Pakistan’s northwest assembly votes today to elect new provincial chief minister
Pakistan’s northwest assembly votes today to elect new provincial chief minister/node/2618699/pakistan
Pakistan’s northwest assembly votes today to elect new provincial chief minister
Newly elected members take oath at the provincial legislature of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly in Peshawar on February 28, 2024. (AFP/File)
ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers in Pakistan’s northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are voting today, Monday, to elect a new chief minister after the resignation of Ali Amin Gandapur who stepped down last week amid reports of internal party restructuring and rising militancy in the region.
Sohail Afridi, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s nominee for the top provincial post, filed his nomination papers on Sunday along with three opposition candidates representing the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). The assembly is expected to confirm Afridi’s appointment, given PTI’s comfortable majority in the 145-member house.
A post shared by PTI on X confirmed Afridi’s nomination, saying:
“@SohailAfridiISF, the nominee for Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa named by Chairman Imran Khan, has submitted his nomination papers to the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly, fulfilling all constitutional and legal requirements.”
PTI, founded by former prime minister Imran Khan and now led by loyalists while he remains imprisoned, governs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a mountainous province bordering Afghanistan that has faced a resurgence of militant attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The vote marks the latest political test for the party, which has faced pressure from both the federal government and the military establishment since Khan’s removal from office in 2022.
The nomination of Afridi, a legislator from Bara district, comes days after Gandapur’s sudden resignation, which PTI officials said was ordered directly by Khan over security and governance concerns.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said last week that Khan had personally decided to make the change, citing “the worst terrorism situation in KP.”
“There have been record incidents this year,” Raja told reporters. “Khan sahib said there is no choice for him now but to make the change.”
Gandapur, who became chief minister in March last year after PTI swept provincial elections, was viewed as one of Khan’s most loyal allies. His removal, however, underscores ongoing divisions within the party’s leadership amid attempts to maintain its control in the province while under legal and political pressure at the national level.
Analysts say Afridi’s appointment is expected to consolidate PTI’s grip on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, its political stronghold since 2013, even as Pakistan faces mounting security challenges along its border with Afghanistan and economic instability at home.
FAISALABAD: Interloop Holdings, a Pakistani conglomerate that mainly supplies textile products to global sportswear giants, is expanding its footprint into the dairy sector with plans to export premium mozzarella cheese to the Gulf region through a joint venture (JV) in Turkiye, the group’s chairman has said.
The conglomerate, best known globally for manufacturing socks and leggings for brands such as Nike, Adidas, Puma, Target, H&M, Marks & Spencer and Zara, operates large-scale textile and apparel units in Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It now aims to diversify its portfolio and boost Pakistan’s non-textile exports through its dairy arm, IRC Dairy Products Ltd.
IRC and its Turkish JV Rella Gida are processing 120,000 liters of milk daily to produce Turkish mozzarella cheese and butter for clients in Pakistan, Eurasia and the Far East.
Interloop Holdings Chairman Musadaq Zulqarnain told Arab News in an interview he will travel to Turkiye this month to discuss with Rella Gida the prospects of starting exports to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market, which he says spends more than $2 billion on cheese and butter imports annually.
In 2024, GCC countries imported cheese and butter worth $2.3 billion, with Saudi imports alone amounting to $980 million, said Zulqarnain, whose IRC Dairy gets nearly 10 percent of its revenues from exports and plans to boost them.
“We would be producing about 7–8 percent of the cheese which the entire Gulf Cooperation [Council] countries import,” Zulqarnain told Arab News in an interview in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad, where the company’s multiple manufacturing units are based.
IRC Dairy, whose sales are projected to reach Rs10 billion ($36 million) this fiscal year through June, expects them to surge to Rs40 billion ($142 million) once its expansion plans materialize.
“We are going to triple its [IRC Dairy’s] capacity in the next three years,” Zulqarnain said.
