ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s major opposition parties on Tuesday urged the government to dispatch “multiparty delegations of parliamentarians” to key world capitals as special envoys to highlight human rights abuses in the disputed Kashmir region where a security clampdown and communications blackout was imposed almost two weeks ago.
On August 5, India removed the decades-old autonomy the Muslim-majority territory of Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed under the Indian constitution. The move blocks the territory’s right to frame its own laws, opens the door for residents of all parts to buy property and compete for government jobs and college spots, and has raised fears that the region will be flooded with outsiders.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise move has also increased tensions with arch rival Pakistan which lays claim to Kashmir and has accused India of human rights violations in the territory at the heart of more than 70 years of hostility between the two countries, both of whom have nuclear weapons.
Islamabad has recently been lobbying the United States, European countries and international bodies like the United Nations against India’s unilateral decision to strip Kashmir of its special status. In the past, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the two countries to refrain from any steps that could affect Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
In Aug 2016, the last government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had appointed 22 special envoys who traveled to key capitals to lobby for Indian-held Kashmir after deadly protests broke out over the killing of a popular freedom fighter, Burhan Wani, in a gunfight with Indian security forces.
“The government needs to dispatch special multiparty delegations to world capitals to tell the world about Indian human rights violations in Kashmir,” Taj Haider, senior leader of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, told Arab News.
Referring to a United Nations report this July that accused India of human rights violations in Kashmir and called for the formation of a commission of inquiry into the allegations, Haider too urged the government to push the UN on the inquiry body.
“The US and European countries are very sensitive to human rights abuses, and we need to put the case of Kashmiris effectively at the UN and other international forums,” Haider said.
Last week, the 15-member United Nations Security Council met behind closed doors at the request of China and Pakistan to discuss the Kashmir situation, but did not issue a statement after the United States, France and Germany objected. Such statements are agreed by consensus.
Senator Raja Zafarul Haq of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party said the government should not have celebrated the UNSC’s session on Kashmir as “this was convened on the request of China and prorogued without giving any direction to resolve the decades-old dispute.”
“We cannot plead the case of our Kashmiri brothers effectively on international forums until we forge domestic political unity,” he told Arab News, urging the government to utilize all resources to internationalize the Kashmir dispute with the support of opposition parties.
Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi has described her country’s push for last Friday’s Security Council meeting as “the first and not the last step.” She said it was the first time in more than 50 years that the council had taken up the issue.
“The fact that this meeting took place is testimony to the fact that this is an internationally recognized dispute,” Lodhi had told reporters. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir may be locked up ... but their voices were heard today at the United Nations.”
The Security Council adopted several resolutions in 1948 and in the 1950s on the dispute between India and Pakistan over the region, including one which says a plebiscite should be held to determine the future of mostly Muslim Kashmir. Another resolution also calls upon both sides to “refrain from making any statements and from doing or causing to be done or permitting any acts which might aggravate the situation.”
UN peacekeepers have been deployed since 1949 to observe a cease-fire between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.
US President Donald Trump spoke to Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday urging them to reduce tensions over Kashmir. “A tough situation, but good conversations!” Trump said in a Twitter post after the calls.
Pakistani opposition urges government to send Kashmir envoys to lobby in key capitals
Pakistani opposition urges government to send Kashmir envoys to lobby in key capitals
- Last government of Nawaz Sharif appointed 22 parliamentarians as special envoys on Kashmir in August 2016
- Pakistan is already lobbying the US, European countries and multilateral bodies since India revoked Kashmir's special status on Aug 5
Pakistan, Iran agree to strengthen bilateral ties to tackle regional militancy
- Pakistan’s planning minister meets Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Raza Amiri Moghaddam
- Pakistan, Iran both blame each other for not doing enough to root out militancy in border areas
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Raza Amiri Moghaddam on Thursday agreed to strengthen bilateral relations between their countries to reduce militancy in the region, state-run media reported.
Pakistan and Iran are often at odds with each other over instability on their shared border. Both countries have routinely blamed each other for not rooting out militancy. Small separatist groups in Pakistan have been behind a long-running insurgency, calling for gas and oil-rich Balochistan’s independence from the central government in Islamabad.
Pakistani anti-Iran militants have also targeted the Iranian border in recent years, increasing friction between the countries.
