ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Peshawar Zalmi have pledged Rs50 million ($177,809) for Pakistani pilots for their “heroic response” to India’s missile and drone strikes on Pakistan this week, the franchise said on Sunday, in a gesture of national solidarity.
The announcement came as Pakistanis marked a “Day of Gratitude,” announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on Sunday to recognize the nation’s “befitting response” to India’s fighter jet, missile, drone and artillery strikes.
Hours after India’s missile strikes on multiple Pakistani cities on Wednesday, Pakistan said it had downed five Indian fighter jets, a claim partly corroborated by Indian government sources who confirmed at least three.
Javed Afridi, the Peshawar Zalmi chairman, said the recent events posed a serious threat to national security and public safety, but the “swift, precise and heroic response” of Pakistan’s air defenders averted any major damage.
“Their unwavering courage, dedication, and sacrifice are the heartbeat of our national pride. Today, we honor them not just with words, but through meaningful action,” Afridi was quoted as saying by his franchise.
“This contribution is more than a gesture — it is a powerful symbol of national solidarity and deep respect for the heroes who shield our skies with unshakable resolve.”
The statement came as a ceasefire, brokered by the United States (US), appeared to hold between the two nuclear-armed arch-rivals on Sunday. Four days of fighting between the two nations killed nearly 60 people and sent thousands fleeing, in the worst violence since India and Pakistan’s last open conflict in 1999.
The cross-border incursions forced both countries to postpone their respective Twenty-20 cricket leagues to ensure safety of local and international players as well as the spectators.
Cricket authorities of both countries have been in discussions to announce rescheduled dates and venues for the matches that had yet to be played.
Peshawar Zalmi pledge Rs50 million for Pakistani pilots for ‘heroic response’ to India strikes
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Peshawar Zalmi pledge Rs50 million for Pakistani pilots for ‘heroic response’ to India strikes
- The announcement comes as Pakistanis mark a ‘Day of Gratitude’ to recognize the nation’s reply to India’s fighter jet, missile, drone and artillery strikes
- A ceasefire, brokered by the US, appeared to hold between the two arch-rivals on Sunday after four days of fighting killed nearly 60 people on both sides
Pakistan accuses India of manipulating Chenab flows, seeks clarification under Indus Waters Treaty
- Foreign office spokesperson says sudden variations in river flows threaten agriculture, food security and livelihoods downstream
- He also condemns a hijab-removal incident in India, calling it part of a broader pattern of religious intolerance and Islamophobia
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday it had observed abrupt variations in the flow of the River Chenab during the ongoing month, accusing India of manipulating river flows at a critical point in the agricultural cycle and saying it had written to New Delhi seeking clarification.
Local media reported quoted Pakistani officials as saying India released about 58,000 cusecs of water at Head Marala on Dec. 7–8 before sharply reducing flows to roughly 870–1,000 cusecs through Dec. 17, far below the 10-year historical average of 4,000–10,000 cusecs for this period.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Andrabi told a weekly media briefing in Islamabad India had failed to share prior information or operational data on the Chenab flows, a practice he said New Delhi had previously followed under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. New Delhi said earlier this year it had put the treaty “in abeyance” following a gun attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that it blamed on Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denied, calling instead for an impartial and transparent international investigation.
Pakistan also described India’s unilateral suspension of the treaty as a violation of international law and an “act of war.”
“Pakistan would like to reiterate that the Indus Waters Treaty is a binding international agreement, which has been an instrument of peace and security and stability in the region,” Andrabi said. “Its breach or violation, on one hand, threatens the inviolability of international treaties in compliance with international law, and on the other hand, it poses serious threats to regional peace, principles of good neighborliness, and norms governing interstate relations.”
Andrabi said Pakistan viewed the sudden variations in the Chenab’s flow with “extreme concern and seriousness,” saying the country’s Indus Waters Commissioner had written to his Indian counterpart seeking clarification in line with procedures outlined in the treaty.
“Any manipulation of river flow by India, especially at a critical time of our agricultural cycle, directly threatens the lives and livelihoods, as well as food and economic security of our citizens,” he continued. “We call upon India to respond to the queries raised by Pakistan.”
He said Pakistan had fulfilled its obligations under the Indus Waters Treaty and urged the international community to take note of India’s “continued disregard” of a bilateral treaty and to counsel New Delhi to act responsibly under international law.
Andrabi maintained Pakistan remained committed to peaceful resolution of disputes with India but would not compromise on its water rights.
In the same briefing, he also condemned an incident in which the chief minister of the Indian state of Bihar was seen in a video forcibly removing the hijab of a Muslim woman during a public interaction, followed by remarks by a minister in Uttar Pradesh who mocked the episode, saying it reflected a broader pattern of religious intolerance and Islamophobia and warranted strong condemnation.
