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Protests erupt in Balochistan’s Turbat over power cuts as official blames Iran’s supply suspension

Protests erupt in Balochistan’s Turbat over power cuts as official blames Iran’s supply suspension
Members of All Parties Association in Pakistan’s remote Kech district protest against power outages in Makran division in Turbat city on July 9, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Supplied/Assad Baloch)
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Updated 10 July 2024

Protests erupt in Balochistan’s Turbat over power cuts as official blames Iran’s supply suspension

Protests erupt in Balochistan’s Turbat over power cuts as official blames Iran’s supply suspension
  • Iran supplies 200-megawatt electricity to the coastal region, equally distributed between Gwardar and Kech
  • Traders in Turbat threaten to go on a shutter-down strike, saying power cuts have adversely impacted business

QUETTA: Residents of Pakistan’s southwestern Makran coastal region decided to camp in Balochistan’s Turbat city on Tuesday to protest against prolonged power outages amid scorching heat as the Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) said the situation was caused by Iran’s decision to suspend electricity supply to the area.
Pakistan shares a 959-kilometer frontier with Iran that begins at the Koh-i-Malik Salih Mountain and ends at Gwadar Bay in the Gulf of Oman. Iran and Pakistan signed an agreement in 2003 under which Iran daily supplies 35 megawatts of electricity to Balochistan’s coastal belt, including Gwadar, which is the heart of the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Pakistan’s top economic decision-making body, ECNEC, announced its plan in May 2019 to connect Makran Division with the national grid, but the border districts of Gwadar and Kech continue to receive power from Iran’s main transmission line.
Speaking to Arab News over the phone from Turbat in Kech district, the organizers of the protest said the power cuts – also called loadshedding in Pakistan – had disrupted life amid intense heat.
“Most of the power feeders in Kech have run out of electricity, resulting in 14 hours of loadshedding despite a soaring temperature of about 50°C [122°F],” Zarif Baloch, deputy convener of the All Parties Association of District Kech, informed.
He said there was a total power outage in Turbat as he spoke over the phone.




Members of All Parties Association in Pakistan’s remote Kech district protest against power outages in Makran division in Turbat city on July 9, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Supplied/Assad Baloch)

“When we contacted QESCO officials, they said Iran had suspended the power supply which was causing the situation in the district,” he continued. “We have been suffering from such a situation since the last month, but we have now called a shutter-down strike in Turbat from Thursday if the power supply is not restored.”
Muhammad Afzal Baloch, the QESCO spokesperson, told Arab News Pakistan had been receiving 200 megawatts of electricity from Iran, half of was supplied to Gwadar and half to Kech district.
“The power supply was suspended from Iran due to their own needs but it was restored in Makran Division on Monday night,” he said. “Although Iran has been providing 200 megawatts of electricity to our bordering districts, we consume the Iranian electricity as per our need.”
Last year in May, the top leaders of the two countries inaugurated the first border market on their frontier to strengthen trade relations. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iran’s former president Ebrahim Raisi agreed to initiate 100 megawatts of additional electricity to Balochistan’s bordering districts from the Polan-Gabd transmission line.
Ishaq Roshan Dashti, president of the traders’ association in Kech district who runs his own clothing business in Turbat, said the prolonged power cuts were causing significant hardships for his fellow community members.
“We are very much disturbed during the peak summer months of June and July,” he told Arab News. “The situation has led to a 50 percent decrease in business activities in the area.”
Shahzad Baloch, who runs an ice factory, agreed with him.




Members of All Parties Association in Pakistan’s remote Kech district protest against power outages in Makran division in Turbat city on July 9, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Supplied/Assad Baloch)

“Every year, we face such electricity breakdowns in Makran during these months and the country’s power division blames Iran,” he said. “We cannot meet the regular demand for ice and have started using generators. But this has increased the price of each ice block by 35 percent compared to the previous year.”
Residents of Gwadar and Pasni also protested against unplanned power outages on Monday and blocked the country’s key coastal highway connecting Balochistan with Pakistan’s southeastern port city of Karachi.
However, they ended the protests after the authorities assured them that the power supply would be restored within a few hours.


