Anchorperson Imtiaz Mir, wounded in Karachi gun attack, succumbs to injuries
Anchorperson Imtiaz Mir, wounded in Karachi gun attack, succumbs to injuries/node/2617081/pakistan
Anchorperson Imtiaz Mir, wounded in Karachi gun attack, succumbs to injuries
This file photo, shared on July 6, 2025, shows Pakistani journalist Imtiaz Ali, who was injured in a gun attack last week, on Sunday succumbed to his wounds at a hospital in the southern port city of Karachi. (Photo courtesy: Facebook/Imtiaz Ali)
KARACHI: Pakistani journalist and anchorperson Imtiaz Mir, who was injured in a gun attack last week, on Sunday succumbed to his wounds at a hospital in the southern port city of Karachi.
Mir, who hosted the show “Aaj Ki Baat With Imtiaz Mir” on Metro 1 News channel, was shot by two persons riding a motorbike in Karachi’s Malir area on Sept. 21, according to police.
The journalist had since been under treatment at Liaquat National Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds on Sunday night. The hospital stated cardiopulmonary arrest as the cause of death.
“My heart is deeply saddened by the death of Imtiaz Mir,” Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said, extending his sympathies to the journalist’s family. “Mir’s journalistic services will always be remembered.”
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Tariq Nawaz previously said it was unclear why Mir was targeted, but added that his driver told police that the anchorperson had an ongoing feud in his hometown.
Pakistani journalists have frequently faced violence in the past.
As per a report released by the Pakistan-based media and development sector watchdog Freedom Network last year, 184 incidents of violence against journalists took place in the southern Sindh province between 2018 and 2023. These included the killing of 10 journalists.
Journalists have often accused the government and influential politicians of subjecting them to threats, intimidation and harassment for reporting on sensitive topics over the years. The allegations have been denied by officials.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed hope that United States (US) President Donald Trump’s meeting with Muslim leaders this week will bear “encouraging” results for Gaza, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
Trump held the multilateral meeting with the leaders of Pakistan, , United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, Indonesia and others on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.
The US President had presented them with a 21-point peace plan for the Middle East and Gaza, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Wednesday, adding that he is confident of “some sort of breakthrough.”
The meeting came at a crucial time for the Middle East region as Israel has ramped up its military operations in Gaza, where it has killed over 65,000 people since October 2023, with Muslim nations urging the international community to hold Tel Aviv accountable.
“Consultations with Arab and Islamic countries led by US President Donald Trump will produce encouraging results on the Gaza issue,” the state-run APP news agency quoted Sharif as telling overseas Pakistanis in London.
Sharif was accompanied by Pakistan’s deputy premier and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, who said the leaders of five Arab countries, , UAE, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt, and three non-Arab Muslim countries, including Pakistan, Turkiye and Indonesia, had exchanged views with Trump on the Gaza issue.
“The meetings continued even after the initial meeting and that this will yield positive results on the Gaza issue, which will be shared with the nation,” he was quoted as saying.
Pakistan does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for a two-state solution to resolve the Middle East crisis. Islamabad supports an independent Palestinian state as per the aspirations of the Palestinian people, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital and according to the pre-1967 borders.
Trump expressed optimism on Sunday about reaching a deal to end the war in Gaza, saying there is “a real chance for greatness in the Middle East” ahead of talks on Monday with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
The US president did not provide specific details of a prospective ceasefire.
“We have a real chance for Greatness in the Middle East. All are on board for something special, first time ever. We will get it done,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
The statement came as Israeli tanks moved deeper into Gaza City’s residential districts on Sunday as local health authorities said they have been unable to respond to dozens of desperate calls, expressing concern about the fate of residents in the targeted areas.
The Israeli military launched its long-threatened ground offensive on Gaza City on September 16 after weeks of intensifying strikes on the urban center, forcing hundreds of Palestinians to flee although many still remain.
Hamas, which Israel has demanded surrender, said Sunday it had not received a new proposal from mediators, after Trump said Friday that “a deal on Gaza” seemed likely.
Pakistan plans to resume flights to Dhaka as ties with Bangladesh warm up/node/2617074/pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is mulling resumption of direct flights to Dhaka as Islamabad’s relations with Bangladesh warm up, the Pakistani state carrier said on Sunday.
The statement came after a visit by Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan Iqbal Hussain Khan to the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) head office in Karachi, according to the airline.
