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Pakistan tells UN over 60 militant camps in Afghanistan threaten national security, urges aid for Afghans

Pakistan tells UN over 60 militant camps in Afghanistan threaten national security, urges aid for Afghans
Pakistan’s permanent ambassador to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmed addressing the United Nations Security Council in New York, US, on September 17, 2025. (@PakistanUN_NY/X)
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Updated 2 min 39 sec ago

Pakistan tells UN over 60 militant camps in Afghanistan threaten national security, urges aid for Afghans

Pakistan tells UN over 60 militant camps in Afghanistan threaten national security, urges aid for Afghans
  • Pakistan says a number of militant groups are based in Afghanistan and collaborating with each other in multiple ways
  • It’s UN envoy calls for more humanitarian and economic support for Afghanistan while warning of deepening instability
Updated 2 min 39 sec ago
UROOSA JADOON

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan told the UN Security Council on Wednesday more than 60 militant camps operate inside Afghanistan, serving as launch pads for cross-border attacks that target civilians and security forces while urging the international community to improve the dire humanitarian situation facing ordinary Afghans.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan and blames the Afghan Taliban for enabling their strikes, a charge that Kabul denies. Islamabad began deporting illegal immigrants, mostly Afghan nationals, two years ago citing these security concerns.

Addressing a Council debate on Afghanistan, Pakistan’s UN ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed raised noted the Taliban have been in power for more than four years – ending civil war for the first time in four decades – yet the country’s political and economic situation “remains deeply worrying.”

“The Taliban authorities must fulfill their international obligations on counter terrorism,” Ahmed said. “Terrorism emanating from Afghanistan remains the gravest threat to Pakistan’s national security. Terrorist entities including ISIL-K [Islamic State Khorasan], Al-Qaeda, TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan], ETIM [East Turkestan Islamic Movement], BLA [Baloch Liberation Army] and the Majeed Brigade operate from Afghan sanctuaries, with more than 60 such terrorist camps serving as hubs for enabling cross-border infiltration and attacks.”

He added Pakistan had “credible evidence of collaboration among these terrorist groups through joint training, illicit weapons trade, refuge to terrorists and coordinated attacks, all aimed at targeting civilian and law enforcement agencies and disrupting and sabotaging infrastructure and development projects in Pakistan.”

Ahmed also painted a bleak picture of Afghanistan’s economy, pointing to a collapsed banking system, persistent poverty and human rights concerns.

He said the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan had received only 27 percent of the required $2.42 billion and called on the world to “close this gap and ease the suffering of ordinary Afghans caught in a political impasse and divergent policies.”

The Pakistani diplomat emphasized stabilizing Afghanistan’s economy, reviving its banking sector, preventing poppy cultivation and unfreezing the country’s financial assets were crucial steps.

“No country desires peace and stability in Afghanistan more than Pakistan,” Ahmad added. “And no country has suffered from the consequences of decades of conflict in Afghanistan, more than Pakistan. We therefore remain committed to supporting a peaceful, prosperous Afghanistan, for the sake of our region and in the best interest of the world.”

Topics: Pakistan Afghan Ties Pakistan in the UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmad terrorism

Pakistan survive UAE scare to qualify for Asia Cup Super Four stage

Pakistan survive UAE scare to qualify for Asia Cup Super Four stage
Updated 17 September 2025

Pakistan survive UAE scare to qualify for Asia Cup Super Four stage

Pakistan survive UAE scare to qualify for Asia Cup Super Four stage
  • Pakistan handed UAE a 147-run target from 20 overs in knockout match at Dubai 
  • Crucial win helps Pakistan qualify for Super Four stage, set up another India clash  
Updated 17 September 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan cricket team survived a scare from minnows UAE on Wednesday, beating them by 41 runs at Dubai to qualify for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2025 tournament. 

Pakistan batted first but suffered early blows, losing both openers in the powerplay overs when the team's score was just nine. Fakhar Zaman and skipper Salman Ali Agha put in a 61-run partnership to bring some stability to the side before more wickets tumbled. 

