LAHORE: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif returned to Pakistan from London on Sunday, after an absence of nearly two months.
Shehbaz, who is also the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was scheduled to return to Pakistan on Saturday, but a tweet posted by his son, Suleman Shehbaz, said that the senior Shehbaz had revised his schedule and was set to return today.
He flew on a PIA flight which landed at the Allama Iqbal International Airport at 4.50 am. The scenes at the airport were those of jubilation as PML-N leaders and representatives welcomed their leader with slogans and flowers, before driving him to his residence in Model Town.
Before leaving for Pakistan, Shehbaz had told reporters at the Heathrow airport that “baseless reports were blown out [of proportion] about his return to the country,” adding that he would be taking “legal action against those spreading false news.”
Shehbaz had left the country in the first week of April after he was granted bail in a criminal case and his name was removed from the country’s Exit Control List.
The move followed his arrest in the Ashiana Housing case on October 5, last year, after which he spent nearly four months in jail.
A few months later, while on a brief trip to London to visit his grandchildren, Shehbaz prolonged his stay there, citing medical reasons.
Prior to being given the approval to travel on Sunday, a team of doctors conducted his full medical checkup before declaring that he was medically fit.
Throwing the spotlight on his return, political pundits have said that it will help boost the morale of party workers, especially since the PML-N has announced a plan to protest against Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government after Eid-Al-Fitr.
“The PML-N has asked its workers to prepare for a protest against the government. Shehbaz’s return will certainly boost their morale,” Syed Shoiabud Din, a political analyst told Arab News.
The PML-N will be joined by other political parties in the protest, too. “Maulana Fazal Ur Rehman will summon the All Parties Conference (APC) of opposition forces. The decision will be taken at that forum and the PML-N will follow the decision taken there,” Senator Raja Zafrul Haq, the party chairman told Arab News.
Meanwhile, Shehbaz has called for a meeting of parliamentary leaders in the NA at his chamber on Monday, in addition to scheduling a meeting with his team of economic experts on June 12 in Islamabad. In comments made in London, he said that the PML-N will consult with the opposition parties first on the proposed plans for anti-government protests.
Meanwhile, he is due to appear before an accountability court in Lahore on June 13.
Commenting on his court appearance, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan tweeted that since “Shehbaz Sharif has no health issues’’, hopefully he would be able to appear in courts more “regularly.”
Shehbaz, for his part, has said that he’s ready to face all cases against him.
Shehbaz returns home, hints at joining opposition's anti-government drive
Shehbaz returns home, hints at joining opposition's anti-government drive
- PML-N leader was in London since April this year for medical treatment
- Is scheduled to appear before an accountability court on June 13
Pakistan invites over 100 countries to maritime exercises from Feb. 7
- Pakistan Navy has conducted AMAN maritime exercise every two years since 2007 under the theme “Together For Peace”
- This year’s edition will include the inaugural AMAN Dialogue for senior naval and other leaders from participating nations
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s navy said on Tuesday it had invited over 100 countries for the AMAN maritime exercises that are held every two years involving ships, aircraft and special operation forces from Feb. 7-11, with the event including a dialogue for senior naval leaders for the first time.
The Pakistan Navy has conducted the AMAN (peace) maritime exercise every two years since 2007 under the theme “Together For Peace.” This year’s special feature is the inaugural AMAN Dialogue themed “Secure Seas, Prosperous Future,” with a focus on security challenges in the Indian Ocean including strategic competition, piracy, narco-trafficking, non-state actors, resource exploitation, climate change, emerging technologies like AI and unmanned systems, the blue economy, and the need for global collaboration to ensure stability and prosperity.
“Since its inception, AMAN exercise participation has grown steadily, with the 8th edition in 2023 hosting 50 countries, the largest ever, and this year we are expecting even more, as over 100 countries have been invited to the 9th edition scheduled from February 7-11,” Commodore Ahmed Hussain, Director General Public Relations of Pakistan Navy, said in a written statement shared with reporters at a briefing on Tuesday.
Hussain said the AMAN Dialogue would bring together chiefs of navies, coast guards and heads of defense forces of participating countries.
“Due to the growing global participation over the years, PN has initiated the AMAN Dialogue as an adjunct to the exercise and its inaugural session will be held in tandem with AMAN-25,” he said, adding that the aim of the dialogue was to provide a “dedicated forum” for senior leaders to discuss regional security and evolving challenges at sea.
“AMAN dialogue will include a summit of chiefs of navy and coast guards, a seminar encompassing academic activities and bilateral meetings between delegations,” he added.
“The main objectives are to promote peace and regional cooperation, enhance interoperability with regional and extra regional navies, thereby acting as a bridge between the regions, displaying united resolve against terrorism and crimes in the maritime domain.”
Other objectives of the dialogue include understanding maritime security issues and challenges confronting the region and their linkages with the economy.
Main activities during the exercise will include a maritime counter-terrorism demo by the Special Service Group (SSG) and Pak Marines, table top discussions on professional topics, and ship visits.
“An International Fleet Review is scheduled for February 11, 2025, alongside sea exercises to address collaborative security threats, with Special Operations Forces, Explosives Ordnance Disposal, and Marines teams participating in developing Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for multinational responses to asymmetric threats,” the press statement added.
Pakistan polio program says 71 cases reported in 2024
- Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world
- Pakistan polio program is scheduled to hold first nationwide vaccination drive of 2025 from Feb. 3
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani health authorities on Tuesday confirmed one more polio case of 2024, which took last year’s nationwide count to 71.
Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
The regional laboratory for polio eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed the wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in a male child in the Jacobabad district of the southern Sindh province. The case — the fifth one in Jacobabad last year — was reported on December 27, 2024, according to Pakistan polio program.
