Pakistan PM reaches US to attend UNGA session to highlight Palestine crisis, global issues 

Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram (right), receives Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in New York, US, on September 24, 2024. (PID)
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Updated 24 September 2024
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Pakistan PM reaches US to attend UNGA session to highlight Palestine crisis, global issues 

  • Shehbaz Sharif to address United Nations General Assembly session on Friday
  • PM to attend reception hosted by UN secretary-general today with other world leaders

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in New York on Tuesday to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where he will engage with world leaders on key global issues and present Pakistan’s stance on Israel’s war in Gaza, the Kashmir dispute and “terrorism,” Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said. 

World leaders, policymakers, and international stakeholders are arriving in the city to attend this year’s UNGA. Policymakers and global leaders will hold high-level discussions and summits aimed at addressing the world’s most pressing issues.

Sharif will address the UNGA session on Friday, participate in Sustainable Development Goals Moment 2024, attend a high-level open debate of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), titled ‘Leadership for Peace,’ and participate in a session on the looming threat of rising sea-level, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said previously. 

“The prime minister will focus on Palestine and Kashmir issues as well as climate change and terrorism,” Tarar told reporters in New York.

The minister said that the war in Gaza was extremely important for Pakistan, adding that the South Asian country wanted an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East and Israel to be held accountable for its actions. 

“Peace is not possible in the world without peace in Palestine,” he said.

Israel launched its war on Gaza on Oct. 7 after Hamas fighters stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israeli military campaign has since demolished swathes of the besieged territory killed more than 41,000 people, displaced nearly all of its 2.3 million people multiple times, and given rise to deadly hunger and disease in the area.

Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Tarar said the Pakistani prime minister would also focus on the effects of climate change during his visit. 

“Climate change is a major issue for Pakistan as the country contributes only 2 percent of the world’s carbon emissions but when it comes to bearing the brunt of climate-related disasters, Pakistan suffers disproportionately,” he explained. 

Meanwhile, the PMO said Sharif will spend a busy day in New York today.

“The prime minister will attend the reception given by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for the heads of member states, where he will have an informal meeting with the heads of various countries,” Sharif’s office said. 

“Shehbaz Sharif will also hold meetings with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of the General Assembly Philemon Yang, President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Founder of Gates Foundation Bill Gates, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Ms. Kristalina Georgieva,” it said. 

The Pakistani premier will hold bilateral meetings with other heads of states and attend a dinner hosted by Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, on the completion of 50 years of his country’s membership of the United Nations.

Sharif will also meet the US-Pakistan Business Council and Pakistani bankers during his visit and inform them about his government’s business and investment-friendly policies.

Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi will also be accompanying the prime minister during the visit.


Marco Rubio, Saudi FM discuss efforts to de-escalate India-Pakistan tensions

Updated 6 sec ago
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Marco Rubio, Saudi FM discuss efforts to de-escalate India-Pakistan tensions

  • World leaders, including Trump, have urged restraint and called for peaceful resolution of issues between both states
  • India launched missile attacks inside Pakistan a day earlier, while Islamabad said it had shot down five fighter jets

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud discussed efforts to de-escalate tensions between Pakistan and India as South Asia faces the risk of a major conflict, his office said on Thursday.
The development follows Indian missile strikes a day earlier that killed 31 people and injured 57 in different Pakistani cities, with New Delhi calling it a response to an April 22 attack in the disputed Kashmir region that left 26 tourists dead and which it blamed on Pakistan despite Islamabad’s repeated denials.
Pakistan said it shot down five Indian fighter jets and destroyed several border posts in the military clash that followed. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the Indian missile attacks a “grave mistake” and warned that New Delhi “will have to face consequences.”
“The secretary and the foreign minister discussed regional security matters, economic engagement and efforts to de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan,” US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
She added the US state secretary also commended the Saudi government for its efforts to help stabilize Syria, to stop the fighting in Sudan and continued engagement with Lebanon and the issues in the Red Sea.
World leaders including President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged restraint and pressed for a peaceful resolution between the nuclear-armed neighbors amid rising fears of a broader military confrontation.
Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan’s military said it had shot down 12 Israeli-made Harop drones launched by India at multiple locations, adding that the cross-border campaign was continuing and had left one civilian dead and four army officers injured.
India and Pakistan have fought multiple wars since independence over the disputed Himalayan region which they both claim in full but control in parts.
 


