Pakistan information minister praises Arab News, seeks stronger collaboration with SRMG

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Updated 20 February 2025
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Pakistan information minister praises Arab News, seeks stronger collaboration with SRMG

  • Ata Tarar tells Saudi Media Forum in Riyadh local news outlets can benefit from international partnerships
  • The minister says the government wants a ‘vibrant media’ with all aspects of digital domain covered

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar applauded Arab News for its positive social impact in Pakistan on Thursday, emphasizing the need for increased collaboration between local and international news outlets while addressing the Saudi Media Forum in Riyadh.
The minister arrived in the Kingdom a day earlier to attend the gathering, which brings together over 200 leading media professionals, innovators and thought leaders from around the world. During his visit, he met with his Saudi counterpart, Salman Al-Dossary, and both agreed to form a joint committee to produce songs, films and documentaries.
In his remarks at the forum, Tarar highlighted his government’s focus on developing a “vibrant media which has all aspects covered as far as the digital domain is concerned,” adding that the goal would only be achievable through enhanced collaboration between foreign and local outlets.
“I think it’s collaborations and cooperation which make the world go round,” he said. “Living in one country and not being able to communicate or collaborate would just bring things to a grinding halt because eventually your market begins to saturate.”
“So there’s always room for growth,” he continued. “There’s always room for development. And there’s always room for improvement.”




In this handout photo, taken and released by the Saudi Media Forum, Pakistan Information Minister Ataullah Tarar (right) gestures during a panel discussion on the first day of the Saudi Media Forum in Riyadh on February 19, 2025. (Photo courtesy: Facebook/SMF)

When the moderator mentioned the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), the parent company of Arab News, Tarar acknowledged its “positive impact” on Pakistani society.
“With regard to SRMG, we have Urdu News, we have Arab News [and] we have Independent Urdu, which are doing a great job,” he said. “And [this is] not only [as] digital platforms, but overall, they have a very positive impact on our society with regard to raising awareness on social issues, with regard to bringing news to the people.”
The minister further emphasized the need for improved collaborations, saying, “I believe collaborations need to be improved further because you see the local media needs skill development, the local media needs more growth.”
Tarar noted that Pakistan has tremendous potential, but the local media requires capacity enhancement through greater collaborations with foreign news outlets.
“I believe that hand holding can bring a paradigm change in the local media organizations,” he added.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are close regional partners and economic allies. In October last year, both countries signed 34 agreements worth $2.8 billion.
Pakistani dramas and films have also been dubbed and broadcast in Saudi Arabia, including classics like “Dhoop Kinare” and the highly popular TV production “Humsafar.”


Pakistan army warns of decades-long ‘consequences’ if India blocks Indus waters

Updated 7 sec ago
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Pakistan army warns of decades-long ‘consequences’ if India blocks Indus waters

  • Pakistani military says it is committed to US-brokered ceasefire after recent cross-border strikes
  • It warns of a high potential for renewed conflict if the core issue, Kashmir, remains unaddressed

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: The Pakistani military warns that any Indian attempt to follow through on recent threats to cut Islamabad’s share of the Indus River water system would trigger consequences lasting for generations, as tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors are running high.

New Delhi unilaterally suspended a decades-old water-sharing agreement with its nuclear-armed neighbor last month, as it blamed Pakistan for a deadly militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir — Islamabad denied any involvement.

The incident was followed by days of cross-border fire as India launched on May 6 a series of strikes across the Line of Control — the de facto border that separates the Indian-controlled and Pakistani-controlled parts of the disputed Kashmir territory. It also hit other sites on the Pakistani mainland, targeting what it claimed were militant positions.

Pakistan retaliated with strikes on Indian military targets before a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on May 10. Despite the ceasefire, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this week that his country would stop the water from flowing — a move Pakistan has earlier said was a direct threat to its survival and an act of war.

Brokered by the World Bank, the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty has withstood multiple Indian-Pakistani wars. If India weaponizes water and blocks the flow of an Indus River tributary — vital to Pakistan’s food security — its military says it will act.

“I hope that time doesn’t come, but it will be such actions that the world will see and the consequences of that we will fight for years and decades to come. Nobody dares stop water from Pakistan,” Maj. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, spokesperson of the Pakistan Armed Forces, told Arab News on Friday.

“It is some madman who can think that he can stop water of 240 million plus people of this country.”

India’s recent attacks have killed 40 civilians, including 22 women and children, according to Pakistan’s official figures. As Pakistan retaliated, it hit 26 Indian military targets. It stopped the retaliatory strikes as soon as the ceasefire was reached.

“Pakistan armed forces are a professional armed forces and we adhere to the commitments that we make, and we follow in letter and spirit the instructions of the political government and the commitments that they hold,” Chaudhry said.

“As far as Pakistan army is concerned, this ceasefire will hold easily and there have been confidence building measures in communication between both the sides.”

Both countries have already blamed each other for violating the ceasefire multiple times since it took effect.

