Pakistani delegation demands resumption of ‘comprehensive’ dialogue with India in briefing to OIC envoys

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Updated 03 June 2025
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Pakistani delegation demands resumption of ‘comprehensive’ dialogue with India in briefing to OIC envoys

Pakistani delegation demands resumption of ‘comprehensive’ dialogue with India in briefing to OIC envoys
  • Tensions between neighbors Pakistan, India remain high after they struck ceasefire on May 10
  • Pakistani delegation will present Islamabad’s position on Pakistan’s recent conflict with India 

ISLAMABAD: A high-level Pakistani delegation set up by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week briefed members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the United Nations, calling for the resumption of a “comprehensive dialogue” with India to resolve the Kashmir dispute and other issues, Pakistan’s mission to the UN said. 

Led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the nine-member parliamentary delegation arrived in New York on Monday as the first stop in a diplomatic mission to present Pakistan’s position in world capitals following Islamabad’s recent military conflict with India. The group headed by Bhutto Zardari will visit New York, Washington DC, London and Brussels. Another delegation, led by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, will also visit Moscow.

Tensions between Pakistan and India are high after they struck a ceasefire on May 10 following the most intense military confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbors in decades. Both countries accuse the other of supporting militancy on each other’s soil — a charge both capitals deny.

The latest escalation last month took place following weeks of tensions after India blamed Pakistan for supporting an April 22 attack on the Kashmir territory it governs that killed 26 tourists. Pakistan denied involvement in the incident and called for an international probe. Both countries traded missiles, artillery fire and drone strikes before Washington brokered a ceasefire on May 10. 

“He [Bhutto Zardari] reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to peace, restraint, and diplomacy, and called for the restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty, full respect for the ceasefire, and the resumption of a comprehensive dialogue with India, with the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute at its core,” Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Monday. 




Members of a high-level Pakistani parliamentary delegation, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari (fifth from right), pose for a picture in New York, US, on June 2, 2025. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Following the attack at the Pahalgam tourist resort in April, India suspended the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan. The move drew a sharp response from Islamabad, which said any attempts to divert or stop the flow of its waters by India would be considered an “act of war.”

About 80 percent of Pakistani farms depend on the Indus system, as do nearly all hydropower projects serving the country of some 250 million.

“Mr. Bhutto expressed grave concern at the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty — a move that Pakistan considers a blatant act of weaponizing water and a violation of international and treaty obligations,” the statement said. 

The former Pakistani foreign minister thanked OIC countries for their efforts and role aimed at de-escalation, mediation and ceasefire during the conflict. He highlighted that the only path to peace was in dialogue, engagement and diplomacy.

“Mr. Bilawal Bhutto underlined that OIC has emerged as the moral conscience of the world in these difficult times and thanked the OIC member states for their steadfast support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” the statement said. 

The statement said that the OIC’s permanent representatives appreciated Pakistan’s briefing and reaffirmed their solidarity with the country. 

“They reiterated their concern over the worsening security situation in South Asia and stressed the importance of upholding the principles of the UN Charter and international law and in this regard, the sanctity of treaties, including the Indus Waters Treaty,” Pakistan’s permanent mission to the UN said. 

Separately, the delegation also met Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, president of the UN Security Council for June, according to a press release issued by 

Bhutto Zardari’s residence, Bilawal House. 

“The Pakistani delegation stressed that in the face of a growing trend of unilateralism and escalation, the Security Council must play its crucial role to ensure peace and conflict resolution,” it said. 

The delegation urged the Security Council to play a “proactive role” in promoting de-escalation, ensuring respect for international law and treaties and facilitating peaceful resolution of disputes.

The statement said Birkett reaffirmed the Security Council’s commitment to upholding international peace and security in line with its mandate. 


