ISLAMABAD: Pakistani farmers say they have been kept out of the loop and fear exploitation by Chinese businesses as Pakistan heads to Beijing later this week for the eighth meeting of the Pak-China Joint Coordination Committee where agricultural cooperation deals are expected to be signed between the two countries.
Earlier this year, Pakistan announced that a new sub-group had been set up within the $60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) of energy and infrastructure projects. The new category includes sectors like education, health skills development, housing, and most importantly, agriculture, which accounts for 20 percent of Pakistan’s GDP.
A top official at Pakistan’s largest farmers’ association said the government had not taken farmers into confidence “at any level” about agricultural cooperation with China.
“We are worried about the government’s plans of entering China into our agriculture sector without holding any prior consultations with farmers,” Mian Muhammad Umair Masood, the secretary-general the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad, told Arab News. “We fear Chinese businessmen will create a monopoly here in the name of cooperation and exploit local farmers.”
A June 2017 report in Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper outlined that agricultural cooperation with China could potentially include allowing the Chinese to lease or purchase large tracts of Pakistani farmland and operate their own farms and processing facilities using capital grants and loans from Beijing and the Chinese Development Bank.
Officials also foresee technology transfers, infrastructure upgrades, and extensive cooperation between Chinese and Pakistani farming enterprises under CPEC.
But Masood said farmers had been kept in the dark over the exact contours of the deals being planned.
“Farmers at this stage don’t know whether Chinese will be leased out the agricultural land, or allowed to purchase vast tracts of the farming land,” Masood said. “If China grows crops in Pakistan to fulfil its growing food requirement and then simply exports them to Chinese markets from here, this will be of no benefit to the local farmers and the country’s economy.”
There are also concerns about how much input provincial governments will have in planning and implementing future agricultural cooperation deals. Most CPEC negotiations so far have been carried out by the federal government whereas, under the 18th amendment, agriculture is an exclusively provincial subject.
Already, there are ever-increasing fears that energy and infrastructure deals signed under the CPEC portfolio were badly negotiated, too expensive or overly favored China. Now experts fear the same may happen with new agricultural contracts.
But Minister for Planning Khusro Bakhtyar said Pakistani farmers had nothing to fear, though he did not give any details of planned regulations to ensure greater equity in Pakistan’s arrangement with China.
“We will protect the interests of our local farmers at all costs,” he told Arab News. “Chinese cooperation will be sought in modernizing our agriculture, improving our supply chain and setting up of cold storages. Improvement in the agriculture sector remains our top priority and this is now going to be an important component of CPEC,” he added.
The first phase of CPEC included mainly ports, power plants, roads, and railway projects. Ministry of Planning officials say the government now wants to focus on medium-term projects, expected to be completed by 2015, that include the agriculture sector and the establishment of industrial zones.
Some measures the Pakistan government could consider to secure the interests of its farmers include quotas for Pakistani laborers on Chinese-owned and operated farms and requirements that specific infrastructure projects such as post-harvest storage facilities be completed before Chinese enterprises are allowed to access Pakistani farmland. Economists and experts say Pakistan can increase its agrarian exports to China manifold in the coming years if it succeeds in removing tariff and non-tariff barriers for agricultural trade.
Senior economist Dr. Athar Ahmad said China is the world’s largest importer of agricultural products and Pakistan can grab its due share of the pie by revising the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
He said China’s annual imports of agricultural products are over $160 billion while “Pakistan’s share in these exports is negligible.”
“We will have to diversify our agriculture by using modern techniques and technology to increase our exports to China,” Ahmad said.
Pakistan’s agriculture sector has long been hindered by water scarcity, energy shortages, and poor post-harvest infrastructure which result in about half of the country’s perishable produce going to waste before it reaches the market.
Chinese investment in the agriculture sector can help address these issues if “the government takes a strong position in negotiations with Chinese authorities and tries to get maximum benefits for its farmers,” business editor Khurram Husain told Arab News.
He said Pakistani agriculture needed foreign investment, modern technology in harvesting and even cold storage to improve its poor agricultural supply chain.
“From use of pesticides and fertilizers to new seed varieties and especially post-harvesting handling of both perishable and non-perishable items and transportation, we are far behind in all these things,” Hussain said. “If we can improve our harvesting and post-harvesting handling just in fruit and vegetables, we can double output, but to what extent the Chinese can help, this all depends on our government’s negotiating power.”
