ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Tuesday responded to reports of a group of Pakistani journalists traveling to Israel, saying it was not “possible” under the existing rules.
Israel Hayom, a Hebrew-language Israeli newspaper, last week published a report that a 10-member Pakistani delegation of journalists, intellectuals and influencers had visited Israel for a week.
English-language Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post said this week these Pakistanis visited Israel to learn about the Holocaust and the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has consistently called for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and pre-1967 borders.
“The Government of Pakistan has noted reports regarding Pakistani journalists traveling to Israel. In this regard, it is clarified that Pakistani passports explicitly state they are ‘not valid for travel to Israel’,” the Pakistani Foreign Office said in response to media queries.
“Therefore, no such visit is possible under existing regulations.”
The Hayom newspaper report said the ten Pakistani journalists and researchers, including two women, arrived in Israel this month and carried passports declaring their invalidity for travel to Israel.
“Despite this, they bravely accepted an invitation from Sharaka, an organization working to strengthen relations between Israel and South Asian countries,” the report said. “To protect the delegation members, their passports were not stamped, and publication of their visit was delayed until they returned safely home.”
However, the Foreign Office in Islamabad said Pakistan’s position on Israel “remains unchanged.”
“Pakistan does not recognize Israel and steadfastly supports the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders,” it said.
The South Asian country has consistently called for a cessation of Israeli military campaign in Gaza and strongly condemned the resumption of Israeli strikes in the territory last Tuesday, saying they could fully reignite the 17-month-old war that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians.
Islamabad has also dispatched more than two dozen aid consignments for the Palestinian people since Israel began pounding Gaza in Oct. 2023.
“Pakistan reiterates its unwavering commitment to a just and peaceful resolution of the Palestinian issue in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Palestinian people,” the Pakistani Foreign Office added.
Pakistani journalists’ visit to Israel not ‘possible’ under existing rules, Islamabad says
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Pakistani journalists’ visit to Israel not ‘possible’ under existing rules, Islamabad says
- Israeli media reported a 10-member Pakistani delegation this month visited Israel for a week
- Islamabad says its position on Israel ‘remain unchanged,’ reiterates its support for Palestine
Two killed in attack on police van in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province
- Police van was targeted near a crowded market in Quetta, injuring 17 people including policemen
- No group claimed responsibility for attack in Balochistan, site of a decades-long separatists insurgency
QUETTA: A health official said on Thursday two dead bodies and 17 injured people had been brought to a hospital in the southwestern Pakistan city of Quetta after a bomb attack on a police van.
Footage seen by Arab News showed a damaged police mobile van standing on a crowded double road in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan province, as residents attempted to remove a burning motorbike parked close to the vehicle. The blast happened near a crowded market where people were busy with shopping ahead of the religious festival of Eid Al-Fitr, which begins next week.
“We have received two dead bodies of civilians and 17 injured including four policemen,” Waseem Baig, the spokesman for the Civil Hospital, told Arab News. “Five injured are in critical condition and being treated at the trauma center of the hospital.”
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the latest attack in Balochistan, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the largest and strongest of several ethnic Baloch insurgent groups which have been fighting for decades to win independence for the mineral-rich province, home to major China-led projects including a port and gold and copper mines.
The attack on the police van comes a day after gunmen killed at least six people in “coordinated” attacks in Balochistan that largely targeted bus passengers based on their ethnicity, police said on Thursday.
Earlier this month, ethnic Baloch separatists attacked a train with 450 passengers on board, sparking a two-day siege during which dozens of people were killed.
Days later, at least five paramilitaries were killed in a vehicle-borne suicide attack. Both assaults were claimed by the separatist BLA.
The group also launched coordinated attacks last year that included taking control of a major highway and shooting dead travelers from other ethnic groups, stunning the country.
The militants have additionally targeted energy projects with foreign financing, most notably from China, accusing outsiders of exploiting the resource-rich region while excluding residents in the poorest part of Pakistan.
