Pakistan says no basis for US objection to construction of Iran gas pipeline

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Updated 07 March 2024
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Pakistan says no basis for US objection to construction of Iran gas pipeline

  • On February 23, the Pakistani cabinet approved the construction of an 80-kilometer segment of the gas pipeline
  • $7.5-billion project has faced repeated delays since it was conceived in 1990s to connect Iran to Pakistan and India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday it had decided to initiate work on an 80-kilometer-long segment of the Pakistan-Iran pipeline, with “no room for any objections” from a third party like the United States since the project was being constructed within Pakistani territory.

The $7.5-billion project for 2,775-kilometer (1,724 mi) pipeline has faced repeated delays since it was conceived in the 1990s to connect Iran’s giant South Pars gas field to consumers in energy-hungry Pakistan and India.

Pakistan has pursued the pipeline as a way of alleviating severe energy shortages that have crippled the economy. At the same time, Islamabad badly needs the billions of dollars it receives in aid from the United States, which has steadfastly opposed the project, saying it could violate sanctions imposed on Iran over nuclear activities Washington suspects are aimed at developing an atom bomb. Iran denies this.

On February 23, Pakistan approved construction of part of the pipeline amid fears of a potential $18 billion penalty for failing to complete the project on time.

“The cabinet of Pakistan decided, a few days ago, to start work on 80 kilometers of Pakistan-Iran pipeline, and this is the beginning of construction of the pipeline and it is in conformity with our commitment to the Iran-Pakistan pipeline,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, foreign office spokesperson, said at a weekly briefing on Thursday, in response to a question on whether Islamabad had contacted Washington on the decision to begin constructing the pipeline.

“And since this pipeline is being constructed inside Pakistani territory, we do not believe there is room for any objections by any third party at this stage.”

India, unlike Pakistan, quit the project in 2009, citing costs and security issues — a year after it signed a nuclear deal with Washington.

Pakistan, for its part, has made little progress on its section of the line for lack of funds and warnings it could be in violation of US sanctions on Iran, which sits on the world’s largest reserves of gas. Iran has spent hundreds of millions of dollars and nearly completed the 900-km (560 mile) pipeline to the Pakistan border.

WAR IN GAZA

Speaking on the situation in Gaza, Baloch said Pakistan welcomed the extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held on Wednesday in Jeddah, and supported CFM’s “strong condemnation” of Israeli aggression against civilians in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Territory.

Israel has killed over 30,000 Palestinian men, women, and children since October 2023, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, while over 72,100 Palestinians have been injured in the war, which Israel refuses to call off despite growing calls from Muslim states, the United Nations, and global peace activists.

“The CFM has held the occupying power fully responsible for the ongoing genocide of civilians in Gaza and we join their call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and cessation of Israeli aggression and the provision of unimpeded and adequate humanitarian, medical, and relief programs,” the spokesperson said, adding that Pakistan had also called for the provision of water and electricity and the opening of humanitarian corridors to deliver urgent aid.

“As we move toward the holy month of Ramadan, we call for urgent relief to the people of Palestine and unrestricted access to Palestinians to pray in the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque,” she added.

Baloch said Pakistan believed that the UN Security Council was mandated under the UN Charter to play its role in bringing an end to Israeli aggression. 

“We have been engaged with all members of the United Nations Security Council and we have urged them to play their part in bringing an end to this atrocity,” she added.

The spokesperson said the main hurdle in the provision of assistance was Israeli authorities who had closed the normal routes for the provision of assistance, including the Rafah border.

Baloch said Pakistan has sent six shipments of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, five of them through the Rafah border and one which was airdropped with the help of Jordanian authorities. 

“Our assistance has been in the form of medicines, tents, and food,” she added.


