ISLAMABAD: A key coalition partner of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party clarified on Wednesday it had not joined the opposition ahead of the no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan, though one of its top leaders had bitterly criticized the federal government a day before and said it was in “trouble.”
Pervaiz Elahi, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), made headlines on Tuesday by openly speaking up against the government, raising widespread suspicion that his party was in the processing of abandoning the prime minister at a crucial political juncture.
In the brief statement on Wednesday, Elahi called the prime minister an “honest” man, pointing out the PML-Q was a government ally but a separate political party.
“We have neither left the government nor joined the opposition,” he clarified. “We are part of the government and have supported it in every difficult time.”
He added: “There are different opinions within political parties but decisions are made with mutual consultation. Prime Minister Imran Khan is honest and his intentions are good.”
Following the submission of the no-trust motion against the prime minister by the opposition last week, Khan has scrambled to meet senior leaders of his party as well as disgruntled figures within and reached out to leaders of allied parties to ensure they vote in his favor.
The opposition requires at least 172 votes in the 342-member National Assembly to topple Khan’s government. The current party position in the lower house of parliament shows the opposition collectively has 162 members while the government enjoys the support of 179 lawmakers, including its coalition partners.
Opposition parties, however, say they have the required numbers to win the no trust vote as they struggle to convince the government’s allied parties to leave the coalition.
“This running around, going from room to room, this is proof that he [Khan] is in trouble,” Elahi had said in an interview to local Hum News on Tuesday. “[He is] 100 percent in trouble.”
“This government has spoiled its contacts with everyone, even its own people,” the PML-Q leader said. “They are panicking because of their own people now, aren’t they? The tongue is something that can either mend ties or break them.”
Khan, who rose to power in a 2018 general election that critics say was rigged in his favor by the military, has always been known for his brash style of politics. The military denies it interferes in politics.
As pressure around the no-confidence motion gathered in the last two months, with widespread accusations against the PTI of bad governance and mismanagement of the economy, Khan reportedly did not follow the advice of senior leaders to make amends with estranged figures like Jahangir Khan Tareen, once his closest ally, and give assurances to coalition partners like the PML-Q.
Khan has also reportedly refused to remove Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, a longtime demand of both the opposition and allied parties.
Government’s key allied party denies it has joined opposition after criticizing PM Khan
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Government’s key allied party denies it has joined opposition after criticizing PM Khan
- Pervaiz Elahi, a top PML-Q leader, describes Prime Minister Imran Khan as an ‘honest’ man who has good intentions
- Earlier, the PML-Q leader had said Khan was ‘panicking’ ahead of the no-trust vote since he had lost contact with everyone
Pakistan issues glacial lake outburst warning for northern areas as temperatures soar
- Pakistan says intense monsoon currents, soaring temperatures may trigger sudden GLOF events
- Authorities say glacial lake outbursts may pose serious threat to humans, livestock and agriculture
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) this week issued a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) alert for the country’s northern areas, citing “persistent high temperatures” and intense monsoon currents as the main reasons.
Pakistan is consistently ranked among the countries most adversely affected by climate change. Climate change has triggered irregular weather patterns in the country, which include unusually heavy rains, droughts and heat waves.
In a press release on Wednesday, the NDMA said sustained heat for the past several weeks has accelerated snow and glacier melt in Pakistan’s northern regions.
“The added influence of monsoon rains and thunderstorms have now significantly increased hydrometeorological pressure on glacial lakes, raising the risk of sudden GLOF events,” the NDMA said.
It said Reshun, Brep, Booni, Sardar Gol, Thalu 1 and 2, Badswat, Hinarchi, Darkut and Hundur valleys are at “heightened risk” in case of a GLOF events.
“Sudden outbursts from these glacial lakes may trigger flash floods, posing a serious threat to human lives, livestock, and agriculture,” the disaster management authority said.
“Damage to infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and communication networks is likely, and access to remote valleys may be temporarily disrupted.”
The NDMA urged residents, tourists and trekkers to avoid traveling near glaciers, glacial lakes and riverbanks in the identified areas.
It urged locals to stay informed through official alerts and cooperate with authorities on evacuation instructions where necessary.
Floods in 2022, brought by record monsoon rains and glacial melt in northern mountains, killed over 1,700 people and impacted 33 million people out of a population of 220 million. Raging currents swept away homes, vehicles, crops and livestock in damages estimated at $30 billion.
