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At least two killed in attack on aid convoy in sectarian clashes-hit Pakistani district

At least two killed in attack on aid convoy in sectarian clashes-hit Pakistani district
Police personnel fire tear gas shells to disperse Shiite Muslim protesters during a demonstration in Karachi on December 31, 2024, to condemn sectarian clashes in Pakistan's Kurram district, bordering Afghanistan. (AFP/File)
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Updated 17 February 2025
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At least two killed in attack on aid convoy in sectarian clashes-hit Pakistani district

At least two killed in attack on aid convoy in sectarian clashes-hit Pakistani district
  • This was third such attack targeting aid convoys sent to the restive Kurram district in Pakistan’s northwest
  • The attack came as authorities announced March 23 as deadline to dismantle all bunkers used by rival tribes
Updated 17 February 2025
REHMAT MEHSUD
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ISLAMABAD: At least two people were killed in an attack on a convoy carrying essential supplies to a volatile district in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province which has been the site of sectarian and tribal clashes over the last three months, police and health officials said on Monday.
Kurram, a tribal district of around 600,000 where federal and provincial authorities have traditionally exerted limited control, has frequently witnessed violence between its Sunni and Shiite communities over land and power. Travelers to and from the area often ride in convoys escorted by security officials.
Fresh feuding began on Nov. 21 when gunmen ambushed a convoy and killed 52 people, mostly Shiites. The assault triggered road closures and other measures that have disrupted people’s access to medicine, food, fuel, education and work and created a humanitarian crisis in the area, where authorities say at least 150 people have been killed in nearly three months of clashes.
Monday’s ambush was the third such assault in Kurram since January, in which unidentified men attacked vehicles carrying relief goods near Charkhel Ochat, Bagan and Mindori areas when they were en route to Parachinar, the main town of the district, according to Kurram police official Yaqoob Khan.
“Two persons have been killed and five others are confirmed injured,” Dr. Rahim Gul, medical superintendent at the Sadda tehsil headquarters hospital, told Arab News.
Police official Khan said the number of the wounded could be higher than reported as the areas where the convoy was attacked is a remote and inaccessible region.
Previous attacks on aid convoys and crossfire between rival tribes have injured two senior administration officials and a number of security men as well as drivers of vehicles carrying supplies.
“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet has taken strict notice of the attack on a convoy in Kurram,” KP government spokesman Muhammad Ali Saif said in a statement.
“Some miscreants are making nefarious attempts to disrupt peace. Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has directed to take strict action against the miscreants.”
The attack came as the KP government announced March 23 as the deadline to dismantle all bunkers in the Kurram district. It followed a provincial cabinet meeting, presided over by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, during which officials briefed participants about various measures taken by them to restore peace to the volatile district, including the demolition of bunkers used by rival tribes to attack each other.
“So far, 151 bunkers have been demolished,” KP CM’s office quoted officials as telling the cabinet members. “The deadline for demolishing all bunkers in the area has been set for March 23.”
The warring tribes had agreed on the demolition of bunkers and handover of heavy weapons as part of a peace agreement reached on Jan. 1, but sporadic violence has continued and both sides have occasionally engaged in battles with machine guns and heavy weapons that have isolated the remote, mountainous region.
Shiite Muslims dominate parts of Kurram, although they are a minority in the rest of Pakistan, which is majority Sunni. The main road connecting Parachinar, the main town in Kurram, to the provincial capital of Peshawar has been blocked since sectarian fighting began in November.
Authorities have also been evacuating the injured and ailing from Kurram to Peshawar via helicopters since last month.
“So far, 153 flights have been conducted by two provincial government helicopters to Kurram and around 4,000 people have been provided air transport facility through these flights,” officials told the provincial cabinet.
“To overcome the shortage of essential medicines, 19 thousand kilograms of medicines have been delivered to Kurram so far.”

Topics: Militancy Pakistan militancy

Pakistan delegation in Washington says India laying foundations of first ‘nuclear water war’

Pakistan delegation in Washington says India laying foundations of first ‘nuclear water war’
Updated 05 June 2025
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Pakistan delegation in Washington says India laying foundations of first ‘nuclear water war’

Pakistan delegation in Washington says India laying foundations of first ‘nuclear water war’
  • Nine-member delegation headed by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is visiting world capitals
  • Delegation is presenting Pakistan’s position following worst military confrontation with India in decades last month
Updated 05 June 2025
Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: The head of a delegation visiting Washington DC to present Islamabad’s position following a recent military standoff with New Delhi said on Thursday India shutting down Pakistan’s water supply would be tantamount to laying the “foundations for the first nuclear water war.”

