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  • Saudi Arabia remains top contributor to Pakistan’s remittances during current fiscal year


Saudi Arabia remains top contributor to Pakistan’s remittances during current fiscal year

A man enters a foreign currency exchange shop in Islamabad on July 11, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 12 February 2024
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Saudi Arabia remains top contributor to Pakistan’s remittances during current fiscal year

  • Pakistan received $3.8 billion in remittances from Saudi Arabia during seven months of current fiscal year, says central bank 
  • Financial expert says workers’ remittances for current fiscal year likely to increase during Eid days when laborers remit more money
Updated 12 February 2024
KHURSHID AHMED   

KARACHI: Saudi Arabia remained the largest source of workers’ remittances to Pakistan in the seven months of the current fiscal year, data shared by Pakistan’s central bank showed on Monday, with Riyadh contributing $3.8 billion out of the total $15.8 billion received by the South Asian country from July 2023 to January 2024. 

Saudi Arabia remains among the top destinations for Pakistani laborers who remit money back to their families. Workers’ remittances are important for Islamabad as it reels from an economic crisis that has seen its reserves plummet to low levels and its currency weaken against the US dollar, forcing it to seek financial assistance from global lenders and friendly countries. 

Pakistan received $2.4 billion in remittances during January 2024, 0.6 percent higher compared to December 2023 and 26.2 percent higher compared on a year-on-year basis, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said in a press release. The central bank said Pakistan received a total of $15.8 billion during the first seven months of the current fiscal year, with remittances from Saudi Arabia clocked in at $3.8 billion, from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at $2.7 billion, while Pakistani workers from other Gulf countries remitted $1.7 billion in the same period.

“Remittance inflows during Jan. 24 were mainly sourced from Saudi Arabia ($587.3 million), United Arab Emirates ($407.6 million), United Kingdom ($362.1 million) and United States of America ($283.4 million),” the SBP said in a press release. 

Pakistan received $27.3 billion in total during the last fiscal year, which included $6.5 billion from Saudi Arabia, $4.6 billion from the UAE, $3.2 billion from other Gulf countries, $3.1 billion from the European Union countries, and $3.2 billion from the USA. The South Asian country recorded its highest remittance inflows of $31.3 billion in fiscal year 2022.

Tahir Abbas, head of research at Arif Habib Limited (AHL), said Pakistan’s remittance inflows were increasing due to the government’s recent crackdown against illegal money transfer systems such as hawala and hundi. 

“The inflows are improving due to action taken by authorities against illegal channels,” Abbas told Arab News.

Pakistan has set workers’ remittance inflow target for the current year at $28.5 billion. 

Abbas believes Pakistan will see a further surge in workers’ remittances as the Muslim festivals of Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha will fall within the current fiscal year. 

“The second half of the current fiscal year would be much better due to seasonal impacts, as workers traditionally send more remittances to their families back home,” he explained. 

Topics: Saudi Arabia Pakistan Saudi Ties

Pakistan crush England in second Test to set up series decider

Updated 6 sec ago
AFP
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Pakistan crush England in second Test to set up series decider

  • Spinner Noman Ali grabbed 8-46, Sajid Khan took 2-93 as the pair wrapped up England’s second innings for 144
  • It was Pakistan’s first home win since Feb. 2021 and came after they were thumped by an innings in the first Test
Updated 6 sec ago
AFP

