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After the United States struck three Iranian nuclear facilities under what it called ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed Pakistan for nominating President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and asked if they want him to win the prize for the strikes on nuclear sites in Iran. The AIMIM chief's remarks come against the backdrop of the American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as well as Pakistan’s move to nominate the US President for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Pakistan had nominated Trump for the Nobel Prize, citing his “diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership” during the recent India-Pakistan conflict.&nbsp;He further questioned Pakistan’s support for Trump and asked if they backed him only to see the strikes on Iran.“We should ask Pakistanis if they want Trump to get a Nobel Peace Prize for this...,” Owaisi said, referring to the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan.He also mocked Pakistan's top military leadership and asked whether Islamabad’s Army chief, Asim Munir, had lunch with the US president for this (US strikes on Iran). “They all have been exposed today,” Owaisi added.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Hyderabad | &quot;...Did Pakistan&#39;s General (Army chief Asim Munir) have lunch with the US president for this? They all have been exposed today.., &quot;says AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on the US strikes on Iran&#39;s 3 nuclear facilities and the ongoing conflict between Israel and… <a href="https://t.co/rAwPK9YU1Z">pic.twitter.com/rAwPK9YU1Z</a>&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1936685598196318688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Owaisi further raised concerns over the chances of serious consequences for India if a full-scale war breaks out in the Middle East region.He cited that over 16 million Indians reside in the Gulf and the Middle East, saying that “if that area erupts in a war, which unfortunately is very likely, then it will have a grave impact on the Indians living there”.&nbsp;Owaisi also targeted the United States and President Donald Trump for the strikes in Iran.&nbsp;“The US was never an honest broker. Whether it is Iraq, Libya or Palestine. The US is sitting completely silent on the ethnic cleansing taking place in Gaza,” Owaisi told news agency ANI.&nbsp;“You went into Iraq, saying they were creating these weapons of mass destruction, and nothing was found over there. You removed Gaddafi in Libya, and nothing happened. Saddam was killed, and Gaddafi was killed. The US policy is only to cover up the crimes of the Israeli government,” the MP said.&nbsp;Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and posted a statement on X.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/XWB82VovOL">pic.twitter.com/XWB82VovOL</a>&mdash; Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) <a href="https://twitter.com/MIshaqDar50/status/1936688895003078721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

US President Donald Trump, early on Sunday, announced that Washington carried out strikes on Iran's three nuclear facilities. Later, Trump warned Iran that any retaliation from Tehran against the US “will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed” on Sunday.

Owaisi further raised concerns over the chances of serious consequences for India if a full-scale war breaks out in the Middle East region. He cited that over 16 million Indians reside in the Gulf and the Middle East.

After the United States struck three Iranian nuclear facilities under what it called ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed Pakistan for nominating President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and asked if they want him to win the prize for the strikes on nuclear sites in Iran. The AIMIM chief's remarks come against the backdrop of the American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as well as Pakistan’s move to nominate the US President for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Pakistan had nominated Trump for the Nobel Prize, citing his “diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership” during the recent India-Pakistan conflict. He further questioned Pakistan’s support for Trump and asked if they backed him only to see the strikes on Iran. “We should ask Pakistanis if they want Trump to get a Nobel Peace Prize for this...,” Owaisi said, referring to the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. He also mocked Pakistan's top military leadership and asked whether Islamabad’s Army chief, Asim Munir, had lunch with the US president for this (US strikes on Iran). “They all have been exposed today,” Owaisi added.

Owaisi further raised concerns over the chances of serious consequences for India if a full-scale war breaks out in the Middle East region. He cited that over 16 million Indians reside in the Gulf and the Middle East.

Owaisi mocks Pakistan over US strikes on Iran: ‘Should Donald Trump win Nobel Peace for this?’

Pakistan is often called a failed state. At other points, it has been called a rogue state or client state. That, of course, refers not to the country in general but to its army-centred ruling elite, which often sidesteps or steamrolls the interests of ordinary citizens to uphold its power base and worldview. Military coups and martial laws at various times only testify to this fact. The question to ask is: how is it that despite all the criticism and flak it faces, the military apparatus that runs the Pakistani state, sometimes in letter and almost always in spirit, has the right of way both at home and, as it turns out, abroad?&nbsp;The answer might lie in a simple insight: Pakistan’s estate is a vital asset–which is to say that what matters seems to be more about real estate than democracy, governance, nationhood or constitution that helps an elite stay firmly in the saddle despite hard evidence that Islamabad overlooks and/or nurtures terror groups or Most-Wanted figures such as Lashkar -e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Muhammad and its leaders or the infamous Osama Bin Laden who was killed next to the Abbottabad cantonment. &nbsp;After US President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir merely weeks after India’s May 7 Operation Sindoor that targeted Pakistan-based terror camps (followed by army-blessed funerals for some of those killed in the operation), it is time to think deep to understand what is really going on.Tongue firmly in cheek, and perhaps with bull’s eye precision, we can say that Pakistan’s special position is more a matter of diplomatic geography than political history. Never mind the Internet memes that mock the Trump-Munir meeting at a “private” luncheon. &nbsp;“Location, location, location,” is a popular phrase in the real estate business that stresses on the importance of geographical coordinates in determining the value of a property. Though the statement is often attributed to British real estate tycoon Harold Samuel, it has been traced back to a classified ad in the Chicago Tribune newspaper in 1926.&nbsp;Pakistan’s location has been a key asset that has saved it from many a diplomatic woe—and one might add, from the way its uniformed rulers manage it.&nbsp;You can say that thrice, like in the old saying. This is because Pakistan is strategically located next to Afghanistan, Iran and China, all of which have influenced diplomatic positions in Washington and Moscow at various points in time.&nbsp;When invading Russian soldiers marched into Afghanistan in 1979 as part of the then Soviet Union’s plan to install a puppet regime, it was Pakistan that helped the US counter it by hosting the “Mujahideen” or liberation groups towards the fag end of the Cold War.&nbsp;Bin Laden’s ideas of forming a global jihadist movement can be traced back to his presence in Pakistan. It is ironic that not only the rise of his Al Qaeda group that carried out the 9/11 attacks in New York in 2001, but also the Taliban that currently rules Afghanistan and bitterly opposes the US, rose from the remnants of the Mujahideen. US foreign policy has more often than not been guided by short-term expediency than long-term principles, and that might explain how the best of India’s diplomatic efforts and evidence do little to sway the State Department.&nbsp;As Trump woos Munir, who was appointed Field Marshal after Operation Sindoor, what we need to remember is that under the Republicans in general and the current White House incumbent in particular, the US is less a guardian angel of democracy or civilised diplomacy and more a power that looks after its strategic interests and trading might. It is generously helped by an influential Jewish lobby that has suddenly shifted America’s focus away from trade talks with China towards a combative engagement involving Israel and Iran. India’s Operation Sindoor had nothing to do with Iran, which has emerged as some kind of a benign opportunity for Pakistan to engage with the US.&nbsp;After the din ebbs on the Israel-Iran conflict, China will remain exactly where it is on the world map, helping Islamabad play a geopolitical card vis-à-vis the US. &nbsp;It is time for a reminder that for all practical purposes, Munir is now in control of the elected civilian government. The aftermath of Operation Sindoor, like that of the Kargil War in 1999, gives the army an upper hand. Not that it needed any. Opposition leader and former prime minister Imran Khan has been in jail for two years after an arrest led by the paramilitary inside the premises of the Islamabad High Court in a case involving his confrontation with the country’s army. &nbsp;Barely a week after the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack that led to Operation Sindoor, the Pakistan government named Asim Malik, a serving military general, as its National Security Adviser. A former head of the spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), he is no ordinary general. His appointment to the NSA’s job, over the head of civilian officials, shows who is in command in Pakistan.It might be fair to describe some of the events and non-events following Operation Sindoor as a setback for Indian diplomacy but it pays to remember that not all of it can be linked to what New Delhi does or does not do. The sheer location of Pakistan and the way Islamabad’s military lords use it, involves a grim lesson on the importance of location.&nbsp; &nbsp;The “geo” tag in geopolitics exists for a reason.

It is time for a reminder that for all practical purposes, Munir is now in control of the elected civilian government. The aftermath of Operation Sindoor, like that of the Kargil War in 1999, gives the army an upper hand. Not that it needed any.

Pakistan is often called a failed state. At other points, it has been called a rogue state or client state. That, of course, refers not to the country in general but to its army-centred ruling elite, which often sidesteps or steamrolls the interests of ordinary citizens to uphold its power base and worldview. Military coups and martial laws at various times only testify to this fact. The question to ask is: how is it that despite all the criticism and flak it faces, the military apparatus that runs the Pakistani state, sometimes in letter and almost always in spirit, has the right of way both at home and, as it turns out, abroad? The answer might lie in a simple insight: Pakistan’s estate is a vital asset–which is to say that what matters seems to be more about real estate than democracy, governance, nationhood or constitution that helps an elite stay firmly in the saddle despite hard evidence that Islamabad overlooks and/or nurtures terror groups or Most-Wanted figures such as Lashkar -e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Muhammad and its leaders or the infamous Osama Bin Laden who was killed next to the Abbottabad cantonment. After US President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir merely weeks after India’s May 7 Operation Sindoor that targeted Pakistan-based terror camps (followed by army-blessed funerals for some of those killed in the operation), it is time to think deep to understand what is really going on. Tongue firmly in cheek, and perhaps with bull’s eye precision, we can say that Pakistan’s special position is more a matter of diplomatic geography than political history. Never mind the Internet memes that mock the Trump-Munir meeting at a “private” luncheon. “Location, location, location,” is a popular phrase in the real estate business that stresses on the importance of geographical coordinates in determining the value of a property. Though the statement is often attributed to British real estate tycoon Harold Samuel, it has been traced back to a classified ad in the Chicago Tribune newspaper in 1926. Pakistan’s location has been a key asset that has saved it from many a diplomatic woe—and one might add, from the way its uniformed rulers manage it. You can say that thrice, like in the old saying. This is because Pakistan is strategically located next to Afghanistan, Iran and China, all of which have influenced diplomatic positions in Washington and Moscow at various points in time. When invading Russian soldiers marched into Afghanistan in 1979 as part of the then Soviet Union’s plan to install a puppet regime, it was Pakistan that helped the US counter it by hosting the “Mujahideen” or liberation groups towards the fag end of the Cold War. Bin Laden’s ideas of forming a global jihadist movement can be traced back to his presence in Pakistan. It is ironic that not only the rise of his Al Qaeda group that carried out the 9/11 attacks in New York in 2001, but also the Taliban that currently rules Afghanistan and bitterly opposes the US, rose from the remnants of the Mujahideen. US foreign policy has more often than not been guided by short-term expediency than long-term principles, and that might explain how the best of India’s diplomatic efforts and evidence do little to sway the State Department. As Trump woos Munir, who was appointed Field Marshal after Operation Sindoor, what we need to remember is that under the Republicans in general and the current White House incumbent in particular, the US is less a guardian angel of democracy or civilised diplomacy and more a power that looks after its strategic interests and trading might. It is generously helped by an influential Jewish lobby that has suddenly shifted America’s focus away from trade talks with China towards a combative engagement involving Israel and Iran. India’s Operation Sindoor had nothing to do with Iran, which has emerged as some kind of a benign opportunity for Pakistan to engage with the US. After the din ebbs on the Israel-Iran conflict, China will remain exactly where it is on the world map, helping Islamabad play a geopolitical card vis-à-vis the US. It is time for a reminder that for all practical purposes, Munir is now in control of the elected civilian government. The aftermath of Operation Sindoor, like that of the Kargil War in 1999, gives the army an upper hand. Not that it needed any. Opposition leader and former prime minister Imran Khan has been in jail for two years after an arrest led by the paramilitary inside the premises of the Islamabad High Court in a case involving his confrontation with the country’s army. Barely a week after the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack that led to Operation Sindoor, the Pakistan government named Asim Malik, a serving military general, as its National Security Adviser. A former head of the spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), he is no ordinary general. His appointment to the NSA’s job, over the head of civilian officials, shows who is in command in Pakistan. It might be fair to describe some of the events and non-events following Operation Sindoor as a setback for Indian diplomacy but it pays to remember that not all of it can be linked to what New Delhi does or does not do. The sheer location of Pakistan and the way Islamabad’s military lords use it, involves a grim lesson on the importance of location. The “geo” tag in geopolitics exists for a reason.

It is time for a reminder that for all practical purposes, Munir is now in control of the elected civilian government. The aftermath of Operation Sindoor, like that of the Kargil War in 1999, gives the army an upper hand. Not that it needed any.

The Location Syndrome: As Trump woos Munir, Pakistan’s diplomatic geography matters more than its political history

Pakistan's Army Chief, General Syed Asim Munir, who is currently in the US on an official visit, was slammed by a group of protesters who called him a "mass murderer" and &nbsp;a "dictator".In a viral video, the protesters were seen heckling Munir, as he arrived at a hotel in Washington.Pakistani nationals and people of Pakistani diaspora in the US gathered near the hotel to protest and call for the restoration of what they described as "unfettered democracy" in Pakistan."Asim Munir, you are a coward", “shame on you, mass murderer" and “shame on you, dictator", people were seen chanting these slogans as his car arrived at the hotel.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">WATCH: Failed Asim Munir gets humiliated by the Pakistani Diaspora during his trip to USA. He was called &#39;Murderer of Pakistanis&#39;. <a href="https://t.co/NSRKywNuh3">pic.twitter.com/NSRKywNuh3</a>&mdash; Sensei Kraken Zero (@YearOfTheKraken) <a href="https://twitter.com/YearOfTheKraken/status/1934881017539833932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/pakistan/pakistan-former-pm-imran-khan-explosive-allegations-on-asim-munir-over-bushra-bibi-s-incarceration-1749005087878">Also read: 'When I removed him as DG ISI…': Imran Khan's explosive allegations on Asim Munir over incarceration of his first wife Bushra Bibi</a>&nbsp;The authorities tried to stop them from entering the premises.A man, showing a screen with the slogan "mass murderer", said, "We are here to welcome Asim Munir. This is Washington's Four Seasons hotel. This is telling him what he has done to Pakistan.""People are here to hunt you", he said in the video. However, the video cannot be verified."Shame, shame on you. Free Pakistan. Civilian supremacy in Pakistan. Shame on you, b*****d," the man added.In another video, a mobile electronic billboard can also be seen parked near the building, with slogans on it of, "Asim Munir, mass murderer" and “democracy dies when guns speak.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://t.co/poIqJuGdnv">pic.twitter.com/poIqJuGdnv</a> Asim Munir has fallen into the hands of Pakistanis in America—exposed as the dictator, traitor, and butcher of his own people that he truly is!&quot; From Pakistan <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/11YearsofInjustice?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#11YearsofInjustice</a> Trump and Israel&mdash; ⁱᴵⁿˢᵃᶠ فکر (@shaoooohoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/shaoooohoor/status/1934843199496810778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/pakistan/asim-munir-visiting-us-fears-of-protests-hover-pti-denies-making-any-call-for-demonstration-1749659153921">Also read: Asim Munir visiting US? Fears of protests hover; PTI denies making any call for demonstration</a><h2>Munir's US visit</h2>Munir arrived in the US on Sunday for a five-day visit, aimed at strengthening military and strategic ties with the US.Asim Munir was recently promoted to the rank of Field Marshal, days after the Pakistan military suffered huge losses in its conflict with India after Operation Sindoor.

Pakistani nationals and people of Pakistani diaspora in the US gathered near the hotel to protest and call for the restoration of what they described as "unfettered democracy" in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Army Chief, General Syed Asim Munir, who is currently in the US on an official visit, was slammed by a group of protesters who called him a "mass murderer" and a "dictator". In a viral video, the protesters were seen heckling Munir, as he arrived at a hotel in Washington. Pakistani nationals and people of Pakistani diaspora in the US gathered near the hotel to protest and call for the restoration of what they described as "unfettered democracy" in Pakistan. "Asim Munir, you are a coward", “shame on you, mass murderer" and “shame on you, dictator", people were seen chanting these slogans as his car arrived at the hotel.

