ISLAMABAD: Officials and well-wishers gathered at Islamabad Zoo on Monday for a farewell party for Pakistan’s lonely elephant Kaavan before he sets off for a new life in Cambodia this week.
After years of campaigning by animal rights advocates and pop star Cher to rescue him from grim conditions with no companion, Kaavan was finally set to be airlifted to an elephant sanctuary on Sunday.
To mark the occasion, officials, including lawmakers and Pakistan’s climate change minister, gathered among balloons and signs saying “Farewell Kaavan, we will miss you.”
Children posed for photos and musicians performed in front of the enclosure, with Kaavan at one point serenaded while he snacked on some grass.
Kaavan is known to be a fan of music and Amir Khalil, a vet from animal rescue organization Four Paws, bonded with the elephant, who has been aggressive to humans in the past, by singing him Frank Sinatra songs.
Four Paws spokeswoman Marion Lombard said that though it was never easy to move a wild animal weighing 4.8 tons, Kaavan was responding well to training and was ready to leave.
“We decided to organize an event to give the opportunity to the people of Pakistan and the government to say goodbye to Kaavan, before his new life in Cambodia. So we want to wish him a happy retirement,” she said.
Kaavan will be airlifted to Cambodia after training for weeks with international specialists armed with treats such as bananas to get him used to the small enclosure and loud noises of the 10-hour flight.
Cher was due to arrive in Islamabad later in the week to finally meet the elephant she had worked for years to rescue and see him off.
Pakistan’s lonely elephant serenaded one last time at farewell party
https://arab.news/44fj4
Pakistan’s lonely elephant serenaded one last time at farewell party
- Kaavan is finally set to be airlifted to an elephant sanctuary in Cambodia on Sunday
- Singer Cher due to arrive in Islamabad to meet the elephant she had worked for years to rescue and see him off
Pakistani pilgrims praise Saudi Arabia’s ‘impressive’ Hajj 2025 arrangements
- More than 115,000 Pakistani pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj pilgrimage this year
- Pilgrims praise Riyadh for heat mitigation efforts, arranging separate facilities for women
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani pilgrims on Saturday heaped praise on the government of Saudi Arabia for undertaking “impressive” arrangements for pilgrims during this year’s Hajj.
The comments by Pakistani Hajj pilgrims were shared by the country’s Ministry of Religious Affairs on Saturday as Muslims marked the beginning of Eid Al-Adha in Pakistan and other parts of the world.
More than 115,000 Pakistani pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia this year under both the government scheme and private tour operators to perform Hajj.
“I had a very good Hajj experience,” Nadia Sarfaraz, a Pakistani pilgrim from Karachi, said in a video message. “Everything went smoothly and we have no complaints against anyone. The Saudi government is providing support here and our own [Pakistan’s] government is helping a lot too,” she added.
Rabia Babar, a Pakistani pilgrim from Islamabad, praised the Saudi government for facilitating pilgrims, especially women, throughout the Hajj.
“There are separate lifts for women. In Muzdalifah, where we spent the night, the area was fully carpeted,” she said.
This year’s Hajj saw authorities implementing a range of heat mitigation efforts alongside a wide-ranging crackdown on illicit pilgrims — resulting in noticeably thinner crowds and a heavy security presence at holy sites in Makkah and surrounding areas.
“There were [water] coolers and drinking water available everywhere,” Babar said. “They had large refrigerators, and they were providing us water bottles and even shower facilities.”
Faraz Latif, a Pakistani pilgrim who had arrived in the Kingdom from the southwestern city of Quetta, praised both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for undertaking impressive arrangements for Hajj pilgrims.
He said maintaining cleanliness was pilgrims’ responsibility, urging them to learn patience and adopt it in their lives even after the Hajj was over.
“It will help you not just during Hajj but throughout your life,” Latif said.
The first Pakistani flight carrying Hajj pilgrims back to the country is scheduled to arrive in Karachi on June 11.
As goats get pricier, Pakistan’s capital turns to falooda dessert to keep Eid Al-Adha spirit alive
- Falooda is made with vermicelli in cold milk, softened basil seeds and generous scoops of vanilla or kulfi ice cream
- Final touch is a fragrant pour of rose syrup, turning concoction into a pink-hued celebration of summer and Eid
ISLAMABAD: With sacrificial goats commanding million-rupee price tags this Eid Al-Adha, many in Pakistan’s capital are seeking solace not in the livestock markets, but in a humbler tradition: a chilled bowl of falooda — a silky, rose-scented dessert layered with ice cream, nostalgia, and just enough sweetness to lift a heat- and inflation-weary soul.
