ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to become the first Pakistani head of government in over two decades to visit Russia as he prepares to undertake an official visit to that country during the ongoing month, announced one of his senior cabinet members on Monday.
The two countries developed a bitter rivalry during the Cold War days after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Pakistan supported the United States during that period and assisted the Afghan resistance factions with their guerrilla warfare.
The two sides have tried to broaden and deepen their relations in recent years, with Russia lifting a longstanding arms embargo in 2014 which it had imposed on Pakistan decades ago.
It may be recalled that Nawaz Sharif was the last Pakistani prime minister who went to Moscow in 1999.
“Our relations with Russia have gradually improved,” Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a statement. “Now Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit Russia and PM Khan will go to Moscow this month.”
“I think our relations with Russia are undergoing a pleasant change,” he added.
Pakistan’s increased diplomatic engagements with Russia are said to be part of its quest to diversify its foreign policy.
Last year, the two countries formally signed an amended inter-governmental agreement for a flagship pipeline project due to be carried out by Russia which would join Pakistan’s Punjab province with its Karachi port city.
The project was earlier known as the North-South Pipeline, though it is now called the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline Project which will deliver imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Pakistan’s coastal regions to industrial areas in Punjab.
The initiative has remained on hold since 2015 due to disagreements over fees and United States sanctions against the Russian state conglomerate Rostec.
In September 2021, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Pakistan and held wide-ranging talks covering bilateral relations and regional and global issues.
“The Foreign Minister [Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Islamabad] underlined that strengthening of relations with the Russian Federation was an important foreign policy priority for Pakistan,” a statement circulated by the Pakistani foreign office said after Lavrov’s visit.
Imran Khan to become first Pakistani PM to visit Russia in over two decades
https://arab.news/revdf
Imran Khan to become first Pakistani PM to visit Russia in over two decades
- Pakistan’s foreign minister says the prime minister will visit the Russian Federation during the ongoing month
- Former Cold War rivals, Pakistan and Russia have tried to broaden and deepen their relations in recent years
Soaring prices put damper on Eid Al-Adha sales at Asia’s largest cattle market in Karachi
- Prices of small animals have risen by $72, big animals by as much as $251.80, market spokesman says
- Analysts say Pakistan’s increasing meat exports have constrained supply, driven cattle prices up this year
KARACHI: The Eid Al-Adha festival should be the busiest time of the year at Asia’s largest cattle market in Karachi’s Sohrab Goth area. But soaring prices have driven away many of the people who would usually buy cows and goats to sacrifice on the Muslim holiday.
One of Islam’s two main festivals, Eid Al-Adha marks the climax of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, when Muslims slaughter animals to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son on God’s command, often distributing meat to the poor.
But this year, people like Nasir Khan, 25, say higher prices mean they cannot afford to carry out the important ritual.
“I can’t afford it this time,” Khan told Arab News, saying he had opted out of a seven-member group he had been a part of for years, which pooled money to buy sacrificial animals as a collective activity.
This year, the price of an average-sized cow or bull at the Sohrab Goth market had risen by around 94 percent to Rs330,000 [$1,201], said Abdul Jabbar, another buyer who did not disclose his age or profession and had decided against buying once he discovered the steep prices.
On a hot afternoon earlier this month, Jabbar strolled through the Karachi market as hundreds of cattle sat idle under makeshift tents.
“The price trend is very high, almost double from last year,” he said.
“The animal we had bought at Rs 170,000 ($611.51) last year is now up for sale at as much as Rs330,000 ($1,187.05).”
“MEAT EXPORTS“
Inflation in Pakistan peaked as high as 38 percent in May 2023. In May 2025, it rose to 3.5 percent, following a significant drop to 0.3 percent in April. But while food and fuel prices have somewhat decreased, financial experts say the prices of sacrificial animals have gone up, mainly due to increasing meat exports.
In the fiscal year 2023-24, Pakistan’s meat exports reached a record $512 million, a 20 percent increase from the previous year. This growth was driven by a 24 percent increase in export volume, reaching 123,515 tones.
While the majority of Pakistan’s meat production is consumed domestically, the country has seen significant growth in exports, particularly to Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and China.
Increasing meat exports reduces the number of cattle available domestically and during Eid Al-Adha season, when demand is seasonal and peaks sharply, supply becomes constrained.
“Price hike is due to meat exports and inflation in previous years,” Ahsan Mehanti, chief executive officer at Arif Habib Commodities Limited, explained.
“We have seen that there is a major increase in the export of livestock in the past three years, around more than 50 percent.”
