KARACHI: HB International Investments, a company registered in the United Kingdom, will invest $100 million in Pakistan’s information technology and telecom sector to lay a submarine fiber optic cable linking the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a datacenter in Pakistan, the company said on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Wi-Tribe Pakistan LDI, a group company of HB International Investments Limited and Du Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), signed an agreement to link the UAE with Pakistan via a new “Orient Express” undersea fiber optic.
“The project is much more than just [putting the] Submarine [cable] as this entails setting up [a] datacenter in Pakistan and inland terrestrial routes,” Emergent Telecommunications LLC, owned by HB International Investments, told Arab News in response to an email.
Emergent Telecommunications LLC is also the project management company for “Orient Express” and is directly concerned with the project. “HB International Investments, owned by [a] Pakistani expat in [the] UK, will bring Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of USD 100 Million into Pakistan,” the company said.
As the partnering telecom operator for the landmark project along with Wi-Tribe Pakistan LDI, EITC will be UAE’s landing party for the cable and provide landing station infrastructure for the connectivity of the fiber optic cable system.
The 1,300-kilometer-long underwater cable will link UAE’s Kalba with Pakistan’s two provinces, Sindh and Balochistan, at the landing points of Karachi and Gwadar.
The cable system will carry four fiber pairs and 40 tbps of total design capacity, enabling faster connectivity via internet with the rest of the world.
Wi-Tribe LDI Pakistan is the owner of the project in Pakistan and possesses requisite licenses as per the regulations of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority.
Emergent Telecommunications, the project’s management company, told Arab News it had already started implementing the plan “in terms of technical closure and landing site acquisitions.”
The project seeks to build on China’s “One belt, One Road” initiative, a multibillion dollar investment project to develop global trade routes, and seeks to develop the opportunity for onward terrestrial connectivity with China to the east and Europe to the west.
“In this project we have 2 landing stations, Karachi & Gawadar. CPEC [China Pakistan Economic Corridor] project which is of immense importance for regional and bilateral trade will benefit from this submarine connectivity to the outside world,” Emergent Telecommunications said in a statement to Arab News. We believe this will also provide alternate route from regional UAE IX Internet Exchange to China and Hong Kong IX.”
After completions under the agreement, the Orient Express cable will offer high bandwidth capacity, internet services and transit facilities with low latency, high-quality routes, and peering services to other service providers and enterprise customers.
“The UAE is one of Pakistan’s major economic [and] trading partners and, by augmenting the rollout of the Orient Express subsea cable, we are playing a key part in further cementing the excellent ties between our two nations,” said Osman Sultan, CEO of EITC.
A growing ICT market, Pakistan has 161 million cellular, 69 million 3G/4G and 71 million broadband subscribers, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority data show.
The launch of the submarine cable system will help improve Pakistan’s digital divide, create education opportunities and increase general awareness among people.
"We are trailblazing new paths toward digital innovation, and the construction of the submarine cable system, “Orient Express,” is a testament to our efforts in becoming a pioneer in telecommunications," said Syed Rukhsar Ul Hassan Bokhari, chairman of Wi-Tribe Pakistan.
HB International to invest $100mln in fiber optic linking Pakistan to UAE
HB International to invest $100mln in fiber optic linking Pakistan to UAE
- 1,300 km underwater cable will link UAE’s Kalba with Pakistan’s Karachi and Gwadar port cities
- Pakistan has 161 million cellular, 69 million 3G/4G and 71 million broadband subscribers
ICC shortlists Pakistani batter Saim Ayub for Emerging Cricketer of the Year award
- Saim Ayub scored two centuries in recently concluded ODI series against South Africa
- He has been nominated alongside Kamindu Mendis, Shamar Joseph and Gus Atkinson
ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) this week shortlisted Pakistan’s new batting sensation Saim Ayub for the Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year award for his match-winning performances against South Africa and Zimbabwe this month.
Ayub has played six Test matches for Pakistan, scoring 323 runs at an average of 26.91 and scored three half-centuries. He has played nine ODIs, scoring 515 runs at an average of 64.37 with three centuries and a fifty already under his belt.
The aggressive opening batter’s two centuries against South Africa in the recently concluded ODI series has earned him critical acclaim and comparisons with former Pakistan batting legend Saeed Anwar.
“With nine categories in total, cricket fans around the world have the opportunity to cast their votes and help decide the winners of the ICC Awards 2024,” the ICC wrote on Saturday.
Ayub has been nominated for the award with Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis, West Indies’ bowler Shamar Joseph and England’s Gus Atkinson.
Pakistan are currently playing the first of their two-Test match series against South Africa in Centurion. The hosts have handed the Proteas a 148-run target, as South Africa struggle at 27/3 to chase the target.
Pakistan minister says May 2023 protests ‘unforgivable’ despite talks with Imran Khan’s party
- Pakistan’s government this week kicked off negotiations with Khan’s party to ease political tensions
- May 9, 2023, protests saw people carrying flags of Khan’s party attacking government, military installations
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Information Minister Ataullah Tarar has said that the violent protests of May 2023 led by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party were “unforgivable,” despite the government’s ongoing negotiations with the PTI, state-run media reported this week.
Tarar was referring to the violent countrywide protests of May 9, 2023, that saw people carrying PTI flags attack government and military installations. Khan’s party denies involvement in the protest, saying that the May 9 incident was a “false flag” operation designed to crush the party.
Pakistan’s military this month sentenced 85 civilians to prison, which included Khan’s nephew, for sentences ranging from two years to 10, for their involvement in the protests. The decision was criticized by the European Union, the US and the UK, who raised questions over the transparency of the trials.
Pakistan’s government this week opened talks with Khan’s PTI party to ease political tensions in the country. The PTI has demanded the release of political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate protests on May 9, 2023, and Nov. 26 this year.
