Kashmiris fortify bunkers, bracing for clashes between Pakistan and India 

Short Url
Updated 29 April 2025
Follow

Kashmiris fortify bunkers, bracing for clashes between Pakistan and India 

  • 1.5 million residents live along de facto border, relying on bunkers and homemade shelters to weather perennial bouts of unrest
  • India says its army has been exchanging fire with Pakistani military for the past five days as both countries remain on edge

CHAKOTHI, Pakistan: Pulling logs and dusty building materials from a storage bunker outside his home in Kashmir, Riaz Awan readied the underground space to house his family as they braced for clashes between Pakistan and India to reach their border village.

Kashmiris living on both sides of the de facto border — the Line of Control — have been caught in the barrage of shells and bullets for decades as the nuclear-armed archrivals fight over the disputed region.

The long history of clashes has pushed many residents to build bunkers for shelter should their homes be caught in the crossfire.

“We’ve endured cross-border firing, which has been a tough experience, and we don’t want our children to go through the same,” Awan, a 51-year-old farmer, told AFP as he and his children cleared the bunker that had until recently stored straw.




This photograph taken on April 27, 2025 shows a family laying carpets inside an underground bunker in the Chakothi village of Azad Kashmir, about 3kms from the Line of Control (LoC). (AFP)

In Chakothi village, around three kilometers (two miles) from the Line of Control, there are around 30 bunkers for a community of 60 families overlooked by Indian army check posts atop the surrounding green mountains.

Awan and his cousin Shabbir share the bunker they built in 2017, which cost them 300,000 Pakistani rupees ($1,000) — a substantial amount in their impoverished village.

But they pulled together the funds to pay for safety.

A militant attack last week killed 26 people in Indian-administrated Kashmir, the worst attack on civilians in a Muslim-majority region in a quarter of a century.

India blamed the attack on Pakistan and accused it of “cross-border terrorism,” a charge Islamabad vehemently denied.

In response, New Delhi and Islamabad downgraded diplomatic ties, withdrew visas and announced the closure of the main land border. India has also suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty that governs the sharing of river water between the two nations. 

India says that its army has been exchanging fire with the Pakistani army for the past five days as both countries remain on edge, bracing for a potential military confrontation.

“Every day, India makes various threats, saying they will do this and that,” said 52-year-old retired soldier Shabbir Awan.

“That is why we are cleaning these bunkers today, so that if needed, we can use them and make our lives safer.”




This photograph taken on April 27, 2025 shows a family walking out an underground bunker in the Chakothi village of Azad Kashmir, about 3kms from the Line of Control (LoC). (AFP)

“NO PROPER SHELTER”

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in full but govern separate portions of it.

Rebel groups have waged an insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan

Ridges and valleys intersected by the Line of Control host tens of thousands of heavily armed troops, with some rival outposts just a few dozen meters apart.

The Pakistan military says about 1.5 million residents live along the ceasefire line, long relying on a network of community bunkers and homemade shelters to weather the perennial bouts of unrest.

An average underground bunker is around 2.5 meters deep, 3.5 meters wide and 3.5 meters long. Those who can afford it reinforce all four sides with concrete, while others simply use mud walls.

“Our main concern is the safety of our children, protecting them is our biggest priority,” said Saleema Bibi, a 40-year-old mother of four.




This photograph taken on April 27, 2025 shows local children walking past their houses that comprise of underground bunkers in the Chakothi village of Azad Kashmir, about 3kms from the Line of Control (LoC). (AFP)

In 2017, “they even hit directly on top of our houses,” she told AFP.

“We have no proper shelter or protection. We are living here — where else can we go?” she said.

Naseema Bibi, a 46-year-old mother of four, owns a cow and two buffalos, making it hard for her to leave.

“We have livestock. We can’t move anywhere,” she said. So she is also working to clear a bunker.

“We are around eight families and it is difficult to adjust in one bunker,” she told AFP.

“But children get panicked so we are concerned because of them.”


Pakistan PM meets Saudi, Qatari envoys, vows to ‘work closely’ for Middle East peace

Updated 4 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan PM meets Saudi, Qatari envoys, vows to ‘work closely’ for Middle East peace

  • Shehbaz Sharif meets Saudi, Qatari envoys hours after US President Donald Trump announces Iran-Israel ceasefire
  • Iran, Israel have been embroiled in conflict since June 13 when the latter attacked the former’s nuclear facilities

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Tuesday to discuss the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East, vowing to “work closely” with Riyadh for peace in the region. 

Sharif met Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki and Qatari envoy Ali Mubarak Ali Essa Al-Khater separately on Tuesday morning, hours after US President Donald Trump announced Iran and Isreal had agreed to a ceasefire. 