Pakistani forces kill five militants in intelligence-based operation in northwest

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Pakistani forces kill five militants in intelligence-based operation in northwest

  • Operation took place a day after more than a dozen atomic energy workers were abducted in Lakki Marwat
  • The prime minister lauds the professionalism of security forces, saying the whole nation stands with them

KARACHI: Pakistani security forces killed five militants in an intelligence-based operation on Friday in the volatile northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a statement by the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The operation comes amid a surge in militant violence in the region, which Pakistan has attributed to cross-border attacks from Afghanistan by groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Afghan authorities have denied these allegations.
The operation followed an incident a day earlier when armed militants abducted 17 Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission workers and their driver in the restive Lakki Marwat district. Eight of them were freed after a few hours.
“On 10 January 2024, Security Forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in general area Maddi, Dera Ismail Khan District on reported presence of khwarij [TTP militants],” the ISPR said in the statement.
“During conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged khwarij’s location,” it continued, adding that five of them, including their ring leader, Shafiullah alias Shafi, were killed as a result.
Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the militants, who were involved in attacks on security forces and the targeted killings of civilians, the statement said.
Subsequently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the professionalism of security officials, vowing to continue the fight against militancy until it was eradicated from the country.
He said the whole nation stood united with the security forces.
“The entire country pays tribute to the bravery of our security personnel who risk their lives to combat these enemies of the state,” he added.


Four bodies recovered from coal mine in Pakistan’s southwest after deadly methane explosion

Updated 59 min 49 sec ago
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Four bodies recovered from coal mine in Pakistan’s southwest after deadly methane explosion

  • Twelve coalminers were trapped after the explosion on Thursday, with little chances of finding anyone alive
  • Mines in Balochistan are known for hazardous working conditions, where such accidents are not uncommon

QUETTA: Rescue teams in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province have retrieved four bodies from a coal mine following a methane gas explosion a day earlier in the Sanjdi coal field, about 40 kilometers from Quetta, which left a dozen miners trapped inside the mine.
According to a senior official of the provincial mining department overseeing the rescue work, the search for the other miners is still ongoing, though he maintained the chances of finding anyone alive were almost negligible.
Rescue teams from the mining department and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) have been working for the last 19 hours with heavy machinery.
“We have recovered four bodies after nearly 24 hours of the incident,” Abdul Ghani, Chief Inspector Mines Balochistan, told Arab News. “The workers were digging coal 4,000 feet inside the mine, and we have recovered the bodies at 3,000 feet. The search for other workers is still underway.”
Responding to a question, he said the entire mine had caved in due to the intensity of the explosion.
“An excavator from Quetta reached the site at midnight, and we succeeded in opening the mouth of the mine this morning,” he said.
“The mining department will conduct a thorough investigation to assess what kind of safety measures were put in place by the private mine owners,” he added.
Many coal mines in the province are operated by private companies, often under lease agreements with the government.
Ghani said that 11 of the miners were from Shangla, a town in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, while one was a resident of Balochistan.
Mines in Balochistan are known for hazardous working conditions and poor safety standards, where deadly incidents are not uncommon.
According to the provincial mining department, 82 coal miners working on different projects were killed in Balochistan last year in 46 reported mining accidents.


Al-Azhar University to establish campus in Pakistan, says Egyptian grand mufti

Updated 10 January 2025
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Al-Azhar University to establish campus in Pakistan, says Egyptian grand mufti

  • Founded in 970 CE, Al-Azhar is known for its scholarship in theology, jurisprudence and Arabic studies
  • The grand mufti also asked Pakistan to send scholars to Egypt to benefit from the institution’s expertise

