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Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Govt official martyred in Surab terror siege
During the attack, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Hidayat Baloch Buledi stood his ground to protect others, ultimately sacrificing his life in the line of duty. PHOTO: Listen to article A senior district administration official was martyred after heavily armed terrorists, belonging to Fitna al Hindustan, launched a coordinated attack on a bank and the residences of government officers in Surab, Balochistan, officials said on Friday. Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the provincial government, and Hamza Shafqaat, the commissioner of Quetta, confirmed that Hidayatullah Buledi, the additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Surab district, was martyred while fighting the terrorists. Officials and witnesses stated that 20 to 30 terrorists of Fitna al Hindustan entered the market of Surab city on motorcycles in the evening and targeted soft civilian areas such as banks and markets. Ordinary Baloch women and children were also attacked in the market, they added. "Heavily armed militants launched a coordinated assault on a bank and the residences of senior government officers in Surab Bazaar," spokesperson Rind said in a statement. "The attackers looted the bank and set fire to several official residences," he added. During the attack, Rind said, ADC Revenue Hidayatullah Baloch Buledi was martyred while resisting the terrorists. He said that women and children were present in the ADC's residence at the time of the assault. However, despite the presence of his family members, Buledi stood firm against the attackers. He paid rich tribute to Buledi, saying that the ADC fought valiantly to protect Baloch children and women from the terrorists and ultimately laid down his life in the line of duty. "He has set a new example of bravery by sacrificing his life for the nation," Rind said. "Deputy Commissioner Surab compound was attacked. Unfortunately, Additional Deputy Commissioner Mr Hidayat Buledi embraced martyrdom. The attack was carried out by Fitna al Hindustan. Mr Buledi was a LUMS alumnus. Levies and other law enforcement agencies valiantly fought them back," Shafqaat tweeted. According to Rind, the attack was not a random act of violence but part of a calculated attempt to destabilise the province. "This operation was carried out by Indian-backed proxies. It is a clear effort to challenge the state's authority and spread fear," he asserted. "By targeting Baloch areas and Baloch women and children, Fitna al Hindustan has once again proven that these Indian-sponsored terrorists have no connection with Balochistan and Baloch traditions," the spokesperson stated. "Indian proxies have taken action on their orders." Security forces, including the Frontier Corps (FC), police and Levies, promptly reached the spot and launched a joint clearance operation. "Search and clearance operations are ongoing, and the enemies of peace will be brought to justice," the spokesperson said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the cowardly attack on innocent citizens, officers of the administration, and a bank by terrorists in Surab. He paid tribute to ADC Hidayatullah Buledi for embracing martyrdom while defending his area from terrorists. The prime minister expressed sympathy with the bereaved family members of the martyr. "ADC Hidayatullah Buledi set an example of bravery while fighting against the terrorists. The sympathies of the whole nation are with the family of the martyred," he said in a statement. Shehbaz said that terrorists had targeted innocent and unarmed citizens, including children and women. "The attack by cowardly terrorists on the citizens and their properties is openly and evidently reflective of their animosity towards the people and the progress of Balochistan," he said. "The war against terrorists will continue until their complete elimination from the country. The armed forces of Pakistan are working day and night to exterminate the proxies who are spreading terrorism in Pakistan under the patronage of India," the prime minister stated. "The whole nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces in completely wiping out the elements involved in terrorism with the abetment of India." He directed that the persons involved in the incident be identified and given exemplary punishment. (WITH INPUT FROM APP)
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Weight-loss drugs are already dropping in price; could they go even lower?
