ISLAMABAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi is expected to visit Islamabad in the coming days to discuss ways of enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two countries, Pakistan’s top diplomat in Baghdad told a Middle Eastern publication on Saturday.
Last month, Iraq’s foreign minister Dr. Fuad Hussein visited the South Asian state and held a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
During their deliberations, the two officials agreed to convene an “early” meeting of the Pakistan-Iraq Joint Ministerial Commission.
“Al-Kadhimi’s visit to Pakistan in the next few days aims to strengthen bilateral relations,” Pakistan’s Ambassador in Baghdad Ahmed Amjad Ali said during his interview with Iraq’s state-owned Al-Sabah newspaper. “He will also sign memoranda of understanding in the fields of culture and trade between the two countries.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s special assistant on the Middle East Tahir Ashrafi told Arab News on Sunday the Iraqi prime minister’s visit to Islamabad was expected soon, though the two sides were still trying to work out the dates.
The Pakistani ambassador also told the Iraqi newspaper that the two countries had enjoyed longstanding cooperation in various areas, including the fields of defense and security.
“Students and employees of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense regularly attend the army’s training courses in Pakistan,” he said. “In addition to that, many Iraqi diplomats receive diplomatic training at the Pakistan Foreign Services Academy.”
Ali said the volume of the annual bilateral trade between Iraq and Pakistan was nearly $64 million, though both countries wanted to further consolidate their trade ties.
“Iraq and Pakistan are currently in the process of discussing mutual cooperation in the fields of agriculture, health and security,” he continued. “Pakistan can also help with the construction of destroyed buildings and power infrastructure in Iraq.”
The Pakistani envoy noted about 300,000 pilgrims from Pakistan annually traveled to Iraq to visit holy shrines.
During the Iraqi foreign minister’s visit to Islamabad, the two countries also discussed people-to-people contact and new ways of facilitating pilgrims from Pakistan.
According to an official Pakistani statement, Foreign Minister Qureshi requested for “further facilitation in visas and travel” for people interested in visiting Iraq.
Iraqi prime minister to visit Pakistan in ‘next few days’ – envoy to Baghdad
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Iraqi prime minister to visit Pakistan in ‘next few days’ – envoy to Baghdad
- Last month, Pakistan and Iraq agreed to convene ‘early’ meeting of joint ministerial commission after a gap of several years
- A senior Pakistani administration official says dates for the Iraqi prime minister’s visit are being worked out
Authorities to dismantle all bunkers in clashes-hit northwestern Pakistani district by March 23
- The development came as another aid convoy came under attack by unidentified men in Ochat area of Kurram district
- Fresh feuding between Shiite and Sunni tribes began on Nov. 21 when gunmen ambushed a convoy and killed 52 people
ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has decided to dismantle all bunkers in the Kurram district, which has been the site of sectarian and tribal clashes over the last three months, by March 23, officials said on Monday.
Kurram, a tribal district of around 600,000 where federal and provincial authorities have traditionally exerted limited control, has frequently witnessed violence between its Sunni and Shiite communities over land and power. Travelers to and from the area often ride in convoys escorted by security officials.
Fresh feuding began on Nov. 21 when gunmen ambushed a convoy and killed 52 people, mostly Shiites. The assault triggered road closures and other measures that have disrupted people’s access to medicine, food, fuel, education and work and created a humanitarian crisis in the area, where authorities say at least 150 people have been killed in nearly three months of clashes.
On Monday, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur presided over a provincial cabinet meeting, during which officials briefed participants about various measures taken by them to restore peace to volatile district, including the demolition of bunkers used by rival tribes to attack each other with both small and heavy weapons.
“So far, 151 bunkers have been demolished,” KP CM’s office quoted officials as telling the cabinet members. “The deadline for demolishing all bunkers in the area has been set for March 23.”
The warring tribes had agreed on the demolition of bunkers and handover of heavy weapons as part of a peace agreement reached on Jan. 1, but sporadic violence has continued and both sides have occasionally engaged in battles with machine guns and heavy weapons that have isolated the remote, mountainous region.
