ISLAMABAD: Every autumn on the mountainous Karakoram Highway, part of the ancient Silk Road, groups of Pakistani merchants living in China's far west would wave goodbye to their Chinese wives and cross the border to spend winter in their home country.
As the snow piled high, the men would stay in touch with their families by phone, longing for the spring thaw that would allow them to be reunited in Xinjiang.
But last year many of their calls suddenly went unanswered.
Their families, they learned, had disappeared into a growing network of shadowy "re-education centres" that have swept up the region's Uighur Muslim minority over fears of Islamic militancy crossing the border from Pakistan.
"My wife and kids were taken away by the Chinese authorities in March last year and I haven't heard from them since," said Iqbal, a Pakistani businessman who declined to give his surname over concern about his family's safety.
Last July, he headed to China to find them, but was turned away at the border. Authorities "said my wife was in 'training' and the government was taking care of my kids", he told AFP.
"I begged them to let me talk to my daughters, but they refused."
Iqbal is one of dozens of merchants from Gilgit-Baltistan who return to Pakistan for visa reasons or to run their businesses and have been unable to contact their Uighur families living in China, according to Javed Hussain, a member of the local assembly for the Pakistani region that borders Xinjiang.
Earlier this month, the delegates passed a unanimous resolution protesting the "illegal detention" of the men's families.
"The Chinese authorities should at least allow the men to meet their wives and children," Hussain said.
"China is our friend and this incident will leave a bad taste."
China's foreign ministry said that the "two sides are maintaining communication about problems related to interactions between both countries' people", while Pakistan's said the issue was being "actively discussed with the government of China".
Like many of the men, Iqbal's family lived in Kashgar, an ancient city along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a trade route connecting China's far west to the Arabian Sea port of Gwadar.
In recent years, China has heavily pushed its relationship with Pakistan, investing tens of billions of dollars in CPEC infrastructure projects in the country, and Beijing has upgraded the treacherous mountain road connecting Gilgit-Baltistan to Xinjiang.
But China has had difficulty reconciling its desire for development with fears that Uighur separatists will import violence from Pakistan.
Chinese authorities have long linked their crackdown on Xinjiang's Muslims to international counter-terrorism, arguing that separatists are bent on joining foreign extremists like Al-Qaeda.
Uighurs have been tied to mass stabbings and bombings that left dozens dead in recent years across the country. Riots and clashes with the government killed hundreds more.
Over the past year, China has turned to increasingly drastic methods to eliminate what it describes as the "three forces": terrorists, religious extremists and separatists.
In 2017, the government flooded Xinjiang with tens of thousands of security personnel, with police stations on nearly every block in urban areas and tough regulations to "eliminate extremism".
This included the increased use of compulsory "re-education" for anyone suspected of harbouring separatist sympathies.
Iqbal and the other Pakistani men believe their wives -- and even business associates -- have been targeted because they received calls and messages from Pakistan.
"Any communication from Pakistan is considered a threat," said Qurban, a businessman who has worked in Kashgar for over 30 years.
"One of my employees, a Uighur, was picked up two years back just because he was in touch with me when I went to Pakistan."
Chinese authorities have denied the existence of re-education centres.
But regulations against extremism adopted by Xinjiang last March call for authorities to step up political re-education.
In Kashgar alone, more than 120,000 people -- about three percent of the area's population -- were being held in the facilities in January, according to Radio Free Asia.
An AFP review of state media reports and government documents verified the existence of at least 30 such centres and almost 4,000 cases of people being sent to them.
Regulations posted on a local website in Xinjiang's Hejing county explained that even minor transgressions of strict religious regulations can be punished with up to three months in a centre.
Ali, a businessman who lost contact with his wife in December, said she had been taken by authorities to do a "sort of training where they teach them about Communism and prepare them to be patriotic citizens".
"My wife told me that Chinese police had come to her house and asked her about the calls from Pakistan and asked her to explain her links with ETIM," said Ali, referring to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, a militant group China has accused of attempting to foment Uighur separatism.
He plans to cross the border in May to find his family, but has been told his children are in the custody of the Chinese government and doesn't know if he will see them again.
"They never tell you anything, they just say your family will come back to you when they finish their training."
Pakistanis distressed as Uighur wives vanish in China dragnet
Pakistanis distressed as Uighur wives vanish in China dragnet
5.3-magnitude quake hits central Pakistan
- US Geological Survey says quake’s epicenter located around 60 kilometers northeast of Balochistan’s Barkhan city
- Pakistan straddles boundary where Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making it susceptible for quakes
ISLAMABAD: A magnitude-5.3 earthquake struck central Pakistan on Sunday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the shallow quake, which USGS reported had occurred around 3:30 am (2230 GMT) with the epicenter around 60 kilometers (37 miles) north-northeast of Barkhan, a city in Pakistan’s mountainous Balochistan province.
Pakistan straddles the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making the country susceptible to earthquakes.
