Category: 1. Pakistan

SUKKUR / RAHIM YAR KHAN: Many passenger trains had to be halted at various stations for up to eight hours in the first half of Friday due to the derailment of a goods train at Mirpur Mathelo in Ghotki district.

The tracks were badly damaged after the locomotive and five carriages of the freight train derailed close to the city’s station.

The train was on its way to Karachi from Punjab. Both ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ tracks were closed to the rail traffic till the tracks were restored at around 12noon, according to Railways officials.

According to sources in the department, the tracks were uprooted and carriages separated from the locomotive.

The ‘6 Down’ Green Line remained stuck at the Rahim Yar Khan station for no fewer than eight hours after it was halted at around 4am. Its passengers experienced an unbearably long wait for the resumption of their journey and that, too, amid sweltering weather conditions.

Many trains halted at different stations; most people struggle to find food and water

Many other ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ trains, including Pak Business Express, Millat Express, Rehman Baba Express, Awam Express, Bahauddin Zakria Express, Tezgam and Karachi Express were halted at different railway stations on the main ML-I track within the Sukkur Railway Division.

They remain stuck at Liaquatpur, Khanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiq­abad, Daharki, Ghotki, Pannu Aaqil and Rohri railway stations, according to Railways sources.

At the Rahim Yar Khan station, Green Line passengers complained that neither the Railways ministry nor the local staff bothered to make arrangements for food and water for them during their eight-hour ordeal.

Some welfare organistions, realising the condition of men, women and children getting worse due to intense heat and unavailability of water, brought food and water to the station and served the passengers.

At Walhar station along Punjab-Sindh border, an ice cream vendor riding his tricycle pulled up and distributed the entire stock he had among perturbed passengers of another train free of cost.

All the stuck up trains were given green signal at about 12noon after a relief train hit the Mirpur Mathelo station when the work for the removal of derailed locomotive and carriages as well as restoration of the tracks was completed.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2025

WASHINGTON: With less than a week to go before the July 9 deadline, Pakistan and the United States have concluded a critical round of trade negotiations, reaching an understanding on a deal that could shape the future of the country’s key export sectors.

The Pakistani delegation, led by Commerce Secretary Jawad Paal, was scheduled to return on Friday after completing four days of talks in Washington.

While both sides have reached an understanding, a formal announcement is expected only after the US concludes similar ongoing negotiations with other trade partners.

The delegation arrived in Washington on Monday with the aim of finalising a long-term reciprocal tariff agreement that would prevent the re-imposition of a 29 per cent tariff on Pakistani exports — primarily textiles and agricultural products.

Formal announcement expected once Washington wraps up talks with other nations

The tariff relief, temporarily paused earlier this year, was at risk of expiring if no progress had been made by the July 9 deadline.

Officials familiar with the negotiations say the talks were successful, with both sides agreeing to a broad framework.

The agreement, when signed, could lead to incre­ased Pakistani imports of US goods — notably crude oil — and potential Ameri­can investment in Pakistan’s mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors.

Projects like the Reko Diq copper and gold mine and related energy infrastructure were a focus of the discussions. The deal could also pave the way for expanded engagement through the US Export-Import Bank.

Although US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had earlier indicated that Washington might allow limited flexibility on the deadline if meaningful pro­g­ress was evident, Pakistani officials say they pushed for early completion to remove uncertainty for exporters and investors.

Officials remain optimistic that the agreement will sustain Pakistan’s access to the US market and help reset bilateral economic ties, which had been under strain since the high tariffs were introduced during the Trump administration.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2025

• Officials say five-storey complex in Lyari housed around 100 people, had already been declared ‘dangerous’
• Rescue efforts hampered by suspension of cellular services
• Karachi mayor stresses need to evacuate hundreds of dilapidated buildings across the metropolis

KARACHI: At least 10 people lost their lives after a high-rise building collapsed in Lyari on Friday, with many more feared to be buried under the rubble, acco­rding to officials and witnesses.

The five-storey building on Fida Husain Shaikha Road in Lea Market had already been declared uninhabitable by authorities due to its dilapidated structure, which was further weakened by recent rains, DIG South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn.

Nine bodies and eight injured were brought to the Civil Hospital, the executive director of the hospital’s trauma centre told Dawn.

There were three women among the deceased, Dr Sabir Memon added.