Pakistani nationals and people of Pakistani diaspora in the US gathered near the hotel to protest and call for the restoration of what they described as "unfettered democracy" in Pakistan.

'Mass murderer, dictator, b***ard': Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir heckled by protesters in US - WATCH

Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif has made a bizarre claim while addressing the parliament, leading a widespread social media criticism. Speaking in the Parliament of Pakistan, Asif claimed that the stadium floodlight in an IPL 2025 match was hacked by Pakistanis during the near-war situation between India and Pakistan in May. In a widespread ridicule, he also claimed that waters in the dam were also released by the so-called Pakistani hackers, ill-praising them during his address.&nbsp;<h2>Pakistan defence minister makes bizarre claim</h2>“The IPL was stopped and the lights of the stadium were turned off, waters in the dams were released, all these cyber attacks were done by our children,” Asif said while addressing the Pakistan Parliament.&nbsp;The comment comes more than a month after both India and Pakistan agreed on a ceasefire in what was a near-war situation between the two neighbours. In May, India launched Operation Sindoor as a retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attacks of April 22.&nbsp;Operation Sindoor, launched on May 6 saw high tensions between India and Pakistan, which later led to the suspension of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025).&nbsp;&nbsp;As part of the military precautionary action, a blackout was observed during an IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala on May 8. This led to floodlights being shut and later postponement of the IPL contest between PBKS and DC.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, Pak’s defence minister claimed that the blackout was a hacking operation done by Pakistan cyber cell.&nbsp;&nbsp;The claim has since been met with huge criticism on social media, “I didn’t know Cyber has different concepts and syllabus in Pakistan!" one of the X user’s comments read.&nbsp;“IPL floodlights don’t run on WiFi, they run on secure electrical systems. You can’t hack them like a home router. Next time, try hacking the scoreboard—at least it has buttons," another user commented on the claim.&nbsp;“Even China and the USA are asking – How did Pakistanis do this magic?" another one commented.

Speaking in the Parliament of Pakistan, Asif claimed that the stadium floodlight in an IPL 2025 match was hacked by Pakistanis during the near-war situation between India and Pakistan in May.

Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif has made a bizarre claim while addressing the parliament, leading a widespread social media criticism. Speaking in the Parliament of Pakistan, Asif claimed that the stadium floodlight in an IPL 2025 match was hacked by Pakistanis during the near-war situation between India and Pakistan in May. In a widespread ridicule, he also claimed that waters in the dam were also released by the so-called Pakistani hackers, ill-praising them during his address. Pakistan defence minister makes bizarre claim “The IPL was stopped and the lights of the stadium were turned off, waters in the dams were released, all these cyber attacks were done by our children,” Asif said while addressing the Pakistan Parliament. The comment comes more than a month after both India and Pakistan agreed on a ceasefire in what was a near-war situation between the two neighbours. In May, India launched Operation Sindoor as a retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attacks of April 22. Operation Sindoor, launched on May 6 saw high tensions between India and Pakistan, which later led to the suspension of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025). As part of the military precautionary action, a blackout was observed during an IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala on May 8. This led to floodlights being shut and later postponement of the IPL contest between PBKS and DC. However, Pak’s defence minister claimed that the blackout was a hacking operation done by Pakistan cyber cell. The claim has since been met with huge criticism on social media, “I didn’t know Cyber has different concepts and syllabus in Pakistan!" one of the X user’s comments read. “IPL floodlights don’t run on WiFi, they run on secure electrical systems. You can’t hack them like a home router. Next time, try hacking the scoreboard—at least it has buttons," another user commented on the claim. “Even China and the USA are asking – How did Pakistanis do this magic?" another one commented.

Speaking in the Parliament of Pakistan, Asif claimed that the stadium floodlight in an IPL 2025 match was hacked by Pakistanis during the near-war situation between India and Pakistan in May.

Pakistan defence minister makes bizarre claim, says 'hacked floodlights during IPL 2025'

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday (June 12) in a post on X sent his condolences after an Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner that was carrying 242 people from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed just moments after takeoff.&nbsp;He said, “Saddened by the tragic crash of Air India flight near Ahmedabad today. We extend our condolences to the families of the victims grieving this immense loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Saddened by the tragic crash of Air India flight near Ahmedabad today. We extend our condolences to the families of the victims grieving this immense loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.&mdash; Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMShehbaz/status/1933159649458651500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;Meanwhile, Pakistan's foreign minister Ishaq Dar also posted on X. He said, “Saddened at the crash of Air India flight in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Condolences over the loss of precious lives in this tragic incident. Our sympathies are with the families of the victims in this hour of grief.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Saddened at the crash of Air India flight in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Condolences over the loss of precious lives in this tragic incident. Our sympathies are with the families of the victims in this hour of grief.&mdash; Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) <a href="https://twitter.com/MIshaqDar50/status/1933151106525245462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The plane, en route to London, had taken off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38 pm IST.&nbsp;The plane was boarded by 242 people, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, one Canadian national and seven Portuguese nationals. In a post on X.com, Air India confirmed the crash. “The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals,” it said.&nbsp;“The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals. We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information,” it added.&nbsp;According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, issued a "Mayday" call to Air Traffic Control shortly before the plane lost contact. A mayday call is an internationally recognised distress signal used in radio communication. It indicates an imminent danger.&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Minister of Civil Aviation, Rammohan Naidu, and took stock of the situation. In a post on X, he said that the incident is ‘heartbreaking beyond words.’ He added that he has been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.&nbsp;Air India changed its profile picture on its social media handles to black as a sign of mourning. On its website, Air India is carrying the flight number - AI 171 - in black with a black band.

Ahmedabad plane crash Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says Saddened by the tragic crash of Air India flight near Ahmedabad today

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday (June 12) in a post on X sent his condolences after an Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner that was carrying 242 people from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed just moments after takeoff. He said, “Saddened by the tragic crash of Air India flight near Ahmedabad today. We extend our condolences to the families of the victims grieving this immense loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.”

The plane, en route to London, had taken off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38 pm IST.

Ahmedabad plane crash: Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says, 'Saddened by the tragic crash of Air India flight near Ahmedabad today'

Pakistan is bracing for a nationwide protest by the opposition PTI against the budget, but the government is likely to blame India for the economic woes. The water shortage that had led to crop production failure is being blamed partially on India putting in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Here is a look at the complex political developments unfolding in the country. &nbsp;<h2>Imran Khan's party announces a protest against the budget</h2> The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of Imran Khan is angered by the postponement of his bail petition. Through his sisters, the jailed leader has called for a nationwide protest against the budget announced on Wednesday. PTI rejected the 2025–26 budget, alleging it was dictated by the IMF and favours the elite while burdening the poor.&nbsp; Calling the PML-N government of Shehbaz Sharif ‘illegitimate’, PTI leaders like Gohar Ali Khan and Omar Ayub said it lacked the mandate to present the budget.&nbsp; They criticised heavy defence spending allocated in the budget, at the expense of social welfare. They slammed the lack of any relief for the salaried class.&nbsp; PTI threatened protests if opposition voices were suppressed in Parliament. The party argued that rising debt and fiscal tightening would worsen poverty and economic instability. &nbsp;<h2>How India's Indus Waters Treaty move will become an issue in Pakistan's politics &nbsp;</h2>However, as if to build a narrative ahead of the budget, the government had blamed the fall in crop production on water shortage.&nbsp; The shortage will only become worse in the coming days, when the planned PTI protests take place. India kept in abeyance its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. This has worsened Pakistan’s water crisis, with top reservoirs like Tarbela and Mangla at dead storage levels, limiting irrigation and drinking water.&nbsp; Pakistan's kharif crop output, especially cotton and maize, declined by over 30 per cent and 15 per cent respectively, while wheat production fell 9 per cent. Punjab faces a 21 per cent early Kharif water shortage. Pakistan’s agriculture GDP share dropped to 23.54 per cent.&nbsp; Pakistan has been appealing to India to reinstate the treaty, even as the World Bank, under whose auspices it had been signed, refused to mediate.&nbsp; There is a strong likelihood that the PMN-L government will shift the blame of its poor economic performance on the water shortage caused partially by the Indus Waters Treaty move by India. &nbsp;<h2> KP chief minister threatens armed protest</h2> &nbsp;Amid the political tensions, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur threatened an ‘armed protest march’ to Islamabad.&nbsp;The PTI leader warned that the protesters would respond to violence with violence, saying their patience has run out, frustrated by the lack of bail to Khan. But Imran Khan’s sister Aleema dismissed this, saying the party was only planning peaceful nationwide protests, not just in the capital.&nbsp;&nbsp;Earlier, Imran had instructed KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to ensure PTI’s economic team is consulted on the federal budget. But the government had avoided this. In the coming days, Pakistan will witness a political upheaval, which will start as a protest against the budget, but could spill into a larger crisis across the country.

The water shortage that had led to crop production failure is being blamed partially on India putting in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Here is a look at the complex political developments unfolding in the country.

Pakistan is bracing for a nationwide protest by the opposition PTI against the budget, but the government is likely to blame India for the economic woes. The water shortage that had led to crop production failure is being blamed partially on India putting in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Here is a look at the complex political developments unfolding in the country. Imran Khan's party announces a protest against the budget The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of Imran Khan is angered by the postponement of his bail petition. Through his sisters, the jailed leader has called for a nationwide protest against the budget announced on Wednesday. PTI rejected the 2025–26 budget, alleging it was dictated by the IMF and favours the elite while burdening the poor. Calling the PML-N government of Shehbaz Sharif ‘illegitimate’, PTI leaders like Gohar Ali Khan and Omar Ayub said it lacked the mandate to present the budget. They criticised heavy defence spending allocated in the budget, at the expense of social welfare. They slammed the lack of any relief for the salaried class. PTI threatened protests if opposition voices were suppressed in Parliament. The party argued that rising debt and fiscal tightening would worsen poverty and economic instability. How India's Indus Waters Treaty move will become an issue in Pakistan's politics However, as if to build a narrative ahead of the budget, the government had blamed the fall in crop production on water shortage. The shortage will only become worse in the coming days, when the planned PTI protests take place. India kept in abeyance its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. This has worsened Pakistan’s water crisis, with top reservoirs like Tarbela and Mangla at dead storage levels, limiting irrigation and drinking water. Pakistan's kharif crop output, especially cotton and maize, declined by over 30 per cent and 15 per cent respectively, while wheat production fell 9 per cent. Punjab faces a 21 per cent early Kharif water shortage. Pakistan’s agriculture GDP share dropped to 23.54 per cent. Pakistan has been appealing to India to reinstate the treaty, even as the World Bank, under whose auspices it had been signed, refused to mediate. There is a strong likelihood that the PMN-L government will shift the blame of its poor economic performance on the water shortage caused partially by the Indus Waters Treaty move by India. KP chief minister threatens armed protest Amid the political tensions, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur threatened an ‘armed protest march’ to Islamabad. The PTI leader warned that the protesters would respond to violence with violence, saying their patience has run out, frustrated by the lack of bail to Khan. But Imran Khan’s sister Aleema dismissed this, saying the party was only planning peaceful nationwide protests, not just in the capital. Earlier, Imran had instructed KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to ensure PTI’s economic team is consulted on the federal budget. But the government had avoided this. In the coming days, Pakistan will witness a political upheaval, which will start as a protest against the budget, but could spill into a larger crisis across the country.

&nbsp;The water shortage that had led to crop production failure is being blamed partially on India putting in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Here is a look at the complex political developments unfolding in the country. &nbsp;

India's Indus Waters Treaty move will become an issue in Pakistan's politics as PTI plans anti-budget protest. Here's how

A deepfake video clip of PTI’s interim Chairman Barrister Ali Gohar allegedly urging overseas Pakistanis to protest against the army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir in the US on June 14 was widely shared by party supporters on Tuesday, creating a storm in the political circles.&nbsp;As the deepfake video was shared and re-shared on social media, Gohar clarified, saying the clip is “fake and AI-generated”.He said that he has not made any such call for protest and the video is a deepfake.&nbsp;As per reports, a senior trade delegation from Pakistan is due in Washington this week for talks with United States officials on the recently imposed American tariffs and related economic issues.Some reports also claimed that Field Marshal Asim Munir would also visit Washington around the same time, but neither US nor Pakistani officials have confirmed this so far.The official dates for such visits are often withheld due to political sensitivities, said sources.&nbsp;In a tweet, PTI’s Secretary for Overseas Affairs, Sajjad Burki, called for a protest outside the Pakistani embassy in Washington on June 14, coinciding with the expected presence of senior Pakistani officials in the US capital. &nbsp;On Tuesday, an X user shared an 18-second clip showing Barrister Gohar urging overseas Pakistanis to participate in a protest on June 14 against the army chief.A fact-check to determine the veracity of the claim showed that the user had earlier shared many other AI-generated images and videos.&nbsp;However, as per reports, Munir is scheduled to visit the US to attend the US Army’s celebrations marking its 250th anniversary on Saturday (June 14) in Washington, DC.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will start his official visit to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest during some high-level meetings.&nbsp;Over the last few months, the UAE has expressed its commitment to strengthening its partnership with Pakistan and announced a $2 billion debt rollover.Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Wednesday that the visit reflected the “deep-rooted fraternal ties” between Pakistan and the UAE, marked by mutual trust, shared values, and close cooperation across multiple sectors.&nbsp;“PM Shehbaz will hold high-level meetings with the UAE leadership, including a bilateral meeting with the President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,” the press release said.&nbsp;

As per reports, a trade delegation from Pakistan is due in Washington this week for talks with United States officials on the recently imposed American tariffs and related economic issues. Munir is also reportedly scheduled to attend the US Army’s celebrations on June 14 in Washington, DC.

A deepfake video clip of PTI’s interim Chairman Barrister Ali Gohar allegedly urging overseas Pakistanis to protest against the army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir in the US on June 14 was widely shared by party supporters on Tuesday, creating a storm in the political circles. As the deepfake video was shared and re-shared on social media, Gohar clarified, saying the clip is “fake and AI-generated”. He said that he has not made any such call for protest and the video is a deepfake. As per reports, a senior trade delegation from Pakistan is due in Washington this week for talks with United States officials on the recently imposed American tariffs and related economic issues. Some reports also claimed that Field Marshal Asim Munir would also visit Washington around the same time, but neither US nor Pakistani officials have confirmed this so far. The official dates for such visits are often withheld due to political sensitivities, said sources. In a tweet, PTI’s Secretary for Overseas Affairs, Sajjad Burki, called for a protest outside the Pakistani embassy in Washington on June 14, coinciding with the expected presence of senior Pakistani officials in the US capital. On Tuesday, an X user shared an 18-second clip showing Barrister Gohar urging overseas Pakistanis to participate in a protest on June 14 against the army chief. A fact-check to determine the veracity of the claim showed that the user had earlier shared many other AI-generated images and videos. However, as per reports, Munir is scheduled to visit the US to attend the US Army’s celebrations marking its 250th anniversary on Saturday (June 14) in Washington, DC. Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will start his official visit to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest during some high-level meetings. Over the last few months, the UAE has expressed its commitment to strengthening its partnership with Pakistan and announced a $2 billion debt rollover. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Wednesday that the visit reflected the “deep-rooted fraternal ties” between Pakistan and the UAE, marked by mutual trust, shared values, and close cooperation across multiple sectors. “PM Shehbaz will hold high-level meetings with the UAE leadership, including a bilateral meeting with the President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,” the press release said.

As per reports, a trade delegation from Pakistan is due in Washington this week for talks with United States officials on the recently imposed American tariffs and related economic issues. Munir is also reportedly scheduled to attend the US Army’s celebrations on June 14 in Washington, DC.

