ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and Abu Dhabi took a step forward in transforming their bilateral relationship into a “long-term strategic and economic partnership” following the conclusion of a brief visit by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces on Sunday.
Sheikh Mohammed had visited the country after a gap of 12 years on the invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The UAE delegation, led by the crown prince, met with PM Khan and top Pakistani officials during the day-long trip, with the premier personally receiving Sheikh Mohammed at the Nur Khan air base. Later, he was accorded a 21-gun salute and presented with a guard of honor at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad.
Both the leaders “held wide-ranging talks focusing on all areas of bilateral relations” including those of “regional and global importance”. This was the third meeting between PM Khan and Sheikh Mohammed in less than three months.
PM Khan has visited the UAE twice after assuming office in August last year and was successful in receiving financial support from Abu Dhabi, the second Arab nation which agreed to help Pakistan after Saudi Arabia which has pledged to extend a $6 billion low-interest relief package.
Sheikh Mohammed’s visit comes at a time when Islamabad is coping with a balance of payments crisis stemming from an ailing economy and a devalued currency, amid depleting foreign reserves.
“The prime minister expressed thanks for the generous balance of payment support of $3 billion underscoring the UAE’s continued commitment and friendship that has remained steadfast over the years,” a statement released by the PM Office read.
Islamabad is keen on securing UAE’s investments in “Pakistan’s oil and gas, logistics, ports, and construction sector,” the statement said, adding that provisions for “deferred payments for oil facility are under discussion”.
The news brought some semblance of stability to the country’s volatile market. “Today the market rebounded primarily because investors were positive about the outcome of [Sheikh Mohammed’s] Sunday’s visit,” Khurram Schehzad, CEO, Alpha Beta Core told Arab News on Monday.
Experts said that the scope of cooperation in fields of mutual interest has remained limited and that the UAE investments in Pakistan have witnessed a decline in the past decade after the rule of former President General Pervaiz Musharraf ended in 2007.
Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Senior Vice President of FPCCI expressed optimism when he said that the revitalization in relations would help in resolving an $800 million payment settlement by UAE telecom giant Etisalat to Pakistan. He told Arab News that Pakistan will be able to pursue an export deal to UAE cooperative stores which are equivalent to economical utility stores (grocery outlets) to provide low cost quality “food security” in large quantities.
Pakistan was the first country to recognize the UAE after it gained independence in 1971. The UAE is considered Pakistan’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and a major source of investment, in addition to being home to nearly 1.6 million expatriates who contribute $4.5 billion to the country’s GDP every year.
“Past administrations in Pakistan developed personal ties with the Arab leadership, ignoring the value of a consistent bilateral relationship,” Qamar Cheema, a foreign affairs expert, told Arab News, adding that unless “bilateral relations are not strong multilateral relations do not work swiftly.”
Markets rebound after Sheikh Mohammed’s visit to Pakistan
Markets rebound after Sheikh Mohammed’s visit to Pakistan
- PM Khan thanks Abu Dhabi crown prince for financial aid extended in country’s time of need
- Experts celebrate gesture as a positive sign in strengthening of bilateral ties
China bans meat imports from Pakistan, Afghanistan and other nations over disease worries
- Ban comes after the World Health Organization released information of disease outbreaks in various countries
- China stops imports from Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh due to sheep pox, goat pox
BEIJING: China has prohibited imports of sheep, goat, poultry and even-toed ungulates from African, Asian and European countries due to outbreaks of livestock diseases such as sheep pox, goat pox and foot-and-mouth-disease.
The ban, which also includes processed and unprocessed products, comes after the World Health Organization released information of disease outbreaks in various countries, according to a series of announcements by China’s General Administration of Customs dated Jan. 21.
The ban from the world’s largest meat importer affects Ghana, Somalia, Qatar, Congo (DRC), Nigeria, and Tanzania, Egypt, Bulgaria, East Timor and Eritrea.
China also said it has stopped imports of sheep, goat and related products from Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh due to sheep pox and goat pox outbreaks.
It also blocked the imports of even-toed ungulates and related products from Germany following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, it said.
