ISLAMABAD: Privatization Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has said that trade corridors from Pakistan were a “need of the hour” for Central Asian countries, while access to Pakistani ports could help increase bilateral trade between the two sides.
Khan said this during his meeting with Kazakhstan Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin who called on him in Islamabad on Saturday, according to the Pakistani privatization ministry.
The two figures held a detailed discussion regarding investment, commerce and trade corridors between the Central Asian republic and Pakistan.
“Pakistani products are the best option for Central Asian countries,” Khan said. “In order to raise the trade graph of industrial products, display centers should be established for the foreign business community where we can keep these products for sale under one roof.”
Pakistan, which has been facing an economic crisis, wants to position itself as a regional trade hub and to leverage its strategic geopolitical position and enhance its role as a pivotal trade and transit hub connecting China and Central Asia with the rest of the world.
Kazakhstan is the world’s ninth-largest country by land area and the largest landlocked country. There has been a flurry of visits, investment talks and economic activity between officials from Pakistan and the Central Asian nations in recent weeks.
The privatization minister said Pakistan wanted better road infrastructure to increase investment, which was a top priority of his government to improve the economy.
Ambassador Kastafin said that excellent trade and economic relations with Pakistan were in the wider interest of Kazakhstan and hoped that there would be “visible progress” in this regard in the coming days, according to the Pakistani privatization ministry.
Islamabad calls trade corridors from Pakistan to Central Asia ‘need of hour’
https://arab.news/nzyq7
Islamabad calls trade corridors from Pakistan to Central Asia ‘need of hour’
- Pakistan aims to establish itself as a trade and transit hub for landlocked Central Asian republics
- Kazakhstan is the world’s ninth-largest country by land area and the largest landlocked country
‘Spiritual home’: Sikh pilgrims mark Baisakhi at Pakistan’s Panja Sahib shrine
- Pakistan has issued more than 6,500 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims for the Baisakhi festival from April 10-19
- Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak was born in 1469 in village in Nankana Sahib near eastern Pakistani city of Lahore
HASAN ABDAL, Pakistan: For much of the year, Hasan Abdal, a small town about 45 kilometers northwest of Islamabad, remains quiet and uneventful. But this week, its narrow streets have come to life with color and devotion as Sikh pilgrims from India and other countries gather at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in their vibrant turbans and flowing beards to mark Baisakhi, one of the holiest days in the Sikh calendar.
The festival, held every April 14, commemorates the founding of the Khalsa, the Sikh order established by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, and coincides with the spring harvest.
For many pilgrims, the journey to Pakistan, which is home to some of Sikhism’s most sacred sites, is a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual experience.
“What Makkah and Madinah are for Muslims, Pakistan is for Sikhs,” Sardar Sartook Singh, president of the temple in Hasan Abdal, told Arab News.
“Every year, around 3,000 pilgrims come from India, along with many more from other parts of the world, to Gurdwara Panja Sahib for the Baisakhi celebrations,” he continued. “This year, the Government of Pakistan issued over 6,000 visas to Indian pilgrims. Out of these, around 5,800 have arrived.”
In recent years, Pakistan has stepped up efforts to promote religious tourism by providing easy access to historic sites linked to Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.
A key initiative is the Kartarpur Corridor, launched in November 2019, which allows Sikhs from India to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur without a visa. The site holds deep significance as the place where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, spent his final years.
The temple in Hasan Abdal also holds immense importance. According to legend, Guru Nanak once stopped a boulder, thrown at him by a local saint, with his hand, leaving behind the imprint, or panja, that gives the shrine its name.
Today, the site draws pilgrims from India, the United Kingdom, Canada and beyond, many of whom also visit two other important Gurdwaras of Kartarpur Sahib and Nankana Sahib.
“I had always dreamt of visiting Guru [Nanak] Ji’s shrine,” said 60-year-old Jaranjeet Kaur, who traveled from Patiala in India with her niece. “Seeing it made me happier than the birth of my first child.”
Her niece Sugdeep Kaur also expressed her emotions about their ongoing journey.
“Since childhood, we heard of the imprint of Guru Nanak’s hand on a boulder with flowing water,” she said. “But witnessing it in person brings immense peace. I’ll return next year with my children from Canada.”
