ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Raja Ali Ejaz revealed on Thursday that 150 Pakistani nationals in Saudi Arabia had been infected by coronavirus and 30 of them had lost their lives to the infectious disease.
According to an official handout shared by foreign ministry, he made the statement while briefing Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi who was invited to interact with the Pakistani citizens in the Kingdom through a video link.
The virtual town hall meeting was also attended by members of the country’s diplomatic mission in the Arab state.
The Pakistani envoy informed that Saudi authorities had taken strict lockdown measures to prevent virus spread, adding that they were also offering best medical facilities to those who were suffering from the disease.
The foreign minister shared Pakistan’s national tally in response, pointing out that more than 22,000 people had suffered from the infectious respiratory illness since the beginning of its emergence in the country during the last week of February. However, he said that the country had a low coronavirus mortality rate.
Qureshi maintained that Pakistan was likely to hit the COVID-19 peak toward the end of May and beginning of June, saying it was a major consideration that needed to be taken into account by the government while devising a strategy to deal with the issue.
He noted that it was not possible for a country like Pakistan to remain in lockdown indefinitely since it had limited resources and its economy was dwindling.
The foreign minister said that the government wanted to devise a mechanism through national consensus that not only arrested the virus spread but also allowed the national economy to remain functional.
He said that any extension in the lockdown situation would result in greater unemployment in the country, making the daily wage earners suffer the most.
Discussing the overall economic strategy of the country, Qureshi said the government was striving for debt relief on the instruction of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Qureshi also praised Saudi Arabia for patiently dealing with foreign nationals in the Kingdom and not forcing them out of the country.
He also lauded overseas Pakistanis for always stepping forward to help their country in times of crisis.
150 Pakistani nationals in Saudi Arabia contracted COVID-19, says envoy
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150 Pakistani nationals in Saudi Arabia contracted COVID-19, says envoy
- Pakistani foreign minister hold virtual meeting with citizens in the Kingdom, says Pakistan likely to hit COVID-19 peak by May end
- Qureshi thanks Saudi authorities for showing patience with foreign nationals during the pandemic
Pakistan approves ‘comprehensive’ military operation against separatists militants in Balochistan
- The remote province has seen an increase in strikes by separatist ethnic militants this year
- Islamabad says hostile neighbors support the insurgency to impede economic development
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday approved a “comprehensive military operation” against separatist militant groups operating in its southwestern Balochistan province, amid a surge in attacks across the region.
The remote province, Pakistan’s largest by area but least developed, is home to a decades-long insurgency by separatists who carry out frequent attacks against the government, army and Chinese interests in the region to press their demands for a share in regional resources. The state denies it is unfair in its treatment of Balochistan.
Last month, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most prominent of separatist groups operating in the province, claimed a suicide bombing that targeted Pakistani army troops at a railway station minutes before they were due to board a train to return home for vacations. It killed 27, including 19 soldiers, who were in civilian clothing.
Last week, militants stormed a paramilitary checkpoint in Balochistan’s mountainous Kalat district, some 150 km south of the provincial capital of Quetta, killing seven troops and wounding at least 18. In October, in two separate incidents, five people were killed in an attack by armed men on the construction site of a small dam, while 21 miners working at privately run coal mines were also gunned down. The BLA group also claimed a recent suicide bombing outside the southern Karachi international airport, in which two Chinese engineers were killed.
“The participants approved a comprehensive military operation against terrorist organizations operating in Balochistan including the Majeed Brigade, BLA, BLF and BRAS who are targeting innocent civilians and foreign nationals to scuttle Pakistan’s economic progress by creating insecurity at the behest of hostile external powers,” said a statement from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office after a meeting of the National Action Plan’s apex committee in Islamabad, attended by the cabinet, provincial chief ministers and the three armed services chiefs, including Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir.
“COAS reiterated the Pakistan Army’s unwavering resolve to eliminate all threats to national security and provide robust support to the government’s initiatives aimed at ensuring peace and stability.”
The statement did not give any details of the military operation such as when it would be launched and in which parts of the province and which security agencies will participate.
Ethnic Baloch insurgents say they are fighting what they see as the unfair exploitation of the province’s mineral and gas wealth by the federation at the center. The province is home to major China-led investment projects such as a strategic port and a gold and copper mine.
The Pakistani government and military deny they are exploiting Balochistan and have long maintained that neighbors such as India, Afghanistan and Iran foment trouble in the region and support and fund the insurgency there to impede its development and economic potential.
Imran Khan’s party, government rule out talks ahead of Nov. 24 protest in Islamabad
- PTI is planning protest in Islamabad against alleged election rigging, to demand independence of judiciary, release of political supporters
- Government spokesman says law will “take its course” if PTI and supporters violate ban on public gatherings in federal capital
ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party as well as a government spokesman both ruled out negotiations ahead of a planned protest by the PTI in the federal capital on Nov. 24, while police warned of action against supporters if they violated a ban on public gatherings.
