Twenty Road Fatalities on First ‘Dangerous Day’ of Songkran Holidays

Six suspected militants were killed and several others, including male and female suicide bombers, were arrested during an intelligence-based operation carried out by security forces in the Khad Kocha area of Mastung district, Balochistan, on Thursday. The operation was conducted as part of the ongoing Operation Shaban, a joint counterterrorism campaign involving the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC) and Balochistan Police. The campaign was launched after the terrorist attack on the Mangi Dam Police Station and continues in different parts of the province to eliminate militant networks. According to official sources, security forces launched the raid after receiving credible intelligence about the presence of militants in the area. During the operation, troops surrounded the suspected hideouts and engaged the militants in an exchange of fire. Officials said six militants were killed during the operation, while several others were taken into custody. Those arrested included alleged facilitators as well as male and female suicide bombers who were reportedly planning future attacks. Security personnel also destroyed multiple militant hideouts and recovered a large cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives from the site. The military said security forces have intensified intelligence-based operations across Balochistan to dismantle terrorist networks and prevent attacks on civilians and security personnel. Officials maintained that such operations would continue until militant infrastructure is completely dismantled. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the security forces for the successful operation and commended their professionalism and courage. He said the forces had once again foiled the plans of militants attempting to spread violence and instability in Balochistan. He added that the government’s resolve to eliminate terrorism remains unwavering and that the entire nation stands with the armed forces and law enforcement agencies in their efforts to restore peace and stability. The latest operation came only hours after unidentified gunmen attacked a vehicle carrying members of the judiciary on the National Highway in Mastung. A district and sessions judge and his security guard were killed in the attack, while an additional sessions judge and another person suffered serious injuries. Security forces later cordoned off the area, launched a search operation and established checkpoints to trace the attackers. The operation also follows another series of intelligence-based raids carried out a day earlier, during which security forces killed 10 suspected militants and arrested two female suicide bombers along with a facilitator in different areas of Balochistan.

MUZAFFARABAD: PML-N candidate Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz has challenged the election result of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s LA-17 Haveli-Kahuta constituency, alleging irregularities in the compilation of results and seeking a recount of votes. The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission has accepted the petition for hearing and summoned the relevant parties in Muzaffarabad. Mohsin has alleged that the official result was changed through manipulation of election documents. He claimed that results received from polling stations showed him winning the constituency by a significant margin. According to his claim, the results compiled by presiding officers showed him leading by around 8,600 votes. He alleged that there was a substantial discrepancy between those results and the figures later submitted to the returning officer. The PML-N candidate said he had approached the returning officer and requested a recount but his request was rejected. He has also called on PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to support a recount. Mohsin said he would leave politics if a transparent recount showed that he had not won the constituency by a substantial margin. The disputed constituency was won by PPP candidate and AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, according to the officially issued result. Form-27 showed Rathore securing 33,872 votes, while Mohsin Aziz received 32,354 votes. Independent candidate Tariq Saeed stood third with 12,538 votes. Mohsin has disputed these figures and alleged that the result was altered after the polling process. He also alleged that armed individuals intimidated voters at some polling stations during election day. He claimed tensions increased after the rival camp realised that it could face defeat. The PML-N candidate has vowed to pursue the matter through the electoral process and said he would not accept what he described as an attempt to deprive him of his mandate. The election commission’s decision to hear the petition has formally brought the disputed result before the relevant electoral forum. The proceedings will determine whether a recount or any further action is warranted. Political tensions in the constituency have also continued following the election. Several vehicles parked along a roadside in Hoter village were reportedly vandalised. Local residents said the windows of the vehicles were smashed during an alleged attack. The vehicles were reportedly parked outside the residence of senior PPP leader Zahid Hashmi, who is also president of the International Kashmir Peace Forum Europe. According to local sources, individuals associated with the PML-N and an independent candidate were allegedly involved in the incident. The allegations have not been independently verified. Some of the affected vehicles reportedly belonged to people who had travelled from Saudi Arabia to participate in the election. The affected individuals alleged that, besides damaging their vehicles, the attackers took passports and cash from some of them.