ISLAMABAD: In a first, the United States and Pakistan conducted a two-week counterterrorism exercise at the National Counter Terrorism Center in Pabbi, Punjab province, to address the “perpetual terrorism threat” faced by both nations, the military’s media wing announced on Wednesday.
Last year, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir met with US Central Command (CENTCOM) Chief General Michael Erik Kurilla in Washington where both military leaders emphasized the need to increase joint military training between the two countries.
The US and Pakistan have shared strong defense and security relations in the past, particularly during the Cold War after the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. However, more recently, US officials criticized Pakistan for not sufficiently supporting their military efforts against the Taliban following the 9/11 attacks.
“The Infantry Rifle Company Exercise 2024 between Pakistan and the US has been conducted for the first time in the counter-terrorism domain,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. “The two-week-long exercise commenced on June 29, 2024, at the National Counter Terrorism Center in Pabbi.”
The statement noted that Pakistani and US troops participated in the exercise with “efficiency and zeal,” displaying the highest standards of professional excellence.
The exercise focused on marksmanship skills, urban warfare tactics and refining individual and collective expertise. The training aimed to improve drills and procedures while sharing vital counterterrorism experience.
The US State Department has reiterated its commitment to expanding security cooperation with Pakistan, with counterterrorism as top priority.
Matthew Miller, the department’s spokesperson, stated this week the two countries have a “shared interest” in combating regional security threats when asked if the US would support Pakistan if it conducts cross-border attacks against militant targets in Afghanistan.
US and Pakistan conduct first joint counterterrorism exercise to address ‘perpetual terrorism threat’
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US and Pakistan conduct first joint counterterrorism exercise to address ‘perpetual terrorism threat’
- The exercise was conducted at the National Counter Terrorism Center in Pakistan’s Punjab province
- The US said this week the two countries have ‘shared interest’ in countering regional security threats
Pakistan plans to unveil new plastic currency notes next year
- The top central bank official says the new currency will have enhanced security features
- The bank will test the plastic currency and begin to circulate it after public acceptance
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan may witness the circulation of new banknotes next year, it emerged on Wednesday, as the central bank is evaluating the viability of introducing plastic currency in the country.
The issue came up for discussion during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, presided over by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla.
Plastic currency refers to banknotes made from polymer, a durable plastic material, instead of traditional paper. These banknotes are more resistant to wear and tear, harder to counterfeit and often include advanced security features like transparent windows and holograms.
They are used in several countries, including Australia and Canada.
“The Committee reviewed issues regarding digital and plastic currency,” said an official statement released after the meeting. “Governor State Bank Jameel Ahmed reported that new currency notes are being developed and that the life span of plastic notes is under evaluation.”
“It was briefed that State Bank will internally finalize the prerequisites of introducing new currency notes by December,” the statement added.
The top central bank official said the plastic currency would be tested and issued based on public acceptance.
He also assured that the new currency would include enhanced security features.
Pakistan’s UN envoy links global conflicts to foreign occupation, urges end to Gaza war
- Ambassador Munir Akram addresses UN debate focusing on conflict prevention and peacebuilding
- He says Pakistan fought ‘terrorism in border regions’ with the help and participation of local communities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomat at the United Nations highlighted foreign occupation as one of the root causes of international conflicts on Wednesday, noting that its consequences were particularly visible in places like Palestine and Indian-administered Kashmir, while urging the world body to end Israel’s war in Gaza.
Ambassador Munir Akram raised this concern during a high-level debate at the UN Security Council on conflict prevention and peacebuilding convened by Sierra Leone, where participants focused on global, regional and national dimensions of various disputes around the world.
The Pakistani diplomat attributed the proliferation of conflicts in different regions to “flawed” international strategies that he maintained left much to be desired.
“The consequences of foreign occupation are nowhere as clear as in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine,” an official statement released after the debate quoted him as saying. “It is therefore the responsibility of this Council to end Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.”
