PESHAWAR: Following Saudi Arabia’s announcement that the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan will begin on Monday, religious clerics in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which also includes the newly-merged tribal districts, decided to begin Ramadan with the Kingdom in their own territories.
Mufti Muhammad Arif, chief of Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in Mohmand district, noted that residents of his area had traditionally followed Saudi Arabia while fasting and celebrating Eid.
“Monday will be the first day of fasting for us,” he told Arab News.
In Datta Khel, a remote town in North Waziristan, several people bought food items that are mostly used during Ramadan.
“Saudi Arabia is the citadel of Islam,” said Sabil Khan, who owns a general store on the outskirts of Miran Shah in North Waziristan. “We will continue to follow the Kingdom and start our fasting month from tomorrow.”
The Islamic world follows a lunar calendar, and the traditional moon-sighting methodology can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramadan a day or two apart.
Fawad Ahmad, a businessman from Haider Khel, another town in North Waziristan, recalled that people in his village had been following the Kingdom for decades since they considered it a religious obligation.
Shamsuddin Khan, a tribal elder of Nawi Kali in Bajaur district, said that about 90 percent of people in his region started fasting with Saudi Arabia.
Wahidullah Afghan, a refugee in Kohat district, told Arab News that Afghans who lived in Peshawar followed Pakistan’s Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. However, those who lived in refugee camps, he continued, started fasting with Saudi Arabia and were going to fast from Monday.
“We follow Saudi Arab to avoid any controversy in this holy month about moonsighting,” he added.
Pakistan's northwestern areas traditionally fast with Saudi Arabia
Pakistan's northwestern areas traditionally fast with Saudi Arabia
- Many people believe it is their religious obligation to follow Saudi Arabia while observing Ramadan and Eid
- Decades-old tradition to follow the Kingdom avoids controversy regarding moon-sighting, locals say
Pakistani police search for suspect in killing of Ahmadi minority doctor
- Official says the motive behind the killing remains unclear and a probe is ongoing
- There are about 500,000 Ahmadis in Pakistan, a nation of more than 240 million
LAHORE: Pakistani police stepped up their search Monday for the suspect in the killing of a doctor from the country’s Ahmadi minority, the latest in a string of deadly attacks targeting the community.
The physician was gunned down at a private hospital where he worked in the eastern city of Sargodha on Friday. The gunman fled the scene.
The Ahmadi faith was established in the Indian subcontinent in the 19th century by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Pakistan’s Parliament declared Ahmadis non-Muslims in 1974, with their homes and places of worship attacked over the decades by hard-liners who consider them heretics.
There are about 500,000 Ahmadis in Pakistan, a nation of more than 240 million.
No one claimed responsibility for Friday’s killing but supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan party have carried out many of the attacks on Ahmadis, accusing them of blasphemy.
Sargodha police official, Sikandar Ali, said the motive behind the killing of Dr. Sheikh Mahmood remains unclear. An investigation is ongoing, he said.
Mahmood’s killing was the third attack on Ahmadis in Pakistan since April, said Amir Mahmood, a spokesman for the Ahmadi community.
He urged the government to protect Ahmadis, whose places of worship and even graveyards are also often desecrated by extremist groups.
‘What if this were me?’: Pakistani-Dutch filmmaker amplifies Afghan voices challenging refugee stereotypes
- Anya Raza’s ‘On the Mountain’ captures the dilemma of an Afghan woman teacher, who is caught between love, family and unforgiving realities of the conflict
- The filmmaker urges Pakistan to reconsider its decision to expel Afghan refugees, saying ‘it is very important that they have their basic human rights and dignity’
ISLAMABAD: Anya Raza was in Washington and watched with the whole world in disbelief as the Afghan capital of Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, marking an end to two decades of United States-led intervention.
The chaos that unfolded moved the Pakistani-Dutch writer and filmmaker to reach out to the Afghans, who desperately sought to relocate to safety, as well as humanitarian and other workers involved in the process.
Their tales of love, loss, devastation and despair compelled Raza to document these heart-wrenching stories to humanize the Afghan refugee crisis for the world, which largely seemed to be indifferent to the chaos.
Her film, ‘On the Mountain,’ based on true stories Raza encountered during the interviews, challenges stereotypes and offers a deeply human perspective on the plight of Afghan refugees, according to the filmmaker.
“I interviewed a lot of refugees, people working with refugees, humanitarian workers, case workers, resettlement officers, and others involved. Time and again, I was struck by the sheer devastation, loss, and the immense decisions people had to make just to keep uprooting their families, to keep them safe,” Raza told Arab News, on the sidelines of the Women International Film Festival in Islamabad last week.
“After 20 years of war, the voices of Afghan people weren’t reaching the international stage, despite all the sacrifices they made, despite the destruction. It felt like a way for me to lend my voice as an artist, to break some of the silos.”
The 13-minute film captures the dilemma of an Afghan woman teacher who is caught between love, family and the unforgiving realities of the conflict, forced to make heartbreaking choices.
