Saudi Arabia, Gulf states condemn ‘treacherous’ attacks against worshippers in Pakistan

Rescue workers search for blast victims in the debris of a collapsed mosque following a suicide attack in Hangu on September 29, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 30 September 2023
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Saudi Arabia, Gulf states condemn ‘treacherous’ attacks against worshippers in Pakistan

  • Over 50 people were killed on Friday after blast targeted gathering in southwestern Pakistan
  • Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Pakistani victims, condemns 'cowardly terrorist attacks'

RIYADH: A number of Arab states condemned “treacherous” terror attacks in Pakistan that killed as many as 57 people so far and shook the country on Friday.

The attack in Mastung was the deadliest with over 50 people at a mosque where worshippers were commemorating the birthday of Prophet Muhammed. The second attack, at a mosque in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killed five and trapped scores under rubble after the roof collapsed.
The Saudi foreign ministry condemned the bombings as “cowardly terrorist attacks,” and reaffirmed the Kingdom’s firm position in the renunciation of “violence and terrorism,” and expressed solidarity with Pakistanis. The ministry statement offered Saudi Arabia’s sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Similarly, the UAE condemned the criminal acts, and reiterated its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism “aimed at undermining security and stability in contravention of human values and principles”.
Kuwait also denounced the treacherous and deadly attacks on religious gatherings in the country and expressed its solidarity with the Pakistani nation in the measures it takes to preserve its internal security.
Bahrain issued a similar statement affirming its solidarity with Pakistan, sending condolences to the families of the deceased, and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
Condemning the bombings, GCC Secretary General Jassem Albudaiwi stressed, that the “Council stands firmly against these actions, as they aim to destabilize security and stability and are inconsistent with humanitarian values and principles.”

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation strongly condemns the terror attacks. Its Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha renewed the “principled position of the OIC against all forms and manifestations of terrorism and expressed full support for Pakistan’s efforts against terrorism.”
Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, the secretary-general of the Muslim World League and the chairman of the organization of Muslim scholars, denounced the acts “whose perpetrators were stripped of the values of religion and humanity”.
Al-Issa reiterated the stance of the MWL and Islamic world, rejecting and condemning, violence and terrorism in all its forms, a statement from the organization said.
No group has as yet claimed responsibility for the attack but the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) denied it was involved.
The Daesh group is known for attacks in Pakistan and beyond on religious gatherings and on minorities.


Pakistan plans $3,500 locally made electric car to lure motorcycle users

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Pakistan plans $3,500 locally made electric car to lure motorcycle users

  • Government-backed program aims to speed shift to electric transport
  • Lithium battery plants and possible tax cuts seen lowering EV costs

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to launch a locally manufactured low-cost electric vehicle (EV) priced at Rs1 million ($3,556), aimed at helping motorcycle users transition more easily to cars, an official from the Engineering Development Board (EDB) told Arab News on Monday.

The country has seen a gradual rise in the adoption of EVs in a market traditionally dominated by Japanese automakers. The development comes as major cities across Pakistan face some of the world’s highest levels of air pollution, leading to dense smog in winter, with road transport being a major contributor.

In June last year, Pakistan introduced its Electric Vehicle Policy 2025–30, announcing more than Rs100 billion ($353 million) in subsidies over five years to support electric bikes and rickshaws and accelerate the shift toward cleaner transport.

“The car will be fully made in Pakistan and a local company is working on it,” Zeeshan Ashraf, a spokesman for the Engineering Development Board, a government body, told Arab News. “Its full price will be Rs1 million while the government is planning to give extra subsidy on this.”

Chinese and Korean electric vehicle brands have increasingly entered Pakistan’s market in recent years, making EVs a more common sight in cities such as Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

Ashraf said the vehicle will be launched under the Pakistan Accelerated Vehicle Electrification (PAVE) Program, a public-sector initiative designed to promote an eco-friendly and economical transportation system in the country.

The locally manufactured low-cost EV is expected to become available across the country within the next few months, he added.

Earlier, Engineering Development Board Chief Executive Hammad Mansoor was quoted by local media as saying that Pakistan could see its first fully electric, locally manufactured car enter the market by June 2026, with an estimated price of around Rs1 million.

Speaking to journalists during an iftar dinner in Karachi this month, Mansoor also signaled that the government may lower vehicle taxes in the upcoming federal budget to make hybrid, electric and conventional fuel vehicles more affordable.

He said Pakistan’s first lithium battery manufacturing facility is expected to begin production by May, while a second plant could start operations in September.

According to him, about 74 percent of battery components will be produced locally, which could significantly reduce the cost of EVs by relying on domestically manufactured parts.