The deceased were identified as Fatima Babu, 55; Prem, 32; Waseem Babu, 35; Hoor Bai Kishan, 55; Prantic Arsi, 21; Sunita Daya, 35; Daya Lal, 40; Wanda Kelash, 13; Arshna Vishal, 24; and Kishan Daya Lal, 72.

The injured were identified as Yusuf Subhan, 50; Rashid Aziz, 25; Chanda Lal, 30; Sanita Chaitan, 30; Kishna Das, 17; Mujeeb Ali, 29; Roshan Islam, 32; and three-month-old Bhabna Rohit.

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn the victims sustained crush injuries to the chest and head.

The death toll is expected to rise further, as rescue teams were clearing the debris in search of people late into the night.

Heavy machinery faced difficulty in reaching the site amid the narrow alleys of Lyari, a low-income neighbourhood.

Police even had to baton-charge a crowd that had gathered around the site to make way for machinery, officials added.

The rescue operation was also hampered by the suspension of cellular services for security reasons during the Muharram procession.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn the incident had reportedly occurred between 9 and 9:30am. However, they said they received the information late due to the suspension of communication networks, he added.

According to DIG Raza, the building named Gada Palace was constructed on a 200-square-yard plot, with four apartments on each floor.

Mr Khan, the Rescue 1122 spokesperson, said there were shops on the ground floor of the building.

Two pillars of the building collapsed early in the morning, around 4am, but the building was still standing, he added.

Although residents evacuated at the time, they later returned to their homes. A few hours later, the entire building collapsed.

A police official told AFP that up to 100 people had been living in the building.

The head of Rescue 1122, DG Dr Abid Jalaluddin Shaikh, said that over 100 personnel, five disaster resp­onse vehicles, two snorkels and cranes, took part in the rescue operation. DIG Raza said there were reports that at least 20 to 25 people were still buried under the debris.

Meanwhile, relatives whose loved ones are still missing were clinging to hope for their survival.

All six members of 70-year-old Jumho Maheshwari’s family were at his flat on the first floor when he left for work early in the morning. “Nothing is left for me now — my family is all trapped and all I can do is pray for their safe recovery,” he told AFP.

Another resident, Maya Sham Jee, said her brother’s family was also trapped under the rubble. “We are helpless and just looking at the rescue workers to bring our loved ones back safely,” she said.

Multiple notices

Speaking to reporters at the site of the incident, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the government needed to “take action” as there were around 434 buildings in the Old City area that had been declared “dangerous” by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).

In a statement, the authority put the number of such buildings across Karachi at 588, Dawn.com reported. It added the building was declared dangerous after a thorough inspection in October 2022.

The first ejectment notice was issued to residents on June 2, 2023, followed by a second notice on February 28, 2024, and a third notice with a three-day warning to evacuate the building. Public utilities were asked to disconnect services to the building in June 2024, but they didn’t follow the directives, SBCA claimed.

A reminder for ejectment was issued on June 2 with copies sent to the South deputy and assistant comm­issioners and the Kalari station house officer, requesting their intervention to evacuate the premises and prevent any potential incident.

On June 29, the residents were warned via megaphones to evacuate the building immediately.

“Regrettably, the residents were reluctant to vacate the building unless alternate accommodation was provided.”

SBCA officials suspended

Sindh Local Govern­m­ent Minister Saeed Ghani, who visited the site, has formed a committee to in­­vestigate the incident and report within three days.

The minister also suspended officials of the SBCA over their alleged negligence. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has soug­­ht a report about the incident.

He directed the SBCA to identify dilapidated buildings in the metropolis and evacuate them.

With input from AFP

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2025

• ISPR says several attackers belonging to ‘Indian proxy’ TTP gunned down over two nights
• Hassan Khel area witnessed similar action in April, when around 54 militants were killed while trying to cross into Pakistan
• Army calls on Kabul govt to check use of Afghan soil against Pakistan; ISPR’s official X account ‘reactivated’

PESHAWAR: Security forces on Friday foiled another infiltration attempt from Afghanistan by an ‘Indian proxy’, killing at least 30 terrorists in North Waziristan district, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

In a statement, the military’s media wing said troops detected a large group of terrorists from Fitna al Khwarij — the state’s terminology for the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — attempting to infiltrate the Pak-Afghan border in the Hassan Khel area.

“The security forces effectively engaged and thwarted the militants’ attempt to infiltrate,” the statement read, adding that as a result of a precise and skillful engagement, all the 30 terrorists were gunned down on the nights between July 1-2 and July 2-3 .

