ISLAMABAD: Former unified light-welterweight world champion, Amir Khan, has said that India should leave Kashmiris alone and let them live their life their way.
The boxer is currently in Pakistan and visited the Line of Control (LoC) that divides the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir into two parts each administratively controlled by Pakistan and India respectively, on Tuesday on a trip arranged by the Pakistan army.
“Everybody would want India to leave them [Kashmiris] alone and let them live their life,” he said in an exclusive interview to Arab News Wednesday night.
Khan said that he visited the LoC with the objective of drawing international attention to the misery of the Kashmiri people who have been living under a security lockdown in Indian Administered Kashmir since August 5 and suffering on Pakistani side of Kashmir owing to India’s cease-fire violations. “It’s a tough time through which Kashmiris are passing. We should all support them,” he said.
The internationally acclaimed boxer lauded the resilience shown by Kashmiri people living on the Pakistani side of the border in the face of “continuous crossfire” at the LoC.
“Literally one kilometer out there (on the Pakistani side), people were out, they were shopping and living a normal life. Their kids were going to schools and everything seemed normal. But near the border, the security was very tight,” he added.
He said that during his LoC visit, he had been just around 40 meters away from an Indian bunker and could see Indian army soldiers carrying weapons across the border.
“I did feel a little bit unsafe there but I went to the areas to see everything. I wanted to meet the people who were injured and are in hospital,” Khan said.
Asked if he would like to visit Indian-administered Kashmir, Khan said he wouldn’t given the conflict and chaos there.
“To be honest I would not like to go to Indian side of Kashmir as I have kids and family so I don’t want to put my life at risk by going there,” the boxer said. “The reason I don’t want to go there as there are a lot of killing going on there. The whole area and cities are closed down there.”
Khan urged the prime ministers of Pakistan and India to “sit together” with the people of Kashmir and resolve the crisis over the disputed region in a manner that there was no more bloodshed.
“I think both prime ministers of Pakistan and India along with Kashmiris should sit down together and resolve this [conflict] in a way that there is not going to be any killings,” Khan told Arab News in an interview. “There should not be any more killings there [Indian-administered Kashmir) … I feel the best way to do it is by sitting down and speaking about it [the conflict] to resolve the situation.”
He also urged the world community and the United Nations to intervene to resolve the Kashmir conflict.
“The UN definitely has to be involved in this,” the boxer said. “If the UN gets involved, I think it will make a big difference.”
Seeking to tighten its grip on the region, India on August 5 withdrew special rights for Jammu and Kashmir state, and anticipating unrest against the move, cut off almost all communications, prohibited assemblies of more than four people and detained hundreds of political and separatist leaders.
The constitutional change will mean that non-residents will be able to buy property, get government jobs and take college places in the state, infuriating Kashmiris who say India is trying to change the demographics of its only Muslim-majority state and impose its will on the region without giving the people a chance of self-determination.
Protests have broken out in the valley after August 5, with media reporting at least 500 protests and incidents of stone throwing, in which over 100 civilians have been injured.
India should let Kashmiris be, says boxer Amir Khan after visiting LoC
India should let Kashmiris be, says boxer Amir Khan after visiting LoC
- Says the visit aims to catch international attention to the suffering of Kashmiri people
- Urges Indian and Pakistani leaders to “sit together” to resolve Kashmir issue
Saudi company eyes multi-sector projects in Pakistan worth $200 million each — ministry
- Delegation from Saudi firm Kyan explores investment in energy, mining, IT and agriculture
- Talks come amid Pakistan’s push to attract Gulf capital and boost foreign investment inflows
ISLAMABAD: A Saudi company is exploring potential multi-sector investment projects in Pakistan with an estimated minimum value of $200 million per scheme, Pakistan’s ministry of information said on Wednesday.
The development comes as Pakistan seeks to attract increased foreign direct investment from Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, as part of efforts to stabilize its economy, improve investor confidence and expand industrial capacity. Saudi Arabia has in recent years pledged billions of dollars in potential investments across Pakistan’s mining, energy and infrastructure sectors, though several projects remain at exploratory or negotiation stages.
According to the ministry of Information, a delegation from Saudi firm Kyan visited Islamabad and expressed interest in investing in sectors including energy, mining, information technology, agriculture and livestock. The delegation participated in the “Indus AI Week” organized by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and held meetings with Federal Minister for Board of Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh.
“The delegation shared proposals for various potential projects with an estimated minimum investment of USD 200 million for each project and also conveyed their interest in bringing additional Saudi investors to Pakistan,” the information ministry said.
Welcoming the delegation, Sheikh highlighted Pakistan’s market size and geographic position.
“With a population of over 250 million, Pakistan represents a large and dynamic market,” the minister said, adding that the country’s location provides access to landlocked Central Asian states, making it an attractive hub for regional trade and investment.
The ministry statement said the Board of Investment offered facilitation through its Business Facilitation Center, which provides a single-window mechanism for investor approvals and coordination. Sheikh also assured the delegation of support in arranging meetings with the business community and visits to Special Economic Zones, where incentives include income tax and import duty exemptions.
The minister referred to recent engagements between Pakistani and Saudi officials and reiterated that both countries could work to unlock new avenues of bilateral investment and economic cooperation, according to the statement.
Saudi Arabia is among Pakistan’s largest sources of worker remittances and has emerged as a key partner in Islamabad’s efforts to secure external financing and long-term investment commitments in recent years.