A dessert with Persian roots, falooda made its way to South Asia during the Mughal era, evolving from a frozen, rose-infused noodle pudding in Iran to the vibrant, multi-textured treat beloved across Pakistan today.
At its best, falooda is an edible symphony, a tangle of thin vermicelli swimming in cold milk, softened basil seeds (tukhmalanga) floating like miniature pearls, and a generous scoop of vanilla or kulfi ice cream crowning the glass. The final touch is a fragrant pour of rose syrup, turning the whole concoction into a pink-hued celebration of summer — and now Eid.
Nowhere is this more evident than at Bata Kulfi Falooda, a small, family-run dessert shop in Islamabad’s bustling I-8 Markaz marketplace.
There, amid the clatter of spoons and the hum of Eid shoppers, customers line up for what’s become a seasonal staple, the shop’s signature Matka Falooda, served in traditional clay bowls that keep the dessert ice-cold, even under the blazing June sun.
“We first opened in Peshawar [northwestern city] in 1962,” said Shah Faisal, the shop’s manager, as he rushed between customers to take orders. “In 2015, we brought the same taste to Islamabad. Nothing has changed. The ingredients, the method, even the feel of it, it all comes from Peshawar.”
During Eid week, Bata Kulfi Falooda’s signature Matka Falooda becomes more than a dessert. It’s a celebration in a bowl.
“It’s a memory in every bite,” said Muhammad Kamil, a 27-year-old student who had just returned from a livestock market, saying he was stunned by the jaw-dropping prices.
“Right at the entrance, we saw a goat priced at Rs1.5 million [$5,350]. A little further in, there was a sheep for Rs2 million [$7,140],” Kamil said as he waited for his bowl of falooda.
“After seeing a goat worth Rs1.5 million, only ice cream could cool us down, otherwise it would’ve been hard to keep the spirit of sacrifice alive.”
Determined to celebrate in his own way, Kamil turned to falooda, at a far more palatable Rs450 ($1.60) per bowl.
What drew him in, he said, was the comforting presentation: the cold earthen bowl, the soft noodles slicked with syrup, and the melting scoop of ice cream sinking slowly into the milky depths. He’s even considering gifting bowls of it to friends this Eid.
Indeed, with families across Islamabad and beyond rethinking how to celebrate Eid this year, it may not be the size of the goat that sets the mood but rather the shared sweetness of something simple, familiar, and deeply rooted in tradition.
So, while this Eid may see fewer families walking home from markets with goats in tow, many are still finding ways to savor the spirit of the season with a humble bowl of falooda, which is doing more than just cooling people down — it’s lifting spirits, one spoonful at a time.
According to shop manager Faisal, falooda easily outpaces even their famous kulfi in popularity during the Eid holidays.
“In this heat and with everything getting so expensive, people still want something festive,” he said. “And falooda brings joy that doesn’t cost a fortune.”
Pakistan PM exchanges Eid greetings with world leaders, thanks them for support during India crisis
- Shehbaz Sharif speaks to leaders of Jordan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Qatar, Uzbekistan
- Vows to enhance bilateral cooperation and strengthen ties further, says Sharif’s office
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday exchanged Eid Al-Adha greetings with the leaders of the Muslim nations of Jordan, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Tajikistan and Malaysia, thanking them for their efforts to bring about peace during Islamabad’s conflict with New Delhi last month.
Pakistan marked Eid Al-Adha, one of the two most important festivals of the Islamic calendar, on Saturday. Muslims mark the Eid Al-Adha holiday in Pakistan and around the world by slaughtering animals such as sheep and goats, and the meat is shared among family and friends and donated to the poor.
Sharif conveyed Eid greetings to Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, his family and the people of Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.
“The Prime Minister thanked President Ilham Aliyev, once again for Azerbaijan’s unwavering support to Pakistan during the recent Pakistan-India crisis, that demonstrated the strong bonds of brotherhood between the two countries,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
The Pakistani premier also exchanged Eid greetings and similar calls with Qatar’s emir, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Jordan’s King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein.
