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Pakistan-born doctor to lead COVID-19 response in Washington

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Updated 20 November 2020
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Pakistan-born doctor to lead COVID-19 response in Washington

  • Karachi-born Dr. Umair Shah will be advising Washington governor on health legislation, particularly in dealing with COVID-19
  • He is experienced in crisis response and has worked with the World Health Organization's earthquake relief teams in Haiti and Kashmir
Updated 20 November 2020
Sabah Bano Malik

RAWALPINDI: Karachi-born Dr. Umair Shah, who has been appointed the chief of coronavirus response in Washington, US, said on Friday that he is proud to shed a light on the dedication of Pakistani-Americans to their communities.

Washington governor Jay Inslee announced the appointment on his official Twitter account on Wednesday, writing that he was “excited” about Dr, Shah joining his administration and bringing "unrivaled expertise, knowledge and passion for public health."

"I am proud to shed a positive light on Pakistani-Americans and the dedicated service they provide to their communities every single day," Dr. Shah told Arab News.

"While one should always be the best at one’s work and that should remain the primary focus, I recognize what this may represent for other groups that may see themselves in me," he said.

A Vanderbilt University graduate, Dr. Shah received his medical degree from the University of Toledo Health Science Centre and a master's in public health from the University of Texas Health Science Center.

Previously, Dr. Shah served as the chief medical officer of Galveston County Health District in Texas and president of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.

He is also experienced in crisis response having worked with the World Health Organization, where he was a member of earthquake relief teams in Haiti and Kashmir.

As the state's secretary of health, Dr. Shah will be responsible for advising the governor on health legislation, particularly in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.

"It is an absolute honor to be asked to join the state of Washington for this position in Governor Inslee’s cabinet. I look forward to the work and recognize there are challenges especially COVID-19 that will need addressing as a priority," he said.

Topics: Pakistan Coronavirus (COVID-19) Washington CORONAVIRUS PAKISTAN Umair Shah Jay Inslee

Imran Khan’s party asks government to form committee to appoint new Pakistan election commissioner

Updated 5 sec ago
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Imran Khan’s party asks government to form committee to appoint new Pakistan election commissioner

  • Demand comes as Pakistan Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja’s tenure expires
  • Khan’s party accuses Raja of manipulating results of February 2024 elections, which he denies 
Updated 5 sec ago
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Monday repeated its demand for the government to constitute a parliamentary committee to appoint a new chief election commissioner (CEC), a day after his term in office expired. 

Omar Ayub, a PTI lawmaker and leader of the opposition in the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament, wrote to Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Jan. 15 to form a parliamentary committee to appoint a new chief election commissioner. Ayub said Raja’s term would expire on Feb. 26, urging him to constitute the committee “to facilitate this important constitutional requirement.”

Raja oversaw Pakistan’s contentious general election last year which were marred by a countrywide shutdown of cellular networks, suspension of Internet services and delayed results. The PTI and other opposition parties alleged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) under Raja manipulated the results of the polls to facilitate his political rivals. The ECP has strongly rejected the PTI’s allegations while the caretaker government at the time said mobile phone and Internet services were suspended to maintain law and order in the country. 

“Wrote a letter to the Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan on 15th January 2025 to constitute a Parliamentary Committee for the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner,” Ayub wrote on social media platform X. 

“Sikander Sultan Raja’s term ended yesterday (26th January 2025). He has no moral authority to continue. He and the 2 ‘retired’ commissioners should step down immediately,” he added. 

Tensions between Khan’s party and Raja escalated in August 2022 when the ECP ruled that the PTI had received millions of dollars in funds from foreign countries, including the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and Australia, in violation of the constitution and concealed information related to it. Khan’s party denied it had hidden any information related to the funding. 

In a separate verdict in October 2022, the ECP disqualified Khan from public office in a case registered against the ex-premier for failing to declare assets he earned from the sale of state gifts. Khan and his party have denied any wrongdoing. 

Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023 on a slew of charges, was ousted from the prime minister’s post in April 2022 via a parliamentary vote. Once considered close to the military, Khan had a falling out with Pakistan’s powerful army in the days leading to his ouster. 

Since his ouster from office, the former prime minister has led a defiant campaign against the military, whom he accuses of supporting his political rivals. Pakistan’s army and the government both reject his allegations strongly, with the military saying it does not interfere in politics. 

