Search form

You are here

  • Home
  • Pakistan, Morocco kick off joint counterterror exercise to promote military ties


Pakistan, Morocco kick off joint counterterror exercise to promote military ties

The handout photograph released by Pakistan Army’s media wing on April 14, 2025, shows the officials from Special Services Group of the Pakistan Army and the Special Forces of the Moroccan Army pose for a group photo at the opening ceremony of 3rd Pak — Morocco Joint Bilateral Military Exercise 2025 in Special Operations School Cherat, Nowshehra district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. (Photo Courtesy: ISPR)
Short Url

https://arab.news/ckw3s

Updated 14 April 2025
Follow

Pakistan, Morocco kick off joint counterterror exercise to promote military ties

  • Exercise’s third edition aimed at refining professional skills of both armies, says Pakistan military’s media wing
  • Pakistan enjoys cordial relations and cooperation in trade, defense and other sectors with various Arab nations
Updated 14 April 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The armies of Pakistan and Morocco kicked off the third edition of their joint bilateral military exercise on Monday, the Pakistani military’s media wing said, stressing that the drill was aimed at enhancing professional skills of their soldiers and promoting defense relations between the two countries. 

Pakistan enjoys cordial ties and strong defense relations with Arab countries, which often causes them both to engage in frequent training exercises, defense production collaborations and counter-terrorism intelligence sharing. 

“Opening Ceremony of 3rd Pak-Morocco Joint Bilateral Military Exercise-2025 was held between the Armies of Pakistan and Morocco in counter terrorism domain at Special Operations School, Cherat,” the Inter-Services Public Relations, (ISPR) the army’s media wing, said in a statement. 

Cherat is a hill station located northwestern Pakistan’s Nowshera district. 

Pakistan’s Special Services Group and the Moroccan Army’s special forces are taking part in the exercise, the statement confirmed. 

“The exercise is aimed at refining professional skills through joint training and harnessing historic military to military relations among the friendly countries,” the ISPR said. 

The bilateral relationship between Pakistan and Morocco is marked by cordial ties and historic fraternity, according to Pakistan’s foreign office. 

In November last year, Moroccan Air Force Inspector Major General Mohammed Gadih expressed his interest in collaborating with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in the aerospace sector. 

During his visit, the Pakistani air chief reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing military ties with Morocco through joint training programs, including those at the basic and tactical levels, for Moroccan Air Force personnel.

Topics: Pakistan Army Pakistan Morocco ties

Hungarian foreign minister leads business delegation to Islamabad amid investment push

Updated 23 sec ago
Follow

Hungarian foreign minister leads business delegation to Islamabad amid investment push

  • Péter Szijjártó attends business forum with 17-member Hungarian business group in Islamabad
  • Pakistan and Hungary sign agreement to abolish visa requirements for diplomatic passport holders
Updated 23 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Top companies from Hungary are in Pakistan this week for business-to-business engagements with their counterparts, the Hungarian foreign minister said, as Islamabad pushes to seek investments from allies old and new to bolster its struggling economy. 
The IMF’s $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF), approved last year, has played a key role in stabilizing Pakistan’s economy in recent months and set it on the path of long-term recovery. However, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government has vowed to reduce dependence on foreign loans in the coming years and seek more direct investment.
“I have brought with me top business leaders from Hungary. They are meeting with their Pakistani counterparts in B2B sessions today, and we hope to see new partnerships and trade avenues open,” Hungarian Foreign and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó, who led a 17-member Hungarian business delegation to Islamabad, said at a business forum on Thursday.
Key public and private sector representatives from both countries attended the business forum to identify sector-specific synergies. Hungarian delegates represented industries such as IT, agri-tech, water management, health tech and advanced manufacturing, sectors in line with Pakistan’s development goals.
The Hungarian foreign minister also pointed to opportunities for collaboration in various sectors, including energy, agriculture, IT, food security, sports, and advanced manufacturing, and said a Hungarian private airline was exploring launching operations in Pakistan, indicating growing interest and confidence in the Pakistani market.


Szijjártó called Pakistan an “important economic partner” and emphasized Hungary’s continued advocacy for Pakistan’s preferential trade access to European markets under the GSP+ scheme. 
“Hungary stands with Pakistan on the GSP+ front. It not only benefits Pakistan’s exports but also strengthens EU-Pakistan relations through sustainable development and inclusive trade,” he said.
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, speaking at the business forum, welcomed Hungary’s continued support for Pakistan’s GSP+ status and praised Hungary’s technological strengths, particularly in seed technology, agriculture feed, and the services sector. 
“Our economic reforms are designed to improve ease of doing business, attract foreign investment, and create strong infrastructure to support sustainable growth,” said Kamal, highlighting several government initiatives such as the National Tariff Policy, Strategic Trade Policy Framework, Pakistan Single Window, and transit trade agreements with Central Asian countries aimed at enhancing regional and global trade integration.
On Thursday, Pakistan and Hungary signed an agreement to abolish visa requirements for diplomatic passport holders of both countries, along with two memorandums of understanding in the fields of culture and archaeology.

