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  • Frankly Speaking: What challenges face Pakistan’s new PM?


Frankly Speaking: What challenges face Pakistan’s new PM?

This screengrab, taken on March 10, 2024, shows Dr. Ali Awadh Asseri, former Saudi ambassador to Lebanon and Pakistan, speaking during an interview on Frankly Speaking with Arab News. (AN Photo)
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Updated 11 March 2024
Arab News
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Frankly Speaking: What challenges face Pakistan’s new PM?

  • Ex-Saudi ambassador says “experience, patriotism, wide acceptability” of Shehbaz Sharif makes him optimistic about Pakistan
  • Dr. Ali Awadh Asseri hopes “love and affection” in already strong Saudi-Pakistan relationship will translate into good economy
Updated 11 March 2024
Arab News

DUBAI: A veteran Saudi diplomat and keen observer of Pakistani politics says that what he sees today makes him “very optimistic” about the country’s future under the leadership of Shehbaz Sharif, the new prime minister.

Appearing on “Frankly Speaking,” the weekly Arab News current affairs show, Dr. Ali Awadh Asseri also expressed hope that the 2024 election outcome would cement the already strong relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Sharif was elected Pakistan’s prime minister for the second time on March 3 after securing 201 votes in the newly formed parliament. Elections were held last month amid runaway inflation, high unemployment, energy shortages and a rise in the cost of essential items.

“Shehbaz Sharif is a very well-experienced individual who was chief minister of the Punjab, which is the biggest province in Pakistan. So, he has the experience and also he seems to have selected so far a really good professional team,” said Asseri, who served as Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Pakistan from 2001 to 2009.

Guiding Pakistan through its economic woes will be no easy task. The country is saddled with more than $270 billion in foreign and domestic debts, according to a February report by the Islamabad-based think tank Tabadlab.

Compounding Pakistan’s woes were a series of floods in 2022, which the World Bank estimated resulted in more than $30 billion in damage and economic losses from which the country has yet to recover.

Asseri considers Sharif the best politician to lead Pakistan under the circumstances because of “his experience, his patriotism, his loyalty to his country and his acceptance to most people.

“I would say for the time being, what I know of his experience, Sharif’s personality, his loyalty to his country, this leads me to always repeat my optimism and prayers for them to succeed,” he told Katie Jensen, the host of “Frankly Speaking.”

He added: “Pakistan, hopefully, will pick up and deal with its own economy. I think that was the slogan during the election.”

Sharif has ordered an immediate launch of talks with the IMF regarding an Extended Fund Facility program that would provide financial assistance and a longer repayment period.

The IMF has provided 22 loans to Pakistan since the inception of the country, which avoided defaulting on loan repayments and secured a $3 billion Stand-by Arrangement loan from the fund last year.

“I think Pakistan will get help from the IMF. The government is a credible government, a professional government, so I think their bargaining with the IMF will not be as difficult as it has been in the past without a government,” Asseri said.

“They are experienced; they know what to do. ... What I see is great progress in the selection of professional ministers. Relevance is very important when you put a minister in the seat. Hopefully, everything will be better than it is today.”

Asseri highlighted the need for Sharif to take a multifaceted approach to economic recovery, including enhanced exploitation of resources, industrialization and development of strong international trade and investment.

“There are a lot of resources in Pakistan that have not been touched at all. (For instance), manufacturing. One of the best industrial cities I have seen is called Sialkot, where the FIFA football is produced,” Asseri said.

“They have products. They have surgical equipment. So, if they could focus on those and upgrade those factors, then attract investment, whether from Saudi Arabia or the GCC countries, that would help a great deal.”

Sharif’s re-election came after years of political turmoil, which began in 2022 when Imran Khan was removed from office and jailed on corruption charges. That year, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz — headed by Nawaz Sharif, a former prime minister — joined forces with the Pakistan People’s Party to oust Khan as prime minister and install Shehbaz Sharif as his successor.

