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RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has distributed 2,028 food parcels in Pakistan’s flood-affected Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions, benefiting 13,159 people, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
Sunday’s initiative forms part of this year’s Food Security Support Project in Pakistan.
The aid reflects the Kingdom’s ongoing humanitarian efforts through KSrelief to assist needy individuals in Pakistan.
MUZAFFARABAD: Shops reopened and mobile services resumed in Azad Kashmir’s capital on Saturday after days of violent anti-government protests ended under a deal between demonstrators and authorities.
The agreement followed nearly a week of unrest led by traders and civil rights groups demanding better public services and subsidies in the disputed region that is part of the larger Himalayan valley of Kashmir claimed by both India and Pakistan.
Thousands had taken to the streets in Muzaffarabad and nearby towns, calling for reforms in electricity pricing and government spending. Clashes between protesters and security forces left at least six civilians and three police officers dead, officials said.
Kashmir, divided between Pakistan and India since their independence from Britain in 1947, has a long history of political discontent. In the latest protests, demonstrators accused local leaders in Azad Kashmir of neglecting health, education and infrastructure while prioritizing perks for officials. Under the agreement that ended the unrest, Islamabad pledged new projects wort $35 million to upgrade electricity supplies and other public services.
“Our demands have been accepted, and this is the result of our long struggle,” said Choudhury Rafiqe Ahmad, a shopkeeper in Muzaffarabad.
“Most of our issues have been resolved, and this has been made possible by the grace of Allah. Even though we suffered losses in our businesses along the way, we have no regrets, because what has been achieved is in the interest of the nation, and we are proud of it.”
Another resident, Shujat Kazmi, said the movement had exposed the disconnect between political elites and ordinary citizens and praised the Joint Awami Action Committee civil alliance that led the protests.
“The Awami Action Committee is the only force that truly represents the people,” he said. “Political parties have become irrelevant because they have abandoned their original agenda. They were engaged in self-serving politics, flattering the ruling elite, and pursuing personal gains instead of speaking for the public.”
He said it was only the Awami Action Committee and the people who took matters into their own hands.
“The people had, in a way, sparked a new revolution,” Kazmi said.
Officials said calm had returned to Muzaffarabad as roads were cleared, businesses reopened, and communication lines restored. The government said it would continue talks with community representatives to prevent a repeat of the unrest.
LAHORE: Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on Saturday to protest Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla and to condemn what they called threats to Palestinian land and rights.
The Global Sumud Flotilla was seeking to breach an Israeli naval blockade of Gaza, which has been decimated by a two-year Israeli assault. It consisted of more than 40 civilian boats carrying about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
The flotilla failed to reach Gaza as the boats were intercepted and escorted to Israel this week. But over the course of ten days it emerged as the highest-profile opposition to Israel’s blockade. Buoyed by that publicity, another flotilla of 11 boats has already set sail.
Wednesday’s seizure triggered protests in cities across Europe and as far afield as Argentina, Mexico and Pakistan, and drew criticism from politicians and leaders from Colombia to Malaysia.
“The Global Sumud Flotilla is currently under Israeli custody. Our demand is to release these people that were unarmed and going to help the people,” said Liaquat Bloch, leader of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan religio-political party, speaking at the Lahore protest.
“They wanted to break the siege of this famine-stricken region and deliver aid to the people. Now it is the responsibility of the international community to ensure the return of all them.”
Israel first imposed a blockade on Gaza in 2007 when Hamas took over the territory, but efforts by activists to raise awareness have gained traction since the outbreak of the latest war in October 2023.
Israeli authorities say they intercepted the flotilla at sea and detained hundreds of participants. Media reports and official statements indicate dozens of vessels and some 500 activists were involved in the attempt, and that a large number of detainees have since been processed or deported.
Humanitarian groups have used footage and testimony from the flotilla to draw attention to the conditions inside Gaza, while rights bodies have criticized the interception and urged all parties to ensure detainees’ rights are respected.
The flotilla episode has added fresh momentum to global protests against the blockade and intensified scrutiny of international responses to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
At the Lahore demonstration, other protesters echoed a hard-line stance toward US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, which is widely viewed by Palestinians and their supporters as an attempt to legitimize Israeli control and sideline Palestinian claims to statehood.
Announced on Sept. 29, the plan lays out a 20-point framework calling for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and prisoners within 72 hours, Hamas’s disarmament and a staged withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. It also proposes the creation of an interim international peacekeeping force led by Muslim nations, Gaza’s reconstruction with foreign funding, and the re-establishment of local governance structures under Palestinian oversight.
“Our message to [US President] Donald Trump, representing people of the world, is that we will not allow the land of Palestine and Palestinians’ sacrifices to be exchanged in any deal,” said Mugees Qureshi, a protester.
“We will not give Israel even an inch of the land.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Sunday warned that any fresh Indian aggression would be met with a stronger response, saying New Delhi’s military and political leaders were trying to restore credibility after suffering setbacks during a brief but intense war with Pakistan in May 2025.
