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Lt-Gen ZAkrIA sAys MAy 2025 response reshAped south AsIA’s wAr cALcuLus Monday, 1 June, 2026 | 15 ZilHaj, 1447
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LT-GEN ZAKRIA ADDRESSES SHANGRI LA DIALOGUE IN SINGAPORE, SAYING PAKISTAN’S RESPONSE REMOVED ‘SPACE FOR WAR’ IN REGION
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CITES MAY 2025 CONFLICT AS TURNING POINT IN REGIONAL SECURITY DYNAMICS, HIGHLIGHTING MULTI-DOMAIN OPERATIONS AND TRI-SERVICE SYNERGY
DESCRIBES CHINA AS STABILISING FACTOR IN REGIONAL BALANCE, CALLING FOR GLOBAL NORMS ON AI, CYBER, AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS AND SPACE
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SINGAPORE/ISLAMABAD
WARNS MISINFORMATION AND TECH DISRUPTION THREATEN STRATEGIC STABILITY
STAFF REPORT
senior Pakistan Army commander has said that Pakistan’s “resolute response” during the May 2025 conflict with India effectively “debunked the notion of space for war in South Asia,” adding that, despite the complexities of great power competition, China continues to act as a constructive and stabilising factor contributing to regional balance, connectivity, and economic cooperation. Commander I Corps Lieutenant General Nauman Zakria made the remarks during a special session at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday. Recalling the May 2025 confrontation, he said a four-day conflict was triggered after an attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which New Delhi, without evidence, linked to Pakistan. Islamabad rejected the allegations and called for a neutral investigation. Following Indian air strikes on May 7 targeting Punjab and Azad Kashmir, Pakistan stated it downed five Indian aircraft in air-to-air combat, later increasing the tally to eight. Subsequent tit-for-tat strikes on airbases escalated tensions until US diplomatic intervention on May 10 led to a ceasefire. Lt Gen Zakria said strategic stability in South Asia remained shaped by nu-
clear deterrence, conventional asymmetry, persistent political tensions, and unresolved territorial and ideological disputes between India and Pakistan. He added that China, amid broader great-power competition, remained a stabilising factor contributing to strategic balance, regional connectivity, and economic cooperation. The commander said the May 2025 conflict demonstrated Pakistan’s effective multi-domain operations enabled by tri-service synergy, integrating cyber capabilities, electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
(ISR), space-based assets, and coordinated information manoeuvre to generate cross-domain effects. “Pakistan’s resolute response has effectively debunked the notion of space for war in South Asia,” he said. He noted that post-conflict dynamics had further reduced the prospects of conventional war. However, he warned that continued Indian militarisation, adversarial rhetoric, and the absence of robust crisis management mechanisms continued to undermine regional stability. “In this evolving environment, South Asia’s strategic equilibrium is increas-
PM, Interior Minister review law and order, GB polls security arrangements LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
Federal Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi on Sunday called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to review the country’s overall law-and-order and internal security situation, state media reported. According to a statement issued from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), a detailed discussion was held on the prevailing security environment across the country. During the meeting, the Interior Minister briefed the Prime Minister on special arrangements made to safeguard the lives and property of citizens and to ensure security at public places during Eidul Azha. He also provided a detailed update on preparations and measures undertaken by security agencies to ensure the peaceful, transparent and
well-organised conduct of the upcoming elections in Gilgit-Baltistan. Naqvi informed the Prime Minister that a comprehensive security plan had been finalised to maintain law and order and provide a safe environment for voters throughout the electoral process. The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of the Interior Ministry, law enforcement agencies and security forces in maintaining peace and stability across the country and ensuring the protection of citizens. He also commended the Interior Minister and his team for effective security arrangements for the GilgitBaltistan elections and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting all necessary measures for the smooth conduct of the democratic process. Separately, a day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the residence of renowned late journal-
ist Altaf Hassan Qureshi to offer condolences and Fateha for the departed soul. During the visit, the Prime Minister expressed his sympathies to the late journalist’s son Kamran Hassan Qureshi and daughter Kurtaba Mazhar, and prayed for forgiveness and elevation of the deceased’s status in the hereafter. Paying tribute, PM Shehbaz Sharif said Altaf Hassan Qureshi rendered outstanding services to journalism throughout his career. He described the late journalist as an exceptional human being and a distinguished professional whose contributions to the field would always be remembered, adding that his passing had created a void in journalism that would be difficult to fill. The Prime Minister also prayed for patience and strength for the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss.