Pakistan says nationwide crackdown against sugar hoarders, profiteers underway

Pakistan says nationwide crackdown against sugar hoarders, profiteers underway
Updated 23 July 2025
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Pakistan says nationwide crackdown against sugar hoarders, profiteers underway

Pakistan says nationwide crackdown against sugar hoarders, profiteers underway
  • Pakistan’s food security minister chairs meeting to review sugar market situation, pricing trends
  • Market analysts say retail sugar prices have risen sharply since January, surging to $0.70 per kg

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain announced on Wednesday that a nationwide crackdown against those attempting to disrupt the sugar supply in the country through hoarding and profiteering was underway, amid Islamabad’s attempts to stabilize the commodity’s price. 

Market analysts have said retail sugar prices in several parts of the country have risen sharply since January, surging to Rs200 [$0.70] per kilogram. In Pakistan, high sugar prices have triggered public outcry and become flashpoints for opposition criticism in the past, with allegations of hoarding and cartelization frequently surfacing in election years or periods of economic volatility.

Hussain chaired a meeting with representatives of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) and other key stakeholders from all provinces on Wednesday, the national food security ministry said in a press release. It said the meeting aimed to review the current sugar market situation, pricing trends, and supply chain dynamics.

“During the meeting, the Federal Minister expressed serious concern over the artificial hike in sugar prices and warned of strict action against all those who are involved in hoarding and market manipulation,” the statement said.

“He announced that a nationwide crackdown is currently underway against those disrupting the sugar supply chain.”

Hussain noted that due to the government’s “decisive actions,” sugar prices have started to decline significantly from Rs200 per kg to Rs. 175–180 [$0.61-0.63] per kg in various markets.

The minister warned sugar mills that were not releasing their existing stocks that the government would not tolerate hoarding, directing all provincial governments to ensure the timely lifting of sugar from mills and facilitate its smooth transportation to markets.

Hussain noted the “exploitative role” of certain middlemen and market intermediaries, saying they were capitalizing on the market’s volatility.

“The federal and provincial authorities are now actively pursuing legal and administrative actions against such elements to curb unjust profiteering,” the ministry said. 

The minister later chaired a high-level meeting of the Steering Committee on Sugar Imports, where all technical, procedural, and operational challenges related to sugar importation were reviewed and resolved, the food security ministry said. 

Earlier this month, Pakistan announced it would import sugar in two phases. In the first phase, a tender for 200,000 metric tons of sugar would be issued, followed by another tender for 150,000 metric tons after one week, the ministry said. 

The ministry also announced it had decided to waive all duties and taxes on sugar imports to ensure the product is available at affordable prices.


Pakistan backs ‘inclusive’ political process in Syria, ceasefire in Gaza at Security Council debate

Pakistan backs ‘inclusive’ political process in Syria, ceasefire in Gaza at Security Council debate
Updated 53 min 26 sec ago
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Pakistan backs ‘inclusive’ political process in Syria, ceasefire in Gaza at Security Council debate

Pakistan backs ‘inclusive’ political process in Syria, ceasefire in Gaza at Security Council debate
  • Violent clashes between Druze, Bedouin clans in Syria killed over 250 people this month 
  • Ishaq Dar calls for the restoration of humanitarian supply lines in Gaza to prevent famine 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday backed an “inclusive” political process to stabilize a Syria rocked by clashes and demanded an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, as he spoke at a United Nations Security Council debate on the evolving Middle East situation. 

Syria has been rocked by violent clashes between the Druze minority and Bedouin clans that broke out on July 13, killing over 250 people as per media reports and threatening to disrupt the country’s post-war transition. The violence also displaced 128,571 people, according to the United Nations International Organization for Migration.

Israel carried out a series of attacks on government targets in Syria in support of the Druze clan last week, including a strike on a tank convoy and the shelling of the Defense Ministry in Damascus. Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa ordered a fragile ceasefire between Bedouin and Druze groups last Saturday. 

Dar, who is in New York to participate in events being held under Pakistan’s presidency of the UN Security Council, spoke at an open debate titled, “The Situation in the Middle East and the Question of Palestine.”

“Pakistan supports the stabilization of Syria through an inclusive political process,” the deputy prime minister, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, said. “Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity must be upheld.”

