ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Monday said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks on a podcast about regional peace were “misleading and one-sided,” criticizing New Delhi for “conveniently” omitting the Kashmir dispute from discussions.
Modi, in a podcast with American computer scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman released on Sunday, said that India’s attempts to foster peace with Pakistan were “met with hostility and betrayal” and hoped that “wisdom would prevail” on the leadership in Islamabad to improve bilateral ties.
In response to Modi’s remarks, the Pakistani Foreign Office said India’s “fictitious narrative of victimhood” could not hide its involvement in fomenting militancy on Pakistan’s soil and the “state-sanctioned oppression” Indian-administered Kashmir.
The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between Pakistan and India since their independence from the British rule in 1947. Both Pakistan and India rule parts of the Himalayan territory, but claim it in full and have fought three wars over the disputed region.
“Instead of blaming others, India should reflect on its own record of orchestrating targeted assassinations, subversion and terrorism in foreign territories,” it said in a statement.
“Pakistan has always advocated constructive engagement and result-oriented dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir.”
The statement by the Pakistani Foreign Office was a reference to allegations against Indian agents of plotting assassinations in the United States (US) and Canada.
In Jan. 2024, Pakistan also accused India of “extraterritorial” and “extrajudicial” killings of two of its citizens on Pakistani soil, while it has consistently accused India along with other countries of fomenting militancy in its western provinces, particularly Balochistan.
New Delhi denies all allegations.
The Pakistani Foreign Office further said that peace and stability in South Asia have remained “hostage to India’s rigid approach and hegemonic ambitions.”
“The anti-Pakistan narrative, emanating from India, vitiates the bilateral environment and impedes the prospects for peace and cooperation,” it said.
“It must stop.”
Pakistan calls Indian PM’s remarks about regional peace ‘misleading and one-sided’
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Pakistan calls Indian PM’s remarks about regional peace ‘misleading and one-sided’
- PM Narendra Modi said in a recent podcast that India’s attempts to foster peace with Pakistan were ‘met with hostility and betrayal’
- India’s ‘fictitious narrative of victimhood’ can’t hide its involvement in fomenting militancy on Pakistan’s soil, Islamabad says
Gunmen kidnap five policemen in southwestern Pakistan
- Up to 40 gunmen blocked a major highway, intercepting a prison van being transported by a police team
- A senior government official, who asked not to be named, said that two gunmen were killed by security forces
QUETTA: A separatist militant group in southwestern Pakistan on Sunday claimed an attack on a prison van in which five police officers were taken hostage.
Between 30 and 40 gunmen blocked a major highway that cuts across Balochistan province overnight on Friday, intercepting a prison van being transported by a police team, a police official said.
“The prisoners were released later but five policemen have been kidnapped,” a senior police official in the area, who was not authorized to speak to the media, told AFP on Sunday.
He said a rescue operation was underway.
The gunmen also set fire to government buildings and a bank in the area.
A senior government official, who asked not to be named, said that two gunmen were killed by security forces.
Pakistan has been battling a separatist insurgency in Balochistan for decades, where militants target state forces, foreign nationals, and non-locals in the mineral-rich southwestern province bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most active group in the region, claimed the assault in Kalat district.
The BLA has previously targeted energy projects receiving foreign financing — most notably from China.
In March, the group seized a train, taking hundreds of passengers hostage and killing off-duty security forces in a three-day seige.
In tit-for-tat move, Pakistan bans Indian ships from its ports
- Move comes in response to India’s act of banning Pakistani ships, imports on Saturday
- Tensions surged after Apr. 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 tourists
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan this week decided to close its shipping ports for Indian flag carriers, a statement from the country’s maritime affairs ministry said, as Islamabad’s tensions with New Delhi continue to surge following a deadly attack on tourists.
The move came hours after India announced on Saturday it had banned the import of goods coming from or transiting via Pakistan and barred Pakistani ships.
Both nations have taken a raft of measures against each other since Apr. 22, when gunmen killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. New Delhi pinned the blame on Islamabad, an accusation that Pakistan has vehemently denied and called for a transparent, international probe into the incident.
Pakistan’s maritime affairs ministry said its decision to ban Indian ships from Pakistani ports has been taken to “safeguard maritime sovereignty, economic interest and national security.”
“Indian Flag Carriers shall not be allowed to visit any Pakistani port,” the statement said. “Pakistani Flag Carriers shall not visit any Indian Port. Any exemption or dispensation shall be examined and decided on case to case basis,” it added.
