ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the international community needed to engage with the Afghan Taliban and “incentivize” them on issues such as women’s rights and on forming an inclusive government in neighboring Afghanistan.
Khan was speaking to CNN in Islamabad on Wednesday in his first interview with international media since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last month amid the withdrawal of US troops.
The prime minister said the Taliban needed international aid to avoid a crisis in their country, which could be leveraged to push the group in the “right direction toward legitimacy,” warning that Afghanistan could not be controlled by outside forces.
“No puppet government in Afghanistan is supported by the people,” he said. “So rather than sitting here and thinking that we can control them, we should incentivize them. Because Afghanistan, this current government, clearly feels that without international aid and help, they will not be able to stop this crisis. So we should push them in the right direction.”
Khan gave the example of the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from Afghanistan in 1989, which resulted in a “bloodbath,” saying Pakistan was expecting a similar situation after US forces left.
“Our intelligence agencies told us that the Taliban would not be able to take over all of Afghanistan, and if they tried to take Afghanistan militarily, there would be a protracted civil war, which is what we were scared of because we are the ones who would suffer the most,” Khan said, adding that the world should “give them [Taliban] time” to form a legitimate government and make good on their promises.
When the Taliban was in power two decades ago, women had to cover themselves from head to toe. Those who broke the rules sometimes suffered humiliation and public beatings by the Taliban’s religious police.
While the new Taliban regime has promised to allow women more freedoms, there have been reports of women being barred from going to work, and some being beaten in recent weeks for protesting Taliban rule.
Universities have installed curtains inside classrooms to segregate men and women.
When asked about fears of the rollback of women’s and civil rights under the Taliban, Khan said: “It’s a mistake to think that someone from outside will give Afghan women rights. Afghan women are strong. Give them time. They will get their rights … Women should have the ability in a society to fulfill their potential in life.”
Speaking about Pakistan’s relations with the US and the fact that President Joe Biden had yet to telephone the Pakistani leader, Khan said: “I would imagine he’s very busy, but our relationship with the US is not just dependent on a phone call, it needs to be a multidimensional relationship.”
The US has repeatedly accused Pakistan of harboring militants and giving them safe havens, a claim Khan denied.
“What are these safe havens?” he asked. “The area of Pakistan along the border of Afghanistan had the heaviest surveillance by the United States drones ... surely they would have known if there were any safe havens?“
‘Incentivize’ Taliban to push them in right direction on women’s rights, inclusive government — PM Khan
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‘Incentivize’ Taliban to push them in right direction on women’s rights, inclusive government — PM Khan
- Says world should give Taliban “time” to form a legitimate government and make good on their promises
- Relationship with US not just dependent on a phone call, needs to be multidimensional, PM says
German diplomat found dead at his residence in Pakistan’s capital
- Preliminary reports suggest diplomat previously experienced minor heart attack, says state media
- Thomas Jurgen Bielefeld was serving as second secretary at Germany’s embassy in Islamabad
KARACHI: A German diplomat was found dead in his residence located in Islamabad’s heavily guarded Diplomatic Enclave on Monday, state-run media reported, saying that preliminary reports suggest he had previously suffered a heart attack.
Thomas Jurgen Bielefeld, 58, was serving as the second secretary at the German Embassy in Islamabad. His body was discovered after embassy staff raised concerns about his two-day absence from work, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.
The state media reported that the German embassy staff broke into his apartment and found him unresponsive, following which the authorities were notified.
“He [police spokesperson] said the body was taken to the Polyclinic Hospital, where a post-mortem examination was conducted to ascertain the cause of death,” APP said. “Preliminary investigations suggested that the diplomat had previously experienced a minor heart attack, which could potentially be linked to his cause of death.”
APP said the German embassy was in touch with Pakistani authorities and its officials were cooperating with the investigation.
“Further investigations are underway to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident,” APP quoted the police spokesperson as saying.
Pakistan’s English language newspaper Dawn quoted the police as saying that the diplomat was found “dead with his eyes, nose and mouth bleeding at his residence located in Karakoram Heights.”
