KARACHI: The Organic Meat Company Limited (TOMCL), a Karachi-based meat processor, has secured a $4 million contract to export frozen boneless beef to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the company announced on Thursday.
TOMCL is one of the largest halal meat processors and exporters in Pakistan, which has been supplying meat products to Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Maldives, Hong Kong, Vietnam and the UAE.
In a stock filing at the Pakistan Stock Exchange, the company said it had successfully secured contract from UAE’s First Quality Food Stuff LLC to export 1,000 metric tons frozen boneless beef.
“This contract is the first of its kind for any meat processor and export house from Pakistan to the UAE,” the notice read. “Through this contract, TOMCL will be able to generate revenues in excess of $4 million within next six months.”
The company said its management was confident that the sales contract would have a positive impact on the company as well as benefit its shareholders.
TOMCL has a major chunk of its market in the Gulf region, according to TOMCL Chief Executive Officer Faisal Hussain. It exports up to 85 of its products to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
In April this year, the company announced securing a contract to export “Pet Chew to Canada and became the first company from Pakistan to obtain approval for the export of such products to Canada.”
Pakistan’s meat and meat preparation exports increased by 37 percent to $34.8 million in July as compared to the same period last year, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The country’s meat and meat preparation exports rose by 25 percent to $426.7 million during the outgoing fiscal year that ended on June 30.
Suspects provided food, shelter, logistical support to “terrorists” who killed tourists in Pahalgam, says Indian agency
Pahalgam attack led to armed military confrontation between India and Pakistan in May in which over 70 were killed
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AFP
SRINAGAR, India: New Delhi’s counter-terrorism agency said Sunday it has arrested two men in India-administered Kashmir for allegedly harboring Pakistani gunmen behind a deadly attack on civilians that sparked a days-long conflict between the two countries.
India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) said the two suspects were from the Pahalgam area, where gunmen killed 26 people two months ago.
“The two men had provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists, who had... selectively killed the tourists on the basis of their religious identity,” a statement by NIA said. The majority of those killed were Hindu men.
The agency identified the two men as Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, claiming the duo “have disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack,” and have confirmed they were Pakistani nationals affiliated to the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group.
New Delhi has accused Pakistan of backing the attack without making public any evidence, and Islamabad has denied the charge.
The April 22 killings triggered a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures by the nuclear-armed countries and led to intense exchanges of missile, drone and artillery fire.
The four-day conflict left more than 70 people dead on both sides.
Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between the South Asian rivals — claimed by both in full — since their independence from British rule in 1947, and the neighbors have fought two wars over its control.
Rebel groups, demanding the divided region’s independence or merger with Pakistan, have waged an insurgency since 1989.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office condemned the United States’ attacks targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities on Sunday, warning of the possibility of a wider war in the Middle East as it called for an immediate end to the conflict.
The development took place hours after the US military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, joining Israel’s war aimed at destroying the country’s nuclear program. US President Donald Trump warned Iran against carrying out retaliatory attacks, saying Washington could hit more targets “with precision, speed and skill.”
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed that attacks took place on its Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz sites, but it insisted that its work will not be stopped.
The map outlines main the facilities of Iran's nuclear programme which were targetted by US strikes on June 22, 2025. (Reuters)
“Pakistan condemns the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities which follow the series of attacks by Israel,” the foreign office said. “We are gravely concerned at the possible further escalation of tensions in the region.”
Pakistan said the American attacks violate all norms of international law, adding that Iran has the legitimate right to defend itself under the UN Charter.
“The unprecedented escalation of tension and violence, owing to ongoing aggression against Iran is deeply disturbing,” the foreign office warned. “Any further escalation of tensions will have severely damaging implications for the region and beyond.”
Pakistan highlighted the need to respect civilian lives and properties and immediately bring the conflict to an end. It called on all parties to adhere to international law, particularly International Humanitarian Law.
"Recourse to dialogue, diplomacy, in line with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter remain the only viable pathway to resolve the crises in the region," it concluded.
‘DOUBLE STANDARDS’
Separately, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar criticized the international community for its “double standards” concerning Israel’s military aggression against Iran, calling for a peaceful resolution to Tehran’s nuclear program dispute in an earlier statement.
Dar was speaking at a special session convened at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Istanbul.
Pakistan has consistently called on the international community to rein in Israel, especially since it launched military operations in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, that have killed over 55,000 people there.
“Excellencies, double standards are on full display when it comes to Israel,” Dar said during a televised session at the special OIC meeting.
“There is no talk of the rule of law, the rules-based international order or consequences for illegal actions. This impunity must end.”
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, told OIC member states that Israel’s action against Iran is part of a “dangerous and consistent pattern of militarism” that it has demonstrated across the Middle East.
“Israeli aggression represents a dangerous escalation, and is a serious threat to peace and stability, not only of the region, but of the wider world as well,” he noted.
The Iran-Israel conflict began on June 13 when Tel Aviv targeted Iran’s military leadership and nuclear facilities through air strikes, saying the country was close to developing an atomic weapon.
Iran denied the allegations, saying its civil nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and has since then retaliated with missile attacks.
