PIA aims to repatriate over 35,000 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia following Hajj

Pakistani officials welcomes Hajj pilgrims in Karachi, Pakistan on June 21, 2024. (PIA)
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Updated 21 June 2024
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PIA aims to repatriate over 35,000 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia following Hajj

  • The national airline is among several aviation services working to bring Pakistani pilgrims back to their homeland
  • PIA says it will operate its special flights to Peshawar, Islamabad, Sialkot, Lahore, Multan and Karachi until July 21

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national air carrier announced on Friday it would bring back more than 35,000 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia via 171 flights after transporting 325 devotees to Lahore this afternoon who had performed the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

Pakistan launched its post-Hajj flight operation on Thursday, bringing back 1,200 pilgrims through seven flights to four different cities in the country.

The authorities have announced the continuation of special flights to repatriate 70,000 pilgrims on the government Hajj scheme until July 21.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is among several aviation services working to bring Pakistani pilgrims back to their homeland.

“PIA’s post-Hajj flight PK 764 from Jeddah to Lahore arrived this afternoon carrying 325 pilgrims,” the airlines said in a statement. “The pilgrims were adorned with garlands of flowers.”

“PIA will bring back more than 35,000 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia through 171 flights,” it added. “Under the government Hajj scheme, approximately 19,500 pilgrims, under the private Hajj scheme about 14,900, and around 630 Hajj assistants will be brought back to Pakistan.”

Pakistan’s national airlines will operate post-Hajj flights to Peshawar, Islamabad, Sialkot, Lahore, Multan and Karachi.

PIA announced pilgrims from Sukkur and Quetta would travel to their cities via Karachi.

The airlines said it would conclude its post-Hajj flight operation on July 21.


Volleyball returns to Azad Kashmir border village as fragile India-Pakistan ceasefire holds

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Volleyball returns to Azad Kashmir border village as fragile India-Pakistan ceasefire holds

  • As guns fall silent in Battal sector, youth return to riverside ground with message of peace, memories of fallen friend
  • Anwar Taskeen, 17-year-old student and regular at the matches, was killed in shelling hours before May 10 ceasefire

Battal Sector, Azad Kashmir: On a dusty, uneven patch of ground beside the Poonch River, the rhythmic thud of a volleyball hitting palms and sand rose above the late afternoon quiet. 

It’s a familiar sound in the border village of Jhawara, located in the Poonch district of Azad Kashmir, the part of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that is governed by Pakistan. But until recently, it had fallen silent under the roar of artillery and gunfire.

Just weeks ago, the area bore the brunt of intense cross-border shelling between India and Pakistan. The Line of Control (LoC), a jagged and heavily militarized de facto boundary slicing through the disputed region, once again became a flashpoint for conflict, forcing families into hiding and pausing everyday joys like this daily volleyball match.

Now, with a tenuous ceasefire in place since May 10 — brokered with help from Washington — the boys are back on the field. 

For them, the return to play is more than a pastime. It’s an act of defiance, remembrance, and quiet hope.

“There has been firing here before but now it doesn’t feel scary,” said Hamid Fareed, 18, as he waited to serve. “There is a ceasefire in place now, which is why we play with peace of mind. Before, when there used to be firing, we didn’t play here.”

The Battal sector, situated at one of the most sensitive stretches of the LoC, was at the heart of last month’s escalation, with the shelling so heavy residents were forced to evacuate, and even the simple joy of a volleyball match became too dangerous to risk.

Among those displaced were the families of the boys who now fill the field each evening from 4pm until the sunset maghrib prayer. Many had sought shelter with relatives in safer villages farther from the border during the latest fighting. Others, like Fareed, stayed behind but refrained from venturing out unnecessarily.

The violence still didn’t spare the players. Anwar Taskeen, a 17-year-old student and regular at the matches, was killed in shelling on his home just hours before the ceasefire was announced.

“Our brother who got martyred [on May 10, 2025] used to play volleyball with us,” said Muhammad Nawaz, one of Anwar’s closest friends. “He used to come every day.”

“When they [Indian forces] fire, they target civilians and army posts as well,” he added.

SYMBOL OF NORMALCY

Now that calm has returned, at least for the moment, the boys are determined to reclaim the ground and the normalcy it represents. Most days, they split into two teams of six, playing until darkness falls. Laughter, shouts, and the squeak of rubber slippers on hard soil fill the air.

But the volleyball field isn’t just a space for play. It’s also a space of memory.

Taskeen’s absence lingers. So too does the knowledge that peace here is often fleeting.

“There are beautiful places on that side, people should get to enjoy them. And people from there should be able to come here,” said Abdul Hannan, another student who recently completed his intermediate studies.

“Many people there [Indian-administered], in Jammu and Kashmir, play as well,” Hannan added. “We watch their videos to gain skills. They are playing better than us. We also get motivated by watching them.”

The boys recalled that some former players who used to compete on this very field had now moved abroad in search of better opportunities. From afar, many continued to support the volleyball tradition, pooling together funds to help maintain the ground. 

