Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi on Monday said that it issued 737 visas to pilgrims from India to participate Martyrdom Day of Guru Arjun Dev Ji scheduled in Pakistan from June 10 to 19.&nbsp; Signed in 1974, these pilgrimages occur under the 1974 Bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, and as of 2018 the agreement covers 15 such locations in Pakistan and five in India.&nbsp; According to the tradition, the event marks the death of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, believed to be the first martyr for the Sikh cause. During the visit, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan, the pilgrims would visit Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Nankana Sahib and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in the Narowal district. Charge d&rsquo;Affaires of Pakistan to India, Saad Ahmad Warraich said that the issuance of visas was in line with the government&rsquo;s commitment to fully implement the bilateral protocol.&nbsp; Warraich also extended his heartfelt felicitations and wished the travelers a fulfilling pilgrimage. Earlier this year, the high commission in New Delhi granted over 2,800 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims for Baisakhi celebrations in Pakistan from April 10 to 19. Islamabad rolled out the red carpet for the pilgrims when they visited the country in April, greeting the visitors with flower garlands, official receptions and visible warmth as Baisakhi celebrations began. Islamabad had extended the courtesy to New Delhi last year, however, the Indian government barred Sikh pilgrims from traveling to Pakistan after the conflict in May.

Foreign Affairs

Signed in 1974, these pilgrimages occur under the 1974 Bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, and as of 2018 the agreement covers 15 such locations in Pakistan and five in India. 

Pakistan issues 737 visas to Indian pilgrims for Martyrdom Day of Guru Arjun Dev Ji

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Monday captain Ben Stokes and team-mate Gus Atkinson are being investigated for breaking team rules in a nightclub incident after the first Test against New Zealand.&nbsp;It is the latest controversy concerning the England team following a tour of Australia where the side was confronted with allegations of a drinking culture during a 4-1 Ashes series loss concluded in January.&nbsp;&quot;The ECB is currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Men&#39;s Test against New Zealand,&quot; the governing body said.&nbsp;&quot;Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident took place.&nbsp;&quot;We are currently seeking further information, and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course.&nbsp;&quot;The Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible.&quot;&nbsp;Before the Ashes, white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington on the eve of a one-day international against New Zealand.&nbsp;As a result, England imposed a midnight curfew on all players and staff.&nbsp;The BBC, however, reported the curfew was still in place despite the first Test being over, and the investigation relates to more than a breach of the curfew.&nbsp;England thrashed New Zealand by 115 runs before lunch on Sunday&#39;s fourth day at Lord&#39;s to go 1-0 up in a three-match series as they enjoyed a comprehensive victory in their first Test match since their humiliating Ashes defeat&nbsp;The second Test, across London at the Oval, starts on June 17.

Cricket

The ECB is investigating England captain Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson for allegedly breaching team protocols during a nightclub incident after the first Test against New Zealand. The probe follows previous concerns over player conduct, with squad decisions pending.

England's Stokes, Atkinson under investigation for nightclub incident

MEXICO CITY: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday said she could guarantee a peaceful World Cup opening ceremony this week, despite concern over ongoing teacher protests.&nbsp;&quot;We are going to guarantee... that the celebration of the World Cup is well-executed, in peace and tranquility,&quot; she said in her daily press conference.&nbsp;A teachers union has threatened protests at Thursday&#39;s opening game between Mexico and South Africa in the capital if the government doesn&#39;t respond to demands for salary raises and pension reforms.&nbsp;On June 1, police dispersed protesters with teargas and rubber bullets outside the historic Zocalo square where authorities have erected a massive screen for a World Cup fan zone.&nbsp;The streets surrounding the square remain closed off with metal barricades, which Sheinbaum has said are meant to guard against &quot;provocations.&quot;&nbsp;Protesting teachers also toppled commemorative statues of players in downtown Mexico City last week.

Football

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says authorities will ensure a peaceful World Cup opening despite teacher protest threats. Recent demonstrations led to clashes with police, barricades around the Zocalo, and vandalized player statues.

