ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the international community needed to engage with the Afghan Taliban and “incentivize” them on issues such as women’s rights and on forming an inclusive government in neighboring Afghanistan.
Khan was speaking to CNN in Islamabad on Wednesday in his first interview with international media since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last month amid the withdrawal of US troops.
The prime minister said the Taliban needed international aid to avoid a crisis in their country, which could be leveraged to push the group in the “right direction toward legitimacy,” warning that Afghanistan could not be controlled by outside forces.
“No puppet government in Afghanistan is supported by the people,” he said. “So rather than sitting here and thinking that we can control them, we should incentivize them. Because Afghanistan, this current government, clearly feels that without international aid and help, they will not be able to stop this crisis. So we should push them in the right direction.”
Khan gave the example of the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from Afghanistan in 1989, which resulted in a “bloodbath,” saying Pakistan was expecting a similar situation after US forces left.
“Our intelligence agencies told us that the Taliban would not be able to take over all of Afghanistan, and if they tried to take Afghanistan militarily, there would be a protracted civil war, which is what we were scared of because we are the ones who would suffer the most,” Khan said, adding that the world should “give them [Taliban] time” to form a legitimate government and make good on their promises.
When the Taliban was in power two decades ago, women had to cover themselves from head to toe. Those who broke the rules sometimes suffered humiliation and public beatings by the Taliban’s religious police.
While the new Taliban regime has promised to allow women more freedoms, there have been reports of women being barred from going to work, and some being beaten in recent weeks for protesting Taliban rule.
Universities have installed curtains inside classrooms to segregate men and women.
When asked about fears of the rollback of women’s and civil rights under the Taliban, Khan said: “It’s a mistake to think that someone from outside will give Afghan women rights. Afghan women are strong. Give them time. They will get their rights … Women should have the ability in a society to fulfill their potential in life.”
Speaking about Pakistan’s relations with the US and the fact that President Joe Biden had yet to telephone the Pakistani leader, Khan said: “I would imagine he’s very busy, but our relationship with the US is not just dependent on a phone call, it needs to be a multidimensional relationship.”
The US has repeatedly accused Pakistan of harboring militants and giving them safe havens, a claim Khan denied.
“What are these safe havens?” he asked. “The area of Pakistan along the border of Afghanistan had the heaviest surveillance by the United States drones ... surely they would have known if there were any safe havens?“
‘Incentivize’ Taliban to push them in right direction on women’s rights, inclusive government — PM Khan
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‘Incentivize’ Taliban to push them in right direction on women’s rights, inclusive government — PM Khan
- Says world should give Taliban “time” to form a legitimate government and make good on their promises
- Relationship with US not just dependent on a phone call, needs to be multidimensional, PM says
Seven paramilitary soldiers killed in overnight militant attack in Pakistan’s southwest
- Militants launched an armed assault on a Frontier Corps check-post in the remote district of Kalat
- Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack, which also left 12 people injured
QUETTA: At least seven soldiers of Pakistan’s paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) were killed in an overnight attack on a security check-post in the mountainous region of Kalat district in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan, according to a local administration official on Saturday.
The province has been the site of a low-level insurgency by separatist militants for over two decades, although militant attacks have intensified significantly in recent months.
Last August, Baloch separatists launched a string of coordinated attacks targeting civilians and military forces, resulting in more than 50 deaths within a few hours. The latest attack on Pakistani security forces follows a deadly suicide bombing last week at the crowded Quetta railway station, which killed over two dozen people, including army personnel and wounded more than 50 others.
“Armed militants attacked a Frontier Corps check-post in Shah Mardan, an area located 60 kilometers from Kalat city at midnight,” Kalat’s Deputy Commissioner Bilal Shabir told Arab News over the phone.
“Seven soldiers of the paramilitary force were killed in the attack and 12 injured,” he continued, sharing the details of the armed assault. “Subsequently, a security clearance operation was carried out in the mountainous area.”
Asked how many attackers were killed in the skirmish, the deputy commissioner said authorities had not received information on that.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the banned separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its fighters had targeted the paramilitary post in Kalat.
The BLA, the largest of several Baloch ethnic insurgent groups, seeks independence for the volatile province, which is home to approximately 15 million people and borders Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west.