Set against the backdrop of a turbulent Kabul in 2021, Raza says the film is both a “social and political statement” that challenges stereotypes and biases relating to refugees and offers audiences a chance to reflect on the human characters behind headlines.
“There are a lot of prejudices, biases, and stereotypes when it comes to refugees — their role in communities, how they are perceived,” she said.
“This film is an invitation into an Afghan home, into the love and tough decisions that a family must make. It lets viewers ask, ‘What if this were me?’“
But for Raza, whose work has sparked discussions around identity, nationality and human rights, bringing the film to life was not without challenges.
“For artists, it’s always difficult to secure funding for projects. You might find money, but it’s harder to find people who align with your values,” she said.
The film continues to connect with audiences around the world and evokes powerful emotions and reflections from the attendees at the Islamabad festival.
But despite the effort, the reality has drastically changed for many Afghan refugees since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan and thousands of them fled to Pakistan to seek refuge there, according to the filmmaker.
Today, those same refugees face forced repatriation and are being driven back to the uncertainty they once escaped.
“It breaks my heart to see Afghans who have lived here their whole lives, who felt that Pakistan was their home, [are] now being forced to leave without any of their belongings,” Raza said.
Pakistan has repatriated approximately 1.3 million Afghan refugees in a deportation drive launched since Nov. 2023, according to officials. The drive was launched after Islamabad witnessed a surge in suicide attacks and militancy that it blamed on Afghan nationals, without providing evidence.
The government in Islamabad initially said it was focusing on expelling foreigners with no legal documentation and other categories, such as Afghan Citizen Card (ACC)-- a document launched in 2017 to grant temporary legal status to Afghan refugees— would be included later. This year, Pakistan’s interior ministry asked all ACC holders to leave the country by March and started deporting them from April 1.
In total, Pakistan has hosted over 2.8 million Afghan refugees who crossed the border during 40 years of conflict in their homeland.
Raza urged Islamabad to reconsider its decision to expel Afghan refugees: “It’s very important that they have their basic human rights, their dignity, that they’re safe.”
Pakistan deputy PM leaves for China to discuss situation after India standoff
- The development comes amid a truce between Pakistan, India after a four-day military conflict that killed around 70 people this month
- India is seen as a key partner by the West as a counter-balance to China, while Pakistan shares an ‘all-weather partnership’ with Beijing
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, on Monday left for China on a three-day visit to discuss “evolving regional situation in South Asia,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said, days after India and Pakistan traded strikes on each other’s territory.
The development comes amid a ceasefire between Pakistan and India after a four-day military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors this month saw the use of fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery, leaving around 70 people, including civilians, dead on both sides of the border.
In recent years, India has been seen as an important partner by Western powers as a counter-balance to China’s rising influence, while the strategic, cooperative relationship between Pakistan and Beijing has further strengthened over the last decade, with China rolling over loans and investing in mega infrastructure projects in Pakistan.
Dar will hold in-depth discussions with Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the evolving situation and its “implications for peace and stability” in South Asia, while the two sides will also review the entire spectrum of Pakistan-China bilateral relations, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry.
“Whatever matters are there, we [will] review and discuss them. These are political, local, regional, multilateral and even global issues,” Dar told reporters before leaving for Beijing.
This month’s military conflict between India and Pakistan was triggered by a gun attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam town, which killed 26 people on April 22. India blamed the assault on Pakistan. Islamabad denies the charge and has called for a credible, international probe into it.
The standoff began after India hit what it said were “terrorist camps” in multiple Pakistani cities with missiles on May 7. Pakistan responded swiftly and said it had downed six Indian fighter jets. The strikes continued over a course of four days, with both countries pounding the other’s defense installations and infrastructure.
“The entire world knows that all the allegations hurled against us were wrong,” Dar said. “Even China knows the entire world knows.”
Separately, PM Shehbaz Sharif has decided to send a high-level diplomatic delegation to important world capitals to expose ‘Indian propaganda’ against Islamabad, Pakistani state media reported.
“The delegation will visit London, Washington, Paris and Brussels to highlight India’s disinformation campaign and its attempts to destabilize regional peace,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster said, adding Sharif has tasked ex-foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari with leading the body.
“It will also underscore Pakistan’s sincere efforts for peace and stability in the region.”
Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety but rule it in part.
Analysts and diplomats have long feared that a conflict between the arch-foes could escalate into the use of nuclear weapons, in one of the world’s most dangerous and most populated nuclear flashpoint regions.
China, which borders both Pakistan and India, this month urged the arch-foes to exercise restraint as did other world powers and friendly nations.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Dar’s visit is part of the ongoing high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China
“It also underscores the two countries’ shared commitment to further strengthen the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” it added.
