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Mohammed bin Zayed first UAE leader to visit Pakistan after 12 years

Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrives at the Nur Khan Airbase in Islamabad on Sunday. (APP)
Updated 06 January 2019
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Mohammed bin Zayed first UAE leader to visit Pakistan after 12 years

  • Was received by PM Khan at the airport and honored with a 21-gun salute
  • Follows launch of 40 projects worth $200mn as per an agreement between the two countries
Updated 06 January 2019
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces arrived in Islamabad on Sunday as part of his first official visit to the country where he was received by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“The crown prince, upon the invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, is visiting Pakistan after nearly 12 years,” a statement released by Pakistan’s Foreign Office read on Sunday.

It added: “This is the third interaction between the leadership of the two countries in less than three months -- a testimony to the special brotherly relations with the GCC country.”

PM Khan had embarked on his first visit to the UAE in September last year where the two leaders had discussed joint cooperation in various fields of mutual interest. They had also decided to work closely in order to benefit the people of both nations, particularly as the two countries are interlinked by common traditions, values, and strong bilateral ties.

During his second trip in November, PM Khan had reached out to the UAE for financial assistance in order to tackle Pakistan’s economic crisis. In return, the UAE promised to provide $3 billion as support for its balance of payments issue, in addition to providing oil supply on deferred payments.

The two countries had also agreed to chalk out a comprehensive roadmap to accelerate cooperation and partnership in areas specific to trade, investment, economic development, energy, infrastructure, and agriculture.

PM Khan and Sheikh Mohammed had also decided at the time that the next Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission -- to be co-chaired by the respective Foreign Ministers of both countries -- in Abu Dhabi, in February this year.

Both the leaders also reviewed several areas of cooperation between the UAE and Pakistan and exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual concern.

“UAE-Pakistan ties are based on a strong history of cooperation and respect. Relations between the two countries will continue to prosper across all fields,” Shaikh Mohammad had said at the time. 

The UAE is Pakistan’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and is home to more than 1.6 million expatriates who contribute nearly $4.5 billion to the country’s GDP every year.

In order to further strengthen their relationship, the two countries launched the UAE Pakistan Assistance Program (PAP) which aims to oversee development in five key areas namely, infrastructure, education, healthcare, water, and agriculture, at a cost of approximately $200 million.  

Implementation of the projects has already begun. “Under the latest directives given by Crown Prince Zayed Al Nahyan, the implementation of 40 development and humanitarian projects started in Pakistan at a cost of $200 million,” the UAE Embassy in Pakistan tweeted on Sunday.

Funded by the Abu Dhabi Development Fund, the projects include the construction of the 42-kilometer Khyber Pakhtunkhwa highway, a 65-kilometer highway in Balochistan, construction of a college and two schools for 1,500 students in Balochistan, and the construction of a cardiac hospital in Quetta.

Nearly 29 other projects are being dedicated to ensuring the steady supply of water to villages and cities that have limited access to clean drinking water. The projects will also include the construction of the first date factory in Pakistan.

The UAE-PAP’s mission is to execute development projects that offer sustainability and continuous benefits to residents in the long run. The program’s first and second phase saw a total of 165 projects being implemented between 2011 and 2017, at a total cost of $420 million.

The four infrastructure projects completed by UAE-PAP, at a total cost of $121 million, include the 50-kilometer Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Road, the 72-kilometer Pak-Emirates Friendship Road, the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Bridge and the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Bridge.

As per the directives of the crown prince, the UAE-PAP constructed four roads and bridge projects worth $121 million, which included the reconstruction of two flood-destroyed bridges along the Swat River and two new roads in southern and northern Waziristan. These are some of the most vital projects to be undertaken as part of infrastructure development measures in remote areas in Pakistan. 

In education, the UAE-PAP took the initiative to build and equip 60 educational institutions, at a cost of $41.5 million, as per international standards.

The program also sponsored health projects which were the top priority in the UAE’s humanitarian efforts to support Pakistan’s healthcare sector, especially in remote areas which lack basic and vital services. These include seven hospitals, clinics and medical institutes equipped with up-to-date medical facilities in Swat, Bajaur, and Dir, in addition to the construction of four hospitals in South Waziristan.

