Latest news with #GlobalTerrorismIndex
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘I am sure there will be no hurdle': Bilawal Bhutto claims Pakistan open to handing over Hafiz, Azhar to India; says New Delhi must cooperate
File photo: Pakistan's former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto (Picture credit: ANI) Pakistan's former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that Islamabad would be open to extraditing individuals of concern, including terror accused, as a goodwill gesture to India, provided New Delhi is willing to cooperate in the process. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Bilawal, who also heads the Pakistan People's Party, said that such a move could be part of a 'comprehensive dialogue' between the two countries, where terrorism is discussed as a key issue. "As part of a comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan, where terrorism is one of the issues that we discuss, I am sure Pakistan would not be opposed to any of these things," he said, when asked whether figures like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) founder Masood Azhar could be handed over as a sign of good faith. Bilawal clarified that cases currently prosecuted against these individuals were related to domestic offences, such as terror financing. He, however, blamed India's "noncompliance" for the lack of progress on cross-border terrorism charges. "India is refusing to comply with certain basic elements that require that conviction to take place," Bilawal said, pointing to the need for Indian witnesses to testify in Pakistani courts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Providers are furious: Internet access without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More "If India is willing to be cooperative in that process, I am sure there will be no hurdle in extraditing any individual of concern", he added. According to Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta), both LeT and JeM are proscribed outfits. Hafiz Saeed, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind, is currently serving a 33-year sentence in Pakistan for terror financing. Masood Azhar, a UN-designated global terrorist, has also been banned by Nacta. Addressing concerns about Azhar's whereabouts, Bilawal claimed, "It is our belief that he is in Afghanistan," adding that Pakistan had so far failed to locate or arrest him. 'If and when the Indian government shares information that he is on Pakistani soil, we will be more than happy to arrest him,' he further said. Dismissing allegations that Hafiz Saeed was free, he said, 'It is factually not correct that Hafiz Saeed is a free man; he is in the custody of the Pakistani state.' Responding to India's assertive posture on terror, Bilawal called it a 'new abnormal,' warning it could harm both nations. 'This does not serve the interests of Pakistan, and it does not serve the interests of India,' he said. A 2025 Global Terrorism Index ranked Pakistan as the second-most terrorism-affected country, with a 45% rise in terror-related deaths, especially near the Afghanistan border. Bhutto has previously insisted that Pakistan met the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) standards, citing convictions and seizures of over 90 extremist-linked institutions.
Economic Times
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
MEA rejects Pakistan Army's claim over attack in Waziristan
The Ministry of External Affairs has refuted Pakistan's accusations regarding the Waziristan attack. Pakistan Army blamed India for the suicide bombing. The incident resulted in the death of thirteen security personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Fitna-al-Khawarij claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan is facing increased terrorism, ranking second in the Global Terrorism Index. The country witnessed a rise in terrorism-related deaths. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday strongly rejected the Pakistan Army 's claims, where the latter blamed India for the attack that took place in a statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "Statement regarding Pakistan- We have seen an official statement by the Pakistan Army seeking to blame India for the attack in Waziristan on 28 June. We reject this statement with the contempt it deserves."Thirteen security personnel were killed in a suicide bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's North Waziristan district on Saturday, carried out by Fitna-al-Khawarij, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), The Dawn a statement from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister's Office confirmed that eight security personnel were killed in the blast. KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the attack and expressed his condolences and prayers for the Police Officer (DPO) Waqar Ahmed told The Dawn that four civilians were injured in the "suicide attack" carried out through a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. The Dawn reported that the attack comes just days after two soldiers were killed and 11 terrorists were eliminated during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in South Waziristan. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the latest Dawn reported that the attack comes just days after two soldiers were killed and 11 terrorists were eliminated during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in South incidents reflect a broader trend, as Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025 , with a 45 per cent rise in terrorism-related deaths over the past year, reaching 1,081 fatalities. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies recorded 85 attacks in May, compared to 81 in April.