Pakistani farmers fearful as China eyes agricultural sector
Pakistani farmers fearful as China eyes agricultural sector
- Farmers’ association says not consulted about potential agreements
- Pakistan expected to sign agricultural cooperation deals in Beijing this week
Pakistan approves winter power package to spur demand, cut gas use
- Move to provide relief to businesses and citizens after steep increases in electricity tariffs following energy reforms pushed by IMF
- Utilities in Pakistan, many of which have had to curtail or completely cease operations in winter months, will also benefit
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Pakistan government on Tuesday formally approved subsidy-neutral discounted electricity rates during winter in a bid to boost consumption and cut the use of natural gas for heating, the finance ministry said.
The move is expected to provide relief to businesses and citizens, who have suffered from steep and sudden increases in electricity tariffs following energy sector reforms suggested by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Utilities in Pakistan, many of which have had to curtail or even completely cease operations in winter months due to demand dropping by up to 60 percent from peak summer levels, will also benefit from the move.
Pakistan relies heavily on expensive natural gas and burning wood for heating during winter. Power consumption in Pakistan has declined 8-10 percent year on year over the past three quarters, according to energy ministry figures.
The new winter package, which will apply between Dec. 2024 to Feb. 2025, has been approved for the industrial, domestic, commercial and general services consumers of state distribution companies (discos) and K-Electric, the main utility in the port city of Karachi, “to enable optimum use of system generation capacity besides reducing gas demand due to shifting of favorabe demand toward electricity.”
“The ECC discussed the proposal and approved it, calling the subsidy-neutral interim relief initiative worked out by the Power Division as being timely and relevant in view of recent surge in electricity tariffs and the reduced demand across various consumer categories,” the finance division statement added.
The package would apply to incremental consumption over the past years and includes 18-50 percent discounts depending on various consumer categories and consumption slabs.
Incremental consumption will be calculated using a weighted average formula based on the last three years’ usage.
According to the power division, the base rate for domestic consumers is a minimum of Rs37.49 per unit and a maximum of Rs52.07 per unit, but additional consumption would be charged at Rs26.07 per unit for both categories. This would be 30 percent cheaper (Rs11.42 per unit) compared to a minimum rate of Rs37.49 and 50 percent (Rs26 per unit) compared to the maximum rate.
The energy ministry has previously said the move to slash winter tariffs will help industries reduce electricity costs by 7-8 percent at an optimal level, while stimulating industrial growth in the process.
Pakistan approves ‘comprehensive’ military operation against separatists militants in Balochistan
- The remote province has seen an increase in strikes by separatist ethnic militants this year
- Islamabad says hostile neighbors support the insurgency to impede economic development
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday approved a “comprehensive military operation” against separatist militant groups operating in its southwestern Balochistan province, amid a surge in attacks across the region.
The remote province, Pakistan’s largest by area but least developed, is home to a decades-long insurgency by separatists who carry out frequent attacks against the government, army and Chinese interests in the region to press their demands for a share in regional resources. The state denies it is unfair in its treatment of Balochistan.
Last month, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most prominent of separatist groups operating in the province, claimed a suicide bombing that targeted Pakistani army troops at a railway station minutes before they were due to board a train to return home for vacations. It killed 27, including 19 soldiers, who were in civilian clothing.
Last week, militants stormed a paramilitary checkpoint in Balochistan’s mountainous Kalat district, some 150 km south of the provincial capital of Quetta, killing seven troops and wounding at least 18. In October, in two separate incidents, five people were killed in an attack by armed men on the construction site of a small dam, while 21 miners working at privately run coal mines were also gunned down. The BLA group also claimed a recent suicide bombing outside the southern Karachi international airport, in which two Chinese engineers were killed.
“The participants approved a comprehensive military operation against terrorist organizations operating in Balochistan including the Majeed Brigade, BLA, BLF and BRAS who are targeting innocent civilians and foreign nationals to scuttle Pakistan’s economic progress by creating insecurity at the behest of hostile external powers,” said a statement from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office after a meeting of the National Action Plan’s apex committee in Islamabad, attended by the cabinet, provincial chief ministers and the three armed services chiefs, including Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir.