Imran Khan’s party asks government to form committee to appoint new Pakistan election commissioner
- Demand comes as Pakistan Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja’s tenure expires
- Khan’s party accuses Raja of manipulating results of February 2024 elections, which he denies
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Monday repeated its demand for the government to constitute a parliamentary committee to appoint a new chief election commissioner (CEC), a day after his term in office expired.
Omar Ayub, a PTI lawmaker and leader of the opposition in the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament, wrote to Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Jan. 15 to form a parliamentary committee to appoint a new chief election commissioner. Ayub said Raja’s term would expire on Feb. 26, urging him to constitute the committee “to facilitate this important constitutional requirement.”
Raja oversaw Pakistan’s contentious general election last year which were marred by a countrywide shutdown of cellular networks, suspension of Internet services and delayed results. The PTI and other opposition parties alleged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) under Raja manipulated the results of the polls to facilitate his political rivals. The ECP has strongly rejected the PTI’s allegations while the caretaker government at the time said mobile phone and Internet services were suspended to maintain law and order in the country.
“Wrote a letter to the Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan on 15th January 2025 to constitute a Parliamentary Committee for the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner,” Ayub wrote on social media platform X.
“Sikander Sultan Raja’s term ended yesterday (26th January 2025). He has no moral authority to continue. He and the 2 ‘retired’ commissioners should step down immediately,” he added.
Tensions between Khan’s party and Raja escalated in August 2022 when the ECP ruled that the PTI had received millions of dollars in funds from foreign countries, including the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and Australia, in violation of the constitution and concealed information related to it. Khan’s party denied it had hidden any information related to the funding.
In a separate verdict in October 2022, the ECP disqualified Khan from public office in a case registered against the ex-premier for failing to declare assets he earned from the sale of state gifts. Khan and his party have denied any wrongdoing.
Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023 on a slew of charges, was ousted from the prime minister’s post in April 2022 via a parliamentary vote. Once considered close to the military, Khan had a falling out with Pakistan’s powerful army in the days leading to his ouster.
Since his ouster from office, the former prime minister has led a defiant campaign against the military, whom he accuses of supporting his political rivals. Pakistan’s army and the government both reject his allegations strongly, with the military saying it does not interfere in politics.
The development also takes place amid renewed political tensions between the government and the PTI after the latter withdrew from negotiations with the former. Both sides kicked off talks last month to ease political tensions in the country. The PTI demanded the government release Khan and all political prisoners, and constitute judicial commissions to probe anti-government protests that took place in May 2023 and November 2024.
The PTI announced last week it would not partake in further talks with the government unless it forms judicial commissions. The government’s negotiation committee said it would respond to the PTI’s demands by Jan. 28, criticizing Khan’s party for ending talks “unilaterally.
Pakistan PM, president condemn gun attack on speaker Azad Kashmir’s convoy
- Chaudhry Latif Akbar’s convoy was fired upon when it arrived on Sunday in village near Muzaffarabad
- Shehbaz Sharif prays for early recovery of three persons injured, orders stern action against culprits
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday condemned a gun attack targeting the speaker of the Kashmir region administered by Pakistan that left three people injured, tasking authorities to take stern action against the culprits, state-run media reported.
Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar, a leader of the Sharif-led ruling coalition ally Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was visiting his constituency in Kakliyot village around 15km south of Muzaffarabad when the shooting took place on Sunday as per news reports.
Three PPP supporters who were part of the convoy were injured in the attack. Akbar had reportedly received threats from Raja Amir Zafar, a local district council member, who vowed that no one would be allowed to enter the village for Akbar’s visit.
“President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have strongly condemned the incident of firing on the convoy of Speaker of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday.
Zardari described the attack on the speaker as a “cowardly and despicable act,” praying for the early recovery of the injured.
In his statement, the Pakistani prime minister prayed for the early recovery of the injured persons.
“The Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned to take immediate action and ensure the arrest of those responsible for the attack,” Radio Pakistan reported.
