US should leave Afghanistan as friends of the region — DG ISPR

Pakistan military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor addresses a press conference in Rawalpindi, April 17, 2017. (AP/File)
Updated 27 January 2019
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US should leave Afghanistan as friends of the region — DG ISPR

  • Head of Pakistan army’s media wing gives wide-ranging, exclusive interview to Arab News
  • Says Pakistan has done its job of bringing insurgents to the negotiating table

RAWALPINDI: The United States should leave Afghanistan as a friend of the region and commit to rebuilding the country when it exits more than 17 years since American-led forces invaded, the head of the Pakistan army’s media wing said as Taliban officials and US negotiators agreed on the draft of a peace agreement that could potentially end the United States’ longest war.
This week, the Taliban resumed stalled peace talks with US special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in Doha, where the insurgents have long maintained an office. The dialogue, originally meant to run over two days, entered its sixth day on Saturday, raising hopes that the latest efforts to find a mechanism to end the 17-year Afghan war might be the most serious yet. 
Taliban sources told media on Saturday night that a draft peace deal decided between the Taliban and US official stipulated that troops would leave within 18 months of the agreement being signed.
“Afghanistan should not go into turmoil” when US forces leave, Major General Asif Ghafoor, the head of the army’s media wing, said in a wide-ranging interview to Arab News on Friday evening: “The US should leave Afghanistan as friends of the region, with a commitment to assist Afghanistan in becoming self-sustaining and help in socio-economic development.”
The US has long been pressuring Pakistan to use its influence over the Taliban to bring them to the negotiating table. Last week, Khalilzad visited Pakistan to push the peace process forward amid media reports that the Taliban had refused to meet him in Islamabad, insisting that they preferred to hold talks in Qatar and did not want Pakistan, the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia to be involved. 
“We are a facilitator” in the peace process, the military spokesman said. “We have done our job of bringing them to the negotiating table. What is discussed and how the process moves forward will depend on progress during every meeting.”
When asked if the Taliban had refused to meet Khalilzad in Islamabad, Ghafoor said: “There are so many factions and stakeholders involved in the process. Coordination takes time. One faction or party gets out of coordination, [which] can result in changes in schedule or place.”
He said Pakistan had pushed for the dialogue to restart but had “no preference for time or place.”
“Our intent is a peaceful Afghanistan, we have no other intent,” the general said. 
Taliban sources have told media the Doha talks have focused on a roadmap for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and a guarantee the country will not be used for hostile acts against the United States and its allies.
The Taliban have so far refused direct talks with the Kabul government, which it views as an illegitimate, foreign-appointed force. Ghafoor said there was as yet no certainty on whether the insurgents could be persuaded to engage with the Afghan government but added that progress from the meetings would determine all outcomes. 
Islamabad fears that increased turmoil in Afghanistan would mean more sanctuaries there for Pakistani Taliban [TTP] militants who have lost control of all territory in Pakistan since a major counter-terrorism operation was launched after a 2014 attack on an army school.
Pakistan has also fenced part of its porous 2,500 km border with Afghanistan to prevent incursions by the Pakistan Taliban who have waged a decade-long insurgency in the South Asian nation.
Ghafoor said the Afghan government did not currently have the capacity to eliminate all sanctuaries given that it was embroiled in fighting an insurgency, but once the Taliban entered the political mainstream, Kabul would be in a better position to tackle groups like the Pakistan Taliban and Daesh. 
“If there is peace in Afghanistan and greater control of the area by Afghan forces, it will be difficult for TTP to continue their sanctuaries there,” the military spokesman said. 
The general dismissed fears that the US would lose interest in Pakistan once it exited Afghanistan, or be free to take harsh actions when it no longer needed Islamabad’s help to end the conflict.
“Pakistan has always remained relevant and will continue to be relevant,” Ghafoor said. “And when the US leave Afghanistan, it will leave acknowledging Pakistan’s role in ending the conflict. Our relationship shall further strengthen.”
But as Pakistan’s ties with the US have soured in recent years over the war in Afghanistan, Islamabad has turned to neighboring China to fill the void. The countries are partners in a $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) of infrastructure and energy projects that Beijing touts as the flagship program in its vast Belt and Road Initiative.
Responding to media reports that Pakistan was building military jets, weapons and other hardware with funds received under the CPEC umbrella, Ghafoor said the corridor was “purely an economic project.”
“We have separate defense cooperation with China but that has nothing to do with CPEC,” he said. “We had F-16 deals with the US That was our requirement. Later we have jointly made the JF-17 Thunder with China. Like any sovereign country, Pakistan takes decisions suiting its national interest.”
Speaking about a growing protest movement by Pakistan’s ethnic Pashtuns who want the army to remove land mines and check-posts from the country’s northwest where most Pashtuns live, and allege extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions and “disappearances” of young Pashtun men, which it vehemently denies, the army spokesman said: 
“Till such time that the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement [PTM] is peaceful and they stick to their genuine demands, which are natural in a post-conflict environment, the state is committed to take care of them.”
Responding to a question about PTM leaders Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar who, along with the movement’s founder Manzoor Pashteen, have emerged as the strongest voices against alleged military high-handedness, Ghafoor said the demands of the Pahstun people were genuine and the state was committed to addressing them.
“But instigating people against institutions is neither within the law nor a public sentiment,” he said. “Once we have fulfilled the genuine demands which are already in the overall plan, then we see how to deal with anyone who still tries to exploit.”
The army’s media chief also said the movement was being exploited by Pakistan’s enemies, in a veiled reference possibly to arch-rival India and neighboring Afghanistan: “When there are fault lines, then enemies will always try to exploit them. So there is an effort to exploit PTM, whether with their connivance or not.”
The general warned that India needed to “stop using proxies against us,” adding that “just as we are concerned that an unstable Afghanistan is not in our interest, India should also know that an unstable Pakistan is not in its interest. They need to change their behavior.”
Responding to a question about an extension in military courts first set up by parliament in 2015, and decried for their lack of transparency, Ghafoor said the courts were a “national requirement” because the country’s civilian judicial infrastructure was ill-equipped to deal with terrorism cases.
Ghafoor said verdicts could be appealed at several levels, including in military appellate and civilian courts, and those on death row had the right to file mercy petitions with the army chief and the president of Pakistan. 
“Military courts proceed as per law; there is a laid down legal process with full transparency. Courts decide on evidence and not emotions,” the army’s media chief said. However, he added, “should parliament decide that military courts are not needed, then they will not be renewed.”


