Pakistan’s general polls keep Karachi’s printing market busy

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Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), an alliance of the religo-political parties, has decorated its vehicles after strict implementation of Election Commission of Pakistan’s code of conduct, which prohibits display of banners on private and public properties. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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Staff at a printing press at Pakistan Chowk, Karachi, prepare banners for an All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) candidate. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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Staff at a printing press at Pakistan Chowk, Karachi, prepare banners for an All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) candidate. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir). General (Retd.) Pervez Musharraf has resigned as chief but will continue to be patron in chief of APML, according to party’s spokesman. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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A candidate for national assembly spends from Rs0.5million to Rs2million on printing material for his campaign, according to estimates by printing agents. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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Staff at a printing press at Pakistan Chowk, Karachi is preparing banners for a candidate of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) here on Tuesday, June 26, 2018. General (R) Pervez Musharraf has resigned as chief but will continue to be patron in chief of APML, according to party’s spokesman. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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A printer shows candidates’ voter cards. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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Candidates of recently formed Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) are also printing election material at Karachi’s Pakistan Chowk. (A photo by M.F.Sabir)
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Adnan Qaiser, a printer at Pakistan Chowk, designing a poster for a candidate of the Awami National Party from Balochistan. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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A printing machine at Pakistan Chowk, Karachi produces posters of Anwar Lala, an Awami National Party candidate from Zhob, Balochistan. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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A candidate for national assembly spends from Rs0.5million to Rs2million on printing material for his campaign, according to estimates by printing agents (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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A printing machine at Pakistan Chowk, Karachi is processing posters of Anwar Lala, an Awami National Party’s candidate from Zhob, Balochistan here on Tuesday, June 26, 2018. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
Updated 26 June 2018
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Pakistan’s general polls keep Karachi’s printing market busy

  • Nearly 7,000 candidates, including 2,100 from Karachi, are contesting 61 national and 130 provincial assembly seats from Sindh
  • Candidates spend between Rs 0.5 million to 2 million on printing election literature such as banners, hoardings, posters, pole banners, stickers, handbills, symbols, badges, flags and voters cards, says the printing agent

KARACHI: Printers at Pakistan Chowk Market in the seaside metropolis of Karachi are working until the small hours to keep up with demand for election campaign posters and fliers.

Pakistan is to hold general elections for national and four provincial assemblies on July 25, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Final lists of the candidates will be issued in the next couple of days. However, according to ECP, nearly 7,000 candidates, including 2,100 from Karachi, have been cleared to contest 61 national and 130 provincial assembly seats from Sindh.

Those who know that they will be standing for election have already approached printing markets for printing of different display material, including banners, hoardings, hanging banners, symbols, handbills, badges, stickers and posters. Party flags and voter cards are also mandatory printing material, which have made the printers in several printing markets of the city busy.

“We close our press for four hours by 4am in the morning,” Adnan Qaiser, a printer at Pakistan Chowk told Arab News, adding as the election inches nearer, the work orders from clients will increase and there will be no break at all.

“Within the next couple of days, we will be working 24 hours a day and seven days a week,” Qaiser says. After the ECP issues final list of contenders everyone will start publicity, he adds.

Rehan Ahmed, a printing agent who collects orders from clients, said that a candidate for national assembly spends between Rs0.5million to Rs2million on campaign literature.

He added that influential candidates have a budget of up to Rs 2 million for printing, including thousands of banners, posters, steamers, pole banners and nearly 200,000 voters’ cards, which is distributed among electorates at their doorstep in advance.

Inquiry office, Landhi, Al-karam square Liaquatabad and Korangi industrial areas are other busiest places of printing in Karachi.

Pakistan Chowk, which the country’s largest market of digital and offset printing, receives printing orders from across Sindh and Balochistan provinces. 

“Although there printing presses in Quetta, most of the orders are placed in Karachi,” Ahmed told Arab News, who had printed material for former Chief Minister Balochistan, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, besides other politicians during the last general elections.
Ahmed said that in Karachi the printing orders from MQM are down from the last election.

