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Four Afghanistan-based militants arrested in southwest Pakistan, were planning ‘major attack’ — state media

Four Afghanistan-based militants arrested in southwest Pakistan, were planning ‘major attack’ — state media
A security personnel inspects the blast site at a railway station, a day after an explosion allegedly by Pakistani separatists in Quetta, in Pakistan's Balochistan province, on November 10, 2024. (AFP/ file)
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Updated 06 March 2025

Four Afghanistan-based militants arrested in southwest Pakistan, were planning ‘major attack’ — state media

Four Afghanistan-based militants arrested in southwest Pakistan, were planning ‘major attack’ — state media
  • One “terrorist” confessed they entered Pakistan from Afghanistan three days ago, says state-run media 
  • Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of sheltering militants who launch attacks on its soil, which Taliban deny

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have arrested four “terrorists” in the southwestern Balochistan province who entered from Afghanistan, state-run media reported on Thursday, adding that they were planning to launch a major attack in the country. 

Pakistan has faced a surge in militant attacks in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan since the Afghan Taliban seized Kabul in 2021. Islamabad accuses the Taliban government in Afghanistan of providing shelter to Pakistani Taliban militants, a charge Kabul denies.

The operation took place near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Toba Kakri area of the southwestern Balochistan province, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said. 

“The arrested terrorists confessed to planning a major terrorist attack,” Radio Pakistan reported. “In his confessional statement, one arrested terrorist said they entered Pakistan three days ago from Afghanistan.”

Citing security sources, the state-run media said weapons such as Kalashnikovs, hand grenades and other firearms were recovered from the “terrorists.”

“The security sources said the local population played a significant role in the success of this operation against the terrorists,” Radio Pakistan said. 
The report said that defense experts are of the view that the primary reason for the surge in “terrorism” in Pakistan is the presence of militant organizations that are “flourishing” on Afghan soil. 
“They said Afghanistan has become a haven for terrorists and immediate international action is needed,” the state broadcaster said. 
Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan deteriorated in 2023 after Islamabad launched a deportation drive against what it said were “undocumented” residents living in its country. The drive mostly affected hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, whom Islamabad blamed for a surge in suicide attacks in the country. 
Pakistan has vowed to crack down on all militants operating in the country. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday acknowledged the role Pakistani security forces played in arresting senior Daesh commander Mohammad Sharifullah from Afghanistan and handing him over to the US. 
Sharifullah allegedly helped carry out the 2021 suicide bombing outside Kabul airport during the chaotic US military withdrawal from Afghanistan. The blast at the Abbey Gate killed at least 170 Afghans as well as 13 US troops who were securing the airport’s perimeter.
The Pakistani prime minister confirmed Sharifullah was an Afghan national, saying that he was arrested after a successful operation in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region. 


Global real estate giant quits advisory role in Pakistan’s Roosevelt Hotel privatization

Global real estate giant quits advisory role in Pakistan’s Roosevelt Hotel privatization
Updated 21 sec ago

Global real estate giant quits advisory role in Pakistan’s Roosevelt Hotel privatization

Global real estate giant quits advisory role in Pakistan’s Roosevelt Hotel privatization
  • Jones Lang LaSalle steps down over conflict of interest as Pakistan seeks to sell stake in NYC hotel
  • Privatization of iconic hotel is part of IMF-backed reform push to offload loss-making state assets

ISLAMABAD: Global real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) has stepped down from its role as financial adviser for the privatization of Pakistan’s Roosevelt Hotel in New York, citing a conflict of interest due to client interest in the property, the government said on Thursday.

Pakistan plans to sell a minority stake in the century-old Manhattan hotel and is seeking a redevelopment partner as part of a broader effort to offload loss-making state-owned assets under a $7 billion agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Roosevelt Hotel, viewed as one of Pakistan’s most valuable foreign holdings, was closed in 2020 and has since operated intermittently, including as a migrant shelter.

JLL was appointed in January last year to advise the government on the potential sale transaction of the Roosevelt Hotel, the privatization ministry said in a statement.

“The Privatization Commission of Pakistan announces that Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), a leading global real estate services firm, acting as Financial Adviser for privatization of Roosevelt Hotel, has formally conveyed its decision to resign from the assignment owing to the emergence of a potential conflict of interest,” the ministry said.

It added that JLL had conducted due diligence on the hotel and submitted due diligence and transaction structure reports, in which it analyzed a range of transaction structure options in line with international best practices and market dynamics.

The ministry said JLL has cited “heightened interest” in Roosevelt Hotel from many of its clients, post cancelation of its lease agreement with New York City, as the reason for the decision to withdraw from its role.

“This, JLL says, has put them in a compromising position, therefore they have decided to resign in order to avoid any perceived or actual conflict of interest,” the ministry explained.

The statement said Pakistan’s Privatization Commission is initiating the process to hire a new financial adviser on a fast-track basis to ensure that the process for Roosevelt Hotel’s privatization is carried forward in a “transparent and competitive manner.”

