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QUETTA: Two policemen were killed in a drive-by shooting in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, police said on Wednesday, as insurgents stepp up attacks in the resource-rich region bordering Afghanistan and Iran.

The shooting underscores the worsening security situation in Balochistan — Pakistan’s largest but least-developed province — where separatist and other militant groups have intensified assaults on police and security forces in recent months, targeting officials and infrastructure linked to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The latest attack took place in Killi Ghareeb Abad near the Nushki city bypass, close to the Afghan border. It was the second assault on police in Balochistan’s Rakhshan division in less than a week, following the killing of senior officer Muhammad Qasim in Kharan district on Friday.

“Unknown armed men riding on a motorbike targeted the policemen identified as Ubaid Ullah and Abdul Razzaq who were going to perform their duties,” Nushki Station House Officer Zaheer Baloch told Arab News. “We have initiated an investigation and a search operation has started to hunt down the attackers.”

No group has claimed responsibility.

Balochistan, home to vast mineral reserves and key CPEC routes, has seen several major incidents this year, including the hijacking of a passenger train in March and a suicide bombing in Khuzdar in May that killed several children traveling to school.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s security forces killed a militant in an operation in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, destroying several hideouts and tunnels used by insurgents, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.

The intelligence-based operation in the Shahi Tangi forest of Bajaur district led to an intense exchange of fire in which several militants were injured but managed to flee, the report said.

“During the operation, weapons, explosive materials and communication equipment used by Khwarij were also recovered,” Radio Pakistan said. 

Militant attacks across KP have surged since November 2022, when a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Islamabad collapsed.

In recent months, Pakistan has accused India of supporting anti-state groups and Afghanistan of allowing its territory to be used for cross-border attacks. Both New Delhi and Kabul deny the allegations.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s sesame seed exports to China jumped 87% in the first nine months of 2025, reaching $68.56 million, state media reported on Wednesday, as rising Chinese demand for edible oils and traditional food products drives a growing market for the oilseed.

The increase is attributed to the high quality of Pakistan’s sesame crop, favorable climatic conditions, and stronger trade links under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Pakistan exported 55.61 million kilograms of sesame seeds to China from January to September 2025 at an average price of $1.23 per kg, compared with 23.95 million kg during the same period last year.

“In September 2024, we successfully organized the ‘Sesame Trade and Investment Opportunities in China’ event,” Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi was quoted as saying by the Associated Press of Pakistan. 

“A 23-member Pakistani delegation secured deals for 15,000 metric tons and signed a $28 million memorandum of understanding with Daming government-backed enterprises.”

China is the world’s largest sesame-importing nation, consuming roughly 1.5 million tons a year while producing only about 320,000 tons domestically. Pakistan’s 55,000-ton exports still represent a small share of China’s total imports but mark a significant breakthrough for Pakistani agribusiness, which has traditionally lagged behind African competitors such as Ethiopia, Tanzania and Nigeria that supply more than half of China’s demand.

Pakistani officials say sesame seeds are now a strategic export item, supporting the government’s push to expand agricultural exports under the CPEC framework. 

According to Hashmi, 177 Pakistani sesame companies are now registered in China, signaling deeper integration into the regional supply chain for edible oils, snacks and health products.

Experts expect Pakistan’s sesame trade to continue growing despite recent floods that damaged cropland, citing improved processing capacity and higher global prices. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has also reported an uptick in overall agricultural exports, with seafood shipments to China climbing above $153 million in the same period.

For Beijing, sesame imports have become essential to secure edible-oil supplies as China’s domestic oilseed output remains constrained by land and water limitations. 

For Pakistan, they represent a rare bright spot in export diversification, offering new income for farmers, valuable foreign exchange and a path toward greater agri-industrial cooperation with its largest trading partner.