Khalilzad appreciates Pakistan’s efforts for Afghan peace in meeting with army chief 

US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, third left, and Pakistan's army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, fourth right, meeting at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Nov. 2, 2020. (Photo courtesy: ISPR)
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Updated 02 November 2020
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Khalilzad appreciates Pakistan’s efforts for Afghan peace in meeting with army chief 

  • US special representative in Islamabad as talks between a Kabul government delegation and Taliban insurgents ongoing in Doha
  • Progress in peace talks has been slow amid rising violence in Afghanistan that has sapped trust

ISLAMABAD: Zalmay Khalilzad, United States Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, called on Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday and appreciated Pakistan’s ‘untiring’ efforts to facilitate peace talks in Afghanistan to end almost two decades of war. 

Talks between a Kabul government delegation and the Taliban have been going on in Doha since mid-September, but progress has been slow amid rising violence in Afghanistan that has sapped trust.

On Monday, gunmen stormed Kabul University, killing students in their classrooms and firing on others as they fled, in the second attack on an educational institution in the city in just over a week. 

“Regional security situation, Afghan peace process with particular reference to border management and way forward for lasting peace in Afghanistan were discussed during the meeting,” a statement from the Pakistani military said. “Visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan's untiring efforts for facilitating the process towards the mutual objective of peace in the region.”

In a separate statement, the Pakistani foreign office condemned Monday’s attack on Kabul University.

“This act of terrorism is particularly despicable as it targeted an institution of learning,” the foreign office said. “We extend our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish speedy recovery to the wounded. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the Afghan people in this hour of grief and sorrow.”
“Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and will continue to support a peaceful and stable Afghanistan,” the statement added.  

Nearly 6,000 Afghan civilians have been killed or wounded in the first nine months of the year as heavy fighting between government forces and Taliban insurgents rages on despite efforts to find peace, the United Nations said last week.


Pakistan launches nationwide polio campaign to immunize over 45 million children

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Pakistan launches nationwide polio campaign to immunize over 45 million children

  • Pakistan, Afghanistan are only countries where polio remains an endemic
  • Health officials have confirmed 10 polio cases in Pakistan so far this year

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched a third nationwide anti-polio vaccination campaign of this year that aims to inoculate 45 million children under five, the country’s polio program said on Sunday.

The campaign was formally inaugurated by Ayesha Raza Farooq, the prime minister’s focal person for polio eradication, who administered oral polio vaccine and Vitamin A drops to children under five at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) in Islamabad.

Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with the completion of the routine immunization schedule for all children are essential to ensure strong immunity against the disease.

Pakistan has confirmed 10 cases so far this year, according to the polio program. Environmental surveillance has detected the virus in 272 sewage samples from 127 testing sites, across 68 districts, signaling continued circulation.

“Polio eradication is not just a health goal — it is a national imperative and a matter of immense pride for our country,” Farooq said.

“This third campaign of 2025 marks a decisive milestone in our 2-4-6 roadmap. These back-to-back rounds from September 2024 to May 2025 represent our most strategic opportunity to close immunity gaps and halt virus circulation before the high transmission season begins.”

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic.

The polio program described the weeklong campaign as a critical intervention in Pakistan’s “final push” to interrupt poliovirus transmission and achieve eradication by end of 2025.

Farooq acknowledged persistent challenges in areas such as Karachi, southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Quetta, but noted encouraging progress in reaching previously underserved populations.

Around 400,000 frontline workers, including 225,000 woman vaccinators, are powering the campaign, according to the polio program.

Speaking at the event, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Abdullah Fadil, who just concluded his tenure, expressed confidence in the program’s direction.

“Pakistan is closer than ever to making history. With continued political will, community engagement, and coordinated action by all partners, I believe this country can soon achieve a polio-free future,” he said.

Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994, but efforts to eradicate the virus have been repeatedly undermined by vaccine misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners who claim that immunization is a foreign plot to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western espionage.

Militant groups have also frequently targeted polio vaccination teams and the security personnel assigned to protect them, often resulting in deadly attacks.

The polio program has urged public to cooperate with vaccination teams and report any missed children via the Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline 1166 or the WhatsApp Helpline at 0346-7776546.


