ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s chief peace envoy Abdullah Abdullah ended a three-day visit to Pakistan on Wednesday optimistic the uneasy neighbors have turned a corner from a relationship marked by suspicion toward a partnership for peace in the region.
In an interview in the Pakistani capital, Abdullah said he asked Pakistan’s powerful military to use its influence to press the Taliban into a reduction of violence, which could be seen as a first indication the two neighbors share the same goal of peace.
Abdullah’s first visit to Pakistan comes at a crucial time for Afghanistan as government negotiators sit across the table from the Taliban in Qatar to plot a future course for a post-war Afghanistan.
As chief of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah oversees the government side in negotiations. His visit to Pakistan was seen as particularly significant because of the ties the Taliban have with Pakistan, especially with the powerful military, which is largely responsible for the country’s Afghan policy.
Abdullah said he has asked not just Pakistan, but Washington and every other country that has a voice at the Afghan table, to press for a reduction of violence with the Taliban.
“It’s in their best interest of peace to encourage the Taliban (but) if cease-fire today, for example, is too heavy a word for the Taliban let us talk together to find what can we do so that people see that there are changes in the security environment,” Abdullah said, referring to a reduction in violence.
“It is time (for the Taliban) to show some practical signs of their commitment for peace ... Why are they not giving the people a chance to breathe and to see that things are happening?”
Pakistan has been applauded by Washington and Kabul for its role in getting the Taliban to the peace table, first in direct talks with the United States, which resulted in an agreement that led to the so-called intra-Afghan negotiations now underway in Doha.
In meetings with Abdullah, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan loudly endorsed a peaceful end to Afghanistan’s relentless wars and also called for a reduction in violence by all sides in the conflict, a welcome call, said Abdullah.
Still, for many Afghans, Pakistan is viewed with deep mistrust, blamed for a resurgence of the Taliban after their defeat by the US-led coalition in 2001 by giving the religious insurgents a safe haven from which to operate.
Pakistan is seen by many in Afghanistan as wanting to keep the Taliban as possible leverage against influence in Afghanistan by its long-time enemy India, which has been critical of any post-war government in Afghanistan that includes the Taliban.
Abdullah, however, who shared power in Afghanistan’s last government as chief executive and before that as foreign minister, said he was encouraged by the tone of conversations in Pakistan.
The conversations centered around peace and Abdullah said the improvements in relations and in perceptions of each other as good neighbors will come with time and actions, including messages from Pakistan to the Taliban to embrace the current negotiations underway in Doha.
He has asked Pakistan “to send the right message to all sides but mainly to the Taliban that this is the right time to make genuine efforts for achieving peace, to ‘be flexible’ be ready, be determined (and) know that there is no other way ... This will be the right thing at this stage.”
Afghan top peace envoy pushes Pakistan to press Taliban to lessen violence
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Afghan top peace envoy pushes Pakistan to press Taliban to lessen violence
- Abdullah Abdullah’s first visit to Pakistan comes as Afghan officials are negotiating with the Taliban a future course for post-war Afghanistan
- Pakistan has been applauded by Washington and Kabul for its role in getting the Taliban to the peace table
PSL 2025: Explosive Farhan smashes century as Islamabad thump Peshawar by 102 runs
- Sahibzada Farhan smashes 106 runs from 52 balls, hitting 13 fours and five sixes in his innings
- Islamabad United’s Imad Wasim returns figures of 3/26, Shadab Khan 2/29, Ben Dwarshuis 2/23
ISLAMABAD: Defending champions Islamabad United defeated Peshawar Zalmi by a mammoth 102 runs on Monday, driven by an explosive century by right-handed batter Sahibzada Farhan as the two sides faced each other in their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 clash at Rawalpindi.
United batted first, scoring an impressive 243/5 from their 20 overs. Their innings was led by opener Farhan, who smashed 106 runs from 52 balls, hitting 13 fours and five sixes. Colin Munro contributed with a quickfire 40 from 27 balls while Salman Ali Agha scored a 30-run knock from 15 balls.
Zalmi bowlers Hussain Talat and Azarri Joseph each grabbed two wickets.
