Latest news with #KhawajaMuhammadAsif
Arab News
17 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan defense minister says Simla Agreement with India ‘has no worth' after conflict
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Thursday that Islamabad's Simla Agreement with New Delhi, which formalized the de facto border separating the disputed Kashmir territory with its neighbor, 'has no worth' after the recent standoff between them. India and Pakistan signed the Simla Agreement in 1972 after the 1971 war between the two countries, which New Delhi won and led to the creation of Bangladesh. One of its main clauses was that India and Pakistan both agreed to bilaterally discuss and resolve the issue of the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. Another clause of the agreement was that both countries renamed the Ceasefire Line, the de facto border separating Pakistan-administered Kashmir from the one governed by India, to the 'Line of Control' (LoC). Both India and Pakistan agreed not to change it unilaterally. After India suspended a decades-old water-sharing treaty with Pakistan following an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in April, Pakistan announced a raft of tit-for-tat measures against Delhi. Islamabad said it had the right to hold all bilateral agreements with India, including the Simla Agreement, in abeyance. 'Because of India's steps I think the sanctity of the Simla Agreement has ended,' Asif told Geo News. 'All the status before the Simla Agreement, that we will resolve problems bilaterally, all of its provisions, is not applicable. That agreement as a whole, I think after this war and episode, has no worth or value,' he added. He reiterated Pakistan's position that India's move to hold the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance was illegal as the terms dictated that neither of the two parties can alter its status unilaterally. Signed in 1960, the treaty allocates the six Indus Basin rivers between India and Pakistan, with the World Bank acting as its guarantor. Pakistan has rights to the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower. India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow. India can use the western rivers for limited purposes such as power generation and irrigation, without storing or diverting large volumes Asif said neither the World Bank nor any other institution had any 'interference or patronage' in the Simla Agreement when it was signed in 1972. 'So then, the Control Line will once again shift to its original status of Ceasefire Line,' the minister said. While the fragile ceasefire between India and Pakistan announced on May 10 by US President Donald Trump -persists, tensions remain high as delegations by both nuclear-armed neighbors head to world capitals and blame each other for the May conflict. Kashmir has always remained the root cause of conflict between India and Pakistan. The two countries claim the region in full but administer only parts of it. They have fought two out of three wars since 1947 over the territory. Delhi blames Islamabad for fomenting militancy in the part of Kashmir it administers. Pakistan denies the allegations and says it only extends diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir it says are living under 'occupation.'
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
AirSial commences ‘Islamabad to Dubai' flight
KARACHI: AirSial has commenced its international flight operations, connecting Islamabad directly to Dubai. According to the details, the flight PF784 departed Islamabad International Airport at 11:34 AM local time, carrying 137 passengers on the historic journey that marks AirSial's expansion beyond domestic routes. The spokesman Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said that authority oversaw the successful launch, demonstrating the country's commitment to supporting private sector growth in aviation. The significance of the launch was underscored by a formal ceremony held in the Business Class area of Islamabad International Airport's Check-in Zone 1. Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif served as chief guest, joined by senior officials including Defence Secretary Lt. Gen. Muhammad Ali HI (M), Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority Director General Nadir Shafi Dar, and Chief Operating Officer Aftab Gilani. The Dubai route represents a strategic choice for AirSial's international debut, connecting Pakistan's capital with one of the region's major business and travel hubs. The United Arab Emirates remains a key destination for Pakistani travellers, both for business and leisure purposes. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Khaleej Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE-Pakistan travel: PIA relaunches direct flights from Dubai to Skardu
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced on May 30 the re-launch of its direct service between Dubai International (DXB) airport and Pakistan's Skardu (KDU) city. The launch was held at the PIA office in Dubai, and attended by Hussain Muhammad, Consul General. The event also welcomed members of a foreign tourist group travelling on the inaugural flight, underscoring the growing interest in Pakistan's scenic northern areas. Sarmad Aizaz, regional manager of PIA, said the launch of this seasonal flight is a 'significant step toward boosting tourism and strengthening people-to-people ties between the UAE and Pakistan.' Pakistan's national carrier emerged from financial turbulence and recorded its first-ever net profit in over two decades. The announcement came ahead of a second attempt by the government to sell the airline. "PIACL Board today has approved its accounts FY 2024, and after 21 years, it has achieved an operating profit of Rs9.3 Billion ($33.14 million) and net profit of Rs26.2 Billion (after deferred tax adjustment)," said Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Defence and Aviation Minister. Pakistan had offloaded nearly 80 per cent of the airline's legacy debt and shifted it to government books ahead of the privatisation attempt.
Express Tribune
19-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
PIA announces direct flight from Lahore to Paris
Listen to article Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced the commencement of direct flight operations from Lahore to Paris, beginning June 18. According to the PIA spokesperson, the new route will offer one weekly flight from Lahore to the French capital. PIA currently operates two weekly flights on the Islamabad–Paris route. The addition of the Lahore–Paris flight aims to enhance travel convenience for passengers and contribute to foreign exchange earnings, the national flag carrier said in a statement. Earlier this year, PIA resumed its European operations after a four-and-a-half-year hiatus, with flight PK-749 departing from Islamabad to Paris, carrying 330 passengers and 14 crew members. The inaugural ceremony at Islamabad International Airport was attended by Aviation Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, PIA CEO Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat, and top officials from the Civil Aviation Authority and Pakistan Airport Authority. Earlier, Parliamentary Secretary Zeb Jaffar said that Pakistan International Airlines has been profitable since March 2024. During the National Assembly's Question Hour, Parliamentary Secretary Zeb Jaffar said PIA had recovered financially and had resumed flights to the European Union, including services to Paris.
Express Tribune
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
India licking its wounds, western enemies next: Asif
Listen to article Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Saturday declared that the recent military operation along Pakistan's eastern border represents a historic milestone, unmatched in the country's 78-year history and credited it with restoring national unity and confidence. He was addressing a group of students and teachers, who had come to congratulate him at his residence on the success of Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, a coordinated response by Pakistan's military forces to hostilities by India. "Our eternal and perpetual enemy is sitting just miles away across the eastern border, licking its wounds," he said. "God willing, our enemies on the western front will soon suffer the same fate." Khawaja Asif said there was no need to respond to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi anymore. "What is being said about him across India today, we ourselves could not have said it better," he added, referring to growing internal discontent within India. He credited the operation with uniting the country at a time when visible fissures had appeared in the national fabric. "Fifteen or twenty days ago, we saw cracks in our national unity. Today, by the grace of God, the nation is united, and that unity now bears the mark of our armed forces' bravery. I salute them," he said. The minister extended his congratulations to the top military leadership, including Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar, Naval Chief Naveed Ashraf and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Sahir Shamshad, for their courageous and faith-driven leadership during the operation. "I have witnessed conflicts from very close quarters — from the 1965 war to today — but I have never seen such an emotionally charged and spiritually driven leadership," he said. "It was your leadership that instilled strength in our soldiers. I am a direct witness to your resolve and bravery." Asif also praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the armed forces at every moment of the crisis. "He led the nation, conveyed to the military that the civilian government fully supports them, and assured them that it stands beside them with the strength of 250 million people," the minister said. "No matter how far we have to go to defend the homeland, we are united under one banner." He warned that nations which forget their history are themselves forgotten by history.
