In rare public appearance, head of Pakistan’s ISI slams ex-PM Khan for anti-army campaign

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Updated 28 October 2022
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In rare public appearance, head of Pakistan’s ISI slams ex-PM Khan for anti-army campaign

  • If the army chief is a traitor, why do you still meet him behind closed doors, Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum asks Imran Khan
  • Army spokesperson says slain journalist Arshad Sharif left Pakistan on instructions of CEO of TV channel he worked for

ISLAMABAD: The head of Pakistan’s powerful spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), on Thursday slammed former Prime Minister Imran Khan over his criticism of the military, appearing in a rare press conference to question the ex-premier’s motives behind anti-army remarks and portraying Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa as a “traitor” among his followers.

This is the first time in Pakistan’s history that the head of the ISI has addressed a media briefing. Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum was approved as ISI chief in October last year and has since never made any public appearances or comments.

The DG ISI is one of the most important and powerful posts in Pakistan, at the intersection of domestic politics, the war on militancy and Pakistan’s foreign relations.

In remarks to journalists, Anjum, who was dressed in civilian clothing, said he was aware that the media was “surprised by my presence,” but he could not remain silent while the military was being “targeted for no reason.”

The general was referring to criticism by Khan, his party and its supporters of the military’s role in politics.

Khan was ousted from the office of prime minister in April in a vote of no-confidence. Him and his supporters have since variously expressed disappointment that the military and its army chief did not support him against the ouster and instead helped bring the coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to power.

The Pakistani military, which has a long history of intervening in national politics, had said before Khan’s removal, and since, that it would remain apolitical. The ex-PM and his followers have widely criticized this policy and on social media, where Khan has a massive following, hashtags calling the army chief a traitor and asking him to resign are a daily occurrence.

“If you [Khan] are convinced that the head of your army is a traitor, then why did you praise him so much just in the recent past?” Anjum said at the presser. “If he was really a traitor in your point of view, then why do you still meet him behind closed doors?”

“Don’t do this, that you meet us in the dark of night behind closed doors to express your constitutional and unconstitutional wishes and then in the light of day call the same person a traitor.”

The DG ISI said the army chief had received an offer in March for an “indefinite extension” in service. Khan was still in government then.

“Let me also inform you that in the month of March [2022], the army chief was offered an indefinite extension in his tenure, the offer was made in my presence,” he told reporters. “It was a very attractive offer but he [army chief] turned it down because he had made the decision to bring the institution out of its controversial era and into a constitutional role.”

“The offer was made because the no-confidence motion was at its peak,” the general added.

Talking about the decision to address the press conference, Anjum said he was there to “defend” the country’s institutions:

“I would often see that lies were being spread and the youth was accepting them ... Those sacrificing their lives [soldiers] should not have to face these lies. Hence, remaining silent was morally unacceptable for me now.”

The DG ISI said his agency had informed him about organized campaigns launched against him on social media in March.

“I told them to get in touch when the retweets exceed eight thousand million. Before that, I don’t care about myself.”

“ARSHAD SHARIF KILLING”

During the presser, military spokesperson, Lt General Babar Iftikhar, also addressed the issue of the killing of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya last Sunday, saying the anchorman left Pakistan on the instructions of the CEO of the TV channel he worked for and after a threat alert was issued by the provincial administration of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is in power.

Arshad Sharif was killed Sunday night when the car he was in sped up and drove through a checkpoint outside the Kenyan capital and police opened fire. Nairobi police expressed regret over the incident, saying it was a case of “mistaken identity” during a search for a car involved in a child abduction case.

A hugely popular talk show host, Sharif was of late a harsh critic of the current ruling coalition and the army, and fled the country in August, citing threats to his life. He was also widely considered a staunch supporter of ex-PM Khan and his PTI party. At the time he left Pakistan, he was facing a slew of court cases related to charges of sedition and others. He left Pakistan for the United Arab Emirates and had recently traveled to Kenya from the Emirates.

Sharif’s death has unleashed outrage among the public and media and widespread calls for a transparent investigation.

“On August 5, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [KP] government issued a threat alert regarding the ARY anchor Arshad Sharif,” Iftikhar told journalists. “According to our information, the alert was issued on the special instructions of the KP chief minister and said an Afghanistan-based TTP [Pakistan Taliban] group had held a meeting in Spin Boldak and decided to target Arshad Sharif in Rawalpindi or its adjoining areas.”

The PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa did not share the information with the federal government or any security agencies or specify how it obtained the information that Sharif was going to be targeted, the army spokesperson said:

“The threat alert was issued with specific planning to convince Arshad Sharif to leave the country.”

Showing screenshots of conversations between ARY director news Ammad Yousaf and the channel’s CEO Salman Iqbal, the military spokesman said Sharif’s ticket to Dubai was officially booked by ARY and he left Pakistan from Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with the facilitation of government officials there. The ticket was booked by an ARY official on August 9 from a travel agency in Karachi and the return date on the ticket was September 9. Sharif left for Dubai from Peshawar on August 10 via an Emirates flight, Iftikhar said.

“No state institution tried in any way to stop Arshad Sharif from leaving, if the government wanted to do so, it could have done it,” he said, adding that the journalist traveled onwards to Kenya after his UAE visa expired.

“No one at the state level forced Arshad Sharif to leave Dubai. So who were the people who forced him to leave from there? … Who told him not to return to Pakistan and that his life was safer in a country like Kenya?”

“The name of the CEO of ARY, Salman Iqbal, is coming up again and again,” the military spokesperson said. “He should be brought back to Pakistan and made part of the investigation.”

Iqbal has been based in the UAE and US since at least July this year when his channel got embroiled in a scandal related to sedition charges over remarks aired on ARY that the media regulator said were tantamount to inciting mutiny within the army.

“Kenyan police accepted their mistake and it has to be examined whether this [Sharif’s killing] is a case of mistaken identity or one of targeted killing. There are several questions that have to be answered,” the military spokesman said, calling for a “transparent and fair probe” and requesting the government to form a high-level inquiry commission.


Pakistan announces three-day Eid Al-Fitr holiday from Mar. 31 to Apr. 2 

Updated 19 March 2025
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Pakistan announces three-day Eid Al-Fitr holiday from Mar. 31 to Apr. 2 

  • Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan for Muslims worldwide
  • Muslims offer prayers, spend time with loved ones and enjoy lavish meals on Eid

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has announced a three-day holiday from Mar. 31 to Apr. 2 on account of the Muslim festival of Eid Al-Fitr, an official notification by the Cabinet Division said on Wednesday. 

Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan for Muslims worldwide. On Eid morning, Muslims offer special prayers and spend time with family and loved ones, enjoying lavish meals and engaging in recreational activities.

The country’s central moon sighting committee, the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, spots the Shawwal moon and declares Eid dates in advance in the South Asian nation.

“It is notified that the Prime Minister has been pleased to declare public holidays (Monday to Wednesday) on the occasion of Eid-Al-Fitr,” the notification said. 

Eid Al-Fitr is one of two major Muslim festivals, the other being Eid Al-Adha, which is marked by the slaughtering of animals such as sheep and goats. The meat is shared among family and friends and donated to the poor.


Pakistani home appliances giant targets $100 million exports in 2 years by tapping US market

Updated 52 min 28 sec ago
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Pakistani home appliances giant targets $100 million exports in 2 years by tapping US market

  • Pak Elektron Limited announced this week it is expanding export operations to US
  • PEL says company eyeing expanding its footprint to Saudi Arabia after tapping US market

KARACHI: Pakistani home appliances giant Pak Elektron Limited (PEL) plans to increase its exports to $100 million by the end of 2026, a senior official of the company said on Wednesday, days after announcing it had begun its export operations to the United States. 

The Lahore-based manufacturer of home appliances has been one of the most-traded scrips at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) so far this week. It had the second-most traded stock on Wednesday, registering a 3.2 percent gain and over 36 million volumes.

On Monday the company announced it has expanded its global footprint and will be now exporting its products to the US. PEL’s new American client is Maddox Industrial Transformer LLC, which supplies new and remanufactured power transformers to commercial and industrial clients in the US.

“We are exporting distribution transformers for now and the majority of our exports, say 90 percent, are going to the US,” Nadeem Asghar, the general manager of finance at PEL, told Arab News. 

PEL plans to increase its exports up to $50 million this year by December and double the same to $100 million by the end of 2026, Asghar said. 

The company’s current exports stand at $3 million, with most of its shipments going to the United Kingdom, Jordan and African countries. 

