ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Islamabad announced on Sunday that all educational institutions in the federal capital will remain closed tomorrow, citing the ongoing situation linked to a protest call by former prime minister Imran Khan to his party supporters.
The decision comes as leaders and workers of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) continue their march to the city, demanding the release of the ex-premier and protesting alleged election rigging and perceived threats to judicial independence.
“The decision to close schools has been taken in view of the current circumstances,” the Islamabad Capital Territory administration said in a statement.
It added that the closure applies to all public and private educational institutions in the city.
Such closures have become a recurring practice in Islamabad during times of political unrest or high-profile visits by foreign dignitaries. Pakistani authorities also shut down schools and colleges during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in October.
Officials have intensified security measures in the capital, deploying police and paramilitary personnel equipped with riot gear across the city and sealing key roads with shipping containers to prevent protesters from entering the federal capital.
Additionally, mobile Internet services have been suspended, and Wi-Fi connections remain slow in Islamabad.
Pakistan shuts down schools in Islamabad amid opposition party’s protest call
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Pakistan shuts down schools in Islamabad amid opposition party’s protest call
- Capital administration says closure applies to all public and private educational institutions
- Such closures have been a recurring practice during times of political unrest, high-profile visits
Trump’s new travel ban ‘unfortunate, big setback,’ Pakistanis say
- New travel ban by Trump could bar people from Afghanistan, Pakistan from entering US as soon as next week
- New ban could affect tens of thousands of Afghans who have been cleared for resettlement in the US as refugees
ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis and an Afghan national living in Islamabad this week called a new potential US travel ban ‘unfortunate,’ saying it could affect young Pakistanis who invested money to study in US universities.
A new travel ban by President Donald Trump could bar people from Afghanistan and Pakistan from entering the US as soon as next week based on a government review of countries’ security and vetting risks, three sources familiar with the matter said.
Speaking to Reuters, Syed Abbas Haider, a 29-year-old Islamabad resident, said a potential ban would be “unfortunate and strange,” considering that the people and government of Pakistan consider the US “an ally and supporter.”
The new ban could affect tens of thousands of Afghans who have been cleared for resettlement in the US as refugees or on Special Immigrant Visas because they are at risk of Taliban retribution for working for the US during a 20-year war in their home country.
Ehsanullah Ahmadzai, a 31-year-old Afghani who has been living in Islamabad for three years, said restrictions should not be placed on vulnerable people who need US assistance.
Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the US to detect national security threats.
That order directed several cabinet members to submit by March 12 a list of countries from which travel should be partly or fully suspended because their “vetting and screening information is so deficient.”
Afghanistan will be included in the recommended list of countries for a complete travel ban, said the three sources and one other who also asked not to be identified.
The three sources said Pakistan also would be recommended for inclusion.
The departments of State, Justice and Homeland Security and the Office of the Director for National Intelligence, whose leaders are overseeing the initiative, did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Pakistan says regional initiatives led by Riyadh, Muscat critical in advancing peace in Yemen
- Violence is unfolding against backdrop of larger civil war in Yemen that began in 2014 when Houthis took capital Sana’a
- Ensuing conflict has taken devastating toll on Yemen’s people with more than 17 million people needing humanitarian aid
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday regional initiatives, particularly those led by Saudi Arabia and Oman, were critical for advancing peace in Yemen, which has been wracked by civil war since 2014.
Since October 2023, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has been involved in disruptions to commercial ship traffic through the Red Sea, one of the world’s most important shipping routes that connects Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Over 12 percent of global maritime trade passes through the Red Sea. The United States and United Kingdom have responded to the attacks and many ships are rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope. The US State Department said this week it was designating the Houthi movement as a “foreign terrorist organization” after President Donald Trump’s call for the move earlier this year.
The violence is unfolding against the backdrop of a larger civil war in Yemen that began in 2014 when the Houthis took the capital Sana’a. Since then, the ensuing violent conflict has taken a devastating toll on Yemen’s people. More than 17 million people – half the country’s population – remain dependent on humanitarian assistance and protection.
