Women in Pakistan's Thar eye road out of poverty by snapping up truck-driving jobs

A group of female dump truck drivers pose for a picture at a coal mining site in Tharparkar, Pakistan, on February 22, 2022. (AN Photo by Khurshid Ahmed)
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Updated 28 February 2022
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Women in Pakistan's Thar eye road out of poverty by snapping up truck-driving jobs

  • Full of resources yet most impoverished, Tharparkar has massive coal reserves that can last for centuries
  • Mining in the desert region has provided livelihood opportunities to thousands, though activists say it can also impact the area’s natural habitat

KARACHI: Sharifan descends into a 160-meter-deep pit with a gigantic dumper truck and returns with a huge quantity of coal every day to supply nearby power plants in a remote and one of the most impoverished districts of Pakistan's southern Sindh province.

The combustible, black rock has provided residents of Tharparkar district a way out of abject poverty and a source to accelerate economic growth in the country.

According to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s Energy Planning Report, the impoverished desert region has 175 billion tons of coal reserves which were discovered by the Geological Survey of Pakistan in the 1980s. In terms of energy, these coal deposits are equivalent to 50 billion tons of oil — more than Saudi and Iranian oil reserves combined.




Children can be seen at a school in Tharparkar, Pakistan, on February 22, 2022. (AN Photo by Khurshid Ahmed)

Like hundreds of others in the region, Sharifan, who goes by just one name, also decided to grab the opportunity that was knocking at her door and joined a mining firm as a dump truck driver — a job mostly performed by men — last year.

She said that women in her village were not allowed to work, but she went ahead with it along with some others.

“I joined the workforce because of poverty,” she told Arab News. “The times were tough for us and everyone in the family was struggling for survival.”

In 2014, Pakistan decided to utilize Thar coal for power generation under the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework. For this purpose, it formed Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) that has been annually extracting 3.8 million tons of coal since 2019.




A woman is driving a truck loaded with coal in Tharparkar, Pakistan, on February 22, 2022. (AN Photo by Khurshid Ahmed)

This coal is sold to Engro Powergen Thar Limited (EPTL), the country’s only indigenous coal-fired power plant which generates 660 megawatts (MWs) of electricity. The provincial administration of Sindh controls 54.7 percent stakes in the coal mining company.

“Training women to drive trucks was an uphill task,” said Naseer Memon, SECMC corporate social responsibility and communications general manager, while briefing a group of journalists from Karachi on a recent visit to Thar. “We took up the challenge and opened a training school for them.”

“Out of the 55 trained women, now we have 25 full-time dumper drivers and there is no discrimination between male and female employees in terms of wages and benefits,” he added.

Women drivers, some of whom are uneducated, said they agreed to perform the job, which is otherwise considered masculine in nature, to ward off poverty.

Sharifan said she was initially scared of driving the giant vehicle, adding she could now do it with her “eyes closed” after 10 months of training.

“The financial condition of my family was very difficult with no earner,” Amina, another female driver with the company, told Arab News. “However, everyone is comfortable now since I am earning and our children are going to school.”




Young children are attending Thar Foundation Primary School in Tharparkar, Pakistan, on February 22, 2022. (AN Photo by Khurshid Ahmed)

The women drivers earn as much as Rs35,000 ($200) a month. In addition to that, they get medical facilities and other fringe benefits as well.

“Women empowerment without economic independence is nothing but a hollow slogan,” Memon said. “The whole of Tharparkar was desolate and disconnected just 10 or 15 years ago.”

Coal mining in the region created job opportunities and the local workers now constitute 60 to 70 percent of the total workforce at mines and power plants, according to SECMC officials. These workers can earn as much as Rs60,000 ($340) a month.

The area with coal reserves is divided into 13 different blocks of various sizes. Currently, coal is only extracted from blocks I and II.

SECMC, which operates in Block-II, is not the sole operator in the region: A Chinese power generation company, Shanghai Electric, has recently hit the first layer of three billion tons of coal in Block-I.




A group of female dump truck drivers pose for a picture at a coal mining site in Tharparkar, Pakistan, on February 22, 2022. (AN Photo by Khurshid Ahmed)

The Chinese firm employs around 7,000 Pakistani workers, according to a report by Pakistan’s state-run APP news agency.