Khan and his followers say the people’s mandate was stolen in the Feb. 8 election. Candidates backed by him did remarkably well, securing about 93 seats, even though he was hit by a number of criminal charges and disqualified from holding any kind of public office.

Asked if the elections were fair and transparent, Asseri said: “I spent nine years in Pakistan and every election you would have the same slogan from the opposition. The point here is, who’s going to help Pakistan?

“Obviously, the opposition will always have something to say against the government, whether it’s Imran Khan or all the others.”

Asseri believes fighting corruption and building good governance are necessary to restore the trust of the Pakistani people in their leaders and officials.

A Gallup survey conducted last month revealed that about 70 percent of Pakistanis are mistrustful of their country’s elections, with 88 percent of the population believing that corruption is widespread in Pakistan.

“I think the governance in the past was not as good and professional as it should have been,” he said.

“The Pakistani people know exactly what can help them to pick up their economy. Their currency has lost a lot of value in the last three or four years. The answer (to these problems) is to have good governance and what we see today leads me to be very optimistic.”

Asseri also expressed hope that the election outcome will bring about an even stronger relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia — one previously cemented and continuously strengthened by a shared faith.

“With Pakistan, the (foundation) of the relationship is our strong (faith). And Pakistanis are a very conservative Muslim society,” he said.

Recalling a time when one of the imams of the Grand Mosque in Makkah visited Pakistan, “500,000 people prayed behind him, even outside the mosque in Islamabad,” Asseri said: “That should reflect their love and affection toward the holy places and toward Saudi Arabia.”

He added: “Saudi Arabia and Pakistan really enjoy a great relationship, ever since before even Pakistan was Pakistan, since 1943. King Abdulaziz and his sons went to Karachi when they had floods to help Pakistan. And their relationship grows with every leadership: It’s a people-to-people relationship.”

During the devastating 2022 floods, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center sent large quantities of aid, by air, to the worst-hit regions in Pakistan.

As heavy rainfall this week causes catastrophic floods in Pakistan’s southwest, KSrelief has once again arranged for humanitarian aid deliveries — consisting of 873 tons of aid including 9,000 food packages and 9,000 shelter kits — to support more than 63,000 flood victims.

“Saudi Arabia has never let Pakistan down in its time of need,” Asseri said, noting that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has visited Pakistan several times “because he knows how important Pakistan is and how important our relationship is.”

Going forward, the Saudi-Pakistan relationship may bring great economic benefits to both countries, he said.

Referring to the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, he said: “We have the Public Investment Fund. It could really go to Pakistan and invest in great factories and upgrade them to produce more.

“There are many areas now with the leadership, the dynamic Saudi leadership we have, and the strategy, the economic strategy that we have. I think we can help Pakistan more and they will help themselves also.”

Asked what advice he would give to Sharif from a Saudi perspective, Asseri was forthright: “Look into the economy to find the corruption. Try to upgrade the industrial cities because they have really good materials. Attract investment from everywhere. The economy is the answer to help Pakistanis and Pakistan.”

Asseri also reflected on the longtime animosity between Pakistan and its neighbor, India. Previously, he has written about the potential benefits of cooperation between the two countries. Now, he says, improved relations are still possible.

“What is needed is to reduce the tension between the two countries to allow — because there are families in Pakistan, families in India, who are relatives. (What is needed is to) ease access and travel between Pakistan and India, to ease business deals between Pakistan and India.

“This would, hopefully, lead to a very constructive discussion between both countries, and, ultimately, hopefully, would lead to peace and stability in both countries.”

Asseri has “no doubt” that Saudi Arabia and the UAE could play a pivotal role in mediating relations between Pakistan and India.

Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE “enjoy a very good relationship with both countries, India and Pakistan,” he added.

“It’s a process. It cannot really be done in a short time. The process ultimately leads to a good compromise; a good solution between both countries.”

