QUETTA: Sarfraz Bugti, the chief minister of Balochistan, on Monday asked opponents of a planned military operation against separatists in the insurgency-plagued southwestern province to suggest another solution to a surge in militant attacks, saying the armed campaign would target “terrorists and their camps.”
The province has seen a rise in deadly attacks that have targeted both citizens and security forces in recent months, including a series of coordinated assaults in August in which over 50 people were killed and a suicide bombing last month that targeted Pakistani army troops at a railway station, killing 27, including 19 soldiers, who were in civilian clothing.
Last Tuesday, the federal government announced that it would launch a “comprehensive” military operation to stem the rising tide of separatist militancy, though many political parties, civil rights groups and citizens have questioned the chances of the armed campaign’s success in the vast province.
“Obviously, this will be a targeted operation and the operation will be against those who are committing this terrorism, there will be operations against the terrorist camps,” Bugti said in response to questions by reporters.
“My question to all political parties is that if any other solution is seen emerging against this terrorism, then the government and the state of Pakistan are ready for this solution. These nationalist parties should tell us that solution … If any other political party knows any other solution, I ask them to tell the government.”
The statement from the prime minister’s office last week announcing the launch of the operation did not give any details, including which security forces would take part, whether the campaign would be limited to ground operations or could involve the air force, when it would be launched and in which parts of the vast, remote Balochistan province. It also did not mention if the plan would be a joint effort with Beijing, since Balochistan is home to key Chinese Belt and Road projects, and there has been a rise in attacks on Chinese nationals and interests in the region.
Pakistan’s military already has a huge presence in Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran and is home to a decades-long separatist insurgency by militants fighting for a separate homeland to win a larger share of benefits from the resource-rich province. The government and military deny they are exploiting the province’s mineral wealth or ignoring its economic development.
The military has long run intelligence-based operations against insurgent groups, the most prominent being the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has escalated attacks in recent months on the military and nationals from longtime ally China.
The region hosts the Gwadar Port, built by China as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $65 billion investment in President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative to expand China’s global reach.
In addition to the recent attacks, the BLA also claimed a suicide bombing last month outside the international airport in the southern port city of Karachi that killed two Chinese engineers.
Ethnic Baloch separatists have launched several insurgencies in Balochistan since the birth of Pakistan in 1947, including from 1948-50, 1958–60, 1962–63 and 1973–1977. An ongoing low-level insurgency began in 2003. The army has launched several military campaigns in response, including as early as 1948 in the state of Kalat and a five-year-long operation in the 70s under Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
“Many political governments have come and gone in Balochistan but the operation has continued,” Sardar Akhter Jan Mengal, head of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) and a prominent Baloch nationalist leader in the province, told Arab News last week. “No one can resolve Balochistan’s political issue with military operations.”
Indeed, political leaders and independent analysts have for years urged the government to take a holistic approach to resolving Balochistan’s problems, which they say stems from decades of economic deprivation and political disenfranchisement. The province, which comprises 44 percent of Pakistan’s total land mass, is its most backward by almost all economic and social indicators.
Rich in land and mineral wealth, most parts of the region often lack even the rudiments of modern life. For instance, though home to Reko Diq, one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper and gold deposits, and the site of major Chinese investment projects, the province lacks employment opportunities and basic facilities like Internet, health and education.
Balochistan is also the least represented in Pakistan’s parliament, where legislative seats are allocated to provinces according to their population. Balochistan has a population of only 14.89 million people in a country of over 240 million and is hence allocated only 16 National Assembly seats. Punjab, with a much smaller land area but a population of 127.68 million, gets 141 seats.
‘Give us another solution,’ Balochistan CM asks opponents of military operation against separatists
https://arab.news/p4b7h
‘Give us another solution,’ Balochistan CM asks opponents of military operation against separatists
- Government has announced operation but not shared details of scale, scope, whether it will be joint effort with China
- Analysts say military solutions will not work in Balochistan, plagued by low-level separatist insurgency since decades
Pakistan, China hold joint military drill amid Beijing’s concerns over attacks on nationals
- Warrior VIII, which began on November 19, aims to bolster counterterrorism capabilities
- Pakistan’s army chief interacted with the participants of the exercise and praised their morale
ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Friday visited the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) in Pabbi, located in the Gujrat division of Punjab province, to observe a joint counterterrorism exercise between the Pakistan Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China, said an official statement.
