Unidentified gunmen kill three Sindh-based barbers in southwestern Pakistan

Policeman stands guard in Quetta, Pakistan, on February 5, 2024. (AFP/File)
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Updated 10 March 2025
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Unidentified gunmen kill three Sindh-based barbers in southwestern Pakistan

  • Armed men shot dead barbers while they were sitting outside a hotel in Balochistan’s Panjgur district, says paramilitary Levies soldier
  • No group has claimed responsibility for attack but Baloch separatist militants have killed Punjab-based barbers and commuters before

QUETTA: Unidentified gunmen in southwestern Pakistan shot dead three barbers who hailed from Sindh on Sunday, a soldier of the paramilitary Levies force confirmed, amid a surge in ethnic attacks in the restive Balochistan province. 

Attacks by ethnic Baloch separatist militants against Punjab-based laborers, barbers and commuters are common in the southwestern province. Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by landmass and rich in mineral resources, has long faced a low-level insurgency led by separatist groups like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), who accuse Islamabad of exploiting the province’s natural resources for the development of Punjab while neglecting the local population. Pakistan’s government denies these allegations, saying it has prioritized Balochistan’s development through investments in health, education, and infrastructure projects.

The latest attack took place in Gwargo, an area located around five kilometers away from Balochistan’s Panjgur district, Levies soldier Shakeel Baloch said. He added that unidentified armed men shot the barbers while they were sitting outside a hotel on Sunday evening. 

“Three barbers who belonged to Mirpurkhas and Jacobabad districts of Sindh province were killed on the spot,” Baloch told Arab News. 

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion is likely to fall on the BLA, which has carried out attacks against Punjabi laborers and barbers in the past. 

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind strongly condemned the attack, describing the development as a “barbaric” move by the militants. 

“Terrorists have been attempting to create divisions and hate among provinces by targeting laborers who are working in Balochistan,” Rind said. 

He said security forces had started tracking the “terrorists” involved in the attack. 

Balochistan has seen a surge in ethnic attacks over the past few months as the province’s security situation deteriorates. Seven Punjab-based passengers were forcibly removed from a bus heading to the eastern city of Faisalabad from Quetta and killed by a group of gunmen in Balochistan last month. 

In August 2024, nearly two dozen passengers traveling in Punjab-bound buses were killed after BLA militants forcibly removed ethnic Punjabi commuters from buses after checking their identity cards.

In May 2024, gunmen shot dead seven Punjab-based barbers who lived and worked together near the port city of Gwadar in Balochistan.


Pakistan PM urges global powers to take ‘immediate action’ to end Israeli offensive in Gaza

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Pakistan PM urges global powers to take ‘immediate action’ to end Israeli offensive in Gaza

  • Over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its latest military offensive in Oct. 7, 2023
  • Pakistan has for decades called for establishment of independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged world powers to take immediate action to end Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, saying he hoped innocent Palestinians would achieve their dream of freedom soon.

Over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed and much of the coastal enclave of Gaza devastated since Israel’s latest air and ground offensive began in October 2023, health authorities in Gaza say. 

“The oppression, cruelty and barbarism taking place in Palestine and Kashmir — no matter how much we condemn it, it is not enough” Sharif said while addressing a federal cabinet meeting. 

“But I believe this is a very critical time for the global powers to effectively use their influence to ensure a ceasefire in Palestine, because what is happening there is the shedding of innocent Muslim blood — the blood of little girls, children and parents.”

The Pakistani PM added:

“I have strong hope in Allah Almighty, God willing, that the people of Palestine will gain freedom, the people of Kashmir will gain freedom. They have made tremendous sacrifices.”

Pakistan has been calling for a ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza since the latest war broke out. 

Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel, has for decades called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Although nearly 150 countries have recognized Palestine statehood, most major Western powers including the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Japan, have not. 

Muslim countries that do not recognize Israel include Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
 


Pakistan shares range bound amid uncertainty over budget announcement

Updated 45 min 42 sec ago
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Pakistan shares range bound amid uncertainty over budget announcement

  • Index recorded intraday high of 970 points and low of 51 points, eventually closing at 122,024, gaining 383 points or 0.32 percent
  • Pakistan will unveil annual federal budget, seeking to kickstart growth while finding resources for hike in defense expenditure 

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Market witnessed a range-bound session today, Tuesday, with the index fluctuating within a narrow band amid uncertainty surrounding the budget announcement. 

