KARACHI: Nadeem Shah, 62, desperately wants to sell his farming business on the outskirts of the southern city of Hyderabad.
After nearly four and a half decades of growing rice and cotton, Shah is struggling to make ends meet. “Our cost of input is constantly rising in this country and we don’t get the right price at the end of long and consistent hard work,” he told Arab News.
“Most importantly, the shortage of water is driving people out of the farming business … Ironically there is no government support.”
Shah is not the only farmer in the country facing these challenges.
The annual report released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday says growth in the agriculture sector may fall below last year’s level of 3.8 percent during the current fiscal year FY19.
“Decline in the area under sugarcane crop, water shortages at the time of sowing of kharif crops, especially cotton, and weak trends in the off-take of fertilizer indicate that the agriculture sector may not repeat last year’s extraordinary performance. Recent rains and improved water availability, as well as the increased area under rice and cotton crops, however, may provide some support,” the central bank said.
For an agricultural economy such as Pakistan, these are troubling trends. Agriculture contributes 18.9 percent to GDP and absorbs 42.3 percent of the labor force.
But with the population growing at 2.4 percent per year, shouldn’t there be a rising demand for agricultural products?
Farmers feel that the sector is neglected by the government. “No doubt there is a water shortage and impacts of global warming, but we have no support for research and development and supply of improved seeds. Besides, we do not get the prices of our product, even those fixed by the government,” Ijaz Ahmed Rao, a cotton grower from Punjab province, told Arab News.
Rao believes cotton is the strategic crop of Pakistan but the lack of improved seeds and technological advancement are making this sector unviable compared with other competitor countries including India.
“I have no words to express the condition of farmers in the country who are struggling to cope up with the situation,” Khalid Mehmood Khokhar, President of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad, said. “They are struggling to survive amid the high cost of inputs including electricity, fertilizers, water availability and lack of marketing support.”
As the government expects inflation during the current fiscal year to be between 6.5 to 7.5 percent, the impact will be more devastating for the country’s agriculture sector, and beyond.
“Slower growth in both the industrial and agriculture sectors will also affect the performance of the services sector. The real GDP growth is projected in the range of 4.7 to 5.2 percent during FY19, the central bank’s annual report said, calling the GDP growth target of 6.2 percent ambitious.
The SBP added: “The industrial sector, in particular, may witness a slowdown due to an expected reduction in consumer demand. More specifically, construction-allied and consumer durable industries may see slower growth in production.”
Dr. Amir Irshad, Chief of Food and Agriculture at the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms, agrees that the impact of the agriculture sector’s decline would be borne by the economy as a whole but stresses the need for a long-term solution to the existing problem.
“The government takes measures for the quick fixes in the agriculture sector by subsidizing fertilizers and pesticides, etc, but we need a solution for the long term that is the technological advancement, supply of improved seeds,” Irshad told Arab News.
“The required technology costs around PKR1.5-1.7 million per acre yield but the common farmers are not in a position to afford this price… For the moment, I have no alternative in sight but to sell my business,” Shah added.
Pakistan’s food supply may be at risk as agriculture sector shrinks
Pakistan’s food supply may be at risk as agriculture sector shrinks
- The State Bank of Pakistan on Thursday said growth in the agriculture sector may fall below last year’s level of 3.8 percent
- Experts believe government only offers quick fixes rather than systemic long-term solutions
Pakistan to hold nationwide anti-polio drive from today to vaccinate over 45 million children
- Seven-day polio drive will be held nationwide from Apr. 21-27, says state media
- Pakistan and Afghanistan remain only two countries where polio remains endemic
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will hold a seven-day anti-polio drive from today, Monday, to vaccinate over 45 million children against the disease, state-run media reported as Islamabad grapples to contain the infection.
Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure, and multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine — along with completing the routine immunization schedule for children under five — are crucial to building immunity against the virus. Pakistan, which has reported six polio cases so far in 2025, has planned three major vaccination campaigns in the first half of the year, with additional rounds scheduled for April and May.
The seven-day campaign from Apr. 21-27 will be the second nationwide anti-polio drive to be held this year, which aims to vaccinate over 45 million children against the disease. Sharif on Sunday formally kicked off the campaign by administering polio drops to a few children during a ceremony in Islamabad.
