$2.2 million lost daily as 600 Iranian trucks stuck at Pakistan border, senate body told

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Japan held counterterrorism consultations in Tokyo on Wednesday, focusing on technology use and capacity-building initiatives, according to a statement by the foreign office in Islamabad.
Pakistan and Japan share a multifaceted relationship, with their partnership spanning various sectors, including political collaboration, economic exchange and development assistance.
Their counterterrorism cooperation is primarily centered on intelligence-sharing, capacity-building and financial measures rather than direct military collaboration.
“The 4th Round of Pakistan-Japan Counter-Terrorism Consultations was convened in Tokyo on 26 February 2025,” the foreign office said. “During the discussion, the two sides assessed evolving terrorist threats at national and regional level and reiterated their resolve to combat terrorism in all forms and manifestations.”
“Both sides explored areas for greater bilateral cooperation, including capacity-building initiatives and solutions based on emerging technologies,” it added.
During the discussions, the Pakistani side briefed its counterparts on recent policy measures and enforcement actions, highlighting progress in countering terrorism financing, dismantling militant networks and enhancing border security.
Japan has not faced any major threat from militant groups in recent years, but its citizens have been targeted abroad, including in Pakistan. In April last year, five Japanese autoworkers narrowly survived when their van was targeted by a suicide bomber in Karachi.
Despite such security concerns, trade and investment remain a cornerstone of Pakistan-Japan relations. Additionally, Japan continues to be a significant development partner, providing substantial loans, grants and technical assistance to support Pakistan’s infrastructure and social projects.

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday rejected opposition parties’ claims the government had pressured a local hotel in Islamabad against holding a two-day conference of an opposition alliance, urging its leaders to name the official who may have reached out to the hotel management.
The conference followed opposition parties forming a grand alliance under the banner of Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) — or the Movement for the Protection of the Constitution of Pakistan — after jailed former premier Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s failed negotiations with the government. The talks were meant to secure the release of political prisoners along with the formation of judicial commissions to probe two major anti-government protests by PTI that turned violent.
Earlier, during a press conference outside a local hotel in the capital, opposition leaders from the PTI, including Omar Ayub Khan, Asad Qaiser, and Salman Akram Raja, along with former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, alleged that the government was pressuring the hotel administration to cancel their booking.
“Which hotel person said the government told them not to allow the conference to take place?” Sanaullah asked during a talk show on Geo TV.
“Tell me who was it who did not allow [the hotel to host the conference]. Which person from the government? Which minister? Which officer said no?“
Sanaullah urged the opposition leaders to tell the truth instead of hurling allegations at the government.
“If anyone called and told the hotel to not to allow the conference to take place, tell us, we will contact that person,” he said, highlighting that the opposition leaders knew the government had not issued any such directive.
Meanwhile, on the same TV show, Abbasi said the government was afraid of the conference since it had not been properly elected in the last general elections.
He vowed that the opposition alliance would continue with the second day of the conference today, Thursday, from 10am onwards.