The picture taken on October 10, 2025, shows cheese being produced at an Interloop plant in Faisalabad, Pakistan. (AN photo)
IRC currently produces 6,000 tons of cheese, 1,000 tons of butter and 2,400 tons of whey powder annually, which it expects will surge to 21,000 tons, 3,500 tons, and 8,400 tons respectively by calendar year 2028.
“We have ambition that part of the cheese which we manufacture here… we would be exporting to the Gulf,” Zulqarnain said.
“We could even consider installing a plant in Ƶ with a joint venture with any Saudi investor,” he added, emphasizing the Kingdom’s growing demand.
Interloop’s expansion into dairy exports is in line with the Pakistani government’s broader strategy to boost exports to revitalize the economy. Islamabad recently secured a tariff concession from the US, from 29 percent to 19 percent, aiming to improve export competitiveness.
To IRC Dairy CEO Matloob Hussain, Pakistan’s geographical proximity to the Gulf is a logistical advantage.
“The shipping lead time to reach the market from Pakistan is way lesser as compared to any other Western country,” Hussain, who has worked at Coca-Cola and Friesland Campina, told Arab News.
“It gives an advantage to us to reach the Middle Eastern market.”
EXPANDING INTO TECH AND LOGISTICS
Interloop Holdings is also diversifying into logistics and IT services, with a sister tech company already active in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while it explores partnerships in Ƶ.
“Our IT company is now already discussing partnerships in Ƶ so that we can provide AI, cloud services, data centers and end-to-end software production,” said Zulqarnain, who is also eyeing apparel exports to Ƶ, which accounts for half of the GCC’s $35 billion market.
His group now plans to raise funds through the Pakistani bourse to finance business expansion.
“You will see our dairy products company go to the stock exchange to raise funds,” he said.
CHALLENGES AND OUTLOOK
The announcement comes as Pakistan struggles with a widening trade deficit and sluggish exports.
Last month, the country’s exports dropped 12 percent year-on-year to $2.5 billion, while imports surged by 14 percent, widening the trade gap by 46 percent to $3.3 billion, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The July–September quarterly trade gap widened 33 percent to $9.4 billion.
Pakistan’s food exports accounted for 23 percent of total exports and dropped 3 percent to $7.1 billion last year, according to the PBS.
Milk production rose 3 percent to 72 million tons, partly because of expansion in commercial dairy operations, according to the Economic Survey 2024–25. Pakistanis consumed 58.3 million tons of milk in the last fiscal year.
Asked about challenges, Zulqarnain pointed to persistent structural issues in Pakistan’s economy as the main hurdles.
“We have to bring our laws and our policies in line with other competitor countries,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s businesses needed competitive prices because of “higher” energy and labor costs.
This, coupled with global trade uncertainty created by US tariffs, is weighing on Interloop’s profits.
Zulqarnain also complained about the country’s taxation rate of as much as 40 percent.
“The taxation rate is very high in Pakistan because the government was unable to expand its tax net to the undocumented sector.”
Still, Zulqarnain sees his company expanding into the Gulf market once he finds “the right partners” there.
“I am very certain that with this increased defense cooperation between Pakistan and Ƶ… there is a lot of scope in Ƶ,” he added, referring to a landmark defense pact signed between the two nations last month, deepening decades of military and security cooperation.
Top Pakistani government officials, including National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer, have said that following the defense agreement, Islamabad and Riyadh will now sign a wide-ranging economic pact as early as the end of October.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Customs said on Sunday it had foiled an attempt to import banned Indian-origin textile machinery misdeclared as Chinese equipment, in one of the first major detections under the Federal Board of Revenue’s new Risk Management System (RMS 2.0).
The seizure, jointly conducted by Customs Appraisement (West) Karachi and Customs Enforcement Karachi, took place at the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) after an alert was generated by the RMS 2.0 software, which is currently being test-run at Karachi Port.
“In a joint operation, Customs Appraisement (West) Karachi & Customs Enforcement Karachi successfully foiled an attempt to import banned Indian-origin textile machinery misdeclared as Chinese-origin equipment,” the FBR said in an official post on X.
