Pakistani tribal leader killed in IED blast in northwestern district bordering Afghanistan 

Pakistani tribal leader killed in IED blast in northwestern district bordering Afghanistan 
Paramilitary soldiers stand guard in front of the wreckage of a police truck at the site of a roadside bomb blast in Bajaur district, around 14 kms from the border with Afghanistan on January 8, 2024. (AFP/File)
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Updated 14 August 2024
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Pakistani tribal leader killed in IED blast in northwestern district bordering Afghanistan 

Pakistani tribal leader killed in IED blast in northwestern district bordering Afghanistan 
  • Malik Yar Khan was heading to a function in remote settlement in northwestern Pakistan when blast targeted his vehicle 
  • Tribal elders are targeted by militants because they play role of a bridge between state and people, says think tank official 

PESHAWAR: A prominent tribal leader was killed and another sustained injuries on Tuesday when their car was targeted in a blast triggered by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Pakistan’s restive northwestern Bajaur district bordering Afghanistan, police and a tribal chief said.
Police official Aziz-ur-Rehman said tribal leader Malik Yar Khan and his companion were heading to a function in Barang, a remote settlement in the Bajaur district when their vehicle was targeted in an IED blast.
“The blast tore through their vehicle, leaving Malik Yar Khan dead on the spot while his colleague Malik Rozi Khan sustained injuries, who was rushed to a local medical facility for treatment,” Rehman told Arab News. 
A police party was dispatched to the area to collect evidence, the police official said, adding that suspected militants in the past used remote-controlled devices to target elders, security officials and politicians in the area. 
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion is likely to fall on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a separate but allied group of the Afghan Taliban who have carried out some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistani civilians and armed forces since 2007 to impose their strict brand of Islamic law.
A month earlier, former Pakistani senator Hidayatullah Khan was among five persons who were killed in an explosion in Bajaur district while campaigning for a local by-election. 
Mansur Khan Mahsud, executive director at the Islamabad-based think-tank Fata Research Center, told Arab News that attacks on several tribal chiefs in Pakistan’s erstwhile tribal districts had almost paralyzed the leadership of Pashtun tribes of these areas.
Mahsud said that since 2004, a rough estimate shows that around 2,500 to 3,000 tribal elders have been killed in Pakistan. 
“For years now, tribal elders remain a soft target for militants who are decimating them systematically because tribal chiefs play the role of a bridge between the government and people,” Mahsud told Arab News.
“And anti-peace elements are out to sabotage that bridge to create a vacuum in which they (anti-peace elements) have succeeded to a great extent.”
Tribal elders are very influential in the patriarchal society prevalent in the areas bordering Afghanistan, Mahsud said. 
Here, these tribal leaders adjudicate disputes in jirgas or tribal councils, he explained.
In Bajaur and adjacent tribal districts including other parts of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, militants allied with Daesh and the TTP regularly target politicians, tribal elders and security personnel.
Attacks in these areas have surged since a fragile truce between the TTP and the state broke down in Nov. 2022. 
Malik Farmanullah Khan, a tribal leader from Bajaur, told Arab News Khan’s killing “clearly demonstrated the failure” of the concerned institutions. He described Khan as a “strong voice” against lawlessness and violence.
“These target killings continued unabated since 2007 in Bajaur but unfortunately, the perpetrators cannot be traced or identified,” Farmanullah said. “It is the state’s responsibility to tell us who is killing innocent people.”


Islamabad Traffic Police deploys drones to monitor highways, enforce road laws

Islamabad Traffic Police deploys drones to monitor highways, enforce road laws
Updated 33 sec ago
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Islamabad Traffic Police deploys drones to monitor highways, enforce road laws

Islamabad Traffic Police deploys drones to monitor highways, enforce road laws
  • The new surveillance system will initially focus on Islamabad Expressway and Srinagar Highway
  • A senior police official says drone surveillance will help reduce violations, ease traffic congestion

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has launched drone surveillance on two of the capital’s busiest roads, the Islamabad Expressway and Srinagar Highway, to monitor traffic and enforce road laws in a bid to ensure smoother vehicular flow, state media reported on Wednesday.

The move builds on existing measures such as Safe City cameras and camera-equipped patrol cars, but marks the first time drones are being deployed as a frontline tool to capture real-time violations and assist in traffic management from the air.

“This initiative is a major step forward in our efforts to bring more discipline to Islamabad’s roads,” the Associated Press of Pakistan quoted Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Captain (r) Syed Zeeshan Haider as saying.

“By utilizing drone surveillance, we aim to reduce violations, ease traffic congestion and ensure the safety of all road user,” he added.

Haider said drone technology was being introduced first on the two main arteries, both prone to frequent violations and rush-hour bottlenecks. In the next phase, its coverage would be expanded to additional sectors and key routes across the city.

Besides flagging traffic violations, the drones will also be used to identify areas with severe congestion, allowing the ITP to respond swiftly by deploying special teams to manage traffic and prevent prolonged delays.

“This move is part of our broader strategy to modernize policing and ensure that traffic laws are strictly enforced,” Haider said.
 


