• Pakistan, PLA commence joint Warrior-IX exercise: ISPR.
• Says exercise focuses on counterterrorism operations.
• Adds drill aims to enhance interoperability and skills.
  

The Pakistan Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China have commenced the joint military exercise “Warrior-IX”, the ninth edition in the series of bilateral counterterrorism exercises conducted annually between the two iron-clad brothers, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement on Tuesday.

The military’s media wing said that the exercise began on December 1, focusing on counterterrorism operations, with the aim of enhancing interoperability, refining professional skills, and exchanging best practices in modern warfare.

Pakistan and China enjoy a longstanding, time-tested defence cooperation rooted in mutual trust and strategic partnership. 

Exercise Warrior-IX stands as a testament to the robust military-to-military relations between the two countries and reaffirms their shared commitment to regional peace, stability, and security, the ISPR statement read.

“Mangla Corps Commander, Major General Bian Xiaoming, Deputy Chief of Staff, Western Theatre Command, PLA, and other senior military officials from both Pakistan and China attended the opening ceremony of the exercise that was held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Pabbi,” it added.

• DIG Security Division issues directives to KP police personnel. 
• Police directed to avoid participating in political activity.
• Asked to remain in their legal and geographical jurisdictions.
  

PESHAWAR: Police officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been directed to perform their duties within their legal and geographical jurisdictions amid concerns expressed by the Centre over use of state machinery by the PTI-led provincial government for political demonstration.

In an official circular sent to senior officers across the province, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Security Division Shakir Hussain Dawar reminded police personnel that they are duty-bound to maintain neutrality and must not take part in any form of political activity.

The directive reinforces existing rules that prohibit members of the law-enforcement force from aligning with a political group or joining their demonstrations and rallies.

The instructions come amid concerns within the federal government that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) may attempt to use the provincial police force for political purposes, as the party plans to stage a protest outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) today.

PTI’s KP chapter spokesperson Adeel Iqbal said the party had decided to hold the demonstration on December 2 (today). Speaking to Geo News on Saturday, he claimed: “This time, there will be a well-defined strategy for meeting the PTI founder.”

He warned that the party would respond to “any unlawful actions taken against them”, adding that the days of “those violating the Constitution were numbered”.

Chief Minister KP Sohail Afridi has repeatedly been denied permission to meet the incarcerated PTI founder in Adiala Jail — the latest refusal being the eighth since he took office. After the most recent denial last week, he spent the night outside the Adiala jail. 

He was later joined by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, head of the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Mishal Yousafzai, Senator Gurdeep Singh, Senator Rubina Naz, MNA Zulfiqar Ahmed and KP’s Information Minister Shafi Jan.

In view of today’s protest announcement, authorities in the capital have reiterated that Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code remains in force in Islamabad, prohibiting protests, rallies or public gatherings. The district administration warned that action would be taken immediately against any unlawful activity.

“Police and other law-enforcement agencies have been put on high alert,” the statement said, adding that all security bodies would work together to maintain order. Citizens were advised to avoid activities declared unlawful under Section 144.

Meantime, Rawalpindi’s Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema also imposed Section 144 in the city from December 1 to 3.

Meanwhile, the sons of the imprisoned former prime minister have expressed fears that authorities may be concealing “something irreversible” about his condition after more than three weeks without any verifiable information regarding his well-being.

Kasim Khan told Reuters that despite a court-ordered right to weekly meetings, the family had not had direct contact with him, fuelling speculation about a possible transfer to some other undisclosed location or deterioration of his health.

The PTI founder has been in jail since August 2023, following his removal from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022.

Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson made history at the 2025 Gotham Awards, and Jackman couldn’t resist taking a friendly swipe at his longtime pal Ryan Reynolds in the process.

The pair received the first-ever Gotham Musical Tribute on Monday, December 1, for their work in the upcoming musical film Song Sung Blue.

The ceremony took place at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, where the duo walked onstage to Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline. Hudson even belted out the iconic “So good!” as she kicked off her speech.

Hudson reflected on working alongside Jackman and director Craig Brewer, saying that performing with the two was “one of the great joys of my career.” 

She also shared how deeply music has shaped her life, noting, “I don’t know where I’d be without it.”

Jackman accepted his portion of the honour with a playful nod to Reynolds, joking that the award was “something to make Ryan Reynolds insanely jealous.” 

The two actors have famously kept a lighthearted rivalry going for years, and Jackman didn’t miss the moment to add one more jab.

He went on to highlight what makes Song Sung Blue meaningful for him, praising its message of “real people, real lives, real struggles, real love.”

He also made a bold prediction about his costar’s performance, saying Hudson is “not only one of the great stars of our business, she is a consummate actor,” and even predicted she’ll “win the Oscar” for the role.

Song Sung Blue is written and directed by Brewer and arrives in theaters on Christmas Day. 

The film also features Michael Imperioli, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, Hudson Hensley, Fisher Stevens and Jim Belushi.

Gotham Film & Media Institute executive director Jeffrey Sharp previously praised the two leads, saying their performances in the film are “at once powerful, intimate, and deeply human.”