The denials follow widespread reports on electronic and social media of negotiations between PTI and the government as the party prepares to lead a ‘long march’ to the capital on Sunday over alleged rigging in Feb. 8 general elections and to call for the release of political prisoners, including Khan, and in support of the independence of the judiciary.
On Monday, just days ahead of the protest, the district magistrate imposed a two-month-long ban on the gathering of more than five people in Islamabad using Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which allows the government to prohibit various forms of political assembly, gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, demonstrations, and other activities for a specified period.
Pakistan’s parliament also passed a law earlier this year to “regulate” public gatherings in Islamabad, including by specifying timings for rallies and designating specific areas. The law has set three-year jail terms for participants of ‘illegal’ assemblies, with ten-year imprisonment for repeat offenders.
“There is no contact between the PTI and government,” Khan’s close aide, Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, told Arab News, saying the party intended to go ahead with its protest plan.
“We intend to stay within the law and within our constitutional right of peaceful assembly,” he added.
Barrister Daniyal Chaudhry from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) ruling party, who is a parliamentary secretary of information and broadcasting, said the law would “take its course” against violators of the newly passed Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024.
“Section 144 has been imposed, and under the clearly defined process of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024, anyone violating the law will be dealt with strictly, as it is the government’s responsibility to protect the lives and property of the people,” Chaudhry told Arab News.
“There will be no tolerance for [breaking the law] and definitely the law will take its course.”
Chaudhry also said there had been no contact between the PTI and the government ahead of Sunday’s protest.
“As of now, there is nothing from the official channel and if it has not been done till now then I don’t think they [PTI] are in a mood to take the government on board,” he added.
Responding to a question about the deployment of paramilitary, army and other security agencies to assist police on the day of the protest, the PMLN leader said the government would do everything necessary to ensure the security of the residents of Islamabad:
“It is an utmost priority for the government to ensure the protection of the people.”
Nazia Rafiq, a spokesperson for Islamabad Police, said the law enforcement agency would ensure that laws were followed.
“Section 144 has been imposed by the district administration, and it is our responsibility to adhere to state policies and ensure the implementation of the rule of law but so far, everything is under control,” she told Arab News.
“However, if any unlawful activity occurs, the police will handle it in accordance with the law and the directions provided.”
The PTI’s recent rallies and marches, organized to create pressure for Khan’s release from prison, have been thwarted by similar bans on public gatherings.
Khan has been in jail since August 2023 and has faced dozens of cases since he was removed as prime minister in 2022 after which he launched a protest movement against a coalition of his rivals led by current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and backed by the all-powerful military, which denies interfering in politics.
Khan says the cases against him, which disqualified him from contesting the February elections, are politically motivated.
Abandoned plane that crash-landed in Karachi in 2011 to embark on unusual road trip
- AMC Airlines flight SU-BOZ, carrying 74 passengers from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, was forced to land in Karachi in 2011
- Plane, abandoned by airline, will now be used iat Civil Aviation Training Institute in Hyderabad for teaching purposes
KARACHI: An abandoned aircraft that crash-landed at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport in 2011 is set to embark on an unusual journey by road to Hyderabad today, Wednesday, where it will be used for teaching purposes at an aviation institute, a spokesman for the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said on Tuesday.
The PAA plans to transport the 40-ton aircraft from the port city of Karachi, via the National Highway, to the Civil Aviation Training Institute (CATI) in the southern Pakistani city of Hyderabad. On its journey, the plane will pass through several densely populated areas of Karachi, the country’s largest and most populated city, including Steel Town and Bin Qasim Town.
“The aircraft is set to be transferred from Karachi to the Civil Aviation Training Institute (CATI) in Hyderabad for aviation training,” PAA spokesperson Saifullah said, with the journey set to begin at 4am PST.
The MD-83 aircraft, registered as SU-BOZ, was taking 74 passengers from Tabuk city in Saudi Arabia to the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta when it made the emergency landing in Karachi on Dec. 25, 2011.
Footage of the plane’s landing, widely shared on social media, shows the AMC Airlines flight touching down at Jinnah International Airport without its nose gear deployed. Smoke billowed from the plane as it skidded along the runway.
Despite multiple attempts, the nose landing gear failed to deploy, forcing the pilot to land the plane on its belly. No injuries were reported.
The incident led to the closure of the Karachi airport runway for several hours.
“The aircraft was abandoned by the operating airlines and is now embarking on a new journey [to Hyderabad] for use for training purposes,” the PAA spokesperson added.
