KARACHI: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) demonstrated the long-range operational capabilities of its indigenous JF-17 fighter jets during an international exercise in Saudi Arabia, the military’s media wing said on Friday, as the PAF contingent returned home.
The PAF participated in Exercise Spears of Victory-2025, held at King Abdul Aziz Air Base, alongside air forces from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, France, Greece, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The drills, which began earlier this month, aimed to enhance interoperability through realistic air combat scenarios.
“For this international deployment, PAF fighters executed a non-stop flight from their home base in Pakistan to Saudi Arabia and back, conducting in-flight air-to-air refueling, demonstrating long-range operational capabilities of the JF-17 Block-III aircraft,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
The PAF contingent included JF-17 Block-III fighter jets, combat pilots and technical ground crew, who actively participated in the exercise. The JF-17 Block-III displayed its combat performance against advanced fighter jets, earning recognition for its technological strengths and operational potential.
The PAF’s participation highlights its commitment to staying at the forefront of aerial warfare through joint exercises and modern combat training, ISPR added.
Pakistan Air Force demonstrates long-range JF-17 capabilities in Saudi exercise
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Pakistan Air Force demonstrates long-range JF-17 capabilities in Saudi exercise
- PAF pilots and ground crew participated in Exercise Spears of Victory-2025 at King Abdul Aziz Air Base
- JF-17 displayed combat performance against advanced fighter jets, showing its operational potential
Islamabad steps up vehicle checks to boost security as 166,000 cars get electronic tags
- Authorities say over 3,000 vehicles registered in past 24 hours as enforcement intensifies
- Extended service hours introduced to push full compliance with digital monitoring system
ISLAMABAD: Authorities in the Pakistani capital have intensified enforcement against vehicles without mandatory electronic tags with more than 166,000 cars now registered, according to data released on Sunday evening, as Islamabad moves to strengthen security and digital monitoring at key entry and exit points.
The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration introduced the electronic tagging system late last year as part of a broader effort to regulate traffic, improve record-keeping and enhance surveillance in a city that hosts the country’s main government institutions, foreign missions and diplomatic enclaves.
Under the system, vehicles are fitted with electronic tags that can be read automatically by scanners installed at checkpoints across the capital, allowing authorities to identify unregistered vehicles without manual inspections. Vehicles already equipped with a motorway tag, or m-tag, are exempt from the requirement.
“A total of 166,888 vehicles have successfully been issued M-Tags so far, including 3,130 vehicles in the last 24 hours,” the ICT administration said, according to the Excise Department.
Officials said readers installed at checkpoints across Islamabad are fully operational and are being used to stop vehicles still without tags, as enforcement teams carry out checks across the city.
To facilitate compliance, authorities have expanded installation facilities and extended operating hours. The Excise Department said m-tag installation is currently available at 17 booth locations, while select centers have begun operating beyond normal working hours.
According to Director General Excise Irfan Memon, m-tag centers at 26 Number Chungi and 18 Meel are providing services round the clock, while counters at Kachnar Park and F-9 Park remain open until midnight to accommodate motorists unable to visit during daytime hours.
Officials said the combination of enforcement and facilitation was aimed at achieving full compliance with minimal disruption, adding that operations would continue until all vehicles operating in the capital are brought into the system.
The enforcement drive builds on a wider push by the federal government to integrate traffic management, emergency response and security monitoring through technology-driven “safe city” initiatives. Last month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reviewed Islamabad’s surveillance infrastructure and said reforms in monitoring systems and the effective use of technology were the “need of the hour.”
Authorities have urged motorists to obtain electronic tags promptly to avoid delays and penalties at checkpoints as enforcement continues across the capital.
