Pakistan to respond to any Indian incursion ‘in kind,’ defense minister says

Pakistan to respond to any Indian incursion ‘in kind,’ defense minister says
Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif attends a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia on February 20, 2018. (Reuters/File)
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Updated 25 April 2025
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Pakistan to respond to any Indian incursion ‘in kind,’ defense minister says

Pakistan to respond to any Indian incursion ‘in kind,’ defense minister says
  • The statement comes after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam which has brought India, Pakistan to the brink of another war
  • Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif says they strongly suspect the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 tourists, to be a ‘false-flag operation’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that Islamabad will respond “in kind” to any Indian incursion on the pretext of a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed over two dozen tourists this week.
India has said there were Pakistani elements in Tuesday’s attack, when militants shot dead 26 men in a meadow in the Pahalgam area. Islamabad has denied any involvement and described Indian allegations as “frivolous.”
The nuclear-armed nations have unleashed a raft of measures against each other, with India keeping a critical river water-sharing treaty in abeyance and Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian airlines, among other steps.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday vowed to chase the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack to “the ends of the earth” after Indian police identified two of the three fugitive gunmen as Pakistani. India has not shared any proof to support its claims.
“If there is incursion from Indian side, Pakistan will meet that incursion in kind and [with] full force,” Asif said in an international media interview shared on Friday.
“We cannot allow this incursion of our soil, of our country. This is something which is very fundamental for the Pakistanis.”
Both Pakistan and India claim Muslim-majority Kashmir in full but rule it in part and have fought two of their three wars over the disputed region. India has long accused Pakistan of aiding separatists who have battled security forces in the part of the territory it controls, accusations Islamabad denies.
Since Tuesday’s attack, there have been calls for and fears that India could conduct a military strike in Pakistani territory as it did in 2019 in retaliation for a suicide bombing in Pulwama in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police. Several leaders of Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have called for military action against Pakistan.
Last week, Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir also voiced his support for the Kashmiri people, reiterating that Kashmir is the "jugular vein" of Pakistan.
“Our stance on Kashmir is absolutely clear. It was our jugular vein and it is our jugular vein,” he said at a convention of Overseas Pakistanis. "We will not forget it and we will not leave our Kashmiri brethren in their heroic struggle against the Indian occupation."
Indian officials and media have also criticized recent comments by the Pakistan army chief in support of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, and linked it with the Pahalgam attack.
Asif said there was “absolutely no linkage” between Gen. Munir’s remarks and what happened in Pahalgam, adding that they suspected Tuesday’s attack to be a “false-flag operation.”
“There is absolutely no linkage. We make these speeches and, sort of, reiterate our commitment to Kashmir, which is a very fundamental commitment. It is something which goes with our existence as a state,” he said.
“We suspect, very strongly suspect, this was a false-flag operation and Pulwama, the last time, you are talking about 2019, ultimately proved to be a hoax. It was admitted by the India media that it was a hoax created or orchestrated to, you know, blame Pakistan for something which was never connected to Pakistan, and ultimately they were humiliated.”
As both India and Pakistan teeter on the brink of another conflict, there have been calls by the United Nations (UN) for both nuclear-armed rivals to show “maximum restraint,” while the United States (US) has said it is “closely” monitoring the situation.


PM Sharif says Pakistan witnessed world’s biggest drop in gender digital gap in 2024-25

PM Sharif says Pakistan witnessed world’s biggest drop in gender digital gap in 2024-25
Updated 11 min 41 sec ago
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PM Sharif says Pakistan witnessed world’s biggest drop in gender digital gap in 2024-25

PM Sharif says Pakistan witnessed world’s biggest drop in gender digital gap in 2024-25
  • PM says Pakistan has over 200 million telecom subscriptions and 150 million broadband users
  • Mobile manufacturing is up 47.5 percent as Pakistan boosts connectivity through submarine cables

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday Pakistan recorded the world’s biggest reduction in the gender digital divide in 2024-25, with eight million more women gaining access to mobile Internet.

The announcement came on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, observed annually on May 17 to promote the importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs).

The day was institutionalized in 1969 to commemorate the founding of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on this day in 1865.

Pakistan has been striving to advance gender equality in digital access to serve its broader economic goals, particularly as it seeks to attract foreign investment in its IT sector.

“Pakistan has made remarkable progress in narrowing the gender digital divide,” Sharif said in a statement released by his office.

“In 2024-2025, 8 million more women gained mobile Internet access, reducing the gender gap from 38 percent to 25 percent— the highest improvement globally, led by rural women,” he added.

The prime minister highlighted that Pakistan’s digital transformation includes surpassing 200 million telecom subscriptions, 150 million broadband users and two million fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connections.

Additionally, mobile manufacturing has grown by 47.46 percent, and international connectivity has been enhanced through high-capacity submarine cables.

The prime minister noted the mobile ecosystem was now contributing $16.7 billion to Pakistan’s economy.

He said the government was committed to fostering a digital environment that promotes inclusion and empowers women through targeted policies, skills development programs and gender-sensitive digital infrastructure.

