KARACHI: The administration of Pakistan’s commercial capital Karachi imposed a two-month ban on the use of drones in the southern district on Saturday, citing “serious threats” to the Chinese diplomatic mission from militant groups and hostile agencies.
The threats to Chinese nationals and their consulate in the city have manifested in high-profile attacks in the past, including the 2018 assault on the diplomatic facility and the 2022 bombing near the Confucius Institute at Karachi University, resulting in the deaths of Chinese academics.
These incidents prompted Pakistani authorities to enhance security measures to protect Chinese nationals involved in significant projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, considered a future lifeline for the South Asian nation.
More recently, five Chinese nationals working were targeted and killed along with their local driver by a suicide bomber in the country’s northwest on March 26, leading to an emergency security meeting wherein the government reaffirmed its commitment to protecting all Chinese workers “contributing to the prosperity of Pakistan.”
“Whereas, it has been reported that there are serious threats to vital installations and Chinese Consulate, Karachi by the Anti-State Elements/Hostile agencies in the wake of recent attacks on Chinese Nationals, therefore, it is necessary to take immediate measures to avoid any mishaps & to maintain law and order situation in the city,” said a notification issued the office of the commissioner of Karachi division.
“In exercise of powers under section 144 (6) Cr.P.C delegated by Home Department, Government of Sindh ... I, Muhammad Saleem Rajput, Commissioner Karachi Division, do hereby impose complete ban on the use of Drones within the local limited of District South Karachi for a period of 02 months ... with immediate effect,” the notification added.
Pakistani officials told the media on Friday Chinese contractors had halted construction on two major dam projects in the country, following the recent suicide attack. These companies have been calling for a new security plan before resuming their activities, which involve nearly 1,250 Chinese nationals.
The incident is also being probed by a team of Chinese experts that arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday.
Pakistani authorities impose drone ban in Karachi amid ‘serious threats’ to Chinese consulate
https://arab.news/bcx8p
Pakistani authorities impose drone ban in Karachi amid ‘serious threats’ to Chinese consulate
- The commissioner of Karachi division says the threats come from anti-state elements and hostile agencies
- The decision comes just a few days after a suicide bomber killed five Chinese nationals in Pakistan’s northwest
India and Pakistan set for World Cup blockbuster as boycott averted
- With bilateral cricket a casualty of their relations, emotions run high whenever the neighbors meet in multi-team events
- For Pakistan, opener Sahibzada Farhan has looked in fine form but Babar Azam’s strike rate continues to polarize opinion
India and Pakistan will clash in the Twenty20 World Cup in Colombo on Sunday, still feeling the aftershocks of a tumultuous fortnight in which Pakistan’s boycott threat — later reversed — nearly blew a hole in the tournament’s marquee fixture.
With bilateral cricket a casualty of their fraught relations, emotions run high whenever the bitter neighbors lock horns in multi-team events at neutral venues.
India’s strained relations with another neighbor, Bangladesh, have further tangled the geopolitics around the World Cup.
When Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the 20-team field for refusing to tour India over safety concerns, the regional chessboard shifted.
Pakistan decided to boycott the Group A contest against India in solidarity with Bangladesh, jeopardizing a lucrative fixture that sits at the intersection of sport, commerce, and geopolitics.
Faced with the prospect of losing millions of dollars in evaporating advertising revenue, the broadcasters panicked. The governing International Cricket Council (ICC) held hectic behind-the-scenes parleys and eventually brokered a compromise to salvage the tournament’s most sought-after contest.
Strictly on cricketing merit, however, the rivalry has been one-sided.
Defending champions India have a 7-1 record against Pakistan in the tournament’s history and they underlined that dominance at last year’s Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
India beat Pakistan three times in that single event, including a stormy final marred by provocative gestures and snubbed handshakes.
Former India captain Rohit Sharma does not believe in the “favorites” tag, especially when the arch-rivals clash.
“It’s such a funny game,” Rohit, who led India to the title in the T20 World Cup two years ago, recently said.
“You can’t just go and think that it’s a two-point victory for us. You just have to play good cricket on that particular day to achieve those points.”
INDIA’S EDGE
Both teams have opened their World Cup campaigns with back-to-back wins, yet India still appear to hold a clear edge.
Opener Abhishek Sharma and spinner Varun Chakravarthy currently top the batting and bowling rankings respectively.
Abhishek is doubtful for the Pakistan match though as he continues to recover from a stomach infection that kept him out of their first two matches.
Ishan Kishan has reinvented himself as a top-order linchpin, skipper Suryakumar Yadav has regained form, while Rinku Singh has settled into the finisher’s role in India’s explosive lineup.
Mystery spinner Chakravarthy and the ever-crafty Jasprit Bumrah anchor the spin and pace units, while Hardik Pandya’s all-round spark is pivotal.
For Pakistan, opener Sahibzada Farhan has looked in fine form but Babar Azam’s strike rate continues to polarize opinion.
Captain Salman Agha will bank on spin-bowling all-rounder Saim Ayub, but the potential trump card is off-spinner Usman Tariq, whose slinging, side-arm action has intrigued opponents and fans alike.
