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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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Islamabad’s delegation in New York to advance Pakistan’s case following India standoff briefs UNSC

Updated 32 min 36 sec ago
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Islamabad’s delegation in New York to advance Pakistan’s case following India standoff briefs UNSC

  • PM appointed delegation to visit world capitals to advocate for Pakistan after latest military confrontation with India
  • Military escalation between May 7-10 saw the two countries trade missile, drones and artillery fire until US brokered a ceasefire
Updated 32 min 36 sec ago
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: A high-level Pakistani delegation, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, has met representatives of the United Nations Security Council’s elected member states and briefed them on last month’s conflict between India and Pakistan as well as New Delhi’s attempt to block Pakistan’s share of Indus waters, Pakistani state media reported on Monday.

Tensions between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India remain high since they struck a ceasefire on May 10 following the most intense military confrontation between them in decades. Both countries accuse the other of supporting militancy on each other’s soil — a charge both capitals deny.

The latest military escalation, in which the two countries traded missile, drones and artillery fire, was sparked after India accused Pakistan of supporting militants who killed over two dozen tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. Islamabad denies involvement.

In its meeting with representatives of Denmark, Greece, Panama, Japan and other UNSC member states in New York, the Pakistani delegation highlighted that Islamabad’s response to Indian missile strikes was “measured, responsible and in accordance with the UN Charter,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

“It briefed the UNSC elected members that [India’s] holding [of] Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance may lead to water shortage, food crisis and environmental disaster in Pakistan,” the report read. 

“The delegation called on the members of the Security Council to move beyond conflict management and actively support conflict resolution in South Asia.”

India announced suspending the 1960 World Bank-brokered treaty, which ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, a day after the April 22 attack. Islamabad has called for a credible, international probe into the attack and described the Indian move to suspend the treaty as “act of war.”

Bhutto-Zardari told UNSC members that Indian allegations against Pakistan were without any “credible investigation or verifiable evidence,” and that New Delhi’s targeting of innocent civilians and suspension of Indus Waters Treaty was a threat to regional peace, according to the report.

The Pakistani delegates underscored Islamabad’s commitment to restraint and initiation of a comprehensive dialogue to address outstanding issues with India, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. 

Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety but rule it in part.

“The elected members of UN Security Council appreciated Pakistan’s outreach and welcomed its reaffirmation of commitment to peace and diplomacy,” the report said.

“They noted the significance of de-escalation, respect for international law, and the peaceful settlement of disputes emphasized that the UN Charter must guide state conduct, particularly in regions of high sensitivity such as South Asia. They acknowledged the risks posed by any further escalation and stressed the need to pursue diplomatic solutions.”

The Pakistani delegation, led by Bhutto-Zardari, will also visit Washington DC, London and Brussels to present Pakistan’s position on the conflict. Another delegation, led by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, will visit Moscow this week.

Pakistan’s foreign office earlier said the two delegations will “underscore the imperative for the international community to play its due role in promoting a lasting peace in South Asia.”

Topics: Pakistan India standoff Former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari

Pakistan’s Punjab issues fresh rain alert after 21 killed by storms last month

Updated 02 June 2025
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Pakistan’s Punjab issues fresh rain alert after 21 killed by storms last month

  • Pakistan has seen erratic weather changes leading to frequent heatwaves, untimely rains, storms and droughts in recent years
  • Thunderstorms last month also claimed more than 10 lives and injured 30 others in the neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
Updated 02 June 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Monday issued a fresh alert about rains and strong, dusty winds in the province from June 2 till June 5, days after thunderstorms killed nearly two dozen people in Pakistan’s most populous province.

Thunderstorms killed at least 21 people and injured more than 100 others in Punjab as moist currents penetrated upper parts of Pakistan late last month, according to national and provincial disaster management authorities.

More rains and gusty winds are expected in Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiat, Attock, Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Narowal, Okara, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Khushab, Sargodha, Mianwali, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar districts.

“Citizens should stay in safe places to protect themselves from lightning. The public should never go out under the open sky during thunderstorms and storms,” the PDMA quoted its Director-General Irfan Ali Kathia as saying.

Due to possible rains, it said, the intensity of heat will decrease during the three-day Eid Al-Adha festival, which begins on Saturday.

Kathia said the PDMA has alerted the district administrations as well as health, irrigation, construction and communications, local government and livestock departments.

Pakistan has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns which have led to frequent heat waves, untimely rains, storms, cyclones and droughts in recent years. Scientists have blamed the events on human-driven climate change.

Thunderstorms last month also claimed more than 10 lives, while 30 others sustained injuries in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan’s northwest, according to provincial authorities.

In 2022, devastating floods, blamed on human-driven climate change, killed more than 1,700 Pakistanis, affected another 33 million and caused the country over $30 billion in economic losses.

Topics: Punjab rain Pakistan rain Provincial Disaster Management Authority thunderstorms

Pakistan to play in Colombo when India hosts women’s World Cup

Updated 02 June 2025
Reuters
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Pakistan to play in Colombo when India hosts women’s World Cup

  • India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since 2013 and play their matches in neutral venues when either country hosts an ICC event
  • Neutral venue arrangement between the countries will also be in place for the men’s T20 World Cup in 2026, which India will co-host with Sri Lanka
Updated 02 June 2025
Reuters

Pakistan will play all their women’s 50-over World Cup matches in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo when India hosts this year’s tournament, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Monday.