Last year was the deadliest year in a decade in Pakistan, following a trend of rising militancy since the Taliban took control in Afghanistan in 2021.
-With input from AFP
Pakistan says will hold counter-terrorism dialogue with US in June
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Acting US Ambassador Natalie Baker discuss bilateral ties, counter-terror cooperation
- Meeting takes place amid surge in militant attacks in recent weeks in Pakistan’s western provinces of KP and Balochistan
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and Washington will hold a counter-terrorism dialogue in June this year, a statement from Pakistan’s interior ministry said on Thursday amid efforts by both countries to forge closer ties and cooperation to battle militancy.
Pakistan and the US have a history of cooperation in counterterrorism efforts, particularly during the “War on Terror” following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Despite periods of strained relations, Pakistan has captured and handed over several Taliban and Al-Qaeda members to US authorities.
Acting US Ambassador Natalie Baker called on Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Islamabad, the interior ministry said. Both sides discussed Pakistan-US relations, matters of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation, it said.
“Both sides also discussed to enhance mutual cooperation in the field of counterterrorism efforts,” the ministry said. “It was agreed to hold a counter-terrorism dialogue in June this year.”
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump acknowledged Pakistan for helping America arrest a senior Daesh operative implicated in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 US service members.
Baker strongly condemned the recent “terrorist attack” involving the Jaffar Express train, in which 31 people were killed this month after militants stormed it in southwestern Balochistan province earlier this month.
Hundreds of passengers were held hostage before the military rescued them after a day-long standoff.
Naqvi urged the global community to work together to combat “terrorism,” describing it as an international issue, the ministry said.
“He further said that the Government of Pakistan is taking strong action against terrorists and a comprehensive policy is being formulated related to counter-terrorism,” the statement said.
Thanking Trump for acknowledging Pakistan’s help in battling “terrorism,” Naqvi said Islamabad would extend “full cooperation” in the repatriation of illegal Pakistani immigrants residing in the United States.
The meeting between the two sides took place amid a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces bordering Afghanistan, especially Balochistan, where ethnic Baloch militants have long carried out attacks targeting law enforcers.
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh sign ‘landmark’ agreement to strengthen capital market cooperation
- Initiative aims to create new opportunities for investors and market participants across the region, PSX says
- MoU establishes formal platform for dialogue and joint initiatives, with working groups to implement cooperation framework
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) has entered into a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), PSX said on Thursday, describing it as a “landmark move” to strengthen regional capital market cooperation.
The agreement signed in Colombo aims to establish an exchange forum to facilitate technology development and sharing, human resource sharing, product development, regulatory collaboration, investor protection, and knowledge exchange across the three markets.
“This initiative will foster deeper regional cooperation among the three South Asian nations while creating new opportunities for investors and market participants across the region,” the PSX said in a statement.
Joint initiatives in system development and digital transformation, cross-exchange training programs and knowledge-sharing initiatives, collaborative development of new financial instruments, harmonization of market oversight and investor protection frameworks, exploration of cross-border listing opportunities to expand investor access and facilitation of broker partnerships and institutional connectivity were listed in the PSX statement as the key areas of collaboration under the MoU.
“This strategic partnership marks a significant step forward in regional market integration. By combining our strengths, these three exchanges can drive innovation, enhance market resilience, and create new opportunities for investors across South Asia,” said Akif Saeed, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), who was present at the ceremony.
Farrukh H. Sabzwari, MD & CEO of PSX, said the agreement represented a “transformative chapter” in regional capital market cooperation.
“Through this partnership with our counterparts in Colombo and Dhaka, we aim to elevate market standards, foster sustainable growth, and deliver greater value to all market participants,” he added.
The MoU establishes a formal platform for ongoing dialogue and joint initiatives, with working groups to be formed to implement the cooperation framework.
This alliance is expected to enhance market liquidity and product diversity, strengthen regulatory frameworks across the region, facilitate cross-border investment flows and promote technological innovation in market infrastructure, the PSX statement said.
