ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, on Saturday visited the PAF Training Airbase Mianwali, where he lauded security personnel for thwarting a militant attack that killed nine attackers, the PAF said.
The training base of the PAF came under attack in the wee hours of Saturday, according to the Pakistani military. Three of the attackers were killed while entering the base, whereas six others were eliminated in a combing and clearance operation.
The military said “no damage” had been done to any functional operational assets at the airfield.
During the visit, the air chief commended the on-duty security personnel for their unwavering professionalism and neutralizing the intruders in the minimum possible time.
“Chief of the Air Staff interacted with the base personnel, expressed his utmost appreciation for their exceptional commitment in putting service before self and reiterated the required level of readiness of each & every person in the Pakistan Air Force to counter any malicious intent of hostile elements & terrorist outfits,” the PAF said in a statement.
“He also thanked the joint operations team comprising Zarar Company of Pakistan Army and civil LEAs (law enforcement agencies) for their timely support to counter the infiltration most optimally.”
The air chief said the security scenario demanded unwavering vigilance and commitment of the Pakistani forces and they were resolute to counter any threat to the nation.
“The visit of Chief of the Air Staff serves as a strong message of solidarity and reassurance to the entire Pakistan Air Force personnel, inspiring them to remain steadfast in their duty to protect the nation,” the PAF said.
The assault came a day after three separate attacks killed 21 people, including 15 security personnel, in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces that border Afghanistan.
The South Asian country has been witnessing an uptick in militant attacks, particularly after the Pakistan Taliban called off their fragile truce with the government in November 2022, with a majority of these incidents targeting the two provinces along the Afghan border.
Pakistan last month asked all illegal immigrants, mostly Afghan nationals, to leave the country by November 1, saying they were involved in attacks, smuggling and other offenses.
The expulsion order followed suicide bombings in Pakistan this year that the government said involved Afghan nationals, though it did not provide any evidence.
The South Asian country has since set up tens of holding centers to speed up the repatriation process as authorities continue to arrest illegal immigrants in nationwide sweeps.
Pakistan Air Force chief lauds security personnel for thwarting attack on training airbase
https://arab.news/9uzez
Pakistan Air Force chief lauds security personnel for thwarting attack on training airbase
- Nine militants had stormed the PAF Training Airbase Mianwali in wee hours of Saturday
- None of PAF operational assets were damaged in the operation that killed all attackers
Pakistan to showcase BYD, Samsung, Google assembly push at ITCN Asia expo
- STZA pavilion backed by SIFC highlights shift from tech services to manufacturing
- Electric vehicles, electronics and data centers featured at Lahore exhibition
KARACHI: Pakistan will showcase electric vehicle and electronics assembly by global brands including BYD, Samsung and Google at ITCN Asia 2026, its largest tech expo, as the government seeks to signal a shift from technology consumption toward local manufacturing under its investment-led growth strategy.
The display will take place through a flagship national pavilion led by the Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) at the three-day ITCN Asia exhibition beginning Jan. 17 at the Lahore Expo Center, with facilitation from the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), according to a statement issued on Thursday by the cabinet division.
The move comes as Pakistan pushes to deepen industrial capacity and attract long-term foreign investment amid pressure to boost exports and reduce reliance on external financing. While Pakistan has traditionally positioned itself as a provider of IT services and outsourcing, officials have increasingly emphasized localized production in sectors such as electric vehicles, electronics, cloud infrastructure and data centers.
According to the statement, the STZA pavilion will be organized around three themes: “Manufactured in Pakistan,” “Powered by Pakistan,” and “Pakistan as a Tech Destination,” highlighting the country’s effort to integrate technology with manufacturing and physical infrastructure.
“Manufactured in Pakistan [is] a clear demonstration of Pakistan’s shift from technology consumption to localized production, featuring global brands manufacturing and assembling within STZA-notified zones for domestic and international Markets,” the press release by STZA said.
“Exhibits include BYD Electric Vehicles, Google Chromebook Assembly through NRTC, and Samsung Electronics through Sapphire Group, underscoring Pakistan’s growing role in global manufacturing value chains.”
The digital infrastructure segment will showcase investments in data centers and computing capacity, with participation from firms including Multinet, a Pakistani telecom and data services provider, and Sky47, a local data center and cloud infrastructure operator, focusing on cloud services, connectivity and enterprise-grade digital platforms.
A third segment will highlight investment-ready technology zones, including Tech7 STZ and Winston STZ, privately developed Special Technology Zones that are building large-scale facilities such as offices, data centers and industrial space to support technology firms seeking to expand domestically and internationally.
STZA said it has notified 32 Special Technology Zones nationwide since its inception, hosting more than 250 technology enterprises and around 27,000 professionals across sectors including artificial intelligence, fintech, cloud computing, agritech, business process outsourcing and high-tech manufacturing such as drones, electronics and electric vehicles.
Under existing policy, technology firms operating within notified zones are eligible for income tax, customs duty and foreign exchange incentives until June 30, 2035, the statement said.
ITCN Asia is one of Pakistan’s largest annual technology exhibitions, drawing local and foreign investors, industry leaders and policymakers, and is being used this year to project Pakistan’s readiness for technology-driven manufacturing and infrastructure development.