Authorities recover 20,000 soap bars for anti-polio campaigns being sold illegally in Peshawar
- Provincial authorities seize large stockpile of soap bars provided by UNICEF in Peshawar’s Sabzi Mandi area
- UNICEF says authorities have not ruled out possibility of collusion by insiders or lapses in oversight mechanism
PESHAWAR: Pakistani authorities on Wednesday recovered 20,000 soap bars provided by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for exclusive use in anti-polio campaigns after they were found being illegally sold in the northwestern Peshawar city, the UN agency said.
Authorities seized the soap bars in a raid conducted at the city’s famous Sabzi Mandi area, with UNICEF raising serious concerns about the diversion of humanitarian supplies to the open market.
“The seized consignment included approximately 20,000 soap bars, reportedly marked for exclusive use in Polio Campaigns,” the UN agency said.
UNICEF said provincial officials believe it is highly unlikely that such a large-scale misappropriation could have occurred without either the “active involvement or gross negligence” of personnel within the provincial Health Department and UNICEF’s local and national operations.
“Further investigations are underway to determine how the supplies were diverted from official distribution channels to Open Market,” the statement said. “Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of collusion by insiders or lapses in oversight mechanisms.”
UNICEF said the incident underscored the critical need for greater accountability and monitoring in aid distribution processes, particularly in sensitive public health programs like the polio eradication campaign.
Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure, making prevention through vaccination critical. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with the completion of the routine immunization schedule for all children, are essential to build strong immunity against the virus.
According to Pakistan’s polio program, 10 cases have been confirmed so far this year, with 74 reported in 2024.
Pakistan, one of the last two countries where polio remains endemic, has made significant progress in curbing the virus, with annual cases dropping from around 20,000 in the early 1990s to just eight in 2018.
The country reported six cases in 2023 and only one in 2021.
Trump praises ‘very impressive’ Pakistan army chief, reiterates trade stopped Indo-Pak conflict
- US president hosted Field Marshal General Asim Munir for lunch at White House last week
- Trump announced a ceasefire between India and Pakistan last month after military standoff
ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump praised Pakistan’s army chief on Wednesday, describing him as “very impressive” while reiterating his earlier claim of preventing a nuclear war between Islamabad and New Delhi with trade deals last month.
Trump hosted Field Marshal General Asim Munir for lunch last Wednesday in an unprecedented White House meeting. The American president had told reporters he was “honored” to meet the Pakistani general and that the two discussed the Iran-Israel conflict.
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan engaged in a days-long military conflict before Trump announced a ceasefire between the two on May 10. Trump has repeatedly said he offered to help both nations with trade if they agreed to de-escalate.
At the NATO summit in The Hague, Trump was asked by a reporter why he had failed to stop the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The American president responded by saying he had stopped wars between Iran and Israel as well as India and Pakistan, saying the conflict “was getting very bad” between the nuclear-armed rivals.
“And in fact I had the general, who was very impressive, the general from Pakistan was in my office last week,” Trump said.
He described Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great man, a great gentleman,” saying Washington helped both countries reason with each other at the height of the conflict.
“I said we’re not going to do a trade deal if you’re going to fight and if you’re going to fight each other we’re not doing a trade deal and you know what, they said, ‘No, I want to do the trade deal.’ And we stopped a nuclear war.”
Pakistan’s government last week announced it would formally nominate Trump for what it called his “decisive diplomatic intervention” during the military standoff with India in May.
The American president has also previously offered to mediate the decades-old Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, who both claim the disputed Himalayan region in full but administer only parts of it.
While the ceasefire continues to persist, tensions simmer as New Delhi refuses to budge from its stance of suspending a decades-old water-sharing treaty with Pakistan.
Pakistan has said any attempts to stop or divert its flow of water by India will be regarded as an “act of war” and will be responded to with full force.
Pakistani exporters bank on Middle East to export 125,000 tons of mangoes this season
- Pakistani fruit exporters association hopes to earn $100 million from total mango exports from May to September
- Mango exporters, farmers say recent regional tensions and adverse climate conditions impacting fruit’s production
ISLAMABAD: A leading Pakistani fruits exporters association said on Wednesday it has set an ambitious target of exporting 125,000 tons of mangoes from May to September this year to earn $100 million in revenue, hoping to export 70 percent of these to markets in the Middle East.
Pakistan is the world’s fourth-largest mango producer, with the fruit’s exports generating millions of dollars in revenue annually, according to the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetables Export Association (PFVEA).
