ISLAMABAD: In talks held in Islamabad on Monday, representatives from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called on the international community to further the cause of Afghan refugees and provide means to end future displacement.
The sixth edition of the Quadripartite Steering Committee meeting, held every year, saw the participation of Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi, Afghanistan’s Minister of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR) and Shehryar Afridi, Pakistan’s Minister of States and Frontier Regions.
The Iranian side was represented by Hossein Zolfaghari, Deputy Minister of Interior for Security and Disciplinary Affairs, while Indrika Ratwatte, Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, was speaking on behalf of the UNHCR.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the progress and challenges of the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) which aims to support host countries by providing voluntary repatriation and sustainable reintegration.
“All parties reaffirmed their commitment to the SSAR and agreed to extend it until 2021...for identifying and implementing solutions for Afghan refugees,” the UNHCR said in a statement released on Monday.
All parties reiterated their support for joint advocacy and resource mobilization to support the strategy. “The participants urged development actors and other partners to provide adequate, tangible assistance for the SSAR,” the statement read.
The groups also called for joint efforts to create a conducive environment for a gradual, phased and voluntary return and sustainable reintegration of refugees in Afghanistan, in addition to aiding host communities, such as Iran and Pakistan, for the purpose.
Afridi, for his part, appealed to the international community to allocate more funds for the Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA) program. He also urged for concerted efforts for development inside Afghanistan which could lure refugees to return home.
Recognizing Pakistan’s contribution in hosting Afghan refugees for the past 40 years, Balkhi said that due to a large number of migrants in Pakistan and Iran – and due to insecurity in Afghanistan – the SSAR has not been able to reach its goals.
“The need for SSAR continues to exist and I, therefore, call on the extension of the SSAR time frame,” he said.
Four-party meet in Islamabad seeks world’s attention for Afghan refugees
Four-party meet in Islamabad seeks world’s attention for Afghan refugees
- Representatives call for joint advocacy and resource mobilization
- Push for an extension of timeframe to realize goals set by group
Pakistan’s diplomatic team offers condolences to India over plane crash after arriving in Brussels
- Head of the Pakistani delegation Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari says he is ‘saddened’ to hear about the tragic incident
- India, Pakistan dispatched officials to world capitals to press their cases following a military confrontation in May
KARACHI: The head of Pakistan’s delegation visiting world capitals to present Islamabad’s position on a recent military standoff with New Delhi on Thursday expressed condolences over an Indian plane crash involving 242 people after his team arrived in Brussels to hold meetings.
The Air India flight bound for London crashed minutes after takeoff from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad earlier in the day, according to the airline and local police.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether there were any fatalities in the flight that was en route to Gatwick Airport before it crashed in a civilian area near the airport.
“Saddened to hear a tragic incident occurred earlier today,” Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, a former Pakistani foreign minister, said in a social media post on X. “Where an Air India flight with approximately 240 passengers crashed shortly after takeoff near Ahmedabad, India. I express my profound condolences to the people of India.”
Pakistan and India have launched parallel diplomatic offensives around the world following their worst military confrontation in decades that saw an exchange of missile, drone and artillery strikes between the nuclear-armed neighbors before the US and other allies brokered a ceasefire on May 10.
The Pakistani delegation has already visited the United States and the United Kingdom before arriving in Belgium.
“Pakistan’s diplomatic mission led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has reached Brussels, the European Union headquarters, after successful visits to Washington, New York and London,” Radio Pakistan said in its report on Thursday. “The parliamentary delegation will inform the European authorities about India’s anti-Pakistan intentions and aggressive actions.”
It added the Pakistani delegation will also meet leading European think tanks and international media representatives.
Presenting Pakistan’s position on the recent tensions with India and highlighting the importance of resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions are key items on the agenda.
Pakistan criticized Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar a day earlier for delivering “bellicose punchlines” during his Brussels visit that took place shortly before the arrival of Islamabad’s delegation in the city.
The Indian minister had asserted New Delhi reserved the right to target Pakistan following a militant attack.
Mixed weather conditions forecast as Pakistan issues advisory for June 13-18
- Hot weather will persist in much of the country, particularly in the two southern provinces
- Scattered rainfall and gusty winds are also forecast in the northern regions amid rising heat
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s disaster management agency on Thursday issued an impact-based weather advisory warning of hot and dry conditions in most parts of the country, with scattered rain and windstorms expected in northern and upper regions between June 13 and 18.
The National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC), part of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), said a weak western weather system was expected to affect upper areas of the country and could influence weather patterns across multiple provinces.
“In Punjab, hot weather is expected to persist throughout the week,” the officials statement said.
“However, the Potohar region and upper Punjab, including Islamabad and Rawalpindi, may experience cloudy conditions, scattered rainfall, and windstorms.”
Similar conditions are expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where mostly hot weather will prevail, but districts such as Chitral, Dir, Haripur, Kohat, Mansehra, Swat, Peshawar and surrounding areas may see scattered rain and gusty winds.
In Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, hot weather is forecast, although areas like Astore, Skardu, Hunza, Shighar, Bagh and Neelum Valley could experience isolated rainfall during the same period.
By contrast, Sindh and Balochistan are expected to remain predominantly hot and dry, with no significant rainfall anticipated during the advisory window.
The NDMA said it was closely monitoring the evolving weather situation and coordinating with provincial and district authorities to ensure timely preparedness and response.
