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Pakistan’s caretaker commerce minister given additional charge of interior ministry

The file photo taken on June 16, 2021, shows Pakistan's commerce minister, Dr. Gohar Ejaz, who was given additional charge of the interior minister on January 24, 2024. (University of Management and Technology/Website)
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Updated 24 January 2024
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Pakistan’s caretaker commerce minister given additional charge of interior ministry

  • Interior minister’s post was vacant since Sarfraz Bugti resigned in December 
  • New minister’s appointment comes weeks before Pakistan heads to the polls on Feb. 8
Updated 24 January 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Wednesday handed over the additional charge of the interior ministry to Commerce Minister Dr. Gohar Ejaz, days before Pakistan heads to the polls amid fears of militant attacks marring elections. 

The interior minister’s post was vacant since December when Sarfaraz Bugti, then Pakistan’s interior minister, resigned citing “personal reasons.” Bugti later joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ahead of national elections, his move coming hours before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the schedule for polls. 

Pakistan’s law bars any member of a caretaker set-up from contesting elections. 

“The Prime Minister, in terms of rule 3(4) of the Rules of Business, 1973, has been pleased to assign the portfolio of Interior to Mr.[Gohar] Ejaz with immediate effect,” a notification from the Cabinet Division seen by Arab News said. 

Gohar assumed office following the notification, the ministry said in a post on social media website. It uploaded a video of the new caretaker interior minister meeting senior personnel during a visit to the ministry. 

Gohar, a businessperson and industrialist, assumes charge of the ministry as Pakistan suffers an uptick in militant attacks in its western regions bordering Afghanistan.

An election candidate was gunned down on Jan. 10 in northwestern Pakistan along with two others, while a former minister of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was critically wounded in a gun attack in southwestern Pakistan the same day. 

The attacks stoked fears that polls would be marred by violence carried out by banned outfits and militant groups in the South Asian country. 

Pakistan’s federal cabinet headed by PM Kakar on Tuesday approved the deployment of army soldiers and civil armed forces personnel for polls. The Prime Minister’s Office said army contingents would act as a Rapid Response Force on polling day. 

The troops would be stationed in sensitive and highly sensitive constituencies and inside polling stations, the PMO said. 

Topics: Gohar Ijaz

Pakistan proposes cybersecurity center of excellence to bolster digital security for OIC nations

Updated 17 December 2024
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Pakistan proposes cybersecurity center of excellence to bolster digital security for OIC nations

  • Two-day workshop on cybersecurity challenges and opportunities for OIC nations is being hosted in Islamabad
  • PTA chief informs the gathering Pakistan ranks among the top 40 nations in the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024
Updated 17 December 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s telecom regulator on Tuesday proposed the establishment of a center of excellence at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address cybersecurity challenges and ensure a secure digital future for its members.
The OIC is an intergovernmental organization comprising 57 Muslim countries. Established in 1969, it aims to promote unity, solidarity and cooperation among member states on political, economic, cultural and scientific issues.
The proposal to set up the center of excellence on cybersecurity was presented by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman as he addressed the inaugural session of a two-day international workshop focusing on the issue that started earlier in the day.
The workshop, jointly organized by the OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) and Huawei Technologies in Pakistan, has attracted over 300 participants from various countries, both in person and online.
Discussions focus on critical cybersecurity challenges and opportunities for OIC member countries.
“Cybersecurity is a subject which cannot be handled alone by an organization or a country,” Rehman said at the workshop. “We need collaborations by joining hands with each other, and we should establish a center of excellence at the OIC level to ensure a safe digital future for our people.”
The PTA chairman said that in an era where technology was pervasive, digitization had increased vulnerabilities, making it essential to adopt and deploy technologies that ensure safety, security and the protection of critical networks.
“In this collaboration, we can focus on research, training, sharing frameworks with each other and documenting our collective experiences,” he added.
Rehman highlighted that the PTA had developed vital regulations to guide the country’s telecom sector in protecting critical data infrastructure. He also pointed out that Pakistan currently ranks among the top 40 countries, according to the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024 issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
“Previously, we were ranked 79th in the world,” he informed. “Now, we are 40th globally. This means we have advanced by nearly 30 positions in the cybersecurity domain.”
In his address, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General of COMSTECH, proposed an OIC ministerial conference on cybersecurity to facilitate experience sharing and the development of robust cyber defense systems across the Muslim world.
“To take this initiative forward, COMSTECH will organize two global cybersecurity forums in Central Asia and Africa in collaboration with Huawei and OIC-CERT [[Computer Emergency Response Team], focusing on capacity building and fostering linkages,” he added.
Sun Xiaofei, Chief Executive Officer of Huawei Technologies Pakistan, underscored the critical role played by tech firms in advancing cybersecurity initiatives and enhancing digital resilience.
“Huawei is committed to supporting OIC countries as they work to tackle cybersecurity challenges and protect their digital economies,” he said. “Being a technological leader in ICT, Huawei not only invests in cutting-edge technologies but also prioritizes securing the ecosystem, keeping cybersecurity at the top of its agenda.”
“Working with COMSTECH and OIC-CERT, we aim to help OIC countries formulate policies and frameworks to implement cybersecurity initiatives using our global experience and advanced technology,” he added.