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Business Standard
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
13 security personnel killed in suicide attack in Pak's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
At least 13 security personnel were killed and 24 others injured in a suicide attack on Saturday in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, security sources said. A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle belonging to the Bomb Disposal Unit early this morning in Khaddi village in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, the sources added. Among the 24 injured are 14 civilians, including women and children, with several said to be in critical condition. A curfew was imposed in the area at the time of the incident due to ongoing military movement, sources said. Security agencies launched a rescue operation following the explosion. The militant group Usud al-Harb, a sub-faction of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, has claimed responsibility for the attack, they added. Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, has strongly condemned the suicide attack. We salute the brave security personnel and their families who have sacrificed their lives for the nation, said the chief minister. This incident is being described as one of the deadliest in North Waziristan in recent months and has raised serious concerns about the security situation in the region. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, following the collapse of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in November 2022. Militant attacks and counter-terrorism operations surged in March 2025, with the number of terrorist incidents crossing 100 for the first time since November 2014, a Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies report said. Pakistan ranked second on the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with terror-related deaths rising by 45 per cent over the past year to 1,081. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
News18
01-06-2025
- News18
Two killed in two separate blasts in Pakistan
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Peshawar, Jun 1 (PTI) At least two people were killed in two separate explosions in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, officials said. A blast took place at a tube well near a house in Kohat district's Darra Adam Khel town, about 35 kilometres southwest of Peshawar, killing two people, a rescue official said. The house was completely destroyed in the explosion, the official said. In another incident, unidentified attackers planted an improvised explosive device (IED) in an under-construction building in Bannu district, another rescue official said. The explosion which heavily damaged the building belonging to the Rescue 1122 emergency services occurred after midnight, the official said. However, no casualties were reported in the incident, the official said. Bannu region police spokesperson Khanzala Quraishi said a police team responded promptly and launched a probe. This is the second attack on a Rescue 1122 building in the last three months. In April, a rescue department building was damaged in an explosion in Tank district. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, following the collapse of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in November 2022. Militant attacks and counter-terrorism operations surged in March 2025, with the number of terrorist incidents crossing 100 for the first time since November 2014, a Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies report said. Pakistan ranked second on the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with terror-related deaths rising by 45 per cent over the past year to 1,081. PTI AYZ RD RD RD First Published: June 01, 2025, 18:45 IST
IOL News
31-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Uncovering the blood gold crisis in Burkina Faso
IN 2022, Burkina Faso endured its second coup in eight months, with Captain Ibrahim Traoré overthrowing his ally Paul Henri Damiba, who had himself seized power from democratically elected President Roch Kaboré. NEVER in history has Julius Nyerere's 1961 speech, *The Second Scramble for Africa*, been more relevant than today in the context of Burkina Faso. As Burkina Faso's military junta escalates its suppression of press freedoms, banning international media and imprisoning local journalists, the true scale of the humanitarian crisis and criminality emerges through the reporting of Al Jazeera and many other rights organisations. Their investigations reveal one of the largest scrambles for minerals in Africa and a nation in collapse: mass atrocities against civilians, unchecked terrorist violence, blood diamonds and a humanitarian catastrophe deliberately obscured by Captain Traoré's propaganda machine. Behind the façade of liberation and viral TikTok videos is a country and a region in a crisis. Earlier this month, Al Jazeera highlighted a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report revealing that Burkina Faso's military and allied militias massacred over 130 ethnic Fulani civilians near Solenzo in March 2025. Survivors described soldiers and pro-government militias shooting civilians 'like animals' while drones hovered overhead, indicating command-level coordination. These findings, corroborated by witness testimonies and video evidence, expose a systematic campaign of ethnic violence masked as counterterrorism. According to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), since 2019, the Sahel region now accounts for 'over half of all terrorism-related deaths', positioning the country as the 'epicentre of global terrorism'. The report further cites Burkina Faso as the number one ranked on its index list, overtaking Afghanistan and Iraq. To that end, since 2024, almost 2 000 people were killed in terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso, accounting for nearly a quarter of all terrorist deaths globally. Terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso have also increased every year since 2014, with terrorism also surging in its