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Flight operations shut at several Indian airports, IPL match moved amid Pakistan standoff

Flight operations shut at several Indian airports, IPL match moved amid Pakistan standoff
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel participate in the civil defence security mock drill at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, May 7, 2025. (REUTERS)
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Updated 08 May 2025
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Flight operations shut at several Indian airports, IPL match moved amid Pakistan standoff

Flight operations shut at several Indian airports, IPL match moved amid Pakistan standoff
  • Several airports in northern India have been closed after New Delhi launched strikes on neighboring Pakistan on Wednesday
  • Match between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings was due to take place in Dharamsala, where the airport has closed 
Updated 08 May 2025
AFP
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NEW DELHI: India’s IPL cricket match on Sunday between Mumbai and Punjab has been moved to Gujarat, local media reported on Thursday, while airlines suspended flight operations from more than two dozen airports across northern and western regions of the country amid heightened tensions with Pakistan.

The match between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings was due to take place in Dharamsala, where the airport has closed in the wake of violence between India and neighboring Pakistan.

But Thursday evening’s match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, which is also set to take place in Dharamsala, will proceed as planned, as will all other games in coming days.

Sunday’s match will now be played in the city of Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat, the state’s cricket association secretary Anil Patel told the Press Trust of India news agency on Thursday.

Several airports in northern India have been closed after New Delhi launched strikes on neighboring Pakistan on Wednesday. 

In adviseries to passengers, key domestic airlines said their flights will remain suspended until Saturday from airports including Amritsar in northern Punjab and Srinagar in India-controlled Kashmir, bordering Pakistan.

India’s Civil Aviation Ministry hasn’t officially commented on the closure of airports after tensions flared up with Pakistan. A spokeswoman for the ministry, Beena Yadav, declined to comment on Thursday.

Indigo, the country’s biggest domestic carrier, on Wednesday canceled 165 flights, while Air India and Air India Express had a similar number of cancelations. Air India even diverted two of its international flights enroute from Amritsar, close to Lahore, to New Delhi, because of the sudden closure of the airport.

The strikes on Wednesday came two weeks after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing an attack on tourists in the Indian-administered side of disputed Kashmir, a charge Pakistan denies.

The arch-rivals have since exchanged fire across their contested border in Kashmir. The violence has raised fears of a wider conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

Topics: Pakistan India standoff Pakistan India Ties

India arrests 81 for ‘sympathizing’ with Pakistan

India arrests 81 for ‘sympathizing’ with Pakistan
Updated 01 June 2025
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India arrests 81 for ‘sympathizing’ with Pakistan

India arrests 81 for ‘sympathizing’ with Pakistan
  • There has been a clampdown on social media since an April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir
  • New Delhi blamed Pakistan for backing the militants it said carried out the attack, Islamabad denies the allegation
Updated 01 June 2025
AFP

GUWAHATI: Indian police have arrested scores of people for “sympathizing” with Pakistan, a month after the worst conflict between the arch-rivals for decades, a top government official said Sunday.

The arrests took place in the northeastern state of Assam, where Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said “81 anti-nationals are now behind bars for sympathizing with Pak.”

Sarma, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist ruling party, said in a statement “our systems are constantly tracking anti-national posts on social media and taking actions.”

One of the persons was arrested after he posted a Pakistani flag on his Instagram, Assam police told AFP.

No further details about other arrests were given.

There has been a wider clampdown on social media since an April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, the deadliest on civilians in the contested Muslim-majority territory in decades.

New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the militants it said carried out the attack, charges that Pakistan denied.

India and Pakistan then fought a four-day conflict, their worst standoff since 1999, before a ceasefire was agreed on May 10.

India’s counter-terrorism agency last month arrested a paramilitary police officer for allegedly spying for Pakistan, while authorities have arrested at least 10 other people on espionage charges in May, according to local media.

Sarma is also pushing efforts to stem the contentious issue of illegal immigration.

Assam shares a long and porous border with neighboring Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

Indian media have reported that Assam’s government has allegedly rounded up dozens of alleged Bangladeshis in the past month and taken them to the frontier to cross.

The Times of India newspaper on Saturday reported that Assam was “dumping them in no-man’s land,” suggesting that at least 49 had been pushed back between May 27-29 alone.

The Assam government has not commented on the reports.

Bangladesh, largely encircled by land by India, has seen relations with New Delhi turn icy, after the Dhaka government was toppled in an uprising last year.

Bangladesh has also moved closer to China, as well as to Pakistan.

Topics: Pakistan India standoff

PM urges trickle-down effect of development schemes in insurgency-hit Balochistan

PM urges trickle-down effect of development schemes in insurgency-hit Balochistan
Updated 01 June 2025
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PM urges trickle-down effect of development schemes in insurgency-hit Balochistan

PM urges trickle-down effect of development schemes in insurgency-hit Balochistan
  • Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but most impoverished province, has been the site of a long-running insurgency that has intensified in recent months
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif says Balochistan will receive 25 percent share of Public Sector Development Program, which funds long-term projects, in the upcoming budget
Updated 01 June 2025
Fatimah Amjad

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the need to ensure a trickle-down effect of his government’s developmental initiatives in the southwestern Balochistan province, Sharif’s office said on Sunday, amid a surge in militant attacks in the region.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but most impoverished province, has been the site of a long-running insurgency that has intensified in recent months, with separatist militants attacking security forces, government officials and installations and people from other provinces who they see as “outsiders.”