“Credit goes to Sahibzada Farhan for his hard work behind the scenes,” United skipper Shadab Khan said at the post-match conference. “When you don’t perform, we will judge you as if you haven’t done the hard work. But he did play for Pakistan in and out for some time, he did the right stuff, and eventually it has come out.”
It was yet another disappointing day for Zalmi skipper Babar Azam, who was caught by Holder off a Ben Dwarshuis delivery after scoring only one run. In-form opener Saim Ayub failed to make a dent, falling for six runs while Mitchell Owen made only 10 before he was dismissed by Imad Wasim.
Only Zalmi middle-order batter Mohamamd Haris impressed, scoring 87 runs from 47 balls but the rest of the batters such as Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Talat and George Linde all fell cheaply to trigger a Zalmi batting collapse.
Former Karachi Kings captain Wasim was instrumental in Zalmi’s fall, returning figures of 3/26 from his four overs while Khan and Dwarshuis both took two wickets each. Holder and Naseem Shah each took a single wicket as Zalmi were bowled out for 141 in 18.2 overs.
Farhan was awarded the Player of the Match award.
Police recover bodies of 2 kidnapped constables in northwest Pakistan amid surging militancy
- Constables Hameed Shah, Ashraf Dotani were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from their homes in South Waziristan district, say police
- In separate incident, seven laborers injured in bomb blast targeting under-construction building of Rescue 1122 in northwestern Tank district
PESHAWAR: The bodies of two kidnapped constables were recovered from a deserted area in northwestern Pakistan on Monday, a police spokesperson said, as the country struggles to contain surging militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
Constables Hameed Shah and Ashraf Dotani were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in Wana town in South Waziristan district on Saturday, police spokesperson Habib Islam said. Members of the Dotani tribe chased the gunmen, trading fire with them. Three militants were killed while two, including a local tribesman and a girl, were injured during the clash.
“The martyred personnel were kidnapped two days ago from their homes in Tui Khula, a locality on the outskirts of Wana, the main town in the district,” Islam told Arab News.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the incident, but suspicion is likely to fall on the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) outfit or the Pakistani Taliban. The TTP has carried out some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistani law enforcers since 2007.
The banned unit has increased its attacks on Pakistani law enforcers since November 2022, when a fragile truce between the state and the TTP broke down. Pakistan blames neighboring Afghanistan for providing sanctuary to TTP militants, a charge Kabul vehemently denies.
In a separate incident, seven laborers were injured in the northwestern Tank district on Monday when a bomb blast targeted the under construction building of a prominent rescue emergency service, police said.
Tank police spokesperson Younas Khan said the explosion struck an under-construction Rescue 1122 building located in Wazirabad area in Tank.
Rescue 1122 teams responded quickly, shifting the injured to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital for medical treatment, Khan said. Following the incident, a large contingent of police and security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace those responsible for the blast, he said.
Pakistan parliament adopts unanimous resolution against Israel’s ‘heinous wave of atrocities’ in Gaza
- Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presents resolution seeking immediate Gaza ceasefire, resumption of aid to Palestinians
- Gaza’s health ministry says at least 1,574 Palestinians have been killed since Mar. 18 when Israel resumed military attacks
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly on Monday adopted a unanimous resolution condemning Israel’s “heinous wave of atrocities” in Gaza, expressing solidarity with Palestinian citizens and demanding an immediate ceasefire in the territory, state-run media reported.
Gaza’s health ministry said on Sunday that at least 1,574 Palestinians have been killed since Mar. 18 when a shaky ceasefire between Hamas and Israel broke down, taking the overall death toll since the war began in October 2023 to 50,944.
The resolution was moved by Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar during a session of the lower house of parliament. The resolution noted that the latest Israeli offensive has resulted in the killing of over 1500 Palestinians, rebuking the destruction of complete civil infrastructure in Gaza including houses, hospitals, schools and places of worship.
“The National Assembly on Monday adopted a unanimous resolution, once again strongly condemning the ongoing heinous wave of atrocities by the Zionist Israeli regime in Gaza,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
The National Assembly expressed “unwavering solidarity” with the people of Palestine, reaffirming their inalienable right to self-determination and an independent motherland.