“COAS reiterated the Pakistan Army’s unwavering resolve to eliminate all threats to national security and provide robust support to the government’s initiatives aimed at ensuring peace and stability.”
The statement did not give any details of the military operation such as when it would be launched and in which parts of the province and which security agencies will participate.
Ethnic Baloch insurgents say they are fighting what they see as the unfair exploitation of the province’s mineral and gas wealth by the federation at the center. The province is home to major China-led investment projects such as a strategic port and a gold and copper mine.
The Pakistani government and military deny they are exploiting Balochistan and have long maintained that neighbors such as India, Afghanistan and Iran foment trouble in the region and support and fund the insurgency there to impede its development and economic potential.
Imran Khan’s party, government rule out talks ahead of Nov. 24 protest in Islamabad
- PTI is planning protest in Islamabad against alleged election rigging, to demand independence of judiciary, release of political supporters
- Government spokesman says law will “take its course” if PTI and supporters violate ban on public gatherings in federal capital
ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party as well as a government spokesman both ruled out negotiations ahead of a planned protest by the PTI in the federal capital on Nov. 24, while police warned of action against supporters if they violated a ban on public gatherings.
The denials follow widespread reports on electronic and social media of negotiations between PTI and the government as the party prepares to lead a ‘long march’ to the capital on Sunday over alleged rigging in Feb. 8 general elections and to call for the release of political prisoners, including Khan, and in support of the independence of the judiciary.
On Monday, just days ahead of the protest, the district magistrate imposed a two-month-long ban on the gathering of more than five people in Islamabad using Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which allows the government to prohibit various forms of political assembly, gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, demonstrations, and other activities for a specified period.
Pakistan’s parliament also passed a law earlier this year to “regulate” public gatherings in Islamabad, including by specifying timings for rallies and designating specific areas. The law has set three-year jail terms for participants of ‘illegal’ assemblies, with ten-year imprisonment for repeat offenders.
“There is no contact between the PTI and government,” Khan’s close aide, Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, told Arab News, saying the party intended to go ahead with its protest plan.
“We intend to stay within the law and within our constitutional right of peaceful assembly,” he added.
Barrister Daniyal Chaudhry from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) ruling party, who is a parliamentary secretary of information and broadcasting, said the law would “take its course” against violators of the newly passed Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024.
“Section 144 has been imposed, and under the clearly defined process of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024, anyone violating the law will be dealt with strictly, as it is the government’s responsibility to protect the lives and property of the people,” Chaudhry told Arab News.
“There will be no tolerance for [breaking the law] and definitely the law will take its course.”
Chaudhry also said there had been no contact between the PTI and the government ahead of Sunday’s protest.
“As of now, there is nothing from the official channel and if it has not been done till now then I don’t think they [PTI] are in a mood to take the government on board,” he added.
Responding to a question about the deployment of paramilitary, army and other security agencies to assist police on the day of the protest, the PMLN leader said the government would do everything necessary to ensure the security of the residents of Islamabad:
“It is an utmost priority for the government to ensure the protection of the people.”
Nazia Rafiq, a spokesperson for Islamabad Police, said the law enforcement agency would ensure that laws were followed.
“Section 144 has been imposed by the district administration, and it is our responsibility to adhere to state policies and ensure the implementation of the rule of law but so far, everything is under control,” she told Arab News.
“However, if any unlawful activity occurs, the police will handle it in accordance with the law and the directions provided.”
The PTI’s recent rallies and marches, organized to create pressure for Khan’s release from prison, have been thwarted by similar bans on public gatherings.
Khan has been in jail since August 2023 and has faced dozens of cases since he was removed as prime minister in 2022 after which he launched a protest movement against a coalition of his rivals led by current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and backed by the all-powerful military, which denies interfering in politics.
Khan says the cases against him, which disqualified him from contesting the February elections, are politically motivated.
Abandoned plane that crash-landed in Karachi in 2011 to embark on unusual road trip
- AMC Airlines flight SU-BOZ, carrying 74 passengers from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, was forced to land in Karachi in 2011
- Plane, abandoned by airline, will now be used iat Civil Aviation Training Institute in Hyderabad for teaching purposes
KARACHI: An abandoned aircraft that crash-landed at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport in 2011 is set to embark on an unusual journey by road to Hyderabad today, Wednesday, where it will be used for teaching purposes at an aviation institute, a spokesman for the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said on Tuesday.