The report added that the diplomat last used the WhatsApp messaging platform at 7:44 p.m. on Saturday.
Pakistan’s finmin calls for timely policy measures to address country’s energy, economic needs
- Pakistan has attempted to undertake financial reforms in energy, tax and other sectors of its economy
- Islamabad has grappled with a prolonged economic crisis that has drained its resources, weakened its currency
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has called for timely policy measures to address the country’s key economic, energy and industrial needs, state-run media reported this week, as Islamabad attempts to steer the nation toward sustainable economic growth.
The finance minister was chairing a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), the cabinet’s top economic body, which was attended by senior ministers, officials and federal secretaries of various government departments, when he stressed on need for policy measures.
Pakistan has sought to ward off a prolonged economic crisis by attracting foreign investment in its vital sectors and undertaking long-term financial reforms concerning loss-making state-owned enterprises, energy and tax sectors.
“Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday emphasized the importance of timely policy measures to address critical economic, energy and industrial needs, with a focus on transparency and efficiency in implementation,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Monday.
The ECC reviewed and approved a technical grant of Rs1.945 billion [$7.002 million] for the Ministry of Defense and Rs5.276 million [$18,993.60] for the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), to support the commission’s efforts in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Pakistan.
The ECC also considered and approved a proposal from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for a technical supplementary grant of Rs 2,462.302 million [$8,864,287.2] to facilitate the execution of 15 projects under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for fiscal year 2024-25, the APP said.
Pakistan has registered some economic gains in the past few months, with inflation slowing to 4.1 percent in December 2024 and its stock market experiencing a bullish trend for the past couple of weeks. It has signed investment agreements from foreign countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Central Asian states to ensure sustainable economic growth.
In October 2024, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) valued at $2.8 billion. In December, Sharif’s office confirmed that seven of the 34 MoUs had been converted into agreements worth $560 million.
Pakistan has also attempted to privatize its state-owned enterprises which have accumulated losses in the billions, including its national flag bearer, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). It failed in its attempt last year to sell the airline, attracting just one bid of Rs10 billion ($36 million) for a 60 percent stake.
Pakistan’s Punjab offers Saudi investors incentives in health, education and religious tourism sectors
- Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz meets Prince Mansour, former governor of Hafr Al-Batin province
- Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have sought closer business and economic ties in recent months
ISLAMABAD: The chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province has offered Saudi investors incentives as part of a “special package” to explore opportunities in religious tourism, health, education and infrastructure, state-run media reported this week.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif met Prince Mansour bin Mohammed Al Saud, the former governor of Saudi Arabia’s Hafr Al-Batin province, on Monday to discuss promoting bilateral relations and mutual cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Punjab, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial ties, with Riyadh frequently assisting cash-strapped Pakistan by supplying oil on deferred payment terms and financial support to stabilize the South Asian country’s economy.
“During the discussions, the chief minister invited Saudi investors to explore opportunities in infrastructure, health, education, and religious tourism in Punjab,” APP reported. “She assured Saudi investors of her government’s full cooperation and the provision of incentives under a special package.”
Sharif praised Saudi Arabia’s longstanding cooperation with Pakistan, saying that Riyadh was like “Pakistan’s elder brother and the hearts of the people of both countries beat together.”
“The Punjab government has ensured foolproof security and established a system based on merit to improve the business environment in the province,” the report quoted her as saying.
APP said Prince Mansour assured Pakistan of Saudi Arabia’s support.
“The relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is crucial for the stability and prosperity of the entire region,” he was quoted as saying. “Saudi Arabia will always stand by Pakistan.”
The Kingdom is also home to over 2 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as the source for most overseas workers remittances for Pakistan. Both countries have forged strong business and economic relations in recent months.
In October 2024, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) valued at $2.8 billion. In December, Sharif’s office confirmed that seven of the 34 MoUs had been converted into agreements worth $560 million.
Pakistan, Bangladesh discuss enhancing media cooperation amid push to improve ties
- Pakistan’s information secretary, Bangladesh diplomat discuss collaboration between state media organizations of both countries
- Islamabad and Dhaka have moved closer in recent months to forge closer ties after the ouster of former premier Sheikh Hasina
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s information secretary and Bangladesh’s high commissioner discussed ways to boost media cooperation and people-to-people contacts with each other, state-run media reported this week, as both countries bolster efforts to improve their relations strained by a bitter past.
