KARACHI: Pakistani security forces killed nine militants in two intelligence-based operations in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement on Saturday, adding two soldiers also lost their lives in one of the encounters.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen a surge in violence by banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in recent months, with deadly suicide bombings, attacks on security checkpoints and targeted of civilians and security personnel.
Pakistani security forces have conducted several intelligence-based operations in the region, with the latest ones carried out in Mohmand District and Dera Ismail Khan between March 14 and 15.
Pakistan refers to TTP militants as “khwarij,” a historical term describing an extremist sect in early Islam known for rebelling against authority and declaring other Muslims apostates.
“On reported presence of Khwarij, an intelligence based operation was conducted by the Security Forces in Mohmand District,” the ISPR said. “During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarijs’ location, resultantly, seven khwarij were sent to hell.”
“However, during intense fire exchange, two brave sons of soil, Havildar Muhammad Zahid (age: 37 years, resident of District Malakand) and Sepoy Aftab Ali Shah (age: 26 years, resident of District Chitral) having fought gallantly, rendered the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat [martyrdom],” it added.
The second operation was carried out in Maddi, Dera Ismail Khan District, where security forces engaged militants in a gunfight.
“A fire exchange took place between own troops and khwarij,” the statement continued. “Resultantly, two khwarij were effectively neutralized.”
The ISPR said security forces also recovered weapons and ammunition from the militants, who, according to the military, were actively involved in multiple violent activities.
The statement informed that “sanitization operations” were ongoing in both districts to eliminate any remaining militants.
Security forces kill nine militants, lose two soldiers in Pakistan’s northwest
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Security forces kill nine militants, lose two soldiers in Pakistan’s northwest
- Pakistani forces carried out two separate intelligence-based operation in Mohmand and Dera Ismail Khan
- An official statement says the armed forces recovered weapons, ammunition from the deceased militants
World powers urge restraint after Indian strikes in Pakistan spark military clash
- President Trump calls the escalation ‘a shame’ but hopes it will end ‘very quickly’
- China calls India’s military action ‘regrettable,’ asks both countries for restraint
ISLAMABAD: World leaders on Wednesday urged restraint and pressed for a peaceful resolution after India launched missile strikes in Pakistan, triggering retaliatory attacks and raising fears of a broader military confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
The international reaction came as tensions soared following Indian attacks on six locations inside Pakistan, which Islamabad said killed at least 26 civilians and injured 46.
In response, Pakistan claimed to have downed five Indian fighter jets and struck Indian military posts along the Line of Control.
UNITED STATES
US President Donald Trump condemned the escalation, expressing hope that the fighting would end quickly.
“It’s a shame,” he said. “Just heard about it. I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They’ve been fighting for a long time. They’ve been fighting for many, many decades. I hope it ends very quickly.”
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was monitoring the situation closely and would continue to engage with the leadership of both countries for a “peaceful resolution.”
CHINA
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said India’s actions were “regrettable,” urging both countries to exercise restraint and refrain from further complicating the situation, Reuters reported.
“China finds India’s military operation early this morning regrettable. We are concerned about the ongoing situation,” the spokesperson said. “We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation.”
UNITED NATIONS
The spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the UN chief called for “maximum military restraint” from both countries, Reuters reported.
“The Secretary-General is very concerned about the Indian military operations across the Line of Control and international border,” the spokesperson said. “He calls for maximum military restraint from both countries. The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.”
FRANCE
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also urged Pakistan and India to show restraint.
“We understand India’s desire to protect itself against the scourge of terrorism, but we obviously call on both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint to avoid escalation and, of course, to protect civilians,” he said in an interview on TF1 television of France.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan called on Pakistan and India “to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace,” Emirates News Agency-WAM reported.
“He reaffirmed that diplomacy and dialogue remain the most effective means of peacefully resolving crises, and achieving the shared aspirations of nations for peace, stability, and prosperity,” it added.
RUSSIA
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “deep concern” over the escalating military confrontation between Pakistan and India, urging both nations to exercise restraint.
Russia added that it condemned all forms of terrorism, according to a statement by the Russian foreign ministry.
