ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned citizens Wednesday that anyone who goes to fight jihad in Kashmir will hurt the territory’s cause, as anger simmers between Islamabad and New Delhi over the disputed region.
Indian authorities are waiting for “any excuse” to crack down in the Himalayan region, he warned, promising again to raise the issue at the United Nations General Assembly next week.
Tensions have spiked over Kashmir, parts of which are administered by both India and Pakistan, since Delhi moved on August 5 to revoke the autonomy of the portion it controls.
Since then, leaders in both countries have engaged in an escalating war of words, with Delhi warning that Pakistan — long believed to be using proxy militant groups in Kashmir — was planning attacks.
Islamabad has promised to stand by the Kashmiris following the move and publicly accused India of carrying out a potential “genocide” in the region.
India has flooded its side of Kashmir with troops in a security clampdown to prevent any violence, igniting outrage in Pakistan.
“If someone from Pakistan goes to India to fight... he will be the first to do an injustice to Kashmiris, he will be the enemy of Kashmiris,” Khan said during a speech in Torkham, on the border with Afghanistan.
“They need an excuse,” he said of Indian troops. “It will provide them an excuse for torture and barbarism.”
Kashmir, split between the two countries since 1947, has been the spark for two major wars and countless clashes between them.
Khan spoke after Pakistan fired back Wednesday at Delhi’s “jingoistic rhetoric” when India’s foreign minister vowed to retake Islamabad’s portion of Kashmir.
“We strongly condemn and reject” the remarks, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement hours after Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told a press conference Tuesday that Pakistani-controlled Kashmir is “part of India and we expect one day that we will have the... physical jurisdiction over it.”
In the latest move, Pakistan said Wednesday it had denied Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi permission to fly through its airspace due to the “situation in Indian occupied Kashmir.”
“Keeping in mind the situation in Indian occupied Kashmir and India’s behavior and the cruelty and barbarism, the violation of rights being done there, it has been decided that the Indian PM will not be allowed,” to use Pakistan’s airspace, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in a video statement posted on social media.
Qureshi said Modi had requested to use Pakistani airspace on September 20 and 28 for a trip to and from Germany.
Tensions have spiraled since New Delhi’s move on its side of the de facto border — the Line of Control — to change the status of the Himalayan territory, with Pakistan repeatedly likening Modi to Hitler and calling for international intervention.
Khan has held demonstrations across the country to protest against the move and will highlight the issue later this month at the UN General Assembly in New York.
Prime minister warns Pakistanis against jihad in Kashmir
Prime minister warns Pakistanis against jihad in Kashmir
- Khan’s statement comes a day after India’s foreign minister vowed to retake Pakistan-administered Kashmir
- Bilateral tensions escalated on Aug 5. when Delhi abrogated Muslim-majority Kashmir’s special legal status
Pakistan reports fresh polio case from country’s northwest, taking 2024 tally to 56
- Male child contracts polio in northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district, confirm authorities
- Pakistan is one of only two countries worldwide where poliovirus still remains endemic
PESHAWAR: Pakistan reported another polio case from the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Wednesday, taking this year’s tally of the disease to 56 cases as Islamabad struggles in its efforts to contain the infection.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. The nation’s polio eradication campaign has faced serious problems with a spike in reported cases this year that have prompted officials to review their approach to stopping the crippling disease.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed the detection of the 56th wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of the year, saying that a male child in the northwestern district of Dera Ismail Khan had contracted the disease.
“This is the seventh polio case of the year from D.I. Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern KP,” the polio program said.
Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province and KP have reported the highest number of polio cases this year, 26 and 15, respectively, while 13 have been reported from Sindh and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Poliovirus, 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.
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 program began in 1994 but efforts to eradicate the virus have since been undermined by vaccine misinformation and 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.
‘Not on our watch’: Pakistan PM says won’t let Imran Khan supporters ‘destroy’ economy
- Thousands of Khan supporters protested in Pakistan’s capital on Tuesday, clashing with law enforcers
- Pakistan’s finance ministry says recent protests by Khan’s party cost country a whopping $684 million per day
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday vowed not to let former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party “destroy” the country’s economic progress, lamenting that the recent protests in Islamabad had cost the national exchequer a whopping Rs190 billion ($684 million) per day.
Thousands of supporters of Khan’s PTI entered Pakistan’s capital on Tuesday morning, braving teargas and arrests and crossing security barriers across the country. Pakistan’s government said clashes between Khan supporters, who were demanding the jailed former premier’s release from prison, left three Rangers personnel and one cop dead. The PTI says eight of its supporters were killed and “hundreds” were feared dead, a claim the government challenges.
Khan supporters fled the capital after security forces launched a sweeping midnight raid on Tuesday. The party, however, has said its sit-in protest against the government will continue, without specifying where it will take place.
“My heart cries tears of blood that after working so hard, we should let Pakistan be destroyed at the hands of such anarchists and enemies of the state?
“It is not possible, it will not happen. Not in our time, not on our watch. It will not happen, god willing,” Sharif said. “Together we will take Pakistan out of this.”
Sharif cited the finance ministry’s statement which had earlier this week said Pakistan suffered losses of $684 million per day due to the protests.
The prime minister urged the government to think about the future course of action regarding these protests, saying that it cannot be “business as usual.”
“We cannot let Pakistan be sacrificed under any circumstances,” Sharif said. “We will break the hand that wants to sacrifice Pakistan.”
The PTI’s protest took place during a three-day visit by the president of Belarus, who arrived in Islamabad with a 68-member delegation from his country, to take part in talks related to trade and investment.