Trade between India and Pakistan has dwindled over the last few years. India announced on Saturday that it was banning Pakistani ships to ensure the safety of its assets, cargo and connected infrastructure, in the public interest and in the interest of the Indian shipping industry.
Both countries have been trading fire at the Line of Control frontier in Kashmir, which acts as a de facto border between India and Pakistan, for the last 10 days as per international media reports.
Since gaining independence from British colonial India in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought two out of three wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Both countries claim it in full but administer only parts of it.
The US, China, UK, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Iran and several other nations have called on both nuclear-armed neighbors recently to de-escalate tensions and avoid a military standoff.
Pakistan has vowed it would issue a “strong” response if the Indian military attacks. India’s PM Narendra Modi this week gave his country’s military “operational freedom” to respond to the Apr. 22 attack.
‘We don’t care’: Weddings go on in Pakistan’s Kashmir border
- Tensions between India, Pakistan soared after New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing Apr. 22 attack in Kashmir
- Ordinary Kashmiris living on both sides of divided region are often the first victims caught in the conflict’s crossfire
Neelum Valley, Pakistan: Rabia Bibi, a glittering red dupatta pulled over her eyes, wasn’t about to let the threat of war with India stop her wedding in a remote valley in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
“In our childhood the situation was also like this but we are not afraid. Nor will we be,” the 18-year-old told AFP after being carried in a flower-garlanded “doli” carriage.
“We want peace, so our life does not get affected,” said the bride, radiant in gold bangles, bejeweled bridal headpiece and richly embroidered scarlet robe.
At the ceremony — preceded by the sacrifice of a chicken — groom Chaudhry Junaid, no less resplendent in his elaborate sherwani coat and red-and-gold turban, was also defiant.
“People are anxious and worried, but even so, we haven’t canceled any traditional ceremonies,” the 23-year-old chef said.
Tensions between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals have soared since India accused Pakistan of backing a shooting that killed 26 civilians on the Indian side of disputed Kashmir on April 22.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “full operational freedom” to respond to the attack.
The two sides have traded gunfire for more than a week on the heavily militarised border and Pakistan on Saturday conducted a “training launch” of a missile to prove its “operational readiness.”
Islamabad last week warned they had “credible intelligence” that India was planning imminent strikes.
International pressure has been piled on both New Delhi and Islamabad to de-escalate.
On the Pakistani side, emergency drills have been carried out in playing fields, residents have been told to stock up on food and medicine, and religious schools have shut.
In Indian-run Kashmir, a vast manhunt seeking the gunmen continues across the territory, while those living along the frontier are moving further away — or cleaning out bunkers fearing conflict.
India and Pakistan, which both claim Kashmir in full, have fought several wars over the Himalayan territory since the end of British rule in 1947.
Ordinary Kashmiris living on both sides of the divided Muslim-majority region are often the first victims caught in the crossfire.
In a checkpoint-free corner of the picturesque Neelum Valley, a tourist epicenter that was shut down last week, Indian territory is the other side of the river that winds through the mountainous region.
Residents told AFP they had been urged by the Pakistani authorities to remain vigilant because of the threat of a possible military confrontation.
In another village, mechanical engineer Shoaib Akhtar was also getting married.
“This is the happiest occasion of our lives, and we won’t let anything ruin it,” said Akhtar, the 25-year-old groom surrounded by family.
“Right now, I’m getting married and that’s what matters most. If war comes, we’ll deal with it when it happens,” he added.
“We are happy, and if India has some issues, we don’t care,” Bibi said.
“We stand firm and will fight for our interests and our nation.”
Pakistan says IT systems, Hajj app ensuring ‘complete automation’ of pilgrimage operations
- ’Pak Hajj 2025’ app guides pilgrims about training schedules, vaccinations, flight details
- Launched in November last year, the mobile app is available for Android and iPhone users
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religion ministry said on Sunday that modern information technology (IT) systems and the government’s official Hajj mobile application are facilitating pilgrims and ensuring “complete automation” of the country’s pilgrimage operations.
Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry launched the “Pak Hajj 2025” mobile application in November to guide and facilitate pilgrims about the 2025 pilgrimage.
Pakistani pilgrims used the app, which is available for both Android and iPhone, last year as well to secure important updates and information about the Hajj pilgrimage.
Speaking to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, Jamil ur Rehman, assistant director of the religion ministry’s IT cell, spoke about key features of the app.
“He said complete automation has been ensured from application submission to post-Hajj feedback, using modern IT systems and the Pak Hajj App,” the state broadcaster said.
Rehman said the app provides pilgrims with real-time access to their Hajj application status, group details, training schedules and vaccination appointments.
