In a statement issued on Tuesday, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that on the night of 31 August–1 September, during multiple incidents in Nokcha, Chagai District, and Ziarat Cross, Pishin District, twenty-one terrorists belonging to Indian-sponsored proxies of Fitna Al-Hindustan and Fitna Al-Khawarij were sent to hell due to effective responses by the Security Forces.

“During the night of Aug 31 – Sep 1, terrorists belonging to Fitna Al Khawarij launched a coordinated attack in an attempt to breach the Customs House.

“Security forces responded effectively and, after an intense fire exchange, killed 10 terrorists,” it added.

Moreover, fleeing terrorists were also engaged by the security forces, inflicting further casualties, the ISPR said.

The attack on the Customs House was a “manifestation of the terror-crime nexus, orchestrated to prevent Customs officials from performing their lawful duties and thereby facilitate the continuation of criminal activities in the area”, the ISPR stated.

“During the exchange of fire, six brave sons of the soil, including two officers and a government official from the Customs Department, made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and embraced shahadat,” it said.

It added that the sanitisation operations were continuing in the surrounding areas to eliminate any remaining terrorists and ensure the safety and security of the local population as well as the vital national highways.

Meanwhile, on 31 August, terrorists belonging to Fitna Al Hindustan attempted to disrupt the peaceful movement of commuters along N-40 Quetta–Taftan Highway by establishing an illegal checkpoint for extortion, ISPR said.

“Security forces responded immediately and, after an intense fire exchange, killed eleven terrorists on the spot.

“A large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered from the terrorists,” it added.

“The relentless counter-terrorism campaign under the vision of ‘Azm-e-Istehkam,’ as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, will continue with full resolve. Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies remain committed to eliminating the menace of foreign-sponsored and foreign-supported terrorism from the country,” the ISPR concluded.

In Pakistan, however, newborn care, immunisation, feeding support and developmental monitoring are often delivered through separate programmes, rather than being connected through a single system that follows a child continuously.

This raises questions about whether children receive continuous care from birth through early childhood. If these services are fragmented, there is a concern that a child might receive one service but miss another as they grow.

Dr D.S. Akram discusses the medical needs at each stage and the policy reforms Pakistan may need to create a more connected child health system. The conversation also explores what better coordination could mean for child nutrition, vaccination, development and public health outcomes.

The ACT For Nutrition conference — being held on September 2 and 3 at Islamabad’s Serena Hotel — brings together global humanitarian leaders, international institutions, economists, clinicians, lawyers, frontline organisations and provincial governments to confront Pakistan’s malnutrition crisis openly, understand its interconnected causes, and identify solutions with the urgency they demand.

View the agenda here.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that the water level in Leh Nullah had risen to 29 feet at Kattarian and 23.5 feet at Gawalmandi.

Evacuation began along Kattarian and Gawalmandi as 200mm of rain was recorded in the catchment areas of Leh Nullah.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the raised water levels have led to “urban flooding risks in low-lying areas” of the twin cities.

He said “all relief and emergency departments”, including the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Rescue 1122 and the district administration, were on high alert and deployed on the ground to manage drainage and ensure safety.

PMD data till 8:20am showed that Saidpur received 104mm of rainfall, 157mm in Golra, 72mm in Bokra, 155 mm at the PMD site near H-8/2, 74mm at Kutchery, 201mm at Shamsabad, 86mm at Pir Widhai, 186mm at New Kattarian.

In Rawalpindi, the district administration announced a public holiday for educational institutions. In a post on X, the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner (DC) urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel.

Rescue 1122 said in a statement that operations were conducted in several areas of Rawalpindi following the rain, and 60 people were safely evacuated.

The statement, released around noon, also said that residents in several areas were stuck inside their homes and efforts to evacuate them were under way.

Islamabad DC Irfan Nawaz Memon said on X that the torrential rainfall had caused the water level in Rawal Dam to exceed the set limit, due to which the spillways will be opened at 2pm. He urged the public to avoid going near nullahs.

In another post, DC Memon said “record” rainfall in E-11 had resulted in overflowing drains, which caused water to inundate roads and “enter illegal basements that had already been sealed”. He added that residents in the “illegal society Ghauri Town Phase 2 had blocked the drain with slabs”, leading to the flooding.

The officer directed that strict action be taken against those involved in blocking the drain and the drainage process be intensified through dewatering pumps.

In an earlier statement, the DC said rescue work was underway after a wall collapse in D12, although no loss of life was reported.

Islamabad traffic police also issued an advisory, urging motorists to allow extra travel time, reduce speed and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles as water accumulation could affect traffic.

Motorists were advised to use fog lights during poor visibility and remain in their designated lanes. The traffic police said water accumulation on some roads could affect the normal flow of traffic and advised citizens to plan their journeys accordingly and leave home accordingly.

Journalist Hamid Mir shared a video of a flooded area and cars submerged in water, saying that parts of the Islamabad Expressway had been inundated by rainwater and several vehicles were stuck.

Former climate minister Sherry Rehman shared a video showing multiple cars on a flooded street submerged in water up to half their height.

“The rain in Rawalpindi-Islamabad from last night has brought the cities to a dangerous tipping point,” she wrote.

Rain had also lashed the twin cities on Monday afternoon, disrupting normal life and inundating low-lying areas. The downpour continued for two hours with small intervals.

Last week, the Met Office had predicted more rain in the country’s upper parts until September 5. It had warned that heavy rains may cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Mardan, Swabi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot and Lahore during the forecast period.

North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) has granted the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital a 35 per cent equity stake in its corporate parent “at no cost to the American taxpayer”, the White House said about the deal that was announced on Friday.

Furthermore, the US State Department has the right to purchase 20pc of the production at cost.

A notable discrepancy emerged between the two capitals regarding the duration of the agreement. While Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez previously announced a 25-year deal, the White House said that the private firm NABEP has secured 100-year concessions for 17 specific oil fields. Rodriguez assumed power in January after a US military operation captured President Nicolas Maduro.

The agreement provides fiscal support for the interim government, with NABEP expected to pay $200bn in royalties and taxes in the first 25 years to fund reconstruction and social development.

Strategic control, infrastructure

The deal is governed by US law and subject to the jurisdiction of American courts. To ensure operational security, a majority of NABEP’s board of directors must be US citizens, and Washington maintains veto power over any appointments to the board.

The agreement would provide Venezuela with up to $100bn in new infrastructure investment to scale production after decades of “underinvestment and mismanagement” under previous regimes, the White House said.

Output will be processed through US refineries, a strategy expected to support thousands of domestic jobs.

The supply is intended to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the federal emergency oil supply stored in Texas and Louisiana.

Geopolitical realignment

The White House characterised the deal as a re-establishment of the Monroe Doctrine, the 19th-century policy opposing foreign interference in the Western Hemisphere. The pact explicitly targets fields previously operated by Russian and Chinese firms, aiming to purge “malign influence” from the region.

The energy pivot occurs as the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit point, remains impacted by the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28.