Mexico president promises peaceful World Cup opening despite protests

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Gilgit-Baltistan witnessed peaceful, free and fair elections with excellent law and order despite major logistical and security challenges, Inspector General of Police Dr Akbar Nasir Khan said, crediting coordinated efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies and early planning for ensuring smooth polling across the region. Voting was held on Sunday for 24 directly-elected seats in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, the region&rsquo;s legislative body, which governs one of the world&rsquo;s most mountainous areas. Speaking to Pakistan TV, Inspector General of Police of Gilgit-Baltistan Dr Akbar Nasir Khan said the region&rsquo;s difficult terrain, harsh weather and security sensitivities made the electoral exercise highly complex, but extensive coordination between federal and provincial authorities helped ensure a &ldquo;flawless&rdquo; and uninterrupted polling process. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 560px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2063975302070677979&lang=en&maxWidth=560px&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=e95cc70527d0c85631996804097b32f747a09056&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 560px; height: 316px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> He said over 1,400 polling stations, more than half of them sensitive or highly sensitive, were secured through the deployment of police from across provinces alongside civil armed forces and the Pakistan Army. &ldquo;The first priority was the safety of every citizen, and Alhamdulillah, no casualties were reported,&rdquo; he continued. &ldquo;A key challenge highlighted during the election process was the coordination and mobilization of a large, multi-agency security deployment across remote and difficult terrain, where access to many polling stations required significant logistical effort,&rdquo; he added. The top security official said that detailed threat assessments were carried out for each polling station in advance, allowing authorities to ensure targeted security arrangements, which helped maintain stability even in previously sensitive or high-risk areas.

SAT News Desk

Speaking to Pakistan TV, IG Khan says the region’s difficult terrain, harsh weather and security sensitivities made the electoral exercise highly complex, but extensive coordination between federal and provincial authorities helped ensure a “flawless” and uninterrupted polling process.



Coordinated efforts ensured peaceful Gilgit-Baltistan elections despite challenges: Police chief 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday urged all sides to exercise restraint and give peace a little more chance as the Middle East crisis flares-up, said a statement on his X. PM Sharif stated that the recent surge in violence in the Middle East is a &ldquo;stark reminder of the dangers&rdquo; associated with a tenuous ceasefire and the &ldquo;unbearable consequences&rdquo; it may lead to. &ldquo;As we work earnestly and painstakingly, together with our brothers and partners, to find a peaceful diplomatic solution to the conflict, and especially when the final objective is just about to be achieved, we sincerely urge all sides to exercise restraint and give peace a little more chance,&rdquo; said the statement. PM Sharif urged to continue to &ldquo;remain on the path of peace and diplomacy&rdquo; which have &ldquo;bright prospects of success&rdquo; instead of violence and destruction. The remark by the prime minister comes after Israel and Iran exchanged attacks on Monday for the first time since the ceasefire in the Middle East war took effect on April 8. Israel also struck the Lebanese capital despite the US announcement of a truce plan last week. US President Donald Trump said that Iran and Israel wanted a ceasefire but warned that ongoing peace negotiations were &quot;subject to ignorance or stupidity.&quot; Israel&rsquo;s persistent operations, including strikes, on Lebanon have resulted in failing to secure peace deal for Middle East peace.

PM Sharif states that the recent surge in violence in the Middle East is a “stark reminder of the dangers” associated with a tenuous ceasefire and the “unbearable consequences” it may lead to.