The integrated project, which includes 1,320MW mine-mouth power plant, is projected to supply electricity to four million households in Pakistan.

Apart from providing employment opportunities, these firms have also been engaged in community development in Tharparkar, which ranked 109th among Pakistan’s 114 districts on the 2020 United Nations Human Development Index (HDI).

An HDI report published in 2017 described Tharparkar as “the most deprived district in Sindh, and as the only district in the very low category, it lags far behind other districts in the province.”

Today, as part of corporate social responsibility, companies are annually spending about Rs350 million ($1.98 million) in the region through Thar Foundation, a non-profit organization established by the Sindh government along with SECMC, EPTL and other partners.

The Sindh government has contractually bounded firms to allocate two percent of mining and one percent of power generation profit for community development in the area, according to SECMC officials.

“Thar Foundation has set up 27 schools in its beneficiary areas, Islamkot and Mithi, which have a capacity of 5,500 students,” Memon informed. “So far, 4,100 students are enrolled and one-third of them are girls. Sending a girl to school is the most difficult task in the area.”

Going forward, Thar Foundation plans to adopt and operate all government-run schools in Islamkot town of the district.

“Children hailing from far-flung areas are now able to attend schools where we give them books, uniforms and transportation almost free,” said Pooja Goswami, principal of The Citizens Foundation School in Islamkot. “This is happening due to the development taking place in the area.”

Mining firms have also been imparting vocational education. They operate 17 reverse osmosis (RO) plants, of which 10 have been adopted from the government and rehabilitated. These plants supply 331,340 gallons of water per day to around 15 villages.

“We trained local women as RO operators and now 13 of them run these plants in Tharparkar. Most of them belong to Islamkot and Mithi,” Rashna Zamir, a social mobilizer and coordinator for RO plant operators, told Arab News.

Thar Foundation is also providing medical facilities by setting up a hospital in Islamkot. It has also invited Shanghai Electric to play its part in community development which may help generate additional resources to benefit people.

However, social activists remain concerned all this development may ultimately undermine the area’s natural habitat and culture.

“The companies are extracting underground water for mining and the process is impacting local population and grazing lands,” Ali Akbar Rahimoon, an activist, told Arab News.

“Even the British made a separate land policy for Thar due to its unique culture, requirements and sources of livelihood,” he continued. “The companies paid to acquire entitled lands from the government, but they have also occupied communal lands which has started impacting the livelihoods of people who are associated with livestock and farming.”

Rahimoon said locals also complained of being left out of the development process, adding that many of those who did not belong to the region were considered for jobs.

“The government must set up an institution in the area for providing skills to locals,” he said while demanding a long-term policy to benefit Thar residents.


Azerbaijan signs $2 billion investment agreements with Pakistan on sidelines of ECO summit

Updated 9 sec ago
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Azerbaijan signs $2 billion investment agreements with Pakistan on sidelines of ECO summit

  • Development came after sustained engagement between Pakistani and Azerbaijani officials recently
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif also held separate meetings with the presidents of Turkiye, Iran and Uzbekistan

ISLAMABAD: Azerbaijan signed investment agreements worth $2 billion with Pakistan on Friday to boost economic cooperation, said an official statement released in Islamabad, in a major development during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to the Central Asian state for the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit.

The two-day summit, hosted in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, focused on a sustainable and climate-resilient future for the region.

In his address, Sharif warned that climate change posed an existential threat to ECO member states, highlighting the impact of melting glaciers, floods, desertification and declining crop yields. He also emphasized more trade, tourism and regional integration to enhance economic prosperity.

“In the presence of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov signed agreements for $2 billion of investment in Pakistan’s economic sector from Azerbaijan,” the PM Office announced in a statement.

The agreements were signed following a bilateral meeting between Sharif and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, with officials hoping for a more detailed agreement during Aliyev’s upcoming visit to Pakistan.

“The agreement has elevated investment and trade relations between the two countries to a historic level and will serve as a guarantee for further strengthening their brotherly ties and commercial partnership,” the official Pakistani statement added.