“Pakistan and Iran have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations to reduce tendencies of terrorism and extremism in the region,” the state-run Radio Pakistan said.
Radio Pakistan said the agreement to bolster bilateral ties was reached between Moghaddam and Iqbal during a meeting in Islamabad.
“The Planning Minister emphasized the importance of enhancing connectivity through trade routes, considering the 900-kilometer shared land and maritime border,” he said.
Tensions reached a head in January between Pakistan and Iran after they exchanged airstrikes against alleged militant targets in each other’s territories. Both countries since then have made efforts to ease tensions and promote bilateral trade with each other.
Pakistan’s stock exchange closes at all-time high amid expectations of fresh IMF deal
- Pakistan Stock Exchange closes at all-time high of 67,142.12 points, registering an increase of 594.34 points from Wednesday
- Analysts link recent surge to possibility of Pakistan reaching another bailout agreement with IMF, privatizing national airline
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed its highest closing in history on Thursday as the benchmark KSE-100 index closed at 67,142.12 points, with analysts linking the recent surge to market expectations of the possibility of a successful deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for another bailout program.
The benchmark index settled at 67,142.12 points on Thursday at the close of trading, registering an increase of 594.34 points or 0.89 percent. This makes it the stock market’s highest closing in history, the previous highest being 66,547.78 points a day earlier.
Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached a staff-level agreement last Wednesday which would pave the way for the release of $1.1 billion for the cash-strapped South Asian country. Pakistan has expressed its interest in securing a new loan under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program with the IMF.
Financial expert and journalist Faseeh Mangi said the Pakistan Stock Exchange is one of the best performers in the world “in a rally that started last year after Pakistan avoided a default.”
“The latest surge is on possible IMF deal, PIA sale,” Mangi wrote on X on Wednesday, referring to the government’s plans to privatize Pakistan International Airlines, its national airline.
Topline Securities’ Deputy Head of Sales Ali Najib said the index had finally breached the 66,000 barrier, saying it could be attributed to “positive vibes from the IMF, rejuvenated foreign interest at historically low valuations and progress on SOE privatization.”
Shehbaz Sharif, who was elected prime minister for a second term earlier this month, faces the daunting challenge of negotiating a long-term financial bailout program with the IMF. Pakistan’s fragile $350-billion economy is in desperate need of external financing to shore up its foreign exchange reserves and escape a looming macroeconomic crisis.
For Pakistan, committing to a new IMF program, however, will mean committing to steps needed to stay on a narrow path to recovery. This would limit policy options to provide relief to a deeply frustrated population and cater to industries that are looking for government support to spur growth.
Inflation touched a high of 38 percent with record depreciation of the rupee currency under Sharif’s last government from April 2022 to August 2023, mainly due to structural reforms necessitated by the IMF program. Pakistan continues to be enmeshed in economic crisis with inflation remaining high, hovering around 30 percent, and economic growth slowing to around 2 percent.
Tickets for Pakistan’s home series against New Zealand to go on sale from tomorrow
- Pakistan will play against New Zealand in Rawalpindi and Lahore venues from April 18-27
- Series will help prepare both sides for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in USA and West Indies
ISLAMABAD: The tickets for Pakistan’s upcoming T20I home cricket series against New Zealand will go on sale from tomorrow, Friday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement on Thursday.
The five-match series is scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi on April 18, 20 and 21 and in Lahore on April 25 and 27.
“In the first phase, the pre-booking of the online tickets will start on Friday at 5pm at pcb.tcs.com.pk,” the PCB said. “The sale of physical tickets along with outlet addresses will be announced in due course.”
The PCB said tickets for the Rawalpindi leg of the matches will be available at a minimum cost of Rs500 ($1.80) and the maximum will be available for Rs7,500 ($26.98) for the VVIP Gallery. Additionally, hospitality seats will be available at a maximum amount of PKR 15,000 ($53.97) except for the first T20I where the hospitality seats will be available for PKR 12,000 ($43.17).
For the Lahore leg, ticket prices start at Rs300 ($1.08) for the general seats while the maximum ticket prices will be Rs6,000 ($21.59) for the fourth T20I while Rs7,000 ($25.19) for the fifth T20I (VVIP Gallery).
The series will be important for both sides as they gear up for this year’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024 which is scheduled to be held in June in the USA and West Indies.