Akram noted the root causes of global conflicts ranged from the legacies of colonialism, internal struggles and external competition for scarce resources, including food and water, to interventions aimed at suppressing people’s struggles to reclaim their political and economic rights.
He maintained that national strategies for conflict prevention could only succeed if they were accompanied by regional and international measures to address key causes of conflicts, such as poverty, unemployment, injustice, exploitation of natural resources and external interventions.
He also emphasized the challenge of extremist violence, highlighting Pakistan’s strategy of working with local communities to address the issue.
“In Pakistan’s experience, fighting terrorism in our border regions was successful due to the support, assistance and participation of the local communities,” he said.
Akram expressed hope the debate in the Council would inspire new thinking to develop effective approaches for preventing conflicts, resolving disputes and building peace in countries dealing with conflicts.
Ex-PM Khan’s party vows to defy Islamabad administration by holding rally in Pakistan’s capital today
- Islamabad administration denied Khan’s party permission for rally on Wednesday, citing security threats and lack of resources
- Khan’s party, which aims to mobilize masses for his release, has been struggling to hold public gatherings since his arrest last year
ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, a senior leader of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has said the party will go ahead with its plans to hold a public gathering in Pakistan’s capital today, Thursday, in defiance of the Islamabad administration’s decision to revoke permission for the gathering a day earlier.
Last month, the PTI announced it was postponing a public rally planned in Islamabad because the district administration had revoked permission. The gathering on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital was meant to put pressure for Khan’s release, who has been in jail since last August on a slew of charges he says are politically motivated against him. The date for the rally was subsequently changed to Aug. 22.
In a notification issued on Wednesday by his office, Islamabad’s chief commissioner denied permission to the PTI to hold a public rally in Islamabad’s Tarnol area on Aug. 22 citing security threats and a lack of resources. Elaborating on reasons for not granting permission, the chief commissioner said an assessment of the institutional capacity of the capital city police was sought, in response to which the Inspector General of Islamabad Police had said he did not have the available resources to manage the security needs of the PTI rally due to multiple events occurring simultaneously in Islamabad.
Elaborating on reasons for not granting permission, the chief commissioner said an assessment of the institutional capacity of the capital city police was sought, in response to which the Inspector General of Islamabad Police had said he did not have the available resources to manage the security needs of the PTI rally due to multiple events occurring simultaneously in Islamabad. Recently, religious groups have held violent protests against a blasphemy ruling by the Supreme Court and the Bangladesh cricket team is also in Pakistan for two Test matches, for which police has been deployed to provide security.
“We will hold this gathering in any case, this gathering will take place at Tarnol square,” Gandapur, who is also a senior member of Khan’s PTI, said in a video message shared by the party on Wednesday.
The KP chief minister called on the party’s supporters in KP to gather at the Swabi Interchange at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, from where Gandapur said he would lead them to the Pakistani capital.
“We strongly condemn the fascism, tyranny and illegal steps being taken by the federal government,” he said.
The KP chief minister said that the PTI would demonstrate to the government the “power of the people” if it does not accept decisions by Pakistani courts.
“God willing, tomorrow will be a decisive stage and the nation will decide who is standing with Imran Khan, for their rights and for the constitution,” Gandapur said.
The PTI, which aims to mobilize the public for the release of its leader, has been struggling to hold rallies across the country since August last year when Khan was arrested on multiple charges and subsequently convicted in four cases, all of which have been quashed by higher courts. The party says it is facing a state-backed crackdown and the mass arrest of its members and supporters for standing by Khan. Pakistani authorities deny the allegations.
The crackdown against the PTI began after alleged supporters of the party attacked and damaged government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after Khan’s brief arrest that day in a graft case. The attacks took place a little over a year after Khan fell out with Pakistan’s powerful military, blaming the institution for colluding with his political rivals to oust him from office in a parliamentary vote in April 2022. The military rejects the allegations.
