Cairo, Islamabad to Enhance Cooperation in Military Production

Egyptian Minister of Military Production Salah El-Din Mostafa met with Pakistani Ambassador in Cairo Aamir Shouket in Cairo on Sunday (Egyptian cabinet) 
Egyptian Minister of Military Production Salah El-Din Mostafa met with Pakistani Ambassador in Cairo Aamir Shouket in Cairo on Sunday (Egyptian cabinet) 
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Cairo, Islamabad to Enhance Cooperation in Military Production

Egyptian Minister of Military Production Salah El-Din Mostafa met with Pakistani Ambassador in Cairo Aamir Shouket in Cairo on Sunday (Egyptian cabinet) 
Egyptian Minister of Military Production Salah El-Din Mostafa met with Pakistani Ambassador in Cairo Aamir Shouket in Cairo on Sunday (Egyptian cabinet) 

Egypt and Pakistan on Sunday discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in military and civil manufacturing.

Egyptian Minister of Military Production, Salah El-Din Mostafa, highlighted during his meeting with Pakistani Ambassador in Cairo, Aamir Shouket, the longstanding and steadily growing relations between Egypt and Pakistan, reinforced by the strong support of both countries’ political leadership.

The minister referred to recent high-level engagements, including President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha.

He also praised the recent signing of a joint defense strategic agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, aimed at strengthening regional military cooperation.

Mostafa outlined the broad capabilities of Egypt’s Ministry of Military Production, which operates 15 industrial subsidiaries, a construction company, a center for scientific and technological excellence, a maintenance company, a training sector, a medical center, ammunition and weapons testing grounds, and an academy for engineering and advanced technology.

He then emphasized that the Ministry’s core mission is to supply the Armed Forces and police with military-grade products—including small, medium, and heavy ammunition, weapons, equipment, armoured vehicles, tanks, and electronic systems.

The minister added that its surplus production capacity is also directed toward manufacturing competitively priced civilian goods and participating in national development projects.

“The ministry is committed to cooperating with all global companies to localize the latest manufacturing technologies and improve the quality of military and civil products,” Mostafa said.

The minister expressed his hope for establishing strategic partnerships between Egyptian military production companies and their Pakistani counterparts in manufacturing fields, which would benefit both parties.

In July, al-Sisi met with Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, to discuss strengthening bilateral military and security cooperation.

In May, Cairo welcomed the announced ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

In a statement by the Foreign Ministry, Egypt described the agreement as a positive step toward stability in South Asia.
Cairo expressed hope that both sides would commit to the deal, build mutual trust, and work toward peace and prosperity for their peoples.
Egypt reiterated the importance of peaceful conflict resolution and called for continued dialogue to settle international disputes.

On Sunday, the Pakistani ambassador to Egypt affirmed the depth of Egypt–Pakistan relations, which are built on mutual respect, cultural affinity, and shared geopolitical interests.

He recalled that Egypt was the first Middle Eastern country where Pakistan established an embassy following its independence.

Shouket noted that bilateral ties have expanded significantly in recent years, particularly in the areas of politics, defense, economics, and culture.

He commended Egypt’s efforts to advance its industrial base, enhance the investment climate, and undertake major infrastructure projects, thereby positioning the country as a strategic hub for access to African and Middle Eastern markets.

Shouket then expressed strong interest from Pakistani companies in collaborating with Egypt’s Ministry of Military Production, citing the Ministry’s manufacturing, technological, and human resources capabilities.

He praised its subsidiaries for their efficiency, precision, and successful track record in executing national development projects, noting that these strengths present clear opportunities for future joint ventures.

 



Israel Army Issues Evacuation Warning for Lebanon Village ahead of Strikes

 Smoke rises after Israeli strikes following Israeli military's evacuation orders, in Chehour, southern Lebanon November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes following Israeli military's evacuation orders, in Chehour, southern Lebanon November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir
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Israel Army Issues Evacuation Warning for Lebanon Village ahead of Strikes

 Smoke rises after Israeli strikes following Israeli military's evacuation orders, in Chehour, southern Lebanon November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes following Israeli military's evacuation orders, in Chehour, southern Lebanon November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir

The Israeli army issued an evacuation warning on Sunday for the village of Kafr Hatta in southern Lebanon ahead of air strikes on Hezbollah targets in the area, AFP reported.

"The Israeli (army) will soon, and once again, strike terrorist Hezbollah military infrastructure in the village, in order to address the prohibited attempts it is making to rebuild its activities there," Arabic-language spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee wrote on X, posting a map of the expected target.

The Lebanese army said Thursday that it had completed disarming Hezbollah south of the Litani river, the first phase of a nationwide plan. Kafr Hatta is located north of the river.


