LAHORE/RAWALPINDI: A crackdown on militant groups launched this year has seen Pakistan arrest hundreds of people and seize a vast network of Islamic charities, religious schools, offices, pharmacies, hospitals and ambulances in the country’s richest and most populous Punjab province.
Almost three months later, interviews with provincial officials reveal that the government neither has a clear plan, nor the necessary manpower and funds, to manage the booty, reinforcing critics who say such indiscriminate clampdowns rarely solve long-standing security problems.
Pakistan is facing pressure from global powers to act against groups carrying out attacks in India, including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which claimed responsibility for a Feb. 14 bombing in Pulwama in Indian-controlled Kashmir in which at least 40 Indian troopers perished. In the aftermath of that attack, a UN security council committee blacklisted JeM chief Masood Azhar this week, subjecting him to an arms embargo, assets freeze and travel ban.
Indeed, the Pulwama attack led to the most serious conflict in years between the nuclear-armed neighbors, with cross-border air strikes and a brief dogfight over the skies of Kashmir.
In response, Pakistan’s interior ministry says it has cracked down harshly against militant groups, seizing nearly 200 seminaries, 34 schools and colleges, 163 pharmacies, 184 ambulances, five hospitals and eight offices of banned outfits in Punjab.
Interviews with Pakistani officials across the provincial government machinery revealed that there is as yet no clear plan on what to do with the vast infrastructure impounded and little clarity on which ministry is now responsible for handling it.
Peer Saeed ul Hassan Shah, the minister of Punjab’s Auqaf and Religious Affairs, gave Arab News several varying accounts of who was in charge of seized schools and colleges, initially saying they were directly under his control, but then saying only “four or five” seminaries were under his care while the others had been “divided and handed over to other ministries, I think.” He would not specify what the other ministries he was referring to were.
“There is no clear mechanism as yet,” Shah said. “The policies are still being made.”
Shah said there was a shortage of officers and staff at the ministry to run the large number of buildings seized. Over 400 people, for instance, are employed just at the headquarters of one of the groups being targeted, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa. Combined, the organization has more than 50,000 volunteers and workers across the country. Other groups also employ a large number of workers and volunteers and it is as yet unclear how they will be adjusted into the government machinery or elsewhere, if at all.
Raja Basharat, the provincial law minister, tried to provide some clarity, saying the seized JuD infrastructure, for instance, had been handed over to relevant departments: the ministry of health would run the outfit’s health units, schools would go to the ministry of school education, seminaries to the ministry of auqaf and religious affairs, while ambulances had been handed over to the Rescue 1122, a state-run emergency ambulance service.
“Budget has already allocated by the finance department for one year, which is a large amount,” Basharat said, declining to give an exact figure for the budget.
Pakistan will pass its national budget in May this year and it is as yet unclear if funds to manage the seized seminaries and other infrastructure will be earmarked in the document.
The minister of school education did not reply to repeated requests for comments. However, an official of the ministry who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said a policy on how to handle the impounded schools was still being drafted.
“The madrassas have been given to us but right now we are only supervising them, while existing staff works there,” he said. “Till a policy is made and a budget allocated, this will be continued.”
On the ground, several JuD facilities in Punjab have been padlocked shut, without any clarity on when they will become operational again. A JuD dispensary in Islamabad has been closed for over two months.
“People routinely come and ask when it will reopen,” a guard at the door said. “But I don’t have any answer for them.”
Punjab’s minister of health did not respond to Arab News’s request for a comment on the status of the JuD infrastructure.
In Pakistan’s Punjab, a struggle to run seized militant charity network
In Pakistan’s Punjab, a struggle to run seized militant charity network

- Hundreds of seminaries, colleges, pharmacies, ambulances, hospitals and offices of banned outfits seized in crackdown
- Interviews reveal government does not have a plan or necessary manpower and funds to manage the infrastructure
Pakistan closes pedestrian traffic at all Iran border crossings as Israel strikes escalate