Their latest contribution helped install a protective net, now in place for six to seven years, which keeps the ball from rolling into the river and drifting downstream toward the Indian side.

“WE JUST WANT PEACE”

The Poonch River marks both a border and a lifeline for the region. On hot days, the boys often dive into its cool waters to beat the heat, even as Indian army posts watch from across the bank.

That same river has seen far more than games but carried the sounds of shelling, the cries of displaced families, and now, the echoes of a volleyball match played in the name of peace.

During Ramadan and other special occasions, the field hosts semi-annual tournaments. Teams travel from neighboring towns and villages to compete, a reminder that even in a conflict zone, community and competition endure.

“When there is peace, we can play. That’s all we want,” Fareed saiid. 

India and Pakistan have long shared a contentious relationship over Kashmir, with flare-ups along the LoC occurring frequently despite periodic agreements. The current ceasefire too is fragile, its future uncertain. But on this side of the Poonch River, young players are daring to imagine something more permanent — not through diplomacy, but through volleyball, through shared videos, playful rivalries, and quiet tributes to friends lost. And through simple, hopeful wishes — that one day, the people of Kashmir might cross the border not as enemies, but as guests.

“We just want peace,” Hannan repeated softly. “That’s all we’ve ever wanted.”


Pakistan-origin Mahnoor Qazi wins James Baldwin award for fiction

Updated 7 min 4 sec ago
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Pakistan-origin Mahnoor Qazi wins James Baldwin award for fiction

  • The James Baldwin Award for Fiction is one of six creative writing awards given by Penguin Random House
  • Qazi, whose entry ‘Eternity’ won $10,000 prize, aims to connect literature with the deepest human emotions

ISLAMABAD: Mahnoor Qazi, a Pakistani-origin high school student in the US state of California, has won the inaugural James Baldwin Award for Fiction, the organizers announced this week.

The James Baldwin Award for Fiction is one of six creative writing awards given by Penguin Random House, touted as the world’s largest trade book publisher, as part of their signature Creative Writing Awards (CWA) program. The award is named after Baldwin, a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet and critic.

Qazi, an aspiring writer who attends Golden Valley High School in California, is dedicated to connecting the art of literature with the deepest human emotions. Her entry ‘Eternity’ won the first-place prize of $10,000.

“As his niece, it has been an honor to select the recipient of the James Baldwin Award for fiction. Traveling the creative landscape of students with insightful narrative voices has been inspiring,” Baldwin’s niece Darlene Burnett said.

“They continue to demonstrate that the power of words can inform minds, fuel the imagination, and construct narratives that compel us to read and to feel. They are the literary architects of the future.”

Other categories included the Freedom of Expression Award, Michelle Obama Award for Memoir, the Amanda Gorman Award for Poetry, and the Maya Angelou Award for Spoken Word.

Since 1993, the Penguin Random House CWA program has awarded more than $2.9 million to public high school students for their original compositions.

In addition to scholarships, the publisher hosts a virtual development week for the CWA winners each summer that includes networking workshops, a panel about career opportunities in publishing, and fireside chats with Penguin Random House authors.


Pakistani, Muslim leaders share Eid greetings, offer special prayers for Gaza

Updated 32 min 19 sec ago
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Pakistani, Muslim leaders share Eid greetings, offer special prayers for Gaza

  • Israel’s military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, Palestinian officials say
  • The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90 percent of its population

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday exchanged Eid Al-Adha greetings with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Bahrain, Jordan and other Muslim nations and offered special prayers for the people of Gaza.

Eid Al-Adha is one of the two most important festivals of the Islamic calendar, marked by Muslims in Pakistan and around the world by slaughtering animals such as sheep and goats, and distributing their meat among family, friends and the poor.

Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Dar held a telephonic conversation with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and exchanged warm Eid greetings, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported. They prayed for peace, prosperity and well-being of Muslims across the world.

Separately, PM Sharif held a telephonic conversation with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and conveyed his warm greetings to him and the brotherly people of Oman on the Eid Al-Adha.

“While exchanging Eid wishes, the two leaders prayed for unity and harmony among the Muslim Ummah. They also offered special prayers for the people of Gaza,” Sharif’s office said.

The development came as at least four Palestinians were killed and others were wounded by Israeli fire around a kilometer from an aid distribution point in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials and witnesses said on Sunday.

Israel’s military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian Health Ministry. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90 percent of its population. The territory’s roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on international aid because nearly all of Gaza’s food production capabilities have been destroyed.

The Pakistani leaders also held similar calls and exchange of Eid greetings with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Jordan’s King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.


Pakistan Navy urges ‘result-oriented’ collective actions as world marks Oceans Day

Updated 08 June 2025
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Pakistan Navy urges ‘result-oriented’ collective actions as world marks Oceans Day

  • World Oceans Day is observed on June 8 each year and this year’s theme is ‘Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us’
  • The navy says it is undertaking initiatives to safeguard oceans against pollution, over-fishing and climate change

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy on Sunday urged “result-oriented” collective actions to safeguard oceans against pollution, over-fishing and climate change, its Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) said, on the occasion of the World Oceans Day.

