ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan is in Russia to participate in the seventh Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS).
The two-day event is hosted by Russia’s Defense Ministry. Khan’s office said he will speak about Pakistan’s victory against terrorism, lessons learnt from counterterrorism, and the defeat of terrorists in Syria.
“Security issues facing Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America will also be discussed,” his office added.
Russian-Pakistani relations have improved in recent years. Last week, a Russian delegation met with Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua to discuss bilateral ties and defense cooperation.
Pakistan and Russia are “fortunate countries that have risen beyond the past to write a fresh and enduring chapter of friendship and cooperation for a better and brighter future,” Janjua said during the meeting.
The delegation said: “Russia considers Pakistan a reliable partner in South Asia, and is keen to develop strong bilateral relations in all possible areas.”
Pakistan defense minister in Moscow for security conference
Pakistan defense minister in Moscow for security conference
Pakistan calls for just solutions to global conflicts like Palestine for Asia’s enduring prosperity
- Ishaq Dar virtually addresses CICA’s ministerial meeting, asks member states to address root causes of conflicts
- The deputy PM also seeks strengthening regional connectivity for economic integration, sustainable development
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday called for just and inclusive political solutions to long-standing global disputes, such as Palestine and Kashmir, at the 7th Ministerial Meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
CICA, a 28-member forum established in 1992 and headquartered in Kazakhstan, began as a Central Asian initiative, though it now includes members from other region like the Middle East and Southeast Asia. As a founding member, Pakistan sees the platform as vital for addressing issues related to economic development and regional integration in its neighborhood.
The meeting, hosted by Azerbaijan, was addressed virtually by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who participated from Egypt, where he is attending a summit of D-8 developing nations focused on Gaza and Lebanon.
Dar highlighted Pakistan was working to promote corporation and advance peace, stability and security in Asia, though he also noted the challenges hindering the shared economic and political objectives of the member states.
“Lasting progress cannot be achieved in isolation,” he told the gathering. “Persistent challenges, including political disputes, conflicts, foreign occupations and the denial of self-determination, along with poverty and illiteracy, undermine the collective development of Asia.”
He emphasized that sustainable peace and security depended on addressing the root causes of conflicts.
“A just resolution of the Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir issues and guaranteeing their right to self-determination is key to fostering lasting peace in the region,” Dar added.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister also highlighted the importance of strengthening regional connectivity to drive economic integration and sustainable development.
He noted that initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could serve as “catalysts for regional economic cooperation and prosperity.”
“As the global economic center of gravity shifts, it is essential that we seize the moment of opportunity to ensure inclusive regional transformation,” he said, underscoring CICA’s role in fostering collaboration across Asia.
He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to CICA’s vision of advancing dialogue, mutual respect and adherence to international law to resolve disputes.
Dar urged member states to continue utilizing the platform for regional cooperation and collective progress.
Pakistan proposes cybersecurity center of excellence to bolster digital security for OIC nations
- Two-day workshop on cybersecurity challenges and opportunities for OIC nations is being hosted in Islamabad
- PTA chief informs the gathering Pakistan ranks among the top 40 nations in the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s telecom regulator on Tuesday proposed the establishment of a center of excellence at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address cybersecurity challenges and ensure a secure digital future for its members.
The OIC is an intergovernmental organization comprising 57 Muslim countries. Established in 1969, it aims to promote unity, solidarity and cooperation among member states on political, economic, cultural and scientific issues.
The proposal to set up the center of excellence on cybersecurity was presented by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman as he addressed the inaugural session of a two-day international workshop focusing on the issue that started earlier in the day.
The workshop, jointly organized by the OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) and Huawei Technologies in Pakistan, has attracted over 300 participants from various countries, both in person and online.
Discussions focus on critical cybersecurity challenges and opportunities for OIC member countries.
“Cybersecurity is a subject which cannot be handled alone by an organization or a country,” Rehman said at the workshop. “We need collaborations by joining hands with each other, and we should establish a center of excellence at the OIC level to ensure a safe digital future for our people.”
The PTA chairman said that in an era where technology was pervasive, digitization had increased vulnerabilities, making it essential to adopt and deploy technologies that ensure safety, security and the protection of critical networks.
“In this collaboration, we can focus on research, training, sharing frameworks with each other and documenting our collective experiences,” he added.
Rehman highlighted that the PTA had developed vital regulations to guide the country’s telecom sector in protecting critical data infrastructure. He also pointed out that Pakistan currently ranks among the top 40 countries, according to the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024 issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
“Previously, we were ranked 79th in the world,” he informed. “Now, we are 40th globally. This means we have advanced by nearly 30 positions in the cybersecurity domain.”
In his address, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General of COMSTECH, proposed an OIC ministerial conference on cybersecurity to facilitate experience sharing and the development of robust cyber defense systems across the Muslim world.
“To take this initiative forward, COMSTECH will organize two global cybersecurity forums in Central Asia and Africa in collaboration with Huawei and OIC-CERT [[Computer Emergency Response Team], focusing on capacity building and fostering linkages,” he added.
Sun Xiaofei, Chief Executive Officer of Huawei Technologies Pakistan, underscored the critical role played by tech firms in advancing cybersecurity initiatives and enhancing digital resilience.