Pakistani man killed as military says 12 Israeli-made drones shot down amid hostilities with India

Updated 22 min 27 sec ago
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Pakistani man killed as military says 12 Israeli-made drones shot down amid hostilities with India

  • The military’s spokesperson calls the drone campaign a ‘serious provocation,’ says it’s continuing
  • He asks the world community to take notice of India’s hostile actions in a ‘charged’ environment

KARACHI: Pakistan’s military said Thursday it had shot down 12 Israeli-made Harop drones launched by India at multiple locations, adding that the cross-border campaign was continuing and had left one civilian dead and four army officers injured.
The situation follows Indian missile strikes a day earlier that killed 31 people and injured 57 in different Pakistani cities, with New Delhi calling it a response to an April 22 attack in the disputed Kashmir region that left 26 tourists dead and which it blamed on Pakistan despite Islamabad’s repeated denials.
New Delhi said it had targeted “terrorist infrastructure” across Pakistan, while Islamabad condemned the strikes as a violation of sovereignty and said it had shot down five Indian fighter jets.
“Last night, that is the night of 7th and 8th May, India has undertaken yet another blatant military act of aggression against Pakistan by sending Harop drones at multiple locations,” military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said in a televised statement. “Pakistan Armed Forces being in a high state of alert and vigilance has so far neutralized 12 Harop drones at various locations,”
“Other than these 12, one drone, however, managed to engage a military target near Lahore partially,” he continued. “Four men of Pakistan Army have been injured in this attack near Lahore and partial damage to an equipment has occurred.”
Chaudhry said the cross-border drone campaign was ongoing.
“As we speak, the process of India sending across these Harop drones, this naked aggression, continues and the armed forces are on a high degree of alert and neutralizing them,” he added.
He described the situation as a “serious provocation,” urging the international community to note that India was escalating the conflict “in a highly charged environment.”
Earlier in the day, police reported a civilian casualty in the southern Sindh province, also confirmed by Chaudhry, when a drone crashed in Sarfaraz Leghari village, located in Ghotki district.

A paramilitary official stands near an Indian drone in Ghotki, in the border region of Pakistan's southern Sindh province, on May 8, 2025. (Qazi Agan Shar)

“This morning, a drone fell over two villagers... killing one man and injuring another,” Senior Superintendent of Police Dr. Samiullah Soomro told Arab News over the phone, saying more details would be confirmed following a visit to the site.
Eyewitnesses in Ghotki said the drone entered from the Indian side last night and hovered over the village before it was hit by Pakistani forces this morning, following which it crashed near a canal where the men were working.
“My brother Mukhtiar Ahmed, who was only 25, was martyred,” Jabbar Laghari, a local schoolteacher, said. “He leaves behind three children. My father was also injured.”
The military spokesperson said the drones were sent to cities like Lahore, Gujrawalla, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Attock, Bahawalpur and areas near Karachi.
Pakistan’s air defense system shot down these drones and circulated pictures of their wreckage.
 


Pakistani and Indian NSAs established contact after New Delhi’s missile strike — Ishaq Dar

Updated 08 May 2025
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Pakistani and Indian NSAs established contact after New Delhi’s missile strike — Ishaq Dar

  • The Pakistani deputy PM tells a foreign news outlet India’s actions are ‘not condonable’
  • He does not disclose what the NSAs discussed, but Pakistan has vowed to avenge the attack

