Pakistani PM vows to continue ‘war against terrorism’ as five soldiers killed in IED blast
Pakistani PM vows to continue ‘war against terrorism’ as five soldiers killed in IED blast /node/2535216/pakistan
Pakistani PM vows to continue ‘war against terrorism’ as five soldiers killed in IED blast
A Pakistani soldier stands guard near the Line of Control, de facto border between India and Pakistan at Salohi village in Poonch district of Pakistan-administered Kashmir on April 26, 2021. (AFP/File)
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday his government would continue its “war on terrorism” as five Pakistani soldiers were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in northwestern Pakistan.
The IED blast targeted a vehicle carrying security forces personnel in Kurram district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistan army’s media wing said in a statement, amid a rise in terror attacks mostly by the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, an ally of the Afghan Taliban but a separate group, which has stepped up its assaults in the region since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan says the TTP uses Afghan soil for attacks in Pakistan, a charge that Kabul denies.
“The entire nation pays tribute to the martyrs and stands united against terrorism,” Sharif said after the latest attack, vowing to “continue the war against the menace till its complete elimination.”
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks in recent years, predominantly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In January 2023 militants killed at least 101 people, mostly police officers, when a suicide bomber disguised as a policeman attacked a mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
Earlier this month, the counter-terrorism department (CTD) of police in Peshawar issued a report, saying 65 police officials were killed while another 86 were wounded in 237 incidents of terrorism in the province in the past five months. It said police had killed 117 militants and arrested 299 others in a series of operations.
Pakistani authorities often say Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers are giving shelter to TTP fighters across the unruly border. The Afghan Taliban government insists it doesn’t allow anyone to use Afghan soil for violence in any country. The TTP has also said it was not using Afghan soil for targeting troops in Pakistan.
Pakistani drama breaks silence on blasphemy killings
Hum Network’s 11-part television drama began airing in December, handling the taboo topic with sensitivity
Producer Sultana Siddiqui calls it her duty to ‘raise awareness about crucial social issues’ that impact society
Updated 10 sec ago
AFP
KARACHI: An axe-wielding mob chases a terrified group; a daring Pakistani television drama has for the first time tackled the deeply sensitive issue of the dozens murdered for alleged blasphemy.
Islam is the official religion in Muslim-majority Pakistan, and accusations of insulting religious sentiments can easily incite mob violence.
Blasphemy is an incendiary charge, and the issue is rarely discussed by major media broadcasters due to security concerns.
But producer Sultana Siddiqui challenged that with an 11-part television drama, which has earned praise since it began airing in December for handling a taboo topic with sensitivity.
“This issue has not been raised before because of fear,” Siddiqui, founder of the Hum Network media company, told AFP.
Her drama “Tan Man Neelo Neel,” or “Bruises on Body and Soul,” tells the stories of people in a small Pakistani town, and has generated millions of views and widespread praise on social media.
“I took the risk in a careful manner,” she said. “That’s why people appreciated it.”
Sultana Siddiqui, director, producer and founder of the Hum Network media company, speaks about her television drama ‘Tan Man Neel-o-Neel’ or ‘Bruises on Body and Soul,’, during an interview with AFP in Karachi, Pakistan, on March 11, 2025. (AFP)
In the drama, the case of blasphemy centers around a character who falsely claims a dance performance takes place in a mosque, rather than the abandoned mansion it happened in.
That storyline of false allegations is an echo of reality.
Pakistan’s independent Human Rights Commission, in a report last month, described the “impunity for perpetrators of hate and violence.”
It detailed cases of people killed, and followers and places of worship of Pakistan’s minority religions, including Christians and Hindus, being attacked over false claims.
“Law enforcement... have often failed to rescue blasphemy suspects from vigilante violence,” the commission said.
“A careful examination of various blasphemy allegations shows that these are invariably based on fabrications, malicious disinformation and fake news.”
Siddiqui said she was motivated by a 2017 case in the city of Mardan when a mob beat 23-year-old journalism student Mashal Khan to death after accusing him of posting blasphemous content online.
“I couldn’t sleep after hearing Mashal’s mother say that ‘not a single bone in his body was left unbroken — even his finger bones were fractured,’” she said.
