GILGIT: Last week, Pakistani businessman Hajji Abdul Hameed, 61, assumed charge as the minister for local government after winning a seat in a November election in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.
But Hameed’s journey to GB’s legislative assembly has not been a straight, or an easy, one.
Hameed, who comes from a poor family in the Ghanche district of Gilgit-Baltistan, did not have the means to attend school beyond the fifth grade. After working for a firewood supply company for a few years, he went to Kuwait in 1987 in search of a better life. For two years, he worked day and night at low-paid odd jobs, and then as a helper in the office of an oil company, before his employer moved him to Saudi Arabia.
In 1994, Hameed moved to Dubai, where he remained employed as an office helper and a laborer for more than a decade. In that time, he said he was able to save enough money to open a small cafe called Ahl-Al-Sham, serving Saudi and Lebanese food. The cafe marked a turning point in his life.
“After the café, I was able to expand my business in the UAE,” Hameed said, adding that he subsequently took on a partner and with his financial help went on to launch a real estate business and a cleaning company. He rented flats out to people on short-term leases and also began supplying staff to renowned hotels, including the Dubai Ladies Club of Sheikh Muhammed.
“I have provided UAE work visas to around 200 Pakistanis, mostly hailing from Gilgit-Baltistan region,” Hameed said. “Over a dozen of them have also launched their businesses in the UAE.”
Last year, Hameed handed over his UAE businesses to his sons and decided to retire and spend his remaining days at home in Pakistan.
“I was not interested in politics,” he said, when asked if he returned to Pakistan to become a politician. But well-wishers in his constituency, Hameed said, convinced him to contest elections for the Gilgit-Baltistan legislative assembly, held on November 15, in which he fought as an independent contender and won against a candidate from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which rules in the center. He has since joined the PTI.
Gilgit-Baltistan forms part of the disputed Kashmir region claimed by both India and Pakistan. The local assembly in which Hameed won a seat has few powers. Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate have no representation from Gilgit-Baltistan, and the region receives only a fraction of the national budget.
But Prime Minister Imran Khan has said recently his government will grant provisional provincial status to the region, giving it greater political representation.
Candidates for the legislative assembly polls also campaigned on a platform of development, promising to uplift the long-neglected region.
“GB is an underprivileged area and lots of issues are being faced by the people,” Hameed said. “I requested the authorities to give me the local government ministry, so that I could work on the local government level. Improvement in health and education in the region is my top priority.”
UAE-based office boy-turned-businessman makes it to Pakistani legislative assembly
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UAE-based office boy-turned-businessman makes it to Pakistani legislative assembly
- Haji Abdul Hameed assumed charge as minister for local government after winning a seat in a November election in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan election
- His journey to the assembly has seen him work for years as an office helper and laborer in Gulf countries before becoming a business owner
World Bank to help Pakistan’s capital combat smog, improve water and sanitation
- Smog has become a pressing environmental and public health concern for Pakistan in winter
- World Bank and CDA plan to work together to prepare a report to identify causes of the problem
ISLAMABAD: World Bank Country Director Najy Benhassine met Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday to discuss collaborative efforts to address the growing smog crisis and improve access to clean water and sanitation in urban areas, an official statement said
The smog issue has become a pressing environmental and public health concern in Pakistan, particularly in Punjab’s major cities such as Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad, where Air Quality Index levels reached hazardous levels this winter.
Even Islamabad, which has historically enjoyed better air quality, experienced the problem this year, highlighting the urgency to deal with the issue.
According to the interior ministry, the meeting concluded with an agreement to prepare an anti-smog plan for the federal capital through a joint team of the World Bank and the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
“We are ready to formulate an anti-smog strategy in consultation with the CDA,” Benhassine said, noting that a detailed report would be prepared to help identify the causes of the problem.
Meanwhile, Naqvi said the government was introducing Islamabad Water as a dedicated entity to address the city’s water and sanitation needs.
The minister also noted that clean water and sanitation were among the government’s key priorities.
The World Bank has long supported Pakistan in addressing urban challenges, from infrastructure development to disaster recovery.
In recent years, it has financed significant initiatives, including flood relief and housing projects, to aid vulnerable communities and improve urban resilience.
The collaboration on smog mitigation marks a new milestone, highlighting the growing recognition of air quality as a critical component of sustainable urban development.
Pakistan calls for global climate action as floods in Malaysia displace over 37,000
- PM Sharif says climate change is impacting the whole world, necessitating global community to unite
- Pakistan recently reiterated its call for increased climate finance and justice-based solutions in Baku
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed sorrow over the devastating floods in Malaysia, which have displaced over 37,000 people, and highlighted the urgent need for global action to address climate change.
In a message to the Malaysian authorities and people, Sharif expressed solidarity, pledging support for the flood-hit nation.
His statement comes as Pakistan continues to grapple with its own vulnerability to climate change, which has triggered erratic weather patterns, including catastrophic floods, glacial melts, heatwaves and droughts.
