In Pakistan’s northern mountains, plastic bags face the bin

A villager points towards the Shishper Glacier, near the Karakoram Highway in Hassanabad village in Hunza district.Image Credit. (Reuters / File)
Updated 27 June 2019
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In Pakistan’s northern mountains, plastic bags face the bin

  • Hunza was the first district in Pakistan to ban plastic shopping bags
  • 70,000 plastic bags were used and discarded each month in the valley

HUNZA, Pakistan: In this district in northern Pakistan flanked by soaring mountain ranges and glaciers, plastic shopping bags are now illegal.
In late April, the provincial government banned their “use, purchase, export or import” in an effort to cut plastic waste and pollution, and rolled out first deliveries of cloth shopping bags.
Now those hang in shops, and many customers have started bringing bags from home — though not everyone is happy with the change.




In this image taken on Thursday, March 11, 2010, Pakistani loaders carrying goods imported from neighboring China which are ferried through a lake due to blockade of the Karakoram Highway, in Attabad, northern Pakistan. A massive landslide early this year formed a natural dam in the Hunza River created a lake that is consuming upstream as it expands. If the dam breaks, a flash flood could threaten downstream villages. (AP/File) 

“The use of plastic bags is not only handy, but also very cheap as compared to cloth and paper bags,” said Ikram Jamal, a trader in the city’s main market.
“It is a challenge for customers as well as for traders to instantly ban plastic bags, amid the lack of availability of an alternate option,” he said, noting only a limited supply of cloth bags was so far available.
But 50-year-old Shamim Bagum, a shopper in the market, said she was adjusting.
“After shopkeepers refused to give us polythene bags, I now myself bring a cloth bag to take groceries home,” she said.
Carrying cloth bags for all shopping can be a challenge, but people need to obey the government’s decision, she said.
Around the world, cities, regions, and countries are trying to cut back on plastic waste, banning the use of items such as throw-away plastic shopping bags and drinking straws.
The pioneers of the movement, however, are not just in richer nations, but in many developing ones as well, from Tanzania to Bangladesh and now Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, the country’s northernmost territory.
WIDENING BANS
Hunza was the first district in Pakistan to ban plastic shopping bags, said Malik Amin Aslam, the prime minister’s adviser on climate change.
But the bans are now spreading, with Punjab province and the city of Quetta now outlawing bags as well, and Islamabad set to do the same in August.
In Hunza, the provincial government worked with the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency and the Karakoram Area Development Organization to launch the pilot ban, which aims to clean up the narrow, mountain-flanked valley that attracts more than half a million tourists a year.
The scenic Karakoram Highway, which connects Pakistan with China, runs through the district.




A view from a military helicopter of the lake growing behind a natural dam caused by a landslide which passes through Sheeshgat village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan May 24, 2010. (REUTERS/File) 

At least some tourists stopping in Hunza said they thought the bag ban was a good idea.
“The shopkeeper declined to give me a plastic bag when I purchased a bottle of mineral water from his shop in a market in Hunza. This is a positive change,” said 30-year Ishtiaq Bhatti, visiting Hunza’s Sikandarabad village from Lahore.
Kamal Uddin, chief executive of the Karakoram Area Development Organization, said the ban came about after his group and the city of Hunza discovered in a survey that about 70,000 plastic bags were used and discarded each month in the valley.
Uddin said using cloth bags for shopping is hardly an innovation — until the arrival of cheap plastic bags it was the norm in the area, he said.
Restoring the use of cloth bags also can provide jobs, he said.
At least 50 local women and more than a dozen disabled people have been hired to stitch bags, he said.
An initial 10,000 shopping bags, carrying slogans about the anti-plastic campaign, were provided by the government and distributed free locally, said Shahzad Shigri, director of the Gilgit-Baltistan environmental protection agency.
But additional bags will be produced locally, Uddin said.
SUPPORT — AND CHALLENGES
Local people and traders say the plastic ban is a good step toward greater environmental protection — but the changeover is proving a bit of a headache.
“We appreciate the initiative for a good cause”, said Taj Muhammad Rumi, a trader in Sust market near the Chinese border. He said population growth and a large number of tourists have had an adverse impact on the area’s environment.
“But the challenge is still there that no proper and systematic mechanism is in place to provide cloth bags,” he said.
Qasim Ejaz, Hunza’s assistant district commissioner, said the plastic bag ban needs to be expanded to all plastic throwaway items. But policing even the bag ban will be challenging, he said, with tourists often bringing in bags from outside.
The valley sees 600,000 to 700,000 visitors a year, he said.
Shigri, of the Gilgit-Baltistan environmental protection agency, said his agency now aims to expand the plastic bag ban to all national parks in the northern territory.
For now, despite the ban, plastic bags still lurk in the region’s markets