One of Sikhism’s features is selfless service, or sewa, which is also central to this spiritual gathering. Pilgrims from India and other places can be seen working in the kitchen or helping others. One of them, Sukhpal Kaur, washes dishes with a smile.
“Without sewa, there is no mewa [reward],” she said. “No one has asked us to help, but it’s a blessing to serve.”
Amarjeet Kaur, another Indian pilgrim from Barnala, said her trip to Pakistan was like a dream come true.
“I used to pray daily to see Baba Guru Nanak’s shrine,” she said. “This year, he has listened. The care shown by Pakistani pilgrims also compelled us to join in sewa.”
Speaking to Arab News, Saifullah Khokhar, additional secretary of shrines at the Evacuee Trust Property Board, said there was a marked increase in the number of Sikh pilgrims every year.
“Religious tourism has grown 72 percent in the past seven months,” he said. “Visitors leave with a changed view of Pakistan, one of hospitality and peace.”
As Sikh pilgrims at the temple chanted hymns, shared meals and bathed in the sacred water at Panja Sahib, their presence transformed the quiet town into a vibrant expression of faith, community and cross-border connection.
“Pakistan is more sacred to Sikhs [living abroad] than to Pakistanis themselves,” Singh, the Gurdwara’s president, said. “Our faith began here. It is our spiritual home.”
Pakistan PM calls on Kabul to ‘rein in’ militant groups launching cross-border attacks
- Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul has grown amid militant attacks in Pakistan’s border provinces
- PM Sharif says both countries must decide whether they want to live peacefully or through conflict
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday called on the Taliban authorities in Kabul to prevent militant groups from using Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan, warning such militant violence threatened regional stability and would not be tolerated.
Speaking to reporters in London after concluding a two-day official visit to Belarus, Sharif reiterated Pakistan had repeatedly urged the Afghan interim government to uphold its commitments under the 2020 Doha Agreement, which called for preventing armed groups from operating on Afghan territory.
“We have always said Afghanistan is a neighboring and brotherly country,” his office quoted him as saying in a statement after the media interaction. “As neighbors, we have to live together — the choice is whether to do so peacefully or through conflict.”
Sharif said Pakistan had sent several messages to Kabul, emphasizing that Afghan soil must not be used for militancy under any circumstances.
“But unfortunately, the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan], ISKP [Islamic State Khorasan Province] and other terrorist outfits continue to operate from there and have martyred innocent Pakistani civilians,” he added.
The prime minister vowed the sacrifices made by Pakistan’s civilians and armed forces would not go in vain, adding that the Afghan authorities should take immediate action against militant groups.
“My sincere advice to Afghanistan is to rein in these terrorist organizations at once and not allow them to use Afghan land under any circumstances,” he said.
Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have risen in recent years following a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces bordering Afghanistan.
Islamabad blames the TTP, a banned outfit ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban, for orchestrating cross-border violence from safe havens inside Afghanistan — a charge the Taliban administration has repeatedly denied.
Amid the bitterness between the two countries, Pakistan has deported hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghan nationals since late 2023, citing security concerns while prompting criticism from rights groups and calls for dialogue from Kabul.
Pakistani religio-political party announces nationwide strike over Gaza on April 22
- Thousands of Jamaat-e-Islami supporters participated in the ‘Gaza Solidarity March’ in Karachi
- The JI chief warned ‘history won’t forgive’ Muslim rulers if they let Israel continue its war in Gaza
KARACHI: A prominent Pakistani religio-political party on Sunday announced a nationwide strike for April 22 in solidarity with Palestinians, warning that history would not forgive the Muslim world’s leaders if they allowed Israel to continue its deadly campaign in Gaza.
Thousands of supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) participated in the “Gaza Solidarity March” in Karachi, days after similar demonstrations were held in Lahore and other major Pakistani cities.
Women, children, senior citizens and representatives of various professions joined the rally, which also featured harsh criticism of the United States for its support of Israel.
Addressing the gathering, JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman delivered a strongly worded speech urging the Pakistani government and other Muslim-majority countries to take concrete steps to stop the “genocide” in Gaza.
“History won’t forgive you otherwise,” he said, warning Muslim leaders that Israel would also turn its weapons toward them.
