Four killed, 14 injured after bus falls into ravine in Pakistan’s Balochistan

KARACHI: Pakistan has agreed to host 15 Palestinian prisoners freed under a ceasefire deal that was reached between Israel and Hamas on Jan. 15 to end the Gaza war, a Hamas spokesperson said on Monday, describing Pakistan as an “elder brother.”
A six-week initial ceasefire phase, which ended 15 months of war, includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from central Gaza and the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza.
Among key components of the deal is that Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages, including all women (soldiers and civilians), children, and men over 50. In exchange, Israel will release 30 Palestinian detainees for every civilian hostage and 50 Palestinian detainees for every Israeli female soldier Hamas releases.
Dr. Khaled Qaddoumi, a spokesperson of Hamas, told Arab News Israel has so far released nearly 180 Palestinians and some of them have traveled to Egypt to settle there, while several Muslim countries, including Egypt, Turkiye, Algeria, Malaysia, Pakistan and Indonesia, have expressed their willingness to host these prisoners. 
“We have officially received confirmation that Pakistan has agreed to receive 15 prisoners. For this, we are deeply grateful to the Pakistani government, the Pakistani people, and the Pakistani establishment,” Dr. Qaddoumi told Arab News.
“Alhamdulillah, it has been proven that Pakistan is not just a brother but an elder brother, with a spiritual connection that has always stood with Al-Quds.”
Pakistan has not yet officially commented about hosting Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel.
The development came after Quds Press, a Palestinian news agency considered close to Hamas, reported that 99 Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel had been deported to Egypt, with 263 expected to be freed by the completion of the first phase of the release process.
It came in the backdrop of negotiations on an agreement for the second phase of the deal, which will see the release of remaining Israeli hostages and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Palestinian territory – encompassing the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem – has been occupied by Israel since 1967.
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”
Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, the South Asian country has dispatched several relief consignments for Gaza, besides establishing the ‘Prime Minister’s Relief Fund’ that aims to collect public donations for the war-affected people.
“Just as this nation, its people, and this country [Pakistan] have always expressed solidarity with Palestine and remained committed to their promises, Alhamdulillah, they continue to uphold them,” Dr. Qaddoumi said.
“Thank you to the Pakistani people, Pakistan’s leadership, and the country itself.”
The war on Gaza began after about 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 taken to Gaza as hostages when Hamas attacked Israel in Oct. 2023. The attack triggered a massive Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
The war has also led to widespread destruction in the densely populated territory, where thousands of schools, houses and hospitals have been destroyed by relentless Israeli bombardment.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase collaboration in public sector auditing through enhanced cooperation between audit institutions of both countries as well as training programs and the exchange of trainers, a spokesperson for the Auditor-General of Pakistan’s (AGP) office said on Monday.
The development comes during a four-day visit to Pakistan by a delegation of Saudi Arabia’s General Court of Audit (GCA), led by GCA President Dr. Hussam bin Abdulmohsen Alangari, which arrived on Sunday.
The agreement was signed during AGP Muhammad Ajmal Gondal’s meeting with the Saudi delegates, aiming to strengthen audit cooperation, enhance knowledge-sharing, and improve governance, transparency and accountability in government spending.
Muhammad Raza Irfan, a public relations officer at the AGP’s office, told Arab News the agreement will not only strengthen professional relations between auditing institutions of both countries, but also further promote bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
“This collaboration marks a significant step toward fostering international cooperation in auditing,” AGP Gondal was quoted as saying in a statement issued from his office.
“The exchange of ideas and methodologies will undoubtedly strengthen our capacity to meet emerging challenges and set new benchmarks for public accountability.”
Discussions at Monday’s meeting focused on fostering closer ties between the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, sharing innovative audit methodologies, and planning collaborative initiatives for the future, according to the AGP office.
The two sides agreed to share best practices in audit standards, performance audits, and citizen participatory audits, and expand expertise in thematic, environmental and impact audits.
“It also agreed to collaborate on training programs, exchange trainers, address emerging auditing challenges and plan cooperative audits, including a performance audit on the oil and gas sector in 2025,” the statement read.
Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting transparency, accountability and excellence in public sector auditing.
Dr. Alangari praised Pakistan’s initiatives in modernizing audit practices and expressed his enthusiasm for future collaborations, according to the AGP office.
“The partnership between our two SAIs is a testament to the shared vision of accountability and transparency,” the GCA president was quoted as saying.
“We are eager to build upon this momentum and address challenges collectively, ensuring value addition to public sector auditing globally.”
The meeting underscored the importance of international collaboration to address emerging challenges and leverage innovative technologies in auditing.
“The Saudi side also announced the launch of the second phase of the Fund for Improved SAI Performance (FISP), which is scheduled for mid-February,” the statement said.
“The office of the AGP was also offered to apply for the second phase of FISP, which provides funds of up to $40,000.”
The GCA’s FISP initiative is aimed at providing funding to SAIs in developing countries to help them improve their performance and capacity in conducting audits and upholding accountability within their respective governments.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are close regional partners and economic allies, and both countries signed 34 agreements worth $2.8 billion in October last year. The Kingdom is home to over 2 million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the top destination for remittances for the cash-strapped South Asian country.