PEL’s stock price appears to have increased steadily in recent days. Its recent announcement of beginning export operations to the US has contributed to a notable increase in its stock price, Sana Tawfik, the head of research at the Karachi-based brokerage firm Arif Habib Ltd., said.

“The stock price has witnessed a gain of 13 percent in the last three days,” Tawfik told Arab News.

The company has already sent its first consignment of distribution transformers to the US on Mar. 13 as part of its business expansion strategy to explore new international markets.

Asghar, meanwhile, said this is the first time that PEL has received a “major order” from the US.

“The majority of our products will be exported to America now,” he said, adding that PEL would keep increasing its exports even beyond $100 million after 2026 as “sky is the limit.”

PEL entered into a strategic partnership last month with Swedish giant Electrolux AB, a global leader in multi-category home appliances brands such as Electrolux, AEG and Frigidaire, to leverage its strength to drive sustainable growth.

In 2024 Electrolux Group had sales of Swedish Krona 136 billion and the company employed 41,000 people worldwide. 

After tapping the US market, Asghar said the Pakistani company plans to expand its reach to the Middle East as well, particularly Saudi Arabia. 

“We would look to tap the Saudi Arabian market where we see enough demand for our products,” Asghar said, adding that talks with the company’s potential clients from Saudi Arabia were underway. He did not mention their names. 

“We will tap all these markets, the UK, Saudi Arabia and others. Our negotiations are ongoing with the Saudi Arabian clients,” Asghar added. 

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has repeatedly said his government is prioritizing exports to ensure sustainable economic growth for the country’s fragile $350 billion economy. Sharif has recently said his government aims to increase Pakistan’s exports to $60 billion in five years. 

Pakistan is trying to stabilize its economy through sustainable reforms agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in exchange for a financial bailout program. 


Key Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing reopens after nearly a month

Updated 19 March 2025
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Key Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing reopens after nearly a month

  • Pakistan closed Torkham crossing on Feb. 21, alleging Afghan authorities constructed trenches along border
  • Hundreds of trucks containing perishable items remained stranded for weeks on both sides of border 

PESHAWAR: The key Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan reopened on Wednesday after remaining closed for nearly a month, officials from both sides confirmed, paving the way for the resumption of trade between the countries. 

Pakistan closed the border crossing on Feb. 21 after Afghan authorities initiated “construction of trenches and other development work” along the border, Pakistani forces had said. This led to the suspension of cross-border trade and movement between the two sides. 

The Torkham border crossing is the main transit artery for travelers and goods between Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan. Trade between the two countries was worth over $1.6 billion in 2024, according to Pakistan’s foreign office.

“The Torkham gate has been reopened for transport,” Naheed Khan, a senior police official in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber district, told Arab News.

Hazrat Nabi Toor, an Afghan customs clearing agent, confirmed that the gate at the Torkham border had been opened for the movement of trucks to and from Afghanistan.

Hajji Hikmatullah, the Torkham gate commissioner in Afghanistan, told Arab News earlier that the reopening of the crossing would help trucks stranded on both sides of the border in reaching their destinations.

“The Torkham route between Pakistan and Afghanistan that remained closed will reopen today at around 4:00 p.m. while passengers’ movement through the border will start from Friday,” he added. 

Hikmatullah urged both countries to work out a “comprehensive strategy” to separate politics from business to foster stronger economic ties. 

Asghar Ali, a Pakistani customs clearing agent, told Arab News that upon hearing the news of the border reopening, hundreds of vehicles loaded with vegetables, fruits and other non-perishable items started moving toward the crossing point at the border.

“This border closure inflicted millions of dollars of losses on businessmen,” Ali said. “Trade should not suffer in diplomatic and political wars between the two countries.”

Border clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces have led to the closure of key crossings like Torkham and Chaman in the past, severely disrupting trade and halting the movement of people between the two countries.

Last month, the Torkham closure escalated into a skirmish between the two border forces, leaving three Pakistani civilians wounded, a Pakistani police official said.

The development comes at a time of strained ties between Kabul and Islamabad over a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces that border Afghanistan.

Islamabad has frequently accused Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist Pakistan resolve its security matters internally. 


