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Pakistan’s army chief vows support for police during South Waziristan visit

Pakistan’s army chief vows support for police during South Waziristan visit
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir interacts with security forces personnel during his visit to Wana in South Waziristan district on September 24, 2024. (Military's media wing)
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Updated 4 min 38 sec ago
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Pakistan’s army chief vows support for police during South Waziristan visit

Pakistan’s army chief vows support for police during South Waziristan visit
  • General Asim Munir received a briefing on security situation and development initiatives in the region
  • He applauded the ‘pivotal role’ of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s residents in helping maintain the area’s peace
Updated 4 min 38 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan
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ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir applauded the role of security forces and law enforcement agencies during his visit to Wana in South Waziristan district on Tuesday, saying the army would provide technical assistance to the province’s police for capacity building.
Militant factions operating in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, where South Waziristan is located, have targeted the police in recent months, leading to protests by law enforcement personnel against these killings.
The area’s security has mostly been dominated by the army, which has been fighting proscribed militant factions like Al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban for about two decades, with the police seeking greater government support to empower them to deal with extremist violence.
The army chief received a comprehensive briefing on the prevailing security situation, ongoing counterterrorism operations and development initiatives in the northwestern region.
“COAS paid heartfelt tribute to the security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) who have made ultimate sacrifices in the line of duty,” the army media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement. “He emphasized that Pakistan Army will continue to provide steadfast support and technical assistance to LEAs, particularly KPK Police, to enhance their capacity.”
The army chief acknowledged the “pivotal role” of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in maintaining peace and advancing various projects under the South Waziristan Integrated Development Plan.
He also expressed gratitude for the support of tribal elders in Wana who helped combat militancy and provided unwavering backing to the army.

Topics: General Asim Munir

15 killed in Pakistan sectarian tribal clashes

15 killed in Pakistan sectarian tribal clashes
Updated 24 September 2024
AFP
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15 killed in Pakistan sectarian tribal clashes

15 killed in Pakistan sectarian tribal clashes
  • Violence hit Kurram district near border with Afghanistan where same tribes fought in July
  • The last clashes in July had killed 35 people and ended only after a jirga called a ceasefire
Updated 24 September 2024
AFP

PESHAWAR: At least 15 people have been killed in clashes between two tribes in northwestern Pakistan, a local official said Tuesday, as a deadly feud over land is reignited.
With heavy weapons including mortar shells, the violence hit Kurram district near the border with Afghanistan where the same tribes fought in July.
“The conflict, initially over land, involves two tribes — one Sunni and the other Shia — which has turned the dispute into a sectarian clash,” a senior administrative official stationed in Kurram told AFP on condition of anonymity.
He said 15 people had been killed since Saturday.
The Associated Press of Pakistan, the official news agency, reported around twenty other people had been wounded.
The Kurram district, formerly a semi-autonomous area, has a history of bloody clashes between tribes belonging to the Sunni and Shiite sects of Islam that have claimed hundreds of lives over the years.
The last clashes in July killed 35 people and ended only after a jirga (tribal council) called a ceasefire, with officials attempting to broker a new truce.
Tribal and family feuds are common in Pakistan.
However, they can be particularly protracted and violent in the mountainous northwestern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where communities abide by traditional tribal honor codes.
In Pakistan, a predominantly Sunni Muslim country, the Shiite community says they have long suffered discrimination and violence.

Topics: tribal clashes Kurram Agency

Pakistan’s finance minister optimistic about $7 billion IMF bailout approval tomorrow

Pakistan’s finance minister optimistic about $7 billion IMF bailout approval tomorrow
Updated 24 September 2024
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Pakistan’s finance minister optimistic about $7 billion IMF bailout approval tomorrow

Pakistan’s finance minister optimistic about $7 billion IMF bailout approval tomorrow
  • Muhammad Aurangzeb emphasizes the South Asian nation’s commitment to structural reforms
  • Pakistan has struggled with boom-bust cycles for decades and secured 22 IMF bailouts since 1958
Updated 24 September 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday expressed optimism about the approval of the $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, expected tomorrow, Wednesday, when the board of the global lending agency meets.

The government reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF in July, though the approval for the 37-month program has been pending since.

