Afghanistan dismisses report Pakistan asked Taliban officials to arrest Masood Azhar

In this file photo, Masood Azhar (R), chief of religious party Jaish-e-Mohammed, addresses a meeting of Pakistan’s religious and political parties in Islamabad, 26 Aug.26, 2001. (AFP/FILE)
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Updated 14 September 2022
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Afghanistan dismisses report Pakistan asked Taliban officials to arrest Masood Azhar

  • The report said Pakistan suspected that Azhar was hiding in one of the two Afghan provinces of Kunar or Nangarhar
  • An Afghan official said Kabul did not allow ‘any armed oppositions in its territory to operate against any other country’

ISLAMABAD: The foreign ministry of Afghanistan on Wednesday dismissed a media report that Pakistan had written a formal letter to the Taliban administration, asking its officials to arrest a high-profile militant leader of a proscribed Pakistani faction hiding in their country.

The report, which emerged earlier in the day, said Pakistan had asked the Afghan authorities “to locate, report and arrest” Masood Azhar who established an armed faction in 2000 to carry out militant violence in the region.

It added Pakistan suspected that Azhar was hiding in one of the two Afghan provinces of Kunar or Nangarhar.

Responding to the development, the Afghan foreign ministry rejected the report “asserting that Jaish-e-Mohammed group leader, Masood Azhar, has sought refuge in Afghanistan.”

“We reiterate that IEA [Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan] does not allow any armed oppositions in its territory to operate against any other country,” said the foreign ministry spokesperson, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, on Twitter.

“We also call on all parties to refrain from such allegations lacking any proof and documentations,” he continued. “Such media allegations can adversely affect bilateral relations.”

 

The Taliban have repeatedly given assurances to the international community they would not allow militant factions to target other states by using Afghan soil.

However, the administration in Islamabad maintains a conglomerate of militant factions, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, is based in Afghanistan from where its operatives target its citizens and security forces.

Azhar, who was captured by India in the past, was released from prison after the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight which was taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan in 1999 when the city was under the Taliban control.


UAE-based company founded by Pakistanis to back AI-first ventures with $100 million investment

Updated 27 February 2025
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UAE-based company founded by Pakistanis to back AI-first ventures with $100 million investment

  • Disrupt.com says $100 million commitment to focus on AI, cybersecurity, Web3.0, automotive technology and retail innovation
  • Company says it partners with ambitious entrepreneurs to build, scale and invest in high-potential, globally focused tech startups

KARACHI: A venture builder company with its headquarters in the UAE and founded by Pakistani entrepreneurs, Disrupt.com, announced a $100 million commitment to build and back AI-first ventures worldwide on Thursday. 
Founded initially in 2008 as “Gaditek” in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi by three entrepreneurs named Aaqib Gadit, Uzair Gadit, and Umair Gadit, venture builder and investor Disrupt.com says it partners with ambitious entrepreneurs to build, scale and invest in high-potential, globally focused technology startups. 
“Today, Disrupt.com— founded by Aaqib Gadit, Uzair Gadit, and Umair Gadit— has announced a $100 million commitment to build and back AI-first technology ventures worldwide,” the company said in a statement. 
Disrupt.com said that since it began operations, the company has deployed over $40 million into its portfolio, supporting a mix of startups that it “built from scratch, co-built with external founders, and invested in as strategic backers.”
“The $100 million commitment announced by Disrupt.com will focus on five key areas: artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, Web3.0, automotive technology, and retail innovation,” it said.
Web3 is an umbrella term for technologies like blockchain that decentralize data ownership and control on the Internet.
“By targeting pre-seed to Series A stage startups with strong organic growth potential and clear paths to profitability, the venture builder aims to create sustainable businesses that will shape the future of industries worldwide,” it added. 
Aaqib Gadit said now is the time to start “doubling down” on investing in the next wave of startups that will shape the future of the world. 
“With Web 3.0 in its infancy and AI storming into our lives, the opportunity to problem solve and create businesses that will fit the needs of how people live and work is up for the taking,” he said in a statement shared by Disrupt.com.
Uzair Gadit said the big moves in AI and tech always come from either China or the US.
“We believe that MENA and Pakistan have a key role to play in this transformation,” he said. 
Disrupt.com says its portfolio already includes ZigChain, a Web3.0 platform with 500,000+ users and hundreds of millions in managed assets, and PureSquare, a cybersecurity venture. 
The company says it has also made strategic investments in AI-focused startups such as Agentnoon, an organizational transformation platform, and Ahya, a climate action scaling tool.


