ISLAMABAD: A 22-member business delegation from Oman, the first ever to visit Pakistan to explore business and investment opportunities, called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday.
The Omani delegation, which arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday, will visit a number of industrial areas and Pakistani companies related to the pharmaceutical and food sectors during a five-day trip to the country. The group is led by Eng Redha Jumma Al Salih, chairman of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI).
“The 22-member Oman delegation informed the Prime Minister that for the first time in 20 years, the Omani delegation was visiting Pakistan for business and investment,” a statement from the PM house said.
“The business friendly policies of the present government are providing conducive environment for investment in tourism development, fisheries sector, storage and warehousing in port cities and development projects in Gwadar.”
Members of the delegation expressed interest in starting a ferry service between Oman and coastal cities of Pakistan, joining various China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects, especially in Gwadar's industrial and agricultural sector, and investment in a proposed corridor of land and sea routes between Oman and Pakistan. The businessmen told the prime minister Pakistan could play a central part in the corridor which will connect the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and Southeast.
Khan directed concerned government agencies to ensure enhanced cooperation between Oman and Pakistan in the areas of trade and investment.
First ever Omani delegation in Pakistan to explore business opportunities, calls on PM
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First ever Omani delegation in Pakistan to explore business opportunities, calls on PM
- Members of delegation expressed interest in CPEC projects and starting ferry service between Oman and Pakistan
- Proposed a corridor of land and sea routes between Oman and Pakistan to connect Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and Southeast
Pakistan kills 11 militants in separate operations in western provinces
- Military says five Baloch separatist fighters were killed in an intelligence-based operation in Kohlu district
- Police say six Pakistani Taliban died in Lakki Marwat during a joint operation after drone attacks on homes
ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: Pakistani security forces and police killed at least 11 militants in separate counterterrorism operations in the country’s western provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, authorities said on Friday, highlighting the distinct insurgencies confronting the country along its border with Afghanistan.
In southwestern Balochistan, the military said it killed separatist militants in an intelligence-based operation in Kohlu District on Dec. 25, while police in the northwestern district of Lakki Marwat fought and killed the Pakistani Taliban.
Pakistan’s military said the Balochistan operation targeted fighters it identified as part of “Fitna al Hindustan,” a term authorities use for Baloch separatist outfits, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which have waged a decades-long insurgency in the resource-rich province.
“During the conduct of operation, own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, five Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement, adding that weapons and explosives were recovered and follow-up clearance operations were underway.
In Lakki Marwat, police said counterterrorism units and local peace committees launched a coordinated operation against militants they described as “khwarij,” a term the Pakistani state uses for factions aligned with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella group of militants that primarily operates in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to police, six militants were killed and several others wounded during the operation, after authorities said militants had used drone-mounted devices to target residential homes, injuring civilians.
“Protection of life and property of the public is the police’s top priority, and strict, indiscriminate action against khwarij and other anti-peace elements will continue,” Bannu Region Deputy Inspector General Sajjad Khan said in a statement released by the regional police office.
The two operations highlight Pakistan’s parallel security challenges in its western regions.
In Balochistan, separatist groups accuse the federal government and military of marginalizing ethnic Baloch communities and denying them a fair share of the province’s mineral wealth, allegations Islamabad denies.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the TTP has intensified attacks on security forces and civilians since the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021.
Pakistan has repeatedly said these militant groups operating in both provinces receive backing from India and find shelter in Afghanistan, claims denied by New Delhi and Kabul.
Pakistani authorities said counterterrorism operations will continue nationwide under a campaign approved by the federal government to curb militancy and restore security.
