QUETTA: In the sparsely populated stretches of Sibi, a city 160 kilometers from Quetta in the arid expanse of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, the steady hum of sewing machines cut through the din of a busy marketplace earlier this month.
Behind one sewing machine sat 32-year-old Sanaullah Marri, who has over two decades of experience making Baloch waistcoats, a must-have in male wardrobes around the year but especially popular during celebrations of religious holidays like Eid Al-Fitr.
Surrounded by colorful fabrics and threads spread out on the floor around him, Marri was working overtime to complete a long list of orders ahead of the Eid holiday.
The young tailor has earned the reputation of a specialist, with people arriving from nearby cities to order the famous Baloch waistcoat he crafts, locally known as “Marri Jabb.”
“Majority of the tribesmen in Balochistan prefer to wear this cultural dress on Eid and other festivals like the annual Baloch Culture Day,” Marri told Arab News. “Among the traditional waistcoat designs, the Marri cut is very popular among local tribes.”
In Quetta, the provincial capital, thousands of men thronged to the Moti Ram and Jinnah Roads ahead of Eid to select waistcoats to complement their dresses, which include turbans, sandals and baggy shalwar kameez.
“Being a Baloch, it is a must for me to keep alive and wear my traditional attire on the three days of Eid celebrations,” said 20-year-old Muhammad Asif, who resides in Kalat district but was visiting Quetta for Eid shopping with friends.
Jameel-ur-Rehman, a waistcoat seller in Quetta for four decades, said the demand for Marri and Baloch designs spiked during the Eid festivals.
“We have hired craftsmen in Sibi, Kohlu and Kharan districts, famous for making these traditional waistcoats, who take our orders and prepare these waistcoats according to the given designs,” he said.
“A high-quality waistcoat with additional embroidery and beads can cost up to Rs10,000 [$36], but the normal ones available in the market for everyone are between Rs2000-5000 [$8-18].”
Rehman said different colors were used in different types of waistcoats but the Marri designed used only one thread.
“Only one thread is used which is white or the matching color of the waistcoat is used,” he said.
“These are all handmade, made with a lot of effort. Machinery designs don’t sell here and people also prefer only handmade designs.”
This was true for Sarfaraz Ahmed, a 32-year-old local customer visiting Rehman’s shop to buy a tailored waistcoat to match his Eid outfit.
“Baloch waistcoat designs change slightly with the cultural and tribal differences of people living in Kharan, Sarawan, Jhalawan and Rakshan areas,” he said.
“I found this [waistcoat] very unique and had it made to match the clothes I just got tailored for Eid,” Ahmed said as he showed the embroidery on a blue vest he had selected.
“And idea is that this time on Eid, I want to express happiness through colors.”
In southwest Pakistan, colorful hand embroidered waistcoats a must-have in Eid wardrobes
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In southwest Pakistan, colorful hand embroidered waistcoats a must-have in Eid wardrobes
- Crafted with colorful threads, Balochistan’s most famous waistcoat is locally known as ‘Marri Jabb’
- Waistcoat sales boom ahead of Eid Al-Fitr as customers flock to markets to match vests with outfits
World Bank investment arm commits $300 million loan to Pakistan’s Reko Diq mining project
- Located in Balochistan, Reko Diq is among the world’s largest undeveloped copper and gold reserves
- IFC says its involvement will mitigate project risks and support sustainable mining practices in Pakistan
KARACHI: The World Bank’s private investment arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will extend $300 million in debt financing for Pakistan’s Reko Diq copper and gold mining project, according to an IFC project disclosure published on Wednesday.
Reko Diq, located in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, is among the world’s largest undeveloped copper and gold reserves. Once operational, it is expected to significantly boost Pakistan’s exports, generate substantial tax and royalty revenues and contribute to economic growth and job creation.
IFC said its involvement will mitigate project risks in the restive Balochistan region and support sustainable mining practices.
“The estimated total Project cost is $6.6bn, and it will be financed using a combination of debt and equity,” IFC announced while sharing a summary of its investment.
“IFC’s proposed investment consists of an A-loan of up to $300 million,” it added. “Other parallel lenders will provide the remaining debt financing.”
An A-loan is a direct loan provided by the IFC from its own funds, typically with long-term repayments. It is a form of debt financing, requiring the borrower to repay the loan with interest, unlike equity financing where the investor takes ownership stakes in the project.
The Reko Diq project is being supported by IFC’s technical and financial expertise. The institution will act as Environmental and Social (E&S) coordinator, ensuring adherence to its performance standards and helping implement best practices in sustainability.
IFC will also provide advisory support on mining operations, transport infrastructure and risk mitigation.
According to the investment summary document, the project will strengthen domestic supply chains and contribute to community development in Balochistan.
It is also expected to deepen domestic market integration by linking Balochistan to national and global markets and encouraging further investment in Pakistan’s mineral sector.