Pakistani province bordering Afghanistan to send talks’ delegation to Kabul within two weeks — CM

Pakistani province bordering Afghanistan to send talks’ delegation to Kabul within two weeks — CM
Updated 1 min 19 sec ago

Pakistani province bordering Afghanistan to send talks’ delegation to Kabul within two weeks — CM

Pakistani province bordering Afghanistan to send talks’ delegation to Kabul within two weeks — CM
  • Islamabad says it has consistently taken up the issue of cross-border militancy with Kabul
  • Afghan Taliban say do not allow Afghan soil to be used by militants against other nations

ISLAMABAD: The chief minister of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said this week he would send a delegation to neighboring Afghanistan within two weeks for discussions on ongoing tensions, including cross-border militancy. 
Already strained relations between the neighbors have deteriorated in recent months amid a spike in militant attacks in Pakistan that it blames on insurgents harboring in Afghanistan. Kabul’s Afghan rulers deny state complicity and say they do not allow Afghan soil to be used by militant groups against other nations. 
Last year, KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur said he would hold direct talks with Kabul and send an emissary to Afghanistan to arrange a meeting to resolve outstanding issues. At the time, the central government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a main rival of Gandapur’s PTI party that rules KP, said the offer amounted to a “direct attack on the federation” as no province could open talks with a foreign country, which was the jurisdiction of the government at the center. 
“Now I will have to play my role. We held a provincial meeting and now I am sending a delegation to Afghanistan soon,” Gandapur told reporters on Monday. “Within two weeks a delegation that I am forming will go to Afghanistan and talk to them [Afghan government].”
A second delegation comprising main tribes from KP province would also visit Afghanistan subsequently, the chief minister added. 
“A delegation comprising all tribes will also go and talk to them. I have full faith that they [Afghan authorities] will cooperate with our jirga.”
Islamabad says it has consistently taken up the issue of cross-border attacks with the Taliban administration. The issue has also led to clashes between the border forces of the two countries on multiple occasions in recent months.
In December, the Afghan Taliban said bombardment by Pakistani military aircraft in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province had killed at least 46 people, most of whom were children and women. Just days later, the Afghan defense ministry said Taliban forces targeted “several points” in neighboring Pakistan, further straining tense ties. 
Relations between the two countries have also soured since Pakistan launched a deportation drive in November 2023 against illegal aliens residing in the country. Though Pakistan insists the campaign does not only target Afghans but all those residing in Pakistan unlawfully, it has disproportionately hit Afghans, with at least 800,000 repatriated so far.


KSrelief distributes food parcels to people in need in Mali, Pakistan

KSrelief distributes food parcels to people in need in Mali, Pakistan
Updated 6 min 40 sec ago

KSrelief distributes food parcels to people in need in Mali, Pakistan

KSrelief distributes food parcels to people in need in Mali, Pakistan
  • Some 500 parcels distributed in Koulikoro region of Mali
  • In Pakistan, 1,450 parcels given out in Sindh, KP provinces

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has provided food aid to people in need in Mali and Pakistan, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

This handout photo, taken and released by Saudi Press Agency on January 21, 2025, shows distribution of aid by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) in Koulikoro region of Mali. (SPA)

Some 500 parcels were distributed in the Koulikoro region of Mali, benefiting vulnerable groups including displaced people and those with disabilities as part of this year’s Food Security Support Project in the country.

This handout photo, taken and released by Saudi Press Agency on January 21, 2025, shows Malian women gesture during distribution of aid by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) in Koulikoro region of Mali. (SPA)

Meanwhile, in Pakistan, a further 1,450 food parcels were given out in the Dadu and Sanghar districts in Sindh province and the Torghar district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.


Finishing touches being put on Pakistan stadiums ahead of ICC Champions Trophy

Finishing touches being put on Pakistan stadiums ahead of ICC Champions Trophy
Updated 58 min 25 sec ago

Finishing touches being put on Pakistan stadiums ahead of ICC Champions Trophy

Finishing touches being put on Pakistan stadiums ahead of ICC Champions Trophy
  • Eight-team 50-overs tournament will be first global competition held in Pakistan in 28 years
  • India will play all their matches in Dubai due to political tensions with the northern neighbor

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) this week allayed fears about the preparedness of the venues for this year’s Champions Trophy as they welcomed media for a tour of Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium on Monday.

Arshad Khan, manager of National Bank Stadium, addresses media persons regarding the progress of the renovation work ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on January 20, 2025. (REUTERS)

The eight-team 50-overs tournament will be the first global competition to be held in Pakistan in 28 years.
India, however, will play all their matches in Dubai due to political tensions with their Northern neighbors.

Laborers work during a media tour, organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), to showcase the progress of the renovation work ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on January 20, 2025. (REUTERS)

Stadiums in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi are being upgraded for the tournament whose success could invite more global tournaments to a country, which was deemed unsafe to tour after a 2009 attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricketers.

Journalists attend a media tour organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), to showcase the progress of the renovation work ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on January 20, 2025. (REUTERS)

“We are in the finishing phase. Our work is almost complete, the finishing touches remain. We will complete it by the end of this month,” PCB director of infrastructure, Qazi Jawad, told Reuters in Lahore.
The stadium’s capacity has been increased to accommodate 35,000 fans while new hospitality areas have also been constructed.