Rehman accused the United Nations of irrelevance and described it as a body that “passes useless resolutions and statements.”
He announced the April 22 protest, calling on Pakistanis to observe “a countrywide shutdown” to express solidarity with Gaza.
Participants at the rally carried placards, chanted slogans against Israeli military operations and criticized Western governments and corporations. They also encouraged an economic boycott of Western products during the protest.
Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, has frequently criticized the Jewish state for its military operations in Gaza. Islamabad has also called for the resumption of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory and the need for a revival of negotiations leading to a two-state solution.
Islamabad consistently calls for an independent Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel’s military offensives in Gaza have killed over 50,000 people and wounded over 116,000, as per the Gaza Health Ministry.
Pakistan’s army chief discusses bilateral defense ties with visiting US Congressional delegation
- ISPR says both sides emphasized the importance of sustained engagement ‘based on mutual respect’
- They also signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize training cooperation in the field of IT
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir on Sunday discussed regional security and defense cooperation with a visiting US Congressional delegation, with both sides signing a memorandum of understanding for training collaboration in the field of information technology.
The two countries share a long history of defense cooperation dating back to the Cold War, when Pakistan was a key US ally in the region. However, their relationship was subsequently marked by phases of cooperation as well as tension, including US sanctions on Pakistan at various points.
The two countries reaffirmed their partnership in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks, when the US-led forces invaded Afghanistan, but diverging strategic interests led several American analysts to describe Pakistan as a “frenemy.”
According to a statement issued by the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the two sides emphasized the importance of sustained engagement “based on mutual respect, shared values, and converging strategic interests” during the meeting.
“Discussions during the meeting encompassed a range of issues of mutual interest, with particular emphasis on regional security and defense cooperation,” the ISPR said.
“The visiting US lawmakers commended the Pakistan Armed Forces for their pivotal role in combating terrorism and acknowledged Pakistan’s enduring contributions to regional peace and stability,” it added.
The US delegation, led by Representative Jack Bergman along with Representatives Thomas Souzzi and Jonathan Jackson, conveyed its commitment to advancing broad-based cooperation with Pakistan, particularly in the fields of security, trade, investment and economic development, while underscoring respect for Pakistan’s sovereignty.
The army chief thanked its members for their visit and reiterated Pakistan’s desire to further deepen and diversify its longstanding partnership with the US in a way that serves both countries’ national interests.
During the meeting, a memorandum of understanding was also signed to formalize training cooperation in information technology.
Earlier in the day, the US delegation also met Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and held discussions on counterterrorism cooperation and bilateral investment.
Pakistan and the US are expected to hold a counterterrorism dialogue in June.
The cooperation gains particular significance amid a recent surge in militant attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces bordering Afghanistan.
Pakistan urges Iran, US to resolve differences through diplomacy following talks in Oman
- The indirect discussions between the two states on April 12 marked their first engagement since 2017
- The talks have come against the backdrop of Israel’s military engagements in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday welcomed recent talks between Iran and the United States in Muscat, the capital of Oman, urging both sides to resolve longstanding differences through dialogue and diplomacy.
The indirect discussions, held on April 12 under Omani mediation, marked the first engagement between the two countries since 2017 and focused on reducing tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, among other issues.
Both sides described the talks as constructive and agreed to continue the dialogue.
“Pakistan welcomes the talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America that were held on 12 April 2025 in Muscat under the good offices of Oman,” the foreign office said in a statement.
“Pakistan considers that dialogue and diplomacy will promote peace and stability in the region and advance the objective of resolution of differences and disputes on the basis of negotiations and mutual respect,” it added. “We encourage the parties to continue to follow this path.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff led their respective delegations. While the talks were primarily indirect, reports indicated that the two officials briefly spoke face-to-face, signaling a possible thaw in relations.
Iran has insisted its missile defense program remains non-negotiable, while the US has maintained its “maximum pressure” campaign, demanding that Iran not weaponize its nuclear capability.
Relations between the US and Iran have been fraught since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and the two nations have had no formal diplomatic ties since 1980.
Tensions escalated after the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018. The recent talks in Muscat have come against the backdrop of Israel’s military engagements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as well as Syria and Lebanon.
Last year, Iran and Israel also launched missile and drone strikes, marking their first direct military confrontation.
