You are here

  • Home
  • Pakistan president calls for free flow of aid into Gaza, protection of Palestinian civilians

Pakistan president calls for free flow of aid into Gaza, protection of Palestinian civilians

Pakistan president calls for free flow of aid into Gaza, protection of Palestinian civilians
Palestinians inspect the damage to a building after overnight Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 29, 2024. (AFP)
Short Url

https://arab.news/gz87g

Updated 30 March 2024
Follow

Pakistan president calls for free flow of aid into Gaza, protection of Palestinian civilians

Pakistan president calls for free flow of aid into Gaza, protection of Palestinian civilians
  • More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7
  • President Zardari says Pakistan has historic ties with Palestine, will continue to stand by Palestinian people
Updated 30 March 2024
Arab News Pakistan
Follow

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has urged the international community to make efforts for a free flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and protection of Palestinian civilians amid ongoing Israeli strikes, Pakistani state media reported on Friday.

The comments came during President Zardari’s meeting with Palestine’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Ahmed Jawad Rabei, in the federal capital of Islamabad.

During the meeting, the Pakistan president promised further relief assistance for the Palestinian people, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

“Pakistan has historic ties with Palestine, and would continue to stand by its Palestinian brothers and raise its voice at all fora,” President Zardari was quoted as saying.

He lauded the bravery and resilience of the Palestinian people in their struggle against Israeli occupation.

Pakistan does not recognize the state of Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

In meeting with President Zardari, the Palestinian ambassador highlighted the atrocities and the “reign of terror” unleashed by the Israeli forces against the Palestinian people across the Gaza Strip, according to the report.

The ambassador appreciated Pakistan’s support in the field of education, saying that more than 50,000 Palestinians had so far graduated in various disciplines from educational institutions in Pakistan.

He conveyed warm regards of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and thanked Pakistan for its consistent support and solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Israel’s ongoing military offensive has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, according to health authorities in the territory.

Pakistan’s envoy has repeatedly raised the issue of Israeli strikes in Gaza at the United Nations, while Islamabad has also dispatched several aid consignments for the people of Gaza in recent months.

Topics: Gaza Palestine

Premature blast kills suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan, harms no one else — police 

Premature blast kills suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan, harms no one else — police 
Updated 7 sec ago
AP
Follow

Premature blast kills suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan, harms no one else — police 

Premature blast kills suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan, harms no one else — police 
  • Suicide bomber riding a motorcycle set off an explosive device prematurely on a deserted road in Charsadda district 
  • Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, often target security forces in KP province with suicide bombings
Updated 7 sec ago
AP

PESHAWAR, Pakistan: A suicide bomber riding a motorcycle set off an explosive device prematurely on a deserted road in northwest Pakistan on Thursday, killing himself but harming no one else, police said.

Local police official Masood Khan said the blast happened in Charsadda district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, where Pakistani Taliban and other insurgents often target security forces.

Khan said the intended target was unclear and bomb disposal experts and police were still investigating whether the man was wearing the explosives or they were attached to his motorcycle.

The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, often target security forces in the province with suicide bombings and other violence. 

TTP are separate from the Afghan Taliban but have been emboldened by the group’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

Topics: Pakistan attack Charsadda Arab News Pakistan

20 million Pakistanis daily attempt to access porn sites, telecoms authority says

20 million Pakistanis daily attempt to access porn sites, telecoms authority says
Updated 12 min 43 sec ago
Follow

20 million Pakistanis daily attempt to access porn sites, telecoms authority says

20 million Pakistanis daily attempt to access porn sites, telecoms authority says
  • Latest figures from PTA come as it introduced a new portal for the registration of VPNs earlier this week 
  • Digital experts say government trying to block vital tools that allow users to bypass restrictions amid digital crackdowns
Updated 12 min 43 sec ago
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said on Thursday around 20 million Pakistanis were daily attempting to access pornographic websites, which authorities have banned since 2011.

In November 2011, the PTA announced it was in the process of banning the 1,000 most-frequented porn websites in Pakistan. In 2016, the government ordered Internet Service Providers to block more than 400,000 websites which contained pornographic content, while in 2019, around 800,000 additional porn sites were banned by the PTA. 

“There are approximately 20 million daily attempts from within the country to access pornographic websites which are blocked at the international gateway,” the PTA statement said. 

“However, users bypass restrictions via VPNs and access porn contents. PTA remains fully committed to curbing this issue, taking all necessary measures to block this content effectively.

