ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir visited the impoverished and insurgency-prone Balochistan province in southwestern Pakistan on Friday, interacting with farmers and evaluating the security situation, while emphasizing the region’s development as imperative for the success of the entire country.
Balochistan, which lies at the heart of Pakistan’s economic development plans, has been a scene of low-level insurgency for several decades.
Despite being rich in natural resources like gas, oil and minerals, the province remains one of the poorest places in Pakistan, prompting a separatist movement by armed nationalist groups that accused the central government in Islamabad for not letting the region get its fair share of the wealth.
Baloch nationals have also blamed Pakistani security forces for enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, though these allegations have been frequently denied by the country’s civilian and military authorities.
The army chief visited Balochistan’s Awaran district earlier in the day where he was briefed about the efforts made by the security forces to ensure the socioeconomic development and enhancement of the province’s agriculture potential.
“Success of Balochistan is success of Pakistan,” he was quoted as saying in an official statement released by the military’s media wing, ISPR. “People of Pakistan are proud of the brave people of Balochistan who have stood tall against all odds. Armed Forces of Pakistan and Law Enforcement Agencies will continue to render their services in support of the people of Balochistan for peace and prosperity.”
General Munir interacted with the local elders and farmers in the area, emphasizing the significance of agriculture and the army’s commitment to the Green Pakistan Initiative, an environmental project aimed at combating climate change and deforestation in the country.
He said that farmers would be given all kinds of agricultural facilities, including the provision of easy loans, seeds, fertilizers, solar tube wells and guidance from experts, to help them cultivate their lands and become partners in the progress and development of their country.
The army chief also inaugurated Cadet College Awaran and interacted with its students and faculty members.
General Munir was received by the corps commander of the Balochistan Corps upon arrival to the district.
Pakistan’s army chief visits Balochistan, stresses region’s development as key to country’s success
https://arab.news/b7dkw
Pakistan’s army chief visits Balochistan, stresses region’s development as key to country’s success
- General Munir was briefed about the efforts made by the security forces to ensure the region’s socioeconomic development
- He promises all agricultural facilities to farmers to help them cultivate their lands and become partners in country’s progress
Pakistani films attracted ‘biggest’ Eid collections in 5 years, says largest cinema chain
- Romantic comedy ‘Love Guru’s’ team says it collected Rs 12.8 crores [$457,143] during first three days of Eid Al-Adha
- Pakistani flick ‘Deemak’ generated around Rs4 crores [$142,000] in first five days of its release, says Cinepax Cinemas
KARACHI: Pakistani films that released on the Eid Al-Adha last week attracted the highest Eid box office collections in five years, the sales and marketing head of the country’s largest cinema chain said on Friday.
Pakistani romantic comedy ‘Love Guru,’ starring acting powerhouses Humayun Saeed and Mahira Khan released in cinemas worldwide on Eid-ul-Adha. The other prominent Pakistani movie that released in theaters across the world was “Deemak,” a horror movie with A-list actors Faysal Qureshi, Sonya Hussyn and Samina Peerzada starring in lead roles.
As per official figures released by Love Guru, the Pakistani film collected Rs 12.8 crores [$457,143] in Pakistan during the first three days of Eid Al-Adha, making it the biggest ever Eid weekend opener in the country.
“If we look at Eid [film] business since Covid, we did the biggest business this year [on Eid],” Adnan Ali Khan, the sales and marketing head of Cinepax Cinemas, told Arab News. “Meaning highest in five years.”
He said this does not include The Legend of Maula Jatt film, which enjoyed record-breaking box office business but was not released on Eid.
“Love Guru got 50 percent of the shows and that is why it generated huge numbers,” Khan explained, adding that Deemak was the second-best performing film on Eid while Hollywood flick “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina” secured the third-highest collections.
Khan said since Love Guru was released worldwide, the international box office collections for the opening weekend were clocked in at Rs15.4 crores [$546,000]. This means the film raked in a total of Rs28.2 crores [$999,186] in the first three days of the release.
After the first five days of its release, Love Guru has collected Rs19.10 crores [$676,500] locally while Deemak has generated around Rs4 crores [$142,000] at the box office, Khan said.
