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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 �������� 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 ��������, 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 ��������’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 ��������’s special support for Pakistan during every difficult time,” he said, according to the statement.

�������� 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.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s media community on Wednesday condemned a notice issued by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to a local journalist, Muhammad Akbar Notezai, calling it a direct assault on press freedom.

According to reports, the notice stemmed from an investigative report Notezai published in Dawn newspaper more than a year earlier, probing allegations of administrative mismanagement, misuse of authority, and corruption in Balochistan.

Established last year in May, to replace the cyber‑crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the NCCIA has drawn criticism for its expanding scope and its involvement in cases traditionally outside its mandate.

“Investigative journalism in Pakistan has witnessed a steady decline over the years, largely due to increasing censorship,” Fazil Jamili, President of Karachi Press Club, told Arab News. “In this environment, the work of journalists like Akbar Notakzai becomes all the more vital.”

Jamili said Notezai’s reporting consistently reflected rigorous research, professional integrity and the highest journalistic standards.

“It is deeply alarming that a journalist of his caliber is now being targeted by a state institution,” he added. “Such actions not only undermine press freedom but also discourage much-needed investigative reporting.”

Reacting to the development, veteran journalist Mazhar Abbas noted a newspaper report or article did not fall under the jurisdiction of the NCCIA.

“If someone had objections to the report, they could have issued a rebuttal or approached the court under relevant defamation laws,” he said. “In this context, the NCCIA should not have entertained the complaint at all.”

Abbas said the real purpose behind the action was to “pressure journalists and obstruct independent reporting.”

“Tactics like these are clearly aimed at curbing investigative journalism, so that government officials and institutions are not held accountable,” he added.

Meanwhile, Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, clarified via social media the provincial administration was not the complainant in the case, distancing it from the notice.

Based in Pakistan’s volatile southwestern Balochistan province, Notezai covers security, political, and social issues.