Pakistan’s top civilian and military leaders seek political dialogue, condemn violent protests

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Updated 17 May 2023
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Pakistan’s top civilian and military leaders seek political dialogue, condemn violent protests

  • Protests after ex-PM Imran Khan’s arrest last week turned violent and led to attacks on military installations in Pakistan
  • Analysts say suspects should be tried under the civilian laws and provided a due process to defend themselves in courts

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday described violent protests that followed ex-premier Imran Khan’s arrest on corruption charges last week as acts of “terrorism” after a meeting of top civilian and military leadership of the country that called for constructive dialogue among political stakeholders to remove differences.

Khan was dragged out of a court in Islamabad on May 9 by a contingent of paramilitary rangers on the instructions of Pakistan’s anti-graft body in a dramatic escalation of political tensions that led to attacks on military installations in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

Khan’s party has denied the allegation that its workers were involved in ransacking and vandalizing government buildings and Lahore corps commander’s residence, known as Jinnah House.

On Tuesday, PM Sharif presided over a meeting of the country’s National Security Committee, comprising top civilian and military officials mandated to oversee security matters, which promised a “zero-tolerance” policy against violence in the country.

“Those who planned, executed and abetted the vandalism on May 9 certainly committed an act of terrorism,” Sharif said in televised comments after the NSC meeting in Islamabad.

“They should be brought to justice at any cost, and even if the prime minister says to release someone, refuse to comply with the prime minister’s order.”

In a statement that was released after the NSC meeting, the participants also called for constructive dialogue among various political stakeholders in the country while encouraging them to iron out their difference through negotiations.

“The meeting emphasized national unity in an increasingly complex geo-strategic environment,” said the statement. “The forum stressed the need to resolve political differences through dialogue in accordance with democratic values instead of confrontation.”

However, the prime minister recounted violent attacks on military installations after the meeting, saying the rioters took to the army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, an air force base in Mianwali, and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency office in Faisalabad.

“Whatever happened on May 9 in this country, it will be remembered as the darkest chapter in this country’s history,” Sharif said, adding that Pakistan’s worst enemies could never do what these protesters did on May 9.

It was a public demand to punish all those involved in vandalism, he said.

“Law will take its course,” the prime minister said. “There is no question of any mistreatment to anybody, but if anybody has committed a crime, they won’t be spared.”

Arab News spoke to defense and political experts on the matter, who said authorities should arrest all those involved in vandalism, but provide them with all legal support to defend themselves in courts.

“The most important thing at the moment is to see if all those arrested on vandalism charges are provided with a fair trial and due process of law,” Zebunnisa Burki, a political analyst, told Arab News.

“Nobody can celebrate vandalism, but it is important that the authorities should apply civilian laws to try the accused in courts to keep the legal process fair and transparent.”

Lt General (retired) Ejaz Awan, a defense analyst, supported the government’s move to bring the May 9 rioters to justice, saying the “desecration” of military installations was a gruesome act.

“All those involved in the crime should be prosecuted as per the existing laws to ensure transparency of the process,” he told Arab News, adding the government had yet to share with the public as to when the trial of arrested accused would be initiated and under which laws.

On Monday, the army also said “perpetrators, spoilers and violators” involved in last week’s violence would be tried under relevant Pakistani laws, including the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act. Both laws allow for the death sentence and life imprisonment, with trials held by secretive military courts.

In response, Khan’s party said on Tuesday there was no room in a democracy to combine the roles of “judge, jury and executioner” into one individual or institution.

Since his ouster, Khan has blamed the army and its then chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, of plotting with his political rivals, who now form the incumbent coalition government, to remove him. Khan came to power in a 2018 general election that is widely believed to have been rigged in his favor by the military — which both deny — but has since had a falling out with the army.

He has said in recent interviews that his party’s relations with the army had not improved under the new army chief, General Asim Munir.


Filmmakers try to cash in on India-Pakistan battle

Updated 6 sec ago
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Filmmakers try to cash in on India-Pakistan battle

  • India, Pakistan engaged in worst fighting in decades in May that killed over 70 on both sides
  • Film studios register titles such as “Mission Sindoor,” “Sindoor: The Revenge” and others 

MUMBAI: Indian filmmakers are locking up the rights to movie titles that can profit from the patriotism fanned by a four-day conflict with Pakistan, which killed more than 70 people.

