PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber detonated at a checkpoint in western Pakistan on Saturday, killing eight people and wounding five more, officials said.
The bomber set off the blast from the back of a motorbike rickshaw near the town of Mir Ali in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a local police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Four police officers were killed alongside two members of a state paramilitary force and two civilians in the attack near the border with Afghanistan, he said.
Pakistan has seen an increase in militancy since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, with Islamabad claiming hostile groups are now using the neighboring country for shelter.
“Among the five injured personnel, the condition of three is critical, and they have been transferred to a local military hospital,” the police officer said.
A local government official who also did not want to be named confirmed the same toll of dead and wounded.
The attack was claimed by a little-known militant group calling itself “Aswad ul-Harb.”
Another checkpost near the Afghan border was raided this week by the Pakistani Taliban, killing 10 police officers.
Last year, the country saw more suicide attacks than any year since 2014, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.
There were 29 suicide attacks registered, killing 329 people in Pakistan’s deadliest year in a decade.
Police say eight killed in western Pakistan suicide bombing
https://arab.news/99ske
Police say eight killed in western Pakistan suicide bombing
- Incident happed near the town of Mir Ali in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
- An official says among the five injured people, three are in critical condition
Pakistan plans digital wheat tracking system, steps up Ramadan price monitoring
- Government says adequate stocks available ahead of the upcoming harvesting season
- It instructs provinces to prevent flour price spikes during the holy month of Ramadan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan plans to introduce digital traceability and tighter supply chain monitoring in its wheat procurement system under a new long-term policy, the food security ministry said on Saturday, as authorities move to curb price volatility during Ramadan.
The announcement followed a meeting of the National Wheat Oversight Committee chaired by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain to review procurement arrangements, stock availability and price stability measures ahead of the upcoming harvesting season.
The review comes after riverine floods during last year’s monsoon season damaged farmlands in parts of eastern Punjab, the country’s main wheat-producing region, raising concerns about crop output. Officials at the meeting, however, expressed satisfaction over existing wheat stocks, saying sufficient supplies were available across provinces to meet national consumption needs until the arrival of the new crop.
“The Federal Minister emphasized that the current procurement framework will remain applicable for one year,” the statement said. “He stated that the Federal Government is working on a comprehensive long-term wheat policy for the period 2026–2030, aimed at strengthening national food security through modern reforms.”
“He highlighted that the upcoming policy will focus on digital traceability mechanisms, improved supply chain monitoring, enhanced transparency, and sustained price stability, enabling better coordination between the federal and provincial governments,” the statement added.
The committee was informed that the illustrative wheat procurement price has been fixed at 3,500 rupees ($12.55) per 40 kilograms, and provinces have been asked to ensure smooth implementation of procurement operations.
Special emphasis was also placed on consumer protection during Ramadan.
“The Federal Minister directed all provinces to ensure strict market monitoring and take effective administrative measures to prevent any unnecessary increase in flour prices,” the statement continued.