ISLAMABAD: Egyptian Grand Mufti Dr. Nazir Mohamed Ayad announced Friday Al-Azhar University, a renowned center of Islamic learning, plans to establish a campus in Pakistan, a move welcomed by Education Minister Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, who pledged full government support during their meeting in Islamabad.
Founded in Cairo in 970 CE, Al-Azhar is celebrated for its rigorous scholarship in Islamic theology, jurisprudence, Arabic studies and modern sciences. With a legacy spanning over a millennium, the university is a key authority on Islamic thought and attracts students globally.
The discussion on branching out into Pakistan took place during a meeting between the two officials, which was also attended by the Egyptian ambassador to Pakistan.
“Dr. Nazir Mohamed Ayad, Grand Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt, thanked the federal minister for his warm welcome and said that Al-Azhar University will establish its campus in Pakistan,” read an official statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Federal Education.
“He said it is important that people learn the Arabic language to understand the true teachings of Islam,” it continued.
The Pakistani minister highlighted the deep cultural and historical ties his country shared with Egypt, both of which, he noted, were part of the world’s oldest civilizations. Siddiqui described Al-Azhar University as a beacon of Islamic scholarship, expressing his aspiration to visit the institution in Cairo.
During the meeting, he also highlighted Pakistan’s upcoming International Girls Conference, scheduled for January 11-12, which aims to promote girls’ education in Islamic countries.
“It is a misconception that Islam does not allow women’s education,” Siddiqui said, emphasizing Pakistan’s commitment to ensuring equal educational opportunities for women.
The Grand Mufti noted that over 40 percent of Al-Azhar University’s students were female. He also encouraged Pakistan to send scholars to Egypt to benefit from the institution’s expertise.
Al-Azhar’s operations are primarily based in Egypt, where it has campuses in several cities. Internationally, the university extends its influence by offering scholarships to students who disseminate its teachings upon returning to their home countries.
The university has also collaborated with educational institutions worldwide and established cultural centers to promote Islamic studies and the Arabic language.
In 2022, Pakistan’s late religious affairs minister, Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, announced plans to open a campus in Lahore.
The initiative, which included Al-Azhar providing faculty, curriculum and textbooks, was to be administratively managed by Pakistan.


Pakistan receives over 22,000 applications for 4,500 scholarships for Afghan students

Updated 10 January 2025
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Pakistan receives over 22,000 applications for 4,500 scholarships for Afghan students

  • The scholarships were announced in July last year under the Allama Iqbal Scholarship program, amid ongoing tensions between the two countries
  • The program, which covers tuition fees, accommodation and monthly stipend, offers scholarships in medical, engineering, agriculture and other fields

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has received more than 22,000 applications for 4,500 scholarships it announced for Afghan students last year, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan said on Friday.
The scholarships were announced in July last year under the Allama Iqbal Scholarship program, amid ongoing tensions between the two countries that prompted Islamabad to launch a deportation drive targeting unregistered Afghans in late 2023.
The program, which covers tuition fees, accommodation and a monthly stipend for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral studies at Pakistani universities, was introduced in 2009 to strengthen bilateral ties between the two neighboring states.
In a statement issued from his office, Pakistan’s special representative Sadiq Khan said this is the third phase of the program that will offer fully funded scholarships in medical, engineering, agriculture and other fields over the next three years.
“This month, over 22,000 applicants will take an online test, followed by interviews for final selection. The entire process will conclude within 45 days,” he said.
“Notably, 33 percent of the scholarship seats are reserved for female students.”
Pakistan last year announced the scholarships on the same day its federal cabinet approved the extension of registration cards for 1.5 million Afghan refugees for another year.
Ties between the two countries have been strained because of a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan’s western regions that border Afghanistan.
The attacks particularly surged after the breakdown of a fragile truce between the Pakistani government and the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Nov. 2022.
Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.
The two countries also conducted cross-border strikes in each other’s territory last month in the latest escalation of hostilities along the border.


Pakistan hopes for stronger ties with Lebanon as Joseph Aoun elected president

Updated 10 January 2025
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Pakistan hopes for stronger ties with Lebanon as Joseph Aoun elected president

  • Aoun’s election came weeks after a ceasefire deal halted a 14-month conflict between Israel, Lebanese group Hezbollah
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan values its ties with Lebanon and looks forward to strengthen bilateral cooperation

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday congratulated Joseph Aoun for being elected as the new president of Lebanon, expressing Pakistan’s interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation between both countries.
Aoun’s election came weeks after a tenuous ceasefire agreement halted a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and at a time when Lebanon’s leaders are seeking international assistance for reconstruction.
Aoun, no relation to former President Michel, was widely seen as the preferred candidate of the United States, whose assistance Lebanon will need as it seeks to rebuild.
In his message on X, Sharif wished Aoun success in his endeavors to lead Lebanon toward peace, stability and prosperity.
“Pakistan values its ties with Lebanon and looks forward to strengthen our bilateral cooperation,” the Pakistan prime minister said.
Pakistan and Lebanon share close relations. In December, Lebanon helped Islamabad safely evacuate around 300 Pakistani nationals stranded in Syria and transport them back home via chartered flights from Beirut.
Pakistan has also sent several relief consignments for the people of Lebanon during Israel’s bombardment of the Middle Eastern country.