Islamabad continues to engage foreign capitals, friendly states as tensions with India simmer over Kashmir

Islamabad continues to engage foreign capitals, friendly states as tensions with India simmer over Kashmir
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Indian paramilitary soldiers patrol along a street in Srinagar on May 3, 2025. (AFP/File)
Islamabad continues to engage foreign capitals, friendly states as tensions with India simmer over Kashmir
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Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (left) upon his arrival at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 5, 2025. (MOFA)
Islamabad continues to engage foreign capitals, friendly states as tensions with India simmer over Kashmir
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Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar (center), speaks during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Islamabad on May 5, 2025. (MOFA)
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Updated 06 May 2025
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Islamabad continues to engage foreign capitals, friendly states as tensions with India simmer over Kashmir

Islamabad continues to engage foreign capitals, friendly states as tensions with India simmer over Kashmir
  • Pakistan-India relations have plummeted since India accused Islamabad of an attack in the disputed Kashmir region that killed 26 tourists on April 22
  • The subsequent diplomatic flare-up, exchanges of gunfire between the two neighbors has alarmed world and regional powers, who have called for restraint

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan continues to engage foreign capitals and friendly nations as tensions simmer with India over an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists on April 22, with the two nuclear-armed neighbors taking a raft of punitive measures against each other.

India has blamed Pakistan for the attack in Pahalgam resort town. Islamabad has denied involvement and asked for evidence which New Delhi has so far not publicly shared.  Both countries have since exchanged gunfire in Kashmir, taken diplomatic measures against each other, expelled citizens and ordered the border shut.

Amid soaring tensions, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi arrived in Pakistan on Monday for discussions on bilateral ties and regional developments, days after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif postponed his scheduled visit to Malaysia.

Separately, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott met Sharif at his office, where the prime minister shared Pakistan’s perspective on the prevailing situation in South Asia. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is also on a visit to Gulf countries, including Oman and Qatar, where he is expected to brief the Gulf leaders on Pakistan's stance.

"We will demonstrate patience, we will exercise full restraint and we will not be the first one to take any escalatory move," Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar told reporters in Islamabad, following his meeting with the Iranian FM Araghchi.

"However, if India takes any adventure, any escalatory move, then we will give a befitting reply. So, that's where we stand."

Dar said Pakistan had nothing to do with the Pahalgam incident, reiterating PM Shehbaz Sharif's offer for a credible international probe into the April 22 attack.

"Our offer is very much there," he added.

In his meeting with FM Araghchi, PM Sharif shared Pakistan’s concerns over the prevailing tensions in South Asia as a result of India’s "provocative behavior" since the Pahalgam attack, according to Sharif's office.

"He categorically rejected any attempts to link Pakistan to the incident, without sharing any evidence," Sharif's office said. "He also stressed that India’s weaponization of the Indus Waters Treaty was unacceptable and a redline for the people of Pakistan."

India suspended the 1960 World Bank-mediated treaty a day after the Pahalgam attack, saying the suspension would last until "Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism." Pakistan has described the suspension of treaty as an "act of war."

The flare-up and exchanges of small arms fire between India and Pakistan across their de facto border in Kashmir has alarmed world and regional powers, who have called for restraint and urged the two neighbors to resolve the crisis through dialogue. Pakistan has assured foreign capitals and friendly nations that it would not be the first one to strike, according to officials.

In his meeting with British High Commissioner Marriott, Sharif urged the United Kingdom, which enjoys good relations with both Pakistan and India, to play its part in de-escalating the situation.

"The British high commissioner thanked the prime minister for sharing Pakistan’s position and said that the UK would work closely with Pakistan and India for maintaining regional peace and security," Sharif's office said.

Also on Monday, Interior Minister Naqvi met his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and briefed him on the prevailing regional situation.

"Pakistan has always rejected the policy of aggression. India has been offered an independent and impartial investigation into the Pahalgam incident, the truth about the incident should come before the world as to who is really responsible for it," Naqvi was quoted as saying by his ministry.