Topics: Pakistan Hungary Ties

Pakistan seals spot in Women’s Cricket World Cup after recording four straight wins

Updated 10 min 58 sec ago
AP
Follow

Pakistan seals spot in Women’s Cricket World Cup after recording four straight wins

  • After defeating Ireland, Scotland and the West Indies, Pakistan thumped Thailand by 87 runs
  • Bangladesh, Scotland and the West Indies are still in contention for the one remaining spot
Updated 10 min 58 sec ago
AP

LAHORE: Pakistan secured a place in the Women’s Cricket World Cup by beating Thailand on Thursday for its fourth straight victory in the qualifying tournament.
After defeating Ireland, Scotland and the West Indies, Pakistan thumped Thailand by 87 runs at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore to seal one of the two vacant World Cup places.
Bangladesh, Scotland and the West Indies are still in contention for the remaining spot to join host India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka in the eight-team, 50-over tournament later this year.
Bangladesh, which has won three of its four games, will play Pakistan on Saturday, when the West Indies round faces Thailand. Scotland meets Ireland on Friday in its last game.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana led from the front and took 10 wickets in four games. She is second on the bowling chart in the qualifying tournament behind Hayley Matthews of the West Indies, who has bagged 12 wickets in four games.
Sana orchestrated Pakistan’s place at the World Cup with her brilliant all-round performance against Thailand as she scored a half-century and then claimed 3-39 with her medium fast bowling.
The International Cricket Council has not yet announced the dates and venues of the World Cup, but last December agreed to a hybrid model due to severe political relations between India and Pakistan. All matches involving India and Pakistan in an ICC event will be played at a neutral venue.
 

Topics: Pakistan women cricket team Cricket World Cup

Pakistani actor Yasir Hussain says ready to put career on hold for wife Iqra Aziz

Updated 42 min 38 sec ago
Follow

Pakistani actor Yasir Hussain says ready to put career on hold for wife Iqra Aziz

  • Hussain and Aziz are among Pakistan’s most talked-about celebrity couples who tied the knot in 2019
  • Despite shared background in showbiz, Hussain says they maintain professional boundaries in the industry
Updated 42 min 38 sec ago
BURAQ SHABBIR

KARACHI: Pakistani actor and director Yasir Hussain has said he is willing to pause his career and stay home with his young son if his wife, acclaimed actress Iqra Aziz, required him to, highlighting his support for her flourishing career in the entertainment industry.

Aziz and Hussain, one of Pakistan’s most talked-about celebrity couples, tied the knot in December 2019 following a public proposal at the Lux Style Awards that year. The couple welcomed their son, Kabir, in July 2021 and have since carefully balanced their personal life with demanding professional commitments.

Aziz is currently starring in the television drama Paradise, while Hussain is performing as the director and male lead in the theater production Monkey Business, running at the Karachi Arts Council. 

Despite their shared background in showbiz, the two have taken different routes, with Aziz focusing largely on television dramas and Hussain leaning toward theater and directing.

“Today, if she [Iqra] tells me to leave everything and take care of Kabir because she is doing a film, I’ll leave everything,” Hussain told Arab News in an interview this week. “Obviously, my child comes first for me.”

He said fatherhood and marriage had brought a noticeable change in his temperament.

“I was very hyper before marriage,” he said.. “It’s a good change and I am liking it.”

Hussain said being part of the same profession had helped him and his wife better understand each other’s demanding schedules.

“If I was married to a doctor, maybe, so I don’t know her profession, she doesn’t know mine,” he said. 

“So, maybe there would have been some issues in between us like what are these shift timings or it’s not fair that you go to the theater everyday all day. So, there would have been issues perhaps. But now we know how it works.”

Still, Hussain said he made a conscious effort to maintain professional boundaries, including not seeking roles opposite his wife on screen.

“I think there is a gap of 10 or 11 years between Iqra and I,” he added. “I want her to work with actors her age. I don’t want her screen age to increase for no reason because of me.”

Hussain also said he didn’t seek to share the small screen with his wife just because she was a famous actress.

Previously, though, the couple have worked together in the drama serial Jhooti while they were engaged, and later in the mini-series Aik Thi Laila, which Hussain directed. He has also produced Paradise, which Aziz is currently starring in alongside actor Shuja Asad.

“Marriage is a very personal thing and I don’t want to show that chemistry onscreen in a TV drama at least.”

And though they were both part of the entertainment industry, Hussain said they maintained clear professional independence.

“We have a life as individuals as well. We don’t influence each other on the career choices we wish to make,” he said.

That said, he expressed a preference for Aziz to avoid dark or gritty roles.

“I don’t want Iqra to do films like Javed Iqbal or Taxali Gate or the series Khatarnaak that I’m shooting in Lahore,” he said. 

“I don’t want her to get into such dark content. She is a very lively person and has the image of a happy-go-lucky individual. I don’t want her image to be dark or political.”