Zaman scored 50 off 36 balls while Agha made 20 runs and Mohammad Haris scored 18 runs off 14 balls. Pakistan were in deep trouble at 110-7 before bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi stepped to the crease. Afridi smashed 29 runs from 14 balls to ensure Pakistan finished at 146-9 after 20 overs. 

"Pakistan defeat UAE by 41 runs and progress to the Super 4s in the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025," the PCB wrote on X. 

UAE, in response, were bundled out for 105 runs in 17.4 overs. Afridi, Rauf and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed each took two wickets while all-rounder Saim Ayub and Agha each picked up a single wicket. 

Rahul Chopra and Dhruv Parashar scored 35 and 20, respectively, to give the UAE a fighting chance before Pakistani bowlers dismissed them. 

Pakistan and India become the only teams to advance to the Super Four stage of the tournament from their group. This means the two arch-rivals will clash once again in the next stage of the tournament. 

Topics: Pakistan cricket team

Pakistan’s ABHI partners with Saudi platform to offer early wage access in Kingdom

Pakistan’s ABHI partners with Saudi platform to offer early wage access in Kingdom
Updated 17 September 2025

Pakistan’s ABHI partners with Saudi platform to offer early wage access in Kingdom

Pakistan’s ABHI partners with Saudi platform to offer early wage access in Kingdom
  • Earned Wage Access services let employees draw part of their salaries before the payday
  • ABHI’s EWA technology will be offered in restaurants, cafĂ©s, and cloud kitchens in Kingdom
Updated 17 September 2025
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistani fintech startup ABHI this week announced it has partnered with șÚÁÏÉçÇű’s cloud-based Point of Sale (POS) platform to launch the Earned Wage Access (EWA) service in the Kingdom, saying the move would promote financial inclusion. 

EWA is a financial solution allowing employees to withdraw a portion of their earned salary anytime before payday, eliminating the need to wait until the end of the month. 

The partnership entails integrating ABHI’s EWA technology into TRAY’s enterprise POS ecosystem, restaurants, cafĂ©s, and cloud kitchens across the Kingdom, allowing them to provide staff with on-demand salary access. ABHI said the move would financially empower employees, reduce turnover and strengthen retention in one of the most dynamic industries in șÚÁÏÉçÇű, food and beverage. 

“Partnering with TRAY enables ABHI to bring Earned Wage Access directly into the heart of șÚÁÏÉçÇű’s hospitality sector,” Omair Ansari, ABHI co-founder and chief executive officer, said in a statement on Wednesday. 

“By integrating our solution into TRAY’s platform, we provide SMEs with a tool to improve workforce retention while advancing financial inclusion across the Kingdom.”

ABHI said with the help of TRAY, which already supports payments, financing and delivery integrations, the Pakistani fintech’s EWA services will be offered as an embedded feature, making it easier than ever for businesses to adopt and provide employees with financial flexibility.

It said the collaboration is designed to support șÚÁÏÉçÇű’s Vision 2030 goals of financial inclusion, workforce empowerment and growth of small and medium businesses. 

ABHI, founded in 2021, has been serving customers in Pakistan, UAE, șÚÁÏÉçÇű and Oman through its credit-bridging products. The company says it offers, apart from EWA, services such as invoice factoring, SME working capital and revenue-based financing and payroll solutions.

The fintech says it has served more than 1,000,000 users since entering the market, spanning industries from textiles and manufacturing to health care and technology. 

ABHI says it is backed by leading investors, including Y Combinator, VEF, SpeedInvest, Venture Souq, Global Ventures, and Zayn Capital.

Topics: Abhi Pvt Earned Wage Access

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem qualifies for World Athletics Championships javelin final

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem qualifies for World Athletics Championships javelin final
Updated 17 September 2025

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem qualifies for World Athletics Championships javelin final

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem qualifies for World Athletics Championships javelin final
  • Nadeem hauls javelin at impressive 85.28-meter throw in his third and final attempt to qualify for final 
  • India’s Neeraj Chopra qualifies for World Athletics Championship final, which will take place on Thursday
Updated 17 September 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem qualified for the men’s World Athletics Championships javelin final on Wednesday with an impressive 85.28-meter throw, joining India’s Neeraj Chopra and other top athletes for the upcoming contest. 