World Oceans Day is observed on June 8 each year and this year’s theme is ‘Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us,’ which resonates with the oceans’ vital role in underpinning all life on earth. Covering over 70 percent of Earth, oceans are a key source of oxygen, a regulator of climate and immeasurably support biodiversity, all of which are essential to global livelihoods.

As the principal custodian of Pakistan’s maritime domain, the navy said, it is undertaking substantive initiatives like implementing remedial measures for preventing oil spills at sea, enforcing pollution control measures and banning destructive fishing nets to encourage healthy practices and sustainable use of ocean resources.

“World Oceans Day calls upon us to move beyond the reflexive acknowledgment and take result-oriented collective actions,” the navy quoted its Public Relations director-general as saying.

“To this end, I call upon all the stakeholders to join hands with Pakistan Navy and adopt safe and sustainable practices to secure our oceans’ vitality. Collectively, we can avail this immense endowment in the shape of our rich oceans, preserve their enduring majesty and secure the lifeblood they provide, for our future generations.”

The statement came ahead of a United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference in Nice, France on June 9-13, which will not only focus on accelerating actions for conservation and sustainable use of oceans but also identify ways to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources by building partnerships.

“For Pakistan, our long coastline and rich marine resources constitute a national trust. This vital treasure trove of biodiversity is facing rapid deterioration and demands immediate and robust intervention by all stakeholders,” the navy said.

“Recognizing our obligation to the environment, Pakistan Navy is also instilling ecological ethos through awareness drives and crucial partnerships. To mark the occasion, National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA) has organized one day international seminar to create awareness about the issue and highlight ways and means to protect our oceans.”


Pakistan delegation in UK after ‘successful’ talks in New York on India conflict

Updated 08 June 2025
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Pakistan delegation in UK after ‘successful’ talks in New York on India conflict

  • India and Pakistan last month engaged in the worst fighting between them in decades, killing 70 people on both sides
  • Pakistani delegates are currently visiting key capitals as part of efforts to present Islamabad’s stance on the standoff

KARACHI: A Pakistani delegation has arrived in the United Kingdom (UK) as part of Islamabad’s diplomatic outreach over last month’s military conflict with India, following their “successful” talks in New York.

India and Pakistan engaged in the worst fighting between them in decades, raising fears of the prospect of an all-out nuclear war. After both countries traded heavy fire for four days, pounding each other with missiles, fighter jets and drone strikes, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between them on May 10.

The nine-member Pakistan delegation, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, held several meetings with representatives of the United Nations (UN), its member states and US officials to present Pakistan’s stance on the standoff with India and peace in the region.

The Pakistan delegates said the purpose of their meetings was to have peace in the region and to have talks with New Delhi on all India-Pakistan issues, including the restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty and the resolution of Kashmir dispute.

“We have explained to them [US officials] that Pakistan’s water, this is a civilization, the lives of 240 million people, their culture [depend on it],” Khurram Dastgir, a Pakistani lawmaker who is part of the delegation, told a Pakistani news channel in the UK.

“We explained this to America that their economic partnership with India, it will not bring about that development if India and Pakistan will perpetually remain [in a state of] war.”

India announced in April that it was putting the 1960 World Bank-mediated treaty in abeyance after it accused Pakistan of backing an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad denied complicity in the attack that killed 26 people.

Jalil Abbas Jilani, a former Pakistani foreign secretary, said they held quite constructive talks with members of the UN Security Council during their New York visit.

“Basically, our message was that India committed an aggression and that Pakistan is a peaceful country... Pakistan wants all India-Pakistan issues to be resolved in a peaceful manner,” he said.

Pakistani senator Sherry Rehman, who was also part of the talks, said the main objective of their discussions was peace in the region.

“Our goal was peace, promote dialogue, to have the status of water treaty changed, which they [India] have unilaterally suspended, and to start a discussion on Kashmir,” she said.

The Pakistani delegates are expected to meet key UK officials during their visit to highlight Pakistan’s perspective on last month’s conflict and its possible consequences for the region.

British foreign minister David Lammy is the highest-profile Western official to have visited both New Delhi and Islamabad since the South Asian neighbors agreed to a ceasefire last month.

“We want the situation to be maintained, but of course we recognize fragility, particularly in the backdrop of terrorism, terrorism designed to destabilize India,” Lammy said, adding that he discussed the next steps with both Modi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, but gave no specifics. “We are keen to continue to work with our Indian partners on counter-terrorism measures.”

India and Pakistan, bitter rivals since they gained independence in 1947 from British rule, have fought three wars, including two over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.

Both countries administer Kashmir in parts but claim the region entirely. Pakistan accuses India of occupying Kashmir and denying its people their right to self-determination. It regularly calls on India to abide by the United Nations Security Council resolutions and hold a transparent plebiscite in the territory.

India, on the other hand, accuses Pakistan of arming and funding militant separatists in the part of Kashmir it administers. Islamabad has denied the allegations and says it extends only diplomatic and moral support to the people of Indian-administered Kashmir.