This is the second aircraft to be transported by road from Karachi to Hyderabad for training purposes in recent weeks.
Last month, the journey by road of a decommissioned Boeing 737 from Karachi to Hyderabad also caught the media spotlight in Pakistan.
Pakistan PM urges efforts for economic, political stability as opposition plans anti-government protest
- Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has announced it will lead ‘long march’ to Islamabad on Sunday
- PM says all parties have to decide whether to hold protests or work for economic progress
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for prioritizing economic and political stability over “sit-ins and long marches,” in a veiled reference to the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which has announced it will hold an anti-government protest in Islamabad on Nov. 24.
PTI announced last week it would lead a ‘long march’ to the capital on Sunday over alleged rigging in Feb. 8 general elections and to call for the release of political prisoners, including jailed founder ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, and in support of the independence of the judiciary. Recent protests by the party have seen clashes between police and supporters and led to the government shutting down cities and main highways to keep crowds from gathering. The government also imposed a two-month ban on public gatherings in Islamabad on Monday.
The PTI, arguably the country’s most popular party, has a history of drawing huge crowds to rallies.
“The country’s progress and prosperity, stability of economy, and political stability are interlinked with each other, and without it no society can move ahead,” Sharif said as he addressed the National Action Plan’s apex committee meeting in Islamabad, attended by his cabinet, provincial chief ministers and the three armed services chiefs.
“It is imperative for progress and prosperity that there needs to be economic and political stability, and you all have to play a role for it,” he said. “We have to decide whether to hold dharnas, long marches, or work for the progress and prosperity [of the country]. It is all up to us.”
The meeting had been called to discuss a rise in militant attacks in recent months, particularly in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces. Attacks in KP are mostly claimed by Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants while Balochistan has been plagued by a worsening separatist insurgency by ethnic militants.
“If we want to advance national development, national unity, political unity, then it is connected to the elimination of terrorism, without it, nothing will advance. I think that this is the biggest challenge of Pakistan today,” Sharif said.
“So for me, as the head of this country, for you [army chief], as the head of the army, we have no choice but to first crush terrorism. After that, it is about economy, it is about production, employment and prosperity.”
Analysts say the government is lacking a “holistic approach” to address rising ethnic militancy and political violence in the country and achieve economic stability.
“Amid political polarization, ethnic militancy in KP and Balochistan provinces is emerging as a new challenge for Pakistan that needs to be addressed through a comprehensive approach and with the support of all segments of the society,” Dr. Qamar Cheema, executive-director at Sanober Institute in Islamabad, told Arab News.
Tahir Malik, a political analyst and professor at the National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad, said the government should open dialogue with the PTI to find a political solution to all problems,
“The prime minister should walk the talk to achieve political and economic stability by engaging the opposition in constructive dialogue ahead of the planned PTI protest,” Malik said.
Seven cops abducted by armed gunmen in northwest Pakistan released — police
- Policemen were abducted by dozens of armed gunmen from Bannu district on Monday, police said
- Over 82 policemen have been killed in attacks, ambushes, targeted killings in northwest this year
PESHAWAR: Seven policemen abducted from a check post on Monday in northwest Pakistan have been recovered through the efforts of local tribal elders and a massive search operation by police in the unforgiving mountainous terrain, officials said on Tuesday.
Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has seen a rise in militant attacks in recent months, which Islamabad says are mostly carried out by Afghan nationals and their facilitators and by Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups who cross over into Pakistan using safe haven in Afghanistan. The Taliban government in Kabul denies the charges, saying Pakistan’s security challenges are a domestic issue.
Over 82 policemen have been killed in attacks, ambushes and targeted killings in KP this year, according to official data.
Speaking to Arab News on Tuesday, Ziauddin Ahmed, the District Police Officer (DPO) for Bannu district where the abduction happened, said all seven abductees had been released and were in police custody.
“Police carried out a search operation to locate the abducted officials but their release was secured following hectic efforts by local elders,” Ahmed said, without giving more details of the rescue operation.
No group has as yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.
Noorzad Khan, a police officer in Bannu, said dozens of well-armed militants on Monday forced their way inside the Rocha check post in the jurisdiction of Utmanzi police station, a region on the edge with the restive North Waziristan tribal district, long a haven for Taliban and other militants.
The gunmen were able to get away with all the weapons and equipment at the checkpoint.
“The attackers besieged the check post and then held the policemen hostage at gunpoint,” Khan said, confirming the return of the seven officers.
The TTP is separate from the Afghan Taliban movement, but pledges loyalty to the Islamist group that now rules Afghanistan after US-led international forces withdrew in 2021.
Islamabad says TTP uses Afghanistan as a base and that the ruling Taliban administration has provided safe havens to the group close to the border. The Taliban deny this.