“Pakistan has been responding to an intense resurgence of WPV1, with 71 cases reported in 2024,” the polio program said in a statement. “Of these, 27 are from Balochistan, 21 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 21 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.”
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
The Pakistan polio program is scheduled to hold first nationwide vaccination drive of this year from Feb. 3 till Feb. 9.
“It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected,” it said.
Pakistan PM calls for strategy to equip youth for global job market
- Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan’s future is linked to the development of the information technology sector
- Government will soon launch a digital youth hub to provide information on employment to young people
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for a comprehensive strategy to equip Pakistan’s youth with professional skills tailored to international job markets while chairing a meeting on youth employment and skill development in Islamabad.
Estimates suggest that approximately 64 percent of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30, offering a significant opportunity to drive economic growth through a young workforce contributing to entrepreneurship, innovation and diversification.
However, this youth bulge also poses challenges, including high unemployment rates, limited access to quality education and vocational training and the risk of social unrest due to underutilized potential.
The government, striving to stabilize the economy, has actively sought both domestic and foreign investment while engaging friendly nations, particularly in the Gulf region, to provide employment opportunities for young Pakistanis, especially in the field of information technology.
“It is essential to equip the youth with professional skills to increase employment opportunities,” Sharif was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office after he chaired a meeting of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program.
“Pakistan’s future is linked to the development of the IT sector,” he continued while directing the formation of a strategy aligned with the demands of the markets in friendly countries to provide overseas employment to young Pakistanis.
The prime minister emphasized the government’s focus on promoting the private sector to address domestic unemployment.
“The government is actively working on a policy to promote the private sector and address unemployment in the country,” he said.
He also called for action against fraudulent and unlicensed companies offering overseas employment, noting the need for stricter regulation to protect workers.
During the meeting, Sharif was briefed on the upcoming launch of the Prime Minister Digital Youth Hub, a platform designed to provide information on employment and other services to young people.
He directed the platform be made user-friendly and available not only in English but also in Urdu and other regional languages.
Trump look-alike sings to sell pudding in Pakistan
- Bagga, 53, sports distinctive blond quiff because of his albinism that makes him resemble Trump
- Residents of eastern Sahiwal say they take selfies with Bagga, tell people they met US president-elect
SAHIWAL, Pakistan, In a bustling market in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, a food vendor who locals say bears an uncanny resemblance to US President-elect Donald Trump gets more business — and attention — than others.
“We feel as if Trump has come here to sell kheer (pudding),” said Mohammad Yaseen, a local resident who prefers to buy the dessert from Saleem Bagga, the look-alike vendor who also sings to draw customers.
“When he sings to sell kheer, we come down to him,” Yaseen said.
Bagga, 53, pushes his colorful wooden cart along the road delivering the milky pudding, a black jacket over his beige shalwar kameez tunic to keep out the winter cold.
A crowd gathers as Bagga, who sports a distinctive blond quiff because of his albinism, sings the lyrics to a Punjabi song: “Now you come down to me my love, don’t delay, my eyes are tired of waiting.”
Local resident Imran Ashraf takes a selfie with Bagga. “His kheer is really delicious ... we talk to him and we take selfies with him and we tell our friends that we have taken these pictures with Trump,” Ashraf said.
Bagga is unfazed by the stream of attention and cameras that follow him throughout the market and even in his home neighborhood in the district of Sahiwal.
“My face resembles Donald Trump, that is why people take selfies with me...I feel very good,” he said, before extending an invitation.
“Donald Trump sahib (sir), you have won the election, now visit here and eat my kheer, you will really enjoy it,” he said.
Pakistan PM hopes new border crossing with Iran will boost legal trade, curb smuggling
- Pakistan and Iran have tried to boost trade by setting up border markets, implementing barter system
- International sanctions on Iran have hampered economic collaboration between the two countries
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed hope a newly inaugurated border crossing between Pakistan and Iran in Panjur would encourage legal trade between the two neighboring states and help curb smuggling, which has long plagued the region.
Pakistan and Iran have intensified efforts in recent years to expand bilateral trade by establishing border markets and implementing barter trade mechanisms.
In April last year, Iran’s late President Ebrahim Raisi described the existing trade volume between the two countries as “not acceptable” during his visit to Pakistan. He said his government had agreed with Islamabad to boost bilateral trade to $10 billion within the foreseeable future.
In the absence of adequate formal trade, smuggling has become a significant issue along the porous 959-kilometer border, where local communities on both sides often rely on the illicit trade of goods, particularly Iranian fuel.
“A new crossing has been inaugurated at the Pakistan-Iran border in Panjgur, which will promote legal trade and help curb smuggling,” Sharif said during a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, referring to the new opening this month in the Kohak-Cheedgi area of Panjgur. “I thank our brotherly country Iran for their full cooperation in this regard.”
International sanctions, particularly those imposed by the United States, have significantly hampered economic collaboration between the two countries. This is particularly evident in the shape of the stalled Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project. While Iran completed its section in 2011, Pakistan halted construction due to fears of US sanctions, stalling a project that could have alleviated Pakistan’s energy shortages.
According to the Institute for Strategic Studies, Research and Analysis, a local think tank in Islamabad, trade between the two countries has also suffered owing to the same reason.
Iran’s exports to Pakistan were approximately $1.4 billion in 2022, while Pakistan’s exports to Iran stood at $842.8 million.
The think tank also says Iran’s exports to Pakistan have grown at an annual rate of 13.5 percent over the past 24 years, whereas Pakistan’s exports to Iran have declined by up to 44 percent annually.
During Raisi’s visit, both sides signed memoranda of understanding and agreements covering fields such as trade, science, technology, agriculture, health and culture.
The visit was also seen as a step toward mending fences between the two nations, which had experienced strained ties following unprecedented tit-for-tat missile strikes earlier that year.
