Pakistan PM to leave for Kabul on Thursday for talks on Afghan peace process

FILE PHOTO: In this handout picture released by Pakistan's Press Information Department (PID) on June 27, 2019, visiting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani (L) talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan during a meeting in Islamabad. (AFP)
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Updated 18 November 2020
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Pakistan PM to leave for Kabul on Thursday for talks on Afghan peace process

  • Kabul visit on the invitation of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will be Imran Khan's first trip to Afghanistan since assuming office in 2018
  • PM’s adviser on commerce is already in Kabul for discussions on bilateral trade relations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is leaving for Afghanistan on Thursday for talks on the Afghan peace process, the PM’s office confirmed.
Khan's Kabul visit is on the invitation of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and will be his first trip to Afghanistan since assuming office in 2018.
“The focus (of the visit) would be on further deepening the fraternal bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Afghan peace process, and regional economic development and connectivity,” the PM's office said in a statement on Wednesday.
During the trip, Khan is going to meet with Ghani who visited Pakistan in June 2019. Earlier, the two leaders met on the sidelines of the 14th Organization of Islamic Cooperation Summit in Makkah in May 2019.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and the prime minister’s adviser on commerce, Abdul Razak Dawood will be in the delegation.

The prime minister will travel to Afghanistan at a time when ongoing peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban have hit a stalemate and violence is on the rise. Afghan officials and the United States — which is facilitating the peace talks — believe that Pakistan has influence over the Taliban and can convince its top leaders to move toward a ceasefire.
“The people of Pakistan and Afghanistan are linked through immutable bonds of history, faith, culture, kinship, values and traditions. The Prime Minister’s visit will help foster a stronger and multi-faceted relationship between the two brotherly countries,” the PM office's statement said.
Dawood is already in Kabul for talks on bilateral trade relations and the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), which allows Kabul to use Pakistan’s land to transport goods to India.
Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan had signed a transit trade agreement in 1965 that was revised in 2010 to help facilitate movement of goods between the two countries.
The next APTTA meeting is going to take place in Islamabad in December.

 


Over 14,500 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims arrive in Madinah via 60 flights

Updated 10 sec ago
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Over 14,500 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims arrive in Madinah via 60 flights

  • Another 2,500 Pakistani pilgrims will reach the holy city via 11 flights on Sunday
  • The first groups of Pakistani pilgrims are scheduled to depart for Makkah on May 7

ISLAMABAD: More than 14,500 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims have reached the Saudi holy city of Madinah via 60 flights on their way to perform the annual pilgrimage, the Pakistani religious affairs ministry said on Sunday, days after Pakistan launched its Hajj flight operation.
The country launched its Hajj flight operation on April 29 which will continue till May 31. Pilgrims will continue to leave for Madinah during the first 15 days of the operation and afterwards, they will land in Jeddah and travel directly to Makkah.
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.
“The arrival of Pakistani Hajj pilgrims in Madinah continues and so far, 14,670 pilgrims have arrived in Madinah via 60 Hajj flights,” Muhammad Umer Butt, who speaks for the Pakistani religious affairs ministry, told Arab News over the phone from Madinah.
Another 2,500 pilgrims will reach the Saudi holy city of Madinah via 11 flights on Sunday, according to Butt. The first groups of Pakistani pilgrims are scheduled to depart for Makkah on May 7 after completing their eight-day stay in Madinah. Departures will follow the sequence of their arrival in the city.
“Under the single-route system, all Pakistani pilgrims arriving in Madinah will travel to Makkah for Hajj and return home via Jeddah, while those flying directly to Makkah will visit Madinah before departing for Pakistan,” he shared.
The Pakistan Hajj mission has arranged accommodations near the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to facilitate pilgrims in offering voluntary prayers, according to the spokesperson. They are being served food by 13 catering companies, in accordance with Pakistan’s taste and standards.
Pakistani pilgrims praised the arrangements made by the Saudi authorities and the Pakistan Hajj mission.
“It is my first pilgrimage as I have never performed even Umrah before this, but my overall experience remains amazing,” Khurram Ahmed, who hails from Islamabad, told Arab News.
Sajid Ali Channa, an employee of the state-run Pakistan State Oil from Karachi who is performing Hajj for the second time since 2019, described his experience as “entirely new.”
“The Hajj ministry has made tremendous arrangements, and I’ve observed significant improvements, and a clear difference compared to 2019,” he said, adding that catering, transportation, and the problem-solving mechanisms were all functioning efficiently.
Mishkat Rehman, another pilgrim from Karachi who is performing pilgrimage with her family, said they were being provided all facilities.
“We haven’t faced any trouble like long queues at immigration at Karachi airport due to Route to Makkah project and we had a very peaceful travel,” she said.
Pilgrims from across the world are converging in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, which begins on the 8th of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar.


