ISLAMABAD: Bilalwal Bhutto-Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party and Maryam Nawaz Sharif, vice president of the Pakistan Muslim-League Nawaz, on Thursday arrived in Quetta, the provincial capital of southwestern province of Balochistan, to meet with protesters who for the last five days have been sitting on a major highway with the coffins of 11 miners killed in a militant attack last week.
Gunmen abducted a group of minority Hazara Shia coal miners and killed 11 on early Sunday, Pakistani officials said. The Daesh group later claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on its website. The militant group has repeatedly targeted Pakistan’s minority Shias in recent years.
Families of the victims placed the dead bodies on a road connecting Quetta with Sukkar on Sunday, but later moved them to the provincial capital where they have been sitting with the coffins on a major highway since. They demand that they will call off their sit-in only when Prime Minister Imran Khan visits Quetta to meet protesters.
A member of Khan’s cabinet, who declined to be named, said the PM’s plans to travel to Quetta were “not yet finalized.”
On Wednesday, Khan urged relatives of the slain miners to end their protest and bury their loved ones, saying he would visit the mourners for condolences “soon.”
“I share your pain & have come to you before also to stand with you in your time of suffering,” the PM tweeted, addressing relatives of the deceased. “I will come again very soon to offer prayers and condole with all the families personally. I will never betray my people’s trust. Please bury your loved ones so their souls find peace.”
But the Majlis-e-Wihdatul Muslimeen, a Shia political group that is heading the protests, said the sit-in would be called off only when the PM came to Quetta.
Quetta is home to roughly 600,000 Hazara Shias, largely confined to two fortified enclaves, and checkpoints manned by paramilitary personnel.
“The people of Hazara community are great, who despite such terrorist attacks are loyal to the country,” the interior minister told reporters.
On Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the killing of 11 miners, saying seven of them were Afghan citizens.
An official with the Levies Force, which serves as police and paramilitary in the area, told local media the gun attack took place near the remote Machh coal field, about 48 km east of the provincial capital Quetta.
Agha Syed Muhammad Raza, a senior leader of the Majlis-e-Wihdatul Muslimeen, said the victims had been blindfolded, with their arms and legs tied up, and were killed with knives.
“We have become tired of picking up the bodies of our people,” Syed Agha Raza, a Hazara political leader, told Reuters.
Masooma Yaqoob Ali said her elder brother along with four other relatives was among those killed.
“Now we have no male member [of our family] to take coffins of our brother and other relatives to the graveyard for burial,” she said, shedding tears as she spoke.
Pakistani opposition leaders meet mourners of slain miners in Quetta
https://arab.news/gnvdn
Pakistani opposition leaders meet mourners of slain miners in Quetta
- Bilalwal Bhutto-Zardari, chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party, and Maryam Nawaz Sharif, vice president of Pakistan Muslim-League Nawaz, arrive in Balochistan capital
- Majlis-e-Wihdatul Muslimeen, Shia political group heading the protests, says sit-in to be called off only when PM Khan meets protesters in Quetta
Pakistan PM congratulates Joseph Aoun on election as new Lebanon president
- Aoun’s election came weeks after a ceasefire deal halted a 14-month conflict between Israel, Lebanese group Hezbollah
- PM Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan values its ties with Lebanon and looks forward to strengthen bilateral cooperation
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday congratulated Joseph Aoun for being elected as the new president of Lebanon, expressing Pakistan’s interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation between both countries.
Aoun’s election came weeks after a tenuous ceasefire agreement halted a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and at a time when Lebanon’s leaders are seeking international assistance for reconstruction.
Aoun, no relation to former President Michel, was widely seen as the preferred candidate of the United States, whose assistance Lebanon will need as it seeks to rebuild.
In his message on X, Sharif wished Aoun success in his endeavors to lead Lebanon toward peace, stability and prosperity.
“Pakistan values its ties with Lebanon and looks forward to strengthen our bilateral cooperation,” the Pakistan prime minister said.
Pakistan and Lebanon share close relations. In December, Lebanon helped Islamabad safely evacuate around 300 Pakistani nationals stranded in Syria and transport them back home via chartered flights from Beirut.
Pakistan has also sent several relief consignments for the people of Lebanon during Israel’s bombardment of the Middle Eastern country.
Pakistan records 5.6% increase in remittances month on month
- Overseas workers remittances stood at $3.1 billion in the month of December
- The inflows rose by 29.3 percent in 2024 as compared to the previous year
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan recorded a 5.6 percent increase in remittances in December on a month-on-month basis, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday, congratulating the nation on the record inflows.
Remittances bring billions of dollars annually from overseas Pakistanis and are vital to Pakistan’s economy. These inflows bolster foreign exchange reserves, stabilize the balance of payments, and support the Pakistani currency.
Overseas workers remittances stood at $3.1 billion in the month of December, according to a statement issued from Sharif’s office. The inflows rose by 29.3 percent in 2024 as compared to the previous year.
Sharif said the record increase in remittances was a testament to the determination of overseas Pakistanis to play their role in the development of the South Asian country.
“After economic stability, Pakistan has embarked on the path of economic development,” he said.
Pakistan narrowly avoided a sovereign default in 2023 by clinching a last-gasp $3 billion loan program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The South Asian country has since made some economic gains, most notably slowing the annual consumer inflation to 4.1 percent in December. This was down from 38 percent in May 2023.
