Pakistan, India exchange prisoners’ list despite ongoing tensions
Pakistan, India exchange prisoners’ list despite ongoing tensions/node/2606495/pakistan
Pakistan, India exchange prisoners’ list despite ongoing tensions
In this photo, taken on June 1, 2023, Indian fishermen arrive at a railway station after Pakistan authorities released them, in Karachi, allegedly arrested for trespassing into its territorial waters. (AFP/File)
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and New Delhi exchanged lists of prisoners on Tuesday as part of an international agreement between the two countries, Pakistan’s foreign office said, despite ongoing tensions between the neighbors following their armed conflict in May.
India and Pakistan exchange the lists of prisoners in each other’s custody on January 1 and July 1 each year under the Agreement on Consular Access between both sides.
The latest development takes place despite tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, whose militaries were embroiled in a four-day conflict in May before Washington brokered a ceasefire on May 10.
“The Government of Pakistan handed over a list of 246 Indian or believed-to-be-Indian prisoners (53 civilian prisoners and 193 fishermen) to a representative of the Indian High Commission, Islamabad,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.
It added that India shared a list of 463 Pakistani or believed-to-be-Pakistani prisoners (382 civilians and 81 fishermen) with a diplomat from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
Pakistan’s foreign office demanded the immediate release and repatriation of all Pakistani prisoners and fishermen who have completed their respective sentences and whose national status is confirmed.
“A request for special consular access has also been made for all believed-to-be-Pakistani prisoners, including the physically- and mentally-challenged prisoners for expeditious confirmation of their national status,” the foreign office said.
The foreign office said it has urged the Indian government to provide consular access to all prisoners to whom consular access is still awaited. The Indian side has also been urged to ensure the safety, security and well-being of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian custody, it said.
“The Government of Pakistan remains committed to addressing humanitarian matters as a priority,” the foreign office said. “It will continue its endeavors to ensure early return of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails.”
Tensions reached a boiling point between the two when New Delhi blamed Islamabad for supporting a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. Gunmen opened fire on unarmed civilians in the attack, killing 26 in total, mostly tourists.
Pakistan denied involvement in the incident and called for an international probe. India fired missiles into Pakistan on May 7, saying it had struck “terrorist camps” in Pakistan. For four days the two countries pounded each other with artillery fire, missiles, fighter jets and drones before US President Donald Trump announced they had agreed to a ceasefire on May 10.
Pakistan to launch Gulf ferry service from Gwadar to boost regional trade, connectivity
Government says the service will strengthen people-to-people ties and boost tourism and trade
Ferry service is part of broader plan to transform Gwadar into a transshipment and logistics hub
Updated 8 sec ago
ISMAIL DILAWAR
KARACHI: Pakistan announced its plans to launch a direct ferry service between Gwadar and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries on Tuesday, saying it will strengthen regional ties, ease passenger movement and tap into new trade opportunities with the Middle Eastern market.
The initiative is part of Pakistan’s broader efforts to deepen economic linkages with GCC states, a region it has actively courted for trade, investment, employment and energy cooperation in recent years.
“The ferry service will strengthen people-to-people ties, boost tourism and provide a new economic lifeline for Balochistan,” said Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, according to a government handout.
“It will create local employment, improve supporting infrastructure and attract private sector participation, especially in ship services, hospitality and transport,” he added.
The ferry service is part of a broader government plan to scale up Gwadar Port’s operational capacity.
During a high-level meeting chaired by the minister in Islamabad, officials also discussed establishing new shipping lines linked to Gwadar to boost cargo movement, promote transit trade with Central Asia and the Middle East and strengthen Pakistan’s role in the regional logistics network.
“We aim to transform Gwadar into a strategic transshipment and logistics center, benefiting Pakistan and the wider region,” Chaudhry said, directing relevant departments to accelerate integration of Gwadar into international maritime networks.
Located in the volatile southwestern province of Balochistan, Gwadar Port was developed under the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Despite its strategic location near Gulf shipping lanes, Gwadar has struggled to match the commercial activity of Pakistan’s older ports in and around Karachi, which continue to dominate trade and industrial operations.
Chaudhry said the new initiatives would help rebalance trade flows, reduce pressure on existing ports and position Gwadar as a gateway for regional connectivity.
The ministry has begun consultations with shipping companies, maritime authorities and private operators to finalize technical, legal and logistical frameworks.
Safety, affordability and environmental sustainability will be key considerations as the plans move toward implementation.
The minister also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to Pakistan’s National Maritime Policy and long-term goal of expanding the country’s blue economy through better port infrastructure and trade facilitation.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s KSE-100 Index surged to an all-time high of 128,149 points on Tuesday, the first day of the new fiscal year, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calling it a sign of growing investor confidence in the economy and government policies.
As of midday, the benchmark index was trading at 127,418.98, up 1.43 percent or 1,791 points from the previous close of 125,627.31. More than 262 million shares had changed hands, according to market data.
“The stock market’s record-high performance is evidence that business leaders and investors are growing increasingly confident in the economy and in the government’s policies with each passing day,” the prime minister said in a statement issued by his office.
