ISLAMABAD: Ten Pakistani soldiers who lost their lives on Saturday in two separate militant attacks in the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces were laid to rest on Sunday with full military honors.
Captain Aaqib Javed, a young officer buried in his hometown of Sargodha who died in the Balochistan ambush, was to be married on August 24, a local news channel reported.
The bodies of all the soldiers were transported to their native cities and villages. Their relatives performed the final funeral rites, and uniformed personnel offered gun salutes and placed wreaths on their graves.
Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Imran Khan paid his condolences and respect to the ten fallen soldiers.
“I salute our armed forces personnel who continue to lay down their lives fighting terrorists to keep the nation safe. My condolences & prayers go to the families of the 10 brave soldiers, including an officer, martyred fighting terrorists in North Waziristan & Balochistan today,” Khan said in a Twitter post.
According to the Inter Services Public Relations, the military’s media wing, six Pakistani soldiers were killed near the Afghan border when “terrorists from across the border” fired on a patrol in the North Wazirstan region.
The attack came after four paramilitary officials patrolling in southwestern Balochistan province were killed on Friday in an ambush by unidentified militants, the military said.
In a Twitter post on Saturday, Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa paid his respects to the martyrs and their families and said the military would “ensure defense and security of motherland at the cost of our sweat and blood.”
He said the attacks were the “dying efforts of frustrated inimical forces while Pakistan moves from stability to enduring peace.”
It’s time for the world to facilitate regional peace,” he said.
Pakistani soldiers laid to rest with full military honors
Pakistani soldiers laid to rest with full military honors
- Ten Pakistani soldiers were killed in two separate attacks within hours of each other
- Will ensure defence and security of motherland at the cost of our sweat and blood, says army chief
Pakistan approves halal meat export policy, targets expansion in Muslim, global markets
- Pakistan’s total production of halal meat stands at six million metric tons annually, PM Office says
- Pakistan exported meat such as beef, mutton and poultry worth $512 million in 2024, official data states
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday approved Pakistan’s halal meat export policy, directing authorities to draw up a three-year action plan aimed at targeting Muslim and global markets, his office said.
Pakistan has attempted in recent months to increase its halal meat exports to other Muslim countries, such as Malaysia. Both countries announced they had agreed to a $200 million halal meat trade quota during Sharif’s visit to the country in October.
Sharif chaired a meeting on Thursday to review Pakistan’s halal meat export policy, in which officials informed him that Pakistan’s halal meat production stands at 6 million metric tons. Officials told the prime minister that after fulfilling local demand, a substantial quantity of the meat is available for export.
“A coordinated and comprehensive strategy, developed in collaboration with all relevant federal ministries and provincial governments, is essential to secure a significant share for Pakistan in the halal meat markets of Muslim countries and worldwide,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) quoted Sharif as saying.
A 2024 report by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said the country exported meat worth $512 million last year, which included beef, mutton and poultry.
The new export strategy outlines regulatory reforms, disease control measures and upgraded slaughterhouse standards that fulfill the global criteria.
Sharif directed authorities to present a proposal within two weeks to improve cold storage facilities and halal meat production in accordance with global standards. He also called for the establishment of centers, in cooperation with the government, to enhance meat production and its nutritional value.
The prime minister assured that his government would provide support for international certification of local slaughterhouses and for their bilateral registration with other countries.
“Special steps will be taken to ensure slaughterhouses are disease-free and meet international hygiene and sanitation standards, the prime minister directed,” the PMO statement said.
According to the PBS, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) remained Pakistan’s top meat export market in 2024 with exports to the Gulf nation reaching $201 million. Meanwhile, meat exports to Saudi Arabia recorded a growth of 65.1 percent last year at $141 million.
Other major destinations for meat exports include Kuwait, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Kazakhstan, while China and Kyrgyzstan are among new markets where Pakistan exports meat.
Private Pakistani companies have also stepped up efforts recently to boost meat exports to Muslim countries and other nations.
In September, Karachi-based private company, The Organic Meat Company Limited (TOMCL), secured a $7.5 million order to export cooked or heat-treated frozen boneless beef to China, followed by an $8.1 million contract with Gold Crest Trading FZE for frozen boneless beef exports to the UAE for industrial and household processing.
In November, TOMCL said it was targeting the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Chinese, Canadian and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets to expand its global footprint.
