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Saudi humanitarian aid arrives in Pakistan as flood death toll rises

Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, Saudi Counsel General and officials from Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority recieve the second humanitarian flight from Saudi Arabia with relief goods at Jinnah International Airport Karachi on September 13, 2022. (CAA)
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Updated 25 September 2022
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Saudi humanitarian aid arrives in Pakistan as flood death toll rises

  • UN agencies and various countries, including United States, have sent about 90 plane loads of aid to Pakistan so far
  • Overall death toll reached 1,481 on Tuesday, with 54 more people dying in rain-related floods in the past 24 hours
Updated 25 September 2022
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Two planes carrying Saudi humanitarian aid landed in Karachi on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning respectively, as Pakistan reels from record monsoon rains that have triggered floods across the country, killing more than 1,400 people.

Pakistan estimates the damage at $30 billion, and both the government and the UN, whose chief toured flood-hit areas last week, have blamed the flooding on climate change.

Tuesday’s assistance by KSrelief (King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center), the first consignment of aid from the kingdom, was received at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport by Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malki, Saudi Consul General in Karachi Bandar Fahad A. Al Dayel, Pakistani minister for labor Saeed Ghani and other officials of the ministry of foreign affairs as well as officers of the Pakistan Army.

Speaking to Arab News, Ambassador Al-Malki said more aid flights from the kingdom would arrive on Wednesday.

“First stage was urgent support, second was to start an air-bridge of humanitarian support and at the third stage, a national campaign has been kicked off for the support of our Pakistani brothers,” Al-Malki said.

He said the kingdom would assess damages through KSrelief. Hundreds of trucks loaded with support, Al-Malki added, would be sent to flood-hit areas through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on the coming Monday.

“The custodians of the holy mosque, King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, are keen about [helping] the Pakistani people. Saudi Arabia will always be standing with Pakistan in difficult situations,” he said. “We are proud as the Muslim country and leader of the Ummah to [lend] our support to brother Pakistan.”

Provincial minister Saeed Ghani said he was thankful to the Saudi government as well as King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan.

“Saudi Arabia has [always] proved in all testing time that it is a brotherly country,” he told Arab News, adding that two planes from the kingdom would now daily bring aid from Saudi Arabia for the people of Pakistan.

“Most importantly, the Saudi government has committed to support the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the affected areas and I think this is big support that the Pakistani people need from the brotherly country,” the minister said. “This support will definitely strengthen the relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.”

Rains in Pakistan started in mid-June, sweeping away entire villages, bridges and roads and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. At one point, a third of the country’s territory was said to be under water.

Authorities said the overall death toll reached 1,481 on Tuesday, with 54 more people dying in rain-related floods in the past 24 hours, with the majority of those deaths in the hard-hit province of Sindh.

Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s minister for climate change, warned that the rains, which had abated late last month only to restart this week, are predicted to continue lashing much of the country in the coming weeks.

Rehman also expressed fears the downpours would hamper ongoing rescue and relief operations in flood-hit areas, where swirling deluges from overflowing rivers, fast melting glaciers and floods have already affected 33 million people.

So far, rescuers have evacuated 179,281 people from flood-hit areas.

It will take up to six months to drain water in flood-hit areas, officials say. Waterborne diseases have already sickened thousands of people in flood-stricken areas — and now there are fears of mosquito-borne dengue fever. Mosquitos have spread, due to stagnant waters following the flooding.

The floods have also destroyed crops, including 70 percent of the onion harvest, along with rice and corn, Rehman has said. Much of the country’s agriculture belt is underwater and Pakistan is in talks with several nations to import wheat. Iran has already dispatched fresh vegetables to Pakistan.

The floods have damaged 1.7 million homes, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. Thousands of pregnant women are living in tents and makeshift homes.

Initially, Pakistan estimated that the floods caused $10 billion in damages, but authorities now say the damages are far greater. The devastation has forced the United Nations to urge the international community to send more help.

So far, UN agencies and various countries, including the United States, have sent about 90 plane loads of aid. Last week, US Secretary-General Antonio Guterres traveled to flood-hit areas in southern and southwestern Pakistan to see first-hand the extent of the disaster.

“I appeal for massive support from the international community as Pakistan responds to this climate catastrophe,” Guterres tweeted from Pakistan.

Earlier, he had called on the world to stop “sleepwalking” through the dangerous environmental crisis.

Topics: Pakistan Floods Monsoon Floods Pakistan Saudi Ties Pakistan Floods 2022

Pakistan rejects Afghanistan’s allegations it hosts Daesh militant camps

Updated 4 sec ago
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Pakistan rejects Afghanistan’s allegations it hosts Daesh militant camps

  • Foreign Office says Afghanistan is a source of “support and logistics” for militant operations against Pakistan
  • Ties between neighbors are strained over surge in militant attacks in Pakistan it blames on Afghanistan
Updated 4 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan on Thursday rejected Afghanistan’s allegations Pakistan was hosting and facilitating Daesh militant camps, calling it “weird propaganda.”

