Former Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister sentenced to 34 years for speech against state institutions

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomat at the United Nations on Tuesday called for an immediate end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza, labeling the restriction of humanitarian aid as a violation of international law and a form of collective punishment through mass starvation.

Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on the humanitarian situation in the war-torn Palestinian territory, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed emphasized the dire consequences of the blockade, which has been in place since March this year.

The blockade has severely restricted the entry of food, fuel and medical supplies, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
According to the World Health Organization, the blockade has led to severe shortages of essential supplies, with reports indicating that approximately 470,000 people are facing significant levels of hunger.

“The blockade imposed since 2nd March must be lifted,” Ahmed said. “Humanitarian access is not a favor – it is a legal obligation. Aid convoys and medical teams must be protected and allowed to operate freely and safely.”

“The normalization of starvation as a weapon of war is a crime,” he continued. “Collective punishment must end, and accountability must be ensured. The Gaza Reconstruction Plan must be fully and actively supported, and no forced displacement of Gazans must be tolerated.”

The ambassador’s remarks come amid escalating concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The situation has been described as a deliberate starvation of a civilian population as a method of warfare by various humanitarian organizations.

UN agencies have reported that the blockade has resulted in the closure of bakeries and the depletion of food stocks, leaving the population with limited access to basic necessities.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has also highlighted the challenges faced in delivering aid, noting that humanitarian supplies have not entered Gaza for several weeks.

Ambassador Ahmed called upon the international community to take decisive action to alleviate the suffering of the Gazan people and to uphold the principles of international humanitarian law.

ISLAMABAD: The first batch of 633 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims is set to arrive in Saudi Arabia today, Wednesday, via two separate flights from Islamabad under the Road to Makkah Initiative, the Pakistani Ministry of Religious Affairs said.

This year’s annual pilgrimage is expected to take place between June 4 and June 9, with nearly 89,000 Pakistanis expected to travel to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme and 23,620 Pakistanis through private tour operators.

Pakistan launched its Hajj flight operation on Apr. 29 which will continue till May 31. Pilgrims continued to leave for Madinah during the first 15 days of the operation until May 13 and now, they will land in Jeddah and travel directly to Makkah.

“Under this phase, the first PIA flight, PK-741, carrying 305 guests of Allah Almighty (intending pilgrims), is scheduled to land at King Abdulaziz International Airport at 10:10am while the second flight, PK-759, carrying 328 pilgrims, will arrive at 6:55pm,” the ministry quoted Pakistan’s Director-General Hajj Abdul Wahab Soomro as saying.

The Makkah Route Initiative is designed to streamline immigration processes by enabling pilgrims to complete official travel formalities at their departure airports. Initially tested in Islamabad in 2019, the program was later expanded to Karachi, benefitting tens of thousands of Pakistani travelers. This saves pilgrims several hours upon arrival in the Kingdom, as they can simply enter the country without having to go through immigration again.

Around 29,000 Pakistani pilgrims have already arrived in Saudi Arabia. Of them, 14,000 are currently in the holy city of Makkah and 15,000 in Madinah. For the first time, Pakistani Hajj pilgrims will have access to fully air-conditioned camps in Mina and will be accommodated in top-of-the-line hotels and buildings in the Azizia and Batha Quraish neighborhoods, according to the religious affairs ministry.

They will receive a specially designed bag containing the Pakistani flag, a QR code for identification, and relevant information. A mobile app will provide access to Hajj group information, training schedules, flight details, accommodation details, and live maps and locations during the pilgrimage.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has also launched mobile apps like Nusuk, Hajj Navigator, Tawakkalna and Asefny to streamline Hajj services, with the aim to make the pilgrimage experience smoother by offering real-time guidance and ensuring pilgrim safety.