The nuclear-armed rivals exchanged artillery, drone and air strikes in May, after India blamed Pakistan for an armed attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The fighting came to an end when US President Donald Trump announced a surprise ceasefire.

Now, some Bollywood filmmakers see an opportunity to cash in on the battle.

India tagged its military action against Pakistan “Operation Sindoor,” the Hindi word for vermilion, which married Hindu women wear on their foreheads.

The name was seen as a symbol of Delhi’s determination to avenge those widowed in the April 22 attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which sparked the hostilities.

Film studios have registered a slew of titles evoking the operation, including: “Mission Sindoor,” “Sindoor: The Revenge,” “The Pahalgam Terror,” and “Sindoor Operation.”

“It’s a story which needs to be told,” said director Vivek Agnihotri.

“If it was Hollywood, they would have made 10 films on this subject. People want to know what happened behind the scenes,” he told AFP.

Agnihotri struck box office success with his 2022 release, “The Kashmir Files,” based on the mass flight of Hindus from Kashmir in the 1990s.

The ruling right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party gave that film a glowing endorsement, despite accusations that it aimed to stir up hatred against India’s minority Muslims.

Since Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, some critics say Bollywood is increasingly promoting his government’s ideology.

Raja Sen, a film critic and screenwriter, said filmmakers felt emboldened by an amenable government.

“We tried to wage a war and then we quietened down when Mr.Trump asked us to. So what is the valor here?” Sen told AFP of the Pakistan clashes.

Anil Sharma, known for directing rabble-rousing movies, criticized the apparent rush to make films related to the Pahalgam attack.

“This is herd mentality... these are seasonal filmmakers, they have their constraints,” he said.

“I don’t wait for an incident to happen and then make a film based on that. A subject should evoke feelings and only then cinema happens,” said Sharma.

Sharma’s historical action flick “Gadar: Ek Prem Katha” (2001) and its sequel “Gadar 2” (2023), both featuring Sunny Deol in lead roles, were big hits.

In Bollywood, filmmakers often seek to time releases for national holidays like Independence Day, which are associated with heightened patriotic fervor.

“Fighter,” featuring big stars Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, was released on the eve of India’s Republic Day on January 25 last year.

Though not a factual retelling, it drew heavily from India’s 2019 airstrike on Pakistan’s Balakot.

The film received mixed-to-positive reviews but raked in $28 million in India, making it the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of that year.

This year, “Chhaava,” a drama based on the life of SambHajji Maharaj, a ruler of the Maratha Empire, became the highest-grossing film so far this year.

It also generated significant criticism for fueling anti-Muslim bias.

“This is at a time when cinema is aggressively painting Muslim kings and leaders in violent light,” said Sen.

“This is where those who are telling the stories need to be responsible about which stories they choose to tell.”

Sen said filmmakers were reluctant to choose topics that are “against the establishment.”

“If the public is flooded with dozens of films that are all trying to serve an agenda, without the other side allowed to make itself heard, then that propaganda and misinformation enters the public psyche,” he said.

Acclaimed director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra said true patriotism is promoting peace and harmony through the medium of cinema.

Mehra’s socio-political drama “Rang De Basanti” (2006) won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film and was chosen as India’s official entry for the Golden Globe Awards and the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

“How we can arrive at peace and build a better society? How we can learn to love our neighbors?” he asked.

“For me that is patriotism.”


Pakistan arrests eight in nationwide crackdown on illegal currency trade

Updated 11 min 33 sec ago
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Pakistan arrests eight in nationwide crackdown on illegal currency trade

  • FIA raids followed a July 22 meeting between Pakistan’s ISI and currency exchange representatives in Islamabad
  • Crackdown came amid growing concern over the Pakistani rupee’s slide to a 22-month low against the US dollar

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested at least eight suspects in nationwide raids since last week, it said on Saturday, in a crackdown on illegal foreign exchange businesses in the country’s southern and southwestern regions bordering Iran and Afghanistan.

The arrests followed a July 22 meeting in Islamabad between a senior official of the military-run Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and representatives of the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP). The interaction took place amid growing concern over the rupee’s decline, which last week fell to a 22-month low of Rs284.97 against the US dollar.

Following the meeting, the FIA began operations targeting illegal currency dealers, including operators of hundi and hawala, informal money transfer systems that operate outside official banking channels. While commonly used for remittances, these systems are also prone to abuse for money laundering and terror financing.