Islamabad criticizes US export restrictions on Pakistani firms, calls them ‘politically motivated’
- The US imposed export restrictions on 70 companies from five countries, including 19 from Pakistan
- Pakistan welcomes US-brokered limited ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday criticized the recent United States export restrictions on Pakistani companies, arguing they unfairly targeted the country’s commercial entities without any evidence.
The US Department of Commerce imposed export restrictions this week on 70 companies from Pakistan, Iran, China, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, saying their “activities were contrary to US national security and foreign policy.”
According to the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the list includes 42 firms from China, 19 from Pakistan, four from the United Arab Emirates, three from South Africa and two from Iran.
Due to these restrictions, US suppliers will be prohibited from sending goods to the sanctioned entities without obtaining a special license.
“The recent imposition of export restrictions by the United States unfairly targets Pakistan’s commercial entities without any evidence whatsoever,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters during his weekly media briefing in Islamabad.
“Such biased and politically motivated actions are counterproductive to the objectives of global export controls and obstruct the legitimate access to technology for socio-economic development,” he added.
The spokesperson also commented on the outcome of Russia-Ukraine negotiations, saying Pakistan welcomed the recently agreed limited ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine prohibiting attacks on energy infrastructure and ensuring safe navigation in the Black Sea.
The US had been engaging in diplomatic efforts in Saudi Arabia to mediate between Ukraine and Russia, seeking a peaceful resolution to the three-year-long war through negotiations.
“We appreciate the active engagement of the US administration and its leadership in securing the agreement between Russia and Ukraine,” the spokesperson said, adding Pakistan remained optimistic that the new momentum generated by these initial steps would eventually lead to a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire.
Khan said Pakistan’s position on the Ukraine conflict has been consistent, as it enjoys friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine.
“We have always advocated dialogue and diplomacy, immediate cessation of hostilities, and peaceful resolution of this conflict,” he added.
Pakistan rejects US congressman’s bill seeking sanctions on army chief
- Calling it a single legislator’s initiative, foreign office says the bill is misaligned with the positive bilateral ties
- Congressman Joe Wilson sought sanction on the army chief this week for ‘undermining democracy’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday dismissed a bill in the US Congress seeking to sanction the country’s powerful army chief, calling it a single legislator’s initiative that did not align with the positive relations between the two countries.
US Congressman Joe Wilson announced earlier this week on Tuesday he had introduced a bill demanding sanctions against General Asim Munir for “undermining democracy” and “persecuting” political opponents, including jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Wilson shared a report by the American news website, The Hill, on his social media account, which said the legislation called for sanctions on the army chief within 180 days under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Violators of the act can be subjected to denial of entry to the United States and ineligibility for US visas.
Responding to the development, Foreign Office Spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said the initiative did not reflect the US administration’s position.
“We are aware of the bill being introduced in the House of Representatives,” he said. “This is an initiative of a single individual legislator. We believe that the timing and context of the bill does not align well with the current positive dynamics of Pakistan-US bilateral relations based on mutual respect, understanding and non-interference in each other’s affairs.”
He noted the bill would have to go through several committees in the House of Representatives and Senate before its passage.
“We hope that the US Congress will continue its supportive role in strengthening Pakistan-US ties and focus on avenues of mutual collaboration that benefit both our peoples and countries,” Khan continued.
“Pakistan remains committed to constitutionalism, rule of law, protection of human rights and freedom of expression because it considers democracy as a vehicle for prosperity and progress as a nation,” he added.
The spokesperson also said that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi was currently visiting the US, where he had met with the chairman of the US Congressional Committee on Foreign Affairs, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on South Asia and Central Asia on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the co-chair of the Pakistan Caucus.
“During the talks, discussions focused on Pakistan-US bilateral cooperation and economic relations,” he said. “The special assistant briefed the US leadership on government policy, especially the economic priorities.”
Khan said that promoting bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade, economy and investment, was among the top priorities of the government.
“Regional and international issues were also discussed during these meetings,” he added.