A young trader in the main Aliabad city market said that shop owners are still parceling a few out to customers that come without a shopping bag, particularly if cloth bags are unavailable.
“Though there is no open display of plastic bags in the market due to fear of administrative curbs, yet they are still in use in some areas amid unavailability of cloth and paper bags,” he said.
Uddin, of the Karakoram Area Development Organization, said that’s to be expected.
“It is a huge task and will take some time to completely phase (plastic) out,” he said.
(Reporting by Peer Muhammad; editing by Laurie Goering: (Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women’s rights, trafficking and property rights.


Pakistan seal final spot in Under-19 cricket tri-series with dominant win over UAE

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Pakistan seal final spot in Under-19 cricket tri-series with dominant win over UAE

  • Pakistan posted their highest total of the tournament, amassing 314 for five in 50 overs
  • UAE’s innings ended at 123 in 37 overs, setting the stage for Pakistan-Afghanistan clash

ISLAMABAD: Half-centuries by Farhan Yousuf, Haroon Arshad, Shahzaib Khan and Usman Khan powered Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team to a commanding 191-run victory over the United Arab Emirates in the fifth match of the U19 tri-series at the ICC Cricket Academy Ground in Dubai on Friday.
The victory secured Pakistan’s place in the final, where they will face Afghanistan U19 on Tuesday, November 26, at the same venue.
This was Pakistan’s second win over UAE in the tournament, having defeated them by 10 wickets in the opening match.
“Pakistan U19 earn an emphatic 191-run win over UAE U19,” the Pakistan Cricket Board announced in a social media post. “They will play the tri-series final on Tuesday.”
The Pakistan team edged Afghanistan by 13 runs in their previous encounter but suffered a loss to them earlier in the series.
After electing to bat, Pakistan posted their highest total of the tournament, amassing 314 for five in 50 overs.
Left-handed openers Shahzaib Khan (71 off 84) and Usman Khan (50 off 64) provided a solid foundation with a 96-run opening stand. Farhan Yousuf (63 off 50) and Haroon Arshad (54 off 34) then built on the momentum with a brisk 75-run partnership for the fourth wicket, while Faham-ul-Haq contributed a steady 37 off 48. For UAE, Noorullah Ayubi and Uddish Suri picked up two wickets each.
Chasing 315, UAE struggled from the outset, collapsing to 52 for five within 16 overs.
Ayaan Misbah (17 off 46) and Uddish Suri (32 not out) attempted to stabilize the innings with a 21-run stand for the sixth wicket, but Misbah fell to Umar Zaib in the 26th over.
UAE’s innings ended at 123 in 37 overs, with Umar Zaib taking four for 51 and Naveed Ahmed Khan claiming three wickets.
The final group match of the series will be played between Afghanistan and UAE on Sunday, November 24.
 