Asim Munir visiting US? Fears of protests hover; PTI denies making any call for demonstration

Jailed PTI founder Imran Khan has called for a protest across the country against the federal budget, which he described as "anti-people" and destructive to the nation's economy.&nbsp;The imprisoned former prime minister relayed his message through his sisters, Aleema Khan and Noreen Khan, following their visit to him at Adiala Jail.&nbsp;&nbsp;Addressing the reporters outside, Aleema said that Imran Khan is of the view that the new budget will again put the burden on two of the biggest segments of society, the salaried class and farmers.&nbsp;She alleged that unlike that, the PTI government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is on the way to present a tax-free budget for the relief of the people.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-conditioning-missing-from-venue-bride-calls-off-wedding-says-life-will-be-hell-1749635694774">Air conditioning missing from venue, bride calls off wedding, says 'life will be hell'</a>&nbsp;Khan, through his sisters, urged the nation to prepare for a movement of protest. “There will be protests across the country,” Aleema said, adding that Imran sees his imprisonment as a sacrifice for the people and believes the Constitution was undermined after the 26th Amendment. &nbsp;Reasserting his authority over party decisions, Khan reportedly said, “I am still the head of the party. No budget can be finalised without my input.” According to Aleema, Imran has instructed KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to ensure PTI’s economic team is consulted on the federal budget, but the government is avoiding this out of fear.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sonam-was-manglik-raja-s-father-cites-astrology-in-comments-on-why-sonam-allegedly-killed-son-to-live-with-lover-1749633854646">It was in the stars? Raja's father cites astrology in comments on why Sonam allegedly killed son to live with lover</a>&nbsp;She also referenced Imran saying that even the IMF has suggested that the government bring the opposition on board, particularly PTI, during budget talks.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/meghalaya-honeymoon-murder-another-case-in-list-of-growing-crimes-of-passion-and-love-1749631033422">Meghalaya honeymoon murder, another case in list of growing crimes of passion and love</a>

Jailed PTI chief Imran Khan calls for nationwide protest against anti people budget

Jailed PTI founder Imran Khan has called for a protest across the country against the federal budget, which he described as "anti-people" and destructive to the nation's economy. The imprisoned former prime minister relayed his message through his sisters, Aleema Khan and Noreen Khan, following their visit to him at Adiala Jail. Addressing the reporters outside, Aleema said that Imran Khan is of the view that the new budget will again put the burden on two of the biggest segments of society, the salaried class and farmers. She alleged that unlike that, the PTI government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is on the way to present a tax-free budget for the relief of the people. Also Read: Air conditioning missing from venue, bride calls off wedding, says 'life will be hell' Khan, through his sisters, urged the nation to prepare for a movement of protest. “There will be protests across the country,” Aleema said, adding that Imran sees his imprisonment as a sacrifice for the people and believes the Constitution was undermined after the 26th Amendment. Reasserting his authority over party decisions, Khan reportedly said, “I am still the head of the party. No budget can be finalised without my input.” According to Aleema, Imran has instructed KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to ensure PTI’s economic team is consulted on the federal budget, but the government is avoiding this out of fear. Also Read: It was in the stars? Raja's father cites astrology in comments on why Sonam allegedly killed son to live with lover She also referenced Imran saying that even the IMF has suggested that the government bring the opposition on board, particularly PTI, during budget talks. Also Read: Meghalaya honeymoon murder, another case in list of growing crimes of passion and love

The jailed former prime minister conveyed his message through his sisters, Aleema Khan and Noreen Khan, after their meeting with him in Adiala Jail

Jailed PTI chief Imran Khan calls for nationwide protest against 'anti-people' budget

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday objected to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) decision of appointing Pakistan as the vice-chair of its counter-terrorism panel. Singh said this decision is similar to “making the cat guard the milk” as Pakistan has a known history of protecting and supporting terrorists.&nbsp;&nbsp;Expressing shock at the UNSC decision, he said, “What is astonishing is that this Counter-Terrorism panel, was formed after the 9/11 terror attacks. Pakistan had sheltered the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Its land has been used as a refuge for global terrorist organisations.”&nbsp;“There, terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar roam around openly, and senior officers of the Pakistan Army attend the funerals of terrorists. Now, the same country is expected to lead the global community against terrorism… The United Nations Security Council’s action is like asking the cat to guard the milk,” he added while speaking at an event in Dehradun.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">पाकिस्तान को Counter-Terrorism Panel का उपाध्यक्ष बनाना, बिल्ली से दूध की रखवाली कराने जैसा है। Global community और United Nations जैसी संस्थाओं को आतंकवाद जैसे मुद्दों पर और भी गंभीरता से सोचने की जरूरत है। <a href="https://t.co/bow8534ghm">pic.twitter.com/bow8534ghm</a>&mdash; Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajnathsingh/status/1932435018527175104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Pakistan will chair the Taliban Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2025 and serve as vice-chair of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee of the 15-nation UN body.&nbsp;“Pakistan has always given shelter to terrorists, trained them on its soil and helped them. Pahalgam (attack) was just an example, but I want to tell you that list of Pakistan-aided terrorists is very long. And, Pakistan always tries to justify terrorism. So, it is important that we eliminate not just these terrorists but the entire terror infrastructure that aids them,” he said.&nbsp;He said Pakistan supports terrorism, and a large portion of its foreign aid is used to fund this support. “Funding Pakistan means funding the infrastructure of terrorism. Pakistan is a nursery of terrorism. It should not be nourished,” Singh said, while urging other nations to stop giving money to Pakistan.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">पाकिस्तान को फंडिंग का मतलब है आतंकवाद के infrastructure को फंडिंग। अंतरराष्ट्रीय समुदाय को इस विदेशी फंडिंग को बंद करना होगा। पाकिस्तान आतंकवाद की नर्सरी है। इसको खाद पानी नहीं मिलनी चाहिए। <a href="https://t.co/mq7DYSO8C7">pic.twitter.com/mq7DYSO8C7</a>&mdash; Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajnathsingh/status/1932433118465515856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Singh urged the international community and organisations like the UN to take the issue of terrorism seriously. He said, “Only when we are free from terrorism, will we be able to move towards the goal of global peace, progress and prosperity.”

“Funding Pakistan means funding the infrastructure of terrorism. Pakistan is a nursery of terrorism. It should not be nourished,” India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, while urging other nations to stop giving money to Pakistan. 

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday objected to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) decision of appointing Pakistan as the vice-chair of its counter-terrorism panel. Singh said this decision is similar to “making the cat guard the milk” as Pakistan has a known history of protecting and supporting terrorists. Expressing shock at the UNSC decision, he said, “What is astonishing is that this Counter-Terrorism panel, was formed after the 9/11 terror attacks. Pakistan had sheltered the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Its land has been used as a refuge for global terrorist organisations.” “There, terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar roam around openly, and senior officers of the Pakistan Army attend the funerals of terrorists. Now, the same country is expected to lead the global community against terrorism… The United Nations Security Council’s action is like asking the cat to guard the milk,” he added while speaking at an event in Dehradun.

“Funding Pakistan means funding the infrastructure of terrorism. Pakistan is a nursery of terrorism. It should not be nourished,” India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, while urging other nations to stop giving money to Pakistan.&nbsp;

‘Like cat guarding milk’: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh slams UNSC for naming Pakistan in anti-terror panel

Pakistan has hiked its defence spending by a steep 20% after suffering serious setbacks from Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor despite battling severe economic challenges and had to slash its overall federal expenditure for fiscal 2025-26 by a hefty 7% to 17.57 trillion rupees ($62 billion) in its budget.&nbsp;The military spending has been increased even as Pakistan is battling weak finances and tremendous economic challenges.&nbsp;The overall spending planned in the budget is down 7% to 17.57 trillion rupees ($62 billion).&nbsp;The budget presented on Tuesday by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government allocated 2.55 trillion rupees ($9 billion) to defence in July-June 2025-26, up from 2.12 trillion.It projected a deficit of 3.9% of GDP against the 5.9% targeted for 2024-25. Inflation has been projected at 7.5% and growth at 4.2%.&nbsp;Pakistan has to kickstart growth while meeting the strictures of an International Monetary Fund finance programme. It also has to cope with the uncertainty of new import tariffs being imposed by the United States, which is its biggest export market.&nbsp;Pakistan boosts military spending&nbsp;Besides, Pakistan has allocated 742 billion Pakistani rupees ($2.63 billion) to military pensions, taking the entire defence budget to 3.292 trillion Pakistani rupees ($11.67 billion). That included 704 billion Pakistani rupees ($2.5 billion) in spending on equipment and other physical assets.&nbsp;The Sharif government has projected 4.2% economic growth in 2025-26, claiming that it has steadied the economy which was facing the risk of defaulting on its debts as recently as 2023. Growth this fiscal year is likely to be 2.7%, against the budgeted target of 3.6%.&nbsp;Pakistan’s growth lags far behind the region. In 2024, South Asian countries grew by an average of 5.8% and the Asian Development Bank expects 6.0% in 2025.&nbsp;Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the government intends to complete the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines, a request of the IMF.&nbsp;Growth should be aided by a sharp drop in the cost of borrowing, the government says, after a series of interest rate cuts.&nbsp;Economists, however, warn that monetary policy alone may not be enough, as fiscal constraints and IMF-mandated reforms are still weighing on investment.Aurangzeb said, “The budget was the start of a strategy to boost exports, increase foreign currency reserves to avoid the balance of payments crises of the past, and create a more competitive economy.”“In short, our budget strategy is to change the economy’s DNA by bringing basic changes,” he said.

Pakistan has to kickstart growth while meeting the strictures of an International Monetary Fund finance programme. Its also has to cope with the uncertainty of new import tariffs being imposed by the United States, which is its biggest export market.

Pakistan has hiked its defence spending by a steep 20% after suffering serious setbacks from Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor despite battling severe economic challenges and had to slash its overall federal expenditure for fiscal 2025-26 by a hefty 7% to 17.57 trillion rupees ($62 billion) in its budget. The military spending has been increased even as Pakistan is battling weak finances and tremendous economic challenges. The overall spending planned in the budget is down 7% to 17.57 trillion rupees ($62 billion). The budget presented on Tuesday by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government allocated 2.55 trillion rupees ($9 billion) to defence in July-June 2025-26, up from 2.12 trillion. It projected a deficit of 3.9% of GDP against the 5.9% targeted for 2024-25. Inflation has been projected at 7.5% and growth at 4.2%. Pakistan has to kickstart growth while meeting the strictures of an International Monetary Fund finance programme. It also has to cope with the uncertainty of new import tariffs being imposed by the United States, which is its biggest export market. Pakistan boosts military spending Besides, Pakistan has allocated 742 billion Pakistani rupees ($2.63 billion) to military pensions, taking the entire defence budget to 3.292 trillion Pakistani rupees ($11.67 billion). That included 704 billion Pakistani rupees ($2.5 billion) in spending on equipment and other physical assets. The Sharif government has projected 4.2% economic growth in 2025-26, claiming that it has steadied the economy which was facing the risk of defaulting on its debts as recently as 2023. Growth this fiscal year is likely to be 2.7%, against the budgeted target of 3.6%. Pakistan’s growth lags far behind the region. In 2024, South Asian countries grew by an average of 5.8% and the Asian Development Bank expects 6.0% in 2025. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the government intends to complete the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines, a request of the IMF. Growth should be aided by a sharp drop in the cost of borrowing, the government says, after a series of interest rate cuts. Economists, however, warn that monetary policy alone may not be enough, as fiscal constraints and IMF-mandated reforms are still weighing on investment. Aurangzeb said, “The budget was the start of a strategy to boost exports, increase foreign currency reserves to avoid the balance of payments crises of the past, and create a more competitive economy.” “In short, our budget strategy is to change the economy’s DNA by bringing basic changes,” he said.

Pakistan has to kickstart growth while meeting the strictures of an International Monetary Fund finance programme. It also has to cope with the uncertainty of new import tariffs being imposed by the United States, which is its biggest export market.

Pakistan hikes defence budget by 20% despite economic challenges, cuts overall spending in 2025-26

Al Qaeda’s Brigade 313 was the subject of a question to former Pakistani ambassador, bringing back interest in the shadowy terror group active for decades in the South Asian country. A Sky News journalist put Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President Sherry Rehman on the defensive with a question on the group. Sherry Rehman, a former Pakistan envoy to the US, acknowledged the past activities of terrorists in the country. But the truth is, Brigade 313, which is basically al Qaeda's operational wing, is still active in the region, including in India.&nbsp;So, what is the Brigade 313? Here is what you probably didn't know.<h2> Brigade 313: Pakistan-based military arm of Al Qaeda in the region</h2> Brigade 313 is the key operational unit under Al Qaeda’s Lashkar al-Zil or Shadow Army, which oversees its terror activities along the Afghan-Pakistani border and across the border into India.&nbsp;Rather than a singular entity, it is a loose coalition of terrorists from various jihadist groups and includes former Pakistani soldiers and intelligence officials.&nbsp;Its activities have been reported from Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Balochistan, as well as the cities of Karachi and Lahore. It is also known to outsource its operations to rebranded groups like the Resistance Front (TRF) and People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) which are active in India's Jaummu and Kashmir.It should be noted that TRF, an offshoot of LeT, was behind the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22.&nbsp;<h2>Why is it called Brigade 313?</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;Formed in the early 2000s, the group is named after the 313 companions who fought alongside the Prophet Muhammad during the Battle of Badr. Brigade 313 draws its members from various jihadist groups such as the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Jundallah. Ideologically, Brigade 313 follows al Qaeda’s Salafi-jihadist view, and concentrates mainly on attacing US and Pakistani state assets. It is seen as supporting al Qaeda’s broader strategy for Afghanistan, India, and beyond. &nbsp;<h2>Who are the leaders of &nbsp;Brigade 313?</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>Ilyas Kashmiri, a former Pakistani Special Services Group commando, was the founding leader of Brigade 313. A senior commander of al Qaeda, he also led Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI) and was a key figure of al Qaeda’s Lashkar al-Zil.&nbsp;Designated a terrorist by the US in 2010 and added to the UN’s 1267 Committee list, Kashmiri organised attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Bangladesh.&nbsp;He was involved in the 2009 Najibullah Zazi suicide attack plan in New York City, and the Jyllands-Posten newspaper attack plot in Denmark over its publication of Prophet Muhammad cartoons. &nbsp;Kashmiri was reportedly killed in a US drone strike in Wana, South Waziristan, in June 2011. But his death is shrouded in mystery, given his links to Pakistan’s spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).&nbsp;Since Kashmiri's exit, Shah Sahib became the leader of Brigade 313. Under the newly revamped Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), the group continued to conduct attacks, which were often outsourced to other jihadist groups.<h2> From assassinations to suicide attacks: Brigade 313 terror trail</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>Over the past two decades, Brigade 313 conducted several attacks in coordination with other terror groups, even as it maintained a low profile. These attacks took place in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.&nbsp;These included the failed assassination attempt in 2003 on the then-president Pervez Musharraf.Kashmiri, who was involved in the attack, was held by Pakistani authorities but was released in February 2004, apparently due to his ISI links.&nbsp;In 2008, Brigade 313 was involved in the assassination of Maj Gen Faisal Alvi, a retired Pakistani SSG commander. Alvi was reportedly killed after threatening to expose Pakistani officials’ ties to the Taliban.&nbsp;Among the most dastardly attacks of Brigade 313 was the 2009 assault on Army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi that killed at least 17.&nbsp;The same year, it carried out a suicide attack targeting government and security installations in Khost province of Afghanistan.&nbsp;In 2011, to avenge the killing of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, the group attacked a Pakistani Navy base in Karachi. The attack and hostage-taking led to 14 deaths.&nbsp;<h2>Brigade 313 and Pakistani military-intelligence links</h2>&nbsp;It has been reported that Brigade 313 has ties to Pakistan’s military and intelligence services.It has a certain amount of sophistication in operations, having launched its own website, which included a forum and blog for propaganda, statements and recruitment. Brigade 313 has promoted, aided, abetted and orchestrated attacks by other terror groups like HUJI, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jundallah, and the Taliban. It is thought to be continuing its operations while keeping a low profile, and operating across Pakistan states borders with Afghanistan and India.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Brigade 313 is the key operational unit under Al Qaeda’s Lashkar al-Zil or Shadow Army, which oversees its terror activities along the Afghan-Pakistani border and across the border into India.