Two years ago, floods in Pakistan killed about 1,700 people, caused estimated losses of $35 billion and underscored the country’s exposure to environmental shocks.
“The adverse effects of climate change are engulfing the entire world,” the prime minister said. “The global community must unite to take collective action to mitigate these impacts.”
At the recent COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, Pakistan reiterated its call for increased climate finance and justice-based solutions to support vulnerable nations.
It emphasized that developed countries must provide grants and concessional financing rather than burdening climate-affected nations with debt.
Pakistani authorities could relate with the situation in Malaysia where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told parliament that torrential rains have affected six Malaysian states, with 322 temporary shelters housing those displaced.
Sharif extended condolences to the victims and assured assistance to Malaysia, noting the long-standing friendship between the two nations.
“Pakistan will do whatever it can to help our brothers and sisters in distress in Malaysia,” he said. “In this difficult hour, Pakistan will not leave Malaysia alone.”
‘Sense of closeness’: Pakistani elephant Madhubala bonds with sisters after 15-year separation
- Madhubala, last elephant held captive at a zoo in Pakistan, was brought from Tanzania in 2009 along with three sisters
- Noor Jehan and Madhubala were moved to Karachi Zoo while Malika and Sonu were taken to Safari Park, Noor Jehan died in 2023
KARACHI: Pakistani elephant Madhubala, recently reunited with her two sisters at the Safari Park in Karachi after 15 years, is socializing and enjoying her new species-appropriate sanctuary, international animal rights organization FOUR PAWS said this week.
Madhubala, Noor Jehan, Malika and Sonia were caught in the wild at a young age and brought to Pakistan together in 2009 but were soon separated, with Noor Jehan and Madhubala moved to the Karachi Zoo and Malika and Sonia to the city’s Safari Park. Noor Jehan died in April 2023 at age 17 following a prolonged illness caused by neglect, leaving Madhubala alone.
On Tuesday, Madhubala, estimated to be 18 years old, was transported from the Karachi Zoo to Safari Park where she reunited with her sisters Malika and Sonia.
“She feels comfortable and I can see that she’s very stable and calm now,” FOUR PAWS vet Dr. Marina Ivanova, who is overseeing the elephant’s care, told Arab News on Wednesday. “Although it’s a new place for her, she, as an elephant, she has this stability, the mental preparedness for change.”
Footage shared by FOUR PAWS showed Madhubala entering the joint family enclosure at the Safari Park on Wednesday and watching her sisters drinking water at a nearby pond. Madhubala is then seen taking a tire, the only souvenir she brought from the Karachi Zoo, and placing it in front of her sisters like a gift. Her sisters seem to return the gesture by inviting Madhubala for a welcome drink at their shared pond.
Elephants are highly social animals who form close bonds with other elephants, and when they meet after being separated engage in elaborate greeting ceremonies. New research has found that elephants also call each other by name, using vocalizations that identify a specific elephant as the intended recipient.
“As soon as released from the transport crate, we realized that Madhubala was feeling very comfortable and could already sense the closeness of her two sisters,” Dr. Amir Khalil, a director at FOUR PAWS, said. “None of us expected her to be so eager to stretch out her trunk toward her two sisters.”
Khalil said the sight of the three elephants playing in the pond together after 15 years of separation had moved bystanders to tears. While it remains to be seen how the social hierarchy between the elephants will develop, he said Madhubala could assume the position of the matriarch.
“In the upcoming days, we will thoroughly examine Madhubala and help her get settled into her new home,” Dr. Khalil said.
“The old tire Madhubala used to play with a lot has now started to turn into a relic of the past and is slowly being replaced by the bonding with her fellow family members.”
FOUR PAWS said the three elephants’ health was being observed by head veterinarian Dr. Frank Göritz from the Leibnitz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) who has been involved in the treatment of the elephants since 2021.
In November 2021, after the provincial Sindh High Court had asked FOUR PAWS to assess the wellbeing of the elephants, all four were found to be in need of better diet and medical treatment. Noor Jehan and Madhubala also needed dental surgery due to infections caused by broken tusks. Following the death of Noor Jehan, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation together with FOUR PAWS decided it was not appropriate for Madhubala to stay in captivity at the zoo.
The relocation process for Madhubala, named after a legendary Indian actress, started early on Tuesday morning with the elephant being sedated under the supervision of Dr. Goritz. She was then moved into a crate which was lifted by crane and put on a truck.
The truck, accompanied by police and an expert team from FOUR PAWS, navigated through Karachi’s bustling streets via Lyari Expressway to arrive at the Safari sanctuary some 20 kilometers away from the zoo.
Ahead of the move, the Karachi Safari Park had upgraded its facilities to meet international standards under the supervision of FOUR PAWS. The 5.2-acre elephant sanctuary area in the park now has water elements for bathing, skincare and thermoregulation. Additionally, enrichments such as hay nets, varying substrates like soil, sand, clay, and sawdust, have been provided for Madhubala to dust bathe. There is also a section to hide novel items to encourage foraging. The area is secured by elephant-proof fencing.
