ISLAMABAD — An anti-graft crusade promoted by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has led to swathes of arrests of politicians, but critics say the economy is suffering as vital projects are put on hold by officials fearful of being caught up in the dragnet.
Khan won power last year vowing to root out corruption among what he cast as a venal political elite and views the probes into veteran politicians — including jailed former premier Nawaz Sharif and ex-President Asif Ali Zardari — as long overdue.
While few dispute the need to clean up Pakistani politics, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) campaign has become a topic of fierce political debate.
Some in the business community say they worry the drive is hurting an ailing economy, which has just received a $6 billion International Monetary Fund bailout.
And the focus of the NAB so far on the new government’s political foes has prompted accusations it is a one-sided purge backed by Pakistan’s powerful military, which is seen to favor Khan. The government denies targeting political opponents.
NAB did not respond to a request for comment. The military also did not respond, but in the past it has denied interfering in politics or influencing NAB, an independent body within Pakistan’s legal system with its own investigators and courts.
The crackdown has also ensnared civil servants, who say they have become collateral damage in the accountability drive.
Six high-ranking officials who spoke to Reuters painted a picture of a civil service in disarray and decision-making at a standstill, with senior officials avoiding signing off projects or making decisions that could open them to bribery accusations.
“If a project works out, I don’t get a gold medal,” said one senior federal official. “But if it doesn’t work out, I might go to jail.” A second official spoke of an administrative “go-slow” amid a climate of fear in the bureaucracy.
POLITICAL CASES?
The government rejects accusations that NAB is impacting the economy, calling such allegations opposition propaganda, and says graft is to blame for Pakistan’s current economic woes.
Khan last month launched a commission to investigate projects and agreements that helped increase overall debt between 2008-2018, staffing it with members of NAB and military intelligence agencies.
Science Minister Fawad Chaudhry said government officials make up a small number of NAB cases, but their concerns had reached Khan and a special cell had been created within NAB to deal with bureaucrats’ issues.
“The rise of Imran Khan is basically a middle class revolution against corruption,” Chaudhry added. “You can’t expect from us that we will take the issue of corruption lightly.”
NAB last month arrested former President Zardari and his sister over alleged false bank accounts and money laundering. They both deny wrongdoing and call the arrests politically motivated.
Since Khan assumed power last August, NAB has continued investigating jailed former Prime Minister Sharif, who has alleged the military’s hidden hand is behind many of the anti-corruption cases against his family.
Fresh probes have also been opened involving Sharif’s brother and many of his closest allies, including at least eight ministers from the previous government. They all deny wrongdoing and say they are victims of persecution.
“Everybody who is against this government has a NAB case,” said one opposition politician who was a minister in the previous government.
Inquiries have also been launched against some prominent businessmen.
“KILLS CONFIDENCE”
Pakistan’s new liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure, erected at breakneck speed by the previous administration, has emerged as a major anti-corruption battlefield.
LNG terminals built in 2016 and 2017 were vital to ending a decade of electricity shortages and turned Pakistan into one the world’s hottest LNG markets, with Qatar and Italy’s Eni signing long-term gas deals worth billions.
But Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party has for years alleged corruption. In April, on NAB’s instructions, the government barred former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, and six bureaucrats involved in the Qatar deal for the first terminal from leaving the country. They all deny wrongdoing. No allegations of wrongdoing have been made against the Qatari side.
Abbasi, who as petroleum minister masterminded Pakistan’s embrace of LNG, said he had to take a lead role because many officials were afraid of multi-billion dollar projects.
“Nobody wanted to do anything as they were scared of NAB,” said Abbasi, who said bureaucrats were now paying a price despite helping end electricity shortages. “We had good people who stuck their neck out and they’re all suffering today.”
A third LNG terminal and a new gas pipeline needed to keep up with rising energy demand have been on the “backburner” for more than a year as no decision making is taking place across ministries, according to an energy official.
“Bureaucrats being barred from leaving the country kills confidence,” he said. “We are going to have a (energy) crisis in a year or two.”
The result, say the officials who spoke to Reuters, is that senior colleagues nearing retirement are refusing to sign off on projects due to fears of being dragged out of retirement to answer NAB inquiries for years.