Pakistan will unveil its annual federal budget for the coming fiscal year on Tuesday evening, seeking to kickstart growth while finding resources for an expected hike in defense expenditure following a military conflict with India last month, the worst between the nuclear-armed neighbors in decades. 

Islamabad will also have to contend with remaining within the discipline of its International Monetary Fund program and the uncertainty from new trade tariffs being imposed by the United States, its biggest export market.

“The index recorded an intraday high of 970 points and a low of 51 points, eventually closing at 122,024 — gaining 383 points or 0.32 percent,” brokerage house Topline Securities said in its daily market review. 

“Market participation remained healthy, with total traded volume reaching 591 million shares and a traded value of PKR 21 billion.”

Media reports say the government is likely to present a 17.6 trillion rupee ($62.45 billion) budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, down 6.7 percent from this fiscal year. It has projected a fiscal deficit of 4.8 percent of GDP, against a targeted 5.9 percent deficit in 2024-25, the reports say.

Analysts said they expect an increase of around 20 percent in the defense budget, likely offset by cuts in development spending.

Pakistan allocated 2.1 trillion Pakistani rupees($7.45 billion) for defense in the outgoing fiscal year, including $2 billion for equipment and other assets. An additional 563 billion rupees ($1.99 billion) was set aside for military pensions, which are not counted within the official defense budget.

The government of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has projected 4.2 percent economic growth in 2025-26, saying it has steadied the economy, which had looked at risk of defaulting on its debts as recently as 2023. Growth this fiscal year is likely to be 2.7 percent, against an initial target of 3.6 percent set in the budget last year.

Pakistan’s growth lags far behind the region. In 2024, South Asian countries grew by an average of 5.8 percent and 6.0 percent growth is expected in 2025, according to the Asian Development Bank.

With inputs from Reuters


Pakistan deports over 216,000 illegal migrants since April under ongoing repatriation drive

Updated 10 June 2025
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Pakistan deports over 216,000 illegal migrants since April under ongoing repatriation drive

  • The drive against illegal foreigners was launched in November 2023 amid a surge in militancy
  • The country has repatriated a total of 1,102,441 illegal foreigners since the deportations began

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has deported over 216,000 undocumented foreign nationals since April this year as part of a nationwide campaign targeting illegal migrants, mostly Afghan citizens, the country’s interior ministry said on Tuesday.

The repatriation drive, which began in November 2023, was launched in the wake of a spike in suicide bombings and militant activity that Pakistani officials linked to Afghan nationals, though no public evidence was provided to support the claim.

“Since April 1, 2025, a total of 216,103 illegal foreigners have been repatriated and the campaign is ongoing,” the ministry said in its statement.

“Since October 2023, a total of 1,102,441 illegal foreigners have been repatriated under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Program,” it added.

Initially, authorities had said the crackdown would focus on those lacking any legal documentation. However, in early 2025, the government expanded the scope to Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, ordering them to leave by March 31 or face deportation starting April 1.

The interior ministry said food and health care arrangements had been made for those in the repatriation process, and that women, children and the elderly are being treated “with dignity and respect.”

It warned that anyone aiding undocumented foreigners with employment or accommodation would also face legal action.

Pakistan has hosted more than 2.8 million Afghan refugees over the past four decades due to prolonged conflict in Afghanistan.

The current deportation campaign has drawn criticism from human rights groups and the Afghan Taliban, who have accused Islamabad of harassment and called for the safe and dignified return of Afghan nationals.

The Pakistani government has denied these allegations, maintaining the repatriation process is being carried out respectfully and in accordance with the law.


