ISLAMABAD: Delegations of the PPP and the PML-N met in Gilgit-Baltistan to discuss proposals for forming a government in the region after the recent elections, the parties said on Thursday.

The PPP is all set to form a government in the region after it gained 11 out of 24 seats in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legi­slative Assembly, according to unofficial results (Forms-47) of the June 7 elections.

Key leaders of the PPP and the PML-N, which secured six seats, met in Gilgit to hold detailed deliberations on proposals related to the formation of the upcoming GB government.

In its statement, the PPP claimed a “major breakthrough” in the process, saying that the parties decided to present the proposals for government formation to their respective central leadership.

It said the discussions also pertained to political cooperation, along with various national and domestic issues.

The PPP delegation asserted that the people of GB had given it the mandate by “making it the largest party”, its statement said.

The party leaders stated that all decisions on government formation will be made keeping in view democratic principles, political consultations and public interests.

Meanwhile, the PML-N statement said that “several proposals came under consideration and it was agreed to move forward with the consultation process”.

It noted that the future course of action would be determined after the proposals are reviewed and both parties’ central leadership were taken into confidence.

PPP Secretary General Nayyer Hussain Bukhari, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah were part of the PPP delegation.

The main contender for the chief minister’s slot from the PPP, its GB chapter president Advocate Amjad Hussain, was also present.

The PML-N side included Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam and its GB President Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, also a former chief minister.

As per Forms-47 issued by returning officers from 24 constituencies, the PPP bagged 11 seats in the elections, with the PML-N trailing with six seats.

The candidates backed by the PTI won two seats, and its ally Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) was victorious in one seat. Independent candidates secured four seats.

The consolidation of the results has been barred until re-polling at certain polling stations in five constituencies is complete — Skardu-II (GBA-8), Ast­ore-I (GBA-13), Diamer-I (GBA-15), Diamer-II (GBA-16) and Diamer-III (GBA-17).

ISLAMABAD: As tensions persist in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday urged the now proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to let the people of the region decide whether the 12 refugee seats should be abolished.

The regional administration and the JAAC remain at odds over various issues, most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly that are reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, the defence minister called on the JAAC to raise the issue in the upcoming elections, scheduled for July 27, and “take the issue to the public”.

He questioned why the group was intent on deciding the issue pre-emptively, suggesting that it might be an attempt to shape the assembly “as per their will”.

Asif noted that Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan had paid a “heavy price” to migrate to the country, and that the JAAC had no right to demand the “taking away of their right to vote”.

“The AJK that we have today is due to the sacrifices made by the Pakistan armed forces and people from across the country, not just Kashmiris,” the defence minister said, asserting that 250 million Pakistanis had a “stake” in the region.

He held that there was a story in every Pakistani household of the sacrifices made for the disputed region.

“Does that mean nothing? I do not want to take names, but what have they sacrificed for Kashmir? They do not have any stake, nor have they invested anything in the liberation of Kashmir,” the defence minister said.

The defence czar warned that if people took the law into their own hands, the government could not be expected to “stay silent”.

He also recalled that Kashmiri refugees in his constituency did not have access to basic facilities such as electricity and gas due to uncertainty surrounding their status. However, “we had their status finalised”, he said, reiterating that the way forward was dialogue, not confrontation.

“I wonder if this hatred has been imported from across the line,” Asif said, in an apparent reference to the Line of Control (LoC).

He maintained that the group could not “take away the identity” of Kashmiri refugees, advising that the matter should be resolved in the Legislative Assembly.

“How could you exclude them from the electoral process?” the defence minister said.

Asif remarked that the status “Azad” in AJK had been secured and protected by Pakistanis.

“The word Azad would not have been there if it were not for Pakistan,” he said, adding that the armed forces stationed atop mountains protecting Kashmir were all Pakistanis, including Punjabis, Baloch, Pashtuns and Sindhis.

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday warned that any deliberate attempt to block water essential to Pakistan’s survival and development would have “far-reaching consequences”.

“Any such act would be treated with utmost seriousness and could possibly amount to an act of war under Article 51 of the UN Charter,” said FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi during a weekly media briefing while responding to a question about recent remarks by Indian water minister.

A day ago, Indian Minister of Water CR Patil told India’s ANI news agency that “not a single drop of water will go [to Pakistan] in the coming years”.

Patil said that India was “actively working on it” after “directives” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Taking note of the remarks, Andrabi said that “any attempt to block or substantially curtail water that is vital to the livelihood, agriculture and well being of over 25o million Pakistanis would be a deeply irresponsible act”.