neighbours, Mali and Niger. In 2022, Burkina Faso endured its second coup in eight months, with Captain Ibrahim Traoré overthrowing his ally Paul Henri Damiba, who had himself seized power from democratically elected President Roch Kaboré. To understand the unending coups in Burkina Faso, ABC Australia turned to Al Jazeera's West Africa correspondent, Nicolas Haque, for answers. The pressing question was: 'Who's behind the spate of coups in West Africa? Haque characterised the ousting of Kaboré as a coup in waiting, due to the instability of the country, years after Burkina Faso dictator Blaise Compaoré was ousted in 2014. Haque also documents how a generation of men and boy children has been lost in the country as slums are filled with women and girl children. Burkina boys and men are either dead or conscripted into militias like the volunteers for the defence of the homeland (VDP) led by Traore. Secular education has also been banned to enforce extreme sharia law, where children are only taught the Quran, and in worst cases, girl children are denied an opportunity to go to school. Such reportage by Nicolas Haque and his peers is a constant reminder of how a free press remains a cornerstone of democracies globally because if not for outlets such as Al Jazeera, the BBC and others, atrocities in terror and coup-prone Sahel region will remain unknown. Reports also indicate that civilian deaths in Burkina Faso have doubled. It is quite evident that more voices need to be amplified to enforce the Kampala convention in Burkina Faso, where governance has been absent for decades. Human rights organisations such as the Norwegian Refugee Council continue to expose how Burkina Faso is the world's worst and most neglected displacement crisis, with over 2 million people displaced and 6.3 million facing acute hunger. Similarly, ECO financial agency, has reported how as children starve, the military governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger spent a combined $2.4 billion (R43bn) on their armed forces in 2024. South Africa, which is the largest economy in Africa, dropped its defence spending for the fourth year in a row, falling 6.3% to $2.8 billion and instead focused on boosting economic growth and improving social services. The Alliance of Sahel States which consists of military led governments of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger has diverted the limited national reserves of their countries to China and Russia giving this country's mineral concessions to fund militarisation of their countries. The Russian Mercenary and Military Industrial Complex is the new coloniser in Africa. Russia has tightened its grip in the Sahel Region using private military companies that thrive in undemocratic regimes and the militarisation of despondent Africans. Leaving millions of African children out of schools, healthcare systems crippled, and thousands of Burkinabe people on the brink of famine. In May 2025, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres strongly condemned the attacks on civilians by the militia. These attacks are consistent and also include the abduction of women and girl children. TikTok videos glorify Traore as a revolutionary who will save Africa, but civilians in towns such as Djibo are starving and eating leaves. Traore-backed regimes backed by the Russian Wagner Group and Africa Corps hide massacres such as the recent Solenzo massacre, where 100 Fulani civilians were slaughtered by this Traore-backed militia. As expected, the value of Russia's gold reserves has surged by 72% since the beginning of 2022, while the country's Mercenary industrial complex has opened new markets for Russia's military-industrial complex. This symbiotic relationship between Russia and Africa's military junta reveals a disturbing reality: Africa's instability is now a strategic asset for Russia. Russia is giving African countries more arms to buy rather than direct investments to build new infrastructure and invest in education and public amenities. Russia's military diplomacy in Africa must be condemned no less than we condemn the West, as anyone who funds Africans to kill each other is not an ally but an enemy. Especially if the end game is to profit. As reported by the United Nations Refugee Agency, over 1.6 million Sahelian children face malnutrition and are displaced. Russia's exploitation of Africa for extractive purposes must be condemned, and we must defend our hard-earned democracies throughout the continent. The greatest crime by Russia's Wagner Group, Africa Corp, and Russian companies is not just stealing Africa's minerals or popularising Coups and dictators through social media, it is weaponising our anti-colonial struggle against the West to justify their resource plunder and arming one brother against. As Africa Month comes to an end, let's take heed of the enduring words of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, who said: 'What do you think is going to happen in the Second Scramble for Africa? In the second scramble for Africa, no imperialist power is going to fight another imperialist power for the control of Africa. This time, one imperialist power is going to arm one African nation, and another imperialist power is going to arm another African nation; and an African brother is going to slaughter another African brother, not in the interests of Africa, but in the interests of the imperialists, both old and new! 'I believe, therefore, that the poor countries of the world should be very careful not to allow themselves to be used as 'tools' of any of the rich countries. However much the rich countries may seek to fool them that they are on their side! And don't forget that the rich countries of the world today may be found on both sides of the division between 'Capitalist' and 'Socialist' countries.' What is happening in Burkina Faso is therefore not a Revolution but grand-scale looting by the East through well-managed and well-funded Public Relations. * Phapano Phasha is the chairperson of The Centre for Alternative Political and Economic Thought. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, IOL, or Independent Media.