However, there have been speculations around the authenticity of these figures, particularly at the local box office. There hasn’t been an official detailed division of box office collections in cinemas across Pakistan.
Pakistani film critic Kamran Jawaid, however, brushed aside claims these figures were fabricated.
‘ONLY FOR THE DELUDED’
“When the audience comes out of cinemas in droves at seven in the morning — and that too from multiple shows — then countering claims about fabricated figures is only for the deluded,” Jawaid told Arab News.
He said the high footfall in cinemas across the country puts to rest the opinion that attendances at cinemas are too low due to expensive ticket prices or that audiences no longer harbor interest in Pakistani movie.
“One just has to make movies that people are willing to shell money out on, whether it is Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning, which also ran shows till morning two weeks before Eid, or Love Guru,” Jawaid said.
The Pakistani film critic broke down the numbers based on the number of screens and seating capacity of Pakistani cinemas.
“Although not big, counting all 91 screens, Pakistan’s total seating capacity is a little above 21,000, which equates to 21 million in ticket sales per show/slot, with an average ticket price of a thousand,” he said.
“An average of four shows per day leads to 84 million in gross income. Depending on the number of screens a film like Love Guru gets — which is roughly between 30-40 percent of the country — per-day estimates range between 25 to 33 million in gross receipts,” Jawaid explained.
“Given that the tickets are selling hot, one cannot refute the legitimacy of the quoted figures.”
Khan said the movies garnered the highest numbers at its cinemas in Packages Mall in Lahore, followed by Jinnah Park in Rawalpindi.
“We are running late night shows every day,” Khan said, adding that the coming weekend was also expected to feature “packed” theaters as the cinemas have bookings in advance.
“We need four Pakistani movies like Love Guru every year,” he said. “However, Deemak has started gaining momentum now alongside Love Guru.”
Deemak distributor Nadeem Mandviwalla said the film has collected Rs5.58 crores [$197,200] in six days while it is expected to cross Rs7 crores [$248,000] by the end of this week.
“It is a very encouraging figure for Deemak,” Mandviwalla said.
Jawaid, however, looked toward the future of Pakistani cinema.
“Pakistan’s cinema needs one Love Guru a month to revive audience’s interest,” he said.
In fresh alert, US advises citizens against traveling to northwest Pakistan citing security threats
- US mission advises American government personnel to travel in northwestern Pakistan in armored vehicles and with armed escorts
- Pakistani Taliban militants have frequently targeted security forces and civilians via gun attacks and bomb blast in KP in recent months
KARACHI: The US Mission in Pakistan this week issued a security alert for its nationals in the country, warning them against traveling to the volatile northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province citing frequent attacks by “terrorist and insurgent groups.”
Pakistan has recently experienced a significant surge in militant violence, particularly in its western provinces of KP and Balochistan, where groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) have targeted civilians and security forces.
The TTP has frequently targeted security convoys and checkpoints apart from being linked to a rise in targeted killings and abductions of law enforcement personnel and government officials in KP recent months. In March this year, the US declared a Level 4 threat for KP, advising nationals not to travel there.
“Do not travel to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which includes the former FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas] for any reason,” a statement from the US Mission, shared by the US embassy and consulates in Pakistan, said.
“Active terrorist and insurgent groups routinely conduct attacks against civilians, non-governmental organizations, government offices, and security services personnel (police and military).”
The alert said these militants have targeted government officials and civilians, with frequent incidents of assassinations and kidnappings, including attacks on polio vaccination teams in the past.
The US Mission urged American government personnel to travel in armored vehicles with armed escorts whether on official or personal trips to northwestern Pakistan.
“Additional restrictions on movements can occur suddenly and at any time, depending on local circumstances and security conditions,” it said.
Pakistan was ranked as the world’s second-most affected country by “terrorism,” according to a global index published by the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace, which assessed 163 countries covering 99.7 percent of the global population.
Pakistan set to hold rates, dollar bonds slide in shadow of Israel-Iran conflict
- Several brokerages initially expected a cut but revised their forecasts after Israeli strikes sparked fears of a broader conflict
- Long-dated dollar bonds for Israel, Egypt, Pakistan slipped Friday, Israel’s shekel tumbled following Iran strikes
KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank is expected to hold its policy rate on Monday, a Reuters poll showed, as many analysts shifted their previous view of a cut in the wake of Israel’s military strike on Iran, citing inflation risks from rising global commodity prices.