Once training is completed, he said, intending pilgrims’ attendance is marked in the app and their flight details appear as soon as seats are allocated.
Rehman said the app’s feedback feature allows pilgrims to regularly share their experiences and suggestions. He also spoke about a real-time complaint management system available in the app.
“Pilgrims can report any issues, which are immediately assigned to the officer concerned,” Rehman said.
“The app displays the complaint’s status, the responsible officer, and updates until the issue is resolved.”
The religion ministry official hoped baggage mishandling would be significantly reduced through the introduction of QR-coded tags, which are linked to each pilgrim’s profile, including their photograph.
“This allows quick identification and tracking of luggage,” he said.
Pilgrims from across the world are converging in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, which begins on the 8th of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar.
The first groups of Pakistani pilgrims are scheduled to depart for Makkah on May 7 after completing their eight-day stay in Madinah. Departures will follow the sequence of their arrival in the city, according to the religious affairs ministry.
Singles meet-up in Pakistan’s capital offers modern matchmaking with traditional touch
- The event, organized by the world’s largest Muslim marriage app, brought together nearly 190 people
- A chaperone was mandatory for participants, reflecting cultural sensitivities and ensuring seriousness
ISLAMABAD: In a country where conservative social norms often discourage casual dating, nearly 190 Pakistanis gathered in Islamabad on Saturday for a rare singles meet-up offering a more open, yet culturally respectful, route to finding a life partner.
Organized by Muzz, the world’s largest Muslim marriage app with over 15 million members, the event launched a series of matchmaking gatherings across Pakistan under the banner “Baat Pakki,” an Urdu phrase used when families agree to a marriage match. Muzz told Arab News it has over 2 million users in Pakistan.
A chaperone was mandatory for every participant, reflecting cultural sensitivities and ensuring seriousness.
“The goal of the event today was to help people of mixed ages to be able to meet each other,” Shahzad Younas, CEO of Muzz, told Arab News.
“The job of the team here … is to help people mingle and make sure that hopefully by the end of the event, everyone has talked to everyone who’s potentially compatible with them,” he added.
Attendees were divided into three age groups — 22 to 30, 30 to 40 and 40-plus — with an adjoining lounge for family members. Icebreaker questions and Muzz staff helped start conversations at each table.
Singles first met within their age group before being introduced to others, aiming for broad interaction during the four-hour gathering.
The event was unique in a country where marriages are traditionally arranged by families or through professional matchmakers known as “Rishta Aunties,” who connect prospective families but rarely allow singles to meet independently before a match is proposed.
“Involving parents makes the process more transparent,” said Nazleen Javed, 65, who attended with her daughter. “Matchmakers are fake. See if you are coming with mother, your lie gets caught. A mother cannot lie, and the blessings of parents are different.”
Others valued the chance to break away from rigid traditions.
“This way is better because you can see, talk and get a feel of the person,” said Noreen Khan, who came with her son. “Children have to spend their lives together. They should have some freedom to meet and speak to each other.”
Maheen, 27, said she had long been uncomfortable with conventional arranged marriage practices.
“I am not fond of the traditional way [of matchmaking] wherein the boy’s family visits your house and you, holding the tray, enter the room and they are looking at you, picking out faults,” she said.
“You [should be able to] talk to each other one-on-one, face-to-face, without the fear of rejection,” she continued. “That’s why I am here.”
Fariha Khan, 36, who works in the NGO sector in Peshawar, appreciated the diversity of participants.
“People from different cities and castes met here. That hesitation around differences was reduced today.”
Saad Waheed, 28, a mechanical engineer, admitted feeling uneasy at first after arriving at the event.
“I was a little bit hesitant … because I needed a chaperone and it felt very strange to me,” he said. “But in the long run, it makes sense. It means that everyone that’s here is serious about what they have signed up for.”
Waheed also maintained matrimonial apps often felt impersonal to him.
“Single events like these offer a chance to make friends, which is a more natural way of meeting a partner.”
Nayab Nazir, Muzz’s marketing lead for Pakistan, said participants can later review the profiles of those they met through the app.
“I go back home, and if I have liked, let’s say, five people at the event, I can actually go and look at all those five profiles and connect directly instead of having a third person in between.”
Founded in 2015, Muzz has increasingly adapted its approach for Pakistan’s cultural context.
“We actually found that by inviting the mums it just helped make sure everyone was more serious,” Younas, the company’s CEO, said.
“It helps reduce the taboo of going to a singles event effectively,” he added. “A lot of mums can meet each other. They can see lots of people in one place in just a few hours.”
