PESHAWAR: A prayer leader was killed and five members of an anti-polio team, including two policemen, were injured in separate attacks in northwest Pakistan, police officials said on Saturday, days after three policemen were killed amid a renewed wave of militant violence in the region.
Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, which borders Afghanistan, has lately been witnessing a surge in militant attacks on police, security forces and civilians.
Saleem Kulachi, a police officer in KP’s Khyber tribal district, said the prayer leader, Abdul Nasir, came under attack by unidentified gunmen near a mosque in Bara area, the main town of the district bordering Afghanistan, late Friday.
“Our investigations into the incident are underway, but initial clues suggest that the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is most likely behind his killing,” he told Arab News.
The TTP, or the Pakistani Taliban, and Daesh have been locked in a “power struggle and tit-for-tat killings” in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region for the last couple of years, according to Irfanullah Khan, an analyst and expert on Pakistan-Afghanistan affairs. Both groups have targeted each other in a bid to wrest control of various areas.
“There is sort of a cold war between TTP and Daesh fighters, with both extremist groups having bitter rivalries,” he said. “There is growing fear among people about further turmoil in the northwestern part of the country.”
In the second incident, three anti-polio vaccinators and two policemen were injured after their vehicle came under attack by gunmen in the Dera Ismail Khan district, according to police.
KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the attack on the anti-polio team and directed health authorities to provide best medical care to the injured, his office said.
“These kinds of dastardly acts can’t demoralize the police force,” Gandapur was quoted as saying by his office. “The force will be equipped and provided all the required facilities to deal with the scourge of terrorism effectively.”
Earlier this week, three policemen were killed in separate attacks in the northwestern Pakistani province, amid fresh bout of violence in the militancy-hit region, according to police. The deaths brought the total number of police killings in ambushes and targeted attacks in KP to 59 this year.
While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the killings, officials suspected the TTP, which has claimed dozens of recent attacks, to be behind the latest killings.
Pakistan has witnessed a renewed surge in militant violence in its two western provinces, KP and Balochistan, since the TTP called off its fragile truce with the government in November 2022.
Last Wednesday, unidentified gunmen killed a police official providing security to a polio team in Peshawar, the capital of KP.
A senior police officer told Arab News last week that more than 200 of his colleagues had been killed in targeted attacks in the last two years.
Pakistan has blamed the surge in violence on militants operating out of neighboring Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegation and says rising violence in Pakistan is a domestic issue of Islamabad.
Prayer leader killed, policemen and anti-polio vaccinators injured in northwest Pakistan attacks
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Prayer leader killed, policemen and anti-polio vaccinators injured in northwest Pakistan attacks
- The incidents come amid renewed wave of violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan
- Police suspect the Pakistani Taliban, allegedly at war with Daesh, to be behind the killing of the prayer leader
Pakistan to host over 150 dignitaries from Jan. 11-12 for girls’ education summit
- Ministers, ambassadors, scholars and academia from 44 Muslim and friendly countries to attend summit, says foreign office
- Summit aims to address challenges and opportunities in advancing girls’ education across Muslim communities worldwide
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host over 150 dignitaries from 44 Muslim and other friendly states for an international conference on girls’ education in Muslim communities from Jan. 11-12 in the federal capital, the foreign office said on Wednesday.
The global summit aims to address the challenges and opportunities in advancing girls’ education across Muslim communities worldwide. The foreign office said the conference also aims to foster dialogue, find actionable solutions to address challenges and will provide an ideal platform for high-level discussions and collaborations.
Pakistan’s education ministry will host the conference titled: “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities.”
“The event will bring together over 150 international dignitaries, including ministers, ambassadors, scholars and academia from 44 Muslim and friendly countries, representatives from international organizations including UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank,” the foreign office said.
“Speakers and panelists will share transformative success stories, showcasing innovative approaches to advancing education equity.”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will inaugurate the event and deliver the keynote address at the opening session. The foreign office said that the Pakistani premier will reaffirm the nation’s commitment to promoting girls’ education and gender equality.
It said the conference will conclude with a formal signing ceremony of the Islamabad Declaration, outlining the shared commitment of Muslim community to empower girls through education, paving way for inclusive and sustainable educational reforms, and a brighter future for generations to come.
