Latest news with #Pakistan
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Live art, Eid festival, and club night make for triple weekend fun
A trio of community events - an Eid festival, a live art event, and a club night harking back to a musical "golden era" - took place last weekend. The events were delivered by The Leap, the community-led arts and culture programme covering the Bradford district. One of the events was the Bradford Eid Festival. Held in Peel Park, the festival attracted more than 35,000 people and featured food, music, and dance, as well as craft stalls, Nasheed singers, henna artists, and storytelling areas. The Leap's UK-Pakistan Truck Art Project, an art installation blending traditional Pakistani truck art with contemporary, local designs, also featured. At the Bradford Eid Festival in Peel Park, visitors were able to engage with The Leap's UK-Pakistan Truck Art Project, which sees traditional Pakistani truck art blended with contemporary designs (Image: Supplied) The project was developed by artists from both the UK and Pakistan, working with young people and families in BD3. Another event that took place was Statuesque, hosted at The Beacon in Bowling Park. The live art event saw Naomi Parker and her troupe, known as Chicks on Sticks, perform as living statues. The event, which was created in collaboration with local schools and emerging artists, also included craft workshops and a carnival parade. A Bhangra Legacy Daytimers event, organised by Moss Sheikh and Mick Chandsoor, also took place during the weekend. Daytimers DJs from the 1980s and 1990s were present at a Bhangra Legacy Daytimers event, organised by Moss Sheikh and Mick Chandsoor, which mixed archival footage, live performances, and DJ sets (Image: Supplied) It celebrated the "golden era" of Bradford's South Asian club scene with DJ sets, archive footage, and live performances. Daytimers DJs from the 1980s and 1990s were present. Zulfiqar Ahmed, director of The Leap, said: "This weekend was Bradford at its best – creative, bold, and connected. "Every event, from the beats of Daytimers to the stunning Pakistani truck art, showed what's possible when culture is led by the people who live it every day. The Bhangra Legacy Daytimers event commemorated the 'golden era' of Bradford's South Asian club scene (Image: Supplied) "The Truck Art project, in particular, was a proud moment – blending heritage and innovation in a way that only Bradford can." Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, said: "It was a great weekend. "Wonderful to see so many local people out enjoying cultural activities on their doorstep. "It's exactly what we wanted the Creative People and Places programme to do through The Leap - bringing opportunities to enjoy arts and culture to the people, rather than expecting them to search it out. "The council is pleased to support the investment in The Leap, which has enabled the Arts Council to invest significantly in the organisation since its foundation." The Leap is funded by Arts Council England and Bradford Council as part of the Creative People and Places network.
Arab News
an hour ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan army chief calls for dialogue, diplomacy to resolve regional conflicts
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's army chief advocated for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve regional conflicts in his interaction with American policy experts, analysts, scholars and representatives of foreign media outlets, the military's media wing said on Friday amid Islamabad's simmering tensions with New Delhi. Munir is on a solo trip to the US, where he met President Donald Trump for lunch on Wednesday in an unprecedented White House meeting. Trump told reporters afterward that the two had discussed the ongoing Iran-Israel crisis, and that the main reason he wanted to meet Munir was to thank him for not pursuing war with India last month. Pakistan and India remained engaged in a military confrontation for four days last month before Washington brokered a ceasefire between the two on May 10. Pakistan has since then sent delegations to various capitals around the world, urging countries to persuade India to resolve bilateral issues with Islamabad via dialogue and diplomacy. 'The Army Chief also provided a detailed exposition of Pakistan's balanced approach to regional and global conflicts, advocating for dialogue, diplomacy, and adherence to international law,' the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, said. 'He reaffirmed that Pakistan continues to play a responsible and proactive role in mitigating regional tensions and promoting cooperative security frameworks.' Munir also spoke about Pakistan's recent conflict with India, elaborating on Pakistan's perspective on 'terrorism.' Without naming anyone in particular, the Pakistan army chief spoke about the influence of regional actors in sponsoring and perpetuating 'terrorism' as a tool of hybrid warfare. 