He called on Israel to immediately withdraw from the separation zone established under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and vacate the Syrian Golan Heights as per the UN Security Council’s resolutions.

‘GRAVEYARD FOR INNOCENT LIVES’

The Pakistani deputy prime minister criticized Israel for its military operations in Gaza, saying that the world was witnessing the “collapse of humanity” through Tel Aviv’s actions.

“Gaza has become a graveyard for innocent lives as well as for international law, particularly international humanitarian law,” he said, noting that over 58,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war since October 2023. 

He urged the UN Security Council to pursue with unity and urgency an “immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire” in Gaza. 

Dar also called for unfettered, sustained and secure access to humanitarian relief items for all civilians and the protection of aid workers, medical teams and UN personnel there. 

“Immediate steps should be taken to ensure the delivery of life-saving food and medical assistance, restore humanitarian supply lines, and prevent famine conditions from taking hold,” he said. 

Pakistan has consistently called for an independent Palestinian state in the Middle East with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital based on the pre-1967 border. 


Father kills daughter, nephew in latest ‘honor killing’ case in Pakistan’s Balochistan

Father kills daughter, nephew in latest ‘honor killing’ case in Pakistan’s Balochistan
Updated 23 July 2025
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Father kills daughter, nephew in latest ‘honor killing’ case in Pakistan’s Balochistan

Father kills daughter, nephew in latest ‘honor killing’ case in Pakistan’s Balochistan
  • Police says latest killings motivated by accusations of an “illicit relationship” between the pair
  • Murders follow nationwide outrage over recent tribal-ordered killing of couple in Balochistan

QUETTA, Pakistan: A father has shot and killed his teenage daughter and nephew in a so-called “honor killing” in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, police said on Wednesday, days after a similar killing sparked outrage across the country.

The incident took place Tuesday evening in the Lashar Abad area along Quetta's Qambrani Road, and came just days after a viral video showed a young couple being executed in a separate honor killing in

Balochistan's Digari area in Quetta district. That case, involving a tribal jirga ordering the deaths of a woman and man over an alleged illicit relationship, has drawn widespread condemnation and renewed calls for legal reform.

According to Abdul Majeed, the Station House Officer of Kechi Baig Police Station, the latest victims were identified as Ghulam Qadir, 19, and Nazneen, 18.

“The slain man and woman were cousins and the father, named Abdul Latif, shot and killed both his daughter and nephew inside his house,” Majeed told Arab News. “The girl was from the Lehri tribe and the boy hailed from the Rind tribe.”

The officer said the killings were motivated by accusations of an “illicit relationship” between the pair, adding that the case had been handed over to the Serious Crime Investigation Wing (SCIW) and a search was underway for the father, who was on the run.

The family of the male victim had retrieved his body for burial, but no one from the girl’s family had come forward to claim her, Majeed added. 

Rights groups say honor killings - the murder of individuals, often women, by relatives for allegedly tarnishing family “honor” - remain widespread in Pakistan, particularly in tribal and rural regions. Activists estimate as many as 1,000 deaths a year in the name of so-called honor.

Although Pakistan passed a landmark law in 2016 to close loopholes that once allowed families to “forgive” perpetrators, conviction rates remain extremely low, often below 2 percent, according to UN estimates. 

The recent video from Balochistan, showing the execution-style killing of a couple in the Digari area in Quetta district, reignited public debate over jirga justice and the state’s failure to prevent such crimes.

Police said 11 suspects had been arrested in the Digari case, including two men named in the first information report (FIR) filed by police after the killing.

That attack, caught on video, appeared to show the victims being shot in a mountainous area on the orders of a tribal council. 