“He [Tarar] said incidents of violence like May 9 cannot be overlooked and anyone who commits acts of violence has to face the law,” Tarar told journalists at a press conference in Gujranwala, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said.
The minister said that there was “irrefutable evidence” against people sentenced by the military for the May 9 protests, categorically stating that the right to fair trial was ensured.
“The government wants to build on a momentum of hard-earned economic progress during the last few months and political stability is inevitable to this end,” Radio Pakistan said.
Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in 2022 has plunged the country into a long-term political crisis, particularly since the PTI founder was jailed in August last year on corruption and other charges and remains behind bars.
His party and supporters regularly hold protests calling for his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent, including one last month in which the government says four troops were killed and the PTI says 12 of its supporters died.
The next session of talks between the government and the PTI is scheduled to be held on Jan. 2 in which it is expected that the PTI will present their demands in writing.
Gilgit-Baltistan defeats Chitral in ice hockey match at Shandur Lake
- The match was part of Shandur Ice Sports Challenge held from December 24 to 28
- The ice hockey match was tied 2-2 before Gilgit-Baltistan won on penalty shootouts
PESHAWAR: Shandur Lake in Pakistan’s northern region hosted an ice hockey match on Saturday, with Gilgit-Baltistan defeating Chitral 4-3 in a penalty shootout, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Authority said.
The match concluded the Shandur Ice Sports Challenge, organized by the tourism authority, which was held from December 24 to 28 and featured competitions in ice hockey and speed skating.
While ice hockey remains a developing sport in Pakistan, it has gained traction in the northern regions, where freezing temperatures and frozen lakes create natural rinks.
“A large number of locals participated in the ice hockey event,” said Tashfeen Haider, Director General of the tourism authority. “The match at Shandur Lake demonstrates the region’s potential to host winter sports.”
Shandur is widely known for its annual polo festival, a tradition dating back to 1936, when British officials set up a polo ground at the Shandur Pass, located at approximately 3,700 meters above sea level.
The festival attracts teams from Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan and has become a significant cultural and sporting event.
The tourism authority informed that the ice hockey match at Shandur was tied 2-2 in regular time before being decided on penalty shootouts.
The match highlighted the growing interest in winter sports in Pakistan’s northern regions, which can help boost local tourism and community engagement.
Key coalition ally criticizes Pakistan government’s ‘excuses’ for imposing Internet restrictions
- Pakistan announced in June it was setting up a firewall to curb ant-state propaganda, which slowed Internet speeds countrywide
- Pakistan’s opposition and rights activist criticize government’s measures, allege they are designed to crack down on criticism
ISLAMABAD: The chairman of a key coalition partner of the government, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, this week criticized the center’s “excuses” for imposing Internet restrictions in Pakistan that freelancers and rights activists say are aimed at cracking down on dissent in the country.
The PPP chairman’s criticism comes in response to the government’s recent measures which have been interpreted by activists and opposition parties as a digital clampdown on Internet freedom in the country. Pakistani officials admitted in June that the government was installing a national firewall, ostensibly designed to curb “anti-state propaganda” and “blasphemous content,” which slowed Internet speeds across the country.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has also intensified its crackdown on virtual private networks (VPNs), allowing their legal use only after users register with the government— posing challenges for freelancers and businesses relying on online access.
Activists say the curbs are meant to counter criticism from jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters, who have a powerful presence on social media platforms. The government denies these allegations.
“There is a lot of room for criticism on this digital issue,” Bhutto-Zardari told reporters in the southern Larkana city on Saturday.
“Every day there is a new excuse— sometimes they admit that we are shutting it [Internet] off and sometimes they say that we have done nothing of the sort. Then sometimes they say that our wires have been cut, then they say that there is a [firewall] testing going on,” he added.
Earlier this week, the PPP chairman called for a “digital bill of rights” to ensure Internet freedoms for people across the country.
In December, Minister of State for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja defended Internet restrictions, citing security concerns.
“No one is interested in shutting down the Internet,” she told parliament. “Law and order is paramount for us, but we will make every effort to ensure no disruption to the industry.”
Slow Internet speeds across the country have troubled Pakistani freelancers, who have reported disruptions in completing assignments and tasks.
According to data from the central bank, Pakistani freelancers earned $397.3 million in foreign remittances during the fiscal year 2021-22.
The amount is likely underreported, as much of the freelance income is received as home remittances.
Pakistan PM orders swift installation of smart meters to enhance billing transparency
- Shehbaz Sharif calls overbilling unacceptable, orders action against officials involved in the practice
- Sharif instructs the authorities to take concrete measures to prevent electricity theft in the country
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the rapid installation of smart meters to improve transparency and curb overbilling in Pakistan’s power sector, according to an official statement.
Pakistan’s power sector faces significant challenges, including billing issues, electricity theft, and data discrepancies. Earlier this year in September, a Senate committee review highlighted these issues, noting that consumers have suffered due to incorrect meter readings and mismanagement.
“The installation of smart meters should be completed at the earliest to ensure transparency in the billing system,” the prime minister instructed the relevant officials in a meeting to review the performance of power distribution companies.
“Overbilling is absolutely unacceptable and strict action will be taken against officials involved in overbilling,” he added.
He also mentioned the problem of electricity theft in certain areas of the country, which contributes to the sector’s financial instability.
This is made possible through various methods, such as meter tampering or using illegal connections to consume power without proper billing.
“Concrete measures must be taken to prevent electricity theft,” the prime minister said.
He instructed the power companies utilize all necessary resources to meet targets set by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).
He also instructed merit-based recruitment within power distribution companies, saying no compromise on transparency would be tolerated.
