BEIJING: A total of 18 countries’ leaders will be coming to next week’s major import expo in China’s commercial hub of Shanghai, the government said on Monday, ranging from Russia and Pakistan to the tiny Cook Islands, though none from major Western nations.
Set to run from Nov. 5 to Nov. 10, the China International Import Expo will bring together thousands of foreign and Chinese companies, aiming to boost imports, allay foreign concern about China’s trade practices and show readiness to narrow trade gaps.
But the United States does not plan to send senior government officials to the fair, a US embassy spokesman said last week. China said that the decision was “hard to understand.” The two countries are locked in a bitter trade war.
China’s Foreign Ministry said leaders would be coming from the Czech Republic, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Lithuania, Panama, El Salvador, Switzerland, the Cook Islands, Croatia, Egypt, Hungary, Georgia, Laos, Malta, Pakistan, Russia and Vietnam.
El Salvador and the Dominican Republic both switched recognition from Taiwan to China this year.
Some are sending presidents, including the Czech Republic and Kenya, while others, such as Russia and Pakistan, are sending their prime ministers.
Asked why certain countries’ leaders had been invited specifically, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said everyone was very enthusiastic about attending the trade fair, but as to who represents which country was up to the countries to decide after “friendly consultations” with China.
“Certainly, it has received broad attention and has been broadly welcomed by the international community,” he said.
China holding an import fair shows the Chinese government’s determination to further open up the country and to share the benefits of China’s development, Lu added.
China says more 130 countries and 2,800 companies have decided to take part, including 180 US companies such as Microsoft Corp, Disney and Intel Corp.
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the import expo in early 2017 and will speak at its opening.
However, some critics have dismissed the event, which China plans to hold every year, as largely a propaganda effort.
Pakistan among 18 countries to attend import fair in China next week
Pakistan among 18 countries to attend import fair in China next week
- China says more 130 countries and 2,800 companies have decided to take part, including 180 US companies
- Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the import expo in early 2017 and will speak at its opening
Pakistani Taliban sanctuaries in Afghanistan a ‘red line,’ PM Sharif warns after airstrikes
- Afghan Taliban said 46 including women and children killed in Pakistani airstrikes in border province of Paktika
- Pakistan army, government have not yet officially confirmed strikes which media reported hit militant hideouts
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged the Taliban rulers in Afghanistan to take action against militants harboring in the neighboring country, days after Kabul said at least 46 people had been killed in Pakistani airstrikes in the eastern border province of Paktika.
The Pakistan army and government have not yet officially confirmed Tuesday’s airstrikes, which the Afghan Taliban said targeted “mostly civilians.”
Media widely reported on Wednesday Pakistani security forces had targeted multiple suspected hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), dismantling a training facility and killing several insurgents.
Addressing the federal cabinet on Friday, Sharif did not confirm the latest airstrikes but said Pakistan was prepared to protect its sovereignty at “every cost.”
“I feel that this is a red line for us, if TTP operates from there [Afghanistan], it is not acceptable for us and we will defend Pakistan’s sovereignty at every cost,” the PM added. “But I would also like to once again urge the Afghan government to adopt a strategy for this issue, and we are ready to engage in discussions on this matter.”
Border tensions between the two countries have escalated since the Taliban government seized power in 2021, with Pakistan battling a resurgence of militant violence in its western border regions.
Islamabad has accused Kabul’s Taliban authorities of harboring militant fighters, allowing them to strike on Pakistani soil with impunity. Kabul has denied the allegations.
“If we get messages that you want to expand relations with us and on the other hand TTP is given a free hand, then this can’t happen, it’s not possible,” Sharif added.
At a weekly press briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch also declined to confirm Tuesday’s airstrikes but said Pakistan was committed to the security of its people, and its security and law enforcement personnel conducted operations based on “concrete intelligence” against terror groups operating in the border areas.
“I would like to add here that Pakistan believes in dialogue and diplomacy. We have always prioritized diplomacy in our relations with Afghanistan,” Baloch said. “Despite the presence of terror hideouts and sanctuaries, and the consistent threat they pose to Pakistan, we have always opted for diplomacy.”
Baloch reiterated Pakistan’s demand that Afghanistan prevent the use of its territory for terror attacks against Pakistan, calling on the neighbor to work with Islamabad to combat the threat posed by groups like the TTP.
“And any issues that either side has with regards to border management, trade and transit trade, security, terrorism, these issues remain high on our bilateral agenda,” Baloch added.
The banned TTP group said in a statement on Wednesday the strikes had hit “the homes of defenseless refugees” on Tuesday evening, killing at least 50 civilians, including 27 women and children.
Deadly air strikes by Pakistan’s military in the border regions of Afghanistan in March that the Taliban authorities said killed eight civilians had prompted skirmishes on the frontier.
Saudi Tourism Authority signs up as title partner for Pakistan’s top tourism expo next month
- Fourth edition of Pakistan Travel Mart to be held in Karachi from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, followed by roadshow in Islamabad
- Saudi Arabia will feature a dedicated pavilion offering visitors a glimpse into its rich heritage and tourism destinations
KARACHI: The Saudi Tourism Authority will be the title partner for Pakistan’s premier tourism expo set to take place in the commercial capital of Karachi next month, the organizers of the event said on Thursday.