The remarks come in response to allegations by Afghan officials that Pakistan was operating training camps for Daesh fighters and facilitating their movement through the Islamabad and Karachi airports for training in its southwestern Balochistan and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces with the aim of carrying out militant activities in Afghanistan.

Islamabad also frequently accuses neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks amid a surge in militancy in its KP and Balochistan provinces. The Taliban government in Kabul says it does not allow Afghan soil to be used by militants, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter for Islamabad.

“Frankly, we completely reject these allegations. They are not grounded in reality,” Khan said during a weekly press briefing when asked about the Afghan allegations on Daesh camps. “It’s just some kind of weird propaganda.”

He reiterated Pakistan’s concern over sanctuaries of the Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in Afghanistan, accusing the country of being a source of “support and logistics” for TTP militant operations against Pakistan.

“It couldn’t do without the sanctuaries it’s enjoying in Afghanistan,” Khan added. “And we continue to impress upon the Afghan authorities to address this genuine and serious concern so that our bilateral relations can achieve full potential as good neighbors.”

Islamabad says it has consistently taken up the issue of cross-border attacks with the Taliban administration. The issue has also led to clashes between the border forces of the two countries on multiple occasions in recent months.

In December, the Afghan Taliban said bombardment by Pakistani military aircraft in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province had killed at least 46 people, most of whom were children and women. Just days later, the Afghan defense ministry said Taliban forces targeted “several points” in neighboring Pakistan, further straining tense ties. 

Relations between the two countries have also soured since Pakistan launched a deportation drive in November 2023 against illegal aliens residing in the country. Though Pakistan insists the campaign does not only target Afghans but all those residing in Pakistan unlawfully, it has disproportionately hit Afghans, with at least 800,000 repatriated so far.

Topics: Pakistan Afghan Ties Pakistan foreign office

Pakistan says Hong Kong conglomerate discussing $1 billion investment in maritime sector

Updated 24 January 2025
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Pakistan says Hong Kong conglomerate discussing $1 billion investment in maritime sector

  • Pakistan maritime affairs minister holds meeting with Hutchison Ports officials
  • Proposal includes upfront $200 million in foreign direct investment for Pakistan
Updated 24 January 2025
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: A Hong Kong-based multinational conglomerate has expressed interest in investing $1 billion in Pakistan’s maritime sector to improve the South Asian nation’s port infrastructure, the maritime ministry said on Thursday.

Hutchison Ports, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings, is a leading global port operator and logistics company, operating in 52 ports across 26 countries in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Australia. It provides container terminal operations, cargo handling, logistics, port management, transportation, and distribution services.

Pakistan’s seaports in Karachi, located along the Arabian Sea, are essential for global trade and provide job opportunities for thousands of citizens. The country has been actively working on restructuring and enhancing its port infrastructure. 

On Thursday, Maritime Affairs Minister Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh held a meeting with a high-level delegation from Hutchison Ports, led by the company’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, Andy Tsoi, to discuss the $1 billion investment plan, the maritime affairs ministry said.

“This groundbreaking proposal includes an upfront $200 million Foreign Direct Investment,” the ministry said, adding that the investment would focus on modernizing the Karachi International Container Terminal and South Asia Pakistan Terminals Limited “with advanced automation technologies, enhancing operational efficiency and adopting eco-friendly solutions.”

The plan includes introducing “electrified and remote-control equipment” to reduce carbon emissions and establishing a state-of-the-art warehousing depot for Pakistan’s growing trade sector as well as funding to improve roads around the south wharf to ensure “smooth container traffic flow and boost supply chain efficiency.”

The development comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to boost trade and seek international partnerships to expand maritime activities.

In August 2024, state media reported that Danish shipping firm Maersk was in discussions with local authorities to invest $2 billion in Pakistan’s port and transport infrastructure over the next two years. 

In October last year, the maritime minister signed an agreement with Denmark’s Minister Morten Bodskov to restructure Pakistan’s maritime sector and provide technical training at its ports.