Pakistan says armed forces authorized to undertake ‘corresponding actions’ after India strikes
- India says struck nine sites that served as militant recruitment centers, launchpads and indoctrination centers
- Pakistan army says at least six locations across its territory targeted, with 26 civilians killed and 46 injured
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday the country’s top national security body had authorized its armed forces to take “corresponding actions” in response to Indian strikes inside Pakistani territory in which 26 civilians were killed overnight.
In the sharpest military escalation in more than two decades between the nuclear-armed rivals, the Indian government said it struck nine Pakistani “terrorist infrastructure” sites involved in planning a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. The assault took place on the tourist hill station of Pahalgam in the part of Kashmir governed by India, with 26 men killed.
The Pakistani military said six locations across its territory — Ahmedpur East, Muridke, Sialkot, Shakargarh in the eastern province of Punjab and Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir — were targeted. Azad Kashmir is the part of the disputed Kashmir valley that is administered by Pakistan.
In response, Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said five Indian planes and one combat drone that had attacked Pakistan were shot down, naming three Rafales and an MiG-29 and Su-57 each.
“In consonance with Article-51 of the UN Charter, Pakistan reserves the right to respond, in self-defense, at a time, place, and manner of its choosing to avenge the loss of innocent Pakistani lives and blatant violation of its sovereignty,” PM Sharif’s office said in a statement after he chaired a meeting of the National Security Committee, referring to the right of self-defense according to Chapter VII, Article 51, of the UN Charter.
“The Armed Forces of Pakistan have duly been authorized to undertake corresponding actions in this regard.”
The statement added that India, “against all sanity and rationality, has once again ignited an inferno in the region,” saying the responsibility for ensuing consequences lay squarely with New Delhi.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the Chargé d’Affaires had been summoned “to receive Pakistan’s strong protest over the unprovoked Indian strikes.”
“The Indian side was warned that such reckless behavior poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability.”
“TERRORIST CAMPS”
In New Delhi, two Indian military spokespersons told a briefing Indian forces had attacked facilities linked to militant groups Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Pakistani officials say India only hit civilian infrastructure.
The strikes targeted “terrorist camps” that served as recruitment centers, launchpads, and indoctrination centers, and housed weapons and training facilities, the Indian spokespersons said.
They said Indian forces used niche technology weapons and carefully chose warheads to avoid collateral damage to civilians and civilian infrastructure, but did not elaborate on the specifics or methods used in the strikes.
“Intelligence and monitoring of Pakistan-based terror modules showed that further attacks against India were impending, therefore it was necessary to take pre-emptive and precautionary strikes,” Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, the top official in its external affairs ministry, told the briefing.
The joint briefing by the Indian military and foreign ministry listed past attacks in India blamed on Pakistan, with Misri saying Pakistan had not done anything to “terrorist infrastructure” after the Pahalgam attack, which triggered the latest standoff.
Pakistan had denied involvement in the attack and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had offered to be part of any credible and transparent investigation.
Kashmir has been disputed between India and Pakistan since 1947. Both rule it in part and claim it in full and have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants involved in a separatist insurgency in its part of Kashmir since 1989, which Islamabad denies, saying it offers only moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people in their struggle for self-determination.
The current confrontation is reminiscent of the last major military standoff between the two nations in 2019, when an Indian airstrike in the northwestern town of Balakot was followed by Pakistani retaliatory action, including the downing of an Indian fighter jet and the capture of its pilot, who was later released in a gesture of goodwill.
On Wednesday morning, the South Asian neighbors also exchanged intense shelling and heavy gunfire across much of their de facto border called the Line of Control, which divides disputed Kashmir between them.
The shelling across the frontier in Kashmir killed 10 civilians and injured 48 in the Indian part of the region, police there told media. At least six people were killed on the Pakistani side, Reuters reported, quoting officials.
Four local government sources in Indian-administered Kashmir told Reuters three fighter jets had crashed in separate areas of the Himalayan region during the night. Indian defense ministry officials have not officially confirmed the report.
