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Two dead, 10 missing after storm knocks over boats in southern Pakistan

Fishing boats are seen moored at the Karachi Harbour on January 22, 2022. (AFP)
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Updated 23 January 2022
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Two dead, 10 missing after storm knocks over boats in southern Pakistan

  • Boats capsized near Keti Bandar, a fishing town east of Karachi
  • Navy rescued 12 people, though there were 24 fishermen on crashed boats
Updated 23 January 2022
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: The Pakistan Navy said on Sunday at least two fishermen were dead while 10 others were missing after fishing boats capsized near the country’s southern Karachi due to heavy winds on the Arabian Sea.
Boats were knocked over near Keti Bandar, a fishing town 154 kilometers from Karachi in the Arabian Sea, on Friday night.
Strong winds in southern Sindh province also uprooted electric poles, trees and brought down walls and roofs. In the provincial capital, Karachi, at least six people died due to the extreme weather incidents.
“A total of 24 people were on board the crashed boats,” said the Pakistan Navy spokesman. “So far, 12 people have been rescued from the sea, 10 crew members are still missing and two bodies have been recovered.”




Pakistan Navy rescues a fisherman during the search operation after fishing boats capsized near the country’s southern Karachi due to heavy winds on the Arabian Sea on January 22, 2022. (Pakistan Navy) 

Naval officials said high-speed boats and helicopters were participating in search and rescue operations.
Earlier, on Saturday, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said in a statement the boats had capsized east of Karachi.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the country’s coast will continue to face extreme weather at least until Jan. 27.
 

Topics: fishermen Storm Karachi boats capsized Arabian Sea

Pakistan ex-PM Khan, wife appeal graft convictions

Updated 23 sec ago
AFP
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Pakistan ex-PM Khan, wife appeal graft convictions

  • Khan has been convicted four times since his arrest in Aug. 2023, with two convictions overturned and the sentences in the other two cases suspended
  • A graft court this month found Khan and his wife guilty of ‘corruption’ over a welfare foundation they established together called the Al-Qadir Trust
Updated 23 sec ago
AFP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi appealed against their convictions for graft on Monday, his lawyer said.
Khan, 72, has been held in custody since August 2023 charged in around 200 cases that he claims are politically motivated.
The former cricketing star was sentenced to 14 years in jail and his wife to seven this month in the latest case to be brought against them.
“We have filed appeals today and in the next few days it will go through clerical processes and then it will be fixed for a hearing,” Khan’s lawyer Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry told AFP outside Islamabad High Court.
Khan has been convicted four times since his arrest, with two convictions overturned and the sentences in the other two cases suspended.
A special graft court found the pair guilty of “corruption and corrupt practices” over a welfare foundation they established together called the Al-Qadir Trust.
The court hearing for the case was postponed three times and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said earlier it was being used to pressure him into cutting a deal with the government to step back from politics.
Khan alleged before the conviction that he had been “indirectly approached” about the possibility of house arrest at his sprawling home on Islamabad’s outskirts.
Bibi, a faith healer who married Khan shortly before he was elected in 2018, is being held at the same jail as her husband in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad.
Khan’s popularity continues to undermine a shaky coalition government that kept PTI from power in elections last year.
Even from behind bars, Khan has fired off statements through his legal team railing against the government and promising to fight his battles through the courts.
Sometimes violent protests have paralyzed Islamabad in recent months and the party has announced further rallies next month to mark one year since elections that were marred by allegations of rigging.
Khan called off talks with the government last week aimed at easing political tensions.
Ousted from power by a no-confidence vote in 2022, the former cricket star has since launched an unprecedented campaign in which he has openly criticized Pakistan’s powerful generals.
Analysts say the military’s leaders are Pakistan’s kingmakers, although the generals deny interfering in politics.
A UN panel of experts found last year that Khan’s detention “had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for political office.”
Khan was barred from standing in last February’s election and his PTI party was hamstrung by a widespread crackdown.
PTI won more seats than any other party but a coalition considered more pliable to the military’s influence shut them out of power.

Topics: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan Bushra Bibi Al-Qadir Trust corruption reference

Pakistan sets up pavilion at Arab Health expo to demonstrate health care manufacturing prowess

Updated 34 min ago
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Pakistan sets up pavilion at Arab Health expo to demonstrate health care manufacturing prowess

  • The exhibition, running from Jan. 27 till Jan. 30, focuses on nine key product sectors, including medical equipment, disposables and surgical goods
  • Pakistan Pavilion is hosting 40 Pakistani firms at the exhibition, highlighting the importance of enhancing Pakistan’s exports across diverse sectors
Updated 34 min ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has set up its pavilion at the Arab Health 2025 exhibition in Dubai to showcase the South Asian country’s capabilities in health care manufacturing and innovation, the Pakistani embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Monday.
Arab Health 2025, organized under the patronage of the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, is one of the largest and most prestigious health care exhibitions in the world. This year, the event is featuring over 3,800 exhibitors and has attracted more than 60,000 health care professionals and industry leaders from over 70 countries.
The exhibition, running from Jan. 27 till Jan. 30, focuses on nine key product sectors, including medical equipment and devices, disposables and surgical goods, orthopedics and physiotherapy, imaging and diagnostics, general health care services, health care infrastructure, wellness and prevention, health care transformation and health care technology.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at the expo at Dubai World Trade Center, which is hosting 40 leading Pakistani companies under the umbrella of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), highlighting the importance of enhancing Pakistan’s exports across diverse sectors to achieve sustainable economic growth.
“Arab Health has served as an important platform for the health care industry over the past 50 years for collaboration, innovation, and shaping the future of health care,” Ambassador Tirmizi said as he inaugurated the pavilion.
“Our mission is committed to doubling the number of Pakistani exhibitors at next year’s exhibition.”
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States (US), and a major source of foreign investment, valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
The Arab Health exhibition also hosts scientific conferences offering insights into the latest trends in health care, advancements in digital health and artificial intelligence and strategic investment opportunities in the sector.
Ambassador Tirmizi emphasized the significance of leveraging platforms like Arab Health to foster business-to-business linkages, drive innovation in research and development, and enhance collaboration in digital health care services, according to the Pakistani embassy.
Pakistani exhibitors expressed their satisfaction with the arrangements and reiterated the importance of Arab Health in unlocking Pakistan’s export potential in the UAE and the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets.

Topics: Arab Health expo Pakistan embassy in UAE Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP)

Pakistan to invite local businessmen in renewed push to privatize loss-making national airline

Updated 27 January 2025
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Pakistan to invite local businessmen in renewed push to privatize loss-making national airline

  • A deal to sell off the Pakistan International Airlines fell through late last year, after a potential buyer reportedly offered a fraction of the asking price
  • Pakistan hopes the recent opening of European routes, expected to be followed by a similar announcement by the UK, will boost PIA’s selling potential
Updated 27 January 2025
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has renewed its efforts to privatize the loss-making Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and plans on inviting local businessmen to the new bidding process, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday.
Pakistan’s government has been scrambling to find a buyer to privatize the debt-ridden airline since late last year, when a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered a fraction of the asking price.
The airline posted losses of $270 million in 2023, according to local media reports. Its liabilities were nearly $3 billion, about five times the total worth of its assets.
Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad, Sharif said a new effort was being carried out to privatize the airline, so that PIA becomes the PIA of its heydays in the ‘60s.
“This time we are inviting Pakistani businessman from Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and Lahore,” Sharif said in televised comments. “A new bidding process will be carried out, whichever group wins the bid, PIA will be given to them.”
The development comes weeks after PIA resumed its operations in Europe, with the first flight to Paris on Jan. 10, following a hiatus of four years.
The airline was restricted in 2020 by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) after Pakistan launched an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses issued in the country, following a PIA plane crash in Karachi that killed 97 people. EASA lifted its ban on PIA in November last year, however, the airline remains barred from flying to the UK and the US.
Separately on Monday, a delegation from the UK’s Department for Transport and Civil Aviation Authority arrived in Pakistan to conduct a safety assessment ahead of the resumption of PIA flight operations between the two countries, according to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“There will be several high-level meetings between the two sides,” the PCAA said in a statement. “The discussions will examine aviation safety protocols, review documentation, and evaluate operational procedures.”
Pakistan’s government hopes the opening of European routes, which officials expect will be followed by a similar announcement by the UK later this year, will boost PIA’s selling potential.
“We will take PIA back to the slogan ‘Great People To Fly With’,” Sharif said at the Islamabad ceremony. “This is difficult but not impossible.”