“Huawei is committed to supporting OIC countries as they work to tackle cybersecurity challenges and protect their digital economies,” he said. “Being a technological leader in ICT, Huawei not only invests in cutting-edge technologies but also prioritizes securing the ecosystem, keeping cybersecurity at the top of its agenda.”
“Working with COMSTECH and OIC-CERT, we aim to help OIC countries formulate policies and frameworks to implement cybersecurity initiatives using our global experience and advanced technology,” he added.
Pakistan, China ink deal to boost resilience against climate disasters
- Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal holds meeting with CIDCA Director Luo Zhaohu in Kunming
- Pakistan’s Climate Information and Early Warning System Project was launched in February 2023
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and Beijing have signed a climate cooperation agreement to implement an information and early warning system in Pakistan with the aim to strengthen the South Asian nation’s resilience against climate-related disasters, state media reported on Tuesday.
The Climate Information and Early Warning System Project, which is being implemented by the Pakistani ministry of climate change and the United Nations Development Program, began in February 2023 and aims to install early warning systems as well as carry out capacity building, community engagement and sustainable livelihood support projects, particularly in the northern regions of the country vulnerable to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). GLOFs can occur when a glacial lake’s moraine dam rapidly accumulates water and bursts. The resulting release of water and debris can cause catastrophic destruction to downstream areas.
Pakistani Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal is visiting China to attend the 3rd China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Blue Economy Cooperation from Dec. 15-17, a dialogue Beijing says is aimed at connecting governments, financial institutions and businesses to promote regional integration in the development of the blue economy.
During his visit, Iqbal held a meeting on Tuesday with the director of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), Luo Zhaohui in Kunming.
“Following the meeting Zhaohui and Iqbal signed cooperation documents including those related to the implementation of Pakistan’s Climate Information and Early Warning System Project,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said on Tuesday.
APP quoted Luo as saying CIDCA was committed to working with Pakistan to implement the climate agreements, actively promote the joint construction of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, implement the Global Development Initiative (GDI), and deepen China-Pakistan development cooperation in general.
“CIDCA is committed to supporting Pakistan’s post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts, solidifying the enduring partnership between the two nations,” state media said, quoting Luo.
According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, annually facing extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heatwaves that significantly affect agriculture, infrastructure and livelihoods.
In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of Pakistan, killing over 1,700 people, inflicting economic losses of around $30 billion, and affecting at least 30 million people.
Aid reaches remote Pakistan valley hit by sectarian clashes
- Residents have reported food, medicine shortages in parts of northwestern Kurram district
- Government is struggling to end a reignited decades-old feud between rival communities
PESHAWAR: Aid flights landed in a remote Pakistan valley on Tuesday where thousands of people are stranded because of sectarian clashes that have killed more than 200 people since July.
Residents have reported food and medicine shortages in parts of Kurram district, which borders Afghanistan, as the government struggles to end a reignited feud between Sunni and Shiite Muslims stemming from decades-old tensions over farmland.
Sher Gul, the head of private welfare organization Edhi, said they would make several flights a day from the city of Peshawar to the valley for the rest of the week, depending on weather.
“We plan to bring around three wounded back on each flight... and deliver medicines for the injured,” he told AFP.
Various truces have been announced since the latest round of fighting began, as elders from the two sides negotiate a lasting agreement.
In the meantime, the government has shut down key roads in and out of the district in an attempt to quell the violence, after a security convoy escorting residents was attacked in November, leaving more than 40 dead.
Mobile and Internet services are also disrupted in the area.
Members of the Shiite community are also particularly vulnerable as they must pass through Sunni-majority neighborhoods to reach essential services.
At least 133 people have been killed and 177 wounded in sporadic clashes since November 21.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 79 people had been killed in the region between July and October.
Police have regularly struggled to control violence in Kurram, which was part of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas until it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018. The feuding is generally rekindled by disputes over land in the rugged mountainous region, and fueled by underlying tensions between the communities adhering to different sects of Islam.
Two policemen killed, three injured in suspected militant attack on checkpoint in Pakistan
- Gunmen attacked a check post in Shangla district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with guns and hand grenades
- Such attacks are rising in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with most claimed by Pakistan’s indigenous Taliban movement
PESHAWAR: Two policemen were killed and three injured in an attack on a check post in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the latest incident of suspected militant violence in the restive region bordering Afghanistan, police said on Tuesday.
Such attacks have been on the rise in KP in recent months, with most claimed by Pakistan’s indigenous Taliban movement, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and other militant groups that target security forces’ convoys and check posts and carry out daily targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials.
The TTP is a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban who rule Kabul.
“At around 11pm last night [Monday], terrorists attacked a check post which left two police officers martyred, and three policemen injured,” police official Maqbool Ahmed told Arab News on Tuesday, saying the assault took place in the Chakesar area of the province’s Shangla district, with militants hurling hand grenades at the post and opening fire in a drive-by attack.
No group has as yet claimed the attack.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, a report published in state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said, identifying the deceased cops as Assistant Sub Inspector Hassan Khan and Head Constable Nisar Khan.
Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups like the TTP, urging the administration there to prevent its territory from being used by armed factions to launch cross-border attacks.
The Afghan Taliban deny the charge, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter.
