Pakistan ‘concerned’ over rise of Daesh in Afghanistan after US withdrawal

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Updated 03 March 2020
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Pakistan ‘concerned’ over rise of Daesh in Afghanistan after US withdrawal

  • Foreign minister hopes India will not use Afghan soil against Pakistan in wake of US-Taliban peace pact
  • Islamabad plans to beef up Afghanistan trade ties but vows not to interfere in country’s internal affairs

ISLAMABAD: A deal between the Taliban and the US for American forces to withdraw from Afghanistan has sparked Pakistani concerns over the lingering presence of Daesh in the war-torn country.
The peace pact, signed in the Qatari capital Doha by US special envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, could pave the way toward a full pullout of foreign soldiers from Afghanistan in 14 months. In return, the Taliban have pledged to renounce violence and sever ties with militant organizations threatening the US and its allies.


However, in an interview on Sunday with Arab News after returning from the deal-signing ceremony, Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi said: “There are concerns about ISIS (Daesh) and their presence; and everybody recognizes that.

“The Taliban recognize that (the Daesh threat). Iran recognizes that. Afghans recognize that. The US recognizes that, and so does Pakistan. Yes, we have to address this issue. We do not want to see the footprint of ISIS grow in Afghanistan or anywhere,” he added.

The Afghan affiliate of Daesh, known as Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), after an old name for the region, first appeared in eastern Afghanistan in 2014 and has since made inroads into other areas, particularly the north.
The US military estimates the group’s strength at 2,000 fighters. But some Afghan officials believe the number could be higher and may be about to get a boost when US forces withdraw from America’s longest-ever war.
After being ousted from power in 2001 in a US-led invasion following the Sept. 11 attacks on America which were engineered by Taliban-harbored Al-Qaeda forces, Taliban fighters have led a violent insurgency.
The Afghan conflict has been a stalemate for more than 18 years, with Taliban forces controlling or contesting more territory, yet unable to capture and hold major urban centers.
Qureshi warned that the US needed to ensure a planned withdrawal from Afghanistan as neither the country, nor the region, could afford civil war or anarchy created by a “vacuum.”
Referring to the chaos that followed the US and Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan decades ago, the minister said: “I hope we have learnt lessons from history … and the international community does not repeat the same mistakes.
“Because if you withdraw without a plan, then obviously, there will be a vacuum.  And then, that vacuum will get filled in by all kinds of forces; like we saw after the Soviet (Union) withdrawal, there was a vacuum created, and after that, we saw a period of turmoil, civil war.”
Qureshi added that Islamabad hoped its neighbor and arch-rival India would “desist” from using Afghan soil against Pakistani interests after the Americans left. “What we object to is not India having a bilateral relationship with Afghanistan but India using Afghan soil against Pakistan.”




Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi during an interview with Arab News at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on Sunday, March 01, 2020.(AN photo)

Pakistan has long accused India of supporting separatists in the resource rich Balochistan province, as well as militants fighting the state from the northwestern tribal areas. Both Pakistani regions share a border with Afghanistan.
Asked if India continued to use Afghan soil to destabilize Pakistan, Qureshi added: “Well, we hope that they will desist from doing that.”
India denies any such interference and in turn has accused Pakistan of backing militants fighting Indian security forces in its part of the divided Kashmir region, of helping groups to launch attacks elsewhere in India, and backing the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Qureshi noted that while India had used aid and reconstruction projects as a strategy to cosy up to Afghanistan in recent years, Islamabad did not see a major role for New Delhi in the country after the withdrawal of US troops.
“India is not an immediate neighbor of Afghanistan, nor do they share their language, culture, and religion. So, in my view, their role will remain limited,” he said.
On Pakistan’s role in the signing of the peace deal, the foreign minister pointed out that his country had facilitated the accord by convincing the world that a “political settlement” was the only solution in Afghanistan.
In October 2019, while the Doha talks were off, Washington’s chief negotiator Khalilzad, and the Taliban political delegation, held discussions in Islamabad at a meeting that was not publicly acknowledged.
Listing Pakistan’s contributions to the agreement, Qureshi said: “Convincing the Taliban that there is a huge opportunity that they should seize and come to the negotiating table; convincing them to put together an authoritative delegation so that the Americans can engage with them; convincing the Americans that engaging with Taliban is important.”
The next step in the peace process, the foreign minister said, was holding intra-Afghan talks.
“Obviously, the next logical step is the intra-Afghan dialogue. The mechanism (for talks). What needs to be on the agenda. How to go about it. Everything has to be discussed and sorted out among Afghans themselves. It is up to them what kind of a political roadmap they want for themselves.”
But experts see challenges ahead for US negotiators as they shepherd intra-Afghan talks as well as negotiations between Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani’s government and the Taliban.
Asked about the implications of the US accepting to sign an agreement with the Taliban as the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan and not as a movement, Qureshi said: “The Taliban insisted on that … So, that is the compromise that they (the US) made, catering to their (Taliban) demand, and also being sensitive to the NUG (Afghan National Unity Government) point of view.”

