KARACHI: Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are optimistic that they will be able to resolve a long-standing dispute, amounting to $800 million and to be paid by telecom giant Etisalat, when their representatives meet next month, officials said on Friday.
The issue is over the privatization proceeds of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) which were to be paid by UAE's Etisalat.
“I am confident the issue will be resolved in the first week of February,” Senator Fida Muhammad, member of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, told Arab News on Friday.
He added that he has been following up on the payment issue for the past six to seven months which is “our top priority because a lot of time has been wasted”.
“We have categorically told the ministry that we have to make progress under the agreement (with Etisalat) and get the issue resolved," the senator, who belongs to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, said.
He added: “We plan to get the $800 million from Etisalat in five equal instalments in six months’ time”.
According to the senator, a UAE delegation will visit Pakistan later this month to discuss the matter.
Earlier on Wednesday, Secretary Privatization Commission of Pakistan, Rizwan Malik had told the Senate Standing Committee that a meeting with Etisalat's management was due at the end of this month.
Pakistan had privatized PTCL in 2005 through a bidding process which saw UAE’s Etisalat emerge as the winner. It acquired 26 percent stakes and the management control of PTCL for $2.6 billion. However, Etisalat withheld $800 million and the issue has remained unresolved for more than a decade.
Last year, Pakistan’s privatization ministry had hinted at moving the International Court of Arbitration (ICC) against Etisalat for the payment of $800 million which is overdue.
“We are moving a summary to the federal government to take up the issue with the UAE government for the settlement of outstanding dues. Going to the ICC is the last option that Pakistan will exercise," Irfan Ali, former Secretary of Privatization, had told Arab News.
Etisalat withheld the payment on the grounds that Islamabad has not yet mutated some 3,500 properties as part of the agreement with the government of Pakistan.
Last year, UAE's acting Consul General in Karachi, Bakheet Ateeq Al Romaithi, had told Arab News that the UAE and incoming government of Pakistan would resolve the issue of PTCL's overdue privatization proceeds worth $800 million.
"I am honest with you there is no issue at all and it is between two brothers. I am 100 percent sure the issue will be resolved after the new government takes up the matter," Romaithi had said at the time.
However, Malik on Wednesday told the committee that PTCL’s asset management wing had provided flawed records on its properties as it owned only 3,248 properties but had mentioned 3,384 in the privatization agreement which was finalized in 2006.
"Thegovernment, which has 62 percent stake in PTCL on November 15, 2018, has provided the list of all 3,248 properties to Etisalat with details why the remaining 33 properties could not be transferred to PTCL," Dawn newspaper quoted Malik as saying during the briefing.
He added that the remaining 33 properties, which cannot be transferred to PTCL, had been evaluated at the market price and that the information had been conveyed to Etisalat.
PTCL shareholding was 62 percent, when 26 percent of shares and control were sold to Etisalat while the remaining 12 percent were sold to the general public in 2006 under an intensified privatization program launched by former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
Pakistan hopes to resolve $800mn payment row with UAE telecom provider
Pakistan hopes to resolve $800mn payment row with UAE telecom provider
- Delegation to visit Islamabad in February to end dispute with Etisalat, senator tells Arab News
- Authorities plan to retrieve amount in five equal installments
India issues visas to 100 Pakistani pilgrims for Sufi saint’s death anniversary
- Pakistani pilgrims to depart for Ajmer in India today to partake in religious festivities
- India issued visas “significantly below” allowed quota of 500 pilgrims, says state media
ISLAMABAD: India has issued visas to 100 Pakistani pilgrims to attend events related to the annual death anniversary of revered Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, state media reported this week, saying that the number was “significantly below” the allowed quota of 500 pilgrims.
Pakistan and India regularly issue visas to residents of each other’s countries to attend birth and death anniversaries of religious personalities. The 1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines agreement allows devotees from both countries to visit sacred sites, including Hindu temples in Pakistan and Islamic shrines in India.
However, political tensions between the two nations have at times disrupted these exchanges, with instances where visas were denied to religious pilgrims.
“The Indian authorities have issued visas to only 100 Pakistani pilgrims for the annual Urs of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer Sharif, India, significantly below the allotted quota of 500,” state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said on Saturday.
Pakistan’s religion ministry spokesperson Umer Butt said India has denied visas to a potential 400 Pakistani pilgrims this year to attend Chishti’s death anniversary.
