As Arab News turns 45, find out how its Pakistan edition was launched

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Updated 20 April 2020
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As Arab News turns 45, find out how its Pakistan edition was launched

  • Our online edition launched on Feb. 8, 2018
  • It has been hailed as an example of fair and balanced journalism

ISLAMABAD: Arab News launched its online Pakistan edition on Feb. 8, 2018. Two years later, it has become the Riyadh-based newspaper’s most successful digital expansion project.

It has been hailed by leading officials in Islamabad, academics and journalists as a shining example of fair and balanced journalism. As its parent title in Saudi Arabia celebrates the 45th anniversary of its launch, messages of congratulation have been pouring in from Pakistan.

“Arab News, I feel, will set new trends, with new commitment and new priorities in the region linked with the national interest of Pakistan,” said Firdous Ashiq Awan, a special assistant to the prime minister for information and broadcasting.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said: “We have 4 million Pakistanis living in the Middle East and in the Gulf states, so connecting with them through Arab News (is) very useful.”

Sen. Faisal Javed Khan, who is a member of Pakistan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party and oversees its social media operation, said: “Arab News is doing a lot of credible work. We share your website (links) on our Twitter handles.”

The promotion of quality over quantity, fact debunking fiction, and attracting readers without sensationalizing stories are the bedrocks on which Arab News was built. It was the Kingdom’s first English-language daily, and the Pakistan edition carries on this tradition through the practice of ethical journalism, while diligently navigating the country’s complexities and its vibrant media landscape.

“The difference between Arab News and other media is that it doesn’t believe in sensationalism,” said Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, who inaugurated the Arab News Pakistan bureau last year. “It is focusing on serious issues. This is what we expect from a serious media group like Arab News.”

Arab News arrived on the Pakistani media landscape as part of the newspaper’s ongoing global and digital expansion. With the aim of reporting news from across Asia, it hired a team of skilled journalists and assembled a network of freelance contributors.

During its short life so far it has delivered several scoops, published important investigative reports, brought intriguing and public-interest stories to the fore, and helped bridge the information gap between the Middle East and Pakistan. All of this while highlighting the rich, diverse cultures of both regions for a growing readership, and maintaining an impeccable, untainted track record of credibility.

Arab News Asia Bureau Chief Baker Atyani said: “Stories about the Middle East and Arabs have always appeared in Pakistan’s media. But what’s new here is we are trying to present it through our own eyes and not through the eyes of the international media.”

He also highlighted the technical innovations that the Pakistan edition is implementing.

“The second thing we are trying to introduce in the market is to digitalize the news story in a new (video) format (and present it) in less than 90 seconds,” he said.

The instant success of Arab News Pakistan, spearheaded by its bureau chief, encouraged bosses in Saudi Arabia to launch a second international edition. This went live in Japan in October last year, in both English and Japanese editions.

“The way that officials, and even the prime minister’s office, have (embraced) our content says a lot about the veracity of our news,” said Arab News Pakistan Managing Editor Javeriah Abbasi.

The backbone of Arab News Pakistan’s success is its talented team of reporters, editors and social media producers who sort through the news, checking facts and covering developments as they happen. It resists the temptation to publish news stories based on existing media reports from other outlets, instead striving to carve out a niche of its own in a challenging media landscape.

“I think there is a lot of information out there. There is a lot of clutter,” said senior online editor Wajahat Ali. “What Arab News is trying to do is bring clarity out of that clutter. We are trying to find information gaps and provide information to our readers that is as authentic as possible.”

Muhammad Ishtiaq, also a senior online editor, added: “Arab News always looks toward a story with an objective eye.”

Reporter Aamir Saeed said: “Arab News has allowed reporters to explore fresh angles that the local media usually ignores.”

Social media producer Sehrish Ghaffar, a core member of the publishing team, said that Arab News Pakistan “is encouraging women to participate in the field of social media, which is the front line of any news network in this digital world.”

Her colleague, Farheen Fatima, said that it has empowered women by expanding the media spotlight.

