ISLAMABAD: Pakistan called for a comprehensive international approach to combat militancy at a United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) briefing in New York on Wednesday, expressing full support for the agency’s mandate and advocating for sustainable funding through the UN budget.
The UNOCT, established in June 2017, is a specialized UN body tasked with strengthening international cooperation against militancy and assisting member states in implementing counter-terrorism strategies.
Speaking on behalf of Pakistan, Muhammad Jawad Ajmal, a diplomat at the country’s UN mission, underscored Pakistan’s longstanding battle against militant groups, noting that the country has lost over 80,000 lives fighting banned outfits such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Daesh and the Majeed Brigade of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
“Terrorism must be tackled at all stages: indoctrination, recruitment, financing and cross-border threats,” he said, identifying poverty, injustice, unresolved conflicts, foreign occupation and the denial of self-determination as key drivers of militancy.
Ajmal also stressed the need to counter Islamophobia, xenophobia and extremist ideologies, including far-right nationalist and anti-Muslim movements, which he said contributed to radicalization and global instability.
He urged reforms in the UN’s counterterrorism architecture, calling for a fairer sanctions regime and adequate resources for the Ombudsperson’s Office to ensure just implementation.
He maintained that Pakistan also wanted tighter regulation of emerging technologies, including cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence and online communication tools, to prevent their exploitation by militant outfits for recruitment, financing and disinformation.
Ajmal’s statement came just days after a twin suicide bombing in northwestern Pakistan killed 18 people.
The country has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent years, which Islamabad attributes to cross-border attacks from Afghanistan, alleging they are “facilitated” by Kabul.
However, Taliban officials in Afghanistan have denied the accusation.
Pakistan calls for comprehensive global effort to counter militancy at UN meeting
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Pakistan calls for comprehensive global effort to counter militancy at UN meeting
- The country says ‘terrorism must be tackled at all stages’ like indoctrination, recruitment and financing
- It stresses the need to counter Islamophobia, saying it contributes to radicalization and international instability
Pakistan launches cashless Ramadan market in Islamabad to promote digital payments
- Pilot market allows shoppers to buy subsidized food using digital payments
- Initiative aims to improve transparency and public relief during Ramadan
KARACHI: Pakistan has launched a cashless subsidized Ramadan food market in the capital Islamabad, the interior ministry said on Wednesday, introducing digital payments for essential goods as authorities try to improve transparency and affordability during the Muslim holy month.
The facility in the G-6 Aabpara area allows citizens to purchase vegetables, fruit and staple food items at regulated prices without cash, part of a broader push toward digitizing subsidy delivery.
Ramadan bazaars, which are temporary and often state-supported markets, are set up across Pakistan each year to limit price spikes as demand rises during fasting hours and evening meals.
Ramadan is likely to start on Feb. 19 in Pakistan.
“The objective is to provide the public affordable and quality items. No negligence in public relief will be tolerated,” the interior ministry said in a statement.
Officials said the market will operate daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes private vendors under monitoring mechanisms to ensure goods are sold according to wholesale market rates.
Authorities also instructed administrators to strengthen cleanliness, security and complaint-handling systems and ensure price lists are prominently displayed.
Pakistan last year launched its first-ever cashless weekly market in Islamabad, but slow Internet speeds and patchy phone connectivity have hampered adoption among vendors and shoppers.
The government plans to turn Islamabad into Pakistan’s first fully cashless city, using QR-code payments to formalize retail transactions, reduce tax evasion and improve documentation in one of South Asia’s most informally run economies.
Pakistan relies heavily on cash, enabling widespread tax evasion and limiting financial transparency. Economists say expanding digital payments can raise government revenues, curb corruption, and make marketplaces safer for customers and traders.
Pakistan has increasingly experimented with targeted subsidies and digital systems to manage food affordability during Ramadan, when consumption rises sharply and lower-income households face pressure after years of high inflation.
Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched a Rs38 billion ($136 million) Ramadan relief package, pledging direct digital cash transfers of Rs13,000 ($47) each to 12.1 million low-income families across Pakistan.
The government will distribute the relief package through bank accounts and regulated mobile wallet platforms, fully replacing the previous utility store-based subsidy model with a digital payment mechanism overseen by the State Bank of Pakistan.