Pakistan’s last $3 billion IMF program helped avert a sovereign default in 2023 amid a sharp decline in foreign exchange reserves, currency depreciation and record inflation.

“We have the IMF board meeting tomorrow in the US,” the minister said while addressing an online banking seminar from the US. “We are very hopeful that the board will approve the 37-month, $7 billion program under which we are very committed to do structural reforms.”

Assuring that the country would stay its current economic course, Aurangzeb pointed out that macroeconomic stability was the “basic foundation” of any economy.

“You have to grow and build from a stable base,” he added. “We have reached that level now. Now, we can say that we have a good foundation on which we can build from here.”

“Now we need to move forward and stay with the reform agenda whether it’s on the taxation or energy side [or] on the state-owned enterprises or privatization side.”

The finance minister said it was important that the KIBOR, or Karachi Interbank Offered Rate, used as a benchmark interest rate in Pakistan, was also coming down, which positively affects the industry. He added that the government was in “no desperation” to borrow money.

“If we want to borrow domestically, we will at our terms,” he said.

Aurangzeb said it was about time the banking sector started lending to the private sector.

Pakistan has struggled with boom-and-bust cycles for decades, leading to 22 IMF bailouts since 1958.

The latest economic crisis has been the most prolonged one, with the highest levels of inflation, pushing the country to the brink of a sovereign default last summer before the IMF loan.

The conditions of the IMF programs have become tougher in recent years, requiring the government to impose higher tariffs and remove subsidies. The latest bailout is aimed at cementing stability and inclusive growth in the crisis-plagued South Asian country, according to the IMF.

The latest IMF staff-level deal is subject to approval by its executive board and the confirmation of necessary financing assurances from Pakistan’s development and bilateral partners.

Topics: Muhammad Aurangzeb Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb International Monetary Fund

Pakistani artist ‘disappointed’ over findings of inquiry into missing painting seen in hit TV show

Pakistani artist ‘disappointed’ over findings of inquiry into missing painting seen in hit TV show
Updated 24 September 2024
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Pakistani artist ‘disappointed’ over findings of inquiry into missing painting seen in hit TV show

Pakistani artist ‘disappointed’ over findings of inquiry into missing painting seen in hit TV show
  • Two weeks ago, Safdar Ali Soomro spotted one of his two missing paintings in an ARY television show ‘Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum’
  • Soomro said he had submitted the paintings to Frere Hall for display in 2017, but was later informed they had ‘gone missing’
Updated 24 September 2024
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: A Pakistani artist, who last week spotted his long-lost painting in a popular television show, on Tuesday said he was disappointed over a government inquiry that concluded the painting had not “gone missing” from an exhibition, observing that the artist had shown “no interest” in reclaiming it.
Artist Safdar Ali Soomro, from the Ghotki district of the southern Sindh province, last week told Arab News he had submitted two paintings to the Frere Hall gallery in 2017 for display. The paintings were part of his final-year thesis in art and design at Sindh University. He said he was later informed that both paintings had “gone missing” along with those by other artists.
Seven years later, Soomro spotted one of his missing paintings in the background of an ARY Television drama ‘Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum’ and took to Facebook to share the discovery. But a report of the inquiry ordered by Sindh Culture Minister Zulfiqar Ali Shah said both of Soomro’s paintings had been present in Sadequain Gallery of Frere Hall, where the drama was shot and they were not returned because the artist showed no interest.
“I clearly stated that I was informed the ‘painting had gone missing’. I also noted in my written response [to a query by the inquiry committee] that I deserve the royalties because my painting has not only been kept from me, but has also been used by the hall to generate revenue,” Soomro told Arab News.
“I expected justice to be served — not only the return of my paintings and payment of royalties, but also punishment for those who cheated me. Instead, I have been blamed as the victim, which is extremely disappointing.”
The inquiry report confirmed the hit TV show was shot in the same Sadequain Gallery of Frere Hall, where Soomro’s paintings had been kept.
“It was found that paintings of the artist are available at the Frere Hall since 2017 and have never gone missing,” the report read.
Soomro said the painting was dear to him “like a child” and criticized the inquiry as “one-sided,” saying the committee did not consider his perspective.
“It is a lie to claim that I showed no interest in reclaiming my paintings,” Soomro told Arab News. “Why would anyone not want to recover their property and allow others to use it?”