Israel said on Friday it targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders in a “preemptive strike” to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.
Several brokerages had initially expected a cut but revised their forecasts after the Israeli strikes sparked fears of a broader conflict. The escalating hostilities triggered a sharp spike in oil prices — a worry for Pakistan given the broader impact on imported inflation from a potentially prolonged conflict and tightening of crude supplies.
Eleven of 14 respondents in a snap poll expected the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to leave the benchmark rate unchanged at 12 percent. Two forecast a 100 basis-point cut and one predicted a 50 bps cut.
“There remains an upside risk of a rise in global commodity prices in light of geopolitical tensions which could mark a return to inflationary pressures,” said Ahmad Mobeen, senior economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“The resultant higher import bill could also threaten external sector performance and bring pressure to the exchange rate.”
Inflation in the South Asian country has been declining for several months after it soared to around 40 percent in May 2023.
Last month, however, inflation picked up to 3.5 percent, above the finance ministry’s projection of up to 2 percent, partly due to the fading of the year-go base effects. The SBP expects average inflation between 5.5 percent and 7.5 percent for the fiscal year ending June.
The central bank paused its easing cycle in March after cumulative cuts of 1,000 basis points from a record high of 22 percent, and resumed it with a 100-basis-point reduction in May.
The policy meeting follows the release a tight annual budget, which saw Pakistan raise defense spending by 20 percent but overall expenditure was reduced by 7 percent, with GDP growth forecast at 4.2 percent.
Pakistan says its $350 billion economy has stabilized under a $7 billion IMF bailout that had helped it staved a default threat.
Some analysts are skeptical of the government’s ability to reach the growth target amid fiscal and external challenges.
Abdul Azeem, head of research at Al Habib Capital Markets, which forecast a 50-bp cut, said a lower rate could “support the GDP target of 4.2 percent and reduce the debt financing burden.”
Separately, long-dated dollar bonds for Israel, Egypt and Pakistan slipped on Friday, and Israel’s shekel tumbled following the Iran air strikes.
The shekel was 2 percent weaker by 0713 GMT standing at 3.63 to the dollar after touching 6.793 in overnight trade, its softest in seven weeks.
Israel’s bond maturing in 2140 shed 1.45 cents, to be bid at 65.61 cents on the dollar, while Egypt’s 2049 bond fell nearly 2 cents to be bid at 77.36. Pakistan’s 2031 bond fell just over 1 cent to be bid at 78.61 cents.
Pakistan condemns ‘illegitimate aggression’ as Israel launches widescale strikes on Iran
- Israel hits nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders in operation to prevent Tehran from building atomic weapon
- 200 Israeli jets took part in strikes and hit over 100 targets, military spokesman says, Tehran launches 100 drones toward Israel in retaliation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday condemned what it called Israel’s “unjustified and illegitimate aggression” against Iran after strikes targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders as part of an operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.
Israel launched strikes on Iran early Friday, with black smoke rising from around its main nuclear enrichment facility. Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards corps said its top commander, Hossein Salami, was killed and state media reported the unit’s headquarters in Tehran had been hit. Several children had been killed in a strike on a residential area in the capital, it said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Friday there was no increase in radiation levels at the Natanz nuclear site, citing information given by Iranian authorities.
Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said 200 Israeli fighter jets took part in the strikes, hitting more than 100 targets in Iran, which had launched about 100 drones toward Israeli territory in retaliation.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the unjustified and illegitimate aggression by Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement, warning that the escalation posed “a serious threat to regional peace and security.”
The foreign ministry said Israel had violated Iran’s sovereignty and said the attacks were “contrary to the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law.”
“Iran has the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter,” the statement added.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar described the Israeli strikes as a “brazen violation” of Iran’s sovereignty and said they “gravely undermine regional stability and international security.”
“Pakistan stands in solidarity with the government and the people of Iran,” Dar wrote on X.