The Pakistani government says it has launched several development schemes relating to infrastructure, health and education for some 15 million people of Balochistan, which is also home to deep seaport being built by China, gold, copper and coal mines, and has a long coast on the Arabian Sea.

Speaking to tribal elders during his visit to the provincial capital of Quetta, PM Sharif highlighted the series of developmental programs undertaken by his government for the prosperity of Balochistan and called on officials to ensure that their benefits reach the people of the southwestern Pakistani province.

“He praised the people of Balochistan for their historic role in safeguarding national unity and urged them to remain vigilant against foreign-backed subversion and sabotage orchestrated and sponsored by India,” Sharif’s office said.

“The jirga [council of tribal elders] concluded with a unanimous pledge from tribal elders to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Government of Pakistan and armed forces, reaffirming their commitment to the security, stability and development of Balochistan.”

Pakistan and India often accuse each other of supporting militancy. Islamabad blames India of backing the separatist insurgency in Balochistan as well as religiously motivated militant groups, like the Pakistani Taliban, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. India denies the allegations.

Sharif announced that Balochistan will receive 25 percent share from the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), which funds infrastructure, energy, education and other long-term projects, in the upcoming budget.

“I think that PSDP will be of Rs1,000 billion [in the next budget],” he told the gathering. “So, out of this [amount], a fund of approximately Rs250 billion is for Balochistan alone. That is, 25 percent of the total federal PSDP for Balochistan.”

Addressing the challenge of militancy in the province, Sharif called for engagement at the grassroots level to ensure that militants find no social space.

“This was crucial for the success of counter terrorism efforts and for the long-term peace and stability,” he said.

On the occasion, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who accompanied the prime minister to Balochistan, emphasized that Pakistan’s army was fully alert and prepared to respond decisively to any threat.

“Peace in Balochistan is non-negotiable and that the future of Pakistan is directly linked to a stable, prosperous Balochistan,” he was quoted as saying by Sharif’s office.

Sharif also visited the military’s Command and Staff College in Quetta and addressed student officers and faculty, reflecting his government’s commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s defense institutions amidst evolving regional and internal security dynamics.

“The prime minister highlighted the critical importance of professional excellence, operational readiness, and strategic foresight in the face of emerging and hybrid threats, especially in sensitive regions like Balochistan,” Sharif’s office said.

Topics: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Grand Jirga Balochistan

Pakistan raises alarm over risks to Asia-Pacific stability amid India tensions

Pakistan raises alarm over risks to Asia-Pacific stability amid India tensions
Updated 01 June 2025
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Pakistan raises alarm over risks to Asia-Pacific stability amid India tensions

Pakistan raises alarm over risks to Asia-Pacific stability amid India tensions
  • Pakistan, India last month engaged in a worst standoff between them in decades that killed 70 people on both sides
  • The conflict raised fears that it could spiral into a full-blown war and bring nuclear arsenals of the archrivals into play
Updated 01 June 2025
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: A top Pakistani general on Sunday raised alarmed over risks to Asia-Pacific stability in the absence of regional crisis management frameworks, amid prevailing tensions between Pakistan and India.

Pakistan and India last month engaged in a worst standoff between them in decades that saw the neighbors attack each other with jets, missiles, drones and artillery, killing around 70 people on both sides before the United States brokered a ceasefire on May 10.

The conflict, triggered by an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam town that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan, alarmed the world powers and raised fears that it could spiral into a full-blown war and bring the archfoes’ nuclear arsenals into play.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue security meeting in Singapore, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee chairman, said the recent India-Pakistan conflict underscored how crisis management frameworks remained “hostage to countries’ belligerence.”

“The recent standoff amply underlines significance of maintaining open channels of communications to avert crises as and when they erupt. Post-Pahalgam [attack], the threshold of an escalatory war has come dangerously low, implying greater risk on both sides, just not in the disputed territory, but all of India and all of Pakistan,” he said.

“In future, given the Indian policies and polities’ extremist mindset, absence of a crisis management mechanism may not give enough time to the global powers to intervene and effect cessation of hostilities.”

Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.

Before the conflict, both nations unleashed a raft of punitive measures against each other, with India suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty that ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms and Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian airlines. India has said the treaty would remain in abeyance.

Gen Mirza said New Delhi’s move to suspend the treaty is in “total defiance of the international laws, since it is an existential threat for the people of Pakistan.”

“If there is any effort to stop, divert or delay Pakistan’s share of water, as clearly spelt out by our National Security Committee, it could be considered as an act of war,” he added.

