A petition has been submitted in the Islamabad High Court against the reality show Lazawal Ishq, claiming that it goes against social and cultural norms. The petitioner has urged authorities to review the show’s content and take steps to uphold ethical broadcasting standards.
#LazawalIshq #IslamabadHighCourt #RealityShow #CulturalValues #TVControversy #PakistaniMedia #PublicReaction #PenduProduction
Source
Tragic loss at the Pak-Afghan border, 23 brave Pakistani soldiers embraced martyrdom in intense cross border fire. The nation mourns their sacrifice as tensions continue to rise.
#PakAfghanClashes #PakistanArmy #Martyrs #BorderTensions #fblifestyle #DefendersOfPakistan #PakistanNews #PenduProduction
Source
Heavy monsoon rains killed at least 54 people in eastern Pakistan in 24 hours, bringing the total rain-related deaths in the country to 178 over the past three weeks, officials said Thursday. Rainfall has triggered flash floods and inundated several villages as the country experiences 82% more rainfall this month compared to the same period in July 2024, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said.
Since June 26, Pakistan has reported 178 deaths from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the northwest, Sindh in the south and Balochistan in the southwest, officials said.
The 54 deaths in the past day occurred in Punjab province, which received 124% more rainfall between July 1 and July 15 than the same period the previous year, forecasters said.
A person wades through a flooded road caused by heavy monsoon rain in Lahore, Pakistan. (AP Photo)
Heavy downpours continued Thursday, flooding streets in several urban areas including Rawalpindi and Lahore. Cloudburst in the Jhelum district in Punjab triggered flash flooding, prompting authorities to use boats to evacuate dozens of people.
The National Disaster Management Authority issued an updated flood alert Thursday and urged local officials to remain on high alert. Tourists were advised to avoid travel to affected areas where rains could trigger landslides and block highways.
The National Disaster Management Authority issued an updated flood alert Thursday and urged local officials to remain on high alert. (AP Photo)
Television news footage Thursday showed an army helicopter plucking three members of a family from the roof of their house after they were stranded by a flash flood on the outskirts of Rawalpindi city.
More rain is expected in the capital Islamabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir and other parts of the country, the meteorological department reported. Authorities have warned they cannot rule out a repeat of extreme weather like the 2022 floods that inundated a third of the country, killing 1,737 people.
Pakistan has arrested 11 suspects after a video emerged on social media of a woman and a man being shot and killed for marrying against the wishes of their families, in a so-called honour killing, authorities said. The couple, who were not identified, were shot dead on the orders of a local tribal council last month in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, according to provincial authorities, who investigated after the video went viral.
Eleven suspects have been arrested, the provincial chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, said in a statement on Monday, hours after he announced that the location and people in the video had been identified. A case has been registered against all those involved, Bugti said, adding that they will be prosecuted. The video shows people in a desert, and some pickup trucks and SUVs in which they had apparently been driven there.
The woman is given a copy of the Koran, the Muslim holy book, and she then tells a man: “Come walk seven steps with me, after that you can shoot me.”
The man then follows her for a few steps. A local police official said the woman did not cry or seek mercy.
“You are allowed only to shoot me. Nothing more than that,” the woman says in the regional Brahavi language, translated by the official. It was not clear what she meant by “nothing more than that”. The man, who had followed her, then aimed a pistol at her as she turned her back to the shooter.
The woman, wrapped in a shawl, stood still as shots were fired. She remained standing after two shots, delivered from close range, dropping to the ground after the third shot. That is followed by a series of gunshots. The footage then shows a bloodied man lying on the ground, close to the woman’s body. Then, men are shown shooting at both the bodies.
Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Story continues below this ad
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that in 2024, there were at least 405 “honour killings”, criticising the authorities for failing to stamp out these crimes. Most victims are women, and the killings are usually carried out by relatives professing to defend their family’s reputation, human rights groups say.
Conservative families in many parts of Pakistan and India do not allow couples to marry against their wishes.
Bura Waqt guzar jata hai 😌💔✨
#urdu #urdupoetry #shayari #urdushayari #lines #sadlines #pakistanishayari #indianpoetry #jouneliapoetry
Source
At least 14 people, including a tribal chief, have been arrested in Pakistan’s Balochistan province after a video showing the brutal murder of a man and woman went viral, triggering national and international outrage.