Champions to be crowned as Lahore, Quetta face off in PSL final today

Updated 25 May 2025
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Champions to be crowned as Lahore, Quetta face off in PSL final today

  • The showdown begins this evening at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium with major prize money on the line
  • Shaheen Afridi-led Lahore Qalandars aim for a third PSL title and a historic win on home ground

KARACHI: Defending champions Lahore Qalandars will face 2019 winners Quetta Gladiators in the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) today, Sunday, with both sides aiming to make history in the tenth edition of the country’s premier T20 tournament.

The final will be played under lights at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium, with the match set to begin at 7:30 p.m. local time. A reserve day has been scheduled for Monday in case of rain.

The winner will walk away with $500,000 in prize money, while the runners-up will receive $200,000.

Either the Shaheen Shah Afridi-led Qalandars will become only the second team in PSL history to win three titles, or the Saud Shakeel-led Gladiators will lift their second trophy after a six-year gap.

Qalandars fought their way into the final through the playoffs, knocking out Karachi Kings and Islamabad United, while Quetta topped the points table and beat Islamabad in the qualifier to book their spot.

“I’m thrilled and honored to be leading Quetta Gladiators to an HBL PSL final and we will do our best to lift the trophy,” Shakeel said. “Qaddafi Stadium really has been a lucky venue for us where we have won five out of our six games and will look to continue the winning momentum.”

Afridi said Lahore were aiming for a title hat trick on home turf.

“We are buzzing to feature in our third HBL PSL final in the last four editions and our aim is to complete the treble at our home ground,” he said.

Lahore, who finished fourth in the group stage, will take confidence from their previous outing against Quetta, where they secured a commanding 79-run win before their second encounter was washed out.

Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Naeem have led the charge with the bat for Qalandars, while Shaheen, Haris Rauf and Rishad Hossain have spearheaded the bowling attack.

Quetta, meanwhile, have enjoyed a dramatic turnaround after finishing last in 2023.

Their success this season has been fueled by consistent performances from Hasan Nawaz, Rilee Rossouw and a bowling unit featuring Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Amir.

Both captains promised a highly competitive final to close out what has been a landmark 34-match edition of the HBL PSL.


Gunmen kill journalist in southwestern Pakistan

Updated 24 May 2025
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Gunmen kill journalist in southwestern Pakistan

  • Latif Baloch, who worked for a national news channel and a local newspaper, was killed in Awaran district
  • According to Freedom Network Pakistan, 53 journalists were killed in the country between 2012 and 2022

QUETTA: Unknown armed men stormed a house in Balochistan’s Awaran district in the early hours of Saturday and killed a journalist working for a mainstream news channel and a local newspaper, a Levies official said.

The killing took place in Mashkay, a remote town in the mountainous Awaran district, regarded as a stronghold of Baloch separatist groups, particularly the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF).

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, is home to a separatist insurgency led by ethnic Baloch groups, which Islamabad accuses of being backed by India.

New Delhi denies the allegation.

Earlier this month, Pakistan blamed India for a deadly attack on a school van in Khuzdar district that killed eight people, including six schoolchildren.

Zulqarnain Baloch, a Levies official in Mashkay, told Arab News that unidentified gunmen entered journalist Latif Baloch’s house at 3 a.m. and shot him dead while he was asleep with his family.

“The attackers only targeted him,” he said, adding: “Motives behind the murder are being investigated.”

According to the Press Freedom Network, an advocacy organization for media rights in Pakistan, 53 journalists were killed in the country between 2012 and 2022.

Hameedullah Sherani, the network’s provincial coordinator in Balochistan, said journalists in the province face serious threats while carrying out their work.

“Journalists in Balochistan have been working under threats by the state and non-state actors,” he said. “More than 40 journalists in Balochistan have lost their lives in the line of duty over the last two decades.”

The Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) strongly condemned the killing and called for a high-level investigation.

“The provincial government must arrest the attackers behind the killing of Latif Baloch,” said Khalil Ahmed, BUJ president. “Journalists are already facing severe threats in the sensitive region of Balochistan. The government has to take immediate action for the safety of working journalists.”

