KARACHI: Hundreds of protesters in Pakistan on Sunday burned effigies of France's leader and chanted anti-French slogans, as President Emmanuel Macron tried to send a message of understanding to Muslims around the world.
The demonstrations, which followed anti-France protests across the Muslim world last week, came after President Macron's interview late Saturday in which he said that he understood the shock Muslims felt at caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Macron was speaking with the Qatar-based Arabic TV station Al-Jazeera, where he also defended freedoms of expression and France's secular values.
Macron’s office said the interview was aimed at clarifying misunderstandings around France’s position and the president's words which they say have been taken out of context.
“I have never said that,” Macron told the Al-Jazeera interviewer, explaining that some false translations of his words in the media showed him to support the cartoons mocking Prophet Muhammad. “Those are lies.”
Macron explained that all religions are subject to the freedom of expression and “these drawings.”
“I understand and respect that people can be shocked by these cartoons,” he said. “But I will never accept that someone can justify the use of physical violence because of these cartoons. And I will always defend freedom of speech in my country, of thought, of drawing.”
The interview set off a storm on social media, as many argued the Qatari station erred by giving space to the French President, whom they said failed to apologize for offending Muslims.
Some criticized Macron for choosing Al-Jazeera, a station that has been at the center of political disputes between Arab Gulf nations and Turkey and viewed by many as giving airtime to hardliners and Islamist groups, outlawed in many countries in the Middle East.
But for others, Macron's appearance on Al-Jazeera was hailed as a success of the protest and boycott campaigns, which have forced the French president to address Muslims through an Arabic-speaking channel.
The protests in Muslim-majority nations over the last week, and calls for boycotts of French products, began initially after Macron eulogized a French teacher in Paris who was decapitated for showing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in class. Two attacks followed on a group of worshippers in a church in Nice, and a Greek priest in Lyon.
Islamist groups and hardliners around the Muslim world have rallied their supporters against the caricatures and the French government’s staunch secularist stance, keeping up protests over the last week targeting Macron.
On Sunday in the Pakistani city of Karachi, hundreds of supporters of the main Islamist party, Jaamat-e-Islami, set an effigy of Macron on fire. The crowd of about 500 chanted against Macron and called for the boycott of French products.
The crowd, which was smaller in number after larger rallies over the past days, marched toward the French Consulate in the city while security cordoned off the area.
Earlier Sunday in Karachi, Shiite students marched for three kilometers (1.8 miles) chanting and pledging to sacrifice their lives for the honor of Islam and its prophet. Some 500 students, including a couple hundred women, dragged French flags on the floor and carried pictures of Macron. One banner depicted Marcon’s face with a big cross.
“We condemn blasphemy of Islam and Prophet Muhammad by French President,” read a slogan scribbled on a French flag.
The well-organized crowd wearing face masks were chanting praise for Prophet Muhammad.
In the central Pakistani city of Multan, hundreds of merchants rallied in a demonstration to call for a boycott of French products. The crowd also burned an effigy of Macron and chanted: “Muslims cannot tolerate blasphemy of their prophet” and “the civilized world should give proof of being civilized.”
In Lebanon's capital of Beirut, a dozen protesters marched to the French Embassy in the Lebanese capital, raising banners that read: “Anything but Prophet Muhammad,” and chanted in defense of Islam. Security was tight around the embassy.
In Ahmedabad, a city in India's Gujarat state, protesters pasted photographs of Macron onto streets overnight, leaving them for pedestrians and passing vehicles to go over on Sunday.
Anti-France protests were held by Muslim groups on Friday in Mumbai, India’s financial and entertainment capital, and Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh state.
Anti-France protests continue in Pakistan, as Macron seeks understanding
https://arab.news/yzqf2
Anti-France protests continue in Pakistan, as Macron seeks understanding
- Hundreds of supporters of Pakistan’s main religious political party, Jaamat-e-Islami, set effigy of Macron on fire
- The interview set off a storm on social media, as many argued the Qatari station erred by giving space to the French President
IMF says Pakistan’s loan ‘fully financed,’ with $6 billion inflows expected next fiscal year
- The global lender releases its country report, acknowledging improvements in Pakistan’s financial position
- IMF says despite the recovery, Pakistan’s growth in the first half of the fiscal year was below expectations
KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Saturday Pakistan’s bailout program is “fully financed,” citing nearly $6 billion in external inflows expected in the next fiscal year and renewed commitments from key allies to roll over maturing debt.