He added it would violate established international obligations “concerning transboundary rivers and indeed India’s own bilateral agreement with Pakistan”.

“Pakistan firmly rejects any notion that water can be treated as a political tool or instrument of coercion or a weapon,” he said, emphasising that such an action would be a threat to the regional peace and security in South Asia and beyond.

He said that the responsibility of such a threat “to international peace and security would fall squarely on India’s shoulders”.

The FO spokesperson added that Pakistan’s rights and interests regarding its water resources were non-negotiable.

He said that Pakistan would “vigorously” defend those rights, utilising all available diplomatic, political, legal, economic and other measures consistent with international law and the UN Charter.

“Any deliberate attempt to block water essential to Pakistan’s survival and development would constitute an extremely grave act with far-reaching consequences, as stated at the top leadership level by Pakistan,” Andrabi warned.

Every state had the right of self-defence, she said, adding that Pakistan would take “all necessary measures to safeguard its economy and its vital national interests and lives of 250m people”.

Andrabi called on India to “act responsibly, honour its international commitments and refrain from statements and actions that could further escalate tensions in the region”.

He stated that Pakistan remained committed to safeguarding its interests and “will closely monitor developments on the ground in India-occupied Kashmir and elsewhere from where these water resources emerge”.

Expansion of India’s nuclear arsenal ‘not surprising’

In response to a question over India expanding its nuclear arsenal, as per a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Andrabi said the finding was not surprising to Pakistan.

“It broadly corroborates concerns that Pakistan has consistently been raising regarding India’s continued vertical proliferation,” he stated, hinting that the findings may not “fully reflect” India’s scale of nuclear arsenal.

The spokesperson noted that Pakistan also remained aware of recent developments in India’s strategic capabilities, including “cannisterisation of the missile systems, expansions of sea-based nuclear-capable submarines and pursuit of increasingly longer-range intercontinental ballistic missile systems that go beyond India’s periphery, neighbourhood or legitimate defence deals”.

Andrabi warned of “grave consequences” for international peace and security in the context of the development.

“These developments enhance operational readiness, complicate crisis stability, and carry implications that extend beyond South Asia,” he remarked.

Andrabi said while Pakistan did not seek an arms race and was “not interested in matching warheads and ammunition by number,” it also remained cognisant of the “evolving security environment”.

He said Pakistan continued to work towards the preservation of “strategic stability and deter any possible Indian aggression,” and urged the international community to “closely monitor” the situation.

“Deployment of India’s nuclear arsenal may affect strategic stability in South Asia and undermine peace and security at the regional and global level,” he cautioned.

In the given context, he said the international community, in particular the suppliers of high technology, should be cognisant of the implications of “advanced technologies and emerging capabilities being incorporated into India’s posture with grave international consequences”.

Release of Pakistani seafarers in Somalia ‘high priority’

On the issue of Pakistani sailors held captive by pirates aboard a vessel off the coast of Somalia, Andrabi said their rescue and safe repatriation remained a “high priority”; however, he also acknowledged that the situation had so far proved to be “difficult and operationally challenging”.

The seamen were taken hostage more than a month ago when pirates hijacked the MT Honour 25 off the southeastern coast of Somalia on April 21. There were 11 Pakistanis among the vessel’s crew, who remain in the pirates’ captivity.

“Sadly, despite our best efforts, we have not been able to secure their release,” Andrabi said of the 11 Pakistani seafarers, but voiced optimism that Pakistan was making “earnest efforts” to secure their release.

“We are engaged with the Somali authorities and the ship owner, both of whom are engaged with the pirates to secure early release,” he said.

He recalled that the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had been in touch with the Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali over the issue.

In a phone call with the Somali FM, DPM Dar had conveyed his “grave concern” about the situation and stressed the need to ensure the early release and safe repatriation of the individuals, Andrabi said.

DPM Dar also urged measures to improve the living conditions of all the captives aboard the vessels.

Dar’s Somali counterpart assured him of the Somali government’s “continued and sincere” efforts to secure the release of the Pakistani individuals.

“Both leaders agreed to remain in close coordination until the matter is resolved,” Andrabi said.

Further elaborating on the steps taken by the government to secure their release, Anbrabi said that the Somali ambassador in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) over the issue.

He also recalled that the Pakistani embassy in Djibouti had dispatched teams to the Somali capital Mogadishu and added that authorities were holding “interministerial and inter-departmental meetings” on the issue as well.

“Another important in-person meeting will be held next week here at MOFA,” Andrabi said.

The spokesperson said that the situation was “operationally challenging”.