The three-week “Warrior VIII” exercise, which began on November 19, is the eighth iteration of bilateral training aimed at bolstering counterterrorism capabilities and enhancing military cooperation.
The exercise comes as China’s security concerns in Pakistan have grown following a spate of attacks targeting Chinese nationals working on dozens of lucrative projects in the country.
“The COAS was briefed on the scope and conduct of the exercise,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said. “He also interacted with the participants of the exercise.”
Thousands of Chinese nationals have been working on the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for nearly a decade, with several of them being targeted by different militant groups operating in Pakistan.
Earlier this year, in March, a suicide bomber attacked a convoy near Besham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing five Chinese engineers. A few months later, in October, a bombing near Karachi airport targeted Chinese workers ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Islamabad.
Beijing has voiced concerns over the safety of its citizens working in Pakistan and has reportedly proposed a joint security mechanism.
However, the foreign office said this month the two countries have a “robust dialogue and cooperation” on a range of issues, including counterterrorism and the security of Chinese nationals in the country.
It also expressed the government’s resolve to work with Chinese authorities to ensure the safety and security of their nationals, as well as their projects and investments.
According to Voice of America, Warrior VIII is the first joint counterterrorism exercise between the two countries in five years.
The ISPR said General Munir also praised the professionalism and high morale of the officers and soldiers participating in the joint military exercise.
European aviation safety agency lifts Pakistan airline ban — minister
- The development will revive PIA’s European flights, strengthen the government’s privatization drive
- Pakistan’s Airblue has also got Third Country Operator authorization to fly to European destinations
KARACHI: The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has lifted a ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights after a span of four years, Defense and Aviation Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif announced Friday, commending all the relevant officials who made the breakthrough possible.
The ban on PIA flights was imposed in 2020 after a crash in Karachi killed 97 people, followed by a former Pakistani aviation minister’s statement claiming that nearly 40 percent of local pilots held “dubious” licenses.
This statement raised global concerns about safety oversight, leading to the grounding of PIA’s European operations.
The suspension added to PIA’s financial troubles, as the debt-ridden national carrier continued to incur losses amid its struggle to recover from a tarnished reputation. The government also faced difficulties privatizing the airline, a condition set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during recent loan negotiations, due to its precarious financial situation.
“It is a momentous day to announce that the European Commission and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has lifted the suspension on PIA flights to Europe,” the aviation minister wrote in a social media post.
He also announced that the decision granted Third Country Operator (TCO) authorization to another Pakistani airline, Airblue, marking a significant development for the aviation sector.
TCO authorization granted by EASA allows non-European airlines to operate commercial flights into, within or out of European Union airspace.
Airblue, Pakistan’s second-largest airline, operates domestic and regional routes and is expected to explore European operations following the TCO authorization.
Responding to the development, PIA lauded the lifting of the ban as a testament to its adherence to international safety standards.
“This milestone ensures that the entire nation can once again travel directly to European destinations with their national airline,” the airline said in a statement, adding it had worked tirelessly over the past four years to meet EASA’s safety requirements.
“The PIA administration will remain fully compliant with EASA and its rules and regulations,” it added.
Asif credited the lifting of the suspension to reforms in Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), which he said were aimed at aligning the regulator with international standards.
“I am grateful to the European Commission and EASA for conducting a transparent process and our commitment to ensuring aviation safety in Pakistan,” he said in the social media message.
The development is expected to help revive PIA’s European operations and strengthen the government’s privatization efforts by improving the airline’s appeal to potential investors.
Pakistan receives 38,000 Hajj applications in 10 days
- Total number of applications received so far is 11,000 more than during the corresponding period last year
- Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210, evenly split between the government and private tour operators
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs said on Friday that 38,000 Hajj applications had been received in the first 10 days of the submission period, 11,000 more than during the same period last year.
The surge comes as Pakistan prepares to send 179,210 pilgrims for the annual Islamic pilgrimage in 2025, under a quota evenly divided between government and private Hajj schemes.
“By the tenth day, 38,000 Hajj applications have been received,” a ministry said in a statement, adding that designated banks would continue accepting applications over the weekend. The final deadline for submissions is Dec. 3.
Pilgrims under the regular Hajj scheme can secure their booking with an initial payment of Rs200,000 ($719), according to the statement.