Topics: maritime Karachi port Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

Paris court sentences Pakistani who targeted Charlie Hebdo to 30 years jail

Updated 23 January 2025
AFP
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Paris court sentences Pakistani who targeted Charlie Hebdo to 30 years jail

  • When he carried out attack, 29-year-old Zaheer Mahmood wrongly believed satirical newspaper was still based in the building
  • Newspaper had moved in the wake of an earlier attack, which killed 12 people including eight of the paper’s editorial staff
Updated 23 January 2025
AFP

PARIS: A Paris court on Thursday sentenced a Pakistani man to 30 years in jail for attempting to murder two people outside the former offices of Charlie Hebdo in 2020 with a meat cleaver.
When he carried out the attack, 29-year-old Zaheer Mahmood wrongly believed the satirical newspaper was still based in the building, which was targeted by Islamists a decade ago for publishing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
The newspaper had in fact moved in the wake of the attack, which killed 12 people including eight of the paper’s editorial staff.
The killings in 2015 shocked France and triggered a fierce debate about freedom of expression and religion.
Originally from rural Pakistan, Mahmood arrived in France illegally in the summer of 2019.
The court had earlier heard how Mahmood was influenced by radical Pakistani preacher Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who had called for the beheading of blasphemers to “avenge the Prophet.”
Mahmood was convicted of attempted murder and terrorist conspiracy, and handed a ban from ever setting foot on French soil again.

Pakistan says three militants killed trying to infiltrating its border with Afghanistan

Updated 23 January 2025
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Pakistan says three militants killed trying to infiltrating its border with Afghanistan

  • Islamabad frequently accuses Afghanistan of sheltering, supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks
  • Afghan officials deny state complicity, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad
Updated 23 January 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have killed six militants attempting to enter the country through its border with Afghanistan in the southwestern Balochistan province, the Pakistan military said on Thursday.
Islamabad frequently accuses neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. The Taliban government in Kabul says it does not allow Afghan soil to be used by militants, insisting that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.
In the latest incident, the Pakistan army said security forces had picked up on the movement of a group of militants who were attempting to infiltrate the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on the night between Jan 22. and 23 in Balochistan’s Zhob District. Six militants were killed, it said, and a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was recovered.
“Pakistan has consistently been asking Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border,” the army said. “Interim Afghan Government is expected to fulfill its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by Khwarij for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan.”
The Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have frequently targeted Pakistani forces in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The group also has some presence in Balochistan, the site of a low-level insurgency for decades by separatists fighting for the province’s independence. 
On Jan. 19, Pakistani security forces killed five militants as they tried to infiltrate Pakistan’s border in Zhob district.

Topics: Pakistan Afghanistan border

No talks with India on resumption of trade, Pakistan foreign office says

Updated 23 January 2025
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No talks with India on resumption of trade, Pakistan foreign office says

  • In 2019, Indian PM Modi withdrew Indian-administered Kashmir’s autonomy to tighten grip over the territory
  • Move provoked outrage in Pakistan and the downgrading of diplomatic ties and suspension of bilateral trade
Updated 23 January 2025
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: The Pakistani Foreign Office said on Thursday Islamabad and New Delhi were not holding talks to resume trade, suspended in 2019 when India revoked the special status of the part of Kashmir that it controls and split the region into two federally administered territories.
The disputed Himalayan region is claimed in full, though ruled in part by both India and Pakistan since their independence from Britain in 1947, with the nuclear-armed neighbors having fought two of their three wars over the territory.
In 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi withdrew Indian-administered Kashmir’s autonomy in order to tighten his grip over the territory, provoking outrage in Pakistan and the downgrading of diplomatic ties and suspension of bilateral trade.
Speaking to reporters at the Indian embassy in Washington this week, Indian Foreign Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said no talks on trade resumption had been held between his country and Pakistan.
“Pakistan decided to suspend bilateral trade in response to India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 relating to ... Kashmir,” Shafqat Ali Khan, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Arab News when asked to respond to the Indian minister’s comments. 
“High level engagement between Pakistan and India remains suspended at the moment. In that backdrop, both sides are not holding talks on resumption of trade.”
Khan said the volume of bilateral trade between Pakistan and India stood at $1.907 billion in the financial year 2018-19. He said India had in 2019 withdrawn the Most-Favored Nation status granted to Pakistan and imposed 200 percent duty on all Pakistani items, “posing a serious setback to Pakistan’s exports.”
Speaking on Wednesday, Jaishankar said it was Pakistan that had suspended trade.
“Their [Pakistan] government took a decision in 2019 not to conduct trade with India, that was from their side,” Jaishankar said. 
“Our concern regarding this issue from the beginning was that we should get MFN status. We used to give MFN status to Pakistan, they didn’t give [it] to us.”
For decades, the armies of India and Pakistan have faced off over the the Line of Control (LoC), a UN-monitored ceasefire line agreed in 1972, that divides the areas each administers.
The foes fought a 1999 battle along the LoC that some analysts described as an undeclared war. Their forces exchanged regular gunfire over the LoC until a truce in late 2003, which has largely held since.

Topics: Pakistan India

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