Topics: Frankly Speaking pakistan government PM Shehbaz Sharif elections 2024

‘Give us another solution,’ Balochistan CM asks opponents of military operation against separatists 

Updated 5 sec ago
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‘Give us another solution,’ Balochistan CM asks opponents of military operation against separatists 

  • Government has announced operation but not shared details of scale, scope, whether it will be joint effort with China
  • Analysts say military solutions will not work in Balochistan, plagued by low-level separatist insurgency since decades
Updated 5 sec ago
SAADULLAH AKHTER

QUETTA: Sarfraz Bugti, the chief minister of Balochistan, on Monday asked opponents of a planned military operation against separatists in the insurgency-plagued southwestern province to suggest another solution to a surge in militant attacks, saying the armed campaign would target “terrorists and their camps.”
The province has seen a rise in deadly attacks that have targeted both citizens and security forces in recent months, including a series of coordinated assaults in August in which over 50 people were killed and a suicide bombing last month that targeted Pakistani army troops at a railway station, killing 27, including 19 soldiers, who were in civilian clothing. 
Last Tuesday, the federal government announced that it would launch a “comprehensive” military operation to stem the rising tide of separatist militancy, though many political parties, civil rights groups and citizens have questioned the chances of the armed campaign’s success in the vast province. 
“Obviously, this will be a targeted operation and the operation will be against those who are committing this terrorism, there will be operations against the terrorist camps,” Bugti said in response to questions by reporters. 
“My question to all political parties is that if any other solution is seen emerging against this terrorism, then the government and the state of Pakistan are ready for this solution. These nationalist parties should tell us that solution … If any other political party knows any other solution, I ask them to tell the government.”
The statement from the prime minister’s office last week announcing the launch of the operation did not give any details, including which security forces would take part, whether the campaign would be limited to ground operations or could involve the air force, when it would be launched and in which parts of the vast, remote Balochistan province. It also did not mention if the plan would be a joint effort with Beijing, since Balochistan is home to key Chinese Belt and Road projects, and there has been a rise in attacks on Chinese nationals and interests in the region. 
Pakistan’s military already has a huge presence in Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran and is home to a decades-long separatist insurgency by militants fighting for a separate homeland to win a larger share of benefits from the resource-rich province. The government and military deny they are exploiting the province’s mineral wealth or ignoring its economic development. 
The military has long run intelligence-based operations against insurgent groups, the most prominent being the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has escalated attacks in recent months on the military and nationals from longtime ally China.
The region hosts the Gwadar Port, built by China as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $65 billion investment in President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative to expand China’s global reach.
In addition to the recent attacks, the BLA also claimed a suicide bombing last month outside the international airport in the southern port city of Karachi that killed two Chinese engineers.
Ethnic Baloch separatists have launched several insurgencies in Balochistan since the birth of Pakistan in 1947, including from 1948-50, 1958–60, 1962–63 and 1973–1977. An ongoing low-level insurgency began in 2003. The army has launched several military campaigns in response, including as early as 1948 in the state of Kalat and a five-year-long operation in the 70s under Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
“Many political governments have come and gone in Balochistan but the operation has continued,” Sardar Akhter Jan Mengal, head of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) and a prominent Baloch nationalist leader in the province, told Arab News last week. “No one can resolve Balochistan’s political issue with military operations.”
Indeed, political leaders and independent analysts have for years urged the government to take a holistic approach to resolving Balochistan’s problems, which they say stems from decades of economic deprivation and political disenfranchisement. The province, which comprises 44 percent of Pakistan’s total land mass, is its most backward by almost all economic and social indicators.
Rich in land and mineral wealth, most parts of the region often lack even the rudiments of modern life. For instance, though home to Reko Diq, one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper and gold deposits, and the site of major Chinese investment projects, the province lacks employment opportunities and basic facilities like Internet, health and education.
Balochistan is also the least represented in Pakistan’s parliament, where legislative seats are allocated to provinces according to their population. Balochistan has a population of only 14.89 million people in a country of over 240 million and is hence allocated only 16 National Assembly seats. Punjab, with a much smaller land area but a population of 127.68 million, gets 141 seats.

