ISLAMABAD: The Afghan embassy in Pakistan announced on Friday the envoy met with the top official of the United Nations refugee agency in the country to deliberate on the required mechanism for refugee deportation, including their tripartite meeting with Pakistani authorities.
The development comes as Pakistan has expelled over 800,000 Afghan nationals since 2023. The government launched a deportation drive against “illegal immigrants,” primarily targeting Afghans, amid a spike in suicide bombings, most of which it attributed to Afghan nationals without providing evidence.
Earlier this week, the embassy issued a strongly worded statement, saying Afghan citizens in Islamabad and the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi had been subjected to arrests, searches and orders from the police to leave the twin cities and relocate to other parts of Pakistan.
However, the foreign office in Islamabad swiftly responded, saying any allegations related to the mistreatment of Afghan refugees in the country were “misplaced” while calling on Kabul to ensure its nationals’ smooth repatriation.
“H.E. Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, the Acting Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan, met with Ms. Philippa Candler, the Head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pakistan,” the Afghan embassy said in a social media post on X.
“Their discussions focused on Pakistan’s recent decision to expel Afghan refugees from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, along with their broader deportation across the country after June this year,” it continued. “They also deliberated on the necessary mechanisms and facilities required for this process, the importance of a tripartite meeting involving Afghanistan, Pakistan and UNHCR, and other relevant matters.”
Until the government initiated the expulsion drive in 2023, Pakistan was home to over four million Afghan migrants and refugees, of which around 1.7 million were undocumented, according to government figures.
Afghans constitute the largest portion of migrants in the country, many of whom arrived after the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021, but a significant number have been present since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Islamabad insists the deportation drive is not aimed specifically at Afghans but at all those living illegally in Pakistan.
Last year, however, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced that Afghans would need permission to stay in the federal capital, Islamabad, after December, alleging their involvement in an opposition protest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party that led to clashes with police.
UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) also voiced concern over the situation of Afghan nationals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi in a joint statement earlier this month, informing Pakistan had arrested over 800 Afghan nationals from Islamabad and Rawalpindi since the beginning of the year.
Last month, Amnesty International expressed concern over reports of arbitrary detention and harassment of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers by law enforcement agencies in Islamabad.
However, the foreign office maintained this week that Pakistan had done what it could for these refugees.
“We expect interim Afghan authorities to create conducive conditions in Afghanistan so that these returnees are fully integrated into Afghan society,” the foreign office said.
Afghan envoy, UN official discuss refugee deportation mechanism amid expulsions from Pakistan
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Afghan envoy, UN official discuss refugee deportation mechanism amid expulsions from Pakistan
- Afghanistan’s embassy has said its nationals are subjected to searches and arrests in Islamabad, Rawalpindi
- Foreign office denies any mistreatment of refugees, asks Kabul to create conducive conditions for returnees
Pakistan PM embarks on two-day Saudi Arabia visit to bolster bilateral ties
- During his stay on June 5 and 6, Sharif will celebrate Eid Al-Adha, hold bilateral meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
- Discussions are expected to focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment and regional security, welfare of Muslim Ummah
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed on Thursday on a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to strengthen bilateral relations between the two longstanding allies, the premier’s office said.
During his stay on June 5 and 6, Sharif will celebrate Eid Al-Adha in the Kingdom and hold a bilateral meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The discussions are expected to focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment and regional security.
“The two leaders will discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields, including trade and investment, welfare of the Muslim Ummah, and regional peace and security,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Sharif is also expected to express gratitude to the Saudi leadership for their role in de-escalating recent tensions between Pakistan and India.
Last month, following the worst military confrontation between India and Pakistan in decades, Saudi Arabia, along with other Gulf nations, played a key role in mediating between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, helping to avert a potential war.
The visit also comes amid deepening economic ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In recent months, the two countries have signed multiple agreements aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment. Notably, Saudi Arabia has committed to a $5 billion investment package to support Pakistan’s economy, which has been grappling with a balance of payments crisis.
