PESHAWAR: Pakistan’s commerce ministry is poised to send a delegation to Kabul on Monday to discuss issues related to bilateral trade and take joint measures to remove hurdles faced by transporters and businesspeople on either side of the border between the two countries, officials confirmed.
The trade relations between both neighboring states have significantly deteriorated amid frequent border skirmishes and closure of key crossing points along their shared frontier. The disruptions have not only strained diplomatic ties but also inflicted heavy economic losses on both sides, particularly affecting trade-dependent communities and industries.
“Secretary Commerce Khurrum Agha will undertake a two-day visit to Afghanistan on Monday 25 March 2024 to discuss trade related matters,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, a spokesperson for the Pakistani foreign office, said in a statement on Sunday.
“Pakistan remains committed to promoting trade and people-to-people ties with Afghanistan.”
A senior official of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), the country’s export promotion arm, said the visit was aimed at fostering trust and trade flow between the two countries.
“A senior level delegation, to be headed by secretary commerce will visit Kabul for confidence-building measures to foster trust and ensure smooth trade flow between the two neighbors,” Muhammad Zubair Motiwala, chief executive officer of TDAP, told Arab News.
The development comes days after Pakistan’s airstrikes against suspected militant hideouts in Afghanistan, amid already strained relations between the two neighbors.
“I hope the visit leads to bilateral cooperation between the two countries,” Motiwala said. “Both countries need to revisit their policies to simplify trade, ease restrictions and simplify transit at the border points.”
Speaking to Arab News, Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, an Afghan commerce ministry spokesperson, confirmed the scheduled visit but accused Islamabad of complicating bilateral trade issues.
“Talks will focus on Pakistan’s unnecessary delay of goods’ trucks, red tapism in preparing documents for transit of heavy containers and Islamabad’s latest tightening of rules for Afghan truckers to get Pakistani visas,” he said.
A year ago, Jawad maintained, almost 1,500 to 2,000 trucks from Pakistan entered Afghanistan on a daily basis, but “undue restrictions by Pakistan’s border and trade authorities have made business nearly impossible by introducing new rules,” bringing down the number of Pakistani trucks to about 700.
The Afghan official said his country’s business with Iran through Chabahar Port had witnessed a huge boost due to the trade complications with Pakistan.
“We will discuss with Pakistani side either bureaucratic or infrastructural hurdles for trade and businesses at the border points with impediments and massive congestion, often closure and reopening of crossing points for trade, low scanning capacity, hurdles in trade movement such as transportation of perishable goods, which often result in massive financial losses to our businessmen,” he added.
Hajji Usman, a member of Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the security issues between the two countries were also impeding a smooth flow of trade between them.
“Pakistan’s statements are always self-contradictory and I don’t think bilateral trade can move forward in the current state of affairs,” he told Arab News. “First, both countries need to restore confidence and pave ground for boosting trade.”
Aimal Khan, a president Pakistan Custom Clearing Agents at Torkham border crossing, said that business and movement was almost at a standstill due to the interference of institutions other than the customs department.
“Except for the customs department, authorities should ban the rest of the departments from interfering in the working of businesses in the border areas,” he maintained.
Khan said it was a positive development that the Pakistani commerce delegation wanted to discuss the modalities of the trade with Afghan officials to ease the situation for businesses on both sides of the frontier.
Pakistan commerce delegation to visit Kabul on Monday amid tense relations with Afghanistan
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Pakistan commerce delegation to visit Kabul on Monday amid tense relations with Afghanistan
- Pakistan’s trade relations with Afghanistan have deteriorated amid border skirmishes, closure of crossing points
- Afghan business community urges the two countries to sort out their security problems to ensure better trade ties
Japan defeat Pakistan in dramatic shootout to win 2024 Azlan Shah Hockey Cup final
- Japan seized an early lead with a field goal in the 12th minute, igniting a fierce contest that ended in a 2-2 draw
- The electrifying shootout phase led to Japan’s convincing 4-1 victory, helping the team clinch the Azlan Shah cup
ISLAMABAD: In a dramatic conclusion to the 2024 Azlan Shah Hockey Cup on Saturday, Japan defeated Pakistan in a penalty shootout after a tense 2-2 draw, dashing the Pakistan team’s hopes that had reached the tournament final for the first time since 2011 following a series of stellar performances.
Six teams participated in the event, including the tournament Malaysia, Pakistan, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand and Canada. Pakistan won the Azlan Shah Cup title three times in the past and was the second runners-up in the last edition which was also held in Malaysia two years ago.
Prior to facing Japan the second time in the tournament, Pakistan played against New Zealand on Friday in a match that ended in a tie.
“Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for,” the Pakistan Hockey Federation exclaimed in a social media post prior to the match. “The FINAL showdown of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is here, and our beloved Green Shirts are ready to take on Japan ... Let’s rally behind our team with all our support and cheers as they aim for glory on the field!”