Topics: Pakistani Drama Safdar Ali Soomro

Pakistan Railways offers 50 percent discount on fare to persons with disabilities 

Pakistan Railways offers 50 percent discount on fare to persons with disabilities 
Updated 24 September 2024
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Pakistan Railways offers 50 percent discount on fare to persons with disabilities 

Pakistan Railways offers 50 percent discount on fare to persons with disabilities 
  • Discount applicable on all express and passenger trains except for Green Line, says state media
  • Pakistan Railways operating 98 trains daily with 1,180 serviceable coaches, says official 
Updated 24 September 2024
Arab News Pakistan

Islamabad: Pakistan Railways is offering a 50 percent discount on tickets for persons with disabilities for all express and passenger trains except for the Green Line, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said on Tuesday.

Persons with disabilities can avail the discount after presenting their Computerized National Identity Cards (CNIC) that bear the disability logo, a railways ministry official told the state-run media. 

“He said that a 50 percent discount is also offered to the attendant accompanying visually impaired persons,” Radio Pakistan said, adding that wheelchairs are available at all major stations to assist persons with disabilities. 

Pakistan Railways has also dedicated exclusive reservation and booking counters for persons with disabilities at its reservation offices, he said.

“The free-of-cost access to executive washrooms and restrooms has been provided at a few major stations for special persons,” the report said. 

Railway is an essential mode of intercity traveling, especially among middle- and lower-income groups, with a network of tracks across Pakistan. However, carriages are often overcrowded, and many trains are said to be in poor condition. 

The official said Pakistan Railways was operating 98 trains daily with 1,180 serviceable coaches. Pakistan Railways owns 1,680 passenger coaches out of which 72 percent of coaches have surpassed their useful life, the state media said. 

Topics: Pakistan Railways

Pakistan warns India’s push for permanent Security Council seat to cause global ‘paralysis’

Pakistan warns India’s push for permanent Security Council seat to cause global ‘paralysis’
Updated 24 September 2024
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Pakistan warns India’s push for permanent Security Council seat to cause global ‘paralysis’

Pakistan warns India’s push for permanent Security Council seat to cause global ‘paralysis’
  • Khawaja Asif reiterates his country’s stance to add more non-permanent elected members to the council
  • He says no sustainable progress is possible in the world until developed states inflict tragedies like Gaza
Updated 24 September 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday India’s demand to add more permanent members to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) would increase the likelihood of “paralysis” for the world body which already finds it difficult to efficiently deal with longstanding global disputes, the state media reported.

The minister made the remarks at the Summit of the Future on its concluding day, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his entourage arrived in New York to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

One of the six principal organs of the UN, the UNSC comprises powerful countries as its permanent members who are tasked with maintaining international peace and security. The Council also comprises 10 non-permanent members who are elected for a two-year term by the UNGA.

Currently, Russia, China, the UK, the US and France are the five permanent council members. India has been at the forefront of a years-long struggle to reform the most powerful international body, saying that it deserves a place among its permanent members. However, Pakistan is among the countries that has opposed India’s bid, saying adding more permanent members would increase the concentration of global power among a few countries and seeking more democratic and equitable UNSC reform.

“Referring to the UN Security Council’s frequent failure, the defense minister said that adding more permanent members — as demanded by India and its allies — will multiply the prospects of its paralysis,” APP reported on Tuesday.

The statement quoted him as saying that the council “should be adequately enlarged and made more representative by adding more non-permanent elected members to the council.”

Relations between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have been fraught for years, making visits by senior officials of the two countries to each other’s nations rare. The two neighbors have fought three wars, two of them over the Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part.

Asif also highlighted that the “panoply of measures envisaged in the UN Charter must be activated to resolve new and old disputes, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”

He emphasized the need to ease power tensions throughout the world and build a new consensus to promote nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and conventional arms control.

The minister warned during his remarks that no sustainable development could take place in the world till tragedies like Gaza are perpetuated by the developed world.a

Topics: Khawaja Asif

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