 


Bangladesh court upholds death sentence of 20 students in 2019 murder case

Updated 5 sec ago
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Bangladesh court upholds death sentence of 20 students in 2019 murder case

  • Abrar Fahad, a student at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, was killed after criticizing then government of Sheikh Hasina on Facebook
  • Fahad, 21, was beaten for nearly six hours with cricket bats by a group of 25 students, all members of the student wing of Hasina’s Awami League political party

DHAKA: A court in Bangladesh upheld on Sunday death sentences of 20 former university students convicted of murdering a fellow student in 2019 who had criticized the country’s former government on social media.
Abrar Fahad, 21, a student at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), was killed hours after publishing a Facebook post that criticized the then government of Sheikh Hasina for signing a water-sharing treaty with India.
Fahad was beaten for nearly six hours with cricket bats by a group of 25 students, all members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of former prime minister’s political party, the Awami League.
The student wing was accused of creating a reign of terror on university campuses before Hasina was ousted last year following a student-led uprising.
“I am satisfied. I hope the legal procedures will be completed soon, and justice will be served,” Fahad’s father, Barkat Ullah, told reporters after the verdict was announced by the court on Sunday.
“I don’t want to blame the parents who sent their sons to the top university, but they got involved in bad politics. I would urge others to stay away from harmful activities,” he added.
Fahad’s killing sparked nationwide protests, forcing Hasina to pledge the highest punishment for the perpetrators.
Due legal process will be followed to implement the verdict, Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman told reporters.
“The High Court upheld the lower court verdict that handed down death sentences to 20 and life imprisonment to five,” Asaduzzaman said.
“The convicts will be allowed to appeal against the verdict and will have all the rights ensured by the court.”
Syed Mizanur Rahman, one of the group’s defense lawyers, said, “We will appeal against the verdict.”
Of the 20 sentenced to death, four are still on the run.
One of them, Muntasir Al Jamie, who was convicted in Faha’s murder, broke through the prison wall of a high security jail on August 6.
Death sentences are common in Bangladesh, with hundreds of people currently on death row.
All executions are carried out by hanging, a legacy of British colonial rule.


PCB serves legal notice to South Africa’s Corbin Bosch for ‘breaching’ Pakistan T20 league contract

Updated 23 min 21 sec ago
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PCB serves legal notice to South Africa’s Corbin Bosch for ‘breaching’ Pakistan T20 league contract

  • Bosch was picked by Peshawar Zalmi in the Diamond category during player draft for the 10th edition of Pakistan Super League
  • The Pakistan Cricket Board says its management has outlined repercussions of Bosch’s departure from the league in the notice

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has served a legal notice to South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch for “breaching” his contract for the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) Twenty20 tournament, the PCB said on Sunday.
The 30-year-old Bosch was picked by Peshawar Zalmi in the Diamond category during player draft for the 10th edition of PSL in Lahore on Jan. 13, according to the PCB.
The legal notice was served through his agent, and the player has been asked to justify his actions of withdrawing from his professional and contractual commitments.
“The PCB management has also outlined the repercussions of his departure from the league and expects his response within the stipulated time frame,” the board said.
“The PCB will not make any further comments on the matter.”
PSL, which officially began in February 2016, features city-based franchise teams and has become a major event in Pakistan’s cricket calendar, symbolizing the country’s love for the sport. The league brings together both local and international talent, and has grown substantially in value and popularity since its inception.
Pakistan will host the 10th edition of PSL from April 11, with defending champions Islamabad United taking on two times champions Lahore Qalandars at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in the opening match.
The six-team tournament will see 34 matches between April 11 and May 18. Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium will host 13 matches, including two eliminators and the final, according to the PCB.
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host 11 matches, including the first qualifier on May 13. National Bank Stadium in Karachi and Multan Cricket Stadium will host five PSL matches each.


Pakistan PM asks officials to intensify crackdown on human traffickers, smugglers

Updated 40 min 8 sec ago
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Pakistan PM asks officials to intensify crackdown on human traffickers, smugglers

  • Several Pakistanis attempt the dangerous and illegal journey via sea each year in search of greener pastures abroad
  • These journeys have claimed lives of several dozen Pakistanis in recent years, prompting action against human smugglers

