KARACHI — Pakistani authorities are encouraging people to buy sacrificial animals online or at least wear masks when visiting cattle markets, fearing preparations for the Muslim festival of Eid Al-Adha could reverse a decline in COVID-19 infection numbers.
Government social-distancing restrictions this year including half-day closing have seen a drop in customers at the normally bustling markets which, like in other Muslim countries, are set up in urban centers ahead of one of Islam’s most important festivals.
The main cattle market of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, was less busy on Sunday than in preceding years with just six days before festivities, Reuters witnesses said. Trader Allah Ditta, who traveled hundreds of miles to sell his stock, told Reuters his customers had almost halved.
Most visitors flouted a requirement to wear masks, and many were accompanied by children who this year are barred.
“I don’t understand this coronavirus. I have not seen anyone dying of it,” said trader Muhammad Akram. “Look around you: No one is wearing a mask.”
Pakistan has reported over 270,000 COVID-19 cases with almost 6,000 deaths. Daily cases of new infection numbered just under 1,200 on Sunday versus a peak last month nearing 7,000 around another festival, Eid Al-Fitr.
“In the last four weeks there has been significant slowdown in the pandemic’s spread, with an 80% decline in deaths,” State Minister of Health Zafar Mirza said on Sunday — three weeks after he himself tested positive for COVID-19.
“Last Eid, since gatherings increased, people traveled, and this interaction caused cases to spike,” Mizra said. “People should take it very seriously and act responsibly. There is a chance that cases might go up again, like Spain.”
While market visitors have fallen, more people are paying charities to slaughter cattle on their behalf and deliver their cut to them or donate it to the needy.
Shakil Dehelvi, joint secretary-general of Alamgir Welfare Trust, said the charity had received its target booking number twice as quickly as last year.
Pakistan urges worshippers to buy sacrificial animals online to prevent COVID-19 surge
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Pakistan urges worshippers to buy sacrificial animals online to prevent COVID-19 surge
- Cattle market less busy this year than preceding years as more people stay indoors over coronavirus fears
- While market visitors have fallen, more people are paying charities to slaughter cattle on their behalf
Pakistan hopes for ‘enduring’ partnership with US under new Trump administration
- In recent years, Washington and Islamabad’s ties deteriorated over the latter’s alleged support of the Taliban in their 2021 takeover of Kabul
- Tensions rose further when ex-PM Imran Khan accused Washington of orchestrating his ouster through a parliamentary vote, a charge the US denies
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that he looked forward to working with United States (US) President Donald Trump for an “enduring” Pakistan-US partnership, shortly after the latter was sworn in as the 47th US president.
Pakistan and the US collaborated during the Cold War and in the fight against Al-Qaeda after 9/11, yet their relationship was also tested by divergent priorities on various issues. In recent years, Washington and Islamabad’s ties deteriorated as the former suspected the latter of supporting the Taliban in their 2021 takeover of Kabul, allegations which Islamabad rejected.
Tensions rose further in 2022 when former Pakistan premier Imran Khan accused the Biden administration of orchestrating his ouster via a parliamentary vote, a charge the US denied. Since Khan’s ouster in 2022, Sharif’s government has made frequent efforts to repair the damaged relations.
“Over the years, our two great countries have worked together closely to pursue peace and prosperity in the region and beyond for our peoples & we shall continue to do so in the future,” Sharif said on X, extending his best wishes to Trump for a successful second term in office.
“I look forward to working with him to strengthen the enduring Pakistan-US partnership.”
Differences have also emerged between both countries over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program. Late last year, US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said nuclear-armed Pakistan’s development of long-range ballistic missiles could potentially target the US.
The statement came after the US said it was imposing new sanctions related to Pakistan’s missile program, including on the state-owned defense agency that oversees the program. The Foreign Office in Islamabad said at the time that Pakistan’s strategic capabilities were solely meant to defend its sovereignty, dismissing the US allegations as “devoid of rationality.”
On Monday, Shafqat Ali Khan, a Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson, said Pakistan sought to “solidify” its relations with the US, which were marked by multi-layered cooperation in economy, trade, people-to-people connections, security and counter-terrorism.
“Pakistan-US relations have a very long history, and the relations remain rich and dense, and we would continue to work with the new administration to further solidify and strengthen this vital relationship,” Shafqat told Arab News.
“We seek to further strengthen these ties by ensuring the continued positive growth of bilateral relations.”
But many foreign affairs experts believe the new US administration will continue viewing Pakistan through the “China-India lens.”