Al Qaeda’s Brigade 313 was the subject of a question to former Pakistani ambassador, bringing back interest in the shadowy terror group active for decades in the South Asian country. A Sky News journalist put Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President Sherry Rehman on the defensive with a question on the group. Sherry Rehman, a former Pakistan envoy to the US, acknowledged the past activities of terrorists in the country. But the truth is, Brigade 313, which is basically al Qaeda's operational wing, is still active in the region, including in India. So, what is the Brigade 313? Here is what you probably didn't know. Brigade 313: Pakistan-based military arm of Al Qaeda in the region Brigade 313 is the key operational unit under Al Qaeda’s Lashkar al-Zil or Shadow Army, which oversees its terror activities along the Afghan-Pakistani border and across the border into India. Rather than a singular entity, it is a loose coalition of terrorists from various jihadist groups and includes former Pakistani soldiers and intelligence officials. Its activities have been reported from Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Balochistan, as well as the cities of Karachi and Lahore. It is also known to outsource its operations to rebranded groups like the Resistance Front (TRF) and People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) which are active in India's Jaummu and Kashmir. It should be noted that TRF, an offshoot of LeT, was behind the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22. Why is it called Brigade 313? Formed in the early 2000s, the group is named after the 313 companions who fought alongside the Prophet Muhammad during the Battle of Badr. Brigade 313 draws its members from various jihadist groups such as the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Jundallah. Ideologically, Brigade 313 follows al Qaeda’s Salafi-jihadist view, and concentrates mainly on attacing US and Pakistani state assets. It is seen as supporting al Qaeda’s broader strategy for Afghanistan, India, and beyond. Who are the leaders of Brigade 313? Ilyas Kashmiri, a former Pakistani Special Services Group commando, was the founding leader of Brigade 313. A senior commander of al Qaeda, he also led Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI) and was a key figure of al Qaeda’s Lashkar al-Zil. Designated a terrorist by the US in 2010 and added to the UN’s 1267 Committee list, Kashmiri organised attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Bangladesh. He was involved in the 2009 Najibullah Zazi suicide attack plan in New York City, and the Jyllands-Posten newspaper attack plot in Denmark over its publication of Prophet Muhammad cartoons. Kashmiri was reportedly killed in a US drone strike in Wana, South Waziristan, in June 2011. But his death is shrouded in mystery, given his links to Pakistan’s spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Since Kashmiri's exit, Shah Sahib became the leader of Brigade 313. Under the newly revamped Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), the group continued to conduct attacks, which were often outsourced to other jihadist groups. From assassinations to suicide attacks: Brigade 313 terror trail Over the past two decades, Brigade 313 conducted several attacks in coordination with other terror groups, even as it maintained a low profile. These attacks took place in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. These included the failed assassination attempt in 2003 on the then-president Pervez Musharraf. Kashmiri, who was involved in the attack, was held by Pakistani authorities but was released in February 2004, apparently due to his ISI links. In 2008, Brigade 313 was involved in the assassination of Maj Gen Faisal Alvi, a retired Pakistani SSG commander. Alvi was reportedly killed after threatening to expose Pakistani officials’ ties to the Taliban. Among the most dastardly attacks of Brigade 313 was the 2009 assault on Army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi that killed at least 17. The same year, it carried out a suicide attack targeting government and security installations in Khost province of Afghanistan. In 2011, to avenge the killing of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, the group attacked a Pakistani Navy base in Karachi. The attack and hostage-taking led to 14 deaths. Brigade 313 and Pakistani military-intelligence links It has been reported that Brigade 313 has ties to Pakistan’s military and intelligence services. It has a certain amount of sophistication in operations, having launched its own website, which included a forum and blog for propaganda, statements and recruitment. Brigade 313 has promoted, aided, abetted and orchestrated attacks by other terror groups like HUJI, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jundallah, and the Taliban. It is thought to be continuing its operations while keeping a low profile, and operating across Pakistan states borders with Afghanistan and India.

The truth is, Brigade 313, which is basically al Qaeda's operational wing, is still active in the region, including in India, where it is linked to terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

Al Qaeda’s Brigade 313: Shadowy terror group in Pakistan linked to Kashmir attacks, assassinations and more | What you didn't know

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President Sherry Rehman, who was earlier Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, was visibly flustered when questioned on al-Qaeda-linked Brigade 313 and acknowledged Islamabad’s links to terrorism in the past while she dodged pointed questions.“You keep on talking about the past because it was,” Rehman told Sky News journalist Yalda Hakim in response to questions on Pakistan’s record on harbouring extremist elements.&nbsp;“We are fighting terrorism. Pakistan is a changed country now.”&nbsp;In the interview, Hakim cited Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC) inputs and said Brigade 313 was a Pakistan-based terror outfit tied to al-Qaeda with members from the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami.&nbsp;“Brigade 313 is al-Qaeda in Pakistan. They are the leaders of a massive terrorist organisation that focuses on attacks in Kashmir,” Hakim said. Rehman then took a confrontational stand and questioned whether Pakistan should be held responsible for repeated attacks in India, particularly those linked to groups like Brigade 313. “Am I going to war every time there is an attack in India,” she said.&nbsp;“There are a hundred insurgencies running in India,” she added, and asked, “Are we responsible for what goes on there.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">What is Brigade 313? Is it Al Qaeda in Pakistan? I ask Vice President of the Pakistan People’s Party Senator Sherry Rehman about ongoing terrorist activity in Pakistan. Watch the full exchange on YouTube. <a href="https://t.co/toXchgeMW5">pic.twitter.com/toXchgeMW5</a>&mdash; Yalda Hakim (@SkyYaldaHakim) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyYaldaHakim/status/1932205499908325856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Hakim then questioned whether the presence of individuals like Sajid Mir, one of the key plotters of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, in Pakistan, delayed its exit from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list until 2022.Rehman responded, “You’re citing a long history of engaging with terrorism one way or the other, either fighting it or otherwise.”&nbsp;When Hakim said that UN-designated terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) had confirmed that its top commander Masood Asghar and 10 family members were killed in Bahawalpur during the Operation Sindoor strikes, Rehman said, “Children are not leaders,” and then tried to dismiss the sources cited.&nbsp; “Most of the analysts you’re quoting are aligned with India’s narrative. They only tell India’s story,” she argued.&nbsp;<h2>What is Brigade 313?</h2>&nbsp;Brigade 313 was formed in the early 2000s and reportedly took its name from the 313 companions who fought alongside Prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Badr.&nbsp;The brigade is a hybrid coalition, drawing terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI), Jaish-e-Mohammed, and others. It operated under al-Qaeda’s umbrella and frequently collaborated with Pakistan’s Taliban factions.The brigade was led by Ilyas Kashmiri, a former Pakistani army-trained fighter who became one of al-Qaeda’s most prominent commanders before being killed in a 2011 US drone strike.It is often referred to as part of al-Qaeda’s Lashkar al-Zil (Shadow Army).&nbsp;&nbsp;In her earlier interviews, Afghanistan-born journalist Yalda Hakim has grilled Pakistani ministers over Islamabad’s denials of supporting terrorism.&nbsp;In an April 24 interview to her, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitted to the country’s complicity in supporting terror groups in the past. He said, “We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, and the West, including Britain.” The video of Khawaja Asif’s interview had gone viral/&nbsp;In a later interaction on May 7, Hakim challenged Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar. When Tarar denied the presence of terror camps in Pakistan, Hakim countered him by citing statements previously made by Pakistan’s own leaders, including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.

When Hakim said that UN-designated terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed had confirmed that its top commander, Masood Asghar, and 10 family members were killed in Bahawalpur during the Operation Sindoor strikes, Rehman said, “Children are not leaders,” and then tried to dismiss the sources cited.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President Sherry Rehman, who was earlier Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, was visibly flustered when questioned on al-Qaeda-linked Brigade 313 and acknowledged Islamabad’s links to terrorism in the past while she dodged pointed questions. “You keep on talking about the past because it was,” Rehman told Sky News journalist Yalda Hakim in response to questions on Pakistan’s record on harbouring extremist elements. “We are fighting terrorism. Pakistan is a changed country now.” In the interview, Hakim cited Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC) inputs and said Brigade 313 was a Pakistan-based terror outfit tied to al-Qaeda with members from the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami. “Brigade 313 is al-Qaeda in Pakistan. They are the leaders of a massive terrorist organisation that focuses on attacks in Kashmir,” Hakim said. Rehman then took a confrontational stand and questioned whether Pakistan should be held responsible for repeated attacks in India, particularly those linked to groups like Brigade 313. “Am I going to war every time there is an attack in India,” she said. “There are a hundred insurgencies running in India,” she added, and asked, “Are we responsible for what goes on there.”

When Hakim said that UN-designated terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed had confirmed that its top commander, Masood Asghar, and 10 family members were killed in Bahawalpur during the Operation Sindoor strikes, Rehman said, “Children are not leaders,” and then tried to dismiss the sources cited.

‘What is Brigade 313’? Question unsettles Pakistan Senator Sherry Rehman, she admits Islamabad’s links to terror

Pakistan has failed in achieving key economic targets, but its finance minister used the occasion to discuss the dire state of affairs to blame India in the context of its recent bailout package tranche from IMF. The economic survey of Pakistan revealed some shocking numbers, which give an indication of how badly the South Asian nation has been performing. But instead of facing reality, the Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb found time to blame, without proof, an unnamed 'Indian executive director' of IMF for trying to ‘block’ the IMF package.But first, here is a look at the economic situation, as revealed in the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25 unveiled by Aurgangzeb on Monday (June 9).&nbsp;<h2>Pakistan misses GDP target, crop production down</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>The key aspect of the economic survey was the GDP failing to meet the target. Pakistan's GDP growth stood at 2.68 per cent, far below the target of 3.56 per cent.&nbsp;&nbsp;Though slightly better than the previous year, the GDP growth was less than the country's five-year average of 3.3 per cent, and long-term average of over 4.5 per cent. &nbsp;<h2>Pakistan minister takes global economy as alibi as most targets missed</h2>&nbsp;While explaining the poor performance of the economy, Aurangzeb cited global economic headwinds.&nbsp;Almost all key economic targets were missed. On the crop production, the shortfall was blamed on a 35 per cent water shortage, revised down to 11-12 per cent. Both industries and services underperformed, failing to meet targets despite moderate growth.&nbsp;The country's large-scale manufacturing continued to struggle for the third straight year.&nbsp;&nbsp;Yet, the Pakistani finance minister put up a brave front, calling it a gradual recovery even as he promised a turnaround next year.<h2> Crop production down</h2>&nbsp;One glaring aspect in Pakistan's economic survey was the fall in crop production. Major crop production was down 13.5 per cent. The survey blamed it on a 'water crisis'.&nbsp;The survey showed that wheat, cotton, and maize production went down by 13.5 per cent, while cotton ginning fell by 19 per cent. &nbsp;<h2>Blaming 'Indian IMF executive director'</h2>&nbsp;But what stuck out like a sore thumb in the finance minister's presentation of the survey was the unfounded allegations targeting India, indirectly blaming it for its internal economic mismanagement.&nbsp;He was speaking in the context of the recent $1 billion tranche released by the IMF. Without offering any proof, or naming anyone, Aurangzeb claimed that 'the Indian executive director at the IMF' tried to keep Pakistan bailout discussion off the agenda of the IMF board.&nbsp;He claimed that the Indian official tried to block the second instalment of the bailout package, as well as another $1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility for Pakistan's climate crisis financing.

Instead of facing reality, the Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb found time to blame, without proof, an unnamed Indian executive director of IMF for trying to block the IMF tranche.

Pakistan has failed in achieving key economic targets, but its finance minister used the occasion to discuss the dire state of affairs to blame India in the context of its recent bailout package tranche from IMF. The economic survey of Pakistan revealed some shocking numbers, which give an indication of how badly the South Asian nation has been performing. But instead of facing reality, the Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb found time to blame, without proof, an unnamed 'Indian executive director' of IMF for trying to ‘block’ the IMF package. But first, here is a look at the economic situation, as revealed in the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25 unveiled by Aurgangzeb on Monday (June 9). Pakistan misses GDP target, crop production down The key aspect of the economic survey was the GDP failing to meet the target. Pakistan's GDP growth stood at 2.68 per cent, far below the target of 3.56 per cent. Though slightly better than the previous year, the GDP growth was less than the country's five-year average of 3.3 per cent, and long-term average of over 4.5 per cent. Pakistan minister takes global economy as alibi as most targets missed While explaining the poor performance of the economy, Aurangzeb cited global economic headwinds. Almost all key economic targets were missed. On the crop production, the shortfall was blamed on a 35 per cent water shortage, revised down to 11-12 per cent. Both industries and services underperformed, failing to meet targets despite moderate growth. The country's large-scale manufacturing continued to struggle for the third straight year. Yet, the Pakistani finance minister put up a brave front, calling it a gradual recovery even as he promised a turnaround next year. Crop production down One glaring aspect in Pakistan's economic survey was the fall in crop production. Major crop production was down 13.5 per cent. The survey blamed it on a 'water crisis'. The survey showed that wheat, cotton, and maize production went down by 13.5 per cent, while cotton ginning fell by 19 per cent. Blaming 'Indian IMF executive director' But what stuck out like a sore thumb in the finance minister's presentation of the survey was the unfounded allegations targeting India, indirectly blaming it for its internal economic mismanagement. He was speaking in the context of the recent $1 billion tranche released by the IMF. Without offering any proof, or naming anyone, Aurangzeb claimed that 'the Indian executive director at the IMF' tried to keep Pakistan bailout discussion off the agenda of the IMF board. He claimed that the Indian official tried to block the second instalment of the bailout package, as well as another $1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility for Pakistan's climate crisis financing.

Instead of facing reality, the Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb found time to blame, without proof, an unnamed 'Indian executive director' of IMF for trying to block the IMF tranche.