Topics: Pakistan UAE Pakistan-UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan

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Hungarian foreign minister leads business delegation to Islamabad amid investment push

Updated 23 sec ago
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Hungarian foreign minister leads business delegation to Islamabad amid investment push

  • Péter Szijjártó attends business forum with 17-member Hungarian business group in Islamabad
  • Pakistan and Hungary sign agreement to abolish visa requirements for diplomatic passport holders
Updated 23 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Top companies from Hungary are in Pakistan this week for business-to-business engagements with their counterparts, the Hungarian foreign minister said, as Islamabad pushes to seek investments from allies old and new to bolster its struggling economy. 
The IMF’s $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF), approved last year, has played a key role in stabilizing Pakistan’s economy in recent months and set it on the path of long-term recovery. However, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government has vowed to reduce dependence on foreign loans in the coming years and seek more direct investment.
“I have brought with me top business leaders from Hungary. They are meeting with their Pakistani counterparts in B2B sessions today, and we hope to see new partnerships and trade avenues open,” Hungarian Foreign and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó, who led a 17-member Hungarian business delegation to Islamabad, said at a business forum on Thursday.
Key public and private sector representatives from both countries attended the business forum to identify sector-specific synergies. Hungarian delegates represented industries such as IT, agri-tech, water management, health tech and advanced manufacturing, sectors in line with Pakistan’s development goals.
The Hungarian foreign minister also pointed to opportunities for collaboration in various sectors, including energy, agriculture, IT, food security, sports, and advanced manufacturing, and said a Hungarian private airline was exploring launching operations in Pakistan, indicating growing interest and confidence in the Pakistani market.


Szijjártó called Pakistan an “important economic partner” and emphasized Hungary’s continued advocacy for Pakistan’s preferential trade access to European markets under the GSP+ scheme. 
“Hungary stands with Pakistan on the GSP+ front. It not only benefits Pakistan’s exports but also strengthens EU-Pakistan relations through sustainable development and inclusive trade,” he said.
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, speaking at the business forum, welcomed Hungary’s continued support for Pakistan’s GSP+ status and praised Hungary’s technological strengths, particularly in seed technology, agriculture feed, and the services sector. 
“Our economic reforms are designed to improve ease of doing business, attract foreign investment, and create strong infrastructure to support sustainable growth,” said Kamal, highlighting several government initiatives such as the National Tariff Policy, Strategic Trade Policy Framework, Pakistan Single Window, and transit trade agreements with Central Asian countries aimed at enhancing regional and global trade integration.
On Thursday, Pakistan and Hungary signed an agreement to abolish visa requirements for diplomatic passport holders of both countries, along with two memorandums of understanding in the fields of culture and archaeology.

Topics: Pakistan Hungary Ties

Pakistan seals spot in Women’s Cricket World Cup after recording four straight wins

Updated 10 min 58 sec ago
AP
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Pakistan seals spot in Women’s Cricket World Cup after recording four straight wins

  • After defeating Ireland, Scotland and the West Indies, Pakistan thumped Thailand by 87 runs
  • Bangladesh, Scotland and the West Indies are still in contention for the one remaining spot
Updated 10 min 58 sec ago
AP

LAHORE: Pakistan secured a place in the Women’s Cricket World Cup by beating Thailand on Thursday for its fourth straight victory in the qualifying tournament.
After defeating Ireland, Scotland and the West Indies, Pakistan thumped Thailand by 87 runs at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore to seal one of the two vacant World Cup places.
Bangladesh, Scotland and the West Indies are still in contention for the remaining spot to join host India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka in the eight-team, 50-over tournament later this year.
Bangladesh, which has won three of its four games, will play Pakistan on Saturday, when the West Indies round faces Thailand. Scotland meets Ireland on Friday in its last game.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana led from the front and took 10 wickets in four games. She is second on the bowling chart in the qualifying tournament behind Hayley Matthews of the West Indies, who has bagged 12 wickets in four games.
Sana orchestrated Pakistan’s place at the World Cup with her brilliant all-round performance against Thailand as she scored a half-century and then claimed 3-39 with her medium fast bowling.
The International Cricket Council has not yet announced the dates and venues of the World Cup, but last December agreed to a hybrid model due to severe political relations between India and Pakistan. All matches involving India and Pakistan in an ICC event will be played at a neutral venue.
 

