Pakistani leaders, national carrier condole over Air India plane crash, killing over 290

The back of Air India flight 171 is pictured at the site after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 12 June 2025
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Pakistani leaders, national carrier condole over Air India plane crash, killing over 290

  • Dead included people on the ground as London-bound aircraft crashed on medical college hostel during lunch hour
  • Police say found one survivor who was in seat 11A next to an emergency exit, there could be more survivors in hospital

KARACHI: Pakistani leaders and the country’s national carrier offered condolences on Thursday as more than 290 people were killed when an Air India plane with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from the western city of Ahmedabad in the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade.

The dead included people on the ground as the aircraft — headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital — crashed on a medical college hostel during lunch hour.

At least one passenger is known to have survived the crash, police said.

“Saddened by the tragic crash of Air India flight near Ahmedabad today. We extend our condolences to the families of the victims grieving this immense loss,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on X.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.”

PIA, Pakistan’s national carrier, said it stood in “solidarity with our fellow aviation community, offering our deepest condolences to Flight 171 and all those impacted.”

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the head of a Pakistani delegation visiting world capitals to present Islamabad’s position on a recent military standoff with New Delhi, also expressed condolences over the Indian plane crash after his team arrived in Brussels to hold meetings.

“Saddened to hear a tragic incident occurred earlier today,” he said on X. “I express my profound condolences to the people of India.”

Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer, told Reuters approximately 294 had died:

“This includes some students as the plane crashed on the building where they were staying.”

She said police found one survivor who was in seat 11A, next to an emergency exit, adding that there could be more survivors in hospital.




Indian media widely reported the survivor had been sitting in seat 11A, after videos shared on social media showed Vishwash Kumar Ramesh — in a bloodied t-shirt and limping, but walking toward an ambulance. (X/Screenshots)

“Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed,” 40-year-old survivor Ramesh Viswashkumar told the Hindustan Times, which showed a boarding pass for seat 11A in that name online.

“It all happened so quickly,” he told the paper from his hospital bed.

“When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me … Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”

He said that his brother, Ajay, was seated in a different row on the plane.

“He was traveling with me and I can’t find him anymore. Please help me find him,” he said.

FOREIGN NATIONALS ON BOARD

Ahmedabad police chief G.S. Malik said the bodies recovered could include both passengers and people killed on the ground. The dead included Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat state, of which Ahmedabad is the main city.

Relatives had been asked to give DNA samples to identify the dead, state health secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi told reporters.

Parts of the plane’s body were scattered around the smoldering building into which it crashed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building.

The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants, Reuters reported. Air India said 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service.

It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, which began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said.

CRASH JUST AFTER TAKE-OFF

Thursday’s crash occurred just after the plane took off. TV channels showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge fireball could be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses.

“My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, I got news that the plane had crashed,” Poonam Patel, a relative of one of the passengers, told news agency ANI at the government hospital in Ahmedabad.

Ramila, the mother of a student at the medical college, told ANI her son had gone to the hostel for his lunch break when the plane crashed.

“My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries,” she said.

According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 139 p.m (0809 GMT). It gave a Mayday call, signaling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft.

US aerospace safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse said one problematic sign from videos of the aircraft was that the landing gear was down at a phase of flight when it would typically be up.




Rescue officials work at the site where Air India flight 171 crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. (AFP)

“If you didn’t know what was happening, you would think that plane was on approach to a runway,” Brickhouse said.

Boeing said it was in contact with Air India and working to gather more information. Boeing shares fell 5 percent as the crash posed a major setback for the plane maker as its new CEO looks to rebuild trust following a series of safety and production challenges.

Aircraft engine-maker GE Aerospace said that it would put a team together to go to India and analyze cockpit data, India’s CNBC TV18 reported.

The US National Transportation Safety Board said it would lead a team of US investigators traveling to India to help in the investigation.

Britain was working with Indian authorities to urgently establish the facts around the crash and to provide support to those involved, the country’s foreign office said.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. “It is heartbreaking beyond words.” Gujarat is Modi’s home state.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said images emerging of the crash were “devastating.”

