ISLAMABAD: The third Aurat March to mark International Women’s Day in Pakistan kicked off nationwide on Sunday afternoon in the cities of Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Multan, Hyderabad and Quetta among others, amid some reports of clashes with counter protesters.
Fighting intense backlash and legal petitions in the week leading up to the march, demonstrators this year gathered from all cross sections of society and are women, men, children and transgender persons. The march manifesto’s primary demand this year is economic justice.
With a heavy police presence, specified areas i n every city turned into a colorful sea of placards and posters. Hundreds of people in different cities came out in support of the movement, chanting slogans that demanded more freedom for women and marginalized communities, including laborers, farmers and brick kiln workers.
“This is the beginning of a women’s movement in Pakistan and I think no political party or institution can now ignore this,” prominent rights activist Ammar Jan told Arab News at the Lahore demonstration.
“This movement is here to stay and to play a vital role in Pakistani society and politics,” he said.
In the northwestern city of Peshawar, where most women continue to observe customary seclusion and scarcely venture out without men, a small number of activists managed to gather even without the district administration’s permission for the event.
“Women in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the newly merged districts are confined to the boundary walls of their homes, which speaks volumes about injustice,” social activist Nadia Khan told Arab News at the Peshawar demonstration.
“They should be allowed to go to markets, attend schools and go to hospitals. Instead, all these are considered a stigma on the family name,” she continued.
“We are fighting for these rights, nothing more.”
In Karachi, men too came out in large numbers in support of the women’s day march at the city’s iconic Frere Hall, where performances and speeches were in full swing by the late afternoon.
“Today’s Aurat March is a much bigger, more exciting, dynamic and inclusive event. We have a wonderful mix of people standing here to demand their rights, saying we want a more inclusive and just society, where there is equality for everyone, no matter their gender or their faith,” Sheema Kirmani, a social activist and artist, told Arab News during the Karachi demonstration.
In Islamabad, police in riot gear lined the street separating the women’s march demonstrators and a separate group of protesters-- female members of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) who held their march outside the National Press Club.
Clashes with members of a Jamia Hafsa counter protest-- who had also gathered in the same place-- erupted when demonstrators began throwing stones at the Aurat March participants, injuring at least one member of the women’s day march according to local media. The situation was soon controlled by police.
Earlier, Ismat Shahjahan, lead organizer of the Aurat March addressed the demonstrators in Islamabad and congratulated them on a successful event for a more inclusive Pakistan.
The days leading up to women’s day saw the organizers and participants of the march receive violent threats online from religious groups and other individuals, including legal petitions filed by some to stop the protests from going ahead. All such petitions were dismissed by the courts.
In 2019, the Aurat March faced intense opposition in the conservative, Muslim majority country of 210 million people when photos from the demonstration depicting women holding placards and demanding rights and freedoms went viral on social media and made international news. Critics of the movement declared the march and its slogans were culturally and religiously insensitive.
Various politicians also shared messages of solidarity for international women’s day, including Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi.
“I firmly believe that inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development can only be ensured by providing equal opportunities and a conducive environment to our women,” Khan said in a statement on Sunday.
“I reaffirm my pledge on this day to take all measures that would help our women to lead a safe, secure and prosperous life,” he said.
In a Twitter post, President Alvi said Pakistan must ensure equal opportunities in education, health and jobs for its women, including ensuring inheritance and safety in all spaces.
Aurat March held across Pakistan on International Women’s Day
Aurat March held across Pakistan on International Women’s Day
- Nationwide protests took place in specified areas with a heavy police presence
- Among other politicians, PM Khan and President Alvi sent messages of solidarity for Women’s Day
Pakistan secures $1 billion in ADB-backed financing from Middle Eastern banks
- The loan aims to strengthen the country’s fiscal resilience, support reform momentum
- The government says the deal signals renewed trust in Pakistan’s economic trajectory
KARACHI: Pakistan has signed a $1 billion syndicated term finance facility backed by Middle Eastern banks, marking its return to the region’s financial markets after more than two years, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.
The five-year facility is partially guaranteed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under its Policy-Based Guarantee program, which is linked to fiscal reforms undertaken by Pakistan to improve resource mobilization and economic stability.
The financing by the Middle Eastern banks is structured across Islamic and conventional tranches, with 89 percent of the total amount raised through a Shariah-compliant facility.