The first information report (FIR) filed by the police on Monday identifies the victims as Bano Bibi and Ehsan Ullah. The killings, believed to have taken place in May near Quetta, were described by police as a so-called “honour killing.”
The disturbing video circulating on social media shows shows a group of men arriving in a desolate area on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, in an SUV and pickup trucks.
The footage captures the moment the accused couple is taken out of one of the vehicles. According to The Guardian, the woman is handed a copy of the Qur’an.
Speaking in the local Brahavi language, she says to a man: “Come, walk seven steps with me, after that you can shoot me.” He follows her for a few steps before she adds: “You are allowed only to shoot me. Nothing more than that.”
The meaning of her final statement remains unclear. The man then raises a pistol as she turns her back to him. After three close-range shots, she collapses to the ground.
The video then cuts to a bloodied man lying near the woman’s body, followed by a barrage of gunfire as several men are seen shooting at the couple’s bloodied bodies as they lay motionless on the ground. A local court has now ordered that the bodies be exhumed for autopsy.
Story continues below this ad
Police told Reuters that the woman’s brother carried out the killing on behalf of the family, while the local tribal leader, identified as Sher Baz Satakzai, ordered the execution. The tribal chief is among those arrested, said Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, adding, “No one has a right, no matter what, to kill someone in such a painful and disgusting way, and then video shoot it. It is a crime. It is a murder.”
The man and woman, accused of having an affair out of wedlock, both had several children from separate marriages, Bugti said.
As per Al Jazeera, which quoted the FIR, the couple was allegedly brought before tribal leader, who declared them guilty of engaging in an “immoral relationship” and ordered that they be killed.
However, Police chief Naveed Akhtar said the tribal chief ordered the killing after the woman’s brother complained that she had married without his consent, The Guardian reported.
Story continues below this ad
Rights organisations say the case is not an isolated incident but part of a systemic pattern of violence against women. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), at least 405 so-called “honour killings” were reported in 2024 alone — most of them targeting women. The Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), another watchdog, says just one of the 32 cases reported in Balochistan this year has led to conviction.
“This is the tyranny of medieval practices still entrenched in many parts of Pakistan,” said Harris Khalique, secretary-general of the HRCP, in an earlier statement to Al Jazeera. He blamed both tribal systems and state complicity, accusing the government of shielding feudal and tribal power structures that perpetuate such violence.
Sammi Deen Baloch, a prominent women’s rights activist from the region, told Al Jazeera that women in Balochistan live under two forms of oppression: “tribal patriarchy and the cold repression of the state.” According to her, these killings would likely have gone unnoticed if the video had not emerged on social media. “Baloch women are murdered for love, disappeared for protest, and buried under layers of tribal authority and state-backed silence.”
Authorities now say they are committed to prosecuting all those responsible. “We will make sure they are all prosecuted,” Bugti said.
Story continues below this ad
Pakistan’s Balochistan province, the largest but least populous region in the country, is mineral-rich but plagued by chronic underdevelopment, tribal conflict, and a long-running separatist insurgency. Activists argue that the Pakistani state’s reliance on tribal intermediaries for governance further entrenches patriarchal violence and limits justice for women.
قومی کرکٹ ٹیم کے مڈل آرڈر بلے باز بابر اعظم کی ٹیسٹ فارمیٹ میں مسلسل خراب کارکردگی کا سلسلہ جاری ہے۔
بابر اعظم آخری 27 ٹیسٹ اننگز میں صرف تین نصف سنچریز بناسکے ہیں۔ انہوں نے آخری ٹیسٹ سنچری دسمبر 2022 میں بنائی تھی۔
بعد ازاں مسلسل 19 اننگز میں ناکامی کے بعد بابر اعظإ نے دسمبر 2024 تا جنوری 2025 کے دوران جنوبی افریقا کے دورے میں تین نصف سنچریز اسکور کی تھیں۔
جنوری 2025 میں ویسٹ انڈیز کے خلاف دو میچز پر مشمتل ہوم سیریز میں بابر اعظم صرف 45 رنز بناسکے تھے۔
لاہور میں آج جنوبی افریقا کے خلاف کھیلے جارہیے ٹیسٹ میچ میں وہ 23 رنز بناکر سائمن ہارمر کا شنکار بنے۔
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday asserted there would be “no compromise” on Pakistan’s sovereignty after security forces destroyed Afghanistan’s “several” border posts overnight as they responded to attacks by the Afghan Taliban.