“It is my request to parents all over Pakistan that they help us out in administering polio drops to their children,” Sharif said at the ceremony. “Help our teams in the field so that this virus can be eliminated for good.”
The Pakistani premier thanked Islamabad’s local and international partners for helping fight the disease, saying he had no doubt Pakistan would stem the spread of the infection.
Sharif said the government has undertaken stringent security measures in sensitive areas for polio volunteers. He called on authorities to mobilize the public so that they become “soldiers” in the fight against poliovirus.
In 2024, Pakistan reported an alarming 74 polio cases. Along with Afghanistan, it remains one of the only two countries where polio is still endemic.
Pakistan’s polio program, launched in 1994, has faced persistent challenges including vaccine misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners who claim immunization is a foreign conspiracy to sterilize Muslim children or a guise for Western espionage.
Militant groups have also repeatedly targeted and killed polio vaccination workers. Gunmen attacked a vehicle and abducted two polio workers who were on their way home after visiting a health facility in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, earlier this month.
Pakistan sets up 24/7 control room to address Afghan repatriation complaints
- The decision comes a day after Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar met Taliban officials in Kabul
- The government says nearly 85,000 Afghans have returned to their home country so far in April
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has established a 24/7 federal control room to assist Afghan nationals and respond to complaints of harassment during their repatriation, according to a statement issued on Sunday, amid growing criticism of Islamabad’s ongoing deportation campaign.
The decision comes a day after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Kabul and met senior Taliban officials to discuss bilateral cooperation, including issues linked to the mass return of Afghans from Pakistan.
“Pakistan has set up a 24/7 Federal Control Room at the National Crisis Information Management Cell (NCIMC) to assist Afghan nationals and address complaints of harassment during repatriation,” the office of Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Sadiq Khan, said in a statement.
It noted the helpline service was launched in line with Dar’s commitment during his visit to Kabul. Dar had promised that Pakistan’s interior ministry would issue a notification within 48 hours to streamline a complaints mechanism for Afghan returnees.
On Sunday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Dar spoke with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to thank him for the hospitality extended during the visit. Both leaders expressed satisfaction over the outcome of their talks and agreed to “expeditiously implement the decisions taken for the mutual benefit of the people of the two countries,” the ministry said
Dar also invited Muttaqi to visit Pakistan, an invitation the Afghan official accepted.
The development comes as Islamabad presses ahead with a second phase of its repatriation plan, targeting more than 800,000 Afghans whose residence permits have been canceled.
Rights groups and Afghan officials have raised concerns about the treatment of deportees, many of whom have reported harassment, arbitrary arrests and family separations.
Pakistan says nearly 85,000 Afghans have returned so far in April, with a large number of them undocumented. The United Nations says more than half of them are children, with many families entering a country where women face restrictions on work and education under Taliban rule.
Islamabad has defended the deportation policy as a national security measure, pointing to rising militant violence and alleging that many Afghan nationals have remained involved attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban government in Kabul, however, denies the charge.
The first phase of the deportation campaign began in late 2023 wherein hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghans were expelled from Pakistan.
At Dubai exhibition, Pakistan’s envoy says art can shape global perception of his country
- Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi visits Imran Qureshi’s exhibition during Alserkal Art Week in Dubai
- He says art can build cross-cultural understanding, pledges support for future collaborations in UAE
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, said on Sunday art could serve as a powerful tool of soft power for his country, helping project its positive image on the world stage, as he visited an exhibition by a leading Pakistani artist in Dubai on its concluding day.
Titled “Vanishing Points,” the event ran from April 13 to 20 as part of Alserkal Art Week and was held at Concrete, a prominent contemporary art space at Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue.
Curated by Nada Raza, Director of the Alserkal Arts Foundation, the show featured Imran Qureshi’s latest body of work, spanning photography, video, painting and a site-specific installation, offering a vivid meditation on urban life and the visual chaos of South Asian cityscapes.
Known for pioneering a contemporary revival of Indo-Persian miniature painting, Qureshi’s practice blends traditional techniques with modern perspectives.
“Imran Qureshi’s art vividly transforms Pakistan’s day-to-day life into breathtaking visual narratives,” Tirmizi said after touring the exhibition.
“Through his lens, the bustling streets, Sufi shrines and architectural heritage come alive, arising a deep sense of connection,” he continued. “His depiction of a Sufi tomb with Qawwali resonating in the background is particularly mesmerizing and emotionally powerful.”