Gunmen kidnap five policemen in southwestern Pakistan

Updated 37 min 26 sec ago
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Gunmen kidnap five policemen in southwestern Pakistan

  • Up to 40 gunmen blocked a major highway, intercepting a prison van being transported by a police team
  • A senior government official, who asked not to be named, said that two gunmen were killed by security forces

QUETTA: A separatist militant group in southwestern Pakistan on Sunday claimed an attack on a prison van in which five police officers were taken hostage.
Between 30 and 40 gunmen blocked a major highway that cuts across Balochistan province overnight on Friday, intercepting a prison van being transported by a police team, a police official said.
“The prisoners were released later but five policemen have been kidnapped,” a senior police official in the area, who was not authorized to speak to the media, told AFP on Sunday.
He said a rescue operation was underway.
The gunmen also set fire to government buildings and a bank in the area.
A senior government official, who asked not to be named, said that two gunmen were killed by security forces.
Pakistan has been battling a separatist insurgency in Balochistan for decades, where militants target state forces, foreign nationals, and non-locals in the mineral-rich southwestern province bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most active group in the region, claimed the assault in Kalat district.
The BLA has previously targeted energy projects receiving foreign financing — most notably from China.
In March, the group seized a train, taking hundreds of passengers hostage and killing off-duty security forces in a three-day seige.


In tit-for-tat move, Pakistan bans Indian ships from its ports

Updated 04 May 2025
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In tit-for-tat move, Pakistan bans Indian ships from its ports

  • Move comes in response to India’s act of banning Pakistani ships, imports on Saturday
  • Tensions surged after Apr. 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 tourists

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan this week decided to close its shipping ports for Indian flag carriers, a statement from the country’s maritime affairs ministry said, as Islamabad’s tensions with New Delhi continue to surge following a deadly attack on tourists. 

The move came hours after India announced on Saturday it had banned the import of goods coming from or transiting via Pakistan and barred Pakistani ships. 

Both nations have taken a raft of measures against each other since Apr. 22, when gunmen killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. New Delhi pinned the blame on Islamabad, an accusation that Pakistan has vehemently denied and called for a transparent, international probe into the incident. 

Pakistan’s maritime affairs ministry said its decision to ban Indian ships from Pakistani ports has been taken to “safeguard maritime sovereignty, economic interest and national security.”

“Indian Flag Carriers shall not be allowed to visit any Pakistani port,” the statement said. “Pakistani Flag Carriers shall not visit any Indian Port. Any exemption or dispensation shall be examined and decided on case to case basis,” it added.

Trade between India and Pakistan has dwindled over the last few years. India announced on Saturday that it was banning Pakistani ships to ensure the safety of its assets, cargo and connected infrastructure, in the public interest and in the interest of the Indian shipping industry.

Both countries have been trading fire at the Line of Control frontier in Kashmir, which acts as a de facto border between India and Pakistan, for the last 10 days as per international media reports. 

Since gaining independence from British colonial India in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought two out of three wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Both countries claim it in full but administer only parts of it. 

The US, China, UK, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Iran and several other nations have called on both nuclear-armed neighbors recently to de-escalate tensions and avoid a military standoff. 

Pakistan has vowed it would issue a “strong” response if the Indian military attacks. India’s PM Narendra Modi this week gave his country’s military “operational freedom” to respond to the Apr. 22 attack.


‘We don’t care’: Weddings go on in Pakistan’s Kashmir border 

Updated 04 May 2025
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‘We don’t care’: Weddings go on in Pakistan’s Kashmir border 

  • Tensions between India, Pakistan soared after New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing Apr. 22 attack in Kashmir
  • Ordinary Kashmiris living on both sides of divided region are often the first victims caught in the conflict’s crossfire

Neelum Valley, Pakistan: Rabia Bibi, a glittering red dupatta pulled over her eyes, wasn’t about to let the threat of war with India stop her wedding in a remote valley in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

“In our childhood the situation was also like this but we are not afraid. Nor will we be,” the 18-year-old told AFP after being carried in a flower-garlanded “doli” carriage.

“We want peace, so our life does not get affected,” said the bride, radiant in gold bangles, bejeweled bridal headpiece and richly embroidered scarlet robe.

Relatives carry the bride, Rabia Bibi, in a Doli, a traditional hand cart used to carry brides at weddings, as they leave for the groom's house in Ashkot village on the Line of Control (LoC) in Neelum Valley, district of Pakistan's Kashmir, on May 3, 2025, following the ongoing border tensions between India and Pakistan after the Kashmir tourist attack. (Photo by Farooq NAEEM / AFP)

At the ceremony — preceded by the sacrifice of a chicken — groom Chaudhry Junaid, no less resplendent in his elaborate sherwani coat and red-and-gold turban, was also defiant.