Pakistan PM vows to ‘break any hand’ threatening relations with Saudi Arabia

Updated 22 November 2024
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Pakistan PM vows to ‘break any hand’ threatening relations with Saudi Arabia

  • Statement comes after Imran Khan’s wife released a video message widely viewed as critical of the Kingdom
  • Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are close allies, with nearly 3 million Pakistanis living and working in the Kingdon

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday vowed strict action against anyone attempting to undermine Pakistan’s close relations with Saudi Arabia, declaring that his government would “break any hand” threatening ties between the two nations.
Sharif’s statement appeared to reference recent remarks by Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who in a rare public message on Thursday assured state institutions that her jailed husband would not seek revenge against political opponents if he returned to power.
She also made remarks in her video message that were widely viewed as implying that the Saudi government had opposed Khan when he was prime minister from 2018-22.
“Such venom-spitting is an unforgivable crime,” Sharif said while addressing a ceremony on Friday. “I, as the prime minister of Pakistan, want to announce that the nation will break any hand trying to undermine the Pakistan-Saudi friendship.”
“This is not a joke,” he continued. “The allegation is beyond understanding. The biggest national interest is being slaughtered to serve the short-term political interest.”
He criticized the former first lady, whose husband’s PTI party is currently in opposition, saying that the Kingdom had never demanded anything in return from Pakistan for extending economic and diplomatic support but instead always “opened its doors.”
“I think there can be no greater enmity against Pakistan than this [issuing such comments],” he said, adding that Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was sacrificing the country’s interest for its political interests.
Sharif said “no one will be allowed to play” with Pakistan’s interests when it concerned “brotherly allies” such as Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also addressed the issue in a press conference, highlighting that over 2.8 million Pakistanis were working in the Kingdom, sending billions of dollars in remittances back to their country every year.
“Our cordial and friendly relationship with Saudi Arabia should not be affected due to someone’s political gains,” he said. “Such a controversial statement is an effort to save PTI’s sinking ship.”
Khan was ousted from the prime minister’s office in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in 2022, alleging that he was removed by his political rivals and the all-powerful military at the behest of the United States. All three parties deny the accusation.
The cricketer-turned-politician has been in prison since August last year, facing a slew of legal challenges. He denies any wrongdoing, claiming that all cases against him are politically motivated to keep him in jail.
His PTI party is set to kick off a “long march” to stage a protest in Islamabad on Nov. 24, aiming to pressure the government into releasing Khan from prison. Authorities have refused to grant permission to hold the gathering and imposed a ban on public assembly in the capital for two months.


Pakistani stocks break psychological 99,000 barrier on optimism over rates, reserves

Updated 22 November 2024
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Pakistani stocks break psychological 99,000 barrier on optimism over rates, reserves

  • An analyst attributes the intraday rally to broad-based gains across most economic sectors
  • The stock market has remained bullish since the government slashed policy rate in November

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday breached a major psychological barrier, surging past 99,000 points during intra-day trading before settling at 97,798.23, as analysts attributed the rally to investor optimism driven by falling lending rates and higher foreign exchange reserves.
The benchmark KSE-100 index climbed 2,057.40 points by 11:10 am, reaching 99,385.79 points from the previous close. However, the index closed at 97,798.23, marking an increase of 469.84 points or 0.48 percent.
Analyst Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corporation said bank levies on large deposits, surging global oil prices, and rupee stability were fueling investor optimism.
“Stocks remained bullish, led by scrips across the board, as investors weighed falling lending rates and the imposition of bank levies on large deposits following a drop in government bond yields,” he told Arab News. “Surging global crude oil prices, rupee stability, and higher forex reserves played a catalytic role in the record surge at the PSX.”
Last month, Pakistan’s external current account recorded a surplus of $349 million, marking the third consecutive month of surplus and the highest in this period. The current account reflects a nation’s transactions with the world, encompassing net trade in goods and services, net earnings on cross-border investments and net transfer payments.
A surplus indicates that a country is exporting more than it is importing, thereby strengthening its foreign exchange reserves.
A bullish trend has been observed in the stock market since Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 250 basis points, bringing it to 15 percent earlier this month. Economic indicators have also steadily improved since securing a 37-month, $7 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September.
In the past, the country faced a prolonged economic crisis that drained its foreign exchange reserves and saw its currency weaken amid double-digit inflation. Last year, Pakistan narrowly avoided a sovereign default by clinching a last-minute $3 billion IMF bailout deal.