What has happened so far:
“Pakistan Army has been targeting Afghan posts with utmost precision and captured 19 posts at the Afghan border from where attacks were carried out against Pakistan,” state-run Radio Pakistan reported, citing security sources.
The security sources said the Pakistan Army launched “successful strikes at Durrani Camp, Manojba Camp Battalion Headquarters and Manojba Camp-2, Ghaznali Headquarters in Noshki Sector and neutralised them completely”.
“Dozens of Taliban soldiers and Khwarij positioned in the camps and headquarters have been reportedly killed,” the report added.
Security sources said that the army had also devastated the Afghan Taliban’s “most important Asmatullah Karar Camp” at Spin Boldak. The sources noted that the camp was the Taliban’s “one of the biggest” from where terrorist activities against Pakistan were carried out.
Afghan Taliban and Khawarij hiding in the camp reportedly suffered “heavy losses”. Radio Pakistan said footage showed a “second engagement and destruction” of the Asmatullah Karar camp.
The second Battalion Headquarters of the Afghan Taliban in the Brabcha area, from “where Khawarij and Fitna-al-Hindustan terrorists were launched into Pakistan”, was also targeted, as per the sources.
In a series of posts on X, PTV News said Afghanistan’s Barikot base camp, Manojba Camp-3, Karzai post, and Shapola Khula Taliban post were also destroyed.
Security forces also occupied an “important” Afghan post in Balochistan’s Zhob Sector and hoisted the Pakistani flag, the sources added. “Humvee-armoured personnel carrier of the Afghan Taliban deployed at the post was destroyed as well in the attack,” they said.
Targeting an Afghan Tank position at the mountain peaks opposite Kurram, the forces eliminated “several tanks of the Afghan Taliban”, the security sources said.
In an earlier Radio Pakistan report, security sources said Afghanistan’s Jandusar Post, Turkmenzai camp and Kharchar Fort had also been “completely destroyed”.
“The firing from Afghanistan side was aimed at getting the Khawarij formations crossed into the border of Pakistan. However, Pakistani posts, which were alert and ready, responded swiftly and forcefully,” the security sources added.
President Zardari, in a statement, noted that there were United Nations reports that “proved” terrorist attacks were carried out from the Afghan soil. However, he also stressed that bilateral respect and joint counterterrorism efforts were the key to long-term regional peace.
Asserting that no compromise will be made on Pakistan’s sovereignty, President Zardari said the country remained “firmly committed to safeguarding its national interests, regional sovereignty and security”.
He noted that attacks launched “from the territory of the Interim Afghan Government by India-backed Khawarij terrorists are a well-documented reality, confirmed in successive United Nations Security Council (UNSC) monitoring reports”.
The president pointed out that Pakistan had repeatedly “made it clear that its civilians and security personnel are being targeted through the nexus of the Indian sponsored Khawarij and other terror groups”.
President Zardari urged the interim Afghan government to take “concrete and verifiable action” against anti-Pakistan terrorist elements operating from the Afghan soil, the statement added. He termed the menace of terrorism “sponsored by India” as the “greatest threat to regional peace and stability”.
“Terrorism is a shared challenge and its burden cannot be placed on any single country,” the president was quoted as saying.
PM Shehbaz strongly condemned the “provocation by Afghanistan in Pakistan’s border areas”.
“There will be no compromise on Pakistan’s defence, and every provocation will be met with a strong and effective response,“ he asserted.
“We are proud of the professional excellence of our armed forces,” the premier said, hailing the army’s “strong and effective response to Afghanistan’s aggression”.
“The Pakistan Army not only gave a powerful response to Afghan aggression under the bold leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, but also destroyed several of their posts, forcing them to retreat,” the prime minister said.
“Our defence is in strong hands, and we know well how to defend every inch of our motherland,” PM Shehbaz said, adding that the army has always given a “crushing response to every form of external aggression”.
