ISLAMABAD: On the eve of its scheduled mass protest, a Pakistani opposition party on Saturday ruled out any possibility of negotiations with the government until Prime Minister Imran Khan resigned and said it would settle for nothing less.
Fazl-ur-Rehman, chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), one of the country’s largest religious political parties, is leading the protest march to oust Khan, citing rigged elections. The protest raises the prospect of political turmoil as the government struggles to stabilize the economy.
The opposition protest caravan will begin moving from the southern city of Karachi on Sunday to the capital Islamabad in the country’s northeast. Protesters from all over the country are scheduled to gather in the federal capital on Oct. 31 to demand Khan’s resignation and the dissolution of the assemblies.
“We will go ahead with our protest as planned until the Prime Minister resigns from his position,” Mufti Kifayatullah, JUI-F senior leader and a close aide of Rehman, told Arab News on Saturday.
“If anybody thinks we will settle for less than that, he is living in a fool’s paradise,” he said.
Negotiation committees of both the government and the opposition held two rounds of talks in Islamabad on Friday night to find middle ground ahead of the protest but failed to do so. Following this, Defense Minister Pervez Khattak who was leading the government team, told media that talks would continue.
“We simply asked them (the government team) if they had brought the PM’s resignation with them. They said no, and the talks were over,” Kifayatullah said.
The opposition committee negotiating with the government had representatives from all opposition parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Asad Umar, a PTI lawmaker and member of the negotiation committee, admitted that no headway was made in talks with the opposition so far.
“We are trying to settle the issue peacefully,” he told Arab News. “The government is still open for talks to keep the opposition’s protest within the ambit of the law and constitution.”
Umar declined to provide further details on how the government was planning to deal with the protesters.
Khan won last year’s election on a promise to end corruption and help middle-class families but the economy is running into headwinds, as it struggles to avert a balance of payments crisis and prevent its debt from spiraling out of control. In July, the government agreed to a $6 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund and accepted a tough reforms package, which has led to record inflation.
Meanwhile, Rehman, a veteran politician who heads an alliance with several seats in the Parliament, has the ability to mobilize support in numerous religious schools, or madrasas, across the country.
“This is a protest movement and will continue till we achieve our goal,” Rehman said while speaking to media earlier this week.
Pakistani opposition rules out talks with government, to go ahead with protests
Pakistani opposition rules out talks with government, to go ahead with protests
- Protest to oust PM Imran Khan and hold fresh polls in the country kicks off on Sunday
- Government and opposition parties unable to reach middle-ground in negotiations
Police in Islamabad briefly detain senior rights activists protesting Israel’s war in Gaza
- Tahira Abdullah and Samina Khan were detained by police outside the Islamabad Press Club
- No charges were specified, and both rights activists were released by the police later in the day
ISLAMABAD: Two senior human rights activists, Tahira Abdullah and Samina Khan, were briefly detained by police on Friday outside the Islamabad Press Club for ostensibly protesting against Israel’s war in Gaza before their release later in the day.
A video purportedly showing their arrest depicts them wearing Palestinian flags and keffiyeh scarves as they are escorted away by women police personnel, along with a man and three youths.
Abdullah can be seen asking a policeman why they are being taken away. She then tells the female police personnel not to push her and Khan, and requests that they be moved to a separate car instead of the police truck.
“They [Abdullah and Khan] were illegally picked up from outside the Islamabad Press Club premises and taken away to the women police station in G-7,” lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha told Arab News.
“They aren’t allowed to meet their counsel to discuss options,” he continued. “Station House Officer (SHO) Misbah Waqas is refusing to let their families and counsel meet them.”
Police did not specify any charges against the two rights activists. Islamabad police spokesperson Dr. Taqi Javed also did not respond to a query from Arab News in this regard.
Last year in May, Abdullah was among the protesters who staged a demonstration at Islamabad’s D-Chowk in support of the Palestinians. She had urged everyone to come out in large numbers, saying the Pakistani government would not pay heed to their demands otherwise.
The Islamabad Press Club is a key venue in Pakistan’s capital where journalists and activists hold press conferences and protests. It serves as a platform for raising awareness and drawing media attention to political and social issues. Protesters use it to voice demands and push for government action.