“This is a landmark transaction for the Government of Pakistan that demonstrates strong support from leading financiers in the region,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
It informed that Dubai Islamic Bank acted as the sole Islamic global coordinator, while Standard Chartered Bank served as mandated lead arranger and bookrunner.
Other financiers include Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank as mandated lead arranger, and Sharjah Islamic Bank, Ajman Bank and Pakistan’s Habib Bank Limited (HBL) as arrangers.
The deal marks the first time a facility has been backed by an ADB Policy-Based Guarantee linked to specific reform measures undertaken by a member country.
According to the ministry, the ADB’s support helped Pakistan attract significant interest from regional lenders and re-enter global capital markets at a critical time for the economy.
The government said the success of the transaction signals renewed trust in Pakistan’s fiscal outlook and macroeconomic trajectory, marking the beginning of a new partnership with Middle Eastern banks.
Pakistan, which has faced persistent external financing gaps in recent years, has relied on friendly nations and global lenders to stabilize its balance of payments and rebuild investor confidence.
The ADB-backed facility is intended to help strengthen fiscal resilience while supporting economic reform momentum.
Pakistan reports first Congo virus death of 2025 in Karachi
- Virus is transmitted through tick bites or direct contact with blood of infected animals
- Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan reported 23 Congo virus cases in 2024
KARACHI: A 42-year-old man lost his life after contracting the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), marking the first confirmed fatality from the virus in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province this year, the health department said on Wednesday.
The fatality rate for the Congo virus ranges from 10 percent to 40 percent, depending on the quality of health care, timeliness of treatment and the patient’s overall health, according to the World Health Organization.
The virus, which is endemic in parts of Africa, Europe and Asia, is primarily transmitted through tick bites or contact with the blood or tissues of infected animals.
“First case of Congo virus [has been] reported in Sindh,” the Sindh Health Department said in a statement on Wednesday.
“42-year-old male was a resident of District Malir,” it continued. “The test report came out positive on June 16 and the patient passed away on June 17.”
Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province reported 23 Congo virus cases in 2024, with five deaths since January last year.
Local medical practitioners said most cases were diagnosed during the summer, when the likelihood of the virus spreading increases, particularly around the Eid Al-Adha festival.
The Islamic holiday, marked by the mass slaughter of animals, typically leads to greater human-animal interaction and exposure to infected livestock.
Pakistan witnessed its first case of Congo virus in 1976 and remained a major victim for years, according to the National Library of Medicine.
The country faces major challenges in combating Congo virus every year due to its specific geographical position and a majority of the population being involved with animal husbandry, it added.
There is no approved vaccine for its prevention.
The European Medicines Agency in May 2024 approved a Phase I clinical trial in Sweden for a DNA-based vaccine candidate, N-pVAX1, targeting the Congo virus.
Separately, the University of Oxford in August 2023 launched a Phase I trial of its ChAdOx2 CCHF vaccine, based on the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 platform, to assess safety and immune response.
Pakistan rescues injured Indian sailor amid post-war tensions with New Delhi
- Pakistan evacuates the injured sailor from a Liberian-flagged tanker with an all-Indian crew
- Rare humanitarian gesture follows recent Pakistan-India war amid strained diplomatic ties
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday evacuated an injured Indian sailor from an oil tanker in the Arabian Sea, in a rare humanitarian gesture weeks after the two countries fought a brief four-day war that further strained already tense relations.
The medical evacuation was coordinated by the Pakistan Navy’s Joint Maritime Information and Coordination Center (JMICC), which received a distress call from the Liberian-flagged oil and chemical tanker MT HIGH LEADER, carrying an all-Indian crew.
The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) deployed a vessel and transferred the injured crew member to a hospital in Karachi for emergency treatment.
“The successful medical evacuation is yet another testament to the operational readiness and responsiveness of Pakistan’s maritime safety apparatus,” the Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
“The swift execution reflects Pakistan Navy’s resolve to fulfill its international obligations for the safety of life at sea, irrespective of the nationality of the seafarers involved,” it added.
The incident comes at a time of high diplomatic friction between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Last month’s military confrontation, involving missile, drone and artillery exchanges, marked one of the most serious escalations in recent years.