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

The latest escalation, in which the two countries’ militaries traded missile, drones and artillery fire, was sparked after India accused Pakistan of supporting militants who attacked dozens of tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, killing 26. Islamabad denies involvement. Following the attack, Delhi unilaterally “put in abeyance” the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, which governs usage of the Indus river system. The accord has not been revived despite the rivals agreeing on a ceasefire on May 10.

“In the age of climate challenges that are to come, water scarcity and water wars, or anyway, used to be a theory,” Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, a former foreign minister who is heading the Pakistani delegation, said at an event at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

“India’s shutting off Pakistan’s water supply is laying the foundations for the first nuclear water war.”

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, head of Pakistan’s diplomatic mission, speaks on Pakistan-US relations during a dialogue at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C. on June 5, 2025. (Photo courtesy: Bilawal House)

Islamabad had said after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty that it considered any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan to be an “act of war.”

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

“It is an existential crisis for us,” Bhutto Zardari said in DC. “Any country on the planet, no matter their size, their strength, or their ability, would fight for their survival and fight for their water. India must abide by the Indus Waters Treaty.”

He urged Washington and other countries not to allow India to violate the treaty or fulfil its threat of stopping Pakistan’s rightful share of Indus waters.

“You cannot allow this precedent to be set in the Pakistan context, because we’ll fight the first war, but it won’t be the last,” Bhutto Zardari warned.

“If India is allowed to cut off our water, that means that every upper riparian with hostilities to a lower riparian now has a carte blanche.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the nine-member diplomatic group last month, headed by Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who has been leading a team to visits in New York, Washington DC, London and Brussels since June 2. Another delegation, led by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, has visited Moscow.

Earlier on Thursday, Bhutto Zardari’s delegation met members of the US Congressional Pakistan Caucus in Washington, including Republican party leaders Jack Bergman and Ryan Zinke and Democratic leaders Tom Suozzi and Ilhan Omar, among others.

“Pakistan remains committed to peace, but sadly, India consistently resists dialogue,” Bhutto Zardari told the American lawmakers, according to a statement released by Bilawal House, his official residence.

Pakistan and India, bitter rivals, have fought two out of three wars over the disputed territory of Kashmir that they both claim in full but govern only parts of.

Topics: Pakistan India Ties Pakistan India standoff Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari Indus Water Treaty

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Pakistan commits to provide basic, tactical-level training to Belarusian fighter pilots

Pakistan commits to provide basic, tactical-level training to Belarusian fighter pilots
Updated 05 June 2025
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Pakistan commits to provide basic, tactical-level training to Belarusian fighter pilots

Pakistan commits to provide basic, tactical-level training to Belarusian fighter pilots
  • Belarus Air Force delegation meets Pakistan Air Force chief in Islamabad, says Pakistan military
  • Trainings to include high-level exchange programs to foster professional development, it says
Updated 05 June 2025
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force Chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu on Thursday said the PAF was ready to support the Belarus Air Force (BAF) with basic to tactical level training, the military’s media wing said, as both sides discussed military and air cooperation.

Sidhu met a high-level defense delegation led by BAF and Air Defense Commander Major General Andrei Yulianovich Lukyanovich, the Pakistani military’s media wing said.

“During the meeting, Chief of the Air Staff [..] assured that PAF is committed to extending full support for the basic to tactical-level training of pilots and maintenance crews for capacity building of BAF,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said in a statement.

“This includes the initiation of high-level exchange programs aimed at fostering professional development between the two air forces.”

Lukyanovich expressed a strong interest in learning from the PAF’s extensive operational experience in wartime operations and conveyed the BAF’s eagerness to draw lessons from the PAF’s combat-tested doctrines and training programs, the ISPR said.

The PAF says it shot down six Indian Air Force jets on the night of May 6 while repelling Indian air attacks. India’s defense chief recently admitted the country lost fighter jets to Pakistan. However, he denied six jets were shot down.

The meeting takes place a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Belarusian Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Victor Khrenin in Islamabad, where the two discussed bilateral defense and technology ties.

Sharif visited Belarus in April during which both countries signed a roadmap for military-technical cooperation from 2025 to 2027, along with multiple agreements in trade, defense and industrial collaboration.

Topics: Pakistan Belarus Ties pakistan air force

Pakistan accelerates push to operationalize regulatory framework for digital assets

Pakistan accelerates push to operationalize regulatory framework for digital assets
Updated 05 June 2025
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Pakistan accelerates push to operationalize regulatory framework for digital assets

Pakistan accelerates push to operationalize regulatory framework for digital assets
  • Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chairs key meeting on Pakistan’s digital assets legislation
  • Pakistan state minister for crypto meets US lawmakers to strengthen digital assets cooperation
Updated 05 June 2025
Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Thursday stressed operationalizing a framework to harness blockchain and crypto technologies’ economic potential and to fast-track their approval process, the Finance Division said amid Islamabad’s push to adopt digital assets.