MULTAN: Spinner Noman Ali took eight wickets as Pakistan crushed England by 152 runs in the second Test to level the series 1-1 on Friday in Multan.
Noman grabbed 8-46 and Sajid Khan took 2-93 as the pair wrapped up England’s second innings for 144 after the visitors were set a daunting target of 297.
It was Pakistan’s first home win since February 2021 and came after they were thumped by an innings in the first Test, also in Multan.
The third and final Test starts in Rawalpindi from October 24.
Noman finished with a match haul of 11-147 while Sajid had figures of 9-204, only the second time in Pakistan’s history that two bowlers took all 20 wickets in a Test.
Pakistan’s last Test win at home came against South Africa in Rawalpindi more than three years ago. It was followed by 11 home Tests without a win.
This also becomes Shan Masood’s first win as skipper after getting the job last year, including 3-0 and 2-0 whitewashes at the hands of Australia and Bangladesh.
Pakistan’s ploy of dropping ace batsman Babar Azam in one of four changes after the first Test defeat and playing on a reused pitch with three spinners paid off handsomely.
Resuming at 36-2 and facing a tough task on a pitch offering sharp spin, England managed to add just 108 runs before folding.
In just the second over of the day Sajid removed Ollie Pope with a sharp turning delivery and caught the miscued drive off his own bowling. Pope made 22.
Noman then trapped Joe Root leg-before for 18 and Harry Brook for 16 to leave England facing defeat at 78-5.
Brook smashed an epic 317 and Root a brilliant 262 — eclipsing Alastair Cook’s England Test run record — in the first Test, and their dismissals signalled England’s doom was approaching.
Noman’s fourth wicket came in the form of Jamie Smith whose uppish slog sweep was held by Masood at mid-on. Smith scored six.
Skipper Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse fought hard to take the total to 125 when Stokes was stumped in a comical manner, jumping out of the crease to loft Noman but missing the ball as his bat flew out of his hands.
Noman wrapped up the match with the wickets of Carse (27), Jack Leach (one) and Shoaib Bashir (nought), improving his previous best of 7-70 against Sri Lanka in Colombo last year.

Topics: Pakistan vs England Multan Test

Third batch of 26 Palestinian students arrives in Pakistan to resume medical studies

Updated 43 min 23 sec ago
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Third batch of 26 Palestinian students arrives in Pakistan to resume medical studies

  • Islamabad announced in July that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) will provide scholarships to more than 100 Palestinian students
  • These Palestinian students will return after completing their medical education in Pakistan to serve people at home, a Pakistani health official says
Updated 43 min 23 sec ago
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: A third batch of 26 Palestinian students has arrived in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad to continue their studies in the fields of medicine and dentistry, the Pakistani health ministry said on Friday.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry announced in July that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) will provide scholarships to over 100 Palestinian students so that they can continue their studies in Pakistan.
The initiative, which came amid Israel’s war on Palestine, is a collaboration between Doctors of Rehman, Global Relief Trust and a leading Pakistani non-governmental organization, Al-Khidmat Foundation.
Pakistan prime minister’s coordinator on health, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, warmly welcomed the Palestinian students upon arrival at the Islamabad airport, according to the Pakistani health ministry.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had offered Palestinian medical students to continue their studies in Pakistan in view of the current situation in Gaza,” Dr. Bharath was quoted as saying by the ministry.
“[They] will continue their medical and dental education in various medical institutions of Pakistan.”
More than 42,000 Palestinians have so far been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza, according to the Palestinian health authorities. The war began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 and capturing around 200 others.
“All necessary steps will be taken to provide medical facilities to Palestinian students,” Dr. Bharath said. “[Pakistan] stands with the Palestinian students in this difficult time.”
These Palestinian students would return after completing their medical education in Pakistan to serve people at home, he added.
More than 90 Palestinian students arrived in Pakistan earlier this week via two separate flights to continue their medical studies in the country.
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza, Pakistan has repeatedly raised the issue at the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other multilateral platforms and demanded international powers and bodies stop Israeli military actions in Gaza.
The South Asian country has also dispatched several aid consignments for the Palestinians.

Topics: Pakistan Palestine Palestinian students in Pakistan

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India foreign minister’s Pakistan visit a ‘good beginning’, Nawaz Sharif says

Updated 18 October 2024
Reuters
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India foreign minister’s Pakistan visit a ‘good beginning’, Nawaz Sharif says

  • Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was in Pakistan for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
  • Jaishankar and his counterpart Ishaq Dar had an ‘informal interaction,’ an official in Pakistani foreign ministry said on Thursday
Updated 18 October 2024
Reuters

MUMBAI: The visit of India’s foreign minister to Pakistan earlier this week was a “good beginning” that could lead to a thaw in relations between the two rivals, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was quoted as saying by Indian media on Friday.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was in Pakistan on Tuesday and Wednesday for a meeting of governments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, with the capital city under tight lockdown.
“This is how talks move forward. Talks should not stop,” Sharif, the president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League — Nawaz (PML-N), and the brother of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, told a group of visiting Indian journalists, the Indian Express newspaper reported.
Jaishankar was among nearly a dozen leaders participating in the gathering in Islamabad, nearly a decade since an Indian foreign minister has visited amid frosty relations between the two nuclear powers.
Jaishankar and his counterpart Ishaq Dar had an “informal interaction,” an official in Pakistani foreign ministry said on Thursday, but New Delhi denied that any sort of meeting had taken place.
“We had made it very clear that this particular visit is for SCO head of government meeting. Other than that, there were some pleasantries exchanged on the sidelines of the meeting,” Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday.
“We have lost the last 75 years and it is important we don’t lose the next 75 years,” Sharif was quoted as saying in the Times of India newspaper.