The milestone builds on a strong showing in the previous fiscal year, when the KSE-100 Index rose by 60 percent, according to Karachi-based Topline Securities.
The brokerage credited the performance to macroeconomic stability, improved credit ratings and a shift toward looser monetary policy.
Sharif also noted the stock market’s performance was reflective of the country’s economic gains.
“The past year’s gains were the result of effective economic planning and policy execution,” he said, adding the new fiscal year would serve as a milestone in Pakistan’s journey toward long-term stability.
Pakistan is seeking to consolidate its financial recovery after years of economic turbulence.
In recent years, the country has undertaken difficult structural reforms under International Monetary Fund loan programs aimed at curbing fiscal deficits and restoring investor trust.
Sharif also thanked the business community for its support and reiterated his government’s commitment to strengthening the investment environment.
“We are grateful to our business community and investors who continue to support the government in its efforts for national progress and prosperity,” he said.
“The government remains committed to improving the ease of doing business and creating a more investment-friendly climate.”
The prime minister also commended his economic team for helping deliver a strong start to the new fiscal year.
PESHAWAR: Unidentified gunmen shot dead two traffic police officers in Pakistan’s northwestern district of Lakki Marwat on Tuesday, the latest in a series of attacks in a region with a long history of militant violence, according to an official statement.
The officers were ambushed on Longkhel Road near Gulbaz Dehqan village while they were en route to duty.
No group has claimed responsibility, but similar shootings in the past have frequently been carried out by militants from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which remains active in the area.
“We share the grief of the bereaved families,” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said in a statement, confirming that two traffic police officers had been killed “after unidentified assailants opened fire on them.”
“The families of the martyrs will not be left alone and will be fully supported,” he added while directing law enforcement agencies to arrest those responsible without delay.
Lakki Marwat, located near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, has witnessed repeated assaults on police along with other government functionaries and residents in recent years.
In 2022, six officers were killed in a TTP-claimed ambush, and in 2023, a police station was attacked with guns and explosives, killing four.
The district was also the site of one of Pakistan’s deadliest militant attacks in 2010, when a suicide bomber targeted a volleyball match, killing over 100 people.
Authorities in the area have struggled to maintain security amid a resurgence of insurgent violence I recent years.
KARACHI: Pakistan witnessed a decline in militant violence by nearly 32% during the second quarter of 2025, an Islamabad-based think tank said in its report this week, pointing out that the attacks have spread to the country’s “new or less prepared regions.”
Pakistan has seen an uptick in violence in its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, both bordering Afghanistan, in recent months. The Pakistani Taliban or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) regularly target security forces in their bid to impose their strict brand of Islam across the country. In Balochistan, separatist ethnic militants demand independence from the center, whom they accuse of exploiting the province’s natural resources. Islamabad denies the allegations.
The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) said in its report on Monday that the number of casualties during the second quarter dropped to 615 from 900 in the first quarter.
“With at least 615 fatalities and 388 injuries — among civilians, security personnel, and outlaws — in about 273 incidents of violence, including terror attacks and counterterror operations, Pakistan witnessed a nearly 32% decline in overall violence, and several other promising trends in its security landscape for the second quarter of 2025,” the report said.
This infographic, released by the Center for Research and Security Studies, shows trends in Pakistan’s security landscape in second quarter of 2025. (Courtesy: CRSS)
The report pointed out that the casualties suffered by security personnel and civilians combined during the second quarter, 282, were still less than the total number of outlaws’ fatalities, 333, in the same period. It said this amounted to over 15% less comparative losses among civilians and security officials.
The CRSS report also said Pakistan’s Balochistan and KP provinces saw 40% and 32% less violence, respectively, compared to the first quarter. It added that violence-linked fatalities dropped from 567 to 389 in KP and from 317 to 190 in Balochistan, indicating a possible strategic breakthrough on the back of a “proactive hunt-neutralize-capture campaign.”
“While the terrorism and insurgency-induced violence receded in these conflict-hit provinces, both regions continued to bear the brunt of violence, accounting for over 94% of the total fatalities and 93% incidents of violence recorded in this quarter,” the report said.
This infographic, released by the Center for Research and Security Studies, shows trends in Pakistan’s security landscape in second quarter of 2025. (Courtesy: CRSS)
The CRSS said that while the TTP continued to lead the violence in KP, Balochistan remained a “parallel epicenter of unrest” marked by a mix of separatist militancy and targeted violence, particularly against state forces.
“The spread of militancy into previously calmer areas is also concerning,” the report said, pointing out that Punjab recorded a surge in fatalities by 162% during the second quarter. The number of casualties in Punjab rose from 8 in the first quarter to 21 in the second one.
The Azad Kashmir region, which reported zero fatalities in the first quarter, recorded six casualties in the second one while Islamabad and Sindh remained largely unaffected.
“While the intensity of violence has eased in traditional hotspots, its spread into new or less prepared regions will require continued attention and policy adjustments,” the report said.