A video of Abdullah and Khan that was later shared by lawyer Chattha shows them stepping out of the police precinct after being released, chanting the slogan, “Free, free Palestine.”
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and supports an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.
Farhan and Abrar star as resurgent Pakistan win Bangladesh series
- This is Pakistan’s first Twenty20 home series win since December 2021
- Pakistan also won the first match against Bangladesh by 37 runs in Lahore
LAHORE: Opener Sahibzada Farhan notched his maiden half century and spinner Abrar Ahmed grabbed three wickets to guide Pakistan to another convincing 57-run win over Bangladesh in Lahore on Friday.
Farhan smashed a 41-ball 74 and Hasan Nawaz unbeaten 51 off 26 balls to help the home team post 201-6 before Abrar grabbed 3-19 to keep Bangladesh to 144-9 in 19 overs, with the last man Shoriful Islama unable to bat due to injury.
Pakistan, who won the first match by 37 runs at the same venue, take an unassailable 2-0 lead with the final match on Sunday, also in Lahore.
The win also gives a kickstart to Pakistan’s new white-ball head coach Mike Hesson appointed earlier this month to stem a slide which saw them win just three of their last 13 T20s before this series.
Bangladesh raced to 32 in the first two overs but openers Parvez Hossain (eight) and Tanzid Hasan (19-ball 33 with five boundaries and a six) fell within two runs of each other.
From 46-2, Bangladesh slumped to 56-5 with Abrar dismissing Tohid Hridoy (five) and Jaker Ali (nought) off successive deliveries while pacer Hasan Ali had skipper Litton Das for six.
Tanzim Hasan, who topscored with a career best 31-ball 50, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 23 off 17 balls, added 33 for the eighth wicket but it was too late, too little.
Pakistan’s first T20 home series win since December 2021 delighted skipper Salman Agha.
“It feels good, I didn’t know it was three and a half years ago that we won a series at home,” said Agha of Pakistan’s last win over the West Indies at home.
“This is what I want, we should always have players who can come in and replace anyone, any captain would love that,” said Agha, praising the new coach.
“It’s been a few days and we are loving the environment, credit to Hesson. He has managed to gel the team really well and built a nice environment, he has done that very quickly.”
Bangladesh skipper Litton Das rued loss of wickets in cluster.
“There were back-to-back wickets and in cricket you have to follow basics, sometimes you don’t follow the basics that cost you,” said Das. “We still have a game to comeback strongly.”
Earlier, Pakistan posted a consecutive 200-plus total with Farhan and Nawaz ably supported by Mohammad Haris whose 41 came off 25 balls after the home team won the toss and batted.
After losing fellow opener Saim Ayub to a run out for four, Farhan put the innings on a solid footing with a 103-run second wicket stand of 54 balls with Haris.
The Farhan-Haris duo smashed Bangladesh bowlers to all corners, with Farhan hitting six sixes and four boundaries while Haris’s knock had two sixes and four boundaries.
Farhan was finally caught by Litton Das off leg-spinner Rishad Hossain in the 12th over. His previous best of 39 was against Australia in Dubai in 2018.
Nawaz gave a final polish to the innings by hitting three sixes and two boundaries as Pakistan added 40 in the last five overs.
Agha fell for 19 and Shadab Khan made seven.
For Bangladesh Tanzim finished with 2-36 and Hasan Mahmud took 2-47.
Senior Pakistani official killed in Balochistan as government blames ‘Indian-backed’ militants
- Balochistan CM says Hidayatullah Buledi was shot dead when he tried to protect civilians in a local market
- Pakistan’s PM and army chief say the country’s war will continue until militant violence is fully eradicated
KARACHI: The Pakistani government on Friday condemned the killing of a senior administration official in a gun attack in the volatile southwestern Balochistan province, with top officials attributing the assault to what they described as “Fitna Al-Hind” — or Indian-sponsored proxies — fueling unrest in the region.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Hidayatullah Buledi was shot dead by armed militants in the Sorab area as he reportedly intervened to protect civilians, including women and children, during an armed assault in a local market.
In a post on social media platform X, the province’s chief minister, Sardar Sarfraz Bugti, said the attack was carried out by militants affiliated with the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group banned in Pakistan, which he said was backed by the neighboring Indian state.