The prime minister also highlighted that Pakistan had “repeatedly provided Afghanistan with information regarding terrorist elements such as Fitna-al-Khawarij and Fitna-al-Hindustan, who are using Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan”.
Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Fitna-al-Hindustan is the term it uses to refer to terrorist organisations in Balochistan.
“Terrorist organisations are being supported by certain elements within Afghanistan,” he stated, expressing hope that the Afghan interim government will ensure its territory is not used by terrorist elements against Pakistan.
In one of the first official statements by Pakistan, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi lauded the security forces for their “prompt” response.
“Firing by Afghan forces on civilian population is a blatant violation of international laws. Pakistan’s brave forces have given a prompt and effective response that no provocation will be tolerated,” Naqvi said on X.
“Pakistan’s forces are alert and Afghanistan is being answered with stones for bricks. The people of Pakistan stand with the brave armed forces like a lead wall. Afghanistan will also be given a befitting reply like India.”
Following the border fighting, Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid urged Pakistan to “desist from using force as such actions will have negative consequences”.
Addressing a press conference in Kabul, Mujahid alleged that “certain elements within the Pakistani security establishment want to destabilise Afghanistan“.
He further warned that Kabul “possessed weapons to respond”, adding that the Afghanistan Islamic Emirate had made “efforts to resolve issues with Pakistan”.
In his statement, President Zardari termed it unfortunate that the current Afghan interim administration had “turned away from the just struggle of the oppressed people” of India-occupied Kashmir, “thereby doing injustice to both history and the Muslim ummah”.
He reaffirmed that Pakistan will “never accept any disputed or misleading position on Jammu and Kashmir” and reiterated that India’s “unlawful claims over the territory” are contrary to international law and UNSC resolutions.
The president highlighted Pakistan’s hosting of millions of Afghan refugees for over decades, saying it “demonstrated Islamic fraternity and exemplary neighbourliness”.
However, he added that the “dignified repatriation of Afghan citizens” was in the interest of both countries and essential for sustainable peace.
“President Zardari reaffirmed that Pakistan will continue to support the educational and humanitarian needs of the Afghan people, but no compromise will ever be made on Pakistan’s national sovereignty,” the statement said.
The president emphasised that Pakistan had extended “every possible facilitation to Afghanistan in trade, economic connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges”. Mutual cooperation and economic partnership are the foundation for lasting peace and regional prosperity, he noted.
President Zardari underscored that Pakistan desires a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan. He said brotherly relations must be based on mutual respect, security cooperation and a shared commitment to regional peace.
He expressed hope that the interim Afghan government will prevent its soil from being used by “Khawarij and India-backed terrorist elements against Pakistan”, stressing that only joint and practical measures can guarantee enduring peace in the region.
Expressing his “deep concern” over the latest developments, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar said “unprovoked firing and raids along Pak-Afghan border by the Taliban government is a serious provocation”.
“Pakistan’s befitting response and strikes are against Taliban infrastructure and to neutralise Fitna-al-Khawarij and Fitna-al-Hindustan terrorist elements operating from Afghan soil,” he asserted in a post on X.
“Our defensive response is not targeted towards peace-loving Afghan civilian population. Unlike Taliban forces, we are exercising extreme caution in our defensive responses to avoid loss of civilian lives,” Dar added.
He expressed Pakistan’s expectation from the interim Afghan government to take “concrete measures against terrorist elements and their perpetrators that wish to derail Pak-Afghan relations”.
“Pakistan will take all possible measures to defend its own territory, sovereignty and its people,” the deputy premier pledged.
Saudi Arabia, with which Pakistan recently signed a mutual defence deal, expressed concern at the skirmishes.
“The kingdom calls for restraint, avoiding escalation, and embracing dialogue and wisdom to contribute to reducing tensions and maintaining security and stability in the region.
“The kingdom affirms its support for all regional and international efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability, and its continued commitment to ensuring security, which will achieve stability and prosperity for the brotherly Pakistani and Afghan peoples.”
Iranian top diplomat Abbas Araghchi called on Afghanistan and Pakistan “to exercise restraint” amid ongoing clashes.