Shiite Muslims dominate parts of Kurram, although they are a minority in the rest of Pakistan, which is majority Sunni. The main road connecting Parachinar, the main town in Kurram, to the provincial capital of Peshawar has been blocked since sectarian fighting began in November.
Meanwhile, police said an aid convoy, comprising 52 vehicles, that was en route to the troubled district came under attack by unidentified men near Ochat, a hilly area on the outskirts of Parachinar.
“The area is remote and we’re collecting information about human and material losses,” Kurram police official Yaqoob Khan told Arab News.
Attacks on aid convoys and crossfire between rival tribes have injured two senior administration officials and a number of security men as well as drivers of vehicles carrying supplies over the last two months.
“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet has taken strict notice of the attack on a convoy in Kurram,” KP government spokesman Muhammad Ali Saif said in a statement.
“Some miscreants are making nefarious attempts to disrupt peace. Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has directed to take strict action against the miscreants.”
Authorities have also been evacuating the injured and ailing from Kurram to Peshawar via helicopters since last month.
“So far, 153 flights have been conducted by two provincial government helicopters to Kurram and around 4,000 people have been provided air transport facility through these flights,” officials told the provincial cabinet.
“To overcome the shortage of essential medicines, 19 thousand kilograms of medicines have been delivered to Kurram so far.”
Pride and excitement surge in Pakistan’s cricket fans ahead of Champions Trophy
- Fans from participating countries expected to flock to Pakistan in large numbers
- The partial absence of arch-rivals India means it’s not a full diplomatic success
Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi: Excitement mounted for Pakistani cricket fans as the South Asian country prepares to host its first major multi-country cricket tournament in nearly 30 years on Feb. 19.
Pakistan is hoping hosting the tournament will help erase worries of instability in the country and restore confidence in it as a tourism and investment destination.
Street cricketers in Karachi and Lahore said they were excited about the tournament being held in their backyard.
The Champions Trophy will be the first major tournament to be held in Pakistan since 1996 and will feature the home side and teams from New Zealand, England, Australia, Afghanistan, South Africa, Bangladesh and India.
All have agreed to play in Pakistan except India, which will play its matches in Dubai, including its encounter with Pakistan, the latest in a storied rivalry.
Cricket is a national passion in the countries of South Asia and a major money-spinner in neighboring India.
With fans from the participating countries expected to flock to Pakistan in large numbers, the tournament promises to stabilize Pakistan’s shaky image. However, the partial absence of arch-rivals India means it’s not a full diplomatic success.
The countries have fought three wars since their bloody partition following independence from Britain in 1947.
Their intense rivalry has meant cricket matches between the two are among the most watched sporting contests in the world but they only play each other at multi-nation events.
Meanwhile, cricket fans throughout Pakistan have snatched up Champions Trophy T-shirts as they prepare to watch the tournament.
The Champions Trophy, which kicks off on February 19, comes to Pakistan as the country battles two insurgencies and a political crisis that has sent its former prime minister and greatest cricket hero, Imran Khan, to jail.
But the government and Pakistan’s cricket board believe the elite tournament of one-day games featuring the top eight teams in the world presents one of the most potent image-building opportunities in decades.
Pakistan hosted cricket’s one-day international World Cup as defending champions in 1996 during a period of optimism about sports in the country.
The national team had triumphed in the previous edition under the leadership of Khan, who is now behind bars on corruption charges after falling out with the powerful military, which denies interfering in politics.
Revived Champions Trophy up for grabs with no clear favorite
- Reigning ODI world champions Australia are among several countries sending weakened contingents
- Pakistan are defending champions and hosts as they stage a first global tournament since 1996 World Cup
The sprinkling of stardust over the Champions Trophy may appear somewhat thin on its return to the calendar after eight years but fans can expect a wide open one-day international tournament in the absence of an overwhelming favorite.
The tournament featuring the top eight teams in the ODI format was discontinued by the International Cricket Committee (ICC) after the eighth edition in 2017, when Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Pakistan beat India in the final.
