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Any misAdventure by indiA to trigger off swift, resolute, notch-up response: coAs
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Friday, 2 May, 2025 I 4 Ziquad, 1446
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 295 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
GEN MUNIR REAFFIRMS MILITARY’S ‘UNYIELDING RESOLVE’ TO DEFEND g COAS LAUDS ‘HIGH MORALE, COMBAT PROFICIENCY, NATION’S SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AT ALL COSTS AND WARFIGHTING SPIRIT’ OF OFFICERS AND TROOPS ‘EXERCISE HAMMER STRIKE’ DESIGNED TO VALIDATE COMBAT READINESS, BATTLEFIELD SYNERGY AND OPERATIONAL INTEGRATION OF CUTTING-EDGE WEAPON SYSTEMS
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RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT
HIEF of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Thursday warned that any “misadventure” by India, reaffirming the unyielding resolve of Pakistan’s Armed Forces to defend the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs. COAS General Asim Munir’s statement comes amid simmering es-
calation between India and Pakistan that has seen continued shelling across the Line of Control after a militant attack in the India occupied Kashmir. The April 22 attack in Pahalgam, a tourist attraction in the Indian occupied Kahsmir, killed 26 people. India was prompt to blame Pakistan for the attack without a “shred of evidence,” while Pakistan has rejected the accusation and called for a neutral probe. According to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public
bilawal criticizes india’s irrational steps following pahalgam attack
KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned India’s actions following the Pahalgam attack, calling them “irrational” and stating that Pakistan would view any move to end the Indus Waters Treaty as an act of war. In an interview with the BBC, Bilawal pointed out that Pakistan’s removal from the FATF grey list during his tenure as foreign minister demonstrated that Pakistan had no ties to terrorist groups. Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated since India made baseless allegations against Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 tourists. India accused Pakistan without providing evidence, leading to retaliatory actions, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and closing the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. Bilawal emphasized that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had offered India an impartial inquiry into the incident, urging India to step back from emotional and unfounded accusations. NEWS DESK
islamabad and rawalpindi hit by storms; nationwide rainfall expected
ISLAMABAD: A powerful thunderstorm swept across Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Thursday, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds that provided a welcome respite from the intense heatwave gripping the twin cities. The storm, which occurred in the afternoon, darkened the skies and significantly cooled the temperature, with the rain causing traffic disruptions and forcing several businesses and restaurants to temporarily close. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted that the storm marks the beginning of widespread rainfall across the country. The ongoing heatwave, which has affected both major cities and rural areas, is expected to subside as rain systems move in. NEWS DESK
PM calls on President to discuss security situation ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday called on President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the prevailing security situation and enquire after his health after recovery from Covid-19. The two leaders expressed deep concern over India’s “belligerent attitude and provocative statements, which posed a threat to regional peace and stability,” According to a statement issued from the President House after the meeting. They reaffirmed that Pakistan would never compromise on the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and would respond to any act of aggression in a “befitting manner”. DPM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar were also present during the meeting. They stated that the Pakistani nation was united and stood behind its military which was capa-
Relations (ISPR) on Thursday, COAS Munir visited the Tilla Field Firing Ranges in Jhelum to witness “Exercise Hammer Strike”, a highintensity, field training exercise conducted by the military’s Mangla
ble of responding to any threat or aggression. They also reviewed Pakistan’s response to India’s “belligerent posture and any possible acts of aggression”. The two also expressed regret over the Indian leadership’s accusations regarding the Pahalgam attack, noting that they were made without any investigation. It was highlighted in their talks that Pakistan had been a victim of terrorism, suffering immense human and economic losses for over two decades. They said that the international community should take note of India’s involvement in funding, training and sending militants into Pakistan to carry out terrorist activities. The statement said President Zardari commended the government’s response to Indian baseless accusations and handling of the situation in a responsible manner. He reaffirmed that Pakistan would take all necessary steps to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and vital national interests at all costs.
