QUETTA: Gunmen ambushed a vehicle carrying a senior government administrator in southwest Pakistan on Monday, killing him and wounding two other people before fleeing, police and government officials said.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack that targeted deputy commissioner Zakir Baloch in Mastung district of Balochistan province, said Hadahyait Bangulzai, a local police official.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Sarfraz Bugti, the top elected official in Balochistan, denounced the attack in separate statements and ordered authorities to trace and arrest those behind it.
Balochistan has been the scene of frequent militant attacks amid a long-running insurgency by groups seeking independence for the mineral- and gas-rich province bordering Iran and Afghanistan.
The Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups also have a presence in the region.
Gunmen kill senior government administrator in an attack on his vehicle in southwest Pakistan
https://arab.news/gkzgu
Gunmen kill senior government administrator in an attack on his vehicle in southwest Pakistan
- No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack that targeted Deputy Commissioner Zakir Baloch in Balochistan’s Mastung district
- Balochistan has been the scene of frequent militant attacks amid a long-running insurgency by groups seeking independence from Pakistan
Pakistan forms committee to negotiate financial advisory services for Islamabad airport privatization
- Committee to engage Asian Development Bank to negotiate terms of financial advisory services agreement, says privatization ministry
- Inaugurated in 2018, Islamabad airport has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities and operational inefficiencies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Privatization Ministry announced on Wednesday that it has formed a committee to engage the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to negotiate a potential financial advisory services agreement for the privatization of Islamabad International Airport.
The Islamabad International Airport, inaugurated in 2018 at a cost of over $1 billion, has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities, and operational inefficiencies.
The Negotiation Committee formed by the Privatization Commission will engage with the ADB to negotiate the terms of a potential Financial Advisory Services Agreement (FASA) for the airport’s privatization, the ministry said.
“The Negotiation Committee has been mandated to undertake negotiations and submit its recommendations to the Board for consideration and approval, in line with the applicable regulatory framework,” the Privatization Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Islamabad airport operations will be outsourced under a concession model through an open and competitive process to enhance its operational efficiency and improve service delivery standards.
Pakistan has recently sought to privatize or outsource management of several state-run enterprises under conditions agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a $7 billion bailout approved in September last year.
Islamabad hopes outsourcing airport operations will bring operational expertise, enhance passenger experience and restore confidence in the aviation sector.
In December 2025, Pakistan’s government successfully privatized its national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), selling 75 percent of its stakes to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group.
The group secured a 75 percent stake in the PIA for Rs135 billion ($482 million) after several rounds of bidding, valuing the airline at Rs180 billion ($643 million).
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said this week the government has handed over 26 state-owned enterprises to the Privatization Commission.