Pakistan has steadily improved facilities for pilgrims in recent years.
One key initiative is the Makkah Route Initiative, which streamlines immigration processes by enabling pilgrims to complete formalities at their departure airports.
Initially tested in Islamabad in 2019, the program was later expanded to Karachi, benefitting tens of thousands of travelers.
Efforts have also included the launch of a mobile application, Pak Hajj 2025, to provide pilgrims with essential updates, flight details and navigation assistance in Saudi Arabia.
Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, attracts millions of Muslims annually to Makkah, with Pakistan consistently being among the largest contributors of pilgrims.
ICC talks continue on fate of Pakistan Champions Trophy
- Event’s fate has been hanging in the balance since India declined to visit Pakistan
- ICC meeting adjourned without a decision but will reconvene ‘in the next few days’
KARACHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) said talks were continuing to settle uncertainty around next year’s Champions Trophy, sources told AFP, after India refused to travel to host nation Pakistan.
The event’s fate has been hanging in the balance since earlier this month, when the ICC said India had declined to visit Pakistan for the eight-team tournament.
The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent’s partition in 1947 and that rivalry is often reflected on the cricket field.
A meeting by the Dubai-headquartered ICC was held briefly on Friday but adjourned without a decision, according to several sources with knowledge of the talks who were not authorized to speak to media.
“All parties continue to work toward a positive resolution,” said one source, adding that “it is expected that the board will reconvene in the next few days.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board has previously ruled out proposals allowing India to play in a neutral third country, insisting the full schedule from February 19 to March 9 must be staged on their turf.
Another source said the “Pakistani stance remains the same” following Friday’s brief meeting.
No let-up in Kurram fighting in Pakistan as death toll hits 98 amid fragile ceasefire
- Tribal elders in the area say dozens of families have moved from the region to safer locations
- Pakistani parliamentarian from Kurram puts the death toll at 110, seeking government intervention
PESHAWAR: Sporadic gunfire and violence persist in Pakistan’s Kurram district despite a ceasefire brokered last weekend by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) administration in the region, following sectarian clashes that have killed 98 and injured over 130 in the last nine days, a police official said Friday.
Kurram, a former semi-autonomous tribal area bordering Afghanistan, has a long history of violent conflicts that have claimed hundreds of lives over the years. A major conflict in the district, triggered in 2007, lasted for years before being resolved by a jirga, or council of tribal elders, in 2011.
The recent clashes in the restive district broke out when gunmen attacked a convoy carrying members of the minority Shiite community in Lower Kurram on November 21, killing 41 people.
Wazir Hussain, a police official stationed in the region, told Arab News that the ceasefire agreement had collapsed, adding that there was no let-up in clashes.
“Armed clashes have continued throughout the district,” he said over the phone. “There is a huge problem of communication because mobile signals and Internet have not been working for days.”
“Almost 98 people have died and over 130 injured in nine days of violence,” he continued. “Ceasefire agreement is nowhere and both the sides have been hitting each other’s positions with small and heavy weapons.”
Last Sunday, the provincial spokesperson of KP, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, announced in a statement that the two warring sides had agreed to temporarily halt attacks and enforce a seven-day ceasefire.
The development followed Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s statement that his administration was working toward a ceasefire before formulating a strategy to prevent such incidents in the future after consulting local elders.
Hameed Hussain, a Pakistani parliamentarian from Kurram, also confirmed while speaking to Arab News that the ceasefire brokered by the KP authorities had failed to hold up in all these days.
He said the death toll had exceeded 98 and stood at 110.
“Only last night’s clashes in Kalkuna, Badshah Kot and other villages have left 18 people dead,” he informed, adding that jirga members were trying to pacify the situation, but the government was finding it difficult to enforce its writ in the area.
Hussain said he had spoken with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a day earlier and briefed him about the situation.
“I told the PM that the government should at least secure the roads in Kurram for passengers to travel securely,” he added. “The prime minister promised to ensure durable peace in the area and take steps to resolve the issue.”
Kurram’s Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud told the media the district administration was making efforts to implement the ceasefire agreement.
“A breakthrough to halt attacks and enforce the ceasefire is expected soon,” he added.
The clashes in Kurram mark one of the deadliest incidents in the region in recent years, following outbreaks of sectarian violence in July and September that killed dozens.
According to local elders, dozens of families have moved from the region to safer locations to avoid casualties.