“They (captives) are held in a part of Somalia which is a semi-autonomous region [..] there are tribal societies and the pirates belong to a certain tribe and the ship owners belong to another tribe.”

He called on the families to exercise patience, vowing that the matter remained a high priority.

NEW DELHI: India is working to ensure “not a single drop of water” will flow into neighbouring Pakistan, the water minister has said, after New Delhi put the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) into abeyance following the Pahalgam attack in April 2025.

“It is certain, not a single drop of water will go (to Pakistan) in the coming years,” Minister of Water CR Patil told India’s ANI news agency late Tuesday. Patil, speaking in Hindi, said that India is “actively working on it” after “directives” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The treaty governs the use of water from six rivers, whose headwaters originate in India but flow into Pakistan as part of the Indus basin — a resource relied on by hundreds of millions. The Indus cuts through ultra-sensitive demarcation lines between India and Pakistan in contested, Muslim-majority Kashmir — a Himalayan territory both countries claim in full.

Indian water minister says working to ensure ‘not a single drop of water’ flows downstream

India in May 2025 suspended its IWT membership after accusing Islamabad of backing a deadly attack on tourists on the Indian side of Kashmir—charges Pakistan denied. The nuclear-armed neighbours fought a four-day conflict—with intense drone, missile and artillery exchanges, killing nearly 70 people on both sides.

The issue of water has remained a bitter point of contention since.

Experts say that India’s existing dams do not have the capacity to block or divert water, and can only regulate timings of when it releases flows.

Cutting flows would have serious implications for Pakistan’s agriculture and overall economy, but any project would take several years before it has an impact. An official in the Indian-held Kashmir said that any work would “not be possible to start before mid-2027”, and would take at least five years to complete.

Pakistan has previously said it would consider any attempt to change the flow of cross-border waterways as an “act of war”, saying the 1960 treaty remained in force as there was no mechanism to unilaterally withdraw from it. It had also urged the UN Security Council to take up the dispute over the IWT, warning that India’s continued unilateral suspension of the treaty carries “grave peace and security, and humanitarian consequences” for South Asia.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan carried out “precision strikes” along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border targeting terrorist hideouts, killing 26 Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists in response to recent terrorist attacks in the country, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday.

The statement comes a day after six Federal Constabulary (FC) embraced martyrdom while bravely confronting terrorists belonging to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during an operation in the Hassan Khel area on the outskirts of Peshawar.

According to a statement shared on X, Tarar said the operations were conducted in the aftermath of recent attacks, including the assault on a Federal Constabulary post in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on June 9, a vehicle-borne suicide attack on a military post in North Waziristan on June 2, and an attack on a police station in Bannu on May 9.

He said, “precise strikes were carried out along Pakistan Afghanistan Border areas on hideouts and safe havens of masterminds and planners belonging to Fitna Al Khawarij, killing twenty six Indian sponsored khawarijs.”

The statement said the action was based on “credible intelligence” and involved the “selective targeting of camps and hideouts… with precision and accuracy.”

It added that four targets were “completely destroyed,” including “a training centre, a hideout, an ammunition cache and Marakiz belonging to Fitna Al Khawarij Commander Aleem Khan Khushali and Commander Akhtar Muhammad Jani Khel.”

Read: Security forces kill 27 terrorists in North Waziristan IBOs: ISPR

The information minister further said Pakistan has “always strived for maintaining peace and stability in the region,” but stressed that “the safety and security of our citizens remains our top priority.”

He added that Pakistan’s “relentless counter-terrorism campaign under vision Azm-e-Istehkam will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.”

The statement said the campaign is being carried out by “security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan” under the framework approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan.

Officials said the operation reflects Pakistan’s ongoing response to terrorist threats operating along its western border, though independent verification of the claims was not immediately available.

K-P remains a key focus of the country’s counterterrorism efforts, with security forces regularly conducting IBOs against militants.

Also Read: 4 terrorists killed in DI Khan, Mohmand IBOs

The province witnessed a significant rise in militant violence last year, with more than 500 attacks reported, marking a 50% increase compared to the previous year.

K-P recorded 1,588 terrorism-related incidents, underscoring the growing militant threat across both settled and tribal districts. Despite the increase in attacks, security forces reportedly thwarted 320 major strikes, while 137 police personnel were killed in the line of duty.

The report said joint operations by the K-P Police, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and other security agencies led to the arrest of 1,244 suspected militants, while 420 militants were killed in intelligence-based operations.

Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Hangu and Peshawar were among the districts most affected by militant violence, with the report noting a pattern of attacks allegedly planned and launched from across the Afghan border.