The development also takes place amid renewed political tensions between the government and the PTI after the latter withdrew from negotiations with the former. Both sides kicked off talks last month to ease political tensions in the country. The PTI demanded the government release Khan and all political prisoners, and constitute judicial commissions to probe anti-government protests that took place in May 2023 and November 2024. 

The PTI announced last week it would not partake in further talks with the government unless it forms judicial commissions. The government’s negotiation committee said it would respond to the PTI’s demands by Jan. 28, criticizing Khan’s party for ending talks “unilaterally.

Topics: Pakistan Election Commission of Pakistan ECP PTI Imran Khan

Pakistan PM, president condemn gun attack on speaker Azad Kashmir’s convoy

Updated 34 min 18 sec ago
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Pakistan PM, president condemn gun attack on speaker Azad Kashmir’s convoy

  • Chaudhry Latif Akbar’s convoy was fired upon when it arrived on Sunday in village near Muzaffarabad
  • Shehbaz Sharif prays for early recovery of three persons injured, orders stern action against culprits
Updated 34 min 18 sec ago
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday condemned a gun attack targeting the speaker of the Kashmir region administered by Pakistan that left three people injured, tasking authorities to take stern action against the culprits, state-run media reported. 

Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar, a leader of the Sharif-led ruling coalition ally Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was visiting his constituency in Kakliyot village around 15km south of Muzaffarabad when the shooting took place on Sunday as per news reports. 

Three PPP supporters who were part of the convoy were injured in the attack. Akbar had reportedly received threats from Raja Amir Zafar, a local district council member, who vowed that no one would be allowed to enter the village for Akbar’s visit. 

“President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have strongly condemned the incident of firing on the convoy of Speaker of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday. 

Zardari described the attack on the speaker as a “cowardly and despicable act,” praying for the early recovery of the injured. 

In his statement, the Pakistani prime minister prayed for the early recovery of the injured persons. 

“The Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned to take immediate action and ensure the arrest of those responsible for the attack,” Radio Pakistan reported. 

Azad Kashmir is a self-governing administrative unit under Pakistan’s control but is not recognized as a sovereign country. The Muslim-majority Kashmir region has long been a source of tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, leading them to fight two out of three wars since winning independence from the British Empire in 1947 over the disputed territory. 

The scenic mountain region is divided between India, which rules the populous Kashmir Valley and the Hindu-dominated region around Jammu city, Pakistan, which controls a wedge of territory in the west called AJK, and China, which holds a thinly populated high-altitude area in the north. Besides Pakistan, India also has an ongoing conflict with China over their disputed frontier.
 

Topics: azad kashmir

Pakistan to participate in upcoming International Taekwondo training camp in Sharjah

Updated 27 January 2025
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Pakistan to participate in upcoming International Taekwondo training camp in Sharjah

  • Saudi Arabia, UAE, Uzbekistan, Russia and other countries to take part in camp underway in Sharjah till Feb. 5
  • Camp to provide athletes opportunity to engage in high-level training sessions, foster international collaboration
Updated 27 January 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is participating in the upcoming 11th Sharjah International Taekwondo Training camp alongside teams from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries, state-run media recently reported. 

Taekwondo is a traditional Korean martial art practiced across 206 countries, according to the official Olympics website. In taekwondo, hands and feet can be used to overcome an opponent but the trademark of the sport is its combination of kick movements.

Pakistan’s team arrived in Sharjah this week to participate in the international training camp, which will be underway till Feb. 5, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. More countries expected to join in the coming days. 

“The 11th Sharjah International Taekwondo Training Camp will provide a valuable opportunity for athletes to enhance their skills, engage in high-level training sessions and foster international collaboration in the sport,” APP said on Sunday. 

Pakistan has made some gains in the martial art sport over the past few months. In October 2024, Pakistan’s taekwondo team made history by winning the 6th Asian Open (Khyurogi) Taekwondo Championship held in Indonesia from Oct. 14-17 last year. 

Pakistani twin sisters Manisha Ali and Maliha Ali, hailing from the country’s northern Hunza valley, were part of the team that secured three gold, three silver, and two bronze medals in the championship. 

The tournament featured over 275 athletes from across Asia, including participants from India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal and Indonesia.

The same month Pakistan’s youngest taekwondo champion Ayesha Ayaz took part in the Qatar International Open Taekwondo Championship. Ayaz was among 1,440 players from 40 countries who competed in the event across four categories: cadet, juniors, youth and adults.
 

