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Rs 20.00 | Vol XVI No 235 | 8 Pages | Karachi Edition
ANY FURTHER PROVOCATION BY TALIBAN WILL GET ‘MEASURED, DECISIVE RESPONSE’: FO OPERATION GHAZAB-LIL-HAQ LAUNCHED
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PM VISITS GHQ, GIVEN ‘DETAILED BRIEFING’ BY MILITARY LEADERSHIP ON SITUATION BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN
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ZERO TOLERANCE SHOULD BE ADOPTED AGAINST ‘NEXUS BETWEEN AFGHAN TALIBAN AND FITNA AL-KHWARIJ: PM
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297 AFGHAN TALIBAN KILLED, 450 INJURED, WHILE 89 TALIBAN POSTS DESTROYED AND 18 CAPTURED: PM’S AIDE SAYS 135 AFGHAN TALIBAN TANKS, APCS DESTROYED WITH 29 LOCATIONS SUBJECTED TO AERIAL TARGETING
UN, RUSSIA, IRAN, TURKIYE AND OTHERS CALL FOR DIALOGUE AND DIPLOMACY TO RESOLVE CONFLICT
'Operation Ghazab Lil Haq' crushing terrorists, 297 killed: DG ISPR RAWALPINDI Mian abrar
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AKISTAN’s Foreign Office (FO) on Friday warned that any further provocation by the Afghan Taliban regime and terrorist groups “will be met with a measured, decisive and befitting response,” emphasizing that Pakistan’s Armed Forces carried out “precise operations in self-de-
fence” following repeated terrorist attacks and recent military provocations originating from Afghan territory. In a statement, the FO said that Pakistan’s actions came in response to “repeated terrorist attacks by Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan against Pakistan emanating from Afghan soil, as well as the latest “unwarranted and unprovoked” actions by the Taliban regime”.
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China mediating to help resolve Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict BEIJING
staff Correspondent
China has been mediating the PakistanAfghanistan conflict through its own channels and is willing to continue to play a constructive role in deescalating the situation and improving relations between the two countries. This was stated by the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Friday in response to a question concerning the
fierce clashes and rapid escalation of tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan in their border areas, according to China Economic Net (CEN). Pakistan and Afghanistan are close neighbors and both are also neighbors of China. As a neighbor and friend, China is deeply concerned about the escalation of the conflict and is deeply saddened by the casualties caused by the conflict, Mao said.
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Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said Pakistan’s ongoing ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’ against the Afghan Taliban is achieving its objectives, with forces successfully repulsing militants at 53 locations along the border. Addressing a media briefing on Friday, the military spokesperson said 274 Taliban insurgents had been killed and more than 400 wounded. He added that 73 militant posts were destroyed, 18 posts were captured by Pakistani forces, and 115 tanks used by insurgents were taken out during the clashes. Lt Gen Chaudhry said intense engagements occurred at 22 locations across Kandahar, Kabul, Paktia and other areas, focusing on terrorist infrastructure. “We specifically targeted logistics bases and shelters used by terrorists,” he said, stressing that the operation was conducted
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with restraint and precision to avoid civilian harm. “No civilian damage was caused, and great care was taken to ensure civilians remained unharmed.” The ISPR chief acknowledged Pakistan’s own casualties, stating that 12 soldiers were martyred, 27 injured, and one remains missing in action. He warned that Pakistan would respond firmly to any aggression and criticised the Afghan Taliban’s hostile rhetoric.
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Dar briefs Saudi, Turkish, Egyptian counterparts on Pakistan's response to Afghan aggression ISLAMABAD
staff report
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday briefed his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Egypt on Pakistan’s “befitting” response to what he described as aggression by the Afghan Taliban, defending Islamabad’s use of military force. Earlier in the day, Pakistani forces carried out airstrikes targeting key military installa-
PM, Chinese envoy discuss regional situation, global issues
tions of the Afghan Taliban regime in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia. The military said the ongoing ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’ was progressing successfully and achieving its intended objectives. According to the military spokesperson, Pakistani forces had “effectively repulsed” Afghan Taliban insurgents at 53 locations along the border, inflicting heavy losses while exercising restraint to avoid civilian casualties.
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staff report
Ambassador of China to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister's House here on Friday and discussed matters of mutual interest. During the meeting, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the enduring all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China, characterized by deep mutual trust, ironclad friendship, and shared commitment to mutual support on core interests. The Prime Minister conveyed his warm greetings and best wishes to President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and the Chinese leadership and people, particularly on the joyous occasion of the Chinese New Year.
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Dar slams Israel's 'de facto annexation' of West Bank at OIC moot JEDDAH
Dar’s diplomatic engagements at OIC underscore Pakistan’s security resolve
staff report
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday strongly criticised Israel’s move to register large parts of the occupied West Bank as “state property,” calling it evidence of an annexationist and expansionist agenda that disregards international law. Addressing the executive committee meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, Dar said the latest measures reflected a mindset “bereft of any regard for international law or humanitarian norms.” The meeting followed the Israeli government’s approval of a proposal to formally register vast areas of the occupied West Bank as state land — the first such move since the 1967 occupation. Dar highlighted what he described as continued ceasefire violations, expansion of illegal settlements and annexation attempts, warning that such actions undermine prospects for a “just and lasting peace in the Middle East.” He recalled that in September 2025, on
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staff report
the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a group of eight Islamic countries, including Pakistan, engaged with the US president and were assured that annexation of the West Bank would not take place. “On the ground, Israel continues with brazen impunity to expand illegal settlements,” he said, terming the actions violations of international law, the UN Charter
and UN Security Council Resolution 2803. The foreign minister urged the international community to act decisively to halt Israeli measures and ensure implementation of prior assurances. He stressed the need for immediate reconstruction and recovery of Gaza with full Palestinian ownership, accountability for war crimes, and a credible, time-bound political pathway toward an independent Palestinian state.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM), Mohammad Ishaq Dar, on Friday held a telephone conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, during which the two leaders exchanged views on recent regional developments, including the situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to the Foreign Office (FO). Foreign Minister Dar also held key meetings with his counterparts from Türkiye, Bangladesh, Maldives, Palestine and the Federal Republic of Somalia on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Open-ended
Dar also called for the protection of holy sites, including the Al Aqsa Mosque, and de-
Session of the OIC Executive Committee in Jeddah, the FO said in separate statements. During the call, the deputy prime minister briefed his Egyptian counterpart on Pakistan’s response to what he described as unprovoked aggression, stating that the country’s actions had been measured yet decisive, a DPM’s Office news release said. He underscored that Pakistan’s Armed Forces had carried out successful operations under Operation Ghazb lil Haq to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Both foreign ministers emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region and agreed to remain in close contact regarding evolving developments.
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manded an end to displacement and demographic changes in the occupied territories.