The fourth edition of Pakistan Travel Mart, a leading travel trade show, will bring together key stakeholders and partners from both Pakistan and around the world at the Karachi Expo Center from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, followed by a roadshow in Islamabad on Feb. 4-5.
“This is big news for us,” Adeeba Khalid Jadoon, Chief Marketing Officer of PTM, said as she announced the Saudi partnership. “We are really delighted to have Saudi Arabia as a destination and the Saudi Tourism Authority as our title partner.”
Speaking to Arab News, Jadoon described the partnership as a “breakthrough” that would strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.
“The way Saudi Arabia has transformed the tourism landscape, no other country has done that,” she said. “And I think it’s doing exceptionally well when it comes to tourism development, projection of it as a tourism destination.”
Jadoon also praised the “fusion of tradition and modernity” in Saudi Arabia’s tourism offerings.
“There is NEOM, which is completely built on a 100 percent technology foundation, very sleek design, very sleek concept,” she said referring to a futuristic region being built in the desert.
NEOM, a Red Sea urban and industrial development nearly the size of Belgium that is meant to eventually house 9 million people, is central to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
“And if you go toward the AlUla site, it’s a cultural preservation site for the travelers. So, in Saudi Arabia you will find every everyone will find everything for them to experience,” Jadoon added, referring to an ancient Arabian oasis city located in Medina Province, which has become a top tourist site in recent years.
Sophia Al Khawar, Head of Trade and Acting Country Head at the Saudi Tourism Authority, highlighted the wide range of offerings that would be available to Pakistani travelers at the event:
“There are new products for Pakistan. We are supporting you with MICE [Meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions]. We are supporting you with destination weddings, solo travel for women. Saudi has something for everyone ... We host eight World Heritage sites. We have the biggest rave festival of the world. The most sustainable traveling there is, is there.”
Saudi Arabia will feature a dedicated pavilion at PTM 2025, providing attendees with an immersive experience of the Kingdom’s tourism offerings.
“If you wanted to know more about Saudi and what we’re offering you, you have to visit it at the PTM because everybody would get a good glimpse. So, see you at PTM and then see you in Saudi,” Khawar added.
For the first time, PTM will introduce a dedicated Tech Hall, bridging technology and travel to enhance consumer experiences, organizers said. Supported by industry partners like the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), the Tech District will feature technology companies, innovative platforms, and startups within the travel and tourism sector.
This year’s PTM will also feature a Learning Enclave, an interactive space showcasing insights from both local and international travel, tourism, and hospitality experts. The enclave will host talks, panel discussions, case studies, and immersive demonstrations, “transforming traditional learning spaces into dynamic environments designed to maximize engagement and knowledge-sharing,” a press release said.
On death anniversary, Pakistani leaders remember Benazir Bhutto, first woman PM in Muslim world
- Bhutto was daughter of ex-PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who was hanged during reign of former military ruler Gen. Zia-ul-Haq
- Year before assassination in 2007, Bhutto signed landmark deal with rival Nawaz Sharif to prevent army interventions
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other Pakistani leaders on Friday paid tribute to Benazir Bhutto, the first woman prime minister in the Muslim world who was assassinated 17 years ago in a gun and bomb attack after a rally in the city of Rawalpindi.
Bhutto, born on Jun. 21, 1953, was elected premier for the first time in 1988 at the age of 35. She was deposed in 1990, re-elected in 1993, and ousted again in 1996 amid charges of corruption and mismanagement, which she denied as being politically motivated.
Bhutto only entered politics after her father was hanged in 1979 during military ruler Gen. Zia-ul-Haq’s reign. Throughout her political career, she had a complex and often adversarial relationship with the now ruling Sharif family, but despite the differences signed a ‘Charter of Democracy’ in 2006 with three-time former PM Nawaz Sharif, with a pledge to strengthen democratic institutions and prevent military interventions in Pakistan in the future. She was assassinated a year and a half later.
“Today, we commemorate the 17th anniversary of the martyrdom of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto,” PM Shehbaz Sharif, who is Nawaz’s younger brother, said in a post on X. “A champion of democracy, and a staunch advocate of the power of dialogue and reconciliation in the political process, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto remains an icon of courage and resilience.”
President Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto’s widower, urged the nation to draw inspiration from the late premier and work to realize her “dream of a peaceful, progressive, and democratic Pakistan.”
“On this day, we honor a leader who embodied the very spirit of hope, resilience, and unwavering commitment to the ideals of democracy and justice,” he was quoted as saying by Radio Pakistan.
“Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was a trailblazer who dreamt of a Pakistan where the rights of all citizens, irrespective of color, class and creed, would be protected.”
Powerful families from the Bhuttos and Sharifs of Pakistan to the Gandhis of India and the Bandaranaike family of Sri Lanka have dominated politics in this diverse region since independence from British colonial rule. But none have escaped tragedy at the hands of rebels, militants or ambitious military leaders.