– With inputs from Reuters
Pakistan calls emergency meeting to review market resilience, financial security amid India standoff
Pakistan calls emergency meeting to review market resilience, financial security amid India standoff
- KSE-100 opened down 5.8 percent, largest drop in a month, bringing total losses since April 22 to 10 percent
- Stocks started rebounding as investors expected “no major escalation” with India going forward, analysts said
KARACHI: The Pakistani finance minister on Wednesday convened an emergency meeting “to review market resilience and financial security,” the ministry said, as stocks plunged about six percent at the open after India carried out strikes on Pakistan and Azad Kashmir.
The market reaction followed India targeting six locations inside Pakistan, in which the Pakistan army said at least 26 civilians were killed. Islamabad said it had responded by targeting Indian fighter jets and striking military posts along the Line of Control that divides the two sides of the disputed Kashmir region.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index dropped 6,560 points to 107,007 as trading began at 9:32 AM at the country’s equity market in Karachi, according to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) website.
“Today’s was the heaviest daily loss since April 7 when the index fell 7.3 percent,” Muhammad Waqas Ghani, head of research at JS Global Capital, told Arab News.
The stock index opened down 5.8 percent but is “now recovering,” Mohammed Sohail, chief executive officer at Topline Securities, said in a note to clients.
The finance ministry meanwhile said an emergency meeting had been called “to assess the current financial landscape in light of escalating regional tensions.”
“The Finance Minister reiterated that Pakistan’s financial system remains stable and secure, and that all relevant authorities are working in close coordination to uphold national economic integrity in the face of emerging challenges,” a statement said.
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) also “assured market stability,” a statement by the regulator said.
“SHARP REBOUND”
The latest standoff comes as Pakistan’s government treads a tricky path to economic recovery, bolstered by a $7 billion IMF loan.
The South Asian nation’s stock index had surged more than 80 percent last year, mainly due to IMF-backed economic stability, with interest rates halving to 11 percent since June and inflation easing to a record 0.3 percent in April.
However, equities began declining after April 22, the day 26 tourists were killed in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir. The attack triggered the latest standoff between the longstanding enemies, with New Delhi blaming Islamabad of involvement, a charge Pakistan denied.
The renewed geopolitical tension caused the market to fall about 10 percent by Wednesday morning, though it began recovering and pared losses to 1.2 percent by 10:45 AM, reflecting the strong macroeconomic fundamentals of the country’s stabilizing economy.
“The sharp rebound of 4,500 points reflects underlying market confidence, driven by strong economic fundamentals,” said Ghani.
Investors, he added, were also encouraged by a statement from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing hope that the situation would de-escalate “quickly.”
Analyst Amreen Soorani, head of research at Al Meezan Investment Management, said Pakistan’s past escalations with archrival India had “historically presented headwinds for equities.”
She said while Pakistan’s economy carried higher sensitivity to prolonged conflict, nuclear deterrence between the neighboring countries remained a critical factor limiting major escalation.
Similar events in the past, Soorani said, suggested a pattern of eventual de-escalation, helping restore investor confidence.
“Given prevailing attractive valuations and the anticipated positive impact of IMF developments on investor sentiment, positive sentiments may remain intact in the longer term,” she added.
Topline Securities CEO Sohail said stocks were rebounding as investors expected “no major escalation” going forward.
“Investors seem optimistic about the upcoming IMF board meeting which will decide on the loan tranche for Pakistan,” he added.
The IMF’s executive board is scheduled to meet on May 9 to approve the release of about a $1 billion tranche for cash-strapped Pakistan as it seeks to boost its dwindling foreign exchange reserves.
Pakistan’s cricket board says PSL T20 tournament to continue despite India-Pakistan tensions
- PSL features several foreign players and is credited with reviving international cricket in Pakistan
- PCB says the cricket league will proceed, with Islamabad United set to take on Quetta Gladiators today
KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday confirmed that the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) will proceed as scheduled, with Islamabad United set to face Quetta Gladiators later tonight in Rawalpindi, despite rising military tensions with neighboring India.
The match is set to begin at 8 PM local time at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, marking the league’s return to the city for four consecutive fixtures from May 7 to 10.
“HBL Pakistan Super League X will continue as planned with Islamabad United set to take on Quetta Gladiators later today at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium,” reads a handout issued by PCB.
The final group match, the PCB added, will be played in Multan on May 11, followed by the Eliminator in Rawalpindi on May 13. The playoffs and final are scheduled for May 14, 16 and 18 at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium.
