Pakistani mafia kingpin spied for Iran in 2014 — investigation report

In this file photo, Uzair Baloch flanked by Rangers personnel in Karachi in January 2016. (Photo courtesy: EPA)
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Updated 10 July 2020
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Pakistani mafia kingpin spied for Iran in 2014 — investigation report

  • Uzair Jan Baloch, long on the run from Pakistani authorities, was arrested by Interpol from Dubai in 2014
  • Karachi Central Jail correspondence shows a military court convicted Baloch for espionage and sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment this April

KARACHI: An investigation report released by Pakistan’s provincial government in Sindh this week has said a Pakistani ganglord, long suspected of building a business empire through extortion, kidnapping and drugs, had confessed to spying for Iranian intelligence agencies in 2014. 

Uzair Jan Baloch was also convicted for spying this April by a military court and sentenced to 12 years in prison, according to a June 13 letter written by the senior superintendent of Karachi Central Jail to an anti-terrorism court that had ordered Baloch to be produced before it. A copy of the letter is available with Arab News, though the Pakistan military could not be reached to confirm if Baloch had indeed been convicted by an army tribunal. 

Baloch, for years considered close to politicians within Sindh’s ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), is currently nominated in at least 59 criminal cases, according to police records, and is being held at a makeshift jail at the Karachi office of the paramilitary Rangers force. The PPP denies it currently has any links to the gang leader. 

In 2016, Baloch was interrogated by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) comprising representatives of police, Rangers, and a number of civilian and military intelligence agencies during which officials say he confessed that he had spied for Iran and was involved in 59 acts of murder, kidnapping, extortion and attacks on law enforcement.

According to the report, Baloch had told the investigation team that he obtained a fake Iranian birth certificate in the late 1980s and an Iranian identity card and passport in 2006.

The report details how Baloch met a man named Hajji Nasir in Iran’s Chabahar city in 2014, who offered to arrange his meeting with Baloch and Iranian intelligence officers. 

“On the consent of the accused a meeting with Iranian intelligence officers was arranged by Hajji Nasir in which the accused was asked to provide certain information about [Pakistan] armed forces officials,” the JIT report, which is publicly available, said. 

It added: “The accused is found involved in espionage activities by providing secret informations/sketches regarding Army installations and officials to foreign agents (Iranian intelligence officers) which is a violation of Official Secrets Act, 1923.”

Ahmad Mohammadi, Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Karachi, did not comment on the Baloch case in an email sent to Arab News in response to queries for this piece, but said Iran “defined and arranged it’s relationship with Pakistan in accordance with mutual respect and mutual benefits.”

“Tehran emphasises on essential and urgent need of removing any possible misunderstanding which mainly happens due to the deceptive and malicious efforts of third parties. For sure, developing relations between Tehran and Islamabad don’t comply with their desire,” the consul general’s email said. 

For years, Baloch thrived in Sindh’s teeming capital of Karachi, a key figurehead in the city’s notorious gang wars. However, in 2006 he fled to Iran to escape an operation against street gangs in Lyari, one of Karachi’s most dangerous neighborhoods at the time. 

He returned to Pakistan for a number of years during which he even contested in a local government election but once again escaped to Iran in 2013 when Pakistan’s powerful paramilitary Rangers launched an armed operation to bring down Karach’s soaring crime rates.

Baloch is believed to have also lived in Oman briefly before being arrested by Interpol in Dubai in December 2014. 

In January 2016, Rangers announced that they had taken Baloch into custody in Karachi, an arrest that surprised many who had thought he was already in jail after being detained in Dubai. 

The JIT report said after Baloch confessed to spying for Iran, he was handed over to the Pakistani military to be tried “under Pakistan Army Act for his Involvement in espionage activities which falls under the Official Secrets Act 1923.”

In a Twitter post on April 12, 2017, the head of the Pakistani military’s media wing said Baloch had been taken into custody under the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act. However, the army has not revealed any details of his subsequent trial before a military court, nor made a verdict public. 

But a letter written by the senior superintendent of the Karachi Central Prison in response to an anti-terrorism court order that Baloch appear before it for hearings in a number of cases says he was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in April this year after being convicted for spying.