Pakistan warns of surging global military spending, arms race fueled by AI

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Pakistan warns of surging global military spending, arms race fueled by AI

  • Pakistan’s envoy at the UN calls for a halt to the development, use of advanced weapons technologies
  • Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad urges safeguards to prevent AI from fueling a new global arms race

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday warned that a sharp rise in global military spending, driven by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), is accelerating a new arms race internationally with potentially grave consequences for global security.
The remarks were delivered by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, during the General Debate of the UN Disarmament Commission’s 2025 session.
Established in 1978 following the First Special Session of the UN General Assembly devoted to disarmament, the commission was tasked with formulating proposals on nuclear disarmament and preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. However, it has made little tangible progress over the decades and has often been criticized for its inability to produce concrete results.
“We are witnessing unprecedented increase in military spending in recent memory, fueling ever-increasing arms race now turbocharged by technological advancements,” Ahmad said, according to an official statement. “The relentless pursuit of power and geopolitical competition has intensified in recent years, taking us further away from this important international priority.”
The Pakistani envoy emphasized the urgent need for effective international measures to halt the development and use of advanced weapons technologies that could further destabilize global security.
He warned that such advancements were extending the arms race into new frontiers, including outer space, cyberspace and the world’s oceans.
“Artificial intelligence is fast becoming a pervasive feature of our daily lives with profound impact on international peace and security,” Ahmad continued, adding that the military application of AI posed a range of challenges – security, operational, ethical and legal – particularly regarding compliance with international humanitarian law.
The Pakistani diplomat cautioned the unchecked spread of AI-powered autonomous weapons could spark fresh arms races and destabilize both regional and global security environments.
“It is imperative to ensure that AI does not become another area of ongoing arms race with huge implications for global peace and security,” he said, calling for a “multifaceted, holistic and multilateral response.”
Ahmad said the UN should play a central role in shaping a coordinated global approach to the challenges posed by military AI technologies, and expressed Pakistan’s readiness to cooperate with it over the issue.


