ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interior minister Rana Sanaullah asked former prime minister Imran Khan on Friday to postpone an anti-government rally in Rawalpindi, saying that intelligence agencies had warned him about militant attack on the public gathering.
Khan, who was ousted from power in a parliamentary no-trust vote in April, launched a protest march to the federal capital last month to seek early elections in the country. However, his motorized caravan came under attack by a gunman who killed one man and injured Khan along with ten other party workers.
Khan urged his supporters to gather in Rawalpindi on Saturday to secure “real freedom” for the country in a video clip circulated on Thursday.
“All intelligence agencies have issued a red alert related to this rally and informed the government that it can benefit any terrorist or terrorist group,” the interior minister said while asking the former prime minister to postpone the “pointless gathering.”
He added Khan was “facing threats to his life.”
Sanaullah maintained people with “evil designs” could target such political rallies, especially when they were announced in advance.
“We have issued an advisory from the government’s side [to highlight the threat],” he continued.
The interior minister said he had also communicated the threat to senior police and other administrative officials in Punjab province where the rally is scheduled to be held.
Earlier in the day, the provincial government said they had made arrangements to provide “foolproof” security to Khan and his protest rally.
The former prime minister’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has also set up a “tent city” in Rawalpindi to facilitate supporters with accommodation, food and other amenities.
“We will be ensuring foolproof security for Imran Khan and all his supporters, and law enforcement agencies have already been working on it,” Omar Sarfraz Cheema, advisor to Punjab chief minister on home affairs, told Arab News. “We will be deploying all available resources and taking all security measures which are humanly possible to keep the event secure and peaceful.”
Cheema criticized local administration in Islamabad for not allowing Khan’s helicopter to land in the capital’s Parade Ground, which is adjacent to Rawalpindi.
“It is unfortunate the Islamabad administration is playing politics, knowing that Khan faces serious security threats,” he maintained, adding that alternate arrangements would be made for Khan’s helicopter.
The ex-premier plans to fly from Lahore to the protest site in Rawalpindi to address the gathering and share his next plan of action.
“It’s Khan’s prerogative whether to disperse after the gathering or turn it into a sit-in,” Cheema continued.
Caravans of Khan’s supporters from across the country would start reaching Rawalpindi Friday night where the Punjab provincial government has beefed up security around the tent city.
The Rawalpindi administration has granted conditional permission to the PTI for the rally in the garrison city, asking it to vacate the protest site on the night of November 26 in view of expected arrival of the England cricket team on November 27.
The Islamabad police have said that all entry and exit points of Faizabad, a key junction between the federal capital and Rawalpindi, have been closed for traffic.
Diversions have been placed at Faizabad for traffic on Murree Road, the Islamabad police said, adding residents could use Old Airport Road and Stadium Road to enter Rawalpindi from Islamabad.
Khan, who has been agitating against the government of PM Shehbaz Sharif, says he was ousted and the incumbent government was “imposed” on the nation as part of a United States-backed foreign conspiracy as he was pursuing an independent foreign policy for Pakistan. Washington and Khan’s opponents deny this.
The former prime minister has been recovering at his Lahore home since sustaining gunshot wounds and has previously addressed supporters through a video link.
Pakistan’s interior minister asks ex-PM Khan to postpone Rawalpindi rally, cites militant threat
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Pakistan’s interior minister asks ex-PM Khan to postpone Rawalpindi rally, cites militant threat
- Rana Sanaullah says Imran Khan faces threats to his life while asking him to end his ‘pointless’ protest march
- The Punjab administration has assured ‘foolproof’ security for the former prime minister’s rally on Saturday
Pakistan reports 68th polio case of this year amid virus resurgence
- Pakistan on Monday began a week-long anti-polio vaccination in worst affected Balochistan province
- Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported another case of polio virus in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, authorities said on Monday, taking the nationwide tally to 68 this year.
Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad confirmed the wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case in KP’s Dera Ismail Khan district. This is the 10th polio case of the district this year.
“Pakistan is responding to the resurgence of WPV1 this year,” the country’s polio program said in a statement. “It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected.”
Of the 68 cases reported this year, 27 were from Balochistan, 20 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 19 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad, according to the polio program.
It said a sub-national polio vaccination campaign was conducted across Punjab, Sindh, KP, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad on December 16–22, vaccinating over 42 million children.
The Balochistan government had postponed the anti-polio drive for two weeks due to security threats and a lack of preparedness stemming from a boycott of the campaign by provincial health staff.
“The campaign’s second phase started today [Monday] in Balochistan,” the polio program said. “To keep children safe, it is critical for parents to welcome vaccinators among them and bring their children forward for vaccination.”
