UAE and Jordan condemn terror attack on Pakistani military convoy that killed 13 soldiers
The Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent its condolences to the families of the victims, and all the people of Pakistan, following the 'heinous and cowardly attack,' along its best wishes for a speedy recovery of those who were injured.
It added that the UAE firmly rejects all forms of terrorism and violence that undermine security and stability.
Jordan's Foreign Ministry similarly condemned the attack and expressed its solidarity with Pakistan during this terrible time.
A suicide bomber rammed a car packed with explosives into the military convoy on Saturday and it detonated near a bomb disposal vehicle. Of the 24 people who were injured, 14 are civilians.
Armed group Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack. It was one of the deadliest, single-day incidents in recent months targeting security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan to create digital IDs of citizens in economic transformation push
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will develop digital identities of all its citizens to enable secure and efficient payments, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, amid the Islamabad's push for economic transformation. The report comes weeks after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed provincial governments to fully cooperate with the center to move the country toward a 'cashless' system as the central government aims to digitize the economy for greater transparency. Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions, particularly in the informal sector, are conducted in cash. In recent years, the country's central bank has taken steps to ensure a transition toward a more cashless economy so that transactions are more traceable, reducing chances of tax evasion and corruption. Pakistan's digital payments have also been on the rise. Since its 2021 launch, the central bank's Raast system has processed over 892 million transactions worth Rs20 trillion ($72 billion) as of July 2025. On Sunday, PM Sharif presided over a review meeting in Islamabad on cashless economy, at which he directed provincial chief secretaries to fully cooperate with the federal government in expanding the Raast digital payment system to the district level. 'The meeting was briefed that Pakistan will develop digital public infrastructure to create digital IDs for every citizen, integrating national Identity Cards, biometrics, and mobile numbers,' the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported. 'These digital IDs will enable secure and efficient payments. It was further said that the provincial governments have shown significant progress in linking government-to-public and public-to-government payments with the Raast system.' Pakistan, a country of over 240 million people, has a vast informal economy and low tax compliance. The government has long identified digitization as a key tool to improve governance, reduce corruption and expand the country's narrow tax base. The government has set an ambitious tax collection target of Rs14,131 billion ($49.46 billion) for the fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26), reflecting a nine-percent increase over last year's goal. Last month, Pakistan launched the Merchant Onboarding Framework that requires banks and payment providers to equip all merchants with Raast-enabled digital payment tools such as QR codes and POS [Point of Sale] systems. In May, the government also approved setting up the Pakistan Digital Assets Authority to regulate blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Speaking at Sunday's meeting, Sharif said his government was working on a priority basis to digitize the economy and transform financial transactions to cashless and digital system. 'Federal development agencies have granted Right of Way for fiber connectivity, while discussions are ongoing with Pakistan Railways and the National Highway Authority to expand digital infrastructure,' the report said, citing officials at the meeting.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Author Sally Rooney says she will use BBC royalties to support banned group Palestine Action
LONDON: Irish novelist Sally Rooney has said she intends to use royalties from the BBC to fund Palestine Action, a group banned in the UK last month under terrorism legislation, it was reported on Sunday. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ The 'Normal People' author made the remarks in a column for the Irish Times, where she argued that if her actions are considered terrorism under British law, 'so be it.' She wrote: 'My books, at least for now, are still published in Britain, and are widely available in bookshops and even supermarkets, in recent years the UK's state broadcaster has also televised two fine adaptations of my novels, and therefore regularly pays me residual fees.' She continued: 'I want to be clear that I intend to use these proceeds of my work, as well as my public platform generally, to go on supporting Palestine Action and direct action against genocide in whatever way I can. 