Qaiser said that in local government elections the independent candidates print most of the material, however, in general polls the political parties spend more on publicity.

Salman Ali, in-charge of printing for the Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA), said the religious alliance has printed up to one lack square feet of material and printing is still under way.

He added that strict rules which prohibit candidates from displaying posters at public places and government properties have forced candidates to consider other options.

In the last general election the number of posters and banners was higher, but now the political parties and candidates are using funds to decorate election offices and vehicles.

The hike in dollar rates has increased the rates of Panaflex and other material imported from abroad, said Maqsood Ahmed, another printer in Pakistan Chowk market, who added that “neither the dollar rates nor the ECP code of conduct has shrunk the workload.”


Senior political leader shot dead amid escalating militancy in Pakistan’s northwest

Updated 22 November 2024
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Senior political leader shot dead amid escalating militancy in Pakistan’s northwest

  • Mashaal Azad, a PPP leader in Lakki Marwat, was ambushed while going for Friday prayers
  • Attack occurred the day Pakistan’s army chief was in Peshawar to discuss security situation

PESHAWAR: Amid a string of deadly attacks that have claimed the lives of dozens of civilians and security officials in Pakistan’s northwest, unidentified gunmen on Friday shot dead a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the volatile Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, police said.
The restive district, a hotspot of militant activity, witnessed unprecedented protests in September when police officers, joined by civil society members and tribal elders, staged sit-ins and blocked the Indus Highway.
The demonstrations followed a spate of militant attacks that killed several policemen, prompting demands for enhanced security measures and greater autonomy for the law enforcement agency in counterterrorism operations.
Speaking to Arab News over the phone, the police spokesperson in the district, Shahid Marwat, said the slain PPP leader Mashaal Azad was heading toward Sarai Gambila, a rundown locality on the outskirts of the district’s center, for Friday prayers when he was ambushed by gunmen.
“Mashaal Azad was killed by unidentified bike riders on the Canal Road near Kajoori Hotel within the limits of Sarai Gambila police station,” Marwat said.
The incident occurred on the day Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir was visiting Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP, where he vowed action against militants and reiterated the army’s firm resolve to dismantle hostile militant networks.
The killing also follows a gun attack on a convoy carrying members of the minority Shiite community in the Kurram tribal district a day earlier, leaving more than 40 people dead.
Earlier this week, on Tuesday, 10 Pakistan army soldiers and two members of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary were killed when militants attacked a checkpost in the northwestern Bannu district.
Rabnawaz Marwat, a tribal elder in Lakki Marwat, said the late PPP leader was a long-time and senior party figure who had been a strong voice against militancy in the region.
“Late Azad had served as a member of the provincial council of PPP,” he informed. “He had also served as a student leader of PPP in Lakki Marwat. In addition, he was an active tribal elder who played a leading role in dispute resolution in the region.”
According to the police spokesperson, a report of the incident has been lodged against unidentified persons, and further investigations will be initiated.
“It is mentioned in the report that late Azad had no personal enmity with anyone in the area,” he said. “It seems to be an act of targeted attack by terrorists.”
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of civil and military leaders to review the country’s security situation, during which it was agreed to take action against those involved in militant violence.


Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated film ‘The Glassworker’ makes Oscars eligibility list

Updated 22 November 2024
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Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated film ‘The Glassworker’ makes Oscars eligibility list