The BLA and other Baloch nationalist groups accuse the Pakistani state of unfairly exploiting the province’s rich gas and mineral resources— an allegation denied by successive governments, which claim to have been undertaking development projects to improve residents’ quality of life.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack on FC personnel, calling the attackers enemies of the province’s economic development.
The prime minister also ordered quality medical treatment for those injured in the attack in Kalat, a remote district located about 140 kilometers from Quetta.
Pakistan offers incentives to New York firms seeking South and Central Asia expansion
- Pakistan’s envoy to the US holds a meeting with the head of the New York Chamber of Commerce
- The United States is already Pakistan’s largest export market for textiles, apparel and leather goods
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has offered New York-based businesses investment incentives to expand their footprint in South and Central Asia, citing its strategic location as a key advantage, state-run media reported on Saturday.
Seeking to position itself as a pivotal trade and transit hub, Pakistan has sought to involve other countries in its economic plans, particularly within its own neighborhood where it has offered landlocked Central Asian states access to its ports to facilitate their connection to global markets.
US-Pakistan trade relations have long been significant, with the US serving as Pakistan’s largest export market for textiles, apparel and leather goods.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, met with Mark Jaffe, Head of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, to discuss strategies for enhancing bilateral trade between the two nations.
“The Pakistani envoy underscored Pakistan’s liberal investment regime, strategic geographic location, and incentives for foreign investors, emphasizing the benefits for New York businesses seeking to expand their footprint in South and Central Asia,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency reported.
Jaffe expressed interest in Pakistan’s textile, leather, surgical and information technology sectors apart from outlining efforts to promote trade and investment, it added.
Ambassador Sheikh appreciated Jaffe’s support and interest in Pakistan’s 5th International Textile and Leather Exhibition 2024 held last month in the country’s southern metropolis of Karachi, APP said.
He also invited the New York City chamber to participate in the 4th Engineering and Healthcare show in Lahore next year.
The Pakistani envoy highlighted how Pakistan’s Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status in the European Union and Free Trade Agreement with China could provide added advantages for foreign investors working in his country.
The meeting took place at a time when Islamabad is seeking to bolster trade and investment relations with allies to stabilize its fragile $350 billion economy as it faces an acute balance of payment crisis amid soaring inflation and surging external debt.
Companies employing Chinese nationals being asked to hire ex-military servicemen for security — Sindh Police
- Sindh Police reviews security measures for Chinese nationals amid increase in attacks targeting them
- Intelligence agencies conducting security audit of guards hired to protect Chinese nationals, say police
KARACHI: Companies, organizers, hosts, sponsors and any other entities in Pakistan that employ Chinese nationals are being asked to hire the services of former military personnel for security purposes, Sindh Police said this week amid increasing attacks on Chinese citizens in the country.
A string of recent attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan have caused Beijing to worry about the security of its citizens. Separatist militants in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province have carried out attacks against Chinese interests this year, blaming Islamabad and Beijing for exploiting the gas-and-oil-rich province. Both deny the allegations.
Last month, a suicide blast near the airport in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi killed two Chinese engineers while a security guard shot and injured two Chinese nationals in Karachi this month.
Sindh Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon held a meeting at the Central Police Office in Karachi on Thursday to review the security of Chinese nationals in the province.
“DIG Special Protection Unit, while briefing the committee formed to review security measures of Chinese citizens, said the Internal Bureau and Special Branch are conducting a security audit of the private security guards assigned to protect Chinese citizens,” a statement from the police said on Friday evening.
“While project organizers, hosts/sponsors are also being made to hire the services of ex-military servicemen.”
The statement said that the SPU would conduct joint training exercises continuously to meet any emergency security situation.
“A hotline number has been provided for the facilitation of Chinese citizens and for immediate contact with law enforcement agencies,” it said.
“He further said that suggestions have also been given to project owners/sponsors to strictly implement security standard operating procedures, including a security audit of private security companies.”
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan that has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, at the heart of which lies the Gwadar port in Balochistan.
Pakistan says attacks targeting Chinese nationals are aimed at disrupting its relations with China and destabilizing CPEC.