Pakistan court dismisses plea to file criminal case against Donald Trump over Iran strikes

Pakistan court dismisses plea to file criminal case against Donald Trump over Iran strikes
Updated 10 min 9 sec ago
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Pakistan court dismisses plea to file criminal case against Donald Trump over Iran strikes

Pakistan court dismisses plea to file criminal case against Donald Trump over Iran strikes
  • Petitioner claimed US airstrikes caused mental distress in Pakistan, court says matter outside jurisdiction
  • Legal experts say petition lacked merit, proper forum to approach would be international court

KARACHI: A local court in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking the registration of a criminal case against US President Donald Trump over recent American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, ruling that the matter fell outside its jurisdiction.

The plea was filed on June 24 by Advocate Jamshed Ali Khowaja, who claimed to represent hundreds of members of the International Lawyers Forum (ILF). His counsel, Jafar Abbas Jafri, argued that the June 21–22 strikes by US B-2 bombers triggered panic and psychological trauma across Pakistan, including among lawyers.

“A case can be filed where the crime occurred and where its effects were felt. The effects were felt across the country, including within the limits of Docks Police Station,” Jafri told the court during Tuesday’s hearing.

He also alleged that suspicious US naval activity near Pakistan’s coastal belt intensified public fear, saying the attack “has caused mental stress and terrorized millions, including my client.”

However, the judge questioned whether the matter was justiciable in Pakistan.

“This happened outside Pakistan’s territory,” the judge remarked. “If anything happens anywhere in the world, should Pakistani courts take up every such case?”

On Wednesday, after hearing arguments on maintainability, the court dismissed the petition.

Legal experts earlier told Arab News the petition had little merit under Pakistani law.

“Donald Trump is the president of a country, and no direct harm was caused to Pakistani citizens or lawyers,” said senior lawyer Shaukat Hayat.

“Tomorrow if someone moves a US court to register a case against the Pakistani premier, will the US court order registering a case against our PM?”

Ali Ahmed Palh, another senior lawyer, called the petition an attention-seeking move.

“The right proper forum for such complaints can be the International Criminal Court,” he said. “Pakistani courts have no jurisdiction over such cases.”


Dr. Sanaa Alimia wins prestigious American prize for book on Afghan refugees

Dr. Sanaa Alimia wins prestigious American prize for book on Afghan refugees
Updated 39 min 34 sec ago
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Dr. Sanaa Alimia wins prestigious American prize for book on Afghan refugees

Dr. Sanaa Alimia wins prestigious American prize for book on Afghan refugees
  • Refugee Cities recognized by American Institute of Pakistan Studies for research on how displaced Afghans reshaped urban Pakistan
  • Award comes amid continued deportations of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, raising questions about urban belonging, state policy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani academic Dr. Sanaa Alimia has won the 2025 Book Prize awarded by the American Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS) for her research on how Afghan refugees have reshaped Pakistan’s cities over the decades, the institute announced on Wednesday.

Dr. Alimia, an associate professor at Aga Khan University and a scholar of urban migration and Muslim political subjectivity, was recognized for her book ‘Refugee Cities: How Afghans Changed Urban Pakistan,’ published by the University of Pennsylvania Press. The book was the unanimous choice of the AIPS Book Prize Committee, which praised it as an “enormous contribution to Pakistan Studies.”

Published by the University of Pennsylvania Press, Refugee Cities examines the lives and labor of Afghan refugees in Pakistan over several decades, focusing on how displaced communities have reshaped the physical, social, and economic fabric of cities like Karachi and Peshawar. Based on over eight years of ethnographic fieldwork and extensive archival research, the book highlights both the contributions Afghan refugees have made and the challenges they continue to face in Pakistan. 

“This book explores the life of Afghan refugees in Pakistan with a specific focus upon their contributions to the development of Karachi and Peshawar,” the prize committee said in a statement posted on AIPS’s Facebook page.

“As they settled into the peripheries of urban centers, they created their own communities and with their labor contributed greatly to the overall development of Pakistan’s cities.”

The committee added:

“Alimia’s scholarship is excellent. The book is well-written and easy to read. It draws upon hundreds of interviews and extensive archival research.”

The prize announcement comes at a time when Pakistan’s treatment of Afghan refugees is under renewed international scrutiny. 

In 2023, Pakistan launched a controversial crackdown on foreigners it said were in the country illegally, mostly Afghans. Millions of Afghans have fled their homeland over the decades to escape war or poverty.

According to data from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), more than 900,000 Afghans have left Pakistan since the expulsion drive began. The Pakistan government cites economic stress and security concerns as reasons to push the expulsions campaign while human rights advocates say the move threatens people who have lived in Pakistan for decades and contributed significantly to its informal economy and urban infrastructure.

The mass returns have also upended urban dynamics in cities like Karachi and Quetta, where second- and third-generation Afghans have lived for decades. Many of those affected are informal workers or small business owners with deep roots in Pakistani neighborhoods.

Dr. Alimia’s work sheds light on these long-standing urban entanglements, arguing that Afghan refugees are not merely passive recipients of aid but active agents in shaping Pakistan’s urban evolution. Her research challenges narratives that view refugees solely through the lens of security or humanitarian crisis.