The letter, dated June 13, said: 

“[Uzair Ali] was convicted by the Lt. Col. Commanding Officer 1st (Self Propelled) Medium Regiment Artillery on April, 4, 2020 in Pakistan Army Act section 59 (civil offenses) read with section 3 (penalties for spying) of the Official Secret Act and sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment for 12 years.” 

Pakistan’s military courts hold secretive trails but verdicts are often publicly announced by the army’s media wing, called ISPR.

Arab News sent written queries to ISPR about Baloch’s conviction but did not receive a response. Sindh Home Secretary Usman Chachar also did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment, and a spokesman for Pakistan’s foreign office did not reply to text messages asking whether Pakistan had taken up the issue of Baloch’s confessed espionage with Iran. 


Saudi Arabia’s digital Hajj system ‘highly stable, foolproof’ — Pakistan Hajj organizers’ association

Updated 01 May 2025
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Saudi Arabia’s digital Hajj system ‘highly stable, foolproof’ — Pakistan Hajj organizers’ association

  • Association says Hajj organizers have been transferring funds to Office of Pilgrims Affairs Pakistan account since 2024
  • Saudi Arabia’s digital Hajj system has been operating transparently and securely for a long time, says association

KARACHI: The Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) this week described Saudi Arabia’s digital Hajj system as “highly stable” and “foolproof,” crediting the Kingdom for operating it transparently for a long time. 
Local news outlets this month published reports stating Pakistani pilgrims could face delays in their Hajj journey as millions of Saudi Riyals meant for their expenses were mistakenly sent to an account linked to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). An official at Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Tuesday rejected the reports, reiterating the Kingdom’s electronic Hajj system operated with the “highest standards of transparency.”
HOAP clarified that local media reports had misreported the briefing its representatives had given to the Senate and National Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs on Apr. 23. HOAP said its representatives had referred to the Office of the Pilgrims Affairs Pakistan (OPAP) account, not OPEC. It further said Hajj organizers have been transferring their funds to OPAP’s account since last year. 
“The Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan would like to clarify that the digital system of Saudi Arabia is highly stable and foolproof, leaving no room for any kind of ambiguity,” the association said on Wednesday. “The Hajj system of Saudi Arabia has been operating transparently and securely for a long time, and we continue to benefit from it.”
The association clarified it has never been a part of any “political campaign,” alleging that local media’s misreporting is the “outcome of a conspiracy, which is equivalent to harming the long-standing relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.”
“We have religious harmony and heartfelt affiliation with Saudi Arabia. We and our Government of Pakistan have longstanding relations with Saudi Arabia, of which we are proud,” it added. 
This year’s annual pilgrimage will take place in June, with nearly 89,000 Pakistanis expected to travel to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme and 23,620 Pakistanis through private tour operators. The total quota granted to Pakistan was 179,210, which could not be met. 
Pakistan kicked off its Hajj flight operations on Tuesday morning with the first batch of 442 pilgrims departing from Islamabad for Madinah.


Pakistan slashes petrol, diesel prices by Rs2 per liter till next fortnight

Updated 01 May 2025
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Pakistan slashes petrol, diesel prices by Rs2 per liter till next fortnight

  • Price of petrol after reduction is Rs252.63 per liter, high-speed diesel Rs256.64 per liter
  • Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed fortnightly owing to fluctuations in global oil prices

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has reduced the price of petrol and high-speed diesel by Rs2 per liter each for the next fortnight, state media reported on Thursday.

Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed and adjusted on a fortnightly basis. This mechanism ensures that changes in import costs are reflected in consumer prices, helping to sustain the country’s fuel supply chain.

The latest price reductions were undertaken due to the fluctuations in global oil prices. After the latest revision, a liter of petrol will now cost Rs252.63 while high-speed diesel will be sold at Rs256.64 per liter, according to a notification from the Ministry of Finance.

“The government has reduced prices of petroleum products for next fortnight,” Radio Pakistan said. “New prices are effective from today (Thursday).”

Petrol is primarily used in Pakistan for private transportation, including small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers. Diesel, on the other hand, powers heavy vehicles used for transporting goods across the country.