Topics: Indian foreign ministry Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar SCO summit 2024 Pakistan India Ties

Pakistan’s first multi-mission communication satellite becomes operational

Updated 18 October 2024
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Pakistan’s first multi-mission communication satellite becomes operational

  • PAKSAT MM1 to aid in South Asian nation’s space and digital development
  • The satellite will usher in digital era by providing Internet to remote areas
Updated 18 October 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s first multi-mission communication satellite, PAKSAT MM1, is now fully operational, state media reported on Thursday, describing the move as a significant milestone in the country’s space and digital development.
In May, Pakistan launched the PAKSAT MM1 with Chinese assistance into space from China’s Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in a ceremony broadcast live by the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), the country’s national space agency.
The satellite has been conceived keeping in view the growing needs of the South Asian country in the broad spectrum of communication and connectivity.
“The success of PAKSAT-MM1 will transform Pakistan’s communication infrastructure, which will benefit various IT sectors,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The satellite will provide services such as television broadcasting, community Internet, and tele-education to promote local industries.”
Pakistan’s ranking has improved by 14 points in the United Nations E-Governance Development Index — a comprehensive assessment tool that evaluates the digital government landscape across all UN member states — according to the state broadcaster.
The country now stands at 136 in overall ranking which was at 150 in 2022.
“This satellite will also increase Internet connectivity in remote areas which will further the government’s vision of Digital Pakistan,” the report read.

Topics: PAKSAT MM1

UNESCO adopts Pakistan-led resolution on countering disinformation globally

Updated 18 October 2024
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UNESCO adopts Pakistan-led resolution on countering disinformation globally

  • The development comes amid student protests in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province over reports of a rape on a women’s college campus
  • Authorities say no victim has come forward and blame online misinformation for unrest, but the protests have since spread to other cities in Punjab
Updated 18 October 2024
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has adopted a Pakistan-led resolution on countering disinformation, the Pakistani embassy in France said on Thursday.
The resolution titled, “Countering Disinformation for the Promotion and Protection of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information,” was co-sponsored by more than 50 member states and was unanimously adopted at the 220th session of the UNESCO executive board in Paris.
Pakistan took this initiative against the backdrop of proliferation and intensification of disinformation, misinformation and hate speech around the world, according to the Pakistani embassy in France.
“Disinformation is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, which is exacerbated by the rapid evolution of digital platforms and communication technologies,” it said in a statement.
“This resolution is the first of its kind at UNESCO specifically focusing on countering disinformation, misinformation and hate speech through the platform of UNESCO building on UNESCO’s activities and related decisions adopted by the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council where Pakistan has also been in the lead.”
Pakistan’s ambassador and permanent delegate, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, thanked all member states for their invaluable inputs and support leading to consensus adoption of the text that put UNESCO at the center of a multi-dimensional and multi-stakeholder approach to counter disinformation, misinformation and hate speech for effective promotion and protection of freedom of expression and access to information as the lead UN agency mandated in the field.
Speaking on the occasion, delegates said the increasing threat posed by disinformation was a shared concern that needed to be addressed through close coordination and collective efforts of member states and all stakeholders, according to the embassy.
An outcome of broad-based and extensive consultations, the resolution called on the UNESCO director-general to provide an update on the initiatives undertaken by UN agency to counter disinformation on digital platforms and to present a report on how to make UNESCO’s role more effective in countering disinformation, misinformation and hate speech.
The executive board is one of the constitutional governing organs of UNESCO entrusted with the responsibility of preparing the agenda of the general conference and examining the program of work of UNESCO and its budget. Pakistan is currently vice president from the Asia-Pacific at the board.
The development comes amid widespread student protests in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province over reports of a rape on a women’s college campus in Lahore last week.
The police, college and provincial government have said that no victim has come forward and blamed online misinformation for the unrest, but the protests have since spread to other cities in the province.

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