“So far PTA has blocked a total of 100,183 blasphemous URLs and 844,008 pornographic websites.”

The latest figures from the PTA come as it introduced a new portal for the registration of VPNs on Tuesday, a move that is being widely seen as an attempt by the government to block vital tools that allow users to bypass government restrictions amid a wave of digital crackdowns. 

Pakistan has already blocked access to social media platform X since the February general elections, with the government saying the blocking was to stop anti-state activities and due to a failure by X to adhere to local Pakistani laws. Rights activists say the blocking is designed to stifle critical voices and democratic accountability in the country, which the government denies. 

VPN users in Pakistan reported significant disruptions to services last weekend (Nov. 9-10), with issues relating to connectivity and restricted access. Downdetector reported disruption to TunnelBear VPN and VPN Unlimited but none of the best VPNs appeared to be affected.

The Proton VPN Observatory, run by the developers of one of the most secure VPNs, Proton, reported a spike in VPN usage in Pakistan on Nov. 9 and recorded a 350 percent increase in VPN sign-ups in Pakistan over Nov. 9-10. 

There are also reports Pakistan is imposing a national firewall, which the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) has said could cost the economy up to $300 million. In August, the Pakistan Business Council (PBC) warned that frequent Internet disruptions and low speeds caused by poor implementation of the firewall had led many multinational companies to consider relocating their offices out of Pakistan, with some having “already done so.”

Digital rights activists say Islamabad is implementing the Internet firewall to monitor and regulate content and social media platforms, but the government denies the firewall is meant for censorship purposes. 

Topics: Porn sites Pakistan

After ODI series win, Rizwan to lead Pakistan in first T20I against Australia today

After ODI series win, Rizwan to lead Pakistan in first T20I against Australia today
Updated 14 November 2024
Follow

After ODI series win, Rizwan to lead Pakistan in first T20I against Australia today

After ODI series win, Rizwan to lead Pakistan in first T20I against Australia today
  • Pakistan to play three-match series against Australia on Nov. 14, 16 and 18 in Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart
  • Rizwan’s side defeated Australia 2-1 in three-match series last week to win first series in Australia since 2002
Updated 14 November 2024
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan will lead his side for the first time against Australia in a T20I format at Brisbane today, Thursday, after steering the green shirts to their first ever ODI series victory against the 2023 world champions since 2022. 

Rizwan will become the 12th person to assume Pakistan’s T20 captaincy when he takes the field in Brisbane for the first T20I. Pakistan’s cricket team, encouraged by stellar performances from fast bowlers Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, beat Australia 2-1 in the three-match series that concluded last week. 

After Thursday’s match, Pakistan will play against Australia in Sydney and Hobart on Nov. 16 and 18 respectively. Pakistani cricketers Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufiyan Moqim and Usman Khan joined the T20I squad in Brisbane on Nov. 11 after undergoing a five-day training camp in the southern port city of Karachi. 

“We are confident after beating Australia in the ODI series but international cricket is always challenging so we aim to do things as better as we can going into this T20I series against Australia,” Rizwan said a day before the match. 

“We have determined the roles of various players in the team and look forward to executing our best plans not just in this series but also in the upcoming white-ball fixtures against Zimbabwe and South Africa.”

The Pakistan captain said he wanted to keep all the players involved in the series motivated. 

“Of course, the conditions have helped the bowlers on this tour so far but we also want to prove our mettle as a batting unit and I look forward to an exciting contest in the three matches,” he said. 

Pakistan last faced Australia in a T20 contest in March 2022 when the two teams played a one-off T20I in Lahore, which Australia won. In Pakistan’s last T20I series in Australia in November 2019, the hosts won 2-0 after the opening match ended in a no result. 

Josh Inglis will lead Australia in the T20I series while Tim David and Nathan Ellis have joined Australia’s T20I squad. Josh Philippe, meanwhile, has replaced the injured Cooper Connolly.

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (captain – wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan
 

Topics: Pakistan vs Australia Pakistan cricket Pakistan cricket team Muhammad Rizwan

Pakistan rover to join China’s Chang’E 8 mission to explore lunar surface in 2028

Pakistan rover to join China’s Chang’E 8 mission to explore lunar surface in 2028
Updated 14 November 2024
Follow

Pakistan rover to join China’s Chang’E 8 mission to explore lunar surface in 2028

Pakistan rover to join China’s Chang’E 8 mission to explore lunar surface in 2028
  • Chang’E 8 mission is a robotic exploration of the lunar south pole, known for its challenging terrain, by China in 2028
  • Pakistan’s rover will conduct scientific experiments such as lunar soil study and conduct tests for human presence
Updated 14 November 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national space agency announced this week its rover will join China’s Chang’E 8 mission to explore the moon’s surface in 2028, describing the development as a “significant milestone” for the South Asian country. 