Dar also said the embassy had set up a 24/7 Crisis Management Unit at the foreign ministry “to ensure safety & security of our nationals / pilgrims in Iran.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on the international community and the United Nations to “take urgent steps to prevent any further escalation that could imperil regional and global peace.”
Israeli military spokesperson Defrin said all air defense systems had been activated in response to Iran’s retaliation and the country expected “difficult hours ahead.”
In Washington, the US administration said it was not involved in the Israeli operation, which raises the risk of a fresh escalation in tensions in the Middle East, a major oil producing region.
“Israel took unilateral action against Iran,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement released by the White House. “Our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.”
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry also condemned the Israeli strikes.
“The Kingdom condemns these heinous attacks and affirms that the international community and the Security Council bear a great responsibility to immediately halt this aggression,” the Saudi statement said.
Airlines cleared out of the airspace over Israel, Iran and Iraq and Jordan on Friday after the Israelis strikes, Flightradar24 data showed, with carriers scrambling to divert and cancel flights to keep passengers and crew safe.
Iran closed its airspace and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was closed until further notice.
Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said tens of thousands of soldiers had been called up and “prepared across all borders.”
“We are amidst a historic campaign unlike any other. This is a critical operation to prevent an existential threat, by an enemy who is intent on destroying us,” he said.
With inputs from AP and Reuters
Pakistan, other nuclear states together spent $100 billion on weapons in 2024 — report
- US spent $56.8 billion in 2024, followed by China at $12.5 billion, says International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
- ICAN says level of nuclear weapons spending in 2024 by these nine nations could have paid UN budget almost 28 times over
GENEVA: Nuclear-armed states spent more than $100 billion on their atomic arsenals last year, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons said Friday, lamenting the lack of democratic oversight of such spending.
ICAN said Britain, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia and the United States together spent nearly $10 billion more than in 2023.
The United States spent $56.8 billion in 2024, followed by China at $12.5 billion and Britain at $10.4 billion, ICAN said in its flagship annual report.
Geneva-based ICAN won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its key role in drafting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which took effect in 2021.
Some 69 countries have ratified it to date, four more have directly acceded to the treaty and another 25 have signed it, although none of the nuclear weapons states have come on board.
This year’s report looked at the costs incurred by the countries that host other states’ nuclear weapons.
It said such costs are largely unknown to citizens and legislators alike, thereby avoiding democratic scrutiny.
Although not officially confirmed, the report said Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkiye were hosting US nuclear weapons, citing experts.
Meanwhile Russia claims it has nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus, but some experts are unsure, it added.
The report said there was “little public information” about the costs associated with hosting US nuclear weapons in NATO European countries, citing the cost of facility security, nuclear-capable aircraft and preparation to use such weapons.
“Each NATO nuclear-sharing arrangement is governed by secret agreements,” the report said.
“It’s an affront to democracy that citizens and lawmakers are not allowed to know that nuclear weapons from other countries are based on their soil or how much of their taxes is being spent on them,” said the report’s co-author Alicia Sanders-Zakre.
Eight countries openly possess nuclear weapons: the United States, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan and North Korea.
Israel is widely assumed to have nuclear weapons, although it has never officially acknowledged this.
ICAN said the level of nuclear weapons spending in 2024 by these nine nations could have paid the UN budget almost 28 times over.
“The problem of nuclear weapons is one that can be solved, and doing so means understanding the vested interests fiercely defending the option for nine countries to indiscriminately murder civilians,” said ICAN’s program coordinator Susi Snyder.
The private sector earned at least $42.5 billion from their nuclear weapons contracts in 2024 alone, the report said.
There are at least $463 billion in ongoing nuclear weapons contracts, some of which do not expire for decades, and last year, at least $20 billion in new nuclear weapon contracts were awarded, it added.
“Many of the companies that benefited from this largesse invested heavily in lobbying governments, spending $128 million on those efforts in the United States and France, the two countries for which data is available,” ICAN said.
Standard nuclear doctrine — developed during the Cold War between superpowers the United States and the Soviet Union — is based on the assumption that such weapons will never have to be used because their impact is so devastating, and because nuclear retaliation would probably bring similar destruction on the original attacker.