“If I have to make a decision about a $10 billion refinery... I’ll sit on this file for six months, and get the next guy to make that decision,” said the first senior federal official.
A senior civil servant in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said he hasn’t approved any major project since late 2018.
“All bureaucrats know that once you are tagged with NAB, no matter if you’re innocent or you really did some corruption, you have no future,” he said. “You’re finished.”
’Government go-slow’, as Pakistan’s anti-corruption drive bites
’Government go-slow’, as Pakistan’s anti-corruption drive bites
- Anti-graft crusade promoted by PM Khan has led to swathes of arrests of politicians
- Focus so far on government’s political foes has prompted accusations of a one-sided purge
Farshi Shalwar: Centuries-old staple of South Asian fashion makes Eid comeback in Pakistan
- Farshi shalwar is characterized by floor-length, flowing and wide, loose pants, creating a dramatic and graceful silhouette
- Stylists say trend dates back to the 17th century and was popular among noblewomen and courtesans of the Mughal era
KARACHI: A centuries-old staple of South Asian closets, the farshi shalwar, is back in Pakistan and ruling fashion trends this Eid Al-Fitr.
The word “farshi” comes from the Persian word “farsh,” meaning “floor,” and the farshi shalwar, particularly popular in Pakistan and northern India, is characterized by its floor-length, flowing and wide, loose pants, creating a dramatic and graceful silhouette.
“Right now, it’s the hottest trend,” fashion stylist and director Tabesh Khoja, popularly known as Khoji, told Arab News, saying he first styled a farshi shalwar in 2023 for the fashion label of model and actress Sadaf Kanwal.
“I styled Sadaf Kanwal actually and after that I have seen every other designer doing a farshi shalwar version of their own,” Khoja said.
No doubt, Kanwal seems to have played a key role in bringing the farshi shalwar back this Ramadan and Eid, with her label Sadaf Kanwal Fashion creating a number of outfits over the last two years featuring the baggy trousers.
“Throughout the [last] year, I shot so many collections of so many designers and all of those designers at least used to have two farshi shalwars for sure in their collections,” Khoja said. “So it took us an entire year to make it a fashion trend.”
According to the stylist, the trend dated back to the 17th century and was popular among noble women in the Mughal era. Modeled after the flowing gowns worn by British noblewomen, the complete outfit consists of three basic parts: a kurta or a long shirt, dupatta or long stole, and the third and most important, the farshi shalwar or pajama, a flowing two-legged trouser held by drawstrings that falls straight to the ankles from where it starts flaring and flowing copiously onto the floor, trailing as one walks.
In media, iconic movies such as Umrao Jaan (1981) and Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977) that depict Muslim culture of 19th-century Lucknow show noblewomen and royal courtesans wearing farshi shalwars.
“They had a variety of silhouettes in terms of a kurta or a jacket on top, among other things. The outfit has been there, the silhouette has been there since the 17th century but how you make it relevant now is very important,” Khoja added.
HOW TO STYLE A FARSHI SHALWAR?
According to Khoja, some of the popular ways to style the farshi shalwar include pairing it with a button down shirt and accessorizing it with different kinds of jewelry pieces and hairdos.
“You can dress it up or dress it down. Sadaf [Kanwal] uses big organza dupattas. You can do big shawls also like [actress] Mahira Khan wore [designer] Banto Kazmi’s when she got an award at the UK Parliament. So something of that sort also with a plain silhouette.”
Pakistani actress Tuba Anwar said celebrities had been wearing farshi shalwars since last year but the trend had “peaked” among the general public in recent months. For her, the fact that everyone would be wearing the baggy trousers this Eid reduced their appeal.
“I was planning to wear farshi shalwar on this Eid and then when everybody started discussing it, I was like ‘No, this is not what I’m going to wear because I have to do something very different’.”
When she wore farshi shalwars at all, Anwar said she preferred them in solid colors.
“In terms of styling, I would like to wear it with solid colors, not a lot of embroidery going on, not a lot of things or abstract things going on in the clothes that I am going to wear,” she said.
The farshi shalwar craze is not limited to women alone.
Actor and host Fahad Mustafa has donned the farshi shalwar look on his hit gaming show Jeeto Pakistan during Ramadan. Singer and songwriter Falak Shabbir has been seen in the outfit as well.
