Category: 1. Pakistan

KARACHI (Web Desk) – In a major inter-agency operation, the Pakistan Navy (PN), Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA), Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre (JMICC), and the Narcotics Control Wing of the Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control Department (Sindh) have successfully conducted a joint maritime and intelligence-based operation in the Arabian Sea.

The coordinated action involved surveillance missions and real-time maritime patrols, which led to the interception of a stateless vessel operating illegally in the region.

A thorough search of the vessel uncovered over 500 kilograms of narcotics, including hashish and crystal ice (methamphetamine), prepared for illegal distribution.

Illicit liquor confiscation

In a separate intelligence-based operation, the agencies also seized a large quantity of illicit liquor concealed onboard another vessel. The confiscated contraband was intended for unlawful circulation.

The operations were made possible through effective intelligence sharing, seamless coordination, and swift execution by the participating forces.

Contraband worth over Rs1 billion

Authorities estimate the total street value of the seized drugs and liquor at more than Rs1 billion.

The recovered items have been formally handed over to the Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control Department (Sindh) for further legal proceedings.

The success of these operations demonstrates the enhanced operational synergy between Pakistan’s maritime and law enforcement agencies. It also reaffirms their joint commitment to combating illicit trade, safeguarding national maritime interests, and contributing to regional stability.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that from next year onward, Pakistani pilgrims will travel to Iraq exclusively under registered Zaireen Group Organizers, rather than individually.

Speaking at a trilateral conference of the Interior Ministers of Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq in Tehran on Monday, he said the registration process for Zaireen Group Organizers has already commenced. These groups will be responsible for ensuring the safe return of pilgrims traveling to Iraq. He added that only individuals issued a special visa by the embassy will be permitted to travel independently.

Mohsin Naqvi emphasized that the group organizer system will help eliminate unauthorized travel to Iraq and reduce incidents of overstaying. He said Iraq and Iran are fully aligned with Pakistan’s new system and reaffirmed their commitment to jointly curbing irregular travel and overstays. He also assured his counterparts of Pakistan’s full cooperation in matters concerning Zaireen.

He expressed gratitude to the governments of Iraq and Iran for their continued care and support of Pakistani pilgrims.

The conference agreed to take all possible measures to facilitate Zaireen traveling to Iran and Iraq.

It was decided that a joint working group comprising representatives from all three countries would be established to streamline and support the pilgrimage process.

KARACHI (Web Desk) – In a major inter-agency operation, the Pakistan Navy (PN), Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA), Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre (JMICC), and the Narcotics Control Wing of the Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control Department (Sindh) have successfully conducted a joint maritime and intelligence-based operation in the Arabian Sea.

The coordinated action involved surveillance missions and real-time maritime patrols, which led to the interception of a stateless vessel operating illegally in the region.

A thorough search of the vessel uncovered over 500 kilograms of narcotics, including hashish and crystal ice (methamphetamine), prepared for illegal distribution.

Illicit liquor confiscation

In a separate intelligence-based operation, the agencies also seized a large quantity of illicit liquor concealed onboard another vessel. The confiscated contraband was intended for unlawful circulation.

The operations were made possible through effective intelligence sharing, seamless coordination, and swift execution by the participating forces.

Contraband worth over Rs1 billion

Authorities estimate the total street value of the seized drugs and liquor at more than Rs1 billion.

The recovered items have been formally handed over to the Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control Department (Sindh) for further legal proceedings.

The success of these operations demonstrates the enhanced operational synergy between Pakistan’s maritime and law enforcement agencies. It also reaffirms their joint commitment to combating illicit trade, safeguarding national maritime interests, and contributing to regional stability.

QUETTA (Dunya News) – Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, has announced that all low-income litigants will be provided free legal representation at the state’s expense in every court of the country.

During his visit to Quetta, the top judge presided over a high-level meeting at the Supreme Court’s Branch Registry.

The meeting reviewed cooperation and institutional coordination between the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan and bar associations in Balochistan.