Pakistan’s government has vowed to undertake economic reforms mandated by the IMF which include tightening fiscal policies, privatizing loss-making state-owned enterprises and enhancing tax revenues.
“The government of Pakistan is committed to the country’s development and public welfare,” Sharif reassured in his statement.
Pakistan to launch pilot motorbike patrol for security of motorways
- Motorways in Pakistan have a dedicated police force, but various crimes, including rapes, have been reported in the past
- Communications minister says 30-35 motorbikes will boost motorway security and improve response time in the first phase
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has ordered the launch of a pilot motorbike patrol to enhance security of motorways in the country, Pakistani state media reported on Thursday.
Pakistan’s motorway network has improved road connectivity for the people and the government has deployed a dedicated motorway police force, installed CCTV cameras and established emergency response systems, but security concerns have persisted for travelers.
In 2020, the gangrape of a woman traveling from Lahore to Gujranwala via the M-11 motorway in front of her children sparked widespread outrage in the country, leading to calls for enhanced security measures. In 2023, a motorway police officer was also arrested on allegations of raping a woman on the highway, according to a report in Dawn newspaper.
“Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has directed the motorways authority to launch a pilot motorbike service aimed at enhancing security and surveillance on motorways,” the Pakistan Television (PTV) broadcaster reported.
“The motorway police have been instructed to utilize existing resources to kick-start the service with plans for expansion in the future.”
Khan directed the motorway police to include 30-35 motorbikes for patrolling in the first phase to boost security measures and improve response times, according to the report.
The communications minister urged the National Highway Authority, Motorway Police, Frontier Works Organization, and local police to collaborate in securing the motorways.
“Motorway police must take maximum responsibility for ensuring the safety of citizens while a robust mechanism should be developed to make motorway travel as secure as possible,” he added.
OIC secretary-general arrives in Pakistan to attend summit on girls’ education in Muslim countries
- Pakistan’s education ministry will host the global conference in Islamabad on January 11 and 12
- The conference’s aim is to stress Islam’s message that both men, women have right to education
ISLAMABAD: Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha has arrived in Pakistan to attend a global conference on girls’ education in Muslim countries, according to the Pakistani education ministry.
Pakistan’s education ministry will host the global conference titled, “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities,” in Islamabad on Jan. 11-12.
Around 150 representatives from 47 countries, including education experts, religious scholars, diplomats, and politicians are expected to partake in the summit.
Pakistani Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui received the OIC secretary-general upon arrival in the South Asian country.
“Bringing together global leaders, educators, and changemakers to discuss innovative solutions and inspire progress for #GirlsEducation in Muslim communities,” the Pakistani education ministry said on Friday.
“This landmark event is a step toward creating opportunities, breaking barriers, and empowering future generations. Let’s ensure #EducationForAll and drive meaningful #GlobalConversations that transform lives!“
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will inaugurate the conference and deliver a keynote address at the opening session on Saturday. Pakistan’s foreign office said Sharif will reaffirm the nation’s commitment to promoting girls’ education and gender equality.
An “Islamabad Declaration” will be announced at the end of the conference on Sunday that would outline decisive steps to transform girls’ education in Islamic countries, according to Siddiqui.
On Thursday, Siddiqui said the primary aim of the conference is to stress the implementation of the Islamic message, which clearly states that both men and women have the right to education.
“By promoting girls’ education, we can build better homes, a better society and a stronger nation,” he said.
The Pakistani education minister hoped that Afghanistan would also join representatives from other Islamic countries and attend the conference in Islamabad.
“We have extended an invitation to Afghanistan to participate in this conference and hope that their delegation will attend as it is a very important neighboring country,” he told reporters at a media briefing in Islamabad.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, at least 1.4 million Afghan girls have been denied access to secondary education, according to a report by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) released in August last year.
Siddiqui said everyone respects tribal customs and cultures, but all such practices must align with Islamic values in Muslim countries, adding that nothing holds precedence over them.
“In Islam, there is no justification for restricting women’s education,” he added.
PIA to resume European operations today with Paris flight after four-year suspension
- PIA flights to Europe were suspended after an air crash in Karachi that killed 97 people in 2020
- The resumption of flights to Europe will boost PIA’s revenue and improve privatization prospects
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is set to resume flights to Europe today, Friday, with the first flight scheduled to depart from Islamabad to Paris, the Pakistani national air carrier announced, following the removal of a four-year ban on its European operations.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) suspended PIA’s authorization to operate in the EU in June 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani authorities and its Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to ensure compliance with international aviation standards.
EASA and UK authorities suspended permission for PIA to operate in the region after Pakistan began investigating the validity of pilots’ licenses following a deadly plane crash that killed 97 people.
PIA said it was resuming two direct weekly flights to Paris and booking for the first two flights coming from and going to Paris had already been completed.
“The first flight will leave for Paris from Islamabad at 12:10pm today on January 10,” the airline said on Friday.
“PIA has also made special arrangements for in-flight entertainment through the Intranet Wireless Entertainment System.”
The suspension of European operations had exacerbated PIA’s financial woes, as the debt-ridden carrier struggled to recover from a tarnished reputation.
Last year, the government’s attempt to privatize the airline, part of a condition set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $7 billion loan, fell flat when it received only a single offer, well below its asking price.
The resumption of European flights is expected to boost PIA’s revenue stream and improve its appeal to potential investors, strengthening the government’s privatization efforts.
