ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has ordered a probe into the deaths of 10 civilians in a drone attack last week, a provincial government spokesman said on Monday.
Ten bodies, including those of women and children, were recovered from a remote hilltop area of Katlang in KP’s Mardan district, where government officials claimed an anti-militant operation had taken place on Saturday.
The deceased hailed from the Swat region and were nomads with livestock in the Shamozai mountains, according to the locals. Their families protested the deaths by placing the bodies on the Swat Highway.
In a statement issued on Monday, KP government spokesman Muhammad Ali Saif said Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had ordered an investigation into the tragic incident.
“After the facts come to light, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will present its detailed stance in this regard,” he said, citing the chief minister. “The families of the martyrs will not be left alone under any circumstances and they will be provided with full financial assistance.”
CM Gandapur, whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is the main opposition party in the country that is in power in KP, noted that high-profile “terrorists” had previously been killed in the same area, according to Saif.
Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in KP since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban and Islamabad broke down in November 2022. The Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups have frequently targeted security forces convoys and check-posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
Islamabad blames the surge in attacks on militants using Afghan territory as a base, particularly the TTP, which Pakistan says enjoys sanctuaries across the border. The Afghan Taliban-led government in Kabul denies this and accuses Pakistan in return of harboring Daesh militants.
Saif also said the federal authorities did not inform the provincial government about Saturday’s operation in advance, demanding a thorough analysis of operational aspects and identification of shortcomings in its execution.
“The provincial government will never allow such actions in the future,” he added.
Northwestern Pakistani province orders probe into civilian deaths in drone attack
https://arab.news/82e74
Northwestern Pakistani province orders probe into civilian deaths in drone attack
- Pakistani security forces carried out the strikes in Mardan district on Saturday, targeting alleged militant hideouts
- The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial administration will never allow such actions in the future, government spokesman says
Pakistan, global crypto exchange discuss modernizing digital payments, creating job prospects
- Pakistani officials, Binance team discuss coordination between Islamabad, local banks and global exchanges
- Pakistan has attempted to tap into growing crypto market to curb illicit transactions, improve oversight
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s finance officials and the team of a global cryptocurrency exchange on Friday held discussions aimed at modernizing the country’s digital payments system and building local talent pipelines to meet rising demand for blockchain and Web3 skills, the finance ministry said.
The development took place during a high-level meeting between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) Chairman Bilal bin Saqib, domestic bank presidents and a Binance team led by Global CEO Richard Teng. The meeting was held to advance work on Pakistan’s National Digital Asset Framework, a regulatory setup to govern Pakistan’s digital assets.
Pakistan has been moving to regulate its fast-growing crypto and digital assets market by bringing virtual asset service providers (VASPs) under a formal licensing regime. Officials say the push is aimed at curbing illicit transactions, improving oversight, and encouraging innovation in blockchain-based financial services.
“Participants reviewed opportunities to modernize Pakistan’s digital payments landscape, noting that blockchain-based systems could significantly reduce costs from the country’s $38 billion annual remittance flows,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
“Discussions also emphasized building local talent pipelines to meet rising global demand for blockchain and Web3 skills, creating high-value employment prospects for Pakistani youth.”
Blockchain is a type of digital database that is shared, transparent and tamper-resistant. Instead of being stored on one computer, the data is kept on a distributed network of computers, making it very hard to alter or hack.
Web3 refers to the next generation of the Internet built using blockchain, focusing on giving users more control over their data, identity and digital assets rather than big tech companies controlling it.
Participants of the meeting also discussed sovereign debt tokenization, which is the process of converting a country’s debt such as government bonds, into digital tokens on a blockchain, the ministry said.
Aurangzeb called for close coordination between the government, domestic banks and global exchanges to modernize Pakistan’s payment landscape.
Participants of the meeting also discussed considering a “time-bound amnesty” to encourage users to move assets onto regulated platforms, stressing the need for stronger verifications and a risk-mitigation system.
Pakistan has attempted in recent months to tap into the country’s growing crypto market, crack down on money laundering and terror financing, and promote responsible innovation — a move analysts say could bring an estimated $25 billion in virtual assets into the tax net.
In September, Islamabad invited international crypto exchanges and other VASPs to apply for licenses to operate in the country, a step aimed at formalizing and regulating its fast-growing digital market.