Pakistan PM urges restraint as Middle East conflict escalates

HERAT: Afghan residents in the western city of Herat have told AFP of witnessing multiple women detained by the Taliban government&#39;s morality police, in a crackdown over clothing which has drawn criticism from the United Nations. The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/un-agency-raises-concerns-over-taliban-arrests-of-women-in-herat" style="color:#0073e6;">said</a>&nbsp;on Sunday it was &quot;concerned over multiple arrests and detentions of women in Herat Afghanistan for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements.&quot; Taliban authorities rule according to a strict interpretation of Islamic law, and have gradually tightened restrictions on women since returning to power in August 2021. Women nationwide must be completely covered when they leave home, with many wearing a flowing abaya robe along with a Muslim headscarf and a face covering. In Herat, residents witnessed women being detained on Saturday for not wearing the body-cloaking chador or burqa. They spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity for security reasons. &quot;I saw two employees of the ministry, one of whom was carrying a whip, putting two women who were not wearing chadors into a vehicle,&quot; said a 23-year-old woman, referring to officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV). She said those detained were fully covered, including wearing Muslim headscarves. &quot;Everyone is frightened,&quot; she told AFP. Another woman said she saw PVPV officials stopping vehicles and checking passengers&#39; clothing, and saw multiple women being detained and put into vans. &quot;The majority of those arrested were women who were not wearing chadors,&quot; the 27-year-old said. The PVPV ministry did not comment on women being detained when contacted by AFP. &quot;There is nothing unusual in Herat,&quot; the ministry&#39;s information department said. The dress code &quot;is a divine command and an enforced law, and we are obligated to implement it,&quot; the ministry said. Since the crackdown was launched, an AFP journalist and multiple residents in Herat said the number of women leaving home had dropped sharply. A 20-year-old taxi driver said &quot;they&#39;re not seen in the city at all.&quot; &quot;We&#39;ve been told not to transport women without a chador,&quot; he said. One woman described the situation as &quot;unbearable.&quot; &quot;I am genuinely saddened that we don&#39;t even have the right to breathe freely,&quot; the 33-year-old said. &quot;Life has become very difficult for us.&quot;

Afghanistan

Women detained in Afghanistan's Herat in clothing crackdown

Maham Khan

ISLAMABAD: For three months, Iran watched Israel pound Lebanon, including Hezbollah positions, civilian infrastructure, and a UNESCO World Heritage site in Tyre. The death toll from Israel&rsquo;s aerial campaign climbed past 3,526, according to AFP. Nearly one-fifth of Lebanon&rsquo;s population was displaced. Iran did not launch a single ballistic missile at Israel in response. So, what changed on June 7? The answer is not the scale of the strike. It is where Israel struck, when it struck, and most critically, what it chose to ignore in the process. The line Iran had drawn Iran had been explicit. Tehran warned that an Israeli strike on the Dahiyeh district, a densely populated southern suburb of Beirut that serves as Hezbollah&rsquo;s de facto headquarters, would invalidate the ceasefire entirely. Dahiyeh was the red line, not a rhetorical one but a stated, documented threshold. Israel struck it anyway on June 7, killing two people and wounding 20, according to Lebanon&rsquo;s ministry of public health. The strike targeted a militant command center. It was launched without civil evacuation orders, a departure from Israel&rsquo;s own standard operating practice in previous campaigns, according to AP. Three compounding factors made it explosive beyond the point of no return. First, the timing. Pakistan&rsquo;s interior minister was in Tehran at that exact moment, leading a high-level mediator delegation. Regional diplomats told Al Jazeera and AP they concluded almost immediately that the strike was a calculated attempt to wreck the US-Iran negotiating track. Not a tactical response to Hezbollah rockets, which had been fired at Israeli barracks earlier that morning. Second, the instruction was ignored. US President Donald Trump had explicitly told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu days earlier not to conduct military operations in Beirut, warning it would derail the peace talks he described as &ldquo;very close to a final deal.&rdquo; Israel struck anyway. &ldquo;I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn&rsquo;t call the shots,&rdquo; Trump told the Financial Times. It was a remarkable public admission that his ally had stopped listening. Third, the absence of a warning. No evacuation orders, no pre-strike civilian alerts. In a district Iran had specifically identified as a tripwire, Israel offered no off-ramp. General Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran&rsquo;s military central command, declared Israel had &ldquo;crossed all red lines&rdquo; and authorized direct retaliation against Israeli territory, as reported by AFP and the Straits Times. The regional verdict Saudi Arabia, which had carefully avoided taking sides through months of Israeli strikes on Lebanon, issued a formal condemnation after the Dahiyeh strike. The Saudi Foreign Ministry declared &ldquo;condemnation and rejection&rdquo; of the continuation of Israeli aggression against Lebanon, according to Al Arabiya. Egypt and Turkey moved into emergency diplomatic mode. Oman called a truce that excluded Lebanon, &ldquo;not the beginning of peace.&rdquo; The regional response confirmed what the attack had made clear: after months of tolerating Israeli strikes on Lebanese territory, the Dahiyeh strike crossed a political threshold, not just a military one. The people left behind Below the diplomacy, Lebanon was already in collapse. More than 1.3 million people had been displaced, which is roughly a quarter of the population. The UN had been forced to more than double its emergency aid appeal, raising it from $308 million to $639.9 million as of June 5, according to OCHA. For Lebanon&rsquo;s 250,000 Palestinian refugees, already stateless and structurally excluded from the Lebanese economy, the bombardment meant a second displacement inside a single lifetime for many families. Israeli evacuation orders south of the Zahrani River emptied the camps of Rashidieh, Burj al-Shemali, and el-Buss. Shatila and Burj al-Barajneh in Beirut were hit and road-sealed. UNRWA, already stripped of US funding and facing a $220 million shortfall, was forced to cut services by 20%, reduce school weeks, and close five schools in Ain al-Hilweh, according to field reporting from War on the Rocks and Al Estiklal. In the West Bank, the Israeli military separately extended a closure order over three refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarm until July 31, keeping more than 33,000 Palestinians displaced since January, according to the UN Secretary-General&rsquo;s Office. The Dahiyeh strike did not start this crisis. But it made plain that no ceiling -- geographic, diplomatic, or humanitarian -- was holding.

