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'Big breakthrough' as PM Khan, Saudi crown prince hold wide-ranging phone call

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, meets with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 23, 2018. (SPA/File)
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Updated 29 March 2021
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'Big breakthrough' as PM Khan, Saudi crown prince hold wide-ranging phone call

  • Khan appreciates Saudi green initiative, resumption of relations with Qatar and Saudi efforts to bring peace in Yemen
  • Writes letter to Saudi crown prince, offers to share Pakistan’s knowledge and experience in climate change initiatives
Updated 29 March 2021
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman in a ‘breakthrough’ first conversation between the two leaders in at least 15 months, the Pakistani prime minister’s special adviser on religious harmony and the Middle East, Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, said on Monday.
Khan took to Twitter on Monday to welcome the "Green Saudi Arabia" and "Green Middle East” initiatives of the Saudi crown prince, saying they complimented Pakistan’s own initiatives to battle climate change.
The crown prince had called the leaders of Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and Sudan to discuss a massive regional tree-planting project, Saudi state news agency (SPA) reported early on Monday.
The Saudi Green Initiative is part of the prince’s Vision 2030 plan to reduce its reliance on oil revenues and improve quality of life. The crown prince unveiled the ambitious campaign on Saturday that will see Saudi Arabia planting 10 billion trees in the coming decades and working with other Arab states to plant another 40 billion trees, reduce carbon emissions and combat pollution and land degradation.
“It’s a big breakthrough after months of silence,” Ashrafi told Arab News about the two leaders' conversation. “During the conversation, prime minister Khan appreciated the green initiative of Saudi Arabia, the resumption of relations with Qatar and Saudi efforts to bring peace in Yemen.”
He said the Saudi crown prince also enquired about the health of Khan, who had tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this month, while the Pakistani PM enquired about the health of Saudi King Salman.
“The exchanges of telephonic conversations at the highest level in two days showed the warmth in the relationship,” Ashrafi said. “Yesterday foreign minister talked to his Saudi counterpart and soon different high-level bilateral delegation exchanges will also start, which were stalled due to COVID-19.”
“Am delighted to learn of 'Green Saudi Arabia' & 'Green Middle East' initiatives by my brother, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman!” Khan had written on Twitter earlier on Monday. “Have offered our support on these as there are many complementarities with our 'Clean & Green Pakistan' & '10 Billion-Tree Tsunami'."

 

 

Khan was referring to his government’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami program, an ambitious five-year tree-planting project launched in 2018, with the aim of countering rising temperatures, flooding, droughts and other extreme weather in the country that scientists link to climate change.

In a letter to the crown prince, Khan said while Pakistan and Saudi Arabia already maintained close cooperation on climate change issues at multilateral forums, “a meaningful and structured bilateral engagement can help advance our shared vision and create mutually beneficial opportunities for partnership.”

He also said Pakistan would be happy to share its knowledge and experience of climate change initiatives with the kingdom.

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Arabia Pakistan Saudi Ties Green Saudi Initiative Middle East

UAE deputy PM to visit Pakistan on Apr. 20 to strengthen bilateral ties

Updated 18 April 2025
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UAE deputy PM to visit Pakistan on Apr. 20 to strengthen bilateral ties

  • Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan will undertake a two-day official visit to Pakistan
  • Pakistan and the UAE have moved closer in recent years to deepen economic cooperation
Updated 18 April 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: United Arab Emirates Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan will arrive in Pakistan on a two-day official visit starting April 20 to strengthen bilateral cooperation, state media reported on Friday.
Pakistan and the UAE have deepened their economic partnership in recent years. The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of foreign investment, with over $10 billion invested in the last two decades.
“Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan will undertake a two-day official visit to Pakistan from Sunday,” Radio Pakistan said on Friday.
It added that the visit reflected the “deep-rooted” ties between the two countries and underscored their shared commitment to cooperation across all areas of mutual interest.
The UAE is home to over a million Pakistani expatriates — the second-largest overseas Pakistani community globally — and a major source of remittance inflows to Pakistan.
Policymakers in Islamabad view the UAE as an ideal export destination due to its geographic proximity, which lowers freight costs and facilitates smoother trade.
In recent months, the two countries have signed a series of agreements to boost economic ties.
In February, during the Abu Dhabi crown prince’s visit to Pakistan, the two sides signed accords in mining, railways, banking and infrastructure.
Last year in January, Pakistan and the UAE signed deals worth more than $3 billion covering railways, economic zones and infrastructure development.