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles was also being kept updated.

INDIA’S FIRST CRASH SINCE 2020

Ahmedabad Airport, which suspended all flight operations after the crash, said it was operational again but with limited flights. The airport is operated by India’s Adani Group conglomerate.




Rescuers work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state on June 12, 2025. (AP)

The last fatal plane crash in India, the world’s third largest aviation market and its fastest growing, was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline’s low-cost arm.

The airline’s Boeing-737 overshot a “table-top” runway in southern India, skidded and plunged into a valley, crashing nose-first into the ground and killing 21 people.

The formerly state-owned Air India was taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022, and merged with Vistara — a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines – in 2024.

DEADLY CIVILIAN CRASHES OVER THE DECADES

AUGUST 2020

Twenty-one people died when an Air India Express Boeing 737 plane skidded off the runway in the southern city of Kozhikode during heavy rain, plunged into a valley and crashed nose-first into the ground.

MAY 2010

An Air India Boeing 737 flight from Dubai overshot the runway at the airport in the southern city of Mangaluru and crashed into a gorge, killing 158 people on board.

JULY 2000

More than 50 people were killed when a state-owned Alliance Air flight between Kolkata and the capital, New Delhi, crashed in a residential area of the eastern city of Patna.

APRIL 1993

An Indian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed during takeoff in the western city of Aurangabad and killed 55 people on board.

AUGUST 1991

An Indian Airlines Boeing 737 flight from Kolkata crashed during descent near Imphal, the capital of the hilly north-eastern state of Manipur, killing all 69 occupants onboard.

OCTOBER 1988

More than 130 passengers died when an Indian Airlines Boeing 737, flying from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, crashed as it was coming in to land.

JANUARY 1978

All 213 passengers of an Air India flight were killed when the captain lost control of the plane after take-off and plunged it into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai, India’s financial hub.

With inputs from Reuters


Pakistan’s retailers, struggling against foreign sellers, welcome new e-commerce taxes

Updated 13 sec ago
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Pakistan’s retailers, struggling against foreign sellers, welcome new e-commerce taxes

  • Foreign platforms shipping up to 30,000 parcels daily now face 18% sales tax under new budget
  • Courier firms tasked with tax collection, but enforcement remains a key concern for stakeholders

KARACHI: Pakistan’s imposition of new taxes on international e-commerce giants such as Temu, Shein, and AliExpress is drawing relief from local retailers, who say the foreign firms have been operating in the country without paying taxes, thus undercutting domestic businesses.

The new measures, introduced through the federal budget passed on June 26, include an 18% sales tax on goods delivered by courier companies on behalf of foreign platforms, a 5 percent fixed income tax on digital retailers, and a reduction in the duty-free threshold for imported parcels from Rs5,000 to Rs500 ($18 to $1.80).

The tax regime took effect on July 1.

“This is a very welcome move by the government to have brought the international platforms into the tax net,” Malik Asim Dogar, secretary-general of the Chainstore Association of Pakistan (CAP), told Arab News.

The policy, he said, would ease the burden on domestic retailers, prevent inflows of “inexpensive but substandard” goods, and help Pakistan’s cash-strapped government raise tax revenue.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration has pledged to collect over Rs14 trillion ($49.3 billion) in taxes this fiscal year, partly to meet targets under a $7 billion loan program with the International Monetary Fund.

Until now, foreign e-commerce platforms had been selling directly to Pakistani consumers, often via social media, without being subject to local tax laws. Formal retail chains in Karachi such as Imtiaz, Chase Up, and Naheed — already paying up to 25% in taxes — said they had struggled to compete with tax-exempt imports offering cheaper prices.

A Temu representative did not respond to questions, while Shein and AliExpress could not be reached. Pakistani courier giant TCS also did not reply to questions about delivery volumes from foreign e-commerce sellers.