Middle East

Israel has been bombing Lebanon for months and Iran watched. Then came a no-warning strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs during active peace talks and over Trump’s explicit objections to Netanyahu, and Tehran’s calculus snapped.

Why did Iran choose this moment to fire missiles at Israel?

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday rejected &ldquo;irresponsible and ill-informed insinuations&rdquo; regarding the internal affairs of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp; According to a post on X, the foreign office noted the unwarranted remarks and queries raised by certain British members of parliament, which reflected a &ldquo;lack of awareness and disregard for the historical background of the issue.&rdquo; &ldquo;These individuals are advised to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir,&rdquo; the foreign office said, adding that they would do well to &ldquo;contribute positively to their country of residence.&rdquo; The ministry reiterated to those still living in colonial times that Pakistan is a sovereign and democratic republic that firmly believes in non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and expects the same from others. It added that Pakistan fully recognized and respected citizens&#39; constitutional rights to peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, and democratic participation. However, the ministry added that &ldquo;vandalism, the destruction of public services, including hospitals, and the murder of innocent civilians and law enforcement officials&rdquo; cannot be permitted under any circumstances. The ministry called on the British government to &ldquo;educate and caution&rdquo; those supporting proscribed organizations to refrain from such actions and to respect the democratic process, judicial decisions, and the rule of law as enshrined in the Constitutions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan.

Pakistan's foreign office notes unwarranted remarks and queries raised by certain British members of parliament reflect a 'lack of awareness and disregard for the historical background of the issue.'

FO rejects British MPs' ‘irresponsible, ill-informed insinuations’ on Pakistan’s internal affairs