South Africa-based Pakistani entrepreneur to invest in coal-to-gas plant at Thar coalfields

Updated 43 min 28 sec ago
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South Africa-based Pakistani entrepreneur to invest in coal-to-gas plant at Thar coalfields

  • The project will convert coal into synthetic gas for industrial use
  • Initiative can reduce energy costs, alleviate growing fuel import bill

ISLAMABAD: A South Africa-based Pakistani entrepreneur is investing in a coal-to-gasification plant at the Thar coalfields in southern Sindh province to generate cleaner energy and reduce Pakistan’s reliance on imported fuels, state media reported on Tuesday.
The announcement follows Pakistan’s high-profile mining summit in Islamabad, which brought together investors, policymakers and industry leaders from around the world to explore the country’s vast untapped mineral wealth.
Businesswoman Tabassum Pardesi’s investment signals a renewed effort to harness Pakistan’s Thar coal reserves through gasification technology, which converts coal into synthetic gas for industrial use. The initiative can reduce energy costs, alleviate the country’s growing fuel import bill and provide a domestic alternative to costly liquefied natural gas.
“Tabassum ... is now spearheading a landmark investment initiative to establish a coal-to-gasification plant at the Thar coalfields,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said in its report.
“The venture, in collaboration with leading South African mining conglomerates, aims to generate cleaner energy, reduce Pakistan’s reliance on imported fuels, and unlock long-term economic opportunities for the region.”
It highlighted that Pardesi, who is known for co-founding the South African Skywise Airlines, has submitted a proposal for the project to the Pakistani authorities and also initiated a “strategic lobbying” campaign during the minerals summit.
The report said her goal was to secure high-level public-private partnerships, streamline regulatory pathways and ensure alignment with Pakistan’s national energy and climate resilience goals.
Pakistan aims for a low-carbon future, targeting 60 percent renewable energy and 30 percent electric vehicle sales by 2030. It plans a 15 percent emissions reduction, increasing to 35 percent with international support.
“Pakistan has the potential to become a global mining powerhouse,” APP quoted Pardesi as saying. “With its abundant natural resources and a youthful workforce, all we need is visionary execution and international collaboration — and I’m here to help make that happen.”
The Thar desert is home to the world’s largest lignite coal reserves, estimated at 175 billion tons, equivalent to 50 billion tons of oil and 2,000 trillion cubic feet of gas. Pakistan’s mineral sector contributes only 3.2 percent to GDP and 0.1 percent to global mineral exports despite rich mineral resources including salt, copper, gold and coal.


Pakistan, Saudi Arabia agree to partner on geological surveying amid push to tap $6 trillion minerals sector

Updated 46 min 16 sec ago
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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia agree to partner on geological surveying amid push to tap $6 trillion minerals sector

  • Geological surveys significantly impact mining by helping to locate, assess, and sustainably exploit mineral resources
  • Government officials, heads of private companies from various countries attend two-day mineral summit in Pakistani capital

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to collaborate in the field of geological surveys through experience sharing and knowledge transfer, the chief of the Saudi Geological Survey said on Tuesday, as Islamabad seeks to tap the potential of the country’s vast natural reserves estimated to be worth $6 trillion. 

Geological surveys, scientific studies that map and analyze the Earth’s geological features, will be a key part of Pakistan’s efforts to tap the underutilized promise of Pakistan’s mineral sector, which despite rich reserves including salt, copper, gold, and coal contributes only 3.2 percent to the GDP and 0.1 percent to global mineral exports. Geographical surveys help to identify mineral deposits, and significantly impact mining by helping to locate, assess, and sustainably exploit mineral resources.

“For the Saudi Geological Survey and Pakistan Geological Survey, yesterday we had a meeting, and we agreed that we will work together to share the experience, transfer the knowledge, the learning, understanding the best practices, which are going to really help both countries in moving forward,” Eng. Abdullah Mefter Al-Shamrani, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Geological Survey, told Arab News on the sidelines of the two-day Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum being held in Islamabad. 

“There is good cooperation between the two organizations, [and] it is going to bring great value for both countries.” 

Al-Shamrani said Saudi Arabia had sent a large delegation comprising government officials and private investors to the mineral summit, who had held productive discussions with Pakistani companies.

“We had a great discussion between companies from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, where they agreed together that they will continue working, exploring and looking for opportunities here in Pakistan and also at the same time for Saudi Arabia,” Al-Shamrani said. 