“I kept wondering: How brutally must they have beaten him?“
Pakistani tv actor and producer Saife Hassan (center) talks with actor Usman Javed (right) and Sehar Khan (second left) on the set during the shooting of a scene of TV drama serial ‘Tan Man Neel-o-Neel’ or ‘Bruises on Body and Soul,’ in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on November 2, 2024. (AP)
Mohammad Iqbal, the murdered student’s father, said that the producer had chosen the “right topic” and had “honored his son.”
“We, those most affected, have rarely spoken about it publicly,” he told AFP.
“At last, this conversation is happening on television.”
Siddiqui said she had long wanted to address the issue and had been carefully collaborating with fellow directors and writers to address the subject matter appropriately.
“I, too, fear extremists who might not like me and could harm me,” she said.
“However, I believe we should address these issues with them in a respectful manner.”
Siddiqui said it was her “duty to educate people” and “raise awareness about crucial social issues” that impact society.
Pakistani dramas boast a massive viewership and their popularity serves as a powerful vehicle for social change.
A Gallup survey conducted in October 2023 suggested that two-fifths of the country watch dramas.
“We should have spoken about such issues much earlier,” said Mustafa Afridi, the writer of the show.
“If we had, perhaps we wouldn’t be in this situation today, perhaps our children wouldn’t be dying.”
Pakistan’s media industry has been wary of the topic — and fallen foul in the past of accusations of creating blasphemous content.
The release of the 2019 award-winning film “Zindagi Tamasha,” or “Circus of Life,” was halted after the Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) objected to its portrayal of a cleric they deemed “blasphemous.”
In 2020, a music video shot at Lahore’s Wazir Khan mosque sparked furious protests after singer Bilal Saeed was filmed dancing with actor Saba Qamar.
Police filed a case against them, and they apologized — and were eventually acquitted two years later.
Arafat Mazhar, the director of the Alliance Against Blasphemy Politics group, said Siddiqui’s show had “sparked a viral critique of blasphemy-related mob violence.”
He called the reaction “unprecedented.”
“It wasn’t just that people were watching a drama about mob violence — it was that the conversation centered on mob violence at such a large scale for the first time,” he told AFP.
“The battle against blasphemy violence is not just about speaking out against mob killings. It is about challenging the structures that create and sustain them.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today, Thursday, and discussed cooperation in the economic, trade, investment, energy and defense sectors, the premier’s office said in a statement.
Sharif’s four-day visit to the Kingdom comes as Islamabad seeks to strengthen trade and investment ties with friendly nations. Riyadh in particular has promised a $5 billion investment package that cash-strapped Pakistan desperately needs to shore up its dwindling foreign reserves and fight a chronic balance of payment crisis.
Islamabad and Riyadh signed 34 memorandums of understanding and agreements worth $2.8 billion last year to enhance private sector collaboration and commercial partnerships. The two nations are also in “advanced” talks relating to investment in the Reko Diq copper and gold mine, one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas, as per Pakistani officials.
In October last year, Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih announced the Kingdom planned to allocate a significant portion of its $200 billion annual construction and material procurement contracts to Pakistan. Last month, Pakistan also signed an agreement with the Saudi Fund for Development to defer by one year a $1.2 billion payment on the country’s oil imports.
“The meeting reaffirmed the strong and historic ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, with discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in economic, trade, investment, energy and defense sectors,” Sharif’s office said in a statement after he met the Saudi crown prince.
“The Prime Minister appreciated the Kingdom’s commitment to increasing investments in key sectors, which will contribute to Pakistan’s economic growth and stability.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (center left) meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (center right) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 20, 2025. (Government of Pakistan)
The statement said both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defense and security cooperation as well, “recognizing the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing regional security challenges.”
They also discussed the “evolving regional situation as well as geopolitical landscape” and agreed to work closely at all levels to promote a “shared vision for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.”
“Both the leaders emphasized the need to further strengthen people-to-people ties, cultural exchanges, and educational collaboration,” the statement concluded.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties. Petroleum products mostly from Saudi Arabia make the major chuck of Pakistan’s import bill. The Kingdom is also home to more than two million Pakistani expatriates and serves as the top source of remittances.