Topics: Pakistan women cricket team Cricket World Cup

Pakistani actor Yasir Hussain says ready to put career on hold for wife Iqra Aziz

Updated 42 min 38 sec ago
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Pakistani actor Yasir Hussain says ready to put career on hold for wife Iqra Aziz

  • Hussain and Aziz are among Pakistan’s most talked-about celebrity couples who tied the knot in 2019
  • Despite shared background in showbiz, Hussain says they maintain professional boundaries in the industry
Updated 42 min 38 sec ago
BURAQ SHABBIR

KARACHI: Pakistani actor and director Yasir Hussain has said he is willing to pause his career and stay home with his young son if his wife, acclaimed actress Iqra Aziz, required him to, highlighting his support for her flourishing career in the entertainment industry.

Aziz and Hussain, one of Pakistan’s most talked-about celebrity couples, tied the knot in December 2019 following a public proposal at the Lux Style Awards that year. The couple welcomed their son, Kabir, in July 2021 and have since carefully balanced their personal life with demanding professional commitments.

Aziz is currently starring in the television drama Paradise, while Hussain is performing as the director and male lead in the theater production Monkey Business, running at the Karachi Arts Council. 

Despite their shared background in showbiz, the two have taken different routes, with Aziz focusing largely on television dramas and Hussain leaning toward theater and directing.

“Today, if she [Iqra] tells me to leave everything and take care of Kabir because she is doing a film, I’ll leave everything,” Hussain told Arab News in an interview this week. “Obviously, my child comes first for me.”

He said fatherhood and marriage had brought a noticeable change in his temperament.

“I was very hyper before marriage,” he said.. “It’s a good change and I am liking it.”

Hussain said being part of the same profession had helped him and his wife better understand each other’s demanding schedules.

“If I was married to a doctor, maybe, so I don’t know her profession, she doesn’t know mine,” he said. 

“So, maybe there would have been some issues in between us like what are these shift timings or it’s not fair that you go to the theater everyday all day. So, there would have been issues perhaps. But now we know how it works.”

Still, Hussain said he made a conscious effort to maintain professional boundaries, including not seeking roles opposite his wife on screen.

“I think there is a gap of 10 or 11 years between Iqra and I,” he added. “I want her to work with actors her age. I don’t want her screen age to increase for no reason because of me.”

Hussain also said he didn’t seek to share the small screen with his wife just because she was a famous actress.

Previously, though, the couple have worked together in the drama serial Jhooti while they were engaged, and later in the mini-series Aik Thi Laila, which Hussain directed. He has also produced Paradise, which Aziz is currently starring in alongside actor Shuja Asad.

“Marriage is a very personal thing and I don’t want to show that chemistry onscreen in a TV drama at least.”

And though they were both part of the entertainment industry, Hussain said they maintained clear professional independence.

“We have a life as individuals as well. We don’t influence each other on the career choices we wish to make,” he said.

That said, he expressed a preference for Aziz to avoid dark or gritty roles.

“I don’t want Iqra to do films like Javed Iqbal or Taxali Gate or the series Khatarnaak that I’m shooting in Lahore,” he said. 

“I don’t want her to get into such dark content. She is a very lively person and has the image of a happy-go-lucky individual. I don’t want her image to be dark or political.”

Topics: yasir hussain iqra aziz

Pakistan warns hail, heavy rains could hit capital, cities in Punjab from today

Updated 18 April 2025
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Pakistan warns hail, heavy rains could hit capital, cities in Punjab from today

  • Hailstorm on Wednesday wreaked havoc in Pakistani capital, damaging thousands of car and windows of homes
  • Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change, facing numerous impacts like rising extreme weather events
Updated 18 April 2025
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a weather alert on Thursday warning of hailstorms and heavy rainfall in the federal capital, Islamabad, and a number of cities in Punjab province from today, Friday. 

