Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister reaches Peshawar hours after party reports him ‘missing’ from Islamabad 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party nominated Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur (C) addresses a protest against the alleged skewing in Pakistan's national election, in Peshawar on March 10, 2024. (AFP/File)
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Updated 10 September 2024
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister reaches Peshawar hours after party reports him ‘missing’ from Islamabad 

  • Key Imran Khan ally CM Ali Amin Gandapur ‘missing since 7pm’ on Monday, PTI spokesman says 
  • Several PTI leaders detained in late night swoops on PTI members day after rally to demand Khan’s release

ISLAMABAD: The brother of Ali Amin Gandapur, a senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party who is the chief minister of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said on Tuesday he had established contact with the leader who had been “missing” since Monday evening when he was invited to the capital for an official meeting.

Reports of Gandapur’s ‘disappearance’ emerged as PTI Chairman Gohar Khan and other members of the party were detained in late night arrests in Islamabad over charges of violating a new law to regulate public gatherings in the Pakistani capital.

“Established contact with brother who after a hectic prolonged meeting on law and order [in Islamabad] has now entered his own province [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa],” PTA MNA Faisal Amin Khan, Gandapur’s brother, said on X.

Zarwali Khan, Gandapur’s secretary, also told Arab News the CM was in Peshawar, the provincial capital. 

Earlier, PTI Spokesman Zulfi Bukhari had said Gandapur has been “missing” since 7pm on Monday evening.

“It has now been confirmed that he has been abducted/arrested,” Bukhari wrote on X. “There is no element of a democracy left after this recent crackdown tonight.”

PTI’s Omar Ayub Khan, who is the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, has posted that Gandapur was “being held incommunicado by the Federal Government/ Establishment after being invited for a cup of tea.”

“His security staff is not traceable, and their phones are powered off,” he said. “All this is being done because PTI and our Allies held a peaceful protest in Islamabad on 8th September.”

PTI held a major political gathering on the outskirts of the city demanding the release from prison of its founder, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Sunday. The gathering was largely peaceful but some supporters clashed with police en route to the gathering, in which a senior police official was injured, police said.

The government last week passed the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024, to “regulate” holding public gatherings in Islamabad, including by specifying timings for rallies and designating specific areas. The law has set three-year jail terms for participants of ‘illegal’ assemblies, with ten-year imprisonment for repeat offenders.

The Islamabad administration had allowed the PTI to hold Sunday’s rally from 4pm till 7pm but the gathering went on until nearly 11pm. 

“They were arrested due to violation of the new law, the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, in PTI gathering on September 8,” Islamabad police spokesperson Taqi Jawad told Arab News, confirming the arrests of PTI leaders Gohar Khan, Shoaib Shaheen and Sher Afzal Marwat.




The screengrab taken from a video posted on PTI Gohar Khan's X shows Islamabad Police detaining Gohar Khan in Islamabad on September 10, 2024. (@BarristerGohar/X)

At Sunday’s rally, Gandapur had delivered a hard hitting speech directly taking on the all-powerful military and calling on it to put its house in order. 

“Fix your institution, fix your generals, fix yourself,” Gandapur said in a direct reference to the army.

Khan, jailed since last August, was ousted from the PM’s office in 2022 in a parliamentary vote of no confidence after what is widely believed to be a falling out with Pakistan’s powerful military, which denies being involved in politics. Since his removal, Khan and his party have waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance against the military. 

The ex-PM also faces a slew of legal charges and was convicted in four cases since he was first taken into custody, all of which have been either suspended or overturned by the courts. He remains in jail, however, on new charges brought by Pakistan’s national accountability watchdog regarding the illegal sale of gifts from a state repository while he was prime minister from 2018 till 2022.

The PTI says it has faced an over year-long crackdown since protesters allegedly linked to the party attacked and damaged government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after Khan’s brief arrest that day in a land graft case. Hundreds of PTI followers and leaders were arrested following the riots and many remain behind bars as they await trial. The military, which says Khan and his party were behind the attacks, has also initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence.

