News from The Thursday Times' news desk.
Pakistan’s new Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has tied the future of relations with Kabul to the fate of the TTP, warning Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers that they must choose between partnership with Islamabad or continued tolerance of Pakistani Taliban networks on Afghan soil, as a powerful new tri service command comes online in Rawalpindi.
When three marquee Indian speakers abruptly withdrew from a high-profile Oxford Union debate on Pakistan, the story shifted from the motion on the order paper to the no-show itself. With Pakistan’s delegation already in London and the chamber primed for a heavyweight clash, India’s last-minute exit has been seized upon in Islamabad as proof that New Delhi’s hard talk on Pakistan wilts under neutral scrutiny.
An Afghan national described as a terror suspect is accused of shooting National Guard members near the White House, critically wounding two soldiers and prompting Donald Trump to brand the attack an act of terror and vow a sweeping crackdown on Afghan immigration.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan has “no hopes left” from the Afghan Taliban after a surge in terror attacks and rising border tensions, calling the group a “ragtag force” as Islamabad demands action against militants using Afghan soil.
Dharmendra, the veteran Bollywood actor celebrated for his roles in Sholay, Chupke Chupke and more than 300 films, has died at his Mumbai residence at the age of 89. His passing marks the end of a defining chapter in Hindi cinema.
Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir hails a “victory over India” and invokes faith during a high profile ceremony in Islamabad where President Asif Ali Zardari awards Jordan’s King Abdullah II the Nishan i Pakistan, blending military messaging with diplomatic theatre.
U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that eight fighter jets were shot down during the May conflict between Pakistan and India, saying his threat to suspend trade with both nations forced an end to the fighting. Speaking at the America Business Forum in Miami, Trump said his tariff pressure “stopped the war,” crediting economic leverage for what he described as a swift peace deal between the two nuclear powers.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government of supporting terrorism under Indian patronage and spreading false narratives to conceal its internal divisions and governance failures. Speaking through an official statement on X, Asif said there is complete consensus among Pakistan’s political and military leadership on security and foreign policy toward Afghanistan, emphasising that Islamabad’s approach remains rooted in peace, stability, and the national interest.
China has announced that two Pakistani astronauts will undergo joint training with Chinese crews, with one set to join a short-duration space mission as a payload specialist. The move represents a historic milestone in Pakistan-China scientific and technological collaboration under their expanding space partnership.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Islamabad possesses the capability to push the Taliban “back into the caves” if provoked, asserting that even a fraction of Pakistan’s military strength could dismantle the regime. He said Pakistan chose dialogue for peace at the request of allied Islamic nations but cautioned that any act of terrorism or aggression from Afghan soil would meet a decisive response.
