Indian move to geographically label basmati rice officially challenged — Pakistani commerce minister

A Pakistani worker sieves a heap of rice at a wholesale market in Rawalpindi on September 30, 2009. (AFP)
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Updated 02 March 2021
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Indian move to geographically label basmati rice officially challenged — Pakistani commerce minister

  • Geographical indication is a sign used on products that have a specific geographic origin, which gives them certain qualities or a reputation
  • Pakistani rice exporters face the risk of losing a huge European market if India succeeds in the geographical labeling

KARACHI: Pakistan on Tuesday submitted an official application to counter India’s move to geographically label basmati rice and grain in the European Union (EU), the commerce minister has said.
Developing countries are increasingly using geographic labeling to boost the value of products ranging from carpets to rice, raising rural incomes and protecting farm land. Geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographic origin, which gives them certain qualities or a reputation, such as sparkling wine from Champagne and tea from Darjeeling.
India applied for the geographical tag in the EU in September, with Pakistan getting around three months to respond to the Indian application and file a counter application. The country’s rice exporters face the risk of losing a huge European market if India succeeds in the geographical labeling, exporters say.
Pakistan exports more than 700,000 tons of basmati rice each year, including around 250,000 tons to EU member countries. In the last fiscal year, Pakistan exported $2.17 billion worth of rice, of which the share of basmati rice was $790.8 million, 25 percent higher than the previous year, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
“This issue is very, very important for Pakistan because how can any other country take the name which belongs to us,” Abdul Razak Dawood, the de facto commerce minister told Arab News, saying his ministry had submitted a notice of opposition three days ahead of the expiry of the deadline to challenge India, which ends on December 11, 2020. “Who are they to rob us of it [basmati rice GI]? They have no right to it.”
According to the Indian application published in the EU’s official journal on September 11, 2020, basmati is a special long grain aromatic rice grown and produced in a particular geographical region of the Indian sub-continent, below the foothills of the Himalayas.
The name basmati is derived from two Sanskrit word roots, ‘vas’ meaning ‘aroma’ and ‘mati’ meaning ‘ingrained from the origin’, the Indian application says, adding that the first recorded reference to basmati rice is found in the Punjabi poem Heer Ranjha by the poet Varis Shah in 1766.
The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has also filed a ‘Notice of Opposition’ in the European Union against India.
“REAP has taken this step itself on behalf of rice exporters and farmers of Pakistan to protect their interest,” REAP chairman Abdul Qayum Paracha said, adding that Pakistani rice growers and exporters were at the risk of losing billions of dollars in earnings if India got the GI tag.
“Pakistan has a thriving industry of export of basmati, thus making Pakistan one of the top five exporters of rice in the world,” a REAP statement issued on Tuesday said. “India had sought protection of its basmati as a GI product in EU in a mala fide attempt to deter Pakistan’s growing export and appreciation of basmati.”
“Basmati, being a centuries old heritage of Pakistan, can not be allowed to be monopolized by India in the European market. Such a gross misrepresentation by India on the origins of basmati is an attack on the values of fair competition among farmers and exporters in EU”, the statement added.


Pakistan launches first dematerialized ID card on silver jubilee of database authority 

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Pakistan launches first dematerialized ID card on silver jubilee of database authority 

  • Digital Pakistan initiative aims to expand knowledge-based economy, spur socio-economic growth using digital technologies
  • Pakistan has made considerable progress in its digital transformation journey with rapid expansion of mobile broadband networks 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) marked its silver jubilee on Monday, launching the country’s first dematerialized ID card to commemorate 25 years in legal identity management and national database integration.

The launch of the new card is part of the government’s vision of a Digital Pakistan, where citizens will have digital certificates instead of material ID or, at least, in addition to material ones.

“Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi commended the launch of the dematerialized ID as a step toward digital identity,” NADRA said in a statement. 

“With the launch of this feature in the Pak ID Mobile Application, citizens will no longer need to carry physical ID cards. Moreover, digital verification systems will soon be implemented to facilitate authentication for various services under the World Bank-funded Digital Economy Enhancement Project.”

A pilot project for the fully digital identity will be launched on Aug. 14, 2025 to coincide with Pakistan’s Independence Day.

Pakistan has made considerable progress in its digital transformation journey with the rapid expansion of mobile broadband networks over the last decade. Today, nearly 80 percent of the adult population lives in areas served by mobile broadband (3G or 4G) networks, compared to 15 percent in 2010. But experts say more work must be done to ensure that connectivity reaches everyone, as only 22 percent of the population is subscribed to mobile Internet. 