Ambassador Munir Akram, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the UN Security Council on Thursday that political dialogue in Yemen had to be restarted and “decisive steps” taken to address the multidimensional crisis the impoverished Arab country was facing.
“The international community must act with urgency to prevent further deterioration of the crisis and pave the way for a future of stability and hope for Yemen,” Akram said. “We reaffirm our full support for the UN-led peace process and stress the need for an inclusive, comprehensive and sustainable resolution of the conflict.”
In this regard, regional initiatives, particularly those led by Saudi Arabia and Oman, remained critical in advancing these negotiations, the Pakistani envoy added.
“As we observe the holy month of Ramzan, millions in Yemen continue to endure extreme hardship,” Akram said, with 19.5 million people requiring urgent humanitarian assistance, including 17.1 million facing acute food insecurity. 4.5 million internally displaced, and 12 million children lacking access to basic necessities such as food, water, shelter and health care.
The Pakistani envoy regretted “deeply” the sudden cutting off of humanitarian aid in Yemen, and called for filling the gap by the international community and donor countries, hoping they would step up their contributions to the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen .
Intelligence sharing with Pakistan DG ISI led to capture of Kabul bombing suspect — CIA chief
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe says told Lt Gen Asim Malik about Sharifullah’s location on the Afghan-Pakistan border
- US has charged Sharifullah with helping plan attack at Kabul airport which killed at least 170 Afghans and 13 US soldiers
ISLAMABAD: US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe confirmed this week Mohammad Sharifullah, blamed for a 2021 attack on US troops at Kabul airport, was arrested through intelligence sharing with Pakistan’s top military spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
The United States has charged Sharifullah with helping plan the attack at Kabul airport which killed at least 170 Afghans and 13 US soldiers as they sought to help Americans and Afghans flee in the chaotic aftermath of the Taliban takeover. The attack was claimed by Daesh-K, the Afghan branch of the Daesh group.
Speaking to Fox News, Ratcliffe said he had shared information with his Pakistani counterpart, Lt Gen Asim Malik, the DG ISI, about the location of Sharifullah, also known by the alias Jafar, along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
“My second day on the job I spoke with the head of Pakistani intelligence,” Ratcliffe told Fox News in an interview. “I shared with him that we had intelligence indicating that Jafar was located in the Afghan-Pakistan border region.”
He said he told Malik to make the capture of the Daesh commander “a high priority” if Pakistan wanted to work with President Donald Trump and “have good relations with our country.”
“So, we worked with Pakistani intelligence,” Ratcliffe added. “Jafar was apprehended in short order and is in US custody.”
The US Justice Department has charged Sharifullah with “providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources” to Daesh.
“He confessed. This was the planner of that bombing,” White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said in an interview with Fox News this week.
On Thursday, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the US was thankful to the Pakistani government for its “partnership” in bringing Sharifullah to justice.
“And we have, regarding Pakistan and the nature of our relationship, we have a common interest, obviously, in fighting terrorism, and the arrest of this terrorist also illustrated that US-Pakistan cooperation on counterterrorism remains vitally important,” she said during a press briefing.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also thanked Trump for recognizing Pakistan’s role in counterterrorism and confirmed the involvement of Pakistani security forces in the arrest of Sharifullah, an Afghan national.
Pakistan and the US have a history of counterterrorism cooperation, especially post-9/11, when Pakistan began handing over Taliban and Al-Qaeda members to US authorities.
However, Pakistan’s links with Washington have frayed in recent years, while arch-rival India has gained greater influence.
Five key factors in India-New Zealand Champions Trophy final
- New Zealand pace spearhead Matt Henry leads the bowling charts in the tournament with 10 wickets, five when the Black Caps faced India earlier in the competition
- Wrist spinner Varun Chakravarthy was a late addition to the India squad for the tournament and against New Zealand bamboozled the opposition with figures of 5-42
DUBAI: India and New Zealand face off in the final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday to decide the winner of the eight-nation ODI tournament.
AFP Sport looks at five key factors that could decide the fate of the title clash.
New Zealand pace spearhead Matt Henry leads the bowling charts in the 50-over tournament with 10 wickets — five when the Black Caps faced India earlier in the competition.