“Today [Tuesday] we have seen some of the investors in Saudi Arabia, they are asking for permission to go and explore some areas in Pakistan,” he added.

Pakistan is home to one of the world’s largest porphyry copper-gold mineral zones, while the Reko Diq mine in southwestern Balochistan has an estimated 5.9 billion tons of ore. Barrick Gold, which owns a 50 percent stake in the Reko Diq mines, considers them one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas, and their development is expected to have a significant impact on Pakistan’s struggling economy.


Heatwave-like conditions to prevail in southern Pakistan over next 24 hours — Met Office

Updated 08 April 2025
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Heatwave-like conditions to prevail in southern Pakistan over next 24 hours — Met Office

  • At the same time, a shallow westerly wave, likely to enter upper parts of the country on Tuesday night, may cause rain and thunderstorms in upper regions
  • Pakistan has witnessed frequent, erratic changes in its weather patterns, including floods, droughts and cyclones, that have been blamed on climate change

ISLAMABAD: Heatwave-like conditions will prevail in southern parts of Pakistan over the next 24 hours, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Tuesday, urging people to avoid sun exposure and take precautions.
The weather conditions may cause temperatures to rise 4-7°C above normal in central and southern Punjab, Sindh and parts of the Balochistan province.
“General public especially children, women and senior citizens are requested to take precautionary measures. Avoid exposure to sun light during the daytime and get hydrated,” the PMD said in its advisory on Tuesday.
“Farmers are advised to manage their crop activities (wheat harvesting) keeping in view the weather conditions and take care of their livestock as well. Judicious use of water is advised.”
Similarly, the PMD said, a shallow westerly wave is likely to enter upper parts of the country on Tuesday night and may persist till Friday.
The weather system may cause rain-wind/thunderstorm in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Battagram, Bunner, Kurram, Bajaur, Mohmand, Orakzai, Murree, Galliyat, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Talagang, Mianwali, Jhelum. Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal and Lahore during the period, according to the advisory.
Isolated hailstorm may also occur during the forecast period. Dust-storm and gusty winds are also expected in the plains of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and upper Sindh during the forecast period.
“Wind-dust-storm/hailstorm and lightning may damage loose structures like electric poles, trees, vehicles and solar panels,” the PMD added.
Pakistan has witnessed frequent, erratic changes in its weather patterns, including floods, droughts, cyclones, torrential rainstorms, heatwaves and the slow-onset threat of glacial melting, in recent years that scientists have blamed on human-driven climate change.
In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of the country, killing over 1,700 people, inflicting economic losses of around $30 billion, and affecting at least 30 million people.


After bloodbath a day earlier, Pakistan stocks gain in line with global recovery

Updated 08 April 2025
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After bloodbath a day earlier, Pakistan stocks gain in line with global recovery

  • Pakistan Stock Exchange fell to intraday low of 8,687 points on Monday, largest intraday point-wise drop in PSX history
  • Major stock indexes plunged on Monday after US President Trump announced tariffs on goods imported from the rest of the world

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan stocks closed at 115,532, gaining 623 points (0.54 percent) on Tuesday, a day after the Pakistan Stock Exchange fell to an intraday low of 8,687 points, the largest intraday point-wise drop in PSX history.

Major stock indexes plunged on Monday after US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on goods imported from the rest of the world, saying a 10 percent tariff on all nations and much higher rates of up to 50 percent on individual countries will boost the US economy and protect jobs.

“In line with the global trend, the market saw a recovery,” Topline Securities said in its daily market review. “A total of 526 million shares were traded, with a turnover of Rs 33 billion.”

Major stock markets jumped on Tuesday after three days of heavy selling while US Treasury yields rose for a second day as investors were optimistic that Washington might be willing to negotiate on some of its aggressive tariffs. Oil prices rebounded as well, helping lift energy shares. European shares also rose from 14-month lows on Tuesday after four straight sessions of heavy selling, although investors’ mood remained sensitive to tariff-related developments. Britain’s main indexes also recovered from their lowest levels in more than a year, as investors looked for any indication of Washington softening its stance on the aggressive tariffs that have roiled global markets over the last few days.

Pakistan is sending a commerce ministry team to negotiate a 29 percent tariff on Pakistani goods announced by Washington last week.