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THREE KILLED, SEVEN INJURED AS TERRORISTS ATTACK PASSENGER BUS IN KALAT Thursday, 17 July, 2025 | 21 Muharram, 1447
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XVI No 9 | 8 Pages | Lahore Edition
PRESIDENT, PM AND INTERIOR MINISTER STRONGLY CONDEMN KILLING OF CIVILIANS, REAFFIRMING DETERMINATION TO ELIMINATE TERRORISM FROM THE COUNTRY
THE INCIDENT COMES WEEK AFTER NINE PASSENGERS TRAVELLING ON TWO PUNJAB-BOUND COACHES WERE ABDUCTED AND KILLED
T
QUETTA
Staff RepoRt
HREE passengers were killed and seven others were injured when a Quetta-bound passenger bus was attacked by the terrorists of “Finta al-Hindustan” in Balochistan’s Kalat, according to the security sources and the provincial government spokesperson. In a statement Shahid Rind, the Spokesperson to the Balochistan government, confirmed that three passengers were martyred and seven were injured when a shooting occurred on a passenger coach coming from Karachi to Quetta in Kalat’s Nemargh area. The incident comes a week after at least nine passengers travelling on two Punjab-bound coaches were abducted and killed by unidentified armed men in the Sur-Dakai area, situated on the border between Balochistan’s Zhob and Loralai districts. The government had said that Fitna al-Hindustan had carried out attacks at three different places — Kakat, Mastung and Sur-Dakai. The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), a banned outfit, later claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for the group said it had killed the nine individuals after blocking the highway between Musakhail-Makhtar and Khajuri. Rind said the injured were being moved to the Kalat District Headquarters Hospi-
tal for treatment, adding that an emergency had been imposed at the facility. Meanwhile, the Edhi Foundation rescue service put the number of injured at 10, saying they were taken to Civil Hospital Quetta for treatment. “Security agencies, district administration, and rescue teams have immediately reached the scene. Security forces have cordoned off the area, and a search operation is underway. Security forces are pursuing the attackers,” Rind said. He said Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti had taken notice of the incident and sought a report from police and law enforcement agencies. “Based on initial information, terrorists lying in ambush, stopped the bus and then attacked it,” Rind informed, adding that the number of terrorists involved in the attack could not be confirmed, but they (terrorists) carried out the attack from both sides of the road. State broadcaster PTV also posted a video of a passenger who said the terrorists had indiscriminately fired at the bus. It also shared a statement from security sources that said: “Ever since the security forces started successful operations against the terrorists of Fitna al-Hindustan and the FC (Frontier Corps) sealed the border, cutting off their smuggling income, these cowardly terrorists, in a state of frustration, are targeting the lives of innocent people.
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Why did Pakistani govt increase fuel prices, despite a drop in global oil price?
ISLAMABAD
ahmad ahmadani
Major martyred, three India-backed terrorists killed in Awaran IBO: ISPR RAWALPINDI
Staff RepoRt
A Pakistan Army major was martyred during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan’s Awaran district that killed three Indian-sponsored terrorists, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was launched on confirmed intelligence regarding the presence of terrorists belonging to Fitna-al-Hindustan, an Indian proxy group operating in the region. “Security forces effectively engaged the terrorist hideout,” the statement read, adding, “As a result of the intense exchange of fire, three Indian-sponsored terrorists were sent to hell.” However,
during the engagement, Major Syed Rabnawaz Tariq, 34, a resident of Muzaffarabad, embraced martyrdom. The ISPR said the brave officer was leading his troops from the front and fought gallantly before laying down his life in the line of duty.
The government has announced significant fuel price hikes effective July 16, 2025, with petrol increasing by Rs5.36 per litre to Rs272.15 and high-speed diesel rising by Rs11.37 per litre to Rs284.35. The Finance Division stated these revised prices follow recommendations from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and relevant ministries, while kerosene and light diesel oil prices remain unchanged. The increases come despite a noticeable decline in global oil prices, which begs the question, why? Industry sources attribute the domestic hike to a combination of geopolitical tensions, rupee depreciation, and IMF-imposed fiscal conditions. But how viable is that explanation? To answer that question, let us dive into the numbers. The Iran-Israel conflict has had a particularly significant impact on the global oil economy, with the premium on petroleum imports surging from $5 per ton to $9.06 per ton. Pakistan State Oil (PSO) was additionally compelled to pay war risk premiums on fuel imports during this conflict, which further escalated the costs. Currency depreciation added another layer of financial strain, with the Pakistani rupee’s weakness against the US dollar estimated to have increased consumer prices by approximately Rs2 per litre. For high-speed diesel specifically, the government raised the previously reduced inland freight equalisation margin by Rs4 per litre, contributing to the price escalation. This effect was partially seen in the price hike at the start of the month.
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