“It’s certainly not limited to women. Fahad Mustafa was of course wearing it on Jeeto Pakistan. I am going to wear it on Eid,” Khoja said. “So, you will see a lot of people of different sorts, male and female, wearing it.”
‘Who would feel like making new clothes?’: Bleak Eid for Afghans facing deportation from Pakistan
- Pakistan government has ordered Afghan Citizen Card holders to leave or face expulsion by Mar. 31, which falls on first day of Eid
- Ultimatum has left nearly 800,000 ACC holders grappling with the prospect of a forced return to a country many have never even visited
KARACHI: Until last year on the days before Eid Al-Fitr, the home of Zahra Arif, 20, used to be filled with laughter and the aroma of kulcha, qatlama, beef pulao and other traditional foods being prepared in anticipation of the religious holiday.
This year, the small apartment in which the family of ten lives on the outskirts of Pakistan’s megacity of Karachi was quiet and the air was tense. They are Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, refugees granted temporary legal status in Pakistan in 2017 but whom the government ordered earlier this month to leave before Mar. 31 or face expulsion — a date that coincides with the first day of Eid this year.
“We haven’t made any preparations for this Eid because the situation is uncertain,” Arif, who was born and raised in Karachi and whose family has lived there for 35 years, told Arab News.
“They are expelling Afghans so who would feel like making new clothes for Eid?”
The move is part of a larger repatriation drive of ‘illegal foreigners’ that began in 2023, with over 884,261 Afghans expelled from Pakistan since, according to government figures. Authorities initially said they were first focusing on expelling foreigners with no legal documentation and other categories like ACC holders would be included later.
More than 800,000 Afghans hold an ACC in Pakistan, according to UN data. Another roughly 1.3 million are formally registered with the Pakistan government and hold a separate Proof of Residence (PoR) card, launched in 2006 to grant legal recognition and protection to Afghan refugees. In total, Pakistan has hosted over 2.8 million Afghan refugees who have crossed the border during 40 years of conflict in their homeland.
Islamabad has in the past blamed militant attacks and crimes on Afghan citizens, who form the largest portion of migrants in the country. The government says militants, especially from the Pakistan Taliban (TTP), are using safe havens in Afghanistan and links with Afghans residing in Pakistan to launch cross-border attacks. The ruling administration in Kabul has repeatedly rejected the accusations.
The latest deadline has left the nearly 800,000 ACC holders, including an estimated 65,000 in Karachi, grappling with the prospect of a forced return to a country many have never even visited.
“We have been living here for 30 to 35 years, how will we survive there,” said Arif, whose family comprises her parents, two brothers, five sisters, and herself. “There is no place for us there, no home, nothing.”
“EID HAS TURNED INTO POISON”
Arif also has other worries.
She fears for the career and higher education prospects for herself and her five sisters in Afghanistan, where over three years of Taliban rule has led to the “striking” erasure of women from public life, according to the UN.
Afghanistan is the only country in the world where secondary and higher education is strictly forbidden to girls and women. According to UNESCO data published last year, 1.4 million Afghan girls have been deliberately deprived of schooling. Access to primary education has also fallen sharply, with 1.1 million fewer girls and boys attending school.
Since the Taliban took power in 2021, professional opportunities for women have also been severely restricted. Many women lost their jobs and others were only allowed to continue if they worked from home. Any woman who still has a job has to be accompanied on their journey to work by a male relative.
Arif, who completed her high-school in Karachi, had dreams of pursuing a career in IT but now believes all her efforts were in vain.
“I have taken computer courses and was thinking of doing a freelancing course but how will I do that there?” she asked. “The twelve years of education I completed here, my intermediate degree, everything will be useless there.”
Idrees Khan, a 25-year-old Afghan refugee who was born in Pakistan and sells French fries at a roadside stall, also wondered what he would do in Afghanistan, a country he has never visited and where he had heard there were few jobs and future prospects.
“For us, Pakistan has always felt like our country but now, on Eid, they are telling us to leave. This is distressing,” he said. “If they had given us some time to process and prepare, it would have been better for everyone. But forcing us to leave now is inappropriate.”