“Matters of mutual interests were discussed, including the resumption of PIA flights to #Dhaka to re-establish the air link and strengthen the bond between the two nations,” PIA said on X handle.
The development comes days after Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Sindh province, Murad Ali Shah, and Bangladesh’s Home Secretary Naseem-ul-Ghani met to discuss areas of mutual interest and to strengthen economic ties.
They agreed that direct flights and shipping services between Karachi and Dhaka were needed to boost trade and people-to-people contact, according to the Sindh government.
“The Bangladeshi Secretary recalled that a direct shipping service had recently been established by a private company but had since stopped and appealed to the Sindh CM to help resume it through federal channels,” the Sindh government said in a statement after the meeting.
The meeting came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s discussions with Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Both top leaders focused on building constructive and forward-looking ties rooted in mutual respect and trust between the countries.
Pakistan and Bangladesh used to be one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war, which saw the part previously referred to as East Pakistan seceding to form the independent nation of Bangladesh.
Ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have warmed since the fall of the administration of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was widely viewed as close to India and critical of Pakistan, following a student-led uprising in August 2024.
Islamabad has attempted to forge closer ties with Bangladesh in recent months as relations remain frosty between Dhaka and New Delhi over India’s decision to grant asylum to Hasina after she fled the country.
Kuldeep helps India bowl out Pakistan for 146 in Asia Cup final
Defending champions India and Pakistan are playing a final in the Asia Cup for the first time in the tournament’s 41-year history
The two neighbors came into the title clash after previous two clashes that witnessed political posturing and on-field aggression
Updated 48 min 51 sec ago
AFP
DUBAI: India spinner Kuldeep Yadav took four wickets to trigger a batting collapse and bowl Pakistan out for 146 in the Asia Cup final with no handshakes between the sides again on Sunday.
The two neighbors came into the title clash with tensions high from their previous two clashes in the competition, which witnessed political posturing and aggressive on-field behavior at the same venue in Dubai.
Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah raised the heat when he bowled Haris Rauf for six and made a gesture similar to the one the Pakistan bowler had done to the crowd in the previous meeting between the two teams.
Put in to bat after no handshakes in the toss, Pakistan started strongly as openers Sahibzada Farhan, who made 57, and Fakhar Zaman, who made 46, put on 84 runs but the team slipped from 113-1 to be bowled out in 19.1 overs.
Farhan fell after his second fifty in this edition of the regional tournament played in the T20 format after the batter attempted a second successive six off spinner Varun Chakravarthy.
Zaman took charge and along with Saim Ayub kept up the attack with regular boundaries until Kuldeep struck in the 13th over.
Ayub fell to Kuldeep’s left-arm wrist spin as Pakistan lost six wickets for 21 runs.
Indian players celebrates the wicket Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi of during the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP)
Zaman fell short of his fifty and Kuldeep struck with three wickets in the 17th over, including skipper Salman Agha for eight.
Bumrah got Rauf and then Mohammad Nawaz to wrap up the innings in 19.1 overs.
Defending champions India and Pakistan are playing a final in the Asia Cup for the first time in the tournament’s 41-year history.
India and Pakistan met earlier in the competition for the first time after deadly fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbors, who have not played a bilateral series in over a decade.
The two only meet in multi-nation tournaments at neutral venues as part of a compromise deal.
India comfortably won both their games in the tournament, but in the Super Four clash Farhan mimicked a gun celebration after his half-century.
Rauf made gestures appearing to mock India’s military action during the four-day border conflict in May that left more than 70 people dead.
In the group match, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav had refused to shake hands with Pakistan counterpart Agha and the two teams kept up the stance in the second match.
The Asia Cup is widely seen as a dress rehearsal for the T20 World Cup to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February-March of next year.
KARACHI: Pakistan Navy has launched a mangrove plantation drive along the country’s southern coast, its Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) said on Sunday, amid Pakistan’s push for environmental restoration.
Mangrove forests have a critical role in combating climate change, preserving biodiversity, and protecting coastal communities from erosion and natural disasters, environmental experts say.
The latest campaign was launched in collaboration with the forest departments of Pakistan’s Sindh and Balochistan provinces as well as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), according to the DGPR.
Coast Commander Rear Admiral Faisal Amin launched the drive by planting a sapling and said the campaign aims to promote environmental awareness and strengthen coastal resilience.
