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INDIA DEFEATED DIRECTLY, NOW FUNDING TERROR PROXIES, SAYS DG ISPR Saturday, 1 August, 2026 | 17 Safar, 1448
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MILITARY SAYS PROXY WARFARE INTENSIFIED AFTER INDIA FAILED TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES THROUGH DIRECT CONFRONTATION GOOD GOVERNANCE, CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS AND STRONGER INSTITUTIONS VITAL FOR LASTING NATIONAL SECURITY
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OVER 40,000 INTELLIGENCE-BASED OPERATIONS THIS YEAR; 2,084 TERRORISTS ELIMINATED NATIONWIDE
More than 31,000 operations were carried out in Balochistan alone, underscoring the province's central role in Pakistan's security strategy. The operations, he said, resulted in the elimination of 2,084 confirmed terrorists, averaging 10 militants killed every day—the highest operational ratio achieved in the country's history. However, he acknowledged that Pakistan continued to pay a heavy price for peace. Terrorist attacks this year have claimed the lives of 819 Pakistanis, including 303 soldiers, 194 police and other law enforcement personnel, and 322 civilians. According to official figures, 3,145
PPP says new provinces must follow constitutional process
terrorist incidents have been recorded nationwide during 2026, with 1,971 occurring in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,148 in Balochistan, and 26 elsewhere in the country. Despite these figures, Lt. Gen. Chaudhry insisted that the operational balance had shifted decisively in Pakistan's favour. "The ratio has changed," he explained, noting that while terrorists once inflicted greater losses on security forces, Pakistan now neutralises more than two militants for every martyr, demonstrating what he described as the growing effectiveness of intelligencedriven operations.
The DG ISPR argued that the changing pattern of terrorism reflected a broader strategic shift by Pakistan's adversaries. According to him, hostile elements had intensified terrorist attacks after failing to achieve their objectives through direct means. He alleged that India had increasingly invested in proxy militant organisations, combining terrorism with psychological warfare and digital propaganda in an attempt to destabilise Pakistan from within. He claimed that every terrorist incident was rapidly followed by a carefully orchestrated online campaign involving militant organisations, foreign-based digital networks and Indian media platforms designed to magnify fear, undermine public confidence and project an exaggerated image of instability. Describing the mechanism, Lt Gen Chaudhry said incidents were first circulated through coordinated social media accounts before being amplified by Indian news outlets and eventually echoed by sections of international media. He cited the July 16 terrorist attack in Mastung as an example, alleging that accounts linked to banned organisations and foreign-based activists simultaneously promoted a coordinated narrative immediately after the incident.
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PM welcomes Gaza ‘disarmament breakthrough,’ reaffirms support for independent Palestinian State ISLAMABAD
SAlEEm JAdOOn
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Friday said any proposal to create new provinces or administrative units must strictly follow the constitutional process, with the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) set to deliberate on the issue before adopting a formal position. Speaking to a media outlet, PPP Secretary General Nayyar Bokhari stressed that new provinces could only be created through a constitutional amendment approved by the required two-thirds majority in the relevant provincial assembly, the National Assembly and the Senate. "The Constitution has clearly laid down the complete procedure. Neither the creation of new provinces nor any alteration in provincial boundaries is possible without the prescribed constitutional mechanism," Bokhari said, rejecting the notion that administrative units could be established through an executive order. His remarks came a day after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called for a national political consensus on creating new administrative units, arguing that structural reforms were essential to improving governance and overcoming the country's administrative challenges.
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Pakistan, Türkiye move to revive ITI Freight Train as strategic Eurasian Trade Corridor
BALOCHISTAN'S CHALLENGES ROOTED IN TERRORISM, EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE AND ENTRENCHED ELITE INTERESTS: DG ISPR
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ECLARING that Pakistan has turned the tide against terrorism through sustained intelligence-led operations, the military spokesman on Friday accused India of increasingly relying on proxy militant groups and coordinated disinformation campaigns after failing to achieve its objectives through direct confrontation. Addressing an extensive press conference that lasted over two hours, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry painted a comprehensive picture of Pakistan's internal security landscape, arguing that the country's counterterrorism campaign had entered a decisive phase. He attributed the recent spike in militant violence not to the weakening of the state but to the desperation of terrorist organisations and their external sponsors as Pakistan's security apparatus tightened its grip on militant networks. Presenting operational data covering the first seven months of 2026, the military spokesperson said security forces had conducted 40,348 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country, averaging nearly 200 operations every day.
