Pakistan court seeks response from authorities over alleged police harassment of Chinese nationals

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Omani navies have conducted a joint exercise to enhance interoperability between the two forces, Pakistan Navy said on Friday, following a port call in Muscat by two Pakistan Navy ships.
Pakistan Navy’s Tabuk and Rah Naward ships visited Port Sultan Qaboos, where they were warmly received by Omani authorities, according to the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) of Pakistan Navy.
During the visit, Pakistani mission commander and commanding officers held meetings with Royal Navy of Oman’s director-general operations and plans, Maritime Security Center commander and commandant of the Said bin Sultan naval base.
“During these interactions, matters of mutual interest, Navy-to-Navy engagements, and cooperation in maritime security were discussed,” the DGPR said in a statement.
“Following the port call, PNS Tabuk conducted a passage exercise with a Royal Oman Navy ship Al Shamikh. The exercise at sea aimed to enhance interoperability between the two navies and promote shared learning through coordinated activities.”
Pakistan Navy ships were also opened for visitors, including ambassadors, diplomats and military attaches of various countries as well as a large number of Pakistani community members.
Pakistan and Oman are maritime neighbors and frequent visits of dignitaries, port calls by ships, joint exercises and coordinated patrols have been a regular feature of bilateral ties between the two countries.
“The visit of PNS Tabuk and Rah Naward will further strengthen bilateral relations between the two navies,” the DGPR added.

ISLAMABAD: Afghan refugees on Friday appealed to Pakistan’s premier to ease a visa regime on humanitarian grounds after President Donald Trump paused the US refugee programs.
Many Afghans whose visas have either expired or will expire soon fear arrest and deportation.
“We don’t know exactly when the pause of the US refugee program will be lifted, but we request Pakistan to extend our stay for at least six months after the expiry of our visas,” said Ahmad Shah, a member of the Afghan USRAP Refugees advocacy group.

An estimated 20,000 Afghans are currently waiting in Pakistan to be approved for resettlement in the US via an American government program.
Refugees approved to travel to the United States in coming days have had their travel plans canceled by the Trump administration. Among those affected are the more than 1,600 Afghans cleared to resettle in the US
Pakistan says it is yet to receive any official intimation from the United States about the suspension of the refugee program. Afghans who are in the country were supposed to be relocated by September 2025.
The refugee program was set up to help Afghans at risk under the Taliban because of their work with the US government, media, aid agencies and rights groups. The US pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021 when the Taliban took power.

But in its first days in office, Trump’s administration announced the US Refugee Admissions Program would be suspended from Jan. 27 for at least three months.
Shah said most of the Afghans who are in transition to the United States were now living in a very difficult conditions. “We don’t want to live here permanently, we urge the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to order authorities to extend the visas of Afghan people for at least six months,” he said.
He also urged the United Nations refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration to help Afghans who are waiting for relocation. “If the UNHCR and IOM don’t help us in this difficult situation, who will rise his or her voice for us?” Shah said.
Meanwhile, there is uncertainty among many over their future.

Sarfraz Ahmed, a journalist who fled to Pakistan from Afghanistan when the Taliban seized power, said Friday he had been expecting to receive a call confirming his travel plans, but the suspension of the refugee program by Trump changed everything.
Khalid Khan, a former Afghan army captain who worked for the Afghan air force and helped the US air force during the operations against the Afghan Taliban and other groups, fled his country along with his family in 2023. “I will be in a trouble if I am sent back to Afghanistan,” he said.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there is an agreement with Washington to take Afghans who are in Pakistan to the United States for resettlement by September 2025.
“The arrangements are in place. We have, so far officially, not received any further information on this issue. So that’s all that I can say as far as we are concerned, that arrangement remains in place,” ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan told a news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday.

The Taliban has deprived 1.4 million Afghan girls of schooling through bans, according to the United Nations. Afghanistan is the only country in the world that bans female secondary and higher education.