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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran are planning official exchanges to strengthen trade linkages and deepen economic cooperation along their shared border, an official statement said after a meeting between Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Iranian Ambassador Reza Amiri-Moghaddam on Saturday.

The two neighbors have set up border markets and discussed barter trade in recent years to get around banking and currency restrictions.

Sanctions and foreign exchange shortages remain key hurdles for Iran, making barter systems and cross-border markets central to its trade strategy with Pakistan.

The meeting between the envoy and Pakistan’s commerce minister comes at a time when both countries held the Pakistan-Iran Joint Economic Commission in September to discuss concrete strategies to enhance bilateral trade.

“The commerce minister proposed arranging high-level visits, including those of the Chief Minister of Baluchistan and the Governor of Zahedan, to facilitate cross-border trade and improve the livelihoods of people living in the border regions,” the statement said. “He also suggested inviting Pakistani ministers from the maritime, railways, and communications sectors to Iran to explore avenues of mutual cooperation in their respective fields.”

The two reaffirmed their goal of achieving $10 billion in annual bilateral trade by 2028, citing recent measures such as the reopening of the Mand-Pishin border market and the resumption of Quetta-Zahedan flights as signs of improving cooperation.

The minister extended an invitation to Iranian companies and state-owned organizations to participate in the upcoming FoodAg exhibition, scheduled to be held from November 25 to 27 in Karachi.

He pointed out such platforms can provide opportunities for Iranian and Pakistani businesses to explore trade, investment and joint ventures in the agri-food sector.

Ambassador Amiri-Moghaddam highlighted recent progress in bilateral trade, noting that Iran had completed imports of 400,000 tons of rice from Pakistan and was ready to purchase animal feed and maize under existing agreements.

KARACHI: Militants in Pakistan suffered their heaviest losses in a decade in October as security forces intensified counterterrorism operations across multiple regions, killing at least 355 insurgents, according to new data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) on Saturday.

Pakistan vowed last month to take all necessary measures to target militant groups that have intensified violence in its two western provinces, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, bordering Afghanistan. Authorities have frequently said these groups are based in Afghan frontier regions from where they launch cross-border attacks on civilians and security forces.

The two sides also experienced their worst border clashes in years in October, which left dozens dead on both sides, before agreeing to cease hostilities and begin talks mediated by Türkiye and Qatar. Pakistan says its “single-point agenda” in these negotiations is for the Taliban to take “decisive and verifiable action” against anti-Pakistan groups operating from Afghan soil.

According to the PICSS report, 458 people were killed last month, including 355 militants, 72 members of security forces, 30 civilians and one member of a pro-government peace committee. Another 162 people were injured — 92 security personnel, 48 civilians and 22 militants — while 22 suspected militants were arrested.

Militants also kidnapped 55 people, the highest monthly figure of abductions in a decade.

“While militant violence persists, the sharp rise in militant deaths underscores the growing effectiveness of Pakistan’s counter-militancy operations,” PICSS said in a statement.

It said 23 militant attacks were recorded in Balochistan last month compared to 21 in September, though casualties dropped from 79 to 27. Sixteen security personnel, eight militants and three civilians were killed, while 31 people — mostly laborers — were kidnapped.

Security forces killed 67 militants in the province, the highest monthly figure since 2002, which PICSS described as “a notable improvement in the province’s security situation,” citing a 92 percent decline in civilian deaths and a 52 percent drop in security forces fatalities.

In the northwester tribal belt of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 22 militant attacks resulted in 31 deaths, including 18 members of the security forces and 13 civilians, while 45 were injured.

Militants kidnapped 18 people from the area. PICSS noted a 200 percent rise in security personnel deaths, up from six in September, and said security operations killed 209 militants, the highest monthly total since November 2014.

The think tank said among those killed was Qari Amjad, the former deputy emir and shadow defense minister of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa saw 37 militant attacks in October compared to 25 in September, resulting in 48 deaths, including 21 security personnel, 10 civilians, 16 militants and one peace committee member. Forty-two people were injured. Security forces killed 55 militants during the month.

In Sindh, three militant attacks killed three civilians and injured seven people, while authorities arrested eight suspected militants of the Iran-backed Al-Zainabiyun Brigade, including key commanders. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) targeted the Jaffar Express train in Sindh’s Shikarpur district with an improvised explosive device (IED), derailing four carriages and injuring seven passengers.

The northern Gilgit-Baltistan region witnessed three attacks, including two attempted target killings attributed to the Al-Zainabiyun Brigade, while the TTP abducted two officials of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

In Punjab, a low-intensity attack occurred when TTP militants blew up a gas pipeline in Mianwali district. Security forces also arrested an Al-Qaeda operative from Okara district.

Overall, PICSS recorded 2,853 deaths in the first ten months of 2025, including 1,734 militants, 601 security personnel, 497 civilians and 21 pro-government combatants.