"Making baseless and illogical accusations against Pakistan is tantamount to ignoring our great sacrifices in the war against terrorism."

Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations. They have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, a region split between them, since gaining independence from the former British colonial rule in 1947.


Pakistan to unveil Economic Survey 2024-25 on Monday

Pakistan to unveil Economic Survey 2024-25 on Monday
Updated 08 June 2025
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Pakistan to unveil Economic Survey 2024-25 on Monday

Pakistan to unveil Economic Survey 2024-25 on Monday
  • The survey will include details about performance and trends of various sectors in outgoing fiscal year
  • The survey will be followed by federal budget, which is expected to lay out targets for macroeconomic stability

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will unveil its Economic Survey 2024-25 tomorrow, Monday, and detail major socio-economic achievements of the outgoing fiscal year, Pakistani state media reported.

The survey will include details about performance and economic trends of various sectors, including agriculture, industry, services, energy, information technology and telecommunications, capital markets, health, education and transport.

Annual trends of major economic indicators regarding inflation, trade and payments, public debt, population, employment, climate change, and social protection will also be part of the survey.

“Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will release the Economic Survey-2024-25 at a ceremony to be held in Islamabad,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

The survey will be followed by the presentation of the national budget. The earlier dates for the announcement of Economic Survey 2024-25 and federal Budget 2025-26 were June 1 and June 2, respectively, but the government extended the dates to June 6 and June 7.

Pakistan is currently bolstered by a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program and is navigating a long path to economic recovery. The country’s annual inflation rate rose to 3.5 percent in May, though its macroeconomic outlook has improved in recent months, supported by a stronger current account balance and increased remittances.

The Pakistani government says it remains committed to maintaining macroeconomic stability, accelerating structural reforms, and ensuring that economic growth translates into real and inclusive progress for all citizens.

Earlier this month, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal announced the government has allocated Rs1 trillion ($3.5 billion) for development projects in the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2025-26.


Pakistan to face off Myanmar in AFC Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday

Pakistan to face off Myanmar in AFC Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday
Updated 08 June 2025
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Pakistan to face off Myanmar in AFC Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday

Pakistan to face off Myanmar in AFC Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday
  • The Pakistan team arrived in Yangon via private airline flight on Sunday
  • Pakistan are placed in Group E alongside Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Syria

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will face off Myanmar on Tuesday to qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup tournament, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) said on Sunday.

The Pakistan team arrived in Yangon via private airline flight on Sunday, according to the PFF. They will train in Yangon on Monday.

“The match between Pakistan and Myanmar will be held at Thuwana Stadium,” it said. “It will start at 3:30 PM according to Pakistani time.”

Pakistan have been training under the supervision of head coach Stephen Constantine in hopes of bouncing back from a 2-0 defeat to Syria in the campaign opener back in March.

Pakistan are placed in Group E alongside Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Syria.


At least five injured as fire engulfs multiple factories in Pakistan’s Karachi

At least five injured as fire engulfs multiple factories in Pakistan’s Karachi
Updated 08 June 2025
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At least five injured as fire engulfs multiple factories in Pakistan’s Karachi

At least five injured as fire engulfs multiple factories in Pakistan’s Karachi
  • The city, home to hundreds of thousands of industrial units, has fragile firefighting system and poor safety controls
  • In November last year, a blaze erupted at a shopping mall killing around a dozen people and injuring several others

KARACHI: At least five persons were injured after a fire engulfed multiple factories in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi, Rescue 1122 officials said on Sunday, with efforts underway to douse the blaze.

The fire affected four factories, including YG Textile and MF Roomi Textile, at the Landhi Export Processing Zone, with 11 fire brigade trucks and one snorkel taking part in the firefighting operation.

The operation was facing difficulties due to the intensity of smoke and shortage of water in the city of roughly 20 million people, according to rescue officials.

