Roadside bomb kills three in southwest Pakistan as two polio workers abducted in northwest

QUETTA: Pakistan court refused on Tuesday to rule on the detention of activist Mahrang Baloch, a decision her lawyers said will delay her case and keep her behind bars.
The 32-year-old was placed under administrative detention by the Balochistan provincial government on March 22, accused of terrorism, sedition, and murder after leading a protest.
The Balochistan High Court refused to hear an appeal against her detention, instead referring her case to the provincial government, according to Baloch’s defense team.
“They closed all doors for us to appeal and directed us to the government instead,” her lawyer Kamran Murtaza told AFP, calling it a “refusal of justice.”
Imaan Mazari, a second lawyer, called it a “complete abdication of responsibility” by the justice system, which has “put her at the mercy of the same administration that detained her.”
Baloch will now remain under administrative detention, a 30-day period renewable three times under Pakistani law.
The UN has expressed “concern” for the trainee surgeon, who was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 rising leaders of 2024.
Balochistan, the country’s poorest province that borders Iran and Afghanistan, is in the grip of separatist militants who regularly carry out attacks on security forces.
Baloch founded the Baloch Unity Committee which accuses the state of extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary arrests in their security operations, but advocates non-violence.
At least 3,000 supporters have taken part in an ongoing sit-in, blocking key roads near the main city of Quetta for the past two weeks and demanding the release of Baloch and other activists.
Authorities restrict access to many areas of Balochistan, where China has poured billions into energy and infrastructure projects, including a major port and an airport.

ISLAMABAD: A Chinese construction company has expressed interest in installing desalination plants at Pakistan’s Port Qasim to convert seawater into drinking water, the maritime affairs ministry said on Tuesday, amid Islamabad’s efforts to resolve its water crisis. 

Pakistan has the fourth-highest rate of water consumption in the world. The country’s agriculture sector uses the most amount of freshwater than any other sector. Rainfall has steadily declined over the past few decades and experts have been warning for years the country will approach “absolute scarcity” of water by 2025.

The Chinese delegation met Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry in Islamabad to discuss joint investment between the two countries. 

“One of the key topics discussed during the meeting was the installation of desalination plants at Port Qasim,” the ministry said in a statement. 

“The Chinese delegation expressed strong interest in investing in facilities to convert seawater into potable water, an initiative that would address both industrial and domestic water needs.”

Chaudhry highlighted that the desalination plants would supply drinking water and support small industrial operations around the port.

He added that these proposals were a step toward resolving regional water issues that aligned with Pakistan’s climate resilience and environmental sustainability objectives.

“Pakistan’s maritime sector offers promising opportunities for foreign investment, particularly in areas such as port development, logistics, maritime tourism and blue economy ventures,” the ministry quoted Chaudhry as saying.

He encouraged the delegation to explore investment in maritime tourism, part of Pakistan’s economic diversification plan and also invited them to upcoming forums showcasing the country’s potential as a regional maritime hub.

The ministry added the delegation was ready to carry out feasibility studies and collaborate with local stakeholders to launch the project “promptly and effectively.”

“We see tremendous potential in contributing to Pakistan’s sustainable infrastructure goals,” the ministry quoted Wang Yaodong, the head of the Chinese delegation, as saying. 

“Our company is committed to bringing advanced technologies and investment that can help improve living standards and support economic development.”