ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan warned on Friday that war between two nuclear powers was a threat to the entire world, as thousands rallied across Pakistan in mass demonstrations protesting Delhi’s move this month to remove the special status of Indian-administered Kashmir and impose a security clampdown on the region.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated since August 5 when India revoked the autonomy of the part of the Himalayan region of Kashmir that it administers and moved to quell objections by shutting down communications and clamping down on local leaders.
Pakistan has reacted with fury to India’s decision, cutting trade and transport ties and expelling India’s ambassador. Both countries claim Kashmir in full but rule it in part.
Cities around Pakistan came to a standstill from noon to 12:30 pm on Friday as tens of thousands of people poured onto the streets in a government-led demonstration of solidarity.
The Pakistani national anthem and an anthem for Kashmir played across television and radio, while traffic came to a standstill, traffic lights were switched off and trains stopped, as part of Khan’s campaign to draw global attention to the plight of the divided region.
“The world should know that if two nuclear countries [Pakistan and India] go to war, this will affect not only the subcontinent but also the whole world,” Khan told a charged crowd in Islamabad. “We want to tell Kashmiris that we all are standing with them and will continue to stand by them till they get freedom [from India],” Khan said.
The prime minister lamented what he called the silence of the United Nations and the international community in the face of the oppression of Muslims around the world.
“Had Kashmiris not been Muslims, the world would have raised a hue and cry,” Khan said, warning that if the international community failed to confront what he called the “fascist and racist” government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this would ultimately impact the whole world.
Khan also said India was mulling a false flag operation in Azad Kashmir, the part of Kashmir controlled by Pakistan, to divert the world’s attention from the crisis, but “if it does so, we are fully prepared to respond.”
Criticizing India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its parent body, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Khan said: “The RSS ideology has taken over India like Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party had taken over Germany and they think that Muslims should be taught a lesson.”
The prime minister said he would engage human rights organizations, celebrities and international media to highlight India’s human rights violations in Kashmir and raise the issue with international leaders and the United Nations General Assembly, which he will attend next month.
President Dr. Arif Alvi also addressed crowds in Islamabad, urging Pakistanis to unite for the country’s economic growth as “only a strong Pakistan can raise its voice for Kashmiris effectively.”
“I pray to God that in your and my lifetime, we see an independent Kashmir in which their rights are not repressed,” the president said.
Warning of war with India, PM Khan leads rallies to draw world's attention to Kashmir
Warning of war with India, PM Khan leads rallies to draw world's attention to Kashmir
- Addresses Kashmir solidarity rally, says Pakistan will stand by Kashmiris until they achieve freedom
- Compares Indian PM Modi’s his administration to Third Reich in Nazi Germany
Pakistan okays Bangladesh’s Biman to begin Dhaka-Karachi flights as ties warm up
- Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war
- Ties between both nations have warmed up since ouster of PM Sheikh Hasina, viewed as an India ally
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has granted Bangladesh’s national carrier, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, permission to begin flight operations between Dhaka and Karachi, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said on Friday, amid strengthening ties between the two countries.
Pakistan and Bangladesh used to be one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war, which saw the part previously referred to as East Pakistan seceding to form the independent nation of Bangladesh.
Ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have warmed up since the fall of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was widely viewed as close to India and critical of Pakistan, following a student-led uprising in August 2024.
Islamabad has attempted to forge closer ties with Dhaka in recent months after the two South Asian nations began sea trade in late 2024, which were followed by efforts to expand government-to-government commerce.
“Pakistan has granted Biman, the national flag carrier of Bangladesh, initial permission for three months up to March 26 to operate flights between Dhaka and Karachi,” a PCAA spokesperson told Arab News, adding that the duration could be extended.
The approval marks a significant step in restoring direct air connectivity between the two nations.
In Nov. last year, the now-privatized Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said it had signed a cargo agreement with Biman, aimed at streamlining air freight operations and boosting bilateral trade.
A PIA spokesperson said the agreement was part of PIA’s strategy to expand its cargo business and offer more competitive services to customers.
Pakistan has stepped up efforts to rebuild relations with Bangladesh as ties between Dhaka and New Delhi remain strained over India’s decision to grant asylum to Hasina after she fled the country.
In Feb. 2025, a cargo vessel sailed directly from Pakistan to Bangladesh for the first time in decades and successfully unloaded containers, port officials said.
The two countries signed six agreements last August, covering areas such as visa exemptions for diplomatic and official passport holders, trade cooperation, media collaboration and cultural exchanges, officials said.
Separately, Islamabad allowed Britain’s Norse Atlantic to operate flights to the South Asian country, the Pakistani defense minister announced late Thursday. The airline will operate direct flights from London, Manchester and Birmingham to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
“The increase in operations of international airlines to Pakistan will promote a competitive environment leading to world class service and balance in fares,” Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on X.