The militant group has so far refused to negotiate with the Afghan government.
On Pakistan’s role in the future of Afghanistan, Qureshi said Islamabad did not want to interfere in the country’s internal affairs but instead wished to focus on improving trade ties.
“Pakistan wants to contribute in their (Afghanistan’s) reconstruction. We feel that there is a huge potential for bilateral trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Because of the war, we could not fully, optimally utilize the opportunities that existed.
“Pakistan feels that through peace in Afghanistan, we can get access into the central Asian republics, and we can develop better regional connectivity, from Pakistan through Afghanistan right up to central Asian republics, and create a situation that everybody benefits from,” he added.


Pakistan to get $1 billion IMF tranche today, no large fiscal impact of India standoff — finmin

Updated 7 sec ago
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Pakistan to get $1 billion IMF tranche today, no large fiscal impact of India standoff — finmin

  • IMF last week approved fresh $1.4 billion climate loan, $1 billion under bailout program 
  • Successful review approval brings disbursements to $2 billion within $7 billion loan program

KARACHI: Pakistan is expected to receive a $1 billion loan disbursement from the IMF today, Tuesday, as part of a larger $7 billion bailout agreement, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said.

The IMF last Friday approved a fresh $1.4 billion loan to Pakistan under its climate resilience fund and approved the first review of its $7 billion program, freeing about $1 billion in cash. The review approval brings disbursements to $2 billion within the $7 billion program. 

In a statement released after a virtual meeting on Monday between Aurangzeb and Johana Chua, head of emerging markets economies for Citigroup Global Markets, the finance ministry confirmed that Pakistan would receive the latest IMF tranche on Tuesday.

“The Minister also apprised the participants of the successful conclusion of a Staff Level Agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), with the next tranche expected to be received tomorrow [Tuesday],” the statement said. 

“He further mentioned the approval of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), calling it a milestone achievement for Pakistan.”

The loan disbursement comes amid a military standoff with arch-rival India, though Aurangzeb told Reuters in an interview on Monday the conflict would not have a large fiscal impact on Pakistan.

The finance minister described the conflict as a “short duration escalation” with minimal fiscal impact, stating it can be “accommodated within the fiscal space which is available to the government of Pakistan.”

When questioned about potential increased military spending in the upcoming budget, Aurangzeb deferred comment, saying it was premature to discuss specific plans. However, he said: “Whatever we need to do in terms of ensuring that our defense requirements are met will be met.”

Aurangzeb said he expects the Indus Water Treaty, which India unilaterally suspended, to be reinstated and rolled back to where it was.

He said there is not going to be any immediate impact from India’s suspension and Pakistan does not “even want to consider any scenario which does not take into account the reinstatement of this treaty.”

Tensions between India and Pakistan began mounting after the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on Hindu tourists that killed 26 people, sparking the worst clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbors in more than two decades.

On Saturday, a ceasefire in the Himalayan region was announced by US President Donald Trump, following four days of fighting and diplomacy and pressure from Washington.

Pakistan’s federal budget for the next fiscal year, starting July, will be finalized within the next four weeks, with scheduled budget talks with the IMF to take place from May 14-23, according to the finance ministry. 


With inputs from Reuters
 


OIC welcomes India-Pakistan ceasefire, calls for ‘constructive dialogue’ to resolve issues

Updated 7 min 58 sec ago
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OIC welcomes India-Pakistan ceasefire, calls for ‘constructive dialogue’ to resolve issues

  • India and Pakistan used fighter jets, drones, missiles and artillery to attack each other last week
  • OIC calls on India, Pakistan to engage in dialogue in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions

ISLAMABAD: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) this week welcomed the ceasefire between India and Pakistan after days of fighting, calling for the nuclear-armed neighbors to engage in “constructive dialogue” to resolve their outstanding issues, Pakistani state media reported. 

US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire after the two countries were engaged in conflict. The two sides used fighter jets, drones, missiles and artillery to attack each other in the worst fighting between them since the 1999 Kargil war, leaving around 70 people dead on both sides of the border.