Pakistan’s Punjab conducts successful artificial rain trial amid smog crisis
- Punjab carries out cloud seeding in Jhelum, Chakwal, Talagang and Gujar Khan
- Toxic smog due to air pollution has enveloped Punjab province since last month
ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has conducted a successful artificial rain trial using local technology to reduce smog, state-run media reported on Saturday, as the province grapples with deteriorating air quality and takes measures to protect millions from pollution.
State broadcaster Radio Pakistan said the provincial government carried out “cloud seeding” in the eastern cities of Jhelum, Chakwal, Talagang and Gujar Khan on Friday, which resulted in rainfall in Jhelum and Gujar Khan within a few hours.
Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that improves a cloud’s ability to produce rain or snow by introducing tiny ice nuclei into certain types of subfreezing clouds.
In December last year, a cloud seeding experiment was carried out by the United Arab Emirates to bring about artificial rain in Lahore. The UAE sent two special planes and a technical team, which waited in Lahore for several days for the right conditions before carrying out its mission.
“Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif congratulated all scientific experts and associated institutions on the success of this artificial rain experiment,” Radio Pakistan said.
It said the experiment was conducted due to the combined efforts of the Punjab government, Pakistan Army’s Scientific Research and Development experts, Army Aviation, PARCO and the Environmental Protection Agency.
“This success will open new avenues for technological advancement in Pakistan and help alleviate weather-related issues for the public,” it said.
The development takes place as Punjab extended school closures in smog-hit major cities from Nov. 17 by a week, with thousands hospitalized as the country battles record air pollution.
Toxic smog has enveloped Punjab’s cities, especially its cultural capital of Lahore, since last month. Smog occurs when cold air traps dust, low-grade diesel fumes and smoke from illegal stubble burning on fields.
As the air quality deteriorates, the provincial government has taken certain measures such as closing schools, banning the entry of heavy transport vehicles in Lahore on specific days and banning entry to parks, zoos, playgrounds and other public spaces.
Other parts of South Asia are also dealing with high levels of pollution and Punjab blames neighboring India for contributing to its hazardous air quality.
New Delhi, the world’s most polluted capital, has banned non-essential construction, moved children to virtual classrooms and asked residents to avoid using coal and wood from Friday.
India denies Kabaddi team permission to tour Pakistan amid political tensions
- India’s Kabaddi team was scheduled to play friendly matches against Pakistan on Nov. 19, 21 and 23
- Development takes place amid India’s refusal to allow cricket team to tour Pakistan for Champions Trophy
ISLAMABAD: The Indian government has denied permission to its Kabaddi team to travel to Pakistan for a bilateral series scheduled from Nov. 19-23, state-run media reported this week amid political tensions between the two countries.
Political tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan have restricted cultural exchanges and bilateral sports events between the two nations.
The two neighbors have fought three wars, two of them over the Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part.
Kabaddi, a sport that originated in South Asia, is popular in both countries. The game is played with two teams of 12 players, seven on court, and five in reserve. It consists of two halves of 20 minutes each during which two teams compete., alternating between defense and offense.
“Our counterparts in India have conveyed their inability to send their team to Pakistan,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) quoted Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) Secretary Muhammad Sarwar Rana as saying on Thursday.
“We regret this decision as we had eagerly anticipated hosting them here.”
The Indian team was scheduled to play against Pakistan on Nov. 19 in Katarpur, Nov. 21 in Lahore and Nov. 23 in Bahawalpur, APP said. It added that the PKF was trying to arrange alternative exhibition matches due to the cancelation.
The development takes place a few days after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said it had been informed by the ICC that the Indian government had denied its cricket team permission to travel to Pakistan for next year’s Champions Trophy tournament.
The PCB has reportedly sought clarification from the ICC on India’s refusal.
India’s national cricket team has not toured Pakistan since 2008 due to soured political relations between the two neighbors, who play each other only in global multi-team tournaments at neutral venues.
Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup last year but was forced to shift all of India’s matches to Sri Lanka under a “hybrid model” after India refused to send its team to Pakistan.
APP said the Indian blind cricket team was also awaiting its government’s nod to participate in the upcoming fourth edition of the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held from Nov. 23 -Dec. 3 in Pakistan’s Lahore and Multan cities.
“According to media reports, despite securing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the sports ministry, the Indian blind team has yet to receive final approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs,” it said.