Pak minister blames India, without proof, on IMF tranche issue even as its economy misses crop production, GDP targets

Asif Hafeez, once a shadowy figure in international drug trafficking circles, has been unmasked as the mastermind behind one of the world’s most expansive heroin networks.&nbsp;&nbsp;Dubbed as the "Sultan" for his dominance in the illicit trade, Hafeez’s empire stretched from the opium fields of Afghanistan to drug markets in Europe, Africa, and the United States.&nbsp;The fall of Asif Hafeez has left many shocked who previously considered him a suave socialite and philanthropist.&nbsp;On June 6, 2025, Hafeez was sentenced to 16 years in a New York prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges. The case capped a years-long legal saga that exposed how Hafeez, once a prominent figure in London’s elite circles, operated one of the most expansive and secretive drug empires in the world. Hafeez's tale started in the upscale corridors of a London polo club, where he socialised with British royalty and hobnobbed with the high and mighty. By day, he was a businessman with a network that extended from the UK, to the Middle East, and Pakistan.&nbsp;&nbsp;By night, he was covertly one of the world's most prolific drug smugglers, operating an massive heroin, methamphetamine, and hashish distribution syndicate out of Pakistan and India.&nbsp;In the international drug cartel underworld, Hafeez was a mysterious mastermind, obscuring his criminal activity through respectable business enterprises and philanthropic acts. His secret life, however, started to get exposed in 2014 when an undercover American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents recorded a meeting held in Kenya between Hafeez's business partners and a Colombian drug purchaser.&nbsp;&nbsp;The sting operation triggered a chain of events that eventually culminated in Hafeez's arrest, long extradition struggles, and subsequent conviction in the US<h3>The rise of 'The Sultan'</h3>Hafeez was born in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1958 to a middle-class family. He rapidly rose through the ranks of business, founding Sarwani International Corporation in the early 1990s.&nbsp;&nbsp;Initially, Sarwani seemed legitimate, its portfolio boasted of military-grade drug detection equipment, textiles, and even a Lahore restaurant. These enterprises supported an opulent lifestyle, which enabled Hafeez to mix with powerful persons and gain access to networks that would later be a godsend to his illegal activities, a BBC report said.&nbsp;Between 2009 and 2011, Hafeez was an ambassador for the famous Ham Polo Club. It was during this period that he came into contact with British royalty, although it was later revealed that Hafeez was never a member of the club to begin with.&nbsp;&nbsp;Nonetheless, his credibility as a respectable businessman was boosted by his liaisons with high-class British society even as his criminal business operations continued unabated in the background.<h3>Living a double life</h3>Hafeez's illicit business was international in scope, peddling heroin, meth, and hashish from bases in Pakistan and India to markets around the globe. But it was not only his illicit business that made him stand out.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hafeez also led a precarious game of cat and mouse, posing as an informant to law enforcement agencies in the UK and the Middle East. By sharing advice that resulted in the dismantling of competition cartels, Hafeez kept the authorities at arm's length while removing competition for his own drug empire.&nbsp;In his dealings with the authorities, Hafeez was being praised as a public-spirited citizen, but reality was much more sinister. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) subsequently concluded that his intelligence-sharing was not inspired by an interest in combating crime, but by an interest in retaining control over the international drugs market.<h3>The fall of the Sultan</h3>The decline of Hafeez started in 2014 with a vital sting operation. DEA agents recorded a meeting between his two associates and a Colombian drug buyer in Mombasa, Kenya.&nbsp;&nbsp;The deal, which was for 99kg of heroin and 2kg of meth, was for distribution in the US. In the course of the meeting, Hafeez's associates called him "The Sultan," indicating that he was their supplier, as per the US State Department report.&nbsp;This video would prove to be instrumental evidence against Hafeez, and coupled with further mentions of him that were discovered in the equipment of his arrested cohorts.&nbsp;&nbsp;The sting operation opened the door to an investigation that involved several years and several nations.&nbsp;In 2016, Hafeez and Indian crime lord Vijaygiri "Vicky" Goswami were connected to a mass production of methamphetamine using ephedrine, a chemical precursor. Police stopped the shipment of 18 tonnes of ephedrine before it arrived in Mozambique, adding to Hafeez's involvement in the international drug trade.<h3>Arrested in London</h3>By January 2017, Hafeez had been arrested in London and detained at high-security Belmarsh Prison as he contested extradition to the United States.&nbsp;&nbsp;He asserted that his informant status would jeopardise his safety in American prisons, and cited illnesses like asthma and diabetes in efforts to prevent extradition. His appeals were denied by UK courts, and following a final decision by the European Court of Human Rights in 2023, Hafeez was extradited to America.<h3>The final sentence</h3>In 2024, Hafeez pleaded guilty to several counts of drug trafficking in New York. American prosecutors pointed out the glaring discrepancy between his luxurious lifestyle and the pain inflicted by the drugs he trafficked. Unlike most criminals motivated by poverty or desperation, Hafeez's motive seemed to have been greed and power, thus making his crime that much worse.&nbsp;On June 6, 2025, Hafeez was handed a 16-year prison sentence. His 16-year sentence, which will finish in 2033, marks the end of an era for a crime empire founded upon lies, fortune, and unrelenting ambition.

Who is Asif Hafeez? The Pakistani ‘Sultan’ behind a global drug empire and how he lost it all

Asif Hafeez, once a shadowy figure in international drug trafficking circles, has been unmasked as the mastermind behind one of the world’s most expansive heroin networks. Dubbed as the "Sultan" for his dominance in the illicit trade, Hafeez’s empire stretched from the opium fields of Afghanistan to drug markets in Europe, Africa, and the United States. The fall of Asif Hafeez has left many shocked who previously considered him a suave socialite and philanthropist. On June 6, 2025, Hafeez was sentenced to 16 years in a New York prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges. The case capped a years-long legal saga that exposed how Hafeez, once a prominent figure in London’s elite circles, operated one of the most expansive and secretive drug empires in the world. Hafeez's tale started in the upscale corridors of a London polo club, where he socialised with British royalty and hobnobbed with the high and mighty. By day, he was a businessman with a network that extended from the UK, to the Middle East, and Pakistan. By night, he was covertly one of the world's most prolific drug smugglers, operating an massive heroin, methamphetamine, and hashish distribution syndicate out of Pakistan and India. In the international drug cartel underworld, Hafeez was a mysterious mastermind, obscuring his criminal activity through respectable business enterprises and philanthropic acts. His secret life, however, started to get exposed in 2014 when an undercover American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents recorded a meeting held in Kenya between Hafeez's business partners and a Colombian drug purchaser. The sting operation triggered a chain of events that eventually culminated in Hafeez's arrest, long extradition struggles, and subsequent conviction in the US The rise of 'The Sultan' Hafeez was born in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1958 to a middle-class family. He rapidly rose through the ranks of business, founding Sarwani International Corporation in the early 1990s. Initially, Sarwani seemed legitimate, its portfolio boasted of military-grade drug detection equipment, textiles, and even a Lahore restaurant. These enterprises supported an opulent lifestyle, which enabled Hafeez to mix with powerful persons and gain access to networks that would later be a godsend to his illegal activities, a BBC report said. Between 2009 and 2011, Hafeez was an ambassador for the famous Ham Polo Club. It was during this period that he came into contact with British royalty, although it was later revealed that Hafeez was never a member of the club to begin with. Nonetheless, his credibility as a respectable businessman was boosted by his liaisons with high-class British society even as his criminal business operations continued unabated in the background. Living a double life Hafeez's illicit business was international in scope, peddling heroin, meth, and hashish from bases in Pakistan and India to markets around the globe. But it was not only his illicit business that made him stand out. Hafeez also led a precarious game of cat and mouse, posing as an informant to law enforcement agencies in the UK and the Middle East. By sharing advice that resulted in the dismantling of competition cartels, Hafeez kept the authorities at arm's length while removing competition for his own drug empire. In his dealings with the authorities, Hafeez was being praised as a public-spirited citizen, but reality was much more sinister. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) subsequently concluded that his intelligence-sharing was not inspired by an interest in combating crime, but by an interest in retaining control over the international drugs market. The fall of the Sultan The decline of Hafeez started in 2014 with a vital sting operation. DEA agents recorded a meeting between his two associates and a Colombian drug buyer in Mombasa, Kenya. The deal, which was for 99kg of heroin and 2kg of meth, was for distribution in the US. In the course of the meeting, Hafeez's associates called him "The Sultan," indicating that he was their supplier, as per the US State Department report. This video would prove to be instrumental evidence against Hafeez, and coupled with further mentions of him that were discovered in the equipment of his arrested cohorts. The sting operation opened the door to an investigation that involved several years and several nations. In 2016, Hafeez and Indian crime lord Vijaygiri "Vicky" Goswami were connected to a mass production of methamphetamine using ephedrine, a chemical precursor. Police stopped the shipment of 18 tonnes of ephedrine before it arrived in Mozambique, adding to Hafeez's involvement in the international drug trade. Arrested in London By January 2017, Hafeez had been arrested in London and detained at high-security Belmarsh Prison as he contested extradition to the United States. He asserted that his informant status would jeopardise his safety in American prisons, and cited illnesses like asthma and diabetes in efforts to prevent extradition. His appeals were denied by UK courts, and following a final decision by the European Court of Human Rights in 2023, Hafeez was extradited to America. The final sentence In 2024, Hafeez pleaded guilty to several counts of drug trafficking in New York. American prosecutors pointed out the glaring discrepancy between his luxurious lifestyle and the pain inflicted by the drugs he trafficked. Unlike most criminals motivated by poverty or desperation, Hafeez's motive seemed to have been greed and power, thus making his crime that much worse. On June 6, 2025, Hafeez was handed a 16-year prison sentence. His 16-year sentence, which will finish in 2033, marks the end of an era for a crime empire founded upon lies, fortune, and unrelenting ambition.

On June 6, 2025, Hafeez was sentenced to 16 years in a New York prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges

Did Pakistan strike a parked Sukhoi-30MKI at Adampur air base in Punjab? Or destroy an S-400 surface-to-air missile unit at Bhuj airbase in Gujarat?&nbsp;&nbsp;These are the two most recent fantasies being peddled as part of a month-long campaign of wishful thinking and weaponised disinformation from Islamabad.&nbsp;Following India's Operation Sindoor, Pakistan had rushed to present a counter-narrative of success in striking Indian airbases and installations. With nothing much to demonstrate in terms of actual damage to Indian military facilities, it switched to manipulated satellite images, fabricated visuals, and disinformation campaigns.&nbsp;&nbsp;Two new examples indicate Pakistan hasn't lost steam, and is using even more heavily manipulated or inaccurately projected imagery to imply damage.&nbsp;Leading imagery expert Damien Symon has repeatedly debunked these lies during the past month, revealing how Pakistan tried to create battlefield success through reused, doctored, or misinterpreted images, including ones provided by a Chinese satellite company.&nbsp;Let's go into the specifics of Pakistan's fallacies, beginning with the most recent.&nbsp;Adampur airbase: Sukhoi-30MKI 'strike' that wasn't&nbsp;Pakistan asserted that it had hit and damaged a Sukhoi-30MKI in India's Adampur airbase. The satellite image presented to corroborate the assertion featured a jet close to what seemed like a burn scar. Upon scrutiny, the image proved to be taken prior to the war and was instead of a MiG-29 being serviced as part of routine maintenance. The alleged damage was simply soot deposits from multiple tests of the engine.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New report alleges a direct hit at India&#39;s Adampur Air Base by Pakistan damaged a Su-30, however a review reveals this image taken in March 2025, pre-conflict actually shows a MiG-29 undergoing maintenance, the dark soot near the engine test pad is routine, not battle damage <a href="https://t.co/GOC1NVRX9I">pic.twitter.com/GOC1NVRX9I</a>&mdash; Damien Symon (@detresfa_) <a href="https://twitter.com/detresfa_/status/1931621869591155074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bhuj airbase: The Phantom S-400 hitYet another photo was spread purportedly showing damage to an Indian S-400 radar facility at Bhuj. The photo depicted dark spots on a military base apron. Upon examination, these turned out to be oil spots or fuel spillage from a vehicle depot. The photo was taken long before hostilities began and had nothing to do with a strike.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">An image is being circulated now as a Pakistan destroyed S-400 radar in India, a review however indicates it&#39;s likely just oil stains at Bhuj military base&#39;s vehicle service yard, also the image predates the recent Indo-Pak conflict as it was taken in February 2025 <a href="https://t.co/Y850jfk4n9">pic.twitter.com/Y850jfk4n9</a>&mdash; Damien Symon (@detresfa_) <a href="https://twitter.com/detresfa_/status/1931013210917794257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Adampur airbase: Faked S-400 damageAnother independent claim made was that an S-400 battery at Adampur was struck by Pakistan. The satellite image was rather heavily doctored, with superimposed black spots meant to look like the impression of missile impact craters. No such marks or damage were noted at the site according to the latest satellite imagery compared to it. This was another case of blatant manipulation.&nbsp;Naliya airbase: Shadow passed off as strikePakistan released an image of the Naliya airbase that seemed to indicate darkening soil near the runway, implying a bombing attack. Examination showed the alleged damage was actually the shadow of a passing cloud. The infrastructure of the airbase remained entirely intact.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">An image now circulating claims to show damage at Srinagar Airport as a result of the recent India-Pakistan conflict, however, a review with multiple recent images shows inconsistencies, no such damage is found at the airport, this image was likely manipulated or misinterpreted <a href="https://t.co/MwMYBwRnUg">pic.twitter.com/MwMYBwRnUg</a>&mdash; Damien Symon (@detresfa_) <a href="https://twitter.com/detresfa_/status/1929493728114143455?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Srinagar airport: Visual misrepresentationA blurry photo purporting to depict the civilian apron at Srinagar airport was utilised to imply bomb damage. Several unambiguous satellite images taken on various days revealed no alteration to the location. The image being promoted was either doctored or misinterpreted, with no damage visible on the ground.&nbsp;Adampur airbase: Chinese imageImages released by a Chinese space imagery company were also employed to validate the report of a successful Pakistani attack on Adampur. The alleged damage zone in that picture coincided with the same-looking feature in earlier images, many months before the war. It was evident the mark being claimed as fresh damage had nothing to do with any airstrike.&nbsp;Jammu airport: Photoshopped imagesAn image purported to depict damage at Jammu airport, with blackened patches along the runway and apron section. A comparison of high-resolution, post-strike images confirmed there was no damage at the location. The picture had been digitally modified, and the reported blast marks did not actually exist. Conversely, high-resolution satellite imagery of Indian airstrikes against Pakistani airbases, particularly Jacobabad and Bholari, indicates widespread repair work. Tarpaulin covers have been used to cover buildings and aircraft, very likely to conceal the level of physical damage on the ground.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Recent imagery from Bholari Airbase, Pakistan indicates that the hangar damaged in the Indian airstrike is now covered with tarpaulin possibly signaling repair activity/restoration is now underway <a href="https://t.co/BPbbfgTkNJ">pic.twitter.com/BPbbfgTkNJ</a>&mdash; Damien Symon (@detresfa_) <a href="https://twitter.com/detresfa_/status/1929484162202833232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Recent imagery from Jacobabad Airbase, Pakistan indicates that the hangar damaged in the Indian airstrike is now covered with tarpaulin/ some other covering possibly signaling repair activity/restoration is now underway <a href="https://t.co/NNBkwpkf6b">pic.twitter.com/NNBkwpkf6b</a>&mdash; Damien Symon (@detresfa_) <a href="https://twitter.com/detresfa_/status/1930990414565179428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

EXPOSED Satellite images debunk Pakistans fake claims of major damage to IAF airbases during Operation Sindoor

Did Pakistan strike a parked Sukhoi-30MKI at Adampur air base in Punjab? Or destroy an S-400 surface-to-air missile unit at Bhuj airbase in Gujarat? These are the two most recent fantasies being peddled as part of a month-long campaign of wishful thinking and weaponised disinformation from Islamabad. Following India's Operation Sindoor, Pakistan had rushed to present a counter-narrative of success in striking Indian airbases and installations. With nothing much to demonstrate in terms of actual damage to Indian military facilities, it switched to manipulated satellite images, fabricated visuals, and disinformation campaigns. Two new examples indicate Pakistan hasn't lost steam, and is using even more heavily manipulated or inaccurately projected imagery to imply damage. Leading imagery expert Damien Symon has repeatedly debunked these lies during the past month, revealing how Pakistan tried to create battlefield success through reused, doctored, or misinterpreted images, including ones provided by a Chinese satellite company. Let's go into the specifics of Pakistan's fallacies, beginning with the most recent. Adampur airbase: Sukhoi-30MKI 'strike' that wasn't Pakistan asserted that it had hit and damaged a Sukhoi-30MKI in India's Adampur airbase. The satellite image presented to corroborate the assertion featured a jet close to what seemed like a burn scar. Upon scrutiny, the image proved to be taken prior to the war and was instead of a MiG-29 being serviced as part of routine maintenance. The alleged damage was simply soot deposits from multiple tests of the engine.