Azad Kashmir is a self-governing administrative unit under Pakistan’s control but is not recognized as a sovereign country. The Muslim-majority Kashmir region has long been a source of tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, leading them to fight two out of three wars since winning independence from the British Empire in 1947 over the disputed territory.
The scenic mountain region is divided between India, which rules the populous Kashmir Valley and the Hindu-dominated region around Jammu city, Pakistan, which controls a wedge of territory in the west called AJK, and China, which holds a thinly populated high-altitude area in the north. Besides Pakistan, India also has an ongoing conflict with China over their disputed frontier.
Pakistan to participate in upcoming International Taekwondo training camp in Sharjah
- Saudi Arabia, UAE, Uzbekistan, Russia and other countries to take part in camp underway in Sharjah till Feb. 5
- Camp to provide athletes opportunity to engage in high-level training sessions, foster international collaboration
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is participating in the upcoming 11th Sharjah International Taekwondo Training camp alongside teams from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries, state-run media recently reported.
Taekwondo is a traditional Korean martial art practiced across 206 countries, according to the official Olympics website. In taekwondo, hands and feet can be used to overcome an opponent but the trademark of the sport is its combination of kick movements.
Pakistan’s team arrived in Sharjah this week to participate in the international training camp, which will be underway till Feb. 5, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. More countries expected to join in the coming days.
“The 11th Sharjah International Taekwondo Training Camp will provide a valuable opportunity for athletes to enhance their skills, engage in high-level training sessions and foster international collaboration in the sport,” APP said on Sunday.
Pakistan has made some gains in the martial art sport over the past few months. In October 2024, Pakistan’s taekwondo team made history by winning the 6th Asian Open (Khyurogi) Taekwondo Championship held in Indonesia from Oct. 14-17 last year.
Pakistani twin sisters Manisha Ali and Maliha Ali, hailing from the country’s northern Hunza valley, were part of the team that secured three gold, three silver, and two bronze medals in the championship.
The tournament featured over 275 athletes from across Asia, including participants from India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal and Indonesia.
The same month Pakistan’s youngest taekwondo champion Ayesha Ayaz took part in the Qatar International Open Taekwondo Championship. Ayaz was among 1,440 players from 40 countries who competed in the event across four categories: cadet, juniors, youth and adults.
Pakistani firms showcase national heritage, tourism services at New York travel show
- Financial Times, CNN recently featured the South Asian country among top destinations worldwide to visit in 2025
- In a bid to boost tourism, cash-strapped Pakistan last year began offering free visas to citizens of over 120 nations
ISLAMABAD: More than a dozen Pakistani firms and provincial tourism departments showcased the country’s heritage and tourism potential at the Travel & Adventure Show 2025 in New York, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
For over 20 years, the Travel & Adventure Show has connected more than 2.7 million travel enthusiasts and over 16,500 unique travel advisers with over 5,800 different exhibiting companies from around the world, influencing over $7 billion in travel bookings, according to the show’s website.
This year, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), in collaboration with the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and the Pakistani consulate in New York, set up the Pakistan Pavilion at the show held on Jan. 25-26.
“Pakistan Pavilion showcased Pakistan’s breathtaking destinations, rich cultural heritage, and a wide range of tourism services,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
Pakistan Pavilion received the award for ‘Best Partner Pavilion’ at the Travel & Adventure Show 2025, according to the report. A large number of attendees visited the pavilion and expressed their keen interest in mountaineering, and adventure and religious tourism.
Pakistan is home to the ancient Indus Valley and Gandhara civilizations, sacred places of Sikhs and Hindus and followers of other faiths as well as five of the 14 world peaks above the height of 8,000 meters in its north.
International business publication Financial Times recently featured Pakistan in its list of 50 places worldwide to visit on holidays, citing its “dramatic mountain scenery” and an improved security situation as reasons worth visiting the area.
Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region also made it to CNN’s list of 25 destinations that are particularly worth visiting in 2025. Thousands of tourists and foreign climbers visit the sparsely populated northern region each year for expeditions on various peaks, paragliding and other sports activities.
In a bid to boost its tourism sector, cash-strapped Pakistan also began offering free visas online to citizens of more than 120 nations in August 2024.
