PESHAWAR: After months of political wrangling, a group with the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) has decided to form a political party that will register itself with the Election Commission of Pakistan and take part in parliamentary politics, high-profile members of the group said this week, though the leader of the movement dismissed the reports as social media rumors.
PTM has campaigned for the rights of Pakistan’s ethnic Pashtuns and against what it says are military excesses committed during anti-terrorism operations in the country’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where most Pashtuns live. The military has vociferously denied the accusations.
“It’s true that like minded people who firmly support the movement want to practice parliamentary politics and register a political party for that purpose,” Abdullah Nangyal, a senior PTM leader said. “The new party will not use the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement’s name for registration.”
He added that leaders in favor of launching the political party were “finalizing its modalities.”
The PTM emerged in 2018 after a 27-year-old aspiring model, Naqeebullah Mehsud, was killed in a staged police operation in Karachi.
Mehsud originally belonged to the country’s northwestern tribal territories, and his death ignited nationwide protests that led to the rise of the PTM.
Asked about the development, PTM’s most prominent leader, Manzoor Pashteen, told Arab News “such rumors were only circulating on social media.”
“The PTM is a political resistance movement which is not into parliamentary politics,” he said. “We are a movement and will continue to be a movement.”
Another senior PTM leader said on condition of anonymity it was premature to disclose details relating to the new party, though he confirmed that the issue had been under discussion for several months.
“We can’t give a timeframe regarding the launch of the new party,” he continued, “but talks are underway in this connection.”
Last week, media reports claimed senior politicians Afrasiab Khattak, Bushra Gohar, Jamila Gilani and president of the Supreme Court Bar Association Latif Afridi had met PTM leader Mohsin Dawar to mobilize likeminded individuals to form a new political party.
Discussing the development, Khattak told Arab News he was a staunch PTM supporter, though he added it was up to the movement if it wanted to enter mainstream politics.
“I’m a politician and will continue to practice politics in the future,” he said. “However, the decision to register a new political party solely rests with the PTM leadership.”
Background interviews suggest PTM leaders are sharply divided over the issue, though Nangyal maintained that those who wanted to join the new political faction would also continue to support the movement.
Muhammad Daud Khan, a senior Peshawar-based analyst, said the debate over PTM’s future could further deepen the rift within the movement, adding that PTM leaders must seriously consider the option of entering mainstream politics.
“If the group wants sustainability in the longer run, it should enter parliamentary politics since it already has significant support in places like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan,” Khan said. “Going by our national history, resistance movements don’t last for long in Pakistan.”
Pashtun Tahafuz Movement leader denies reports group wants to form political party
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Pashtun Tahafuz Movement leader denies reports group wants to form political party
- Top PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen dismisses social media rumors, says movement will continue to be a political resistance
- Some PTM members confirm Mohsin Dawar and others within the social movement want to form a political party to take part in parliamentary politics
Pakistan positions itself as ‘leading digital nation’ at inaugural online FDI forum
- Pakistan ranks among top 10 nations by online population, with 140 million Internet and 73 million smartphone users
- PM Sharif says Pakistan stands on brink of digital transformation, backed by investor confidence and young workforce
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized the country’s young and dynamic population was capable of positioning it as a competitive provider of high-quality information technology services while addressing the Digital Foreign Direct Investment (DFDI) forum in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The two-day forum, inaugurated on April 29, is co-hosted by Pakistan and the Riyadh-based Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO). It has brought together over 400 delegates and more than 200 IT and telecom companies from over 30 countries.
The DCO, established in November 2020, is a global multilateral organization that seeks to accelerate the inclusive growth of the digital economy. Its founding members include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Pakistan.
Pakistan is also set to assume the DCO presidency, reflecting the South Asian state’s commitment to digital transformation.
“Digital services exports have become a cornerstone of [Pakistan’s] economic strategy,” Dar said. “Pakistan’s growing pool of highly skilled tech professionals is creating world-class solutions for clients across the globe.”
“With our young, dynamic workforce and expanding capabilities, we are positioning Pakistan as a reliable and competitive source of high-quality digital services,” he continued.
Dar highlighted the country’s demographics as a significant advantage, adding Pakistan had over 140 million Internet users and 73 million smartphone users, making it among the top 10 countries globally in terms of online population.
He also emphasized the opportunities within the DCO region.
“The potential of the DCO region is immense,” he pointed out. “With a combined GDP of $3.5 trillion and a population of over 800 million, it is one of the most promising frontiers for digital investment.”
“At this forum, we are not just identifying investment-ready markets and emerging startup ecosystems,” he continued. “We are spotlighting scalable innovations in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing and other frontier technologies.”
He highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to building world-class digital infrastructure and invited global investors to benefit as well.
“Let me emphasize that Pakistan offers a compelling proposition to global investors,” he said. “With investor-friendly policies, regulatory reforms and a cost advantage of up to 70 percent compared to North America, Pakistan creates the ideal environment for sustainable and profitable growth.”
A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Pakistan had secured approximately $700 million in foreign investment commitments by hosting the forum, underscoring the country’s appeal as a digital investment destination.
