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Pakistan deputy PM to visit China tomorrow to discuss ‘evolving regional situation’

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar shakes hands with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, China, on May 15, 2024. (MOFA/File)
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Updated 18 May 2025
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Pakistan deputy PM to visit China tomorrow to discuss ‘evolving regional situation’

  • The development comes amid a truce between Pakistan, India after a four-day military conflict that killed around 70 people this month
  • India is as a key partner by the West as a counter-balance to China, while Pakistan shares an ‘all-weather partnership’ with Beijing
Updated 18 May 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, will be visiting China on May 19-21 to discuss “evolving regional situation in South Asia,” the Pakistani foreign office said on Sunday.

The development comes amid a ceasefire between Pakistan and India after a four-day military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors this month that saw the use of fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery against the other, leaving around 70 people, including civilians, dead on both sides of the border.

In recent years, India has been seen as an important partner by Western powers as a counter-balance to China’s rising influence, while the relationship between Pakistan and Beijing has strengthened further, particularly over the last decade, with China rolling over loans and investing in multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects in Pakistan.

During his visit, Dar will hold in-depth discussions with Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the evolving situation and its “implications for peace and stability” in South Asia, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry.

“The two sides will also review the entire spectrum of Pakistan-China bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” it said in a statement.

This month’s military conflict between India and Pakistan was triggered by an attack by gunmen on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam town, which killed 26 people on April 22. India blamed the attack on Pakistan. Islamabad denies the charge and has called for a credible, international probe into it.

Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety but rule it in part.

Analysts and diplomats have long feared that a conflict between the arch-foes could escalate into the use of nuclear weapons, in one of the world’s most dangerous and most populated nuclear flashpoint regions.

China, which borders both Pakistan and India, this month urged the arch-foes to exercise restraint, like the rest of the major world powers.

“The visit forms part of the ongoing high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China. It also underscores the two countries’ shared commitment to further strengthen the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar

At least 1.2 million Afghans forced to return from Iran and Pakistan this year — UN

Updated 28 June 2025
AP
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At least 1.2 million Afghans forced to return from Iran and Pakistan this year — UN

  • Iran has deported over 366,000 Afghans this year, with the 12-day war increasing departures
  • Pakistani officials have set a June 30 deadline for nearly 1.3 million Afghan nationals to leave
Updated 28 June 2025
AP

ISLAMABAD: At least 1.2 million Afghans have been forced to return from Iran and Pakistan this year, the UN refugee agency said Saturday, warning that repatriations on a massive scale have the potential to destabilize the fragile situation in Afghanistan.

Iran and Pakistan in 2023 launched separate campaigns to expel foreigners they said were living in the country illegally. They set deadlines and threatened them with deportation if they didn’t leave. The two governments deny targeting Afghans, who have fled their homeland to escape war, poverty or Taliban rule.

The UN high commissioner for refugees said that of the 1.2 million returning Afghans, more than half had come from Iran following a March 20 government deadline for them to leave voluntarily or face expulsion.

Iran has deported more than 366,000 Afghans this year, including refugees and people in refugee-like situations, according to the agency.

Iran’s 12-day war with Israel also has driven departures. The highest number of returns was on June 26, when 36,100 Afghans crossed the border in one day.

“Afghan families are being uprooted once again, arriving with scant belongings, exhausted, hungry, scared about what awaits them in a country many of them have never even set foot in,” said Arafat Jamal, the UNHCR representative in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

He said women and girls are particularly worried, as they fear the restrictions on freedom of movement and basic rights such as education and employment.

More than half Afghanistan relies on humanitarian assistance. But opposition to Taliban policies and widespread funding cuts are worsening the situation, with aid agencies and nongovernmental organizations cutting back on basic services like education and health care.

IRAN URGES FOREIGNERS TO LEAVE QUICKLY

Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, said Saturday that foreigners in the country illegally should leave as soon as possible or face prosecution, state media reported.

“Foreign nationals, especially brothers and sisters from Afghanistan whom we have hosted for years, help us [so] that illegal individuals leave Iran in the shortest period,” the official IRNA news agency quoted Azad as saying.

Iranian authorities said in April that out of more than 6 million Afghans, up to 2.5 million were in the country illegally.

Iran’s top diplomat in Kabul, Ali Reza Bikdeli, visited the Dogharoun border crossing with Afghanistan and promised to facilitate the repatriation of Afghans, state TV reported.

Iranians have complained about the increasing presence of Afghans in recent months, with some accusing them of spying for Israel since the outbreak of the war.

TALIBAN PLEDGE AMNESTY

Earlier this month, on the religious festival of Eid Al-Adha, the Taliban prime minister said all Afghans who fled the country after the collapse of the former Western-backed government were free to return, promising they would be safe.

“Afghans who have left the country should return to their homeland,” Mohammad Hassan Akhund said in a message on X. “Nobody will harm them. Come back to your ancestral land and live in an atmosphere of peace.”

On Saturday, a high-ranking ministerial delegation traveled to western Herat province to meet some of the Afghans returning from Iran.

