Pak-Afghan talks on ending conflict continue
BEIJING, April 7: China-mediated talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan continued this week in Urumqi, Xinjiang, aiming to end their ongoing military conflict. The discussions, the first major diplomatic engagement since Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February targeting alleged militant hideouts in Afghanistan, are being steadily advanced, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. The talks are complicated by a UN report questioning Pakistan’s claims that Afghan authorities harbor militants, citing a lack of “credible evidence” linking Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacks to Afghanistan. The UN called for a permanent ceasefire, warning that Pakistan’s strikes may violate international law. Pakistan disputes the UN findings, citing other reports supporting its claims, while Afghanistan denies sheltering militants and urges Pakistan to address internal threats. Mid-level officials from both nations are participating in the negotiations under Chinese facilitation. (PTI)
ASI, four others injured in explosion in NW Pakistan
PESHAWAR, April 7: At least five policemen, including an officer, were injured on Tuesday in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast targeting a police patrol vehicle in Lakki Marwat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northwest Pakistan. The attack occurred on the Bannu-Dera Ismail Khan section of the Peshawar-Karachi Indus Highway. Authorities said the IED was planted on a motorcycle along the roadside and detonated as the police van passed. The injured—an assistant sub-inspector and four constables—were taken to District Headquarters Hospital for treatment. The attack was claimed by Fitna-al-Khawarij, a term used by the state for terrorists linked to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). District Police Officer Nazir Khan, along with Counter-Terrorism Department and Bomb Disposal Squad officials, visited the site and ordered heightened security measures and a manhunt for the perpetrators. Lakki Marwat and other Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts have recently seen a surge in attacks on security forces, with fatalities rising from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 last year, according to the Centre for Research and Security Studies. (PTI)
Two Indians arrested in Nepal
KATHMANDU, April 7: Police in Nepal’s Lumbini province arrested three individuals, including two Indian nationals, on Tuesday in connection with drug trafficking. The arrests took place in Rupandehi district near the India-Nepal border. The Indians were identified as Arun Kumar, 18, and Binaya Pandey, 20, from Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, while Nepali national Bishal Yadav was also detained. Authorities recovered 3,300 ampules of Phenergan, Diazepam, and Brufen, drugs known to cause drowsiness and dizziness. The suspects were transporting the narcotics across the border on an India-registered motorcycle. Further investigation is underway. (PTI)