Strike Corps. Addressing the troops amid the exercise, the army chief reaffirmed the military’s “unyielding resolve” to defend the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs,
Pakistan Army conducts full-scale military exercises near LoC RAWALPINDI
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan Army conducted fullscale military exercises on Thursday, showcasing modern weaponry and its combat readiness amid simmering tensions with India in the wake of Pahalgam attack. According to security sources, the drills featured live-fire demonstrations and involved multiple units using advanced battlefield systems to prepare for any potential aggression. The exercises came a day after Pakistani forces destroyed an Indian outpost in response to unprovoked fire from across the LoC in the Kiani and Mandal sectors. Officials confirmed the retaliation successfully neutralized enemy positions, including the Chakputra post in Indian IllegallyOccupied Jammu and Kashmir. According to security sources, officers and troops from various
said the ISPR. “Let there be no ambiguity: any military misadventure by India will be met with a swift, resolute, and notch-up response. While Pakistan remains committed to regional
Pakistan allows 150 stranded Afghan trucks carrying goods for India Wagah-Attari border closed as repatriation deadline expires LAHORE
NEWS DESK
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Pakistan on Thursday allowed 150 stranded Afghan trucks carrying goods for India to cross the Wagah Border, easing a weeks-long bottleneck, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The moves came nearly a week after Pakistan shut off its borders for any trade with India, including to or from a third country, in response to New Delhi’s measures following a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir. India, without proof, implied cross-border links, which Pakistan denied and instead sought a neutral probe. A document shared by the foreign ministry today, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, acknowledged a request made by the Afghan embassy in Islamabad on April 28 regarding containers stranded at different transit points in Pakistan.
The Wagah-Attari border was officially closed on Wednesday following the expiry of a deadline for the repatriation of nationals and long-term visa holders between India and Pakistan. The closure comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries following the Pahalgam attack in IIOJK, which killed 26 tourists. While over 2,500 people had
“The ministry has the honour to inform that in view of the brotherly relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the government of Pakistan has decided to permit stranded Afghan trucks, carrying goods in transit to India, which entered Pakistan before April 25, 2025, to cross Wagah Border for delivering the goods. “The list of 150 trucks provided by the esteemed embassy has been transmitted to the concerned authorities,” the foreign ministry said. Details of other stranded trucks, if any, may also be tared at the earliest, it added. Islamabad decided to halt trade
crossed the border in the past week, a significant number of individuals from both countries remain stranded on either side, with no official policy yet announced for their return. Two options are under consideration: extending the repatriation period or initiating deportations. India had recently suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan after blaming the country for the attack without providing evidence.
with New Delhi — including to and from any third country via Pakistan — during the National Security Committee meeting on April 24. Trade between the two countries had already been suspended since February 2019, when New Delhi imposed steep duties on Pakistani imports after the Pulwama attack, which killed 40 Indian soldiers in Indian-occupied Kashmir. That August, after New Delhi stripped occupied Kashmir of its special status by revoking Article 370, Pakistan formally downgraded trade ties with India to the level of Israel, with which it has no commercial relations.
units took part in the drills, displaying high-level operational skills and using advanced battlefield systems. Tensions between the nucleararmed neighbours have escalated since the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 tourists. India blamed Pakistan for the incident without presenting any evidence. The fallout has triggered a series of retaliatory diplomatic and strategic steps. India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, cancelled visas for Pakistanis, and shut the Wagah-Attari border crossing. Pakistan responded by expelling Indian diplomats, threatening to suspend the Simla Agreement, suspending visas for Indian nationals—excluding Sikh pilgrims—and closing the main crossing from its side. Islamabad has denied involvement in the Pahalgam attack and offered to cooperate in a transparent investigation.