To this end, Digital Pakistan is a flagship initiative of the government to expand the knowledge-based economy and spur socio-economic growth using digital technologies. 

“The vision with regards to Digital Pakistan Policy is to become a strategic enabler for an accelerated digitization ecosystem to expand the knowledge based economy and spur socio- economic growth,” according to a government policy document outlining the strategy.


No Pakistani players on ICC Champions Trophy 2025 team of the tournament

Updated 10 March 2025
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No Pakistani players on ICC Champions Trophy 2025 team of the tournament

  • India won ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Mar. 9 
  • Pakistan crashed out of home trophy without a win

ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced its ‘Team of the Tournament’ for the Champions Trophy 2025, which concluded last week, with no Pakistani player making it on the prestigious list.

The ninth edition of the Champions Trophy saw India being crowned as the winners on Mar. 9 after they overcame New Zealand in the final. Pakistan ended their campaign in the home trophy without a win.

“Several exceptional performers lit up the tournament with the bat and ball,” ICC said on its website. “The best of them made it to the Team of the Tournament.”

The team includes six players from India, four from New Zealand and two from Afghanistan.

Here’s what the side looks like:

1. Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)

251 runs, 62.75 average, two hundreds

2. Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan)

216 runs, 72 average, one hundred

3. Virat Kohli (India)

218 runs, 54.5 average, one hundred

4. Shreyas Iyer (India)

243 runs, 48.6 average, two fifties

5. KL Rahul (wk) (India)

140 runs, 140 average, 42 highest score*

6. Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)

177 runs, 59 average, two wickets, five catches

7. Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan)

126 runs, 42 average, seven wickets, one five-wicket haul

8. Mitchell Santner (c) (New Zealand)

Nine wickets, 26.6 average, 4.80 economy

9. Mohammed Shami (India)

Nine wickets, 25.8 average, 5.68 economy, one five-wicket haul

10. Matt Henry (New Zealand)

Ten wickets, 16.7 average, 5.32 economy, one five-wicket haul

11. Varun Chakaravarthy (India)

Nine wickets, 15.1 average, 4.53 economy

12th player: Axar Patel (India)

Five wickets, 39.2 average, 4.35 economy


Geopolitics and lack of buzz blight Champions Trophy’s return

Updated 10 March 2025
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Geopolitics and lack of buzz blight Champions Trophy’s return

  • Indian board BCCI stuck to their policy of not touring Pakistan because of strained political ties 
  • Allowing India to play all their matches in Dubai robbed Pakistan of honor of hosting the final 

Geopolitical reality, lack of buzz in host nation Pakistan and mediocre cricket in general meant Champions Trophy’s much-anticipated return to the calendar did not go according to plan for the governing International Cricket Council (ICC).
The one-day international (ODI) tournament served as an ICC fundraiser but offered no assurance about the future of a format battling for relevance in a cricket landscape ruled by Twenty20 leagues either.
Financial engine India’s participation, a key factor behind the commercial success of any cricket tournament, was in doubt after Pakistan bagged the hosting rights for the first ICC event in the country since 1996.
The Indian board (BCCI) stuck to their policy of not touring Pakistan because of the strained political ties between the bitter neighbors, who play each other only in ICC events.
Like for the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan, a ‘hybrid model’ was agreed on under which India were allowed to play their matches in Dubai to salvage a tournament, which had been discontinued after the 2017 edition.
Under the agreement running until 2027, Pakistan will play in a neutral venue for any ICC event, like next year’s Twenty20 World Cup, scheduled in India.
Reigning T20 world champions India beat New Zealand in Sunday’s final to prove their credentials as a white-ball behemoth.
India have lost just one match — the final of the ODI World Cup in 2023 — in their last three ICC events and probably did not require what many called an “unfair advantage” of playing all their matches in Dubai.
“I feel sorry for India’s cricketers,” award-winning cricket writer Nicholas Brookes told Reuters.
“They are an outstanding team – in my mind, streets ahead of their competition regardless of conditions, and one of the greatest white-ball sides the game has seen.
“This tournament should have been their victory lap, but their brilliance has been somewhat overshadowed by constant questions about unfair advantages.”
Allowing India to play all their matches in Dubai robbed Pakistan of the honor of hosting the final and disrupted the schedule of the knockout matches.
South Africa were made to take a farcical 18-hour trip to Dubai in anticipation of a semifinal against India before flying back to Pakistan to face New Zealand.