It said the consignment had been imported via Jebel Ali, Dubai, and intercepted after the system flagged the container for inspection.
“Physical examination revealed the machinery to be of Indian origin with manufacturer markings deliberately removed,” the post said, adding:
“Legal proceedings have been initiated. The goods are valued at USD 85,107. The detection reflects Customs’ vigilance & the effectiveness of FBR’s upgraded RMS 2.0.”
Experts say the interception underscores both the continuing challenge of enforcing the India trade ban and the growing sophistication of Pakistan’s customs technology.
Pakistan suspended all trade with India in August 2019, following New Delhi’s revocation of the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Since then, the import of Indian-origin goods has been prohibited under the country’s customs and trade regulations.
Officials said the use of Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port, one of the world’s busiest re-export hubs, to reroute restricted goods illustrates how Pakistani authorities are tightening enforcement through digital tracking and data-driven inspections.
The RMS 2.0 platform, part of Pakistan’s ongoing customs modernization initiative, uses risk profiling, analytics, and automated alerts to detect high-risk shipments and prevent revenue leakage or trade violations.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan inaugurated its national pavilion at Expand North Star 2025 in Dubai on Sunday, showcasing ten of the country’s most promising start-ups at the region’s premier technology and innovation gathering.
Held at the Dubai Harbor from Oct. 12 to 15, Expand North Star brings together start-ups, investors, and global innovators from more than 100 countries. Pakistan’s presence this year, under Ignite — National Technology Fund, underscores the country’s growing role in the global digital economy. The fund is a public-sector organization under Pakistan’s Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT).
The Pakistan Pavilion was inaugurated by Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan’s envoy to the UAE, along with Rafique Ahmed Buriro, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of IT & Telecom and CEO of Ignite, and other officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Tirmizi highlighted the remarkable growth of Pakistan’s IT exports to the UAE, which reached $376 million in fiscal year 2024–25. He added that Pakistan’s overall IT exports had surpassed $3.76 billion, reflecting the country’s expanding global technology footprint.
“The participation of Pakistani startups at Expand North Star 2025 reflects our government’s vision to empower youth through technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship,” Buriro was quoted as saying in a statement.
“These startups are not only ambassadors of Pakistan’s digital potential but also vital contributors to our national goal of achieving sustainable economic growth through the knowledge economy. We are committed to continuing our efforts in supporting and expanding Pakistan’s startup ecosystem to compete globally.”
Buriro encouraged investors, entrepreneurs, and IT professionals to visit the Pakistan Pavilion, being held in Hall 8, Stand No. H8-B180, to witness the creativity and innovation driving Pakistan’s start-up ecosystem and to explore avenues for collaboration and investment.
Officials from the Ministry of IT & Telecom said that more than 40 independent Pakistani start-ups are participating this year across sectors such as fintech, healthtech, edtech, and artificial intelligence.
Investor interest at the Pakistan Pavilion has been “notably strong and vibrant,” with global venture capital firms, accelerators, and corporate partners exploring funding opportunities with Pakistani founders, according to the statement.
These engagements reflect “rising confidence in Pakistan’s ability to produce scalable, impactful, and investment-ready businesses,” the handout added.
PESHAWAR: Pakistan said on Sunday 23 of its soldiers were killed and 29 wounded in overnight cross-border clashes with Afghan Taliban fighters, as the Foreign Ministry accused Kabul’s forces of “unwarranted aggression” and warned that any further provocations would face a “befitting response.”
The fighting erupted along the Pak-Afghan border late on Oct. 11 and continued into the early hours of Oct. 12, when what Pakistan described as Taliban-led and India-backed militants launched coordinated attacks on military posts. Pakistani forces said they repelled the assault “decisively,” using precision air and ground strikes against Taliban positions and militant training camps inside Afghan territory. Kabul denies it harbors militants that attack Pakistan and New Delhi has also repeatedly rejected claims it backs anti-Pakistan groups.
