Pakistanis injured in Ajman factory fire have recovered, will be repatriated ‘soon’ — Pakistani embassy

In this handout photograph, taken and released by Pakistan embassy in Abu Dhabi, Pakistani Ambassador to UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi (7R) gestures for a group photo as he visits Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City in Abu Dhabi on June 6, 2024, to inquire after nine Pakistanis injured in February when chemical factory in Ajman had caught fire. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan embassy)
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Updated 07 June 2024
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Pakistanis injured in Ajman factory fire have recovered, will be repatriated ‘soon’ — Pakistani embassy

  • Nine Pakistanis were injured in February when chemical factory in Ajman had caught fire
  • Pakistan’s envoy to UAE visits Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City to inquire after injured Pakistanis

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s embassy in Abu Dhabi on Thursday said that Pakistani nationals who were injured in a factory fire in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Ajman city earlier this year have recovered and will be repatriated to the country “soon,” thanking the UAE government for their support in looking after the injured persons.
Nine Pakistani nationals were injured in February after a fire broke out at a chemical factory in Ajman. The injured Pakistani nationals hailed from Shaheed Benazirabad in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province and Dera Ghazi Khan in the eastern province of Punjab.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi visited Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) on Thursday to inquire after the health of the injured Pakistanis there.
“By the grace of Almighty Allah, these patients have now recovered and will be transported to Pakistan soon,” the Pakistani embassy in Abu Dhabi said in a press release.
Tirmizi visited each patient at the hospital, the embassy said, conveying his best wishes and prayers for their complete recovery. He assured them of the Pakistan mission’s commitment to facilitate their return to Pakistan.
The Pakistani envoy also met the doctors and paramedical staff at the SMCC during his visit. “He expressed his gratitude to the SSMC team for their tireless efforts in treating these severe burn cases around the clock,” the press release said.
Tirmizi presented appreciation letters to the doctors and paramedical staff, conveying his thanks to the UAE government for their support.
The Gulf country is home to an estimated 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates and is the second-largest source of remittances to the South Asian country after Saudi Arabia.
The UAE is also Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the Gulf state an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.


Suicide bomber kills at least five at wedding in northwest Pakistan

Updated 23 January 2026
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Suicide bomber kills at least five at wedding in northwest Pakistan

  • Attack took place in Dera Ismail Khan, targeting the home of a local peace committee member
  • Peace committees are community-based groups that report militant activity to security forces

PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber killed at least five people and wounded 10 others after detonating explosives at a wedding ceremony in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, officials said, in an attack that underscored persistent militant violence in the country’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The blast took place at the home of a local peace committee member in Dera Ismail Khan district, where guests had gathered for a wedding, police and emergency officials said.

Peace committees in the region are informal, community-based groups that work with security forces to report militant activity and maintain order, making their members frequent targets of attacks.

“A blast occurred near Qureshi Moor in Dera Ismail Khan. Authorities have recovered five bodies and shifted 10 injured to hospital,” said Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the provincial Rescue 1122 emergency service, adding that the rescue operation was ongoing.

Police said the attacker blew himself up inside the house during the ceremony and that the bomber’s head had been recovered, confirming it was a suicide attack.

Several members of the local peace committee were present at the time, raising fears the toll could rise.

District Police Officer Sajjad Ahmed Sahibzada said authorities had launched an investigation into the incident, while security forces sealed off the area.

Militant attacks have surged in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the Taliban returned to power in neighboring

Afghanistan in 2021, with the administration in Islamabad blaming the Afghan government for “facilitating” cross-border attacks targeting Pakistani civilians and security forces. However, Kabul has repeatedly denied the allegation.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also seen frequent intelligence-based operations by security forces targeting suspected militants.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack.