In Pakistan’s Gilgit city, new women’s market is ‘one-stop shop’ for gems and handicrafts

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Updated 01 October 2023
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In Pakistan’s Gilgit city, new women’s market is ‘one-stop shop’ for gems and handicrafts

  • Riverside market in Gilgit was inaugurated in August to develop tourism and economically empower local women
  • With 24 shops, market has a wide variety of handmade products that showcase the rich cultural heritage of the region

GILGIT: Every day at the break of dawn, 28-year-old Haseena Farman unlocks her riverside shop of handcrafted shawls, sweaters, gemstones and decorative items and waits for customers.

Business has been going well since she opened the store in a recently inaugurated, eco-friendly women’s market that has become a godsend for women entrepreneurs in the mountainous northern city of Gilgit.

The market, which was inaugurated in August and has 24 shops so far, is a joint project of the Gilgit Development Authority and the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry and has, in the words of businesswomen like Farman, given them a “special place” of trade in a region where, like many other parts of Pakistan, cultural and religious norms and social expectations act as barriers to prevent women’s entry into the business sector.

According to Gilgit-Baltistan’s Education Department, the female literacy rate in the area has been recorded at 41 percent while the male literacy rate has been recorded at 66 percent. Despite high literacy rates, women form only 15.5 percent of the labor force in Gilgit-Baltistan, according to data by the Agha Khan Rural Support Network, a non-profit company. 

“Earlier, we [women] didn’t have a special space [to sell our products],” Farman told Arab News. “I used to make these items for my cousins, relatives and sisters … After the opening of this market, we have got a proper setup.”




The photo taken on September 30, 2023 shows a shop at the Gems and Handicraft Market in Gilgit, Pakistan. (AN Photo)

“So far, it’s going well and I hope it will also continue to be like this in the future.”

Razia Asif, another female entrepreneur at the market who sells gems, jackets and decorative items, said she used to sell her goods from home until the market launched. 

“We opened this shop a month ago,” she said. “We have been given the opportunity by the government to bring our products to market.”

Speaking to Arab News, GDA director Sajid Wali described the market as a “one-stop shop” to buy local handicrafts, gemstones, dried fruits and traditional cuisines at affordable rates while enjoying a beautiful riverside view.

Wali also hoped, he said, that the market would serve both as a bustling tourist spot in the near future while empowering women of the region at the same time.

“We know the women of Gilgit-Baltistan have the skills,” he said.




The photo taken on September 30, 2023 shows a videw of the Gems and Handicraft Market in Gilgit, Pakistan. (AN Photo)

“However, only a limited number of products prepared by them reach our markets due to lack of opportunities. Their [home-based] businesses don’t run very smoothly all the time. We know these things and have tried to bring these women into a proper retail market.”

Mubareka Gul, an executive member of the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Gilgit division, said women of the area previously found it difficult to market and sell their goods.

“For the first time in history [in Gilgit], women can run these businesses in a friendly environment under tight security,” she said. “This is a family market and families come and visit this place.”

“The women trained by us, who did not have direct market access, have become successful due to the government of Gilgit-Baltistan and the Women Chamber of Commerce,” Gul added. “We hope that this market will become a business hub.”

Gul urged the public to visit the newly inaugurated trade center with family members and explore the products being sold.

“I have visited this market two, three times,” Sultana Karim, a visitor, told Arab News as she bought cushions for her drawing room. 

“Each time it is a pleasure to come here because a variety of products are available.”


Pakistan to kickstart post-Hajj flight operations today to bring back pilgrims

Updated 5 sec ago
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Pakistan to kickstart post-Hajj flight operations today to bring back pilgrims

  • State media says Pakistan International Airlines’ flight carrying 307 pilgrims will leave Jeddah for Islamabad
  • Over 88,000 Pakistani pilgrims under government scheme to return to country via 362 flights, says state media

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will kickstart its post-flight Hajj operations to bring thousands of pilgrims back to the country from today, Tuesday, state-run media reported, adding that they would continue till July 10. 

Pakistan concluded its 33-day pre-Hajj flight operation last month, transporting more than 115,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia under both the government and private schemes for the annual Islamic pilgrimage.

This year’s Hajj pilgrimage took place from June 4 to June 9, drawing millions of pilgrims to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. Pakistan was among several countries managing large-scale contingents during the annual religious gathering.

“Post-Hajj flight operation to bring back Pakistani pilgrims is starting from Tuesday,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Monday, quoting Secretary Religious Affairs Dr. Syed Ata ur Rehman. 

Sharing details, Rehman said Pakistan International Airlines’ flight PK-732 carrying 307 pilgrims will leave Jeddah for Islamabad. 

“Similarly, the first post-Hajj flight from Madinah PK-7030 will depart for Lahore on Thursday,” Radio Pakistan said. “The national flag carrier will airlift 307 pilgrims.”