Pakistan will lock horns with arch-rivals India on June 9 for a big-ticket clash at New York.
Pakistani interior minister, KP CM vow to improve coordination amid surge in attacks
- Five Chinese nationals were killed in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday in a bombing
- Interior minister, KP chief minister vow to bring perpetrators of attack to justice
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interior minister and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Thursday vowed to strengthen coordination between the center and the province to improve the law-and-order situation, the KP CM’s office said, amid a surge in terror attacks in the province.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvy arrived in Peshawar to meet Gandapur on Thursday to review the province’s law and order situation two days after five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the country’s volatile northwest.
The incident took place in KP’s Shangla where a bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into the vehicle of Chinese engineers and construction workers on Tuesday.
The attack occurred in an area vital to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which encompasses various mega projects crucial for Pakistan’s economy. The victims were en route to Dasu Dam, Pakistan’s largest hydropower project, when they were targeted.
“To improve the law-and-order situation in the province, both agreed to improve the coordination between law enforcement institutions on the federal and provincial levels,” a statement from the KP chief minister’s office said.
The two condemned the attack on the Chinese nationals and expressed their condolences to Beijing and the families of those who had been killed in the attack.
“The two expressed their resolve to bring all those involved in the incident to justice and put an end to terrorism,” the statement said.
Gandapur said it was his government’s top priority to ensure law and order in the province and to safeguard people’s lives.
Pakistan’s foreign office said on Thursday that Islamabad had enhanced the security of Chinese nationals after the attack.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said both Pakistani and Chinese governments were in contact after the tragic incident on March 26, adding they were fully committed to bringing the terrorists, along with their facilitators and abettors, to justice.
No group had claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion was likely to fall on separatists and the breakaway Gul Bahadur faction of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP.
The TTP is a separate group, but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban.
The TTP denied being behind the suicide bombing in a statement Wednesday, saying: “We are in no way related to the attack on the Chinese engineers.”
Tuesday’s attack came less than a week after Pakistani security forces killed eight Balochistan Liberation Army separatists who opened fire on a convoy carrying Chinese citizens outside the Chinese-funded Gwadar port in the volatile southwestern Balochistan province.
Pakistan says security of Chinese nationals enhanced after deadly attack
- Pakistan’s foreign office says the government fully understands Chinese security concerns after the attack
- It points out Pakistan has built a fence, introduced one document regime to secure its border with Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office said on Thursday the government has further enhanced the security of Chinese nationals only days after a deadly suicide bombing killed five of them along with their Pakistani driver in the country’s volatile northwest.
The incident took place in Shangla, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into the vehicle of Chinese engineers and construction workers on Tuesday.
The attack occurred in an area vital to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which encompasses various mega projects crucial for Pakistan’s economy. The victims were en route to Dasu Dam, Pakistan’s largest hydropower project, when they were targeted.
“I can reassure you that Pakistan has further enhanced the security of Chinese nationals,” foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters in a weekly media briefing in Islamabad.
She said both Pakistani and Chinese governments were in contact after the tragic incident on March 26, adding they were fully committed to bringing the terrorists, along with their facilitators and abettors, to justice.
“At this point, we are focusing on investigating the terror attack and ensuring that the dead bodies of the deceased are transported to their home country,” she added. “This is the first priority at this stage.”
Asked about the security concerns raised by the Chinese officials following the attack, Baloch said the Pakistani government fully understood their concerns.
“We are engaged with the Chinese officials at very senior level to discuss the arrangements for the safety of Chinese nationals and for the investigation of this particular terror incident,” she informed.
The foreign office spokesperson said Pakistan would continue to work with the Chinese authorities to ensure the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan.
“We have no doubt that the … terror attack [in Shangla] was orchestrated by the enemies of Pakistan-China friendship and together, we will resolutely act against all such forces and defeat them,” she emphasized.
In response to a question regarding Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif’s statement regarding the necessity for stronger border controls between Pakistan and Afghanistan, she clarified he was elaborating measures already taken by Pakistan to regulate travel between the two neighboring countries.
“Pakistan-Afghanistan border is an important border, and Pakistan has, over time, taken several measures to secure the border, including erecting a fence along the border,” she continued.
“Pakistan has also introduced one document regime under which individuals can travel to Pakistan on the basis of valid visas on their passports,” Baloch added.