The CTD report also recorded a 56% increase in attacks targeting police personnel, rising from 327 in 2024 to 510 in 2025. During the year, security agencies conducted 2,791 search operations and identified 25 foreign militant operatives, while extortion networks operating in Peshawar and other districts were dismantled, according to the report.

Operation Ghazab Lil Haq was launched around the end of February following renewed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, after Afghan Taliban forces fired on multiple locations, prompting swift military retaliation by Pakistan.

The neighbouring countries have been engaged in escalating hostilities along the frontier since then. The clashes intensified after Afghanistan launched a border offensive in response to Pakistani air strikes targeting terrorist positions and abated during a temporary ceasefire on the occasion of Eidul Fitr.

Pakistan in April put forth three core demands to the Afghan Taliban during peace talks in Urumqi, China, including Kabul formally declaring the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan a terrorist organisation, dismantling its infrastructure, and providing verifiable proof of the action. These demands form the basis of Pakistan’s negotiating position, which sources say has hardened amid persistent security concerns.

RAWALPINDI: No survivors were reported after an Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad on Wednesday during take-off “due to a technical fault”, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

Rescue and recovery teams immediately reached the crash site. “All personnel on board embraced martyrdom. There were no survivors,” the ISPR said in a statement.

“A board of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact technical cause of the accident,” the military’s media affairs wing said.

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, along with all ranks of the army, expressed “deep grief over the tragic loss of precious lives and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families”, the ISPR said.

Smoke billows after a Pakistan Army Aviation Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir on June 10, 2026. — Reuters

The army’s aviation wing began operating Russian-made Mi-17 transport helicopters in the late 1990s. Mi-17s are considered reliable workhorses of Pakistan Army Aviation.

The helicopter can perform utility, transport and combat roles. It carries a crew of three and has space for up to 24 troops or four tonnes of cargo.

Over the years, the United States has helped Pakistan refurbish and overhaul 22 Mi-17 helicopters.

Condolences

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep grief and sorrow over the helicopter crash, state-run APP reported.

In separate statements, the president and the prime minister extended their heartfelt sympathies to the families of those martyred in the accident.

“The entire nation pays tribute to the great sacrifice of the martyrs and shares the grief of the bereaved families,” President Zardari said.

Paying tribute to the personnel who embraced martyrdom in the crash, PM Shehbaz said that the entire nation salutes the brave soldiers for their sacrifices.

Both leaders prayed for the elevation of the martyrs’ ranks and for strength and patience for the bereaved families.

Deputy PM Ishaq Dar said he was “deeply saddened by the tragic crash”.

“We salute their service, courage and sacrifice in the line of duty. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families during this hour of grief,” he said in a post on X.

The deputy PM prayed for the highest ranks of the martyrs and for strength and patience for their loved ones.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also expressed his grief, commending the martyrs as the “pride of the nation who sacrificed their lives for the country’s security and defence”.

Bugti extended his tribute to the martyred personnel and prayed for the bereaved families.

The Senate also offered fateha for those who lost their lives in the incident, with Senator Maulana Attaur Rehman leading the special prayer.

ISLAMABAD: The committee for monitoring austerity measures and fuel conservation on Wednesday decided to extend the closing time for standalone grocery and kiryana stores by an hour to 10pm.

Pakistan had initially announced austerity measures on March 9 to deal with the impacts of the ongoing war in the Middle East. Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had approved the extension of the austerity measures till June 13.

In a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the committee also recommended extending the application of these austerity measures till June 30, according to a statement by the DPM’s office.

The measures include a 50 per cent reduction in fuel allowance for official vehicles, with the exemption of operational vehicles such as ambulances and public buses. Other steps include the grounding 60pc of official vehicles and a complete ban on foreign visits by ministers and government officials, excluding those deemed essential for the country’s interests, as specified the last time.

The Dar-led committee on Wednesday also reviewed several cases by different ministries “seeking exemptions from applicability of certain austerity measures and finalised recommendations accordingly”.

“It was also decided that consular attestation services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa) and its liaison offices in Quetta, Karachi, Peshawar, Gujrat, and Lahore would remain operational on Fridays as well for public facilitation,” the statement read.

This decision comes after previously announced austerity measures reduced the working week for all government offices to four days — Monday to Thursday.

In attendance at the meeting were ministers for petroleum, climate change, and IT & telecom; the special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM) on finance; the special assistant to the DPM; the secretaries of cabinet, commerce, petroleum, and IT & Telecom; as well as senior officials from Mofa and other relevant ministries and divisions.