The Pakistani official said the flight operation would continue till July 10 during which a total of over 88,000 pilgrims under the government scheme will be transported to Pakistan via 362 flights.

“Meanwhile, Dr. Syed Ata ur Rehman highlighted that elaborate arrangements have been made for smooth transportation of the pilgrims back to their homeland,” the state broadcaster said. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday thanked Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the Kingdom’s “exceptional organization” of Hajj 2025. 

“Thank you for making this spiritual experience more comfortable and memorable for all those who performed Hajj this year,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X. 


Pakistan to kickstart post-Hajj flight operations today to bring back pilgrims

Updated 6 min 39 sec ago
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Pakistan to kickstart post-Hajj flight operations today to bring back pilgrims

  • State media says Pakistan International Airlines’ flight carrying 307 pilgrims will leave Jeddah for Islamabad
  • Over 88,000 Pakistani pilgrims under government scheme to return to country via 362 flights, says state media

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will kickstart its post-flight Hajj operations to bring thousands of pilgrims back to the country from today, Tuesday, state-run media reported, adding that they would continue till July 10. 

Pakistan concluded its 33-day pre-Hajj flight operation last month, transporting more than 115,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia under both the government and private schemes for the annual Islamic pilgrimage.

This year’s Hajj pilgrimage took place from June 4 to June 9, drawing millions of pilgrims to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. Pakistan was among several countries managing large-scale contingents during the annual religious gathering.

“Post-Hajj flight operation to bring back Pakistani pilgrims is starting from Tuesday,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Monday, quoting Secretary Religious Affairs Dr. Syed Ata ur Rehman. 

Sharing details, Rehman said Pakistan International Airlines’ flight PK-732 carrying 307 pilgrims will leave Jeddah for Islamabad. 

“Similarly, the first post-Hajj flight from Madinah PK-7030 will depart for Lahore on Thursday,” Radio Pakistan said. “The national flag carrier will airlift 307 pilgrims.”

The Pakistani official said the flight operation would continue till July 10 during which a total of over 88,000 pilgrims under the government scheme will be transported to Pakistan via 362 flights.

“Meanwhile, Dr. Syed Ata ur Rehman highlighted that elaborate arrangements have been made for smooth transportation of the pilgrims back to their homeland,” the state broadcaster said. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday thanked Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the Kingdom’s “exceptional organization” of Hajj 2025. 

“Thank you for making this spiritual experience more comfortable and memorable for all those who performed Hajj this year,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X. 
 


Pakistan likely to hike defense spending but slash overall budget in 2025-26

Updated 10 June 2025
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Pakistan likely to hike defense spending but slash overall budget in 2025-26

  • Media reports say government likely to present Rs17.6 trillion ($62.45 billion) budget for budget 2025-26
  • Analysts expect increase of around 20 percent in defense budget likely offset by cuts in development spending

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will unveil its annual federal budget for the coming fiscal year later on Tuesday, seeking to kickstart growth while finding resources for an expected hike in defense expenditure following the conflict with India last month.

Islamabad will also have to contend with remaining within the discipline of its International Monetary Fund program and the uncertainty from new trade tariffs being imposed by the United States, its biggest export market.

Media reports say the government is likely to present a 17.6 trillion rupee ($62.45 billion) budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, down 6.7 percent from this fiscal year. It has projected a fiscal deficit of 4.8 percent of GDP, against a targeted 5.9 percent deficit in 2024-25, the reports say.

Analysts said they expect an increase of around 20 percent in the defense budget, likely offset by cuts in development spending.

Pakistan allocated 2.1 trillion Pakistani rupees ($7.45 billion) for defense in the outgoing fiscal year, including $2 billion for equipment and other assets. An additional 563 billion rupees ($1.99 billion) was set aside for military pensions, which are not counted within the official defense budget.

India’s defense spending in its 2025–26 (April-March) fiscal year was set at $78.7 billion, a 9.5 percent increase from the previous year, including pensions and $21 billion earmarked for equipment. It has indicated it will step up expenditure following the May conflict with Pakistan.

The government of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has projected 4.2 percent economic growth in 2025-26, saying it has steadied the economy, which had looked at risk of defaulting on its debts as recently as 2023. Growth this fiscal year is likely to be 2.7 percent, against an initial target of 3.6 percent set in the budget last year.
Pakistan’s growth lags far behind the region. In 2024, South Asian countries grew by an average of 5.8 percent and 6.0 percent growth is expected in 2025, according to the Asian Development Bank.

RATE CUTS NOT ENOUGH

Expansion of the economy should be aided by a sharp drop in the cost of borrowing, the government says, after a succession of interest rate cuts by the central bank. But economists warn that monetary policy alone may not be enough, with fiscal constraints and IMF-mandated reforms still weighing on investment.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Monday that he wanted to avoid Pakistan’s boom and bust cycles of the past.