Zaki Abro, a spokesperson for the Sohrab Goth cattle market, attributed the surge in prices to the availability of fewer animals due to thousands being killed in recent floods.
In 2022, Pakistan experienced devastating floods that resulted in the loss of over 1.1 million livestock. This figure includes approximately 500,000 livestock in Balochistan, over 428,000 in Sindh, and over 205,100 in Punjab provinces.
“On average the prices of small animals have risen by as much as Rs20,000 [$71.94] while the big animals have gone pricier by Rs 70,000 [$251.80],” Abro said.
“MARKET IS DULL”
The effects of high prices were visible at the Karachi cattle market last week, with few buyers present despite it being spread over an area of around 1,200 acres and 175,000 cattle up for sale.
Livestock merchants Muhammad Ismail and Obaidullah confirmed a drop in the number of buyers.
“We have a lot of animals still unsold,” Ismail, 26, said. “This could be maybe because of inflation.”
The traders blamed the high rates they were charging on the higher rates they had to pay wholesalers and the cattle market’s administration. The cost of animal feed had also sky-rocketed, they said. Global supply chain disruptions, local market volatility, inflation, and currency devaluation have all contributed to this rise.
The cost of fodder had surged by nearly 50 percent, impacting cattle farming, merchants said.
“Our eight to nine months farming cost for each of these animals this year increased to Rs250,000 [$899.28] from Rs150,000 [$539.57] a year ago,” Ismail explained.
Trader Obaidullah said sellers also had to pay a fee of Rs30,000 [$107.91] per animal to the cattle market authorities.
“Last year the market performed well,” Ismail added.
“All of our animals had sold out. More than half of the market had emptied by this time last year. This year the market is dull.”
PM Sharif pledges to preserve peace in Pakistan’s restive northwestern province ‘at all costs’
- The prime minister addresses a jirga in Peshawar, praising the sacrifices of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s people in the fight against militancy
- He says a committee has been formed to address the province’s financial concerns, with its first meeting scheduled for August
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday vowed to preserve peace in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province “at all costs,” praising the sacrifices of its people and calling for unity against what he described as Indian-backed militant threats.
Sharif made the remarks during a visit to Peshawar, where he addressed a Grand Jirga of tribal elders alongside the country’s army chief and top federal ministers. The visit took place amid a resurgence in militant attacks in the region bordering Afghanistan and growing concern over cross-border threats.
“The sacrifices rendered by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are indelibly inscribed in the annals of our national history,” the prime minister said during his address. “The entire nation salutes your courage, resolve and unwavering commitment.”
He urged tribal elders to stand firm against what he called the “Indian-sponsored Fitna-ul-Khawarij,” a term used by Pakistani authorities for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants who they believe are ideologically extremist and backed by foreign actors.
“Peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shall be preserved at all costs,” he said. “The Pakistan Army, in unison with all security institutions and the valiant people of the province, stands firmly united against the Fitna-ul-Khawarij and its foreign abettors.”
Sharif also called for improved bilateral cooperation with Afghanistan and said Afghan soil must not be used by Indian proxies to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan.
During the jirga, Sharif also addressed financial concerns raised by provincial authorities regarding development funding. He confirmed that a committee had already been formed to review the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, a constitutional mechanism for the distribution of financial resources between the federal government and provinces.
“The chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had raised the matter of revisiting the NFC around six weeks ago in Islamabad,” Sharif said. “We immediately formed a committee and provincial nominees have been finalized. The first meeting will be held in August.”
Sharif also praised the youth of the province, calling them a vital national asset and encouraging them to contribute to peace and national cohesion.
Pakistan says India mimicking Israeli aggression, urges Modi to avoid ‘worst examples’
- Bhutto-Zardari calls Modi a ‘poor copy’ of Netanyahu who thinks he can justify attacks on Muslim states by invoking ‘terrorism’
- He says India, Pakistan are heirs to the Indus Valley Civilization, which was not known for weapons but for urban advancement
ISLAMABAD: The head of Pakistan’s parliamentary delegation constituted to visit key world capitals and present Islamabad’s stance on last month’s military standoff with India said on Tuesday New Delhi was emulating Israel’s belligerence in the region, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to be guided by “the worst examples possible.”
The remarks were made by former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari during a media interaction at the United Nations Correspondents Association.
The Pakistani delegation arrived in New York on Monday as part of Islamabad’s diplomatic outreach amid heightened tensions with India, despite a recent ceasefire. It has held a series of meetings with top international diplomats, urging the global community to help the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors enter a comprehensive dialogue to peacefully resolve their differences.