“The biggest challenge for Pakistan is that the Trump administration will continue its previous policies of looking at Pakistan through the China-India lens,” Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, a professor at Quaid-e-Azam University’s School of Politics and International Relations, told Arab News.
“Now, the biggest challenge for us is how to convince the Americans that though we will be not a part of the American policies to contain China, but at the same time, we could be a part of Americans’ policies in addressing the non-traditional security challenges and on Afghanistan.”
Senator Sherry Rehman, who has previously served as Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, said every transition offers opportunities for a reset, and Pakistan needed to state its own goals for a broader bilateral path to widen its relationship with the US from a highly “securitized” lens to a more robust economic and commercial one.
“Islamabad should make a clear agenda with defined milestones for consistent engagement over better terms of trade, not just wait for Washington to respond to regional headwinds, in which Pakistan finds itself seeking balance against an Indian arms race in South Asia,” she told Arab News.
Dr. Salma Malik, another foreign affairs expert, said if the US adopts policies directed against China, every action or policy decision it takes will have a “direct or indirect impact on Pakistan.”
“Therefore, it is important not to overreact or panic, instead, we should cautiously approach developments, assess opportunities, and respond accordingly,” she said.
Thousands gather in Pakistan’s Karachi to celebrate Gaza ceasefire
- The truce took effect on Sunday with the release of first three hostages held by Hamas and 90 Palestinians freed from Israeli jails
- Jamaat-e-Islami, which organized the Karachi rally, urged the Pakistani people to support its initiative for the rebuilding of Gaza
KARACHI: Thousands of Pakistanis gathered on Monday on a main thoroughfare in the southern port city of Karachi to celebrate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, describing it as a “victory of resistance forces.”
The truce in the 15-month-old war, which has laid waste to the Gaza Strip, took effect on Sunday with the release of the first three hostages held by Hamas and 90 Palestinians freed from Israeli jails.
Now, attention is starting to shift to the rebuilding of the coastal enclave which the Israeli military has demolished, killing more than 47,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel.
To celebrate the ceasefire, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) religious party organized a congregation on Shahrah-e-Quaideen thoroughfare in Karachi, which was attended by thousands of men, women, children and elderly.
“What happened in Gaza once again exposed the United States as it was the sponsor of the genocide,” JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman told the attendees. “The freedom fighters [of Gaza] defeated Israel in all the dimensions.”
The attendees at the rally carried the Palestinian flags and chanted slogans in support of the people of Gaza.
Rehman urged them to support a JI initiative for the rebuilding of Gaza and continue their boycott of Israeli products and the products of the countries that sided with Israel.
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”
The South Asian country has dispatched several relief consignments for Gaza, besides establishing the ‘Prime Minister’s Relief Fund’ that aims to collect public donations for the war-affected people.
In his address with the participants through a video link, Hamas official Khalid Qadoumi said Gaza proved to be “Vietnam for Israel.”
“Israel opted to retreat due its heavy military losses in the strip,” he was quoted as saying by the JI party.
“Israel displaced 90 [percent] population of Gaza, killed around 50,000 innocent, unarmed people, majority of them women and children, but it couldn’t defeat the resolve of Palestinian Muslims.”
Muhammad Farooq, a Pakistani provincial lawmaker, said the Pakistani nation stood by the Palestinians in their struggle for freedom.
“The freedom movement of Palestine has proved that life of nations is linked with resistance against oppression,” he added.
Iran’s top general meets Pakistani leaders, discusses security and border management
- Pakistan, Iran have often been at odds over instability along their shared, porous border and routinely trade blame for not rooting out militancy
- Tensions surged in January last year when Pakistan and Iran exchanged airstrikes, with both countries claiming to target alleged militant hideouts
ISLAMABAD: Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, chief of general staff of Iranian armed forces, on Monday held talks with Pakistani civilian and military leaders with regard to regional security, counter-terrorism measures and joint border management, Pakistani authorities said.
Pakistan and Iran have often been at odds over instability along their shared, porous border and routinely trade blame for not rooting out militancy. Tensions surged in January last year when Pakistan and Iran exchanged airstrikes, with both claiming to target alleged militant hideouts in each other’s territory.
The two-day trip of the Iranian general is aimed at resolving security issues between Pakistan and Iran, while expanding friendship and economic ties along their shared border, Iranian media reported ahead of Major General Bagheri’s arrival in Pakistan on Sunday night.