Topics: yasir hussain iqra aziz

Pakistan warns hail, heavy rains could hit capital, cities in Punjab from today

Updated 18 April 2025
Follow

Pakistan warns hail, heavy rains could hit capital, cities in Punjab from today

  • Hailstorm on Wednesday wreaked havoc in Pakistani capital, damaging thousands of car and windows of homes
  • Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change, facing numerous impacts like rising extreme weather events
Updated 18 April 2025
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a weather alert on Thursday warning of hailstorms and heavy rainfall in the federal capital, Islamabad, and a number of cities in Punjab province from today, Friday. 

The fresh warnings come a day after a severe hailstorm and heavy rainfall lashed Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, and its surrounding areas, damaging thousands of vehicles and smashing the windows of homes. 

Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change, facing numerous impacts like rising temperatures, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and changes in agricultural patterns. The country’s vulnerability is exacerbated by factors like reliance on the Indus River, which is fed by melting glaciers, and its location in a region prone to floods and droughts.

“Heavy rainfall, windstorms, thunderstorms and isolated hailstorms are expected [from Apr. 18-19], posing risks to infrastructure, transportation and agricultural activities,” the NDMA said in a statement. 

It listed cities in upper and central Punjab including Attock, Chakwal, Gujrat, Jhelum, Faisalabad, Hafizabad, Jhang, Khushab, Mianwali, Lahore, Narowal, Sahiwal, Sargodha and Sheikhupura, as being at risk. 

Strong winds accompanied by heavy rain could also cause trees to fall and lead to temporary power outages, the NDMA said, adding that hailstorms posed a threat to weak structures, rooftops, vehicles and power lines. Hail could also damage crops and outdoor structures, particularly those with glass surfaces. The combination of rain and dust could also reduce visibility and increase the risk of road accidents.

The NDMA urged the public to stay informed by using its mobile application, “Pak NDMA Disaster Alert,” for real-time updates and advised tourists and residents to monitor official sources for the latest weather forecasts. 

Travelers were also cautioned to check road conditions before leaving their homes and to avoid unnecessary journeys during severe weather. People living in landslide-prone areas were instructed to stay vigilant and strictly adhere to local safety adviseries.

Experts say there is evidence suggesting a link between climate change and increased hailstorm frequency and intensity. While the exact relationship is still being studied, a warming climate can create conditions more conducive to large hail formation.

Topics: Pakistan weather Hailstrom NDMA

Related

video
Pakistan
Intense hailstorm smashes windows, damages vehicles in Pakistan’s capital
Pakistan
Karachi braces for heatwave this week as mercury soars in southern Pakistan

Pakistan Senate committee approves bill to establish commission for minority rights

Updated 17 April 2025
Follow

Pakistan Senate committee approves bill to establish commission for minority rights

  • Constitution guarantees equal rights and protection for all citizens, including religious minorities but disparities in practice persist
  • Minorities face persistent challenges in accessing public services and participating fully in social and economic life
Updated 17 April 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Senate Subcommittee on Human Rights on Thursday approved a bill to establish a commission on minority rights in accordance with the United Nations and international standards and regulations, a statement from the committee said on Thursday.
The Pakistani constitution guarantees equal rights and protection for all citizens, including religious minorities, but disparities in practice persist. While the constitution protects freedom of religion and prohibits discrimination based on religion, minorities face persistent challenges in accessing public services and participating fully in social and economic life. There is also widespread persecution of minority groups. 
On Thursday, the minister of law briefed the Senate committee on the National Commission for Minorities, which will constitute eight members, four from the government and four representing the parliament.
“There will be Parliamentary Committee consisting of four members: which will be nominated by the Speaker National Assembly, two from the treasury and two from the opposition benches,” according to a statement from the Senate.
“Besides this, two minority members from each province, who are Pakistani citizens not younger than 35 years of age and possessing considerable knowledge and practical experience in Human Rights advocacy, will be included in the commission.”
The statement said the recommended timelines for the process were a maximum of 45 to 60 days. The commission would hold the power to direct other local human rights institutions to take up matters in their own ambit of expertise. 
The committee reached consensus on two key points.
“First, the nomination for the National Commission for Minorities will be shortlisted within 30 days, and the Constitution of Commission will be completed within 45 days,” the statement said. “Secondly, the minimum age for nominated members will be 35 years.”
According to a copy of the bill widely reported by local media, the commission will “assess and monitor [the] implementation of the constitutional guarantees and safeguard for promotion and protection of rights of minorities.”
The commission will also review existing or proposed policies or programs to prevent discrimination and protect minorities and provide recommendations to the relevant departments.

Latest updates

Hungarian foreign minister leads business delegation to Islamabad amid investment push
Israeli military intercepts missile launched from Yemen
Pakistan seals spot in Women’s Cricket World Cup after recording four straight wins
Saudi Arabia signs collaboration deal with UK oceanography center
Pakistani actor Yasir Hussain says ready to put career on hold for wife Iqra Aziz

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.