The fresh warnings come a day after a severe hailstorm and heavy rainfall lashed Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, and its surrounding areas, damaging thousands of vehicles and smashing the windows of homes. 

Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change, facing numerous impacts like rising temperatures, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and changes in agricultural patterns. The country’s vulnerability is exacerbated by factors like reliance on the Indus River, which is fed by melting glaciers, and its location in a region prone to floods and droughts.

“Heavy rainfall, windstorms, thunderstorms and isolated hailstorms are expected [from Apr. 18-19], posing risks to infrastructure, transportation and agricultural activities,” the NDMA said in a statement. 

It listed cities in upper and central Punjab including Attock, Chakwal, Gujrat, Jhelum, Faisalabad, Hafizabad, Jhang, Khushab, Mianwali, Lahore, Narowal, Sahiwal, Sargodha and Sheikhupura, as being at risk. 

Strong winds accompanied by heavy rain could also cause trees to fall and lead to temporary power outages, the NDMA said, adding that hailstorms posed a threat to weak structures, rooftops, vehicles and power lines. Hail could also damage crops and outdoor structures, particularly those with glass surfaces. The combination of rain and dust could also reduce visibility and increase the risk of road accidents.

The NDMA urged the public to stay informed by using its mobile application, “Pak NDMA Disaster Alert,” for real-time updates and advised tourists and residents to monitor official sources for the latest weather forecasts. 

Travelers were also cautioned to check road conditions before leaving their homes and to avoid unnecessary journeys during severe weather. People living in landslide-prone areas were instructed to stay vigilant and strictly adhere to local safety adviseries.

Experts say there is evidence suggesting a link between climate change and increased hailstorm frequency and intensity. While the exact relationship is still being studied, a warming climate can create conditions more conducive to large hail formation.

Topics: Pakistan weather Hailstrom NDMA

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Pakistan Senate committee approves bill to establish commission for minority rights

Updated 17 April 2025
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Pakistan Senate committee approves bill to establish commission for minority rights

  • Constitution guarantees equal rights and protection for all citizens, including religious minorities but disparities in practice persist
  • Minorities face persistent challenges in accessing public services and participating fully in social and economic life
Updated 17 April 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Senate Subcommittee on Human Rights on Thursday approved a bill to establish a commission on minority rights in accordance with the United Nations and international standards and regulations, a statement from the committee said on Thursday.
The Pakistani constitution guarantees equal rights and protection for all citizens, including religious minorities, but disparities in practice persist. While the constitution protects freedom of religion and prohibits discrimination based on religion, minorities face persistent challenges in accessing public services and participating fully in social and economic life. There is also widespread persecution of minority groups. 
On Thursday, the minister of law briefed the Senate committee on the National Commission for Minorities, which will constitute eight members, four from the government and four representing the parliament.
“There will be Parliamentary Committee consisting of four members: which will be nominated by the Speaker National Assembly, two from the treasury and two from the opposition benches,” according to a statement from the Senate.
“Besides this, two minority members from each province, who are Pakistani citizens not younger than 35 years of age and possessing considerable knowledge and practical experience in Human Rights advocacy, will be included in the commission.”
The statement said the recommended timelines for the process were a maximum of 45 to 60 days. The commission would hold the power to direct other local human rights institutions to take up matters in their own ambit of expertise. 
The committee reached consensus on two key points.
“First, the nomination for the National Commission for Minorities will be shortlisted within 30 days, and the Constitution of Commission will be completed within 45 days,” the statement said. “Secondly, the minimum age for nominated members will be 35 years.”
According to a copy of the bill widely reported by local media, the commission will “assess and monitor [the] implementation of the constitutional guarantees and safeguard for promotion and protection of rights of minorities.”
The commission will also review existing or proposed policies or programs to prevent discrimination and protect minorities and provide recommendations to the relevant departments.

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