Pakistan’s 20 varieties of mangoes come second only to oranges as the most-produced fruit in the country. The country produces around 1,800,000 metric tons of mangoes annually, with 70 percent grown in Punjab, 29 percent in Sindh and 1 percent grown in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“Pakistan is aiming to export 125,000 tons of mangoes this season, 25 percent more than last year’s target of 100,000 tons, with exports having started on May 25 and continuing until the end of September,” PFVEA Patron-in-Chief Waheed Ahmed told Arab News.
“We are hoping to export 70 percent of this target to Middle Eastern countries, our largest market, and if achieved, the country is expected to earn an estimated $100 million in foreign exchange,” he added.
However, Ahmed warned adverse effects of climate change may impact the amount of mangoes Pakistan produces this year.
Pakistan, which has faced irregular weather patterns ranging from heat waves and unusually heavy rains, is frequently ranked among the most adversely affected countries due to climate change effects.
Mango production has been on the decline in Pakistan for the past three consecutive years.
“Mango production in Pakistan is consistently declining due to climate change and water scarcity and there is a risk of up to 25 percent reduction in total mango production this year as well,” Ahmed warned.
After the projected decline, the PFVEA official said this season’s total mango production may come down to around 1.4 million tons
“However, we have increased the export target because we are exporting only 125,000 tons out of the estimated 1.4 million tons, so we remain hopeful of achieving it despite all challenges,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed called for interventions such as improved water management, production of climate-resilient mango varieties, research and development and modernization of agriculture and horticulture.
He said efforts were underway to boost mango exports to non-traditional markets such as Japan, the United States, South Korea and Australia, with a special focus on expanding exports to Turkiye and China.
He noted that regional tensions, particularly Pakistan’s conflict with India and the Israel-Iran tensions, have led to higher export costs due to additional charges by shipping companies on Pakistani cargo.
“We urge the Federal Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs to intervene and eliminate these extra charges to help improve export competitiveness,” Ahmed said.
Farmers and exporters agreed adverse climate conditions had affected not only the volume of production but also the quality of mangoes.
“We have been facing losses due to multiple factors, including low yield and lower-than-expected demand caused by conflicts in the Middle East,” Asif Ahmed, an exporter from Iftikhar Ahmed & Co, told Arab News.
Asif, who has been exporting mangoes for over six decades, hoped the Iran-Israel ceasefire would improve the situation and that fruit prices would rise to help cover the losses.
“We have farms in Sindh’s Tando Allahyar and Mirpur Khas districts where production was almost around 30 percent less than normal this year,” Asif said.
Amjad Hussain, an exporter from Punjab’s Multan city, agreed climate change had reduced the size of the mangoes and their quality as well.
“It has affected more than 25 percent of our yield, which will reduce our exports, though the exact figure will be clear by September,” Hussain said.
Pakistan, UAE agree to strengthen cooperation during Bilateral Political Consultations
- Both sides agree to maintain momentum of high-level exchanges, institutional engagements, says Pakistan’s foreign office
- UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of remittances for it
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday agreed to strengthen cooperation in multiple sectors as the two sides took part in the second round of Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.
Pakistan and the UAE held their inaugural BPC session in 2020. The BPC is another forum for strengthening cooperation between the two countries that enjoy cordial ties rooted in shared faith, culture, economic, trade and investment ties.
In the second round of the consultations, Pakistan’s delegation was led by Shehryar Akbar Khan, the additional foreign secretary (Middle East), while the UAE was led by Reem Ketait, the deputy assistant minister for political affairs.
“During the consultations, both sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.
“The two sides discussed regional and global developments of mutual interest and reiterated their commitment to enhanced coordination and dialogue at multilateral forums.”
Khan stressed further deepening fraternal ties between Pakistan and the UAE while both sides appreciated the positive trajectory of bilateral ties. Pakistan and the UAE also expressed satisfaction at the progress made under existing institutional mechanisms, including the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) and regular leadership-level exchanges, the statement said.
“The Bilateral Political Consultations concluded with both sides agreeing to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges and institutional engagements, and to convene the next round of consultations in Islamabad on mutually agreed dates,” the foreign ministry said.
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States. More than 1.5 million Pakistanis live and work in the UAE, sending back over $5 billion in remittances annually.
Bilateral trade reached approximately $10.9 billion in fiscal year 2023–24, including $2.08 billion in exports and $6.33 billion in imports, according to official Pakistani data.
Last year, the UAE pledged $10 billion in future investments in promising sectors of Pakistan’s economy.
