Pakistan seized 19 Afghan military posts and "terrorist hideouts" in response to alleged attacks by Afghan forces. Kabul claims significant Pakistani casualties. Tensions escalate following repeated attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Flash floods in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have resulted in a significant loss of life, with the death toll rising to 327 in the last 48 hours. The disaster has prompted relief efforts from the army and government agencies.
In his address, Sharif praised US President Donald Trump, saying his "efforts for peace helped avert a ... war in South Asia".
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and concurred with India's position that 'double standards' in the fight against terrorism are unacceptable.
Pakistan and China have submitted a joint bid at the UN Security Council to designate the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide wing - Majeed Brigade - as a terrorist entity under the Council's 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.
Pakistan's army chief, General Asim Munir, has warned that the country will respond with "full force" to preserve its "national prestige" and the wellbeing of its people if its sovereignty and territorial integrity are violated. He made the comments during a workshop on Balochistan, emphasizing that Pakistan seeks peace but will not tolerate threats to its security. General Munir also highlighted foreign-sponsored terrorism as a major threat to Balochistan's security and development, vowing to counter it with unwavering national unity.
'No military offensive by Pakistan will end the insurgency in Balochistan without simultaneous, concerted efforts toward political dialogue to de-escalate tensions.'
'When so many young Baloch men and women are willingly volunteering as fighters and even suicide bombers.'
India has said it will take all steps to protect its national interests and ensure comprehensive national security in all domains after Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a strategic defence pact.
'Pakistan is uncomfortable with the Indian presence in Afghanistan. They want the Taliban to ensure that there is no Indian presence in Afghanistan.'
The entry of other Arab countries in the mutual defence deal between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is not ruled out, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said, adding that 'doors are not closed' for such developments.
The attack occurred near the Gwadar police station in Balochistan when the convoy carrying 23 Chinese engineers was passing the police station and an IED blast took place.
'The President's expectations shifted. The goal post moved and India didn't realize that the goal post had moved.'
'Within 30 minutes of when Asim Munir made those comments, he should have been taken to Tampa airport and flown out of the United States.'
'The Pakistani government's growing fear of Dr Mahrang's rising popularity is evident.' 'Her defiance is inspiring.'
'For the region and for the world, the US working with both those nations is good news.'
Among the 24 injured are 14 civilians, including women and children, with several said to be in critical condition.
India has strongly rejected Pakistan's allegations of backing terrorism against that country following the Balochistan train attack. India said Islamabad should look inwards before shifting the blame on others for its "failures " and that the whole world knows "where the epicentre of global terrorism lies ". Pakistan, on the other hand, has accused India of "sponsoring terrorism " without directly implicating it in the Balochistan train attack that killed 21 passengers.
'If Pakistan's army wants to escalate violence in Kashmir, they have an unlimited supply of jihadis they can train and send. That's not an issue for them.'
The United States has issued an advisory cautioning against travel to the immediate vicinity of the India-Pakistan border and the Line of Control due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict and to the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has undergone a significant transformation, evolving from hit-and-run attacks to carrying out sophisticated operations with tactical precision. The group's tactics and targets have become increasingly audacious, targeting security forces, Chinese nationals, and innocent civilians. Experts attribute the BLA's evolution to various factors, including the leadership of Bashir Zeb, the group's growing intelligence network, and its exploitation of the grievances of the Baloch people. The BLA's actions are a cause for concern, as the group's sophisticated attacks pose a major challenge to security forces.
'Neither are Baloch insurgents capable of breaking up Pakistan, nor has Pakistan learned any lessons from the 1971 debacle that led to the country's dismemberment.'
India has vehemently denied Pakistan's accusations of involvement in a bomb attack on a school bus in Balochistan's Khuzdar region, calling the allegations "baseless." The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that Pakistan consistently blames India for its internal issues to deflect attention from its reputation as a global terrorism hub. The MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, asserted that this attempt to deceive the world will ultimately fail. The suicide attack resulted in the tragic deaths of five people, including three children, and left several others injured. While India expressed condolences for the loss of life, it firmly rejected Pakistan's claims. The MEA highlighted Pakistan's tendency to scapegoat India for its internal problems, a tactic aimed at obscuring its own failings in combating terrorism. The blast, reportedly carried out through a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), was condemned by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of innocent children and teachers.
A UN Security Council report states that The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack and published a photograph of the attack site. The report also cites assertions that the attack could not have happened without the support of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT).
Insurgents opened fire on a passenger train in Pakistan's Balochistan province, injuring the driver and prompting security guards aboard the train to fire back. The attack occurred in the Bolan district on the Jaffar Express from Quetta to Peshawar. The train was stopped by armed men in Tunnel No 8, and efforts are being made to contact the passengers and staff. The Balochistan government has ordered emergency measures and all institutions remain active.
At least 27 terrorists were killed and 155 passengers rescued by the security forces after Baloch militants hijacked a passenger train in a tunnel in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province on Tuesday, security officials said.
'They started checking the identity cards of some people and separated some of them. Three militants were guarding the doors of our coach. They told the people that they would not say anything to civilians, women, old people and Baloch people'
'Pakistan's only concern has been while they were on the FATF watch list was to distance their State institutions and organs from any direct connection with the actual execution of militancy inside Kashmir.'
The announcement on expansion of CPEC was made following a meeting among Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Beijing, according to a Pakistani readout.
He is the country's tenth NSA, but it is for the first time that a serving ISI chief has been given the task to serve concurrently in the two key positions.
A 4.6 magnitude earthquake shook parts of Pakistan on Monday with the epicentre located close to a prominent faultline in its Punjab province, the director of the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.
Soon after the explosion, the BLA militants started firing at the train indiscriminately.
Last week, Information Minister Atta Tarar had said that 24-36 hours were important, fearing a possible strike by India. However, the time passed and there was no action by India.
'India won't take anything from Pakistan lying down.'
In his address, Singh said there should be "no double standards" in combating terrorism and urged the SCO member nations to condemn the menace with unity.
India has no intention to escalate tensions with Pakistan, but any military attacks on its soil will be met with a "very" firm response, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday. Jaishankar made the remarks at a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, emphasizing that the "barbaric" Pahalgam terror attack compelled India to carry out strikes on "cross-border" terror infrastructure on Wednesday. He reiterated that India's response was targeted and measured, but stressed that any further military attacks would be met with a firm response. The Iranian foreign minister, who landed in New Delhi amidst escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, called for de-escalation of the situation and stressed the need for regional cooperation to eradicate terrorism. The meeting also focused on boosting ties in areas of trade and investment, including the Chabahar port project.
The explosion ripped through the provincial capital Quetta's railway station as passengers gathered on the platform before the scheduled departure of the Jaffar Express to Peshawar.
'The struggle of insurgents and pro-independence political activists is fuelled by a deep conviction that not only is a free Balochistan possible, but they also believe that Pakistan will inevitably break apart, leading to Balochistan's independence.'
'A terrorist has no religion -- they are nothing but the face of evil. When you offer namaz for a terrorist, attend their funeral, or give them a grave, you affirm that they belong to a religion. That must stop'
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asserted that the third battle of Panipat, fought in 1761, was a symbol of the bravery of Marathas and not their defeat. He said the state government is building a memorial to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Agra and acquiring land for another memorial in Panipat, where the battle was fought between Marathas and Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali.