It also described the development as a result of sustained engagement between Pakistani ministries and diplomats and their Azerbaijani counterparts over recent months.

SIDELINE DIPLOMACY

On the sidelines of the summit, Sharif held separate meetings with the presidents of Turkiye, Iran and Uzbekistan, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to regional cooperation, peace and connectivity.

In his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, both leaders reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and vowed to accelerate progress in critical areas.

“The two leaders reiterated their resolve to bring about meaningful progress in relations... [emphasizing] the importance of deepening cooperation in trade, defense, energy, connectivity and investment,” said a separate handout by the PM Office.

To advance this agenda, both sides agreed to exchange high-level delegations to finalize understandings reached between the sides.

In another key engagement, the Pakistani prime minister met Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, with both sides reviewing the implementation of previous agreements to strengthen bilateral ties.

Sharif praised Iran’s leadership during the recent conflict with Israel and welcomed Tehran’s decision to agree to a ceasefire.

“The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with the people and Government of Iran and Pakistan’s strong commitment to continue working closely with Iran for peace in the region through dialogue and diplomacy,” the statement said.

In his meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Sharif focused on regional integration, energy cooperation, and the Trans-Afghan Railway Project, which is seen as vital for unlocking trade corridors between Central and South Asia.

“The two leaders agreed on visits of their senior ministers to Tashkent and Islamabad to finalize necessary agreements,” the PMO said, adding that both sides viewed their cultural and historical ties as a strong foundation for broader collaboration.


Escaped lion attacks woman and children in Pakistan street

Updated 04 July 2025
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Escaped lion attacks woman and children in Pakistan street

  • CCTV footage shows the lion jumping the barrier around its home and pursuing the family
  • It knocks the woman to the ground and claws the arms and faces of her two children

LAHORE: An escaped pet lion chased a woman and two children down a busy street in Pakistan’s Lahore, police said Friday, with dramatic footage showing the big cat leaping a wall before pouncing on them.

CCTV footage released by the police showed the lion jumping the barrier around its home and pursuing a woman carrying her shopping on Thursday night.

The lion jumped on her back, knocking her to the ground, the footage showed.

A police report quoted the father as saying the lion then turned to his five-year-old and seven-year-old children, and clawed their arms and faces.

All three were taken to hospital but were not in a critical condition.

The owners who ran out of the house were “amused to see their lion attack” the passersby, the father added in the report.

Police said Friday they had arrested three men.

“The suspects fled from the spot, taking the lion with them. They were arrested within 12 hours of the incident,” the office of the Deputy Inspector General Operations in Lahore told AFP.

The lion, an 11-month-old male, has been confiscated by police and sent to a wildlife park.

Officials at the facility said that the animal appears to be in good health.

Keeping exotic animals, especially big cats, as pets has long been seen as a sign of privilege and power in Punjab, the most populous province of the country.

In December 2024, an adult lion escaped from its enclosure in another neighborhood of Lahore, terrorizing residents before being shot dead by a security guard.

The incident prompted the provincial government to pass new laws regulating the sale, purchase, breeding and ownership of big cats.

The law now requires owners to obtain licenses for the animals which are barred from being kept in residential areas.

Breeders have to pay a hefty fee for registration, while farms have to be a minimum of 10 acres in size.


PM Sharif discusses trade, investment and regional ties with ECO leaders on summit sidelines

Updated 04 July 2025
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PM Sharif discusses trade, investment and regional ties with ECO leaders on summit sidelines

  • The Pakistani prime minister meets the presidents of Türkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan
  • Sharif reaffirms his administration’s resolve to further strengthen relations with these countries

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday held a series of meetings with the presidents of Türkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan on the sidelines of the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace, connectivity and enhanced bilateral trade and investment.

The two-day summit, held from July 3-4, focused on promoting economic cooperation, sustainable development and regional integration among ECO member states.

Sharif led Pakistan’s delegation, using the opportunity to deepen bilateral and multilateral ties with key regional partners.

In his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the two leaders reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and vowed to accelerate progress in critical areas.

“The two leaders reiterated their resolve to bring about meaningful progress in relations... [emphasizing] the importance of deepening cooperation in trade, defense, energy, connectivity and investment,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

To advance this agenda, both sides agreed to exchange high-level delegations to finalize understandings reached between the sides.

Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering commitment” to working closely with Türkiye to promote peace, stability and sustainable development in the region.

In another key engagement, the Pakistani prime minister met Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, with both leaders reviewing the implementation of previous agreements to strengthen bilateral ties.

Sharif praised Iran’s leadership during the recent conflict with Israel and welcomed Tehran’s decision to agree to a ceasefire.

“The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with the people and Government of Iran and Pakistan’s strong commitment to continue working closely with Iran for peace in the region through dialogue and diplomacy,” said another PMO statement.

In turn, President Pezeshkian thanked Pakistan for its diplomatic support during the crisis and acknowledged its role in efforts to de-escalate tensions.

The prime minister also held talks with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, in what was their third bilateral meeting this year. The two leaders agreed to further strengthen their economic partnership, especially by accelerating Azerbaijan’s investments in Pakistan.

“The two leaders agreed to enhance their cooperation in the fields of trade and investment while expressing satisfaction over the progress made regarding the investment prospects,” the PMO said.

Sharif invited President Aliyev to visit Pakistan, noting that recent exchanges had significantly strengthened bilateral ties.

The Azerbaijan leader had previously announced a $2 billion investment package for Pakistan during a visit to Islamabad in 2024, and the two countries have also deepened defense cooperation, including Islamabad’s sale of JF-17 fighter jets to Baku.

In his meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Sharif focused on regional integration, energy cooperation and the Trans-Afghan Railway Project, which is seen as vital for unlocking trade corridors between Central and South Asia.

“The two leaders agreed on visits of their senior ministers to Tashkent and Islamabad to finalize necessary agreements,” the PMO said, adding that the two sides viewed their cultural and historical ties as a strong foundation for broader collaboration.


Eight killed in Karachi building collapse, exposing city’s crisis of unsafe housing

Updated 35 min 24 sec ago
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Eight killed in Karachi building collapse, exposing city’s crisis of unsafe housing

  • The five-story building in Lyari had been declared dangerous in 2012, but residents remained
  • Sindh Building Control Authority says over 580 buildings in Karachi are unfit for habitation

KARACHI: A five-story residential building collapsed in Karachi’s densely populated Lyari neighborhood on Friday, killing at least eight people and trapping many others, in yet another tragedy underscoring the city’s crisis of unsafe, aging structures.

Rescue workers, aided by local residents, scrambled to pull people from the debris of the Fotan Mansion building, recovering both bodies and injured survivors. The collapse took place around 10:30 a.m., jolting the community.

“I suddenly woke up … it felt like there were tremors, like an earthquake,” said Salman Ahmed, who was sleeping in a nearby building at the time of the incident and later rescued two children.

“At the moment the building collapsed, nothing was visible,” he recalled. “There was so much dust and smoke that no one could understand what had happened. “We could hear voices coming from underneath [the rubble].”

It was not immediately clear how many families lived in the building, but residents estimated that around 40 people were inside when it collapsed. Many of the occupants were members of the low-income Hindu minority community.

As of Friday evening, a large rescue operation was still underway, with cranes clearing debris and rescuers working against time to reach those still trapped beneath the rubble.

“They handed me a three-month-old baby girl, she was alive,” said Maya Sham, a relative of a family living in the building. “Right now, two of their sons and three daughters-in-law are still trapped. But we can still hear voices from inside.”

The collapse devastated families like that of Megbhai, a member of the Hindu community, which largely resided in the building.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed that six people had died and eight were rescued alive. He said the building had long been on the city’s “danger list.”

“This building was declared dangerous, and a couple of notices were issued to the occupants to vacate because of its structure,” Wahab told Arab News at the site. “But unfortunately, people chose to risk their lives, and they did not vacate.”

Pakistan’s largest city — home to over 20 million people — faces a chronic housing shortage. Many low-income residents live in dilapidated buildings that have escaped regular maintenance. Authorities have declared nearly 588 buildings dangerous in Karachi, most in the congested Old City area.

According to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Fotan Mansion had been declared unsafe as far back as 2012.

