'I looked him in the eyes:' Pakistan family watches mosque shooter face justice in New Zealand

Family members of Naeem Rashid who was killed along with his son Talha Naeem in the Christchurch mosque attack in New Zealand, comfort each other during a condolence gathering at the family's home in Abbottabad on March 17, 2019. (REUTERS/File)
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Updated 27 August 2020
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'I looked him in the eyes:' Pakistan family watches mosque shooter face justice in New Zealand

  • 29-year-old Brenton Tarrant was jailed for life without parole for the March 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks
  • Widow of the Pakistani man who tried to stop the gunman says she hasn't had 'normal sleep' since the terror incident

ISLAMABAD: Around 3 a.m. each morning this week, Khurshid Alam woke up in his Pakistan home to watch survivors give testimony against the man who shot dead 51 worshippers in New Zealand mosques, including his brother, Naeem, and nephew, Talha.
Divided by thousands of miles, a seven-hour time difference and the coronavirus pandemic shutting borders, Naeem's widow, Ambreen, was among those who faced the shooter in Christchurch High Court and on Thursday heard his sentence.
White supremacist Brenton Tarrant, a 29-year-old Australian, was jailed for life without parole for the March 2019 attacks he launched on two Christchurch mosques while livestreaming.
"It was a very traumatic time, the last few days," Alam said from his home in Lahore in eastern Pakistan. "What we have lost cannot come back, but at least we know that justice has been given."
Alam had earlier watched the address by his sister-in-law, admiring her bravery. Alam's wife also travelled for days amid the pandemic and spent two weeks in quarantine to provide support for Ambreen, who lives in Christchurch, in court.
Many victims' families have watched from secure video links overseas and more than 50 received support to enter New Zealand, which has largely closed its borders to non-residents.
Ambreen described how her life had capsized since the moment last year, standing in a hospital in the early hours of the morning after the shooting, she realized her missing husband and 21-year old-son were not among the names hospital staff read out as injured.
"Since my husband and son passed away, I have never had a proper normal sleep," she told the court, and the gunman, on Tuesday. "I don’t think I ever will."
She also spoke of her pride in her husband, who was posthumously awarded for courage in Pakistan for charging at the gunman, buying precious time for worshippers to escape.
"Naeem died trying to save others and his act of bravery is something his sons will always feel proud for. His death was a reflection of his life," she said.
Ambreen said she felt distressed watching survivor after survivor stand up to address the shooter, but that once she had delivered her speech, she felt a surge of victory.
"It was quite a relief to express my opinion in front of him," she said. "I looked him in the eyes."
Since losing her eldest son, who had just graduated as an engineer, and her husband and "best friend," Ambreen has cared for her two surviving sons, is learning to drive, has taken her family on the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and endured New Zealand's strict weeks-long lockdown.
Throughout, she said, her anxiety grew over what would happen to the shooter.
When the sentence was finally delivered on Thursday, her family from New Zealand to Pakistan felt some solace.
"I miss them. It's a lifelong struggle for me,” she said. "But I felt like Naeem and Talha were there with me. I thought: they are waiting for justice to be done."


India plans $230 million drone incentive after Pakistan conflict

Updated 6 sec ago
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India plans $230 million drone incentive after Pakistan conflict

  • India’s push to build more home-grown drones stems from its assessment of the four-day clash with Pakistan in May
  • The standoff marked the first time New Delhi, Islamabad utilized unmanned aerial vehicles at scale against each other

NEW DELHI: India will launch a $234 million incentive program for civil and military drone makers to reduce their reliance on imported components and counter rival Pakistan’s program built on support from China and Turkiye, three sources told Reuters.

India’s push to build more home-grown drones stems from its assessment of the four-day clash with Pakistan in May that marked the first time New Delhi and Islamabad utilized unmanned aerial vehicles at scale against each other. The nuclear-armed neighbors are now locked in a drones arms race.

New Delhi will launch a 20 billion Indian rupees ($234 million) program for three years that will cover manufacture of drones, components, software, counter drone systems, and services, two government and one industry source, who did not want to be named, told Reuters.

Details of the program have not been previously reported and its planned expenditure is higher than the modest 1.2 billion rupees production-linked incentive scheme New Delhi launched in 2021 to promote drone start-ups, which have struggled to raise capital and invest in research.

India’s civil aviation ministry, which is leading the incentives program, and defense ministry did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Reuters previously reported that India plans to invest heavily in local industry and could spend as much as $470 million on unmanned aerial vehicles over the next 12 to 24 months, in what government and military officers said would be a staggered approach.