The price of weight loss drugs is falling, making them more accessible to consumers, and the price could get driven even lower. Highly sought-after drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound both retail at roughly $1,000 each and have been difficult for people without insurance to obtain. Despite the price drops, the drugs remain costly. Novo Nordisk cut the price of Wegovy by 23 percent for cash payments from $650 to $499 for uninsured patients or people without coverage. The drug's list price of $1,349 has remained unchanged. Meanwhile, Eli Lilly reduced Zepbound's starter dose to $349 and higher doses to $499 after launching a self-pay program called Lilly Direct. The new doses require patients to manually draw medication from a vial with a syringe. In prior years, people would pay about $1,500 a month for the drugs, but in recent months have been able to obtain the doses for roughly $400 to $500, according to NBC News. A May 2024 survey from the health policy group KFF found that half of U.S. adults say it's difficult to afford the medication. Pressure from Congress and increased competition are some of the factors that led the drugmakers to reduce the cost. This has led to patients paying less out of pocket because they can afford the cheaper prices or their insurance now covers the drugs. More insurance plans have allowed for the drugs because they have been proven to treat heart disease risk and obstructive sleep apnea. This month, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found Zepbound outperformed Wegovy in a head-to-head clinical trial. Dr David Rind, a primary care physician and the chief medical officer for the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, told NBC News: 'You're talking $6,000 a year, and that is still probably more than insurers are paying right now.' He continued: 'If insurance is relying on the fact that not covering it will allow people to buy it out of pocket, as a primary care doctor, I have a lot of concerns about all my complaining about the price, these are drugs that we should want to give to lots of people, but it's been really hard to see how we can afford them.' But Rind said not to expect dramatic price drops in the foreseeable future. He said those cuts are likely to come when other weight-loss drugs being developed are approved, which could take several years.
Express Tribune
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Govt threatens arrest if Akhtar Mengal enters Quetta
Police vehicles are parked outside the Lakpass Tunnel as authorities block the entrance with shipping containers during a sit-in protest by the BNP-M on the outskirts of Quetta. Photo: AFP A day after warning Sardar Akhtar Mengal's BNP against entering the red zone of the provincial capital as part of its ongoing protest, the provincial government announced on Sunday that it would arrest the BNP chief if he attempted to enter Quetta. Mengal, leading the BNP's long march, had vowed to reach Quetta on April 6 (Sunday) to protest against the alleged enforced disappearances of political workers in Balochistan and the arrest of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders, including Dr Mahrang Baloch. According to the provincial government, two rounds of talks were held with BNP leadership, during which they were asked to hold their protest at Quetta's Shahwani Stadium. However, the party had refused, and insisted on marching to the city's red zone. Addressing a press conference ahead of the scheduled protest on Saturday, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said strict legal action will be taken against any violations of the law. "The government is showing restraint, but any attempt to breach Section 144 or provoke unrest will be met with a firm response," Rind had said. Meanwhile, the administration placed containers on entry routes and stationed a large number of security forces personnel to effectively prevent BNP leaders and workers from entering the city. On Sunday, Rind took to social media platform X, warning that BNP chief Akhtar Mengal would be arrested if he attempted to enter Quetta. "The administration informed Mengal at 6:00 am about the orders issued under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), but he refused to surrender. If he enters Quetta, they will be arrested," Rind wrote, adding that law enforcement personnel had been deployed to enforce order. The government also criticized the party's call to block national highways, describing it as an attempt to disrupt daily life and increase public suffering. Shahid Rind said clear instructions had been issued to all district administrations that no highway would be allowed to be closed. Meanwhile, residents across Balochistan expressed concerns over possible travel disruptions. In a separate post, the BNP shared a video claiming that law enforcement agencies had fired shells at a gathering of party workers at Quetta's Sona Khan Chowk. White smoke was seen rising in the distance in the footage shared online. Earlier, Mengal had also posted on X, stating that he and his supporters were surrounded by security forces at Lak Pass and that a major operation seemed imminent. In response, the BNP announced protests across the province, alleging that the current government had launched a crackdown on its leaders and workers.