“If any violation occurs, our response is always there ... but it is only directed at those posts and those positions from where the violations of the ceasefire happen. We never target the civilians. We never target any civil infrastructure,” Chaudhry said.

According to the Pakistani military, India has lost six airplanes and an S-400 air defense system — Russia’s most advanced surface to air missile system — in the four-day conflict. Among the downed warplanes were several French aircraft Rafale.

Earlier reports suggested India had lost five fighter jets, but Pakistan’s prime minister announced earlier this week that there were six.

“I can confirm that the sixth aircraft is a Mirage 2000,” Chaudhry said. “We only targeted the aircraft ... We could have taken out more, but we showed restraint.”

Satellite photos captured after India’s strikes on May 6, show significant damage to multiple Pakistani air bases. High-resolution images from Maxar Technologies show large craters on runways and destruction of hangars and support structures at these facilities.

(COMBO, L-R) The combinations of handout satellite images courtesy of Maxar Technologies created on May 12, 2025, shows ​​​​​​(top) a structure at Bholari Air Base in northern Thatta District on April 27, 2025, Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi on April 25, 2025, and Pakistan Air Force base Mushaf in Sargodha April 30, 2025, and (bottom) damaged buildings and runway on May 10-11, 2025. (AFP/ Satellite Image ©2025 Maxar Technologies)

Chaudhry said that despite damage to infrastructure, they remained active: “There are ways through which Pakistan Air Force immediately sets these bases operational — they are all operational.”

He warned of a high potential for renewed conflict despite the ceasefire, as long as the core issue, Kashmir, remains unaddressed.

Predominantly Muslim, Kashmiri territory has been the subject of international dispute since the 1947 partition of the Indian subcontinent into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. Both countries claim Kashmir in full, and rule in part.

Indian-administered Kashmir has for decades witnessed outbreaks of separatist insurgency to resist control from the government in New Delhi.

In 2019, the Indian government revoked the region’s constitutional semi-autonomy and downgraded it from a state to a union territory under New Delhi’s direct control.

Indian officials have repeatedly said that the move aimed at tackling separatism and bringing economic development and peace to Kashmir.

“Their policy on Kashmir — of oppression and trying to internalize it — is not working,” Chaudhry said.

“Till the time Indians don’t sit and talk about Kashmir, then (as) two countries we sit, and we find a solution to it, the conflict potential is there.”


Pakistani companies showcase precious gemstones, minerals at international expo in China

Updated 18 May 2025
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Pakistani companies showcase precious gemstones, minerals at international expo in China

  • Around 10 Pakistani companies are taking part in China Nanjing (International) Mineral, Gemstone & Fossil Expo
  • Pakistani exhibitors present emeralds, tourmalines, topaz, quartz, aquamarine and marble specimens 

ISLAMABAD: Around 10 Pakistani gems and minerals companies are showcasing their specimens at the ongoing China Nanjing (International) Mineral, Gemstone & Fossil Expo to prospective buyers, state-run media reported this week.

The third edition of the expo, which is being held from May 15-19 in the Chinese city of Nanjing, has attracted over 500 exhibitors from more than 50 countries, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said in a report on Saturday. Various companies from around the world have displayed minerals, gemstones, fossils, and meteorites at the exhibition. 

“Pakistani exhibitors are presenting a dazzling array of emeralds, tourmalines, topaz, morganite, quartz, aquamarine, pyrite, marble and onyx specimens from regions such as Gilgit Baltistan, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” APP reported. 

It cited a report from Chinese business news website China Economic Net as saying that Pakistani specimens have attracted “significant interest” from international buyers and collectors at the expo. 

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. 

“Pakistan possesses extraordinary geological treasures, and our trade ties with China are expanding beyond gemstones to industrial minerals,” Ghulam Mustafa, an exhibitor representing the Fine Art Minerals company, told APP. 

“The response to our display has been phenomenal. Visitors are truly impressed by Pakistan’s natural wealth,” he added. 

Muhammad Sadiq from Fine Nagar Gems and Minerals company returned to this year’s exhibition with a larger collection of specimens. 

“Last year feedback was incredibly positive and we are very optimistic about this year sales and orders,” Sadiq said. 

Pakistan hosted an international minerals summit in Islamabad last month. The summit aimed to attract foreign investment in the country’s mining sector, seeing participation from major international companies including Canada-based Barrick Gold and government officials from the United States, Saudi Arabia, China, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and other nations. 

Islamabad hopes it can export its precious gemstones and minerals as it eyes sustainable economic growth driven largely by exports. 


Karachi beat Peshawar by 23 runs as PSL returns with glitzy ceremony

Updated 18 May 2025
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Karachi beat Peshawar by 23 runs as PSL returns with glitzy ceremony

  • Peshawar Zalmi skipper Babar Azam scores 94 runs from 49 balls in Zalmi’s chase attempt 
  • Pop stars Sahir Ali Bagga and Asrar Shah enthralled fans as PSL returned after May 9 

ISLAMABAD: Peshawar Zalmi skipper Babar Azam’s 94-run innings came to naught as his team lost to Karachi Kings at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium by 23 runs on Saturday, as the Pakistan Super League (PSL) marked its return with a glitzy ceremony. 