The meeting was attended by Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court Rozi Khan, Supreme Court Bar Association President Mian Muhammad Rauf Atta, representatives of the Pakistan Bar Council, Balochistan Bar Council, Ministry of Law and Justice, Law Commission, and senior officials from the Balochistan government.

Addressing the participants, Chief Justice Yahya Afridi acknowledged the critical role of bar associations in the justice system.

He pointed out the lack of effective coordination between district bar associations and the Law Commission, despite the availability of resources which, he noted, have not been optimally used for the betterment of the district judiciary.

To address this gap, the Chief Justice announced the appointment of a senior representative in each province who will be based at the High Court to maintain direct contact with district bars, identify their priorities, and oversee ongoing development projects.

He said that bar associations will now be able to propose development plans through District Development Committees. These projects will also involve representatives from federal and provincial development agencies to ensure timely completion and efficient use of resources.

Justice Afridi urged bar leaders to spread awareness about these reforms and work together in improving the justice system. He also stressed better organization of federal government-provided facilities to ensure their effective use.

Read also: Chief Justice Yahya Afridi arrives in Quetta on first official visit

Highlighting the issues faced by underdeveloped districts, he called for targeted action to improve access to basic services, electricity, and digital infrastructure.

As part of the new initiative, Chief Justice Afridi announced that lawyers providing legal aid to low-income litigants will be compensated up to Rs50,000 through district legal empowerment committees. Bar associations will be authorized to nominate eligible lawyers for each court.

He further encouraged bar members to participate in the Federal Judicial Academy’s Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs and instructed that the training schedule be widely shared.

Focal persons from bar associations will also be nominated to maintain regular communication with the Academy.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhary on Monday stressed that the revamped Federal Constabulary (FC) was not a police force.

President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday promulgated an ordinance empowering the federal government to transform the FC, a border security force, into the Federal Constabulary to maintain law and order, supplement the law enforcement agencies, and address the diverse security needs in a coordinated manner.

According to the ordinance, the Frontier Consta­bulary was originally established to maintain law and order in frontier and border areas, ensuring the security of these critical regions, and preserving public peace in remote territories. However, the changing dynamics of national security, the increasing frequency of emergencies, natural disasters, civil unrest, and other emerging threats necessitated a more adaptable and versatile force to respond to such challenges.

Before this ordinance, the use of force by the government for VIP security often attracted criticism, but now, under the name of protecting “escort”, the force can be freely used for the personal security of the elite.

Addressing a press conference today in Faisalabad with FC Commandant Riaz Nazir Gara, Chaudhry said: “The Federal Constabulary will be the Federal Constabulary. No one should confuse it with the federal police.”

He said the Frontier Constabulary was being restructured and renamed only to bolster internal and national security. The minister said that the revamping was an institutional necessity to improve coordination, compensation and capability of this force across all provinces and territories.

“It is purely a defence-related issue to strengthen national defence by providing support to the law enforcement agencies,” he added.

He said that the FC had played a pivotal role in maintaining peace and security within the country and along its borders for nearly a century, yet the force was not accorded the recognition and benefits comparable to other security forces in Pakistan.

He lamented that despite limited salaries and fewer privileges, FC personnel had consistently served the nation with unwavering dedication.

“Now, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi have decided to transform FC into a federal force to address the disparity with upgraded structure and scope under the new name of Federal Constabulary,” he added.

He clarified that while the name was being changed, the identity and core function of the FC as a constabulary remained intact. “The restructuring would help ensure that its personnel receive salaries, training and benefits equal to those of other national security forces,” he added.

He said that the FC had a long role in combatting drug trafficking, smuggling and supporting civil law enforcement agencies during sensitive events such as Muharram, elections and anti-polio campaigns.

“Now it will continue to carry out these responsibilities under its new federal framework,” he added.

Chaudhry said that with the reorganisation, the jurisdiction of the Federal Constabulary would be expanded to include all four provinces as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir.

He said that recruitment would be opened to all citizens from across the country and the federal government would bear all operational and financial responsibilities, relieving the provinces of any budgetary burden.

The development prompted concern among opposition parties and human rights groups that it could be used as a tool of political repression.