Khyber Pakhtunkhwa aims to become Pakistan’s first province with universal digital payment system

Updated 19 March 2025
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa aims to become Pakistan’s first province with universal digital payment system

  • Ali Amin Gandapur says initiative will enhance financial transparency, eliminate fraud and corruption
  • ’Cashless Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,’ developed with mobile wallet service providers, will also work offline

PESHAWAR: The provincial administration of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) said on Wednesday it has prepared a strategy to roll out a universal digital payment system, making it the first province in Pakistan to introduce a cashless economy for business and financial transactions.
The “Cashless Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” initiative aims to modernize financial transactions by requiring all public and private payments, including small and large-scale business transactions, to be conducted digitally.
The strategy includes a phased implementation plan, with various government departments, institutions and district administrations assigned specific responsibilities under defined timelines.
The system, developed in partnership with mobile wallet service providers, will also work offline to ensure accessibility in remote areas.
“The province has decided to launch a universal digital payment system for all types of transactions and business payments,” the KP government said in a statement, adding that a detailed implementation strategy had been finalized.
The system will require all businesses — small and large — as well as private and government transactions to shift to digital payments.
As part of the initiative, the government will collect data on all commercial entities, including small shops, stalls and street vendors at the village council level, ensuring that they are integrated into the new digital framework.
The statement said Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has issued directives for the immediate implementation of the system and instructed the Chief Secretary’s Office to oversee compliance.
“KP will be the first province in Pakistan to introduce a cashless system,” Gandapur said. “This initiative will help promote the digital economy, enhance financial transparency and eliminate fraud and corruption.”
Under the Cashless Khyber Pakhtunkhwa program, all businesses, public transport services and commercial establishments will be required to display QR codes for digital payments. A strong regulatory framework will be enforced to ensure effective implementation.
The KP administration has also planned public awareness campaigns, training programs and support services to help businesses and citizens transition to the new system.
Gandapur said the digital payment system will not only promote fintech solutions and improve economic security but also facilitate better tax collection and create a business-friendly environment in the province.
“The introduction of a digital payment system will encourage private investment and align KP with international digital financial standards,” he added.


International rights group asks Pakistan to stop ‘coercing’ Afghan refugees into return

Updated 19 March 2025
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International rights group asks Pakistan to stop ‘coercing’ Afghan refugees into return

  • Human Rights Watch urges authorities in Kabul to prevent reprisals against returning Afghan nationals
  • It says Afghans returning to their country have been dealing with unemployment, broken health care system

ISLAMABAD: A leading international rights organization urged Pakistan on Wednesday not to “coerce” Afghan refugees into returning to their country, saying many risked persecution and would face dire economic conditions.
The appeal came as the government directed all Afghans without residence documents, along with Afghan Citizen Card holders, to leave by the March 31 deadline.
The interior ministry’s announcement earlier this month formed part of a broader repatriation drive targeting foreign nationals that began in 2023, with more than 800,000 Afghans expelled from Pakistan since. The campaign against “illegal immigrants,” mostly Afghans, was launched following a surge in militant violence from armed groups the government said had found sanctuary in neighboring Afghanistan.
Officials in Islamabad have maintained that many Afghan nationals in Pakistan were involved in attacks on civilians and security forces while blaming the interim Taliban administration for “facilitating” cross-border attacks. Afghan authorities in Kabul, however, have denied the allegations.
“Pakistani officials should immediately stop coercing Afghans to return home and give those facing expulsion the opportunity to seek protection,” Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said as the rights organization released a report on the situation of those repatriated so far.
“The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan should prevent any reprisals against returning Afghans and reverse their abusive policies against women and girls,” she added.
HRW accused Pakistani police of raiding the houses of Afghan refugees, beating and arbitrarily detaining people, and confiscating their refugee documents, including residence permits.
Based on its interviews with Afghans who recently returned to their country, it said Pakistani authorities had demanded bribes to allow them to stay in Pakistan, adding that most Afghan nationals chose to return due to fear of detention in Pakistani cities.
Officials in Islamabad have dismissed such allegations in the past, saying they have carried out the repatriation process in a humane way.
The international rights organization also warned that the situation in Afghanistan has continued to deteriorate since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, with women and girls banned from post-primary education, while rights defenders, journalists, and former government personnel remain at particular risk.
“All of those returning struggle to survive amid Afghanistan’s soaring unemployment, broken health care system, and dwindling foreign assistance,” it added.