Sharif also called on all stakeholders to champion gender-responsive digital transformation and continue building an inclusive and empowered digital Pakistan.


President Zardari visits troops in Gujranwala, lauds swift military response to Indian attack

President Zardari visits troops in Gujranwala, lauds swift military response to Indian attack
Updated 17 May 2025
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President Zardari visits troops in Gujranwala, lauds swift military response to Indian attack

President Zardari visits troops in Gujranwala, lauds swift military response to Indian attack
  • He praises people who lost their lives during the conflict, calling their sacrifice a source of national pride
  • Pakistan says its response to New Delhi culminated in a successful pushback that neutralized the threat

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday praised the armed forces for swiftly repelling an Indian attack, saying they had changed the battlefield dynamics “within a matter of hours” in a recent military confrontation.
The comments came during a visit to Gujranwala Cantonment, where the president met with troops and top military leadership, including Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.
Zardari’s remarks refer to Pakistan’s military retaliation, launched in response to Indian missile and drone attacks last week in various parts of the country.
The operation, according to Pakistani officials, culminated in a successful pushback that neutralized the threat and shifted the momentum on the ground.
“History will bear witness to how, within a matter of hours, the Pakistan Armed Forces repelled aggression with unmatched precision and resolve, sending an unequivocal message of Pakistan’s strength, resilience and national unity,” Zardari said, according to a statement from the military’s media wing.
During his visit, the president paid tribute to both military personnel and civilians who lost their lives in defense of the country, calling their sacrifice “a sacred trust and a source of enduring national pride.”
He also congratulated troops on the conclusion of the military operation, praising their morale, combat readiness and commitment to safeguarding national sovereignty.
The visit came amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India following cross-border hostilities, though both sides have now been observing a fragile ceasefire.
The president was also accompanied by interior minister Mohsin Naqvi and received at the cantonment by senior army commanders from Gujranwala and Mangla Corps.


Pakistan detains four deportees linked to human smuggling after UAE convictions

Pakistan detains four deportees linked to human smuggling after UAE convictions
Updated 17 May 2025
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Pakistan detains four deportees linked to human smuggling after UAE convictions

Pakistan detains four deportees linked to human smuggling after UAE convictions
  • The suspects arrived in Pakistan on emergency travel documents after serving their sentences in the UAE
  • Pakistan has intensified its crackdown on human smuggling networks following migrant boat tragedies

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday detained four men deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for their alleged involvement in human smuggling and prostitution, as Pakistan intensifies its crackdown on such networks following a series of deadly migrant boat tragedies.

The suspects were arrested upon arrival at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, according to an FIA statement, after being convicted in the UAE for participating in illegal activities. After serving their sentences, they were deported to Pakistan on emergency travel documents.

“FIA Immigration carries out a major operation,” the statement said. “Four suspects arriving from the UAE have been taken into custody. The suspects were involved in illegal activities in the UAE.”

“The suspects have been transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Karachi for further legal action,” it added.

The arrests come amid Pakistan’s broader campaign against human smuggling, which has gained urgency following multiple migrant boat disasters involving Pakistani nationals.

Earlier this year, over 40 Pakistanis were feared drowned near Morocco’s coast while in 2023 more than 200 Pakistanis were presumed dead in a shipwreck off Greece.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to dismantle human smuggling networks that lure citizens into perilous journeys with false promises of better lives abroad.

“Global cooperation is essential to combat prostitution carried out under the guise of human smuggling,” the FIA said.

“All available resources are being utilized to eliminate human smuggling,” it added.


Envoy shares potential of Pakistan freight corridors, ports for regional connectivity at Dubai event

Envoy shares potential of Pakistan freight corridors, ports for regional connectivity at Dubai event
Updated 17 May 2025
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Envoy shares potential of Pakistan freight corridors, ports for regional connectivity at Dubai event

Envoy shares potential of Pakistan freight corridors, ports for regional connectivity at Dubai event
  • The Global Logistics Alliance conference brings together over 2,000 industry leaders, experts and potential partners to explore logistics opportunities
  • The development comes as Pakistan strives to boost trade, overseas investment amid a gradually healing macroeconomic environment after a prolonged downturn

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Envoy to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi has underscored Pakistan’s freight corridors, port projects at a global logistics conference in Dubai, saying the South Asian has the potential to become a crucial hub for regional trade, transport and economic cooperation.

Ambassador Tirmizi said this while delivering a keynote address at the 12th Global Logistics Alliance (GLA) conference in Dubai, according to Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID).

The three-day event, running from May 15 till May 18, has brought together over 2,000 industry leaders, experts and potential partners from 130 countries to network, acquire knowledge and explore opportunities in the logistics sector.

In his speech, Ambassador Tirmizi highlighted Pakistan’s strategic location at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia as well as the Middle East.

“Pakistan is poised to become a vital corridor of connectivity and cooperation across the region,” he said, lauding the UAE-based firms DP World and AD Ports for their investments in freight corridors and port development projects in Pakistan.

