Pakistan air force contingent lands in Saudi Arabia for aerial combat exercise

QUETTA: The Pakistan army said on Saturday 18 security forces had been killed while trying to thwart an “act of terrorism” in the country’s insurgency-plagued Balochistan province, while 23 militants had been killed in clearance operations following the attack. 
The incident took place in Kalat district’s Mangochar town on the night between Friday and Saturday when militants attempted to establish roadblocks in the area, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media wing. The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), one of the most prominent separatist groups operating in the southwestern province, claimed responsibility. 
“Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies were immediately mobilized, who successfully thwarted the evil design of terrorists,” ISPR said. “However, during the conduct of operations, eighteen brave sons of soil, having fought gallantly, made the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat.”
In a second statement, the army said it had conducted several “sanitization operations” following the Kalat attack, killing 23 militants. 
While the army did not specify which forces the 18 soldiers belonged to, government officials in Balochistan told Arab News they included 17 soldiers and one Frontier Corps trooper. 
Deputy Commissioner Kalat Bilal Shabbir said the attacks took place in the Pidrang, Khazeni and Mangochar Bazaar areas of Kalat. 
In one incident, a van carrying 17 soldiers from Panjgur to the provincial capital of Quetta was targeted near Khazeni, killing onboard. 
In another incident, one member of the FC force was killed in clashes with militants while three FC personnel were injured, Shabbir said, adding that militants also set a private bank on fire in Mangochar Bazaar. 
“The bodies of the slain soldiers were shifted to Quetta,” Shabbir said. 
The BLA claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying it had captured a Pakistan security forces camp in Mangochar. Arab News could not independently verify the claim.
Assistant Commissioner Mangochar Ali Gul Hassan said two civilians were separately injured when a Quetta-Karachi passenger bus was sprayed with bullets in Mangochar bazaar. Security forces subsequently took control of the area.
“Security forces have completed the clearance operation in the area during the early hours of Saturday and the Quetta-Karachi highway (N-25) is open for traffic,” Hassan told Arab News.

BALOCHISTAN INSURGENCY
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by landmass and rich in mineral resources, has long faced a low-level insurgency led by separatist groups like the BLA, who accuse Islamabad of exploiting the province’s natural resources while neglecting the local population.
Pakistani governments have for decades denied these allegations, saying they have prioritized Balochistan’s development through investments in health, education and infrastructure projects.
The BLA has emerged as a significant security threat in recent months, carrying out major attacks in Balochistan and other parts of Pakistan and targeting security forces, ethnic Punjabis they consider outsiders in Balochistan, as well as Chinese interests and nationals working on investment projects.
Over 50 people, including security forces, were killed in August last year in a string of attacks in Balochistan claimed by the BLA. Last month, dozens of fighters of the separatist outfit gained control of a small town in Khuzdar for hours. They snatched weapons and vehicles from the local Levies paramilitary force and set the Levies station on fire.
Violence by Baloch separatist factions, primarily the BLA, killed about 300 people last year, according to official statistics, marking an escalation in the decades-long conflict.
Recent attacks on Chinese interests, including one in October 2024 in which two Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, have forced Beijing to publicly criticize Pakistan and slowed work on the joint multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

KARACHI: Adorned with traditional garments, from colorful skirts of Tharparkar to the talismanic scarves worn by Sindhi grooms, The Haveli in Karachi has become an inspiration for many in terms of cultural preservation, with each artifact narrating a story, reflecting the landscapes, symbols, and beliefs of the people of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province.
For over 50 years, Dr. Nasreen Askari meticulously collected textiles, and documented the cultural and historical narratives woven into each piece to finally set up The Haveli in December last year. Today, the museum stands as a testament to Sindh’s deep-rooted artistry, offering a glimpse into ancient craft to people in major cities like Karachi where modern outfits mostly get the limelight.
Askari was mesmerized by the vibrant garments worn by women in Sindh’s rural heartlands, when she first arrived at Sindh University in Jamshoro as a medical student in the 1970s. The intricate embroidery and stunning hues were unlike anything she had encountered in Karachi’s urban sprawl where she had lived. What began as curiosity soon evolved into a lifelong passion for her to preserve Sindh’s textile traditions, a pursuit that would ultimately lead to the creation of Haveli.
“This institution, which is called the Haveli, is an attempt to show the cultural heritage that we have, which is so rich and so varied,” Askari told Arab News, acknowledging that her pursuit was in complete contrast to medicine which she practiced for many years.

“It is an obsession. It is not just a hobby. It is actually a passion. That is how that this institution has taken shape. Because if there was no passion, there would not be an institution [like Haveli].”
Askari shared that she practiced medicine for some time and enjoyed it, however, her passion for handicrafts moved her to start collecting artifacts, with the oldest piece being a bridegroom’s scarf she collected some 50 years ago.
“It was a very big surprise for me, and a very attractive surprise,” he recalled the time, when she decided to build her collection.
The Haveli showcases around 75 pieces from Askari’s extensive collection, amassed over five decades. It has a ‘bandhani’ (a woman’s head shawl) from 1978, a ‘kanjiro’ (a blouse or tunic front), a ‘bujhki’ (a dowry purse), ‘lungis’ (used as men’s sashes), and a ‘chola’ (a woman’s shirt). A section dedicated to animals displays a horse’s outfit, a ‘mohra’ and a ‘gaani’ (adornments for a camel’s face and neck), and a ‘jhul’ (a camel saddle cloth).

One of Askari’s favorite articles features is a ‘parha,’ a skirt made by the Meghwar community of Chachro in Sindh’s border district of Tharparkar. This resist-printed, hand-loom cotton skirt is adorned with embroidery, mirrors and depictions of peacocks gamboling among flowers.
While Askari, who is known as one of Pakistan’s pre-eminent experts on textiles, hasn’t ventured into creating her own designs, she hopes to inspire future generations of designers.
“I just stuck to the traditional designs, and to appreciating them, and examining them,” she said. “But I hope in the future, I will inspire design students to make their own designs.”

Syed Hasan Askari, Askari’s husband and chief executive of The Haveli, noted that Sindh’s rich textile traditions stem from its historical role as crossroads for artisans traveling between Iran, Central Asia and India.
“Every region has its own charm, and every region has its own skills, but Sindh does have an exceptionally rich tradition,” he said, emphasizing the importance of preserving Pakistan’s cultural heritage. 
“It is very important to preserve the culture and heritage of the country, any country, but even more so in Pakistan where there has been a lot of degradation of its historical roots.”
Askari wishes for The Haveli to not only showcase the beauty of Sindhi textiles, but also help generate income for the women who create these handicrafts. 
“I believe that we need to promote their crafts so that the women who make them can have a source of income when they create them,” she added.