A man has been successfully rescued alive in Mardan, Pakistan, an astonishing 17 days after being buried in a mine collapse.

A Senate Committee in Pakistan has directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to broaden and expedite its investigation into the theft of 2,828 cartons of cigarettes from Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) godowns in Swabi and Mardan.

France 24’s Gavin Lee speaks with Mahsa Alimardani, associate director at WITNESS, about the challenges the militaries, but also the societies as wholes, face in a time of AI-generated content and…

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained cut off from rest of the country on Sunday as activists of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf continued their protest on third consecutive day and blocked all entry and exit points of the province. The PTI activists have blocked Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway at Swabi’s Anbar Interchange, GT Road at Khairabad Bridge, Dera Ismail Khan-Bhakkar Road, Lakki Marwat-Mianwali Road, Hazara Motorway at Abbottabad-Havelian Interchange, Kohat-Pindi Road near Khushal Garh and Upper Kohistan-Gilgit Karakoram Highway. Protesters remained present all the time at exit and entry points and did not allow a single vehicle to enter the province, causing serious problems to passengers and motorists destined to Islamabad and other parts of the country. Former governor Shah Farman, PTI Peshawar district president Irfan Saleem, deputy secretary information Ikram Khattana and other leaders of the party were present at Khairabad Bridge, connecting Attock district of Punjab with KP. Commuters, motorists face hardships Protesters have been demanding of the government to shift PTI founder Imran Khan from jail to hospital for treatment of his eye by doctors of his choice. Speaking on the occasion, Shah Farman said that under Article-4 of the Constitution, no authority could deny treatment of his choice to a patient. He said that the people, who were not allowing treatment of Imran Khan through doctors of his choice, would be responsible if his eye was further damaged. PTI workers blocked Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway near Swabi Interchange to all types of traffic, vowing to stay on roads till Imran Khan was shifted to hospital for medical treatment. Vendors were seen selling various eatables while setting up stalls on motorway, converting it into a market. PTI Swabi general secretary Afsar Khan told journalists that they were not ready to go back homes under any circumstances. “We will continue to sit here and if our demand is not accepted. This protest will continue. The federal government is responsible for the prevailing mess in the country,” he said. Stranded commuters said that government should take action against PTI workers to open the motorway to traffic because people, especially patients, were facing difficulties. “Where should we go, who should we beg, who should we ask and who should we request to open the motorway,” questioned Shahzad Khan, a resident of Peshawar. Uzair Khan, a resident of Gundam who was seriously injured in a firing incident on Saturday, was not allowed to reach a hospital in Peshawar through motorway. The circumstances forced his family to pass through Swabi and Mardan but he did not reach hospital and passed away. His relatives said that PTI workers were responsible for his death. During the last three days, it has been observed, that there is no rush at daytime at the venue of protest. In the afternoon youth start to arrive at rest area and in the evening there is a lot of crowd on motorway. PTI workers blocked roads at four key points in Dera Ismail Khan district on Sunday, suspending traffic and causing inconvenience to commuters and motorists. The sit-ins were held on Bhakkar Road, Multan Road, Chashma Road and CPEC route, bringing vehicular movement to a standstill at these locations. As a result, long queues of vehicles were seen on major arteries. Witnesses said that several commuters remained stranded for hours, while alternative routes also experienced heavy congestion due to diverted traffic. The protest is being held on the call of PTI central leaders, who have urged workers to demonstrate over the deteriorating health of Imran Khan and demand his immediate release. The district administration was monitoring the situation while residents called for restoration of traffic flow to ease their hardships. PTI activists continued protest demonstrations in Lakki Marwat and Karak districts on the second consecutive day on Sunday. A good number of party workers led by former district nazim Ishfaq Ahmad Khan Minakhel gathered at Darra Tang Point where they closed Bannu-Mianwali road, linking KP with Punjab and Islamabad via CPEC route. The closure of road on the second consecutive day troubled transporters and commuters as passenger and good transport vehicles queued up on both sides of the main artery. On the occasion, the former district nazim said that denial of access to healthcare and maltreatment by federal government had led to loss of Imran’s vision. He said that PTI activists had come on roads to hold peaceful protests against the PML-N government, which was responsible for the poor health of their party leader. In Karak, the PTI workers gathered outside Nashapa oil and gas field and staged a sit-in there. They stopped supply from the oil and gas field as oil tankers could not enter or come out of the area. An official of district administration confirmed disruption of oil supply from the field. PTI district president Inayat Khattak said that leaders and workers of the party decided in a meeting to shut down oil and gas fields in Makori, Nashapa and Gurguri to record their protest against non-provision of treatment facilities to Imran Khan. Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2026

Chief Minister Afridi has rejected a smear campaign, stating the public will thwart any sabotage attempts against the April 19 Mardan rally, and also voiced support for Imran Khan's release.

A mine tragedy in Mardan, Pakistan, has brought to light the severe neglect of safety laws, leaving vulnerable miners exposed to fatal workplace hazards. The incident underscores ongoing concerns about worker safety in the region's mining industry.

A parliamentary committee has demanded accountability for the theft of 2,828 cartons of confiscated cigarettes from Federal Board of Revenue godowns in Swabi and Mardan, summoning the FBR chairman for an explanation.

A man has been miraculously rescued alive after being trapped for 16 days under rubble following a mine collapse in Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The survivor's ordeal ended with a successful rescue operation.

Winter weather has returned to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing rains and snowfall to areas including Peshawar, Mardan, and Swat, with Parachinar recording the heaviest downpour.

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of KP on Friday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said. The earthquake struck at 6:09pm at a depth of 101 kilometres, with its epicentre located in the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan, the department said. According to DawnNewsTV, tremors were felt in Shangla, Swat, Mardan, Swabi and Nowshera. In Shangla, tremors were felt at the time of iftar, prompting people to rush out of their homes. No casualties or damages have been reported from the district. Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The intersection of multiple fault lines means that tectonic movements remain a frequent occurrence in the region. Earlier this week, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake was recorded 86km northeast of Balochistan’s Khuzdar. Last month, an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 jolted parts of Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan, Peshawar and adjacent areas of KP. The same month, another 5.8-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of the country. Tremors were felt in Islamabad and parts of KP. Additional input by Umar Bacha.