In a riveting showdown, Japan seized an early lead with a field goal in the 12th minute, igniting a fierce contest that saw both teams neck and neck until the final whistle.
As regular time expired with the score deadlocked, the match escalated into an electrifying shootout phase.
When the dust settled, however, Japan had triumphed with a convincing 4-1 victory, clinching the cup and retaining their top position on the leaderboard where they already stood tall with 13 points right ahead of the final.
Pakistan, despite a valiant effort, were on the second place with two draws.
Pakistan drafts new social media regulatory law amid free speech concerns from digital activists
- The government says it wants the legislation to curb disinformation, hate speech on social media platforms
- Rights activists fear the authorities may curb online dissent instead of encouraging responsible Internet use
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is working on a draft law to regulate social media to “protect digital rights” of millions of users, encourage responsible Internet use and regulate online content to prevent hate speech and disinformation, confirmed a senator belonging to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party on Saturday.
The authorities have long struggled to regulate the social media content through different legislations, prompting critics to accuse it of trying to quell dissent. The popular social media platform X remains blocked in the country after widespread allegations of election manipulation in the wake of the February 8 national polls.
Earlier this month, the government notified a National Cybercrimes Investigation Agency to probe electronic crimes and is now working on another draft law related to the social media content, making digital rights activists describe it as yet another official attempt to stifle criticism online.
“The government is currently working on a draft law to regulate the social media content as we want to curb disinformation and hate speech being spread through these platforms,” Senator Afnan Ullah Khan told Arab News.
“A committee led by the federal law minister is discussing the draft law as we have to ensure people’s right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression as well,” he continued, ruling out concerns the government wanted to muffle its rivals and critics.
Khan said the draft law would be tabled in parliament within four weeks for discussion and debate.
“The opposition parties or any parliamentarian can object to any clause of the bill once it is presented in parliament for vote,” he said.
“We want to protect digital rights of our users instead of imposing any restrictions, but at the same time we want those to be prosecuted who violate the law by inciting hate speech and pedaling disinformation, or any content against the national security,” he added.
The draft law may propose establishment of a digital rights protection authority to ensure effective enforcement of laws, Khan informed, but “all this will be disclosed to the media and public once the bill is tabled in parliament for discussion.”
Digital rights activists said successive governments in Pakistan had drafted new laws or amended old ones to curb the dissenting voices on social media platforms and file criminal charges against journalists and activists to restrict freedom of speech and expression.
“The government should involve all stakeholders, including civil society and rights activists, while drafting the new law to prevent its misuse,” Sabookh Syed, President of Digital Media Alliance of Pakistan, told Arab News.
“The government may strengthen defamation laws to prevent social media misuse instead of making it a criminal offense that could lead to persecution of activists and violate constitutional guarantees related to free speech,” he added.
Karachi education startup to help Dubai-based association provide online tuition to expatriate children
- The collaboration is expected to benefit the overseas Pakistani community in Dubai, with nearly 20,000 out-of-school children
- The two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding in February and plan to operationalize it from next month
KARACHI: The Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD), a non-profit organization dedicated to welfare projects for Pakistanis in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said on Friday its decision in February to collaborate with a Karachi-based education startup would benefit expatriates who have about 20,000 out-of-school children.
PAD, which has been serving overseas Pakistanis in the UAE since 1963, announced plans to work with Learn School Academy, established about four years ago to provide digital schooling to students worldwide.
The Pakistani diaspora in the UAE is the second largest overseas community and one of the oldest expatriate groups in the Arab state.
According to PAD General Secretary Zahid Hassan, about 20,000 expatriate Pakistani children currently remain out of school despite strict reservations by the UAE authorities.
“This project has the potential to make a significant impact on increasing the literacy rate and improving the lives of these children,” he told Arab News on Friday. “PAD aims to facilitate education for overseas Pakistanis in the UAE by partnering with Learn School Academy to provide online tuition to children who are unable to attend traditional schools,” he continued. “With this partnership, we believe we can add even more value for the expatriate community living in the UAE by leveraging our expertise and resources in education.”
The founding CEO of the Pakistani education startup, Wahaj Kayani, explained the high cost of private schools in the UAE was a significant barrier for many Pakistanis to provide education to their children.
“Through this partnership with PAD, we aim to provide a more affordable and accessible solution,” he told Arab News.
“This collaboration is specifically designed to help Pakistani and all other overseas communities gain access to high-quality education at a price point that works for them along with a user-friendly online school model,” he added. “The MoU [memorandum of understanding with PAD] outlines a framework for offering scholarships for online learning, enabling students to benefit from Learn Academy’s curriculum and engaging the platform.”
According to the MoU signed between the two entities, the Pakistani academy will offer a 50 percent discount to PAD, which will bear the fee on behalf of the eligible families to educate their children. Both organizations plan to operationalize their collaboration from the next month.
