ISLAMABAD: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has gifted 100 tons of dates to Pakistan, Pakistani state media reported on Thursday, reinforcing the strong bond between the two nations.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and brotherly relations. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the top destination for remittances for the cash-strapped South Asian country.
The annual donation of dates is part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to enhance its humanitarian outreach and foster bilateral relations with Pakistan, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency reported.

The consignment of dates was presented to Director-General Military Wing of Pakistan’s Cabinet Division, Brig. Alamgeer Ayub, by Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki and King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Center (KSrelief) Director Abdullah Al-Baqami in Islamabad.
“The gift exemplifies the enduring bonds of friendship and brotherhood between the two countries, rooted in shared values of generosity and mutual support,” the report read.
It said the Saudi government reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Pakistani people through this heartfelt gesture.
On the occasion, Brig. Ayub expressed his gratitude to the Kingdom for its “unwavering generosity and consistent support” for Pakistan.
“This noble act of solidarity not only strengthens our ties but also reflects the profound relationship our nations cherish,” he was quoted as saying.
Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief has implemented more than 200 projects, including emergency relief for natural disasters and initiatives to address food security, health care and education, in Pakistan worth millions of dollars to improve the lives of vulnerable communities.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) warned on Thursday that Internet users may face disruptions nationwide due to a fault reported in an undersea cable near Qatar.
In a press release, the PTA said the fault was reported in the AAe-1 submarine cable located near Qatar, which is one of the seven cables handling Pakistan’s international Internet traffic.
“Due to this Internet and broadband users may face problems,” the PTA said.
The PTA said that its teams were working on fixing the problem.
“PTA is monitoring the situation and will keep telecom users informed from time to time,” the statement added.
Pakistan has reported faults in undersea Internet cables in the past as well. Internet disruptions over the past few months have affected millions of Pakistani users, adversely affected businesses and drawn nationwide complaints
Pakistan has 110 million Internet users, and up to 40 percent slower Internet speeds have affected nearly half the country’s 241 million population.
Digital rights experts, however, have cast doubts on the government’s statement about Internet disruptions in the past. Instead, they say that the government’s move to install a firewall to monitor and regulate content and social media platforms has caused the Internet to slow down.