- Closures affect crossings in Balochistan’s border districts of Chaghi, Gwadar, Kech, Panjgur
- All are key routes for cross-border movement, local trade between Iran and Balochistan province
QUETTA: Pakistani authorities have closed all major border crossings with Iran for pedestrian traffic amid escalating cross-border strikes between Iran and Israel, officials in the southwestern Balochistan province said on Sunday.
The closures affect the Taftan crossing in Chaghi district, the Gabd-Rimdan crossing in Gwadar district, the Chedgi and Jirrak crossings in Panjgur district and the Rideeg Mand crossing in Kech district. All are key routes for cross-border movement and local trade between Balochistan and Iran.
“All kinds of pedestrian movement at the Gabd-Rimdan border has been suspended due to the Iran-Israel conflict,” Jawad Ahmed Zehri, assistant commissioner for Gwadar, told Arab News.
Trade activity at the crossing would remain open and Pakistani citizens stranded in Iran would be allowed to return, he said, but no new entries into Iran would be permitted through this point until further notice.
In a separate order, authorities also said the Taftan border crossing in Chaghi district had been closed for pedestrian traffic.
“We have closed pedestrian movements at the Taftan border until further notice,” said Naveed Ahmed, assistant commissioner for Taftan, adding that trade and customs operations from the crossing were continuing as usual.
The Chedgi, Jirrak and Mand Radig border crossings have also been shut, officials in the Kech and Panjgur districts confirmed.
The closures come amid heightened tensions following Israeli strikes on Iranian cities since Friday with scores killed, including senior Iranian military commanders.
The blockade is expected to affect daily wage laborers, small-scale traders and local residents who depend on frequent cross-border movement for commerce, supplies and family visits.
Small items such as fruit, vegetables and household goods are commonly traded by hand or in small vehicles along these routes.
Bilateral trade volume between Pakistan and Iran reached $2.8 billion in the last fiscal year, which ended in June. Both countries have signed a memorandum of understanding with the aim of increasing this volume to $10 billion.
Iran also supplies about 100 megawatts of electricity to border towns in Balochistan.
World entering new era as nuclear powers build up arsenals — SIPRI think tank

- Nine nuclear states — US, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel plan to increase their stockpiles
- Of total global inventory of estimated 12,241 warheads in Jan. 2025, about 9,614 were in military stockpiles for potential use
STOCKHOLM: The world’s nuclear-armed states are beefing up their atomic arsenals and walking out of arms control pacts, creating a new era of threat that has brought an end to decades of reductions in stockpiles since the Cold War, a think tank said on Monday.
Of the total global inventory of an estimated 12,241 warheads in January 2025, about 9,614 were in military stockpiles for potential use, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in its yearbook, an annual inventory of the world’s most dangerous weapons.
Around 2,100 of the deployed warheads were kept in a state of high operational alert on ballistic missiles, nearly all belonging to either the US or Russia.
SIPRI said global tensions had seen the nine nuclear states — the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel — plan to increase their stockpiles.
“The era of reductions in the number of nuclear weapons in the world, which had lasted since the end of the Cold War, is coming to an end,” SIPRI said. “Instead, we see a clear trend of growing nuclear arsenals, sharpened nuclear rhetoric and the abandonment of arms control agreements.”
SIPRI said Russia and the US, which together possess around 90 percent of all nuclear weapons, had kept the sizes of their respective useable warheads relatively stable in 2024. But both were implementing extensive modernization programs that could increase the size of their arsenals in the future.
The fastest-growing arsenal is China’s, with Beijing adding about 100 new warheads per year since 2023. China could potentially have at least as many intercontinental ballistic missiles as either Russia or the US by the turn of the decade.
According to the estimates, Russia and the US held around 5,459 and 5,177 nuclear warheads respectively, while China had around 600.
Israel’s unchecked nuclear capability will have ‘catastrophic consequences,’ Pakistan warns West

- Analysts warn Israel’s unacknowledged nuclear weapons could encourage it to take more aggressive steps
- Tensions have surged in the Middle East following Israel’s June 13 “Operation Rising Lion” aerial offensive on Iran
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja M. Asif on Sunday warned Western governments that their support for Israel risked unleashing “catastrophic consequences,” citing concerns over Israel’s nuclear capabilities and regional aggression.
Tensions have surged in the Middle East following Israel’s June 13 “Operation Rising Lion” aerial offensive targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities, reportedly killing more than 130 people, including senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran has retaliated with missile and drone barrages on Israeli cities, sparking concerns of a wider conflict.
Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons but maintains a policy of ambiguity and is not a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The 1970 accord is aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, promoting disarmament, and ensuring peaceful use of nuclear technology. Pakistan is also not a signatory to the NPT but frequently underscores its commitment to nuclear safety and non-proliferation principles through other international frameworks.