India struck nine sites in Pakistan to dismantle terror networks that have long existed and operated from these places

EXPOSED! Satellite images debunk Pakistan’s fake claims of 'major damage' to IAF airbases during Operation Sindoor

In a sharp criticism, Indian politician Shashi Tharoor, who is leading an all-party delegation for Operation Sindoor outreach, slammed Pakistan for its treatment of Dr Shakil Afridi, the physician who helped the US locate and eliminate Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. His remarks came in response to a post by US Congressman Brad Sherman, who urged a visiting Pakistani to press for Dr Afridi’s release.&nbsp;Sherman took to the social media platform x and wrote, “I urged the Pakistani delegation to relay to their government the need to free Dr Shakil Afridi, who continues to languish in prison for helping the United States kill Osama Bin Laden. Freeing Dr Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11.”&nbsp;Tharoor responded to the post and wrote, &nbsp;“A welcome reminder by Rep. @BradSherman that Pakistan is the country that not only sheltered terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden (in a safe house near an army camp in a cantonment city!) but also arrested and punished the brave doctor who identified his location for the Americans. In Pakistan, you are rewarded for promoting terrorism and persecuted for exposing terrorists!”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A welcome reminder by Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/BradSherman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BradSherman</a> that Pakistani is the country that not only sheltered terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden (in a safe house near an army camp in a cantonment city!) but also arrested and punished the brave doctor who identified his location for the… <a href="https://t.co/JmyK9iS7PA">https://t.co/JmyK9iS7PA</a>&mdash; Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/1931463511978524858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Who is Dr Shakil Afridi?&nbsp;Dr Shakil Afridi - a Pakistani doctor - helped the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the search for al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden after the 9/11 attack.&nbsp;He graduated from Khyber Medical College in Peshawar in 1990 and served as the senior health official of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.&nbsp;'We host G20, Pakistan hosts T20-top 20 terrorists'&nbsp;Earlier, Priyanka Chaturvedi, a member of the all-party delegation for Operation Sindoor outreach, drew a stark difference between India and Pakistan while speaking in London. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said India focuses on global trade and diplomacy, but Islamabad is relentlessly using terrorism as a tool.&nbsp;“We had a very successful presidency of the G20. While we host the G20, Pakistan hosts the T20, the top 20 terrorists of the world," she said. She further said that "the top terrorists will be found being hosted by the Pakistani state government. It's their stated policy."&nbsp;"You must go back home and see the documentary on how Osama bin Laden was taken out of Pakistan. He was hidden, actively financed, aided, trained, and supported, hidden from their so-called ally, the US. They shake hands with you, but they bite you on your back,” the MP added.&nbsp;

Pakistan not only sheltered Osama Bin Laden, but...: Shashi Tharoor slams Islamabad for punishing brave Dr Shakil Afridi who helped US in locating 9/11 mastermind 

In a sharp criticism, Indian politician Shashi Tharoor, who is leading an all-party delegation for Operation Sindoor outreach, slammed Pakistan for its treatment of Dr Shakil Afridi, the physician who helped the US locate and eliminate Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. His remarks came in response to a post by US Congressman Brad Sherman, who urged a visiting Pakistani to press for Dr Afridi’s release. Sherman took to the social media platform x and wrote, “I urged the Pakistani delegation to relay to their government the need to free Dr Shakil Afridi, who continues to languish in prison for helping the United States kill Osama Bin Laden. Freeing Dr Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11.” Tharoor responded to the post and wrote, “A welcome reminder by Rep. @BradSherman that Pakistan is the country that not only sheltered terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden (in a safe house near an army camp in a cantonment city!) but also arrested and punished the brave doctor who identified his location for the Americans. In Pakistan, you are rewarded for promoting terrorism and persecuted for exposing terrorists!”

In a sharp criticism, Indian politician Shashi Tharoor slammed Pakistan for its treatment of Dr Shakil Afridi, the physician who helped the US locate and eliminate Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. His remarks came in response to a post by US Congressman Brad Sherman.&nbsp;

Shashi Tharoor slams Pakistan for punishing 'brave' Dr Shakil Afridi who helped US locate Osama bin Laden

More than a month has passed since India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, with the whole nation feeling the heat now after the Pahalgam terror attack, that killed 26 people on April 22.According to a new report, the desperate Pakistan has been pleading to reconsider its decision to suspend the 1960 treaty.The Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources have been contacting the India's Ministry of Jal Shakti.However, India has made it clear that the treaty will remain in abeyance until Islamabad "credibly and irrevocably" ends its support for cross-border terrorism.This comes after some Pakistani politicians pleaded to the Shehbaz Sharif government to "defuse" the "water bomb" that is hanging over the country after India put IWT in abeyance.“We would die of hunger if we don’t resolve the water crisis now. The Indus Basin is our lifeline as three-fourths of our water comes from outside the country, nine out of 10 people depend on the Indus water basin for their living, as much as 90 per cent of our crops rely on this water and all our power projects and dams are built on it. This is like a water bomb hanging over us and we must defuse it,” Pakistan Senator Syed Ali Zafar said in his speech during a Senate Session last month.A month after India's big action against Pakistan, water levels in key rivers across Pakistan have fallen sharply, especially in Punjab province.The latest data from Pakistan’s Indus River System Authority (IRSA) shows that the water flow in the Indus and Jhelum rivers has reduced significantly. However, it is the Chenab river’s “sudden decrease” that has hit Punjab the hardest.IRSA warned that the “sudden decrease in river Chenab inflows at Marala due to short supply by India would result in more shortage in early Kharif season”.&nbsp;

According to a new report, the desperate Pakistan has been pleading to reconsider its decision to suspend the 1960 treaty.

More than a month has passed since India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, with the whole nation feeling the heat now after the Pahalgam terror attack, that killed 26 people on April 22. According to a new report, the desperate Pakistan has been pleading to reconsider its decision to suspend the 1960 treaty. The Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources have been contacting the India's Ministry of Jal Shakti. However, India has made it clear that the treaty will remain in abeyance until Islamabad "credibly and irrevocably" ends its support for cross-border terrorism. This comes after some Pakistani politicians pleaded to the Shehbaz Sharif government to "defuse" the "water bomb" that is hanging over the country after India put IWT in abeyance. “We would die of hunger if we don’t resolve the water crisis now. The Indus Basin is our lifeline as three-fourths of our water comes from outside the country, nine out of 10 people depend on the Indus water basin for their living, as much as 90 per cent of our crops rely on this water and all our power projects and dams are built on it. This is like a water bomb hanging over us and we must defuse it,” Pakistan Senator Syed Ali Zafar said in his speech during a Senate Session last month. A month after India's big action against Pakistan, water levels in key rivers across Pakistan have fallen sharply, especially in Punjab province. The latest data from Pakistan’s Indus River System Authority (IRSA) shows that the water flow in the Indus and Jhelum rivers has reduced significantly. However, it is the Chenab river’s “sudden decrease” that has hit Punjab the hardest. IRSA warned that the “sudden decrease in river Chenab inflows at Marala due to short supply by India would result in more shortage in early Kharif season”.

According to a new report, the desperate Pakistan has been pleading to reconsider its decision to suspend the 1960 treaty.

Pakistan's desperate attempt: Islamabad pleads to India to reconsider decision on Indus Waters Treaty

Pakistan's former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was dispatched to the US by the establishment to fight the diplomatic battle against India in the wake of Operation Sindoor, the Indian armed forces' military response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman, in interviews to global media, public speeches and social media posts this week, repeated the familiar script of the South Asian nation in dodging the real issue of cross-border terrorism fomented by Islamabad against India. He also repeated the government line of demanding a so-called ‘joint investigation’ into the Pahalgam attack, seeking evidence for Pakistan's involvement.&nbsp;<h2>‘Nuclear escalation ladder’: Bilawal repeats Pakistan's nuclear blackmail</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>Most importantly, Bilawal raised the nuclear blackmail that Indian PM Narendra Modi had warned Pakistan to desist from.&nbsp;&nbsp;In an interview laden with falsehoods, Bilawal told Bloomberg TV that India’s use of ‘a supersonic nuclear-capable missile’ made the situation more precarious. He was basically raising the bogey of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, whereas the Indian military leadership had clearly stated that Operation Sindoor was a conventional operation.&nbsp;“We have about 30 seconds time to decide, off a grainy little image, this nuclear-capable missile — is it armed with a nuclear weapon? And how do we respond?,” Bilawal told Bloomberg TV.&nbsp;He claimed that India 'lowered the threshold' for future military confrontations. He said the two countries would climb the 'escalation ladder' too quickly for world leaders to intervene.&nbsp;“Our concern for next time, heaven forbid, for next time round is that the threshold is low for a military conflict,” said Bilawal, who led a delegation to the US as part of Pakistan's diplomatic efforts to apprise the international community of the India-Pakistan military confrontation.<h2>Raising the bogey of ‘nuclear water war’</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>Bilawal, who had said in May that 'either water of the Sindhu river or Indians' blood' will flow in the wake of India keeping the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, even used a new term in his US speeches: 'nuclear water war.' He said that India's diplomatic move in the wake of Pahalgam attack laid the ‘foundation for first nuclear water war.’<h2> ‘Show us the proof’ alibi on Pahalgam terror attack</h2>&nbsp;&nbsp;Bilawal repeated Pakistan's irresponsible attitude toward terrorism in the context of Pahalgam attack, raising the usual Pakistani rhetoric of 'show us the proof'.&nbsp;“You just need an accusation, and you launch into a full-blown war with Pakistan,” he said, claiming that India did not provide any evidence of the attack of April 22 in which 26 people, mostly Indian Hindu tourists, were killed by Pakistan-trained terrorists.&nbsp;“The new sort of normal — or we call it an abnormal — that the Modi government is trying to impose on the region is that if there’s a terrorist attack anywhere in India...you don’t have to provide a shred of evidence.” His reference appears to be on Narendra Modi's pledge to attack terror camps in Pakistan in case of any future attacks on India, which the Indian prime minister called the new normal.&nbsp;<h2>Kashmir, not terror, is ‘root cause’ for him</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>Bilawal, in his speaking engagements in the US, raised the Kashmir bogey as usual, calling it the ‘root cause’, not terrorism emanating from Pakistan.&nbsp;"If India is serious about combating terrorism, then they have to create more conducive environment" in Kashmir, he said while speaking at the Middle East Institute.&nbsp;<h2>Raising the joint probe demand on terrorist incidents</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;Bilawal also adhered to Pakistan's ploy of internationalising bilateral issues, by repeating the government's stance on joint probe into Pahalgam attack.&nbsp;&nbsp;He alleged, without proof, that India is involved in attacks in Pakistan, while speaking to China's state-run CCTV.&nbsp;&nbsp;He insisted that 'all attacks in India and Pakistan' should be probed by a joint forum, without specifying who should be in the forum.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Seeking to internationalise bilateral issues</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>In his engagemetns in the US, Bilawal made efforts to further internationalise the bilateral tensions between India and Pakistan, praising US President Donald Trump as well as the UN secertary general for helping de-escalate tensions.&nbsp;“Appreciated the critical peacemaker role played by President Donald Trump in facilitating the ceasefire understanding, intended as a pathway to broader, sustained peace and dialogue,” he wrote on X.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Operation Sindoor Nuclear escalation ladder Bilawal repeats Pakistan's nuclear blackmail



Pakistan's former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was dispatched to the US by the establishment to fight the diplomatic battle against India in the wake of Operation Sindoor, the Indian armed forces' military response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman, in interviews to global media, public speeches and social media posts this week, repeated the familiar script of the South Asian nation in dodging the real issue of cross-border terrorism fomented by Islamabad against India. He also repeated the government line of demanding a so-called ‘joint investigation’ into the Pahalgam attack, seeking evidence for Pakistan's involvement. ‘Nuclear escalation ladder’: Bilawal repeats Pakistan's nuclear blackmail Most importantly, Bilawal raised the nuclear blackmail that Indian PM Narendra Modi had warned Pakistan to desist from. In an interview laden with falsehoods, Bilawal told Bloomberg TV that India’s use of ‘a supersonic nuclear-capable missile’ made the situation more precarious. He was basically raising the bogey of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, whereas the Indian military leadership had clearly stated that Operation Sindoor was a conventional operation. “We have about 30 seconds time to decide, off a grainy little image, this nuclear-capable missile — is it armed with a nuclear weapon? And how do we respond?,” Bilawal told Bloomberg TV. He claimed that India 'lowered the threshold' for future military confrontations. He said the two countries would climb the 'escalation ladder' too quickly for world leaders to intervene. “Our concern for next time, heaven forbid, for next time round is that the threshold is low for a military conflict,” said Bilawal, who led a delegation to the US as part of Pakistan's diplomatic efforts to apprise the international community of the India-Pakistan military confrontation. Raising the bogey of ‘nuclear water war’ Bilawal, who had said in May that 'either water of the Sindhu river or Indians' blood' will flow in the wake of India keeping the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, even used a new term in his US speeches: 'nuclear water war.' He said that India's diplomatic move in the wake of Pahalgam attack laid the ‘foundation for first nuclear water war.’ ‘Show us the proof’ alibi on Pahalgam terror attack Bilawal repeated Pakistan's irresponsible attitude toward terrorism in the context of Pahalgam attack, raising the usual Pakistani rhetoric of 'show us the proof'. “You just need an accusation, and you launch into a full-blown war with Pakistan,” he said, claiming that India did not provide any evidence of the attack of April 22 in which 26 people, mostly Indian Hindu tourists, were killed by Pakistan-trained terrorists. “The new sort of normal — or we call it an abnormal — that the Modi government is trying to impose on the region is that if there’s a terrorist attack anywhere in India...you don’t have to provide a shred of evidence.” His reference appears to be on Narendra Modi's pledge to attack terror camps in Pakistan in case of any future attacks on India, which the Indian prime minister called the new normal. Kashmir, not terror, is ‘root cause’ for him Bilawal, in his speaking engagements in the US, raised the Kashmir bogey as usual, calling it the ‘root cause’, not terrorism emanating from Pakistan. "If India is serious about combating terrorism, then they have to create more conducive environment" in Kashmir, he said while speaking at the Middle East Institute. Raising the joint probe demand on terrorist incidents Bilawal also adhered to Pakistan's ploy of internationalising bilateral issues, by repeating the government's stance on joint probe into Pahalgam attack. He alleged, without proof, that India is involved in attacks in Pakistan, while speaking to China's state-run CCTV. He insisted that 'all attacks in India and Pakistan' should be probed by a joint forum, without specifying who should be in the forum. Seeking to internationalise bilateral issues In his engagemetns in the US, Bilawal made efforts to further internationalise the bilateral tensions between India and Pakistan, praising US President Donald Trump as well as the UN secertary general for helping de-escalate tensions. “Appreciated the critical peacemaker role played by President Donald Trump in facilitating the ceasefire understanding, intended as a pathway to broader, sustained peace and dialogue,” he wrote on X.

Bilawal Bhutto repeated the familiar script, dodging the real issue of cross-border terrorism fomented by Islamabad against India. He also repeated the government line of demanding a so-called ‘joint investigation’ into the Pahalgam attack, seeking evidence for Pakistan's involvement

‘Nuclear water war’: Bilawal Bhutto is wrong on Kashmir, Pahalgam, nuke escalation, but he's only sticking to army script

Pakistan will chair the Taliban Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2025 and serve as vice-chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the 15-nation UN body. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif has called it a “matter of great pride”. This is Pakistan's attempt to seek validation for harbouring terrorists on its soil. Islamabad is trying to hide its nefarious terror activities under the garb of chairing the UNSC Sanctions Committee.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, Pakistan chairing the UNSC committee is no achievement as each Committee made up of the fifteen members of the UNSC, elects a chairperson from among the non-permanent Security Council members for a period of one year. The chairperson has a secretariat (a secretary and five to six staff members) and is part of the UN’s Department of Political Affairs (DPRK). Pakistan is a non-permanent member of the 15-nation Security Council for the 2025-26 term. India was chair of the UNSC Counter-terrorism Committee for 2022 during its 2021-22 tenure in the Council as a non-permanent member.&nbsp;<h2>Taliban Sanctions Committee&nbsp;</h2>Pakistan will chair the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee that imposes an assets freeze, a travel ban and an arms embargo on individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with the Taliban in constituting a threat to the peace, stability and security of Afghanistan. Guyana and Russia will be vice-chairs of the Taliban Sanctions Committee. Pakistan will also be co-chair of the Informal Working Groups on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions and on the General UNSC Sanctions Issues.<h2>Other countries will also chair various committees</h2>According to a list of chairs of the subsidiary bodies of the UNSC, Denmark will chair the 1267 ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UNSC, while Russia and Sierra Leone will be vice-chairs for 2025. Algeria will chair the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee, while France, Pakistan and Russia will be vice-chairs.&nbsp;In elections held on Tuesday (June 3), five new non-permanent members of the UNSC were chosen by secret ballot for a 2-year term starting on January 1, 2026, until December 31, 2027. These are Bahrain, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,&nbsp;Liberia, Latvia and Colombia. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pakistan will chair the Taliban Sanctions Committee of the UNSC in 2025 and Shehbaz Sharif thinks it is an achievement

Pakistan will chair the Taliban Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2025 and serve as vice-chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the 15-nation UN body. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif has called it a “matter of great pride”. This is Pakistan's attempt to seek validation for harbouring terrorists on its soil. Islamabad is trying to hide its nefarious terror activities under the garb of chairing the UNSC Sanctions Committee. However, Pakistan chairing the UNSC committee is no achievement as each Committee made up of the fifteen members of the UNSC, elects a chairperson from among the non-permanent Security Council members for a period of one year. The chairperson has a secretariat (a secretary and five to six staff members) and is part of the UN’s Department of Political Affairs (DPRK). Pakistan is a non-permanent member of the 15-nation Security Council for the 2025-26 term. India was chair of the UNSC Counter-terrorism Committee for 2022 during its 2021-22 tenure in the Council as a non-permanent member. Taliban Sanctions Committee Pakistan will chair the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee that imposes an assets freeze, a travel ban and an arms embargo on individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with the Taliban in constituting a threat to the peace, stability and security of Afghanistan. Guyana and Russia will be vice-chairs of the Taliban Sanctions Committee. Pakistan will also be co-chair of the Informal Working Groups on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions and on the General UNSC Sanctions Issues. Other countries will also chair various committees According to a list of chairs of the subsidiary bodies of the UNSC, Denmark will chair the 1267 ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UNSC, while Russia and Sierra Leone will be vice-chairs for 2025. Algeria will chair the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee, while France, Pakistan and Russia will be vice-chairs. In elections held on Tuesday (June 3), five new non-permanent members of the UNSC were chosen by secret ballot for a 2-year term starting on January 1, 2026, until December 31, 2027. These are Bahrain, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Latvia and Colombia.

