Pakistani delegation in China for talks

In this file photo, Pakistani policemen stand guard during the unveiling ceremony of the first set of carriages of Lahore Orange Line MetroTrain in Lahore on October 8, 2017. (ARIF ALI/AFP)
Updated 18 August 2018
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Pakistani delegation in China for talks

  • China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has across the board political and institutional support in Pakistan, Chairman Senate said
  • The Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister expressed confidence on weather strategic partnership between two countries

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani delegation led by Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani held talks on Friday in Beijing with Wang Yang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
Sanjrani said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has across-the-board political and institutional support in Pakistan, and CPEC projects are progressing smoothly.
Pakistan hopes that work on the new Gwadar International Airport and other social welfare projects will accelerate with Chinese assistance, he added.
Sanjrani gave assurances of continued bilateral cooperation and Pakistan’s commitment to CPEC in the wake of the change in political leadership in the country.
The China Power company is helping meet Pakistan’s energy needs, and is a source of confidence and trust between the two countries, he said.


Security forces kill four militants in Pakistan’s volatile southwest, military says

Updated 13 January 2026
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Security forces kill four militants in Pakistan’s volatile southwest, military says

  • Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land area bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has long been the site of a low-level insurgency
  • The Balochistan government has recently established a threat assessment center to strengthen early warning, prevent ‘terrorism’ incidents

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces gunned down four militants in an intelligence-based operation in the southwestern Balochistan province, the military said on Tuesday.

The operation was conducted in Balochistan’s Kalat district on reports about the presence of militants, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.

The “Indian-sponsored militants” were killed in an exchange of fire during the operation, while weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the deceased, who remained actively involved in numerous militant activities.

“Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored terrorist found in the area,” the ISPR said in a statement.

There was no immediate response from New Delhi to the statement.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land area bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has long been the site of a low-level insurgency involving Baloch separatist groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF).

Pakistan accuses India of supporting these separatist militant groups and describes them as “Fitna Al-Hindustan.” New Delhi denies the allegation.

The government in Balochistan has also established a state-of-the-art threat assessment center to strengthen early warning and prevention against “terrorism” incidents, a senior official said this week.

“Information that was once scattered is now shared and acted upon in time, allowing the state to move from reacting after incidents to preventing them before they occur,” Balochistan Additional Chief Secretary Hamza Shafqaat wrote on X.

The development follows a steep rise in militancy-related deaths in Pakistan in 2025. According to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) last month, combat-related deaths in 2025 rose 73 percent to 3,387.

These included 2,115 militants, 664 security forces personnel, 580 civilians and 28 members of pro-government peace committees, the think tank said.