Pakistan approves FIFA’s proposed amendments to lift international suspension

Updated 27 February 2025
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Pakistan approves FIFA’s proposed amendments to lift international suspension

  • FIFA suspended Pakistan on Feb. 6 after South Asian country rejected electoral reforms 
  • Pakistan hopes move would pave way for team to play in Asian Cup qualifiers in March 

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Thursday unanimously approved FIFA’s proposed constitutional amendments in an extraordinary meeting in Lahore, the body said, as it attempts to return to international soccer again.
FIFA hit Pakistan on Feb. 6 with a third international suspension in less than eight years after the federation rejected electoral reforms. 
Attendees at the Extraordinary Congress called by the PFF in Lahore included officials from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation.
“The congress members endorsed the FIFA proposed amendments in the best interest of Pakistan football, paving the way for the national team’s participation in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers following the expected lifting of FIFA’s suspension,” the PFF said in a statement.
The global football governing body warned the suspension would only be lifted subject to the PFF Congress “approving the PFF Constitution’s version presented by FIFA and the AFC [Asian Football Confederation].”
The PFF said it was hopeful the suspension would be lifted in time for Pakistan to play Syria on Mar. 25 in its first qualifier for the 2027 Asian Cup.


Nearly weeklong closure of Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing disrupts trade, traffic

Updated 27 February 2025
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Nearly weeklong closure of Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing disrupts trade, traffic

  • Pakistan shut down over dispute concerning Afghanistan’s construction of border post on Feb. 21
  • Since then 5,000 trucks and vehicles carrying perishable goods have been stranded on both sides

PESHAWAR, Pakistan: A nearly weeklong closure of a key crossing on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has disrupted bilateral trade and the movement of people, causing financial losses to traders and leaving people stranded in harsh winter conditions, officials said Thursday.

The Torkham border crossing has remained closed since Feb. 21 after Pakistan shut it down over a dispute concerning Afghanistan’s construction of a border post.

Since then, more than 5,000 trucks and vehicles carrying goods, including fruits and vegetables, have been stranded on both sides, awaiting the reopening of the trade route, according to Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, a director of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Torkham also serves as a vital corridor for transporting goods between Pakistan and Central Asian countries, and Sarhadi urged both countries to resolve their dispute so that bilateral trade and movement of people could resume.

At Torkham, truck driver Najeeb Ullah said that he was forced to sleep in his vehicle because he can’t leave it unguarded on the road.

“We request Pakistan and Afghanistan to have mercy on us, as we are suffering without any reason,” he told reporters.

Another driver, Mustafa Khan, said that he was hoping to return to his northwestern city of Peshawar after delivering a supply of cement in Afghan city Jalalabad, but “I am stuck here since Friday, and I have no idea for how many days we will have to face this trouble.”

Farhad Nusrat, an Afghan citizen, said that he was returning home with his mother and children, and the closure of the border crossing has forced them to spend their days and nights in the open area. He appealed to Pakistani authorities to reopen the border.

Authorities said that hundreds of Pakistanis were also stranded on the other side of the border.

There was no immediate comment from Pakistan. However, Abdul Jabbar Hikmat, the commissioner on the Afghan side of the border, confirmed the closure by Pakistan.

“Whenever Pakistani authorities conduct construction on their side, we say nothing. But whenever we do something, they close the border,” Hikmat said.

Border closures at Torkham are common because of disputes over new posts along the porous Durand Line, which Afghanistan has never officially recognized. Pakistan, meanwhile, has nearly completed a border fence to strengthen control.

The Torkham crossing is located on the edge of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Pakistani Taliban militants frequently target security forces.


Pakistan to host summit in April to seek investments in $6 trillion minerals sector 

Updated 27 February 2025
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Pakistan to host summit in April to seek investments in $6 trillion minerals sector 

  • Government’s National Minerals Harmonization Framework 2025 to be unveiled at summit 
  • Reko Diq mine is considered one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host a minerals summit in April this year, state media reported on Thursday, as the cash-strapped South Asian nation seeks investments in its vast natural reserves estimated to be worth $6 trillion.

Pakistan has enormous reserves of minerals and natural resources, which the government hopes can become a key source of economic development in the future. The country has one of the world’s largest porphyry copper-gold mineral zones. The Reko Diq mine in southwestern Balochistan has an estimated 5.9 billion tons of ore. Barrick Gold, which owns a 50 percent stake in the Reko Diq mines, considers them one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas, and their development is expected to have a significant impact on Pakistan’s struggling economy. The Kalabagh iron ore deposits are the largest known deposits in the country.