The Chang’E 8 mission is a robotic exploration of the lunar south pole by China, expected to launch in 2028. The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), the country’s space program, said its rover will land on the lunar south pole in 2028 as part of the Chang’ E 8 mission. The south pole of the moon is known for its challenging terrain and potential scientific discoveries. 

In May, Pakistan launched its first lunar satellite aboard China’s Chang’e-6 probe, which was tasked with landing on the far side of the moon that perpetually faces away from the Earth. China was the first country to make such an ambitious attempt.

“SUPARCO’s rover, with an approximate weight of 35 kilograms, will join China’s Chang’E 8 mission, which is part of the larger International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project,” SUPARCO said in a statement on Wednesday. 

“This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Pakistan’s space program, as SUPARCO’s indigenous rover will be part of the mission to explore the lunar surface.”

SUPARCO said the mission would involve scientific experiments such as lunar soil study, lunar surface mapping and testing new technologies for human presence on the moon. It highlighted that the rover, equipped with state-of-the-art scientific instruments, would play a pivotal role in collecting data.

“This collaboration with China highlights the strong bilateral relations between the two countries and their shared vision for space exploration,” it concluded.

Topics: suparco Pakistan space mission pakistan china space program

Imran Khan forms committee to lead Nov. 24 protest to Islamabad, conduct negotiations

Imran Khan forms committee to lead Nov. 24 protest to Islamabad, conduct negotiations
Updated 14 November 2024
Follow

Imran Khan forms committee to lead Nov. 24 protest to Islamabad, conduct negotiations

Imran Khan forms committee to lead Nov. 24 protest to Islamabad, conduct negotiations
  • PTI is protesting alleged rigging of elections, calling for release of political prisoners, independence of judiciary
  • Pakistan’s government denies being unfair in Khan’s treatment, election commission denies elections were rigged
Updated 14 November 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday he had formed a leadership committee to lead a planned protest in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Nov. 24 and conduct negotiations as his party prepares to launch an anti-government movement.

The jailed leader’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has announced a ‘long march’ to Islamabad over alleged rigging in Feb. 8 general elections and to call for the release of political prisoners and the independence of the judiciary.

“I have formed a leadership committee to lead the protest and conduct negotiations,” Khan said in an X message from prison, urging his supporters to reach Islamabad for the protest and “not return until our demands are met.”

It was unclear who the committee would negotiate with, but in the past Khan has called for talks with the military, describing it as the “real decision-makers” as opposed to the “puppet government” led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. 

Regarding the Nov. 24 protest, the PTI’s first demand is a rollback of recent constitutional amendments like the 26th amendment that it says is an attempt to curtail the independence of the senior judiciary. The party is also calling for the release of all political prisoners, including Khan, and a return of “the public mandate” following what it believes was a rigged general election. 

Pakistan’s government denies being unfair in Khan’s treatment and its election commission denies the elections were rigged. The government also says the recent amendments related to the judiciary are meant to smooth out its functioning and tackle a backlog of cases.

Khan has been in jail since August 2023 and has faced dozens of cases since he was removed as prime minister in 2022 after which he launched a protest movement against a coalition of his rivals led by current PM Sharif and backed by the all-powerful military, which denies interfering in politics.

Khan says cases against him, which disqualified him from contesting the February elections, are politically motivated.

Topics: Imran Khan PTI Islamabad PTI long march

Latest updates

1 million migrants in the US rely on temporary protections that Trump could target
1 million migrants in the US rely on temporary protections that Trump could target
India’s toxic smog cuts off visibility in several areas
India’s toxic smog cuts off visibility in several areas
Philippines Marcos’ says will not block ICC if ex-president Duterte wants to be investigated
Philippines Marcos’ says will not block ICC if ex-president Duterte wants to be investigated
Republicans win 218 US House seats, giving Donald Trump and the party control of government
Republicans win 218 US House seats, giving Donald Trump and the party control of government
It’s a quiet Mike Tyson as 58-year-old nears fight with Jake Paul, 31 years his junior
It’s a quiet Mike Tyson as 58-year-old nears fight with Jake Paul, 31 years his junior

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2024 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.