ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is holding talks with Afghanistan to end the current conflict between the two countries, but Kabul must “demonstrate visible and verifiable actions”, said Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Thursday.

Since Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan on February 26, diplomatic contact between the two sides had largely ceased.

The talks in the northwestern Chinese city of Urumqi were being held between senior officials of the two countries, the spokesperson said in his weekly press briefing.

The meeting was focused on sharing perspectives on the latest escalation. No major outcomes were expected, though it was believed that China was pushing for confidence-building measures, such as reopening trade routes.

The spokesperson recounted the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Beijing earlier this week at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, saying that it “provided an opportunity for both sides to hold in-depth discussions on regional issues as well as bilateral matters of global and mutual concerns”.

During his opening remarks, Andrabi mentioned that Afghanistan was one of the issues that came up for discussion between the two foreign ministers. Pressed later for details, he confirmed that Pakistan had sent a delegation to Urumqi for talks.

The spokesperson added that Pakistan had sent the delegation “in line with its consistent position and longstanding practice of supporting a credible process that can lead to [a] durable solution … to stop border terrorism from Afghanistan”.

“Our participation is a reiteration of our core concerns,” he stated. “The burden of real process, however, lies with Afghanistan, which must demonstrate visible and verifiable actions against terrorist groups using Afghan soil against Pakistan.”

Andrabi added that the deputy prime minister’s visit to Beijing, despite medical advice to rest after suffering a hairline fracture during the quadrilateral talks in Islamabad, was evidence of the importance that the country placed on its relationship with China.

The spokesperson also referred to a “milestone” achieved during the visit, a five-point initiative by China and Pakistan for restoring peace and stability in the region, in which they called on the immediate cessation of hostilities and starting peace talks as soon as possible.

He said that the initiative had been well-received, garnering appreciation “across the region and beyond”.

“It is an effort towards ending war, it is an effort towards cessation of hostility and it is an effort towards paving the way for a sustainable pathway towards finding the lasting settlement of the ongoing hostilities,” he said.

In addition, speaking on the quadrilateral consultations between the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, he said that Pakistan “highly values” its relations with these “brotherly countries”.

“These interactions provided an opportunity to further strengthen Pakistan’s cooperation and coordination with these three countries across multifaceted areas of mutual interest,” he added.

The meeting, chaired by FM Dar, brought together foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt as part of a coordinated regional push to de-escalate the conflict between the United States and Iran that has now completed its first month, raising fears of wider spillover and disruption to global energy supplies.

There has been a resurgence in terrorism in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded.

Operation Ghazab lil-Haq was launched on the night of February 26, following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border.

From March 18 to 23, Pakistan observed a five-day temporary pause in the operation on the occasion of Eidul Fitr, with the FO later saying it would continue “until its objectives are achieved”.

De-escalation requests from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye were part of the reasons behind the pauses announced by both sides, according to their respective statements.

RAWALPINDI: Security forces have killed eight terrorists while responding to their movement along the Pak-Afghan border in North Waziristan district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Thursday.

In a press release, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the engagement took place on Wednesday after the “movement of a group of khwarij” was picked up by the security forces.

“As a result of precise and skilful engagement, eight khwarij belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Khwarij were sent to hell,” the ISPR said, adding that weapons and ammunition were also recovered from them.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

“Sanitisation operations are ongoing to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored khawarij in the area”, the military said.

“The engagement once again substantiates our repeated stance regarding abject failure of Afghan Taliban regime to ensure effective border management on their side of the border,” the ISPR pointed out.

“[The] Afghan Taliban Regime must fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by khwarij and involvement of its citizens in terrorism inside Pakistan,” it demanded.

The military reaffirmed that the security forces remain resolute and unwavering in their commitment to defend the nation’s frontiers.

The ISPR stated that the “relentless counter-terrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”.

President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the security forces for their “timely and effective” action against terrorists.

In a statement shared by his party, the president said, “The role of the security forces in defending the homeland and protecting the borders is a source of pride.”