Topics: General Sahir Shamshad Mirza Shangri-La Dialogue

Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to establish ‘mutual trust’ amid improving bilateral ties

Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to establish ‘mutual trust’ amid improving bilateral ties
Updated 38 min 34 sec ago
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Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to establish ‘mutual trust’ amid improving bilateral ties

Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to establish ‘mutual trust’ amid improving bilateral ties
  • Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar speaks to Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi on the telephone
  • Both agree to work to finalize framework agreement for Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project
Updated 38 min 34 sec ago
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: The foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Sunday agreed to continue working to establish “mutual trust” between the two nations, Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement, amid recent improvement in ties between Kabul and Islamabad.

Pakistan and Afghanistan this week agreed to upgrade diplomatic relations, with Islamabad announcing it would elevate its chargé d’affaires in Kabul to ambassadorial rank. Kabul said it would reciprocate the move.

Ties between the two countries have been tense in recent years, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan’s Taliban administration of harboring militants involved in cross-border attacks, leading to a deportation drive against undocumented Afghan nationals. Kabul has criticized Pakistan’s deportation drive and denied its nationals are involved in crimes on Pakistani soil.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke to Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on the phone to discuss diplomatic relations between the two countries on Sunday. Muttaqi, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, informed Dar that Afghanistan has decided to reciprocate

Islamabad’s gesture to upgrade diplomatic relations to the ambassador level, terming it a “very positive development.”

“Both leaders also reviewed the implementation of decisions taken during DPM/FM’s visit to Kabul on 19 April 2025 and vowed to continue working together to establish mutual trust between the two brotherly nations,” the Pakistani foreign office said.

Afghanistan’s foreign ministry confirmed the development, saying Muttaqi described the upgradation of diplomatic missions in Kabul and Islamabad to the ambassadorial level as a “positive step.”

“Both sides expressed hope for the swift completion of the remaining stages,” it said. “The two sides underscored that elevating the level of diplomatic relations would pave the way for broader cooperation in various domains.”

Efforts to ease tensions between the two countries also gained momentum in recent months. During a trilateral meeting with Chinese officials in Beijing in May, Pakistan and Afghanistan had announced plans to exchange ambassadors.

Afghan authorities said this week Muttaqi is due to visit Pakistan “in the coming days.”

The two officials also spoke about the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project. Dar spoke to his Uzbek counterpart on Saturday to discuss the UAP, including the framework agreement and its signing mechanism.

“Emphasizing the importance of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project for regional connectivity, both leaders agreed to work closely for an early finalization of the framework agreement,” the foreign office said.

The UAP railway is a trilateral initiative aimed at enhancing regional connectivity by linking Central Asia with Pakistan’s southern ports of Gwadar and Karachi through Afghanistan.

Envisioned in 2021, the project is expected to improve trade access for landlocked countries and bolster economic integration in the region.

Topics: Pakistan Afghanistan Ties

Pakistan says Makkah Route Initiative to be extended to other cities for next year’s Hajj

Pakistan says Makkah Route Initiative to be extended to other cities for next year’s Hajj
Updated 01 June 2025
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Pakistan says Makkah Route Initiative to be extended to other cities for next year’s Hajj

Pakistan says Makkah Route Initiative to be extended to other cities for next year’s Hajj
  • Pakistani religious affairs minister meets Saudi minister for Hajj to discuss pilgrimage arrangements
  • Makkah Route Initiative enables pilgrims to complete travel formalities at their departure airports
Updated 01 June 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf announced on Sunday that the Makkah Route Initiative facility will be extended to other cities of the country for next year’s Hajj pilgrimage. 

The Makkah Route Initiative is designed to streamline immigration processes by enabling pilgrims to complete official travel formalities at their departure airports. Initially tested in Islamabad in 2019, the program was later expanded to Karachi, benefitting tens of thousands of Pakistani travelers. This saves pilgrims several hours upon arrival in the Kingdom, as they can simply enter the country without having to go through immigration again.

Yousaf met Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Pakistan’s religion ministry said on Sunday, to discuss Hajj 2025 arrangements in the Kingdom. 

“The scope of the Road to Makkah project will be extended to other cities of Pakistan for the next (2026) Hajj,” Yousaf was quoted as saying by the ministry. 

He thanked the Saudi government for introducing “innovations and new facilities” every year for the convenience of Hajj pilgrims, including those from Pakistan. 

“The best facilities of food, transport and accommodation are being provided to Pakistani pilgrims,” Yousaf said. 

As per the Pakistani religion ministry, Al-Rabiah said the Kingdom would provide the best possible facilities to Pakistani pilgrims at Mina and Arafah. 

“A large number of pilgrims come from Pakistan, it is an honor to serve them,” the Saudi minister was quoted as saying. 

This year, the Hajj rituals will commence on June 4, with the Day of Arafah on June 5, and Eid Al-Adha observed on June 6 in Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan on Saturday successfully concluded its 33-day pre-Hajj flight operation, with more than 115,000 pilgrims transported to Saudi Arabia ahead of this year’s pilgrimage. 

Topics: Pakistan Makkah Route initiative hajj

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