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Indian national security advisers established contact after New Delhi’s missile strikes on Pakistan killed at least 31 people, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday, marking a rare official communication between the nuclear-armed rivals.
India said it launched the strikes targeting what it described as “terrorist infrastructure” inside Pakistan following a deadly assault on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam area, which it blamed on Pakistan despite Islamabad’s denials.
Pakistan said it shot down five Indian fighter jets and destroyed several border posts in the military clash that followed. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the Indian missile attacks a “grave mistake” and warned that New Delhi “will have to face consequences.”
In an interview with TRT World, the Pakistani deputy premier said India had done something that “is not condonable.”
“[Dar] confirmed that both a Pakistani national security adviser and Indian national security adviser spoke to each other after last night’s Indian missile strikes in Pakistan, as well as Pakistani-administered Kashmir and then Pakistan’s response, in which Pakistan said that five Indian fighter jets were shot down,” a TRT correspondent in Islamabad reported after the interview.
“However, he did not provide further details, but some people interpret that given the fact that now both sides have established contacts at the level of national security advisers, this means that some form of effort is underway to de-escalate tensions,” he added.
Pakistan recently named Lt. Gen. Muhammad Asim Malik, the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), as its National Security Adviser, while his Indian counterpart is Ajit Doval.
The two countries have rarely maintained high-level official contacts in recent years. Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties after India revoked the special constitutional status of the disputed Kashmir region in 2019 to integrate it with the rest of the Indian union.
The rivals, who have fought multiple wars over the Himalayan region they both claim in full but control in parts, also expelled each other’s diplomats following the recent Pahalgam attack.
It is not clear what the two NSAs discussed during their call, but Pakistan has vowed to retaliate after the missile strikes.


Pakistan sets up Hajj flight helpline as India-Pakistan tensions disrupt air travel

Updated 08 May 2025
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Pakistan sets up Hajj flight helpline as India-Pakistan tensions disrupt air travel

  • Government has temporarily suspended flight operations at Karachi, Lahore and Sialkot airports
  • Local Pakistani media has reported blasts in Lahore, attributing them to suspected drone attacks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry has launched a 24-hour helpline to assist Hajj pilgrims seeking updates on flight schedules, an official statement said on Thursday, as the country faces widespread air travel disruptions linked to escalating military tensions with India.

The measures follow a sharp military escalation between Pakistan and India in the early hours of Wednesday after Indian missile strikes killed at least 31 civilians in Pakistani territory.

Pakistan’s military responded by downing five Indian fighter jets, while Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) suspended all flights for 12 hours and several Asian carriers rerouted flights to avoid the region’s airspace.

“The help desk will operate 24 hours a day in two shifts,” the statement said while sharing the telephone numbers. “Hajj pilgrims can obtain information regarding their flights.”

Pakistan also announced it had temporarily suspended flight operations at Karachi, Lahore, and Sialkot airports, citing “national security” concerns.

Pakistan’s Geo News reported blasts in the eastern border city of Lahore, attributing them to suspected drone attacks, though police were still investigating the nature of the explosions.

Tensions continue to remain high between the two South Asian nuclear rivals, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described India’s missile attacks as a “grave mistake” in a speech on Wednesday night, saying New Delhi “will have to face consequences.”

The Indian army also said on Thursday the two neighboring states exchanged small arms and artillery fire overnight along their de facto border in the disputed Kashmir region split between the two countries.


Trump tells India and Pakistan to ‘stop’ clashes

Updated 08 May 2025
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Trump tells India and Pakistan to ‘stop’ clashes

  • The US president initially played down the crisis as part of old tensions between India and Pakistan
  • His administration has scrambled into action in the last 24 hours since the Indian strikes in Pakistan

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump called Wednesday for India and Pakistan to immediately halt their fighting, and offered to help end the worst violence between the nuclear-armed countries in two decades.
“It’s so terrible,” Trump said at the White House. “I get along with both, I know both very well, and I want to see them work it out. I want to see them stop.
“They’ve gone tit-for-tat, so hopefully they can stop now.”
Trump’s comments came as India and Pakistan exchanged heavy artillery fire along their contested frontier, after New Delhi launched deadly missile strikes on its arch-rival.
At least 31 deaths were reported in the fighting, which came two weeks after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing an attack on the Indian-run side of disputed Kashmir, which Pakistan denied.
Pakistan has long been a key US military ally but Trump has been keen to build up relations with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he hosted at the White House in February.
“We get along with both countries very well, good relationships with both, and I want to see it stop,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
“And if I can do anything to help, I will be there.”
Trump initially played down the crisis as part of old tensions between India and Pakistan — even saying they had been at odds for 1,500 years, despite the two countries only forming after independence from Britain in 1947.
But his administration has scrambled into action in the last 24 hours since the Indian strikes.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to his counterparts from India and Pakistan on Friday, encouraging them to reopen dialogue to “defuse” the situation, the White House said.