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Pakistanis among over 60,000 intercepted at Slovenia border crossings in 2023 — police

Trucks in convoy await inspection by Slovenian police at the Obrezje border crossing between Slovenia and Croatia, on October 21, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 13 January 2024
AFP
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Pakistanis among over 60,000 intercepted at Slovenia border crossings in 2023 — police

  • Almost all of them entered from Croatia, marking 84% increase of illegal migration across Croatian border
  • Slovenia re-introduced checks along its borders in October, following similar moves by other EU countries
Updated 13 January 2024
AFP

Ljubljana: Slovenia intercepted almost twice as many people crossing its border irregularly last year compared to 2022, with most of them coming from new Schengen member Croatia, according to police statistics seen Friday. 

Slovenia re-introduced checks along its borders in October, following similar moves by other EU countries, amid a surge in crossings. 

Neighbouring Croatia, which has one of the EU’s longest land borders, has long been a magnet for undocumented asylum seekers and migrants hoping to enter the bloc. 

Joining the visa-free Schengen zone last year, it has registered 40 percent more irregular crossings in 2023 year-on-year, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said in late December. 

Slovenia intercepted 60,587 people in 2023, up from 32,024 people in 2022, police said on their website. 

The largest groups were from Afghanistan, Morocco and Pakistan. 

Almost all of them, 96 percent, entered from Croatia, marking a 84 percent increase of illegal migration across the Croatian border, police said. 

Irregular border crossings have also been rising elsewhere in the European Union. 

Last month, the bloc agreed to an overhaul of its asylum system that includes more border detention centers and speedier deportations. 

While EU governments hailed the preliminary accord as “historic,” migrant and refugee charities have slammed the changes as dangerous.

Topics: Slovenia Pakistan border crossings Arab News Pakistan

Aid reaches remote Pakistan valley hit by sectarian clashes

Updated 14 sec ago
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Aid reaches remote Pakistan valley hit by sectarian clashes

  • Residents have reported food, medicine shortages in parts of northwestern Kurram district
  • Government is struggling to end a reignited decades-old feud between rival communities
Updated 14 sec ago
AFP

PESHAWAR: Aid flights landed in a remote Pakistan valley on Tuesday where thousands of people are stranded because of sectarian clashes that have killed more than 200 people since July.

Residents have reported food and medicine shortages in parts of Kurram district, which borders Afghanistan, as the government struggles to end a reignited feud between Sunni and Shiite Muslims stemming from decades-old tensions over farmland.

Sher Gul, the head of private welfare organization Edhi, said they would make several flights a day from the city of Peshawar to the valley for the rest of the week, depending on weather.

“We plan to bring around three wounded back on each flight... and deliver medicines for the injured,” he told AFP.

Various truces have been announced since the latest round of fighting began, as elders from the two sides negotiate a lasting agreement.

In the meantime, the government has shut down key roads in and out of the district in an attempt to quell the violence, after a security convoy escorting residents was attacked in November, leaving more than 40 dead.

Mobile and Internet services are also disrupted in the area.

Members of the Shiite community are also particularly vulnerable as they must pass through Sunni-majority neighborhoods to reach essential services. 

At least 133 people have been killed and 177 wounded in sporadic clashes since November 21.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 79 people had been killed in the region between July and October.

Police have regularly struggled to control violence in Kurram, which was part of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas until it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018. The feuding is generally rekindled by disputes over land in the rugged mountainous region, and fueled by underlying tensions between the communities adhering to different sects of Islam.

Topics: kurram district

Two policemen killed, three injured in suspected militant attack on checkpoint in Pakistan

Updated 21 min 10 sec ago
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Two policemen killed, three injured in suspected militant attack on checkpoint in Pakistan

  • Gunmen attacked a check post in Shangla district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with guns and hand grenades
  • Such attacks are rising in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with most claimed by Pakistan’s indigenous Taliban movement
Updated 21 min 10 sec ago
REHMAT MEHSUD

PESHAWAR: Two policemen were killed and three injured in an attack on a check post in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the latest incident of suspected militant violence in the restive region bordering Afghanistan, police said on Tuesday.

Such attacks have been on the rise in KP in recent months, with most claimed by Pakistan’s indigenous Taliban movement, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and other militant groups that target security forces’ convoys and check posts and carry out daily targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials. 

The TTP is a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban who rule Kabul.

“At around 11pm last night [Monday], terrorists attacked a check post which left two police officers martyred, and three policemen injured,” police official Maqbool Ahmed told Arab News on Tuesday, saying the assault took place in the Chakesar area of the province’s Shangla district, with militants hurling hand grenades at the post and opening fire in a drive-by attack.

No group has as yet claimed the attack.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, a report published in state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said, identifying the deceased cops as Assistant Sub Inspector Hassan Khan and Head Constable Nisar Khan.

Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups like the TTP, urging the administration there to prevent its territory from being used by armed factions to launch cross-border attacks. 

The Afghan Taliban deny the charge, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter.

Topics: militancy in Pakistan

Gaza, Lebanon in focus as Pakistani leaders head to summit of D-8 developing nations

Updated 17 December 2024
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Gaza, Lebanon in focus as Pakistani leaders head to summit of D-8 developing nations

  • D-8 summit in Cairo from Dec 18-20 will see gathering of leaders from eight countries to promote economic cooperation 
  • PM to attend special session on Gaza where Israeli military campaign has killed over 46,000 people since Oct. 7 last year
Updated 17 December 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will participate in the Eleventh Summit of the Developing Eight (D-8) countries being held in Egypt from Dec. 18-20 where Israel’s military offensive on Gaza and the humanitarian crisis and reconstruction efforts in the besieged enclave as well as neighboring Lebanon will be at the center of discussions, the foreign office said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will leave for Egypt tomorrow, Wednesday, for the main summit while Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar left today, Tuesday, to attend the 21st Session of the D-8 Council of Ministers on Dec. 18. 

