KARACHI: Pakistani security forces on Friday killed two militants during an intelligence-based operation in the southwestern Balochistan province, the military said, as the region continues to experience an uptick in separatist attacks.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by landmass and rich in mineral resources, has faced a low-level insurgency for nearly two decades. Baloch separatist groups accuse the central government of exploiting local resources, such as gold and copper, without benefiting the local population.
Islamabad denies the allegations, saying it is committed to improving the lives of local residents in the province through various development projects.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement security forces conducted the operation in Kech District on the reported presence of militants.
“During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location and after an intense fire exchange, two terrorists were sent to hell,” said the statement.
“The killed terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area against the law enforcement agencies as well as the innocent civilians,” it added.
The ISPR said a “sanitization operation” was continuing in the area to eliminate any remaining militants.
It maintained that Pakistani forces were “determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan.”
Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for carrying out the operation.
“The nation is proud of the bravery of our officers and soldiers,” he said in a statement circulated by his office.
“Our war against terrorism will continue until it is completely eradicated from the country,” he added.
Pakistan says two militants killed in Balochistan amid ongoing separatist violence
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Pakistan says two militants killed in Balochistan amid ongoing separatist violence
- The military says both militants were ‘actively involved in numerous terrorist activities’ in the area
- Shehbaz Sharif applauds the security forces for the operation, vows to eliminate militant violence
IMF hails Pakistan privatization drive, calls PIA sale a ‘milestone’
- Fund backs sale of national airline as key step in divesting loss-making state firms
- IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce fiscal burden posed by state-owned entities
KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Saturday welcomed Pakistan’s privatization efforts, describing the sale of the country’s national airline to a private consortium last month as a milestone that could help advance the divestment of loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
The comments follow the government’s sale of a 75 percent stake in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group for Rs 135 billion ($486 million) after several rounds of bidding in a competitive process, marking Islamabad’s second attempt to privatize the carrier after a failed effort a year earlier.
Between the two privatization attempts, PIA resumed flight operations to several international destinations after aviation authorities in the European Union and Britain lifted restrictions nearly five years after the airline was grounded following a deadly Airbus A320 crash in Karachi in 2020 that killed 97 people.
“We welcome the authorities’ privatization efforts and the completion of the PIA privatization process, which was a commitment under the EFF,” Mahir Binici, the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan, said in response to an Arab News query, referring to the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility.
“This privatization represents a milestone within the authorities’ reform agenda, aimed at decreasing governmental involvement in commercial sectors and attracting investments to promote economic growth in Pakistan,” he added.
The IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce the fiscal burden posed by loss-making state firms, which have weighed public finances for years and required repeated government bailouts. Beyond PIA, the government has signaled plans to restructure or sell stakes in additional SOEs as part of broader reforms under the IMF program.
Privatization also remains politically sensitive in Pakistan, with critics warning of job losses and concerns over national assets, while supporters argue private sector management could improve efficiency and service delivery in chronically underperforming entities.
Pakistan’s Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises said on Friday that SOEs recorded a net loss of Rs 122.9 billion ($442 million) in the 2024–25 fiscal year, compared with a net loss of Rs 30.6 billion ($110 million) in the previous year.