The IMF released its country report on Pakistan earlier in the day, offering financial reassurance for the country, which in 2023 was on the verge of default and had to secure emergency funding.
Islamabad had to line up financing guarantees from friendly nations such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China before the IMF agreed to revive its lending program, a standard condition to ensure the country could meet its external obligations.
Pakistan also secured a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) last year after the international lender acknowledged the country’s progress in implementing stringent reforms that led to improved macroeconomic indicators.
“The program is fully financed, with firm commitments for the next 12 months and good prospects for the remainder of the Fund-supported program,” the IMF said in the report.
It added“substantial progress” had been made in realizing financing committed ahead of the EFF request, with $2.6 billion already disbursed or expected to be disbursed in the coming months.
It said these included support from Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Development Bank and a commercial loan backed by a partial guarantee from the Asian Development Bank.
The Fund projected Pakistan would receive around $6 billion in external inflows during the next fiscal year beginning in July.
It added these consist of fresh disbursements from the IMF, oil imports from Saudi Arabia on deferred payment terms, funding from China and other international financial institutions, budget support loans and proceeds from planned bond issuances.
Pakistan also intends to borrow modestly from commercial banks.
“Firm commitments are also in place for an additional $1 billion of financing in the next 12 months,” the IMF said. “Key bilateral partners remain committed to rolling over existing short-term liabilities in the remaining program period.”
The report noted the country’s financial and external conditions had improved, with foreign reserves exceeding program projections and a current account surplus recorded in the first eight months of the ongoing fiscal year.
It said inflation has declined to “historical lows,” although core inflation remains elevated at around 9 percent.
The Fund also noted economic recovery was continuing, but growth in the first half of FY25 was “somewhat lower than anticipated.”
PM Sharif says Pakistan witnessed world’s biggest drop in gender digital gap in 2024-25
- PM says Pakistan has over 200 million telecom subscriptions and 150 million broadband users
- Mobile manufacturing is up 47.5 percent as Pakistan boosts connectivity through submarine cables
KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday Pakistan recorded the world’s biggest reduction in the gender digital divide in 2024-25, with eight million more women gaining access to mobile Internet.
The announcement came on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, observed annually on May 17 to promote the importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs).
The day was institutionalized in 1969 to commemorate the founding of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on this day in 1865.
Pakistan has been striving to advance gender equality in digital access to serve its broader economic goals, particularly as it seeks to attract foreign investment in its IT sector.
“Pakistan has made remarkable progress in narrowing the gender digital divide,” Sharif said in a statement released by his office.
“In 2024-2025, 8 million more women gained mobile Internet access, reducing the gender gap from 38 percent to 25 percent— the highest improvement globally, led by rural women,” he added.
The prime minister highlighted that Pakistan’s digital transformation includes surpassing 200 million telecom subscriptions, 150 million broadband users and two million fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connections.
Additionally, mobile manufacturing has grown by 47.46 percent, and international connectivity has been enhanced through high-capacity submarine cables.
The prime minister noted the mobile ecosystem was now contributing $16.7 billion to Pakistan’s economy.
He said the government was committed to fostering a digital environment that promotes inclusion and empowers women through targeted policies, skills development programs and gender-sensitive digital infrastructure.
Sharif also called on all stakeholders to champion gender-responsive digital transformation and continue building an inclusive and empowered digital Pakistan.
President Zardari visits troops in Gujranwala, lauds swift military response to Indian attack
- He praises people who lost their lives during the conflict, calling their sacrifice a source of national pride
- Pakistan says its response to New Delhi culminated in a successful pushback that neutralized the threat
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday praised the armed forces for swiftly repelling an Indian attack, saying they had changed the battlefield dynamics “within a matter of hours” in a recent military confrontation.
The comments came during a visit to Gujranwala Cantonment, where the president met with troops and top military leadership, including Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.
Zardari’s remarks refer to Pakistan’s military retaliation, launched in response to Indian missile and drone attacks last week in various parts of the country.
The operation, according to Pakistani officials, culminated in a successful pushback that neutralized the threat and shifted the momentum on the ground.