The PAA plans to transport the 40-ton aircraft from the port city of Karachi, via the National Highway, to the Civil Aviation Training Institute (CATI) in the southern Pakistani city of Hyderabad. On its journey, the plane will pass through several densely populated areas of Karachi, the country’s largest and most populated city, including Steel Town and Bin Qasim Town.
“The aircraft is set to be transferred from Karachi to the Civil Aviation Training Institute (CATI) in Hyderabad for aviation training,” PAA spokesperson Saifullah said, with the journey set to begin at 4am PST.
The MD-83 aircraft, registered as SU-BOZ, was taking 74 passengers from Tabuk city in Saudi Arabia to the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta when it made the emergency landing in Karachi on Dec. 25, 2011.
Footage of the plane’s landing, widely shared on social media, shows the AMC Airlines flight touching down at Jinnah International Airport without its nose gear deployed. Smoke billowed from the plane as it skidded along the runway.
Despite multiple attempts, the nose landing gear failed to deploy, forcing the pilot to land the plane on its belly. No injuries were reported.
The incident led to the closure of the Karachi airport runway for several hours.
“The aircraft was abandoned by the operating airlines and is now embarking on a new journey [to Hyderabad] for use for training purposes,” the PAA spokesperson added.
This is the second aircraft to be transported by road from Karachi to Hyderabad for training purposes in recent weeks.
Last month, the journey by road of a decommissioned Boeing 737 from Karachi to Hyderabad also caught the media spotlight in Pakistan.
Pakistan PM urges efforts for economic, political stability as opposition plans anti-government protest
- Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has announced it will lead ‘long march’ to Islamabad on Sunday
- PM says all parties have to decide whether to hold protests or work for economic progress
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for prioritizing economic and political stability over “sit-ins and long marches,” in a veiled reference to the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which has announced it will hold an anti-government protest in Islamabad on Nov. 24.
PTI announced last week it would lead a ‘long march’ to the capital on Sunday over alleged rigging in Feb. 8 general elections and to call for the release of political prisoners, including jailed founder ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, and in support of the independence of the judiciary. Recent protests by the party have seen clashes between police and supporters and led to the government shutting down cities and main highways to keep crowds from gathering. The government also imposed a two-month ban on public gatherings in Islamabad on Monday.
The PTI, arguably the country’s most popular party, has a history of drawing huge crowds to rallies.
“The country’s progress and prosperity, stability of economy, and political stability are interlinked with each other, and without it no society can move ahead,” Sharif said as he addressed the National Action Plan’s apex committee meeting in Islamabad, attended by his cabinet, provincial chief ministers and the three armed services chiefs.
“It is imperative for progress and prosperity that there needs to be economic and political stability, and you all have to play a role for it,” he said. “We have to decide whether to hold dharnas, long marches, or work for the progress and prosperity [of the country]. It is all up to us.”
The meeting had been called to discuss a rise in militant attacks in recent months, particularly in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces. Attacks in KP are mostly claimed by Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants while Balochistan has been plagued by a worsening separatist insurgency by ethnic militants.
“If we want to advance national development, national unity, political unity, then it is connected to the elimination of terrorism, without it, nothing will advance. I think that this is the biggest challenge of Pakistan today,” Sharif said.
“So for me, as the head of this country, for you [army chief], as the head of the army, we have no choice but to first crush terrorism. After that, it is about economy, it is about production, employment and prosperity.”
Analysts say the government is lacking a “holistic approach” to address rising ethnic militancy and political violence in the country and achieve economic stability.
“Amid political polarization, ethnic militancy in KP and Balochistan provinces is emerging as a new challenge for Pakistan that needs to be addressed through a comprehensive approach and with the support of all segments of the society,” Dr. Qamar Cheema, executive-director at Sanober Institute in Islamabad, told Arab News.
Tahir Malik, a political analyst and professor at the National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad, said the government should open dialogue with the PTI to find a political solution to all problems,
“The prime minister should walk the talk to achieve political and economic stability by engaging the opposition in constructive dialogue ahead of the planned PTI protest,” Malik said.