The region can be challenging to navigate during crisis situations — in 2015, a 7.5-magnitude quake in Pakistan and Afghanistan killed almost 400 people across rugged terrain that impeded relief efforts.
The country was also hit by a 7.6-magnitude quake in 2005 that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless, mainly in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
Balochistan province, Pakistan’s largest, saw a quake in 2021 that killed at least 20 people and left more than 10 injured, with landslides hampering initial rescue efforts in the remote mountainous district of Harnai.
Islamabad says 21,700 Hajj pilgrims have left for Pakistan from Madinah so far
- Pakistani pilgrims arrive in Madinah after completing their Hajj rituals in holy city of Makkah
- Pakistan’s post-Hajj flight operation, which began on June 11, expected to continue till July 10
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s post-Hajj flight operations are in full swing as 21,700 pilgrims have so far departed for Pakistan from Madinah, state-run media reported this week, with more expected to leave in the coming days.
Pakistan began its post-Hajj flight operations on June 11 with the arrival of a Pakistan International Airlines flight, PK-732, in Islamabad carrying 307 pilgrims. The flights are expected to conclude by July 10.
State broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday that Pakistani pilgrims are arriving in Madinah following the completion of their Hajj rituals in Makkah. It said the post-Hajj phase has begun under the supervision of the newly established Main Control Office (MCO) to facilitate Pakistani pilgrims for their return to the country.
“So far, 21,700 Pakistani pilgrims have departed for Pakistan from Madinah, with the remaining expected to leave in the coming days,” the state broadcaster said.
It said the MCO, set up in coordination with the Pakistan Hajj Mission Madinah, has been equipped with dedicated sections such as Lost and Found, Complaint Cell, Airport Team and other support services.
It said all sections are fully operational to ensure seamless facilitation for pilgrims traveling from Makkah to Madinah before their return to Pakistan.
“The office is managing pilgrims’ accommodation, food, transportation, and other logistical needs during their stay in Madinah,” Radio Pakistan said.
Pakistan received a quota of 179,210 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025, which was evenly divided between the government and private Hajj operators.
While the government filled its full allocation of over 88,000 pilgrims, a major portion of the private quota remained unutilized due to delays by companies in meeting payment and registration deadlines.
PM Sharif orders weather alerts for citizens as monsoon rains batter parts of Pakistan
- Shehbaz Sharif instructs NDMA to enhance coordination with provinces, provide all possible support
- NDMA says urban flooding is likely over the next 48 hours in the low-lying regions of southern Sindh
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to enhance coordination with provinces and issue timely weather alerts to citizens via cellphone messages, as heavy monsoon rains continued to wreak havoc across parts of the country.
The directive came during a phone call with NDMA Chairperson Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik, amid reports of flash floods, urban inundation and landslides triggered by days of torrential rain.
The provincial disaster authorities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab reported the death of 31 people amid heavy rains. The downpours, which claimed at least 19 lives in KP and 12 in Punjab, also damaged dozens of homes, disrupted rail operations in the southern Sindh province and prompted the meteorological department to maintain a high alert through early next week.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif instructed the NDMA chairperson to remain in close contact with provincial governments, particularly in the country’s northern regions, and to provide all possible support,” said an official statement issued by the PM Office. “He also directed that weather warnings be proactively communicated to citizens via mobile phone messages.”
The NDMA issued its own emergency alert on Saturday, warning of possible urban flooding over the next 48 hours in low-lying areas of southern Sindh, including Karachi, Thatta, Badin, Sujawal, Hyderaba and Mirpurkhas.
Similar risks were flagged for the northeastern region, including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot and Lahore.
“There is a possibility of increased water flow in southern Balochistan’s Kirthar Range streams,” the NDMA said, adding that flood levels could rise in the Swat and Panjkora rivers and their tributaries, as well as in the Kabul River and northern Punjab’s drainage systems.
The authority advised the public to avoid low-lying areas, stay away from rivers and streams and refrain from unnecessary travel in at-risk regions.
It also urged citizens to download the NDMA Disaster Alert mobile application for real-time updates and guidance.
Pakistan, home to more than 240 million people, is ranked among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world and faces increasingly severe weather patterns, including heatwaves, droughts and floods.
In 2022, deadly floods brought by record monsoon rains and glacial melt killed over 1,700 people and impacted 33 million in Pakistan. The floods also damaged houses, crop and public infrastructure, with total losses estimated at over $30 billion.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast further heavy rainfall through Tuesday.
At least 1.2 million Afghans forced to return from Iran and Pakistan this year — UN
- Iran has deported over 366,000 Afghans this year, with the 12-day war increasing departures
- Pakistani officials have set a June 30 deadline for nearly 1.3 million Afghan nationals to leave
ISLAMABAD: At least 1.2 million Afghans have been forced to return from Iran and Pakistan this year, the UN refugee agency said Saturday, warning that repatriations on a massive scale have the potential to destabilize the fragile situation in Afghanistan.
