SRINAGAR/MUZAFFARABAD: As India and Pakistan seemingly dial down hostilities that brought the arch enemies to the brink of another war, a massive crackdown on militancy in the Indian-administered Kashmir region is killing both militants and security personnel in big numbers.
At the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between the nuclear-armed neighbors, there was relative calm in the past 24 hours, their armies said on Sunday. The exchange of fire in the past few days has killed seven people on the Pakistani side and four on the Indian side, though the release of a downed Indian fighter pilot by Pakistan on Friday night has helped de-escalate tensions.
"By and large the LoC was calm last night but you never know when it will become active again," said Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, a minister in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. "Tension still prevails."
Indian warplanes carried out air strikes on Tuesday inside northeast Pakistan's Balakot on what New Delhi called militant camps. Islamabad denied any such camps existed, as did some villagers in the area when Reuters visited.
Nevertheless, Pakistan retaliated on Wednesday with its own aerial mission in a show of force. The countries have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947.
In Indian-administered part of Kashmir, troops on Sunday shot dead two militants after a three-day gun battle that also killed five security force personnel, taking the total death toll to 25 in the past two weeks. The fresh anti-militancy drive was launched after a Kashmiri suicide bomber, an alleged member of Pakistan-based militant group, killed 40 Indian paramilitary police on Feb. 14.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also come down hard on separatist groups operating in Indian-administered Kashmir, including by banning the Jamaat-e-Islami party, two of whose clerics were detained in raids on Saturday night.
On Sunday, residents observed a shutdown in South Kashmir's Tral area against the detentions. Shops were closed and traffic was off the roads in the area, and a protest march took place.
Indian authorities have arrested more than 300 Jamaat leaders and activists in the past two weeks, accusing the group of supporting attempts to "carve out an Islamic State out of India" by destabilizing the government.
Amit Shah, the president of India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party that faces a general election by May, told an election rally that the government has made it clear to the separatists that "if they want to live in India, they will have to speak the language of India, not Pakistan's."
The government, however, has come under pressure from the opposition to share proof that "a very large number" of militants were killed in air strikes inside Pakistan this week, after doubts were raised there were any casualties in the attack.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, one of Modi's top lieutenants, said on Saturday "no security agencies ever share operational details" and dismissed suggestions that the escalation in tensions with Pakistan had anything to do with domestic politics ahead of the election. Pollsters expect the ruling party to benefit from the nationalistic passion sweeping the country.
India-Pakistan border quiet but Kashmir tense amid militancy crackdown
India-Pakistan border quiet but Kashmir tense amid militancy crackdown
- The Line of Control (LoC) is relatively calm for the past 24 hours, both sides say
- Separatist groups in Indian-administered Kashmir face massive crackdown from Indian government
Pakistan felicitates Palestinians on 36th independence anniversary, reaffirms support
- Palestinians proclaimed the Declaration of Independence on Nov. 15, 1988, in Algiers
- Pakistan calls support to the Palestinian cause a ‘consistent facet’ of its foreign policy
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday felicitated the people of Palestine on the 36th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, saying its support for the Palestinian cause has been the most consistent feature of the country’s foreign policy.
Proclaimed on November 15, 1988, during a meeting of the Palestine National Council in Algiers, the Declaration of Independence envisioned a sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Jerusalem as its capital.
It marked an important movement in the Palestinian struggle for self-determination and has since been a symbol of their aspirations for statehood.
“On the occasion of Declaration of Independence Day of the State of #Palestine, we extend our heartiest felicitations to its people and the Government,” the foreign office said in a social media post.
“Pakistan’s unflinching support to the Palestinian cause has been a consistent facet of our foreign policy,” it added. “We reaffirm our strong commitment to the Palestinian right to self-determination and our unwavering support for the establishment of an independent, viable, and contiguous state of Palestine, with Al-Quds-Al-Sharif as its Capital.”
https://x.com/foreignofficepk/status/1857363177463283765?s=46&t=x28vcP-XUuQ0CWAu-biScA
The anniversary comes as the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 43,700 since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign more than a year ago, displacing nearly the entire population of the Palestinian territory.
Most of those killed in Israeli airstrikes and ground offensives are reported to be women and children, while the international community fears that the conflict could spread to the rest of the Middle East.
The situation has also exacerbated humanitarian concerns, with the United Nations warning of an impending famine in the besieged territory, where residents face acute shortages of food, water and medical supplies.
Muslims in Pakistan’s smog-shrouded Punjab province pray for rain
- The special prayer was held at over 600 government-run mosques in the province
- Punjab grapples every winter with smog, but the situation has worsened recently
LAHORE: Pakistan’s Punjab province declared a health emergency due to toxic smog on Friday, banning construction, shutting schools for another week and moving universities online, while hundreds of thousands of Muslims prayed for rain and forgiveness.