Pakistan also has vast, untapped reserves of rare earth elements, industrial minerals, non-metallic resources, and gemstones. Northern regions like Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are believed to harbor lithium reserves as well.

State-run APP news agency said on Thursday the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Pakistan’s leading exploration and production (E&P) company, in collaboration with the government of Pakistan and strategic partners, would organize the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025 (PMIF25) on April 8-9, 2025, in Islamabad. 

“The forum will serve as a premier platform for global stakeholders to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan’s emerging minerals sector and unlock the country’s vast mineral potential,” the media outlet reported. 

“During the event, the federal government will formally unveil Pakistan’s newly developed, investor-friendly National Minerals Harmonization Framework 2025 which aims to attract investment in the country’s mineral sector.”

Partners for the event include Barrick, Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), Government Holdings (Private) Limited (GHPL), Pakistan Minerals Private Limited (PMPL), Frontier Works Organization (FWO), Mari Energies, and the Reko Diq Mining Company (RDMC).

PMIF25 will bring together high-level government representatives, foreign and local investors, leading corporations, policymakers, international diplomats, financial organizations, and industry experts to explore opportunities in Pakistan’s mining sector. 

“The event will highlight recent policy reforms, large-scale mining potential, and the country’s commitment to sustainable resource development, reinforcing its ambition to become a global mining hub,” APP said, calling the event a “transformative opportunity” for Pakistan’s mining sector that will help foster local and international partnerships and promote responsible mining practices. 


Pakistan opposition alliance calls for ‘National Dialogue’ to resolve political crisis

Updated 34 min 13 sec ago
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Pakistan opposition alliance calls for ‘National Dialogue’ to resolve political crisis

  • Alliance holds two-day conference demanding “supremacy of constitution” at Islamabad hotel 
  • Says current parliament does not have legal, moral or political status, demands fresh elections

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s multi-party opposition alliance on Thursday called on the country’s political leadership to hold a “National Dialogue” to resolve the prevalent political crisis, rejecting the results of the 2024 elections and urging the government to hold free, fair and transparent polls. 

The Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) — or the Movement for the Protection of the Constitution of Pakistan— kicked off its two-day conference on Wednesday to demand “supremacy of the constitution” at a local hotel in Islamabad. The alliance claimed on Wednesday that the government was pressurizing the administration of the hotel to cancel the event, allegations that the government rejected. 

As per local media reports, Islamabad authorities sealed the Legend Hotel where the conference was being held on Thursday morning. Opposition parties’ members forcibly entered the premises after some of them climbed the gate and opened it from inside, allowing others to enter. Subsequently, opposition leaders announced that they would hold the conference in the hotel lobby while police personnel and the paramilitary Frontier Corps personnel remained stationed outside.

Pakistan’s leading opposition parties accuse the ruling coalition government of cracking down on their supporters, resorting to rights abuses, interfering in judicial matters, passing legislation to stifle dissent. It also says the 2024 polls were heavily rigged by the caretaker government at the time. The ruling coalition government rejects these allegations and accuses the opposition of creating hurdles in its mission to reform Pakistan’s economy. 

“The only way forward out of current political crisis, is to go for free, fair & transparent elections, and therefore [alliance] calls for a unified strategy by all political leadership of the country, with their unequivocal support for restoration of democracy, and hence calls for a national dialogue with consensus, in order to implement the solution, across the board,” a joint statement from the TTAP read. 

The alliance said that the results of the “rigged” elections of Feb. 8, 2024, are responsible for the current political, economic and social crisis in the country. 

The statement said Pakistan’s constitution does not allow citizens to be harassed, arrested or imprisoned for taking part in political activities, calling on the government to release all political prisoners immediately. 

The TTAP said Pakistan’s current parliament does not have any moral, political or legal status, demanding the government abolish the recently approved amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) act as they aim to stifle dissent. 

“The opposition parties of Pakistan pledge to continue the collective practical struggle to implement the provisions of this agreement and this struggle will continue until the problems of Pakistan are resolved and the welfare of the people is ensured,” the statement said. 

Leaders from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by former prime minister Imran Khan, the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Awam Pakistan, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) parties as well as lawyers, journalists and members of the civil society attended the conference. 

Pakistan has been plagued with political turmoil since Khan was ousted as prime minister via a parliamentary vote in April 2022. He was later convicted in a slew of charges and sent to jail in August 2023. 

Khan denies the charges and says they are politically motivated to keep him and his party away from power. He accuses the country’s powerful military of orchestrating his removal from office and backing his political rivals in the government. 

The military denies Khan’s allegations and insists it does not interfere in political matters.