ISLAMABAD: Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki promised to deliver “good news” to the people of Pakistan regarding the resumption of Umrah pilgrimage during a meeting with the chairman of Pakistan’s moonsighting committee on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia imposed restrictions on Muslim nationals belonging to other countries since the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, keeping them from performing Islamic rituals of Hajj and Umrah to prevent the spread of the disease.
According to a press release, the chairman of Pakistan’s moonsighting committee Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad told the Saudi envoy the people of Pakistan were “waiting impatiently” to perform the Islamic rituals once again.
In response, the Saudi diplomat said “the Pakistani nation will soon get the good news” regarding the matter.
Pakistan’s religious affairs minister Pir Noorul Haq Qadri also expressed hope earlier this month that pilgrims from across the world would be allowed to perform Hajj and Umrah since the coronavirus situation was gradually improving.
He also said the government was in contact with the Saudi authority on the issue
Saudi envoy promises ‘good news’ to Pakistan regarding resumption of Umrah pilgrimage
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Saudi envoy promises ‘good news’ to Pakistan regarding resumption of Umrah pilgrimage
- Pakistan’s religious affairs minister expressed hope earlier this month pilgrims would be allowed to perform Umrah and Hajj this year
- The restrictions were placed on pilgrims from different countries due to the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic
Pakistan warns drought may ‘intensify’ in parts of Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan
- Meteorological department says drought may exacerbate in coming months due to rising temperatures and low rainfall
- Advises stakeholders to take pre-emptive measures for drought-prone areas, urges farmers to seek updates from PMD
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Meteorological Department (PMD) this week warned that the existing drought situation in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan provinces may “exacerbate and intensify” in the coming months due to below-normal rainfall, rising temperatures and acute shortage of stored water in the country’s dams.
In its latest advisory issued on Monday, the PMD noted that drought conditions still persist in Sindh, southern parts of Balochistan and lower eastern plain areas of Punjab. It said that the overall, below-normal rainfall deficit of 40 percent was observed across Pakistan from Sept. 1 to Mar. 21, adding that the major rainfall deficits were observed in Sindh at 62 percent, Balochistan at 52 percent and Punjab at 38 percent.
The PMD noted that there is an “acute shortage” of stored water in the Tarbela and Mangla dams, while water in different rivers is flowing at an “extreme low level.” The advisory said that the mean temperature recorded during March in the lower half of the country is two to three degrees above normal.
“Keeping in view the current weather situation and seasonal climate outlook, the drought situation may exacerbate and intensify in the following drought affected areas of the country,” the advisory said.
The advisory said that in Sindh, a “moderate” drought situation is likely in Padidan, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Khairpur, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin and Karachi while a “mild” drought situation is likely in Ghotki, Jacobabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Khairpur and Sanghar.
In Balochistan, it said the drought conditions will be moderate in Gwadar, Kech, Lasbela, Panjgur and Awaran, with mild conditions in Chagai, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, Sibbi, Nushki and Washuk.
In Punjab, the affected areas for mild drought conditions will be Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan.
The PMD said it is continuously monitoring the country’s meteorological conditions, warning of the emergence of a “flash drought” in the upcoming months due to the rainfall deficit and increasing temperatures.
“Hence, it is advised to all stakeholders to take pre-emptive measures for drought prone areas,” the PMD said. “Farmers/agriculturists are advised to keep themselves updated from PMD website.”
Pakistan has the fourth-highest rate of water consumption in the world. The country’s agriculture sector uses the most amount of fresh water than any other sector. Rainfall has steadily declined over the past few decades and experts have been warning for years the country will approach “absolute scarcity” of water by 2025.
The results of the latest census in 2023 counted 241.49 million people across Pakistan with a growth rate of 2.55 percent. Linked to that, per capita water availability has been on a downward trend for decades.
In 1947, when Pakistan was created, the figure stood at about 5,000 cubic meters per person, according to the World Bank. Today it is 1,000 cubic meters. It will decline further with the population expected to double in the next 50 years, climate change experts say, pointing out that Pakistan needs intervention on a range of water-related issues: from the impact of climate change to hydropower, from transboundary water-sharing to irrigated and rain-fed agriculture, and from drinking water to sanitation.
