Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday said the November 11 suicide attack near the Islamabad district courts was planned and directed from Afghanistan, adding that security agencies arrested the key suspects within 48 hours.&nbsp;Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the minister said the attacker failed to reach his intended high-security target. &ldquo;The suicide bomber could not enter the main area and detonated on the outskirts of the city,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Tarar said the Intelligence Bureau and the Counter Terrorism Department acted immediately after the blast and arrested four suspects, Sajidullah alias Sheena, Kamran Khan, Muhammad Zali and Shah Munir.&nbsp;According to the minister, Sajidullah alias Sheena is the central handler who brought the bomber and the explosive vest. He previously joined the Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan and received training at camps inside Afghanistan.&nbsp;Tarar said the plot was overseen by TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud through his commander Dadullah, who remains based in Afghanistan. Sajidullah travelled to Afghanistan as recently as August 2025 and stayed in contact with Dadullah through a secure application.&nbsp;After returning to Pakistan, Sajidullah met the suicide bomber, identified as Usman Shinwari, a resident of Nangarhar, and provided him with the explosive vest. &ldquo;Their target was Rawalpindi and Islamabad, but the terrorists failed to reach their objective,&rdquo; the minister said.&nbsp;He added that all arrested suspects played a role in facilitating the attack, and the network&rsquo;s links lead back across the border. A recorded confessional statement of Sajidullah was also shown during the briefing.&nbsp;Tarar praised the swift action of the Intelligence Bureau, CTD, and security forces, calling the arrests a &ldquo;major success&rdquo; that prevented a much larger tragedy. He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has commended the agencies and reaffirmed the government&rsquo;s commitment to protecting citizens.&nbsp;&ldquo;The armed forces, under the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir, remain fully mobilized,&rdquo; the minister said, adding that the breakthrough will significantly support ongoing counterterrorism efforts.

Security

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says the plot was overseen by TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud through his commander Dadullah, who remains based in Afghanistan.

Islamabad courts attacker was Afghan, plan hatched in Afghanistan, says Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday urged D-8 member states to adopt a unified media strategy to counter Islamophobia, extremism, and the rising tide of global misinformation, as Information Minister Attaullah Tarar addressed the D-8 Media Forum in Baku. Tarar cautioned that the global information ecosystem had been transformed by rapid digitalization, saying the world had moved &ldquo;from print to electronic and now to digital media,&rdquo; creating new vulnerabilities for societies. &ldquo;Disinformation distorts public perception, fuels polarization and weakens institutional trust,&rdquo; he warned. He highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s demographic strength as a key driver of digital change, noting 117 million internet users, nearly 80 million social media users, and a population in which 68 percent is under 30. According to him, this youthful segment &ldquo;has become a vital force in shaping narratives, particularly during crises.&rdquo; Recalling Pakistan&rsquo;s experience during heightened tensions with India, he noted that &ldquo;young citizens collaborated with media houses and digital platforms to disseminate timely and accurate information,&rdquo; saying Gen Z &ldquo;played a vital role in countering misinformation during the information war.&rdquo; Tarar called for a collective D-8 code of conduct to promote responsible communication, saying the forum provides an opportunity &ldquo;to guide Gen Z on the positive use of social media&rdquo; while bridging the divide between &ldquo;digital immigrants and digital natives.&rdquo; Welcoming the establishment of Azerbaijan&rsquo;s Media Excellence Center, he urged deeper collaboration through a joint working group, shared training programs, and workshops on crisis reporting, digital forensics, and counter-disinformation practices. He proposed creating unified communication platforms for the bloc, saying: &ldquo;I would also like to propose the creation of social media handles of the D8 Media Forum.&rdquo; &ldquo;Through which member countries can put forward the narratives of economic development, of uplifting the people of our countries,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Providing a platform to counter Islamophobia, counter terrorism and to put out a narrative of common development of D8 countries.&rdquo; Tarar also called for a bloc-wide fact-checking mechanism and proposed the &ldquo;Baku Declaration of Media Collaboration&rdquo; as a roadmap for long-term media cooperation. Addressing emerging challenges posed by artificial intelligence, he said, &ldquo;AI-generated videos must be clearly labeled so users can distinguish synthetic content from authentic material,&rdquo; urging the D-8 to consider adopting shared ethical guidelines. Reaffirming Islamabad&rsquo;s readiness to deepen cooperation, Tarar said Pakistan stands prepared &ldquo;to promote peace, credibility, crisis preparedness, and an information environment where truth prevails over misinformation.&rdquo; He thanked the Government of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Haider Aliyev, Hikmet Hajiyev, and the D-8 Secretariat for hosting the forum, expressing hope that the gathering would strengthen collaborative media practices and contribute to a peaceful and prosperous future for the D-8 nations.