Topics: Baloch Liberation Army Militant attacks Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti Quetta Blast Balochistan Attacks

Elephant Madhubala to reunite with cousins today after 15-year separation

Updated 9 min 25 sec ago
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Elephant Madhubala to reunite with cousins today after 15-year separation

  • Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, was brought from Tanzania in 2009 along with three other elephants 
  • She and her companion, Noor Jehan, were then brought to Karachi Zoo, Noor Jehan died last year, leaving Madhubala alone 
Updated 9 min 25 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Elephant Madhubala is set to be reunited with her cousins at Karachi’s Safari Park sanctuary today, Tuesday, after being separated from them for 15 years and spending the last year alone, an animal welfare organization said. 
Named after a legendary Indian actress, Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, was brought to the country in 2009 along with three other elephants from Tanzania. She and her companion Noor Jehan were separated from their kin about a decade and a half ago and moved to the Karachi Zoo. 
Noor Jehan passed away in April 2023 at the age of 17 after being critically ill due to neglect, leaving Madhubala alone at the zoo since then. Animal rights organizations have since campaigned for Madhubala to be shifted to the Safari Park, saying the solitary life was taking a toll on her health. 

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows officials from the FOUR PAWS work on a sanctuary being created for Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at Safari Park in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

A team from FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, has arrived in Karachi to oversee Madhubala’s transfer to the sanctuary on Tuesday.
“I’m excited to see how Madhubala will react when she meets her cousins,” Dr. Amir Khalil, director of reveal and rescue at FOUR PAWS, told Arab News. 
“Imagine someone who hasn’t seen their siblings in fifteen years — how will she feel when they finally reunite?”

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at a zoo in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

FOUR PAWS said in a statement last month that the adaptation work at Karachi’s Safari Park had reached its final stage. 
Madhubala will be carried from the Karachi Zoo to the Safari Park in a huge transport crate. The elephant has been trained to enter and exit the crate by herself and sit inside it during the move. 
“As part of the final preparations, the focus now lies on completing the landscaping of the elephant enclosure at Safari Park, finalizing enrichment features, and continuing the necessary training of the three elephants, including resuming crate training for Madhubala,” FOUR PAWS said.

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at a zoo in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

The elephant enclosures at Safari Park will have water elements for bathing, skincare and thermoregulation. Enrichments such as hay nets, varying substrates like soil, sand, clay, and sawdust will be provided for Madhubala to dust bathe. The area has also been secured by elephant-proof fencing.
Animal rights activists have long campaigned about the plight of animals in Pakistan, especially elephants, and demanded they be shifted to “species-appropriate” locations such as the Safari Park.

This handout photo, taken and released by FOUR PAWS International, a Vienna-based animal welfare organization, on November 24, 2024, shows official from the FOUR PAWS works on a sanctuary being created for Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants in Pakistan, at Safari Park in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: FOUR PAWS/Handout)

 

Topics: safari park Elephant in Karachi Zoo Madhubala elephant

Pakistan says over 20,000 Hajj applications received today

Updated 25 November 2024
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Pakistan says over 20,000 Hajj applications received today

  • Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage
  • Quota of 5,000 has been allocated this year for overseas Pakistanis on “first-come, first-served basis”
Updated 25 November 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani religious affairs ministry has said over 20,000 Hajj applications had been received by Monday, as the nation prepares for the annual pilgrimage slated to be held in June next year.

Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage, to be divided equally between the government and private schemes. Around 15 designated Pakistani banks started receiving applications for Hajj 2025 from intending pilgrims on Monday. 

