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
World Bank president in Pakistan to discuss development projects, policy issues
- Pakistan, World Bank are currently gearing up to implement a 10-year partnership framework to grant $20 billion loans to the cash-strapped nation
- World Bank President Ajay Banga will hold meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials during the high-level visit
ISLAMABAD: World Bank President Ajay Banga has arrived in Pakistan to hold talks with senior government officials on development projects and key policy issues, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, as Islamabad seeks multilateral support to stabilize economy and accelerate growth.
The visit comes at a time when Pakistan and the World Bank are gearing up to implement a 10-year Country Partnership Framework (CPF) to grant $20 billion in loans to the cash-strapped nation.
The World Bank’s lending for Pakistan, due to start this year, will focus on education quality, child stunting, climate resilience, energy efficiency, inclusive development and private investment.
"World Bank President Ajay Banga arrives in Pakistan for a high-level visit," the state-run Pakistan TV Digital reported on Sunday. "During his stay, he will meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials to discuss economic reforms, development projects, and key policy issues."
Pakistan, which nearly defaulted on its foreign debt obligations in 2023, is currently making efforts to stabilize its economy under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
Besides efforts to boost trade and foreign investment, Islamabad has been seeking support from multilateral financial institutions to ensure economic recovery.
“This partnership fosters a unified and focused vision for your county around six outcomes with clear, tangible and ambitious 10-year targets,” Martin Raiser, the World Bank vice president for South Asia, had said at the launch of the CPF in Jan. last year.
“We hope that the CPF will serve as an anchor for this engagement to keep us on the right track. Partnerships will equally be critical. More resources will be needed to have the impact at the scale that we wish to achieve and this will require close collaboration with all the development partners.”
In Dec., the World Bank said it had approved $700 million in financing for Pakistan under a multi-year initiative aimed at supporting the country's macroeconomic stability and service delivery.
It followed a $47.9 million World Bank grant in August last year to improve primary education in Pakistan's most populous Punjab province.