President Zardari urged the Afghan interim government to prevent its territory from being used for terrorism against Pakistan.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi hailed the security forces for “foiling the infiltration attempt by khwarij from across the Afghan border”.

He saluted the soldiers for “thwarting the nefarious designs of Indian-backed terrorists”, adding that the nation took pride in the army’s professional capabilities.

Terrorism concerns

The military engagement comes as Pakistan presses on with Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan.

A day ago, officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan and China met in the Chinese city of Urumqi under a trilateral mechanism.

While a foreign ministry official said the meeting was not a “mediation effort per se”, it was believed that China was pushing for confidence-building measures, such as reopening trade routes.

There has been a resurgence in terrorism in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded.

Following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border, Pakistan had launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq on the night of February 26.

A five-day temporary pause was observed from March 18 to 23 on the occasion of Eidul Fitr, with the FO later saying the operation would continue “until its objectives are achieved”.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Norway on Wednesday signed the former’s first-ever carbon market deal under the Paris Agreement, according to an official press release.

According to the press release, “Pakistan and Norway on Wednesday signed the country’s first landmark bilateral agreement under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, opening the door to international carbon trading, climate finance and major investment in clean energy and climate-smart agriculture.”

To tackle climate change and its negative impacts, world leaders at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) signed the Paris Agreement on December 12, 2015, according to the United Nations. The agreement included commitments from all countries to reduce their emissions and work together to adapt to the impacts of climate change, and called on countries to strengthen their commitments over time.

The press release issued on Wednesday said that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in Islamabad under the auspices of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination marked Pakistan’s “formal entry into the global carbon market and is being seen as a breakthrough in the country’s climate diplomacy”.

Under the agreement, Pakistan will be able to develop carbon-credit generating projects in sectors such as clean energy, agriculture, transport and waste management and potentially sell the resulting emission reductions to Norway, the statement said

Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Musadik Malik termed the agreement a “historic milestone”, saying it would shift Pakistan from carbon market preparedness to practical implementation, the statement added.

“This is Pakistan’s first bilateral agreement under Article 6.2 and an important step towards implementation,” Malik said.

“It creates a credible pathway for international cooperation and investment in Pakistan’s climate priorities.”

Malik said the agreement would strengthen Pakistan’s position in international carbon markets and create new opportunities for the country’s emerging green economy.

“Carbon markets cannot be treated as an end in themselves. They must help countries like Pakistan finance transition pathways, create jobs, attract technology and deliver real benefits to communities,” he said.

The climate minister said Pakistan had already put in place the country’s first national policy guidelines for carbon trading, approved by the federal cabinet in January 2025, and was now moving to establish rules, reporting systems and bilateral arrangements needed to operationalise the market.

He said Pakistan had strong mitigation potential in sectors such as renewable energy, agriculture, transport and waste management, and that the agreement would encourage project developers and investors to move forward.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Norway’s Ambassador to Pakistan Per Albert Ilsaas said the accord marked the beginning of a new era in bilateral environmental cooperation, the statement added.

“Pakistan is among the countries most affected by climate change, and we believe this partnership can deliver both measurable emission reductions and real development benefits,” he said.

“Norway, which aims to become climate neutral by 2030, was seeking to purchase Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) under Article 6, not to meet its formal climate targets but to go beyond them,” he said.

“Norway is not purchasing ITMOs to meet its nationally determined contribution targets. We are purchasing them to achieve climate neutrality beyond those commitments,” he said.

Ilsaas said Norway’s Global Emission Reduction Initiative, launched in 2024 with a budget of $1.5 billion, would provide carbon finance to countries such as Pakistan.

“Through Norwegian Global Emission Reduction (Noger), we want to channel carbon finance into countries such as Pakistan and help bridge the gap in climate mitigation finance,” he said.

He added that Norway was looking beyond individual carbon-credit projects and was interested in large-scale programmes in renewable energy, industry and agriculture.