ISLAMABAD: On a recent Ramadan night, Mamoon Sabri, 27, slipped into a tracksuit an hour after the iftar meal and headed to his new favorite getaway: a padel court.
Racket in hand, he walked onto the artificial turf at The Pad, Islamabad’s first padel club, as a group of his friends also arrived. Soon they began hitting forehands and backhands across the net, slamming the ball off the back wall, scooping it over the net and teasing each other with shots close to the wall — and so went on an hour-and-a-half long game of padel.
The racket sport, a mix of tennis and squash that is the fastest-growing sport in the world, is also gaining traction in Pakistan, especially in Ramadan, with its culture of sports and physical activities in parks, streets, and sports grounds after iftar and until the pre-dawn suhoor meal, fostering a sense of community and promoting health at the same time.
At The Pad and other padel courts in the Pakistani capital, padel games are offering people both a fun-filled pastime and an opportunity to socialize and exercise in the hours between iftar and suhoor. A Ramadan tournament is taking place at The Pad currently, with more than 50 teams participating in all-girls, mixed doubles and advanced team categories.
As of 2024, there are approximately 30 million amateur padel players worldwide, with the sport, founded in Mexico in the 1960s, now played in over 130 countries, according to the International Padel Federation.
“Padel is a great time and Ramadan is always a great time for sports in Islamabad anyway because everyone wants to play, everyone wants to stay awake till sehri [suhoor] one way or the other,” Sabri, a sports broadcaster and consultant, told Arab News shortly after winning a men’s doubles game.
People play padel at an outdoor court in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 17, 2025. (AN photo)
Mustafa Mirza, a co-founder of The Pad, said the club was fostering an atmosphere of camaraderie in Ramadan.
“Padel is a social hub and it is linked more with the lifestyle,” Mirza said. “We have an excellent response in Ramadan. We feel that the people who were not familiar with padel, because they ventured out in Ramadan and they found this sport to be so challenging and rigorous, and then they have taken part in it.”
People play padel at an outdoor court in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 17, 2025. (AN photo)
Indeed, from dedicated sports clubs to pop-up facilities in upscale neighborhoods, there is a surge in courts and players this Ramadan, with families, friends, and even corporate groups gathering late into the night and enjoying the sport’s social nature. Many players said they would cap off their matches with post-game hangouts at nearby cafés and restaurants where they could enjoy suhoor in groups.
Mahnoor Khan, a 27-year-old employee at a telecom company, said she had come to the courts for the first time with her husband and a group of friends, describing padel as a “very good sport for family and friends.”
“In Islamabad you don’t have a lot of options other than dining out, so this is the very first time that they have introduced something that is other than dining out for socializing,” she told Arab News. “You have a good game, and you go out after iftar or whenever … I think the concept is now spreading really fast.”
The picture taken on March 17, 2025 shows sign board of the Padel Club in Islamabad, Pakistan. (AN photo)
Zainab Ameen, who manages The Pad club with her husband, another co-founder Ameen-ud-Din Hafeez, said though the club had only launched a few months ago, the response was “tremendous.”
“We never thought that we will get this kind of response. We just started with two courts and when we got a very good response, we opened two more. And now, we are going to open a futsol [arena],” she told Arab News.
What makes padel particularly appealing during Ramadan is that as a low-impact sport, padel lets one enjoy exercising without any hard strain on the muscles, thus serving as an effective means of staying fit without feeling exceedingly overwhelmed in Ramadan.
“It’s a very low skill floor for the game to play. So, anyone who is starting off will have a good time because they are going to feel like, ‘Wow, what a shot, I am a machine’,” Sabri said.
“But then there is also a very good skill ceiling … It’s a very interesting mixture in a way most racket sports are.”
Islamabad, Hong Kong conglomerate discuss ‘swift execution’ of $1 billion investment in Pakistan’s ports
Hutchison Ports this month announced its plans to invest $1 billion to upgrade Pakistan’s port infrastructure
Pakistani minister, Hutchison Ports official agree to remove the project’s bottlenecks, says maritime affairs ministry
Updated 28 min 33 sec ago
Shahjahan Khurram
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s maritime affairs minister and a senior official of Hutchison Ports, a subsidiary of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, recently discussed the “swift execution” of a proposed $1 billion investment to modernize Pakistan’s ports, a statement from the maritime affairs ministry said.