Politically-estranged India and Pakistan, who have not played a bilateral series since 2013, will play their matches in neutral venues when either country hosts an ICC event, the sport’s global governing body announced in December.

“The venues for the knockouts are dependent on Pakistan qualifying as two alternative venues have been identified for one semifinal and the final,” the ICC said.

“Colombo will be the venue for the first semifinal and the final only if Pakistan qualify for those stages.”

Bengaluru, where the tournament will start with India playing in the opening match, will host the final on November 2 if Pakistan are knocked out earlier in the tournament, the ICC added.

Bengaluru will also stage the second semifinal on October 30, a day after the first semifinal in Colombo or Guwahati. Visakhapatnam and Indore are the two other host cities for the eight-team tournament.

India played all their matches in Dubai when Pakistan hosted the men’s Champions Trophy this year, including the final which they won.

Both the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League were suspended last month amid clashes between the two countries following an attack targeting tourists that killed 26 people in disputed Kashmir region in April. Matches resumed after a ceasefire was announced.

The neutral venue arrangement between the countries will also be in place for the men’s T20 World Cup in 2026, which India will co-host with Sri Lanka, and the women’s T20 World Cup in 2028 in Pakistan.

Topics: ICC Women World Cup ICC Women's ODI World Cup Pakistan women cricket team

Pakistan earmarks $3.5 billion for development projects in upcoming budget

Updated 02 June 2025
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Pakistan earmarks $3.5 billion for development projects in upcoming budget

  • The budget for fiscal year 2025-26 will be announced in the National Assembly on June 10
  • Pakistan’s annual inflation rose to 3.5% in May, though macroeconomic outlook has improved
Updated 02 June 2025
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Monday that the Finance Division has allocated Rs1 trillion ($3.5 billion) for development projects in the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2025-26.

The 2025–26 budget is expected to be presented by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in Pakistan’s lower house of parliament on June 10, following the Eid Al-Adha holidays, after the government postponed an earlier date of June 2.

Providing the breakdown $3.5 billion development budget, Iqbal said Rs664 billion ($2.3 billion) would be allocated to infrastructure projects, including energy, water, transport, physical planning and housing.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed that Rs120 billion ($426.7 million) be allocated for N25 Chaman-Quetta-Karachi Expressway,” he said at a press conference in Islamabad.

“Rs150 billion ($533.3 million) are for social sectors, special areas, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, have been allocated Rs63 billion ($223.9 million), and merged [tribal] districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been allocated Rs70 billion ($248.4 million).”

Similarly, Rs53 billion ($188.3 million) have been earmarked for science and information technology, Rs9 billion ($32.2 million) for governance and reform projects, and Rs11 billion ($39.1 million) for production sectors, according to the minister.

“The majority [of allocation] is for water, power and highway sector,” he added.

Late last month, Iqbal said Pakistan’s defense spending would be hiked in the upcoming budget as the military would “certainly require” more financial resources to defend the country against India. But neither Iqbal nor any other government official has so far shared any figures. Pakistan’s defense budget currently stands at Rs2.122 trillion ($7.53 billion).

The remarks came days after Pakistan and India attacked each other with missiles, drones and artillery in their worst conflict in decades that killed around 70 people on both sides. The two nations agreed to a ceasefire on May 10 after four days of hostilities sparked by a militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in April.

Pakistan’s annual inflation rate rose to 3.5% in May, though the country’s macroeconomic outlook has improved in recent months, supported by a stronger current account balance, increased remittances and declining inflation.

Authorities remain cautious as they aim to build on recent economic stabilization, guide the country toward gradual growth, and reaffirm their commitment to ongoing economic reforms.

Topics: Ahsan Iqbal 2025 Budget

Pakistan announces four-day holiday on Eid Al-Adha

Updated 32 min 17 sec ago
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Pakistan announces four-day holiday on Eid Al-Adha

  • Eid Al-Adha is one of two important Islamic festivals, in which Muslims sacrifice animals and share their meat among family, friends and the poor
  • Believers observe the annual festival to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Peace Be Upon Him) to sacrifice his son on God’s command
Updated 32 min 17 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has announced a four-day holiday on Eid Al-Adha starting from June 6, the Cabinet Division said on Monday.

Eid Al-Adha is one of the two most important festivals of the Islamic calendar. The other, Eid Al-Fitr, occurs at the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.

Muslims mark the Eid Al-Adha holiday by slaughtering animals such as sheep and goats, and the meat is shared among family and friends and donated to the poor.

“The prime minister has been pleased to declare 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th June, 2025, (Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday) as public holidays on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha,” the Cabinet Division said.

Last week, Pakistan’s moon sighting committee announced that the crescent marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah was not sighted due to unclear skies and the Eid Al-Adha festival would commence from June 7.

Eid Al-Adha is observed on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Peace Be Upon Him) to sacrifice his son on God’s command.

Dhul Hijjah is the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar, a sacred period during which the Hajj pilgrimage takes place. This year, the annual Hajj pilgrimage will commence on June 4.

Topics: Eid-Al-Adha

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