Pakistan is in turmoil as protests led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), demanding the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and the government’s resignation, escalate. On Tuesday, five people, including four security personnel, were killed. Islamabad, the capital, is effectively under lockdown due to the protests. According to security sources, miscreants ran a vehicle over Rangers personnel on Srinagar Highway, resulting in the deaths of four paratroopers and one civilian. Several others, including five paratroopers and two police officers, were injured. Under Section 245 of the Constitution, the military has been deployed in Islamabad to address security concerns, with orders to curb any unrest or militant activity strictly. PTI protesters, despite road closures and prohibitory orders under Section 144, have advanced toward Islamabad’s D-Chowk. Clashes with law enforcement have resulted in nearly 4,000 arrests, including five PTI members of parliament. Prominent leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, are part of the convoy heading to D-Chowk for demonstrations. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi warned that PTI supporters entering Islamabad’s Red Zone would face arrest, emphasizing strict measures to secure government buildings.

The Department of Journalism at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Pakistan, hosted an international webinar on Wednesday, spotlighting the evolving landscape of digital journalism. Prashant Kumar Shill, a senior faculty member from Port City International University’s Department of Journalism and Media Studies, delivered the keynote address. His research paper, titled “Online Journalism and Ethics in the 21st Century,” explored the challenges modern journalism faces, emphasizing the growing influence of digital platforms and the profession's future trajectory. The session was moderated by Dr. Mohammad Aftab Madani, with Professor Dr. Mowdud Ali Shah presiding. Distinguished guests included Professor Dr. Salman Bashir Menon and Department Chair Dr. Dostar Ali Chando. Final-year journalism students from Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University actively participated in the event. Jewel Dash, Chair of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Port City International University, highlighted the significance of such webinars in fostering academic collaboration between Bangladesh and Pakistan. He extended his gratitude to the organizers for facilitating the initiative.

At least 41 people, including women and children, were killed in an armed attack on a passenger convoy in the remote mountainous region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan. According to local police officials, 16 others were seriously injured in the assault. The BBC reported that the attack occurred on Thursday, November 21, local time, when a convoy carrying approximately 200 passengers was traveling through the Kurram district near the Afghan border. Armed assailants first targeted the police escort, opening fire, and then began indiscriminately shooting at the entire convoy. Syeda Banu, a passenger interviewed by BBC Urdu, recounted that she survived by hiding under the seats with her children during the attack. After the gunfire subsided, she saw injured and deceased individuals scattered across the road. Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, the Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, described the attack as a "major tragedy," warning that the death toll could rise further. Deputy Police Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud stated that around 10 gunmen were involved, firing indiscriminately from both sides of the road. After the attack, police and locals assisted women and others in seeking shelter in nearby houses. A search operation is currently underway to apprehend the assailants. Preliminary investigations revealed that most of the victims were from the Shia community. The Kurram region has seen significant sectarian violence between Shia and Sunni communities in recent times. Just last month, a similar attack on a passenger convoy in the area claimed 15 lives. The road where the attack took place had only recently reopened for travel, with journeys permitted solely under police security. Kurram district shares a border with several Afghan provinces, and the area is known for the active presence of militant groups such as ISIS and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In addition to terrorism, land disputes in the region are also seen as a key driver of violence, according to experts. The motive and identities of the attackers remain unclear, but Thursday’s attack has raised fresh concerns about the security situation in Kurram.

A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a security post in Pakistan, killing 12 soldiers and wounding several others, officials said Wednesday. Militants rammed the vehicle into the perimeter wall of the outpost in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, damaging the adjoining infrastructure during Tuesday's attack, the military said in a statement. "A sanitization operation is being conducted in the area, and the perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice," the statement said, adding that six militants had also been killed in the incident. The military did not say who was behind the attack, but Hafiz Gul Bahadur, an Islamist militant group, claimed responsibility. 'TTP have expanded their operations' Pakistan has seen a steady rise in violence since November 2022, when the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), ended a monthslong cease-fire with the government in Islamabad. Abdullah Khan, a senior defense analyst and managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, said over 900 security forces have been killed in militant attacks in Pakistan since the renewal of hostilities. "TTP and other groups have expanded their operations, showing they are getting more recruits, money and weapons," Khan said while emphasizing the need for political stability in Pakistan to defeat the insurgents. Pakistan has experienced a political crisis since 2022, when then-Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote. Khan was arrested in May 2023 and imprisoned. His supporters have been protesting on a regular basis, demanding his release.