It advised residents in heat-prone regions to take precautions, including staying hydrated, avoiding outdoor exposure during peak heat hours (11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), and checking on vulnerable individuals such as children, the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions.
“It is also crucial never to leave children or pets unattended in parked vehicles,” the statement said.
The authority urged travelers and tourists visiting northern or hilly regions to stay updated on local weather conditions and to follow safety adviseries.
The NDMA also encouraged the public to use its Pak NDMA Disaster Alert mobile application for real-time updates and emergency alerts.
Pakistan chosen for WHO program offering free cancer drugs for children
- Health ministry says Pakistan will start getting free medicines from next year
- Each year, more than 8,000 children in Pakistan are diagnosed with cancer
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been selected to join a global initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that will provide free, essential cancer medicines for children starting this year, the country’s health ministry said on Thursday.
The program, known as the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, aims to improve survival rates among children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries by ensuring reliable and equitable access to life-saving drugs.
“It is a matter of pride that Pakistan has been selected for this program in 2025,” Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said in the statement. “This is a major milestone in ensuring free cancer medicines for children next year.”
Each year, more than 8,000 children in Pakistan are diagnosed with cancer, he continued. However, many are unable to receive timely or effective treatment due to limited drug availability, high costs and weak health care infrastructure.
The health minister noted that a large number of children die as a result of these gaps.
Kamal emphasized that Pakistan would fully utilize the support provided through the platform, calling it a unique opportunity to address local health challenges using global resources.
“Through this program, Pakistan can access international support to overcome domestic challenges in delivering timely and effective treatment,” he said.
The global platform, launched in 2022, is backed by a $200 million commitment from St. Jude and operates in coordination with WHO.
It supports countries in developing sustainable supply chains, treatment protocols and health care capacity to address childhood cancers. Pakistan is among a growing list of countries to be included as the platform scales up its outreach.
Family of detained Baloch rights activist moves Supreme Court against her arrest
- Dr. Mahrang Baloch has been held in a Quetta prison since she was arrested on March 22
- She published a letter from jail in a US magazine, saying ‘speaking for justice is not a crime’
ISLAMABAD: The family of a detained Pakistani Baloch rights activists, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, filed a petition in Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday, seeking to overturn a provincial court ruling that upheld her arrest under public order laws, according to a local media report.
Baloch, a physician and a civil society activists, has been held at Quetta’s Hudda District Jail since March 22 after she participated in protests following a separatist militant attack on a passenger train in Balochistan.
She was arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law, a move her supporters described as part of a broader crackdown on nonviolent dissent in the restive province.
The petition, filed by her sister, argues that the detention is arbitrary and aimed at silencing peaceful activism.
“Nadia Baloch, the sister of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, urged the Supreme Court on Wednesday to set aside the April 15 order of the Balochistan High Court that rejected the plea against her detention under the Maintenance of Public Order,” the English-language newspaper Dawn quoted from the petition.
The detained activist, who leads the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, also published a letter from prison in the US-based Time magazine this week, in which she asserted that “speaking up for justice is not a crime.”
Pakistani authorities have accused Baloch of promoting the narrative of separatist groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in public. However, her letter in the American magazine maintained the officials had not provided any evidence of her links with BLA or any other militant group while criticizing the authorities for blurring the line between militancy and peaceful protest.
Earlier this year, the Balochistan High Court dismissed Baloch’s initial challenge to her detention, advising her to seek administrative remedies instead of judicial relief.
Her sister’s petition has now asked the apex court to suspend that ruling and review whether constitutional protections such as habeas corpus were ignored in the previous judicial decision.
The Supreme Court has yet to announce when it will take up the case for hearing.
Pakistan urges global protection for Gaza’s children on World Day Against Child Labor
- President Zardari says children in conflict zones need global aid, protection and justice
- PM Shehbaz Sharif also calls for stricter enforcement of existing laws against child labor
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday called for urgent international support for children in Gaza, warning that thousands face displacement, hunger and heightened risks of forced labor amid ongoing conflict.
The appeal was made by President Asif Ali Zardari in a statement issued on the World Day Against Child Labor, observed annually on June 12. He said children living in war zones must be at the center of the global child protection agenda.
“These children urgently need global aid, protection and justice,” Zardari said. “In conflict-affected regions such as Gaza, thousands of innocent children have been displaced, injured or orphaned by violence. Many face hunger, trauma and the risk of falling into child labor.”
While reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to eliminating child labor domestically, the president urged governments, rights defenders, media, religious leaders and philanthropists to come together and protect vulnerable children everywhere.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a separate message, said Pakistan “stands shoulder to shoulder with the international community in the fight against child labor,” but noted that implementation gaps still exist.
“This day is a reminder that we must continue striving toward a future where every child grows up in a safe and prosperous environment,” he said.
Officials say child labor remains widespread in Pakistan, especially in rural and informal sectors, depriving millions of education and exposing them to exploitation.
Sharif urged stricter enforcement of existing laws, which prohibit child labor under Pakistan’s constitution and several key statutes.
Zardari emphasized that while Pakistan has introduced reforms and protection systems, including the National Commission on the Rights of the Child and child welfare bureaus, lasting change requires collective action.
“Child labor is a global challenge,” he said. “Governments and societies must work together to protect children from exploitation and ensure they grow up in dignity.”