The World Athletics Championships ranks alongside the Olympic Games as the highest level of global senior outdoor competition for track, field, marathon and race walk athletes. The Olympics and the FIFA World Cup are the only sporting events that boast a bigger global reach and impact. This year’s edition is taking place in Tokyo at the Japan National Stadium from Sept. 13-21. 

Nadeem, the reigning Olympic champion, qualified from Group B with an 85.28-meter throw in his third and final attempt in Tokyo. The automatic qualification mark was set at 84.50 meters. 

“Qualified for the FINAL of the World Athletics Championships!” Nadeem wrote on social media platform X. 

“Gearing up for the final tomorrow at 3:23 p.m. PST! Humble request: Need your prayers for a strong performance!“

Anderson Peters of Grenada, Olympic medal winner Julius Yego of Kenya and the USA’s Curtis Thompson also breached the automatic mark from Group B alongside Nadeem. 

Defending champion Chopra, a two-time Olympic medalist, booked his place in the medal round with an 84.85-meter throw in Group A of the qualifiers.

Germany’s Julian Weber, the top-ranked men’s javelin thrower in the world currently, fell short with his first throw but qualified with a second haul of 87.21 meters.

Poland’s Dawid Wegner was the only other athlete from Group A, who earned a direct qualification with a new personal best of 85.67m.

Nadeem, who comes from humble beginnings from the eastern Khanewal district in Pakistan, is one of nine children of a daily wage laborer who showed great versatility as an athlete from a young age while dabbling in all kinds of sports at school.

Though the family lacked the financial means to encourage Nadeem’s enthusiasm for sports, his spirit earned him the support he needed, with his elder brothers working to help him build a career in sports, the family told Arab News in an interview in 2021.

The Pakistani star athlete won silver at the World Championships in 2023 and gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 with a massive 90.18-meter distance throw.

Topics: Arshad Nadeem Javelin throw

șÚÁÏÉçÇű, Pakistan sign landmark defense pact, any attack on one seen as attack on both

șÚÁÏÉçÇű, Pakistan sign landmark defense pact, any attack on one seen as attack on both
Updated 17 September 2025

șÚÁÏÉçÇű, Pakistan sign landmark defense pact, any attack on one seen as attack on both

șÚÁÏÉçÇű, Pakistan sign landmark defense pact, any attack on one seen as attack on both
  • Pact marks major step in deepening security and economic ties between longtime allies
  • Riyadh agreement turns decades of military cooperation into a binding security commitment
Updated 17 September 2025
Waseem Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and șÚÁÏÉçÇű on Wednesday signed a “Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement” pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both, a move that will enhance joint deterrence and strengthen decades of military and security cooperation.

The accord comes less than two weeks after Israeli airstrikes in Doha targeted Hamas leaders, a development that has heightened regional tensions and reinforced the urgency Gulf states place on stronger security and defense partnerships.

The Riyadh agreement also signals a push by both governments to formalize long-standing military ties into a binding security commitment.

The pact was signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s state visit to Riyadh, where he met Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at Al-Yamamah Palace. The two leaders, joined by senior ministers and military officials, reviewed what Sharif’s office called a “historic and strategic” relationship between the two nations and discussed regional developments.

“The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both,” the joint statement said. 

It described the accord as a reflection of the two governments’ shared commitment to strengthening defense cooperation and “achieving security and peace in the region and the world.”

șÚÁÏÉçÇű and Pakistan have for decades maintained close political, military and economic ties. The Kingdom hosts more than 2.5 million Pakistani expatriates — the largest overseas community sending remittances back home — and has repeatedly provided Islamabad with financial support during economic crises. Defense cooperation has included training, arms purchases and joint military exercises.