According to Pakistan’s military, more than 200 Taliban and allied fighters were killed in the counterattack, and 21 hostile positions were briefly captured on the Afghan side. The army said multiple camps “used to plan and facilitate attacks against Pakistan” were destroyed, while “all possible measures were taken to avoid collateral damage.”
Afghan officials gave a sharply different account, claiming that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed in overnight border operations in response to what it said were repeated violations of its territory and airspace.
In a statement issued in Islamabad on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned what it called “unwarranted aggression” from the Afghan side, saying the unprovoked assault was aimed at destabilizing the frontier and undermining “the spirit of peaceful neighborhood.”
“Pakistan, exercising its right of self-defense, not only effectively repulsed the assaults all along the border, but also inflicted heavy losses on Taliban forces and affiliated Khwarjis, in terms of men, material and infrastructure,” the ministry said, adding that “all possible measures were taken to prevent any collateral damage and protect civilians.”
The ministry said Pakistan “greatly values dialogue and diplomacy” but would “take all possible measures to safeguard its territory and the lives of its people.”
It added: “Any further provocations would be met with an unwavering and befitting response.”
Pakistan’s military, in a separate statement, said its forces exercised “the right of self-defense” and repelled the overnight assault “decisively,” killing more than 200 Taliban fighters and allied militants through “precision fires, strikes and physical raids” on Taliban camps and training facilities operating from Afghan territory.
“On the night of 11/12 Oct 2025, Afghan Taliban and Indian-sponsored Fitna al Khawarij [Pakistani Taliban/TTP] launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan, along the Pak-Afghan border,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media wing, said. “The cowardly action, which included fire and few physical raids, was aimed at destabilizing the border areas to facilitate terrorism.”
“The infra-structural damages to Taliban posts, camps, Headquarters and support networks of terrorists are extensive, all along the border and range from tactical to operational depth,” the statement added.
Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering fighters from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allowing them to stage cross-border attacks. Kabul denies the allegation, saying it does not permit its territory to be used against other countries.
Relations between the two sides have deteriorated sharply since 2021, when the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. Hopes for cooperation soon gave way to distrust as cross-border militancy surged, particularly in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Tensions worsened in 2023 when Pakistan began deporting hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghans, a move it said was necessary to curb terrorism and smuggling. By 2025, more than 800,000 Afghans had been repatriated or forced out, according to government figures.
India’s deepening engagement with the Taliban, including reopening its Kabul embassy this week, has further heightened Islamabad’s concerns. Pakistan views New Delhi’s growing influence in Afghanistan as a regional security threat, given their long-standing rivalry.
Regional powers, including Ƶ, have called for restraint and renewed dialogue to prevent the escalating hostilities from destabilizing South Asia.
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb arrived in Washington on Sunday to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, where he will hold a series of high-level talks on investment, taxation and economic reforms, the Ministry of Finance said.
The visit comes as Pakistan engages with the International Monetary Fund to unlock the next tranche of its $7 billion loan program approved in September 2024, aimed at supporting economic stabilization and structural reforms.
According to the statement, the finance minister will attend more than 65 events, meetings and roundtables during his visit, including two key sessions hosted by the World Economic Forum (WEF), and will outline Pakistan’s economic priorities and investment opportunities to international partners.
“Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will represent Pakistan at the plenary meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund,” the ministry said in a statement.
“He will meet IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and other senior officials of international financial institutions during his visit to the United States.”
At the IMF’s Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan (MENAP) platform, Aurangzeb will meet Georgieva and deliver a keynote address on Pakistan’s economic outlook and reform agenda.
The finance minister will also take part in a regional roundtable on the digital transformation of Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), alongside tax authorities from other countries.
During his six-day visit, Aurangzeb is scheduled to meet his counterparts from China, the United Kingdom, Ƶ, Türkiye and Azerbaijan. His engagements also include meetings with senior officials at the White House, the US Treasury Department, the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and the US Pakistan Business Council.
He is also expected to meet representatives of global credit-rating agencies, commercial banks, including Middle Eastern investment banks, and major U.S. think tanks such as the Atlantic Council and the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