“Five people were injured after part of an affected building collapsed,” Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hasaan Khan told Arab News. “The injured were shifted to the hospital.”

The Rescue 1122 team is making efforts to control the blaze by utilizing all possible resources, Khan added.

Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and commercial capital, is home to hundreds of thousands of industrial units and some of the tallest buildings in the South Asian country. The megapolis, known for its fragile firefighting system and poor safety controls, witnesses hundreds of fire incidents annually.

In Nov. last year, a blaze at a shopping mall killed around a dozen people and injured several others. In April 2023, four firefighters died and nearly a dozen others were injured after a blaze erupted at a garment factory, while 10 people were killed in a massive fire at a chemical factory in the city in August 2021.

In the deadliest such incident, 260 people were killed in 2012 after being trapped inside a garment factory when a fire broke out.


Volleyball returns to Azad Kashmir border village as fragile India-Pakistan ceasefire holds

Volleyball returns to Azad Kashmir border village as fragile India-Pakistan ceasefire holds
Updated 08 June 2025
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Volleyball returns to Azad Kashmir border village as fragile India-Pakistan ceasefire holds

Volleyball returns to Azad Kashmir border village as fragile India-Pakistan ceasefire holds
  • As guns fall silent in Battal sector, youth return to riverside ground with message of peace, memories of fallen friend
  • Anwar Taskeen, 17-year-old student and regular at the matches, was killed in shelling hours before May 10 ceasefire

Battal Sector, Azad Kashmir: On a dusty, uneven patch of ground beside the Poonch River, the rhythmic thud of a volleyball hitting palms and sand rose above the late afternoon quiet. 

It’s a familiar sound in the border village of Jhawara, located in the Poonch district of Azad Kashmir, the part of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that is governed by Pakistan. But until recently, it had fallen silent under the roar of artillery and gunfire.

Just weeks ago, the area bore the brunt of intense cross-border shelling between India and Pakistan. The Line of Control (LoC), a jagged and heavily militarized de facto boundary slicing through the disputed region, once again became a flashpoint for conflict, forcing families into hiding and pausing everyday joys like this daily volleyball match.

Now, with a tenuous ceasefire in place since May 10 — brokered with help from Washington — the boys are back on the field. 

For them, the return to play is more than a pastime. It’s an act of defiance, remembrance, and quiet hope.

“There has been firing here before but now it doesn’t feel scary,” said Hamid Fareed, 18, as he waited to serve. “There is a ceasefire in place now, which is why we play with peace of mind. Before, when there used to be firing, we didn’t play here.”

People are playing volleyball in the border village of Jhawara, located in the Poonch district of Azad Kashmir, on May 23, 2025. (AN photo)

The Battal sector, situated at one of the most sensitive stretches of the LoC, was at the heart of last month’s escalation, with the shelling so heavy residents were forced to evacuate, and even the simple joy of a volleyball match became too dangerous to risk.

Among those displaced were the families of the boys who now fill the field each evening from 4pm until the sunset maghrib prayer. Many had sought shelter with relatives in safer villages farther from the border during the latest fighting. Others, like Fareed, stayed behind but refrained from venturing out unnecessarily.

The violence still didn’t spare the players. Anwar Taskeen, a 17-year-old student and regular at the matches, was killed in shelling on his home just hours before the ceasefire was announced.

“Our brother who got martyred [on May 10, 2025] used to play volleyball with us,” said Muhammad Nawaz, one of Anwar’s closest friends. “He used to come every day.”

“When they [Indian forces] fire, they target civilians and army posts as well,” he added.

The picture shows Anwar Taskeen, a 17-year-old student who was killed in shelling on his home just hours before India-Pakistan ceasefire. (AN photo)

SYMBOL OF NORMALCY

Now that calm has returned, at least for the moment, the boys are determined to reclaim the ground and the normalcy it represents. Most days, they split into two teams of six, playing until darkness falls. Laughter, shouts, and the squeak of rubber slippers on hard soil fill the air.