Punjab greenlights 6,000 police deployment for GB polls as EC warns of strict action ISLAMABAD/SKARDU SALEEM JADOON
The Punjab authorities on Sunday approved the deployment of 6,000 Punjab Police personnel in GilgitBaltistan ahead of the June 7 elections, as the region’s Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan warned of strict enforcement of the electoral code of conduct and possible disqualification of candidates over violations amid intensifying political activity. According to official sources, Punjab authorities had initially approved the deployment of 5,000 personnel, but later increased the figure to 6,000 for election security duties in Gilgit-Baltistan. A memorandum issued by the Punjab Additional Inspector General (Operations) stated that 5,000 police personnel had been placed at the disposal of Gilgit-Baltistan Police for election security duties. It further stated that the deployed personnel would be equipped with anti-riot gear, while each bus transporting them to Gilgit-Baltistan would be escorted by four armed police personnel. The memo added that the Motor Transport Department’s Senior Super-
intendent of Police would arrange transport, ensuring that only roadworthy buses with valid fitness certificates were selected for the deployment. It also noted that drivers assigned for the transport operation must be familiar with the difficult terrain leading to Gilgit-Baltistan to ensure safe transit.
Later, the Punjab AIG (Operations) issued a second memo confirming that an additional 1,000 police personnel had been placed at the disposal of Gilgit-Baltistan Police to strengthen election security arrangements.
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PTI alleges ‘pre-poll rigging’ in GB elections, claims state misuse ahead of June 7 vote ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday alleged “systematic pre-poll rigging” ahead of the Gilgit-Baltistan elections scheduled for June 7, claiming that the government was “brazenly misusing state resources to suppress democratic voices and undermine the electoral process.” In a statement issued by PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, the party accused the federal government of engineering what it termed “pre-poll rigging,” asserting that state machinery was being used to tilt the electoral play-
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ing field even before voting begins. As the polling day approaches, multiple political parties have raised concerns over campaign-related restrictions and the broader electoral environment, citing issues ranging from alleged pre-poll irregularities and detentions to curbs on political activity. PTI also condemned what it described as the “partisan and unacceptable conduct” of the GilgitBaltistan Election Commission, alleging that the commission had issued a notice to the mother of former chief minister Khalid Khursheed over the display of his photograph on campaign posters.
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ingly dependent on escalation control and effective crisis communication frameworks,” he said. Lt Gen Zakria stressed the need to shift from competition-only postures to cooperative risk management across multiple domains while adhering to international norms. He said responsible governance of emerging technologies was essential, adding that technological innovation must remain tied to ethical responsibility and strategic accountability. He called for internationally accepted norms governing military use of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber operations, and space technologies, stressing that human oversight must remain central in decisions involving use of force. He also highlighted the importance of confidence-building measures, transparency mechanisms, and sustained technical dialogue to reduce misunderstandings and prevent destabilising arms races. Secondly, he said institutionalised crisis-management mechanisms and strategic communication channels must be strengthened, noting that “even during periods of geopolitical rivalry, dialogue must never collapse.” “Strategic stability is preserved not only through deterrence but also through communication,” he added.
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FIA offloaded 39,786 passengers in 2025 amid anti-human smuggling crackdown ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has offloaded 39,786 passengers during 2025 under what it describes as a “lawful, intelligence-driven and risk-based system” aimed at curbing irregular migration, dismantling human-smuggling networks and protecting Pakistan’s international image, a senior official said on Sunday. “Passenger offloading, often criticised publicly, is primarily a preventive step aimed at saving lives, protecting citizens from exploitation abroad and safeguarding Pakistan’s international image. Protection of human life and prevention of exploitation at the hands of human traffickers has always been the prime objective of the FIA,” FIA Immigration Additional Director General Nouman Siddiqui said while speaking to a “select group of senior journalists.” Defending the agency’s immigration controls, Siddiqui stressed that offloading decisions were not arbitrary but based on immigration concerns, suspicious travel patterns, document verification, destination-country requirements and established standard operating procedures. The briefing comes amid heightened scrutiny of the FIA’s immigration regime following a series of deadly irregular migration incidents involving Pakistani nationals and growing efforts by authorities to crack down on human smuggling networks. According to the official, at least 39,786 passengers were offloaded by FIA immigration authorities during 2025, while another 34,688 passengers were prevented from travelling for reasons unrelated to the FIA, including airline disruptions, technical faults, flight cancellations, adverse weather conditions, selfoffloading, seasonal border closures and actions initiated by other law enforcement agencies. A report submitted to the Senate revealed that FIA immigration officers offloaded at least 132 passengers from scheduled flights at airports across the country during the past year, while disciplinary action was taken against 85 FIA officials for misuse of authority. Separately, a National Assembly standing committee was informed in December that at least 51,000 passengers had been offloaded at airports during 2025 after failing immigration checks, with Lahore and Karachi accounting for a significant share of the cases.
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