A large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was reportedly recovered from the killed terrorists.

“The security forces demonstrated exceptional professionalism, vigilance and preparedness, and prevented a potential catastrophe,” the ISPR said.

The statement called on Afghanistan’s government to control its side of the border.

“Interim Afghan government also needs to check and prevent the use of Afghan soil by ‘foreign proxies’ for orchestrating militant activities against Pakis­tan,” the ISPR said, adding that security forces remained unwavering in their commitment to defend the nation’s frontiers.

The encounter was the second major incident in the area in the past couple of months.

On April 27, security forces killed 54 militants in what the military billed as the single-biggest blow to the TTP and its affiliates.

That engagement also occurred in Hassan Khel, when a group was neutralised while trying to breach the Pak-Afghan border.

At the time, the ISPR said intelligence reports indicated that group was infiltrating at the behest of their “foreign masters” to conduct high-profile terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

The ISPR also claimed that it was the highest number of militants killed by the security forces in a single engagement during the entire campaign against terrorism.

The persistent infiltration attempts highlight ongoing security concerns that prompted a high-level meeting in January.

On Jan 13, political leaders met with the Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, expressing concerns over the law and order situation in the province.

According to sources privy to the meeting, the political leadership asked the military to engage with Afghanistan to address Pakistan’s internal security problems and urged the full implementation of the country’s National Action Plan against terrorism.

Separately, the ISPR’s verified X (formerly Twitter) account became active once again. The account, which last posted in 2023, was updated on Friday with the official statement regarding the N. Waziristan incident.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2025

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday finally announced the schedule for the long-overdue Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, setting July 21 as the polling date.

The much-delayed but suspenseful exercise will see elections on 11 seats — seven general and two each reserved for women, ulema and technocrats.

Experts believe the outcome will hinge on how PTI-backed and JUI-F members vote. If the opposition remains united and PTI-backed members strictly follow party discipline — with JUI-F support — the ruling coalition may win only one general seat.

However, the scenario would shift dramatically if some PTI members break ranks and JUI-F strikes a deal with the ruling coalition. In that case, the coalition might bag around five seats, potentially gaining a two-thirds majority in the upper house of parliament. JUI-F already holds five seats in the Senate.

Currently, the ruling coalition has 54 members in the 96-member Senate — 10 short of the two-thirds majority (64 seats).

Polling for the 11 KP Senate seats will be held on July 21, while a separate election for the seat vacated by Senator Sania Nishtar is scheduled for July 31.

According to an ECP statement, the Senate elections in KP were delayed due to an incomplete electoral college. The schedule was announced two days after 25 reserved seats — originally allocated to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) — were redistributed among parties, including PML-N, PPP, JUI-F, PTI-P and ANP.

The elections were earlier postponed in April 2024, exacerbating political uncertainty in the province. Polling for another Senate seat — vacated after the death of Professor Sajid Mir — will also take place on July 21.

An ECP spokesperson said letters have been sent to the speakers of national and provincial assemblies, requesting the oath-taking of members elected on reserved seats and notified on July 2, 2025. This is to ensure they can assume office and vote in the Senate elections in KP and Punjab.

It may be recalled that Senate elections in KP were previously postponed on April 2, 2024, due to the speaker’s refusal to administer oath to newly elected members on reserved seats.

A fresh notification reads: “In continuation of the earlier notification dated April 2, 2024, whereby the poll date for Senate elections from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province against seven general seats, two women seats, and two technocrats including ulema seats was postponed, the Election Commission of Pakistan hereby appoints July 21, 2025, as the poll date for the said Senate election.”

The ECP has also issued a detailed schedule for the seat vacated by Dr Sania Nishtar. The public notice will be issued on July 9, nomination papers can be submitted on July 10 and 11, scrutiny will be held on July 16, and polling will take place on July 31. The former PTI lawmaker had resigned in October last year, but her seat was declared vacant on March 10 this year.

Furthermore, a notification has been issued for the election to the seat left vacant by the demise of PML-N Senator Professor Sajid Mir. The revised list of candidates will be issued on July 15, nomination withdrawals are allowed until July 16, and polling will be held on July 21 at the Punjab Assembly building.

