A police spokesperson told Dawn, the shepherd was abducted by a suspect on his motorcycle on July 1 from Toba Jinnawala near Chak 289/HR where he had his over 40 sheep for grazing. After eight days on July 9, the youth’s brother, Mohsin, went to meet him at Toba Jinnawala and found him in a serious condition.

The victim informed his brother that 12 men, seven of them identified in the FIR, administered him some intoxicant drink, raped him and stole his 40 sheep.

Mohsin shifted his serious brother to the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) and informed Marot police on 15 about the incident. Marot police registered a case against twelve suspects.

The Marot police arranged a post-mortem at the BVH. The police spokesperson claimed that five of the suspects had been arrested by Marot police.

In Vehari, a baker employee, Habibur Rehman, who was burnt in a gas cylinder fire along with other 13 people, including three children, six days ago breathed his last at the Nishtar Hospital Multan’s burn unit.

His body was shifted to Vehari.

BOOKED: The Jalalpur Pirwala Sadder Police booked a man for allegedly raping a girl at gunpoint in a mango orchard on Tuesday.

The victim had been shifted to a hospital for medical examination, whereas the suspect was yet to be arrested.

In another incident, two persons allegedly abducted a teenage girl (13) from the fields near her house early on Monday morning in Chak 251/EB of Vehari district.

According to police, the girl (13), daughter of a labourer, was allegedly abducted by two men when she went outside.

The Gaggo Mandi Police registered a case against the two suspects, who were yet to be arrested.

TORTURED: Three persons, including a woman, were allegedly tortured by six suspect over a land dispute in Chak 271/ EB within the limits of the Gaggo Mandi Police station.

Police claimed to have registered a case against Nadeem Jammu, Sarwar, Anwar and others, while no arrests had so far been made in the case.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2026

Islamabad’s statement comes after Yemen’s Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, announced an immediate maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, opening a new front in the Middle East conflict.

The naval blockade, if enforced, could cut off access to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports, which have been vital for oil exports as renewed US-Iran fighting limits passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Threats against commercial shipping and trading with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are unacceptable and violate established principles of international law,” the FO said in a statement, noting the “continued threats” by Houthis.

Islamabad said it was “particularly concerned by reports of threats directed against vessels engaged in lawful commercial trade” with Saudi Arabia.

“Such actions threaten regional security, undermine freedom of navigation, challenge the rules-based maritime order and jeopardise uninterrupted flow of global commerce,” the FO highlighted.

Furthermore, it declared that “any hostile act against Pakistani-flagged vessels or Pakistani maritime interests will be regarded as a grave threat to Pakistan’s national security and sovereign interests”.

The FO warned that Pakistan reserved its right to “take all necessary measures, including lawful use of force, in the exercise of self-defence to protect its maritime assets and national interests”, consistent with the United Nations Charter and international law.

Pakistan also said it was “deeply concerned over attempts to drag” Saudi Arabia into the Middle East conflict, as fighting continues between the United States and Iran, which in turn has targeted American military sites in some Gulf countries.

Islamabad reiterated its “unwavering support for the security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and prosperity of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.

“While remaining steadfast in its commitment to dialogue, diplomacy and regional de-escalation, Pakistan calls upon all parties to respect international law and ensure the safety and security of international maritime shipping,” the FO statement affirmed.

The Houthis have previously tried to cut off shipping through the Red Sea, leveraging the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a chok­epoint at its southern tip which vessels must navigate when travelling to or from the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean.

Houthis’ Monday announcement came after the group and Saudi Arabia traded fire last week for the first time in years, threatening a 2022 truce that has held despite expiring.

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According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), seven terrorists were killed in Surab while three in Mastung, where the two suicide bombers and their facilitator were also apprehended.

The ISPR statement said that the operations in these two districts were in continuation of actions against the “terrorist nexus of India-sponsored Fitna-al-Hindustan and Fitna-al-Khawarij” in Balochistan to “weed out remnants of terrorists and their facilitators”.

The state uses the term Fitna-al-Khawarij for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and has designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan.

The ISPR said that as part of actions targeting these groups, security forces had carried out multiple intelligence-based, area sanitisation and targeted operations in Mastung and Surab over the last 48 hours, killing 10 terrorists.

It further stated that the two suicide bombers and their facilitator apprehended during operations in Mastung belonged to Fitna-al-Hindustan.

“Weapons, ammunition and improvised explosive devices used by terrorists were also recovered from the terrorists,” the statement added.

It further stated: “Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other India-sponsored terrorist found in the area.

“Relentless counter-terrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm-i-Istehkam’ — as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan — by the 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.”

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