ISLAMABAD: One soldier was killed while seven militants were gunned down in northwestern Pakistan this week during separate intelligence-based operations, the army’s media wing said on Wednesday.
Both operations took place in the restive North Waziristan district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province bordering Afghanistan between Dec. 10-11, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
Four militants were killed in the first operation in Miran Shah, North Waziristan, while three others were gunned down in the second operation in Spinwam area in the same district.
“However, during the intense fire exchange, one brave son of soil, Lance Naik Muhammad Amin (age: 34 years, resident of District Faisalabad), having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat,” the ISPR said.
It said that a sanitization operation was being conducted in the district to eliminate any other militants found in the area.
“Security Forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the ISPR said.
Pakistan has struggled to contain surging militancy in its northwestern KP and southwestern Balochistan provinces since November 2022, when a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban and the state broke down.
The Pakistani Taliban have since then increased attacks against Pakistan’s security forces, souring Islamabad’s ties with Kabul, whom it accuses of providing sanctuary to militants.
Afghanistan denies Pakistan’s allegations and has asked Islamabad to resolve its security challenges internally.
One soldier, seven militants killed in security operations in northwest Pakistan — army
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One soldier, seven militants killed in security operations in northwest Pakistan — army
- Both operations were conducted in Pakistan’s North Waziristan district bordering Afghanistan
- Pakistan blames Afghanistan for providing sanctuary to militants, a charge that Kabul denies
Japan donates $3.1 million to eradicate polio in Pakistan amid alarming surge
- Pakistan, with Afghanistan, remains last polio-endemic country
- Pakistan has so far this year reported 59 polio cases countrywide
PESHAWAR: Japan has donated $3.1 million to eradicate polio in Pakistan and ensure millions of children remain safe from the crippling disease, the Pakistan Polio Programme said on Wednesday, as Islamabad desperately looks to grapple with an alarming surge in cases of the infection this year.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. The country has so far reported 59 cases of the infection this year.
The nation’s polio eradication campaign has hit serious problems with a spike in reported cases this year that have prompted officials to review their approach to stopping the crippling disease.
“Today, the Government of Japan reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts by supporting the program with a generous donation of $3.1 million,” the Pakistan Polio Programme said in a press release.
“This funding will ensure millions of children are protected from this crippling disease in 2025, leading us closer to a polio-free Pakistan.”
Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Farooq expressed her gratitude to the Japanese government and highlighted the decades-long partnership between both nations in the “critical fight.”
“This generous grant reflects not only financial support but also the profound bond between our nations, rooted in a shared commitment to health equity and safeguarding of future generations,” she said.
“A heartfelt thanks to the Government and people of Japan, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), and UNICEF for their enduring commitment to this life-saving cause. Together, we will achieve our goal of ensuring no child is left behind.”
Charge d’ Affairs ad interim of Japan Takano Shuichi, JICA Chief Representative Miyata Naoaki, UNICEF representative in Pakistan Abdullah Fadil and other officials from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and Pakistan Polio Program team were in attendance during the grant ceremony, the statement added.
Of the 59 cases reported in 2024, 26 are from Balochistan province, 16 from KP, 15 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad, the federal capital.
Poliovirus, which can cause crippling paralysis, particularly in young children, is incurable and remains a threat to human health as long as it has not been eradicated. Immunization campaigns have succeeded in most countries and have come close in Pakistan, but persistent problems remain.
In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994 but efforts to eradicate the virus have since been undermined by vaccine misinformation and opposition from some religious hard-liners, who say immunization is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western spies. Militant groups also frequently attack and kill members of polio vaccine teams.
Sindh launches ‘Senior Citizen Card’ to provide better health care, travel facilities for elderly
- Persons aged 60 and above entitled to Senior Citizen Card, says national database registration authority
- Sindh first province in country to issue dedicated senior citizen card, says provincial minister for social welfare
KARACHI: Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Sindh government have joined hands to introduce a Senior Citizen Card for persons aged 60 and above in the southern province, allowing them to avail better access to health care facilities and travel, NADRA said on Wednesday.
The Sindh High Court had ordered the provincial government in 2021 to issue what was then known as the “Azadi Card” for Sindh’s citizens falling in the age bracket of 60 years and above. As per the Sindh Senior Citizens Welfare Act, 2014, the cards would fulfill elderly citizens’ social security needs and provide them benefits.