Topics: COMSTECH Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)

Pakistan, China ink deal to boost resilience against climate disasters

Updated 17 December 2024
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Pakistan, China ink deal to boost resilience against climate disasters

  • Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal holds meeting with CIDCA Director Luo Zhaohu in Kunming
  • Pakistan’s Climate Information and Early Warning System Project was launched in February 2023
Updated 17 December 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and Beijing have signed a climate cooperation agreement to implement an information and early warning system in Pakistan with the aim to strengthen the South Asian nation’s resilience against climate-related disasters, state media reported on Tuesday.

The Climate Information and Early Warning System Project, which is being implemented by the Pakistani ministry of climate change and the United Nations Development Program, began in February 2023 and aims to install early warning systems as well as carry out capacity building, community engagement and sustainable livelihood support projects, particularly in the northern regions of the country vulnerable to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). GLOFs can occur when a glacial lake’s moraine dam rapidly accumulates water and bursts. The resulting release of water and debris can cause catastrophic destruction to downstream areas.

Pakistani Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal is visiting China to attend the 3rd China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Blue Economy Cooperation from Dec. 15-17, a dialogue Beijing says is aimed at connecting governments, financial institutions and businesses to promote regional integration in the development of the blue economy.

During his visit, Iqbal held a meeting on Tuesday with the director of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), Luo Zhaohui in Kunming. 

“Following the meeting Zhaohui and Iqbal signed cooperation documents including those related to the implementation of Pakistan’s Climate Information and Early Warning System Project,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said on Tuesday.

APP quoted Luo as saying CIDCA was committed to working with Pakistan to implement the climate agreements, actively promote the joint construction of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, implement the Global Development Initiative (GDI), and deepen China-Pakistan development cooperation in general. 

“CIDCA is committed to supporting Pakistan’s post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts, solidifying the enduring partnership between the two nations,” state media said, quoting Luo.

According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, annually facing extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heatwaves that significantly affect agriculture, infrastructure and livelihoods. 

In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of Pakistan, killing over 1,700 people, inflicting economic losses of around $30 billion, and affecting at least 30 million people.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal

Aid reaches remote Pakistan valley hit by sectarian clashes

Updated 17 December 2024
AFP
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Aid reaches remote Pakistan valley hit by sectarian clashes

  • Residents have reported food, medicine shortages in parts of northwestern Kurram district
  • Government is struggling to end a reignited decades-old feud between rival communities
Updated 17 December 2024
AFP

PESHAWAR: Aid flights landed in a remote Pakistan valley on Tuesday where thousands of people are stranded because of sectarian clashes that have killed more than 200 people since July.

Residents have reported food and medicine shortages in parts of Kurram district, which borders Afghanistan, as the government struggles to end a reignited feud between Sunni and Shiite Muslims stemming from decades-old tensions over farmland.

Sher Gul, the head of private welfare organization Edhi, said they would make several flights a day from the city of Peshawar to the valley for the rest of the week, depending on weather.

“We plan to bring around three wounded back on each flight... and deliver medicines for the injured,” he told AFP.

Various truces have been announced since the latest round of fighting began, as elders from the two sides negotiate a lasting agreement.

In the meantime, the government has shut down key roads in and out of the district in an attempt to quell the violence, after a security convoy escorting residents was attacked in November, leaving more than 40 dead.