The party says it was not allowed to campaign freely ahead of the Feb. 9 general election, a vote marred by a mobile Internet shutdown on election day and unusually delayed results, leading to accusations that it was rigged and drawing concern from rights groups and foreign governments.

The PTI says it won the most seats but its mandate was “stolen” by PM Shebaz Sharif’s coalition government which formed the government with the backing of the all-powerful military. Both deny the claim.


Pakistan says five killed, no information on missing as search ends in Greece boat tragedy

Updated 8 sec ago
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Pakistan says five killed, no information on missing as search ends in Greece boat tragedy

  • Report in Geo News says at least 40 Pakistanis killed in migrant boat tragedy off Greek island of Gavdos last week
  • Six cases filed against suspects accused of facilitating transport of victims from Punjab to Libya where they boarded boats

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s mission in Greece said on Thursday five Pakistanis had been killed in a migrant boat tragedy off the Greek island of Gavdos last week but it had “no concrete information” on how many of its nationals were missing.

The latest incident of the boat capsizing highlights the perilous journeys many migrants undertake due to conflicts and lack of economic opportunities in their home countries. 

In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel capsized and sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos. It was one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.

A report in Pakistan’s Geo News on Thursday said at least 40 Pakistanis had been killed in the latest tragedy, quoting the embassy in Athens. 

“So far, we have information of five dead Pakistanis and another 47 who have been rescued. No concrete information of missing persons is with us, and this is the final information available at this time,” an official at Pakistan’s mission in Greece told Arab News over the telephone, declining to be named.

“We are in contact with the authorities who have concluded their special search operation.”

The official added that regular patrolling would continue, and Greek authorities would inform the mission if any new information became available. He declined to comment on the Geo News report and referred Arab News to the foreign office. 

Speaking to Arab News, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the government had already released death toll figures and had no further information. 

“We cannot comment on people’s statements or claims regarding how many Pakistanis were on board until we receive evidence from the investigation,” she said in response to a question about the Geo News report that 40 Pakistanis were feared dead. “It is difficult to verify the claimed figure, as there was no official record of their travel.”

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered strict measures to combat human trafficking and demanded a detailed report on human trafficking incidents involving Pakistani citizens this year. 

Separately, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has filed six cases against suspects accused of facilitating the transport of victims from Punjab to Libya, where they were subsequently sent on boats to Greece.

Greece was a favored gateway to the European Union for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia in 2015-2016, when nearly 1 million people landed on its islands, mostly via inflatable dinghies.

Incidents with migrant boats and shipwrecks off Crete and its tiny neighbor Gavdos, which are relatively isolated in the central Mediterranean, have increased over the past year.


Pakistan calls for transport connectivity, trade corridors between D-8 developing nations

Updated 18 min 44 sec ago
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Pakistan calls for transport connectivity, trade corridors between D-8 developing nations

  • PM Sharif is in Cairo to attend Eleventh Summit of D-8 countries, hold bilateral meetings with world leaders on forum’s sidelines
  • Pakistani PM will also and attend a special meeting on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East with a focus on Palestine and Lebanon

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday called for better transport connectivity and trade corridors between member states from the D-8 developing group of nations to boost regional trade and economic cooperation.

Sharif arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to lead the Pakistan delegation at the Eleventh Summit of D-8 countries, hold bilateral discussions with multiple world leaders on the sidelines of the forum and attend a special meeting on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with a focus on Gaza and Lebanon.

The D-8 grouping promotes economic and development cooperation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Türkiye. Key areas of cooperation are agriculture, trade, transportation, industry, energy and tourism.

The bloc’s latest summit is themed “Investing in Youth and Supporting SMEs: Shaping Tomorrow’s Economy.”