The announcement came after the PTI said it would stage nationwide protests starting on August 5, the second anniversary of party founder Imran Khan’s arrest. Several such protests since his August 2023 arrest have turned violent, in some cases paralysing the capital Islamabad for days.

PTI leader Zulfikar Bukhari said the changes should be subject to parliamentary discussion.

The new force “should not be used as a gimmick to silence political opponents, as has been previously witnessed when the government applied such laws against a large number of the PTI leadership and supporters”, he said.

His concern was echoed by Haris Khalique, secretary of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

“We are alarmed by the changes being made to the security and law enforcement structure of the country without any debate in parliament,” Khalique said.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has concluded a critical emergency project that provided support to flood-affected farming and herding communities in Balochistan and Sindh provinces, made possible through generous funding from the Government of Japan.

The FAO-led intervention, backed by a contribution of $6.48 million, focused on restoring food production, improving household nutrition, and building longer-term resilience in areas devastated by the unprecedented 2022 floods.

Over 74,000 households — equivalent to more than 520,000 people — benefited from the initiative, which combined agricultural support with livestock protection and targeted assistance for female-headed families.

A project completion event was held at the FAO premises in Islamabad on July 14 to highlight the key results and express appreciation for Japan’s contribution.

The event brought together Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, Akamatsu Shuichi, the FAO Representative in Pakistan, Florence Rolle, and senior representatives from national and provincial partners.

“The Government of Japan has always prioritised human security in its development cooperation,” said Ambassador Akamatsu, adding: “This project reflects our commitment to helping the people of Pakistan recover from the devastating floods and rebuild their lives through practical and sustainable agricultural support.”

FAO’s response involved the distribution of seeds, fertilisers, and training to help families restart food production. Over 14,000 households received inputs for vegetable and field crop cultivation, while 1,500 hectares of agricultural land were rehabilitated. As a result, farming families were able to grow a wide range of crops, including wheat, rice, maize, okra, brinjal, and tomatoes, improving food availability and income opportunities.

Support to livestock-owning families included the distribution of animal feed, mineral blocks, poultry, and small ruminants, along with the construction of animal shelters and a mass vaccination campaign that reached more than 629,000 animals, benefiting 35,000 households. Special focus was given to female-headed households, who received livestock and poultry packages along with training in animal care and poultry production to help diversify and stabilise their incomes.

“This project made a real difference in the lives of rural communities that lost nearly everything to the floods,” said Florence Rolle, FAO Representative in Pakistan. “With Japan’s timely support, families not only regained their ability to produce food but also strengthened their resilience against future shocks.”

Implemented in close coordination with the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, disaster management authorities, and non-governmental partners, the project also helped enhance local knowledge of climate-smart practices, food security planning, and livestock management — laying the foundation for more resilient rural systems in the future.

KARACHI: A Saudi-based consortium of travel and hospitality companies has launched a $50 million fund to reduce the cost of Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages for Pakistani travelers by as early as September, the group’s chief executive said on Monday.

The consortium includes online Umrah booking platform Funadiq.com, Emaar Al Diyafa Group of hotels, Skyline Travel Company and other firms operating in Makkah. Its stated goal is to modernize the infrastructure and operations of Pakistani travel agencies to help them meet Saudi regulatory standards and better serve pilgrims.

The consortium’s CEO Mohammad Salman Arain told Arab News the main objective behind setting up the fund is to upgrade travel agencies’ infrastructure and operations in every major Pakistani city. 

He said the fund is expected to lower Hajj costs by 20 percent and Umrah costs by 25 percent for Pakistani pilgrims.

“On average, [Umrah for one person] is Rs300,000 ($1,054) and we expect that by September, a small travel agent would be able to offer it to his customers at Rs240,000 ($844) to Rs250,000 ($879),” Arain said in a telephone interview on Monday.

Arain attributed the current high costs to inefficiencies in the way many Pakistani travel agents operate:

“Once we help them operate better then Umrah will become cheaper for our pilgrims.”

His company, Umrah Companions, also launched what it calls the world’s first AI-powered Umrah agent this month, designed to help digitally savvy pilgrims customize their travel packages based on cost and convenience.