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to intensify their crackdown on human traffickers and smugglers, the FIA said on Sunday.
The statement came after a meeting of senior FIA officials with the prime minister following the arrest of Usman Jajja, ringleader of a notorious gang involved in human trafficking.
Sharif said the individuals involved in the heinous crime of human trafficking not just cause a loss of precious human lives but also damage the country’s global repute.   
“The prime minister called for intensifying operations to bring those involved in human trafficking to justice,” the FIA said in a statement.
Sharif awarded a cash prize Rs1 million to each official who was part of the operation against the Jajja gang involved in the Greece boat accident, in which four Pakistanis died after a migrant boat they were on sank near the Greek island of Crete in Dec. 2024.
The boat tragedies put the spotlight on perilous journeys many migrants undertake, often driven by economic hardship as young individuals seek better financial prospects by attempting dangerous crossings to Europe.
Several Pakistanis attempt the dangerous and illegal journey each year in a bid to escape surging inflation and opt for a better life as the cash-strapped country navigates a tricky path to economic recovery from a macroeconomic crisis.
Pakistan has intensified its crackdown on human smugglers after multiple boat tragedies resulted in its citizens getting killed in recent years. In 2023, an overcrowded vessel carrying over 250 Pakistanis capsized near Greece, in what was one of the deadliest migrant boat disasters in recent history.


Chinese shipyard completes second submarine for ally Pakistan

Updated 16 March 2025
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Chinese shipyard completes second submarine for ally Pakistan

  • The Hangor class is believed to be an export version of China’s 039A submarine, with a crew of 38 and equipped with anti-ship missiles
  • Pakistan contracted to buy eight of the submarines, the final four of which are to be built by the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works

TAIPEI: A Chinese shipyard has completed a second submarine for the Pakistan navy, further strengthening military ties between the two countries.
The diesel-electric Hangor class craft was launched on Thursday at China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation’s shipworks in the central city of Wuhan on the Yangtze River, Chinese state media reported Sunday.
Pakistan contracted to buy eight of the submarines, the final four of which are to be built by the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works in the Pakistani port city of the same name.
The Hangor class is believed to be an export version of China’s 039A submarine, with a crew of 38 plus eight spaces for special forces troops and equipped with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles.
Pakistan has used submarines in the past to confront India as part of their land wars over disputed territory in the north. Prohibitions on dual military and civilian use of technology by European nations that make diesel submarines has left China Pakistan’s best option for modern military equipment.
According to a Swedish military think tank, China has accounted for more than 81 percent of Pakistan’s weapons imports over the past five years. Joint venture projects include the Hangor as well as the JF-17 fighter jet.
Meanwhile, China and India have agreed to work toward a solution to their long-running border dispute in the Himalayas after a military standoff that flared with a deadly clash in 2020 but dates back decades.


Pakistan health minister expresses concern over rising polio cases in Sindh

Updated 16 March 2025
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Pakistan health minister expresses concern over rising polio cases in Sindh

  • Syed Mustafa Kamal asks authorities to submit detailed report on parents refusing polio vaccination for children
  • Pakistan has so far reported six polio cases in first three months of 2025, with four of those reported from Sindh

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal expressed concern over the rising number of poliovirus cases being reported from Sindh, the health ministry said on Sunday, directing authorities to submit a detailed report on the number of families refusing to get their children vaccinated. 

Pakistan has so far reported six polio cases in the first three months of 2025. Four out of the six cases have been reported from Sindh, as per official data. 

Kamal paid a visit to the provincial Emergency Operation Center (EOC) in Karachi, Sindh’s capital, on Sunday where he sought a detailed report from authorities about parents refusing polio vaccinations for their children. 

“The health minister has expressed concern over four polio cases [reported] from Sindh,” the health ministry said in a statement. 

“Forty-three thousand patients in Sindh refused vaccination out of which about 42,000 are from Karachi,” Kamal was quoted as saying. 

The minister was given a detailed briefing on the ongoing polio vaccination campaigns and the challenges faced by authorities. 

Kamal said eliminating polio from Pakistan was a national priority, directing authorities to utilize all resources to eradicate the disease. 

Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure, and multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with the completion of the routine vaccination schedule for children under five, are essential to providing immunity against the virus.

The South Asian country last year reported 74 polio cases. Pakistan has planned three major polio campaigns in the first half of 2025, with the next rounds scheduled for April and May. 

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last two countries in the world where polio remains endemic.

Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994 but efforts to eradicate the virus have since been undermined by vaccine misinformation and opposition from some religious hard-liners who say immunization is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western spies.

Militant groups also frequently attack and kill members of polio vaccine teams.