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, remains one of Pakistan’s most dangerous regions for journalists.


Pakistan’s Punjab reports eight deaths, 45 injuries in rain and storm-related incidents

Updated 24 May 2025
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Pakistan’s Punjab reports eight deaths, 45 injuries in rain and storm-related incidents

  • Deaths were primarily caused by collapsing dilapidated structures during extreme downpour in different cities
  • A fresh advisory warns of potential damage to weak infrastructure as hail and heavy rain remain in forecast

KARACHI: Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province on Saturday released a preliminary report on damages caused by heavy rain and stormy weather, saying eight people were killed and 45 others injured in different cities as strong winds, lightning and hail battered parts of the country.

The report followed a weather alert issued a day earlier by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), warning of thunderstorms, gusty winds, dust storms and rain in parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Islamabad.

As the day progressed, heavy rain and hailstorms struck the federal capital and parts of KP after dark clouds gathered overhead. In Swat, torrential rain lashed the region with reports of hail in some areas and surging waters in local rivers and streams.

In Punjab’s major cities, including Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Jhelum and Lahore, the storm brought strong winds and poor visibility, prompting authorities to temporarily shut down sections of the motorway for safety.

“Eight citizens lost their lives and 45 others were injured due to storm and rain-related incidents,” the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Punjab said in a statement. “Fatalities occurred in Rawalpindi (1), Jhelum (3), Sheikhupura (1), Nankana Sahib (1), Sialkot (1) and Mianwali (1).”

The PDMA said deaths were primarily caused by collapsing dilapidated structures or being in unsafe locations during the storm. Heavy downpour damaged several mud and old brick houses in many of these places, while in Lahore, incidents of fallen trees and damaged solar panels were also reported.

According to PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia, all district emergency operations centers have been activated, while the provincial control room is monitoring the situation round-the-clock.

“Citizens are advised to avoid unnecessary travel during severe weather and stay away from electric poles and hanging wires,” he warned.

“People should remain indoors during lightning storms and ensure children stay away from weak or damaged buildings,” he added.

Kathia said financial assistance would be provided to affected families in accordance with the provincial administration’s policy.

A fresh advisory issued Saturday evening by the National Weather Forecasting Center in Islamabad warned of potential damage to weak infrastructure, including electricity poles, trees, vehicles and solar panels, due to thunderstorms, hail and heavy rain expected overnight and into Sunday.

Pakistan has increasingly faced extreme weather events, including droughts, heatwaves and floods, linked to climate change. In 2022, it witnessed unprecedented monsoon rains that submerged much of the country, killing about 1,700 people and causing infrastructure losses exceeding $35 billion.


WWF-Pakistan hails community-led efforts to protect markhor on international awareness day

Updated 24 May 2025
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WWF-Pakistan hails community-led efforts to protect markhor on international awareness day

  • Markhors are large wild goats native to the mountainous regions of South and Central Asia
  • They are Pakistan’s national animal and are currently listed as ‘Near Threatened’ by IUCN

KARACHI: A leading conservation group in Pakistan on Saturday praised local communities for helping protect the endangered markhor species, saying people’s efforts had reversed population decline and expanded habitat ranges, as the country marked the International Day of the Markhor.

Markhors are large wild goats native to the mountainous regions of South and Central Asia, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and parts of the Himalayan range. They are Pakistan’s national animal and are currently listed as “Near Threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world’s oldest and largest global environmental network, due to habitat loss, poaching and human disturbance.

The World Wide Fund for Nature’s Pakistan office (WWF-Pakistan) credited close coordination between communities, conservationists and government departments in regions such as Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan for positive conservation outcomes.

“Through capacity-building programs and engagement of local communities in conservation initiatives, a positive population trend has been observed in the markhor species,” it said in a statement.

Observed annually on May 24, the International Day of the Markhor was designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2024 to raise awareness of the species’ ecological importance and the need for its protection.

“Conservation is not just about saving a species, but it is about preserving our shared future in harmony with nature,” said Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General of WWF-Pakistan.

The organization noted the International Day of the Markhor was an opportunity to recognize the ecological value of mountain landscapes, raise awareness of conservation challenges and honor the communities that helped pull the species back from the brink of extinction.