibility for the attack on the troops, but denied any role in the bombing that killed the three civilians. The TTP is a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban who in August 2021 seized Afghanistan as US and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.
The attack in which the soldier was killed took place in the Razmak area in North Waziristan district in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Resultantly, two soldiers; Lance Naik Ehsan Badshah (age: 33 years, resident of: District Karak) and Lance Naik Sajid Hussain (age: 30 years, resident of: District Kurram), embraced Shahadat,” the military said.
Islamabad says the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban who have stepped up attacks against police and troops across the country since last November when the group called off a tenuous truce with the government.
The Afghan Taliban deny they allow Afghan soil to be used by militants.
“We will continue the war against terrorism until this menace is eradicated from the country,” the PM said in a statement about the North Waziristan attack.
“The sacrifices of Pakistan Army and law enforcement agencies for the survival of the country are unforgettable. The entire nation including me is proud of our martyrs.”
Pakistan will fight ‘menace of terrorism’ to the end, PM says as two soldiers killed in IED attack
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Pakistan will fight ‘menace of terrorism’ to the end, PM says as two soldiers killed in IED attack
- Attack took place in Razmak area in North Waziristan district in northwest province
- Pro-government elder and two others civilians were killed in a second attack in Wana city
Bangladesh flag carrier to launch Dhaka–Karachi flights this month after over 13 years
- Inaugural flight scheduled to depart from Dhaka to Karachi on Jan, 29, says Biman Bangladesh Airlines spokesperson
- Airline will operate two weekly flights from the Bangladeshi capital to Pakistan’s commercial hub on Thursdays and Saturdays
ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh’s flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines has announced it will launch direct passenger flights between the cities of Dhaka and Karachi after over 13 years later this month, the airline said on Thursday, as both nations improve historically bitter ties.
Biman will operate two weekly flights to Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city by population and its commercial hub, on Thursdays and Saturdays, the airline’s spokesperson Boshra Islam told Arab News.
“Biman is launching its Karachi operations on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026,” she said, adding that the inaugural flight is scheduled to depart from Dhaka at 8:00 p.m. local time and arrive in Karachi at 11:00 p.m. Pakistan time.
Pakistan has granted Biman initial permission to operate the route for three months until Mar. 26, according to a spokesperson for the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. The approval would be extended later, the official said.
The restoration of the airline’s flights to Pakistan marks a significant step in restoring direct air connectivity between the two South Asian nations.
Pakistan and Bangladesh were part of the same country until 1971, when the latter split from the former after a bloody civil war and became the independent state of Bangladesh.
Ties between both have improved significantly since 2024, after the fall of former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s government due to a student-led uprising. Hasina was widely viewed in Pakistan as being close to India and openly critical of Islamabad.
The resumption of passenger flights comes as aviation and trade links between the two countries begin to recover after decades of limited engagement.
In November last year, state-owned Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said it had signed a cargo agreement with Biman Bangladesh Airlines aimed at streamlining air freight operations and boosting bilateral trade.
A PIA spokesperson said the airlines had entered into a Cargo Interline Special Agreement as part of PIA’s strategy to expand its cargo business and offer more competitive services to customers.
Pakistan has stepped up efforts to rebuild relations with Bangladesh as ties between Dhaka and New Delhi remain strained over India’s decision to grant asylum to Hasina after she fled the country.
In February last year, a cargo vessel sailed directly from Pakistan to Bangladesh for the first time in decades and successfully unloaded its containers, port officials said.
The two countries signed six agreements in August 2025 covering areas such as visa exemptions for diplomatic and official passport holders, trade cooperation, media collaboration and cultural exchanges, officials said.