Asif’s remarks followed comments by India’s army chief General Upendra Dwivedi, who told soldiers near the Pakistan border on Friday Islamabad must stop “backing terror” if it wanted to “remain on the world map.” Dwivedi said India would not show the restraint it exercised during a brief war with Pakistan in May this year, in which, according to the Indian army, nine facilities inside Pakistan were hit and more than 100 Pakistani soldiers and militants killed.
The May 2025 hostilities — the most serious confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbors in years — saw Pakistan and India exchange missile, drone and artillery strikes for four days before an uneasy ceasefire was restored through US mediation.
“The statements by Indian military and political leaders are a failed attempt to restore their lost credibility,” Asif wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“After such a decisive defeat with a score of 0–6, if they try again, the score god willing will be much better than before. … This time India will be buried under the wreckage of its own planes.”
Pakistan has said it shot down six Indian fighter jets during the May conflict, including the French-made Rafale. India has acknowledged some losses but denied losing six aircraft. Last week, the Indian air chief said India had downed five Pakistani fighter jets of the F-16 and JF-17 class during the intense May fighting.
The conflict, the worst between the old foes in decades, was sparked by an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in April, which New Delhi said was backed by Pakistan. Islamabad denied involvement in the Kashmir attack, which killed 26 men and was the worst assault on civilians in India since the Mumbai attacks in 2008.
India said in July that three “terrorists” involved in the attack had been killed, and there was “lot of proof” that they were Pakistanis.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry had questioned the credibility of India’s account of the events, saying it was “replete with fabrications.”
Ties between the countries, which have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, have been downgraded since the attack, with the impact being felt in areas ranging from trade and travel to sports.
Pakistan’s military has also responded to the Indian army chief’s threats, calling them “delusional, provocative and jingoistic” and warning that a renewed conflict “might lead to cataclysmic devastation” and that Pakistan “shall not hold back” if hostilities resume.
“Those seeking to establish a new normal must know that Pakistan has established a new normal of response, which will be swift, decisive and destructive,” the ISPR said, adding that any attempt to erase Pakistan from the map “will be mutual.”
India and Pakistan, which have fought three wars since independence in 1947, remain at a virtual diplomatic standstill since the 2025 clashes, trading accusations of cross-border militancy and military provocation.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit Malaysia today, Sunday, to hold talks with his counterpart Anwar Ibrahim and explore ways to deepen cooperation across key economic sectors, according to an official statement.
The visit comes as Pakistan pushes for export-led growth and seeks new markets to recover from a prolonged economic crisis that brought it close to default two years ago.
Last month, Sharif instructed his administration to draw up a plan to boost exports, particularly beef, to Malaysia, noting the “enormous potential” to expand trade between the two countries.
Malaysia is already a major supplier of palm oil to Pakistan, while halal meat remains a largely untapped area of bilateral trade.
“At the invitation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to Malaysia from 5-7 October 2025,” the foreign office said in a statement released on Saturday. “He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Federal Ministers and senior government officials.”
“During the visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his Malaysian counterpart as well as discuss key regional and global developments,” it added. “The two leaders will also deliberate on enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade ... IT & telecom, Halal industry, investment, education, energy, infrastructure, digital economy, and people-to-people ties.”
The statement described the visit as reflecting a “strong and enduring strategic partnership” between Pakistan and Malaysia, rooted in mutual respect and shared interests. The two leaders are also expected to witness the signing of several agreements and memorandums of understanding in existing and new areas of cooperation.
“This visit underscores Pakistan’s continued commitment to strengthening ties with Malaysia,” the foreign office said. “It also reaffirms the importance both countries place on working together to promote peace, stability, trade & investment and sustainable development.”
Pakistan and Malaysia established diplomatic ties in 1957, soon after Malaysia’s independence, and cooperate closely in multilateral forums such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Commonwealth.
ISLAMABAD: China dispatched a fresh consignment of relief goods to Pakistan on Saturday to support families affected by this year’s monsoon floods, which displaced thousands of people, especially in the eastern Punjab province, said an official statement.
The latest assistance from Beijing comes at a time when Pakistan is struggling to recover from weeks of torrential rains and riverine floods that inundated large parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, damaging homes, infrastructure and farmland.
“A special relief aircraft weighing 90 tons arrived today at Islamabad International Airport, carrying 700 tents, 16,000 blankets, 1,000 life jackets, and 4,000 sleeping bags to support communities impacted by recent floods,” said the National Disaster Management Authority.
“China has once again demonstrated its solidarity with Pakistan” it added.
The new consignment follows two earlier relief flights sent by the Chinese authorities on Sept. 28 that carried 300 tents and 9,000 blankets, reflecting what the statement described as Beijing’s “continued support in times of crisis.”
The NDMA said the distribution of supplies is being coordinated with provincial and local authorities to ensure delivery to the affected population.
The monsoon season this year has killed at least 1,037 people and affected millions across Pakistan, according to official estimates, reviving memories of the 2022 floods that submerged a third of the country.
The monsoon provides up to 80 percent of the country’s annual rainfall but also causes regular devastation.