The resolution also expressed dismay at the international community’s failure to halt Israeli aggression, calling urgently for an immediate, permanent and comprehensive ceasefire. It also demanded uninterrupted and sustainable humanitarian assistance to besieged and beleaguered Palestinians in the territory.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the entire Pakistani nation stands united when it comes to Palestine. He pointed out that Pakistan has a unique distinction on its passport, which does not allow its holders to travel to Israel.
Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, has frequently criticized the Jewish state for its military operations in Gaza. Islamabad has also called for the resumption of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory and the need for a revival of negotiations leading to a two-state solution.
Islamabad consistently calls for an independent Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Pakistan to vaccinate over 45 million children against polio in nationwide campaign in April
- Over 400,000 volunteers to participate in nationwide polio drive from Apr. 21-27, says health minister
- Stresses cooperation among federal, provincial governments and global partners to eliminate polio
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will vaccinate over 45 million children against poliovirus in April in its second nationwide campaign against the disease this year, Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal said on Monday, as Islamabad intensifies efforts to rid the country of the infection.
Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure and multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine — along with completing the routine immunization schedule for children under five — are crucial to building immunity against the virus.
Pakistan, which has reported six polio cases so far in 2025, has planned three major vaccination campaigns in the first half of the year, with additional rounds scheduled for April and May.
“The second national polio campaign of the year is scheduled from Apr. 21 to 27 nationwide,” Kamal said while chairing a high-level meeting on polio eradication, which was attended by provincial health ministers.
“Over 400,000 trained polio workers will participate, aiming to administer polio vaccination drops to over 45 million children.”
Kamal lamented that Karachi’s sewage samples continued to test positive for poliovirus. The minister directed authorities to formulate a strategy for the nationwide polio campaign, highlighting that a “coordinated approach” was essential to completely eradicate the disease.
The minister stressed the importance of cooperation among federal and provincial governments, as well as international partners, to ensure the success of polio eradication efforts.
Pakistan’s polio program, launched in 1994, has faced persistent challenges including vaccine misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners who claim immunization is a foreign conspiracy to sterilize Muslim children or a guise for Western espionage. Militant groups have also repeatedly targeted and killed polio vaccination workers.
In 2024, Pakistan reported an alarming 74 polio cases. Along with Afghanistan, it remains one of the only two countries where polio is still endemic.
Pakistan, Morocco kick off joint counterterror exercise to promote military ties
- Exercise’s third edition aimed at refining professional skills of both armies, says Pakistan military’s media wing
- Pakistan enjoys cordial relations and cooperation in trade, defense and other sectors with various Arab nations
ISLAMABAD: The armies of Pakistan and Morocco kicked off the third edition of their joint bilateral military exercise on Monday, the Pakistani military’s media wing said, stressing that the drill was aimed at enhancing professional skills of their soldiers and promoting defense relations between the two countries.
Pakistan enjoys cordial ties and strong defense relations with Arab countries, which often causes them both to engage in frequent training exercises, defense production collaborations and counter-terrorism intelligence sharing.
“Opening Ceremony of 3rd Pak-Morocco Joint Bilateral Military Exercise-2025 was held between the Armies of Pakistan and Morocco in counter terrorism domain at Special Operations School, Cherat,” the Inter-Services Public Relations, (ISPR) the army’s media wing, said in a statement.
Cherat is a hill station located northwestern Pakistan’s Nowshera district.
Pakistan’s Special Services Group and the Moroccan Army’s special forces are taking part in the exercise, the statement confirmed.
“The exercise is aimed at refining professional skills through joint training and harnessing historic military to military relations among the friendly countries,” the ISPR said.
The bilateral relationship between Pakistan and Morocco is marked by cordial ties and historic fraternity, according to Pakistan’s foreign office.
In November last year, Moroccan Air Force Inspector Major General Mohammed Gadih expressed his interest in collaborating with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in the aerospace sector.
During his visit, the Pakistani air chief reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing military ties with Morocco through joint training programs, including those at the basic and tactical levels, for Moroccan Air Force personnel.
