������Ƶ

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, on Tuesday assured all possible assistance to Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi after a deadly earthquake killed more than 1,400 people in Afghanistan, the Pakistani foreign office said.

Sunday night’s powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck several provinces, causing extensive damage. It flattened villages and trapped people under the rubble of homes constructed mostly of mud bricks and wood that were unable to withstand the shock.

The rough terrain was hampering rescue and relief efforts, forcing Taliban authorities to air drop dozens of commandos to evacuate the injured persons from places where helicopters could not land.

Dar telephoned his Afghan counterpart on Tuesday to convey condolences on the tragic loss of lives, with thousands injured in last week’s earthquake, according to the Pakistani foreign office.

“He offered prayers for the victims and bereaved families, reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with the Afghan people, and assured readiness to extend all possible support as required by the Afghan side,” it said.

The earthquake, which leveled homes made of mud and stone in Afghanistan’s areas bordering Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was the deadliest since June 2022, when tremors of magnitude 6.1 killed at least 1,000 people in the country.

The Taliban government, which is only recognized by Russia, has appealed for assistance from the international community and the humanitarian sector. However, help for Afghanistan is in short supply due to competing global crises and reduced aid budgets in donor countries.

In a media briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, Indrika Ratwatte, the UN’s resident coordinator for Afghanistan, warned of a surge in casualty numbers and said rescuers were scrambling in a “race against time” to reach the mountainous and remote area hit.

“We cannot afford to forget the people of Afghanistan who are facing multiple crises, multiple shocks, and the resilience of the communities has been saturated,” Ratwatte said, while urging the international community to step forward. “These are life and death decisions while we race against time to reach people.”

KARACHI: Pakistan and Bahrain have agreed to boost cooperation in naval training and regional maritime security operations, the Pakistan Navy said on Tuesday.

The statement came after Bahrain’s Chief of Defense Staff Lt. Gen. Thiab Saqer Abdulla Al-Nuaimi’s meeting with Pakistan Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf at the Naval Headquarters in Islamabad.

During the meeting, Admiral Ashraf underscored Pakistan Navy’s efforts to promote maritime stability through initiatives such as the regional maritime security patrols to safeguard sea routes, deter piracy, curb smuggling and protect commercial shipping.

“Both the leaders exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, focusing on regional maritime security and prospects for deepening cooperation in defense, training and joint maritime security operations,” the navy’s directorate general of public relations (DGPR) said in a statement.

“Both leaders reaffirmed commitment to strengthen and diversify the scope of existing bilateral defense relationship.”

The Bahraini general praised Pakistan Navy’s “professional capabilities and steadfast commitment” to ensure maritime security in the region, according to the statement.

“The visit will further deepen bilateral defense ties and enhance collaboration in regional security initiatives,” the DGPR added.

Pakistan and Bahrain have maintained close diplomatic, security, trade and defense ties through training, joint security initiatives and regular high-level exchanges.

On Monday, the Bahraini chief of defense staff met Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu and expressed Bahrain’s interest in learning from the experience of PAF in multi-domain operations.

The meeting followed a four-day Pakistan-India military standoff in May, during which officials said the PAF successfully conducted multi-domain operations to down six Indian fighter jets, including the French-made Rafale jets. While India has acknowledged losses in the air, it has not specified the number of aircraft lost.

“Underscoring the significance of knowledge-sharing in Multi Domain operations to augment the operational readiness of Bahrain Air Force, he (Al-Nuaimi) conveyed his earnest desire to gain deeper insight into PAF’s complete methodology of multi-domain warfare, with the aim of learning from its rich operational experience,” the PAF said in a statement.

“The visiting dignitary also expressed interest in initiating joint training programs for Bahraini pilots and engineers at all levels.”

In July, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also met his Bahraini counterpart General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa to further strengthen security collaboration between both countries in various fields.