Sudan PM Announces Govt Return to Khartoum from Wartime Capital

File Photo: Some shops reopen despite extensive damage (Asharq Al-Awsat)
File Photo: Some shops reopen despite extensive damage (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Sudan PM Announces Govt Return to Khartoum from Wartime Capital

File Photo: Some shops reopen despite extensive damage (Asharq Al-Awsat)
File Photo: Some shops reopen despite extensive damage (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Sudan's Prime Minister Kamil Idris announced on Sunday the government's return to Khartoum, after nearly three years of operating from wartime capital of Port Sudan, AFP reported.

"Today, we return, and the Government of Hope returns to the national capital," Idris told reporters in Khartoum, ravaged by the war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

"We promise you better services, better healthcare and the reconstruction of hospitals, the development of educational services... and to improve electricity, water and sanitation services," he said.


Iran Protest Death Toll Rises as Alarm Grows over Crackdown 'Massacre'

Smoke rises as protesters gather amid evolving anti-government unrest at Vakilabad highway in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, released on January 10, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS
Smoke rises as protesters gather amid evolving anti-government unrest at Vakilabad highway in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, released on January 10, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS
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Iran Protest Death Toll Rises as Alarm Grows over Crackdown 'Massacre'

Smoke rises as protesters gather amid evolving anti-government unrest at Vakilabad highway in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, released on January 10, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS
Smoke rises as protesters gather amid evolving anti-government unrest at Vakilabad highway in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, released on January 10, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS

At least 192 protesters have been killed in Iran's biggest movement against the Islamic republic in more than three years, a rights group said Sunday, as warnings grew that authorities were committing a "massacre" to quell the demonstrations.

The protests, initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, have now become a movement against the theocratic system in place in Iran since the 1979 revolution and have already lasted two weeks.

The mass rallies are one of the biggest challenges to the rule of supreme leader Ali Khamenei, 86, coming in the wake of Israel's 12-day war against the Islamic republic in June, which was backed by the United States.

Protests have swelled in recent days despite an internet blackout that has lasted more than 60 hours, according to monitor Netblocks, with activists warning the shutdown was limiting the flow of information and the actual toll risks being far higher.

"Since the start of the protests, Iran Human Rights has confirmed the killing of at least 192 protesters," the Norway-based non-governmental organization said, warning that the deaths "may be even more extensive than we currently imagine".

Videos of large demonstrations in the capital Tehran and other cities over the past three nights have filtered out despite the internet cut that has rendered impossible normal communication with the outside world via messaging apps or even phone lines.

Video verified by AFP showed large crowds taking to the streets in new protests on Saturday night in several Iranian cities including Tehran and Mashhad in the east, where images showed vehicles set on fire.

Several circulating videos, which have not been verified by AFP, allegedly showed relatives in a Tehran morgue identifying bodies of protesters killed in the crackdown.

The US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said it had received "eyewitness accounts and credible reports indicating that hundreds of protesters have been killed across Iran during the current internet shutdown".

"A massacre is unfolding in Iran. The world must act now to prevent further loss of life," it said.

It said hospitals were "overwhelmed", blood supplies were running low and that many protesters had been shot in the eyes in a deliberate tactic.

 

- 'Significant arrests' -

 

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it had confirmed the deaths of 116 people in connection with the protests, including 37 members of the security forces or other officials.

State TV on Sunday broadcast images of funeral processions for security forces killed in recent days, as authorities condemned "riots" and "vandalism".

National police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said authorities made "significant" arrests of protest figures on Saturday night, without giving details on the number or identities of those arrested, according to state TV.

Iran's security chief Ali Larijani drew a line between protests over economic hardship, which he called "completely understandable", and "riots", accusing them of actions "very similar to the methods of terrorist groups", Tasnim news agency reported.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said "rioters" must not distrupt Iranian society.

"The people (of Iran) should not allow rioters to disrupt society. The people should believe that we (the government) want to establish justice," he told state broadcaster IRIB.

In Tehran, an AFP journalist described a city in a state of near paralysis.

The price of meat has nearly doubled since the start of the protests, and while some shops are open, many others are not.

Those that do open must close at around 4:00 or 5:00 pm, when security forces deploy in force.

 

- 'Legitimate targets' -

 

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the ousted shah, who has played a prominent role in calling for the protests, called for new actions later Sunday.

"Do not abandon the streets. My heart is with you. I know that I will soon be by your side," he said.

US President Donald Trump has spoken out in support of the protests and threatened military action against Iranian authorities "if they start killing people".

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged the European Union on Sunday to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps as a "terrorist organization" over the suspected violence against protesters.

He also said Israel supports the Iranian people's "struggle for freedom".

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran would hit back if the US launched military action.

"In the event of a military attack by the United States, both the occupied territory and centers of the US military and shipping will be our legitimate targets," he said in comments broadcast by state TV.

He was apparently also referring to Israel, which the Islamic republic does not recognize and considers occupied Palestinian territory.