NADRA said in its press release that the cards, now named Senior Citizen Card, will provide 3.7 million Sindh residents aged 60 and above enhanced access to health care and travel facilities. The agreement to issue the cards was signed between NADRA and the Sindh Social Welfare Department in a ceremony on Wednesday.
“Social Welfare Department Sindh in collaboration with NADRA has launched the Sindh Senior Citizen Card,” NADRA said.
“The program is set to benefit 3.7 million citizens aged 60 and above, providing improved access to health care, travel facilities, and various civic services.”
Sindh Social Welfare Minister Mir Tarique Ali Khan Talpur highlighted that Sindh was the first province in the country to issue a dedicated Senior Citizen Card.
“This initiative underscores our commitment to honoring and caring for this important segment of society,” he said.
12-hour bus rides, checkpoints, high costs: Nearly 600 Pakistanis evacuated from Syria speak of arduous journey
- Pakistani mission in Syria says 585 nationals evacuated from war-torn country to Lebanon via land routes
- Armed opposition forces seized Damascus unopposed last week as President Assad fled to Russia on Sunday
ISLAMABAD: Twelve-hour-long bus rides, multiple check posts, interrogations and bills piling on were how many of nearly 600 Pakistanis evacuated from Syria this week described their fear-filled journey of leaving the war-torn nation by road through neighboring Lebanon.
More than 1,300 Pakistanis have been stranded in Syria since last week when opposition forces seized the capital of Damascus unopposed following a lightning advance that sent President Bashar Assad fleeing to Russia on Sunday.
Pakistan’s mission in Damascus told Arab News on Wednesday 585 Pakistani nationals had been safely evacuated from Syria and were in Beirut. Efforts to transport another batch of 150 people had been hindered, the official said, due to “continuous bombing by Israeli forces.” Soon after the overthrow of Assad on Sunday ended 54 years of rule by his family, Israeli troops moved into the demilitarized zone set up after the 1973 Middle East war, saying the incursion was a temporary measure to ensure border security. On Tuesday, the Israeli military said a wave of air strikes had destroyed the bulk of Syria’s strategic weapons stockpiles.
With major Syrian airports shut, the evacuations came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged Lebanese PM Najib Mikati on Monday to “personally” assist in getting Pakistanis, including pilgrims, out of Syria by land routes through the border with Lebanon.
“It took us over 12 hours to reach the Syria-Lebanon border, a distance that should have been just two hours,” Ilyas Naqvi, a Pakistani expatriate from Islamabad who has been living and working in Syria along with his family since 2000, told Arab News in a telephone interview.
“At every checkpoint, we were searched and questioned by different groups, and with each stop we feared for our lives, not knowing if we would make it through.”
Naqvi appealed to the Pakistani government to make arrangements for the immediate return of Pakistanis, saying they were facing “severe financial hardships.”
“I arranged my own transport because it was unsafe to stay in Syria,” he explained. “A coaster that normally costs $10 per person to the Lebanon border charged $200 per head for my family of four, leaving us with very limited funds left.”
Abeel Hassan, who hails from Pakistan’s northwestern Parachinar city and had traveled to Sayyidah Zaynab town in Syria for a religious pilgrimage, also described an arduous journey to the border.
“We heard continuous gunfire along the way, which kept all of us in constant fear,” Hassan said.
However, he praised the Pakistani embassies in Syria and Lebanon for ensuring a safe evacuation and swiftly arranging visas at the Lebanon border.
“Our safe travel wouldn’t have been possible without the embassy officials who accompanied us and negotiated with the armed Syrians at various checkpoints to ensure our safe passage,” Hassan added.
The journey to the Lebanon border took his family six hours, he said, and they received visas at the border without having to pay a fee due to the assistance of the Pakistani mission in Lebanon.
Zawar Hussain from Pakistan’s Hafizabad city, who had also traveled to Syria on a religious pilgrimage, said all pilgrims had paid in advance for the journey due to which they had brought limited funds on the journey. The ordeal in Syria left them in financial difficulty, making it hard even to afford food in Beirut.
“Due to the emergency situation, everything is highly overpriced here,” Hussain told Arab News. “We paid $80 for food for five people just yesterday [Tuesday].”
While wealthy pilgrims have already returned home by buying their own plane tickers onwards from Beirut, the majority lacked such funds, he added:
“We request the government to arrange charter or commercial flights for us, as we do not have the funds to purchase air tickets, which cost over $1,100.”
Ali Hassan, another pilgrim from Pakistan’s eastern city of Sargodha, said hotels at Sayyidah Zaynab — home to the Sayyida Zaynab Mosque which is believed to house the grave of Zaynab bint Ali, the granddaughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (pbuh) — had doubled their charges following the regime change, leaving pilgrims financially drained.