Hajji Abdullah Shah Bukhari, a community elder who represents Afghan refugees in the southern Sindh province, said he was “still in shock” over the government’s decision to expel ACC holders.
“Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for 47 years and we are grateful for this hospitality, but the recent announcement of expelling us is heartbreaking.”
The government’s decision was taking an “emotional toll” on the community ahead of the Eid holiday, the community leader said.
“A year ago, around this time, people would be buying clothes and essentials for their children to celebrate Eid,” he said. “But now, if you look inside any Afghan household, you will see people shedding tears of blood, wondering what to do.”
Bukhari urged Islamabad to reconsider its policy and engage with Afghan authorities on any issues between the two governments.
“Why doesn’t the Islamic Republic of Pakistan negotiate with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan?” he asked. “Afghan refugees are not involved in the policies of either Afghanistan or Pakistan. We have always remained away from politics, but what is happening to us now is injustice.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also expressed concerns.
“We have seen and are aware of the [Pakistani] government’s plans regarding ACC holders,” Qaiser Khan Afridi, a UNHCR spokesperson in Pakistan, told Arab News.
“UNHCR is concerned regarding the latest directive, as among the Afghan Citizen Card-holders there may be individuals requiring international protection.”
Afridi called for a humanitarian approach and urged dialogue between Pakistan and Afghanistan:
“It is imperative that returns are voluntary and dignified so that reintegration in Afghanistan is sustainable.”
A statement from the government on Sunday said “no mistreatment will occur during the [repatriation] process,” adding that arrangements had been made for food and health facilities for those returning.
But amid the fear and uncertainty, Gul Jan, a 53-year-old refugee with 11 children and an ailing husband, pleaded for compassion from the authorities.
“This Eid has now become a sorrow for us, it has turned into poison,” she said. “But if the government’s word changes now, then any regular day will be Eid for us.”
On Eid Al-Fitr, Pakistan PM voices support for Palestinians, demands end to rights violations in Gaza
- In Pakistan, the day dawned with special congregational prayers at mosques and Eidgahs
- PM Shehbaz Sharif calls for national unity to defeat militancy and achieve economic stability
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday voiced his support for the Palestinian people and demanded the world stop human rights violations in Gaza, Sharif’s office said, as Pakistanis marked Eid Al-Fitr.
The three-day Eid Al-Fitr festival starts on the first day of the month of Shawwal in the Islamic lunar calendar. The festival marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
In Pakistan, the day dawned with special congregational prayers at mosques and Eidgahs nationwide, with people praying for peace, progress and security of Pakistan and the Muslim world.
In his message on Eid, Sharif said it is a day of joy, gratitude, brotherhood and compassion, and the people of Pakistan must remember their brothers and sisters, especially the oppressed people of Palestine, on the occasion.
“Pakistan always stands with them and will always be,” he said. “The international community should stop human rights violations and provide relief to these innocent Muslims.”
Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel, has consistently called for a cessation of hostilities in Gaza, where Israel’s war has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians since Oct. 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel.
The South Asian country has dispatched several aid consignments for the war-torn Palestinian people and demands an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and pre-1967 borders.
In his message, Sharif said Pakistan was currently facing threats from both internal and external enemies and called for national unity to foil any conspiracy against the country.
“We must avoid all kinds of extremism, hatred and sectarianism,” the prime minister urged. “We should unite and lead our country on the path of development and prosperity.”
Pakistan’s military services chiefs and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee also congratulated the nation on Eid Al-Fitr, urging the nation to stand united amid a surge in militancy in the South Asian country.
“Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the conclusion of Ramadan, stands as a symbol of unity, compassion, and gratitude. For our soldiers, the true essence of Eid is embodied in the honor of defending our cherished nation— even in separation from family— while striving to foster peace, prosperity, and harmony,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, citing the top commanders.
“In the spirit of Eid, the Armed Forces of Pakistan call upon all citizens to unite under the banner of love, respect, and solidarity, the very principles that define our great nation.”
Pakistan’s Usman Khan ruled out of second ODI against New Zealand
- The 29-year-old opening batter sustained a hamstring injury while fielding in the first match against New Zealand on Friday
- New Zealand eased to a 73-run win over Pakistan after Mark Chapman struck a sublime century, Nathan Smith claimed four wickets
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan have ruled out opener Usman Khan from the second one-day international (ODI) against New Zealand owing to a hamstring injury, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Sunday.