Topics: Pakistan UAE ties Pakistan UAE trade

Pakistan reviews privatization options for New York’s Roosevelt Hotel

Updated 18 April 2025
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Pakistan reviews privatization options for New York’s Roosevelt Hotel

  • Roosevelt Hotel is a long-held asset of PIA, which itself is undergoing a separate privatization process
  • The hotel’s privatization is part of IMF-backed reforms to divest loss-making state-owned enterprises
Updated 18 April 2025
Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: Pakistan’s privatization board on Friday reviewed various options to sell off the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, a long-held property of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), as part of ongoing efforts to divest loss-making state assets under an International Monetary Fund-backed reform agenda.
The 19-story Roosevelt Hotel, located in midtown Manhattan, has been closed since 2020 and is owned by the Roosevelt Hotel Corporation, a subsidiary of PIA. Its fate has been under discussion for years amid attempts to generate funds from the government’s assets.
The Privatization Commission mentioned its deliberations in a statement, saying that it discussed various transaction options developed by its financial adviser — a consortium led by Jones Lang LaSalle Americas Inc. (JLL) — and finalized recommendations to be presented to the Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCOP).
“Various transaction structure options developed by the Financial Adviser ... for privatization of Roosevelt Hotel Corporation (RHC), New York were discussed,” the statement read.
However, it did not divulge further details.
The Roosevelt Hotel is one of the assets included in the first phase of Pakistan’s privatization roadmap, which also features the sale of national flag carrier PIA and Zarai Taraqiati Bank (ZTBL). The government aims to complete these transactions within a year.
Pakistan is working to privatise several state-owned enterprises as part of structural reforms under a $7 billion loan program with the IMF. Many of these entities, including PIA, have long struggled with debt, mismanagement and operational inefficiencies.
The Roosevelt Hotel was earlier used to house asylum seekers under a temporary agreement with New York City but remains a financial burden on PIA, which is itself undergoing a separate privatization process. The government is seeking to sell a 51-100 percent stake in the airline and will invite expressions of interest next week.

Topics: Roosevelt Hotel

Karachi mob kills member of Ahmadi community

Updated 18 April 2025
Reuters
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Karachi mob kills member of Ahmadi community

  • Police say the mob was dispersed and 15 people in the building rescued
  • The man killed was identified as a 47-year-old owner of a car workshop
Updated 18 April 2025
Reuters

KARACHI: A mob attacked a place of worship of Pakistan’s Ahmadi minority community in Karachi on Friday, killing one man, police and a community spokesperson said.
Ahmadi community spokesperson Amir Mahmood said the mob of 100-200 people beat a 47-year-old owner of a car workshop to death with bricks and sticks.
Mohammad Safdar, superintendent of police for Karachi’s Saddar area, confirmed the death.
Safdar told Reuters that the mob was later dispersed, allowing 15 people trapped inside the building to be rescued. Mahmood said 30 people had been trapped.
Ahmadis are a minority group considered heretical by some orthodox Muslims. Pakistani law forbids them from calling themselves Muslims or using Islamic symbols, and they face violence, discrimination and impediments blocking them from voting in general elections.