Trump announced the “complete and total” ceasefire between Tehran and Tel Aviv through a social media post on Tuesday, with the development taking place after Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a US military base in Qatar. Iran said the attack was in response to America’s move to target Tehran’s key nuclear facilities on Sunday. 

“I reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X about his meeting with Al-Malki. “Pakistan will continue to work closely with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for peace in the region through dialogue and diplomacy.”

Sharif separately shared he also met Qatari envoy Al-Khater to express solidarity with the Gulf country following Iran’s attack on Monday night. 

“We pray for the safety and security of our Qatari brothers and sisters, and the entire region,” Sharif wrote. “Pakistan has always advocated dialogue and diplomacy as the only path to lasting peace in the Middle East.”

 

 

Iran has said that as long as Israel stopped its attacks early Tuesday morning, it would halt theirs. Meanwhile, Israel did not immediately acknowledge any ceasefire but there were no reports of Israeli strikes in Iran after 4 am local time.

Heavy Israeli strikes continued in Tehran and other cities until shortly before that time.

The conflict between the two Middle Eastern foes began on June 13 when Israel launched a surprising attack targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leadership, saying they were aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.  

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful and civilian purposes, and rejects Israel’s assertion that it wants to develop an atomic bomb. The two have traded frequent airstrikes and missiles since June 13. 

Pakistan has condemned Israel’s and America’s strikes against Iran and has repeatedly called for de-escalation in the region. Islamabad has offered diplomatic support to Tehran at international forums and has defended Iran’s right to respond to Israeli aggression under the UN Charter.


Islamabad says Iran-Israel conflict may trigger ‘refugee exodus’ into Pakistan, Afghanistan

Updated 50 min 36 sec ago
Follow

Islamabad says Iran-Israel conflict may trigger ‘refugee exodus’ into Pakistan, Afghanistan

  • Pakistan shares a volatile, porous 900-kilometer-long border with Iran in southwestern region
  • Pakistan’s UN envoy says refugee exodus could imperil “already fragile” condition in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s United Nations ambassador on Tuesday raised concerns about the possibility of a “refugee exodus” from Iran into neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan, as tensions in the Middle East remain high despite the US announcing a ceasefire between Tehran and Israel. 

Pakistan shares a porous 900-kilometer-long border with Iran in its southwestern region, which is prone to militant violence and illicit activities such as smuggling. Analysts have warned that a long-term war between Israel and Iran, which began on June 13 after Tel Aviv attacked Iranian nuclear facilities, can lead to a large number of refugees heading toward Pakistan and other neighboring countries. 

However, hopes of calm returning to the region were spurred on after US President Donald Trump announced early Tuesday that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire. 

“We are also concerned about the potential destabilizing impact of the situation in Iran following unprovoked Israeli attacks,” Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, said during a Security Council session.

“A refugee exodus into neighboring countries— including Afghanistan and Pakistan— could pose significant new challenges,” he said. “This might imperil the already fragile condition in Afghanistan.”

The Pakistani envoy was speaking on the prevalent situation in Afghanistan, including the lack of opportunities for women and the surge in militant attacks in the country. 

Ahmad said Islamabad wished to see a prosperous Afghanistan but warned that Pakistani Taliban fighters were operating from the country. He said that Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with around 6,000 fighters has safe havens close to the border with Pakistan, posing direct threat to Islamabad’s national security. 

“As part of our defensive measures, Pakistan has confiscated a significant cache of modern weapons originally left behind by international forces in Afghanistan,” Ahmad said. 

Afghanistan has repeatedly rejected Pakistan’s allegations that TTP fighters use its soil to launch attacks against Islamabad. Kabul has urged Pakistan to resolve its security challenges internally, without blaming Afghanistan. 

IRAN-ISRAEL CEASEFIRE

Trump announced the “complete and total” ceasefire between Tehran and Tel Aviv through a social media post on Tuesday, with the development taking place after Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a US military base in Qatar.

Iran said it was retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites, adding that as long as Israel stopped its attacks early Tuesday morning, it would halt theirs.

Israel did not immediately acknowledge any ceasefire, but there were no reports of Israeli strikes in Iran after 4 am local time. Heavy Israeli strikes continued in Tehran and other cities until shortly before that time.

The US strikes against Iran over the weekend prompted fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran had said the US had crossed “a very big red line” with its risky gambit to strike with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.

Pakistan has consistently denounced Israel’s military action against Iran and in Gaza, calling on the international community to intervene and impose an immediate end to the conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. 


UK trade envoy visits Pakistan to promote investment, long-term economic cooperation

Updated 24 June 2025
Follow

UK trade envoy visits Pakistan to promote investment, long-term economic cooperation

  • British envoy Mohammad Yasin begins three-day visit to Karachi, Islamabad, to “unlock new opportunities”
  • Yasin’s visit to pave the way for UK-Pakistan Trade Dialogue later this year, says British High Commission

ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy to Pakistan Mohammad Yasin has begun a three-day trip to Karachi and Islamabad cities to encourage investment and long-term economic cooperation between the two countries, the British High Commission said this week. 