Topics: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif PIA privatization

Pakistan to issue red notices for human traffickers in bid to curb illegal practice

Updated 31 min 55 sec ago
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Pakistan to issue red notices for human traffickers in bid to curb illegal practice

  • Development comes days after a boat capsized near Morocco on Jan. 15 while carrying 66 Pakistanis among 86 migrants
  • The tragedy once again underscored the perilous journeys many migrants embark on due to conflict, instability at home
Updated 31 min 55 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday ordered authorities to issue red notices for human traffickers in order to curb the illegal practice, Pakistani state media reported, days after a migrant boat carrying over 60 Pakistanis capsized near Morocco.
The boat capsized near Morocco’s coast on Jan. 15 while carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, according to migrant rights group Walking Borders. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said last week that it was in process of repatriating 22 survivors of the tragedy.
The Morocco tragedy has once again underscored the perilous journeys many migrants, including Pakistanis, embark on due to conflict and economic instability in their home countries.
PM Sharif gave the orders to issue red notices for human traffickers at the first meeting of a task force he formed last week to curb human smuggling, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The prime minister instructed the FIA [Federal Investigation Agency] to provide the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the information gathered during investigations to facilitate the swift extradition of human traffickers,” the report read.
A red notice is a request from a member country of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to other member states to locate and arrest a person to extradite them to face criminal charges.
The Morocco tragedy is not the first one involving Pakistani migrants in recent years.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos, marking one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea. More recently, five Pakistani nationals died in a shipwreck off the southern Greek island of Gavdos on Dec. 14.
The Pakistani government has ramped up efforts in recent months to combat human smugglers facilitating dangerous journeys for illegal immigrants to Europe, resulting in several arrests. PM Sharif has also urged increased collaboration with international agencies like Interpol to ensure swift action against human trafficking networks.
“Complete eradication of human trafficking can only be achieved through the collective efforts and cooperation of all institutions,” Sharif told officials at Monday’s meeting.

Topics: human trafficking Pakistan migrants

Pakistan central bank cuts key rate to 12 percent amid easing inflation

Updated 28 min 57 sec ago
Reuters
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Pakistan central bank cuts key rate to 12 percent amid easing inflation

  • The State Bank of Pakistan has slashed rates from an all-time high of 22 percent last June
  • Pakistan’s consumer inflation rate fell to 4.1 percent in Dec., its lowest in over six years
Updated 28 min 57 sec ago
Reuters

KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 100 basis points to 12 percent on Monday, in line with expectations, as inflation eases and growth looks to set to pick up after 1,000 basis points of rate cuts over the last six months.
The State Bank of Pakistan has slashed rates from an all-time high of 22 percent last June, one of the most aggressive moves among central banks in emerging markets and exceeding its 625 bps of rate cuts in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bank’s governor Jameel Ahmad said at a press conference that the inflation rate would ease further in January but noted core inflation remained elevated. He forecast full-year inflation in the year to June would average 5.5 percent-7.5 percent.
“Considering these developments and evolving risks, the Committee viewed that a cautious monetary policy stance is needed to ensure price stability,” the bank’s monetary policy committee said in a statement accompanying the decision.
“The real policy rate needs to remain adequately positive on a forward-looking basis to stabilize inflation in the target range of 5 – 7 percent,” it added.
Fourteen of 15 analysts surveyed by Reuters expected the central bank to cut its key rate by at least 100 bps mainly due to weaker inflation.
Pakistan’s consumer inflation rate fell to 4.1 percent in December, its lowest in more than six years, helped by favorable base effects. That was below the government’s forecast and down from a multi-decade high of around 40 percent in May 2023.
The bank maintained its forecast of full-year GDP growth at 2.5 percent-3.5 percent and predicted faster growth would help boost the country’s previously struggling foreign exchange reserves.
“The improved current account outlook, along with the expected realization of planned financial inflows, is likely to increase the SBP’s FX reserves beyond $13 billion by June 2025,” the bank’s statement said.
Pakistan posted a current account surplus of $0.6 billion in December, bringing the cumulative surplus to $1.2 billion for the first half of the current fiscal year, the bank said, adding the outlook for the current account balance had improved considerably.
However the central bank also highlighted several risks for inflation, including protectionist policies by “major economies.” US President Donald Trump has said he is considering imposing tariffs on goods from several countries.
Under a $7 billion IMF bailout, Pakistan’s $350 billion economy grew 0.92 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2024-25 which ends in June, according to data approved by the National Accounts Committee and released in December.
The IMF will conduct a first review of the loan in March, the governor said.
“We have taken all actions required by the IMF from the central bank’s side,” he added.

Topics: Policy Rate State Bank of Pakistan State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Pakistan economy

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