Laborers work during a media tour, organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), to showcase the progress of the renovation work ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore on January 20, 2025. (REUTERS)

Lahore and Karachi will host a tri-nation series involving New Zealand and South Africa next month to prove their readiness for the Champions Trophy beginning on February 19.

Laborers work during a media tour, organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), to showcase the progress of the renovation work ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore on January 20, 2025. (REUTERS)

 


Pakistan air force contingent lands in Ƶ for aerial combat exercise

Pakistan air force contingent lands in Ƶ for aerial combat exercise
Updated 21 January 2025

Pakistan air force contingent lands in Ƶ for aerial combat exercise

Pakistan air force contingent lands in Ƶ for aerial combat exercise
  • Ƶ annually hosts Spears of Victory exercise, with last year’s activity having involved more than 60 aircraft from nine nations
  • This year’s exercise will include participation from Ƶ, Pakistan, Bahrain, France, Greece, Qatar, UAE, UK and US

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan Air Force contingent comprising JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter jets and dedicated air and ground crew has landed in Ƶ to participate in the multinational aerial combat exercise, “Spears of Victory-2025,” the Pakistan army said in a statement on Tuesday.
Ƶ annually hosts the Spears of Victory exercise, with last year’s activity having involved more than 60 aircraft from nine nations. This year’s exercise will include participation of fighter jets and combat support elements from Ƶ, Pakistan, Bahrain, France, Greece, Qatar, UAE, UK and the US. 
“For this International deployment, PAF fighters flew nonstop from home base in Pakistan to Ƶ, carrying out inflight Air-to-Air refueling, showcasing long range employment capabilities of JF-17 Block-III Aircraft,” the Pakistan army’s media wing said. 
During the exercise, PAF pilots flying AESA & Extended Range BVR Equipped JF-17 Thunder jets will be pitched against participating air forces equipped with a wide variety of sophisticated combat aircraft. 
Royal Saudi Air Force is holding the fifth cycle of the exercise, “which provides an excellent opportunity to bolster interoperability within the participating Air Forces in the backdrop of technological advancement, increasing complexity in Airpower application & shared aerial defense challenges,” the army statement said. 
“Participation of Pakistan Air Force contingent in the exercise not only highlights PAF’s commitment to regional & international cooperation but also underscores its capabilities and prowess to operate in diverse and challenging environments among contemporary airforces.”


Outgoing US president Biden turns down clemency request for Pakistani neuroscientist

Outgoing US president Biden turns down clemency request for Pakistani neuroscientist
Updated 21 January 2025

Outgoing US president Biden turns down clemency request for Pakistani neuroscientist

Outgoing US president Biden turns down clemency request for Pakistani neuroscientist
  • Siddiqui is serving 86-year jail sentence after being convicted of attempting to shoot group of FBI agents, US soldiers and interpreters
  • US officials say incident took place as FBI agents, soldiers were about to interrogate Siddiqui at Afghan police compound in Ghazni in 2008

KARACHI: The sister of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist imprisoned in the US, on Tuesday called on supporters not to lose hope after outgoing US President Joe Biden rejected a petition seeking clemency for the jailed academic.
Siddiqui, a US-trained scientist who denies any wrongdoing, was convicted in 2010 and given a 86-year prison sentence for shooting at FBI agents and soldiers after her arrest in Afghanistan. She was arrested in July 2008 by Afghan police, who said she was carrying two pounds (900 grams) of sodium cyanide and crumpled notes referring to mass casualty attacks and New York landmarks.
The day after her arrest, according to the indictment, Siddiqui grabbed an M-4 rifle in her interrogation room and started shooting while yelling “death to America,” the trial jury heard. No US agents or soldiers were hit, but Siddiqui was shot and wounded in response, according to US prosecutors. She was subsequently convicted by a New York federal jury of attempted murder, armed assault and other charges. Siddiqui was never charged with links to terrorism.
Siddiqui’s family says she was visiting Pakistan in 2003 when she was abducted with her three children by Pakistani intelligence officials and handed to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which took her to Afghanistan. Pakistan’s intelligence agencies deny the claims.
“You must all by now have heard the news that our [mercy] petition was denied at the very last moment,” Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui, who has been lobbying for years for her sister’s release, said in a video message. 
The rejection comes in response to a 76,500-word dossier submitted by Siddiqui’s lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, urging Biden to grant her clemency before the end of his term.
“We will go onto Plan B and Plan D but not lose hope. Please, I have not lost hope, so all I am asking you is to please stay steadfast, stay with me, join us for Plan B and please continue the support,” Fowzia added.
In October 2024, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also wrote a letter to Biden, calling for Dr. Siddiqui’s release. The letter highlighted concerns about her treatment in prison and warned that her deteriorating physical and mental health could lead to self-harm.
Freeing Siddiqui or winning her repatriation to Pakistan has at times been a popular cause in her homeland, where her trial was seen as unfair.