“Our position is that both sides must exercise restraint,” Araghchi said during a live interview with state television, adding that “stability” between the countries “contributes to regional stability”.
Qatar’s foreign ministry urged both sides to prioritise dialogue, diplomacy, and restraint, and to work towards containing differences in a manner that helps to reduce tension and avoid escalation, in order to achieve regional security and stability.
The foreign ministry reiterated Qatar’s support for all regional and international efforts aimed at strengthening international peace and security, and affirmed its commitment to ensuring security and prosperity for the people of the two countries.
Late last night, state-run Radio Pakistan issued the following statement on X, quoting security sources: “Unprovoked firing from the Afghan side at Pak-Afghan border, a strong, intense response from Pakistan Army.”
It said “Afghan forces carried out unprovoked firing at several locations”, Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Bahram Chah in Balochistan along the Pak-Afghan border.
Radio Pakistan further said Pakistan was “targeting terrorist camps and hideouts of Khawarij (terrorists), ISIS located near the Pak-Afghan border inside Afghanistan with great precision. Afghan forces have retreated from several areas”.
In the early hours of Sunday, security sources said there were reports of significant damage inflicted on multiple Afghan posts and militant formations, security officials added.
They said artillery, tanks, light and heavy weapons were used in the retaliatory action.
State-run Radio Pakistan also shared footage of what it said were “Kharjis and Afghan soldiers being taken out”.
Separately, the Torkham border crossing has been closed for all kinds of traffic after the overnight firing exchanges at various locations, according to locals on the Pakistani side.
Afghan official Qureshi Badloon also confirmed the closure to Dostee.pk.com from Nangarhar.
The clashes broke out after Kabul accused Islamabad of carrying out air strikes on the Afghan capital earlier this week, according to Taliban border forces.
“In retaliation for the air strikes by Pakistani forces“, Taliban border forces in the east are “engaged in heavy clashes against Pakistani forces’ posts in various border areas”, the Afghan military said in a statement earlier.
Taliban officials from the provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktika, Khost, and Helmand — all located on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan — confirmed the clashes.
Islamabad did not confirm that it was behind the attacks, but called on Kabul “to stop harbouring the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on its soil”.
Security sources said Afghan posts failed to provide covering fire to the militants and there were reports of “heavy losses” among Afghan border posts and militants.
“Kharijites and Daesh hideouts inside Afghanistan, operating under the patronage of the interim Afghan government, are being effectively targeted. Pakistan is using artillery, tanks, light, and heavy weapons. In addition, air resources and drones are also being used to target Daesh and Kharijite hideouts. The headquarters of Afghan forces, which have been sheltering Daesh and Fitna al-Khawarij, are also being targeted.”
The Afghan Ministry of Defence confirmed earlier that Afghan forces launched “retaliatory operations against Pakistani security forces” tonight.
“The operations ended at midnight. If the opposing side violates Afghanistan’s territory again, our armed forces are ready to defend their territory and will respond firmly,” said the statement.
Pakistani posts also came under attack in the Baramcha area of Chagai district, which borders Afghanistan’s Helmand province. “Afghan forces opened indiscriminate fire at Pakistani border posts with heavy weapons late on Saturday night,” a senior official said.
He added that Afghan border posts were destroyed and casualties were taken by the other side. “Heavy exchange of fire continued for two hours.”
Security sources stated that Afghan forces also tried to infiltrate into Pishin and Zhob districts. However, the attempts were defeated by Pakistani forces in the area.
The past week saw heightened tensions, with both sides exchanging sharp statements. Pakistan suffered multiple casualties among security forces in intelligence-based operations against terrorists, while Afghanistan accused the former of violating its sovereignty.
The issue of terrorists using Afghan soil against Pakistan, along with frequent border skirmishes, has long strained ties between the two countries, with Islamabad repeatedly urging the interim Afghan government to stop allowing its territory to be used for attacks.
Islamabad maintains that its patience is wearing thin after a series of deadly attacks inside Pakistan that it blames on militants operating from Afghan territory. “Enough is enough, Pakistan government and armed forces’ patience has worn out,” Asif had said on Thursday in the National Assembly.
Kabul, however, denies allegations of providing safe havens to these groups.