The ambassador emphasized the importance of art as a form of diplomacy, saying it could promote cross-cultural understanding and enhance Pakistan’s global standing.
He also pledged support for future cultural collaborations in the UAE, particularly with platforms like Alserkal Avenue that promote diverse artistic voices.
A recipient of Pakistan’s Sitara-i-Imtiaz, one of the country’s highest civilian honors, and France’s Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, a prestigious distinction recognizing significant contributions to the arts and literature, Qureshi is among the internationally celebrated artists.
His works are housed in prominent collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Qureshi’s works are also featured in Art Dubai, another major international art fair running in the city.
This year’s Art Dubai edition includes work by 10 Pakistani artists, reflecting the country’s growing presence on the global contemporary art scene.
Peshawar Zalmi reignite media partnership with Arab News Pakistan for PSL 2025
- Zalmi clinched the 2017 title and have remained strong contenders in subsequent seasons
- After a challenging tournament start, they have bounced back with 120-run win against Multan
ISLAMABAD: A popular franchise of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Peshawar Zalmi, announced on Sunday a renewed media partnership with Arab News Pakistan, continuing a collaboration that began in 2020.
The PSL, launched in 2016, is Pakistan’s premier T20 cricket league featuring six city-based teams.
Peshawar Zalmi, representing the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, clinched the PSL title in 2017 and have consistently been strong contenders in subsequent seasons.
“Proud to go global with @arabnewspk as our International Newspaper Partner for #HBLPSLX,” Zalmi announced on their social media account on X, exclaiming, “Where cricket meets the world.”
Arab News Pakistan was launched in February 2018 and has since provided in-depth coverage of Pakistan, including sports.
Its parent organization, Arab News, was founded in 1975 and is part of the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), one of the largest media conglomerates in the region.
Peshawar Zalmi had a challenging start to this year’s PSL but bounced back with a commanding 120-run victory over Multan Sultans on Saturday, marking their first win of the season.
They are now set to face Karachi Kings in the next match on Monday at the National Stadium in Karachi.
Punjab minister urges clerics to denounce Gaza-linked fast-food chain attacks in Pakistan
- Azma Bokhari says attacks are not helping the oppressed people of Palestine but hurting Pakistan
- The government has arrested over 150 attackers and promised strict action against others involved
ISLAMABAD: A senior minister in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Sunday urged religious scholars to publicly condemn recent attacks on an international fast-food chain, warning that such actions were damaging the country’s image and hurting its own citizens.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari’s remarks came a day after the federal government said over 150 people had been arrested for attacking the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) outlets amid rising anti-American and anti-Israel sentiment in the country over the war in Gaza.
Protesters have vandalized KFC branches in multiple cities, with at least one employee killed during the unrest, asking people to show solidarity with their Muslim brethren in the Palestinian territory who have been killed in great numbers since the beginning of the war in October 2023.
“I believe that all our forums where respected religious scholars are present should come forward more strongly on this issue and speak up,” the provincial minister said at a news conference in Lahore.
“Attacking these food chains is not helping the oppressed people of Gaza,” she continued. “It is hurting Pakistan.”
Bokhari noted that international franchises like KFC provided jobs to thousands of locals in Punjab and other parts of the country.
“Now tell me this: if the 25,000 Pakistanis working here lose their jobs, will that benefit the people of Gaza?” she asked. “Or have these incidents helped the oppressed people of Gaza in any way? No, it’s causing harm — harm to Pakistan’s image.”
She also referenced the killing of a KFC employee in Sheikhupura, questioning what his fault was.
Bokhari accused “an extremist group” of organizing the attacks and said the government would take strict action against those involved.
On Saturday, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudry said 12 police cases had been registered against the attackers in Punjab alone, with 142 arrests made. Another 15 suspects had been detained in Islamabad, he added.
“It cannot happen that someone brings investment into Pakistan, gives its people employment, pays 100 percent tax, and also spends on welfare, education and health activities, and then someone attacks it,” he said.
He maintained such incidents would be treated with the same seriousness as militant attacks, adding the government and interior ministry were “available 24 hours” to respond.
Pakistan does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel but has consistently voiced support for the Palestinian cause.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for an immediate end to Israel’s military campaign, while Pakistan’s permanent mission to the United Nations has repeatedly urged accountability for Israeli “war crimes.”
