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Arab News
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
IED explosion derails five Jaffar Express train coaches in southwestern Pakistan
KARACHI: An improvised explosive device (IED) blast derailed five coaches of the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express in southwestern Balochistan province on Sunday, Pakistan Railways confirmed in yet another attack targeting the train. The IED blast took place on a train track near Quetta's Spezand Railway Station on Sunday morning, the railways said in a press release. It added that five coaches of the 39-Up Jaffar Express train, which runs from Quetta to Peshawar, had been derailed while all passengers remained safe. 'Railway and security teams are present at the scene, and rescue operations have begun,' the statement said. It said the railway administration will bring passengers back to the southwestern city of Quetta in light of the security situation, adding that train operations from Quetta will resume after authorities provide security clearance. Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi condemned the attack. 'Terrorists' cowardly acts cannot weaken our resolve,' Abbasi said in a statement issued by railways. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. This is the fourth incident involving Jaffar Express since it resumed operations in March, following a rare hijacking by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) separatist militants with 400 passengers aboard. The hijacking in the rugged Bolan mountain range ended on March 12 after an hours-long military operation that killed 33 militants and rescued hostages. The standoff also left 23 soldiers, three railway staff and five passengers dead. In June, the train narrowly avoided a disaster when a bogie of its power van derailed near Shikarpur's Mandi Phatak area, according to a report by the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan. In late July, at least one person was injured when an explosion derailed three coaches of the train in Pakistan's southern Sindh province. The coaches derailed in Sindh's Shikarpur district after the explosion damaged part of the railway track, halting railway operations briefly. The train narrowly escaped disaster on Thursday when a bomb planted near the track close to Sibi Railway Station exploded, just after the Jaffar Express passed. Pakistan's railway system faces frequent derailments due to poor maintenance and militant attacks targeting rail tracks, especially in the Sindh and Balochistan provinces. These incidents underscore an urgent need for infrastructure and security upgrades across the rail network.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Mobile internet cut across Balochistan over security threats ahead of Pakistan Independence Day
QUETTA: Authorities in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province have suspended mobile Internet services across all 36 districts ahead of the country's 78th Independence anniversary, citing security concerns and threats of attacks by separatist militants. The move comes amid heightened tensions in the province, where separatist violence tends to spike during August, particularly around national celebrations. The blackout will remain in place until August 31, a senior government official, privy to the decision, told Arab News on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'Due to security concerns and terrorist threats, the government has suspended mobile Internet in all 36 districts of Balochistan,' he said. The move comes in anticipation of potential unrest during the August 14 national holiday in Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan and has long been the center of a low-level separatist insurgency. Violence in the province has intensified in recent years, with ethnic Baloch militant groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) launching large-scale attacks, including suicide bombings, targeting security forces and Punjabi commuters. Baloch separatist groups often escalate attacks against the Independence Day festivities. In past years, militants have thrown hand grenades at stalls selling the national flag, sometimes killing both vendors and buyers. Residents are routinely warned by BLA and other groups not to participate in the celebrations or display the Pakistani flag. Last year in August, the province experienced the highest number of militant attacks that left 88 people, including security personnel and civilians, killed and 100 injured. The separatist groups accuse the state of exploiting Balochistan's vast natural resources, including coal, copper, gas and gold, without fairly distributing the benefits to local communities. They claim that successive governments have prioritized extraction over development, leaving the province impoverished despite its mineral wealth. Pakistani authorities reject these allegations, maintaining that substantial development efforts are underway. Officials say infrastructure projects, health services and education initiatives have been expanded across the province in recent years. Despite repeated calls and messages, Pakistan's federal information minister did not respond to questions from Arab News regarding the suspension of Internet services.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi envoy, Balochistan governor discuss mobility, investment, regional ties
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki has acknowledged efforts by the governor of Balochistan to facilitate direct travel from Quetta to the Kingdom following a meeting between the two officials to discuss mobility, investments and regional ties, the governor's office said on Thursday. The envoy's meeting with Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, held in Islamabad, reflects a broader trend of Saudi engagement beyond Pakistan's federal capital, with Balochistan, a resource-rich but underdeveloped province increasingly seen as strategically important in regional trade and energy corridors. Both sides discussed 'cordial relations between the two brotherly Islamic countries… regional economic and political developments and matters of mutual interest,' the statement from Mandokhail's office said. 'Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki appreciated Governor Mandokhail's personal efforts in facilitating direct travel from Quetta to Saudi Arabia for the people of Balochistan,' the governor's office said in a statement. While the statement did not elaborate on timelines or agreements regarding direct travel between Quetta and Saudi Arabia, the ambassador's reported remarks signal interest in easing mobility for religious pilgrims, workers and business travelers from the province, many of whom currently travel via Karachi or Islamabad. The meeting also underscores growing recognition of Balochistan's role in Pakistan's future economic landscape, as well as Saudi Arabia's intent to broaden the scope of its bilateral engagement beyond federal corridors of power. Mandokhail, for his part, reaffirmed the strength of bilateral ties. 'History bears witness to Saudi Arabia's special support for Pakistan during every difficult time,' he said, according to the statement. Saudi Arabia remains one of Pakistan's closest diplomatic and economic partners. In recent months, the Kingdom has reaffirmed its intention to invest in large-scale infrastructure, mining, and agricultural projects across Pakistan, including in Balochistan. Saudi financial assistance has also been critical to Pakistan's macroeconomic stability, particularly during periods of external financing stress.