Topics: Minorities in Pakistan

Pakistan’s deputy PM to raise security concerns during daylong visit to Afghanistan on Saturday

Updated 18 April 2025
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Pakistan’s deputy PM to raise security concerns during daylong visit to Afghanistan on Saturday

  • Ishaq Dar’s visit comes at a time when Pakistan has blamed Afghan officials for ‘facilitating’ cross-border militancy
  • The two countries have tried to resume diplomatic engagements in recent days, with high-level official exchanges
Updated 18 April 2025
Usama Iqbal Khawaja

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is set to visit Kabul on Saturday for high-level talks, with security issues topping the agenda amid ongoing tensions between the two neighbors.​
The visit comes against the backdrop of a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan, which Islamabad attributes to armed groups operating from Afghan territory.
Pakistan has frequently accused the Taliban-led government in Kabul of providing safe havens to these militants and “facilitating” cross-border attacks, a claim Afghanistan denies.​
“At the invitation of interim Afghan Foreign Minister, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, will lead a high-level delegation to Kabul tomorrow,” the foreign office announced in a statement.
“The talks will cover entire gamut of Pak-Afghan relationship, focusing on ways and means to deepen cooperation in all areas of mutual interests, including security, trade, connectivity and people-to-people ties,” it added.
The foreign office said Dar will meet Afghan Acting Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, Acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and hold delegation-level talks with Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan emphasized the importance of the visit.
“The key concern remains centered on security,” he said during his weekly media briefing. “The question of sanctuaries and terrorism has been raised multiple times [with Afghanistan], and we will keep raising it.”
“We want to find an amicable solution to this challenge,” he added.​
Since late 2023, Pakistan has initiated the deportation of undocumented immigrants, predominantly Afghan nationals, citing security concerns. The move has strained relations further, with Afghan authorities raising concerns over the expulsions.​
Despite these tensions, both countries have resumed diplomatic efforts to improve ties. A Pakistani delegation recently visited Kabul for a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting, while an Afghan delegation traveled to Islamabad to discuss trade and connectivity initiatives.​
Dar’s visit is seen as a continuation of these efforts, aiming to address mutual concerns and explore avenues for cooperation between the two neighboring countries.​

Topics: Foreign Office of Pakistan Pakistan Afghanistan Ties

Pakistan PM launches tax authority’s performance system amid IMF reform push

Updated 18 April 2025
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Pakistan PM launches tax authority’s performance system amid IMF reform push

  • The international lender wants digitization of FBR along with tax base expansion in Pakistan
  • The PM was briefed about FBR’s data-driven decision-making to ensure greater efficiency
Updated 18 April 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday launched a performance management system for Pakistan’s tax authority, urging officials to enhance efficiency and boost revenue collection to help reduce the country’s reliance on external debt, state media reported.
The move is part of broader reforms tied to Pakistan’s $7 billion loan program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which include overhauling the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) through greater digitization, institutional accountability and tax base expansion.
The FBR, long criticized for inefficiency and underperformance, plays a central role in Pakistan’s fiscal framework and is under pressure to deliver sustained growth in tax revenues.
“If we want to move away from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), we must work hard to increase our revenues,” Sharif said at the launch event, according to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
He also described it as a long journey, adding more work was required to plug the loopholes in the system.
The newly launched performance system introduces evaluations of FBR officers based on defined metrics. Sharif said similar models would be introduced across other state institutions to promote a culture of accountability.
During the visit, officials also briefed the prime minister on separate reforms underway at the FBR, including the development of a data-driven decision-making framework. That system will pull information from entities like the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) and banking institutions to track payments and asset acquisitions, as part of efforts to align the tax regime with international standards.
Authorities said over 35 additional companies had been added to the tax net as part of ongoing digitization efforts. Tax return forms have also been simplified, and preparations are underway for the nationwide rollout of a digital invoicing system.
Sharif acknowledged a 27 percent growth in FBR revenue over the past year but said more progress was needed to steer Pakistan out of its debt crisis and ensure fiscal stability.
Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio remains among the lowest in the region, limiting the government’s ability to fund public services and increasing dependence on borrowing.
Strengthening the FBR is seen as critical to reducing the budget deficit and restoring investor confidence.
The prime minister also visited FBR’s newly established delivery unit, praising the officers as a “national asset” and expressing hope that the ongoing reforms would lead to a more transparent and effective tax administration.

Topics: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

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