“20,170 Hajj applications received till Monday,” a spokesperson for the Religious Affairs Ministry said on Monday, saying applications were continuing to be filed at designated banks across the country. 

“Reception of applications under the government Hajj scheme will continue till December 3.”

A quota of 5,000 has been allocated for overseas Pakistanis on a “first-come, first-served basis,” the ministry said, adding that the lottery for the government Hajj scheme would be held on Dec. 6

Pakistan’s religious affairs minister this month announced the country’s Hajj 2025 policy, according to which pilgrims can pay fees for the annual Islamic pilgrimage in installments for the first time.

Under the government scheme, the first installment of Hajj dues, amounting to Rs200,000 ($717), has to be deposited along with the Hajj application, while a second installment of Rs400,000 ($1,435) must be deposited within ten days of the balloting. The remaining amount has to be deposited by Feb. 10 next year.

On Sunday, Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry said it had launched the “Pak Hajj 2025” mobile application to guide and facilitate pilgrims. The app is available for both Android and iPhone users.

Topics: Pakistan Hajj 2025 Hajj applications Arab News Pakistan

Naval chief says Pakistan’s economic future ‘inextricably linked’ to maritime security

Updated 25 November 2024
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Naval chief says Pakistan’s economic future ‘inextricably linked’ to maritime security

  • Admiral Naveed Ashraf says challenges in Indian Ocean Region requires greater vigilance
  • He says Pakistan’s socio-economic prosperity can be assured by harnessing blue economy 
Updated 25 November 2024
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf on Monday emphasized the importance of maritime security for the country’s economic future, calling for robust measures to address “unprecedented challenges” in the Indian Ocean Region.
In a message issued to mark the Seventh Maritime Security Workshop, scheduled to run from November 26 to December 5 at the Pakistan Navy War College in Lahore, Ashraf highlighted the need to harness the country’s maritime potential while ensuring a secure environment for trade and economic growth.
He noted the Indian Ocean Region faced significant challenges, including geopolitical competition, nuclearization and transnational threats, compounded by rapid technological advancements.
“The country’s economic future is inextricably linked to the sea, which serves as mankind’s last reservoir for sustenance,” he said. “Securing our maritime domain is not merely a national priority but a necessity, requiring cooperation, innovation and vigilance.”
Ashraf stressed the potential of Pakistan’s maritime resources to drive socio-economic prosperity through the exploitation of the blue economy, enabled by a secure maritime environment.
His comments come at a time when Pakistan has made a strategic offer to landlocked Central Asian economies for access to its ports, allowing them to conduct trade via sea routes.
The initiative underscores Pakistan’s ambition to position itself as a critical hub for regional economic activity.
“Our rich maritime resources offer great potential for economic prosperity,” the naval chief maintained.
“Let us work toward a secure and stable maritime environment that benefits not only our nation but the global community at large,” he added.

Topics: Pakistan Pakistan Navy Seventh Maritime Security Workshop

One policeman killed, over 100 injured in clashes with Imran Khan supporters leading Islamabad protest 

Updated 25 November 2024
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One policeman killed, over 100 injured in clashes with Imran Khan supporters leading Islamabad protest 

  • Punjab inspector general says 119 officers wounded in violence by Khan’s supporters, party says scores of its followers also hurt
  • Protest ‘long march’ has coincided with visit of Belarus president, with government accusing PTI of trying to sabotage economic recovery
Updated 25 November 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani officials said on Monday one police constable had been killed and nearly 120 were wounded in violence by supporters of jailed former premier Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which is leading a protest march to the federal capital of Islamabad. 

Thousands of rallygoers reached the edges of Islamabad on Monday evening after protest caravans set out from various parts of the country a day earlier to call for the release of political prisoners, including Khan, among other demands.

The protesters set out despite the government refusing to grant the PTI permission to enter Islamabad for a sit-in. Last week, the district administration also imposed a two-month ban on public gatherings in the capital, citing security challenges and inconvenience to the public. 