Pakistan are therefore holders as well as hosts as they stage a first global tournament since the 1996 World Cup, even if political tensions mean India will play all their matches, including the March 9 final should they make it, in Dubai.
Reigning ODI world champions Australia are among several countries sending weakened contingents with Steve Smith standing in as captain of a squad featuring a second-string pace attack.
Regular skipper Pat Cummins, fellow quick Josh Hazlewood and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh were all ruled out by injury, while left-arm quick Mitchell Starc withdrew for personal reasons and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has quit ODIs altogether.
Sri Lanka did not make the cut for the Champions Trophy but nevertheless handed the Australians a humbling reality check in the run-up to the tournament with a 2-0 series drubbing.
Reigning Twenty20 world champions India have made the finals of the last three ICC events and Rohit Sharma’s team signaled their fine form by winning seven of eight limited-overs matches against England.
Runners-up in the 2023 ODI World Cup on home soil, India boast one of the world’s most destructive batting lineups but will be without pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who has been laid low by a back injury.
Seamer Mohammed Shami’s impressive return to action in the home series against England was a big relief for Rohit, who will also expect vital contributions from spin all-rounders Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.
SOUTHEE BACKS NZ
New Zealand will also fancy their chances of claiming the title having won the tri-nation trophy in Pakistan, beating the hosts in the final of a warm-up tournament also featuring 1998 champions South Africa.
Mitchell Santner’s Black Caps side went through the tournament unbeaten and now have a fair idea of the kind of conditions they will face in the Champions Trophy.
“If you look at the track record of New Zealand in ICC events, they are always there or thereabouts,” former New Zealand pace spearhead Tim Southee told the ICC.
“In a tournament like the Champions Trophy, if you get on a bit of a roll, anything can happen. I’d love to see the Black Caps there and hopefully lifting the trophy at the end.”
England were unable to defend to defend the T20 or ODI World Cup under Jos Buttler and are now licking their wounds after a tour of India where they were blanked 3-0 in the 50-overs matches.
They have already lost the services of Jacob Bethell through a hamstring injury, while their bowling trio of Brydon Carse (toe), Jamie Overton (hamstring) and Jofra Archer (hand) are all nursing fitness issues.
Giant-killers Afghanistan will make their Champions Trophy debut following their sixth place finish in the ODI World Cup in 2023, when they beat former champions England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan, who face New Zealand in the tournament opener in Karachi on Wednesday, are hoping a successful Champions Trophy will pave the way open for more such tournaments as the country battles perceptions that it is not safe for visitors.
The icing on the cake would be if Mohammad Rizwan, a stumper-batter like Sarfaraz, could guide Pakistan to a first global title since their Champions Trophy triumph in England eight years ago.
Champions Trophy will rekindle Pakistan’s love of cricket, say former captains
- Pakistan spent nearly a decade in wilderness after attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009, wounding six players
- Champions Trophy was discontinued by ICC after the eighth edition in 2017, when Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Pakistan beat India in final
ISLAMABAD: Cricket fans in Pakistan are buzzing ahead of the Champions Trophy and hosting the elite one-day international tournament will rekindle the country’s love affair with the sport, three former captains said.
The event, which features the sport’s top eight sides in the ODI format, begins on Wednesday with the hosts up against New Zealand in Karachi.
It will be the first major global tournament hosted by Pakistan in nearly 30 years and former batting great Inzamam Ul Haq told Reuters there was no escaping the excitement in the lead-up to the event.
“Right now everyone is talking about the Champions Trophy, in schools, houses, markets, offices, everywhere,” he added.
Pakistan spent nearly a decade in the wilderness after gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus in Lahore in 2009, wounding six players.
Top teams shunned Pakistan after the 2009 attack and it took the Pakistan Cricket Board years to convince foreign counterparts that it was safe to visit.
“The events of 2009 feel like a bad dream,” Inzamam said. “We were punished for 10 years. Our cricket went backwards.”