“We believe this initiative will make a significant contribution to educational attainment in the UAE,” Kayani said. “It will enable students from diverse backgrounds to access quality education, including modern pedagogical approaches like project-based learning. This combination of affordability and innovative learning methods can have a real impact on literacy rates and overall educational achievement.”
Hassan, on the other hand, acknowledged that one project alone could not fully meet the educational needs of the Pakistani community.
“There is a pressing need for more schools to cater to such demands,” he said. “Therefore, PAD is actively exploring the possibility of launching a dream school project in the future to provide a long-term, sustainable solution. Our volunteer education team is fully committed to working on this initiative.”
The project is also Learn School Academy’s first collaboration outside Pakistan.
In addition to the initial launch with PAD, it envisions a deeper and more expansive partnership in the UAE and beyond.
“Looking ahead, we envision replicating this successful model by collaborating with similar organizations in other countries across the globe,” Kayani said. “Our next aim is Saudi Arabia for schooling, followed by the United Kingdom and Canada for Islamic education, which we hope to execute by the start of 2025.”
“Ultimately, our goal is to empower both Pakistani communities abroad and global communities at large by facilitating access to high-quality, affordable education,” he added.
Pakistan extends condolences to Afghanistan after flash floods kill over 150
- Heavy rains on Friday caused flash floods in Afghanistan’s Baghlan, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces
- Pakistan stands in solidarity with people of Afghanistan during this difficult time, the foreign office says
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday extended condolences to the Afghan government over the loss of more than 150 lives in flash floods in northern Afghanistan, the Pakistani foreign office said.
Heavy rains on Friday caused flash floods in Baghlan, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces that have killed 153 people and injured another 138, according to the interim Afghan interior ministry.
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities sent helicopters overnight to assist civilians after reports emerged that over 100 people were stranded in these areas.
“The Government and the people of Pakistan express their heartfelt condolences on the tragic loss of life and widespread damage to property caused by heavy rains and flash floods in several provinces of Afghanistan,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, injured and the communities affected by this natural calamity and we pray for the early recovery of those missing.”
Pakistan stood in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan during this difficult time, it added.
Pakistan itself experienced its “wettest April since 1961,” the country’s weather agency said this month, with at least 144 deaths in thunderstorms and house collapses due to heavy rains.
April rainfall was recorded at 59.3 millimeters, “excessively above” the normal average of 22.5 millimeters, Pakistan’s metrology department said in its monthly climate report.
While much of Asia was sweltering due to heatwaves, Pakistan’s national monthly temperature for April was 23.67 degrees Celsius (74 degrees Fahrenheit) 0.87 degrees lower than the average of 24.54, the report noted.
In the summer of 2022, a third of Pakistan was submerged by unprecedented monsoon rains that displaced millions of people and cost the country $30 billion in damage and economic losses, according to a World Bank estimate.
Pakistan PM calls recent diplomatic, trade engagements with Saudi Arabia ‘great progress’
- The statement came days after Saudi minister Ibrahim Al-Mubarak led high-level business delegation to Pakistan
- Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have lately been working to increase bilateral trade and investment in multiple fields
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has described the recent diplomatic and trade engagements between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as “great progress,” saying both countries now have a way forward for mutual cooperation in several fields.
Sharif said this in an interview with Al-Arabiya News Channel, days after Saudi Arabia’s Assistant Minister of Investment Ibrahim Al-Mubarak led a delegation to Pakistan that comprised representatives of some 30 Saudi companies from the fields of IT, telecom, energy, aviation, construction, mining exploration, agriculture and human resource development. The Saudi delegates held business-to-business (B2B) with Pakistani counterparts to explore various trade and investment opportunities in the South Asian country.
The visit by the Saudi business delegation came on the heels of one by Sharif to Riyadh on Apr. 27-30, where he met the Saudi Crown Prince and discussed with him bilateral economic partnership. This was Sharif’s second meeting with the crown prince in a month. Before that, he also met him when he traveled to the Kingdom on April 6-8. The Saudi foreign minister was also in Pakistan last month, a trip during which Pakistan pitched projects worth at least $20 billion to Riyadh.
During the interview, Sharif said both countries had achieved “great progress” from the recent engagements and talks were being held between both sides with regard to certain fields.
“So far, we have achieved great progress. We have identified areas of mutual cooperation, both at the level of G2G, government-to-government, and B2B, business-to-business,” the prime minister said. “And we have now a clear-cut way forward, mutual cooperation, investments in the fields of mines and minerals, renewable energy.”
Sharif said Saudi Arabia had acquired great expertise in solar energy and a Pakistani delegation was in Riyadh for talks with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power, which has a portfolio of power generation and desalinated water production plants in the Kingdom as well as several countries.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have lately been working to increase bilateral trade and investment deals, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last month reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to expedite an investment package of $5 billion.
The two countries enjoy strong trade, defense, and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as a top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.