“Despite the restrictions, he said 100 Pakistani pilgrims are set to leave for Ajmer Sharif on Sunday via the Wagah border,” APP reported.
He said these pilgrims will participate in various religious ceremonies at Chishti’s shrine, widely known as Gharib Nawaz, at Ajmer in India’s Rajasthan.
Despite the tensions between the two countries, Pakistan has actively promoted religious tourism in recent years, welcoming Buddhist monks as well as Hindu and Sikh pilgrims from India and across the globe.
The inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor in 2019, which allows visa-free travel for Indian Sikhs to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, is a significant milestone in these efforts.
Each year, a large number of Indian Sikhs also travel to Pakistan to pay homage at sacred sites, including Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Samadhi in Lahore, the last resting place of the founder of the Sikh Empire, and Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, revered for its connection to Guru Nanak.
Pakistan demands UN take meaningful measures for free plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir
- Pakistan marks Jan. 5 every year to commemorate day UN recognized right to self-determination for people of Kashmir in 1949
- PM Shehbaz Sharif urges world to call for immediate cessation of human rights violations, release of political prisoners
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the international community and the United Nations on Sunday to ensure a free, fair and transparent plebiscite for the people of Indian-administered Kashmir, criticizing New Delhi for taking steps to “consolidate its occupation” of the disputed valley.
Pakistan marks ‘Right to Self-Determination Day’ for the people of Indian-administered Kashmir every year on Jan. 5, which commemorates the United Nations Security Council’s resolution passed on Jan. 5, 1949. In it, the UN supported the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to decide their future through a free and fair plebiscite under UN supervision.
The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir has been divided between Pakistan and India since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both countries govern parts of the territory but claim it in full, having fought two of their three wars over the disputed region.
“It is time for the international community, including the United Nations, to live up to their promises and take meaningful measures, enabling the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination,” Sharif said in his statement.
Sharif noted that every year the UN expresses unequivocal support for the realization of the right to self-determination for peoples under foreign occupation.
“Regrettably, the Kashmiri people have not been able to exercise this inalienable right for over seven decades,” he said.
“The international community must also call for immediate cessation of human rights violations, release of political prisoners, and restoration of fundamental rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people.”
In 2019, India repealed Article 370, which granted special autonomous status to the part of Kashmir controlled by New Delhi, and the era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan was over, India Today reported.
The move triggered a sharp reaction from Pakistan, which suspended trade with India and downgraded its ties with the country.
“Through a series of illegal and unilateral actions taken since 5 August 2019, India is trying to alter the demographic and political structure of the disputed territory, aimed at transforming the majority Kashmiri people into a disempowered minority community, in their own homeland,” Sharif said.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s “strong resolve” to continue extending its moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir to pursue their right to self-determination.
Pakistan government warns of ‘hurdles’ to talks if Imran Khan’s party doesn’t submit demands
- Second round of talks between Khan’s party, government ended inconclusively this week after PTI did not submit demands in writing
- Khan’s party has publicly stated two demands: release of political prisoners and setting up of judicial commissions to probe protests
ISLAMABAD: A leading government spokesperson this week warned that negotiations with former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party may face “serious hurdles” if the party fails to submit its demands in writing in the next meeting.
The PTI and the government’s second round of talks on Jan. 2 ended inconclusively after Khan’s party demanded more time to meet and consult the jailed former premier before submitting their demands in writing to the government.
The two sides kicked off negotiations last month to end the political deadlock in the country. Khan’s party has publicly stated two demands: the release of political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate protests on May 9, 2023, and Nov. 26, 2024, which the government says involved his party supporters, accusing them of attacking military installations and government buildings.
“In an interview with a private television channel, he [Senator Irfan Siddiqui] said that if PTI does not submit its demands in writing as promised, the negotiation process may face serious hurdles,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
“He said even after 12 days, no significant progress has been made.”
Siddiqui, who is the parliamentary leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ()PML-N) in the Senate and a member of the government’s negotiation committee, said the government had facilitated Khan’s party by arranging its meetings with the former prime minister in jail.
However, he said the PTI remained “indecisive” about formalizing their demands despite written assurances made in joint declarations.
“However, if the written demands are not presented in the third meeting, the negotiations could face significant setbacks,” Radio Pakistan quoted Siddiqui as saying.