'The COAS emphasized that Pakistan has been on the front lines of the global war against terrorism, having rendered immense sacrifices— both human and economic— in pursuit of a safer and more secure world,' the statement said. Pakistan denies India's allegations it supports militant attacks in the part of disputed Kashmir that New Delhi governs. After the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, a tourist resort in Indian-administered Kashmir, tensions between the two countries surged as New Delhi blamed Islamabad for being involved. Pakistan denied the allegations and called for an impartial, international probe into the incident. The Pakistan army chief spoke about his country's untapped potential in information technology, agriculture and its underexploited reserves in the mining and mineral sectors. Munir invited international partners to explore collaborative opportunities in these sectors to unlock 'shared prosperity,' the ISPR said. The discussion between Munir and the participants also involved an evaluation of the long-standing Pakistan–US partnership, the military's media wing said. 'The COAS [chief of army staff] underlined the historical convergences between the two nations, particularly in areas such as counterterrorism, regional security, and economic development,' the ISPR said. 'He underscored the immense potential for a broader, multidimensional relationship built upon mutual respect, shared strategic interests, and economic interdependence.' The ISPR said the interaction was marked by mutual understanding and was widely regarded as a 'positive step' toward enhancing strategic dialogue between the two countries. Pakistan's military plays a key role in shaping the country's foreign policy, and Munir's high-profile White House invitation is being seen as part of Washington's broader effort to recalibrate ties with Islamabad, a vital but often difficult ally for the US in South Asia. Under Trump, Islamabad and Washington both have appeared eager to rebuild military and economic cooperation after years of strained ties, largely over counter-terrorism disagreements.
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Islamabad's first woman to lead men's police station takes on drug lords, land mafia
ISLAMABAD: Tucked amid the dust and bustle of Islamabad's fringes, the suburb of Phulgran has long been a magnet for trouble: drug dens, land-grabbing, and a loose grip on law and order. But now, it has something new: a phenomenon. In her blue uniform and a modest headscarf, Misbah Shahbaz quietly took charge in 2025 as Station House Officer (SHO) of Phulgran, Islamabad's first-ever female SHO at a general, or men's, police station. The post of SHO is one of the most visible and operationally significant leadership roles in Pakistan's police hierarchy, responsible for crime investigation, public safety, and station-level administration. Until now, female SHOs in Islamabad had only led women police stations. 'It's a historic decision, and I feel very proud,' Shahbaz told Arab News as she walked through a briefing with her team. Phulgran sits at the nexus of rural sprawl and urban ambition, where narcotics and land mafias thrive. Shahbaz's three-fold roadmap is simple: Clean up the drug trade, target land-grab networks, and raise the ethical bar in policing. Methodical yet unspoken in her stride, she is already tackling the tough territory: 'Drug trafficking is a major concern. I've already developed strategies … and God willing, you'll soon see the results.' Her academic résumé reads like an MBA case study: she holds a Master's and an MBA. But she insisted: 'I've always been drawn to the uniform … This was never about the degree, it was about a passion to serve.' Back in 2012, Shahbaz took one of the 87 Assistant Sub-Inspector slots based strictly on merit. And that was just the beginning of a journey in which she says her male colleagues largely treated her as an equal. 'I was lucky to have excellent mentors, all-male officers who treated me no differently,' she said. 'They taught me the finer points of investigation, from identifying subtle clues to interviewing techniques.' Today, when Shahbaz rolls through Phulgran in her official vehicle, residents pause. Men nod, women whisper encouragement and in the sidewalks, young girls see her, and absorb a message: you, too, can wear the badge. 'She's not less than any man,' a constable under her command said. 'In fact, she leads better.' TURNING TIDE? Let's zoom out: Pakistan's police force is staggeringly male. According to the National Police Bureau (NPB) and UN Women Pakistan as of 2023, only about 3.2 % of officers are women, just 15,509 women out of 489,645 total. And while Islamabad fares slightly better, with around 5% of women, most provinces hover at 1–4%. A mandatory 10 % quota exists but the officers actually recruited, trained, and retained are far fewer. In some provinces, it's under 1%. So, Shahbaz's promotion is more than symbolic. She's a breakthrough not just for Islamabad but for an entire force held back by gender disparity. With so few female officers, women are often reluctant to report crimes, especially those involving domestic or gender-based issues. Experts also say the absence of women in decision-making and field leadership reduces community trust in law enforcement. Female officers like Shahbaz could change that balance. And her rise isn't just a personal triumph. It's the latest clue in the slow shift in a system where less than 1 in 30 cops is a woman. As the police officer said: 'Islamabad Police already have a reputation for professionalism but I want to raise the bar so that every citizen feels heard and respected.'