“The Government of Pakistan and the Privatization Commission remain fully committed to conclude the ongoing privatization of Roosevelt Hotel expeditiously, in accordance with all applicable legal requirements,” the statement concluded.

The Roosevelt Hotel has long been one of Pakistan’s most prominent but politically sensitive overseas assets. Acquired by the Pakistan International Airlines Investment Limited (PIAIL) in 1979, the hotel occupies a full city block on Madison Avenue and 45th Street.

Over the past two decades, successive Pakistani governments have floated plans to sell, lease, or redevelop the property, but no proposal has advanced beyond early-stage planning.


Pakistan pushes for UN-OIC cooperation to counter ‘alarming resurgence’ of Islamophobia

Pakistan pushes for UN-OIC cooperation to counter ‘alarming resurgence’ of Islamophobia
Updated 12 min 34 sec ago

Pakistan pushes for UN-OIC cooperation to counter ‘alarming resurgence’ of Islamophobia

Pakistan pushes for UN-OIC cooperation to counter ‘alarming resurgence’ of Islamophobia
  • Deputy PM Ishaq Dar chairs meeting of the UN Security Council in New York on UN-OIC cooperation
  • Pakistani deputy premier says religious hatred “morally indefensible,” strikes at UN Charter’s foundation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday pushed for greater cooperation between the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations (UN) to counter rising extremism and “alarming resurgence” of Islamophobia worldwide.

As the president of the UN Security Council for July, Pakistan chaired a meeting at the multilateral forum to discuss the cooperation between the OIC and the UN. The briefing was titled: ‘Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations.’

In 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution sponsored by 60 OIC members states, spearheaded by Pakistan, which designated Mar. 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

Speaking at the briefing, Dar noted that the UN-OIC engagement continues to grow, from mediation and political transition to coordinated responses in humanitarian emergency, advocacy on issues of disarmament, development, and protection of religious and cultural heritage.

“Excellencies, nowhere in this cooperation is it more necessary than in encountering the rising tide of extremism, particularly the alarming resurgence of Islamophobia,” Dar said during his address.

He added that religious hatred is not only “morally indefensible,” but also strikes at the very foundation of the UN Charter. The deputy premier noted that the global community’s endorsement of Pakistan’s initiative to designate 15 March as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, followed by the adoption of a resolution leading to the appointment of a UN Special Envoy on Islamophobia, are “milestones” that reaffirm the OIC and UN’s shared resolve.

“There has long been a strong voice on this issue, and we must further institutionalize its role in global efforts to promote respect, inclusion, and interfaith harmony,” Dar said.

Presidential statements are formal expressions of the Security Council’s consensus but are not legally binding. They require unanimous approval and are often preceded by complex negotiations.

Founded in 1969, the OIC includes 57 member states across four continents and serves as a platform for collaboration on political, economic and social issues affecting Muslim communities worldwide.


Army says major, sepoy killed in counterterror operation in Pakistan's southwest

Army says major, sepoy killed in counterterror operation in Pakistan's southwest
Updated 24 July 2025

Army says major, sepoy killed in counterterror operation in Pakistan's southwest

Army says major, sepoy killed in counterterror operation in Pakistan's southwest
  • Military says three militants backed by neighboring India gunned down in Mastung district
  • Pakistan's restive Balochistan province has long been the site of separatist, insurgent violence

ISLAMABAD: An army major and a sepoy were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Pakistan's southwestern Mastung district, the military's media wing said on Thursday amid Islamabad's battle against surging militancy. 

The latest operation took place in Balochistan's Mastung district on July 23 when security forces received reports of the presence of "terrorists" belonging to "Fitna al Hindustan," a term the Pakistani military uses for militants it says are backed by neighbor and archrival India.

The military said three militants were killed during its counterterror operation. However, Major Zeeyyad Salim Awal, 31, and Sepoy Nazam Hussain, 22, were killed during the exchange of fire, the military's media wing said. 

"Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored terrorist found in the area, as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian Sponsored Terrorism from the country," the military said. 

"And such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resolve."

Pakistan's restive Balochistan province has long been the site of separatist and insurgent violence, and Islamabad has frequently alleged Indian involvement in destabilizing activities there, a charge New Delhi denies.

India accuses Pakistan of training and funding militant groups in the part of disputed Kashmir that New Delhi administers. Islamabad denies the allegations and says it only extends diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir. 

The two countries engaged in the worst fighting between them since 1998 in May this year, pounding each other with drones, fighter jets, missiles and artillery fire before Washington brokered a ceasefire on May 10. 