Raids were conducted in Karachi, Quetta, Gwadar and Chaman.

“The FIA, acting on credible source reports, conducted raids targeting illegal foreign exchange traders and hundi-hawala operators,” the agency said in response to written questions from Arab News.

It denied that these operations were “prompted by specific directives” from the ISI.

According to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data, the rupee appreciated following the crackdown and closed at Rs282.72 in the interbank market on August 1. In the open market, the currency traded between Rs284.62 and Rs285.30, according to ECAP.

The South Asian nation’s currency had been under consistent pressure in recent months, declining over 2 percent against the dollar since January despite a stabilizing economy, including a $2.1 billion current account surplus during the last fiscal year.

With import bills exceeding $58 billion, the rupee remains vulnerable to global currency shocks and illegal financial outflows.

The FIA said it has conducted “hundreds of intelligence-based operations across the country from January to July,” arresting at least 290 suspects and recovering over Rs800 million ($2.83 million) in local and foreign currencies, including US dollars and Saudi riyals.

Authorities have also filed 213 police reports related to black market activities.

“These operations aim to curb unlawful financial practices and ensure compliance with relevant laws,” the agency said. “Upon identifying violations, the FIA initiates legal proceedings against those involved in accordance with applicable laws.”

Pakistan operates a multi-tiered currency market, with the official interbank rate often diverging from the open market and the unregulated “grey market,” where many hawala operators function.

Under a $7 billion bailout agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan is required to keep the difference between official and parallel market rates below 1.25 percent.

“This initiative [of launching crackdowns] has also helped to close the gap between the official and black market exchange rates, which is a crucial requirement of Pakistan’s agreement with the IMF,” said Qazi Owais-ul-Haq, a currency trader at Arif Habib Ltd., a Karachi-based brokerage.

Haq added the clampdown has helped reduce market speculation and illegal foreign currency outflows, boosting the rupee’s standing.

“The pressure on the currency market has eased, and many exporters are now beginning to repatriate their earnings, which is further supporting the rupee’s position,” he said, citing ECAP officials.

Financial data firm Tresmark reported the rupee remained “relatively stable” between Rs282 and Rs283 this week, despite earlier market expectations it could strengthen to Rs278-280.

“We expect currency rates to remain range-bound this month,” the firm said, though it projected the rupee could weaken again to Rs284 in the next three months.

Still, analysts say the long-term outlook remains uncertain and dependent on broader structural reforms.

“The real challenge for authorities will be to implement sustainable economic policies that lessen the need for such interventions and ensure the currency’s long-term stability,” Haq added.


Pakistan calls China’s development model ‘source of inspiration’ amid talks on next CPEC phase

Updated 02 August 2025
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Pakistan calls China’s development model ‘source of inspiration’ amid talks on next CPEC phase

  • CPEC’s next phase to focus on industrialization, business cooperation and technology transfer
  • Ahsan Iqbal thanks Chinese officials in Beijing for backing Pakistan during the standoff with India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday described Beijing’s development model as a “source of inspiration” for his country while discussing the next phase of the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during a meeting with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong.

CPEC is a flagship initiative of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched in 2013 to develop infrastructure and connectivity between Gwadar Port in Pakistan and China’s Xinjiang region.

The first phase focused on power generation and road networks, while the upcoming second phase aims to center on industrialization, business-to-business cooperation and technological development.

Iqbal is currently in Beijing to push for deeper economic integration and bilateral collaboration between the two countries.

“China’s development model remains a source of inspiration for Pakistan,” he said during the meeting, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.

“Learning from China’s experience, Pakistan is moving toward building an export-oriented and technology-driven economy.”

Iqbal recalled how CPEC was transformed from “a paper plan into a multibillion-dollar reality.”

He also lauded China’s support for Pakistan during the recent military standoff with India, saying the Pakistani people “take pride in the everlasting friendship” with Beijing.

“Pakistan-China friendship continues to grow stronger with every passing day and changing circumstances,” he added.

The minister emphasized that the next phase of CPEC would prioritize industrial and technological collaboration between the two countries.

He pointed to Pakistan’s URAAN initiative, a government program aimed at advancing economic, social, and institutional stability through people-centered reforms.

He noted that under the initiative, the government plans to develop a skilled and capable workforce aligned with the needs of CPEC Phase II.

Iqbal said enhanced business-to-business cooperation between the two countries would help further expand the scope of the corridor and stimulate industrial growth in Pakistan.