The new agreement formalizes that cooperation into a mutual defense commitment, a step that analysts widely say places the relationship on par with other strategic partnerships in the region. 

While the statement did not detail implementation mechanisms, it stressed the accord was aimed at “developing aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthening joint deterrence against any aggression.”

The visit also comes as Pakistan looks to bolster ties with Gulf states amid ongoing economic challenges at home.

Topics: Pakistan șÚÁÏÉçÇű ties

Pakistan Met Department says it warned of ‘excessive monsoon’ and floods in May

Pakistan Met Department says it warned of ‘excessive monsoon’ and floods in May
Updated 17 September 2025

Pakistan Met Department says it warned of ‘excessive monsoon’ and floods in May

Pakistan Met Department says it warned of ‘excessive monsoon’ and floods in May
  • Heavy rains and floods have killed 1,002 people nationwide and injured 1,063 since June 26
  • Parliamentary body to probe why warnings did not reach authorities, affected communities
Updated 17 September 2025
Waseem Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Meteorological Department (Met) told lawmakers on Wednesday it had warned authorities as early as May that the monsoon season would be “excessive” and trigger floods, raising fresh questions over why disaster management agencies failed to act as deluges have killed more than 1,000 people nationwide since late June.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), heavy monsoon rains and water released from Indian dams have killed 1,002 people and injured 1,063 across Pakistan since June 26. 

Floods in Punjab province in late August left 112 people dead, affected over 4.5 million and forced 2.6 million to evacuate, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to declare an economic and agricultural emergency and call for improvements to the country’s flood early warning system.

Experts say that even in countries with advanced disaster management systems, early warnings are only as effective as the ability of authorities and communities to act on them.

Global research shows robust warning systems can cut flood-related deaths by as much as two-thirds, but require clear communication channels, evacuation planning, and public trust to work. In Pakistan’s case, analysts argue that warnings from the Met Department can save lives only if they are translated swiftly into local alerts, community preparedness and protective measures such as strengthening embankments or relocating vulnerable populations.

“In a meeting held on May 29 this year, we warned representatives of all the relevant departments of Pakistan like the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the provincial department authority, irrigation and agriculture departments that monsoon will be excessive this year and will cause floods,” Sahibzada Khan, director-general of the Met Department, told the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Water Resources.

His statement shocked committee members, who said NDMA had not conveyed flood warnings to parliamentary forums until after devastation struck.

Shazia Marri, a legislator and committee member, said NDMA officials had dismissed the risk in earlier briefings:

“I have been told by my colleagues in two parliamentary committees that NDMA officials briefed them before floods. However, these officials told these committees that there was no threat of flood this year.”

Marri added parliamentarians were “caught off guard” when flooding hit their constituencies.

NDMA representatives did not attend Wednesday’s meeting.

An NDMA official, speaking to Arab News on condition of anonymity, said the authority had warned of heavy rains and floods in a report issued during the first week of June.

The Met Department said it had assessed the risks as early as April during a meeting of the South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF), a regional body of 10 monsoon-affected countries.

“Our regional consensus statement was that there will be heavy rains in the catchment areas of Pakistani rivers, and this will result in floods in Pakistan,” Khan told the committee.

A SASCOF statement on April 30 confirmed “above normal rainfall is most likely during the 2025 southwest monsoon season (June–September) over most parts of South Asia.”

Ahmad Atteeq Anwer, chairman of the committee, said the parliamentary body would investigate why the Met Department’s warnings never translated into action on the ground.

Pakistan’s Federal Flood Commission Chairman Athar Hameed added that the country’s floodplain mapping and forecasting model, developed in 2017, needed urgent upgrades to account for new infrastructure. Updated floodplain maps, he said, were critical for planning, legislation and imposing restrictions on construction in high-risk zones.

Pakistan, which contributes only 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is among the countries most severely affected by climate change. Catastrophic floods in 2022 killed 1,700 people, affected 33 million and caused over $30 billion in damage.

Topics: Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD)

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