Rawalpindi (Web Desk): Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has reaffirmed that Pakistan will go to 'any extent' in defending sovereignty of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

In an interview with Arab News, he said Pakistan 'fully stands with Saudi Arabia, both diplomatically and physically'.

The ISPR chief also stressed that Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia includes protecting Makkah and Madinah, saying "we are present there to protect Haramain Sharifain"

"There should be no doubt on that," he said, while making it clear that Pakistan would continue standing by Saudi Arabia in the event of any aggression.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said Islamabad’s security commitment to the kingdom remained "unconditional", adding that "it stems from an emotive, deep-rooted, historical and unbreakable bond" between the two countries.

EXCLUSIVE: Pakistan’s defense commitment to Saudi Arabia is “unconditional,” and it is already “there” to protect the Kingdom, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry tells Arab News: “I think the words express themselves fully once we say that we are there” https://t.co/694ZY1zKWc https://t.co/uZKRS7VRID

— Arab News (@arabnews) September 17, 2026

Speaking about the prevailing regional crisis and Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to promote peace in the Middle East, the DGISPR said Islamabad was maintaining communication with regional countries in pursuit of "a negotiated and peaceful outcome" to the conflict.

Pakistan assumed an important mediating role in the Middle East crisis after the United States and Israel carried out coordinated strikes against Iran on February 28.

Following those attacks, Iran responded with strikes on US military installations in the Gulf and shut down the Strait of Hormuz, while Hezbollah also began launching attacks against Israel.

After months of negotiations facilitated and mediated by Pakistan, Washington and Tehran signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in June.

The ISPR chief described the Islamabad MoU as "a consensus document" and said it represented the only workable route out of the continuing regional crisis.

His statement came as Yemen’s Houthi militia continued attacks on Saudi cities, with the widening conflict in the Middle East posing fresh concerns for global oil supplies.

Saudi Arabia’s civil defence authorities said a Yemeni national living in the kingdom was killed after debris from a drone intercepted over the western city of Taif fell to the ground.

The Saudi authorities said this was the first death resulting from the repeated Houthi attacks since the latest escalation in fighting, while the previous media reports had revealed that more than 80 people were injured.

Rawalpindi (Web Desk): Security Forces have killed 10 khwarij belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna Al Khwarij in multiple engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) over the last three days, while six brave sons of the soil embraced martyrdom, the military’s media wing said on Friday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), on reported presence of khwarij, an intelligence-based operation (IBO) was conducted by security forces in North Waziristan District.

During conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged khwarij location and after intense exchange of fire, six khwarij belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij were sent to hell.

In another encounter that took place in Hangu District, own troops successfully neutralized four more Khwarij.

“On September 17, 2026, an improvised explosive device exploded on a security forces convoy, resultantly, six brave sons of the soil, rendered the ultimate sacrifice and embraced Shahadat”, it said.

The statement said that weapons and ammunition have also been recovered from killed Indian sponsored khwarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area.

The military’s media wig said that sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored Kharji found in the area.

“A relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under the vision “Azm e Istehkam” (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country. These sacrifices of our brave soldiers further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs,” the ISPR said.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday commended the security forces for carrying out successful operations against Indian-backed Fitna-al-Khwarij in Hangu and North Waziristan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), during which 10 Khwarij were eliminated.

In separate statements, the president and the premier praised the courage, dedication and professionalism of the security personnel and paid tribute to six members of the forces who were martyred while taking part in the operations.

They also prayed for the elevated ranks of the martyrs in paradise and extended their deepest sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families.

Commending the sacrifices of the armed forces President Zardari said that “The great sacrifices of the martyrs further strengthen the resolve and morale of the nation. The brave soldiers of Pakistan are sacrificing their lives for the defense and peace of the motherland.”

He said that the sacrifices rendered by security personnel during the country’s ongoing fight against terrorism could never be forgotten.

Paying tribute to the fallen soldiers PM Shehbaz said, “Our brave sons of the soil who sacrificed their lives for the defense, peace, and security of the beloved motherland are heroes of the entire nation. The great sacrifices of the martyrs are a guiding light for the nation, and their sacrifices will not go in vain.”

The prime minister reaffirmed that security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue their operations under Azm-e-Istehkam with full determination to completely root out terrorism from the country.

Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday approved a countrywide austerity and fuel-conservation campaign as international oil prices continue to climb amid the prevailing tensions in the Middle East.

The decision was made at a meeting in Islamabad chaired by the prime minister, where measures aimed at cutting expenses and conserving energy were reviewed.

PM Shehbaz directed all relevant institutions to put the approved steps into effect without delay, stressing the need to eliminate avoidable government spending and make careful use of public resources.

The prime minister observed that the surge in international oil prices has added to inflationary challenges being faced globally.

He maintained that the government and the elite should be the first to bear the burden and make necessary sacrifices.

During the meeting, PM Shehbaz also pointed to the fuel subsidy initiative already introduced for financially vulnerable and middle-income citizens, as under the scheme, owners of motorcycles, rickshaws and cars with engines of up to 800cc are receiving a subsidy of Rs100 per litre.

The meeting agreed to halve fuel allocations for government vehicles for the next three months. Vehicles used by ambulances, fire services, law enforcement bodies and other essential services will be excluded from the cut. However, administrative and non-operational vehicles will not qualify for any exemption.

A further decision was taken to reduce the Non-ERE Budget by 5 percent for the ongoing fiscal year. The government has also prohibited the procurement of new vehicles of any kind, while purchases of durable goods have been stopped, apart from equipment required for information technology.

Foreign travel for official purposes has been suspended for three months. If an overseas trip is deemed unavoidable, ministers, advisers, ministers of state, special assistants and other government officials will be required to use economy-class travel.

The meeting also directed government institutions to rely as much as possible on video conferencing and teleconferencing for official engagements while government-hosted dinners will not be permitted, except where such events are essential for receiving foreign delegations.

Officials were also instructed to avoid spending unnecessarily on seminars, training sessions and conferences sponsored by the government.

The existing single-dish policy will continue to be enforced at weddings and other functions.

As per the official notification, shops, markets, shopping malls, bazaars and other general commercial centres will be required to close by 9 pm, while marriage halls and other event venues will shut by 10 pm, while restaurants, cafes, food outlets and standalone fruit and vegetable shops will remain open until 11pm.

The restrictions will not apply to pharmacies, medical centres, hospitals, bakeries, petrol and CNG stations, electric vehicle charging facilities, gyms, sports centres, IT firms and call centres.

During the meeting, PM Shehbaz was briefed that the committee tasked with overseeing austerity and fuel conservation would collect progress reports from ministries, divisions, departments, public-sector organisations and provincial governments.

The committee will review cases where the measures are not being followed, identify difficulties in implementation, suggest remedial steps and present a progress update to the prime minister every week.

The prime minister ordered that the austerity measures be enforced equally across the board and directed authorities to take every feasible step to bring down government expenditure while conserving fuel and energy.

The federal government has already approved the continuation of austerity measures currently applicable during the ongoing financial year.

The newly reiterated measures will also apply to attached departments, state-owned entities, statutory bodies and regulatory authorities of the federal government.