Khan, who was ousted from power in a parliamentary no-trust vote in 2022, has been in prison since last year. He faces a slew of charges from terrorism to corruption that he says are politically motivated to keep him in jail and away from politics.
The charges kept Khan away from Feb. 8 general elections that his party says were rigged, an accusation denied by the election commission.
Qatari ambassador discusses bilateral investment and ties with Sindh governor
- Qatari envoy expressed interest in large-scale investments in Pakistan, particularly Karachi, says Sindh Governor
- PM Shehbaz Sharif last month visited Qatar to boost foreign trade, investment to stabilize $350 billion economy
KARACHI: Qatar’s Ambassador to Pakistan Ali Mubarak Ali Essa Al-Khater met Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori on Wednesday to discuss ways to increase bilateral investment and foster stronger ties between the two countries, the Governor House said.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last month visited Qatar as he sought to bolster economic cooperation amid the country’s efforts to boost foreign investment and stabilize its frail $350 billion economy.
Islamabad and Doha have attempted to forge closer business ties over the past few months, with a Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) team also expected to visit Pakistan this month to set up an information technology (IT) park.
Al-Khater called on Tessori at the Governor House in Karachi where the two held a detailed meeting to discuss investment and other matters.
“The meeting focused on matters of mutual interest and fostering stronger bilateral ties,” the Governor House said. “During the visit, the Ambassador praised the Governor’s initiative and expressed Qatar’s desire to strengthen relations further with Pakistan, particularly in economic collaboration.”
Tessori spoke to reporters after the meeting, acknowledging that Qatar had always supported Pakistan. He added that Pakistanis harbored “immense affection for Qatar.”
“He shared that the Ambassador conveyed Qatar’s keen interest in large-scale investments in Pakistan, particularly in Karachi,” the statement said.
Tessori highlighted that Qatar was interested in government-to-government investments and joint ventures with Pakistani businesses.
The Sindh governor said Al-Khater assured him of local Qatari investors’ readiness to invest in Pakistan.
“I will provide detailed insights into sectors that can yield immediate results for investments, ensuring that this partnership benefits both nations significantly,” Tessori said.
He emphasized that Qatar’s interest is particularly crucial given Pakistan’s current economic challenges.
“We are committed to providing a conducive environment and guarantees for Qatari investors to achieve substantial returns,” Tessori said.
Pakistan’s desire to forge closer economic ties with allies come amid its attempts to increase trade and foreign investment after the country narrowly escaped a default last year by securing a last-gasp $3 billion financial assistance package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Pakistan dispatches 21st aid consignment for Gaza, Lebanon and Syria
- Islamabad dispatches 17 tons of blankets, food, medicines to Damascus in Syria from Rawalpindi
- Israel’s military campaigns have killed over 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October last year
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday dispatched its 21st relief consignment for the war-affected people of Syria, Lebanon and Gaza who have suffered from Israeli military aggression in the Middle East.
Israel has been attacking what it calls Iran-linked targets in Syria for years but has ramped up such raids since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel, leading Israel to launch a military campaign in which more than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and more than 3,500 people in Lebanon.
On Tuesday, Israel approved a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah group that ended nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the war in Gaza. International aid agencies and the World Health Organization (WHO) have warned Israel’s military operations in Gaza have caused starvation and diseases for thousands of people in the area.
“On the directives of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) continues to provide humanitarian aid to the war-affected people of Gaza, Lebanon and Syria,” the NDMA said in a statement.
The 21st consignment was dispatched from Pakistan’s eastern city of Rawalpindi to Syria. The relief items were sent with the help of the Pakistan Air Force, the NDMA said, adding that they comprised 17 tons of supplies which included blankets, food and medicines.
The NDMA said Pakistan has dispatched a total of 1,273 tons of relief items to the war-affected people of Gaza, 372 tons to the people of Lebanon, and 111 tons to Syria.
“The Government of Pakistan continues to send relief supplies based on the needs of the war-affected populations of Lebanon and Palestine,” the authority said.
Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza, Pakistan has repeatedly raised the issue at the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other multilateral platforms and demanded international powers and bodies stop Israeli military actions in Gaza.
Pakistan, South Korea conduct joint drill in Arabian Sea to deter piracy, drug trafficking
- Exercise included tactical maneuvers and communication drills to foster interoperability
- Pakistan, South Korea are both part of 46-nation Combined Maritime Forces partnership
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy’s PNS Zulfiqar conducted a joint exercise with South Korea’s Wang Geon ship in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday, the navy said, with the drill aimed at intensifying efforts to deter illicit maritime activities such as piracy and drug trafficking.
Both ships took part in the exercise under the task forces of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), CTF-150 and CTF-151, respectively. The CMF is a 46-nation naval partnership, which exists to promote security, stability and prosperity worldwide.
Pakistan Navy said the Passage Exercise included tactical maneuvers and communication drills, adding that these were aimed at enhancing operational interoperability and fostering professional ties between the two navies.
“CTF-150 and CTF-151 focus on deterring illicit maritime activities such as drug trafficking and piracy, which threaten security in international waters,” the navy said in a statement.
Pakistan said the exercise demonstrated both navies’ commitment to uphold maritime security, support lawful activities at sea and promote stability and cooperation in the region.
“Pakistan and the Republic of Korea consistently contribute ships and aircraft to maritime security efforts under the CMF banner,” the navy said.
“This collaboration is particularly valuable for building mutual understanding and operational synergy.”
Pakistan Navy regularly collaborates and holds joint military exercises with allies and countries that are part of the CMF to deter piracy, drug trafficking and other illicit maritime activities.