Iran and Pakistan in 2023 launched separate campaigns to expel foreigners they said were living in the country illegally. They set deadlines and threatened them with deportation if they didn’t leave. The two governments deny targeting Afghans, who have fled their homeland to escape war, poverty or Taliban rule.
The UN high commissioner for refugees said that of the 1.2 million returning Afghans, more than half had come from Iran following a March 20 government deadline for them to leave voluntarily or face expulsion.
Iran has deported more than 366,000 Afghans this year, including refugees and people in refugee-like situations, according to the agency.
Iran’s 12-day war with Israel also has driven departures. The highest number of returns was on June 26, when 36,100 Afghans crossed the border in one day.
“Afghan families are being uprooted once again, arriving with scant belongings, exhausted, hungry, scared about what awaits them in a country many of them have never even set foot in,” said Arafat Jamal, the UNHCR representative in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
He said women and girls are particularly worried, as they fear the restrictions on freedom of movement and basic rights such as education and employment.
More than half Afghanistan relies on humanitarian assistance. But opposition to Taliban policies and widespread funding cuts are worsening the situation, with aid agencies and nongovernmental organizations cutting back on basic services like education and health care.
IRAN URGES FOREIGNERS TO LEAVE QUICKLY
Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, said Saturday that foreigners in the country illegally should leave as soon as possible or face prosecution, state media reported.
“Foreign nationals, especially brothers and sisters from Afghanistan whom we have hosted for years, help us [so] that illegal individuals leave Iran in the shortest period,” the official IRNA news agency quoted Azad as saying.
Iranian authorities said in April that out of more than 6 million Afghans, up to 2.5 million were in the country illegally.
Iran’s top diplomat in Kabul, Ali Reza Bikdeli, visited the Dogharoun border crossing with Afghanistan and promised to facilitate the repatriation of Afghans, state TV reported.
Iranians have complained about the increasing presence of Afghans in recent months, with some accusing them of spying for Israel since the outbreak of the war.
TALIBAN PLEDGE AMNESTY
Earlier this month, on the religious festival of Eid Al-Adha, the Taliban prime minister said all Afghans who fled the country after the collapse of the former Western-backed government were free to return, promising they would be safe.
“Afghans who have left the country should return to their homeland,” Mohammad Hassan Akhund said in a message on X. “Nobody will harm them. Come back to your ancestral land and live in an atmosphere of peace.”
On Saturday, a high-ranking ministerial delegation traveled to western Herat province to meet some of the Afghans returning from Iran.
The officials pledged “swift action to address the urgent needs of the returnees and ensure that essential services and support are provided to ease their reintegration,” according to a statement from the Taliban deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat on X.
People get food, temporary accommodation and access to health care upon their return, said Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the director of information and culture in Herat. Everyone receives 2,000 Afghanis, or $28.50, in cash and is taken free of charge to their home provinces.
“Upon arrival, they are housed in designated camps until permanent housing is arranged, as residential townships are currently under construction in every province for them,” he told The Associated Press.
Meanwhile, Pakistani authorities have set a June 30 deadline for some 1.3 million Afghans to leave. Pakistan aims to expel a total of 3 million Afghans this year.
Pakistan army chief hails cadets from Arab and allied nations at Naval Academy graduation
- Among the 127 graduating midshipmen were 19 cadets from Bahrain, four from Iraq and two from Palestine
- The army chief says Pakistan’s response to India standoff showed armed forces ready to defend the country
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on Saturday hailed the presence of cadets from Arab and allied countries at a Naval Academy graduation ceremony, saying it reflected the high standard of training the country offers to its military partners.
The commissioning parade, held in Karachi, marked the completion of the 123rd Midshipmen and 31st Short Service Commission courses.
Among the 127 graduating midshipmen were 19 cadets from Bahrain, four from Iraq and two from the State of Palestine, with additional participants from the Republic of Djibouti and the Republic of Türkiye.
“The Pakistan Naval Academy has consistently provided excellent professional training to cadets from allied nations,” the army chief said, according to a statement issued by the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
“The presence of cadets from Bahrain, Iraq, the State of Palestine, the Republic of Djibouti and the Republic of Türkiye in today’s commissioning parade is a reflection of the Academy’s high training standards,” he added.
Pakistan regularly trains cadets and officers from partner nations and sends its own officers abroad to institutions in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom for advanced military education and joint training.
The ceremony was attended by senior officials from Pakistan and other countries, government representatives and families of the graduating cadets.
In his remarks, the army chief also praised the Navy’s professionalism and its efforts as a regional maritime force committed to securing international sea lines of communication.
He also referenced the recent standoff with India, saying the country’s armed forces had “responded swiftly and decisively against a numerically superior enemy,” and were fully prepared to defend Pakistan’s sovereignty.