Foreign Affairs

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says divide between tech-savvy youth and older citizens defines current society. Younger demographics now drive public discourse, especially during emergencies.

In Baku, Pakistan proposes unified D-8 media strategy against Islamophobia

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday said Pakistan has emerged as &ldquo;extremely relevant&rdquo; on the global stage, shifting &ldquo;from isolation to relevance&rdquo; following the May conflict with India.&nbsp;He made the remarks while addressing a seminar titled &ldquo;Pakistan in the Changing World&rdquo; in Islamabad.&nbsp;Recalling the escalation earlier this year, Tarar noted that tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi intensified after the attack on tourists in the Pahalgam area of Indian-occupied Kashmir. &ldquo;India, without evidence, linked the incident to Pakistan,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Tarar stressed that Pakistan&rsquo;s international image had strengthened significantly in recent months. &ldquo;In a very short span of time, Pakistan has become extremely relevant globally,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve seen the past two years, and especially after the May war, I think that has redefined who we are, right after the Pahalgam incident.&rdquo;&nbsp;He described the &ldquo;turning point&rdquo; as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&rsquo;s decision to offer an impartial investigation into the Pahalgam attack.&nbsp;&ldquo;We were often blamed for acts of terror that were not our fault,&rdquo; he noted. &ldquo;By offering this investigation, Pakistan made a good diplomatic move which was well received across the world.&rdquo;&nbsp;According to the minister, the gesture triggered &ldquo;immense diplomatic engagement&rdquo; at multiple levels. &ldquo;The prime minister, the field marshal, and the deputy prime minister all engaged constantly, and that really helped us prove our point to the world,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Tarar reiterated that Pakistan has long been among the biggest victims of terrorism. &ldquo;You can&#39;t be a victim and an aggressor at the same time. It&#39;s an oxymoron. It&rsquo;s an inherent contradiction. It is not possible,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;He emphasized the magnitude of national sacrifice. &ldquo;No other country has sacrificed 90,000 lives in the war against terrorism,&rdquo; he stated, adding that Pakistan had &ldquo;lost hundreds of billions of dollars in economic losses.&rdquo;&nbsp;These sacrifices, he said, created a &ldquo;shield wall&rdquo; between terrorists and the global community. &ldquo;When a Pakistani lays down his or her life, it is not only for the motherland but to make the world a safer place.&rdquo;&nbsp;Synergy and Gen ZDiscussing domestic unity during the conflict with India, the minister credited coordinated communication for countering misinformation. He praised the Pakistan Army&rsquo;s media wing for its role, saying effective messaging &ldquo;wouldn&rsquo;t have been possible without the ideal synergy we created.&rdquo;&nbsp;Tarar also lauded Gen Z for their performance during what he described as a &ldquo;meme war.&rdquo;&nbsp;He said, &ldquo;The enemy was shocked that our youngsters, in a very serious situation, were making memes and ridiculing them in their own way.&rdquo;&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s rising global standingTurning to foreign policy, the minister said Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomacy had reached its &ldquo;peak&rdquo; over the past 18 months, marked by strengthened global engagement, new regional partnerships, and expanding economic cooperation.&nbsp;He cited Pakistan&rsquo;s role in the Gaza peace process and a series of high-level exchanges as evidence of rising international relevance.&nbsp;The information minister also highlighted Islamabad&rsquo;s hosting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Government Summit for the first time in 14 years.&nbsp;&ldquo;Twelve prime ministers came to Islamabad for discussions on cooperation, counterterrorism, and connectivity,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Tarar announced that Pakistan will host the SCO Heads of State Summit in 2027, calling it a &ldquo;major diplomatic milestone.&rdquo;&nbsp;He also hailed the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia as a &ldquo;breakthrough&rdquo; in regional relations. He recalled that during recent visits, Saudi cities displayed Pakistani flags in celebration of the partnership.&nbsp;During the latest visit to Riyadh, both countries launched a new economic cooperation framework designed to support Pakistan&rsquo;s economic revival. Tarar said the framework had &ldquo;cemented bilateral ties&rdquo; and would play a central role in Pakistan&rsquo;s economic turnaround.&nbsp;Concluding his remarks, Tarar said the recent period marked &ldquo;unprecedented diplomatic activity&rdquo; that had significantly strengthened Pakistan&rsquo;s geopolitical and economic standing.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says Pakistan reclaims global relevance through strengthened diplomacy, strategic alliances, counterterror sacrifices, and renewed international engagement following the Pahalgam incident and May conflict with India.

