ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan military carried out overnight strikes on militant groups in Iran, an intelligence official said Thursday, as Iranian media reported several explosions near the border with Pakistan.
“I can only confirm that we have conducted strikes against anti-Pakistan militant groups that were targeted inside Iran,” a senior intelligence source not authorized to give information to the media told AFP, adding that a government statement would follow later in the morning.
It comes after Iran carried out strikes against “terrorist targets” late Tuesday in Pakistan — an attack that Islamabad said killed two children.
The missile and drone attack targeted the Jaish Al-Adl group in Pakistan, Iran’s government said.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Wednesday denounced the “unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty” before recalling its ambassador from Iran and blocking Tehran’s envoy — currently in Iran — from returning to the country.
Tehran and Islamabad frequently accuse each other of allowing militants to operate from the other’s territory to launch attacks, but it is rare that official forces on either side engage.
Pakistan conducts strikes against militant groups inside Iran — intelligence official
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Pakistan conducts strikes against militant groups inside Iran — intelligence official
- It comes after Iran carried out strikes against “terrorist targets” in Pakistan’s southwestern region
- The missile and drone attack targeted the Jaish Al-Adl group in Pakistan, the Iranian government said
Pakistan announces 5G spectrum auction in March in bid to boost Internet speeds
- Pakistan has more than 130 million broadband connections, but access remains uneven despite increasing IT exports
- Pakistani Internet users currently operate on about 274 MHz of spectrum, compared to around 600 MHz in Bangladesh
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday announced that it will hold a 5G spectrum auction in March, a move aimed at improving Internet speeds and connectivity in the South Asian country.
The development comes at a time of mounting pressure on Pakistan’s telecommunication networks and Internet service providers, with users and businesses complaining of slow speeds and frequent disruptions as a limited spectrum struggles to serve the South Asian nation of over 240 million.
Pakistan has more than 130 million broadband connections but access remains uneven, though its IT exports reached a record $3.8 billion in Fiscal Year 2024–25, up from $3.2 billion the previous year, marking an 18 percent year-on-year increase, according to the Pakistan Software Export Board.
The PTA said the spectrum auction for Next Generation Mobile Services/5G will be held on March 10, following constructive regulatory coordination and extensive stakeholder consultations, aimed at ensuring a smooth, transparent, and well-participated auction process.
“The confirmed timeline provides telecom operators and prospective bidders with adequate preparation time and reflects PTA’s commitment to facilitating optimal participation while ensuring full alignment with procedural and regulatory requirements,” the authority said.
It urged all interested parties to review the information memorandum for NGMS/5G in Pakistan and stay informed through updates on the PTA website.
Information Technology (IT) Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja last month said the quality of Internet service in Pakistan is not at par with international best practices or even regional standards, and one of the fundamental reasons for this was the non-availability of the spectrum.
Pakistani Internet users currently operate on about 274 MHz of spectrum, compared with around 600 MHz in Bangladesh, that leads to congestion, she told a news conference on Dec. 23, likening the situation to “trying to run eight lanes of traffic through two lanes.”
She said the spectrum auction will help improve Internet services in the country.