Responding to a question during the news conference, Bhutto-Zardari drew parallels between the Israeli settler program in the West Bank and India’s post-2019 demographic changes in Kashmir, describing Modi as a “poor copy” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“As far as India being inspired by the Israeli government, unfortunately, it’s being inspired in all the wrong ways,” he said. “Its conduct outside of international law, its violation of international governance, the United Nations Charter, the arrogance with which it thought it could get away with this — that you can just scream terrorism and it justifies that you can attack any Muslim country at whim.”
“In short, it’s based on this building of precedents that we’ve seen over time — be it in the context of the Iraq War, and obviously the actions within Gaza recently have inspired some of the actions by the Indian government,” he added. “But Mr. Modi is sort of the Temu version of Netanyahu — sort of a poor copy — and we call upon the Indian government to not be inspired by the worst examples possible.”
Bhutto-Zardari, who chairs the Pakistan Peoples Party, called on both India and Pakistan to reclaim their shared heritage as heirs of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization and reflect that in their conduct.
“One of the most incredible things about the Indus Valley Civilization is that with all the archaeology that’s gone on, we’ve not found a single weapon at all,” he said. “They had great advancements — urban planning, agriculture, water distribution, even sewage systems — but not a single weapon.”
“How far we’ve come from our roots,” he continued. “That grand Indus Valley Civilization, which didn’t have a single weapon, is now armed to the teeth.”
The former Pakistani foreign minister said Modi could either pursue peace and become a true heir of the Indus Valley Civilization or continue down a path of conflict.
“Mr. Modi started off as being perceived as the Butcher of Gujarat,” he said, referring to the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in the Indian state where Modi was chief minister. “He went on to become the Butcher of Kashmir, and he aspires to be the Butcher of the Indus Valley Civilization with his assault on the Indus Waters Treaty.”
The Pakistani delegation also met with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres at UN Headquarters on Tuesday.
Bhutto-Zardari delivered a letter from Pakistan’s prime minister and briefed the UN chief on Islamabad’s position in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on tourists, which New Delhi had blamed on Pakistan.
He rejected India’s allegations against Islamabad as “baseless and premature,” and criticized its unilateral military actions, civilian casualties and the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty — calling these actions a dangerous escalation with potentially destabilizing consequences for the region.
Bhutto-Zardari said Pakistan remained committed to international law and the principles of the UN Charter, while warning against what he called India’s attempt to establish a “dangerous new normal” marked by unilateralism and the use of force in a nuclear environment.
According to an official readout, Secretary-General Guterres assured the delegation the UN would fully engage in promoting peace and stability in South Asia and continue to support all efforts to reduce tensions and resolve disputes.
Pilgrims arrive at Mina as annual Hajj rituals begin
- The devotees will remain at Mina until Fajr prayers on Thursday, 9th of Dhul Hijjah
- The Pakistan Hajj Mission urges pilgrims to follow their scheduled departure time
ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, including Pakistanis, have started arriving at Mina, marking the beginning of annual Hajj rituals in the Saudi holy city of Makkah.
Nearly 89,000 Pakistanis have traveled to Saudi Arabia under the government’s Hajj scheme and over 23,620 Pakistanis are performing Hajj through private tour operators.
Pakistan’s Hajj Mission has completed all arrangements for the transportation of pilgrims to the world’s largest tent valley at Mina, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Over 88,000 pilgrims under government Hajj scheme will reach Mina via 932 buses before Zuhr prayer tomorrow,” the broadcaster said on Tuesday.
“Pilgrims will remain at Mina until Fajr next morning (Thursday), the 9th Dhul Hijjah. Then, the Hujjaj will proceed to the valley of Arafat to perform ‘Waqoof-e-Arafa,’ the main ritual of Hajj and offer Zuhr and Asr prayers there.”
The Pakistan Hajj Mission has urged the pilgrims to follow their scheduled departure time to avoid the risk of overcrowding amid hot weather conditions, according to the report.
The mission earlier advised Pakistani pilgrims to follow the directives issued by Saudi Arabia concerning the stoning of the devil or “Rami Al-Jamarat’ and animal sacrifice rituals during the annual Islamic pilgrimage.
Each ‘Maktab’ will have designated timings for the act of stoning the devil on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, Radio Pakistan reported.
“Every ‘Nazim’ [administrator] is bound to ensure that the intending pilgrims perform this ritual as per their allocated time slot,” it said, citing the Pakistani Hajj Mission.
“Therefore, all pilgrims are advised to proceed in groups under the supervision of their ‘Nazim’ as per schedule.”