In addition, an election schedule has been issued for two vacant seats reserved for PML-N women from KP in the National Assembly. The returning officer will issue a public notice on July 8; nomination papers can be submitted on July 9 and 10; scrutiny will take place on July 14; and the final list of candidates will be released on July 24. The PML-N’s previous priority list has been exhausted, and a new one must be submitted to the priority list counting officer by July 10.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2025

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court has raised serious concerns over the systemic failure of law enforcement in tackling the narcotics trade beyond its most vulnerable participants, observing that prosecutions overwhelmingly target only drug “carriers” – mostly from underprivileged backgrounds – while major perpetrators remain untouched.

The observations came in a 17-page written judgment authored by Justice Athar Minallah, in which the court acquitted two individuals who had earlier been sentenced to life imprisonment in a narcotics case.

The ruling was issued by a three-member bench headed by Justice Minallah, and comprising Justice Irfan Saadat Khan and Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan.

“There are several law-enforcement agencies vested with powers to apprehend and prosecute those who are involved in the crimes relating to narcotic drugs, including a special agency, the Anti-Narcotics Force established under the Act of 1997,” the verdict notes.

The judgment calls into question the effectiveness of these institutions, particularly when viewed against the scale and pervasiveness of the drug menace.

“The people of Pakistan have to bear the financial burden for maintaining these law enforcement agencies entrusted with the onerous task to eradicate the menace of narcotic drugs from the society. Have they achieved their designated goal? The answer is an emphatic ‘No’,” it reads.

The court further lamented the growing spread of narcotics across the country, stating: “The evil of narcotic drugs has spread throughout the country and it cannot be disputed that it has reached the educational institutions where they are freely accessible.”

The bench pointed out that even in the few cases where arrests are made, prosecutions often do not result in convictions, raising further doubts about the integrity and professionalism of investigative processes.

“The law enforcement agencies have not gone beyond arresting carriers and then, in many cases, failing to prove the guilt even to their extent. If the society has to be freed from the evil of narcotic drugs then each law enforcement agency has to perform effectively and in the most professional manner.”

“They have to be held accountable for their omissions and lapses committed during the investigations or while prosecuting a case. The future generations cannot be exposed to the menace of narcotic drugs merely because the several law enforcement agencies entrusted with the onerous duty to free the society from this evil fail to perform effectively or are seen as complicit.

“The buck stops with the Federal and Provincial Governments, as the case may be, because they are ultimately responsible for the overall and general supervision of the law enforcement agencies. The responsibility does not end with the Executive branch of the State because the Judicial branch is also equally responsible in ensuring that the trial is conducted fairly and that a just decision is reached.

“This case also shows that the trial court had failed in exercising its powers vested under the law.

“We, therefore, expect that the Government of Sindh which, according to section 5 (1) of the Act of 2009, exercises general superintendence over the Prosecution Service and is responsible for ensuring achievement of the objectives of the Act of 2009, will take effective steps so that cases involving crimes relating to narcotic substances are dealt with effectively and in accordance with the duties and responsibilities of the investigators and Prosecutors.

“The Prosecutor General Sindh is expected to examine this case and take appropriate action so that the omissions observed in this case are not repeated. The prosecutor General is further advised to consider issuing guidelines in exercise of its functions under section 9-A (1) of the Act of 2009 for the Prosecutors and officers responsible for investigations relating to effective and efficient prosecution.

The High Court is also expected to consider laying down a policy of regular training of judicial officers relating to conducting of criminal trials. The order also said that this case has emanated from the province of Sindh where the Provincial Assembly of Sindh has promulgated and enacted the Sindh Criminal Prosecution Service (Constitution Functions and Powers) Act 2009.

“The Criminal Prosecution Service of Sindh has been established under this legislation. The Act of 2009 sets out the powers, functions and responsibilities of the prosecution service in conducting prosecutions on behalf of the Government.

“The administration of this service vests in the Government. Section 9 (1) explicitly provides that the Prosecutors shall be responsible for the conducting of prosecutions on behalf of the Government. The Prosecutor General is empowered under section 9-A (1) to issue general guidelines for the Prosecutors or officers responsible for investigation for effective and efficient prosecution.

Rescuers were searching for trapped survivors after the incident in the impoverished Lyari neighbourhood of Karachi.

A five-storey building has collapsed in Pakistan, killing at least eight people and injuring nine others, officials said, with rescuers searching through the rubble for more trapped victims.

The incident occurred on Friday, shortly after 10am (05:00 GMT) in the impoverished Lyari neighbourhood of Karachi, which was once plagued by gang violence.