CAP estimates Pakistan’s retail sector includes about 5 million shops, generating Rs20 trillion ($70.5 billion) annually, of which only 10% comes from the tax-compliant formal sector.

Daily parcel volumes from foreign platforms have surged from around 1,000 per day in 2023 to between 20,000 and 30,000 this year — a rise of nearly 2,900%, according to internal figures from local courier companies shared by CAP.

“What we have seen is that on a daily basis, tens of thousands of shipments are coming into the country,” CAP chairman Asfandyar Farrukh said. “People order online on these platforms through social media or other websites. All these products are coming into Pakistan.”

Farrukh said the most affected segments include domestic sellers of crockery, home goods, small electronics, and casual clothing, who had reported sales declines of up to 10% in the past six months.

CAP’s Dogar said the lack of regulation previously created an “unfair playing field” for local retailers.

But Shankar Talreja, head of research at brokerage firm Topline Securities, said the new taxes would address a long-standing complaint of local retailers.

“This was an unfair advantage to the importers,” Talreja told Arab News. “Now that a certain percentage of tax is applied to the products sold by foreign vendors, the domestic sellers will get some level-playing field.”

Talreja noted Pakistan’s growing Internet penetration — with over 80% teledensity — was already fueling e-commerce, even if it still accounts for less than 1% of the overall retail market.

Retailers themselves are shifting to digital platforms, albeit reluctantly.

“Nowadays, we are seeing that most of the footfall on digital platforms and online shopping is of those who are young in age and more savvy digitally,” said Salman Bashir, CEO of Chase Up, one of Pakistan’s largest retail chains.

“We as well as the whole retail sector will have to bring this change into their companies.”

However, Bashir expressed skepticism about whether the new tax measures would be properly enforced.

“These [taxes] haven’t been implemented even if they stand passed,” he said, speaking two days after the budget became law on July 2.

Dogar and Talreja echoed his concerns, pointing to implementation hurdles in assigning tax collection duties to banks and courier companies.

Under the new rules, financial institutions are required to withhold a portion of remittances made to foreign sellers. Courier firms are also expected to collect sales tax at the point of delivery — a move some say is burdensome and unrealistic.

“The responsibility to collect these taxes has been put on courier companies, which would very much affect their business operations,” Dogar said.

Talreja warned that enforcement could falter without better coordination.

“The courier companies often do not have visibility into whether the seller is registered as a local or foreign. Couriers are logistics firms, not tax collection agents by design,” he said.

“This will increase their administrative work, hence the motivation to work in this aspect would be lower.”


Pakistan announce T20I squad for Bangladesh series

Updated 42 min 31 sec ago
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Pakistan announce T20I squad for Bangladesh series

  • Three-match series to be played in Dhaka from July 20 to 24
  • Series follows Pakistan’s 3–0 home sweep over Bangladesh in May

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, with middle-order batter Salman Ali Agha retained as captain.

The series will be played from July 20 to 24 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka and comes just two months after Bangladesh toured Pakistan in May where they were whitewashed 3–0.

The PCB said the squad for the white-ball series against the West Indies “will be announced in due course.”

“The Men’s National Selection Committee has announced the 15-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh. Salman Ali Agha will continue to lead the side in the T20Is,” the PCB said in a statement.

The squad sees continuity in leadership under Salman Ali Agha, who was first handed the T20I captaincy earlier this year. The upcoming Dhaka series offers an opportunity for newer players like Hassan Nawaz and spinner Sufyan Moqim to gain international experience, while selectors continue testing bench strength ahead of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup.

The Sher-e-Bangla stadium is known for its spin-friendly conditions, which could suit bowlers like Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz.

Pakistan last toured Bangladesh in November 2021 when they also won a T20I series 3–0.

Pakistan squad for Bangladesh T20Is:

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, and Sufyan Moqim.