Sharif’s office said the Pakistani prime minister and these leaders vowed to enhance their bilateral cooperation and further strengthen ties.
Nuclear-armed nations India and Pakistan engaged in the worst fighting between them since 1999 last month before US President Donald Trump announced he had brokered a ceasefire on May 10.
Pakistan reiterates desire to resolve outstanding issues with India via dialogue
- PM Shehbaz Sharif exchanges Eid greetings with Malaysian counterpart, discusses strengthening bilateral ties
- Pakistan and India engaged in worst fighting between nuclear-armed neighbors since 1999 for four days last month
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday reiterated his country’s desire to resolve its outstanding issues with India, state-run media reported, as tensions simmer between the two neighbors following their armed conflict last month.
India and Pakistan engaged in the worst fighting between the two countries since 1999, raising fears of the prospects of an all-out nuclear war. After both countries traded heavy fire for four days, pounding each other with missiles, fighter jets and drone strikes, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between them on May 10.
Speaking to his Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the phone, Sharif thanked him for Kuala Lumpur’s “support and balanced stance” during Pakistan’s conflict with India.
“The prime minister underscored that Pakistan had always strived for regional peace and stability,” state-run Radio Pakistan said. “He reiterated that Pakistan was ready for dialogue with India on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.”
Sharif separately wrote on social media account X that he looks forward to Islamabad and Kuala Lumpur deepening and strengthening their bilateral ties.
“I greatly look forward to my visit to Malaysia later this year,” he wrote.
India and Pakistan, bitter rivals since they gained independence in 1947 from British rule, have fought two out of three wars over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.
Both countries administer Kashmir in parts but claim the region entirely. Pakistan accuses India of occupying Kashmir and denying its people their right to self-determination. It regularly calls on India to abide by the United Nations Security Council resolutions and hold a transparent plebiscite in the territory.
India, on the other hand, accuses Pakistan of arming and funding militant separatists in the part of Kashmir it administers. Islamabad has denied the allegations and says it extends only diplomatic and moral support to the people of Indian-administered Kashmir.
Pakistan’s Punjab deploys over 43,000 police personnel for security on Eid Al-Adha
- Punjab Police places province on “high alert” amid deteriorating security situation across Pakistan
- Police personnel deployed to secure 28,074 mosques and 890 open-air Eid prayer venues, says report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Punjab has deployed over 43,000 police officers and personnel across the province for the Eid Al-Adha holidays, state-run media reported, with police placing the province on high alert amid the prevalent security situation in the country.
As per a report in the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) on Friday, the police personnel have been deployed to secure 28,074 mosques and 890 open-air Eid prayer venues.
Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence in recent months. Scores of citizens have been killed in the past in militant attacks that have targeted mosques and tourist destinations on public holidays.
“According to the Punjab Police spokesperson, a comprehensive security strategy has been formulated to ensure the safety of mosques, Imambargahs, Eid congregations, and the general public,” APP said on Friday.
The report said 445 Quick Response Force (QRF) teams will be stationed to enhance security readiness while 11,912 metal detectors, 225 walk-through gates and 10,466 CCTV cameras will be utilized during Eid prayers.
In Punjab’s provincial capital Lahore, over 9,000 personnel will be assigned to secure more than 5,000 Eid gatherings, the spokesperson confirmed.
“Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar has ordered heightened security measures for Eid-ul-Adha, citing the current national security situation,” the report said.
Additional police will be deployed at parks and recreational spots during the Eid holidays to ensure public safety.
The Punjab Police chief also issued a strict warning against one-wheeling, aerial firing, kite flying and rowdy behavior, the report said, stating such acts will not be tolerated.
He stressed all mosques, Imambargahs and Eid grounds must be thoroughly checked and cleared before Eid prayers. High-security mosques and Imambargahs (in category A) will have snipers posted on rooftops while plainclothes commandos will be deployed inside Eid congregations, the report said.
“The IG [inspector-general] also directed the Additional IG Traffic to personally oversee the traffic management plan across Punjab, ensuring smooth flow of traffic during Eid,” APP said.
It said police have been ordered to take preventive measures to combat street crimes and highway robberies, while extra personnel will be posted at key locations to maintain traffic flow during the holidays.
“Special instructions have been issued to ensure tourist safety in Murree and other tourist destinations,” it said. “Authorities are required to enforce SOPs for vehicle entry and exit in Murree, the IG added.”
