ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces killed six militants during an intelligence-based operation in the northwestern district of Bannu, the military said on Friday, amid a spike in attacks in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan.
Authorities blame the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella group of various militant factions, for much of the violence directed against the civilians and security forces in the area.
Pakistani officials refer to TTP fighters as “khwarij,” a term rooted in early Islamic history used for an extremist sect that declared other Muslims apostates.
“On night 23/24 April 2025, Security Forces conducted an intelligence based operation in Bannu District on reported presence of Khwarij,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, said in a statement.
“During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and after an intense fire exchange, six khwarij were sent to hell, while four khwarij got injured,” it added.
The statement informed a “sanitization operation” was underway to eliminate any remaining militants, adding that security forces were determined to eradicate militancy from the country.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces following the raid, acknowledging their professionalism and resolve.
“The nefarious designs of terrorists, who are enemies of humanity, will continue to be crushed,” he said in a separate statement circulated by his office, vowing that Pakistan’s fight against militancy would persist until it was completely eradicated.
Security forces kill six militants in Pakistan’s northwest
https://arab.news/c6tu9
Security forces kill six militants in Pakistan’s northwest
- Four other militants were injured in the intelligence-based operation carried out in Bannu district
- Pakistan PM praises the security forces following the raid, acknowledging their professionalism
IMF hails Pakistan privatization drive, calls PIA sale a ‘milestone’
- Fund backs sale of national airline as key step in divesting loss-making state firms
- IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce fiscal burden posed by state-owned entities
KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Saturday welcomed Pakistan’s privatization efforts, describing the sale of the country’s national airline to a private consortium last month as a milestone that could help advance the divestment of loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
The comments follow the government’s sale of a 75 percent stake in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group for Rs 135 billion ($486 million) after several rounds of bidding in a competitive process, marking Islamabad’s second attempt to privatize the carrier after a failed effort a year earlier.
Between the two privatization attempts, PIA resumed flight operations to several international destinations after aviation authorities in the European Union and Britain lifted restrictions nearly five years after the airline was grounded following a deadly Airbus A320 crash in Karachi in 2020 that killed 97 people.
“We welcome the authorities’ privatization efforts and the completion of the PIA privatization process, which was a commitment under the EFF,” Mahir Binici, the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan, said in response to an Arab News query, referring to the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility.
“This privatization represents a milestone within the authorities’ reform agenda, aimed at decreasing governmental involvement in commercial sectors and attracting investments to promote economic growth in Pakistan,” he added.
The IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce the fiscal burden posed by loss-making state firms, which have weighed public finances for years and required repeated government bailouts. Beyond PIA, the government has signaled plans to restructure or sell stakes in additional SOEs as part of broader reforms under the IMF program.
Privatization also remains politically sensitive in Pakistan, with critics warning of job losses and concerns over national assets, while supporters argue private sector management could improve efficiency and service delivery in chronically underperforming entities.
Pakistan’s Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises said on Friday that SOEs recorded a net loss of Rs 122.9 billion ($442 million) in the 2024–25 fiscal year, compared with a net loss of Rs 30.6 billion ($110 million) in the previous year.