Sharif also met DCO Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya earlier today and called the forum a “transformative moment” for the country’s digital economy.
“Pakistan’s most valuable asset is our young workforce,” he said. “Equipping them with digital skills and training is among our top priorities.”
The prime minister said the DFDI forum and its international participation reflected Pakistan’s potential to lead in the global digital economy.
He also met executives from major IT firms participating in the two-day forum, including Russoft, sAi Venture Capital, Mashreq Bank and Mindhyve.ai, who collectively pledged about $700 million in digital sector investment.
“Pakistan stands on the threshold of a transformative leap,” he told delegates, reaffirming his government’s support and commitment to building long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships.
Sharif said Pakistan’s goal was to become a regional hub for technology, finance and innovation, aligned with its ongoing fiscal reforms and digital infrastructure expansion.
Bangladesh to tour Pakistan for five-match T20 series in May
- Bangladesh last toured Pakistan in August 2024 and achieved a historic 2-0 Test series victory
- The upcoming five-match series in May is scheduled to prepare for T20 World Cup next year
ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh will tour Pakistan in May for a five-match Twenty20 International series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday, confirming the shift from the originally planned three One Day Internationals and three T20s to an all-T20 format ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.
The announcement of the series, scheduled from May 25 to June 3, comes as Pakistan hosts the Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches.
Bangladesh last toured Pakistan in August 2024 for a Test series, where they achieved a historic 2-0 whitewash, marking their first Test win on Pakistani soil.
“Bangladesh team will arrive on 21 May and will undergo training sessions at the Iqbal Stadium [Faisalabad] from 22 to 24 May,” the PCB said in a statement.
The upcoming T20 series will be played in Faisalabad and Lahore.
Iqbal Stadium, which last hosted an international match in 2008, will stage the first two T20Is on May 25 and 27.
The remaining three matches will be held at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium on May 30, June 1 and June 3. All matches are scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM local time.
The series is part of the ICC’s Future Tours Program (FTP). The decision to replace the ODIs with additional T20Is was made mutually by both boards to better prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup, said the PCB.
Riyadh-based digital bloc says Pakistan’s 2026 presidency to boost country’s global tech standing
- Pakistan is a founding member of the Digital Cooperation Organization which was established in November 2020
- Its secretary general, Deemah AlYahya, is currently in Pakistan where DCO is co-hosting a digital investment summit
ISLAMABAD: The Secretary-General of the Riyadh-based Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), Deemah AlYahya, said on Tuesday Pakistan’s forthcoming presidency of the multilateral body was part of ongoing efforts to position the country as a regional and global digital leader.
Founded in November 2020, the DCO is an intergovernmental organization aimed at accelerating digital transformation and encouraging collaboration among member states. The organization’s founding members include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Pakistan, with Nigeria and Oman joining shortly thereafter. Pakistan is scheduled to assume the DCO presidency in 2026, following Kuwait’s term in 2025.
AlYahya, a Saudi digital economy expert and the organization’s Secretary-General since April 2021, is responsible for engaging with heads of state, ministers and private sector leaders to bridge digital divides across member nations. She is currently in Islamabad for a two-day Digital Foreign Direct Investment (DFDI) summit, organized by Pakistan’s Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication in collaboration with the DCO.
The event has attracted over 400 delegates and more than 200 IT and telecom companies from over 30 countries.
“The presidency of Pakistan that is planned for 2026 for DCO is a continuous effort for positioning Pakistan as the digital powerhouse for the region and for the globe as well,” the DCO secretary-general told Arab News in an exclusive conversation on the sidelines of the forum in Islamabad.
She said Pakistan’s leadership role would not only benefit the country in terms of infrastructure and technological advancement but also put it in a position where it will be able to support other countries to grow as well.
“The DCO is working to open markets for enterprises across all member states, enabling smooth and healthy cross-border collaboration, so Pakistan will have a leading role in making such kind of advancement happen,” she added.
AlYahya said that seeing the youth and the growth in Pakistan’s digital sector gave her a great sense of optimism.
“It gives us a lot of motivation to put hands in hands with all our member countries and utilize the amazing advancement in each and every country,” she added.
She noted that DCO believed every country had a unique competitive advantage that can help address challenges faced by others, adding it was her organization’s role to identify these imperatives, strengths and areas for improvement.
“The Digital FDI event here in Pakistan … is one example of how can we explore the competitive advantage of the great infrastructure, youth, talent, the advancement in software and hardware here in Pakistan and attract the private sector to harness these opportunities in the land of Pakistan,” she added.
Pakistan’s IT exports reached a record $3.2 billion in FY2024, reflecting a 24 percent increase from the previous year, according to the State Bank of Pakistan. In the first half of the current fiscal year (FY2025), exports rose further to $1.86 billion, up 28 percent year-on-year, with monthly figures averaging around $310 million.
This growth trajectory is underpinned by a number of factors, including an expanding global client base, particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Pakistan is now aiming to cross the $4 billion mark in IT exports by the end of FY2025.