The faithful gathered at over 600 government-run mosques in the province for “Namaz-e-Istisqa,” a voluntary prayer for rain often offered in times of calamities, said Talha Mahmood, spokesman for the provincial Religious Affairs department.
“Today, we prayed for rain to decrease smog, though it is caused by humans’ own mistakes,” said Muhammad Ejaz, 48, who led prayers at a mosque in the sprawling provincial capital Lahore, adding the prayer aimed at seeking God’s forgiveness for people’s sins.
The province, Pakistan’s most populous, grapples every winter with smog, but air pollution has worsened in recent years, as a result of cold air trapping dust, low-grade diesel fumes and smoke from illegal stubble burning on fields.
Sajid Bashir, spokesman for the provincial Environment Department, attributed this year’s severe pollution to a lack of rain in September and October.
“Last year, rain spells reduced particulate matter; this year, we’re still waiting,” he said on Friday.
Lahore has topped Swiss group IQAir readings as the world’s most polluted city, for most of the week.
Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, announcing smog-reduction measures at a press conference, said the government had ordered the closure of construction, brick kilns, and furnace-based plants in Lahore and the city of Multan.
She said there would be a complete three-day lockdown from next Friday if the situation does not improve.
Last week the province ordered schools to close until Nov. 17, and on Friday the shift to online learning was extended for another week. Colleges and universities will also shut down, moving to virtual classes.
Authorities have already banned entry to parks, zoos, playgrounds and other public spaces.
Other parts of South Asia are also dealing with high levels of pollution and Punjab blames neighboring India for contributing to its hazardous air quality. New Delhi, the world’s most polluted capital, has banned non-essential construction, moved children to virtual classrooms and asked residents to avoid using coal and wood from Friday.
Pakistan orders telecom regulator to block VPNs, citing militant use
- Interior ministry says ‘terrorists’ have been exploiting VPN services for violence, financial transactions
- Government has set up a portal for VPN registration, which can be done by the end of the ongoing month
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior sent a letter to the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) on Friday, asking it to block illegal Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) across the country while citing their use by militant groups for financial transactions and violent activities.
This directive follows international criticism of Pakistan’s Internet restrictions, notably after the February general elections, where allegations of electoral manipulation led to the blocking of social media platform X.
Media reports also suggested the government was setting up a national firewall, which had led to the slowdown of Internet speed across Pakistan, saying the decision was taken to curb “anti-state narratives” by political activists.
More recently, the PTA launched a new portal for VPN registration, saying it wanted to ensure secure and uninterrupted operations for online users and businesses.
“I am directed to refer to the subject cited above [about blockage of illegal VPNs] and to state that VPNs are increasingly being exploited by terrorists to facilitate violent activities and financial transactions in Pakistan,” the ministry’s letter to the PTA chairman noted.
“Of late, an alarming fact has been identified, wherein VPNs are used by terrorists to obscure and conceal their communications,” it added. “VPNs are also being used for discreetly access pornographic and blasphemous contents.”
Earlier this week, the PTA already disclosed that nearly 20 million Pakistanis try to access pornographic websites on a daily basis that were banned by the authorities in 2011.
The letter requested the top PTA official to block illegal VPNs nationwide while pointing out that registration of VPNs with PTA could be made the end of the ongoing month.
VPN users in Pakistan have already reported significant disruptions to services since last weekend, with issues relating to connectivity and restricted access.
Pakistan’s decision to impose online restrictions have been questioned by free speech activists and businesses alike.
PREDA, Pakistan’s first membership-based organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the interests of professionals, also wrote a letter to the government earlier in the day, appealing for the adoption of stable digital policies to support growth and build an eco system for global competitiveness.
WHO says fake finger markings hampering Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts
- Health officials terminated polio team members found involved in 60 such cases in Balochistan province in August
- Pakistan has reported 49 new polio cases this year mainly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces
ISLAMABAD, PESHAWAR & QUETTA: The World Health Organization said on Friday “fake finger markings” were one of the major factors hampering Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts, as the South Asian country reported the 49th case of the virus this week.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. The nation’s polio eradication campaign has hit serious problems with a spike in reported cases this year that has raised doubts over the quality of vaccination reporting and prompted officials to review their approach to stopping the crippling disease.
Polio, a disease transmitted through sewage which can cause crippling paralysis particularly in young children, is incurable and remains a threat to human health as long as it has not been eradicated. Immunization campaigns have succeeded in most countries and have come close in Pakistan, but persistent problems remain.
“Some of the gaps and issues that were identified during campaigns included fake finger marking and altered campaign modalities mainly in South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” WHO spokesperson Maryam Younas told Arab News on Friday in answers to written questions.