Up to 100 people had been living in the building, senior police officer Arif Aziz told the AFP news agency.

Shankar Kamho, 30, a resident of the building who was out at the time, said he got a call from his wife saying “the building was cracking” and he told her to “get out immediately”.

“She went to warn the neighbours, but one woman told her ‘this building will stand for at least 10 more years.’ Still, my wife took our daughter and left. About 20 minutes later, the building collapsed,” he told AFP.

Residents also said the building was located on a narrow street, making it difficult for rescue teams to bring in additional heavy equipment.

Television footage showed rescuers removing the rubble and evacuating nearby buildings as a precaution.

Saad Edhi, of the Edhi welfare foundation that is part of the rescue operation, told AFP there could be “at least eight to 10 more people still trapped”, describing it as a “worn-out building”.

All six members of 70-year-old Jumho Maheshwari’s family were at his flat on the first floor when he left for work early in the morning.

“Nothing is left for me now. My family is all trapped and all I can do is pray for their safe recovery,” he told AFP.

Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced. Many structures are built with substandard materials, and safety regulations are frequently ignored to cut costs.

But Karachi, home to more than 20 million, is especially notorious for poor construction, illegal extensions, ageing infrastructure, overcrowding and lax enforcement of building regulations.

In June 2020, an apartment building collapsed in Karachi, killing 22 people.

The federal government on Friday directed authorities not to take any action against Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, while considering extending the validity of the document, according to an official notification.

“The matter regarding the extension in validity of Proof of Registration (PoR) is under consideration by the federal government,” the notification said, instructing all departments and agencies to refrain from “harassment or adverse action” against registered Afghan refugees until a final decision is made.

Pakistan is home to over 2.8 million Afghan refugees who fled decades of conflict in Afghanistan. Of these, around 1.3 million possess PoR cards while some 813,000 hold Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), issued in 2017 to grant temporary legal status.

Earlier this year, the interior ministry ordered all “illegal foreigners” and ACC holders to leave the country by March 31, warning of deportations starting from April 1. Authorities have since repatriated approximately 1.3 million Afghans under the ongoing deportation drive launched in November 2023.

However, the new government directive offers temporary reprieve to PoR cardholders, amid growing international concern over the treatment of Afghan refugees.

“Of the nearly three million Afghan nationals in Pakistan, only a fraction have valid documentation,” Parliamentary Secretary Mukhtar Ahmad Malik told the parliamentary session. He said the government was reviewing documentation policies as part of a broader reassessment of refugee management.

Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for over four decades, but recent security and economic pressures have prompted tighter border and immigration controls.

KARACHI: A five-story residential building collapsed in Karachi’s densely populated Lyari neighborhood on Friday, killing at least eight people and trapping many others, in yet another tragedy underscoring the city’s crisis of unsafe, aging structures.

Rescue workers, aided by local residents, scrambled to pull people from the debris of the Fotan Mansion building, recovering both bodies and injured survivors. The collapse took place around 10:30 a.m., jolting the community.

“I suddenly woke up … it felt like there were tremors, like an earthquake,” said Salman Ahmed, who was sleeping in a nearby building at the time of the incident and later rescued two children.

“At the moment the building collapsed, nothing was visible,” he recalled. “There was so much dust and smoke that no one could understand what had happened. “We could hear voices coming from underneath [the rubble].”

It was not immediately clear how many families lived in the building, but residents estimated that around 40 people were inside when it collapsed. Many of the occupants were members of the low-income Hindu minority community.

As of Friday evening, a large rescue operation was still underway, with cranes clearing debris and rescuers working against time to reach those still trapped beneath the rubble.

“They handed me a three-month-old baby girl, she was alive,” said Maya Sham, a relative of a family living in the building. “Right now, two of their sons and three daughters-in-law are still trapped. But we can still hear voices from inside.”

The collapse devastated families like that of Megbhai, a member of the Hindu community, which largely resided in the building.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed that six people had died and eight were rescued alive. He said the building had long been on the city’s “danger list.”

“This building was declared dangerous, and a couple of notices were issued to the occupants to vacate because of its structure,” Wahab told Arab News at the site. “But unfortunately, people chose to risk their lives, and they did not vacate.”

Pakistan’s largest city — home to over 20 million people — faces a chronic housing shortage. Many low-income residents live in dilapidated buildings that have escaped regular maintenance. Authorities have declared nearly 588 buildings dangerous in Karachi, most in the congested Old City area.