The 29-year-old opening batter sustained the injury while fielding during his side’s first ODI against New Zealand at the Mclean Park in Napier on Friday.
“The MRI scan confirmed a Low-Grade tear, making Usman unavailable for second ODI scheduled on 2 April at Seddon Park in Hamilton,” the PCB said.
New Zealand eased to a 73-run win over Pakistan in the first ODI after Mark Chapman struck a sublime century and Nathan Smith claimed four wickets.
The recalled Babar Azam top-scored for Pakistan with 78 off 83 balls but it was his dismissal that started the rot.
Both teams feature numerous changes to those who played out a five-match T20 series, won 4-1 by New Zealand.
Pakistan’s decision to expel refugees has ‘shaken’ Afghan community, UNHCR official says
- Islamabad has set a deadline of Mar. 31 for registered Afghan refugees to leave Pakistan
- The UNHCR official calls on world to share responsibility, says ‘stability comes at a cost’
KARACHI: A top official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pakistan on Sunday said Islamabad’s decision to expel refugees has “shaken” the Afghan community in the country, urging the international community to keep step up and share the responsibility.
Pakistan this month announced that that Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders must leave the country by March 31, which coincides with Eid Al-Fitr. According to UN data, Pakistan hosts more than 2.8 million Afghans, many of whom fled decades of war and instability in their home country. Around 1.3 million of them are formally registered as refugees and hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, which grant them legal protections.
Another 800,000 Afghans possess ACCs, a separate identity document issued by the Pakistani government that recognizes them as Afghan nationals without offering refugee status, according to the UNHCR. With the government now requiring ACC holders to leave by March 31, these 800,000 Afghans face the prospect of being forcibly returned to a country many have never even seen.
“For nearly five decades, millions of Afghans have come and gone from Pakistan, fleeing waves of violence since 1979 and returning home under mixed circumstances over the years. Some have chosen to repatriate voluntarily, while others have felt compelled to do so,” UNHCR representative in Pakistan Philippa Candler said on Sunday.
“Recent Government announcements about departure deadlines have again shaken the Afghan community in Pakistan.”
The move is part of a larger repatriation drive for foreign citizens that began in 2023, following a string of suicide attacks that Islamabad said involved a number of Afghan nationals. Over 800,000 Afghans have since been expelled from Pakistan.
In 2023, the Pakistani government said it was first focusing on expelling foreigners with no legal documentation and other categories like ACC holders would be included later.
Candler said it was “heartbreaking” to see how fearful these ACC-holders are of their forced return, adding that “their hopes and dreams have been shattered.”
She said Pakistan’s continued support for Afghan refugees, who have become woven into the fabric of Pakistan’s society, is “admirable” but undeniably a challenge for the host state.
“Healthcare, education, and other public services are often overburdened, and host communities are feeling the strain. Pakistan is stuck in a tough spot – balancing the needs of its own people, dealing with a growing security challenge, and shouldering the financial impact of hosting refugees,” she said.
“At the same time, the world expects Pakistan to keep delivering. The international community needs to keep stepping up and acknowledge that this stability comes at a cost, and that the responsibility must be shared.”
The situation requires a multifaceted approach, according to the UNHCR official. Pakistan and Afghanistan must work together to make sure that Afghan refugees can voluntarily and safely return home.
She called for a “sustainable return” of Afghan refugees, saying that many of those forced to return in 2023 were back in Pakistan again.
“Sustainable return means creating a peaceful and secure environment in Afghanistan, so refugees don’t have to fear persecution or discrimination when they go back. For Afghans who cannot return safely for the moment, efforts must be made in Pakistan to expand access to education, health care, and employment opportunities, while also granting them legal recognition and protection under international refugee law,” Candler said.
“The international community has a significant role to play. The responsibility on Pakistan should not be borne alone. Humanitarian aid needs to continue, not just to provide short-term relief but to support long-term development programs. Promises were made for the relocation of Afghans who entered the country since 2021. While many Afghans have left to third countries, thousands still remain in limbo in Pakistan. UNHCR is calling for their speedy departures, which means a durable solution and stability for the refugees.”
