PESHAWAR: A search was underway in Pakistan’s northwest after gunmen ambushed and opened fire on a police vehicle, killing two people and injuring another two, an official said Saturday.
The assault took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan and has borne the brunt of militant violence since the Pakistani Taliban unilaterally ended a ceasefire with the central government in November 2022.
The province is a former stronghold of the militant group, which is also known as the TTP and allied with the Afghan Taliban.
Police officer Tariq Khan said the attackers shot and killed a deputy superintendent and a constable in Lakki Marwat district.
Heavy police reinforcements arrived at the scene but assailants fled. Khan did not say how many attackers there were.
Umar Marwat, a militant commander from the district, claimed responsibility for the attack and alleged the deputy superintendent had been active in operations against the TTP in the area.
The TTP spokesperson has not issued a statement about the assault so far.
In a separate incident, in the province’s Bajaur tribal district, one police officer was killed and another was injured on Saturday in a roadside blast. Police official Zahid Khan said the initial investigation suggested it was an improvised explosive.
Also Saturday, Pakistan’s army said that security forces killed eight militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district.
According to an official statement, the eight men died after an intense exchange of fire in the Friday night operation. The army alleged they were actively involved in activities against security forces and the targeted killing of civilians.
The statement said that weapons, ammunition, and explosives were recovered from the slain militants.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack in Lakki Marwat and offered his condolences to victims’ families. He praised the army for its operation in Dera Ismail Khan.
Manhunt underway after police car ambush kills two in northwestern Pakistan
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Manhunt underway after police car ambush kills two in northwestern Pakistan
- The incident in Lakki Marwat led to the killing of a deputy superintendent involved in operations against the TTP
- It is not clear how many attackers were involved but they fled by the time police reinforcements arrived in the area
Pakistan PM invites UAE investment across tech and resource sectors at National Day event
- Shehbaz Sharif says the UAE remains a key economic partner and continues to lend ‘critical support’ to Pakistan
- UAE envoy says both nations have potential for cooperation in renewable energy, AI and economic diversification
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is ready to welcome investment from the United Arab Emirates across emerging technologies and resource sectors, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday, as both countries marked the 54th National Day of the Gulf country in Islamabad.
Speaking at the ceremony attended by senior ministers, diplomats and business leaders, Sharif said the UAE remained a key economic partner for Pakistan and continued to lend “critical support” to the country’s stabilizing economy.
“Pakistan takes great pride in its strategic partnership with the UAE, which continues to deepen across every domain of life,” he said. “With Pakistan’s economy stabilizing, we stand ready to welcome Emirati investment in renewable energy, AI, fintech, agriculture and minerals.”
Sharif praised the UAE’s leadership and recalled his earliest memories of the Gulf nation as “a land that believed in possibilities long before they became realities,” saying the country’s progress under President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan commanded “profound admiration.”
UAE Ambassador Salem Al Bawab Al Zaabi said the Emirates was committed to strengthening ties with Pakistan in areas including the economy, energy and artificial intelligence.
He said the two countries shared a “deep-rooted friendship built on mutual respect, shared values and a common vision for regional peace and development.”
“We see tremendous potential for collaboration in renewable energy, artificial intelligence, sustainability and economic diversification,” the ambassador said, adding that the UAE aimed to broaden the scope of its economic relations with Pakistan.
The UAE hosts around 1.8 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the country’s largest overseas communities, who Sharif said contributed “tirelessly” to the Gulf state’s development.
Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also joined the UAE ambassador in a cake-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion.