Arab News
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
At least nine injured as police, ethnic Baloch protesters clash in Pakistan's southwest
QUETTA: At least nine people, including policemen, were injured after clashes broke out between police and protesters from an ethnic Baloch rights group, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, late Friday night in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, officials said. The BYC accused law enforcement agencies of forcibly arresting its three central committee members on Wednesday and called for a protest on Sariab Road in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province which has recent witnessed a spike in separatist attacks. The call for protest followed a clash between protesters and the police after people attempted to take away bodies of deceased militants who were killed after the Jaffar Express train hijacking last week, according to authorities. The provincial government lodged a police case against the protesters who stormed the mortuary at Civil Hospital Quetta and booked 12 protesters on Thursday. Last week, militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) separatist group hijacked the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express passenger train in the rugged, mountainous Bolan region, with more than 400 passengers onboard. The hours-long siege ended after Pakistan launched an operation and killed 33 militants. The deadliest train assault resulted in the killing of over 30 Pakistani security personnel and civilians. 'The Baloch Yakjehti Committee blocked highways in Quetta and the police took legal action against the protesters who were blocking the roads,' Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, said on Friday. 'The protesters pelted stones at police and tortured policemen, injuring several cops and civilians.' The BYC was staging a sit-in on Sariab Road with bodies of three protesters, which it alleged were killed by gunfire from the authorities. Rind said the government was ascertaining whose bodies BYC placed in their protest: 'It is impossible to know the causes of death of the bodies unless the bodies were brought to the hospital for medico-legal procedure.' Dr. Arbab Kamran Kasi, head of Trauma Center Quetta told Arab News, they had received nine injured persons, including policemen. 'Six injured with minor wounds were discharged, two are being treated and one was referred to the Combined Military Hospital,' he shared. Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a veteran human rights activist who heads the BYC, accused police of killing three protesters by shooting at a peaceful rally in Quetta. 'We called a peaceful sit-in today on the Sariab Road in Quetta but the police attacked our protesters,' she told Arab News. 'Now we have camped at Sariab Road with the bodies of three slain protesters and we won't end the protest until justice has been provided to our slain workers.' The office of the Quetta commissioner denied reports of firing by authorities. 'No shelling was carried out by the administration during the BYC protest. No firearms or rubber bullets were used,' it said in a statement. 'Only water cannons (non-lethal and safe method) were used to disperse the crowd.' It said the administration respects the right to peaceful protest, however, lawlessness and attacks on state institutions cannot be permitted. Amnesty International, a global human rights watchdog, voiced alarm over the reports of deaths of three protesters and nearly a dozen injuries following live ammunition fired by authorities against the protesters in Quetta, describing it as 'a shocking indictment of the Pakistani authorities' utter disregard for human life.' 'In blatant violation of the right to protest, the authorities conducted mass arrests and fired tear gas before resorting to unlawful use of lethal weapons against the unarmed protesters. Mobile networks in the city remain suspended, hindering free flow of information,' it said on X. 'Amnesty International urges the Pakistani authorities to immediately stop the reckless crackdown against the peaceful protesters and guarantee the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, in line with Pakistan's international human rights obligations.' Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province by land but its most backward by almost all economic and social indicators. For decades it has been plagued by a low-level insurgency by militants fighting for a greater share of the province's wealth. Separatist militants, such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) accuse the central government of denying locals a share of Balochistan's mineral resources. The federal government and the military strongly deny these accusations, and say they have launched several projects in the province to support its development. Violence by Baloch separatist factions, primarily the BLA, killed about 300 people last year, according to official statistics, marking an escalation in the decades-long conflict.
Washington Post
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Officials say separatists attack a train in Pakistan and the fate of hundreds on board is not clear
QUETTA, Pakistan — Pakistani insurgents attacked a passenger train in a tunnel and claimed to take over 100 hostages on Tuesday, as authorities struggled to reach the remote area. The fate of the estimated 500 people aboard was not immediately clear. Officials said the attackers blew up the railroad track in restive southwestern Balochistan province and exchanged fire with security guards aboard the train. The train was traveling from the provincial capital of Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar when it came under attack in Bolan district, government spokesman Shahid Rind said, calling it 'an act of terrorism.' Ambulances were dispatched but access was not easy due to the rugged, mountainous terrain, Rind said. The separatist Baloch Liberation Army, which has waged a yearslong insurgency, claimed responsibility for the attack and said it took over 100 hostages including security forces who were on board. Officials at Pakistan Railways said the Jafar Express train was carrying an estimated 500 passengers, including women and children. Three security officials said the BLA, which Pakistan and the United States have designated a terrorist organization, ambushed the train inside a tunnel and used women and children as human shields. They said troops have launched an operation to rescue the hostages. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Trains in Balochistan typically have security personnel on board. Separatists have previously carried out deadly attacks on trains in the region. In November, a separatist group carried out a suicide bombing at a train station in Quetta that killed 26 people. The oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan's largest and least populated province. It is a hub for the country's ethnic Baloch minority, whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government. ___ Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.