Ten days of continuous conflict between the Middle East foes have killed at least 400 people in Iran and injured 3,000, according to Iran’s health ministry, while the death toll in Israel from Iran’s retaliatory strikes remains at 24.
QUETTA: Five militants were killed while two Balochistan Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel were injured during a counterterror operation in southwestern Pakistan this week, CTD said.
The CTD said its personnel conducted an intelligence-based operation in Jungle Pir Alizai area of Balochistan’s volatile Killah Abdullah district on Saturday when the exchange between the Pakistani Taliban or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and law enforcers took place.
“In an exchange of fire, five suspected terrorists were killed,” the CTD spokesperson said in a statement released Saturday night. “Weapons and explosives were recovered from the terrorists during the operation,” it added.
CTD said maps of “sensitive locations” and other items were also recovered from the slain militants, adding that they were involved in militant activities in Pishin and Killa Abdullah districts.
The TTP has launched some of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and southwestern Balochistan provinces targeting civilians and law enforcers since 2007.
Pakistan has suffered a surge in militant attacks in KP and Balochistan since November 2022 when peace talks between the state and the TTP broke down.
Pakistan blames the Afghan government in Kabul for sheltering TTP militants that carry out attacks against Islamabad. The Afghan Taliban deny the allegations and have urged Islamabad to resolve its security challenges internally.
The TTP has mainly carried out its operations in KP though it has also targeted Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land mass yet its most backward by almost all social and economic indicators.
Balochistan has been rocked by a low-level insurgency for decades, where ethnic Baloch separatists accuse Islamabad of denying locals a share in the province’s natural and mineral resources.
Pakistan denies the allegations and says it is carrying out several health, educational and development projects in the province.
ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) confirmed on Sunday it has advised oil marketing companies to maintain their mandatory 20-day stock levels, clarifying the country holds “sufficient stocks” of petroleum products as the Iran-Israel conflict intensifies.
Local media outlets reported this week that Pakistani authorities have accelerated oil imports as the Iran-Israel conflict rages on. The conflict took a turn for the worse early Sunday after the US military struck three sites in Iran, inserting itself into Israel’s war aimed at destroying the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit that could spark a wider regional conflict.
Experts have warned of spiraling inflation and global oil supply constraints due to the ongoing Middle East conflict. Concern is focused on potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one‑fifth of global oil transits, and weak supply growth from Iran, which produces about 3.3 million barrels per day. Analysts caution any sustained spike could drive up global freight rates, insurance premiums and inflation, particularly in energy‑importing countries like Pakistan.
“The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has confirmed that the country currently holds sufficient stocks of petroleum products to meet existing demand,” OGRA spokesperson Imran Ghaznavi said in a statement.
“However, in view of anticipated future requirements and the prevailing market situation, OGRA has formally advised all Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to ensure the maintenance of their mandatory 20-day stock levels, in line with the conditions stipulated in their respective licenses.”
The spokesperson said OGRA remains committed to monitoring the ongoing situation in the Middle East closely and will continue to take “proactive steps” to ensure national energy security.
Pakistan relies heavily on imported oil, meaning that any sustained spike in prices could widen its current account deficit and push inflation higher at a time when the country is struggling with low foreign reserves and slow growth.
The Israel-Iran conflict started on June 13 when Israel launched a massive wave of attacks targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities but also hitting residential areas, sparking retaliation and fears of a broader regional conflict.
Over 400, mostly civilians have been killed in Iran so far, while Israel has reported 24 civilian deaths in retaliatory strikes by Tehran and over 1,200 injured.
Pakistan has condemned Israel’s strikes against Iran and has called on world powers to intervene for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East through dialogue and diplomacy.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been re-elected to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) human rights commission from 2025-2028, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said this week, thanking member states for their support.
The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) is an expert body with advisory capacity established by the OIC as one of the principal organs working independently in human rights.
Since it was launched in 2011, the commission has deliberated on important issues such as the rights of women and children, the right to development, combating Islamophobia, extremism and intolerance as well as human rights situations in different countries.
“Pakistan has been re-elected today to the OIC-Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) for the period 2025-2028 on the sidelines of ongoing meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul,” Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, wrote on X on Saturday.
#Pakistan has been re-elected today to OIC-Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) for the period 2025-2028 on the sidelines of ongoing meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul. Ambassador(R) Ms Riffat Masood will represent at the Commission. We…
Dar said former Pakistani ambassador Riffat Masood will represent Pakistan at the Commission.
“We thank the Member States for their support & commend IPHRC’s vital role in promoting respect for Human Rights globally,” the Pakistani minister concluded.
At the 51st session of the OIC’s CFM in Istanbul, Dar voiced alarm over escalating tensions in the Middle East, blaming Israel’s military actions in Gaza and recent strikes in Iran for deepening instability and humanitarian crisis in the region.
The high-level conference was held at a moment of crisis for several OIC member states. Two of the bloc’s key countries — Pakistan and Iran — have recently experienced military escalations with regional rivals.
“Israeli aggression against Iran is not an isolated event,” Dar said in his address to the forum on Saturday night. “It is part of a dangerous and consistent pattern of militarism that Israel has demonstrated across the Middle East.”