In the past, India has mainly imported military drones from its third-largest arms supplier, Israel, but in recent years its nascent drone industry has scaled up its cost-effective offerings, including for the military, although reliance on China continues for certain components such as motors, sensors and imaging systems.

Through the incentives, India is aiming to have at least 40 percent of key drone components made in the country by the end of fiscal year 2028 (April-March), the two government sources said.

“During (the India-Pakistan) conflict there was quite a lot of use of drones, loitering munitions and kamikaze drones on both sides,” Indian Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said last week.

“The lesson that we’ve learned is that we need to double down on our indigenization efforts to ensure that we build a large, effective, military drone manufacturing ecosystem.”

India bans import of drones but not their components and the government has planned additional incentives for manufacturers that procure parts from within the country, the two government sources said.

The state-run Small Industries Development Bank of India would also support the incentive program by providing cheap loans for working capital, research and development needs for the firms, the government sources added.

Currently, there are more than 600 drone manufacturing and associated companies in India, according to estimates shared by an industry source involved in the discussions for the incentives program.


Pakistan to use $1.4 billion IMF climate loan to expand green investment, fiscal space

Updated 11 min 18 sec ago
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Pakistan to use $1.4 billion IMF climate loan to expand green investment, fiscal space

  • IMF says reforms will create fiscal space, embed climate goals in budgets and public investment
  • Program aims to unlock private capital, improve disaster coordination, irrigation infrastructure across provinces

KARACHI: Pakistan will use a $1.4 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund’s climate resilience fund to expand fiscal space, embed climate planning into public investment decisions and unlock private-sector capital for green projects, the IMF said on Friday.

The financing, approved by the IMF’s Executive Board in May under its Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), is part of a broader reform program that aims to help Pakistan adapt to increasingly frequent and devastating climate shocks.

Pakistan is the first country in the Middle East and Central Asia region to access the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility. The fund was launched in 2022 to help climate-vulnerable low- and middle-income countries make the structural changes needed to protect their economies and populations.

“The RSF will help build climate resilience in Pakistan by creating fiscal space to address climate vulnerabilities, such as the need to improve climate-resilient adaptation infrastructure,” Mahir Binici, the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan, told Arab News in a written response.

“It will also boost climate’s prominence in public investment management and budget processes,” he said, “helping Pakistan better identify and target projects needed to strengthen resilience to climate shocks.”

A third pillar of the reforms, Binici said, is improving the overall “enabling environment for green investment” so that banks and private firms could incorporate climate-related risk considerations into their risk management and investment activities.

The RSF financing will be disbursed over a 28-month period and runs alongside Pakistan’s $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF), whose first review was also approved in May, releasing roughly $1 billion in immediate support.

CLIMATE-FINANCE GAP

Pakistan, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, has long struggled to align its public finances with the scale of climate risk it faces. The 2022 floods alone affected over 33 million people and caused more than $30 billion in damages and economic losses.

By reforming how climate priorities are reflected in budget planning and investment screening, the IMF says Pakistan will be better equipped to attract funding and respond to future disasters.

The RSF does not fund individual infrastructure projects. Instead, it supports “policy and institutional reforms that make climate action more effective,” Binici explained.

These include reforms in disaster coordination, water and irrigation infrastructure, and provincial implementation capacity.

Binici said the IMF program supports better coordination between the federal and provincial governments on disaster risk financing, a chronic weakness in past emergency responses, and policy changes that would strengthen water and irrigation management.

“Policy reforms that directly target Pakistan’s water management and irrigation infrastructure would help make farmers more resilient to climate shocks,” he said, adding the focus would be on improving irrigation service standards, reliability, and water supply adequacy.

The reforms also aim to reduce waterlogging, salinity, groundwater depletion, and growing water insecurity, issues that disproportionately impact poor rural communities.

The IMF said its climate program in Pakistan takes a “whole-of-government” approach, with many reforms to be implemented at the provincial level.

“Much of the focus is on improving coordination mechanisms between the federal government and the provinces,” Binici said.


One killed, five injured as residential building collapses in Pakistan’s Karachi

Updated 22 min 4 sec ago
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One killed, five injured as residential building collapses in Pakistan’s Karachi

  • The multi-story building in Karachi’s Lyari neighborhood housed several families
  • Efforts underway to rescue several residents believed to be trapped under rubble

KARACHI: At least one person was killed and five others were injured on Friday after a multi-story residential building came crashing down in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, the Edhi rescue service said.