US vows to be ‘steadfast partner’ after deadly attack in Pakistan’s Kurram district

Updated 22 November 2024
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US vows to be ‘steadfast partner’ after deadly attack in Pakistan’s Kurram district

  • American diplomatic mission says Pakistanis deserve to live free from harm, danger and threat
  • It offers condolences to victims’ families after 41 people were killed by unknown gunmen this week

KARACHI: The United States on Friday condemned a deadly attack in Pakistan’s Kurram district that killed 41 people this week, reaffirming its commitment to stand with Pakistan in ensuring the safety of its citizens against such militant attacks.
Unidentified gunmen targeted vehicles carrying Shiite community members in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Thursday, in one of the deadliest sectarian attacks in recent years. The assault, which also left many critically injured, occurred in a region already plagued by deadly clashes in recent months.
“The United States will remain a steadfast partner as Pakistan works to ensure the safety and security of all its citizens,” Jonathan Lalley, the spokesperson of the US diplomatic mission in Pakistan, said in a statement. “We stand in solidarity with Pakistan and the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in this difficult time.”
Lalley expressed condolences to the victims’ families and called for a full recovery for the injured.
“The Pakistani people deserve to live free from harm, danger, and threat, and to feel protected and secure in their daily lives,” he added.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which followed the reopening of a key highway in the region after it was closed for weeks due to sectarian violence.
Kurram, a volatile district near the Afghan border, has been a flashpoint for sectarian clashes between Sunni and Shiite communities, adding to the challenges of maintaining security in the area.
The US-Pakistan forged a counterterrorism partnership in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, to address regional security challenges. Over the years, however, the relationship faced friction, while the US-led international forces were in Afghanistan.
Despite the tensions, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to security cooperation and counterterrorism efforts, especially in the wake of the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
The commitment to security partnership reflects a shared goal of combating extremism and ensuring regional stability.
 


Pakistan, Malaysia agree to enhance military cooperation with focus on air force training

Updated 22 November 2024
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Pakistan, Malaysia agree to enhance military cooperation with focus on air force training

  • Malaysian air chief praises PAF’s advancements in indigenization on his first Pakistan visit
  • His Pakistani counterpart reaffirms commitment to training Malaysian Air Force personnel

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Malaysia have agreed to deepen bilateral military cooperation, with a particular emphasis on joint training and air power collaboration, Pakistan’s military said on Friday.
The understanding was reached during a meeting between Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu and Royal Malaysian Air Force Chief General Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Mohd Asghar Khan bin Goriman Khan at Air Headquarters in Islamabad.
“The [Pakistan] Air Chief reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing military partnership between the two Air Forces through joint training initiatives, particularly within the realm of air power,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. “These initiatives will encompass provisioning of both basic and tactical level training for personnel of the Malaysian Air Force.”
The Malaysian air chief, making his first visit to Pakistan, praised the PAF’s advancements in indigenization and technological innovation. He also expressed interest in bolstering ties through enhanced collaboration in training, maintenance and operational excellence.
The meeting included discussions on defense cooperation, joint exercises and technology sharing, ISPR said, highlighting the robust defense relationship between the two nations.
During his visit, the Malaysian official toured the National Aerospace Science & Technology Park Silicon and the PAF Cyber Command, where he was briefed on Pakistan’s advanced operational capabilities.
He also lauded the innovative projects displayed at the ongoing International Defense Exhibition IDEAS-2024 in Karachi.
Earlier, the Malaysian air chief was presented with a guard of honor upon his arrival, ISPR added.