  • The film was released in July, with its director calling it the result of ‘passion and perseverance’
  • Selection committee in the country says it has broken ‘new ground for animation’ in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated film, “The Glassworker,” has been named on the list of eligible films for the 97th Academy Awards in both the Animated Feature Film and International Feature Film categories, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this week.
Directed by young Pakistani animator Usman Riaz, the film was released in July and features 1,477 cuts and 2,500 individual drawings. The coming-of-age tale follows Vincent, a young apprentice at his father’s glass workshop, and Alliz, a talented violinist and the daughter of a military colonel.
Against the backdrop of a looming war, their relationships with their parents and each other are tested.
“Thirty-one features are eligible for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 97th Academy Awards,” the Academy said on its website, with “The Glassworker” among them.
“Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture,” it added. “Animated features that have been submitted in the International Feature Film category as their country’s official selection are also eligible in the category.”
Five films from the list will be shortlisted for nominations in the Animated Feature Film category, with the ultimate winner announced at the Oscars ceremony scheduled for March 3, 2025.
A team of 250 national and international cast and crew members worked on the film, which was produced by Riaz’s Karachi-based Mano Animation Studios.
The film became Pakistan’s first-ever animated feature to be nominated for Oscars consideration in September.
“Usman and Mano’s work has demonstrated exceptional storytelling and artistry while breaking new ground for animation in Pakistan,” the Academy Selection Committee of Pakistan said earlier while lauding the project. “This achievement will be remembered in our cinematic history.”
Riaz described his effort as a result of “a decade of passion and perseverance” when the film was nominated for Oscars from Pakistan.
“I am deeply humbled by the selection and hope this story resonates with audiences everywhere, showcasing the talent and creativity Pakistan has to offer,” he added. 


Pakistan seal final spot in Under-19 cricket tri-series with dominant win over UAE

Updated 22 November 2024
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Pakistan seal final spot in Under-19 cricket tri-series with dominant win over UAE

  • Pakistan posted their highest total of the tournament, amassing 314 for five in 50 overs
  • UAE’s innings ended at 123 in 37 overs, setting the stage for Pakistan-Afghanistan clash

ISLAMABAD: Half-centuries by Farhan Yousuf, Haroon Arshad, Shahzaib Khan and Usman Khan powered Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team to a commanding 191-run victory over the United Arab Emirates in the fifth match of the U19 tri-series at the ICC Cricket Academy Ground in Dubai on Friday.
The victory secured Pakistan’s place in the final, where they will face Afghanistan U19 on Tuesday, November 26, at the same venue.
This was Pakistan’s second win over UAE in the tournament, having defeated them by 10 wickets in the opening match.
“Pakistan U19 earn an emphatic 191-run win over UAE U19,” the Pakistan Cricket Board announced in a social media post. “They will play the tri-series final on Tuesday.”
The Pakistan team edged Afghanistan by 13 runs in their previous encounter but suffered a loss to them earlier in the series.
After electing to bat, Pakistan posted their highest total of the tournament, amassing 314 for five in 50 overs.
Left-handed openers Shahzaib Khan (71 off 84) and Usman Khan (50 off 64) provided a solid foundation with a 96-run opening stand. Farhan Yousuf (63 off 50) and Haroon Arshad (54 off 34) then built on the momentum with a brisk 75-run partnership for the fourth wicket, while Faham-ul-Haq contributed a steady 37 off 48. For UAE, Noorullah Ayubi and Uddish Suri picked up two wickets each.
Chasing 315, UAE struggled from the outset, collapsing to 52 for five within 16 overs.
Ayaan Misbah (17 off 46) and Uddish Suri (32 not out) attempted to stabilize the innings with a 21-run stand for the sixth wicket, but Misbah fell to Umar Zaib in the 26th over.
UAE’s innings ended at 123 in 37 overs, with Umar Zaib taking four for 51 and Naveed Ahmed Khan claiming three wickets.
The final group match of the series will be played between Afghanistan and UAE on Sunday, November 24.
 