“Despite holding the office of ADC Revenue, when terrorists of Fitna Al-Hind BLA opened fire on women and children in Sorab today, Hidayatullah Buledi honored the traditions of Baloch valor and sacrificed his life in defense of the Pakistani state,” he said in the post while praying for the deceased officer and his family.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also issued a statement, condemning the “cowardly attack” on a local bank, civilians and public officials in Sorab and paying tribute to Buledi for defending his community.
“The entire nation stands with the family of Shaheed [martyr] Hidayatullah Buledi,” he said, vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Their attack reflects a mindset that is openly hostile to Pakistan’s progress and stability in Balochistan,” he added.
The prime minister also praised the efforts of the Pakistani armed forces and reiterated the government’s commitment to eradicating militant violence from the country.
Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who was in Quetta during the day to address officers at the Command and Staff College, also promised to take Pakistan’s war against militancy to its “logical conclusion.”
“The nation’s fight against terrorism will be driven to a logical conclusion — success against all forms and manifestations of terrorism,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, quoted him as saying in a statement.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, has long been the site of a separatist insurgency, with militants blaming the state for exploiting the mineral resources of the region without doing much for the local population.
The government has repeatedly denied the allegation, pointing to the infrastructure and livelihood projects it has been carrying out in the area for years.
Pakistan has also frequently accused India of funding and arming militant groups, a charge New Delhi denies.
Afghans married to Pakistanis fear split from families amid deportation drive
- Around 1.3 million Afghans, both undocumented and those with Afghan Citizen Cards, have left Pakistan since expulsion drive started in 2023
- Afghans married to Pakistanis have found themselves in a legal limbo and have had to leave families and lives behind after being deported
PESHAWAR: Muhammad Alam, 40, wakes up daily to the laughter and noise of his seven children as they begin their day at the family’s rented home in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar while their mother prepares breakfast in a small kitchen.
These days, Alam’s heart is full of dread, and he is having frequent arguments with his wife over whether she and the children, six daughters and one son, will accompany him to Afghanistan if he has to leave.
Alam is an Afghan refugee who is married to a Pakistani woman. Under an ongoing repatriation drive targeting "illegal" foreigners that was launched by the Pakistan government in November 2023, Alam may have to leave the country soon. If that happens, he will be separated from his family, all of whom are Pakistani nationals and are refusing to accompany him.
Around 1.3 million Afghans have left Pakistan since the expulsion drive was started.
“We are in trouble because of the deportation drive,” Alam told Arab News at his home in Peshawar, the capital of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
“I can’t refuse to leave but who will convince my family? Just for me, these seven children will not go to Afghanistan and I can’t leave these seven behind.”
Alam holds a Proof of Registration (PoR) card, a document issued by the National Database and Registration Authority that provides temporary legal status and freedom of movement for registered Afghan refugees. It serves as an identification document, allowing Afghan refugees to legally reside in Pakistan. The PoR card was initially issued in 2007 and has been extended multiple times, currently valid until June 30, 2025.
Alam is unsure what will happen after that deadline passes next month: “If the government arrests and deports me, who will take care of my family?”
When he spoke to his children about going to Afghanistan with him, one of them replied: “You are an Afghan, you should go.”
Alam’s wife holds a Pakistani Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) and his children all have the Form-B, an important document for children under 18 years old in Pakistan, serving as a child's identification document and necessary for various purposes like school admissions, passports, and international travel.
One of Alam’s daughters Laiba, 14, said the government should make a special case for her father as he had a Pakistani family.
“We and our mother have Pakistani identification documents, only he doesn’t have it. He should be given the [CNIC] card, the whole fight will end,” she said.
“What will we do in Afghanistan? We have neither seen nor gone there.”
Troubles have already begun for the family.
Laiba said she was refused enrollment in the 8th standard after she failed to present a Pakistani CNIC for her father.
“They asked for my mother’s [CNIC] card, I produced it. Then they asked for my father’s card. My father didn’t have a [CNIC] card, from where should I have produced it? So, they expelled me from the school,” the teenager said.
“Our school is gone already. What should we do?”
Qudratullah, 38, another Afghan refugee from Jalalabad who is married to a Pakistani women, is facing the same issue, saying his children and wife were refusing to accompany him to Afghanistan.
