ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of supporters from an alliance of religious political parties are rallying in the northwest Pakistan city of Hangu alleging this week’s national elections were fraudulent.
Friday’s protest was the first against election results by the opposition.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who heads the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal alliance, had threatened to agitate against fraud in Wednesday’s vote.
They claimed many of their votes were rejected by election officials and their election agents were thrown out of the room by security forces during vote counts.
According to official results, Rehman’s alliance secured only 12 seats in the National Assembly out of 269 contested seats.
His alliance ruled Pakistan’s northwest from 2002 to 2007 following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
Religious political alliance rallies in Hangu against election results
Religious political alliance rallies in Hangu against election results
- The protest was the first against election results by the opposition
- Supporters from an alliance of religious political parties claimed many of their votes were rejected by election officials
Pakistan sent over 151,000 laborers to Gulf countries in first three months of 2025
- Ministry of overseas Pakistanis and human resources sent around 172,144 workers abroad in first three months of 2025
- Saudi Arabia, UAE and other Gulf countries have always remained key destinations for Pakistan’s skilled, unskilled workers
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan sent 151,120 skilled laborers to Gulf countries in the first three months of 2025, state-run media reported on Monday, with Saudi Arabia topping the list of countries where the most number of Pakistani workers went.
A significant number of Pakistanis seek employment opportunities abroad for a better standard of living as the country grapples with macroeconomic challenges. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Gulf countries are key destinations for Pakistan’s skilled and unskilled workers, whose remittances are vital for the cash-strapped country.
“The report stated that the highest number of 121,970 Pakistanis went to Saudi Arabia, while 6,891 people went to the UAE, 8,331 to Oman, 12,989 to Qatar and 939 to Bahrain,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.
“Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, an attached department of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development had sent around 172,144 Pakistani workers abroad to different countries in the first three months of this year.”
The report said of the Pakistani workers that went abroad, 38,274 were drivers, 3,474 technicians, 2,130 electricians, 1,859 masons, 1,689 cooks, 1,479 engineers, 1,058 welders, 849 doctors, 436 teachers and 390 were nurses.
The report highlighted that 1,454 workers also went to the United Kingdom, 870 to Turkiye, 815 to Greece, 775 to Malaysia, 592 to China, 350 to Azerbaijan, 264 to Germany, 257 to the United States, 109 to Italy and 108 to Japan in the same time period.
In 2024, the Overseas Pakistanis Ministry reported that 727,381 skilled laborers were sent to work in Middle Eastern and European countries. A senior Pakistani official said in February that the government was working to bridge the skills gap and enhance the global competitiveness of Pakistani workers, particularly in the Middle Eastern job market.
In January, Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain said Islamabad was focused on increasing the number of skilled workers heading to Saudi Arabia, highlighting the importance of an innovative project management and a well-trained labor force.
Pakistan sends approximately one million skilled workers abroad each year to help reduce unemployment and boost foreign exchange reserves through remittances.
Pakistan also received a record-high $4.1 billion in remittances in March 2025, a positive sign for the government’s efforts to revive an economy it expects to grow by three percent this year, with Saudi Arabia once again leading as the top contributor.
Pakistan says 979,486 Afghan nationals deported since 2023 as expulsion drive continues
- State media says 3,387 “illegal Afghan nationals” were sent back to their homeland from Pakistan on Sunday
- Pakistan has established a 24/7 control room to assist Afghan nationals, address harassment complaints
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has deported 979,486 Afghan nationals since the government launched an expulsion drive against illegal foreigners in 2023, state-run media reported on Monday, reiterating that authorities are ensuring their return takes place in a “dignified” manner.
Islamabad launched the deportation campaign in November 2023, asking all foreigners without legal documentation to leave the country. Earlier this year, it launched the second phase of deportations, setting a deadline of Mar. 31 for people with Afghan Citizen Cards (ACCs) — which since 2017 have granted temporary legal status to Afghans — to leave the country or face being deported.