Analysts warn that in the current volatile situation, Israel’s unacknowledged nuclear weapons could encourage it to take more aggressive steps, increasing the risk that the conflict could spread across the region or even spark a wider international crisis.
“World should be wary and apprehensive about Israel’s nuclear prowess, a country not bound by any international nuclear discipline,” Asif said in a post on social media platform X. “It is not signatory to NPT or any other binding arrangement.”
The minister contrasted Israel’s position with Pakistan’s, stating that Islamabad was a signatory to “all international nuclear disciplines” and maintained a nuclear program solely for “the benefit of our people and defense of our country against hostile designs.”
“We do not pursue hegemonic policies against our neighbors,” Asif added, accusing Israel of doing just that through its military actions.
“Western world must worry about conflicts being generated by Israel. It will engulf the whole region and beyond. Their patronage of Israel, a rogue state, can have catastrophic consequences.”
The Pakistani minister’s comments come amid growing international concern over the humanitarian toll of Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza, as well as fears that the conflict could expand regionally following tensions with Iran and Hezbollah.
There was no immediate response from Israeli or Western officials to Asif’s remarks.
Pakistan hikes petrol, diesel prices in fortnightly review

- Government sets petrol at Rs258.43 per liter, up from Rs253.63
- High-speed diesel will cost Rs262.59 per liter, up from Rs254.64
KARACHI: Pakistan’s government has increased fuel prices, raising the rate of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs7.95 per liter and petrol by Rs4.80 per liter effective from today, Monday, an official notification from the finance division said.
The notification set the price of petrol at Rs258.43 per liter, up from Rs253.63, while high-speed diesel will cost Rs262.59 per liter, up from Rs254.64.
The revision is based on “recommendations from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority and relevant ministries,” the finance division saiad.
The government did not provide a specific explanation for the hike.
Fuel prices in Pakistan are generally influenced by global oil market trends, currency fluctuations, and changes in domestic taxes.
Fuel costs are revised every two weeks and have a direct impact on inflation. Rising fuel prices increase production and transportation costs, leading to higher prices for goods and services across the board in Pakistan, including food and other essential items. This direct relationship is further amplified by the country’s dependence on imported fuel.
Pakistan closes pedestrian traffic at key Iran border crossings as Israel strikes escalate

- The closures affect the Taftan crossing in Chaghi district and the Gabd-Rimdan crossing in Gwadar district
- Both are key rotes for cross-border movement, local trade in Pakistan’s Balochistan province
QUETTA: Pakistani authorities have closed two major border crossings with Iran for pedestrian traffic amid escalating cross-border strikes between Iran and Israel, officials in the southwestern Balochistan province said on Sunday.
The closures affect the Taftan crossing in Chaghi district and the Gabd-Rimdan crossing in Gwadar district, both key routes for cross-border movement and local trade between Balochistan and Iran.
The Gabd-Rimdan border crossing is a point on the Iran-Pakistan border, specifically at “BP-250,” the second crossing along the 900-kilometer border between the two countries. The crossing facilitates trade and people-to-people contact between Iran and Pakistan.
“All kinds of pedestrian movement at the Gabd-Rimdan-250 border have been suspended due to the Iran-Israel conflict,” Jawad Ahmed Zehri, assistant commissioner for Gwadar, told Arab News.
Trade activity at the crossing would remain open and Pakistani citizens stranded in Iran would be allowed to return, he said, but no new entries into Iran would be permitted through this point until further notice.
In a separate order, authorities also closed the Taftan border crossing in Chaghi district for pedestrian traffic.
“We have closed pedestrian movements at the Taftan border until further notice,” said Naveed Ahmed, assistant commissioner for Taftan, adding that trade and customs operations from the crossing were continuing as usual.
The closures are expected to affect daily wage laborers, small-scale traders and local residents who depend on frequent cross-border movement for commerce, supplies and family visits.
Small items such as fruit, vegetables and household goods are commonly traded by hand or in small vehicles along these routes.
The closures come amid heightened tensions following Israeli strikes on Iranian cities since Friday with scores killed, including senior Iranian military commanders.
The bilateral trade volume between Pakistan and Iran reached $2.8 billion in the last fiscal year, which ended in June. Both countries have signed a memorandum of understanding with the aim of increasing this volume to $10 billion.
Iran also supplies about 100 megawatts of electricity to border towns in Balochistan.