Arab News
03-08-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan arrests eight in nationwide crackdown on illegal currency trade
KARACHI: Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested at least eight suspects in nationwide raids since last week, it said on Saturday, in a crackdown on illegal foreign exchange businesses in the country's southern and southwestern regions bordering Iran and Afghanistan. The arrests followed a July 22 meeting in Islamabad between a senior official of the military-run Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and representatives of the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP). The interaction took place amid growing concern over the rupee's decline, which last week fell to a 22-month low of Rs284.97 against the US dollar. Following the meeting, the FIA began operations targeting illegal currency dealers, including operators of hundi and hawala, informal money transfer systems that operate outside official banking channels. While commonly used for remittances, these systems are also prone to abuse for money laundering and terror financing. Raids were conducted in Karachi, Quetta, Gwadar and Chaman. 'The FIA, acting on credible source reports, conducted raids targeting illegal foreign exchange traders and hundi-hawala operators,' the agency said in response to written questions from Arab News. It denied that these operations were 'prompted by specific directives' from the ISI. According to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data, the rupee appreciated following the crackdown and closed at Rs282.72 in the interbank market on August 1. In the open market, the currency traded between Rs284.62 and Rs285.30, according to ECAP. The South Asian nation's currency had been under consistent pressure in recent months, declining over 2 percent against the dollar since January despite a stabilizing economy, including a $2.1 billion current account surplus during the last fiscal year. With import bills exceeding $58 billion, the rupee remains vulnerable to global currency shocks and illegal financial outflows. The FIA said it has conducted 'hundreds of intelligence-based operations across the country from January to July,' arresting at least 290 suspects and recovering over Rs800 million ($2.83 million) in local and foreign currencies, including US dollars and Saudi riyals. Authorities have also filed 213 police reports related to black market activities. 'These operations aim to curb unlawful financial practices and ensure compliance with relevant laws,' the agency said. 'Upon identifying violations, the FIA initiates legal proceedings against those involved in accordance with applicable laws.' Pakistan operates a multi-tiered currency market, with the official interbank rate often diverging from the open market and the unregulated 'grey market,' where many hawala operators function. Under a $7 billion bailout agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan is required to keep the difference between official and parallel market rates below 1.25 percent. 'This initiative [of launching crackdowns] has also helped to close the gap between the official and black market exchange rates, which is a crucial requirement of Pakistan's agreement with the IMF,' said Qazi Owais-ul-Haq, a currency trader at Arif Habib Ltd., a Karachi-based brokerage. Haq added the clampdown has helped reduce market speculation and illegal foreign currency outflows, boosting the rupee's standing. 'The pressure on the currency market has eased, and many exporters are now beginning to repatriate their earnings, which is further supporting the rupee's position,' he said, citing ECAP officials. Financial data firm Tresmark reported the rupee remained 'relatively stable' between Rs282 and Rs283 this week, despite earlier market expectations it could strengthen to Rs278-280. 'We expect currency rates to remain range-bound this month,' the firm said, though it projected the rupee could weaken again to Rs284 in the next three months. Still, analysts say the long-term outlook remains uncertain and dependent on broader structural reforms. 'The real challenge for authorities will be to implement sustainable economic policies that lessen the need for such interventions and ensure the currency's long-term stability,' Haq added.
Sky News
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Pakistan 'honour killing' video sparks national outrage
A viral video showing the so-called honour killing of a couple accused of having an affair has sparked national outrage in Pakistan. The video shows the woman, Bano Bibi, being handed a Koran by a man police have identified as her brother. "Come walk seven steps with me, after that you can shoot me," she says, before walking forward and coming to a halt with her back to the men. Her brother, Jalal Satakzai, then shoots her three times in the back before she falls to the ground. He then shoots and kills the man Ms Bibi was accused of having an affair with, Ehsan Ullah Samalani. After the video, taken in Pakistan's Balochistan province, went viral, police arrested 16 people, including a tribal chief and the woman's mother. The mother, Gul Jan Bibi, said the killings were carried out by family and local elders based on "centuries-old Baloch traditions" and not on the orders of the tribal chief. "We did not commit any sin," she said in a video that also went viral. "Bano and Ehsan were killed according to our customs." She said her daughter, who had three sons and two daughters of her own, had run away with Mr Samalani and returned 25 days later. Police said Ms Bibi's younger brother, who shot the couple, remains at large. Backlash after viral video The video sparked outrage online, with hashtags such as #JusticeForCouple and #HonourKilling trending. Dozens of activists protested in the provincial capital of Quetta on Saturday to demand an end to parallel justice systems. Balochistan's chief minister Sarfraz Bugti said it was a "test" case and vowed to dismantle the illegal tribal courts operating outside the law. Police had said a jirga, an informal tribal council which issues extrajudicial rulings, had ordered the killings. While honour killings in Pakistan were made illegal in 2016, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported at least 405 in 2024, most of them women killed by relatives claiming to defend family honour.