Authorities have closed all schools in Islamabad and the adjacent garrison city of Rawalpindi, while the Internet and WhatsApp messaging services have also slowed as the protest march continues. All routes connecting Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been completely shut for the last two days, as are highways and roads from other cities leading to the federal capital. 

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said one policeman had been killed in clashes with PTI supporters. 

“Constable Mubashir has lost his life. Five people remain in critical condition,” the minister said. 

She added that 70 people had been wounded in clashes with the protesters just outside Islamabad, while there were reports of several other clashes elsewhere in the province. It was unclear if the 70 people were all policemen.

Inspector General (IG) Punjab, Dr. Usman Anwar, said 119 cops had been injured. 

“Four of them sustained firearm injuries caused by a weapon,” he told reporters. “Our forces could also use firearms but to avoid any mishap we kept them without firearms.”

He said several police officers had critical head injuries. 

“More than 22 police vehicles have been damaged. Despite this, the Punjab Police remains on duty, with 22,000 personnel still actively performing their responsibilities.”

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said those who had given the call for the Islamabad protest were responsible for those who had been killed and injured.

“We have clearly communicated to all the Inspector Generals of Police, Islamabad Police, and everyone involved that those who issued this call [for protest] and incited people to gather will be held fully responsible for these actions and we will not leave anyone,” Naqvi said at a press conference after attending the funeral prayers of the policeman who was killed during the protests.

“FIRs [police report] will be registered against all of them. The protesters have fired live bullets, and our security forces could also do the same, but they only answered with rubber bullets.”

Khan’s party said scores of its workers were also hurt.

“TILL MY LAST BREATH”

The PTI march started on Sunday but could not reach Islamabad as shipping containers placed by the government on key points on major highways slowed the pace of the caravans. The PTI says its final destination is D-Chowk, a high-security area in the capital’s Red Zone that houses key government buildings and is a popular site for protests. Heavy contingents of police and other security forces have been stationed across Islamabad and at entry and exit points. 

The largest PTI protest caravan began its journey from Peshawar, the provincial capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province where Khan’s party is in power. It is being led by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Khan’s wife Bushra Khan, who was released on bail in October after nearly nine months in detention. 

Khan has been in jail since August last year and faces a slew of charges he says are politically motivated. 

On Monday evening, the PTI said in a text to reporters that the rally had “broken through one of the biggest barrages of containers and is at the gate of Islamabad.”

“Until Khan does not return to us, we will not end this march,” Bushra said to supporters from atop the protest caravan as the PTI edged closer to Islamabad. “I will stand there till my last breath, you people have to stand by me. I will keep standing even if nobody does because this does not concern just my husband but the country and its leader.”

Islamabad police confirmed over 400 arrests related to the protest in the past few days, saying the detainees were being held in different police stations. The PTI said over 3,500 of its leaders and supporters had been arrested in connection to the protests.

PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai, who is part of the caravan, told Arab News over the phone the march would carry on until it reached D-Chowk. 

“We will only return from D-Chowk when Imran Khan and other innocent party workers are released from Pakistani prisons,” he said. 

The PTI also said key leaders Gohar Khan and Ali Mohammad Khan had been allowed to meet the PTI flounder at Adiala jail, but no details were shared about the focus or outcome of the discussions. A second meeting with Khan was also reported late on Monday night. 

The PTI’s march has coincided with a visit to Islamabad by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and a 68-member delegation to discuss investment deals. The government has accused the PTI of trying to sabotage the foreign visit in a bid to destabilize its economic recovery efforts. 

Yousafzai rejected this criticism, saying his party had called the protest well before the Belarusian delegation’s arrival was announced. 

“We have not blocked the roads,” he added. “The government has blocked the roads, creating a situation like this. The government should have held talks with the PTI instead of blocking the roads.”

Topics: Pakistan PTI police Imran Khan PTI protest

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