According to United Nations data, Pakistan has hosted more than 2.8 million Afghan nationals who crossed the border in a desperate attempt to escape decades of war and instability in their home country. Around 1.3 million are formally registered as refugees and hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, which grant them legal protection. Another 800,000 Afghans possess ACCs, a separate identity document issued by the Pakistani government that recognizes them as Afghan nationals without conferring refugee status.
“The total number of illegal Afghan nationals leaving Pakistan has reached 979,486,” Radio Pakistan said in a report. “Three thousand, three hundred and eighty-seven illegal Afghan nationals were sent back to their homeland yesterday [Sunday].”
Pakistan established a 24/7 federal control room on Sunday to assist Afghan nationals and respond to harassment complaints during their repatriation. The decision came a day after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Kabul to discuss with the Afghan Taliban the issues linked to the mass return of Afghan nationals.
Last week during his visit to Pakistan, Afghan refugees minister proposed the formation of a high-level committee comprising officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan and relevant international organizations to address “refugee-related issues in a coordinated manner.”
Afghanistan has called for the peaceful and coordinated repatriation of its citizens amid reports of arrests and harassment during Pakistan’s mass expulsion drive. Islamabad denies the accusations and has urged Kabul to facilitate the reintegration of its citizens.
Pakistan’s deportation policy in 2023 followed a rise in militant attacks, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. Islamabad has in the past blamed militant attacks and other crimes on Afghan citizens, who form the largest portion of migrants in the country.
The government says militants, especially from the Pakistani Taliban also known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), are using safe havens in Afghanistan and links with Afghans residing in Pakistan to launch cross-border attacks. The ruling administration in Kabul has rejected the accusations.
Relations with Pakistan growing at a ‘good pace,’ says UAE deputy PM
- Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan hopes UAE, Pakistan strengthen cooperation in priority sectors
- Pakistan and UAE sign various MoUs for bilateral cooperation in trade, culture and consular affairs
ISLAMABAD: United Arab Emirates’ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on Monday that his country’s ties with Pakistan are growing at a “good pace,” hoping the two sides would further strengthen cooperation in priority sectors.
The UAE deputy premier arrived in Islamabad on Sunday for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening cooperation in energy, trade and security, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in an earlier statement.
Pakistan and the UAE have deepened their economic partnership in recent years. The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of foreign investment, with over $10 billion invested in the last two decades.
“I must say that our relationship has been growing on a good pace,” Al Nayhan said during a joint media interaction with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“I think both our leaders, the people of Pakistan and the UAE do want to see more development in the relationship,” he added.
The UAE deputy prime minister said relations between the two countries, over the past few years, have been “moving faster than they have for a while.”
“And I really look forward that the good spirit that has been moving the relationship in the last few months would continue on so many different cycles, if it’s trade, investment, aviation,” Al Nayhan said.
After a brief interval, Dar and Al Nayhan signed several memoranda of understandings (MoUs) to promote bilateral cooperation between the two countries in multiple sectors including culture, trade and consular affairs, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.
Dar and Al Nahyan signed an MoU between the UAE ministry of culture and the culture division of Pakistan to promote cooperation in culture sector. The two dignitaries also signed an MoU for the establishment of joint committee for consular affairs.
The two sides also witnessed the exchange of an MoU signed between the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) for the establishment of the UAE Pakistan Joint Business Council.
The UAE royal is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his visit.
His stay in Pakistan is expected to further strengthen the longstanding ties between the two countries and contribute to deepening bilateral engagements in diverse fields, benefiting the peoples of both countries, according to the foreign office.
The UAE is home to over a million Pakistani expatriates, the second-largest overseas Pakistani community globally, and a major source of remittance inflows to Pakistan.
Policymakers in Islamabad view the UAE as an ideal export destination due to its geographic proximity, which lowers freight costs and facilitates smoother trade.
In recent years, the two countries have signed a series of agreements to boost economic ties.