“History will bear witness to how, within a matter of hours, the Pakistan Armed Forces repelled aggression with unmatched precision and resolve, sending an unequivocal message of Pakistan’s strength, resilience and national unity,” Zardari said, according to a statement from the military’s media wing.
During his visit, the president paid tribute to both military personnel and civilians who lost their lives in defense of the country, calling their sacrifice “a sacred trust and a source of enduring national pride.”
He also congratulated troops on the conclusion of the military operation, praising their morale, combat readiness and commitment to safeguarding national sovereignty.
The visit came amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India following cross-border hostilities, though both sides have now been observing a fragile ceasefire.
The president was also accompanied by interior minister Mohsin Naqvi and received at the cantonment by senior army commanders from Gujranwala and Mangla Corps.
Pakistan detains four deportees linked to human smuggling after UAE convictions
- The suspects arrived in Pakistan on emergency travel documents after serving their sentences in the UAE
- Pakistan has intensified its crackdown on human smuggling networks following migrant boat tragedies
KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday detained four men deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for their alleged involvement in human smuggling and prostitution, as Pakistan intensifies its crackdown on such networks following a series of deadly migrant boat tragedies.
The suspects were arrested upon arrival at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, according to an FIA statement, after being convicted in the UAE for participating in illegal activities. After serving their sentences, they were deported to Pakistan on emergency travel documents.
“FIA Immigration carries out a major operation,” the statement said. “Four suspects arriving from the UAE have been taken into custody. The suspects were involved in illegal activities in the UAE.”
“The suspects have been transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Karachi for further legal action,” it added.
The arrests come amid Pakistan’s broader campaign against human smuggling, which has gained urgency following multiple migrant boat disasters involving Pakistani nationals.
Earlier this year, over 40 Pakistanis were feared drowned near Morocco’s coast while in 2023 more than 200 Pakistanis were presumed dead in a shipwreck off Greece.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to dismantle human smuggling networks that lure citizens into perilous journeys with false promises of better lives abroad.
“Global cooperation is essential to combat prostitution carried out under the guise of human smuggling,” the FIA said.
“All available resources are being utilized to eliminate human smuggling,” it added.
Envoy shares potential of Pakistan freight corridors, ports for regional connectivity at Dubai event
Envoy shares potential of Pakistan freight corridors, ports for regional connectivity at Dubai event
- The Global Logistics Alliance conference brings together over 2,000 industry leaders, experts and potential partners to explore logistics opportunities
- The development comes as Pakistan strives to boost trade, overseas investment amid a gradually healing macroeconomic environment after a prolonged downturn
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Envoy to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi has underscored Pakistan’s freight corridors, port projects at a global logistics conference in Dubai, saying the South Asian has the potential to become a crucial hub for regional trade, transport and economic cooperation.
Ambassador Tirmizi said this while delivering a keynote address at the 12th Global Logistics Alliance (GLA) conference in Dubai, according to Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID).
The three-day event, running from May 15 till May 18, has brought together over 2,000 industry leaders, experts and potential partners from 130 countries to network, acquire knowledge and explore opportunities in the logistics sector.
In his speech, Ambassador Tirmizi highlighted Pakistan’s strategic location at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia as well as the Middle East.
“Pakistan is poised to become a vital corridor of connectivity and cooperation across the region,” he said, lauding the UAE-based firms DP World and AD Ports for their investments in freight corridors and port development projects in Pakistan.
The development comes as Pakistan strives to boost trade and overseas investment amid a gradually healing macroeconomic environment after a prolonged downturn that forced Islamabad to seek external financing from friendly nations and multiple loan programs with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Pakistani government has pursued aggressive economic diplomacy in recent years, signing several agreements and memoranda of understanding with countries in Central Asia and the Middle East.
In her remarks, GLA President Grace Sun emphasized the importance of the event in creating new business synergies and accelerating global logistics collaboration.
On the sidelines of the conference, Ambassador Tirmizi and Sun discussed the potential of organizing a regional networking conference in Pakistan under the GLA framework, with a focus on engagement from South and Central Asian logistics stakeholders, according to the PID.
Ambassador Tirmizi reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to working with international partners to develop “smart, efficient, and sustainable logistics infrastructure,” particularly through transformational initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
