Pakistan has signed a United Nations agreement focused on conserving marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdictions, according to the Foreign Office. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar signed the “Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction” (BBNJ) at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The BBNJ agreement is a major addition to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), which was initially adopted in 1982 and activated in 1994. This pact addresses key issues such as sharing marine genetic resources equitably, utilizing area-based management tools like marine protected areas, conducting environmental impact assessments, and building capacity for transferring marine technology.
By signing the agreement, Pakistan demonstrates its commitment to international cooperation for protecting marine biodiversity. The Foreign Office emphasized the country’s active involvement in ensuring fairness during treaty negotiations, particularly as chair of the Group of 77 and China. Pakistan consistently worked towards equitable benefit-sharing, capacity-building, and technology transfer during these discussions.
This step comes after Pakistan’s seabed territory increased by 50,000 square kilometers in 2015, following a UN body’s approval of Islamabad’s claim for expanding its sea limits. Domestically, Pakistan has continued efforts to preserve biodiversity, designating Churna Island as a marine protected area last year and previously identifying Astola Island in Balochistan as an ecologically rich habitat.
Separately, a video circulating on social media with claims of 500 military and police personnel being sent back to Punjab for disciplinary actions after refusing operations in Balochistan has been proven false. The video, originally posted in June 2025, shows a convoy of buses unrelated to any military activity. Misleading narratives gained attention online but were debunked by fact-checkers, confirming the buses merely operated the Quetta-Taftan route, far removed from any reported security operations.