Team Management:

Naveed Akram Cheema (manager), Mike Hesson (head coach), Ashley Noffke (bowling coach), Muhammad Hanif Malik (batting coach), Shane McDermott (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Grant Luden (strength and conditioning coach), Talha Ejaz (analyst), Syed Naeem Ahmad (media manager), Irtaza Komail (security manager), Dr. Wajid Ali Rafai (doctor), and Muhammad Ehsan (masseur).


Pakistan expresses solidarity as 12 Turkish soldiers die in Iraq cave gas incident

Updated 51 min 15 sec ago
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Pakistan expresses solidarity as 12 Turkish soldiers die in Iraq cave gas incident

  • Incident occurred during a mission to locate the remains of a soldier killed earlier in operations against PKK group 
  • In past years, Turkish forces have reported discovering elaborate tunnel networks used by PKK fighters in northern Iraq

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday said it was saddened over the deaths of 12 Turkish soldiers who were killed after being exposed to methane gas during a military search operation in northern Iraq, offering condolences and reaffirming solidarity with Turkiye.

According to the Turkish defense ministry, the incident occurred on Sunday during a mission to locate the remains of a soldier killed earlier in operations against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is designated a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union.

The soldiers were operating in the Claw-Lock Operation zone, part of a broader Turkish cross-border military campaign launched in April 2022 to root out PKK fighters from northern Iraq’s mountainous terrain. The ministry said several other soldiers exposed to methane gas in the same cave were hospitalized for treatment.

“We are deeply saddened to learn that 12 Turkish soldiers were martyred, after being exposed to methane gas during a search mission in the Claw-Lock Operation zone,” the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

“We wish Allah’s mercy upon the martyrs and express deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Pakistan stands in firm solidarity with brotherly Turkiye in this moment of grief.”

While fatal gas exposure incidents in combat zones are relatively rare, the risk of methane buildup in enclosed or underground spaces such as caves or tunnels is well documented in both military and mining contexts. Methane is a colorless, odorless, and highly flammable gas that can displace oxygen, leading to suffocation in confined environments.

In past years, Turkish forces have reported discovering elaborate tunnel networks used by PKK fighters in northern Iraq, often rigged with explosives or hazardous substances. In 2021, three Turkish soldiers were killed in a suspected chemical exposure during clashes in a cave complex in the same region, though Turkish authorities did not publicly confirm the substance involved.

The latest incident underscores the continuing dangers faced by Turkish troops deployed in high-risk terrain as part of ongoing security operations. Turkiye has maintained a network of military bases in Iraq’s Kurdistan region for years, a policy that has drawn criticism from Baghdad but is defended by Ankara as necessary for national defense.

Pakistan and Turkiye share close defense and diplomatic ties, with regular high-level exchanges and joint military cooperation. Islamabad has consistently voiced support for Ankara’s security concerns, including its fight against the PKK.


Police probe ‘serious’ sexual assault on teen wife in Karachi, husband in custody

Updated 08 July 2025
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Police probe ‘serious’ sexual assault on teen wife in Karachi, husband in custody

  • 19-year-old woman in coma after alleged assault days after marriage, attempted murder, rape filed against spouse
  • Over 32,000 gender-based violence cases reported in Pakistan in 2024 with conviction rates below 1 percent

KARACHI: A 19-year-old woman from the southern Pakistani city of Karachi is in a coma after allegedly being subjected to sexual violence by her husband, police and medical officials confirmed on Tuesday, in a case that has renewed focus on the country’s ongoing crisis of gender-based violence.

Police arrested the suspect, identified only as Ashok, after the victim’s family lodged a complaint under Sections 324 and 376B of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deal with attempted murder and rape. The assault allegedly took place just days after the couple were married on June 15.

“The victim, a 19-year-old from Lyari [neighborhood], is now in a coma. Her physical examination findings are consistent with sexual violence,” Dr. Summaiya Syed, Police Surgeon Karachi, told Arab News, adding that such incidents were “tragically frequent.”

“Circumstances vary and names change, but violence remains,” she said.

According to the police complaint, the woman’s condition deteriorated following a series of violent assaults by her husband. She was first taken to a local hospital by her in-laws and later shifted to Karachi’s Civil Hospital, where she remains in intensive care.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Arif Aziz said the suspect was arrested promptly after the incident was reported.