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the auto and auto parts policy, with special emphasis on accelerating Pakistan&rsquo;s transition toward electric vehicles, said a statement on Monday. According to the statement, the meeting was briefed on a range of measures to promote EV adoption across the country, strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities, and facilitate industry growth through supportive government policies.&nbsp; The statement added that participants were informed that the proposed measures would help create new employment opportunities, enhance exports, and contribute significantly to Pakistan&rsquo;s efforts to mitigate climate change.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2063909605252706629&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=e1355c80472608bd6cd3aed0bbafbf3c816d8636&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Addressing the meeting, Dar underscored the importance of developing a competitive, innovative, and sustainable automotive ecosystem.&nbsp; He said a future-ready automotive sector would support economic growth, strengthen industrial capacity, generate skilled employment, and advance environmental sustainability. To ensure a comprehensive and consultative policy framework, the statement said the deputy prime minister directed the formation of a subcommittee to conduct a detailed review, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, and to finalize the draft policy. Ministers, senior government officials, policy experts, and economists attended the meeting.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting on Monday to review the Auto and Auto Parts Policy, with a particular focus on accelerating Pakistan’s transition towards Electric Vehicles (@DPM_PK)

Economy

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar chaired a high-level meeting reviewing the Auto and Auto Parts Policy, focusing on EV adoption, local manufacturing, job creation, exports, and environmental sustainability.

Pakistan accelerates EV transition with review of auto and auto parts policy

RIO DE JANEIRO: Airlines are facing surging fuel costs from the war in the Middle East, but executives say they are more concerned about taxes and regulations deemed too restrictive that could further crimp their bottom lines. Despite hand-wringing over the risk that travellers will baulk at paying higher fares, the ongoing war did not appear to ruffle feathers at the International Air Transport Association&#39;s annual conference in Rio, which ends Monday. &quot;We expect average jet fuel prices to be 70% higher year-on-year. That will add $100 billion to our collective fuel bill this year,&quot; IATA director general Willie Walsh told the gathering. Yet when the CNN journalist Richard Quest asked a roundtable discussion if airlines were frustrated by &quot;an event you have no control over&quot;, the responses were remarkably subdued. The chief of Turkey&#39;s Pegasus Airlines, Guliz Ozturk, noted wryly that it was standard practice for carriers to predict various scenarios at the beginning of the year, only to see something entirely different happen. IATA chief economist Marie Owens Thomsen recalled the uncertainty generated at last year&#39;s conference, held in New Delhi just weeks after US President Donald Trump unleashed his tariffs war. &quot;We thought that it was the end of the world,&quot; she said. But this year, there was hardly any mention of Trump despite the ongoing Mideast war, which has driven up fuel prices and caused profitability to plummet in a sector that was already struggling. Name and shame The IATA, which represents 370 member airlines, focused instead on naming and shaming countries that have imposed taxes on tickets -- often in the name of reducing carbon emissions -- or increased regulations on the industry. The European Union was the most frequent target, with Walsh aiming for the bloc&#39;s &quot;populist&quot; Parliament for defending higher compensation for passengers impacted by flight delays. And at a press conference on the shortage of non-fossil fuels needed to decarbonise air travel, EU regulations on the minimum amounts of such fuels required in aircraft tanks came under fire. Even when pressed on the potential impact of a &quot;quagmire&quot; scenario in the Gulf that would curtail oil and jet fuel exports for several more months, executives did not appear overly alarmed. When asked about the possibility of the war dragging out for years, research director Eleanor Budds played down the risk. &quot;Quagmire is a scenario... It doesn&#39;t mean we expect this to happen,&quot; Budds said. A reporter then asked if, in an extreme case, the war would not just drive up prices but also lead to shortages of jet fuel. &quot;In our base case, we don&#39;t have shortages,&quot; she responded.

Americas

Europe

Airlines expect jet fuel costs to rise 70%, adding $100 billion in expenses due to the Middle East war. However, industry leaders expressed greater concern over taxes, regulations, and decarbonisation policies affecting profitability.

Pakistan issues 737 visas to Indian pilgrims for Martyrdom Day of Guru Arjun Dev Ji

Latest News

England's Stokes, Atkinson under investigation for nightclub incident

Mexico president promises peaceful World Cup opening despite protests

Pakistan issues 737 visas to Indian pilgrims for Martyrdom Day of Guru Arjun Dev Ji

Coordinated efforts ensured peaceful Gilgit-Baltistan elections despite challenges: Police chief

Pakistan PM urges restraint as Middle East conflict escalates