Pakistan navy chief says force capable of defending maritime frontiers as new hovercraft inducted
Pakistan navy chief says force capable of defending maritime frontiers as new hovercraft inducted/node/2620272/pakistan
Pakistan navy chief says force capable of defending maritime frontiers as new hovercraft inducted
The pictures released by Pakistan Navy on October 25, 2025, shows three TD hovercraft being tested in waters in the country’s creek region. (Pakistan Navy)
KARACHI: Pakistan is capable of defending its maritime frontiers, the country’s naval chief said on Saturday, as he inducted three state-of-the-art 2400 TD hovercraft to further strengthen the navy’s operational capabilities, according to an official statement.
Admiral Naveed Ashraf made the remark while visiting forward posts in the country’s creek region, where he reviewed operational preparedness and combat readiness.
Addressing officers and men on the occasion, he said the induction of the new platforms symbolized the Pakistan Navy’s vision to modernize and bolster the country’s defense.
“We know how to defend our sovereignty and every inch of our maritime frontiers from Sir Creek to Jiwani,” he said, according to a statement circulated by the Directorate General Public Relations.
Ashraf reaffirmed the navy’s “defense capabilities stand as strong as our unwavering morale, from the shores to the sea.”
The official statement said the newly inducted hovercraft were capable of operating over a variety of surfaces, including shallow waters, sand dunes, marshy and boggy littoral zones and could move in areas where traditional craft are neither suitable nor designed to operate.
It added this unique capability of undertaking simultaneous operations over land and sea was expected to provide an edge to Pakistan Marines in performing their assigned tasks.
The admiral further reiterated that sea lines of communication and maritime security were not just military requirements but “a cornerstone of our nation’s sovereignty and a vital pillar of economic prosperity and stability.”
He described the Pakistan Navy as the “vanguard of peace and stability in the Indian Ocean Region” and a significant stakeholder in regional maritime security.
KARACHI: Two wrestlers strain and pull under the harsh glare of the sun, their feet digging into the dusty earth of the football ground. They grunt and twist, trying to unsettle the other and claim victory as hundreds watch with eager anticipation around them.
Scenes like this are typical at a malakhra contest, an ancient and traditional form of wrestling popular in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province. A malakhra showdown begins with both wrestlers, or “pehlwans” as they are known in Urdu, securing a twisted cloth known as a lungi around their opponent’s waist.
The wrestlers use the cloth to throw their opponent to the ground through strength and technique. The wrestler who falls to the ground loses the contest.
The traditional sport is believed to have originated in the ancient city of Mohenjo-Daro thousands of years ago. However, in a country where cricket dominates national passion, wrestlers often complain that malakhra receives little attention.
“This is the only game that has no stadiums, no academies,” Ghulam Nabi Sheedi, a former wrestler and general secretary of the Sindh Malakhra Association, told Arab News on the sidelines of a three-day tournament in Karachi this week.
“I want to say with regret that our game receives very little support from the government.”
Wrestlers compete in a 'Sindhi Malakhra' wrestling match, an ancient form of wrestling that originated in Pakistan's Sindh region, during a local tournament in Karachi on October 21, 2025. (AFP)
The tournament, held at Karachi’s Syed Mehmood Shah Bukhari football ground in the city’s Chanesar Goth area, featured 25 wrestlers, this year. The event is held annually to mark the death anniversary of a revered local saint, Syed Mehmood Shah.
The contests attract hundreds of people every year, a reflection of the sport’s popularity.
However, little government support means malakhra doesn’t have any dedicated facilities and is often held at unspecialized venues such as football grounds.
Khuda Bux Sheedi, another wrestler known by his ring name “Repeater Sheedi,” defeated top contender Rashid Ali Khatian to qualify for the next round of contests.
He echoed the same frustration.
“When you broadcast malakhra, the whole world watches,” he said. “But from the government side, we receive no recognition.”
‘WE HAVE PASSION, SO WE PLAY’
For participants and organizers, malakhra represents a connection to a deep historical legacy.
Behram Khasakheli, president of the Karachi Division Malakhra Association, says the sport dates back to Mohenjo-Daro, the center of the Indus Valley Civilization.
“It is not from today. It is a 5,000-year-old sport,” he said, adding that historical signs of wrestlers playing in a similar style can still be found at the ancient site.
Khasakheli recalled a time when malakhra brought prestige to the nation.
“Bakr Sheedi and Sher Mir Bar, let me remind you, competed against Indian wrestlers and the Indian wrestlers lost,” he said, mentioning the names of former Pakistani malakhra greats.
Today, with a lack of proper facilities at their disposal, wrestlers mostly compete on unsuitable grounds.
“There should be a little softer soil,” Ghulam Nabi Sheedi explained. “Someone could get injured, even die. But we have passion, so we play.”
Sarfaraz Moosa, another wrestler whose family has practiced malakhra for five generations, is all too familiar with the physical risks associated with the sport.
“It’s malakhra. Sometimes your foot goes, sometimes your leg,” he said. “We come with prayers. We leave home with prayers.”
Speaking to Arab News, Sadia Javed, the Sindh administration’s spokesperson, said the province fully supported malakhra.
“There is an endowment fund in place through which the sports department supports these wrestlers just as it supports other sportspersons,” she said. “In addition, when it comes to organizing events, the Sindh government facilitates and hosts malakhra competitions.”
Javed said the provincial administration also helps educated wrestlers secure jobs in various public departments, helping them earn a livelihood and support their families.