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world.
Pakistan’s economy grows 0.92 percent in Q1 of ongoing fiscal year
- The country is navigating a challenging economic recovery path and has been buttressed by a $7 billion facility from the IMF
- The growth was driven by positive performances in agriculture and services sectors, which grew by 1.15 percent and 1.43 percent, respectively
KARACHI: Pakistan’s economy grew by 0.92 percent in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2024-25, despite a contraction in the industrial sector, according to data approved by the National Accounts Committee, and released by its Statistics Bureau on Monday.
The South Asian country is navigating a challenging economic recovery path and has been buttressed by a $7 billion facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September.
The growth was driven by positive performances in the agriculture and services sectors, which grew by 1.15 percent and 1.43 percent, respectively, in the first quarter of the fiscal year which ends in June 2025.
Pakistan’s economy grew by 2.69 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of the previous 2023-24 fiscal year.
However, the industrial sector contracted by 1.03 percent, mainly due to a decline in mining and quarrying activities during July-September, read the report.
The committee compiling the national accounts approved the introduction of quarterly estimates of expenditure of the economy.
On the basis of latest figures of the national accounts aggregates for the last fiscal year, the overall size of the economy stood at 105.6 trillion Pakistani rupees ($379.31 billion).
Annual per capita income in rupees was recorded at 472,263 Pakistani rupees ($1,696.35).
The committee also approved an updated annual growth rate for the last fiscal year 2023-24, which stood at 2.50 percent, slightly lower than the previously estimated 2.52 percent.
Pakistan’s new Gwadar airport set to launch flights to Muscat from Jan. 10
- The Chinese-funded airport is capable of handling A-380 aircraft and accommodating up to 4 million passengers annually, PM’s Office says
- The start of operations at Gwadar airport was delayed because of security review due to militant attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan in August
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s new Gwadar International Airport is set to begin flights to Muscat from January 10, the Pakistan prime minister’s office announced on Monday, following a months-long delay in the opening of the airport.
A security review prompted by deadly attacks by separatist militants in Balochistan in August delayed the airport’s opening to the end of this year. The $200-million Chinese-funded airport, which will handle both domestic and international flights, is expected to become one of Pakistan’s largest, according to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.
China has pledged over $65 billion in infrastructure, energy and other projects in Pakistan under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Part of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, the program in Pakistan is also developing a deep-water port close to the new airport in Gwadar, a joint venture between Pakistan, Oman and China that is close to completion.
On Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a meeting to discuss the airport’s operations and directed authorities to develop a strategy to establish it as a major transit hub, emphasizing the need to improve road connections between the airport and other parts of the country, particularly Balochistan.
“Flights from Gwadar to Muscat will start from Jan.10 next year,” the PM’s office said in a statement. “The Gwadar airport can handle A-380 aircraft and will be capable of accommodating 4 million passengers annually.”
The statement noted that the Gwadar International Airport has obtained necessary certifications from the Pakistan Airports Authority. Additionally, personnel from the Airports Security Force, Pakistan Customs, Anti-Narcotics Force, Federal Investigation Agency, and Border Health Services have been deployed at the airport.
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plans to increase flights between Karachi and Gwadar to three times a week, while discussions are ongoing with private airlines and carriers from China, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to launch both domestic and international services, according to the PM’s office. The airport will feature various facilities, including cold storage, cargo sheds, hotels and shopping malls, with banking services arranged through the State Bank of Pakistan.
Although no Chinese projects were targeted in militant attacks in August, they have been frequently attacked in the past by separatists who view China as a foreign invader trying to gain control of impoverished but mineral-rich Balochistan, the site of a decades-long insurgency.
Recent attacks, including one in which two Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in Karachi, have forced Beijing to publicly criticize Pakistan over security lapses and there have been widespread media reports in recent weeks that China wants its own security forces on the ground to protest its nationals and projects, a demand Islamabad has long resisted.
In his remarks, Sharif highlighted that the Gwadar International Airport symbolized the strong China-Pakistan friendship, expressing gratitude to Beijing for constructing an airport with international standards and modern facilities. He also directed the implementation of comprehensive security measures at the airport.
The meeting was attended by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Economic Affairs Minister Ahsan Khan Cheema, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, and senior government officials. Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, along with Federal Minister for Privatization, Investment, and Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, also participated via video link.
Pakistan, Kenya agree to promote free trade amid Islamabad’s push for economic growth
- Pakistan to export pink salt, marble and cement to Kenya under fresh agreement, says state media
- Islamabad has sought to bolster international trade in its bid to achieve sustainable economic growth
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kenya on Monday agreed to promote free trade between their countries, state-run media reported on Monday, as Islamabad seeks to achieve sustainable growth and attract investment in its vital economic sectors.