The PSL was suspended on May 9 due to hostilities between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan. However, as both countries agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced the league would resume on May 17. 

Kings captain David Warner led the scoreboard, scoring a fiery 86-run inning from 50 balls while James Vince smashed 72 runs from 42 deliveries. Khushdil Shah contributed with an impressive 43 runs from 15 balls as the Kings piled on 237-4 at the end of 20 overs. 

“Match 27 Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi,” the PCB said in a statement. “Karachi Kings won by 23 runs.”

Former Pakistan captain Azam scored 94 runs from 49 balls, hitting four sixes in his innings before he got run out. Explosive opener Saim Ayub provided Zalmi with a strong start, scoring 47 runs from 31 balls while Tom Kohler-Cadmore chipped in with 20 runs from 15 balls. 

PSL’s return after a week saw Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir watch the match live at the Rawalpindi stadium. 

Pakistani pop stars Sahir Ali Bagga and Asrar Shah performed to enthrall the audience and pay tribute to the country’s armed forces before fans enjoyed a spectacle of fireworks at the stadium. 


Pakistan says eyeing transit hub role to connect South, Central Asian economies

Updated 18 May 2025
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Pakistan says eyeing transit hub role to connect South, Central Asian economies

  • Pakistan Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan attends Kazan trade and investment forum in Russia 
  • Minister says Islamabad wants to increase landlocked Central Asian countries’ access to warm waters for trade 

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has said that Islamabad aims to emerge as a key transit hub connecting the economies of South and Central Asia, state-run media reported on Sunday. 

Pakistan has been working to strengthen its position as a key trade and transit hub, connecting landlocked Central Asian states to the global market through its strategic location. Last year saw a surge in visits, investment discussions and economic activity between Pakistan and Central Asian nations as well as Gulf countries. 

Khan was speaking at the “Russia-Islamic World: Kazan Forum” being held from May 13-18 in the country’s Kazan region. This forum is the main platform for economic cooperation between Russia and Islamic countries as per its website. 

“Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan says Pakistan aims to emerge as a key transit hub, bridging the economies of South Asia and Central Asia,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. 

Addressing the closing session of the Kazan Forum, Khan noted the Gwadar Port in southwestern Pakistan has already started shipment and cargo services. He added that Islamabad intends to facilitate landlocked Central Asia’s access to warm waters.

Khan spoke about Pakistan’s strategic plans to connect its Karachi, Quetta and Gwadar cities with Central Asia and Europe through road networks. 

“Abdul Aleem Khan welcomed the holding of the Kazan Forum and reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to playing an active role in regional development,” the report said. 

Pakistan’s recent push to engage Central Asian countries and the Middle East takes place as Islamabad seeks to escape a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that has drained its country of financial resources and weakened its balance of payment position and currency. 

Islamabad has sought to attract international investment in key economic sectors since it narrowly avoided a sovereign default in 2023 before a last-gasp International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout helped it avoid that. 


Pakistan, Iran agree to enhance trade and security cooperation

Updated 18 May 2025
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Pakistan, Iran agree to enhance trade and security cooperation

  • Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian discuss bilateral cooperation over phone 
  • Sharif thanks Iranian president for Tehran’s role in defusing South Asia tensions between India and Pakistan 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian this week agreed to enhance cooperation in trade, security and connectivity between the two countries, a statement from Sharif’s office said. 

Pakistan and Iran have had a history of rocky relations despite several commercial pacts, with Islamabad being historically closer to Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Their highest profile agreement is a stalled gas supply deal signed in 2010 to build a pipeline from Iran’s South Fars gas field to Pakistan’s southern provinces of Balochistan and Sindh. Pakistan and Iran are also often at odds over instability on their shared porous border, with both countries routinely trading blame for not rooting out militancy.

“They agreed to enhance cooperation in all areas of shared interest, especially trade, connectivity, security and people-to-people contacts,” the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said regarding a phone call between Sharif and Pezeshkian on Saturday. 

It said the Iranian president invited Sharif to undertake an official visit to Tehran, which the Pakistani premier accepted. 

The two officials also discussed Pakistan’s recent conflict with India, which saw at least 70 killed on both sides last week. India and Pakistan attacked each other with drones, missiles, artillery fire and fighter jets before Washington brokered a ceasefire between the two countries on May 10. 

Sharif thanked Pezeshkian for Iran’s “sincere and brotherly diplomatic efforts” to defuse tensions in South Asia. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s “firm resolve” to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs.

“The Prime Minister emphasized that Jammu and Kashmir dispute remained the root cause of instability in South Asia. He called for its just resolution, in accordance with the UN Security Council’s resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, as key to enduring peace in the region,” the statement said.