peace, our preparedness and resolve to safeguard national interests is absolute,” he was quoted as saying by the ISPR.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
Justice mandokhail urges formal recognition of mining sector to protect workers and boost economy PROFIT
MONITORING DESK
Supreme Court Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail has called on the government to formally recognize mining as an industry, citing the harsh conditions faced by workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Speaking at a national conference titled “Workers and Employers in 2025: Navigating Change with Harmony”—organized by the National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO)—Justice Mandokhail stressed that employers and workers are equal under law and Islamic principles. He expressed concern over the absence of legal protections for mine workers and urged reforms to ensure their welfare. “A judge must follow the law, but justice is not limited to the courts. Every individual is responsible for ensuring justice in their actions,” he said. He also emphasized the right to association under Article 17 of the Constitution and encouraged labour unions to work in harmony with employers. Pakistan’s mineral sector contributes just 3.2% to GDP, despite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s repeated claims that the country’s untapped mineral wealth—valued in the trillions of dollars— could enable it to move away from dependence on international lenders like the IMF. Justice Jawad Hassan of the Lahore High Court highlighted the strength of Pakistan’s labour legislation, noting its roots in the 1969 Industrial Relations Ordinance and the ratification of nearly all 48 international labour conventions. Justice (Retd.) Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, NIRC Chairman, stressed that safeguarding worker rights is key to keeping the national industry on track.
Pakistan’s envoy urges Trump role as US steps in to ease Pak-India escalation NEW YORK/ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, has urged President Donald Trump to step in and help ease simmering escalation between India and Pakistan as the US leader simultaneously strives to solve conflicts in Europe and Middle East, according to state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). “If we have a president who is standing for peace in the world as a pronounced objective during this administration, to establish a legacy as a peacemaker, or as someone who finished wars, defied wars and played a role in de-confliction, resolving the disputes, I don’t think there is any higher or flashier flashpoint, particularly in nuclear terms, as Kashmir,” Ambassador Sheikh said in an exclusive interview with Newsweek. “We are not talking about one or two countries in that neighbourhood who are nuclear capable. So, that is how grave it is.” The tensions between two the South
Asian neighbours intensified in the wake of an armed attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, a tourist attraction in the Indian-occupied Kashmir, in which 26 people were reportedly killed. Following the incident, Modi-led government in New Delhi, announced a number of escalating moves, downgrading diplomatic and trade ties with Pakistan, measures reciprocated in kind by Islamabad. Clashes have since erupted along the Line of Control in Kashmir. Pakistani defence minister and information minister have warned of an imminent strike being planned by India. With the stakes appearing to grow higher by the hour, Ambassador Sheikh argued that the Trump administration would need to pursue a more comprehensive and sustained initiative than witnessed in past US attempts to defuse crises that have erupted between the two countries. “So, I think with this threat that we are facing, there is a latent opportunity to address the situation by not just to focus on an immediate de-escalatory measure, or a de-
escalatory approach,” Sheikh said, “but to try and get this out of the way in a fashion that there is something more durable and lasting in terms of a durable solution of the Kashmir dispute rather than allowing the situation to stay precarious and pop up again and again at the next drop of a hat on this side or that side.” Speaking to reporters the following day, US State Department spokesperson Tammy
Bruce said that Trump administration officials are “monitoring the developments across the board in that region” and also “at multiple levels…are in touch with the governments of India and Pakistan.” Rubio is expected to speak with both sides this week. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by telephone to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who briefed him on Pakistan’s perspective regarding recent developments in South Asia, following the Pahalgam incident. While condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, PM Shehbaz underscored Pakistan’s leading role in the war against terrorism and the country’s sacrifice of over 90,000 lives lost and over $152 billion in economic losses. Terming India’s escalatory and provocative behaviour deeply disappointing and worrisome, Shehbaz said that India’s provocations would only serve to distract Pakistan from its ongoing efforts to defeat terrorism, particularly from militant groups, including Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), Tehreek-e-
Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), operating from the Afghan soil. The prime minister categorically rejected Indian attempts to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam incident and pointed to his call for a transparent, credible, and neutral investigation to bring out the facts. He urged the US to impress upon India to dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly. On Thursday, in a separate phone call with Jaishankar, “the secretary expressed his sorrow for the lives lost in the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism”, Bruce said. “He also encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia.” According to the handout issued in Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz received a telephone call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and briefed him on Pakistan’s perspective regarding recent developments in South Asia, following the Pahalgam incident.