Pakistan and the UK enjoy robust economic ties, with the UK being Islamabad’s largest export destination in Europe and third largest export destination globally. The UK has invested heavily in Pakistan’s financial services, oil & gas exploration, petroleum refining, electricity generation, pharmaceutical, publishing, industrial chemicals and cement sectors.

In a statement shared by the British High Commission, Yasin said that though the two nations enjoy close commercial ties, there is “much more we can achieve together.”

“It is a place close to my heart, and I have seen over many years the enormous potential to help both our countries prosper,” Yasin was quoted as saying on Monday. “During my visit, I look forward to supporting efforts that unlock new opportunities and drive growth.”

The commission said Yasin is expected to meet senior Pakistan government stakeholders including Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul, Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain, and business leaders “to strengthen trade and encourage investment.”

“Mr. Yasin’s visit will help pave the way for the UK-Pakistan Trade Dialogue, due to launch later this year,” the commission said. “The Dialogue will offer a platform to grow exports, increase investment flows, address business environment concerns and identify opportunities for greater market access.”

The British High Commission noted that over 200 UK companies are operating in Pakistan, with the top five contributing around one percent of Pakistan’s GDP.

The visit takes place amid Pakistan’s push in recent months to forge stronger trade and investment relations with regional allies and friendly countries. The South Asian country is navigating a tricky path to economic recovery from a prolonged crisis that has drained its foreign exchange reserves and weakened its balance of payments position over the past three years.

Apart from the close ties the two countries enjoy, the UK is also home to a large Pakistani diaspora and a preferred destination for thousands of Pakistani students to pursue higher education opportunities. 


Pakistan condemns Syria church suicide bombing as death toll surges to 25

Updated 24 June 2025
Follow

Pakistan condemns Syria church suicide bombing as death toll surges to 25

  • Suicide bomber targeted packed Mar Elias Church on outskirts of Damascus on Sunday
  • Pakistan reaffirms support for efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace, stability in Syria

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office this week condemned a suicide attack targeting a church in Syria that killed 25 people, reaffirming its support for efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace in the country. 

Syrian state media reported that a suicide bomber carried out an attack inside the packed Mar Elias Church in Dweil’a on the outskirts of Damascus on Sunday. While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, the Syrian Interior Ministry said a fighter from the Daesh group entered the church and fired at the people there before detonating himself with an explosives vest.

“Pakistan strongly condemns the heinous suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, on 22 June 2025, which resulted in the loss of precious lives and left many injured,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a press release on Monday. 

Islamabad expressed its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

“Pakistan stands in full solidarity with the brotherly people of Syria in this hour of grief, and reaffirms its strong support for efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace and stability in the country,” the foreign ministry added. 

The church suicide blast was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and came as an interim government in Syria led by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa tries to win the support of minorities.

Syria has made major inroads into the international fold since President Bashar Assad was removed in December 2024 after over a decade of civil war in the restive country. His ouster led to the United States and the European Union lifting its sanctions on the Arab country. 


Deputy PM Dar to lead Pakistan side at trade, investment and energy talks in UAE today

Updated 24 June 2025
Follow

Deputy PM Dar to lead Pakistan side at trade, investment and energy talks in UAE today

  • The Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission will focus on multiple domains and explore new avenues of bilateral cooperation
  • Both countries have strengthened economic ties in recent years and the session provides an opportunity to align their priorities

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar has arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to participate today, Monday, in the 12th session of the Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), according to the Pakistani foreign office.

The JMC serves as the highest institutionalized platform for bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE and the upcoming session will take forward the agenda of deepening strategic, economic and development cooperation between the two brotherly countries.

The Pakistani delegation will be led by Dar and comprise senior officials from economic affairs, commerce, energy, maritime affairs and interior ministries, according to the Pakistani foreign office.

The UAE side will be led by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with high-level representation from relevant Emirati institutions.

“The session will review progress across multiple domains of bilateral cooperation and explore new avenues for collaboration in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure development and IT,” the Pakistani foreign office said.

“A number of legal instruments are expected to be finalized during the session to institutionalize sectoral cooperation.”

The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of foreign investment valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE’s foreign ministry.

Policymakers in Pakistan consider the Emirates an optimal export destination due to their geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.

Both countries have stepped up efforts in recent years to strengthen their economic relations. In Jan. 2024, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure.

“The [JMC] session will provide an important opportunity for both sides to align their economic priorities and unlock the potential of enhancing scope of mutually beneficial partnership,” the foreign office added.