While he has an Afghan passport, his Pakistan visa had expired, after which he was deported to Afghanistan in October 2024. It took him nearly four months to get a new visa from Afghanistan and return to Pakistan in February this year, with a multiple-entry family visit visa that expires in February 2026.
“I have married a Pakistani woman but my wife doesn’t want to go with me to [Afghanistan],” Qudratullah told Arab News. “When I tell her to go, she starts fighting with me. She doesn’t want to go with me at any cost.”
Qudratullah's wife Nasreen Bibi described the situation as “too difficult.”
“Sometimes he [my husband] gets a visa and sometimes the visa is rejected, and he sometimes gets stuck there [in Afghanistan] and we are left alone,” she said at the couple’s home in Peshawar.
“We have children who are studying here, we have a house. We can’t go with him there, our children can’t live in that country.”
“HOSPITALITY”
Nauman Mohib Kakakhel, a Peshawar High Court advocate, has fought cases for families, where a Pakistani is married to an Afghan with Proof of Registration (POR) or Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC). The ACC is a document issued by the Pakistan government to undocumented Afghan nationals, allowing them to legally reside in Pakistan for a limited time and provides temporary protection from deportation.
“We filed a case for hundreds of families, and it was decided by the Peshawar High Court that since NADRA already has records of these families in the shape of Afghan Citizen Cards or Proof of Registration cards, as they enjoy refugees’ status in Pakistan and that’s a legal status,” Kakakhel said.
“And now they have got married to a Pakistani citizen, so this should be sufficient for them to get permanent residency in Pakistan.”
As per the law, children born to a couple where one partner is Pakistani and the other is Afghan, will automatically be entitled to the citizenship of Pakistan by descent when they turn 21, the lawyer explained.
After they turn 21, they must opt for the nationality of one country while Pakistani women married to an Afghan can hold the citizenship of both countries under Pakistani law.
Speaking to Arab News, Qaisar Afridi, a spokesperson for UNHCR in Pakistan, said Afghans, including human rights activists, journalists and others married to Pakistani nationals, were facing challenges in Pakistan:
“As the Pakistani government and the people of Pakistan have hosted Afghans for the past 40-45 years, we request the government of Pakistan that this hospitality should be continued until the situation in Afghanistan improves.”
Pakistan formally initiates talks with US on ‘reciprocal tariffs’ amid export concerns
- US imposed a 29% tariff on Pakistani goods as Islamabad pushes for export-led growth
- Pakistan says it sees the move as both a challenge and an opportunity to reset trade ties
KARACHI: Pakistan has formally begun negotiations with the United States over newly imposed “reciprocal tariffs,” an official statement said on Friday, with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb holding a conference call with US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer to launch the process.
The talks come after US President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on a number of countries earlier this year, a move widely viewed as a setback for the global economy still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. Defending the action, Trump said the tariffs were necessary to correct trade imbalances and counter what he described as unfair treatment of American goods abroad.
Pakistan was among the countries affected, with a 29 percent tariff placed on its goods at a time when Islamabad is pushing for export-driven growth.
Aurangzeb called the development both a challenge and an opportunity to reset trade ties in April, adding that a high-level delegation would soon travel to Washington to pursue the matter further.
“Pakistan’s formal negotiations on US reciprocal tariffs kick-started between Mr. Muhammad Aurangzeb, Pakistan’s Finance Minister and Ambassador Jamieson Greer, United States Trade Representative through a telephonic/conference call on 30th May, 2025,” the finance ministry said.
“The two sides exchanged their viewpoint through a constructive engagement with the understanding that technical level detailed discussions would follow in the coming few weeks,” it added.
The ministry said both sides expressed confidence in advancing the negotiations toward a successful conclusion at the earliest.
The US is Pakistan’s largest export destination, and the newly imposed duties threaten to undermine Islamabad’s fragile economic recovery.
According to Pakistan’s central bank, the country exported $5.44 billion worth of goods to the US in 2024. From July to February of the current fiscal year, exports to the US reached $4 billion, up 10 percent from the same period last year.
Nearly 90 percent of those exports are textiles, which analysts say will be hardest hit.
Experts have also warned previously the tariffs could reduce Pakistan’s competitiveness, especially if regional exporters such as China, Bangladesh and Vietnam redirect more goods to Europe, intensifying competition in alternative markets.