Local officials say parents suspicious of mass immunization campaigns have been getting hold of special markers, used by health workers to put a colored spot on the little fingers of children to identify that they have been vaccinated.
The fake finger marking, sometimes done in collusion with health workers, hide the true scale of refusal rates and thus gaps in vaccination.
Provincial authorities in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where 10 cases have been confirmed this year, and Balochistan, where 24 were reported, also said fake finger markings were an obstacle for eradication efforts.
In August this year, the Balochistan Provincial Emergency Operation Center said it had exposed a nexus between parents refusing polio drops for their children and polio teams involved in fake finger marking. Around 60 cases of fake finger markings were identified in various districts of Balochistan and the teams involved were terminated.
“Fake finger markings, low immunization drives, and malnourished children are three prime causes for this rapid surge in polio cases,” Dr. Aftab Kakar, the provincial team lead for the National Stop Transmission of Polio (N-Stop) in Balochistan, said.
The KP Governor’s Focal Person for polio, Tariq Habib, also said fake finger-marking had led to “decreased trust and effectiveness in vaccination efforts.”
The WHO spokesperson suggested that the targeted vaccination of children was pivotal for achieving success against polio, adding that it was essential to focus on children who were “consistently missed due to operational gaps, vaccine hesitancy, security issues, and boycotts.”
This year, 24 cases of polio have been reported in Balochistan, 13 in Sindh, 10 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one each in Punjab and the federal capital of Islamabad. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
Pakistan’s polio eradication program began in 1994, and the number of cases has declined dramatically since then. But efforts to eradicate the virus have for years been undermined by opposition from some religious hard-liners, who say immunization is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western spies. Militant groups also frequently attack and kill members of polio vaccine teams.
In July 2019, a vaccination drive in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was thwarted after mass panic was created by rumors that children were fainting or vomiting after being immunized.
Public health studies in Pakistan have shown that maternal illiteracy and low parental knowledge about vaccines, together with poverty and rural residency, are also factors that commonly influence whether parents vaccinate their children against polio.
Pakistan’s Punjab launches 10-year smog plan amid record air pollution
- Government has distributed super seeders to farmers to support precision seeding
- 800 brick kilns demolished instead of being sealed which briefly happens each year
ISLAMABAD: Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Friday announced the provincial government had launched a 10-year smog mitigation plan, as record-high air pollution levels have triggered hundreds of hospitalizations, school closures and stay-at-home orders in several districts of the Pakistan’s most populous province.
On Friday, the provincial capital of Lahore, home to 13 million people, had the worst air quality of any city in the world, according to live readings by IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitoring company.
Toxic smog has enveloped Lahore and at least 17 other districts in Punjab since last month, where health officials have been forced to close down schools and government offices, among other measures.
“For the first time, Punjab has developed a 10-year climate change policy,” Aurangzeb said while addressing a press conference in Lahore, saying Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif was “personally” monitoring the plan’s implementation.
Pakistan, like neighboring India, battles pollution each year as temperatures fall and cold air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions and smoke as farmers illegally burn paddy stubble to clear fields. Prohibited brick-kilns and smoke-emitting vehicles also contribute to the problem.
Speaking about measures taken to combat air pollution, the minister said the Punjab government had distributed super seeders to farmers, bearing 60 percent of their cost while farmers paid the remaining 40 percent. The no-till planters are designed for precision seeding which helps farmers contribute to cleaner air, improved soil health, and a more sustainable agricultural ecosystem.
“We have an aim of distributing 5,000 super seeders in Punjab by July next year,” the minister said. “We have now engaged more companies to increase production of super seeders.”
Aurangzeb also said authorities had demolished 800 brick kilns.
“We did not seal them this time because they would begin operating again from January if they were only sealed,” she added.
The minister said environmental control systems to detect smoke had been set up through loans provided by the Punjab government.
“More than 90 small and medium sized industries have installed the system using this loan,” she said, encouraging people to help with the afforestation of Lahore.
“Forest cover of Lahore should be 36 percent on international standard, it is 3 percent now,” Aurangzeb said. “Green master plan of Lahore has been made. Implementation has started. Forest cover is planned to be increased, which is a part of this plan.”
Earlier this week, the government of Punjab closed all high schools in the province until Nov. 17 due to persisting smog.
Primary schools and government offices had already been closed until Nov. 17 in many districts of Punjab earlier this month, with school closures likely to affect the education of more than 20 million students, according to associations representing private and government schools.
Authorities in 18 districts of Punjab also closed all public parks, zoos and museums, historical places, and playgrounds for ten days last week.
On Friday, a court in Lahore ordered the government to shut all markets after 8pm. Authorities have already banned barbecuing food without filters and ordered wedding halls to close by 10pm.
On Monday, the UN children’s agency said the health of 11 million children in Punjab province was in danger because of air pollution.