Topics: Pakistan UAE ties 11th Sharjah International Taekwondo Training camp International Taekwondo Training camp

Pakistani firms showcase national heritage, tourism services at New York travel show

Updated 27 January 2025
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Pakistani firms showcase national heritage, tourism services at New York travel show

  • Financial Times, CNN recently featured the South Asian country among top destinations worldwide to visit in 2025
  • In a bid to boost tourism, cash-strapped Pakistan last year began offering free visas to citizens of over 120 nations
Updated 27 January 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: More than a dozen Pakistani firms and provincial tourism departments showcased the country’s heritage and tourism potential at the Travel & Adventure Show 2025 in New York, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
For over 20 years, the Travel & Adventure Show has connected more than 2.7 million travel enthusiasts and over 16,500 unique travel advisers with over 5,800 different exhibiting companies from around the world, influencing over $7 billion in travel bookings, according to the show’s website.
This year, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), in collaboration with the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and the Pakistani consulate in New York, set up the Pakistan Pavilion at the show held on Jan. 25-26.
“Pakistan Pavilion showcased Pakistan’s breathtaking destinations, rich cultural heritage, and a wide range of tourism services,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
Pakistan Pavilion received the award for ‘Best Partner Pavilion’ at the Travel & Adventure Show 2025, according to the report. A large number of attendees visited the pavilion and expressed their keen interest in mountaineering, and adventure and religious tourism.
Pakistan is home to the ancient Indus Valley and Gandhara civilizations, sacred places of Sikhs and Hindus and followers of other faiths as well as five of the 14 world peaks above the height of 8,000 meters in its north.
International business publication Financial Times recently featured Pakistan in its list of 50 places worldwide to visit on holidays, citing its “dramatic mountain scenery” and an improved security situation as reasons worth visiting the area.
Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region also made it to CNN’s list of 25 destinations that are particularly worth visiting in 2025. Thousands of tourists and foreign climbers visit the sparsely populated northern region each year for expeditions on various peaks, paragliding and other sports activities.
In a bid to boost its tourism sector, cash-strapped Pakistan also began offering free visas online to citizens of more than 120 nations in August 2024.

Topics: Pakistan tourism Travel & Adventure Show 2025 Pakistan US Ties

Pakistan fears lower production as ‘severe’ drought dents winter harvest

Updated 26 January 2025
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Pakistan fears lower production as ‘severe’ drought dents winter harvest

  • Pakistan ranks among countries most vulnerable to climate change, which scientists say is making extreme weather events more common and more severe
  • Analysts say a fast-growing population, climate change and poor resource management with an over-reliance on Indus River are all spurring water scarcity
Updated 26 January 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan fears lower production as a “severe” winter drought has ravaged several crops in the country’s breadbasket, an official said on Sunday, stressing the need to build more water reservoirs and restore wetlands.
The South Asian country — home to more than 240 million people — ranks among the nations that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which scientists say is making extreme weather events more common and more severe.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), rainfall from Sept. 1 to Jan. 15 was 40 percent below normal across Pakistan, with Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab being the most affected provinces with deficits of 52 percent, 45 percent, and 42 percent respectively.
Muhammad Saleem Shaikh, a spokesperson for Pakistani climate change ministry, said the ongoing severe drought is in fact part of a larger trend of increasing climate variability that threatens to disrupt agriculture and exacerbate water shortages, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Reduced water availability due to low rainfall was adversely impacting the growth of crops like wheat, a staple food, as well as vital cash crops like potato, leading to fears of lower production and rising food prices and their shortages in future,” he was quoted as saying.
“The ongoing winter drought conditions in the country underscore the urgent need for a unified response to address the country’s water crisis.”
The agriculture sector contributes nearly a quarter of Pakistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 37 percent of the national labor force, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization.
Pakistan generally relies on water from the Indus river which bisects the country from north to south, where it empties into the Arabian Sea.
But analysts say a fast-growing population, climate change and poor resource management with an over-reliance on a single water source are all spurring scarcity.
Shaikh said building water reservoirs, restoring wetlands and promoting drought-tolerant crop varieties is vital to mitigating recurring and intensifying drought risks in the country.
“Rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and the adoption of modern irrigation methods like drip and sprinkler systems are no longer optional,” he said. “They are critical tools in our survival weaponry.”

Topics: pakistan agriculture food security Drought

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