Mobile and Internet services are also disrupted in the area.

Members of the Shiite community are also particularly vulnerable as they must pass through Sunni-majority neighborhoods to reach essential services. 

At least 133 people have been killed and 177 wounded in sporadic clashes since November 21.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 79 people had been killed in the region between July and October.

Police have regularly struggled to control violence in Kurram, which was part of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas until it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018. The feuding is generally rekindled by disputes over land in the rugged mountainous region, and fueled by underlying tensions between the communities adhering to different sects of Islam.

Topics: kurram district

Two policemen killed, three injured in suspected militant attack on checkpoint in Pakistan

Updated 17 December 2024
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Two policemen killed, three injured in suspected militant attack on checkpoint in Pakistan

  • Gunmen attacked a check post in Shangla district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with guns and hand grenades
  • Such attacks are rising in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with most claimed by Pakistan’s indigenous Taliban movement
Updated 17 December 2024
REHMAT MEHSUD

PESHAWAR: Two policemen were killed and three injured in an attack on a check post in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the latest incident of suspected militant violence in the restive region bordering Afghanistan, police said on Tuesday.

Such attacks have been on the rise in KP in recent months, with most claimed by Pakistan’s indigenous Taliban movement, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and other militant groups that target security forces’ convoys and check posts and carry out daily targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials. 

The TTP is a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban who rule Kabul.

“At around 11pm last night [Monday], terrorists attacked a check post which left two police officers martyred, and three policemen injured,” police official Maqbool Ahmed told Arab News on Tuesday, saying the assault took place in the Chakesar area of the province’s Shangla district, with militants hurling hand grenades at the post and opening fire in a drive-by attack.

No group has as yet claimed the attack.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, a report published in state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said, identifying the deceased cops as Assistant Sub Inspector Hassan Khan and Head Constable Nisar Khan.

Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups like the TTP, urging the administration there to prevent its territory from being used by armed factions to launch cross-border attacks. 

The Afghan Taliban deny the charge, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter.

Topics: militancy in Pakistan

Gaza, Lebanon in focus as Pakistani leaders head to summit of D-8 developing nations

Updated 17 December 2024
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Gaza, Lebanon in focus as Pakistani leaders head to summit of D-8 developing nations

  • D-8 summit in Cairo from Dec 18-20 will see gathering of leaders from eight countries to promote economic cooperation 
  • PM to attend special session on Gaza where Israeli military campaign has killed over 46,000 people since Oct. 7 last year
Updated 17 December 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will participate in the Eleventh Summit of the Developing Eight (D-8) countries being held in Egypt from Dec. 18-20 where Israel’s military offensive on Gaza and the humanitarian crisis and reconstruction efforts in the besieged enclave as well as neighboring Lebanon will be at the center of discussions, the foreign office said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will leave for Egypt tomorrow, Wednesday, for the main summit while Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar left today, Tuesday, to attend the 21st Session of the D-8 Council of Ministers on Dec. 18. 

The D-8 Summit is a gathering of leaders from eight developing countries including Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkiye. It aims to promote economic cooperation and development among member states, with a focus on areas like trade, energy, agriculture, and transportation.

Besides addressing the summit and holding bilateral meetings on the sidelines, Sharif will attend a special session on the humanitarian crisis and reconstruction challenges in Gaza and Lebanon following Israel military offensives in the Middle East since October last year. 

“He will underline Pakistan’s principled position on the situation in Palestine and call for peace in the Middle East,” the foreign office said.

Health officials in the Gaza Strip said on Monday the death toll from the 14-month war between Israel and Hamas had topped 45,000 people. 

The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The theme of this year’s D-8 Summit is “Investing in Youth and Supporting SMEs: Shaping Tomorrow’s Economy.”

“At the Summit, the Prime Minister will underline the importance of investing in youth and SMEs for building a strong and inclusive economy; creating jobs; advancing innovation; and promoting local entrepreneurship,” the foreign office said.

“He will express Pakistan’s strong commitment to the ideals of D-8; underscore the importance of fostering partnerships for mutual benefit and prosperity; and promoting cooperation in agriculture, food security and tourism. He will also underline Pakistan’s incentives for youth empowerment and financial development.”

Topics: pakistan palestine ties Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif developing eight countries

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