The development comes as Pakistan strives to boost trade and overseas investment amid a gradually healing macroeconomic environment after a prolonged downturn that forced Islamabad to seek external financing from friendly nations and multiple loan programs with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Pakistani government has pursued aggressive economic diplomacy in recent years, signing several agreements and memoranda of understanding with countries in Central Asia and the Middle East.

In her remarks, GLA President Grace Sun emphasized the importance of the event in creating new business synergies and accelerating global logistics collaboration.

On the sidelines of the conference, Ambassador Tirmizi and Sun discussed the potential of organizing a regional networking conference in Pakistan under the GLA framework, with a focus on engagement from South and Central Asian logistics stakeholders, according to the PID.

Ambassador Tirmizi reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to working with international partners to develop “smart, efficient, and sustainable logistics infrastructure,” particularly through transformational initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).


India and US at odds on Kashmir truce with Pakistan — analysts

India and US at odds on Kashmir truce with Pakistan — analysts
Updated 5 sec ago
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India and US at odds on Kashmir truce with Pakistan — analysts

India and US at odds on Kashmir truce with Pakistan — analysts
  • Trump announced the truce after four days of missile, drone and artillery attacks from both sides, killing about 70 people
  • President Trump’s rhetoric about the ceasefire is ‘irritating’ for India, an important ally for the US, an analyst says

NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump’s claim to have helped end fighting between arch-rivals India and Pakistan has driven a wedge between him and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, analysts say.

A week since Trump announced a surprise truce between India and Pakistan to end a brief but intense conflict, New Delhi and Washington differ about the way it was achieved.

The US administration thought “an intervention at this stage might give them some basic benefit in terms of highlighting Trump’s role,” Indian foreign policy expert Harsh V. Pant told AFP.

“That... became the driver and in a sense the hurry which with Trump announced the ceasefire,” said Pant from the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation (ORF) think tank.

Fighting began when India launched strikes on May 7 against what it called “terrorist camps” in Pakistan following an April militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people.

New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the militants it claimed were behind the attack, which Pakistan denies.

Trump announced the truce after four days of missile, drone and artillery attacks from both sides, killing about 70 people, including dozens of civilians, and sent thousands fleeing.

He later boasted about bringing India and Pakistan “back from the brink,” telling Fox News on Friday it was “a bigger success than I’ll ever be given credit for.”

New Delhi however shrugs off these claims, which go against decades-long Indian policy that opposes foreign mediation in conflicts with Islamabad.

India and Pakistan claim the currently divided Kashmir in full. New Delhi considers the Himalayan region an internal matter, with politicians long viewing external mediation as a sign of weakness.

Modi’s first speech since the ceasefire did not mention US involvement and his government has since insisted that talks with Pakistan are “strictly bilateral.”

India was also quick to dismiss Trump’s suggestion that trade pressures hastened a truce.

“The issue of trade did not come up” in discussions with US officials, the Indian foreign ministry said this week.

According to ORF fellow Manoj Joshi, Trump’s rhetoric is “irritating” for India — whose strategic location and massive market size have made the country an important ally for the United States.

But India is being “very cautious” because it is in negotiations for a trade deal with Washington to avoid steep tarriffs, he said.

“We (India) would like the agenda to go in a different direction,” said Joshi.

It is also a thorny matter domestically.

Main opposition Congress party said Trump’s announcement had “upstaged” the Hindu nationalist leader’s “much-delayed address.”

It also demanded an all-party meeting to ask whether India is changing its policy on “third-party mediation” for Kashmir, disputed between Pakistan and India.

The two South Asian rivals had in the 1970s agreed to settle “differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations.”

Modi has previously poked fun at former Congress governments for “weak” responses against Pakistan in various skirmishes.

“So India would obviously respond to that and deny that... about as politely as they feel they can get away with,” said South Asia researcher Pramit Pal Chaudhuri of political consultancy Eurasia Group.

Trump’s claimed mediation was welcomed by Islamabad, which “needed an American intervention to give them the off-ramp they needed to get out of a conflict,” Chaudhuri added.

On Thursday, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar reaffirmed that “where Pakistan is concerned, our relations, our dealings with them will be bilateral, and strictly bilateral.”

But the same day, speaking from Qatar, Trump repeated claims of brokering a ceasefire and using trade as a tool.

“(I said) let’s do trade instead of war. And Pakistan was very happy with that, and India was very happy with that,” Trump said in his speech.

It has been a decade since Modi last met a Pakistani leader. Since then, relations have deteriorated, coming to a head when India unilaterally revoked in 2019 limited autonomy of the part of Kashmir it administers.

According to Joshi, “the hyphenation of India and Pakistan” is also “irritating” for New Delhi, which has tried to carve out a separate identity on the global stage.

“The optics of Trump hammering it day after day... is politically damaging for Modi,” Sushant Singh, a former Indian soldier and South Asian studies lecturer at Yale University, wrote on X.

“[Modi] can’t personally counter Trump, and despite attempts by India’s big media to play it down, social media amplifies Trump,” Singh said.