“So, to say that the Sindh government does not support malakhra would be incorrect,” she added. “However, since it is an old, traditional game, it doesn’t receive the same level of marketing or media attention as modern sports.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces foiled a major militant attack in the country’s northwestern region, the military’s media wing said on Saturday, destroying a vehicle-borne suicide bomb and killing three militants it described as Indian-sponsored extremists.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in militant violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, with its forces fighting groups like the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella network of various armed factions that the government calls Khwarij.
The term is rooted in early Islamic history and is used to describe an extremist sect that rebelled against legitimate authority and declared other Muslims apostates.
“On 24 October 2025, security forces foiled a major terrorist incident and averted a potential catastrophic attack,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. “Based on credible intelligence on reported presence of Khwarij belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna Al-Khwarij, preparing a vehicle-borne suicide bomber for a major terrorist activity, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in the general area of Jhallar, North Waziristan District.”
“During the conduct of the operation, our troops effectively engaged the Khwarij’s location and, through precise and skillful engagement, destroyed the vehicle being prepared for the suicide attack and also eliminated three Indian-sponsored Khwarij.”
While Pakistan says cross-border attacks by the TTP and other militant groups from Afghanistan are backed by India, New Delhi denies the allegation.
The ISPR statement said a “sanitization operation” was continuing in the area, adding that Pakistan’s counterterrorism campaign under the government’s Azm-e-Istehkam initiative would continue at full pace until militant violence is wiped out from the country.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted a dinner for the visiting South African cricket team and the Pakistan squad on Saturday, saying the ongoing cricket exchanges between the two countries symbolized their strong bilateral ties and mutual respect.
The remarks came after the conclusion of the two-Test series between Pakistan and South Africa, which ended 1-1. Pakistan won the first Test in Lahore by 93 runs, while South Africa levelled the series with an eight-wicket victory in Rawalpindi earlier this week.
The teams will now face each other in three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches in the coming weeks.
Sharif welcomed the South African team to Pakistan and said cricket was one of the many areas reflecting the “excellent relations” between the two nations.
“South Africa has produced some of the world’s greatest players, and Pakistan’s cricketers have also brought pride to the country through their outstanding performances,” he said, according to an official statement, expressing hope that the national team would continue its tradition of playing “brilliant cricket.”
Sharif said cricket not only provided a platform to players to display their sporting talent but also connected people and promoted peace and brotherhood across nations.
He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to supporting international sports and hosting major global events in a secure and welcoming environment.
The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, also earned praise from the prime minister who said he had “full confidence” in his abilities.
South Africa’s team management and players thanked the Pakistan government and fans for their hospitality, describing the series as a memorable experience and praising the passion of Pakistani supporters who filled stadiums during both Tests.
Pakistan and South Africa share a long cricketing rivalry dating back to 1995.
The latest tour marks South Africa’s first Test visit to Pakistan in over four years.
Pakistan defense minister warns of ‘open war’ with Afghanistan if peace talks fail
Khawaja Asif says ceasefire holding as Pakistan, Afghanistan hold talks in Istanbul to avert renewed clashes
Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring militants behind cross-border attacks, an allegation the Taliban reject
Updated 25 October 2025
Reuters
KARACHI: Pakistan’s defense minister said on Saturday he believes Afghanistan wants peace but that failure to reach an agreement during talks in Istanbul would mean “open war,” days after both sides agreed to a ceasefire following deadly border clashes.
The talks in Istanbul, which began on Saturday and are expected to continue into Sunday, mark the latest attempt by Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent a relapse into violence after the worst border fighting since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul.
The talks are meant to devise a mechanism to enforce the Doha ceasefire longer term.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif said there had been no incidents in the four to five days since it was agreed, and both sides were complying with the truce.
“We have the option, if no agreement takes place, we have an open war with them,” he said in televised remarks from Pakistan. “But I saw that they want peace.”
The clashes erupted earlier this month after Islamabad demanded that the Taliban curb militants it says are attacking Pakistan from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan launched airstrikes across the border and both sides exchanged heavy fire, killing dozens and prompting the closure of key crossings that remain shut.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering militants who target Pakistani forces.
The Taliban reject the charge and says Pakistan’s military operations violate Afghan sovereignty.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kazakhstan concluded a two-week joint counterterrorism exercise at Cherat in northwestern Pakistan, the military’s media wing said on Saturday, reflecting growing security cooperation between the two countries.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the closing ceremony of Dostarym-V involved combat teams from Pakistan’s Special Services Group (SSG) and Kazakhstan’s Special Forces.
The exercise began on Oct. 14, the statement said, adding that it reaffirmed the commitment of the two militaries to strengthen cooperation in combating militancy and ensuring regional peace and stability.
“The exercise was aimed at refining the drills, procedures and techniques involved in counterterrorism operations through joint training, besides harnessing the historic military-to-military relations among the friendly countries,” ISPR said.
Pakistan and Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations in 1992, soon after the Central Asian nation’s independence following the Soviet Union’s collapse.
The two countries have since developed cooperation in defense, trade and connectivity, with Pakistan viewing Central Asia as a key part of its regional outreach to enhance trade and economic diplomacy.
The closing ceremony was attended by the commandant of the Special Operations School in Cherat as the chief guest, along with Kazakhstan’s ambassador and defense attaché.
The troops, ISPR said, “displayed the highest standards of professional excellence during the conduct.”
Pakistan and Kazakhstan have conducted several editions of the Dostarym — meaning “friends” in Kazakh — exercise in recent years, reflecting their shared concern over militancy and regional instability.