The D-8 Summit is a gathering of leaders from eight developing countries including Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkiye. It aims to promote economic cooperation and development among member states, with a focus on areas like trade, energy, agriculture, and transportation.

Besides addressing the summit and holding bilateral meetings on the sidelines, Sharif will attend a special session on the humanitarian crisis and reconstruction challenges in Gaza and Lebanon following Israel military offensives in the Middle East since October last year. 

“He will underline Pakistan’s principled position on the situation in Palestine and call for peace in the Middle East,” the foreign office said.

Health officials in the Gaza Strip said on Monday the death toll from the 14-month war between Israel and Hamas had topped 45,000 people. 

The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The theme of this year’s D-8 Summit is “Investing in Youth and Supporting SMEs: Shaping Tomorrow’s Economy.”

“At the Summit, the Prime Minister will underline the importance of investing in youth and SMEs for building a strong and inclusive economy; creating jobs; advancing innovation; and promoting local entrepreneurship,” the foreign office said.

“He will express Pakistan’s strong commitment to the ideals of D-8; underscore the importance of fostering partnerships for mutual benefit and prosperity; and promoting cooperation in agriculture, food security and tourism. He will also underline Pakistan’s incentives for youth empowerment and financial development.”

Topics: pakistan palestine ties Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif developing eight countries

Pakistani, Saudi interior ministers discuss security, narcotics control cooperation in Riyadh

Updated 17 December 2024
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Pakistani, Saudi interior ministers discuss security, narcotics control cooperation in Riyadh

  • Naqvi’s meeting with interior minister follows meeting with head of Saudi General Directorate of Narcotics Control
  • Naqvi arrived in Riyadh on Sunday as the longtime allies seek to forge closer economic, investment and security ties
Updated 17 December 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Interior, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, in Riyadh on Tuesday and discussed security cooperation and joint narcotics control measures. 

Naqvi’s meeting with the Saudi interior minister follows a meeting on Monday with Major General Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Qarni, the head of the Kingdom’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC). 

Naqvi arrived in Riyadh on Sunday to discuss bilateral ties as both countries seek closer economic, investment and security ties.

“The ministers discussed security cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” the Pakistani interior ministry said in a statement. “Prince Abdulaziz and Mohsin Naqvi also discussed measures to combat drug smuggling and other issues of mutual interest. The meeting included discussions on enhancing cooperation in narcotics control.”

On Sunday, Naqvi also met with the Kingdom’s Director of Public Security, Lt. Gen. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Bassami, and inspected various departments of the state-of-the-art Directorate of Public Security and the Safe City Center.

“During the meeting, it was agreed to activate the joint task force [on public security] between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia soon,” the Pakistani interior ministry said in a statement, with Naqvi adding that he was glad to see “excellent” public security mechanisms in Saudi Arabia and both sides could benefit from each other’s experiences in the field of police training.

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Arabia ties Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi

Hajj application deadline for Pakistan government scheme expires today

Updated 17 December 2024
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Hajj application deadline for Pakistan government scheme expires today

  • With 79,000 Hajj applications received by Dec. 10, 10,605 slots remained vacant under government scheme
  • Ministry said it would continue receiving applications on “first-come, first-served basis for few thousand vacant seats”
Updated 17 December 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The last day to submit applications for Hajj 2025 at designated banks under the Pakistan federal government scheme is today, Tuesday, the ministry of religious affairs said in a statement. 

Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj, to be divided equally between the government and private schemes. The government last week extended the deadline for the submission of Hajj applications for government scheme slots from Dec. 3 to Dec. 10.

On Dec. 10, the ministry of religious affairs said it had so far received 79,000 applicants and announced that it would continue receiving submissions on “a first-come, first-served basis for a few thousand vacant seats.”

“December 17 will be the last day for submitting Hajj applications at designated banks,” the religious affairs ministry said on Monday. “All applications received by December 17 will be considered successful.”

The religious affairs ministry announced this year’s Hajj policy last month, allowing pilgrims to pay Hajj fees in installments for the first time. The first installment of Rs200,000 ($717) must be deposited along with the application while the second installment of Rs400,000 ($1,435) has to be submitted between Dec. 19-27. The remaining amount has to be deposited by Feb. 10 next year.

Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry has launched the ‘Pak Hajj 2025’ mobile application to guide and facilitate pilgrims. The app is available for both Android and iPhone users.

The Pakistan government has also announced a reduction in airfare for Hajj 2025, with a Rs14,000 ($50) drop in ticket prices. Pilgrims enrolled in the federal program will now pay Rs220,000 for airfare, down from last year’s Rs234,000. 

The national flag carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Saudi Airlines and other private airlines have agreed to the relief package, according to the Pakistan government.

With 79,000 Hajj applications received by Dec. 10, 10,605 slots remained vacant under the government scheme. Last year, Pakistan surrendered 21,000 Hajj seats to Saudi Arabia due to a shortage of applications, but this year the government hopes all slots can be filled.

Topics: Hajj applications Hajj 2025 Pakistan Hajj mission

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