Pakistan significantly increased fuel prices after securing a short-term, $3 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2023. The rising rates also led to spiraling inflation in the country, though the government started offering relief to the people by gradually bringing down the petroleum prices subsequently.

Since then the government has undertaken financial reforms and registered some economic gains in its quest to ensure Pakistan achieves sustainable economic growth. 
 


Pakistan reaffirms commitment to promote safe, dignified conditions for laborers on May Day

Updated 01 May 2025
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Pakistan reaffirms commitment to promote safe, dignified conditions for laborers on May Day

  • Labor Day, observed on May 1, is a global celebration of workers’ rights and the labor movement
  • Laborers in Pakistan often work in dangerous places and exploitative conditions in mines, factories

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reaffirmed his government’s commitment to ensure safe and dignified working conditions for laborers in Pakistan, as the world marks May Day to recognize the struggles of low-income workers.
Labor Day, observed on May 1, is a global celebration of workers’ rights and the labor movement. It honors the struggles and achievements of workers in securing fair wages, safe working conditions and dignity in the workplace. In many countries, including Pakistan, it serves as a reminder of the importance of social justice and the ongoing need to protect labor rights in the face of economic and social challenges.
Labor laws are rarely implemented in Pakistan, where laborers often work in dangerous and exploitative conditions at construction sites, mines and factories. In most instances in Pakistan, especially in the informal jobs sector, laborers are hired below the minimum wage set by the government and not provided proper safety equipment.
“Today, as the nation observes Labor Day, Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering commitment to promoting safe, healthy and dignified conditions for its workers — the real driving force behind our nation’s growth and resilience,” Sharif said in a message shared by his office.
“The protection of fundamental labor rights is enshrined in our Constitution and fully aligns with the International Labour Organization’s core conventions.”
Sharif noted Pakistan had undertaken legislative and administrative reforms in recent years to strengthen the protection of workers. He said the government took steps to broaden the coverage of the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and the Workers Welfare Fund.
Pakistan’s labor class has suffered immensely as the South Asian country desperately tries to escape a prolonged economic crisis. Inflation reached a record high of 38 percent in 2023 as Islamabad scrapped fuel and food subsidies to comply with the International Monetary Fund’s demands for a financial bailout package.


Heartbreak at the border: India-Pakistan tensions tear mother apart from her family

Updated 01 May 2025
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Heartbreak at the border: India-Pakistan tensions tear mother apart from her family

  • Muhammad Imran visited New Delhi last month with his wife, an Indian national, for his son’s treatment for spinal injury
  • Imran was forced to leave India with children but without wife after India, Pakistan suspended visas for each other’s nationals

KARACHI: When Muhammad Imran arrived in neighboring India last month, he thought the journey would culminate in his son recovering from an unfortunate spinal injury. Little did he know that he would be forced to head back to Pakistan. That too, without his wife.
Imran, 43, traveled to India with his wife Nabeela Imran, an Indian national, and children in March clinging to the hope that doctors at New Delhi’s Apollo Hospital would help his 17-year-old son Muhammad Ayan walk again. Ayan was left paralyzed in 2023 after he suffered a gunshot wound in his spine after getting in the crosshairs of a gunfight between police and street criminals in Karachi.
However, ties between India and Pakistan deteriorated after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for being involved in a militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on Apr. 22 that killed 26 people. Islamabad denies involvement.
Both nations downgraded ties, with India suspending visas for almost all Pakistani nationals and Islamabad responding with tit-for-tat measures. The move triggered panic among visiting families — including Imran’s, who had married his maternal cousin Nabeela, a resident of New Delhi, 18 years ago.
Since then, Nabeela had been living in Pakistan on a visa that was intermittently renewed without her ever needing to acquire Pakistan’s nationality. But the suspension of visas meant Imran and his Pakistani children’s 45-day medical visa was no longer valid, and Nabeela was left behind in India.
“She was separated from us while crying and we also came here with great difficulty, crying,” an emotional Ayan told Arab News.
Imran said he arrived in India after spending “every single rupee” with the hope that his son would walk again. However, bilateral tensions between India and Pakistan, and the ensuing atmosphere in India made his family “very scared.”