“This building was declared dangerous by the SBCA in 2012 and had been served multiple notices over the years,” SBCA spokesperson Shakeel Dogar told Arab News. “Before the recent rains, public announcements were also made in the area, but unfortunately, no one was willing to vacate,” he said, adding that it was the responsibility of the district administration to enforce the SBCA’s evacuation directives.

Mayor Wahab said rescue efforts remained the top priority, with accountability and investigation to follow.

“Our administration, our machinery is here on the ground,” he said. “Once we’re done with the rescue aspect, we will focus on who was responsible for this negligence or omission.”

RECURRING TRAGEDY

Friday’s incident is the latest in a string of deadly building collapses in Karachi.

In February 2020, a five-story building collapsed in Rizvia Society, killing at least 27 people. The following month, another residential structure came down in Gulbahar, claiming 16 lives.

In June 2021, a three-story building in Malir collapsed, killing four. And just last year, in August, a building collapse in Qur’angi led to at least three deaths.

Most of these structures had either been declared unsafe or were built without proper approval.

Experts say that despite repeated disasters, there has been little progress in enforcing building codes or relocating residents from hazardous structures.

“The incident of the building collapse in Lyari is deeply tragic,” said Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi, chairman of the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD). “It is alarming that despite having a list of dangerous buildings, the SBCA did not take action to get them evacuated.”

He urged the Sindh government to reassess buildings citywide and equip rescue teams with modern tools and technology.

With hundreds of buildings still listed as unsafe, authorities now face mounting pressure to prevent future disasters.

“The way out is that we must follow what the law says,” said Mayor Wahab when asked if anyone would be held accountable. “If citizens don’t listen to us, the political leadership and the administration have to play their part to convince those people.”

“Nobody wants to leave their house... but we must learn from our mistakes and ensure no such untoward incident takes place in the future,” he said.


China helped Pakistan with ‘live inputs’ in conflict with India, Indian Army deputy chief says

Updated 04 July 2025
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China helped Pakistan with ‘live inputs’ in conflict with India, Indian Army deputy chief says

  • India earlier noted no visible Chinese support for Pakistan during the four-day ​standoff
  • Pakistani officials have also denied claims of receiving active assistance from Beijing

NEW DELHI: China gave Islamabad “live inputs” on key Indian positions during Pakistan’s deadly conflict with its neighbor in May, the deputy chief of India’s army said on Friday, calling for urgent upgrades to the country’s air defense systems.

The nuclear-armed rivals used missiles, drones and artillery fire during the four-day fighting — their worst in decades — triggered by an April attack on Hindu tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, before agreeing to a ceasefire.

Pakistan has denied involvement in the April attack.

India fought two adversaries during the conflict, with Pakistan being the “front face” while China provided “all possible support,” Lt. Gen. Rahul Singh said at a defense industry event in New Delhi.

“When the DGMO (director general of military operations) level talks were going on, Pakistan ... said that we know that your such and such important vector is primed and it is ready for action ... he was getting live inputs from China,” he said.

Singh did not elaborate on how India knew about the live inputs from China.

The Chinese foreign and defense ministries, and Pakistan army’s public relations wing did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

India’s relationship with China was strained after a 2020 border clash that sparked a four-year military standoff, but tensions began to ease after the countries reached a pact to step back in October.

India had earlier said that although Pakistan is closely allied with China, there was no sign of any actual help from Beijing during the conflict.

Regarding the possibility of China providing satellite imagery or other real-time intelligence, India’s chief of defense staff had said such imagery was commercially available and could have been procured from China or elsewhere.

Pakistani officials have previously dismissed allegations of receiving active support from China in the conflict, but have not commented specifically on whether Beijing gave any satellite and radar help during the fighting.

Beijing, which welcomed the ceasefire in May, has helped Pakistan’s struggling economy with investments and financial support since 2013.

The Chinese foreign minister also vowed support to Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity when he met his Pakistani counterpart days after the ceasefire.

Singh said that Turkiye also provided key support to Pakistan during the fighting, equipping it with Bayraktar and “numerous other” drones, and “trained individuals.”

Ankara has strong ties with Islamabad, and had expressed solidarity with it during the clash, prompting Indians to boycott everything from Turkish coffee to holidays in the country.

Turkiye’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.