“If elephants must remain in captivity, they deserve the best conditions possible,” FOUR PAWS CEO and President Josef Pfabigan told Arab New, adding that the new space would “bring joy” to Madhubala.
Unlike Islamabad’s lone elephant, Kaavan, who was relocated to Cambodia in 2020 after widespread international and local outcry about his conditions, Madhubala has companions at Safari Park, he said.
“This is a different story,” Pfabigan said. “She has her sisters here.”
Pakistan seeks collaboration with Saudi Arabia in education and religious sectors
- Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, currently visiting the Kingdom, meets Saudi Grand Mufti
- Gilani urges increased exchange of religious scholars in his meeting with Sheikh Abdulaziz
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan aims to enhance cooperation with Saudi Arabia in education and religious sectors, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani said during a meeting with Kingdom's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh in Riyadh, state media reported on Thursday.
Gilani arrived in Saudi Arabia on November 25 for a five-day official visit, during which he emphasized the deep-rooted ties between the two nations.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have recently strengthened bilateral cooperation by signing more than 30 memorandums of understanding and agreements worth $2.8 billion.
The deals encompass sectors such as industry, agriculture, information technology, and energy.
"The Senate chairman said Pakistan seeks collaboration with Saudi Arabia in educational and religious sectors," Radio Pakistan reported.
"He also praised the Grand Mufti's efforts in promoting tolerance and harmony, urging increased exchange of religious scholars to strengthen mutual understanding," it added.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have always enjoyed close diplomatic, strategic and people-to-people relations. The Kingdom is home to over 2.6 million Pakistani nationals who are employed by and contribute to various economic sectors.
These Pakistani nationals also make Saudi Arabia the largest source of remittances for their country, repatriating billions of dollars annually.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the Kingdom twice within a span of a few weeks in October and November, highlighting the significance Islamabad places on its ties with Saudi Arabia.
Imran Khan supporters wanted to ‘take over Islamabad through violent protests’ — minister
- Protesters dispersed from Islamabad after sweeping raid by security forces after midnight on Wednesday, Khan’s party says 20 killed
- Government says four troops killed and over 900 protesters, included Afghan nationals, arrested since protest began on Sunday
ISLAMABAD: Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s supporters had planned to “take over the capital through violent protests,” a Pakistan government spokesperson said on Thursday, a day after security forces dispersed marchers who had breached security barricades to reach the heart of Islamabad to demand Khan’s release.
Thousands of supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had gathered at the city’s historic D-Chowk square on Tuesday after setting out on Sunday in a protest convoy led by Khan’s wife Bushra Khan and Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of the PTI stronghold province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The convoy broke through several lines of security and reached the edge of the capital’s highly fortified red zone, home to key government and diplomatic buildings.
The protest was called off after security forces raided the site in complete darkness soon after midnight on Wednesday, firing rubber bullets and tear gas, according to police and government officials who deny using live ammunition during the operation, which police conducted alongside paramilitary forces. The PTI says at least 20 of its supporters have been killed, while the government says four troops died.
The Islamabad police chief said on Wednesday 954 people, including Afghan nationals, had been arrested since the protest march began on Sunday.
“They were not peaceful protesters at all as they were armed with guns and slingshots,” Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said at a briefing with members of foreign media in Islamabad. “They wanted to take over the capital through violent protests.”
The minister said the government took “preventative measures” to defuse the situation, denying the use of live ammunition and direct fire on protesters by security forces.
“Both the public hospitals in Islamabad, Polyclinic and PIMS [Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences], have categorically denied receiving any dead bodies of protesters or any gunshot wounds victims,” the information minister said.
“There was no live ammunition with the security forces. Let me say categorically that no massacre was carried out to disperse the protesters.”
The minister accused the PTI of putting out “fake pictures and videos” on social media to exaggerate casualties.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, also present at the briefing, asked the PTI to share the names of its supporters who had been killed, saying the government had exercised “utmost restraint” to prevent bloodshed at the hands of what he described as a “violent mob.”
“The security forces used teargas to disperse the thin number of the armed protesters,” Iqbal added. “We defused the situation with the least intervention of the security forces.”
Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province who was leading the protests and fled when the operation began, has accused authorities of using excessive force against protesters who he said were peaceful. He said “hundreds” had sustained bullet wounds.
“Both Imran Khan’s wife and I were attacked directly,” Gandapur told a press conference in the city of Mansehra in the province he rules.
Khan’s wife Bushra Khan escaped unhurt from the protest convoy when the raid began. The PTI had said she would address the press conference with Gandapur on Wednesday, but she did not appear even though the event was delayed by hours.
PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari PTI said earlier that the protest seeking Khan’s release had been called off, citing what he called “the massacre.” But Gandapur said the protest was a “movement” and would continue until Khan himself called it off.
