Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir promoted to field marshal after recent skirmishes with India

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s powerful army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, has been promoted to the rank of field marshal days after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India following one of their most serious military confrontations in decades.

In a statement, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also approved the extension of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu’s tenure in recognition of his service.

Sharif has praised Munir and other military leaders for what he described as a “befitting response” to an Indian airstrike on Pakistani air bases in the early hours of May 7.

Munir becomes only the second military officer in Pakistan’s history to hold the title of field marshal. The first was Gen. Ayub Khan, who led the country during the 1965 war with India.

“I am deeply thankful to Allah Almighty for this honour,” Munir said in a statement.

The ceasefire was aimed at ending weeks of escalating clashes, including missile and drone strikes, triggered by the mass shooting of tourists last month that India blamed on Pakistan, which denies the charge.

Nearly 7,500 people from Pakistan and India have since signed a petition calling for dialogue between the two sides. The online appeal, titled “India, Pakistan: Stop the Hostilities,” was launched on May 7 by the South Asia Peace Action Network, a coalition of peace advocates, journalists and citizens.

FILE - Pakistan army Lt. Gen. Syed Asim Munir attends a ceremony in Islamabad, Pakistan, Nov. 1, 2022.. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousufzai, File)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.

The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.

In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.

Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.

Government officials survey the damage of a home caused by a gas cylinder explosion hours after a wedding reception, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ehsan Shahzad)