“BENDING OVER BACKWARDS”

The whole affair made the ICC, currently headed by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, look weak in front of the world’s richest cricket board.
The scheduling also favored India, who had a week’s rest between their last two group matches, while Afghanistan played twice in three days.
“That looks like the ICC putting finances ahead of fairness,” said Brookes, whose “An Island’s Eleven” charts the history of Sri Lankan cricket and won the Wisden Book Of The Year award in 2023.
“Some people will naturally think that the governing body is bending over backwards to accommodate India.”
Defending champions Pakistan looked under-prepared for the tournament, both on and off the field.
Eleventh-hour facelift to stadiums in Karachi and Lahore, sparse crowd and three washouts dampened the spirit among the locals.
Adding to their woes, Mohammed Rizwan and his men finished bottom of Group A after a winless campaign that included a defeat by arch-rivals India.
An injury-ravaged Australia fielded a second string pace attack with Steve Smith, who quit ODIs after their semifinal exit, leading them in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins.
New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra bagged the player-of-the-tournament prize, while fellow Black Cap Glenn Phillips redefined fielding with gravity-defying catches and India’s Virat Kohli proved he is not a spent force yet but the cricket was largely mediocre.
Afghanistan could not make the last four but impressed on their Champions Trophy debut while former champions England are searching for a new captain after their winless campaign prompted Jos Buttler to step down.


Saudi Arabia top contributor as Pakistan remittances grow 38.6 percent year-on-year

Updated 10 March 2025
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Saudi Arabia top contributor as Pakistan remittances grow 38.6 percent year-on-year

  • In Feb. 2025, Pakistan received highest inflows from Saudi Arabia, $744.4 million, followed by UAE, which contributed $652.2 million
  • Among factors driving up remittances are reforms to curb illegal foreign exchange trading and incentives implemented by central bank 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan recorded year-on-year growth of 38.6 percent in remittances with inflows of $3.1 billion in February, the central bank said on Monday, with the highest contributions coming from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Remittances are a lifeline for Pakistan’s cash-strapped economy, playing a critical role in stabilizing foreign exchange reserves and supporting balance of payments. 

“Workers’ remittances recorded an inflow of $3.1 billion during February 2025,” the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said in a press release. “In terms of growth, remittances increased by 38.6 percent and 3.8 percent on year-on-year and month-on-month basis respectively.”

In February 2025, Pakistan received its highest inflows from Saudi Arabia, $744.4 million, followed by the UAE, which contributed $652.2 million. Remittances received from the United Kingdom and the United States stood at $501.8 million and $309.4 million respectively.

“Cumulatively, with an inflow of $24 billion, workers’ remittances increased by 32.5 percent during July to February, FY25 compared to $18.1 billion received during July to February FY24,” the central bank added.

Among factors driving an increase in remittances are reforms that have curbed illegal foreign exchange trading and incentives implemented by the State Bank of Pakistan. Decreased global inflation rates have encouraged Pakistani migrants to send more money back home. 

Families in Pakistan are also relying more on financial support from relatives working abroad due to inflation at home. 


Pakistan reports first death of 2025 from deadly brain-eating amoeba

Updated 10 March 2025
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Pakistan reports first death of 2025 from deadly brain-eating amoeba

  • Naegleria fowleri, with 98 percent fatality rate, is transmitted when contaminated water enters body through nose
  • Over a hundred people have died from the infection in Pakistan since 2008, five people died last year 

KARACHI: A 36-year-old woman died in the Pakistani city of Karachi last month after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a health official confirmed on Monday, marking the first death this year from the deadly brain-eating amoeba.

Naegleria fowleri has a fatality rate of more than 98 percent. It is transmitted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and cannot be passed person-to-person.

Pakistan has seen a rise in Naegleria fowleri cases in recent years, with over a hundred people dead since the first reported infection in 2008. Five people died from the infection last year.

Symptoms of Naegleria fowleri infection include severe headache, altered taste, high fever, light sensitivity, nausea and vomiting. Death usually occurs five to seven days after infection.

In the latest case, a woman was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 19 after experiencing symptoms and died four days later on Feb. 23. 

“The presence of Naegleria fowleri was confirmed in the patient on Feb. 24, 2025 after the patient had passed away,” Sindh Health Department spokesperson Meeran Yousuf said in a statement.

“Upon investigation, it was noted that the patient had not participated in any water-related activities and her only exposure was regular use of water to perform ablution five times a day at home.”

Yousaf said this was the first death in Pakistan from Naegleria fowleri in 2025.

A 2021 study by the Sindh Health Department found that 95 percent of water samples in Karachi, the provincial capital, were unfit for human consumption, with experts attributing the contamination to the spread of amoeba.