In February, during the Abu Dhabi crown prince’s visit to Pakistan, the two sides signed accords in mining, railways, banking and infrastructure.
Last year in January, Pakistan and the UAE signed deals worth more than $3 billion covering railways, economic zones and infrastructure development.
The UAE has become an even more crucial partner for Pakistan amid Islamabad’s efforts to achieve sustainable economic growth after suffering from a prolonged macroeconomic crisis.
Pakistan to start vaccination process for Hajj pilgrims from today
- Hajj pilgrims from around the world must comply with strict vaccination requirements set by Saudi Arabia’s ministry of health
- Vaccines will be provided in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Multan cities from Monday, in Karachi and other cities from Tuesday
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religion ministry will start providing mandatory vaccines to Hajj pilgrims from today, Monday, state-run media reported as Islamabad undertakes preparations for the annual Islamic pilgrimage.
Hajj pilgrims from around the world must comply with strict vaccination requirements set by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health to ensure public safety during one of the world’s largest annual gatherings.
Mandatory vaccines include the meningitis shot, with additional recommendations for the seasonal influenza vaccine, while travelers from regions prone to yellow fever and polio must also provide corresponding immunization certificates.
“Ministry of Religious Affairs will start provision of vaccine to intending Hajj pilgrims from Monday,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said in a report. “The vaccine will be provided in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Multan from Monday,” it added.
Meanwhile, the state broadcaster said Hajj pilgrims in Karachi, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Faisalabad and Sialkot cities will start receiving vaccines from Tuesday.
“In Quetta, mandatory vaccination for Hajj pilgrims will be carried out on Wednesday,” it said, adding that the religion ministry will also provide gifts to Hajj pilgrims.
Pakistan’s religion ministry announced this month around 90,000 Pakistanis are expected to perform Hajj this year under the government scheme. Saudi Arabia has allowed Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the pilgrimage, which is split equally between government and private schemes.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a three-member inquiry committee to investigate why Pakistan failed to fully utilize its quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2025.
Hajj flight operations are set to begin from Apr. 29, with the first flight departing from Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore.
Pakistan Cricket Board refutes former head coach’s non-payment claims
- Jason Gillespie recently said PCB had not paid him his dues for his nine-month coaching stint
- PCB says Gillespie “abruptly” left his position without giving a four-month notice period
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently rejected claims by former head coach Jason Gillespie that he had not been paid his dues, clarifying that the ex-Australian cricketer breached the terms of his contract and left his position “abruptly.”
Former fast bowler Gillespie took up the coaching assignment in April 2024 but stepped down in December due to disagreements with the PCB. Since resigning from the role, Gillespie has been an outspoken critic of the PCB, criticizing the board for what he described was its short-sightedness and accusing current interim white-ball coach Aqib Javed of interfering in his job.
When asked during a recent interview with a local sports platform about his relationship with the PCB, Gillespie wished the board well but said he was still waiting for it to pay him his dues for the coaching job.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board refutes claims made by a former head coach on the non-payment of his dues,” the PCB said in a statement on Sunday. “The PCB spokesman states that the former head coach abruptly left his position without giving a four month notice period, which was a clear breach of the contractual terms.”
The board said Gillespie’s coaching contract “explicitly mentioned” a notice period applicable to both parties, adding that the former coach was “fully aware of it.”
Earlier this month, Gillespie’s comments during an interview made headlines when he revealed that his time with the PCB had a negative impact on his passion for coaching cricket.
“The Pakistan experience has soured my love for coaching, I’ll be honest,” Gillespie said. “I’ll get it back, I’m sure I will, but that was really a blow.”
The former fast bowler said he had been disappointed with how his coaching stint with Pakistan ended.
“It’s had me question whether I want to coach full time again,” he said.
Pakistan cricket analysts and critics have slammed the PCB for appointing a plethora of coaches, selectors and captains over the past few years, blaming the increasing instability within the board as the main reason for the national cricket team’s recent dismal performances.