A scholar of migration, urban politics, and Muslim political subjectivities, Dr. Alimia holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford and has previously been affiliated with the Berlin Graduate School for Muslim Cultures and Societies. She is currently based at the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations, Aga Khan University.

The AIPS Book Prize is awarded annually to recognize outstanding scholarship that advances understanding of Pakistan’s society, politics, history, or culture. It is funded through AIPS unrestricted funds and not supported by US federal grants.


Pakistan calls for reform in global aid architecture at financing conference

Pakistan calls for reform in global aid architecture at financing conference
Updated 2 min 45 sec ago
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Pakistan calls for reform in global aid architecture at financing conference

Pakistan calls for reform in global aid architecture at financing conference
  • Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb urges shift from pledges to delivery through locally driven strategies
  • He also calls for scaling up South-South cooperation as a context-driven alternative to donor-led frameworks

KARACHI: Pakistan has called for a fundamental shift in global development financing, urging the international community to move away from donor-driven models and adopt country-led, results-oriented strategies that align with national priorities and deliver measurable outcomes, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.

The country has long struggled with foreign loans and aid programs that often impose rigid conditions, restricting its ability to pursue development goals on its own terms. Facing recurring external financing gaps, high debt servicing costs and limited fiscal space, Pakistan has also called for greater access to low-cost financing to support areas like climate adaptation and social spending without deepening its debt burden.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb raised these issues during his address at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Spain.

“In his remarks, the Finance Minister laid out a ... comprehensive strategy ... to foster meaningful progress,” said a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance. “As a first step, he stressed the need for urgent execution of priority actions to transition from pledges to tangible delivery.”

“This, he noted, must involve greater country ownership of development agendas, with national strategies taking precedence over donor-driven models,” the statement added. “Aligning frameworks with domestic priorities is key to ensuring sustainability and relevance on the ground.”

Aurangzeb also called for expanding access to concessional and blended financing, particularly for investments aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate resilience.

He emphasized that international financial institutions and credit rating agencies should account for a country’s reform efforts, developmental ambitions and climate vulnerabilities when assessing risk and setting lending terms.

The minister further advocated for a shift in how development cooperation is approached within developing countries, arguing for a move away from input-focused models toward results-driven strategies linked to measurable outcomes.

He underscored the importance of integrating cross-cutting priorities, such as gender equity, digital inclusion and climate resilience, into national development plans.

Aurangzeb also urged a scale-up of South-South and triangular cooperation, describing such partnerships as more contextually grounded and effective than externally imposed frameworks.

The minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to building inclusive, results-driven partnerships during the conference.


Pakistan PM orders wider POS rollout after $3 billion tax surge to sustain reform momentum

Pakistan PM orders wider POS rollout after $3 billion tax surge to sustain reform momentum
Updated 02 July 2025
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Pakistan PM orders wider POS rollout after $3 billion tax surge to sustain reform momentum

Pakistan PM orders wider POS rollout after $3 billion tax surge to sustain reform momentum
  • The prime minister directs the FBR to treat taxpayers with respect as tax-to-GDP ratio climbs to 11.3 percent
  • Officials say Track and Trace system in place for sugar, tobacco and fertilizer sectors, will be expanded

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to expand its Point of Sale (POS) system across the retail sector in an effort to plug revenue leakages and document more of the cash-driven economy.
Pakistan has undertaken a series of tax reforms in recent years under successive International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programs, focusing on digitization and expansion of the taxpayer base to improve revenue collection and reduce reliance on external financing.
The POS system is part of this broader effort, aiming to improve compliance and transparency in a country where large segments of the retail economy operate informally, often escaping documentation and taxation.
The POS system, which digitally links cash registers at retail outlets with the FBR’s central database, allows real-time monitoring of sales and automated calculation of sales tax, reducing underreporting and tax evasion.
“The FBR must widen the scope of its Point of Sale system in retail,” Sharif said at a review meeting on tax reforms. “The production processes of all industries, including tax defaulters, should be digitized to bring them into the tax net.”
During the meeting, Sharif praised the FBR and the finance ministry for a 42 percent increase in federal tax revenues in the last fiscal year, saying it was the highest in a decade.
Officials briefed the prime minister that Rs865 billion ($3.03 billion) in additional revenue had been collected during the previous fiscal year, owing to stronger enforcement and digitization. The tax-to-GDP ratio also rose to 11.3 percent, up 1.5 percentage points from FY24.
Addressing the participants of the meeting, Sharif emphasized the need for respectful treatment of taxpayers.
“The FBR must treat the public with respect and dignity while fulfilling its duties,” he said. “No negligence in achieving economic targets will be tolerated for the sake of Pakistan’s bright economic future.”
Sharif instructed the FBR to extend the Track and Trace Digital Production System to monitor goods from production to delivery.
Officials informed him that the system has already been implemented in the sugar, tobacco and fertilizer sectors, and will soon cover cement and other industries.
“All institutions must work with full dedication to meet the new fiscal year’s targets. Any complacency will not be tolerated,” the prime minister warned, adding that he is personally monitoring all revenue-related progress.