“Now, we don’t have enough money to buy water bottles for our family of five, as a bottle of water here in Beirut costs one dollar,” Hassan said.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Lebanon Salman Athar said despite the small size of the Beirut mission, the embassy was doing “everything possible” to assist Pakistani nationals.
“We have arranged visas for them without any fee and provided the best hotels and food,” Athar told Arab News, adding that the mission was in continuous contact with evacuees and the Lebanese government.
“The foreign ministry is also working with the government to arrange a chartered flight from Beirut to bring them home,” he added, “and once it is finalized, they will be repatriated.”
Pakistan to set up ‘Gem and Jewelry City’ in Islamabad to highlight precious stones sector
- Pakistan has several high-quality precious stones such as peridot, aquamarine, topaz, ruby and emerald
- Government decides to set up Gemstone Export Processing Center to facilitate foreign investment in sector
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government has decided to establish a specialized “Gem and Jewelry City” in the capital, state-run media reported on Wednesday, in its bid to promote the precious stones and attract foreign investment in the sector.
Pakistan has significant gemstone reserves, particularly in its northern and northwestern regions, which include a variety of high-quality stones such as peridot, aquamarine, topaz, ruby and emerald.
There are 18 types of gemstones in Pakistan for which 178 major mining licenses have been issued. According to Pakistani state media, 80 percent of Pakistan’s gemstone exports are in raw form.
“A gem and jewelry city will be established in Islamabad,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported, adding that the decision was taken after a meeting of the Prime Minister’s Committee on Precious Stones in the capital.
Industries and Production Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain chaired the meeting with Communications Minister Aleem Khan, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal and other officials attending it.
“It was also decided to establish an authority for the effective use of precious stones,” Radio Pakistan added.
The meeting also agreed to set up a Gemstone Export Processing Center to facilitate foreign investment in the gemstones sector, the state-run media reported. It also said that the government would set up jewelry and gemstone centers at international airports across the country.
In May, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke of granting industry status to Pakistan’s gemstone sector, citing its economic potential following a 47 percent increase in the export of pearls and precious stones to China in 2023.
In August, PM Shehbaz Sharif instructed relevant authorities to prepare a strategy for gemstone mining in the Gilgit-Baltistan region within a month to minimize unnecessary wastage and enhance export revenue from precious stones.
Pakistan to send second consignment of relief items to flood-hit Malaysia today
- Consignment comprises 40 tons of relief items such as tents, medicines and lifejackets
- Torrential rains and floods have killed at least 30 in Malaysia and Thailand since last week
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will send a second consignment of relief items for flood-hit Malaysia via a chartered plane today, Wednesday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said, reaffirming Islamabad’s solidarity with the Southeast Asian country.
Torrential rains and flooding in Malaysia and Thailand since last week have killed at least 30 people and affected over 500,000 households, marking the worst flooding for the countries in decades. Last week, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar offered help to Malaysia as it struggled to evacuate and rehabilitate people reeling from the floods.
“In line with the prime minister’s directive, NDMA has arranged and coordinated the second consignment of 40 tons of relief assistance to the flood-affected areas of Malaysia,” the NDMA said.
“The chartered plane carrying essential supplies, including tents, blankets, quilts, mats, sleeping bags and life jackets, will depart tonight from Islamabad International Airport to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.”
A send-off ceremony was held at the Islamabad International Airport on Wednesday which was attended by Federal Minister Amir Muqam, officials from the Malaysian embassy, Pakistan’s foreign ministry and NDMA representatives.
“The minister expressed sincere condolences for the loss of lives due to the floods in Malaysia and assured every possible assistance from the Government and people of Pakistan,” the NDMA added.
“He commended the dedicated efforts of NDMA teams and related officials for their swift mobilization of this relief initiative.”
Malaysian embassy officials expressed gratitude on behalf of their government and people for the “timely and generous” assistance during the calamity, the NDMA said.
The NDMA said Pakistanis continue to pray for Malaysia’s swift recovery from the floods, reaffirming their commitment to provide further support if required.
Pakistan sent its first shipment of 40 tons of relief items to Malaysia on Dec. 8.
Pakistan is one of the worst affected countries due to climate change impact, suffering cataclysmic floods in 2022 that killed over 1,700 people and destroyed critical infrastructure inflicting losses worth Rs33 billion.