Established together as one independent nation in 1947, Bangladesh won liberation from then-West Pakistan in 1971. Relations between the two countries continued to deteriorate during former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s previous administrations, which prosecuted several members of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party for war crimes relating to the 1971 conflict.
However, Islamabad’s ties with Dhaka improved after Hasina was ousted last year after student-led violent protests in the country. Dhaka’s ties with New Delhi have been strained in recent months as the new administration in Bangladesh repeatedly demands India extradite the ousted prime minister.
“Secretary Information and Broadcasting Ambreen Jan and Bangladesh’s High Commissioner in Pakistan Iqbal Hussain Khan met here Monday and discussed ways to boost media cooperation and people-to-people contacts between their countries,” state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said on Monday.
The two sides focused on enhancing partnerships to highlight their shared historical narratives and cultural values that strengthen mutual understanding, the state media said.
Jan said Pakistan and Bangladesh had longstanding diplomatic and cultural ties with a shared history of cooperation in diverse sectors.
“She emphasized collaboration between state media organizations including Pakistan Television Corporation, Associated Press of Pakistan and Radio Pakistan with their Bangladeshi counterparts in fields of joint productions and exchange of news,” the APP said.
The Pakistani official highlighted that a journalist exchange program could provide media persons from Pakistan and Bangladesh an opportunity to learn about each other’s perspectives and narratives on various matters.
“High Commissioner Iqbal Hussain Khan lauded the government of Pakistan for taking steps to encourage multifarious cooperation between the two countries,” the APP reported. “He likened the people of two countries as brothers and added that their connectivity through joint cooperation programs would bring both nations further closer.”
The two sides also discussed expanding the availability of Pakistani news and entertainment channels on Bangladeshi cable networks and organizing film festivals and photographic exhibitions, the state media added.
Pakistan’s moves to forge stronger ties with Bangladesh include Islamabad’s initiative to launch a fully funded scholarship program for 300 Bangladeshi students in December 2024. The scholarship program is backed by Pakistan’s education ministry and supported by leading universities such as NUST, Comsats, and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).
Pakistan launches first locally made ventilator in bid to achieve technological self-reliance
- The AlnnoVent AVB-100 ventilator supports adult patients across five invasive and two non-invasive ventilation modes
- The ventilator was created in response to the acute shortage of respiratory aid devices during the COVID-19 pandemic
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Monday launched the country’s first locally made ventilator, Pakistani state media reported, describing it as a step toward technological self-reliance.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) last month approved the ‘AlnnoVent’ ventilator, which has been developed by the Alsons Group precision manufacturing firm in Karachi. After successfully passing clinical trials, the ventilator has been officially licensed for production.
The AlnnoVent AVB-100 is an electro-mechanical ICU ventilator that meets international standards of quality and reliability. It supports adult patients across five invasive and two non-invasive ventilation modes, making it suitable for a range of critical care scenarios. The ventilator was created in response to the acute shortage of respiratory aid devices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Iqbal praised the company for its efforts and emphasized that Pakistan needed more such innovators to succeed in a rapidly evolving world, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency reported.
“We require an army of such individuals – people who combine skill, hard work, ambition and the intelligence that defines our nation,” the minister was quoted as saying.
The development comes as Pakistan’s government attempts to steer the country out of a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that has weakened the South Asian country’s currency and drained its foreign exchange reserves over the past few years.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has consistently emphasized the need for Islamabad to adopt an export-led economy to achieve sustainable, long-term economic growth.
Iqbal emphasized that Pakistan’s economic success depended on its ability to innovate and produce new products, which would help shift the country to a more export-driven economy.
He urged private sector leaders to leverage Pakistan’s affordable human resource to produce high-quality goods that could compete in global markets.
“You are the drivers of Pakistan’s future and the government will stand behind every private sector initiative that helps bring in exports and dollars,” the minister said.
