Author: i2wtc

Afghan Taliban fighters patrol near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province, following exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces in Afghanistan on October 15. Photo: Reuters ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has conveyed a firm message to the Afghan Taliban during recent talks in Istanbul, declaring that the continued patronage of terrorist groups by Kabul’s rulers is unacceptable, security sources said on Sunday. Pakistan laid out its final position in the talks, telling the Taliban leadership to take concrete and verifiable measures against militant elements operating from Afghan soil, the sources added. According to officials familiar with the development, Islamabad…

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Photo: Radio Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced the opening of new gas connections for domestic consumers. He was addressing a ceremony related to the resumption of Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) connections to domestic consumers in Islamabad on Sunday. He said the government took the decision in response to long-standing public demand. The prime minister recalled that in 2022, there was immense public pressure for gas connections, but the government was facing challenges. He emphasised that with this landmark decision, the public will now be able to access affordable and quality fuel. In a…

The party claims to have mustered the backing of 30 lawmakers including many from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party, Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter, has secured a simple majority in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after gaining the support of several lawmakers, positioning itself to form the next government in AJK. According to Express News, five ministers from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) met PPP Women’s Wing President Faryal Talpur in Islamabad and announced their decision to join the PPP. The ministers — Chaudhry Rasheed, Yasir Sultan, Chaudhry Arshad, Chaudhry Ikhlaq, and Sardar Muhammad Hussain —…

Pakistan demands ‘concrete, verifiable steps’ from Kabul to eliminate cross-border terrorism during Istanbul talksAfghan Taliban patrol near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province on October 15. Photo: Reuters Pakistan has presented its final position to the Afghan Taliban regime during the second round of talks, firmly rejecting what it called their continued patronage of cross-border attacks and terrorism, terming such activities ‘unacceptable’, security sources said. The ongoing negotiations — mediated by Turkiye and Qatar — are aimed at preventing a relapse into conflict following clashes between the border forces of the two countries earlier this month, the worst…

Tourists visit the ancient city wall in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, Sept. 12, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)by Xinhua writers Zhang Yunlong and Yang YimiaoXI’AN, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) — On a crisp autumn morning in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, security guard Zhang Jianli is seated by a gate to the west section of Huancheng Park, which encircles the entire square-shaped Xi’an City Wall. From his post, he greets a steady flow of visitors. Young people often stop to ask where in the park red spider lilies can be found. “Different seasons bring different flowers,” he tells Xinhua with a smile.…

25 terrorists slain in N Waziristan, Kurram; 5 soldiers embrace martyrdom; Leaders vow to pursue Azm-e-Istehkam Before Zarb-e-Azb, North Waziristan was declared as a hub of militants and many of them slipped into other parts of the country. PHOTO: AFP RAWALPINDI: Security forces foiled major attempts by terrorists to infiltrate into Pakistan from across the Afghan border in the Kurram and North Waziristan districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), killing 25 of them, including four suicide bombers, the military said on Sunday. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Pakistani troops effectively engaged the groups of infiltrators. However, during the…

President Asif Ali Zardari has contacted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif by telephone to discuss the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) decision to form a government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), taking the premier into confidence over the move, sources said on Sunday. According to party sources, Prime Minister Shehbaz has tasked the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) AJK Affairs Committee with holding negotiations with the PPP on the matter. The committee is headed by Ahsan Iqbal, with Rana Sanaullah and Amir Muqam as members. Before initiating talks with the PPP, the committee had begun consultations with the PML-N’s AJK leadership. The…

Infiltration attempts made at time when Pakistan-Afghanistan talks underway in Turkiye Security forces foiled a major infiltration attempt along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, killing 25 militants, including suicide bombers. The exchange of fire took place opposite the general areas of Ghaki in Kurram District and Spinwam in North Waziristan, the military’s media wing said on Sunday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces detected movements of two large groups of Khwarij attempting to infiltrate Pakistan from across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border opposite the general areas of Ghaki in Kurram District and Spinwam in North Waziristan District on the night of…

An airplane, departing from Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh, is given a water salute upon landing at the Fuzhou Changle International Airport in Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province, Oct. 26, 2025. Fujian’s first flight granted the Fifth Freedom of the Air, the “Phnom Penh-Fuzhou-Tokyo” route, was officially launched on Sunday. The Fifth Freedom of the Air refers to the right granted to an airline of one country to make a stopover in a third country while operating an international route, allowing it to load and unload passengers and cargo there. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)An airplane, departing from Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh, arrives at…

Secretary of State says growing engagement with Pakistan does not come at the expense of US friendship with IndiaUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Photo: File The United States sees an opportunity to strengthen its strategic relationship with Pakistan as part of a broader, pragmatic foreign policy approach, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a press briefing. Responding to questions about possible Indian concerns over Washington’s renewed diplomatic outreach to Islamabad, Rubio said New Delhi understands that the US must engage with multiple partners to pursue common interests. “We see an opportunity to expand our strategic relationship with…