Pakistan 'will break any hand' threatening Saudi relations — PM Sharif

Updated 22 November 2024
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Pakistan 'will break any hand' threatening Saudi relations — PM Sharif

  • Statement comes after Imran Khan’s wife released a video message widely viewed as critical of the Kingdom
  • Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are close allies, with nearly 3 million Pakistanis living and working in the Kingdon

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday vowed strict action against anyone attempting to undermine Pakistan’s close relations with Saudi Arabia, declaring that his government would “break any hand” threatening ties between the two nations.
Sharif’s statement appeared to reference recent remarks by Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who in a rare public message on Thursday assured state institutions that her jailed husband would not seek revenge against political opponents if he returned to power.
She also made remarks in her video message that were widely viewed as implying that the Saudi government had opposed Khan when he was prime minister from 2018-22.
“Such venom-spitting is an unforgivable crime,” Sharif said while addressing a ceremony on Friday. “I, as the prime minister of Pakistan, want to announce that the nation will break any hand trying to undermine the Pakistan-Saudi friendship.”
“This is not a joke,” he continued. “The allegation is beyond understanding. The biggest national interest is being slaughtered to serve the short-term political interest.”
He criticized the former first lady, whose husband’s PTI party is currently in opposition, saying that the Kingdom had never demanded anything in return from Pakistan for extending economic and diplomatic support but instead always “opened its doors.”
“I think there can be no greater enmity against Pakistan than this [issuing such comments],” he said, adding that Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was sacrificing the country’s interest for its political interests.
Sharif said “no one will be allowed to play” with Pakistan’s interests when it concerned “brotherly allies” such as Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also addressed the issue in a press conference, highlighting that over 2.8 million Pakistanis were working in the Kingdom, sending billions of dollars in remittances back to their country every year.
“Our cordial and friendly relationship with Saudi Arabia should not be affected due to someone’s political gains,” he said. “Such a controversial statement is an effort to save PTI’s sinking ship.”
Khan was ousted from the prime minister’s office in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in 2022, alleging that he was removed by his political rivals and the all-powerful military at the behest of the United States. All three parties deny the accusation.
The cricketer-turned-politician has been in prison since August last year, facing a slew of legal challenges. He denies any wrongdoing, claiming that all cases against him are politically motivated to keep him in jail.
His PTI party is set to kick off a “long march” to stage a protest in Islamabad on Nov. 24, aiming to pressure the government into releasing Khan from prison. Authorities have refused to grant permission to hold the gathering and imposed a ban on public assembly in the capital for two months.


Pakistani stocks break psychological 99,000 barrier on optimism over rates, reserves

Updated 22 November 2024
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Pakistani stocks break psychological 99,000 barrier on optimism over rates, reserves

  • An analyst attributes the intraday rally to broad-based gains across most economic sectors
  • The stock market has remained bullish since the government slashed policy rate in November

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday breached a major psychological barrier, surging past 99,000 points during intra-day trading before settling at 97,798.23, as analysts attributed the rally to investor optimism driven by falling lending rates and higher foreign exchange reserves.
The benchmark KSE-100 index climbed 2,057.40 points by 11:10 am, reaching 99,385.79 points from the previous close. However, the index closed at 97,798.23, marking an increase of 469.84 points or 0.48 percent.
Analyst Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corporation said bank levies on large deposits, surging global oil prices, and rupee stability were fueling investor optimism.
“Stocks remained bullish, led by scrips across the board, as investors weighed falling lending rates and the imposition of bank levies on large deposits following a drop in government bond yields,” he told Arab News. “Surging global crude oil prices, rupee stability, and higher forex reserves played a catalytic role in the record surge at the PSX.”
Last month, Pakistan’s external current account recorded a surplus of $349 million, marking the third consecutive month of surplus and the highest in this period. The current account reflects a nation’s transactions with the world, encompassing net trade in goods and services, net earnings on cross-border investments and net transfer payments.
A surplus indicates that a country is exporting more than it is importing, thereby strengthening its foreign exchange reserves.
A bullish trend has been observed in the stock market since Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 250 basis points, bringing it to 15 percent earlier this month. Economic indicators have also steadily improved since securing a 37-month, $7 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September.
In the past, the country faced a prolonged economic crisis that drained its foreign exchange reserves and saw its currency weaken amid double-digit inflation. Last year, Pakistan narrowly avoided a sovereign default by clinching a last-minute $3 billion IMF bailout deal.