“The Organization of Islamic Cooperation today welcomed the ceasefire between Pakistan and India and lauded the countries that brought two sides together to finalize the agreement,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Monday. 

The global body of Muslim nations called on the international community to “redouble efforts” and encourage Pakistan and India to engage in a “constructive dialogue” to resolve outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute. 

It asked both countries to engage in dialogue through peaceful means and in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

“The OIC also reaffirmed its principled and firm position, calling for a peaceful resolution to Jammu and Kashmir issue,” Radio Pakistan added. 

At the heart of India and Pakistan’s dispute lies the Himalayan territory of Kashmir. The disputed region is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, who only govern parts of it separated by a de facto border known as the Line of Control. 

India and Pakistan have fought two wars out of three since 1947 over Kashmir. India has for years insisted Kashmir is a bilateral issue and not allowed any third-party mediation.

Tensions, however, remain high since Saturday’s announcement by Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri that the 1960 World Bank-brokered treaty would remain in abeyance, signaling deeper diplomatic rifts despite the temporary cessation of hostilities between the two neighbors.

India suspended the treaty, which ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, a day after the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad described the Indian move to suspend the treaty as an “act of war.”


Pakistan Hajj mission chief says Saudi digital innovations have ‘revolutionized’ pilgrimage experience

Updated 27 min 25 sec ago
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Pakistan Hajj mission chief says Saudi digital innovations have ‘revolutionized’ pilgrimage experience

  • Saudi Arabia has several apps in recent years to streamline booking, health, travel and other services
  • More than 112,000 Pakistani pilgrims will benefit from the innovation during this year’s pilgrimage

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia has “revolutionized” spiritual experience of Hajj pilgrims by means of various mobile applications and digital platforms, Pakistan’s Hajj mission chief said on Monday.

Over the last few years, Saudi Arabia has launched mobile apps like Nusuk, Hajj Navigator, Tawakkalna and Asefny to streamline services, making the Hajj experience smoother by offering real-time guidance and ensuring pilgrim safety.

The Nusuk app offers permit issuance, booking services, interactive maps, real-time updates and health facility access — all in multiple languages. Tawakkalna provides information and services related to the pilgrimage, Hajj Navigator offers real-time maps, crowd updates and traffic alerts. Asefny allows requests for emergency medical services.

“These innovations have made the pilgrimage significantly easier, providing services at the click of a button and eliminating the need to wait in long queues,” Director-General of Pakistan Hajj Mission Abdul Wahab Soomro told Arab News from Makkah.

He said the applications have assisted all foreign missions with early bookings and other arrangements, contributing to better Hajj planning.

“There is an e-Hajj portal where all Hajj contracts, such as those for buildings, camps and service providers are uploaded which has helped complete payments and other formalities through a unified platform,” Soomro said.

About arrangements for Pakistani pilgrims, the official said around 89,000 Pakistani pilgrims are performing Hajj under the government scheme this year and all of them have been accommodated near the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

In Makkah, he said, pilgrims were given residence in the “best hotels and buildings” in Azizia and Batha Quraish neighborhoods.

“For the first time in Pakistan’s history, the Mina arrangements for government scheme pilgrims are done in fully air-conditioned camps, with sofa-cum-beds replacing mattresses and shields provided for bag storage,” he added.

Pakistan’s Hajj medical mission includes one hospital each in Makkah and Madinah, along with two dispensaries in Madinah and nine in Makkah, according to the official. All of these are fully functional.

On April 29, Pakistan launched its Hajj flight operation which will continue till May 31. However, the operations witnessed some disruptions last week due to the closure of Pakistani airspace, amid a military standoff with India.

Soomro shared that they were trying to address the flight disruptions by arranging special flights.

“More than 25,000 Pakistani pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia so far; 11,543 in Makkah and 13,477 in Madinah,” he said.

The annual pilgrimage is expected to take place between June 4 and June 9 this year.

Besides the 89,000 individuals performing Hajj under the government scheme, 23,620 Pakistanis will perform the pilgrimage through private tour operators this year.


