Pakistani forces raid militant hideout, killing 8 in country’s northwest— police 

A policeman (R) and army soldiers (L) stand guard along a road in Bannu on December 21, 2022, a day after the seize of a Pakistan police station ended. (AFP/File)
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Updated 30 October 2024
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Pakistani forces raid militant hideout, killing 8 in country’s northwest— police 

  • Local militant commander believed to be among people killed during operation in Bannu, say police
  • Authorities often carry out operations against Pakistani Taliban in KP province bordering Afghanistan

 PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Pakistani security forces backed by military helicopters raided a militant hideout in a former stronghold of insurgents in a restive province bordering Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing eight suspects, police said.

A local militant commander was believed to be among the people killed in the operation in Bannu, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police official Zahid Ullah said.

He provided no further details, and it was unclear whether there were any casualties among the security forces.

Authorities often carry out such operations against the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP and are an ally of the Afghan Taliban but are a separate group.

The TTP has stepped up its assaults in the region since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Government forces have also intensified their operations against the TTP and other insurgents, including separatist groups based in the restive southwestern Balochistan province.


Pakistan finance chief calls for stronger emerging market voice during Saudi conference

Updated 12 February 2026
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Pakistan finance chief calls for stronger emerging market voice during Saudi conference

  • Aurangzeb tells Saudi state media developing economies must assume larger global role
  • Minister says AlUla conference can strengthen coordination among emerging economies

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Thursday called for developing economies to play a greater role in shaping global economic governance in an interview on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies in Saudi Arabia.

The conference, hosted by the Kingdom’s Finance Ministry, brings together top government functionaries, central bank governors and policymakers from emerging markets to discuss debt sustainability, macroeconomic coordination and structural reforms amid global economic uncertainty.

In a conversation with the Saudi Press Agency, Aurangzeb described the conference as a timely platform for dialogue at a moment of heightened geopolitical tensions, trade fragmentation and rapid technological change, including advances in artificial intelligence.

“It is not merely about discussions but about translating deliberations into concrete policy actions and execution over the course of the year,” he said, according to a statement circulated by the Finance Division in Islamabad.

The minister said emerging markets’ growing share of global output and growth should be matched by greater influence in international decision-making.

He noted these economies must strengthen collective dialogue and coordinated policy responses to address shared challenges, adding that the global landscape had evolved significantly since the inaugural edition of the conference.

Aurangzeb expressed confidence that the outcomes of the AlUla Conference would contribute to strengthening coordination among emerging economies and reinforcing their collective voice in shaping a more inclusive and resilient global economic order, the statement added.