The officials pledged “swift action to address the urgent needs of the returnees and ensure that essential services and support are provided to ease their reintegration,” according to a statement from the Taliban deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat on X.

People get food, temporary accommodation and access to health care upon their return, said Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the director of information and culture in Herat. Everyone receives 2,000 Afghanis, or $28.50, in cash and is taken free of charge to their home provinces.

“Upon arrival, they are housed in designated camps until permanent housing is arranged, as residential townships are currently under construction in every province for them,” he told The Associated Press.

Meanwhile, Pakistani authorities have set a June 30 deadline for some 1.3 million Afghans to leave. Pakistan aims to expel a total of 3 million Afghans this year.

Topics: Afghan Refugees in pakistan UNHCR

Pakistan army chief hails cadets from Arab and allied nations at Naval Academy graduation

Updated 28 June 2025
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Pakistan army chief hails cadets from Arab and allied nations at Naval Academy graduation

  • Among the 127 graduating midshipmen were 19 cadets from Bahrain, four from Iraq and two from Palestine
  • The army chief says Pakistan’s response to India standoff showed armed forces ready to defend the country
Updated 28 June 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on Saturday hailed the presence of cadets from Arab and allied countries at a Naval Academy graduation ceremony, saying it reflected the high standard of training the country offers to its military partners.

The commissioning parade, held in Karachi, marked the completion of the 123rd Midshipmen and 31st Short Service Commission courses.

Among the 127 graduating midshipmen were 19 cadets from Bahrain, four from Iraq and two from the State of Palestine, with additional participants from the Republic of Djibouti and the Republic of Türkiye.

“The Pakistan Naval Academy has consistently provided excellent professional training to cadets from allied nations,” the army chief said, according to a statement issued by the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

This handout photo, taken and released by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir addressing a passing out parade at the Naval Academy in Karachi on June 28, 2025. (Handout/ISPR)

“The presence of cadets from Bahrain, Iraq, the State of Palestine, the Republic of Djibouti and the Republic of Türkiye in today’s commissioning parade is a reflection of the Academy’s high training standards,” he added.

Pakistan regularly trains cadets and officers from partner nations and sends its own officers abroad to institutions in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom for advanced military education and joint training.

The ceremony was attended by senior officials from Pakistan and other countries, government representatives and families of the graduating cadets.

This handout photo, taken and released by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), shows graduating midshipmen during a passing out parade at the Naval Academy in Karachi on June 28, 2025. (Handout/ISPR)

In his remarks, the army chief also praised the Navy’s professionalism and its efforts as a regional maritime force committed to securing international sea lines of communication.

He also referenced the recent standoff with India, saying the country’s armed forces had “responded swiftly and decisively against a numerically superior enemy,” and were fully prepared to defend Pakistan’s sovereignty.

Topics: Pakistan Navy ISPR Field Marshal Asim Munir

Pakistan army chief vows retribution as 13 soldiers killed in militant attack in northwest

Updated 55 min 59 sec ago
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Pakistan army chief vows retribution as 13 soldiers killed in militant attack in northwest

  • Armed forces say 14 militants were killed in a firefight during a clearance operation after the convoy attack
  • Field Marshal Asim Munir vows to avenge innocent Pakistani lives and respond swiftly to militant violence
Updated 55 min 59 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on Saturday vowed retribution after 13 soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing on an armed forces convoy in the country’s northwestern tribal belt, in one of the deadliest attacks on security personnel in recent months.

The military said the convoy was targeted in Mir Ali, a town in North Waziristan near the Afghan border, when an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into one of the lead vehicles after a failed attempt by a suicide bomber to detonate earlier.

Three civilians, including two children and a woman, were also injured in the blast.

Militant violence has surged in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in recent years, particularly in the tribal region, where attacks have targeted soldiers, police, government officials and civilian residents.

Saturday’s assault marked one of the highest single-day tolls for security forces this year. The military said it was followed by the killing of 14 militants in a firefight during a clearance operation launched by the security forces.

“Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir … visited Corps Headquarters Peshawar today, where he was briefed in detail on the prevailing security situation and ongoing counter-terrorism operations,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement. “During the visit, the Field Marshal also attended funeral of Shuhada [martyrs] of the incident at Bannu Garrison and visited the injured at Bannu CMH [Combined Military Hospital].”

In this handout photo released by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visits soldiers injured in a militant attack on Bannu Garrison, at the Combined Military Hospital in Bannu, Pakistan, on June 28, 2025. (Handout/ISPR)

“Reiterating the state’s uncompromising stance, the Chief of Army Staff vowed that all facilitators, abettors, and perpetrators of terrorism will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice— without exception and at all costs, and the face of true perpetrator of terrorism in the region will be exposed to the entire world,” the statement added.

Most militant attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been claimed by fighters belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella group of armed factions that the Pakistani state refers to as khawarij — a term rooted in Islamic history used to describe a violent extremist sect that rebelled against authority and declared other Muslims as apostates.

The army described the assault as a “cowardly attack planned and orchestrated by the terrorist state of India” and executed by its “proxy Fitna Al-Khawarij.”

It said Pakistani forces intercepted the initial suicide bomber, but the attackers rammed a second explosive-laden vehicle into the convoy, killing 13 soldiers.

