ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army on Thursday blamed India of launching a supersonic flying object a day before, saying it violated the country’s airspace and endangered civilian lives.
Pakistan’s military spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar held a press briefing in Rawalpindi wherein he said the flying object was launched from Sirsa in Indian state of Haryana and fell in Mian Channu in Pakistan’s Khanewal district.
“Pakistan strongly protests this flagrant violation [of its airspace] and cautions against any similar future incident,” he said. “Whatever is the cause of this incident, it is for India to explain.”
Iftikhar said the object had deviated toward Pakistan from its initial course before falling into its territory. He added the incident did not result in any loss of life.
“It was a supersonic object, most probably a missile, but it was certainly unarmed,” he disclosed. “So, whatever has caused this, we will wait for an explanation from the Indian side.”
The military spokesperson explained the object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 meters and at a very high speed, indicating it was a missile. However, he said it reflected India’s poor technology.
“This incident reflects the questionable capabilities of the human resources working on these programs in India as well as this technology,” he said.
Iftikhar informed the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had detected the high-speed projectile from its point of origin until its point of impact.
“Actions [and] response … everything was perfect,” he said.
The spokesperson said the tactical actions of the air force were put in place right from the moment the object was found headed toward Pakistan. He revealed it stayed in Pakistani airspace for a little more than three minutes before falling down.
Iftikhar maintained the incident endangered the lives of Indians and Pakistanis alike, adding it could also have caused a “major aviation disaster.”
Responding to a question, he said there were no sensitive installations near Mian Channu where the projectile crashed.
He also informed the military had provided relevant details of the recent violation of Pakistani airspace by India to the foreign office which would take up the issue at appropriate forums.
Army blames India for violating Pakistan’s airspace by launching supersonic flying object
https://arab.news/8v58t
Army blames India for violating Pakistan’s airspace by launching supersonic flying object
- Given the altitude and speed, the army believes the object was a supersonic missile
- The military spokesperson says the incident could have caused a ‘massive aviation disaster’
Pakistan grants commercial license to Kuwait-backed Shariah-compliant digital bank
- Pakistan has announced that Raqqami Islamic Digital Bank aims to launch operations this month with $100 million investment
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calls for Kuwait and Pakistan to translate cordial political relations into strong economic ties
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted the Kuwait Investment Authority-backed Raqqami Islamic Digital Bank (RIDB) the commercial license to operate in Pakistan on Tuesday, stressing the need to convert cordial political ties between the two countries into a strong economic relationship.
Pakistan’s finance adviser Khurram Schehzad announced last month that RIDB intends to launch operations in the South Asian country from February with a $100 million investment.
The RIDB describes itself as Pakistan’s first fully Shariah-compliant digital bank. The retail bank offers online financing, savings and payment services to individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises, also focusing on financial inclusion for underserved segments.
Prime Minister Sharif participated in a ceremony to grant the license to RIDB in Islamabad. The event was attended by top RIDB officials including its Chairman Abdullah Al-Mutairi and Chief Executive Officer Umair Aijaz.
“This would go a long way in further strengthening our brotherly and our bilateral economic relations,” Sharif told participants. “You said very aptly that economic and brotherly relations go hand in hand. It cannot be that your political relations flourish but economic relations remain stagnant.”
He said the Shariah-compliant digital bank will also have features that will support and augment banking in Pakistan.
Sharif called on both nations to join hands to promote their bilateral economic, investment and trade relations “like never before.” He vowed that Pakistan’s government was committed to enhancing bilateral trade and economic ties by working closely with the Kuwaiti government.
Pakistan’s banking sector is dominated by a handful of large lenders with strong capital buffers and profits driven largely by holdings of government securities.
Pakistan has intensified its efforts in recent years to secure foreign investment, particularly from Gulf nations, as it seeks to ensure sustained economic progress. Schehzad has said that the RIDB’s entry into Pakistan reflects strengthening investment ties between Islamabad and Kuwait, particularly in the financial and digital economy sectors.