He said the date for the third meeting between the two sides would be decided by the PTI.
Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in 2022 has plunged Pakistan into a political crisis, particularly since the PTI founder was jailed in August last year on corruption and other charges and remains behind bars. His party and supporters have regularly held protests calling for his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent.
The talks between the two sides opened days after Khan threatened a civil disobedience movement, and amid growing concerns he may face trial by a military court for allegedly inciting attacks on sensitive security installations during the May 9, 2023 protests.
Pakistan Business Council elects new board to strengthen trade, investment ties with UAE
- PBC provides a platform to Pakistani companies and professionals in Dubai, helping them with networking
- It also engages in initiatives to enhance Pakistan’s image, organize business forums and cultural activities
PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) Dubai, a non-profit organization established in 2004 to strengthen trade and investment ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has elected its new board of directors for the 2025-2026 term, according to its statement on Saturday.
PBC serves as a platform for Pakistan-related companies and professionals operating in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, facilitating business networking, information exchange and maintaining strong connections to Pakistan.
Established under the patronage of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the council boasts a membership of over 200 Pakistani businessmen and companies from diverse sectors, including trade, manufacturing, professional services, finance, technology and health care.
Pakistan’s Consul General in Dubai, Hussain Muhammad, congratulated the newly elected board during a ceremony held at the Pakistan Association Dubai.
“The PBC serves as a dynamic platform for fostering trade, investment and collaboration between Pakistan and the UAE,” he said, according to a council statement. “I urge the new board to continue identifying and promoting sectors where both nations can collaborate for mutual benefit.”
PBC actively engages in initiatives to enhance Pakistan’s image. It also closely works with local government departments in Dubai and organizes events such as business forums, seminars, workshops and cultural celebrations related to Pakistan.
During the ceremony, the consul general praised the outgoing board for their contributions and highlighted the strong relationship between Pakistan and the UAE.
Members of both the outgoing and incoming boards also addressed the gathering, saying the council was playing a vital role in promoting business-to-business collaboration between the two countries.
Vehicle-borne bomb in Balochistan kills five paramilitary soldiers, injures over two dozen
- The attack occurred when a convoy of Frontier Corps personnel was moving near Turbat city
- A Baloch separatist group claimed responsibility for the attack that also injured 11 civilians
QUETTA: At least five paramilitary soldiers of the Frontier Corps (FC) were killed and over two dozen others injured in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device targeted a bus carrying security personnel near Turbat city on Saturday.
The attack was initially confirmed by Rashid Zehri, the area’s district police officer, who said it occurred when a convoy of paramilitary soldiers escorted by FC vehicles was moving from an area about 10 kilometers from Turbat in Kech district.
Zehri said the bus carrying FC personnel caught fire after the attack, adding that the explosion also destroyed two civilian vehicles and two motorbikes without confirming the number of casualties in the attack.
“Civilians injured in the attack have been shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital, Turbat, while the paramilitary force has taken its soldiers to the FC camp for medical treatment,” he told Arab News over the phone.
However, a senior provincial administration official, who requested anonymity since he was not authorized to speak to the media, said five paramilitary soldiers were killed in the attack, which also injured nearly 40 others, including civilians.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying “terrorists will not be allowed to succeed in their nefarious objectives.”
Chief Minister Balochistan Sarfaraz Bugti also called the perpetrators of the attack “unworthy of being called humans.”
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an armed separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Balochistan, a mineral-rich province sharing borders with Iran and Afghanistan, has faced an insurgency for decades, which has intensified in recent years. The Baloch separatists accuse the Pakistani state of exploiting the region’s resources without adequately benefiting its population. However, Pakistani governments deny the allegations, saying they have launched several development projects to promote prosperity and improve the lives of residents in the province.
The BLA, with a strong presence in Balochistan, has emerged as a major threat to the state, carrying out deadly attacks, including suicide bombings, to target Pakistani security forces. According to provincial administration data, Balochistan witnessed a dramatic surge in militant violence in 2024, resulting in about 300 deaths in over 550 attacks.
Dr. Amjad Baloch, Medical Superintendent of the DHQ Hospital in Turbat, said his staff treated 11 civilians injured in the blast.
“All the injured were brought in stable condition and discharged after their initial medical treatment,” he told Arab News.
