ISLAMABAD: The chief of Pakistan’s top military spy agency, the ISI, on Saturday hosted a key security meeting of intelligence heads of regional countries, including China, to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, Pakistani media outlets widely reported on Sunday.
Though there was no official confirmation of the meeting by the Pakistani foreign office or military, an intelligence source confirmed the session to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper and said it was attended by the intelligence heads from Russia, China, Iran and a number of Central Asian states.
“The hosting of the meeting by Pakistan reflects our sincerity for peace in the region and Afghanistan,” the source told Dawn.
Geo News said the participants of the meeting, which was hosted by Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, the Director-General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, “exchanged views on the security situation in Afghanistan, a few days after the Taliban announced an interim government to fill the political void.”
The Express Tribune newspaper said the ISI chief met his counterparts from Russia, China, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
The latest meeting follows Hameed’s recent visit to Afghanistan, where he met with the Afghan leadership in Kabul.
William J. Burns, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), also visited Pakistan on Thursday this week and met with army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The CIA director appreciated Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan, including its help in evacuation efforts, regional stability and peace.
Earlier this week, Pakistan hosted a virtual meeting of foreign ministers from China, Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to discuss recent developments in Afghanistan and provide an opportunity to all regional stakeholders “to work together” for Afghanistan’s peace and stability, the foreign office said.
During the meeting on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi emphasized the importance of proceeding with a “realistic approach” on Afghanistan.
“Well-being of the Afghan people must remain the focus, as they had suffered enormously due to prolonged conflict and instability for more than forty years,” he said.
Qureshi also drew attention to the humanitarian crisis in the country and urged the international community to help prevent an economic meltdown in Afghanistan.
The Taliban retook control of the country in August as US and foreign troops withdrew after 20 years of conflict following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
The legitimacy of the government in the eyes of international donors and investors will be crucial for the economy as the country battles drought and the ravages of a conflict that killed an estimated 240,000 Afghans.
Humanitarian organizations have warned of impending catastrophe and the economy — reliant for years on many millions of dollars of foreign aid — is close to collapse.
On Thursday, the United Nations Development Programme warned that Afghanistan was on the brink of “universal poverty” as early as 2022.
In its response to the UNDP report, the Taliban urged the global community to continue providing aid and humanitarian support to its population of 38 million, telling Arab News that the group was working to tackle poverty and unemployment in Afghanistan.
Pakistan hosts meeting of regional intelligence chiefs to discuss Afghanistan — media
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Pakistan hosts meeting of regional intelligence chiefs to discuss Afghanistan — media
- DG ISI meets counterparts from Russia, China, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in Islamabad
- “Meeting by Pakistan reflects our sincerity for peace in region and Afghanistan,” intelligence source says
Pakistan Navy seizes $3 million of narcotics in Arabian Sea under regional security patrol
- Official statement says the haul was made during an anti-narcotics operation conducted by PNS Yamama
- Seizure comes after a record haul of nearly $972 million was reported in the North Arabian Sea in October
KARACHI: Pakistan Navy said on Sunday a patrol vessel operating in the Arabian Sea had seized 1,500 kg of narcotics, the latest interdiction under a regional maritime security deployment aimed at curbing illicit activity along key shipping routes.
The operation took place under the Regional Maritime Security Patrol (RMSP), a Pakistan-led initiative that deploys naval assets across the Arabian Sea and adjoining waters to deter smuggling, piracy and other non-traditional security threats.
The framework combines independent patrols with coordination involving regional and international partners.
“Pakistan Navy Ship Yamama, while deployed on Regional Maritime Security Patrol in the Arabian Sea, successfully conducted an anti-narcotics operation, leading to the seizure of 1,500 kilograms of hashish valued at approximately 3 million US dollars,” the Navy said.
The interdiction, it added, underscored the force’s “unwavering commitment to combating illicit activities and ensuring security in the maritime domain.”
Pakistan Navy said it routinely undertakes RMSP missions to safeguard national maritime interests through “robust vigilance and effective presence at sea,” and continues to play a proactive role in collaborative maritime-security efforts with other regional navies.
The seizure comes amid heightened counter-narcotics activity at sea.
In October, a Pakistani vessel seized a haul worth nearly $972 million in what authorities described as one of the largest drug seizures ever reported in the North Arabian Sea.
Last month, Pakistan Navy units operating under a Saudi Arabia-led multinational task force seized about 2,000 kg of methamphetamine, valued at roughly $130 million, highlighting the role of regional cooperation in disrupting trafficking networks.
