ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday said that minorities were equal citizens of Pakistan and it was the state’s job to protect them, according to the Pakistani military.
The statement was issued during General Bajwa’s meeting with members of the Hindu community in Nagarparkar town of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province.
Forced conversions and marriage of girls has been a major issue faced by minorities in Pakistan, with those from poor families and low castes largely targeted, according to rights campaigners.
In 2019, the alleged abduction and forced conversion of two Hindu sisters made headlines in Pakistan when a video of their marriage was shared widely on social media.
“Minorities in Pakistan are equal citizens and it is the job of the state to protect them,” General Bajwa said, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
“The Hindu community acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts in bringing about secure environment for minorities in the country. They pledged that the Hindu community shall contribute with full zeal toward the economic prosperity of the country.”
The Pakistani army chief spent the day with Pakistani troops stationed at the border town, where the local commander briefed him on operational readiness of the formation, according to the ISPR.
While interacting with troops, COAS appreciated their state of morale and motivation for the fulfilment of assigned mission. He advised all troops to remain focused on professional obligations and training for an effective response to counter any emerging challenge.
Minorities equal citizens, state responsible for protecting them — Pakistan army chief
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Minorities equal citizens, state responsible for protecting them — Pakistan army chief
- General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited Sindh’s Nagarparkar, met members of Hindu community
- The army chief spent day with troops stationed in town close to Pakistan’s border with India
Pakistan transporters call off five-day strike after successful talks with Punjab government
- Transporters went on strike against heavy fines, penalties imposed by Punjab over traffic violations
- Punjab government sets up committee to resolve transporters issues, confirms provincial minister
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani goods transporters called off their five-day-long nationwide strike on Friday after successful talks with the Punjab government, officials and transporters confirmed, as the business community warned of an impending economic crisis if the dispute stayed unresolved.
Transporters went on a nationwide strike on Dec. 8 against stringent traffic rules and heavy fines imposed by the Punjab government over traffic violations. These penalties were included in the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 2025 last month.
The ordinance details hefty fines ranging from Rs2000 [$7] to Rs50,000 [$178] and mentions prison sentences going up to six months for various offenses committed by drivers, such as driving on the wrong side of the road or driving in vehicles with tinted windows.
“Yes, the strike has been called off after our meeting with Senior Minister of Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb,” Nabeel Tariq, president of the All Pakistan Goods Transport Association (APGTA), told Arab News.
Tariq said fines ranging from Rs1000 ($3.6) to Rs1500 ($5.4) for traffic violations have been increased to around Rs20,000 ($71.3) as per the new rules.
He said the APGTA has agreed to accept a 100 percent or even 200 percent hike in fines. However, he said an increase of 2000 percent was not “logical.”
“Our urgent demands have been accepted and a committee has been formed to review the ordinance and come up with recommendations,” Tariq said.
Speaking to Arab News, Aurangzeb confirmed the strike had been called off after talks with the Punjab government and that a committee has been formed to resolve the transporters’ issues.
The committee will be headed by Aurangzeb and will include representatives of goods transporters, a statement issued by her office said.
“The government wants to protect human lives and make things better for all citizens,” the statement said. “We will resolve the issues (with transporters) amicably.”
‘UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS’
Pakistan’s business and industrial community, meanwhile, warned of an impending crisis if the disputed was not resolved.
The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) and the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) have both appealed for immediate government intervention.
Imdad Hussain Naqvi, president of the Grand Transport Alliance Pakistan (GTAP), told Arab News that over 400,000 goods carriers had been stranded across Pakistan due to the strike, affecting supplies to millions of consumers.
Earlier, in a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad said the strike has “critically impacted import and export operations which are backbone of the country’s economy.”
He said hundreds of cargo vehicles remain stranded across Punjab, creating “abnormal delays” in goods movement and triggering heavy demurrage, detention charges, missed vessels and production shutdowns due to the non-availability of raw materials.
Arshad warned the disruption poses “a serious risk of order cancelation of export orders by international buyers, which would have far-reaching consequences for Pakistan’s foreign exchange earnings.”
Meanwhile in Pakistan’s commercial hub Karachi, KCCI President Rehan Hanif issued an even stronger warning, saying the nationwide strike threatens to paralyze Pakistan’s economic lifeline.
“The complete suspension of cargo movement is pushing Pakistan toward an unprecedented trade and industrial crisis,” Hanif said in a statement.
He added that import and export consignments are now stranded at the city’s ports, highways and industrial zones.
