Rooma News ; Pakistan strikes Afghan hideouts as PTI readies October 4 long march

 Islamabad

Thursday, October 1, 2026

Rooma News

By Rooma Mehmood, Islamabad

Pakistan

Pakistan strikes Afghan hideouts as PTI readies October 4 long march

Pakistan's government says it carried out calibrated airstrikes on hideouts of groups it labels Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan, killing 22 militants and destroying weapons caches under Operation Ghazab lil-Haq / Azm-e-Istehkam. Afghan authorities report civilian deaths, including women and children, in Kunar and Helmand provinces.

At home, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is consolidating allies, including meetings with PPP leaders, as friction with PTI grows over the planned October 4 long march. PTI confirms it will go ahead. Arrest warrants were reissued for KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi over an earlier protest case, and constitutional options for KP are under discussion, though emergency or governor's rule is reportedly not imminent.

Economy

Revenue beats first-quarter targets

Pakistan exceeded its first-quarter revenue targets, a positive sign for IMF engagement. The rupee edged slightly higher against the dollar.

Security and courts

Six militants killed in Balochistan

Six terrorists were reported killed in an operation in Balochistan. Separately, the Islamabad High Court gave the government 30 days to resolve the stay of certain Afghan students.

Maritime

Sailors to return after tanker recovery

The government is working to repatriate Pakistani sailors after a hijacked oil tanker was recovered. Some injured crew were treated in Puntland.

World

Mid-air attack on Flydubai flight. Passengers and crew intervened after the co-pilot, reportedly an Omani national, stabbed the pilot and tried to crash the Dubai–Tel Aviv flight. The plane dropped thousands of feet before it was stabilized and diverted to Saudi Arabia, where the co-pilot was arrested. Israeli PM Netanyahu praised the passengers and crew.

US completes Iraq withdrawal. President Trump announced the last American forces have left Iraq. Kata'ib Hezbollah said it would suspend most military activity there, except against aircraft violating Iraqi airspace.

Russia–Ukraine. A Russian drone hit a school in Kyiv with no reported injuries, and Russia struck Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Elsewhere. Turkey detained an opposition mayor and dozens of suspects in a corruption probe. Indonesia named a new foreign minister. Poland extended border controls with Germany and Lithuania. Greece's Lake Koroneia is shrinking sharply and Swiss glaciers lost record ice volume. Iran received a US response to a proposal amid regional diplomacy.

Editorial: Navigating a fragile region

South Asia and the wider world are again testing the limits of restraint. Pakistan's airstrikes across the Afghan border, framed as precise action against terrorist sanctuaries, show a recurring dilemma: how does a state defend its people when threats come from a neighbour that cannot or will not control its territory? Competing casualty claims only deepen the fog over this frontier.

At home, the political temperature is rising. The October 4 long march arrives amid mutual distrust, legal manoeuvres and talk of extraordinary measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Dialogue remains the healthier path. Prolonged confrontation between centre and province, or government and opposition, costs public confidence and economic momentum. Recent revenue gains and a steadier currency offer a fragile opening, and squandering it on street theatre or administrative overreach would be shortsighted.

Beyond the region, the foiled attack on a commercial flight is a reminder that aviation security and passenger vigilance still matter. The US exit from Iraq closes one chapter while raising questions about residual security and the intentions of armed groups that remain.

Pakistan must keep targeting genuine threats while holding channels open to reduce the risk of uncontrolled escalation with Afghanistan. Political actors on all sides would serve the public better by choosing institutions over maximalist postures.

Restraint is not weakness. In a season of simultaneous pressures, it remains the most practical form of strength.