Pakistan tells UK lawmakers it wants Indus Waters Treaty revived amid India tensions

Updated 10 June 2025
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Pakistan tells UK lawmakers it wants Indus Waters Treaty revived amid India tensions

  • The Pakistani delegation in London says Islamabad wants ‘composite dialogue’ with New Delhi on all issues
  • It says Pakistan’s military response to the Indian actions was measured and consistent with international law

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani parliamentary delegation visiting key global capitals in the wake of last month’s military standoff with India told British lawmakers Islamabad remains committed to ensuring the revival of the Indus Waters Treaty and promoting regional peace, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday. 

The outreach comes after India and Pakistan engaged in their most intense military exchange in years, sparking fears of a full-scale war under a nuclear overhang. Over four days in May, both sides exchanged missile strikes, launched drone attacks and engaged in air combat before a US-brokered ceasefire was announced by President Donald Trump on May 10.

The crisis was triggered by a militant attack that killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. New Delhi blamed the assault on Pakistan-based elements, an allegation Islamabad denied, instead calling for an independent international probe. As tensions escalated, the global community moved swiftly to defuse the situation.

Before launching its military strikes, India took several punitive measures against Pakistan, including suspending a decades-old, World Bank-backed water-sharing treaty between the two countries.

“The High-Level Parliamentary delegation from Pakistan, led by the Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party and former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, briefed the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pakistan during a meeting hosted by APPG Chair Yasmin Qureshi MP at Westminster Palace, which was attended by cross-party British parliamentarians,” the statement said.

“The delegation underscored Pakistan’s commitment to restraint, revival of the Indus Waters Treaty and initiation of a composite dialogue between the two countries on all outstanding issues, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”

According to the statement, Bhutto-Zardari briefed lawmakers on the consequences of what he described as India’s unprovoked aggression, including violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty in the aftermath of the attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.

He rejected India’s allegations against Pakistan as baseless, saying they lacked credible investigation or verifiable evidence.

He further warned India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty violated international law and could have serious implications for regional and global peace.

Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Musadik Malik also addressed the session, highlighting the environmental and food security risks of disrupting the treaty. 

He warned the suspension threatened the survival of Pakistan’s 240 million people, most of whom rely on agriculture. 

The delegation also emphasized Pakistan’s military response to the Indian actions was measured and consistent with international law, including the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.


Pakistan hails 2025 Hajj as ‘historic’ after winning Saudi award for best services

Updated 18 min 24 sec ago
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Pakistan hails 2025 Hajj as ‘historic’ after winning Saudi award for best services

  • Sardar Yousaf says pilgrims in the lowest payment tier received services reserved for higher-cost packages
  • He adds the government-backed Hajj package was more affordable than those offered by neighboring states

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf on Wednesday described the 2025 Hajj as “historic compared to previous years” for Pakistani pilgrims, citing improved services, enhanced facilities and formal recognition from Saudi authorities for the country’s pilgrimage management.

Addressing a post-Hajj press conference in Makkah, the minister said Pakistan’s Hajj Mission had received an Excellence Award from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, ranking first among the seven missions honored this year, in recognition of its services to over 115,000 Pakistani pilgrims.

“The 2025 Hajj was historic compared to previous years, and Pakistani pilgrims were provided exceptional services and facilities,” Yousaf said. “This award from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is a matter of pride for Pakistan.”

Saudi Arabia hosted over 88,000 government-sponsored Pakistani pilgrims this year, he said, noting that for the first time, air-conditioned tents, gypsum board partitions, sofa-cum-beds and overhead shelves were introduced in Mina.

Facilities at Arafat also included enhanced air-conditioning, shaded walkways and grassy areas.

Yousaf said pilgrims in the lowest payment category were offered services typically reserved for higher-tier packages.

He maintained the Hajj package for government-sponsored pilgrims remained more affordable than those offered in neighboring countries, while offering superior services.

In Madinah, all Pakistani pilgrims were housed in three- and five-star hotels near the Prophet’s Mosque and given the opportunity to visit Riyaz-ul-Jannah.

To improve coordination, Pakistan introduced a “Nazim Scheme” for the first time, assigning a group leader to every 188 pilgrims.

More than 400 medical professionals were also deployed to ensure health care services for pilgrims.

Yousaf appreciated the Pakistani pilgrims for their cooperation and adherence to Saudi guidelines during the pilgrimage.