The local recruitment of terrorists in the Pakistan-sponsored terror groups is also very low as only four locals have joined these groups this year, Army officials told ANI.
Wanted for alleged money laundering charges, controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has arrived in Pakistan on Monday morning at the invitation of the Government of Pakistan, amid tight security for his lecture series at Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.
Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, passed away in Lisbon at the age of 88 on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
It will be for the first time in nearly nine years India's external affairs minister will travel to Pakistan even as the ties between the two neighbours remained frosty over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
'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.'
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.
India has lodged a strong protest with Bangladesh over a now-deleted social media post by a key aide of Bangladesh's interim government that claimed certain areas of Indian territory should be part of that country. The post, which included a map showing parts of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam as belonging to Bangladesh, was made by Mahfuz Alam, a de facto minister in the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government. The post sparked backlash and was subsequently deleted. India's External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reminded all concerned to be "mindful" of their public comments and emphasized the need for responsibility in public articulation.
The Champions Trophy tour kicked off in Islamabad on Saturday before it touched down in Taxila and Khanpur on Sunday.
The last Indian external affairs minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj. She had travelled to Islamabad in December 2015 to attend a conference on Afghanistan.
The two junior staffers went out of the high commission in a vehicle for official duty at around 8:30 am (IST), but did not reach their destination. The Indian embassy has taken up the matter with the Pakistan Foreign Office, and sent a preliminary report to New Delhi, the sources said.
In an interaction with a group of Indian journalists, the three-time prime minister and president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N described Jaishankar's visit as a "good opening" and said both sides should now engage and move forward.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into allegations of Pakistan links of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi's British wife Elizabeth Colburn. Sarma alleged that Colburn had visited Pakistan after her marriage and that there are apprehensions of ISI infiltration into the Chief Minister's Office when Gogoi's father, the late Tarun Gogoi, was the chief minister. Sarma also shared screenshots of social media posts by Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, an advisor of the Pakistan Planning Commission and a former colleague of Colburn, claiming that the relationship between the Gogois and Sheikh appeared to be "deeply rooted." Sarma's allegations have been rejected by the Congress as "laughable and entertaining."
The brief exchange and handshake between Jaishankar and Sharif took place at a banquet dinner hosted by the Pakistani prime minister at his residence in honour of the delegates attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
The change of government in Pakistan after the exit of hawkish Imran Khan and his likely replacement by hard-core realist Shehbaz Sharif may provide a little window of opportunity for the leaders of India and Pakistan to reset their nearly frozen bilateral ties, according to experts.
"The 'red bag' belonged to one of the hijackers, it contained explosives, and possibly, real passports, too.
Two AK-47 rifles, two Glock pistols, and a huge cache of ammunition were seized from them, he said.
According to a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official, the trophy tour would begin from Skardu in northern Pakistan.
Abdullah said if the terrorists think they can establish Pakistani writ in Jammu and Kashmir by indulging in such acts, they are mistaken.
Punjab Police have arrested five people, including the mastermind, in connection with recent grenade attacks on police stations in the state. The terror module is allegedly backed by the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The arrests come after a series of grenade attacks on police stations in Punjab, with the BKI claiming responsibility for some of the attacks. The police are continuing to investigate the incidents and are expecting more arrests.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) selection panel picked a five-member squad in which Mukund will be the highest-ranked singles player at number 368.
Naik arrived in Pakistan at the invitation of the government on a month-long visit during which he will deliver lectures in major cities, including Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore.
Dar also said Pakistan views Russia as an important player in the West, South and Central Asia, and strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia remains an important priority for Pakistan's foreign policy.
AITA President Anil Jain, who was accused of using his position for personal gains, avoided facing a no-confidence motion from the state associations only after he agreed to step aside.
Delivering a thinly veiled message to Pakistan from its soil, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said activities across borders characterised by the 'three evils' of terrorism, extremism and separatism are unlikely to encourage trade, energy flows and connectivity.
The assailants believed to be Pakistani terrorists, meticulously studied the site layout before executing their plan.
Boycotting the Champions Trophy will not tackle the issue we have with Pakistan, points out Aakar Patel.
Yoga is normally linked with India and there are not many formal institutions in Pakistan to teach yoga. Though privately people like the physical part of yoga exercises.
The attack is the latest in a string of violence in Pakistan. It comes less ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's summit to be held in the national capital.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan authorities defends sitting during Pakistan's national anthem 'due to music'.
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong urged that the government should launch a crackdown against all anti-China terrorist groups after two deadly attacks took place in Pakistan within only six months, The Express Tribune reported.
Sharif was the only prime minister from India's neighbourhood who wasn't invited to the swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi.
However, with the current advisory from India's Ministry of External Affairs against traveling to Bangladesh and considering the volatile situation, the ICC is preparing contingency plans.
So, will the members discuss the possibility of placing India and Pakistan in different groups in the league stage of the tournament to avoid Men in Blue's travel to the neighbouring country?
Jailed former premier Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has distanced itself from a party leader's invitation to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to join its protest, asserting that no foreign country has a role in its political struggle.
India will play against Togo in the Davis Cup World Group I Play-offs to be held between January 31 and February 2 next year, according to the draw conducted by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in London on Monday.
'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.'
Erdogan's skipping of the Kashmir reference is being seen as an apparent shift in Turkiye's stance and comes at a time when the country is trying to become a member of the BRICS grouping to forge alliances beyond the West.
The Centre has told the Supreme Court that there are 83 missing defence personnel including 62 prisoners of the war of 1965 and 1971 for whom India is seeking their release and repatriation from Pakistan through diplomatic and other available channels.
The Islamabad high court on Monday barred cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's planned lockdown of the capital this week and ordered it to hold a sit-in at the designated place in the Pakistani capital instead, as authorities arrested at least 1,500 party activists in a crackdown.
Legal experts said fresh proceedings would have to begin in the court in Islamabad and the judge would take some time to acquaint himself with the details of the case.