The state broadcaster also reported that the Saudi authorities have set the time for sacrificing animals for Pakistani pilgrims on the night between the 10th and 11th of Dhul Hijjah at 12:30am.
“Hence, all pilgrims are urged to complete the ‘Rami’ of the first day before midnight,” the Pakistani mission said.
The annual pilgrimage will conclude on Monday, June 9.
‘Our hands are clean,’ Pakistan briefs UNCA about conflict with India over Kashmir attack
- The attack sparked a four-day India-Pakistan military standoff that killed 70 people last month in their worst fighting in decades
- A Pakistani delegation, led by ex-FM Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, is currently visiting key capitals to present Islamabad’s stance on conflict
ISLAMABAD: A top Pakistani representative on Tuesday told journalists at the United Nations (UN) that Pakistan had nothing to do with an April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that sparked a four-day military conflict between the neighbors, reiterating Islamabad’s offer to cooperate with New Delhi on militancy and other issues under a “comprehensive dialogue.”
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, a former Pakistani foreign minister, has been leading a nine-member parliamentary delegation, constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to New York, Washington DC, London and Brussels to present Pakistan’s stance on last month’s standoff with India.
The conflict, in which the two countries traded missile, drones and artillery fire, was triggered after India accused Pakistan of supporting militants who killed over two dozen tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam resort town on April 22. Islamabad denies involvement.
Speaking to United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA), Bhutto-Zardari noted that immediately after the April 22 incident, Islamabad had offered its cooperation to New Delhi and the international community in investigating the assault.
“The prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, offered publicly to India, the international community that Pakistan was ready to be part of any impartial, international investigation into this terrorist attack,” he said.
“We did so because we were confident that our hands are clean, and we had nothing to do with this terrorist attack. The Indian government refused Pakistan’s offer and chose instead to conduct their illegal strikes.”
He said Pakistan only ever acted in “self-defense” after India attacked multiple Pakistani cities on May 7, but the difference between 2019 India-Pakistan cross-border airstrikes and the 2025 military standoff was that they were now in a more “precarious position.”
“It’s not a question of if, but when the next war is fought,” Bhutto-Zardari said.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations. Both countries have fought three wars, including two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir which either of the two claims in its entirety, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.
The latest conflict, the worst between the neighbors in decades, killed around 70 people on both sides and came to a halt with a United States-brokered ceasefire on May 10.
“I must emphasize that the global community today is less safe, post this ceasefire, post this conflict with India, then we were before,” Bhutto-Zardari said. “And it’s simply because that threshold for full-blown military conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations has come down.”
Asking New Delhi to not use militancy as a “political tool,” the former Pakistani foreign minister once again urged India to hold a dialogue with Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute.
“Pakistan’s position today is that we would like to have a comprehensive dialogue with India,” he said. “Pakistan would still like to cooperate with India to combat terrorism. We can’t leave the fate of 1.5, 1.7 billion people in the hands of non-state actors and terrorists for them to decide at a whim that two nuclear-armed powers will go to war.”
The Bhutto-Zardari-led Pakistani delegation arrived in New York on Monday as part of Islamabad’s diplomatic outreach, amid heightened tensions with India despite the ceasefire between the two countries. Another delegation, led by Special Assistant to Pakistan Premier Syed Tariq Fatemi, is set to visit Moscow.
In a meeting with US Acting Permanent Representative to the UN Dorothy Shea in New York, the Pakistani delegates urged Washington to play its role in ensuring a dialogue between Pakistan and India to address all outstanding issues, Pakistani state media reported earlier on Tuesday.
Bhutto-Zardari expressed “deep concern” over India’s immediate attribution of blame to Pakistan without any “credible investigation or verifiable evidence.”
“Such premature and baseless allegations exacerbate tensions and undermine prospects for constructive dialogue and peace,” he told the US envoy.
On Monday, the Pakistani delegates held a meeting with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) envoys at the UN, wherein they reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to peace, restraint, and diplomacy, and called for the restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty by India, Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN said.
India suspended the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan a day after the attack at the Pahalgam resort town. The move drew a sharp response from Islamabad, which said any attempts to divert or stop the flow of its waters by India would be considered an “act of war.”
About 80 percent of Pakistani farms depend on the Indus system, as do nearly all hydropower projects serving the country of some 250 million.
“Bhutto-Zardari expressed grave concern at the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty — a move that Pakistan considers a blatant act of weaponizing water and a violation of international and treaty obligations,” the Pakistani mission said.
The delegation also urged the UN Security Council to play a “proactive role” in promoting de-escalation, ensuring respect for international law and treaties and facilitating peaceful resolution of disputes.