Islamabad to launch nationwide polio campaign on May 26 to immunize 45 million children
- Pakistan has reported seven polio cases this year, while 74 cases were confirmed in 2024
- Pakistan, Afghanistan are the only countries in the world where polio remains an endemic
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will launch a third nationwide anti-polio vaccination campaign to immunize 45.4 million children under the age of five years, the Pakistani health ministry said on Monday.
The statement came after Health Minister Mustafa Kamal’s meeting with Dr. Chris Elias, president for global development at the Gates Foundation, to discuss Pakistan’s fight against the disease, according to the health ministry.
Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with the completion of the routine immunization schedule for all children are essential to ensure strong immunity against the disease.
Pakistan has reported seven polio cases so far this year and has conducted two major vaccination campaigns in the first half of 2025. Last year, the South Asian country had reported 74 cases of the virus.
“The fight against polio has required tremendous sacrifice from all stakeholders including law enforcement personnel who have rendered invaluable services,” Kamal was quoted as saying by the ministry.
“This mission will continue until we reach complete eradication.”
The minister underscored the ongoing close cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, including synchronized national immunization campaigns across both countries, as well as successful nationwide anti-polio campaigns carried out in February and April.
He shared that improved community engagement has led to a reduction in vaccine refusals among parents, expressing optimism that Pakistan is on track to achieve complete polio eradication by the end of 2025.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio remains an endemic.
Dr. Elias commended Pakistan for its sustained efforts and reaffirmed the Gates Foundation’s commitment to supporting the country’s journey toward a polio-free future.
“He expressed hope that the 2025 eradication target would be successfully achieved.” the health ministry said.
In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 polio cases annually. However, by 2018, the number had dropped to just eight. In 2023, six cases were reported, and only one case was recorded in 2021.
Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994, but efforts to eradicate the virus have been repeatedly undermined by vaccine misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners who claim that immunization is a foreign plot to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western espionage.
Militant groups have also frequently targeted polio vaccination teams and the security personnel assigned to protect them, often resulting in deadly attacks.
Pakistan Hajj mission delivers vital health care to pilgrims with over 300 staffers
- Pakistan’s Hajj Medical Mission has so far treated more than 11,000 pilgrims
- The mission has set up two hospitals, 11 dispensaries in Makkah and Madinah
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Hajj Medical Mission (PHMM), which comprises over 300 doctors and paramedics, has treated more than 11,000 pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah over the past three weeks, the PHMM head said on Sunday.
This year’s Hajj is expected to take place between June 4 and June 9, with nearly 112,620 Pakistanis set to perform the annual pilgrimage. Of these, approximately 89,000 will travel under the government scheme, while 23,620 will go through private tour operators.
“The Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission 2025 consisted of 301 doctors and paramedical staff from both civilian and armed forces backgrounds, including 72 lady doctors and female health workers,” Col. Dr. Shaheer Jamal, the PHMM director, told Arab News over the phone from Makkah.
“We have treated over 11,194 pilgrims so far and are currently attending to an average of about 2,000 pilgrims daily in Makkah and 40 in Madinah, mostly suffering from dehydration.”
The mission includes medical specialists, surgeons, cardiologists, orthopedic specialists, gynecologists, dermatologists, ENT specialists, psychiatrists, pharmacists, public health specialists and physiotherapists, according to Dr. Jamal.
It has established two hospitals, one each in Makkah and Madinah, along with nine dispensaries in Makkah and two in Madinah.
“Separate wards of 30 beds each had been established for men and women in the central hospital in Makkah, while in Madinah, a small hospital with 11 beds was set up,” he said, adding that their teams were working in three shifts to provide 24/7 care to pilgrims.
Other departments at the mission include emergency, isolation ward, pharmacy, pathology, minor OT, dental, and radiology, the official added.
For patients needing further medical assistance, Dr. Jamal said, the mission had reached an agreement with the Saudi German Hospital which has been treating Pakistani pilgrims both in Makkah and Madinah.
“So far, we have referred 30 patients to the Saudi German Hospital in Makkah and Madinah,” he shared.
The PHMM chief said the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Ministry of Health have extended full support in the establishment of the hospitals and the transfer of medicines and medical equipment to the Kingdom.
He said all medicines had been tested before being brought to Saudi Arabia and were being provided to pilgrims free of cost.
The medical plan for the core Hajj days in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah will follow a multi-layered approach, according to the official. Saudi health authorities will assume primary responsibility of providing comprehensive health care services to all pilgrims.
“However, to support Pakistani pilgrims specifically, the Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission deployed its own medical staff in Mina with the first aid kits to provide initial medical assistance, ensuring timely primary care before referring patients to larger Saudi facilities, if needed,” Dr. Jamal said.
Due to extreme weather conditions, the mission has proactively prepared and is disseminating educational materials specifically designed to guide pilgrims on how to prevent heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses.
“This guidance includes advice on hydration, appropriate clothing, recognizing symptoms, and seeking timely medical help,” he said.
The South Asian country launched its Hajj flight operation on Apr. 29, which will continue till May 31.