Afghan officials, meanwhile, publicly blamed Pakistan a day ago. The Afghan defence ministry said, “Once again, Pakistan violated Afghan airspace, bombed a civilian market in the Paktika airspace near the Durand Line, and also violated the territory of the capital Kabul.”
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited India earlier this week, marking India’s first high-level engagement with the Taliban government since it took power in 2021.
Speaking about the Thursday night explosion in Kabul during a press conference in New Delhi a day ago, Muttaqi had condemned the incident and Pakistan for its alleged role in it.
Earlier, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry did not directly respond when questioned whether Pakistan was responsible for the attacks. “To safeguard Pakistani lives and properties, what measures need to be taken will be taken,” he told reporters.
The Foreign Office had avoided directly acknowledging strikes in Kabul, instead framing Pakistan’s counter-terrorism actions as legitimate self-defence against militants operating from Afghan soil.
Speaking at a separate news conference in Peshawar, held almost simultaneously with the FO briefing, the ISPR DG also declined to confirm or deny whether the military had carried out strikes in Kabul. He nonetheless underscored Pakistan’s right and resolve to defend itself. “Afghanistan is being used as a base of operations for carrying out terrorism in Pakistan. There is also evidence of this,” he said.
Australian airline Qantas said on Sunday that data from 5.7 million customers stolen in a major cyberattack this year had been shared online, part of a leak affecting dozens of firms.
Disney, Google, Ikea, Toyota, McDonald’s, and fellow airlines Air France and KLM are also reported to have had data stolen in a cyberattack targeting software firm Salesforce, with the information now being held to ransom.
Salesforce said this month it was “aware of recent extortion attempts by threat actors”.
Qantas confirmed in July that hackers had targeted one of its customer contact centres, breaching a computer system used by a third party now known to have been Salesforce.
They secured access to sensitive information such as customer names, email addresses, phone numbers and birthdays, the blue-chip Australian company said.
No further breaches have taken place since, and the company is cooperating with Australian security services.
“Qantas is one of a number of companies globally that has had data released by cyber criminals following the airline’s cyber incident in early July, where customer data was stolen via a third-party platform,” the company said in a statement.
Most of the data leaked was names, email addresses and frequent flyer details, the firm said.
But some of the data included customers’ “business or home address, date of birth, phone number, gender and meal preferences”.
“No credit card details, personal financial information or passport details were impacted,” Qantas said.
It also said it had obtained a legal injunction with the Supreme Court of New South Wales, where the firm is headquartered, to prevent the stolen data from being “accessed, viewed, released, used, transmitted or published”.
Cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt told AFP that it would do little to prevent the spread of the data.
“It’s frankly ridiculous,” he said.
“It obviously doesn’t stop criminals at all anywhere, and it also really doesn’t have any effect on people outside of Australia.”
In response to questions about the leak, tech giant Google pointed AFP to an August statement in which it said one of its corporate Salesforce servers had been targeted. It did not confirm if the data had been leaked.
“Google responded to the activity, performed an impact analysis and has completed email notifications to the potentially affected businesses,” Melanie Lombardi, head of Google Cloud Security Communications, said.
Cybersecurity analysts have linked the hack to individuals with ties to an alliance of cybercriminals called Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters.
Research group Unit 42 said in a note that the group had “asserted responsibility for laying siege to customer Salesforce tenants as part of a coordinated effort to steal data and hold it for ransom”.
The hackers had reportedly set an October 10 deadline for ransom payment.
The hackers stole the sensitive data using a social engineering technique, referring to a tactic of manipulating victims by pretending to be a company representative or other trusted person, experts said.
The FBI last month issued a warning about such attacks targeting Salesforce.
The agency said hackers posing as IT workers had tricked customer support employees into granting them access to sensitive data.
“They have been very effective,” expert Hunt said.
“And it hasn’t been using any sophisticated technical exploits… they have exploited really the oldest tricks in the books.” The hack of data from Australia’s biggest airline comes as a string of major cyberattacks in the country has raised concerns about the protection of personal data.
Qantas apologised last year after a glitch with its mobile app exposed some passengers’ names and travel details.
And major ports handling 40 per cent of Australia’s freight trade ground to a halt in 2023 after hackers infiltrated computers belonging to operator DP World.