Pakistan tells UN Israel killing Palestinians at ‘four times the rate of previous conflicts’
- Asim Iftikhar Ahmed says peace will remain an illusion until Israel’s occupation of Arab lands continues
- He calls for a ceasefire, full humanitarian access to Gaza and a credible path to Palestinian statehood
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomat at the United Nations said on Tuesday Israel was killing civilians in Gaza at “four times the rate of previous conflicts” as he urged the international community to move toward permanent peace in the Middle East by ending Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories.
The war in Gaza, which began in October 2023, has so far killed around 52,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian health officials.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, raised the issue during a high-level debate at the Security Council on the Middle East. He described Israel’s ongoing military campaign as “the erasure of a nation’s right to exist” and accused it of war crimes and ethnic cleansing.
“Israel’s unilateral breach of the ceasefire agreement — brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States [earlier this year] — was a deliberate choice of return to war over diplomacy,” Ahmed said. “This assault on Gaza is killing civilians at four times the rate of previous conflicts. Since hostilities resumed, nearly 2,000 more Palestinians have been killed, adding to the staggering death toll of over 52,000, among them more than 17,000 children.”
Ahmed condemned the attack earlier this month on Al-Ahli hospital, the last major facility providing critical health care in Gaza, calling it a “horrific massacre.”
He said Israeli forces were deliberately targeting civilians, aid convoys and critical infrastructure, while using starvation as a weapon of war.
“The deliberate targeting of civilians and essential infrastructure, the use of starvation as a weapon, and the incineration of displaced families in tents — these are not collateral damages of war; they are methods of war,” he said.
The Pakistani envoy also blamed Israel for violating ceasefire agreements and UN resolutions in Lebanon and Syria, calling the pattern “clear.”
“As long as the root cause, the illegal occupation of Palestinian and Arab lands, is ignored and not addressed, peace will remain an illusion,” he added.
Calling for immediate international action, Ahmed urged the Security Council to pursue a permanent ceasefire, full humanitarian access to Gaza and a credible path to Palestinian statehood.
He welcomed the upcoming June peace conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia as a “vital opportunity” and called for concrete outcomes, including a timeline for statehood, protection of civilians and full UN membership for Palestine.
“Seventy-five years of failure have shown one immutable truth: peace cannot coexist with occupation, justice cannot thrive under apartheid and stability cannot take root where millions remain stateless,” Ahmed added.
Pakistan’s Noor Zaman revives family legacy with epic Under-23 world squash championship comeback
- Zaman defeated opponents from Kuwait, Poland, France and Malaysia on his path to the final
- His epic win has got him a wildcard entry to Senior World Championship in Chicago next month
PESHAWAR: Noor Zaman found himself on the brink of defeat after losing the first two games to his Egyptian counterpart in the final of the Under-23 Men’s World Squash Championship in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi this month.
The 21-year-old faced a moment of truth in front of a roaring home crowd and decided he could not lose the world championship Pakistan was hosting for the first time in 30 years and what followed was an epic comeback from Zaman to beat Egypt’s Karim El Turky 3-2.
His victory was not just a personal milestone but a symbolic moment for Pakistani squash, a sport once dominated by legends like Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan, and Zaman’s own grandfather, Qamar Zaman.
“When I got 2-0 down, only one thing was coming to my mind that ‘a world championship is being held in Pakistan after three decades, the whole crowd is sitting here to support me, if I lose, I will regret it a lot’,” Zaman recalled.
“I thought to myself that ‘all the hard work I have done in the past three, four months to prepare for this tournament, I should go to the court and fight for every single point.’ Thank God, I fought for every point and Allah made me the world champion.”
Zaman, who hails from the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, says for him, squash was more of an obligation than a passion.
“When I was young, I used to be taken for playing squash [by my grandfather]. I was not as passionate in childhood,” he said.
But with time, the sport became his calling.
Zaman’s ascent began with two consecutive Asian Junior Championship titles last year, followed by a silver medal at the Asian Games after graduating to the senior category.
The Under-23 World Squash Championship saw participation from 32 countries, with Zaman defeating opponents from Kuwait, Poland, France, and Malaysia on his path to the final. Zaman defeated 3-0 the players he had narrowly contested against as a junior, which was a testament to his growing dominance in the game.
His final opponent, Egypt’s El Turky, pushed him to the limit, but Zaman staged a spirited comeback, cheered on by an electrifying crowd in Karachi.
But there has hardly been any official recognition of Zaman’s feat.
“Everyone congratulated me — government officials, seniors, everyone — but no one has yet invited me for any honors,” he shared.
The 21-year-old remains grounded, driven by the legacy of his grandfather who continues to nurture talent in Peshawar by organizing regular tournaments.
“This is our family game and all the players emerging from Peshawar are emerging because of him, because of his support,” Noor said.
“He organizes 2-3 tournaments every month, which gives motivation to kids and they improve further.”
Zaman’s victory in the Under-23 championship has earned him a direct wildcard entry to next month’s Senior World Championship in Chicago.
The young Pakistani squash star is hopeful of not just carrying forward his family’s legacy, but also helping his country reclaim its former glory in the sport.
“God willing, now, I am going to play the Senior World Championship, [and] the goal is to become the Senior World Champion,” he said.