Last year, Saudi and Pakistani businessmen signed 34 memorandums of understanding worth $2.8 billion, covering sectors such as industry, technology, and agriculture. Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s Manara Minerals is in talks to acquire a 10-20 percent stake in Pakistan’s $9 billion Reko Diq copper and gold mining project, one of the largest of its kind globally.
Defense cooperation is also a key component of the bilateral relationship. The two nations have a history of military collaboration, with Saudi Arabia providing support to Pakistan during times of regional tension and Pakistan training Saudi forces.
Pakistan has a 2.7 million-strong diaspora in Saudi Arabia, which accounts for the highest remittance inflow, a crucial lifeline for the country’s economy.
Pakistani pilgrims pray for Palestinians, Muslim world on sacred Day of Arafat
- Over 117,000 Pakistanis have joined millions of Muslims from around the world in Arafat to seek forgiveness
- Pilgrims express satisfaction with facilities provided by Pakistan’s Hajj mission supported by Saudi authorities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani pilgrims on Thursday vowed to pray for Palestinians and the wider Muslim world as they joined over a million fellow worshippers in Arafat on one of the most sacred days in Islam to seek forgiveness.
The Day of Arafat, observed on the 9th of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar, marks the spiritual peak of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Its central ritual, Wuquf, involves standing in devotion from noon until sunset near Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) delivered his farewell sermon.
After sunset, pilgrims travel to Muzdalifah, located between Arafat and Mina, to collect pebbles for the symbolic “stoning of the devil” ritual performed the following day.
“It is a big day for the Muslims around the world and those who are present here,” Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said while speaking to media from Mount Arafat.
“I urge Pakistani pilgrims that along with praying for their own families, they should also pray for the country, Muslim Ummah, especially people of Gaza, Palestine and Kashmir,” he added.
Malik Aslam, a Pakistani pilgrim from Gujar Khan, a city in Rawalpindi District, said the situation in Gaza was deeply disturbing and that he would pray for Palestinians.
“All pilgrims should pray for all the Muslims, especially those in Palestine,” he told Arab News. “Pilgrims should pray for the success of Muslims in all fields.”
“I am also praying for my parents and all those who left this world,” he added.
Expressing his feelings from Mount Arafat, Muhammad Usman, another pilgrim from Gujrat district in Punjab, said he was thankful to God for blessing him with the opportunity to perform Hajj.
“Today, I am reflecting on my entire life and praying that Allah grant me a better, righteous life ahead,” he told Arab News, saying he would begin a new chapter of life after Hajj.
“I hope to leave here with all my known and unknown sins forgiven,” he added.
Muhammad Abdullah, from Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said his day was going well, as the weather was not too hot.
“I will pray for the whole Ummah, following example of our Holy Prophet [PBUH],” he added.
Speaking about the arrangements, Samad Wazir, a pilgrim from the northwestern Waziristan tribal district, expressed satisfaction with the facilities provided by both the Pakistani Hajj mission and Saudi authorities, hoping the same standard would continue in the coming days.
“It is very well arranged and there has been no problem at all in the tents and other places,” he said, adding that everyone had their own folding beds and received meals on time in the tents.
“Even on the buses, the arrangements were smooth, as everyone boarded in turn with the help of Hajj volunteers, who also guided us all the way to our tents,” he added.
Munir Ahmed Bhatti, a pilgrim from Gujranwala city, also praised the Pakistani mission for the arrangements in Mina and Arafat.
“We gathered for Hajj and this time the government of Pakistan has done very good arrangements and we are satisfied,” he said, adding that pilgrims got good residences, food and transportation.
Over 117,000 Pakistani pilgrims are currently in Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025.
Pakistan’s Punjab grants 90-day sentence remission to 450 prisoners ahead of Eid Al-Adha
- A total of 270 prisoners will be released from jails to celebrate Eid Al-Adha with their families
- Sentence remissions are traditionally announced on religious, national occasions in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Around 450 prisoners in Pakistan’s populous Punjab province have been granted a special 90-day remission in their sentences ahead of Eid Al-Adha, the Punjab government announced on Thursday.
Pakistani leaders traditionally announce sentence remissions for prisoners on religious festivals and other special occasions like Independence Day.