After narrowly escaping a sovereign default last year before clinching a last-gasp International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout program, Pakistan has sought to enhance business and investment ties with regional allies and countries such as Russia, Central Asian states and Gulf nations to escape a prolonged macroeconomic crisis.
According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya is one of Pakistan’s largest African trading partners. Trade between the two countries is dominated by two commodities, rice and tea. Pakistan is the largest buyer of Kenyan tea in the world while Kenya is the largest destination for Pakistani basmati and non-basmati rice in the world.
“Pakistan and Kenya have agreed on a free trade agreement and mutual cooperation to enhance business and investment opportunities,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said. “Under the agreement, Pakistan is expected to export pink salt, marble and cement to Kenya while bilateral trade in pharmaceuticals will also be increased.”
The fresh agreement between the two countries is expected to foster economic stability and growth, apart from enhancing their global market positions, Radio Pakistan said. It added that the agreement will also help lower prices, develop industries and increase business opportunities in both Pakistan and Kenya.
Islamabad and Nairobi established a Joint Ministerial Commission in 1992. Till date, three sessions of the commission have been held since then. The two sides have also established a Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC), the first session of which was held in April 2021.
Pakistan’s total trade with Africa was recorded at $ 4.44 billion in 2022-23 of which $ 2.89 billion were imports and $ 1.55 billion were exports. The top three exports destinations for Pakistan in Africa are Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania. Pakistan’s major exportable items to African countries include rice, textile and clothing, pharmaceuticals, cement, agriculture machinery and paper.
The South Asian country mainly imports coal, petroleum, diphosphorus, tea, cotton and copper from African countries in return.
WOW: How a driving school program empowers Pakistani women
- Operational since 2017, WOW program teaches women how to operate two-wheelers in eastern city of Lahore
- WOW program has trained at least 6,600 women since 2017 in Pakistan, where it is rare for women to drive two-wheelers
LAHORE, Pakistan: Pakistani student Laiba Rashid, 22, hopes her life will change once she learns how to drive a motorcycle after undergoing a training program that teaches women how to operate two-wheelers in the bustling eastern city of Lahore.
Although the program is 7 years old, it’s rare to see women driving motorcycles. Women driving cars or riding pillion on two-wheelers driven by a male relative is more socially acceptable in the conservative nation.
“I hope this will change my life because I am dependent on my brother to pick me up and drop me to college,” Rashid told Reuters on her first day at the Women on Wheels (WOW) driving program offered free by the Lahore traffic police.
She said she wants to buy a motorcycle to go to college, adding that, previously, there were no women drivers in her family. “Now everybody is convinced that women should be independent in their movement to schools, jobs and markets,” she said.
Women driving two-wheelers has been a cultural and religious taboo, said Bushra Iqbal Hussain, a social activist and director of Safe Childhood, an organization advocating the safety of female children.
But more women are now changing the culture, she said, like they did in the 1980s with regular cars, in a bid to reduce their reliance on men to commute.
The WOW program has been in operation since 2017, but has become increasingly popular in recent months as car prices have soared and motorcycles offer a cheaper alternative.
“Stagnant wage growth and high inflation have eroded the purchasing power of the middle class, leaving motorcycles as the only viable option for many households,” said auto sector analyst Muhammad Abrar Polani of investment house Arif Habib Limited.
The cheapest four-wheeler in Pakistan, where the annual GDP per capita is $1,590, costs about 2.3 million rupees($8,265) compared to about 115,000 rupees for the most affordable China-made two-wheeler.
Sohail Mudassar, a traffic warden, said the WOW program has trained at least 6,600 women, and Rashid’s batch was the 86th since it started.
“Women of different ages and segments of society join our camp,” said female trainer Humaira Rafaqat, a senior traffic warden who has trained about 1,000 women. “Young women are quick learners because they are enthusiastic and take risks.”
One of them, Ghania Raza, 23, who is pursuing a doctorate in criminology, said learning to drive a two-wheeler gave her a deep sense of achievement and empowerment: “It was like breaking a glass ceiling,” she said.
Shumaila Shafiq, 36, a mother of three and a part-time fashion designer, said she has been driving her husband’s motorcycle to the market and other places after graduating from the program.
She has designed a special short length abaya, a dress used by Muslim women, to wear while operating the motorcycle.
“Wearing a long abaya with loose fitting poses risks as it may get entangled in the wheels,” she said, adding that she intends to market the design to fellow women riders.