A bomb explosion occurred at a railway station in Quetta, located in the southwestern province of Balochistan, Pakistan. At least 16 people have been killed and 30 others injured. According to a report by the media outlet Dawn, the explosion took place on Saturday (November 9) early in the morning as the express train heading to Peshawar was about to depart from Quetta railway station. Quetta’s Superintendent of Police Operations, Muhammad Baloch, stated, “A train heading to Peshawar was departing for its destination when the explosion occurred inside the railway station. At least 16 people have been killed and over 30 others injured.” He further mentioned that it appears to be a suicide bombing, although investigations are still ongoing. No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet. Railway officials reported that the Zafar Express was scheduled to depart for Peshawar at 9:00 AM on Saturday. However, the explosion occurred just before the train could reach the platform. Officials have indicated that several of the injured are in critical condition, and the death toll may rise. Balochistan’s Chief Minister, Sarfaraz Bugti, has instructed relevant authorities to investigate the deadly incident and reiterated his commitment to eradicating terrorism in the province. Condemning the attack, Acting President Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani stated that the terrorists who target innocent people are enemies of humanity. He also reaffirmed the commitment to take all possible measures to completely eliminate terrorism.

Four Pakistani soldiers and five militants were killed in an exchange of fire near the northwestern border with Afghanistan, the military said in a statement on Thursday. The clash occurred in the tribal region of South Waziristan, an area known for being a safe haven for militants. "During the intense fire exchange, four brave sons of soil... having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat (martyrdom)," the military statement said, before confirming the deaths of five militants. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's office released a statement, expressing "grief and sorrow" over the deaths of the soldiers. "Our war against terrorists will continue until the complete elimination of terrorism from the country," the prime minister's statement said. Uptick in militant attacks The clash near the Afghan border comes after ten Pakistani police officers were killed in an attack last month on a security checkpoint. The attack was claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the country's home-grown Taliban group. Pakistan has been battling a resurgent militancy in its western regions since 2021 when the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. Islamabad accuses the Taliban of failing to root out the militants.  The TTP has been attacking Pakistan and its forces for years in a bid to overthrow the government. The group has accelerated attacks since last year after it withdrew from a cease-fire with the government, accusing Islamabad of violating the truce.

Two Chinese nationals were killed, and at least 10 people were injured in an explosion near Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan. The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan described the incident as a "terrorist attack," stating, “Some local people have been injured or killed, though the exact number of casualties is still unclear.” The embassy added that the explosion targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a power project in Sindh province, according to a report by the BBC. The separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has attacked Chinese citizens involved in projects in recent years, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement published on Monday, the BLA said it targeted a "high-level convoy of Chinese engineers and investors arriving from Karachi Airport." Reuters, citing the BLA, reported that the attack was carried out using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED). The explosion occurred at 11 PM local time. The Chinese Embassy stated that the engineers were part of the Chinese-funded Port Qasim Power Generation Company Limited, which is working to build two coal power plants near Port Qasim, close to Karachi. The plant is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is funding multiple infrastructure and energy projects in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, rich in natural resources such as gas and minerals. The BLA, alongside other ethnic Baloch groups, has long fought for a separate homeland. The group has regularly targeted Chinese citizens in the region, claiming that local Baloch residents are not receiving their fair share of the resources extracted by foreign investors. On Monday, the Chinese Embassy reminded its citizens and Chinese enterprises in Pakistan to remain vigilant and "do their utmost to take security precautions." The embassy also stated that it would thoroughly investigate the attack and ensure "severe punishment for the perpetrators." Security had been tightened in Pakistan ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which Pakistan was set to host. Explosions were heard in various parts of the city, with local media footage showing thick smoke and vehicles on fire. Sindh's Interior Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanja said that the explosion was suspected to have been caused by an improvised explosive device (IED). Dr. Sumaiya, a police surgeon, told Dawn News, “Ten injured individuals, including one in critical condition, have been brought to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).” She added that among the injured were a police constable and a woman. A statement posted on X by the Sindh Interior Ministry's office mentioned that a "tanker truck" had exploded on Airport Road, and the minister was in communication with the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) regarding the incident. “We need to confirm the facts,” the statement read. Jinnah International Airport is operating as usual. The BLA had previously claimed responsibility for an attack on a Pakistani Navy airbase near the Gwadar port, another key feature of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. In April 2022, the group carried out a suicide bombing near the Confucius Institute at Karachi University, killing three Chinese teachers and a Pakistani driver.