ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan army said on Monday a “highly wanted” militant was among nine killed in an intelligence-based operation in the northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district.

The military has been launching frequent operations in recent months in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. The army’s target in the area is militants it says launch attacks inside Pakistan, and against the army, using safe havens in Afghanistan, a charge Kabul denies. 

Groups like the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) have been waging a war against the Pakistani state for nearly two decades in a bid to overthrow the government and replace it with what they consider an Islamic system of governance.

“During conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij [terrorist] location and after an intense fire exchange, nine khwarij including high value target, Kharji Ring leader Shireen were sent to hell,” the military said of the latest operation, adding that weapons and ammunition were also recovered.

The army said Shireen, whom it identified only with one name, had been involved in various militant activities, the target killing of civilians as well as the killing of Army Captain Hasnain Akhtar last month. 

“Today’s operation has avenged the heinous act and has brought the main perpetrator to justice,” the military statement said. 

Militants have accelerated their attacks since they revoked a ceasefire with the government late in 2022, a campaign that has seen some big hits in recent months, targeting the military and its bases. Islamabad says militants run training camps in Afghanistan and plan attacks from there, which the Afghan government denies.
 

ISLAMABAD: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) and a leading Pakistani engineering institute on Sunday signed an agreement to boost cooperation in science, technology and innovation among OIC states, state-run media reported. 

Established by the OIC in 1981 and headquartered in Islamabad, COMSTECH continues to serve as a cornerstone of the OIC’s mission to promote scientific excellence and technological innovation, focusing on sustainable development, poverty reduction, and improvement in quality of life across member states.

State broadcaster Radio Pakistan said the agreement between COMSTECH and the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) seeks to enhance joint research, capacity building and knowledge exchange. 

“Under the partnership, COMSTECH and PIEAS will jointly launch educational and scientific programs, organize international conferences, workshops, and training sessions and facilitate faculty and student exchange programs,” Radio Pakistan said. 

The MoU was signed by Professor Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, COMSTECH’s coordinator general and Dr. Naseem Irfan, PIEAS rector, during a ceremony on Sunday attended by senior officials and representatives from both institutions.

Another feature of the agreement is the launch of the Jabir Bin Hayyan Scholarship Program, which will enable students from OIC countries to pursue undergraduate, postgraduate, PhD, and post-doctoral studies at PIEAS.

The scholarship covers the disciplines of computer science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, engineering, medical physics, nuclear medicine and other cutting-edge fields.

“The MoU also includes provisions for short-term fellowships, facilitating international academic exchanges and sabbaticals, with accommodation provided by PIEAS,” the state media said. 

The OIC is the second-largest intergovernmental organization in the world, after the United Nations. It consists of 57 Muslim member states spread across four continents and is considered a collective voice of Muslim countries around the world.