'If the British state considers this 'terrorism', then perhaps it should investigate the shady organisations that continue to promote my work and fund my activities, such as WH Smith and the BBC.' The broadcaster and bookseller have not yet commented on Rooney's remarks. Palestine Action was proscribed by the UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in July after activists allegedly broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and damaged two military aircraft, causing £7 million ($9.5 million) of damage. Membership, support or funding of the group carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years. Rooney, whose novels 'Normal People' and 'Conversations with Friends' have been adapted into BBC dramas, said she felt compelled to speak out after 'more than 500 peaceful protesters' were arrested in a single day on Aug. 9. 'If this makes me a 'supporter of terror' under UK law, so be it,' she wrote. She noted that in the six weeks since the ban, police had arrested more than 700 people for supporting the group. According to the Metropolitan Police, a further 60 individuals are set to be prosecuted, while Norfolk Police confirmed that 13 people were detained at a protest in Norwich on Saturday. Rooney said those arrested included an Irish citizen and a woman in Belfast. She criticized what she described as 'political policing,' contrasting the arrests with the absence of action when a mural celebrating the proscribed Ulster Volunteer Force was repainted in north Belfast last year. 'Palestine Action, proscribed under the same law, is responsible for zero deaths and has never advocated the use of violence against any human being,' she said. 'Why then are its supporters arrested for wearing T-shirts, while murals celebrating loyalist death squads are left untouched?' The author also questioned why Dublin, where the government has made its stance clear that Israel is committing genocide, had not intervened. 'Why then are its supporters arrested for protesting an acknowledged genocide?' she asked. Rooney has previously expressed support for Palestine Action in a witness statement submitted to the High Court in London, where the proscription is being challenged by one of its founders. She accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's government of stripping citizens of 'basic rights and freedoms' in order to protect ties with Israel. The ramifications, she said, were 'profound,' warning that 'an increasing number of artists and writers can no longer safely travel to Britain to speak in public.'
Arab News
11 hours ago
- Arab News
UK, Russia offer condolences as Pakistan reels from deadly northern floods
ISLAMABAD: Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressed grief over the loss of lives from the recent flooding in Pakistan this week, as monsoon rains triggered flash floods and hill torrents to submerge towns across northern Pakistan. Putin's message came in the form of a condolence letter to his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday. The message came as Pakistan's monsoon death toll surged to 645 since late June, with 332 people killed in the past three days amid continuing rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. Meanwhile, Lammy contacted Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to express his sorrow over the floods, Pakistan's foreign affairs ministry said in a statement on Sunday. Dar is in the UK till Aug. 19 to strengthen ties with London and launch a land record project. 'He [Lammy] expressed UK's solidarity with Pakistan in this difficult time and also wished DPM/FM productive engagements during the visit to London,' the Pakistani foreign ministry said. In London, Dar will hold meetings with Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pakistan Hamish Falconer, in addition to a breakfast meeting with Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. The UK is among Pakistan's largest bilateral development partners, with cooperation spanning education, health, climate resilience, governance reform and trade. It is home to one of the largest Pakistani diasporas, estimated at over 1.6 million people, who contribute significantly to remittances, business and cultural links. Separately, Putin's message for Zardari also shows growing cooperation between Islamabad and Moscow. Both countries, once Cold War rivals, have deepened cooperation in recent years. In 2023, Islamabad imported discounted Russian crude oil banned in European markets following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Last December, both sides held intergovernmental meetings in Moscow to discuss collaboration on oil and gas exploration and refining. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk described the two countries as 'natural allies' last month, saying Putin viewed Pakistan as a key partner for regional economic and energy development. 'President of Russia Vladimir Putin, in a condolence letter to President Asif Ali Zardari, expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,' the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Saturday, referring to the worst-hit Pakistani province. As the government strives to take control of the situation, Putin expressed 'heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to the injured,' the APP said. 'The Russian President expressed best wishes for the affected families,' it added. Putin and Lammy join a growing list of world leaders extending support to Pakistan amid the tumultuous monsoon season. On Saturday, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya also called Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to convey Crown Prince Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah's condolences. He assured Pakistan of Kuwait's readiness to offer assistance during this humanitarian crisis. The two diplomats are expected to meet later this month during the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's Council of Foreign Ministers summit in Jeddah.
