Songkran Holiday Road Death Toll Rises to 95 After Three Days

Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has said that people may take to the streets before September 27 as political developments continue to unfold. Speaking to the media along with Imran Khan’s sisters at the Factory Check Post near Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, Aleema said the situation was changing rapidly. She said she believed people could come out before the September 27 date. She also claimed that she had heard the date of a planned protest had been changed to August 14. Aleema also raised concerns about reports regarding Imran Khan’s health. She said various reports were circulating about his condition but the family had not been provided with sufficient information. She questioned reports suggesting that Imran Khan had a blood pressure problem. Aleema said no one in their family had such an issue and questioned how a double dose of medication could have been administered to someone who did not suffer from the condition. She said the family had never discussed politics after meeting Imran Khan. Aleema added that they agreed with remarks by Sohail Afridi that family members should be allowed to meet him without turning the meetings into political discussions. According to Aleema, Imran Khan is their brother and his message is important to the family. She said mentioning the name of a government official should not automatically be considered political activity. Imran Khan’s sister Noreen Niazi also said that political matters should not be attached to the family’s meetings with him. She said the family would avoid naming officials during such meetings. Aleema said a three-member bench of the high court had already issued a decision regarding meetings with Imran Khan. She questioned why the family should submit a request to the jail superintendent when a court order was already in place. She also described PTI as a democratic political party. She said disagreements and differences within a political party were normal and should not necessarily be viewed as a major crisis. Family raises concerns over Imran Khan’s health Noreen Niazi said the September 27 date remained in place, while a separate call had been given for a gathering at D-Chowk on August 14. Aleema said she had no information about the alleged audio recording involving PTI leader Salman Akram Raja and Mashal Yousafzai. She said the decision to give a protest call was the responsibility of the party and that the party had issued the call. Aleema said the family had only one major demand regarding Imran Khan’s health. She called for him to be shifted to a hospital and treated by his personal doctor. Another sister, Uzma Khan, said the family was unable to confirm or deny reports about Imran Khan’s health because they did not have sufficient information about his condition.

PESHAWAR: Two police personnel sustained minor injuries after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded near a police vehicle in Peshawar on Sunday, officials said. The blast occurred near Pir Zakorhi Bridge, close to the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway toll plaza, where a police van was travelling on routine duty. The explosion damaged the vehicle and left the driver and a police constable with minor injuries. Rescue teams and law enforcement officials quickly reached the site and shifted the injured officers to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Authorities said both policemen were in stable condition and suffered only minor wounds. The Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) launched a search operation in the surrounding area after the explosion. Initial findings suggested that the explosive device had been planted along the roadside in a green belt and was detonated as the police vehicle passed by. Security personnel thoroughly scanned the area to ensure no additional explosive devices were present. Police cordoned off the scene and began collecting evidence to determine those responsible for the attack. An investigation has been launched, while officials are examining the nature of the explosive and the method used in the incident. The latest attack comes amid a surge in militant violence across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In recent days, several security personnel have lost their lives in separate terrorist attacks and counterterrorism operations in different parts of the province.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, July 26: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has revealed that more than 1,300 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the recent attack on a security checkpost in Tank. The governor made the remarks while speaking to journalists at the Regional Police Office in Dera Ismail Khan. He had attended a security briefing on the law and order situation in the region. Kundi described the attack on the Manji Khel checkpoint as a major and tragic security incident. He said 15 people, including 14 security personnel, lost their lives in the attack. Personnel from the Pakistan Army, police and Forest Department were among those who were martyred, he said. The governor said the huge quantity of explosives used in the attack reflected the seriousness and scale of the militant threat facing the province. He called for a united national strategy to counter terrorism. He said the federal and provincial governments, security forces and the public must work together to defeat militant groups. Kundi said Pakistan was facing security challenges from both internal and external sources. He praised the sacrifices made by security forces to protect the country and its people. The governor also alleged that terrorist groups were using Afghan territory to carry out attacks against Pakistan. He further claimed that weapons left behind in Afghanistan by international forces were being used in attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Kundi said neither the people nor the security forces would be intimidated by such attacks. He praised the courage of injured personnel whom he met during his visit. He said the recommendations presented by regional police officials would be conveyed to the federal government. He also said he would raise the issue of improving compensation and support packages for injured security personnel with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the provincial government. The governor stressed that supporting the families of martyred and injured personnel was a collective responsibility. He assured them that the government would continue to support them. Kundi also called for stronger coordination between the federal and provincial governments. He said Islamabad and Peshawar must work closely to tackle the growing security threat. He urged authorities to expand intelligence-based operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said he would discuss the matter with the provincial chief minister. According to the military’s media wing, militants had attempted to breach the perimeter of the joint police checkpost in Tank. Security forces responded quickly and killed 12 attackers. The attackers also drove an explosives-filled vehicle into the checkpoint’s perimeter wall. The resulting blast caused extensive damage to the infrastructure. The Tank attack comes as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to face a persistent threat from militant violence. In another recent operation in South Waziristan, security forces foiled a suicide attack and killed four terrorists, including the would-be suicide bomber. Kundi said restoring peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and surrounding areas remained a national priority. He praised police personnel for continuing to perform their duties despite difficult security conditions.