Islamabad established the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) in March to help guide national policy on blockchain, digital currencies and crypto-related investments. This was followed by the government’s announcement of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas, making Pakistan one of the first Asian countries to integrate Bitcoin into its sovereign asset strategy. The government also plans to establish an autonomous regulatory body to oversee the country’s digital finance and crypto ecosystem.

Aurangzeb chaired a meeting at the Finance Division to review progress on the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital and virtual assets in the country. The law ministry tabled a draft of the proposed legal framework during the meeting, which was developed through close collaboration with members of the PCC, key stakeholders and technical experts.

“During the meeting, the draft was thoroughly reviewed and refined,” the Finance Division said. “It was collectively agreed that in-principle approval process will be fast-tracked to ensure timely enactment and effective implementation.”

The draft legislation outlines a regulatory structure for digital and virtual assets, encompassing governance mechanisms, licensing protocols and investor protection provisions, the statement said. The proposed framework seeks to position Pakistan as a forward-looking participant in the digital asset ecosystem, it added.

‘BEST IDEAS’

Separately, Pakistan’s State Minister for Crypto and Blockchain Bilal Bin Saqib met over a dozen key American officials and lawmakers in Washington to strengthen cooperation in digital assets, blockchain regulation, and financial innovation, his office said.

Saqib met Senator Cynthia Lummis, co-author of the Lummis-Gillibrand Responsible Financial Innovation Act and co-sponsor of the BITCOIN Act, which seeks to designate Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset.

Saqib’s office said Lummis has been a leading advocate for “thoughtful and comprehensive” crypto legislation in the US.

He also met Senator Ted Cruz, Congressman Troy Downing, who is a member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Congressman Ryan Zinke, Congressman Rick McCormick, and Congressman Derrick Van Orden.

Saqib’s office said these lawmakers were engaged in shaping policy frameworks related to emerging technologies in the US.

“We came to learn, to listen, and to contribute,” Bilal said. “Pakistan is actively studying how global leaders are approaching regulation, innovation, and financial inclusion — not to copy, but to adapt the best ideas for our own unique landscape.”

Pakistan’s broader digital asset strategy includes allocating 2,000 megawatts of surplus power to support Bitcoin mining and AI-driven data zones, aiming to turn untapped energy into economic productivity, job creation and digital infrastructure growth.

As regulatory frameworks continue to evolve globally, Pakistan says it is taking proactive steps to integrate private sector innovation with state policy and international partnerships, positioning itself as a key player in the next phase of the global digital economy.

Topics: Pakistan Crypto Council

In meeting with US lawmakers, Pakistani delegation says Delhi resisting dialogue with Islamabad

In meeting with US lawmakers, Pakistani delegation says Delhi resisting dialogue with Islamabad
Updated 05 June 2025
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In meeting with US lawmakers, Pakistani delegation says Delhi resisting dialogue with Islamabad

In meeting with US lawmakers, Pakistani delegation says Delhi resisting dialogue with Islamabad
  • Pakistan’s PM set up delegation last month, tasking it to present Islamabad’s perspective on recent India conflict
  • Pakistani delegation criticizes India’s suspension of water-sharing agreement, says endangers future of entire region
Updated 05 June 2025
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: A Pakistani delegation led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met a group of American lawmakers on Thursday, telling them that India is consistently resisting dialogue to resolve bilateral issues.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif set up the delegation last month, tasking it to present Pakistan’s point of view regarding the country’s conflict with India last month. India and Pakistan last month engaged in four days of fighting, striking each other with missiles, drones, artillery and fighter jets before Washington brokered a ceasefire on May 10.

Bhutto Zardari’s delegation has held a series of meetings with top international diplomats since arriving in New York on Monday, urging the global community to help India and Pakistan enter a comprehensive dialogue to peacefully resolve their differences.

On Thursday the delegation met members of the US Congressional Pakistan Caucus in Washington. These included Republican party leaders Jack Bergman and Ryan Zinke and Democratic leaders Tom Suozzi and Ilhan Omar, among others.

“Pakistan remains committed to peace, but sadly, India consistently resists dialogue,” Bhutto Zardari was quoted as saying by Bilawal House, his official residence.

The former foreign minister criticized India’s decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, a decades-old water-sharing agreement with Pakistan.

“India has weaponized water, endangering the future of not only Pakistan but the entire region,” he said.

He warned that if Indian hostility is not curbed in time, it could “seriously jeopardize regional peace.” The Pakistani politician reaffirmed his country’s desire for constructive engagement based on mutual respect and peaceful resolution of disputes, the statement said.