Local media reported that the building, located in Karachi’s Lyari neighborhood, housed several families and a number of residents were still believed to be trapped under the rubble.

Television footage showed rescue workers and locals trying to rescue people from under the debris.

“So far one body has been recovered which was shifted through ambulance to Civil Hospital,” the Edhi rescue service said in a statement.

“Five people, including three women, were injured.”

It said rescue efforts were underway to find out survivors.

There was no immediate comment from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), which regulates buildings and other structures in Karachi, and other civic agencies on whether the building had been declared dangerous.

In Karachi, home to over 20 million people, building collapses often result in significant casualties, with officials accused of allowing faulty construction.

In June 2020, a five-story residential building had collapsed in the same neighborhood, killing at least 25 people.

On April 22, 2024, a three-story building collapsed in North Nazimabad, killing one man and injuring four others. In October 2023, a building collapse in Shah Faisal Colony resulted in five deaths and two injuries.


Trade, connectivity, regional cooperation in focus as Pakistani PM at ECO summit

Updated 04 July 2025
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Trade, connectivity, regional cooperation in focus as Pakistani PM at ECO summit

  • Theme of this year’s summit is “New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future”
  • Sharif will hold bilateral meetings with other leaders attending summit to discuss matters of mutual interest

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Khankendi, Azerbaijan today, where he is expected to present Pakistan’s views on regional and global challenges, trade promotion, sustainable development and enhanced connectivity.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif will also hold bilateral meetings with other leaders attending the summit to discuss matters of mutual interest.

The theme of this year’s summit is “New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future.” 

“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will participate in the ECO summit in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, where he will speak on global and regional issues, trade promotion, sustainable development, regional connectivity and solutions to regional challenges,” the PMO said.

The summit brings together heads of state and government from ECO member states to discuss economic and political cooperation. 

This is Sharif’s third visit to Azerbaijan in 2025. He last traveled to Baku in May, where he held talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on strengthening bilateral cooperation in energy and trade.

The Economic Cooperation Organization was established in 1985 by Iran, Turkiye and Pakistan and later expanded to include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The ten-member bloc aims to promote economic, technical and cultural collaboration across Central and South Asia, the Caucasus and the Middle East.


Pakistan says 30 ‘Indian-sponsored’ militants killed trying to cross from Afghanistan

Updated 04 July 2025
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Pakistan says 30 ‘Indian-sponsored’ militants killed trying to cross from Afghanistan

  • Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in militant violence in its western regions that border Afghanistan
  • Islamabad often blames these attacks on India and Afghanistan, a charge denied by Kabul and New Delhi

ISLAMABAD: At least 30 “Indian-sponsored” militants were killed while attempting to cross into Pakistan through its border with Afghanistan this week, the Pakistani military said on Friday.

Pakistani security forces intercepted the militants in the restive North Waziristan district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.

All 30 militants, belonging to “Indian proxy Fitna Al-Khawarij,” a reference to the Pakistani Taliban, were killed as a result of “precise and skillful engagement.”

“A large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered from the killed Indian-sponsored Khawarij [militants],” the ISPR said in a statement.

“The interim Afghan government also needs to check and prevent the use of Afghan soil by ‘foreign proxies’ for orchestrating terrorist activities against Pakistan.”

New Delhi has not yet commented on the latest statement by the army but has repeatedly denied in the past that it is involved in militancy in Pakistan.

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in violence in its western regions bordering Afghanistan, with Islamabad accusing India of backing militant groups and Afghanistan of allowing the use of its soil for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi deny the allegation.

The North Waziristan district has long been a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, who have mounted their attacks against Pakistani security forces and checkposts, and law enforcers since late 2022, when their fragile, months-long truce broke down with Islamabad.

On June 28, a suicide attack, claimed by Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of the Pakistani Taliban, killed 13 Pakistani soldiers and injured 29 people, including civilians, in the volatile district that borders Afghanistan, local government and police officials said.

A day later, the district administration imposed a 30-day restriction on the movement of people and vehicles from dusk till dawn, saying it was in the interest of “public safety, law and order, movement of security forces and [to] restrict the movement of outlaws.”

In a statement issued from his office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Pakistani security forces for foiling the militant infiltration attempt in North Waziristan.

“We are determined to completely eradicate all forms of terrorism from the country,” he said. “The entire nation salutes their security forces.”