“The macroeconomic stability that we have achieved, we want to absolutely stay the course,” he said. “This time around we are very, very clear that we do not want to squander the opportunity.”

The budget is expected to prioritize expanding the tax base, enforcing agriculture income tax laws, and reducing government subsidies to industry, to meet the terms of a $7 billion IMF bailout signed last summer. Just 1.3 percent of the population paid income tax in 2024, according to the tax authorities, with agriculture and the retail sector largely outside of the tax net.

The IMF has urged Pakistan to widen the tax base through reforms which include taxing agriculture, retail, and real estate.

Ahmad Mobeen, senior economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said that he expected the revenue target for 2025-26 will be missed.

“The shortfall will mostly be owing to lack of optimal implementation of announced measures as well as absence of meaningful structural reforms to widen the tax net in general,” said Mobeen.

 ($1 = 281.8400 Pakistani rupees)
 


Pakistan’s Punjab says ongoing heat wave likely to continue till Thursday

Updated 10 June 2025
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Pakistan’s Punjab says ongoing heat wave likely to continue till Thursday

  • Pakistan ranks among top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change, faces irregular weather patterns
  • Heat wave may be severe in Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan, says state broadcaster

ISLAMABAD: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Pakistan’s Punjab said this week that the ongoing heat wave in the country’s most populous province is likely to continue till Thursday. 

Pakistan’s Meteorological Department last week forecast that the ongoing heat wave in the country will continue throughout the Eid Al-Adha holidays . It said day temperatures are likely to remain 5°C to 7°C above normal in the upper half (central & upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan).

Pakistan ranks among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change and has faced increasingly frequent extreme weather events in recent years, including deadly heatwaves and devastating floods.

“Provincial Disaster Management Authority Punjab has cautioned that current heat wave will likely to continue in the province till Thursday,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said in a report on Monday. “He said that the heat wave may be severe in Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan of South Punjab.”

Director General of PDMA Punjab Irfan Ali Kathia said that under the chief minister’s directions, the supply of water is being ensured in the Cholistan desert region located in southern Punjab. He warned that special care of the children, elderly and the sick should be taken during this time period.

Pakistan experienced its most recent heatwave in May but no loss of life was reported.
In June 2024, nearly 700 people died in less than a week during a severe heatwave in the country, with most fatalities reported in the port city of Karachi and other parts of the southern Sindh province.

A similar heatwave in 2015 claimed over 2,000 lives in Pakistan’s largest city Karachi alone, while catastrophic floods in 2022 left more than 1,700 people dead and displaced over 33 million across the country.


From Pakistan to the Middle East: Art director Hashim Ali champions regional creative expansion

Updated 10 June 2025
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From Pakistan to the Middle East: Art director Hashim Ali champions regional creative expansion

  • Cultural overlaps, thirst for diverse aesthetics reshaping industries in Gulf are offering vast opportunities for Pakistanis, Ali says
  • Artist says felt “empowered” while directing Pakistani fashion and Sufi music show at Qatar’s Museum of Islamic Art in January

LAHORE: When one of Pakistan’s most renowned art directors Hashim Ali landed in the Qatari capital of Doha earlier this year, he wasn’t quite prepared for how much the city and its creative scene had transformed since he last visited around seven years ago.

Ali, who directed a Pakistani fashion and Sufi music show at Qatar’s Museum of Islamic Art in January, was mesmerized by the cultural transformation in the Gulf nation, balancing its traditional heritage with modernization and global influences. 

In recent years, Qatar has established numerous museums, art galleries, and heritage centers, including the Museum of Islamic Art, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, and the National Museum of Qatar. The country has also emerged as a major player in the global art world, with significant investments in the arts and culture sector. 

Looking at the transformation, Ali said the time was ripe for Pakistani designers and artists to expand their reach to the Gulf, where cultural overlaps and a hunger for diverse aesthetics are reshaping creative industries.

“Everybody who asks me that we want to expand our business, I say expand to the Middle East because the way that region is growing, it’s not just the buildings, it’s the mindset and the heart,” Ali, who provides production design, art direction and styling services to various industries in Pakistan, told Arab News.

The 34-year-old art director, who graduated in Visual Communication Design from Lahore’s National College of Arts (NCA), said his experience in Doha was quite “empowering” as he was able to present his hometown of Lahore to the world.

“You had this showcase of Pakistan, and the entire space was turned into a Chahar Bagh [Persian quadrilateral garden] for the night with oil lamps and flowers, all the napkins were hand-done from Lahore, we got block printers involved who did the Mughal motifs on them,” Ali said. 

“The entire experience was so almost empowering that you are bringing parts of Lahore to the world and you’re showing the world that we just not only do Sufi music, we do great fashion of different kinds.”

Ali, known for creating intricate and stunning sets, said Middle Eastern creatives responded to Pakistani culture because of the cultural and religious similarities between the two regions.

“So, the collaboration, it’s set in stone that it’s going to happen,” he added.