Hundreds of PTI workers and leaders were arrested following the May 9 riots and many remain behind bars as they await trial. The military has also initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence. Many close Khan aides have since deserted him, due to what is widely believed to be pressure from the army, which denies interfering in politics.
Khan has recently made a “conditional” offer of talks to the army, if “clean and transparent” elections were held and the “bogus” cases against his supporters were dropped. The military, which has repeatedly said Khan and his party were behind the May 9 attacks, has ruled out any talks with him.
Pakistan Army major becomes first UN peacekeeper in Cyprus to win gender advocacy award
- Major Sania Safdar serves as force signal officer at UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus
- Her tasks in Cyprus involve overseeing communication systems, promoting gender equality
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army’s Major Sania Safdar on Wednesday became the first UN peacekeeper in Cyprus to win the 2023 ‘Certificate of Recognition’ for advocating gender equality, the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) said.
Major Safdar is currently serving as the mission’s force signal officer, the UNFICYP said in a post. The award, issued by the New York-based UN Department for Peace Operations, was presented to her by the special representative of the UN secretary-general in Cyprus, Colin Stewart.
“Receiving this certificate as the first peacekeeper from UNFICYP is deeply meaningful to me and significant for our mission in Cyprus,” Safdar said in a statement. “It serves as a testament to our commitment to gender equality.”
Created in 2016, the “UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award” recognizes the dedication and efforts of an individual military peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).
Her primary tasks in Cyprus involve overseeing communication systems and promoting gender equality within the military component. Since her deployment to the mission in Cyprus last year, she has proactively taken charge of several initiatives by focusing on integrating the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda into military components of the mission’s work, the UNFICYP said.
“As the Mission’s Force Signal Officer serving in the Field Technology Section, she was also involved in strengthening the effectiveness of joint patrols by incorporating communication tools to enhance military operations on the ground while promoting gender representation in the military,” the UNFICYP said.
Since 1960, Pakistan has been one of the main troops and police contributors to the UN peace operations, with more than 200,000 Pakistani men and women sent to 46 UN missions. The South Asian country is currently contributing over 4,000 troops to various international operations carried out by the UN and has lost 172 soldiers in total to UN peace missions.
Foreign office launches crisis management cell as Pakistani pilgrim bus overturns in Iran
- Bus carrying Pakistanis overturned after a technical defect in the braking system, killing at least 35 and injuring 15
- Bus was passing through Iran and full of pilgrims enroute to Iraq's Karbala Governorate for the Arbaeen pilgrimage
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani foreign office activated a crisis management cell on Wednesday evening after at least 35 Pakistani religious tourists were killed in a bus accident near the Iranian city of Yazd.
Pakistan’s state-run Radio Pakistan said the accident happened when the bus carrying Pakistani nationals overturned after a technical defect in the braking system, killing at least 35 and injuring 15.
Millions of Shiite Muslims are currently partaking in the Arbaeen pilgrimage in Iraq’s Karbala Governorate. The event marks the 40th mourning following the martyrdom of Imam Hussein bin Ali, a central figure in Shiite Islam and the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. The bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims was also passing through Iran en route to Iraq.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has activated its Crisis Management Unit in view of the unfortunate road accident involving the deaths of Pakistani Zaireen [pilgrims] at Yazd in Iran,” Radio Pakistan reported.
The contact details of the CMU are as: telephone: 051-9207887 and email: cmu1mofa.gov.pk .
The Foreign Affairs Liaison Office in Karachi can also be contacted on 0300-9310095, 0332-7556633 and 0313-8957541, the foreign office said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meanwhile directed Pakistan’s mission in Tehran to extend all possible assistance to the affected families while President Asif Ali Zardari instructed the ministry of foreign affairs to arrange the repatriation of bodies and ensure timely assistance for the injured.
Iranian media said over 25,000 Pakistanis had entered Iran for an onward journey to Karbala.
Every year, thousands of Pakistanis travel to Iran, Iraq and Syria to visit shrines and religious sites there.