Pakistan sees appointment to UNSC counter-terrorism body as platform for terror validation, PM Sharif calls it 'great pride'

Pakistan sees UNSC appointment as terror validation, PM Sharif calls it 'great pride'

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday (June 5) urged US President Donald Trump to facilitate dialogue with India. Addressing an event at the US embassy in Islamabad, Sharif thanked the US President for his role in the India-Pakistan ceasefire - a claim that New Delhi has categorically rejected. &nbsp;Sharif praised Trump for his role in helping de-escalate the situation with India and urged Washington to facilitate a comprehensive dialogue between the two nuclear neighbours. &nbsp;Sharif echoed the statements of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari who said the same in Washington while speaking to journalists. &nbsp;"On 10 different occasions, he has taken credit for facilitating the ceasefire between India and Pakistan -- and rightly so. He deserves that credit because it was his efforts that helped make the ceasefire possible. So, if the US is willing to help Pakistan in maintaining this ceasefire, it is reasonable to expect that an American role in arranging a comprehensive dialogue would also be beneficial for us," Bhutto said.<h2>India's stance on Trump's mediation claims</h2>India said that the ceasefire understanding reached between the two nations was bilateral and no third-party mediation was involved. New Delhi stated that it received calls from US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and both were told that any request for a ceasefire should come from the Pakistani side and not any other country. It was after this, that the Pakistani DGMO contacted the Indian counterpart and an understanding was reached. India's Ministry of External Affairs has also said that trade was not used in the conversation.&nbsp;Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is in the US leading an Indian delegation, commented on US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of mediation between India and Pakistan after tensions rose between the two nations last month. Stating that he respects the US president, Tharoor clarified that India's understanding of the issue is different.&nbsp;“No one needed to persuade us to stop. We had already said to stop. If there was any persuasion by the American president or his senior officials, it would have been the persuasion of the Pakistanis. They would have had to be persuaded. We don't need to be persuaded because we don't want war.” He added, "Our understanding is a bit different…We had consistently said from the very beginning on May 7th that we were not interested in prolonging the conflict. This is not the opening salvo in some sort of war. All it is is retribution against the terrorists, period. If Pakistan had not reacted, we would not have reacted...”&nbsp;

Addressing an event at the US embassy in Islamabad Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked US President Donald Trump for his role in Indo Pak ceasefire

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday (June 5) urged US President Donald Trump to facilitate dialogue with India. Addressing an event at the US embassy in Islamabad, Sharif thanked the US President for his role in the India-Pakistan ceasefire - a claim that New Delhi has categorically rejected. Sharif praised Trump for his role in helping de-escalate the situation with India and urged Washington to facilitate a comprehensive dialogue between the two nuclear neighbours. Sharif echoed the statements of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari who said the same in Washington while speaking to journalists. "On 10 different occasions, he has taken credit for facilitating the ceasefire between India and Pakistan -- and rightly so. He deserves that credit because it was his efforts that helped make the ceasefire possible. So, if the US is willing to help Pakistan in maintaining this ceasefire, it is reasonable to expect that an American role in arranging a comprehensive dialogue would also be beneficial for us," Bhutto said. India's stance on Trump's mediation claims India said that the ceasefire understanding reached between the two nations was bilateral and no third-party mediation was involved. New Delhi stated that it received calls from US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and both were told that any request for a ceasefire should come from the Pakistani side and not any other country. It was after this, that the Pakistani DGMO contacted the Indian counterpart and an understanding was reached. India's Ministry of External Affairs has also said that trade was not used in the conversation. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is in the US leading an Indian delegation, commented on US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of mediation between India and Pakistan after tensions rose between the two nations last month. Stating that he respects the US president, Tharoor clarified that India's understanding of the issue is different. “No one needed to persuade us to stop. We had already said to stop. If there was any persuasion by the American president or his senior officials, it would have been the persuasion of the Pakistanis. They would have had to be persuaded. We don't need to be persuaded because we don't want war.” He added, "Our understanding is a bit different…We had consistently said from the very beginning on May 7th that we were not interested in prolonging the conflict. This is not the opening salvo in some sort of war. All it is is retribution against the terrorists, period. If Pakistan had not reacted, we would not have reacted...”

Addressing an event at the US embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked US President Donald Trump for his role in Indo-Pak ceasefire

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif wants Trump's help in dialogue with India, thanks him for ceasefire mediation

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved an $800 million bailout package for Pakistan despite fervent objections by India to any form of aid being extended to the neighbouring country owing to its record of terror financing. The ADB decision comes a month after Pakistan secured a $1 billion (around Rs 8,500 crore) package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).&nbsp;India strongly objected to ADB’s approval and raised serious concerns about the potential misuse of funds, citing Islamabad’s rising defence expenditure and declining domestic resource mobilisation.&nbsp; &nbsp;New Delhi cited the clear disparity in Pakistan’s increasing defence spending and its declining tax-to-GDP ratio, signifying that policy-based loans might be enabling higher military allocations indirectly.&nbsp;<h2>India points out Pakistan’s poor tax-to-GDP ratio</h2> India pointed out that Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio has dropped from 13% in FY2018 to 9.2% in FY2023, far below the Asia-Pacific average of 19%, but in spite of this decline in domestic revenue generation, the country has ramped up its defence spending, signalling its misplaced fiscal priorities.&nbsp;Indian government sources cautioned the ADB that the funds it is providing may end up being diverted away from developmental objectives.The ADB on June 3 approved the Improved Resource Mobilization and Utilization Reform Program – Subprogram 2 to “boost Pakistan’s public finance”. It includes a policy-based loan of $300 million, and ADB’s first ever policy-based guarantee of up to $500 million, which may enable mobilisation of up to $1 billion from commercial banks.“The linkage between Pakistan’s increase in expenditure on its military, as opposed to on development, cannot be fully explained solely in terms of its domestic resource mobilisation,” one of the sources said.&nbsp;India said that if Pakistan had succeeded in putting in place a sound macro-economic policy environment in the previous programmes funded by the IMF and ADB, then it would not have approached the IMF for the 24th bailout programme.&nbsp;Pakistan’s poor track record of implementation is due to the military’s deep-seated interference in economic affairs, posing risks of policy slippages and reversal of reforms as witnessed in the past, the sources said.“Even when a civilian government is in power now, the army continues to play an outsized role in domestic politics and extends its tentacles deep into the economy,” they said.&nbsp;<h2>New Delhi demands close monitoring</h2>&nbsp;“India expects the ADB to closely monitor the implementation of the policy matrix to achieve the intended outcomes,” the sources said.India also highlighted that the economic fragility of Pakistan poses credit risks to the ADB too, as its continued reliance on external debt raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of future exposures, especially in view of the high debt-to-GDP ratio and poor credit rating of the country.&nbsp;After the Pahalgam terror attack, India approached major global lending bodies and urged them to pause future loan packages to Pakistan.India is also likely to actively pursue the FATF to get Pakistan back onto its ‘grey list’ that will increase scrutiny of its financial transactions.

India said that if Pakistan had succeeded in putting in place a sound macro-economic policy environment in the previous programmes funded by the IMF and ADB, then it would not have approached the IMF for the 24th bailout programme.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved an $800 million bailout package for Pakistan despite fervent objections by India to any form of aid being extended to the neighbouring country owing to its record of terror financing. The ADB decision comes a month after Pakistan secured a $1 billion (around Rs 8,500 crore) package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). India strongly objected to ADB’s approval and raised serious concerns about the potential misuse of funds, citing Islamabad’s rising defence expenditure and declining domestic resource mobilisation. New Delhi cited the clear disparity in Pakistan’s increasing defence spending and its declining tax-to-GDP ratio, signifying that policy-based loans might be enabling higher military allocations indirectly. India points out Pakistan’s poor tax-to-GDP ratio India pointed out that Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio has dropped from 13% in FY2018 to 9.2% in FY2023, far below the Asia-Pacific average of 19%, but in spite of this decline in domestic revenue generation, the country has ramped up its defence spending, signalling its misplaced fiscal priorities. Indian government sources cautioned the ADB that the funds it is providing may end up being diverted away from developmental objectives. The ADB on June 3 approved the Improved Resource Mobilization and Utilization Reform Program – Subprogram 2 to “boost Pakistan’s public finance”. It includes a policy-based loan of $300 million, and ADB’s first ever policy-based guarantee of up to $500 million, which may enable mobilisation of up to $1 billion from commercial banks. “The linkage between Pakistan’s increase in expenditure on its military, as opposed to on development, cannot be fully explained solely in terms of its domestic resource mobilisation,” one of the sources said. India said that if Pakistan had succeeded in putting in place a sound macro-economic policy environment in the previous programmes funded by the IMF and ADB, then it would not have approached the IMF for the 24th bailout programme. Pakistan’s poor track record of implementation is due to the military’s deep-seated interference in economic affairs, posing risks of policy slippages and reversal of reforms as witnessed in the past, the sources said. “Even when a civilian government is in power now, the army continues to play an outsized role in domestic politics and extends its tentacles deep into the economy,” they said. New Delhi demands close monitoring “India expects the ADB to closely monitor the implementation of the policy matrix to achieve the intended outcomes,” the sources said. India also highlighted that the economic fragility of Pakistan poses credit risks to the ADB too, as its continued reliance on external debt raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of future exposures, especially in view of the high debt-to-GDP ratio and poor credit rating of the country. After the Pahalgam terror attack, India approached major global lending bodies and urged them to pause future loan packages to Pakistan. India is also likely to actively pursue the FATF to get Pakistan back onto its ‘grey list’ that will increase scrutiny of its financial transactions.

India said that if Pakistan had succeeded in putting in place a sound macroeconomic policy environment in the previous programmes funded by the IMF and ADB, then it would not have approached the IMF for the 24th bailout programme.

ADB grants $800 million aid to Pak despite objections; India flags concerns, demands close monitoring

Pakistan's former foreign minister and Chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, faced backlash at the press briefing of United Nations for his comment on Indian Muslims. Speaking at the event, Zardari claimed that Muslims in India were being "demonised".&nbsp;But Zardari's statement was countered by a journalist present there who said, "You said that the recent terrorist attack in Kashmir is being used as a political tool to demonise Muslims in India. But, sir, I have watched briefings on both sides, and as far as I recall, there were Muslim Indian military officers who were conducting the briefings on the Indian side."&nbsp;The counter statement visibly made Zardari unsettled and he acknowledged it saying, "As far as the operations are concerned, you're absolutely right".&nbsp;The statement by the journalist was in reference of the presence of Col Sofia Qureshi in the briefings of Operation Sindoor. Qureshi, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, gained nation-wise praise for India's response against Pahalgam attack on April 22. Under the operation, India targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan on May 7.&nbsp;Zardari is part of Islamabad's diplomatic team at the UN. He is leading the team against India's Shashi Tharoor during Operation Sindoor outreach.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Bilawal Bhutto’s Anti-India Propaganda on “Muslims being demonised” in India after Pahalgam Terror attack in Kashmir destroyed at the <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> Press Briefing by a Foreign Muslim Journalist who says he saw India’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OperationSindoor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OperationSindoor</a> Briefing being led by a Muslim Officer. Bilawal nods. <a href="https://t.co/n2TkIoHmap">pic.twitter.com/n2TkIoHmap</a>&mdash; Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdityaRajKaul/status/1930039840176759108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

'We host G20, Pakistan hosts T20-top 20 terrorists'&nbsp;Priyanka Chaturvedi, a member of the all-part delegation for Operation Sindoor outreach, drew a stark difference between India and Pakistan while speaking in London. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said India focuses on global trade and diplomacy, but Islamabad is relentlessly using terrorism as a tool.&nbsp;“We had a very successful presidency of G20. While we host the G20, Pakistan hosts the T20, the top 20 terrorists of the world," she said.&nbsp;She further said that "the top terrorists will be found being hosted by the Pakistani state government. It's their stated policy." &nbsp;

Muslims were being demonised in India: Bilawal Bhutto anti-India rant receives bitter reply by journalist | WATCH

Pakistan's former foreign minister and Chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, faced backlash at the press briefing of United Nations for his comment on Indian Muslims. Speaking at the event, Zardari claimed that Muslims in India were being "demonised". But Zardari's statement was countered by a journalist present there who said, "You said that the recent terrorist attack in Kashmir is being used as a political tool to demonise Muslims in India. But, sir, I have watched briefings on both sides, and as far as I recall, there were Muslim Indian military officers who were conducting the briefings on the Indian side." The counter statement visibly made Zardari unsettled and he acknowledged it saying, "As far as the operations are concerned, you're absolutely right". The statement by the journalist was in reference of the presence of Col Sofia Qureshi in the briefings of Operation Sindoor. Qureshi, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, gained nation-wise praise for India's response against Pahalgam attack on April 22. Under the operation, India targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan on May 7. Zardari is part of Islamabad's diplomatic team at the UN. He is leading the team against India's Shashi Tharoor during Operation Sindoor outreach.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari faced backlash at the press briefing of United Nations for his comment on Indian Muslims. Speaking at the event, Zardari claimed that Muslims in India were being "demonised".

'Muslims were being demonised in India': Bilawal Bhutto's anti-India rant receives bitter reply by journalist | WATCH

India has busted a Pakistani spy network, an operation which was ongoing alongside Operation Sindoor, New Delhi's retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack. Sources reveal it was hasty and miscalculated moves by the PIOs (Pakistani Intelligence Operatives) that led to the arrests of many sharing information to the other side of the border.&nbsp;As cross-border fighting between the two nations escalated, Danish, the visa official at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, began contacting the spies in India through social media and other platforms. This was the first miscalculation on their part. Since the Intelligence Bureau (IB) was already tracking these suspected indivials, the murky picture began clearing up.&nbsp;For passing on information, the spies were rewarded monetarily. It was either through PayPal payment application, online gambling apps, blockchain technology, hawala, cryptocurrency, and other UPI apps. These came under the scanner for the transactions. INR 20,000 to INR 1,00,000 were being transferred to the spies sharing information with the PIOs.&nbsp;During the ceasefire following the launch of Operation Sindoor, apart from social media accounts, many phone numbers also came under the radar of the IB.&nbsp;During the investigation of money transfers, many names were highlighted: Jyoti Malhotra, Arman, Devendra Singh Dhillon, Mohammad Murtaza Ali, Sukhpreet Singh, Karanbir Singh, Noman Ilahi, Haroon, Tufail, Sukhdev Singh Gohil, Shahzad and Motiram Jat, Qasim, his brother Haseen and YouTuber Jasbir Singh.&nbsp;As the names were ascertained, every state in India was ordered to makes arrests before the suspected individuals coul go underground.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sources reveal it was hasty and miscalculated moves by the PIOs (Pakistani Intelligence Operatives) that led to the arrests of many sharing information to the other side of the border.