Hutchison Ports delegates met Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb earlier this month to present their $1 billion investment plan. The plan is aimed at upgrading Hutchison Ports’ existing terminals in Pakistan to enhance operational efficiency, logistics connectivity, and automation.
Hutchison Ports has been operating two terminals, HPKICT and HPSAPT, in Pakistan and has contributed more than Rs225 billion ($804 million) in government revenues and provided employment to a workforce of 5,000 individuals, according to the port operator.
“Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry met with Andy Tsoi, Managing Director of Hutchison Port Holdings Limited, to discuss the swift execution of the previously proposed $1 billion investment aimed at upgrading Pakistan’s port infrastructure,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs said on Wednesday.
The statement said that the two discussed addressing challenges, expediting approvals and ensuring “smooth implementation” of port modernization plans to enhance Pakistan’s trade and maritime capabilities.
Both sides also discussed regulatory clearances, infrastructure upgrades and supply chain improvements, the ministry said, adding that they agreed to remove bottlenecks that could slow down the project.
“Andy Tsoi reiterated Hutchison Ports’ commitment to Pakistan and emphasized the importance of efficient execution to maximize economic benefits,” the ministry said.
Hutchison Ports’ investment plan covers modernization of the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) and South Asia Pakistan Terminals Limited (SAPT), including provision of advanced port equipment, electrification of operations and improved road connectivity.
The ministry said that to facilitate seamless trade, both parties agreed to enhance coordination among stakeholders and establish a clear roadmap for “timely execution.”
“Federal Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry assured Hutchison Ports of the government’s full cooperation in resolving operational challenges, streamlining approvals, and ensuring a favorable investment environment,” the statement added.
Pakistan has aggressively tried to boost foreign trade in recent months and sought international partnerships to expand its maritime activities.
On Jan. 22, South Korean shipping company HMM launched the India North Europe Express (INX) weekly shipping service in Pakistan, providing the country direct access to Europe.
Dubai-based logistics giant DP World, in collaboration with Pakistan’s National Logistics Corporation, launched in January a feeder service to transport shipping containers from Dubai to Karachi, Pakistani state media reported.
Pakistani officials and DP World have also finalized terms for a freight corridor project from Karachi Port to the Pipri Marshalling yard in southern Pakistan.
These efforts are in line with Pakistan’s efforts to navigate a tricky path to economic recovery after it nearly defaulted on its debts in 2023 before an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout program came to its rescue.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari visited Balochistan’s Quetta city on Wednesday to review the law and order situation in the province, vowing that the state would establish its writ there despite surging militant attacks in recent days.
Zardari’s visit to Quetta takes place as Pakistan struggles to contain militant attacks in the southwestern province, where separatists last week hijacked a train and held hostage hundreds of passengers. The military launched an operation and, after a day-long standoff, rescued 354 captives and killed 33 insurgents. A final count showed 23 soldiers, three railway employees and five passengers had died in the attack.
Zardari arrived in Quetta on a day-long visit with his son and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday. The two attended a meeting with Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti to review the security situation in the province.
“President Asif Ali Zardari says the terrorist elements will be defeated at all costs and writ of the state will be ensured in Balochistan,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said.
The Pakistani president said “terrorists” want to divide the nation, vowing they would never succeed in their ambitions.
“The president said that modern arms would be provided to the Counter-Terrorism Département and other law enforcement institutions to strengthen security efforts,” the state broadcaster reported.
Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province by land but its most backward by almost all economic and social indicators. For decades it has been plagued by a low-level insurgency by militants fighting for a greater share of the province’s wealth.
Separatist militants, such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) accuse the central government of denying locals a share of Balochistan’s mineral resources. The federal government and the military strongly deny these accusations, and say they have launched several projects in the province to support its development.
Militant violence has persisted in the province after the train hijacking. Three paramilitary soldiers among five people were killed in a suicide attack in Balochistan’s Nushki district on Sunday.
A top parliamentary panel on national security met in Islamabad on Tuesday to discuss surging attacks in Balochistan. The panel stressed the need for a national consensus to counter militancy, calling for a unified political stance to confront the threat with “full force of the state.”