In Pakistan, ceasefire with India seen as military victory, fueling surge of nationalistic fervor

Updated 12 May 2025
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In Pakistan, ceasefire with India seen as military victory, fueling surge of nationalistic fervor

  • Pakistan has trumpeted successes in the skies, claiming its pilots shot down five Indian fighter jets in aerial battles
  • India has released satellite images showing serious damage to air strips and radar stations at Pakistani military bases

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani officials and the public on Monday celebrated a ceasefire with India as a victory in their latest military confrontation which had raised widespread concerns that the two nuclear powers could end up in all-out war before a sudden truce was called.
Tensions between India and Pakistan over an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad escalated last Wednesday, with India striking multiple Pakistani cities with missiles. Islamabad said 31 civilians were killed while India insisted it had hit “terrorist” infrastructure.
This followed nearly four days of the two nations hitting each other with missiles, drones and artillery in which dozens were killed, until Saturday evening when US President Donald Trump announced a surprise ceasefire that has largely held, except for a few alleged violations in the disputed Kashmir regions on both sides.
Pakistan has said its pilots shot down five Indian fighter jets in aerial battles, including three advanced French-made Rafales. India has released new satellite images showing serious damage to air strips and radar stations at what Indian defense officials say are multiple Pakistani military bases crippled by massive Indian airstrikes. Pakistan itself admitted India had tried to hit three air bases, including one in Rawalpindi, where the military’s highly fortified headquarters are located.
In both nations, political and military leaders are spinning the latest conflict as a victory.
On Monday, Pakistani Premier Sharif announced that his country would annually observe May 10 as ‘Youm-e-Marka-e-Haq,’ which means the Day of the Battle of Truth, to celebrate the success of Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes against India.
“The professional capabilities of our brave forces have made us proud,” Sharif said in a statement. “Youm-e-Marka-e-Haq will be celebrated every year across the country with enthusiasm and spirit of national unity.”
Even before the announcement of the commemoration day, crowds have gathered daily in the streets of several Pakistani cities since the ceasefire to celebrate what Sharif described as “military history” achieved by “our brave army in a spectacular fashion.” Parades have also been held at a land border crossing to shower the military with petals.
During a visit to a hospital where soldiers and civilians wounded during the four-day standoff were recovering, Pakistani army chief, General Asim Munir, said Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes were a “defining chapter” in the country’s military history, lauding the army’s “resolute and unified response” and the “steadfast support of the Pakistani people.”
Pakistan’s parliament also passed a resolution on Monday commending the army for its “victory.”
“[The House] commends the valiant armed forces of Pakistan for their exemplary professionalism, vigilance and courage in defending the sovereignty of Pakistan in response to unprovoked Indian aggression with exceptional restraint and responsibility, and through a measured and befitting response,” the resolution said.
“This House congratulates the entire nation which rose above all differences and stood united behind its leadership across the political spectrum with one voice.”
“HISTORY OF CONFLICT“
In India, premier Narendra Modi said New Delhi had only “paused” its military action and would “retaliate on its own terms” if there is any future militant attack on the country.
At a press briefing on Sunday, Indian military spokespeople offered more details on the offensive against Pakistan and claimed it was Pakistan that had first requested a ceasefire.
India said five of its soldiers were killed by Pakistani firing over the border and claimed Pakistan lost about 40 soldiers in firing along the line of control. It also claimed to have killed 100 terrorists living over the border in Pakistan. The numbers could not be verified.
It also claimed to have “downed a few Pakistani planes,” though it did not elaborate further. Asked about claims made by Pakistan, and backed up by expert analysis of debris, that Pakistani missiles had downed at least three Indian military jets during the offensive on Wednesday, including multimillion-dollar Rafale jets, India said, “losses are a part of combat” and that all its pilots had returned home.
The hostilities between the nuclear-armed rivals began after a deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir that killed 26 tourists last month. India accused Pakistan of backing the militants, a charge Islamabad denied.
Here is a look at multiple conflicts between the two countries since 1947:
1947 — Months after British India is partitioned into a predominantly Hindu India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan, the two young nations fight their first war over control of Muslim-majority Kashmir, then a kingdom ruled by a Hindu monarch. The war killed thousands before ending in 1948.
1949 — A UN-brokered ceasefire line leaves Kashmir divided between India and Pakistan, with the promise of a UN-sponsored vote that would enable the region’s people to decide whether to be part of Pakistan or India. That vote has never been held.
1965 — The rivals fight their second war over Kashmir. Thousands are killed in inconclusive fighting before a ceasefire is brokered by the Soviet Union and the United States. Negotiations in Tashkent ran until January 1966, ending in both sides giving back territories they seized during the war and withdrawing their armies.
1971 — India intervenes in a war over the independence of East Pakistan, which ends with the territory breaking away as the new country of Bangladesh. An estimated 3 million people are killed in the conflict.
1972 — India and Pakistan sign a peace accord, renaming the ceasefire line in Kashmir as the Line of Control. Both sides deploy more troops along the frontier, turning it into a heavily fortified stretch of military outposts.
1989 — Kashmiri dissidents launch a bloody rebellion against Indian rule. Indian troops respond with brutal measures, intensifying diplomatic and military skirmishes between New Delhi and Islamabad. India says Pakistan supports the insurgency, which it denies.
1999 — Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri fighters seize several Himalayan peaks on the Indian side. India responds with aerial bombardments and artillery. At least 1,000 combatants are killed over 10 weeks, and a worried world fears the fighting could escalate to nuclear conflict. The US eventually steps in to mediate, ending the fighting.
2016 — Militants sneak into an army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing at least 18 soldiers. India responds by sending special forces inside Pakistani-held territory, later claiming to have killed multiple suspected rebels in “surgical strikes.” Pakistan denies that the strikes took place, but it leads to days of major border skirmishes. Combatants and civilians on both sides are killed.
2019 — The two sides again come close to war after a Kashmiri insurgent rams an explosive-laden car into a bus carrying Indian soldiers, killing 40. India carries out airstrikes in Pakistani territory and claims to have struck a militant training facility. Pakistan later shoots down an Indian warplane and captures a pilot. He is later released, de-escalating tensions.
2025 — Militants attack Indian tourists in the region’s resort town of Pahalgam and kill 26 men, most of them Hindus. India blames Pakistan, which denies it. India vows revenge on the attackers as tensions rise to their highest point since 2019.
Both countries cancel visas for each other’s citizens, recall diplomats, shut their only land border crossing and close their airspaces to each other. New Delhi also suspends a crucial water-sharing treaty.
Days later, India strikes what it calls nine “terror” hideouts across Pakistan and Azad Kashmir with precision missiles. Islamabad retaliates and fires missiles and swarms of drones across multiple northern and western Indian cities, targeting military installations and air bases. India then targets Pakistan’s multiple air bases, radar systems and military installations. As the situation intensifies, the US holds talks with leadership of the two countries, and President Donald Trump announces a ceasefire has been reached.
— With inputs from AP