On Monday, the general held separate meetings with Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Army Chief Asim Munir. In his meeting with President Zardari, the two figures exchanged views on matters of bilateral importance and stressed the need to promote bilateral trade and economic relations.
“It was also highlighted that terrorism was a shared challenge, and both countries needed to take effective and coordinated measures to address this challenge,” the Press Information Department (PID) of the Pakistani government said in a statement.
In his conversation with the visiting dignitary, Defense Minister Asif expressed satisfaction over positive progression of bilateral relations between the two countries in all fields.
“Both sides showed satisfaction on progress in various areas of mutual interest, including joint border management and counter-terrorism measures, aimed at enhanced cooperation in areas of common interest in future,” the PID said.
Separately, Major General Bagheri met Pakistan’s army chief at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, where he was presented a guard of honor.
“During the meeting, both sides discussed matters related to the prevailing regional security environment and bilateral defense cooperation,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
In a bid to ease tensions, late Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi had also traveled to Pakistan on a three-day visit in April 2024. During the visit, the two sides had signed memorandums of understanding in the fields of trade, science technology, agriculture, health, culture, and judicial matters.
Raisi’s visit was followed by a two-day visit to Islamabad by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in Nov. to hold consultations with the Pakistani leadership on the Middle East situation, following Israel’s invasion of Gaza and Lebanon, and to discuss bilateral ties with Pakistan.
Foreign Office confirms one more Pakistani survivor of Morocco boat capsize
- The boat sank off Morocco’s coast last week with 86 people on board
- The confirmation brings the total number of Pakistani survivors to 22
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Monday confirmed one more survivor of a migrant boat capsize off the coast of Morocco last week, bringing the total number of survivors to 22.
The migrant boat capsized near Morocco’s coast on Jan. 15 while en route to Spain. It was carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, according to migrant rights group Walking Borders.
Moroccan authorities said a day later that 36 people were rescued from the vessel which left Mauritania on Jan. 2, while Foreign Office confirmed on Sunday the survivors included 21 Pakistani nationals.
“Based on verified information, one more Pakistani national named Muhammad Adeel s/o Muhammad Rasheed has been identified among the survivors of the boat tragedy,” the Pakistani foreign office said on Sunday.
The incident near Morocco has once again underscored the dangerous journeys many migrants, particularly Pakistanis, embark on due to conflict and economic instability in their home country.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos, marking one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea. More recently, five Pakistani nationals died in a ship wreck off the southern Greek island of Gavdos on Dec. 14.
The Pakistani government has ramped up efforts in recent months to combat human smugglers facilitating dangerous journeys for illegal immigrants to Europe, resulting in several arrests.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged increased collaboration with international agencies to ensure swift action against human trafficking networks.
McCullum sees India series as ideal prep for Champions Trophy in Pakistan
- The tourists, led by Jos Buttler, will face India in the first of five T20 internationals in Kolkata on Wednesday
- India series marks England’s first limited-overs tour under coach McCullum, previously in charge only of Test side
KOLKATA: England coach Brendon McCullum said Monday he hopes his side emerge from a host of limited overs matches against India in “good shape” for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
The tourists, led by Jos Buttler, will face India in the first of five T20 internationals at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
The India series marks England’s first limited-overs tour under McCullum, previously in charge only of the Test side.
“I’m desperate for us to play a really watchable brand of cricket,” McCullum told reporters. “With the talent we have, there’s no reason we can’t.”
The teams will play three one-day matches, before they move into the eight-team ODI Champions Trophy starting February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai.
“We’ll use the next few weeks to try and hit the ground running, I’m sure there will be some times where we don’t quite get it right,” he added.
“But, hopefully, we will chisel away at that over the next few weeks, and we’ll be in good shape come that Champions Trophy.”
The 43-year-old McCullum said Buttler, who will only play as a batsman and not keep wicket on the tour, will leave a lasting legacy as England’s white-ball leader.
“He’s in a really good space, he’s excited about the team we’ve got, and excited about the opportunity that sits in front of us,” the former New Zealand skipper said.
“I’m sure we’ll see Jos over the next couple of years really enjoy himself, and hopefully finish with a real strong enjoyment for the game at the back end of his career.”
But India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, remain the favorites on home turf — and have been boosted by the return of fast bowler Mohammed Shami after he recovered from a foot injury.
Shami, 34, last played for India in the ODI World Cup final in November 2023 and recently participated in a few domestic matches to mark his return to competitive cricket.
“It’s a really good sign for us,” India’s T20 vice-captain Axar Patel said. “We hope he continues what he did in the World Cup.”