Vice Foreign Minister Sun reaffirmed China’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Pakistan in various sectors and expressed support for Islamabad’s development goals.

He described Pakistan’s economic reform efforts as a promising path toward stability and self-reliance.


Pakistan to probe train derailment that injured 27 near Lahore this week

Updated 02 August 2025
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Pakistan to probe train derailment that injured 27 near Lahore this week

  • Three-day inquiry begins next week, with officials promising transparency
  • Pakistan aims to modernize aging railway network through track overhaul

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will conduct an inquiry into the derailment of the Islamabad Express in the coming week, an official statement said on Saturday, after three cars of the passenger train went off the tracks a day earlier near the eastern city of Lahore, injuring at least 27 people.

The derailment took place in the town of Kala Shah Kaku as the train was en route to Lahore. While no fatalities were reported, women and children were among the injured, all of whom were later listed in stable condition, according to railways officials.

“Federal Government Inspector of Railways, Mr. Aamir Nisar Chaudhry, will conduct an inquiry into the derailment of the ... Islamabad Express that occurred on the evening of August 1, 2025,” said a statement issued by the Railways Headquarters in Lahore. “The inquiry will take place from August 4 to August 6, 2025.”

It said the inspector will be available to meet anyone with relevant information during the inquiry period.

The statement also invited individuals to submit written reports by post to the official conducting the inquiry, assuring the identity of informants would be kept confidential.

It said all possible factors contributing to the incident will be examined, and the investigation will be conducted transparently and without external influence.

The final report is expected to be submitted to the Ministry of Railways within seven days.

Pakistan Railways has been attempting to modernize its aging network with new trains and an overhaul of the 1,687-kilometer Karachi-Peshawar Main Line (ML-1), aimed at doubling tracks, upgrading signals and raising train speeds to 140 km/h.

Train accidents are relatively common in Pakistan, where the railway system has suffered from decades of underinvestment, outdated tracks, and aging signal infrastructure.

In 2023, at least 30 people were killed when a passenger train derailed in the southern city of Nawabshah in Sindh province.

With input from AP


Pakistan places sugar import order to ease prices, first shipment due next month

Updated 02 August 2025
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Pakistan places sugar import order to ease prices, first shipment due next month

  • Sugar crises recur frequently in Pakistan amid accusations of hoarding and cartelization
  • Economists urge long-term reforms to fix systemic issues in the country’s sugar sector

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has placed the procurement order for 200,000 metric tons of sugar from the international market, an official statement said on Saturday, adding the first shipment was expected to arrive in the beginning of next month.

The announcement came amid growing concerns over a sugar crisis that has gripped parts of the country, with prices surging to Rs200 ($0.71) per kilogram in many areas, which is well above the government’s official cap of Rs173 ($0.61). The situation occurs frequently in Pakistan amid accusations of hoarding and cartelization. It also leads to public outrage and criticism from opposition parties.

Last month, leading Pakistani economists told Arab News the crisis owed to weak regulatory enforcement and a lack of industrial transparency, both of which hamper effective market oversight.

“The final order for sugar imports has been placed,” the Ministry of National Food Security and Research said in a statement. “The first shipment of imported sugar will arrive in Pakistan in early September 2025.”

The ministry said the procurement process entered its final phase after the government floated a tender, and successfully secured a discount through international negotiations.

“The purpose of the import is to ensure the availability of sugar in the market and maintain price stability,” the statement said. “The arrival of imported sugar will help keep prices balanced in the local market and directly benefit consumers.”

However, experts warned last month such measures only offered temporary relief.

Dr. Khaqan Najeeb, Pakistan’s former finance adviser, told Arab News in a recent conversation the sugar sector’s persistent crises underscore the urgent need to move beyond “reactive firefighting” and adopt structured, technology-enabled and market-aligned regulatory frameworks.

“Addressing this challenge requires deep policy expertise and a commitment to serious, evidence-based reform,” he continued

Najeeb outlined several critical reforms for the sugar sector, including improving per-acre crop yields, deregulating the market, enforcing anti-cartel legislation, using digital tools to monitor the supply chain, and setting transparent, formula-based pricing mechanisms that ensure timely payments to farmers.

“These are not quick fixes — they demand consistent, hard work,” he added. “But after years of misaligned interventions through poorly timed exports and imports, one thing is clear: there is no easy solution, only the hard path of structural reform.”