 


Farhan’s 50 lifts Pakistan to 178-7 in third Bangladesh T20I

Farhan’s 50 lifts Pakistan to 178-7 in third Bangladesh T20I
Updated 24 July 2025

Farhan’s 50 lifts Pakistan to 178-7 in third Bangladesh T20I

Farhan’s 50 lifts Pakistan to 178-7 in third Bangladesh T20I
  • Sahibzada Farhan’s 41-ball 63 studded with five sixes and six boundaries
  • Bangladesh rest five main players after already winning three-match series

DHAKA: Opener Sahibzada Farhan hit a solid half century to guide Pakistan to an improved total of 178-7 in the third and final Twenty20 international against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Thursday.

Farhan’s 41-ball 63 studded with five sixes and six boundaries as well as Hasan Nawaz’s 17-ball 33 with three sixes and a boundary helped Pakistan post a challenging total after they were sent into bat.

Having already won their first-ever T20I series against Pakistan with victories in the first two matches, Bangladesh rested five of their main players including spearhead Mustafizur Rahman.

Pakistan had scored 110 and 125 in the first two matches — also in Dhaka.

Farhan, who replaced Fakhar Zaman as one of two changes for Pakistan, put on 82 for the opening stand with Saim Ayub who scored a 15-ball 21 with a six and two boundaries.

Farhan, 29, fell in the 12th over to spinner Nasum Ahmed who finished with 2-22 in his four overs. Pacer Taskin Ahmed took 3-38.

Mohammad Nawaz, who scored 16-ball 27 with two sixes and as many fours, and skipper Salman Agha made 12 to help Pakistan add 46 runs in the last five overs.


Pakistan central bank has room to slash interest rate by 100bps by December — analysts

Pakistan central bank has room to slash interest rate by 100bps by December — analysts
Updated 24 July 2025

Pakistan central bank has room to slash interest rate by 100bps by December — analysts

Pakistan central bank has room to slash interest rate by 100bps by December — analysts
  • Central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee to meet on July 30 to announce policy rate
  • Rate cut to reduce financing costs, boost productivity and support recovery, says analyst

KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank has room to slash the key interest rate by 100 basis points by December, financial analysts said on Thursday, noting that the move would reduce financing costs and boost productivity in the country.

The central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is scheduled to hold its meeting on July 30 to decide about the key interest rate. A majority of financial market participants expect the central bank to cut its key interest rate by 50 to 100 basis points next week, as per a report by Karachi-based brokerage firm Topline Securities. A majority, 56 percent, expect a 50 to 100 basis points rate cut next week, the report said while thirty-seven percent expect the policy rate to remain unchanged at 11 percent.

The findings reflect growing market confidence that declining inflation and easing global oil prices have created space for monetary easing. In its last meeting, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) kept the policy rate unchanged at 11 percent, citing uncertainty over the federal budget and regional tensions in the Middle East. This time, a stronger consensus appears to be building toward a rate cut.

“We are expecting inflation to average 5-7 percent in FY26, leaving a room of a total of 100 basis points cut in our view after adjusting it for real rate of 400 basis points,” Shankar Talreja, Topline Securities’ head of research, told Arab News.

Talreja said he expected the SBP to announce a policy rate cut of 50 basis points when it meets next week.

“We are expecting the policy rate to bottom out at 10 percent by December 2025,” he said.

Shahid Ali Habib, the chief executive officer at brokerage research firm Arif Habib Ltd., said he also expected the interest rate to be slashed by 50 basis points. The SBP has slashed the key policy rate by an aggressive 11,000 points from a record 22 percent over the last one year, as inflation eases in the South Asian country.

“A rate cut now could reduce financing costs, boost productivity and support recovery after a modest 2.68 percent GDP growth in FY25,” Habib said.

The expectations come as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government aims to increase the GDP of Pakistan’s debt-ridden economy by 4.2 percent this year, up from the 2.7 percent last fiscal year.

Backed by the International Monetary Fund’s $7 billion loan, Pakistan’s economy has stabilized in recent months with inflation ebbing to 3.2 percent in June and the current account showing a surplus of $328 million last month.

Pakistan’s easing inflationary pressures have been the main driving force behind the central bank’s aggressive policy rate cuts. Habib said Pakistan’s macroeconomic situation was improving, saying that he sees FY26 inflation averaging on 5.4 percent and core inflation at around 8 percent this fiscal year.

However, Talreja said the decline in borrowing costs could be a “non-event” for Pakistan’s booming stock market, which has already factored in the expected change.

Pakistani stocks have risen 19 percent since January with the benchmark KSE-100 Index hitting a record 140,585 points during intraday trading last week, according to the Pakistan Stock Exchange data.

“The majority of the impact is already taken by the markets, the treasury bills are trading at 10.7 percent which already incorporates around 50 basis points cut,” Talreja noted.

Talreja said if slashed further, the policy rate will nonetheless provide some respite to businesses as the cost of financing will further come down.

“Honestly, either 50 or 100 basis points won’t matter significantly as we have already eased over 11,00 basis points in the last one year,” the analyst said.