“We are looking beyond individual projects. We are interested in cooperation across entire sectors where climate policies can generate emission reductions at scale,” the ambassador said.

The ambassador said Norway had already signed similar agreements with Benin, Indonesia, Zambia, Jordan and Senegal and was working to buy 15 million carbon credits by 2030.

The statement said that Ambassador Ilsaas also invited Pakistan to present a broader pipeline of projects, specifically pointing to renewable energy ventures such as the Zhenfa 100-megawatt solar project and the Indus wind energy project as possible candidates for future cooperation.

“Both sides also agreed that the new ambitious pact could significantly boost Pakistan’s access to climate finance and private-sector investment, while helping the country pursue low-carbon growth and meet its climate commitments under the Paris Agreement,” it concluded.

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Wednesday directed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to respond within 10 days to a petition seeking to prevent the mobilisation or activation of a “release force” for jailed PTI founder Imran Khan.

Headed by FCC Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan, a three-judge bench also issued notices to respondents in the petition, namely the KP government, the PTI, the federal government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The proposed force was announced by CM Afridi in February after a days-long protest to secure a meeting with Imran failed to budge the government. It aims to continue the party’s struggle for the release of its founder, who has been imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail since Aug 5, 2023.

In the petition filed before the FCC, Advocate Ali Nawaz Kharal has contended that he was filing the plea in the public interest and seeking the court’s intervention to prevent the formation or mobilisation of any private force or militia in violation of the Constitution. The petition had also sought to stay the formation of such a force.

During the hearing on Wednesday, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi inquired whether the provincial cabinet had granted permission for the formation of such a force. The counsel, however, responded in the negative.

The court asked the federal government to ensure that the law was not violated and that the public at large was protected.

When announced, the proposal had divided the PTI and caused concerns among the party leaders, who questioned the rationale for the force. They questioned whether the PTI was going to form another ‘Al-Zulfikar’, a left-wing militant outfit formed by the sons of former PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1979.

A party leader, wishing not to be named, said that the announcement had shocked many.

However, several other party leaders believe the protest should be launched immediately rather than “wasting time” on membership drives, after PTI leader Salman Akram Raja announced that they would start the registration for the movement after Eidul Fitr.

Petition

The petition argued that the statement by a sitting chief minister to form such a force was not only shocking but in violation of the oaths he had taken as an elected member of a provincial assembly and as the provincial chief executive.

In the past, the petition said, such terminologies of a release force were also used by different political parties, which led to the emergence or perception of militant wings associated with political parties.

Though such a force had not yet been formally constituted or operationalised by the PTI, the public announcement regarding its intended formation, organisational structure and mobilisation generated, amongst the general public, grave concern, an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty, unrest, and panic, the petition said.

The petition also noted the constitutional prohibition against private militias under Article 256 of the Constitution, as well as the Private Militias (Abolition and Prohibition) Act, 1974, thereby necessitating the intervention of the FCC in anticipation of any such unlawful formation and acts associated thereto, the petition contended.

The petition argued that Article 5 of the Constitution imposed a fundamental duty of loyalty to the State and obedience to the Constitution and law upon every citizen, including those holding public office, and any action contrary thereto is ultra vires the Constitution.

Article 17 of the Constitution guaranteed freedom of association but expressly subjects this right to “reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan, public order or morality,” the petition reminded, adding that the formation of a private force or militia clearly falls outside permissible association.

Likewise, Article 256 of the Constitution explicitly prohibited private organisations capable of functioning as military or paramilitary forces, declaring any such organisation illegal.

Thus, the statements made by chief minister KP indicate an intention to establish a force capable of exercising organised physical power, which constituted a clear violation of Article 256 of the Constitution, the petition argued, adding the Private Military Organizations (Abolition and Prohibition) Act, 1973 empowered the federal government to prohibit such private militias and prescribes penal consequences for the formation, organisation, training, equipping, or membership in such organisations.

The mobilisation and operationalisation of such a force raises serious questions as to how the chief minister intends to “secure the release” of Imran, the petition said.