ISLAMABAD: Five militants and a Pakistani policeman were killed in three military operations in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani army said on Monday.
The northwestern Pakistani province, which borders Afghanistan, has been the scene of a number of attacks on police, security forces and anti-polio vaccination teams in recent weeks.
In a joint intelligence-based operation, three militants were gunned down in KP’s Mohmand district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media wing. However, an exchange of gunfire with militants left Police Constable Abrar Hussain dead.
“During the conduct of the operation, terrorists’ hideout was also busted and a cache of arms, ammunition and explosives was recovered,” the ISPR said in a statement.
In the second operation in Dera Ismail Khan, security forces killed Sifatullah alias Mullah and injured three other militants.
“Sifatullah was involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area including facilitation of suicide bombing attack in Daraban on 12 December 2023 and was highly wanted by law enforcement agencies,” the ISPR said.
Another militant was killed in a gunfight in the North Waziristan district, according to the army.
In a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed security forces for the successful operations and paid homage to the police constable killed in the Mohmand district.
“The Pakistani nation stands by its security forces until the menace of terrorism is completely eradicated from the country,” he said.
Pakistan initially witnessed a spike in militant violence in its two western provinces, KP and Balochistan, since the Pakistani Taliban called off their fragile truce with the government in November 2022. The group has intensified its attacks in recent months.
In a major attack in KP’s Bannu, ten soldiers were killed when militants launched a coordinated assault on a military cantonment on July 15.
Islamabad has blamed the recent surge in attacks on militants operating out of neighboring Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegations and says rising violence in Pakistan is a domestic issue for Islamabad.
Five militants, one policeman killed in three military operations in Pakistan’s northwest — army
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Five militants, one policeman killed in three military operations in Pakistan’s northwest — army
- Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen a number of attacks on police, security forces and anti-polio vaccinators in recent weeks
- Islamabad has blamed the recent surge in attacks on militants operating out of neighboring Afghanistan, Kabul denies the allegation
Pakistan terms climate change, demographic pressures as ‘pressing existential risks’
- Pakistan has suffered frequent climate change-induced disasters, including floods this year that killed over 1,000
- Pakistan finmin highlights stabilization measures at Doha Forum, discusses economic cooperation with Qatar
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Saturday described climate change and demographic pressures as “pressing existential risks” facing the country, calling for urgent climate financing.
The finance minister was speaking as a member of a high-level panel at the 23rd edition of the Doha Forum, which is being held from Dec. 6–7 in the Qatari capital. Aurangzeb was invited as a speaker on the discussion titled: ‘Global Trade Tensions: Economic Impact and Policy Responses in MENA.’
“He reaffirmed that while Pakistan remained vigilant in the face of geopolitical uncertainty, the more pressing existential risks were climate change and demographic pressures,” the Finance Division said.
Pakistan has suffered repeated climate disasters in recent years, most notably the 2022 super-floods that submerged one-third of the country, displaced millions and caused an estimated $30 billion in losses.
This year’s floods killed over 1,000 people and caused at least $2.9 billion in damages to agriculture and infrastructure. Scientists say Pakistan remains among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations despite contributing less than 1 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions.
Aurangzeb has previously said climate change and Pakistan’s fast-rising population are the only two factors that can hinder the South Asian country’s efforts to become a $3 trillion economy in the future.
The finance minister noted that this year’s floods in Pakistan had shaved at least 0.5 percent off GDP growth, calling for urgent climate financing and investment in resilient infrastructure.
When asked about Pakistan’s fiscal resilience and capability to absorb external shocks, Aurangzeb said Islamabad had rebuilt fiscal buffers. He pointed out that both the primary fiscal balance and current account had returned to surplus, supported significantly by strong remittance inflows of $18–20 billion annually from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regions.
Separately, Aurangzeb met his Qatari counterpart Ali Bin Ahmed Al Kuwari to discuss bilateral cooperation.
“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening economic ties, particularly by maximizing opportunities created through the newly concluded GCC–Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, expanding trade flows, and deepening energy cooperation, including long-term LNG collaboration,” the finance ministry said.
The two also discussed collaboration on digital infrastructure, skills development and regulatory reform. They agreed to establish structured mechanisms to continue joint work in trade diversification, technology, climate resilience, and investment facilitation, the finance ministry said.