Rs 20.00 | Vol XVII No 127 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday welcomed the latest developments under the Board of Peace aimed at implementing the disarmament process envisaged in the Gaza Peace Plan, expressing hope that the progress would accelerate efforts toward a just and lasting peace and ultimately lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. The prime minister’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump announced that talks held in Cairo on Thursday between mediators and Hamas representatives had resulted in a phased disarmament agreement for Gaza. However, a Hamas official described the arrangement as a draft, while US officials said Israel remained sceptical that the Palestinian group would surrender its weapons. “Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” President Trump said in a post on social media, adding that the disarmament process would be carried out in phases. The issue of Hamas’ weapons has remained one of the principal obstacles to implementing the ceasefire agreement that has been in place since October 2025. According to AFP, Hamas officials said a committee established by Trump’s Board of Peace to govern Gaza would oversee the process of storing the group’s weapons. In a post on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz said, “Pakistan welcomes developments under the Board of Peace towards the implementation of the disarmament process under the Gaza Peace Plan.” He said the progress reflected the importance of sustained diplomatic engagement and commended the mediating countries, including the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, for their efforts in advancing the peace process. The prime minister said these countries deserved “special appreciation for their ef-
forts in achieving this progress.” Commending President Trump’s “courageous leadership,” Prime Minister Shehbaz described the development as “a significant achievement for the Board of Peace.” “Pakistan expresses the hope that with these developments, concrete steps will be taken towards implementing all commitments under the Gaza Peace Plan,” he said. The prime minister further expressed hope that the ongoing peace efforts would help realise the Palestinian people's right to self-determination through a credible, inclusive and time-bound political process in accordance with international legitimacy and relevant United Nations resolutions. He reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding position that the process should culminate in the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with AlQuds Al-Sharif as its capital. The Board of Peace was initially proposed in September 2025 and was formally established in January 2026. Under its charter, the US government serves as the board’s official depository, while President Trump designated the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington as its headquarters.
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ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan and Türkiye agreed in principle on Friday to work toward the early revival of the IslamabadTehran-Istanbul (ITI) freight train and transform it into a permanent commercial trade corridor, marking a significant step toward strengthening regional rail connectivity and boosting trade links between South Asia, Central Asia and Europe. The understanding was reached during a delegation-level meeting between Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi and Türkiye’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu during Abbasi’s two-day official visit to Türkiye, according to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Railways. Originally launched in 2009 under the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the 6,500-kilometre ITI freight corridor connects Pakistan, Iran and Türkiye. However, the service has operated only intermittently since being suspended in 2012 due to security and operational challenges. Pakistan and Iran had agreed in December 2025 to revive the freight service. Confirming the latest development, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said both sides had agreed to move forward with practical measures to operationalise the corridor.
Methane blast near Quetta kills 34 miners
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QUETTA
STAFF REPORT
A methane gas explosion in the Sorange coalfield near Quetta killed at least 34 miners. Chief Inspector of Mines Balochistan Muhammad Atif said 34 miners were inside two coal mines when the blast occurred on Thursday. He said, "So far, 32 bodies have been recovered from both mines," adding that the operation was continuing in the mine where the explosion took place to recover two miners. Later, bodies of two more miners were recovered. The explosion struck a private coal mine in Sorange, around 30 kilometres northeast of Quetta, and triggered a fire that caused the mine to collapse. A nearby mine was also hit by the impact of the blast. Earlier, officials had said 24 miners were working about 4,000 feet underground in the first mine when the explosion occurred, while 12 miners were in the second mine. The blast was heard across a wide area of Sorange. Rescue efforts faced major difficulties as methane gas remained trapped inside the mines and fire continued to burn underground. Mining engineers and workers created alternative routes to reach the trapped men, but access remained hazardous deep below the surface. Provincial Minister for Mines and Minerals Mir Shoaib Nosherwani announced Rs500,000 in compensation for the family of each deceased miner and Rs300,000 for every injured worker. He also said an inquiry would be conducted into the incident. SERIES OF MINE ACCIDENTS: The latest disaster is the most serious in a run of mining accidents in Balochistan. In June, three people were injured after explosive material used in mining accidentally detonated in the Khanuzai area of Quetta division. In April, three coal miners were killed in an accident in Bolan after methane gas accumulated inside a mine in the coalfield near Mach. Other miners escaped and alerted the authorities, while rescue teams from the Mines and Minerals Department and local workers later found the trapped miners dead from suffocation caused by inhaling methane gas.
PM orders review of WB’s Fiscal Federalism Report, reaffirms provincial autonomy — orders sweeping OGRA reforms, fast-tracks digital monitoring of petroleum supply chain
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday underscored that Pakistan’s constitutional federal structure, provincial autonomy, and close cooperation and consultation between the federation and the provinces remained indispensable to ensuring the country’s long-term development, economic progress and national stability. The prime minister made these remarks while meeting a World Bank delegation led by its Country Director for Pakistan, Bolormaa Amgaabazar, which called on him here, according to a Prime Minister’s Office statement. Welcoming the delegation, the prime minister lauded the longstanding partnership between Pakistan and the World Bank, describing it as a valuable contributor to the country’s socio-economic development over the years. He expressed gratitude to the institution for its continued support to Pakistan’s
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
development journey and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining close collaboration with international development partners. PM Shehbaz said the government was vigorously implementing a comprehen-
sive reforms agenda aimed at placing the national economy on a path of sustained stability, resilience and long-term growth.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday ordered comprehensive institutional reforms and accelerated digital transformation of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), directing authorities to strengthen transparency, regulatory oversight and institutional capacity to build a more efficient, accountable and consumer-centric petroleum sector. Chairing a high-level meeting on the revamping and digitization of OGRA, the prime minister said the government’s reform agenda must be implemented uniformly across all public institutions, stressing that regulatory bodies should be equipped with modern systems capable of ensuring trans-
parency, efficiency and effective governance. To strengthen monitoring of petroleum products nationwide, the prime minister directed the development of a comprehensive fuel movement monitoring system based on the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) modern tracking mechanism, calling it a proven model for improving oversight and accountability. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Dr Musadik Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Ali Pervaiz Malik, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa, and other senior government officials.
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