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Veteran Pakistani actress Ayesha Khan passes away in Karachi— report
ISLAMABAD: Veteran Pakistani actress Ayesha Khan was found dead in her flat in Karachi this week, various news outlets reported on Friday as tributes poured in from colleagues who had worked with her. As per reports in prominent Pakistani news websites such as The News, and other publications, 77-year-old Khan was found dead in her flat in Karachi's Gulshan-e-Iqbal area on Thursday. Quoting police, local media reports said Khan's body seemed to be around a week old when it was found, adding that the actress was living alone. Khan starred in several high-profile Pakistani drama serials such as 'Afshan,' 'Uroosa,' 'Aanch,' 'Bandhan' and 'Shaam Se Pehle.' Fellow actors and colleagues paid tribute to the actress as news of her death spread. Prominent actor Adnan Siddiqui recalled working alongside Khan in Uroosa, which was his first drama serial. 'She was my on-screen mother but brought a compassion reminiscent of a maternal figure, a presence that soothed, grounded and made a space feel more human,' Siddiqui wrote on Instagram. Siddiqui said Khan was never loud but rather calm and let her 'acting do the talking.' 'Ayesha jee wasn't just an actor; she was an atmosphere. And her absence will be deeply felt,' he wrote. A post shared by Adnan Siddiqui (@adnansid1) 'Devastating. Rest in peace, Ayesha ji,' Pakistani actress Anoushay Abbasi wrote beneath Siddiqui's post. As per Geo News, Khan's body was discovered when her neighbors informed her family about a 'foul smell' emitting from the actress' apartment. 'After being informed, police rushed to the scene and shifted her body to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center for medico-legal formalities,' the report said. It added that police said a post-mortem would be conducted if requested by the family. Later, Khan's body was shifted to Edhi Foundation's mortuary in Karachi's Sohrab Goth area, the report stated.
Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Amid US-Pakistan thaw, two key challenges: Iran and China
Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has held an unprecedented one-on-one meeting with United States President Donald Trump at the White House, where the two leaders spoke for more than two hours, according to the Pakistani military. In a statement issued on Thursday by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military's media wing, the meeting, originally scheduled for one hour, was held in the Cabinet Room over lunch and then continued in the Oval Office. After Wednesday's meeting, the ISPR said, Munir expressed 'deep appreciation' for Trump's efforts in facilitating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after a four-day conflict in May between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. According to the ISPR, Trump welcomed Pakistan's cooperation against 'terrorism'. While the White House did not release any statement on the meeting, which was held behind closed doors and without news media photo opportunities, Trump spoke to reporters briefly after his talks with Munir. He thanked the army chief and said he was 'honoured to meet him'. Yet amid the bonhomie and the promise of a sharp uptick in relations after years of tension between Washington and Islamabad, Trump also referred to the ongoing military conflict between Israel and Iran, which the US president has said his country might join. The Pakistanis, Trump said, 'know Iran very well, better than most', adding that they are 'not happy'. For Pakistan, analysts said, that comment underscored how the reset in ties with the US that Islamabad desperately seeks will be tested by two key challenges. Iran and the current crisis with Israel will force Pakistan into a diplomatic balancing act, they said. And Islamabad's close relations with China could similarly pull Pakistan in conflicting directions. According to the ISPR, Munir spoke to Trump about a range of areas where the two nations could strengthen cooperation, including 'economic development, mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies'. But the Pakistani military conceded that the two leaders also held 'detailed discussions' on the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel with both Munir and Trump – according to Islamabad – emphasising the need for a peaceful resolution. Munir was accompanied by Pakistan's national security adviser, Lieutenant General Asim Malik, who also heads the country's premier intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). On the American side, Trump was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the president's top negotiator in the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Marvin Weinbaum, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI), said the lack of a media presence during the lunch could be interpreted as suggesting that 'the nature of the conversation was such that neither party wanted photo opportunities'. Weinbaum told Al Jazeera that neither side likely wanted to reveal much about 'what was discussed, though my read is it was perhaps the US wanting to know about Pakistan's role on what follows in Iran during this ongoing situation'. Later on Wednesday evening, Munir attended a dinner hosted by the Pakistani embassy with nearly three dozen