Pakistan envoy highlights cultural diplomacy at art exhibition in UAE
- The event was held in Ajman to highlight the country’s rich art and cultural heritage
- Ambassador Tirmizi seeks more cultural exchanges to unite the people of the region
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s envoy to the United Arab Emirates on Monday emphasized the role of cultural diplomacy in strengthening people-to-people contacts, said an official statement, as he addressed an art exhibition in Ajman that highlighted his country’s rich cultural heritage.
The exhibition comes amid growing efforts by Pakistan to deepen economic and cultural ties with the Gulf nation. The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest export destinations in the region due to its proximity, and Pakistani firms often use it as a base to target the broader Middle Eastern market.
In recent years, Pakistan has also hosted similar exhibitions featuring fruits, vegetables and industrial goods in a bid to enhance trade opportunities.
“Art, music, cuisine and sports have the power to unite people,” Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi said during the ceremony. “For greater harmony and peace, we must encourage more cultural exchanges.”
“The UAE’s beauty lies in its ability to bring together over 200 nationalities, creating a melting pot of cultures,” he added.
The exhibition featured a blend of traditional and contemporary works not only by artists from Pakistan but also other Muslim countries like Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.
The Pakistani envoy toured the venue following the inauguration, interacting with artists and appreciating their creative expressions.
The event concluded with the ambassador distributing certificates to participating artists in recognition of their work.
There was also a cake-cutting ceremony at the exhibition to mark Pakistan Day, annually celebrated on March 23.
Canada says Russia, China, India and Pakistan have potential to meddle in upcoming election
- Canada is set to hold general election on April 28 amid chilly relations with both India and China
- Its spy service says state actors are increasingly leveraging AI to meddle in electoral activities
OTTAWA: China and India are likely to try to interfere in the Canadian general election on April 28, while Russia and Pakistan have the potential to do so, the country’s spy service said on Monday.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) made its comments at a time when Ottawa’s relations with both India and China are chilly. Beijing and New Delhi have denied previous allegations of interference.
Canada was slow in responding to efforts by China and India to interfere in the 2019 and 2021 elections but their outcomes were unaffected by the meddling, an official probe concluded in a final report released in January.
Vanessa Lloyd, deputy director of operations at CSIS, told a press conference that hostile state actors were increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence to meddle in elections.
“The PRC (People’s Republic of China) is highly likely to use AI enabled tools to attempt to interfere with Canada’s democratic process in this current election,” she said.
Earlier this month Beijing announced tariffs on more than $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products, retaliating against levies Ottawa slapped on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products last year.
Canada said last week that China had executed four Canadian citizens on drug smuggling charges, and strongly condemned Beijing’s use of the death penalty.
Asked for a response to the CSIS comments at a regular news briefing on Tuesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said China had always adhered to the principle of not interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, and had “never had any interest in interfering in Canada’s internal affairs.”
Canada last year expelled six Indian diplomats — including the head of mission — over allegations they were involved in a plot against Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.
“We have also seen that the government of India has the intent and capability to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes,” said Lloyd.
The Indian diplomatic mission in Ottawa was not immediately available for comment.
Russia and Pakistan could potentially conduct foreign interference activities against Canada, Lloyd added.
“It’s often very difficult to establish a direct link between foreign interference activities and election results ... Nevertheless, threat activities can erode public trust in the integrity of Canada’s democratic processes and institutions,” she said.
Pakistan says inflation expected to remain within 1-1.5% range in March
- Inflation may inch up to 2-3% in April 2025, says Finance Division in monthly economic outlook report
- Says Pakistan may record likely increase in remittances due to “seasonal factors” such as Ramadan, Eid festivals
KARACHI: Inflation is expected to remain within the 1-1.5% range in Pakistan during the month of March, the country’s Finance Division said in its monthly outlook report on Tuesday, as Islamabad navigates a tricky path to recovery from a macroeconomic crisis.