This infographic, released by the Center for Research and Security Studies, shows trends in Pakistan’s security landscape in second quarter of 2025. (Courtesy: CRSS)
The outlaws suffered the majority of all fatalities in this quarter, over 54%, which the report said amounts to 333. Civilians suffered 153 casualties or 25% of the total while security and government officials suffered 129 fatalities at 21% during the second quarter.
Civilians suffered 107 terror attacks compared to security officials who suffered 91 while the outlaws were targeted in 75 security operations. Moreover, civilians suffered 249 injuries compared to security officials, who suffered 120 injuries and outlaws with only 19, the report shared.
CRSS said that the least amount of injuries suffered by militants indicates “a high degree of lethal precision in state-led counter-terrorism operations.”
KARACHI: Russia expects to finalize an agreement with Pakistan this summer to build a new steel mill in Karachi, Consul-General Andrey V. Fedorov said on Monday, the first time a Russian official has publicly confirmed the planned project.
The new project will mark the revival of Cold War-era industrial cooperation as Islamabad seeks fresh foreign investment and closer ties with Moscow.
The Soviet Union built the original Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) in Karachi in the 1970s as the country’s flagship state-run industrial complex. Once a symbol of national self-sufficiency, PSM has remained dormant since 2015 due to years of mismanagement, political interference and financial decline. By the end of fiscal year 2024, the mill had posted cumulative losses of Rs255.8 billion ($902 million), with liabilities reaching Rs359.9 billion ($1.27 billion). Despite being non-operational, it still employs more than 3,500 workers.
Now, Russian and Pakistani officials are engaged in technical and diplomatic discussions to finalize the framework for a new steel mill. Technical experts from Russia have already inspected the proposed site in Karachi, and another team is expected shortly to advance planning and draft a detailed roadmap.
“The last negotiations were on May 27, so we are working on the final agreement,” Fedorov told Arab News in an interview when asked about the status of the new steel deal.
Andrey V. Fedorov, consul-general of Russia in Karachi, speaks during an interview with Arab News in Karachi on June 30, 2025. (AN Photo)
“Our technical experts examined the facility, so maybe one more team would come soon, just to fix out all the preparations and some of the proposals are on the tables, both of Russian and Pakistani sides … We are ready to prepare a roadmap for the constructions of a new steel mill in Karachi.”
Fedorov declined to put a date on when construction would begin but said the teams had discussed a summer deal:
“They were discussing summer, you know, we are in the beginning of summer, so I hope this summer they would come … We would see in nearest time some positive conclusions and we will reach some agreements.”
A man walks past machines at the hot strip mill department of the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) on the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan, on February 8, 2016. (REUTERS/File)
The envoy did not share the volume of investment Russia would look to make in the project but said the two sides would be working together now to prepare “mutually beneficial contracts and agreements.”
“Practically, a new factory must be erected,” he said. “Now we should, on the level of experts, discuss that.”
PAKISTAN STREAM GAS PIPELINE PROJECT
Russia has also built other major industrial facilities in Pakistan, including the Guddu Power Station in Sindh in the 1980s, one of the country’s largest electricity sources.
Moscow and Islamabad have expanded cooperation in recent years despite geopolitical tensions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Both countries are exploring deeper energy ties, oil and gas supplies, and even tabled a trilateral Russia-Pakistan-China resolution in the UN Security Council last month, seeking a ceasefire in the Middle East.
Pakistan, a net energy importer, relies on foreign petroleum and LNG supplies to meet domestic demand. Last year, Islamabad received its first-ever shipment of discounted Russian crude oil, marking a shift from its traditional reliance on Middle Eastern suppliers.
Pakistan’s local gas reserves are fast depleting. It imported over $4 billion worth of liquefied petroleum and natural gas through May last fiscal year and $4.7 billion in LNG and LPG imports the year earlier (FY24), mostly from Qatar.
Russia and Pakistan also held the ninth meeting of their intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation in December and agreed to move ahead with the long-delayed Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline project.
This handout photograph, taken and released by Karachi Port Trust on June 11, 2023, shows a Russian ship, Pure Point, anchored at the OP2 in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: KPT/File)
The pipeline, signed in 2015 but delayed for years, aims to transport imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Karachi to Pakistan’s Punjab province and other energy-deficient regions.
Federov said both sides knew the delays in, and challenges with, the pipeline “must be fixed,” adding:
“We are working ... and I hope that in the nearest time we can prepare some positive surprises for Pakistani people, for Russian people, and for the world.”
Asked what was delaying the pipeline, Federov declined to share details, saying it could “spoil the game” as such projects “do not like a lot of noise and discussions around it.”
“There are nothing that can be a firewall between Russia and Pakistan in implementing this project,” he said.
The main challenges to building the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline include unresolved disagreements over project structure, financing terms, and US sanctions on Russian entities involved in the project. Regulatory hurdles and Pakistan’s weak fiscal position have also contributed to repeated delays since the agreement was signed a decade ago.
But despite the challenges, Federov said the two sides remained committed to finding “positive conclusions” on both the new steel mill and the pipeline.