The national team, captained for the bulk of those years by Misbah Ul Haq, hosted its ‘home’ games in the United Arab Emirates and remained relatively successful until fixtures trickled back onto Pakistani soil in 2018.
“For fans and young cricketers to see the stars playing live is a big deal,” said Misbah, Pakistan’s most successful test captain. “Not having that meant the whole cricket machinery was jammed.”
Former captain Aamer Sohail said the connection between fans and players was evident at Wednesday’s warm-up game against South Africa where Pakistan reeled in the visitors’ 352 to complete their highest successful ODI run chase.
“What was heartening in yesterday’s game is that people turned up and then the players turned up. It was kind of reciprocating, wasn’t it?” added Sohail.
The Champions Trophy was discontinued by the International Cricket Council after the eighth edition in 2017, when Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Pakistan beat India in the final.
Should both teams reach the title decider when it returns to the calendar, Pakistan will not have the advantage of playing at home as India are playing all their matches in Dubai due to political tensions.
“A Pakistan-India match is not just a game of cricket, it’s a game of expectations, of emotions,” said Misbah.
Inzamam recalled a 2004 ODI against India in Karachi where he scored a thrilling hundred in a losing chase.
“I got a standing ovation but so did the Indian team for their performance,” he said. “Supporters from both sides would have wanted to see this match.”
Sohail will forever be remembered for one of the most famous on-field spats with Indian bowler Venkatesh Prasad in the 1996 World Cup quarter-finals, the last major event played in Pakistan.
“It’s not just important for both the countries, I think this rivalry is important for international cricket,” he said.
‘Investment is priority,’ Pakistan PM tells World Bank delegation after $20 billion loan
- Delegation of nine World Bank executive directors call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
- World Bank last month announced providing Pakistan $20 billion in loans over next decade
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told a visiting World Bank delegation on Monday that Pakistan prioritizes investment and partnership rather than loans, a statement from his office said weeks after the international financial institution announced supplying the country with $20 billion of loans.
Sharif met a delegation of nine executive directors of the World Bank, who are on a visit of the country to discuss its economic projects and investments, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. The Pakistani premier met the delegation with senior officials and members of his cabinet.
The delegation arrives in Pakistan after the World Bank last month announced supplying Pakistan with $20 billion of loans over the next decade. These loans are expected to be invested in nutrition, education and renewable energies in the hope of stimulating private-sector growth in the country.
Welcoming the delegation to Pakistan, Sharif acknowledged that the World Bank’s partnership with Pakistan spans seven decades. Various national projects that contributed to the country’s development were built through Islamabad’s partnership with the World Bank, he said.
“Instead of loans, investment and partnership are priority,” Sharif was quoted as telling the World Bank delegation in a statement released by the PMO.
The Pakistani prime minister pointed out that the country’s exports and remittances are both increasing, adding that low interest rates were causing investment in the manufacturing sector to increase.
Sharif said his government was working on digitizing the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Pakistan’s main tax collection authority, in its bid to control corruption. He also said that the government’s recent power reforms were ensuring uninterrupted power supply to many parts of the country.
The premier said that the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework program for Pakistan will lead to an investment of $40 billion in the country, describing it as a “welcome development.”
“With $20 billion, a new chapter of development will open in Pakistan through various projects in health, education, youth development and other social sectors,” Sharif said.
The World Bank delegation appreciated Pakistan’s reforms in energy, industry, exports, privatization, revenue and other sectors, the PMO said.
The World Bank’s lending for Pakistan will start in 2026 and focus on six outcomes: improving education quality, tackling child stunting, boosting climate resilience, enhancing energy efficiency, fostering inclusive development and increasing private investment.
Pakistan nearly defaulted in 2023 on the payment of foreign debts and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rescued it by agreeing to a $3 billion bailout.
Last year, Islamabad secured a new $7 billion loan deal from the IMF. Since then, the country’s economy has started improving with weekly inflation coming down from 27 percent in 2023 to 1.8 percent in January.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to reduce dependence on foreign loans in the coming years.