The consortium will also help Pakistani Hajj organizers adapt to Saudi Arabia’s evolving regulations.

“This should make Hajj better organized and cheaper as well,” Arain said.

In a separate statement, Funadiq.com said over 2 million Pakistanis travel to Saudi Arabia each year for pilgrimage and spend more than $5 billion annually, making Pakistan one of the world’s largest pilgrimage markets.

“Yet despite these numbers, the sector continues to suffer from poor management,” the company said. “More than 67,000 pilgrims missed Hajj this year alone.”

That figure refers to a large portion of Pakistan’s private Hajj quota that went unutilized this year due to reported delays by travel companies in completing payment and registration requirements, according to Funadiq.com. 

Private operators have blamed the shortfall on technical glitches, payment delays, and poor coordination between service providers. Pakistan’s government fulfilled its full allocation of over 88,000 pilgrims.

The Saudi consortium’s investment will be used for technology upgrades, staff training, and process improvements in small- and medium-sized travel agencies. These improvements could make the booking process 50 percent faster, Funadiq.com said.

“We are stepping in to help change that, working closely with the government, airlines, and private sector partners,” the company added.

PTI leader Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, a former aide to ex-premier Imran Khan, is set to offer testimony on “political repression” in Pakistan before the United States Congress’ Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, it emerged on Monday.

According to its website, the bipartisan commission was established in 2008 and is charged with promoting, defending and advocating for international human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights instruments.

The commission’s hearing notice states that the session will take place on Tuesday (tomorrow) at 3:30pm (12:30am PKT on Wednesday) and will “examine the government of Pakistan’s persecution of opposition political figures and journalists, and its actions to control media communications and prevent free and fair elections in Pakistan”. The session is open to the public and the media.

“Many date the current phase of repression in Pakistan to 2022, when, with the involvement of the Pakistan military, popular Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted, and soon after, arrested, convicted of corruption and imprisoned,” the notice read.

“Parliamentary elections in February 2024 were, according to the US State Department, marked by ‘undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly’, as well as ‘electoral violence, and restrictions on the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms’,” it added.

The commission provided a list of witnesses who would provide testimony during Tuesday’s hearing. Besides Bukhari, the list includes Amnesty International’s Advocacy Director for Europe and Central Asia, Ben Linden; Perseus Strategies Managing Director Jared Genser; and Afghanistan Impact Network founder Sadiq Amini.

A press release from the commission’s co-chairman, Republican Congressman Christopher Smith, who will chair the session, said the meeting would “discuss the government of Pakistan’s ongoing political repression, the US response, and offer recommendations for Congress”.

Bukhari announced that he would be testifying before the commission in a post on X dated July 9, expressing gratitude to the commission’s co-chairs, Democratic Congressman James McGovern and Smith, for the opportunity to testify.

“I will be highlighting the arbitrary detention of Imran Khan, his wife, and other political prisoners, as well as the erosion of democracy, the undermining of the rule of law, and escalating crackdowns on freedom of expression in Pakistan,” he wrote.

Genser replied to Bukhari’s post, writing, “I am honoured and grateful to be able to testify alongside you before the [Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission] on Pakistan, human rights and the situation of Imran Khan and all political prisoners being held by the current regime.”

Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in the £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9, 2023, protests.

In May, Freedom Network’s annual Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom Report for 2025 said Pakistan’s media is standing at a crossroads amid an existential threat and increased restrictive environment, deteriorating safety and job security, significant challenges to professional integrity of media and its practitioners.

Titled ‘Free speech and public interest journalism under siege’, the report finds that the existential crisis was triggered by amendments to Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) in January 2025 that now “makes it easier” for authorities to arrest, fine and imprison journalists and dissidents — both offline and online — besides other challenges.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the country’s leading human rights watchdog, has also expressed deep concern over the steadily shrinking space for human rights advocacy in the country.

In a statement issued earlier this month, the HRCP said it had faced a series of arbitrary, illegal, and unjustified actions over the past few months, which have impeded the organisation’s ability to carry out its mandate.