figures from think tanks, policy institutions and diplomatic circles. Al Jazeera spoke to several participants, who all requested anonymity to discuss what Munir said at the dinner. One participant said Munir did not divulge specifics from his meeting with Trump but he remarked that the conversation was 'fantastic and could not have gone any better'. Munir added, according to this person, that Pakistan's relations with the previous administration of President Joe Biden had been 'among the worst' historically. Another attendee told Al Jazeera that Munir said the US 'knows what it needs to do regarding Iran' and reiterated that Pakistan's view is that 'every conflict is resolvable through dialogue and diplomacy'. For the moment, experts said, the meeting represents a major gain for Pakistan in its bid to improve ties with the US. Pakistan has been a close US ally since gaining independence in 1947. They worked closely together in Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion in 1979 and then again after the US invasion of Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks. While the US has provided more than $30bn in aid in the last two decades to Pakistan, it has repeatedly accused Islamabad of 'duplicity' and of not being a reliable security partner. Pakistan, in turn, has argued that Washington constantly demands it 'do more' without fully acknowledging the losses and instability Pakistan has suffered due to regional violence. Elizabeth Threlkeld, director of the South Asia Program at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC, said Munir's visit marks a 'significant upswing' in US-Pakistan ties under the Trump administration. 'Given President Trump's central role in shaping foreign policy and his preference for personal relationships, this visit has allowed Field Marshal Munir to solidify a rapport built during the recent crisis,' she told Al Jazeera. Sahar Khan, a Washington, DC-based security policy expert, said that while the meeting was significant, it doesn't mean the two countries are 'now friends'. However, it does indicate a 'thaw in the relationship'. She added that although Trump is unpredictable, Pakistan should consider striking a deal with him to prevent unrealistic demands regarding regional issues. 'For now, Munir's message to the Trump administration is, take the time to understand Pakistan and stop viewing it through the lens of India, China or Afghanistan,' she said. Making that message stick, though, won't be easy, analysts said. China remains Pakistan's most critical partner, with whom it enjoys deep economic, strategic and military ties. But simultaneously, over the past three decades, Beijing's rise as a global superpower has made it Washington's principal rival. Muhammad Faisal, a South Asia security researcher and China expert at the University of Technology in Sydney, said managing ties with both powers will test Islamabad's commitment to a policy of 'no-camp politics'. China has invested $62bn in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a large infrastructure project connecting western China to the Arabian Sea via Pakistan. On the military front, Pakistan procures more than 80 percent of its weaponry from China, and some of those products, particularly Chinese jets and missiles, showcased their worth in the recent conflict with India. 'In the long run, both [China and the US] are crucial for Pakistan in their own right,' Faisal told Al Jazeera. And while the US and China might each want Islamabad on their side, the fact that Pakistan is sought after by both has its own advantage. It 'gives Islamabad considerable diplomatic space to expand cooperation with both Beijing and Washington', he said. Iran, currently under an intense Israeli assault that has targeted key infrastructure and senior military and nuclear figures, presents another sensitive challenge for Pakistan. Analysts argued that Pakistan's proximity and ties to Tehran position it as a potential mediator between the US and Iran. 'It is in Pakistan's interest to play a mediating role. It cannot afford another adversary on its western border, given its internal challenges,' Khan said. Last month, Munir travelled to Iran along with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During the visit, he met Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of General Staff of the Iranian military. In the first wave of strikes by Israel on Friday, Bagheri was one of the several military officials who were killed. Since the Israeli strikes began, Pakistan has strongly defended Iran's right to self-defence, describing the Israeli strikes as violations of Iran's territorial sovereignty and calling them 'blatant provocations'. Home to nearly 250 million people, Pakistan has a significant Shia minority – between 15 percent and 20 percent of the population – who look to Iran for religious leadership. Faisal noted that these demographic and geographic realities would constrain Pakistan's public support for any US military intervention. 'Islamabad can continue to call for diplomacy and cessation of hostilities to contain the conflict. As a neighbour, instability in Iran isn't in Pakistan's interest,' he said. At the same time, Faisal added, 'a spike in sectarian tensions [in Pakistan] can test internal security. Thus, Islamabad will be wary of pro-American public posturing.'