“Connectivity is a force multiplier and is rightly hailed as a vehicle for peace and prosperity,” Sharif said as he addressed the summit. “We need to explore the possibilities of developing and enhancing transport connectivity among D-8 member states for building efficient intra-trade corridors and reliable supply chains.

In this regard, the Pakistan, Iran and Turkiye corridor is an excellent project for very efficient connectivity.”

The Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul Road Transport Corridor is a cross-border trade initiative aimed at improving road transport links and providing more efficient movement options for goods between South Asia, the Middle East and Europe.


Pakistan naval chief holds defense cooperation, regional security talks on visit to Oman

Updated 55 min 46 sec ago
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Pakistan naval chief holds defense cooperation, regional security talks on visit to Oman

  • Oman is the nearest Arab country to Pakistan, because of which they share a maritime boundary
  • Last week, the Pakistan navy conducted joint naval exercises and drills with the Royal Oman ship ‘Alseeb’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani naval chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf is on an official visit to Oman to discuss defense cooperation, smuggling and regional maritime security, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.

Oman is the nearest Arab country to Pakistan, because of which they share a maritime boundary. Pakistan shares a unique ‘blood bond’ with Oman, one third of whose population originates from Pakistan’s Balochistan province, while the southwestern port city of Gwadar, which is 200 nautical miles from Oman, was transferred to Pakistan in 1958, before which it had remained gifted to the Sultan of Oman for 175 years.

“During the meetings, the security situation in the Indian Ocean and joint defense cooperation were discussed,” the military’s media wing said after Ashraf had separate meetings with the minister of the Royal Office of the Sultanate of Oman, and the commanders of the Omani Royal Navy and National Defense College.

“Naval Chief highlighted the role of Pakistan Navy in preventing piracy and smuggling,” the statement said. “Pakistan Navy is a strong supporter of promoting maritime security in collaboration with other regional countries.”

Last week, the Pakistan navy conducted joint naval exercises and drills with Royal Oman ship ‘Alseeb.’ The bilateral naval exercise, “Samar Al-Tayeb,” is conducted regularly between the navies of the two nations.


Asian Development Bank approves $7.5 million to boost health care in Pakistan’s northwest

Updated 19 December 2024
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Asian Development Bank approves $7.5 million to boost health care in Pakistan’s northwest

  • Funds will aid in revamping hospitals, improving service delivery, modernizing equipment across secondary health facilities
  • The ADB has committed over $52 billion to Pakistan, one of its founding members, since 1966 in public, private sector loans

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $7.5 million to enhance health care systems in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistani state media reported on Thursday.

The funds will support the mega project of revamping of Non-Teaching District Headquarters hospitals across the province, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

“It would also improve service delivery, and modernize equipment across secondary health care facilities,” the report read.

The regional development bank has committed over $52 billion to Pakistan, one of its founding members, since 1966 in public and private sector loans, grants and other forms of financing to promote inclusive economic growth in the country.

On Dec. 14, Pakistan signed a loan agreement with the ADB for the Integrated Social Protection Development Program additional financing amounting to $330 million.


India to play Champions Trophy on neutral ground, not Pakistan

Updated 19 December 2024
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India to play Champions Trophy on neutral ground, not Pakistan

  • In return, Pakistan will also play upcoming ICC tournaments hosted by India in other countries, yet to be decided
  • The agreement will extend to ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 hosted by India, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

KARACHI: India will play next year’s Champions Trophy matches on neutral ground after refusing to visit tournament host and arch-rival Pakistan, the International Cricket Council said Thursday following weeks of wrangling.
In return, Pakistan will also play upcoming ICC tournaments hosted by India in other countries, yet to be decided.
“India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC Board confirmed,” said a statement released by the body.
“This will apply to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan).”
The agreement will extend to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 hosted by India, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the statement added.
The announcement ended a month-long stand-off over the Champions Trophy, after India told the ICC it will not send its team to Pakistan because of security fears and political tension.
Pakistan did, however, play in India during the 2023 ICC World Cup hosted there.