PESHAWAR: Almost a week after police protested against militant attacks in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, four security personnel were killed in a targeted attack and a gunbattle with armed factions in the region on Thursday, confirmed police officials.
The first incident occurred in Karak, a southern district of the province, where unidentified assailants on a motorbike gunned down an official of the paramilitary Levies Force, an ill-equipped outfit, earlier in the day.
“Unidentified gunmen shot dead the Levies Force official in the center of the district after he left his home for duty,” Shaukat Khan, a police spokesperson in Karak district, told Arab News over the phone.
He informed that a police contingent arrived at the crime scene to gather evidence and trace the killers.
In another incident, three security personnel lost their lives in an exchange of fire with militants in North Waziristan’s Boya village near the border with Afghanistan.
“We have information of an exchange of fire near Boya in which three security personnel lost their lives,” Murad Khan, an official deployed at the police control room in the area, told Arab News.
KP, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed numerous attacks on police, security personnel and anti-polio vaccination teams in recent months, along with kidnappings of civil and military officials.
Only a week ago, police in the volatile district of Lakki Marwat called off their days-long protest, condemning a spike in militant attacks and targeted killings of police officials.
Last week, unidentified gunmen opened fire on police guards escorting a polio vaccination team, killing one of them.
The Pakistan Army has a heavy presence across the province, where it has been battling militants from Al Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban and other groups for nearly two decades.
There have been protests in several districts of KP since July, when Pakistan’s cabinet announced a new military operation amid a surge in terror attacks across the country.
People in KP have rejected plans for an armed operation and demand that civilian agencies like the police and the counter-terrorism department be better equipped.
No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks so far, but officials in Islamabad say militants associated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are primarily responsible for violence against the police and security personnel.
Islamabad has even blamed Kabul’s Afghan Taliban rulers for “facilitating” anti-Pakistan militants, a charge Kabul denies.
Four security personnel killed in two separate attacks in northwest Pakistan
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Four security personnel killed in two separate attacks in northwest Pakistan
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed attacks on police and security personnel, along with polio vaccination teams
- The two attacks took place in Karak and North Waziristan districts, close to Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan
Pakistan urges concessional finance for developing nations to boost clean energy security
- Pakistan has emerged as one of world’s fastest growing solar markets, with 12GWs of off-grid and 6GWs of net-metered capacity in 2025
- PM’s aide says Islamabad remains committed to Paris Agreement, looks for continued support in building a resilient and low-carbon future
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has urged international partners to scale up concessional financing for developing countries, the country’s Press Information Department (PID) said on Sunday, citing an aide to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The call was made by Sharif’s coordinator on climate change, Romina Khurshid Alam, while delivering Pakistan’s national statement at the 16th International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Assembly in Abu Dhabi.
Pakistan has emerged as one of the world’s fastest growing solar markets, with 12 gigawatts (GWs) of off-grid and over 6GWs of net-metered solar capacity by the end of 2025. Last fiscal year, renewables accounted for a historic 53 percent of total electricity generation, according to Alam.
The prime minister’s aide stressed that affordable funding for developing nations is critical to accelerating their transition to clean energy and strengthening energy security amid rising climate and economic challenges.
“Alam reaffirmed Pakistan’s target of achieving 60 percent renewables in the power mix by 2030,” the PID said in a statement.
“In her call to action, she urged IRENA and Member States to increase concessional finance for developing nations, treat technologies such as energy storage and green hydrogen as global public goods, and strengthen regional cooperation for shared energy security.”
IRENA is a global intergovernmental agency for energy transformation that serves as the principal platform for international cooperation, supports countries in their energy transition, and provides state of the art data and analyzes on technology, innovation, policy, finance and investment. Its membership comprises 170 countries and the European Union (EU).
The 16th session of the IRENA Assembly is taking place on Jan. 10-12 in Abu Dhabi and focuses on the theme of “Powering Humanity: Renewable Energy for Shared Prosperity.” The session has gathered global leaders and energy decision-makers to discuss strategies and underline necessary actions for the acceleration of renewable energy across countries, regions, and the world, driving economic inclusion, equity, and human well-being.
Alam shared that Pakistan is taking action against energy poverty through initiatives like the Punjab Solar Panel Scheme 2026, which provides free or subsidized systems to low-income households.
She highlighted how distributed solar kits have restored power and livelihoods in flood-affected communities and offer a replicable model for climate-resilient recovery.
“Pakistan remains fully committed to the Paris Agreement and looks to IRENA for continued technical and financial support in building a resilient, inclusive, and low-carbon future,” Alam said.
Adopted in 2015 to combat climate change, the Paris Agreement binds nations to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”