According to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Fotan Mansion had been declared unsafe as far back as 2012.

“This building was declared dangerous by the SBCA in 2012 and had been served multiple notices over the years,” SBCA spokesperson Shakeel Dogar told Arab News. “Before the recent rains, public announcements were also made in the area, but unfortunately, no one was willing to vacate,” he said, adding that it was the responsibility of the district administration to enforce the SBCA’s evacuation directives.

Mayor Wahab said rescue efforts remained the top priority, with accountability and investigation to follow.

“Our administration, our machinery is here on the ground,” he said. “Once we’re done with the rescue aspect, we will focus on who was responsible for this negligence or omission.”

RECURRING TRAGEDY

Friday’s incident is the latest in a string of deadly building collapses in Karachi.

In February 2020, a five-story building collapsed in Rizvia Society, killing at least 27 people. The following month, another residential structure came down in Gulbahar, claiming 16 lives.

In June 2021, a three-story building in Malir collapsed, killing four. And just last year, in August, a building collapse in Qur’angi led to at least three deaths.

Most of these structures had either been declared unsafe or were built without proper approval.

Experts say that despite repeated disasters, there has been little progress in enforcing building codes or relocating residents from hazardous structures.

“The incident of the building collapse in Lyari is deeply tragic,” said Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi, chairman of the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD). “It is alarming that despite having a list of dangerous buildings, the SBCA did not take action to get them evacuated.”

He urged the Sindh government to reassess buildings citywide and equip rescue teams with modern tools and technology.

With hundreds of buildings still listed as unsafe, authorities now face mounting pressure to prevent future disasters.

“The way out is that we must follow what the law says,” said Mayor Wahab when asked if anyone would be held accountable. “If citizens don’t listen to us, the political leadership and the administration have to play their part to convince those people.”

“Nobody wants to leave their house… but we must learn from our mistakes and ensure no such untoward incident takes place in the future,” he said.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan stated that cross-border terrorism remains the central challenge in its ties with Afghanistan, asserting that India is actively ‘patronising terrorism ‘ in Afghan territory.

In a weekly briefing on Friday, he said Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns over terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan posing grave threats to regional stability. “Counter‑terrorism remains a sticking point,” he noted, accusing India of “patronising terrorism against Pakistan.”

Khan also condemned the BJP government’s demolition of over 500 shrines in Uttarakhand as evidence of rising Islamophobia. He described the act as “another demonstration of the virulence with which the current dispensation in India is pursuing its anti‑Muslim agenda.”

Responding to Indian aggression in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident, Khan warned against unilateral militaristic aggression. “No state can allow another to violate its sovereignty and territorial integrity at will,” he said, affirming Pakistan’s preparedness to defend its sovereignty “with full vigour.”

Referring to remarks made by India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on alleged nuclear blackmail, Khan asserted that such talk exposes India’s insecurity about Pakistan’s defence capability.

He stated that Pakistan’s conventional forces are “adequate to deter India without the self‑imposed nuclear blackmail that New Delhi suffers from.”

On the Indus Waters Treaty, he welcomed an interim ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that rebuked India’s unilateral suspension of the treaty. Describing India’s action as “totally illegal,” he said the award “vindicates Pakistan’s position in a very clear fashion.”

Moreover, Khan confirmed Pakistan and India exchanged prisoner lists on July 1 under the 2008 Consular Access Agreement — Pakistan shared 246 names of Indian or Indian-origin detainees, while India handed over a list of 463 Pakistani prisoners. He urged both nations to ensure the welfare of detainees.

He also highlighted Pakistan’s participation in regional diplomacy, saying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led the delegation at the 17th ECO Summit in Azerbaijan, where he held bilateral meetings and advanced Pakistan’s policy agenda. Deputy PM Ishaq Dar also reached out to Turkey’s leadership ahead of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s imminent visit.

Responding to whether Pakistan would seek US mediation in its dialogue with India, the spokesperson said Islamabad prefers diplomacy over conflict. “It is India’s choice whether it treads the path of belligerence or takes steps for dialogue and reconciliation.”

Meanwhile, he firmly reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for Palestine. He called for a sovereign Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital, emphasising that any ceasefire in Gaza must end occupation and respect Palestinian rights.

“The road to peace lies not through normalisation under duress, but through justice, freedom and dignity for the Palestinian people,” he added.