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COLONEL, SEPOY MARTYRED, 5 INDIAN-PROXY TERRORISTS KILLED IN DEADLY BANNU ATTACK
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Sunday, 22 February, 2026 | 4 Ramazan, 1447
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FORCES FOIL MAJOR CATASTROPHE BY INTERCEPTING A VEHICLE-BORNE SUICIDE BOMBER DESIGNED TO TARGET INNOCENT CIVILIANS/LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL IN BANNU CITY
SECURITY SOURCES CONFIRM ‘ITTIHAD AL-MUJAHIDEEN,’ A SUB-GROUP OF FITNA AL-KHAWARIJ BEHIND DEADLY ATTACK
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XVI No 229 | 8 Pages | Lahore Edition
ISPR REITERATES TERRORISTS ‘USING AFGHAN SOIL’ FOR CARRYING OUT ATTACKS INSIDE PAKISTAN,’ VIOLATING SANCTITY OF HOLY MONTH OF RAMAZAN g
OVER 70% OF TERROR ELEMENTS IN PAKISTAN LINKED TO AFGHANISTAN-BASED NETWORKS
AFGHAN TALIBAN’S BACKING OF TERRORISTS SABOTAGES REGIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY RAWALPINDI
staff report
lieutenant colonel and a sepoy were martyred in a suicide attack during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Saturday, the military’s media wing said. In a statement, the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) said that the security forces’ convoy was “targeted by Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij” while an IBO was being conducted on the reported presence of terrorists, including a suicide bomber. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The military’s media wing added that five terrorists were also killed during the operation. “A vehicle-borne suicide bomber was intercepted by the leading group, foiling his nefarious design to target innocent civilians/law enforcement personnel in Bannu City, averting major catastrophe,” the ISPR stated.
It added that the terrorists were located during the operation and after an “intense fire exchange, five khwarij were sent to hell by the security forces”. The statement added: “However, in desperation, khwarij rammed the explosiveladen vehicle into one of the vehicles of the leading group.” Resultantly, 43-year-old Lt Colonel Shahzada Gul Faraz, hailing from Mansehra, whom the ISPR described as a “brave commanding officer renowned for his
daring actions, who was leading his troops from the front”, and 28-yearold Sepoy Karamat Shah from Peshawar, embraced martyrdom. ‘Ittihad Al-Mujahideen’ claims responsibility Security sources on Saturday confirmed that “Ittihad Al-Mujahideen,” a sub-group of Fitna AlKhawarij, claimed responsibility for the recent suicide attack in Bannu, highlighting the ongoing cross-border threat emanating from Afghan soil, according to state broadcaster
PTV News. In a post on X, PTV News, citing security officials, reported that Ittihad Al-Mujahideen operates under the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of Fitna Al-Khawarij. “The central leader, Gul Bahadur, and key commanders are taking refuge in Afghanistan and have repeatedly used Afghan territory to orchestrate terrorism and sow sedition in Pakistan,” the post said. The report highlighted a history of attacks linked to the group. On 4 March 2025, during the holy month of Ramazan, the same group carried out an assault on Bannu Cantonment, planned from Afghan soil. On 2 September 2025, during another attack on the Federal Constabulary in Bannu, Major Adnan Shaheed was martyred while bravely countering the assault. The group has also claimed responsibility for multiple terrorist incidents in North and South Waziristan, including attacks in Mir Ali, with investigations confirming that planning and facilitation were carried out from Afghanistan, the PTV News said.
CTD arrests suspected female suicide bomber in KP PESHAWAR
staff report
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police claimed to have averted a major incident after arresting a suspected female suicide bomber during a raid in the Sheikh Yousaf Khema Basti area of the district, officials said on Saturday. According to a CTD spokesperson, intelligence was received in the Dera region regarding the presence of a young woman allegedly linked to a banned outfit and preparing for a suicide attack. Acting on the tip-off, a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team carried out a targeted raid at the specified location. Officials said the suspect, identified only by the initial "Z," was taken into custody following preliminary questioning. During interrogation, she allegedly revealed that she had undergone training under a militant commander identified as Shah Wali alias Tariq Kochi, who is reportedly deceased.
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Pakistan rejects new permanent seats Pakistan, US reaffirm commitment to in UN Security Council reform push enhance economic cooperation UNITED NATIONS staff report
Pakistan on Friday reaffirmed its firm opposition to the addition of new permanent members to the United Nations Security Council, warning that such a move would further deepen dysfunction in the 15-member body and undermine the principle of sovereign equality. Speaking during a resumed session of the long-running Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, said the push for individual permanent membership runs counter to the very principles underpin-
ning the reform process. As a member of the Uniting for Consensus (UfC) group, Ambassador Asim Ahmad said Pakistan supports the expansion of only non-permanent, elected seats to strengthen democratic representation and uphold the principle of “Reform for All – Privilege for None.” Full-scale negotiations on reforming the United Nations Security Council began in the General Assembly in February 2009, focusing on five core areas: categories of membership, the veto question, regional representation, the size of an expanded Council, and its working methods and relationship with the General Assembly.
WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD staff report
Pakistan and the United States on Saturday reaffirmed their commitment to expanding economic cooperation, with a particular focus on trade and investment, according to the Ministry of Finance. In a post on the social media platform X, the ministry said that a delegation led by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met Howard A. Lutnick, US Secretary of Commerce, in Washington. The Pakistani delegation included the Commerce Secretary, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, and trade and economic ministers. “Both sides ex-
pressed the desire to enhance economic cooperation, especially in trade and investment, and discussed the United States’ interest in investing in information and communication technology, mining, minerals, and energy sectors,” the ministry said. According to the ministry, the finance minister appreciated the role of the US Chamber of Commerce in organising the US-Pakistan Trade and Investment Forum, which will take place on March 31 and will be attended by renowned companies and ministerial representation from both countries. He expressed the hope that the office of the US commerce secretary would also partici-
pate in the forum, the ministry said. “Both sides reiterated their commitment to further their engagements on investments in major projects in the coming months,” it concluded. Earlier this week, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to launch a structured framework for cooperation on the future of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, with discussions focused on critical minerals, energy cooperation, counter-terrorism, and avenues for increased American investment, according to a US State Department statement.
‘Basic necessity, not a luxury’: SC rules CNIC blocking unconstitutional ISLAMABAD
staff report
The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Saturday overturned a Sindh High Court order that had blocked a citizen’s Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) to enforce a court decree, ruling that “a CNIC is a basic necessity, not a luxury, and depriving someone of it is akin to depriving them of a fundamental right.” “CNIC is not a luxury or a mere statutory formality. In today’s times, it has become essential to carry on a normal life. To curtail a judgment debtor from this is not the proper exercise of discretion or statutory powers, as erroneously concluded by the Sindh High Court,” observed Justice Munib Akhtar in a detailed three-page verdict. The case arose from a 2016 trial court decree requiring a petitioner to pay a sum of money. After non-payment, the trial court ordered the petitioner’s CNIC to be blocked. The Sindh High Court had upheld that order, which the Supreme Court has now overturned. The Supreme Court noted that Section 51 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) outlines the permissible modes of execution of a decree.
‘Territorial integrity non-negotiable’: SA passes resolution against ‘conspiracy’ to ‘divide Sindh’ KARACHI
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The Provincial Assembly of Sindh on Saturday passed a resolution rejecting what was described as a “conspiracy” to divide the province. The resolution, moved by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, was supported by members of PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami, while MPAs of MQM-Pakistan opposed it. Presenting the strongly worded resolution on the floor of the House, the chief minister condemned what he termed “divisive statements” about breaking up Sindh or separating Karachi, declaring that the province’s
unity and territorial integrity are non-negotiable and constitutionally protected. In a detailed address, Murad Ali Shah said Sindh was “not merely an administrative unit but one of the world’s oldest living civilisations,” tracing its identity from Mohenjo-Daro to the historic Sindh Legislative Assembly, which passed the Pakistan Resolution in 1943. “A province that played a foundational role in the creation of Pakistan cannot allow the fragmentation of its historic homeland,” he asserted. Condemning calls to carve out Karachi as a separate province, the chief minister maintained that the city, historically known
as Kolachi, emerged from Sindh’s soil and remains geographically, historically and emotionally inseparable from it. “Any attempt to divide Sindh or detach Karachi runs contrary to history, the Constitution and democratic norms,” he said, warning that such rhetoric damages national cohesion. Referring to constitutional safeguards, Murad Ali Shah cited Article 239 of the 1973 Constitution, which requires the consent of not less than two-thirds of the concerned provincial assembly for any alteration of provincial boundaries. “If any such move is attempted, it is this Assembly—by a two-thirds majority—that
will decide,” he told lawmakers. Recalling precedent, the chief minister said a similar resolution had been adopted by the Sindh Assembly in 1994, stressing that this was “not the first time” the province had resisted attempts to undermine its unity. He also noted that when Karachi was declared the capital in 1948, the country did not yet have a constitution, adding that present-day constitutional clarity leaves no room for unilateral decisions. The resolution condemned “any conspiracy aimed at the division of Sindh or the creation of a separate province comprising Karachi,” reaffirmed that Karachi shall “for-
ever remain” an integral part of Sindh, and urged all political stakeholders to refrain from divisive rhetoric. It further directed the provincial government to forward the resolution to the President, the Prime Minister, the Chairman Senate and the Speaker National Assembly for record. Without naming any political party, Murad Ali Shah said the resolution targeted no individual and invited members to read it carefully and raise objections, if any, through democratic debate. “Opposing this resolution would amount to supporting the division of Sindh,” he remarked.
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