KARACHI: Hundreds of people gathered in Karachi on Saturday for the funeral prayer of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader killed on the battlefield two days ago, criticizing the United States and European countries for backing Israel’s war and asserting that the loss of leadership would not stop Palestinian resistance.
Sinwar was widely regarded as the architect of last year’s attack in Israel that killed about 1,200 people and led to the taking of nearly 250 hostages. Hamas described the cross-border raid as a response to the deteriorating conditions of Palestinians under Israeli occupation.
The incident ignited a full-scale Israeli military assault on the Gaza Strip, which has lasted for over a year, killing about 43,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and destroying hospitals, residential neighborhoods and refugee camps while uprooting millions in the region.
Sinwar survived the Israeli airstrikes, fighting against heavily armed soldiers until the end. Israeli forces tried to pinpoint his location inside a badly damaged building in Gaza using a drone. In his final act of defiance, however, he threw a stick at the drone before his death.
“The mountain of resilience, Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas, has laid down his life while resisting Israeli terrorism in Palestine and has now returned to his Lord,” Muneem Zafar Khan, the top leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) religio-political party in Karachi, which arranged the symbolic funeral, told the people.
“The United States, Britain, Germany and France are all aligned against the oppressed,” he added.
Khan said despite more than a year of resistance, Palestinian children and mothers remain steadfast.
The JI leader said the US, Britain and Israel must understand they cannot defeat the Palestinian resistance despite all their efforts.
A Hamas spokesman, Khaled Qadumi, also addressed the gathering over the phone, describing “the stories of martyrs” as a beacon of hope for peace and the beginning of the journey to freedom.
“The battle between faith and disbelief continues, and the criminals are celebrating Yahya Sinwar’s martyrdom,” he said. “The forces of falsehood believe they have won, but the blood of Yahya Sinwar and all martyrs will bear fruit.”
Hundreds attend Yahya Sinwar’s funeral in Karachi, condemn western support for Israel’s war
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Hundreds attend Yahya Sinwar’s funeral in Karachi, condemn western support for Israel’s war
- Reportedly the architect of last year’s Hamas attack in Israel, Sinwar was killed on battlefield on Thursday
- People attending the symbolic funeral say Palestinians remain steadfast even after one year of Israel’s war
Islamabad says surge in aircraft orders after India standoff could end IMF reliance
- Pakistani jets came into the limelight after Islamabad claimed to have shot down six Indian aircraft during a standoff in May last year
- Many countries have since stepped up engagement with Pakistan, while others have proposed learning from PAF’s multi-domain capabilities
ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said Pakistan has witnessed a surge in aircraft orders after a four-day military standoff with India last year and, if materialized, they could end the country’s reliance on the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The statement came hours after a high-level Bangladeshi defense delegation met Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu to discuss a potential sale of JF-17 Thunder aircraft, a multi-role fighter jointly developed by China and Pakistan that has become the backbone of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) over the past decade.
Fighter jets used by Pakistan came into the limelight after Islamabad claimed to have shot down six Indian aircraft, including French-made Rafale jets, during the military conflict with India in May last year. India acknowledged losses in the aerial combat but did not specify a number.
Many countries have since stepped up defense engagement with Pakistan, while delegations from multiple other nations have proposed learning from Pakistan Air Force’s multi-domain air warfare capabilities that successfully advanced Chinese military technology performs against Western hardware.
“Right now, the number of orders we are receiving after reaching this point is significant because our aircraft have been tested,” Defense Minister Asif told a Pakistan’s Geo News channel.
“We are receiving those orders, and it is possible that after six months we may not even need the IMF.”
Pakistan markets the Chinese co-developed JF-17 as a lower-cost multi-role fighter and has positioned itself as a supplier able to offer aircraft, training and maintenance outside Western supply chains.
“I am saying this to you with full confidence,” Asif continued. “If, after six months, all these orders materialize, we will not need the IMF.”
Pakistan has repeatedly turned to the IMF for financial assistance to stabilize its economy. These loans come with strict conditions including fiscal reforms, subsidy cuts and measures to increase revenue that Pakistan must implement to secure disbursements.
In Sept. 2024, the IMF approved a $7 billion bailout for Pakistan under its Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program and a separate $1.4 billion loan under its climate resilience fund in May 2025, aimed at strengthening the country’s economic and climate resilience.
Pakistan has long been striving to expand defense exports by leveraging its decades of counter-insurgency experience and a domestic industry that produces aircraft, armored vehicles, munitions and other equipment.
The South Asian country reached a deal worth over $4 billion to sell military equipment to the Libyan National Army, Reuters report last month, citing Pakistani officials. The deal, one of Pakistan’s largest-ever weapons sales, included the sale of 16 JF-17 fighter jets and 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft for basic pilot training.