Henry took down Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in the group match in Dubai to reduce India to 30-3, before a middle-order fightback lifted Rohit Sharma’s team to 249-9.
Henry, who combines pace with good seam movement, returned figures of 5-42, albeit in a losing cause.
His opening burst in the final could be vital for New Zealand in gaining the upper hand.
Wrist spinner Varun Chakravarthy was a late addition to the India squad for the tournament and against New Zealand bamboozled the opposition with figures of 5-42.
That was his first match of the tournament and only his second ODI, having made his debut against England in February.
The 33-year-old, a mystery spinner who has many variations up his sleeve, took another two wickets in the semifinal against Australia.
Chakravarthy could be key to India’s chances — if part of the XI — on pitches that have helped the spinners.
Rising star Rachin Ravindra and old warhorse Kane Williamson come into the final fresh from centuries against South Africa in Lahore.
The left-handed Ravindra and Williamson put together 164 runs in a match-winning stand in the semifinal and have the ability tackle the Indian spinners with aplomb.
Williamson, 34, hit a valiant 81 in the previous match against India and with Ravindra, 25, will once again pose a serious threat to India on an expected sluggish pitch.
Skipper and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner said Williamson and Ravindra’s batting makes life a “little easier” for the bowlers.
India captain Rohit hasn’t hit top gear in the tournament, with his highest score being 41 in the opening win against Bangladesh.
But even his scores of 20-plus in two matches — against Pakistan and Australia — have handed India quick starts for others to build on.
Critics have slammed the opener for not converting those starts into bigger scores.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir says his impact has been crucial and not driven by numbers.
“You evaluate from the runs; we evaluate from the impact. That’s the difference,” Gambhir shot back at a question on Rohit’s form.
The pitches at Dubai International Cricket Stadium have been a talking point with India playing all their matches at the same venue after refusing to tour Pakistan for political reasons.
The surface in Dubai has been sluggish and aided spinners with Australia posting the highest total in this tournament of 264, which was overhauled by India with 11 balls to spare.
Tracks in Pakistan have produced tall scores with New Zealand getting a Champions Trophy record 362-6 before restricting South Africa to 312-9 in Lahore.
While India stay at their temporary home for the final, New Zealand’s Ravindra said “we pride ourselves in adapting and playing the situation in front of us.”
Pakistan deputy PM to attend today OIC’s extraordinary meeting on Palestine
- Shortly after assuming office, US President Trump had announced a plan to permanently uproot more than 2 million Palestinian people from Gaza
- The OIC says its meeting underscores firm rejection of displacement policies, reaffirming the Palestinian cause remains central to the Muslim world
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, will be attending an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) today, Friday, to discuss the situation in Palestine, according to the Pakistani foreign office.
US President Donald Trump announced a plan to permanently uproot more than 2 million Palestinians from Gaza after assuming office, saying his country would turn the area into an international beach resort.
The plan was widely denounced by majority-Muslim nations and global rights organizations as the US president suggested that the Palestinian population could relocate to neighboring Egypt and Jordan.
Dar will discuss the deteriorating situation in Palestine, the ensuing humanitarian crisis, and the “illegal and immoral” proposals for the displacement of Palestinians at the OIC meeting in Jeddah, according to Pakistan’s foreign office.
“The DPM/FM will reaffirm Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their just cause,” the foreign office said on X.
In a post on X, the OIC said the meeting underscores the firm rejection of policies of displacement, annexation, aggression and destruction, while reaffirming that the Palestinian cause remains the central issue of the Islamic world.
The meeting comes days after Arab leaders adopted an Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza worth $53 billion, which seeks to avoid Palestinian displacement in contrast to Trump’s “Middle East Riviera” vision.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Tuesday Egypt, in cooperation with Palestinians, had worked on creating an administrative committee of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats to govern Gaza after the Israel-Gaza war ends.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the Arab League’s approval of the Egyptian plan, urging the United Nations to ensure the implementation of its resolutions calling for a two-state solution in the Middle East.
Islamabad does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”
Pakistani state media reported that Dar would advocate for Israel’s full withdrawal from all occupied territories, including Jerusalem, at the OIC meeting.