It was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who founded the troubled Bhutto dynasty, becoming the country’s first popularly elected prime minister before being toppled by the army in 1977 and later hanged. Both his sons died in mysterious circumstances.
Before her assassination on Dec. 27, 2007, Bhutto survived another suicide attack on her motorcade that killed nearly 150 people as she returned to Pakistan after eight years in exile in October 2007.
Bhutto’s Oxford-educated son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, 36, is now leading her Pakistan Peoples Party, founded by her father, and was foreign minister in the last administration of Shehbaz Sharif.
Pakistan has been ruled by military regimes for almost half its history since independence from Britain in 1947. Both former premier Imran Khan and the elder Sharif, Nawaz, have alleged that they were ousted by the military after they fell out with the generals. The army says it does not interfere in politics.
Pakistani ministry, Saudi Airlines ink agreement to facilitate Hajj pilgrims — state media
- Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims, to be divided between government and private schemes
- Saudi Airlines will provide travel services for 35,000 Pakistani government-sponsored Hajj pilgrims under the new agreement
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry has signed an agreement with Saudi Airlines to facilitate travel of Pakistani Hajj pilgrims, Pakistani state media reported on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims, to be divided equally between government and private schemes.
Under the agreement with the Pakistani religious affairs ministry, Saudi Airlines will provide travel services for 35,000 Pakistani government-sponsored Hajj pilgrims, the state-run APP news agency reported.
“The agreement was formalized during a ceremony attended by Sultan Al-Harbi, Country Manager of Saudi Airlines in Pakistan, and Dr. Syed Ata-ur-Rehman, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony,” the report read.
“This collaboration follows a previous agreement between the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which also pledged travel arrangements for 35,000 pilgrims as part of this year’s Hajj operations.”
The religious affairs ministry has also signed an agreement with the Pakistan’s National Testing Service (NTS), which will hold exams for the selection of supervisors and assistants for next year’s pilgrimage, the ministry said this month.
Pakistan selects hundreds of assistants and doctors from federal and provincial government departments via a competitive process every year to facilitate local pilgrims in performing the rituals of the annual pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The ministry said it would “soon” announce the selection through an advertisement.
The Pakistani government approved a new Hajj policy in November.
The cost of next year’s Hajj under the government scheme is expected to range between Rs1,075,000 to Rs1,175,000, while an additional cost for the sacrifice of animals during the pilgrimage will be Rs55,000, according to the ministry.
The first installment of Hajj dues, amounting to Rs200,000, have to be deposited at the time of the application, while the second installment of Rs400,000 will be paid within ten days of the balloting and if your name is picked in the lucky draw. The remaining amount can be paid by Feb. 10 next year.
Pakistan arrests woman among two more human smugglers after deadly Greek shipwreck
- The boat capsize near the Greek island of Gavdos killed at least five Pakistani nationals this month
- The arrests come days after Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif ordered a crackdown on human smugglers
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have arrested a woman among two more human smugglers after a recent boat tragedy off the coast of Greece that killed at least five Pakistanis, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said on Thursday, an intensified crackdown on human smuggling networks.
The arrests come in the wake of the boat capsize this month near the Greek island of Gavdos, which highlighted the perilous journeys many migrants undertake, often driven by conflicts in the Middle East. In the case of Pakistani nationals, economic challenges push many young individuals to attempt dangerous crossings to Europe in search of better financial prospects.
The issue of illegal immigration to Europe came under greater scrutiny in the South Asian country last year when hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, who were en route to Greece from Libya, drowned after an overcrowded vessel capsized off the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos.
On Thursday, the FIA said it had apprehended suspects, Isha Fatima and Abdullah Shehzad, who were involved in both incidents, in Gujranwala city of Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province, while the agency was conducting raids for the arrest of other human smugglers.
“Female human trafficker Isha Fatima is involved in the Greek boat accident, while proclaimed offender Abdullah Shahzad is involved in the Libya boat accident that occurred in 2023,” it said in a statement.
“Isha Fatima, with the connivance of other accomplices, trafficked one of the Pakistanis from Libya to Greece via boat. The Pakistani national was rescued in the Greek boat accident [this month].”
The woman suspect had received Rs4.5 million ($16,189) from the survivor, according to the investigation agency. The other suspect, Shehzad, had been involved in the 2023 incident that killed more than 250 Pakistani nationals. He had taken Rs2.9 million ($10,433) from each victim for sending them abroad.
The development came days after the FIA said it had apprehended two suspects in Punjab’s Gujranwala and Gujrat, who were involved in this month’s boat capsize.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this month called for enhanced cooperation with international agencies, seeking swift action against human trafficking networks. He also instructed the FIA to compile a detailed report on migration-related incidents over the past year and implement an Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) to monitor and prevent illegal movement.
“A crackdown on elements involved in the Greek boat tragedy is underway. All resources are being utilized to arrest the suspects,” Abdul Qadir Qamar, FIA Gujranwala zone director, said on Thursday.
“In the light of solid evidence, the accused will be handed down stern punishment.”
