KARACHI: Every year in Pakistan, while televisions boom with the news of Eid moon-sighting, one southern fishing town still feels the nostalgia of old Arab cannons going off to announce the holy festival.
The city of Gwadar, a natural hammerhead-shaped headland, was relinquished by the Sultanate of Oman in 1958 when Pakistan purchased it for Rs5.5 billion. The city is central to the multi-billion-dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and is situated on a tapered and sandy 12 km long strip that links the Pakistani coast to rocky outcroppings in the Arabian Sea.
Before Pakistan took reign of the fishing town, rituals in the area were a mix of local and Arab traditions, locals say.
“In our childhood... we would stand at a distance and witness the scene,” Hasan Ali Sohail, an author and local historian, told Arab News.
First, nitrous would be put inside the cannon and then sacks pressed inside to strengthen it, he said.
“All those sacks would fly skyward and when they would fall down, we would run, pick them and run toward our homes while shouting,” Sohail laughed. “This was an expression of happiness in those days.”
“The scene is still fresh in my mind despite the passage of over seven decades.”
A cannon would be placed right in front of the residence of the Wali-e-Gwadar (administrator of the city) he continued, and when the moon of Ramadan or Eid would be sighted, the people would be informed through the firing.
“When the Arab soldier would get news of the moon-sighting, a rod on fire would be inserted inside the cannon, and when the iron branding reached the sacks, he would run back and stand at a distance.”
Muhammad Akbar, 80, who was a young fisherman then, has similar memories of the Eid cannon.
“I still remember that on one Eid, while I accompanied my father for deep sea fishing, we heard the sound (of the cannon), and we turned back and anchored our fishing boat, and hurried toward home,” Akber said.
Despite the passage of time, all the old rituals haven’t faded, and some links with the former state have stayed strong.
“We still break our fasts like Arabs,” Akbar told Arab News.
Unlike the rest of the country, the people of Gwadar consume a substantial quantity of dates and lassi (yogurt-based drink) during Ramadan and have their dinner after Tarawih prayers. Sukoun, an Arabian dish, is also made and shared by the people of the town.
Noor Mohsin, a local journalist, told Arab News that thousands of Gwadar locals possess dual Pakistani and Omani nationality and live and work between the two countries.
“There is a strong bond the people of Gwadar feel with Arabs... which will always remain intact,” Mohsin added.
In Pakistan’s Gwadar, every Eid brings nostalgia for an Arab cannon blast
https://arab.news/p65rw
In Pakistan’s Gwadar, every Eid brings nostalgia for an Arab cannon blast
- Gwadar, once a tiny fishing town and now a port city centric to the multi-billion dollar CPEC, remained part of Oman from 1783 to 1958
- Thousands of Gwadar locals have dual Pakistani and Omani nationality, and continue to live and work between the two countries
Pakistan Air Force conducts ‘Exercise Golden Eagle’ to test combat readiness, agility
- The exercise follows an intense, four-day Pakistan-India military conflict in May 2025
- It focused on AI-enabled operations integrating disruptive technologies, military says
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has conducted “Exercise Golden Eagle” that successfully validated its combat readiness and operational agility through synchronized employment of the PAF’s complete combat potential, the Pakistani military said on Tuesday.
It comes months after Pakistan’s four-day military conflict with India in May, with Islamabad claiming victory in the standoff after the PAF claimed to have shot down at least six Indian fighter aircraft, including the French-made Rafale. New Delhi acknowledged some losses but did not specify a number.
The exercise was conducted on a Two-Force construct, focusing on AI-enabled, net-centric operations while integrating indigenous niche, disruptive and smart technologies in line with evolving regional security dynamics, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
Operating within a robust Integrated Air Defense System, friendly forces shaped the battlespace through seamless fusion of kinetic operations with cyber, space and electro-magnetic spectrum operations.
“The kinetic phase featured First-Shoot, First-Kill swing-role combat aircraft equipped with long-range BVR air-to-air missiles, extended-range stand-off weapons and precision strike capabilities, supported by Airborne Early Warning & Control platforms and Air-to-Air Refuelers,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“A key highlight of the exercise was Manned–Unmanned Teaming, with deep-reach killer drones and loitering munitions operating in a highly contested, congested and degraded environment, validating PAF’s capability to conduct high-tempo operations in modern warfare.”
In recent months, many countries have stepped up defense engagement with Pakistan, while delegations from multiple nations have proposed learning from the PAF’s multi-domain air warfare capabilities that officials say were successfully employed during the May conflict.
“The successful conduct of Exercise Golden Eagle reaffirms Pakistan Air Force’s unwavering commitment to maintaining a high state of operational preparedness, leveraging indigenous innovation and effectively countering emerging and future security challenges,” the ISPR added.