But the volleyball field isn’t just a space for play. It’s also a space of memory.

Taskeen’s absence lingers. So too does the knowledge that peace here is often fleeting.

“There are beautiful places on that side, people should get to enjoy them. And people from there should be able to come here,” said Abdul Hannan, another student who recently completed his intermediate studies.

“Many people there [Indian-administered], in Jammu and Kashmir, play as well,” Hannan added. “We watch their videos to gain skills. They are playing better than us. We also get motivated by watching them.”

The boys recalled that some former players who used to compete on this very field had now moved abroad in search of better opportunities. From afar, many continued to support the volleyball tradition, pooling together funds to help maintain the ground. 

Their latest contribution helped install a protective net, now in place for six to seven years, which keeps the ball from rolling into the river and drifting downstream toward the Indian side.

“WE JUST WANT PEACE”

The Poonch River marks both a border and a lifeline for the region. On hot days, the boys often dive into its cool waters to beat the heat, even as Indian army posts watch from across the bank.

That same river has seen far more than games but carried the sounds of shelling, the cries of displaced families, and now, the echoes of a volleyball match played in the name of peace.

During Ramadan and other special occasions, the field hosts semi-annual tournaments. Teams travel from neighboring towns and villages to compete, a reminder that even in a conflict zone, community and competition endure.

“When there is peace, we can play. That’s all we want,” Fareed saiid. 

India and Pakistan have long shared a contentious relationship over Kashmir, with flare-ups along the LoC occurring frequently despite periodic agreements. The current ceasefire too is fragile, its future uncertain. But on this side of the Poonch River, young players are daring to imagine something more permanent — not through diplomacy, but through volleyball, through shared videos, playful rivalries, and quiet tributes to friends lost. And through simple, hopeful wishes — that one day, the people of Kashmir might cross the border not as enemies, but as guests.

“We just want peace,” Hannan repeated softly. “That’s all we’ve ever wanted.”


Pakistan-origin Mahnoor Qazi wins James Baldwin award for fiction

Pakistan-origin Mahnoor Qazi wins James Baldwin award for fiction
Updated 08 June 2025
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Pakistan-origin Mahnoor Qazi wins James Baldwin award for fiction

Pakistan-origin Mahnoor Qazi wins James Baldwin award for fiction
  • The James Baldwin Award for Fiction is one of six creative writing awards given by Penguin Random House
  • Qazi, whose entry ‘Eternity’ won $10,000 prize, aims to connect literature with the deepest human emotions

ISLAMABAD: Mahnoor Qazi, a Pakistani-origin high school student in the US state of California, has won the inaugural James Baldwin Award for Fiction, the organizers announced this week.

The James Baldwin Award for Fiction is one of six creative writing awards given by Penguin Random House, touted as the world’s largest trade book publisher, as part of their signature Creative Writing Awards (CWA) program. The award is named after Baldwin, a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet and critic.

Qazi, an aspiring writer who attends Golden Valley High School in California, is dedicated to connecting the art of literature with the deepest human emotions. Her entry ‘Eternity’ won the first-place prize of $10,000.

“As his niece, it has been an honor to select the recipient of the James Baldwin Award for fiction. Traveling the creative landscape of students with insightful narrative voices has been inspiring,” Baldwin’s niece Darlene Burnett said.

“They continue to demonstrate that the power of words can inform minds, fuel the imagination, and construct narratives that compel us to read and to feel. They are the literary architects of the future.”

Other categories included the Freedom of Expression Award, Michelle Obama Award for Memoir, the Amanda Gorman Award for Poetry, and the Maya Angelou Award for Spoken Word.

Since 1993, the Penguin Random House CWA program has awarded more than $2.9 million to public high school students for their original compositions.

In addition to scholarships, the publisher hosts a virtual development week for the CWA winners each summer that includes networking workshops, a panel about career opportunities in publishing, and fireside chats with Penguin Random House authors.