Aggressive policy rate cuts by Pakistan’s central bank and a series of economic reforms by the government has led to a substantial decline in Pakistan’s annual inflation rate, bringing it down to 1.5% in February 2025.
Pakistan’s inflation rate peaked to a record high of 38% in May 2023 on account of surging food and fuel costs as Islamabad withdrew energy and fuel subsidies under a deal agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a financial bailout package.
“Inflation is anticipated to remain within the range of 1.0-1.5% for March 2025 and inching up to 2.0-3.0% in April 2025,” the Finance Division said in the outlook report.
It added that high frequency indicators, such as a “positive” growth in cement sales, increased automobile production and higher imports with an easy monetary policy, suggest a potential uptick in production if demand conditions remain supportive.
The report highlighted that Pakistan may record a likely increase in foreign remittances due to “seasonal factors” such as the holy month of Ramadan and the upcoming Eid festivals.
“Similarly, exports and imports are expected to improve owing to the expansion in economic activity,” the report said. “Collectively, these factors will help to keep the current account within manageable limits.”
The report praised the government’s resource mobilization, saying it had led to an increase in tax collection during the month and also noted the “favorable” performance of the Pakistan Stock Exchange compared to major global indices.
Pakistan’s government has claimed the country is finally on the path to sustainable economic growth, vowing to undertake long-term financial reforms. The nation expects its foreign exchange reserves to increase beyond $13 billion by June despite weak net financial inflows caused by a shortfall in the planned official inflows.
Pakistan has also repaid the majority of its external debt due this year, according to the central bank.
Pakistan police arrest Baloch rights activists in Karachi for violating public gatherings ban
- Sammi Deen Baloch, others were protesting on Monday against Baloch Yakjehti Committee leader Dr. Mahrang Baloch’s detention
- Pakistan powerful military denies allegations by rights groups it is involved in enforced disappearances of ethnic Baloch persons
KARACHI: Police in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi this week arrested prominent Baloch rights activist Sammi Deen Baloch and others for protesting despite a ban on public gatherings, a copy of the police complaint said.
Karachi commissioner’s office on Monday imposed a ban on public gatherings in the city under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure ahead of a protest by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) rights group.
The BYC announced a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Monday against the detention of its leader, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, and some other members who were arrested last week at a protest camp in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, in which three persons had died following clashes. Both sides blamed each other for the deaths.
Police broke up the protest outside the KPC on Monday evening, rounding up Baloch and other BYC members. Baloch and five other activists were charged under Section 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant) for violating Section 144.
“The protesters, which numbered around 35-40 men and women, were attempting to cross into the Red Zone when they were told by the assistant sub-inspector to refrain from doing so but they did not listen,” a copy of the complaint registered by the Artillery Maidan Police said.
Others arrested apart from Baloch identified in the complaint were Abdul Wahab, Mustafa Ali, Shahzad Rab, Hamza Iftikhar and Sultan Hamal.
The BYC, founded in 2020, has organized several large protests in Balochistan and led marches to, and sit-ins in, the Pakistani federal capital, Islamabad, mainly against what it describes as a surge in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan that it blames on the army and other security forces operating in the province. Officials deny the accusations.
Balochistan has also been plagued by enforced disappearances for decades. Families say men are picked up by security forces, disappear often for years, and are sometimes found dead, with no official explanation. Government and security officials deny involvement and say they are working for the uplift of the province through development projects.
Pakistan’s military has a huge presence in the rugged, impoverished region bordering Afghanistan and Iran, where insurgent groups have been fighting for a separate homeland for decades to win a larger share of benefits for the resource-rich province. The military has long run intelligence-based operations against insurgent groups, who have escalated attacks in recent months on the military and nationals from longtime ally China, which is building key projects in the region, including a port at Gwadar.
International rights bodies like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as well as opposition political parties have also long highlighted enforced disappearances targeting students, activists, journalists and human rights defenders in Balochistan. The army says many of Balochistan’s so-called disappeared have links to separatists.
Military spokespersons have also variously accused rights movements like the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) of being “terrorist proxies.”