Key Pakistan-China highway remains blocked for sixth day amid power outage protests
- Protesters demand government run thermal generators to minimize power outages lasting over 20 hours
- GB government spokesperson says power production slashed due to low flow of water in hydel stations
KHAPLU, Gilgit-Baltistan: A key highway connecting northern Pakistan and China via land remained closed for trade and traffic for the sixth consecutive day on Wednesday, as hundreds continue to stage sit-in protests against lengthy power outages, protesters and officials said.
The protest, which began last week, involves residents, political parties and civil society groups who vowed to continue their sit-in at the Karakorum Highway (KKH) in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) that connects Pakistan to China, until their demands for reliable electricity were met.
The KKH, a vital trade and strategic route linking Pakistan with China, has been obstructed at Aliabad, the district headquarters of Hunza. The area plays a critical role in bilateral trade facilitated by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has increased since an agreement to keep the Khunjerab Pass open year-round for economic exchanges.
“The sit-in is continuing in Hunza and the main KKH is still blocked for all kinds of traffic,” Zahoor Ilahi, a protester and member of a committee formed by protesters, told Arab News over the phone.
“More than 200 heavy vehicles, including containers, are stranded in Hunza due to the protest. Today shutter-down and wheel jam strikes are also being observed across Hunza,” he added.
Ilahi said no public transport vehicles were on the roads, only those vehicles were operating that were facilitating protesters. He said women and children have also joined the sit-in protest since Tuesday.
“All four rounds of negotiations with the government have failed,” he said. “And today a meeting is also underway between the protesters and the government.”
He said the protesters were demanding their basic right, electricity, lamenting that no other part of the country was facing power cuts of over 20 hours.
“There is no chance of ending the sit-in until our demands are met,” Ilahi warned.
Shreen Karim a local female journalist, said all activities in Hunza were paralyzed due to power outages.
“From businesses to health and education of students, all are suffering due to power cuts,” she told Arab News. “The Internet is also not properly working due to power cuts. We are also facing issues in sending reports to the newsroom.”
Power cuts, known locally as load shedding, are a chronic issue in Pakistan, with many areas facing significant disruptions. The harsh winters in GB exacerbate the problem, leaving residents without adequate heating or access to essential services.
Faizullah Faraq, the GB government’s spokesperson, admitted that the region has been facing prolonged power outages.
“The government is trying to engage the protesters to end the protest,” Faraq told Arab News. “Not only Hunza, other regions are also facing power outages. All of the power stations are hydel, and due to the low flow of water, the production of the electricity is slashed during the winter,” he added.
He said protesters were pressing the government to run thermal stations to minimize power outages. However, Faraq said the government could not run thermal generators as it was running on federal grants.
“And we don’t have a share in the NFC [National Finance Commission],” he said, referring to a series of economic programs that allocate revenues between the center and Pakistan’s provinces.
“And the government is not in a position to bear the fuel costs of thermal generators. That’s why the negotiations with the government did not reach any conclusion.”
Faraq further said that the chief minister had directed GB’s chief secretary to discuss the issue with the federal government.
“A meeting will be held in Islamabad to discuss the power outage issue,” the spokesperson said.
And if they release funds, the government will run the thermal generators, and the sit-in will be ended.”
PCB moves tri-series to Lahore and Karachi to indicate readiness for Champions Trophy
- Pakistan is scheduled to play tri-nation ODI series at home against South Africa, New Zealand in February
- Series moved from Multan due to advanced stage of preparations at Lahore and Karachi stadiums, says PCB
BENGALURU: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has relocated February’s tri-nation One-Day International (ODI) series with New Zealand and South Africa from Multan to Lahore and Karachi, two cities set to host the Champions Trophy later in the month.
The PCB said the move was due to the advanced stage of preparations at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium and Karachi’s National Stadium, which will host six of the 12 Champions Trophy group stage matches.
Lahore will also host one semifinal as well as the final provided India, who are playing all their matches in Dubai following an agreement that neither India nor Pakistan will visit each other’s countries for ICC tournament matches, do not qualify.
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will also host three matches of the eight-team tournament.
The PCB is upgrading the facilities at all three venues in the country as Pakistan prepares to host an ICC tournament for the first time since 1996, when they co-hosted the ODI World Cup.
The tri-series will be played from Feb. 8-14, while the Champions Trophy will kick off on Feb. 19 in Karachi, with defending champions Pakistan playing New Zealand.
Pakistani health authorities confirm last polio case of 2024, bringing last year’s tally to 69
- Wild poliovirus type 1 case has been confirmed in Tank district of northwestern KP province
- The health ministry says the case was originally identified in 2024, as per its control room
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has confirmed another case of poliovirus in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, health authorities said on Wednesday, identifying it as the last case of 2024, as it was detected last month, bringing the nationwide tally for the year to 69.
Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five are essential to provide high immunity against the disease.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad confirmed the wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case in KP’s Tank district, marking the fifth case reported from the district in 2024.
“On Jan. 7, the lab confirmed a case from Tank,” the health ministry said in a statement. “Pakistan is responding to the resurgence of WPV1 [in 2024] with 69 cases reported so far.”
It said in a separate message it was counting the new case along with the ones that emerged last year since “it was isolated/detected in 2024 as per the control room.”
The Pakistan Polio Program organizes several mass vaccination campaigns annually, delivering the vaccine directly to people’s doorsteps.
On Jan. 6, Pakistan concluded a week-long anti-polio drive in southwestern Balochistan, which reported the highest tally of 27 cases last year.
The health ministry said the first nationwide polio campaign of this year is scheduled to take place from Feb. 3-9, urging the parents to ensure the safety of their children by welcoming the vaccinators.
Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994 but efforts to eradicate the virus have since been undermined by vaccine misinformation and opposition from some religious hard-liners, who say immunization is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western spies.
Militant groups also frequently attack and kill members of polio vaccination teams.
In the early 1990s, the country reported around 20,000 cases annually, but in 2018, the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
Fakhar Zaman confident of returning for Pakistan at the Champions Trophy
- Zaman criticized the PCB before Babar Azam was rested for two England Test matches
- PCB also issued a show-cause notice over Zaman’s social media post supporting Azam
ISLAMABAD: Fakhar Zaman is confident of returning to international cricket after eight months when Pakistan hosts next month’s Champions Trophy.
Fakhar hasn’t played international cricket since Pakistan’s first-round exit from the T20 World Cup last June and subsequently missed out on central contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board for the first time in eight years.
“People don’t know that after the T20 World Cup I got sick,” Fakhar explained to the Vipers Voices podcast as he prepared to play ILT20 for Desert Vipers in the United Arab Emirates. “I was not part of the team because of my medical condition, but now [I’m] 100 percent [sure] I will play for Pakistan.”
The veteran opening batter made headlines when he criticized the national cricket administration just before Babar Azam was controversially rested for the final two home test matches against England late last year due to his inconsistent form in red-ball cricket. The PCB issued Fakhar a show cause notice for his social media post in favor of Babar.
The post didn’t go down well with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also expressed concerns over Fakhar’s fitness.
“It cannot happen like that if selection committee is not playing one player, then other players start tweeting to express their displeasure,” Naqvi told reporters at the time. “Players are not allowed to function like this, and we will never allow that. The main issue with [Fakhar] is his fitness test, that he was not able to clear.”
In the absence of Fakhar, Pakistan won three away ODI series over the last two months, beating Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa under the captaincy of new white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan.
Back home, Fakhar returned to competitive cricket during the domestic Champions Cup T20 tournament last month and was the third highest-scorer with 303 runs in 10 games at a strike rate of 132.31.
“The plan was to get fully fit and play in the Champions Trophy,” Fakhar said. “I am lucky to be fit right now. I started from the Champions Trophy 2017 and that went really well for me. Now I am very excited for the next edition also.”
Fakhar had a memorable tournament in 2017 when he scored a match-winning century in the final against India.
Pakistan’s latest white-ball sensation, Saim Ayub, made two ODI centuries in South Africa before he fractured his right ankle during the second test at Cape Town last week. Ayub has been ruled out of competitive cricket for at least six weeks, putting his participation in doubt for the Champions Trophy.
The PCB flew Ayub to London from Cape Town on Monday for treatment, and Fakhar said he hoped Ayub recovers in time as Pakistan prepares to host its first major ICC tournament next month in 29 years.
“I hope he [Ayub] will recover quickly,” Fakhar said. “I was thinking to call Saim yesterday, just to talk to him about this injury. Believe me, he is such a great player that if he continues to play for the next four-five years, he will be among the top three players in the world.”
Fakhar will be playing for Desert Vipers in the ILT20 and was the top target for Tom Moody, who is director of cricket with the franchise. Fakhar said he was excited to play alongside West Indies T20 captain Sherfane Rutherford.
“He is one of the best cricketers in the T20 format and I really enjoy seeing him batting,” he said. “I am very excited to be part of this team, and I want to share the crease with him. He is one of the best players, so I am very excited to play with him.”