“The mangrove plantation campaign is part of Pakistan Navy’s environmental protection program, under which the Navy has planted 8.7 million mangroves from Shah Bandar to Jiwani,” the DGPR said.
Pakistan ranks among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. The downstream flow of water into its Indus delta has decreased by 80 percent since the 1950s as a result of irrigation canals, hydropower dams and the impacts of climate change on glacial and snow melt, according to a 2018 study by the US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water. That has led to devastating seawater intrusion.
Due to this decline in flow of fresh water, Sindh forest authorities launched an extensive reforestation drive in the 1990s and planted harder, salt-tolerant mangrove species such as Avicennia marina, Aegiceras corniculatum, Rhizophora mucronata and Ceriops tagal. As a result, the Indus delta now boasts one of the largest arid climate mangrove forests in the world.
These plantation drives have also created employment opportunities for the local populace, according to the DGPR.
“Marine conservation and sustainable development are integral to Pakistan Navy’s environmental initiatives, and this campaign stands as a testament to the Navy’s unwavering commitment to preserving the country’s coastal environment for future generations,” it added.
Strings of identity: Kashmir’s fading music endures
In the 1950s, Indian musician Shivkumar Sharma introduced the santoor in classical music and it became a celebrated voice
The traditional instrument faced challenges as Western instruments and global music trends began to overshadow local sounds
Updated 28 September 2025
AFP
SRINAGAR: In a modest workshop filled with the fragrance of seasoned wood, 78-year-old Ghulam Mohammad Zaz continues a craft his family has preserved for eight generations — the making of the Kashmiri santoor.
Surrounded by tools that have outlived artisans, he works slowly, each strike and polish echoing centuries of tradition crafting the musical instrument.
“Seven generations have worked and I am the eighth; I have no guarantee anyone after me will do this work,” Zaz said softly, speaking in Kashmiri.
Once, several of his family members shared this craft in the heart of Kashmir’s main city Srinagar, in the Indian-administered part of the Himalayan territory.
Today, he is the last in the city to make the instruments by hand.
“If I tell anyone to make something, they won’t know what to do or how to make it,” said Zaz, who produces around eight to 10 instruments every year, selling for around 50,000 rupees ($565) each.
“It is not as simple as just picking some wood — one needs to find the right kind of wood.”
In this photograph taken on September 23, 2025, artisan Ghulam Mohammad Zaz speaks as he takes a break while making the Santoor instrument at his home in Srinagar. (AFP)
The santoor, a hundred-stringed zither-like instrument played with hammers, has long been central to Kashmir’s musical identity, giving the Muslim-majority region its cultural distinctiveness.
The contested Himalayan territory has been divided between India and Pakistan since independence from Britain in 1947.
Militants have fought Indian rule, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.
Tensions remain high between New Delhi and Islamabad.
In May, clashes between the nuclear-armed rivals sparked the worst fighting since 1999, killing more than 70 people in missile, drone and artillery exchanges.
MYSTICAL MUSIC
Historically, the santoor formed the backbone of ” Sufiana music,” Kashmir’s mystical music tradition, with its hypnotic and reverberating sound bringing tranquility.
“Musicians used to come from Iran to Kashmir, they used to play santoor and other instruments,” said Muzaffar Bhat, a music professor at a government college in Anantnag.
“They used to sing in Persian... we adapted the santoor from them and assimilated it into our music.”
The instrument received a new life in the 20th century.
In the 1950s, celebrated Indian musician Shivkumar Sharma — born in Jammu and Kashmir in 1938 — used the santoor to play classical music.
“Due to that, this became popularised in the classical circles throughout India,” Bhat said.
Suddenly, the santoor was no longer confined to Kashmiri sufiana gatherings — it had become a celebrated voice in Indian classical music.
Yet tradition faced challenges as Western instruments and global music trends began to overshadow local sounds.
In this photograph taken on September 23, 2025, artisan Ghulam Mohammad Zaz makes the Santoor instrument at his home in Srinagar. (AFP)
“A lot of our traditional Kashmiri instruments became sidelined,” said Bhat.
For craftsmen like Zaz, this meant fewer patrons, fewer students, and the slow decline of a centuries-old family profession.
Zaz sells his instruments in Kashmir, but also receives orders from Europe and the Middle East.
But there is hope. A revival, however modest, is taking root.
“Since the last few years, a new trend has started,” Bhat said. “Our youngsters have started to learn our traditional instruments.”