The confirmation comes hours after Pakistan’s military said Indian missile strikes had killed at least 26 civilians and wounded 46 in cross-border attacks on six locations inside Pakistani territory.
India’s defense ministry said it had launched “Operation Sindoor,” targeting what it claimed were “militant infrastructure” linked to a recent deadly assault on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.
New Delhi has blamed the attack on Pakistan, a charge Islamabad has repeatedly denied.
Responding to the Indian attack, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the country’s air force had downed five Indian fighter jets in the early hours of Wednesday.
The PSL, which features several foreign players, is widely credited with reviving international cricket in Pakistan after a decade-long suspension following the 2009 militant attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.
The HBL PSL, now in its 10th season, is considered Pakistan’s premier T20 franchise competition and a symbol of the country’s sporting resilience.
Since its full return to home soil in 2020, it has helped Pakistan rebuild its reputation as a safe destination for international cricket.
Pakistan, US pledge to strengthen economic ties in high-level trade talks in Islamabad
- The US remains Pakistan’s largest export market, amounting for $5.1 billion exports in 2024
- Pakistani officials say efforts currently underway to address trade deficit, market access issues
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United States (US) have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening economic ties, the Pakistani commerce ministry said on Tuesday, following a series of high-level meetings in Islamabad aimed at enhancing bilateral trade and investment.
The statement came after a delegation of the US Chamber of Commerce and the US-Pakistan Business Council (USPBC), led by Charles Freeman, met with Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan in Islamabad. The delegation was accompanied by US Charge d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker.
Khan welcomed the visit and described it as a step forward in strengthening economic relations between the two nations, acknowledging the USPBC’s pivotal role over the past two decades in fostering commercial engagement between the two sides.
“Pakistan values the United States as its largest export destination and deeply appreciates this strategic trade relationship,” he said. “Efforts are underway to address trade deficit and market access issues through a comprehensive strategy involving relevant stakeholders.”
He noted the recent 90-day pause in reciprocal tariffs, announced last month, between the two countries offered a significant opportunity for “constructive” dialogue and the formulation of a sustainable, mutually beneficial trade roadmap.
US President Donald Trump has imposed a 10 percent baseline tariff on all imports to the US and higher duties on dozens of other countries. Pakistan faces a 29 percent tariff due to a trade surplus with the US of about $3 billion.
US goods exports to Pakistan were $2.1 billion in 2024, up 4.4 percent ($90.9 million) from 2023, according to US government data. The import of goods from Pakistan to the US totaled $5.1 billion in 2024, up 4.9 percent ($238.7 million) from 2023.
During the meeting, US Charge d’Affaires Baker praised positive developments in bilateral agricultural trade, particularly the resumption of US soybean exports to Pakistan.
“Enhanced cooperation in the cotton sector is also a key area for mutual growth, given Pakistan’s textile industry’s demand for high-quality cotton and the US’s position to meet this demand,” she was quoted as saying.
Kamal assured the US delegation of Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining a predictable, transparent and fair trade environment for American businesses and investors. He reiterated that his government remains dedicated to fostering a strong working relationship with the US on both bilateral and multilateral platforms.
Freeman, the US Chamber of Commerce’s senior vice president, appreciated the Pakistani government’s commitment to facilitating businesses and said they looked forward to continued dialogue and technical cooperation to support economic growth and job creation in both countries.
The visit of the US delegation came at a time when Pakistan is striving to boost trade and foreign investment as it slowly recovers from a prolonged economic meltdown. The South Asian country has pursued aggressive economic diplomacy in recent years, signing several agreements and memoranda of understanding with countries in Central Asia and the Middle East and beyond.
The US delegates later held a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who appreciated the USPBC’s role in advancing economic ties between Pakistan and the US.
“My government looks forward to a constructive partnership with the US government, businesses, investors and industrialists to increase bilateral trade and investment in goods and services, especially in the IT sector,” Sharif said, adding that Pakistan’s market was ripe for investment.
“The government of Pakistan is in touch with the US administration on the tariff issue and I hope that a mutually beneficial solution will be found.”
The delegates expressed their “keen interest” in investing in various Pakistani sectors and to benefit from existing opportunities, Sharif’s office said.