Pakistan marks ‘turning point’ in global standing after May conflict

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said we are really grateful to the Sri Lankan team for upholding sportsman spirit, for supporting the game of cricket and for putting up a good display of the game.&nbsp;Talking to Pakistan TV, the information minister said Sri Lanka has always support cricket across the globe. &ldquo;We are really grateful to them for continuing their tour of Pakistan and will be continuing their matches,&rdquo; he added.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1988692147776954481&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a455c100864d2c01498596411a4d83dd6dee6f0d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1988692147776954481"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;The minister said it is really heartening to note the way they have always promoted peace.&nbsp;He said it will go a long way in raising hope for people in Pakistan.&nbsp;Tarar said the government and people of Pakistan are grateful to the Sri Lankan team, the management and players.&nbsp;&ldquo;Sri Lanka itself has remained a victim of terrorism and resilient people of Sri Lanka prevailed, and they overcame their difficulties and have also given us hope,&rdquo; the minister added<figure class="fr-media"><video controls="" src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/1660ed7e-bd4c-4759-bf17-c5699cd7c885-slc-low.mp4" class="fr-draggable"> </video></figure>

Cricket

Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar thanked the Sri Lankan cricket team for continuing their Pakistan tour, praising their sportsmanship, support for global cricket, and promotion of peace.

Tarar appreciates Sri Lankan team's gesture of continuing tour to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s security forces have killed more than 100 terrorists in a series of retaliatory actions along the Pak-Afghan border over the past 48 hours, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday.&nbsp;In a statement released on social media, Tarar said the operations targeted verified camps of the Gul Bahadur Group, referred to as &ldquo;Kharjis,&rdquo; located in the border areas of North and South Waziristan.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1979480479738028164&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=a3f53bc647d1e4e740203278c506b98829f51cc6&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1979480479738028164"></iframe></div></div>The strikes came after terrorists based in Afghanistan attempted to launch multiple cross-border attacks during a temporary ceasefire. &ldquo;These attacks were effectively countered by our security forces,&rdquo; Tarar said. &ldquo;More than 100 Kharjis were sent to hell.&rdquo;&nbsp;He also confirmed that the Gul Bahadur group was behind a recent vehicle-borne IED attack in North Waziristan that resulted in the martyrdom of a soldier and the deaths and injuries of several civilians.&nbsp;The minister noted that in a follow-up operation, Pakistani security forces carried out precision strikes last night, targeting terrorist hideouts along the Pak-Afghan border, killing an estimated 60 to 70 terrorists, including key members of the group&rsquo;s leadership.&nbsp;The minister rejected claims circulating online that civilians had been targeted in the strikes, calling such allegations &ldquo;false&rdquo; and an attempt to generate support for terrorist groups operating from within Afghanistan.&nbsp;Tarar reiterated that Pakistan prefers a diplomatic resolution to cross-border terrorism, but reserves the right to act in self-defense.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan sincerely believes that the path forward lies in resolving this complex issue of Indian-sponsored terrorism emanating from Afghan soil through talks and control of non-state actors by Afghan authorities. But we will not allow terrorists to operate from Afghan soil with impunity,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;The comments come amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over the presence of terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan and a recent surge in terrorist activity targeting Pakistani security forces and civilians.

Tarar says the operations targeted verified camps of the Gul Bahadur Group, referred to as “Kharjis,” located in the border areas of North and South Waziristan.

Articles tagged with "Attaullah Tarar"

Islamabad courts attacker was Afghan, plan hatched in Afghanistan, says Pakistan

In Baku, Pakistan proposes unified D-8 media strategy against Islamophobia

Pakistan marks ‘turning point’ in global standing after May conflict

Tarar appreciates Sri Lankan team's gesture of continuing tour to Pakistan

Pakistan security forces kill over 100 terrorists in 48 hours: Attaullah Tarar