Pakistan finance minister says conflict with India won’t have large fiscal impact

Updated 12 May 2025
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Pakistan finance minister says conflict with India won’t have large fiscal impact

  • On Monday, US President Donald Trump said the US is ready to help India and Pakistan after a ceasefire agreement
  • Pakistan faces a 29 percent tariff on exports to the US due to a $3 billion trade surplus, currently under a 90-day pause

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: The recent military escalation with arch-rival India won’t have a large fiscal impact on Pakistan and can be managed within the current fiscal space, with no need for a new economic assessment, Pakistan’s Finance Minister said in an interview with Reuters on Monday.
Trade talks with the United States – which had played a key role mediating a ceasefire between the two countries – would likely have progress in “short order” and that Pakistan could import more high-quality cotton, more soy beans and was also exploring other asset classes, including hydrocarbons, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said in the online interview.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump said the US is ready to help India and Pakistan after a ceasefire agreement, claiming trade was a big reason they “stopped fighting.”
Pakistan faces a 29 percent tariff on exports to the US due to an approximate $3 billion trade surplus, but this is currently under a 90-day pause announced in April.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday approved a $1 billion loan disbursement to Pakistan as part of a larger $7 billion bailout agreement.
Aurangzeb said Islamabad would receive the tranche disbursement on Tuesday.
The IMF executive board also approved a fresh $1.4 billion loan to Pakistan under its climate resilience facility.
The federal budget for the next fiscal year, starting July, will be finalized within the next three to four weeks, with scheduled budget talks with the IMF to take place from May 14-23, he said.
Regarding the India-Pakistan conflict, Aurangzeb described it as a “short duration escalation” with minimal fiscal impact, stating it can be “accommodated within the fiscal space which is available to the government of Pakistan.”
When questioned about potential increased military spending in the upcoming budget, Aurangzeb deferred comment, saying it was premature to discuss specific plans. However, he said: “Whatever we need to do in terms of ensuring that our defense requirements are met will be met.”
Aurangzeb said he expects the Indus Water Treaty, which India unilaterally suspended, to be reinstated and rolled back to where it was.
He said there is not going to be any immediate impact from India’s suspension and Pakistan does not “even want to consider any scenario which does not take into account the reinstatement of this treaty.”
Tensions between India and Pakistan began mounting after the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on Hindu tourists that killed 26 people, sparking the worst clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbors in more than two decades.
On Saturday, a ceasefire in the Himalayan region was announced by Trump, following four days of fighting and diplomacy and pressure from Washington.