Author: EchoAsiaNews

RAWALAKOT: Four law enforcement personnel were martyred and more than 20 police and security officials injured after activists of the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) allegedly opened fire on security forces in Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), police said on Monday. An AJK police spokesperson said members of the proscribed organisation deliberately targeted law enforcement personnel during the incident, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries. “Four personnel embraced martyrdom, while over 20 police and security officials sustained injuries,” the spokesperson said, condemning the attack. The incident occurred days after the AJK government declared the Jammu Kashmir…

GILGIT: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Monday voiced concerns over the transparency of the Gilgit-Baltistan elections, citing delays in result announcements, issues related to Form-45 issuance and alleged attempts to alter electoral outcomes. The controversy emerged as unofficial results from 18 of the 24 constituencies showed PPP leading with nine seats, followed by six independents, two seats for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and one for Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM). Vote counting continued in the remaining constituencies. The Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan directed all returning officers to issue certified Form-45s and ensure compliance with electoral…

WASHINGTON/ JERUSALEM, — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that renewed hostilities between Israel and Iran would not affect ongoing U.S.-Iran peace negotiations, asserting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not determine the course of American diplomacy. Speaking to the Financial Times, Trump said a potential agreement to end the wider conflict remained within reach despite Iran’s latest missile attack and Israel’s continued military operations in Lebanon. “It’s not going to have any impact on the deal. I call the shots. He doesn’t call the shots,” Trump said, referring to Netanyahu. The comments came after Israel launched airstrikes…

KARACHI: Pakistan secured a place in the final of the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament in the Maldives on Sunday after a 2-0 victory over Afghanistan, marking their first appearance in a senior men’s international final in 35 years. Goals from Umar Nawaz and Harun Hamid powered Pakistan to a second consecutive win in the four-nation event, ensuring they finished among the top two teams in the round-robin stage and qualified for Wednesday’s title clash. The result also marks Pakistan’s first appearance in a senior men’s international final since the 1991 South Asian Federation Games. It is further the country’s…

GILGIT: Polling for 24 seats of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly concluded peacefully on Sunday under tight security arrangements. The voting process began at 8:00am and continued until 5:00pm across the region without any major incident reported. A total of 396 candidates contested the elections, including 266 independent candidates. Only eight women participated in the electoral race, five of whom were contesting as independents. Authorities deployed strict security measures to ensure a smooth polling process across all constituencies. Live election updates are being monitored, with initial results and emerging trends being displayed through a constituency-wise map. Election authorities are expected to…

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Sunday accused the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) of continuing to fuel instability in the region despite what officials said was the full implementation of a previous agreement with the group. Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government had fulfilled key commitments made under a negotiated settlement with JAAC and had established a monitoring mechanism to ensure compliance. He said the authorities had implemented “all clauses” of the agreement, including subsidised wheat and electricity, withdrawal of around 170 protest-related cases, and steps related to development…

MEXICO CITY: Thousands of people gathered on one of Mexico City’s main boulevards on Saturday in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the largest “Mexican wave,” ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The event took place along Paseo de la Reforma, a major avenue through the capital, where participants—many wearing Mexico’s national football jersey—coordinated a synchronized wave of raised arms in an effort to break the record. The gathering marked the 40th anniversary of the Mexican wave’s popularisation during the 1986 World Cup hosted in Mexico, although its origins remain disputed, with claims also linked to…

TEHRAN: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday that he is in Tehran to deliver special messages from Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Islamabad intensifies diplomatic efforts to help revive US-Iran negotiations. Naqvi’s visit comes amid renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran, where recent exchanges of strikes have raised concerns over the stability of a fragile ceasefire reportedly in place since April 8. Upon arrival in Tehran, Naqvi was received by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni. The two sides later held…

BAGHDAD: Iraqi World Cup striker Aymen Hussein was detained and questioned for nearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport upon arrival with the national squad early Saturday, an Iraqi sporting official said. Hussein was later permitted entry into the United States, but the team’s photographer was denied access, according to the official, who works with the Iraqi Olympic Committee and maintains close contact with the squad. The official said Hussein’s phone was also inspected during the questioning. The Iraqi team photographer, identified as Talal Salah, was reportedly held for more than 10 hours, subjected to similar device checks, and…

GILGIT: Polling began across Gilgit-Baltistan on Sunday for elections to 24 seats of the regional assembly, with more than 400 candidates contesting and extensive security measures in place to ensure a peaceful voting process. According to the Election Commission, voting started at 8:00am and will continue until 5:00pm without interruption. A total of 958,480 registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots. Election authorities established 1,391 polling stations across the region, including 488 classified as normal, 349 as sensitive and 551 as highly sensitive. Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz visited several polling stations to monitor the voting process and review…