“This brutal sexual assault is a grave and serious offense, and the police are treating it with utmost urgency and priority to ensure the perpetrator is held accountable,” he said.

“We are committed to preventing such incidents in the future through firm and effective action.”

The case has drawn renewed attention to widespread violence against women in Pakistan, where incidents of domestic abuse, rape, and honor-based crimes remain pervasive.

According to a March report by the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), over 32,617 gender-based violence cases were recorded nationwide in the first part of 2024 alone, including 5,339 cases of rape.

Despite the scale of the crisis, conviction rates remain dismally low. Prosecutions for rape and so-called “honor killings” result in a conviction in just 0.5 percent of cases, according to SSDO.

Activists cite underreporting, entrenched stigma, patriarchal attitudes and weak enforcement mechanisms as key reasons for the lack of justice.

“This case is horrifying, but sadly not isolated,” said Mehnaz Rehman, former Resident Director of the Aurat Foundation and a long-time women’s rights activist.

“Without accountability, these crimes will continue.”

Over the years, several high-profile rape and assault cases have sparked public outrage in Pakistan, including the 2020 gang rape of a woman on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway in front of her children, and the 2018 rape and murder of six-year-old Zainab Ansari in Kasur.

While both cases led to convictions, activists say such outcomes remain rare and systemic reform is still lacking.

Qurat Mirza, a founding member of Aurat March, said that victims of sexual assault or rape are often subjected to shame and social stigma, which discourages them from reporting such cases.

“Had this girl not fallen into a coma, this incident may never have come to light either,” she said, adding that while laws exist in Sindh province, the corresponding rules of business have yet to be formulated.

Urging the government to demonstrate political will by implementing existing laws and pursuing judicial reforms, Mirza said women would continue to speak out.

“Resilience and resistance are our only solutions,” she said. “We will continue to condemn injustice, raise our voices in protest, and create awareness until women are truly protected.”

The Karachi case remains under investigation.
 


Pakistan plans to slash container dwell time at ports by 70% to boost trade efficiency

Updated 08 July 2025
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Pakistan plans to slash container dwell time at ports by 70% to boost trade efficiency

  • Government forms committee to identify bottlenecks, recommend faster cargo clearance measures
  • It aims to deploy drones, AI to ensure real-time monitoring of vessel docking and container movement

KARACHI: Pakistan plans to cut container dwell time at its seaports by up to 70% to improve trade competitiveness and ease congestion, according to an official statement by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs on Tuesday, which also announced the formation of a committee to present recommendations within ten days.

The initiative is part of the government’s broader efforts to modernize its port infrastructure and position Pakistan as a regional trade and transit hub.

Islamabad is working to increase the efficiency of its ports in Karachi and Gwadar as it seeks to expand connectivity with global markets, including plans to launch a ferry service to Gulf countries and encourage landlocked Central Asian states to use Pakistani ports for access to international sea lanes.

The announcement to reduce the dwell time followed a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry at the Federal Board of Revenue headquarters with senior officials from Pakistan Customs, Karachi Port Trust and other relevant bodies.

“Minister Junaid Chaudhry emphasized that reducing dwell time is not merely an administrative change, but a strategic move to enhance port efficiency, lower logistics costs and strengthen Pakistan’s standing in the regional trade and logistics landscape,” the statement said.

He also announced the formation of the committee and tasked its members with identifying procedural bottlenecks and proposing measures to expedite cargo clearance.

Currently, container dwell time at Pakistani ports averages around a week. The government’s target is to reduce this to just two days, following directives from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

To support implementation, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs will establish a dedicated monitoring room to oversee real-time container movements. 

“Drones and AI technology will also be deployed to monitor vessel docking operations through to the container’s exit from the terminal,” the minister said during the meeting.

He noted that persistent delays in container release impose additional costs on importers and exporters, diminishing Pakistan’s competitiveness in international markets.