In this handout photo released by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir (3R), along with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi (2R) and others, offers funeral prayers for soldiers killed in a militant attack on Bannu Garrison, in Bannu, Pakistan, on June 28, 2025. (Handout/ISPR)

“The blood of every innocent Pakistani shall always be avenged,” the ISPR quoted the army chief as saying. “Any attempt to undermine Pakistan’s internal stability will be met with swift and decisive retribution.”

He also called for increased institutional support for civilian law enforcement agencies, particularly the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, urging government stakeholders to prioritize capacity enhancement while reaffirming the army’s commitment to assist.

In a separate statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, offering prayers for the fallen soldiers and condolences to their families. He praised the security forces for their response, including the killing of 14 militants, and said the entire nation saluted its martyrs.

“We are determined to eliminate every form of terrorism from the country,” Sharif said.

Topics: Pakistan Army ISPR

Pakistan plans to finalize Roosevelt Hotel privatization structure at next cabinet committee meeting

Updated 28 June 2025
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Pakistan plans to finalize Roosevelt Hotel privatization structure at next cabinet committee meeting

  • Privatization Commission denies reports claiming a $100 million base price has been set for the hotel
  • It points out the deal’s value will depend on the government-approved transaction structure, final terms
Updated 28 June 2025
Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: Pakistan is expected to finalize the transaction structure for the privatization of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York at the next meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Privatization, the government said in a statement on Saturday.

Located in Midtown Manhattan, the hotel is owned by Pakistan International Airlines Investment Limited (PIAIL) and occupies a full city block on Madison Avenue and 45th Street. It has also remained one of Pakistan’s most high-profile yet politically sensitive overseas assets.

“The base price and expected proceeds from the privatization of the Roosevelt Hotel will depend on the transaction structure and final terms approved by the government,” the Privatization Commission said in an official handout. “The transaction structure is expected to be finalized at the next meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Privatization.”

The statement informed no base price had yet been set for the property, rebutting some local media reports that claimed the government had fixed a $100 million floor.

It also pointed out such a value could only be determined at the time of bidding, adding that the deal’s potential value would depend on the transaction structure and final terms approved by the cabinet committee.

Over the past two decades, successive Pakistani governments have floated plans to sell, lease or redevelop the property, but no proposal has advanced beyond early-stage planning.

Earlier this month, Muhammad Ali, the prime minister’s adviser on privatization, told Arab News that the government had completed the hotel’s baseline valuation and appointed US-based consultancy JLL to conduct market sounding.

“We just need to get approval from the cabinet committee on the structure, and we’ll move ahead,” he said.

Topics: Roosevelt Hotel

Pakistan tops global emerging market rankings in sovereign risk improvement — Bloomberg Intelligence

Updated 28 June 2025
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Pakistan tops global emerging market rankings in sovereign risk improvement — Bloomberg Intelligence

  • Government calls the development ‘a resounding signal’ to investors about Pakistan’s improving economy
  • It attributes the new outlook to economic stabilization, structural reforms and successful IMF engagement
Updated 28 June 2025
Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: Pakistan has recorded the world’s sharpest decline in sovereign default risk over the past year, topping Bloomberg Intelligence’s Global Emerging Market (EM) Rankings for credit risk improvement, according to new data cited by a senior finance official on Saturday.

The data, published by Bloomberg’s research arm, showed that Pakistan’s credit default swap-implied probability of default fell from 59 percent to 47 percent over the past 12 months, a drop of 11 percentage points. The change marks the biggest reduction among tracked emerging markets, outpacing countries like Argentina, Tunisia and Nigeria, as default risk rose in others such as Egypt, Gabon and Turkiye.

Credit default swaps (CDS) are insurance-like financial contracts that allow investors to hedge against the risk of a government failing to repay its debt. Issued and traded by large financial institutions, these contracts pay out in the event of a default. The higher the cost of a CDS, the greater the perceived risk. Bloomberg Intelligence uses CDS pricing to assess a country’s sovereign risk in its Global EM Rankings.

“Pakistan stands out globally as the most improved economy in terms of reduction in sovereign default risk,” said Khurram Schehzad, adviser to the finance minister, in a social media post. “This is a resounding signal to global investors: Pakistan is not only back on the map— it is moving forward with stability, credibility, and reform at its core,” he added.

Bloomberg Intelligence is a highly regarded financial data and media company widely used by global investors, analysts and institutions.

The improvement in Pakistan’s risk profile comes after the South Asian nation narrowly avoided a sovereign default in 2023. With dwindling reserves and mounting debt repayments, Islamabad secured a short-term bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with the support of key allies including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China.

Since then, Pakistan has undertaken a series of IMF-recommended structural reforms and fiscal adjustments aimed at stabilizing the economy.

Credit rating agencies such as Standard & Poor’s and Fitch have acknowledged the progress with improved outlooks, while the government has prioritized timely debt servicing and macroeconomic discipline.

Schehzad attributed the improved outlook to “macroeconomic stabilization, structural reforms, successful IMF engagement and timely debt repayments,” noting that investor confidence had begun to return.

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