Pakistan has repeatedly called for the revival of a composite dialogue process to resolve long-standing issues, including the Kashmir dispute, cross-border militancy and a water-sharing arrangement under the Indus Waters Treaty.
India, however, has resisted any engagement so far.
The JMICC, which coordinated the evacuation, serves as Pakistan’s central maritime emergency response hub and regularly liaises with both national and international stakeholders.
Pakistan reduces sales tax on imported solar panels from 18 % to 10 % amid parliamentary pushback
- The government proposed 18% GST on imported solar panels during budget 2025-26
- Pakistan imported 17 gigawatts of solar panels in 2024, twice the previous year’s volume
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said the general sales tax (GST) on imported solar panels had been reduced from 18% to 10% for the current year, following concerns raised by a parliamentary finance body.
The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue had urged the government a day earlier to withdraw the proposed 18% GST on imported solar panels, noting that some stakeholders had begun stockpiling equipment ahead of the federal budget to avoid the new levy.
The country’s proposed federal budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year included an 18% GST on the import and local supply of solar panels and related equipment, prompting concern from industry stakeholders and clean energy advocates.
Pakistan imported 17 gigawatts (GW) of solar panels in 2024, twice the volume recorded the year before, to meet rising consumer demand, according to the Global Electricity Review 2025.
“The 18 percent on top of 46% was an additional burden,” Dar told the National Assembly.
“So, regarding this, after consultations and deliberations, we have decided that this year we will keep a 10% sales tax and not 18%.”
Dar highlighted how this was the most debated subject after the budget was announced.
He also explained that around 46% of components used in solar installations in Pakistan were imported while the remaining 54% including inverters and other equipment were locally sourced and already subject to standard taxation.
Solar energy has supplied 25% of Pakistan’s grid electricity so far this year, placing the country among fewer than 20 globally that generate at least a quarter of their monthly power from solar farms.
Industry stakeholders and clean energy activists had warned that the added cost in tax could slow the rapid adoption of rooftop solar systems by households and businesses, potentially undermining national targets for expanding the share of renewables in the country’s energy mix.
Pakistan increased its solar electricity generation at a rate more than three times the global average in 2025, driven by a surge in solar capacity imports that were over five times higher than in 2022, according to data from Ember, a UK-based energy think tank.
This rapid growth in both capacity and output has propelled solar energy from being the country’s fifth-largest power source in 2023 to the top spot in 2025.
Pakistan unveils draft tariff policy to drive export-led growth
- The policy plans to phase out Additional Customs Duties, rationalize the tariff structure
- It aims to reduce tariffs on raw materials, deliver $700 million in benefits to industries
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday unveiled a draft National Tariff Policy 2025-30 at a regulatory reforms conference, aiming to shift the country toward an export-led growth model by overhauling its trade tariff structure to boost industrial productivity, investment and competitiveness.
The event was organized by the Board of Investment (BoI), and attended by senior government officials, diplomats and private sector representatives.
The policy sets out sweeping reforms, including the phasing out of Additional Customs Duties (ACDs) within four years, elimination of Regulatory Duties (RDs) and the 5th Schedule within five years, and the creation of a simplified four-tier Customs Duty structure of 0 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent and 15 percent.
Key sectors expected to benefit include textiles, engineering, pharmaceuticals and information technology, with the policy designed to lower production costs and attract businesses.
“The National Tariff Policy 2025-30 is designed to create a predictable, transparent and investment-friendly tariff structure,” said Rana Ihsaan Afzal, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce, at the conference.
“By facilitating duty-free access to raw materials, phasing out ACDs and RDs and supporting nascent and green industries, this policy paves the way for innovation, employment generation and sustained economic growth.”
Afzal said implementation will begin with tariff reductions on approximately 7,000 tariff lines, mainly raw materials and intermediate goods, expected to deliver an estimated Rs200 billion ($700 million) in benefits to trade and industry.
“These reforms will enable Pakistan’s industries to scale, compete globally and shift toward higher value-added exports,” he added. “With these changes, we anticipate not just stronger GDP growth, but also increased employment, improved industrial productivity and enhanced investor confidence.”
According to an official statement issued by the BoI, the participants lauded the government’s efforts to streamline regulation and modernize trade facilitation, calling the draft policy a significant step toward Pakistan’s long-term economic transformation.