These remissions are intended as goodwill gestures to promote rehabilitation and allow selected inmates to reunite with their families during important national and religious occasions.
“Prisoners in Punjab’s jails have been given a special 90-day sentence remission,” the Punjab administration said in a statement, adding “450 inmates will benefit” from the decision.
Two hundred and seventy prisoners out of 450 will be released from Punjab’s jails and be able to celebrate Eid with their families, it added.
The sentence remission was granted by the Punjab government under Rule 216 of the Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978.
Prisoners convicted of militancy, sectarianism, espionage, treason, anti-state activities, murder, rape, drug trafficking, robbery, kidnapping, financial embezzlement or causing loss to the national treasury, as well as those punished for violating jail rules within the past year, will not be eligible for sentence remission.
Earlier this year in March, President Asif Ali Zardari announced a special 180-day remission in sentences for eligible prisoners on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr.
He had also approved similar remissions for prisoners on Pakistan Day and Eid Al-Fitr last year.
Central bank issues microfinance banking license to Pakistan subsidiary of Egyptian fintech
- Halan Microfinance Bank Limited is a subsidiary of MNT-Halan, one of Egypt’s largest microfinance companies
- MNT-Halan acquired Advans Pakistan Microfinance Bank in 2024, rebranded it as Halan Microfinance Bank
KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan said on Thursday it had granted a nationwide microfinance banking license to Halan Microfinance Bank Limited, a subsidiary of MNT-Halan, one of Egypt’s largest microfinance companies.
MNT-Halan acquired Advans Pakistan Microfinance Bank in March 2024 and rebranded it as Halan Microfinance Bank. Halan focuses on digital banking, mobile wallets, cards, and a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platform.
“The State Bank of Pakistan has granted a Nation-wide microfinance banking license to Halan Microfinance Bank Limited with effect from June 03, 2025,” the bank said in a statement.
“The MFB has recently been acquired by MNT-Halan, Egypt’s leading fintech company having global presence, offering business and consumer lending, digital payments and e-commerce solutions to the underserved and unbanked.”
Since 2012, Halan has served Pakistan’s southern Sindh province with a range of financial services for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. The fintech has a network of 19 branches.
Halan Microfinance Bank pledged a $10 million investment in 2025 to drive expansion across Pakistan, reinforcing its presence in the country’s financial sector.
MNT-Halan was founded in 2018 and serves over eight million customers, including over a million borrowers. It holds a significant market share of 25 percent in Egypt. The fintech initially started as a ride-hailing service but has since evolved into a digital financial services provider, offering a range of financial services through their app, including lending, payments, e-commerce, and more.
Pakistan PM orders tighter polio surveillance after northern Gilgit-Baltistan reports first case
- Pakistan has confirmed 11 polio cases in 2025 compared to 74 last year
- Pakistan, Afghanistan are only countries where polio remains endemic
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered that polio immunization efforts be enhanced after the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region reported its first case of the virus in seven years this week, the premier’s office said on Thursday.
Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of 5 are essential to provide children high immunity against the disease.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic. Pakistan has reported 11 polio cases so far this year, compared to 74 cases in 2024.
Earlier this week, the poliovirus was detected in a child from the district of Diamer in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, according to the country’s polio eradication program.
“The prime minister expressed deep concern over the recent reported polio case in Diamer,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
“Union Councils where more polio cases are being reported and immunization is not good should be closely monitored.”
Pakistan concluded a nationwide polio vaccination campaign on June 1, the third this year. The drive had aimed to inoculate 45 million children under the age of five across 159 districts of the country.
In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 polio cases annually. By 2018, that number had dropped to just eight. In 2021, only one case was reported, and six cases were recorded in 2023.
Pakistan’s polio eradication program began in 1994, but efforts have been repeatedly undermined by misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners. These groups claim that immunization is a foreign plot to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western espionage.
Militant groups have also frequently attacked polio vaccination teams and the security personnel assigned to protect them.
A Pakistani police officer was killed on May 27 when gunmen opened fire on a team of health workers conducting a door-to-door polio vaccination campaign in the southwestern Balochistan province during the latest inoculation drive.