Top Pakistani general discusses enhancing defense, security ties with Turkish, Azeri officials

Top Pakistani general discusses enhancing defense, security ties with Turkish, Azeri officials
Updated 23 July 2025
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Top Pakistani general discusses enhancing defense, security ties with Turkish, Azeri officials

Top Pakistani general discusses enhancing defense, security ties with Turkish, Azeri officials
  • Pakistan has grown closer to Azerbaijan, Turkiye after both openly supported Islamabad during its recent conflict with India
  • All sides stress importance of bolstering security cooperation due to evolving geo-strategic environment, says Pakistan Army

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s General Sahir Shamshad Mirza met senior defense officials of Turkiye and Azerbaijan on Wednesday to discuss strengthening existing security and defense ties between the countries, Pakistan Army’s media wing said. 

Islamabad has grown closer to Ankara and Baku after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev openly pledged support for Pakistan during its latest military confrontation with India in May.

Mirza, who is the chairman of joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC) of the Pakistan Army, was attending the 17th International Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul, renowned for showcasing cutting-edge innovations and advancements in the defense sector. 

The Pakistani general held separate meetings with General (retired) Yasar Guler, Turkiye’s minister of national defense, Col. General Hasanov Zakir Asgar Oglu, Azerbaijan’s minister of defense, Gurbanov Agil Salim Oglu, Azerbaijan’s deputy minister of defense and General Metin Gurak, the chief of Turkish general staff. 

“Discussions were held on variety of issues of bilateral military cooperation with emphasis on importance of expanding cooperation in the fields of defense and security,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said in a statement.

“The dignitaries reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening strategic partnerships and enhancing defense corporation in line with dictates of future geo-strategic environment and technological advancements.”

The Turkish and Azeri officials reaffirmed their commitment to deepen strategic partnerships and enhance defense cooperation, keeping in mind the future geo-strategic environment and technological advancements, the ISPR added. 

Earlier this month, Turkiye’s defense and foreign ministers arrived in Pakistan for a series of high-level meetings that reportedly focused on counterterrorism, defense cooperation and broader strategic ties.

Pakistan and Turkiye have maintained close defense ties in recent years. 

Under a 2018 agreement, Türkiye is delivering four MILGEM-class corvettes to the Pakistan Navy, with two built in Istanbul and two at Karachi Shipyard under a technology transfer arrangement.

The first vessel, PNS Babur, was delivered in 2023.


Pakistan, Saudi Arabia agree to promote investments, expand cooperation in key sectors

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia agree to promote investments, expand cooperation in key sectors
Updated 23 July 2025
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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia agree to promote investments, expand cooperation in key sectors

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia agree to promote investments, expand cooperation in key sectors
  • Deputy PM Ishaq Dar meets Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning, Faisal bin Fadhil Alibrahim, in New York 
  • Both discuss expanding cooperation in food security, manufacturing and mines & minerals, says Pakistan’s FO

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar met Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning, Faisal bin Fadhil Alibrahim, on Wednesday to discuss promoting bilateral investments and expanding cooperation in key economic sectors, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said. 

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial relations and strong ties in defense, military, tourism and various other sectors. The two countries have eyed closer cooperation in mines and minerals, agriculture, tourism, IT and other sectors in recent years. 

Islamabad and Riyadh last year signed 34 business-to-business deals worth $2.8 billion amid Islamabad’s increasing focus to shore up its foreign reserves and bolster its economic revival with the help of its Gulf allies. 

Dar, who is in the United States till July 28 to lead “high-level signature events” under Pakistan’s presidency of the UN Security Council, met Alibrahim on the sidelines of the events. 

“Discussions focused on expanding cooperation across key sectors, including food security, manufacturing, and mines & minerals,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said. 

“They also agreed to advance investments and technical collaboration for mutual benefit of the two nations,” it added. 

The two reaffirmed brotherly ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and their shared vision for lasting peace, prosperity and regional harmony, the foreign ministry said.

Apart from being a key regional ally and close business partner, Saudi Arabia also happens to be the largest source of foreign remittances for Pakistan. 

These remittances are a lifeline for Pakistan’s cash-strapped economy, playing a critical role in stabilizing foreign exchange reserves and supporting balance of payments.