“People are anxious and worried, but even so, we haven’t canceled any traditional ceremonies,” the 23-year-old chef said.

The Neelum River and settlements along the Line of Control (LoC) between India (L) and Pakistan are pictured on May 3, 2025, from the Neelum Valley, a district in Pakistan's Kashmir. (AFP)

Tensions between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals have soared since India accused Pakistan of backing a shooting that killed 26 civilians on the Indian side of disputed Kashmir on April 22.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “full operational freedom” to respond to the attack.

The two sides have traded gunfire for more than a week on the heavily militarised border and Pakistan on Saturday conducted a “training launch” of a missile to prove its “operational readiness.”

The Neelum River and settlements along the Line of Control (LoC) between India (L) and Pakistan are pictured on May 3, 2025, from the Neelum Valley, a district in Pakistan's Kashmir. (AFP)

Islamabad last week warned they had “credible intelligence” that India was planning imminent strikes.

International pressure has been piled on both New Delhi and Islamabad to de-escalate.

On the Pakistani side, emergency drills have been carried out in playing fields, residents have been told to stock up on food and medicine, and religious schools have shut.

A motorist rides past deserted tourist hotels and eateries in Keran village on the Line of Control (LoC) in Neelum Valley, a district of Pakistan's Kashmir, on May 3, 2025. (AFP)

In Indian-run Kashmir, a vast manhunt seeking the gunmen continues across the territory, while those living along the frontier are moving further away — or cleaning out bunkers fearing conflict.

India and Pakistan, which both claim Kashmir in full, have fought several wars over the Himalayan territory since the end of British rule in 1947.

Ordinary Kashmiris living on both sides of the divided Muslim-majority region are often the first victims caught in the crossfire.

In a checkpoint-free corner of the picturesque Neelum Valley, a tourist epicenter that was shut down last week, Indian territory is the other side of the river that winds through the mountainous region.

Residents told AFP they had been urged by the Pakistani authorities to remain vigilant because of the threat of a possible military confrontation.

In another village, mechanical engineer Shoaib Akhtar was also getting married.

“This is the happiest occasion of our lives, and we won’t let anything ruin it,” said Akhtar, the 25-year-old groom surrounded by family.

“Right now, I’m getting married and that’s what matters most. If war comes, we’ll deal with it when it happens,” he added.

Relatives carry the bride, Rabia Bibi, in a Doli, a traditional hand cart used to carry brides at weddings, as they leave for the groom's house in Ashkot village on the Line of Control (LoC) in Neelum Valley, district of Pakistan's Kashmir, on May 3, 2025. (AFP)

“We are happy, and if India has some issues, we don’t care,” Bibi said.

“We stand firm and will fight for our interests and our nation.”


Pakistan says IT systems, Hajj app ensuring ‘complete automation’ of pilgrimage operations

Updated 04 May 2025
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Pakistan says IT systems, Hajj app ensuring ‘complete automation’ of pilgrimage operations

  • ’Pak Hajj 2025’ app guides pilgrims about training schedules, vaccinations, flight details
  • Launched in November last year, the mobile app is available for Android and iPhone users

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religion ministry said on Sunday that modern information technology (IT) systems and the government’s official Hajj mobile application are facilitating pilgrims and ensuring “complete automation” of the country’s pilgrimage operations. 

Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry launched the “Pak Hajj 2025” mobile application in November to guide and facilitate pilgrims about the 2025 pilgrimage. 

Pakistani pilgrims used the app, which is available for both Android and iPhone, last year as well to secure important updates and information about the Hajj pilgrimage. 

Speaking to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, Jamil ur Rehman, assistant director of the religion ministry’s IT cell, spoke about key features of the app. 

“He said complete automation has been ensured from application submission to post-Hajj feedback, using modern IT systems and the Pak Hajj App,” the state broadcaster said. 

Rehman said the app provides pilgrims with real-time access to their Hajj application status, group details, training schedules and vaccination appointments. 

Once training is completed, he said, intending pilgrims’ attendance is marked in the app and their flight details appear as soon as seats are allocated.

Rehman said the app’s feedback feature allows pilgrims to regularly share their experiences and suggestions. He also spoke about a real-time complaint management system available in the app. 

“Pilgrims can report any issues, which are immediately assigned to the officer concerned,” Rehman said.

“The app displays the complaint’s status, the responsible officer, and updates until the issue is resolved.”

The religion ministry official hoped baggage mishandling would be significantly reduced through the introduction of QR-coded tags, which are linked to each pilgrim’s profile, including their photograph. 

“This allows quick identification and tracking of luggage,” he said. 

Pilgrims from across the world are converging in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, which begins on the 8th of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar.

The first groups of Pakistani pilgrims are scheduled to depart for Makkah on May 7 after completing their eight-day stay in Madinah. Departures will follow the sequence of their arrival in the city, according to the religious affairs ministry.