India has busted a Pakistani spy network, an operation which was ongoing alongside Operation Sindoor, New Delhi's retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack. Sources reveal it was hasty and miscalculated moves by the PIOs (Pakistani Intelligence Operatives) that led to the arrests of many sharing information to the other side of the border. As cross-border fighting between the two nations escalated, Danish, the visa official at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, began contacting the spies in India through social media and other platforms. This was the first miscalculation on their part. Since the Intelligence Bureau (IB) was already tracking these suspected indivials, the murky picture began clearing up. For passing on information, the spies were rewarded monetarily. It was either through PayPal payment application, online gambling apps, blockchain technology, hawala, cryptocurrency, and other UPI apps. These came under the scanner for the transactions. INR 20,000 to INR 1,00,000 were being transferred to the spies sharing information with the PIOs. During the ceasefire following the launch of Operation Sindoor, apart from social media accounts, many phone numbers also came under the radar of the IB. During the investigation of money transfers, many names were highlighted: Jyoti Malhotra, Arman, Devendra Singh Dhillon, Mohammad Murtaza Ali, Sukhpreet Singh, Karanbir Singh, Noman Ilahi, Haroon, Tufail, Sukhdev Singh Gohil, Shahzad and Motiram Jat, Qasim, his brother Haseen and YouTuber Jasbir Singh. As the names were ascertained, every state in India was ordered to makes arrests before the suspected individuals coul go underground.

Sources reveal it was hasty and miscalculated moves by the PIOs (Pakistani Intelligence Operatives) that led to the arrests of many sharing information to the other side of the border.

Operation Sindoor: How hasty and miscalculated moves by Pakistan led Indian agencies to bust spy network

A 17-year-old girl named Sana Yousaf, with a massive fanbase on social media for creating lifestyle content, was shot dead in her own house in Islamabad on June 2. The Pakistani teenage influencer was killed hours after celebrating her 17th birthday.&nbsp;Initially, the murder was speculated to be a case of honour-killing, but Pakistani authorities said she was murdered by a man for rejecting his "friendship" proposal. Police statement was hard to believe as the accused used to live around 322 kms away from her residence and it was claimed that he took her mobile with him to delete the evidence.&nbsp;Yousaf's killing came amidst rising incidents of killing women for "honour" in Pakistan.<ul><li>In July 2024, Mohabbat Khan allegedly murdered his 45-year-old wife Shahnaz and his 18-year-old daughter in Lahore &nbsp;to preserve his "honour". The suspect attacked the two women with a dagger, leaving them dead on the spot.</li><li>In August 2024, a 20-year-old woman named Shaheena Bibi was killed by her father and brother for the so-called honour. She was murdered after eloping with her lover. She was brought back home by her family and was killed.</li><li>In September 2024, a 19-year-old woman named Saira and her husband was killed for "honour" in Karachi. The suspect was Saira's brother who allegedly murdered them for marrying against family's wish.</li><li>In October 2024, a man murdered &nbsp;four women in his family, including his mother, in a fit of rage over their TikTok videos.&nbsp; During investigation, he told police that their videos spread “immodesty and shamelessness, tarnishing the family’s reputation”.</li><li>In November 2024, a mother of five was brutally killed in Faisalabad by her husband and younger brother, allegedly to protect the family’s "honour". She was attacked by them in her house after being accused of having an affair. Her body was later dumped in a nullah through a donkey cart.</li><li>In December 2024, a woman named Amina Bibi was shot dead by her brother, Zafar Hussain, in the Qasimpur area of Pakpattan. She was the mother of three children. During investigation, Zafar said he thought his sister had a “questionable character”.</li></ul>And these were just some prominent registered cases. There must be numerous more out there.&nbsp;What the data say?&nbsp;As per the data by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), "honour" killings continued to be a serious issue in the country in 2024.&nbsp;From January to November, a total of 346 people fell victim to "honour" crimes in the country.&nbsp;Cultural roots of killing for 'honour'&nbsp;Victims of "honour" killings typically get accused of doing "immoral" acts in the society. The acts can range from conversing with unrelated men to engaging in premarital physical relations - even when it's rape.&nbsp;Not just that, women also get targeted for rejecting an arranged marriage, marrying of her own choice, seeking a divorce, or attempting to separate from an abusive partner.&nbsp; &nbsp;

From Sana Yousaf to Amina Bibi, Pakistani women who were killed to satiate fake male pride

A 17-year-old girl named Sana Yousaf, with a massive fanbase on social media for creating lifestyle content, was shot dead in her own house in Islamabad on June 2. The Pakistani teenage influencer was killed hours after celebrating her 17th birthday. Initially, the murder was speculated to be a case of honour-killing, but Pakistani authorities said she was murdered by a man for rejecting his "friendship" proposal. Police statement was hard to believe as the accused used to live around 322 kms away from her residence and it was claimed that he took her mobile with him to delete the evidence. Yousaf's killing came amidst rising incidents of killing women for "honour" in Pakistan. In July 2024, Mohabbat Khan allegedly murdered his 45-year-old wife Shahnaz and his 18-year-old daughter in Lahore to preserve his "honour". The suspect attacked the two women with a dagger, leaving them dead on the spot. In August 2024, a 20-year-old woman named Shaheena Bibi was killed by her father and brother for the so-called honour. She was murdered after eloping with her lover. She was brought back home by her family and was killed. In September 2024, a 19-year-old woman named Saira and her husband was killed for "honour" in Karachi. The suspect was Saira's brother who allegedly murdered them for marrying against family's wish. In October 2024, a man murdered four women in his family, including his mother, in a fit of rage over their TikTok videos. During investigation, he told police that their videos spread “immodesty and shamelessness, tarnishing the family’s reputation”. In November 2024, a mother of five was brutally killed in Faisalabad by her husband and younger brother, allegedly to protect the family’s "honour". She was attacked by them in her house after being accused of having an affair. Her body was later dumped in a nullah through a donkey cart. In December 2024, a woman named Amina Bibi was shot dead by her brother, Zafar Hussain, in the Qasimpur area of Pakpattan. She was the mother of three children. During investigation, Zafar said he thought his sister had a “questionable character”. And these were just some prominent registered cases. There must be numerous more out there. What the data say? As per the data by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), "honour" killings continued to be a serious issue in the country in 2024. From January to November, a total of 346 people fell victim to "honour" crimes in the country. Cultural roots of killing for 'honour' Victims of "honour" killings typically get accused of doing "immoral" acts in the society. The acts can range from conversing with unrelated men to engaging in premarital physical relations - even when it's rape. Not just that, women also get targeted for rejecting an arranged marriage, marrying of her own choice, seeking a divorce, or attempting to separate from an abusive partner.

A Pakistani teenager, Sana Yousaf, was shot dead at her own house on June. Reports emerged that it was a case of honour killing, but police said she was murdered by a man for rejecting his “friendship” proposals.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Sana Yousaf, a Pakistani teen influencer who was shot dead in her own house in Islamabad, was killed for rejecting a man multiple times, the authorities said. The 17-year-old was shot dead in her own house just a day after her birthday. As the case disclosed, massive speculation emerged that it was a case of honour-killing, but Pakistani authorities' latest claim contradicted the speculation. Although authorities have confirmed that a 22-year-old man from Faisalabad, Umar Hayat, killed her after she repeatedly rejected him, many suspected the truth might be different and it could be the case of honour-killing only. The speculation emerged because the distance from accused's house to Islamabad is around 322 kms.&nbsp;Pakistan Police said the suspect had only done his matriculation (equivalent to high school in US). Authorities said he belonged to a lower-middle-income family, with “no source of income."&nbsp;Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi posted on the social media platform X saying the accused has confessed to the murder and that the weapon had been recovered.<h2>A case of 'repeated rejections'?</h2>Islamabad Inspector General (IG) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, in a press conference on June 3 said it was a case of “repeated rejections."&nbsp;“A monster, cold-blooded murderer is now in the law’s grip,” IG Rizvi said.&nbsp;He said that the accused wanted to “become friends” with Yousaf but she rejected the advance. Police claimed that the accused "tried to meet her for seven to eight hours but failed.”&nbsp;“First, it was a cellular rejection. Now, it was a physical mode of rejection," Rizvi said in the press conference.“It was a blind murder; there were no leads, and things were not clear," Rizvi said.&nbsp;Police further claimed that her mobile was taken by the accused to delete evidence.&nbsp;“Attempts were made to give the incident another angle, even though the aim of taking the mobile was to wipe out the clues.”<h2>What did her family say?&nbsp;</h2>As per the FIR registered by Yousaf's mother, the man entered their home suddenly with a pistol around 5 pm on June 2 and fired point blank at the influencer.&nbsp;Two bullets struck Sana in her chest, severely injuring her. She was rushed to a hospital, but died, Dawn reported.<h2>Who was Sana Yousaf?</h2>Having a large fan base on the internet, Yousaf hailed from Upper Chitral in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. She used to make content for TikTok and Instagram.&nbsp;She was living in Islamabad's Sector G-13. Born on June 2, 2008, Sana was the daughter of a well-known social activist.&nbsp;She had around 4,92,000 followers on Instagram and a separate account for brand collaborations. Yousaf used to make videos on culture and lifestyle, which incorporated humour at times, were mainly focused on the youth population on the platforms.&nbsp;

A blind murder or honour-killing? Police say man shot Sana Yousaf after repeated rejections. All you need to know about the case 

Sana Yousaf, a Pakistani teen influencer who was shot dead in her own house in Islamabad, was killed for rejecting a man multiple times, the authorities said. The 17-year-old was shot dead in her own house just a day after her birthday. As the case disclosed, massive speculation emerged that it was a case of honour-killing, but Pakistani authorities' latest claim contradicted the speculation. Although authorities have confirmed that a 22-year-old man from Faisalabad, Umar Hayat, killed her after she repeatedly rejected him, many suspected the truth might be different and it could be the case of honour-killing only. The speculation emerged because the distance from accused's house to Islamabad is around 322 kms. Pakistan Police said the suspect had only done his matriculation (equivalent to high school in US). Authorities said he belonged to a lower-middle-income family, with “no source of income." Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi posted on the social media platform X saying the accused has confessed to the murder and that the weapon had been recovered. A case of 'repeated rejections'? Islamabad Inspector General (IG) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, in a press conference on June 3 said it was a case of “repeated rejections." “A monster, cold-blooded murderer is now in the law’s grip,” IG Rizvi said. He said that the accused wanted to “become friends” with Yousaf but she rejected the advance. Police claimed that the accused "tried to meet her for seven to eight hours but failed.” “First, it was a cellular rejection. Now, it was a physical mode of rejection," Rizvi said in the press conference. “It was a blind murder; there were no leads, and things were not clear," Rizvi said. Police further claimed that her mobile was taken by the accused to delete evidence. “Attempts were made to give the incident another angle, even though the aim of taking the mobile was to wipe out the clues.” What did her family say? As per the FIR registered by Yousaf's mother, the man entered their home suddenly with a pistol around 5 pm on June 2 and fired point blank at the influencer. Two bullets struck Sana in her chest, severely injuring her. She was rushed to a hospital, but died, Dawn reported. Who was Sana Yousaf? Having a large fan base on the internet, Yousaf hailed from Upper Chitral in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. She used to make content for TikTok and Instagram. She was living in Islamabad's Sector G-13. Born on June 2, 2008, Sana was the daughter of a well-known social activist. She had around 4,92,000 followers on Instagram and a separate account for brand collaborations. Yousaf used to make videos on culture and lifestyle, which incorporated humour at times, were mainly focused on the youth population on the platforms.

As the case disclosed, massive speculation emerged that it was a case of honour-killing, but Pakistani authorities' latest claim contradicted the speculation.

'A blind murder' or honour-killing? Police say man shot Sana Yousaf after 'repeated rejections'. All you need to know about the case

A Pakistani teen TikTok creator, &nbsp;Sana Yousaf, was fatally shot at in her own house in Islamabad on Monday (June 2) by a "guest". The murder of the 17-year-old has sparked speculation that it is the case of honour-killing, something that has grappled Pakistan in recent years. As per the Pakistani media, Yousaf was shot at close range by an unidentified man, but could be her relative. SAMAA TV reported that the teen was “fatally shot by a guest”.&nbsp;“The killer reportedly entered the house and opened fire before fleeing the scene,” The Express Tribune reported.<h2>Who was Sana Yousaf?</h2>Having a large fan base on the internet, Yousaf hailed from Upper Chitral in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. She used to make content for TikTok and Instagram.&nbsp;She was living in Islamabad's Sector G-13. Born on June 2, 2008, Sana was the daughter of a well-known social activist.&nbsp;She was murdered just hours after celebrating her birthday.&nbsp;She had around 4,92,000 followers on Instagram and a separate account for brand collaborations. Yousaf used to make videos on culture and lifestyle, which incorporated humour at times, were mainly focused on the youth population on the platforms.<h2>Not just a crime</h2>While her murder sparked massive outrage on the internet with people calling out for justice, multiple Pakistani users were seen praising the murderer in a disturbing turn of the event.&nbsp;Several people, mostly men, were seen shaming her for having a presence on the internet and posting herself out. Many were seen claiming that women who make content on social media would have to go through the same thing. What came more disturbing was some people were even seen tagging other female creators in Yousuf's posts saying they are the next target.&nbsp;The incident was not just a murder, it was a mirror showing the sickening mindset of some people in Pakistan who were seen celebrating the killing of teenage girl.&nbsp;"Sana Yousaf’s murder isn’t Just a crime—it’s a symptom of Pakistan’s moral collapse. A 17-year-old girl butchered in her own home, in the capital city, proves one thing: Women in Pakistan are not citizens; they are prey. Where are the 'ghairat brigade' now?" an X user wrote.&nbsp;

Who was Sana Yousaf? Teen influencer killed in Islamabad for 'honour'?

A Pakistani teen TikTok creator, Sana Yousaf, was fatally shot at in her own house in Islamabad on Monday (June 2) by a "guest". The murder of the 17-year-old has sparked speculation that it is the case of honour-killing, something that has grappled Pakistan in recent years. As per the Pakistani media, Yousaf was shot at close range by an unidentified man, but could be her relative. SAMAA TV reported that the teen was “fatally shot by a guest”. “The killer reportedly entered the house and opened fire before fleeing the scene,” The Express Tribune reported. Who was Sana Yousaf? Having a large fan base on the internet, Yousaf hailed from Upper Chitral in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. She used to make content for TikTok and Instagram. She was living in Islamabad's Sector G-13. Born on June 2, 2008, Sana was the daughter of a well-known social activist. She was murdered just hours after celebrating her birthday. She had around 4,92,000 followers on Instagram and a separate account for brand collaborations. Yousaf used to make videos on culture and lifestyle, which incorporated humour at times, were mainly focused on the youth population on the platforms. Not just a crime While her murder sparked massive outrage on the internet with people calling out for justice, multiple Pakistani users were seen praising the murderer in a disturbing turn of the event. Several people, mostly men, were seen shaming her for having a presence on the internet and posting herself out. Many were seen claiming that women who make content on social media would have to go through the same thing. What came more disturbing was some people were even seen tagging other female creators in Yousuf's posts saying they are the next target. The incident was not just a murder, it was a mirror showing the sickening mindset of some people in Pakistan who were seen celebrating the killing of teenage girl. "Sana Yousaf’s murder isn’t Just a crime—it’s a symptom of Pakistan’s moral collapse. A 17-year-old girl butchered in her own home, in the capital city, proves one thing: Women in Pakistan are not citizens; they are prey. Where are the 'ghairat brigade' now?" an X user wrote.

A Pakistani teen TikTok creator, &nbsp;Sana Yousaf, was fatally shot at in her own house in Islamabad on Monday (June 2) by a "guest".&nbsp;

Who was Sana Yousaf: Teen influencer killed in Islamabad for 'honour'?

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