“The members of Congress welcomed the delegation, listened carefully to Pakistan’s concerns, and expressed willingness to strengthen bilateral engagement and regional stability,” the statement concluded.

Tensions between the arch-rivals began on April 22 when militants attacked a resort in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam area, killing 26 tourists.

India blamed Pakistan for supporting militants involved in the attack, a charge Pakistan vehemently denied and called for a transparent, international probe into the incident.

Pakistan and India, bitter rivals, have fought two out of three wars over the disputed territory of Kashmir that they both claim in full but govern only parts of.

India accuses Pakistan of supporting militants in the part of Kashmir it administers. Islamabad denies the allegation and says it extends only diplomatic and moral support to the people of Kashmir.

Topics: Pakistan at UN Pakistan US Ties Pakistan India Ties

Washington says Pakistan needs to address barriers to American exports, companies

Washington says Pakistan needs to address barriers to American exports, companies
Updated 05 June 2025
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Washington says Pakistan needs to address barriers to American exports, companies

Washington says Pakistan needs to address barriers to American exports, companies
  • Islamabad, Washington last week kicked off negotiations after President Trump announced tariffs on countries, including Pakistan
  • Talks expected to “sail through” but Pakistan’s textile industry may take a hit if they fail, warns financial analyst Shankar Talreja
Updated 05 June 2025
Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: Pakistan’s government needs to address its tariff and non-tariff barriers against American exports and companies, a spokesperson at the US consulate general in Karachi said on Thursday as both nations seek to forge closer trade ties through negotiations.

Reva Gupta, the spokesperson at the US consulate general in Karachi, made the comments a week after Pakistan and the US started what the official described as “dynamic” negotiations with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Washington’s imposition of tariffs.

The talks take place as US President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on a number of countries earlier this year, a move widely viewed as a setback for the global economy still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. Pakistan faces a potential 29 percent tariff, currently under a 90-day pause announced in April, on its exports to the US due to a $3 billion trade surplus with the world’s biggest economy.

“In our bilateral engagements with Pakistan, we always message the need to jointly tackle challenges to our trade relationship, including the need for Pakistan to address its longstanding tariff and non-tariff barriers against US exports and companies,” Gupta told Arab News.

The tariffs could be a setback to Islamabad’s hectic efforts aimed at navigating a tricky path to economic recovery. Pakistan hopes to achieve sustainable economic growth driven by exports.

The US is Pakistan’s largest export destination. American exports to Pakistan were valued at $2.1 billion in 2024, up 4.4 percent ($90.9 million) from 2023, according to US government data. The import of goods from Pakistan to the US totaled $5.1 billion in 2024, up 4.9 percent ($238.7 million) from 2023.

“The United States and Pakistan share a robust economic relationship going back decades, of which trade and investment are key elements,” Gupta said. “That the United States remains Pakistan’s largest export market globally is a testament to this strong partnership”.

Gupta, however, referred to US Trade Representative’s (USTR) National Trade Estimate Report which highlights significant foreign barriers to US exports in various countries, including Pakistan.

 The USTR details tariff and non-tariff hurdles ranging from Pakistan charging higher tariffs to US businesses to the closure of Internet services, imposing a ban on US beef imports and “perceived politicization” of the anti-graft National Accountability Bureau body.

“US companies have cited concerns that Pakistan has been imposing high tariff rates and, in some cases, additional duties, on products such as automobiles and finished goods,” the report said.

Qamar Sarwar Abbasi, a spokesperson of Pakistan’s finance ministry, did not respond to Arab News’ request for comment.

Some prominent American companies operating in Pakistan include Pepsi-Cola, General Electric International, Procter and Gamble, Pfizer and DuPont, according to the International Trade Administration, a US government agency.

Experts have warned the tariffs could harm Pakistan’s competitiveness in the global market, especially if regional exporters such as China, Bangladesh and Vietnam redirect more goods to Europe, intensifying competition in alternative markets.

‘LIKELY TO SAIL THROUGH’

However, economist Shankar Talreja, who is also the director of research at Topline Securities Ltd. brokerage form, said talks between Washington and Islamabad are likely to “sail through.”

“Pak-US trade talks are likely to sail through as Pakistan exports are primarily based on labor-intensive industry such as textile,” Talreja told Arab News.

He said Pakistan is likely to increase its import of agricultural commodities such as cotton and petroleum products from the US to fill the trade deficit.

But if talks fail, Pakistani textile exports may be adversely affected, he said.

“If talks are not successful, Pakistan textile exports may get hurt in future assuming other countries will successfully negotiate with the US,” the analyst warned.

The textile industry attracts the largest amount of foreign exchange for Pakistan, fetching $17 billion for the cash-strapped nation in FY2024.

Topics: Karachi port Pakistan US Ties Trump tariffs

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