Pakistani citizen Muhammad Ayan cries, as his mother, who is an Indian citizen couldn’t accompany him and his father, as they prepare to leave India after India revoked visas issued to Pakistani citizens, at the Attari-Wagah border crossing near Amritsar, India on April 27, 2025. (REUTERS)

“I told them, ‘I am married [to her],’ I pleaded with them, cried, and showed a lot of humility,” Imran said about his interaction with Indian authorities. “But they said, ‘No, write an exit and leave.’“
‘PEOPLE SHOULDN’T BE DIVIDED BY BORDERS’
For Ayan, the shock of being separated from his mother compounded the trauma of his paralysis and incomplete treatment.
“I went for treatment with a hope but that hope shattered because of that accident and then the fact that my mother was not coming with us,” he said.
“I was completely separated from a mother’s love. We were far apart; it made me cry.”
The ordeal is also tough for Imran, who is the sole caregiver to Ayan now that Nabeela is in India.
“Should I go to work or take care of my child,” Imran asked. “Because his mother used to handle everything — feeding him, taking care of him, and everything else.
“Now that she’s not here, I am facing a lot of distress,” he added.
Back in India, Nabeela is consumed by the same worry for her son.
“Over there, my child is paralyzed and in distress, and I am the one who takes care of everything for him,” she told Arab News via a video call.
“Now, his father will be going to work— who will take care of him? Who will look after him?“
Nabeela appealed to governments in India and Pakistan to reunite her with her children.
“I am in a lot of distress; I cannot live without my children,” she said. “My child is helpless, what should I do?“
Robbed of his mother’s affection, Ayan had the same plea.
“I appeal to both the Pakistani and Indian governments to reunite me with my mother as soon as possible,” he said.
 “And I also appeal to the Pakistani government to help me with my treatment,” he added. “Please reunite me with my mother.”
Imran recalled how he saw with his own eyes when many families were separated from their loved ones and sent to the border.
“Borders may exist but people shouldn’t be divided by them,” he said.


US urges Pakistan to cooperate in Kashmir attack probe, re-establish direct communications with India

Updated 01 May 2025
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US urges Pakistan to cooperate in Kashmir attack probe, re-establish direct communications with India

  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls Shehbaz Sharif, urges Islamabad to de-escalate tensions with New Delhi
  • Fears of war loom after Delhi accused Islamabad of being involved in Apr. 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week spoke to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging his administration to cooperate in investigating an Apr. 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir and to re-establish direct communications with New Delhi amid soaring bilateral tensions.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif last week said Islamabad is willing to cooperate with “any investigation which is conducted by international inspectors” of the Apr. 22 attack in Pahalgam, a popular tourist resort in Indian-administered Kashmir, in which 26 tourists were killed. 
India has said there were Pakistani elements to the attack but Islamabad has denied any involvement. Fears of a wider conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors breaking out loom as India has vowed to punish the backers of the Kashmir attack. Pakistan, on the other hand, has vowed a “strong” response to any military strike. 
Rubio spoke to PM Sharif on Wednesday, urging the need to condemn the Pahalgam attack, the US State Department said the same day. 
“The Secretary urged Pakistani officials’ cooperation in investigating this unconscionable attack,” the State Department said. “He also encouraged Pakistan to work with India to de-escalate tensions, re-establish direct communications, and maintain peace and security in South Asia.”
It added that both leaders reaffirmed their continued commitment to “holding terrorists accountable for their heinous acts of violence.”
According to Sharif’s office, the Pakistani premier asked Washington to impress upon India to “act responsibly” and “dial down the rhetoric.”
“He [Sharif] categorically rejected Indian attempts to link Pakistan to the incident and pointed to his call for a transparent, credible, and neutral investigation to bring out the facts,” the PMO said. 
Sharif told Rubio that India’s recent behavior is “deeply disappointing and worrisome,” saying it would only serve to distract Pakistan from its ongoing efforts to defeat militants, particularly those based in Afghanistan. 
Rubio also spoke to India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Wednesday, expressing sorrow for the loss of lives in the Apr. 22 attack. 
He also encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia, the State Department said. 
Several countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkiye and the UK have also called upon both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid a military confrontation.