The IFC has actively engaged with Pakistan recently through several high-level visits and financial commitments. Earlier this year, its Managing Director Makhtar Diop visited the country in February and met with public and private sector stakeholders to expand IFC’s investment footprint and reaffirm its commitment to sustainable and inclusive growth.
Subsequently, the IFC announced plans to significantly increase its investment in Pakistan, with a target of up to $2 billion annually over the next decade, potentially amounting to $20 billion.
The initiative aligns with the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework, which envisions a combined investment of around $40 billion in Pakistan over ten years.
With input from Reuters
Pakistan PM departs for Belarus on two-day visit to boost bilateral cooperation
- The two sides plan to sign several agreements during Sharif’s two-day visit, says Pakistan’s foreign office
- Visit can also help Pakistan diversify trade partnerships since Belarus can be a gateway to Eurasian markets
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left for a two-day visit to the Eastern European country of Belarus on Thursday, his office said, as the two sides prepare to sign several agreements to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Pakistan was among the first countries to recognize Belarus after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and has maintained diplomatic relations with it since 1994.
However, bilateral trade has remained modest, with annual volumes ranging between $50 and $65 million, according to the Belarusian embassy in Islamabad.
Belarus mainly exports tractors, trucks, potash fertilizers, synthetic yarns and tires to Pakistan, while Pakistani exports include rice, textiles, leather goods and surgical instruments.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has departed for a two-day official visit to Belarus,” the PM Office said in a statement. “At the invitation of His Excellency President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to Belarus from April 10 to 11, 2025.”
According to another statement released by the foreign office earlier today, Sharif will hold talks with Lukashenko to review progress in areas of mutual interest.
“The two sides are expected to sign several agreements to further strengthen cooperation,” it added.
The prime minister’s visit follows a series of bilateral engagements in recent months. The Belarusian president visited Pakistan last November for his third official trip to the country, during which both sides signed a “Roadmap for Comprehensive Cooperation for 2025-2027” to expand economic ties and institutional linkages.
Fourteen other agreements and memorandums of understanding were also inked, covering cooperation in environmental protection, disaster management, halal trade and science and technology.
For Pakistan, closer ties with Belarus offer several strategic advantages that include diversifying trade partnerships beyond traditional markets, enhancing defense collaboration through access to Belarusian technology and tapping into regional connectivity opportunities, with Belarus serving as a potential gateway to Eurasian markets.
The partnership also complements Pakistan’s broader goals, such as the development of an export-oriented economy.
UAE to grant 100,000 Pakistanis five-year visas this year – Sindh governor’s office
- Official statement quotes the UAE envoy mentioning the number of these visas his country plans to issue
- UAE consulate confirmed this week Pakistani citizens can apply for work, medical and other types of visas
KARACHI: The United Arab Emirates plans to issue five-year visas to 100,000 Pakistanis this year, according to an official statement released by authorities in Pakistan’s Sindh province on Wednesday, following a visit by Governor Kamran Khan Tessori to the UAE consulate in Karachi.
The governor’s office and UAE authorities in Pakistan said this week all visa-related issues between the two countries had been resolved, and Pakistani nationals could now apply for five-year visas to the Emirates.
The development came amid widespread reports in recent months of a decline in visa approvals for Pakistanis, allegedly due to violations of local laws and customs, as well as political sloganeering while abroad.
Tessori visited the UAE consulate in Karachi on the invitation of UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi following a meeting between the two officials in Karachi on Monday.
“The governor of Sindh, Kamran Khan Tessori, was warmly welcomed by the UAE ambassador and consul general during his visit to the UAE consulate,” the Governor House said in a statement.
“The governor toured the visa center at the consulate, where the ambassador briefed him on the facility,” it added. “Ambassador Hamad Obaid Al-Zaabi said 100,000 Pakistanis would be granted five-year visas. The consul general added that applicants would be treated with great respect at the visa center and receive full cooperation.”
Earlier this week on Tuesday, the UAE consulate in Karachi issued a statement on the meeting between Tessori and Al-Zaabi.
“We love Pakistanis very much,” the statement quoted Consul General Bakheet Ateeq Al-Rumaithi as saying. “Every person can apply for a UAE visa … Pakistani citizens can also apply for a UAE visa for work, medical treatment and other needs.”
The UAE is home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates, making it the second-largest overseas Pakistani community globally and a major contributor to remittance inflows to Pakistan.
Policymakers in Pakistan also view the UAE as an ideal export market due to its proximity, which reduces transportation and freight costs and facilitates smoother trade.
Gunmen kill three policemen in southwestern Pakistan
- The incident happened on the peripheries of Balochistan’s provincial capital Quetta
- Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti promises ‘revenge for the bloodshed of our martyrs’
QUETTA: At least three policemen, including a sub-inspector, were killed in southwestern Pakistan when armed militants targeted a police mobile in the volatile Balochistan province on Wednesday night, a senior police official said.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by landmass and rich in mineral resources, has faced a low-level insurgency for nearly two decades. Baloch separatist groups accuse the central government of exploiting local resources, such as gold and copper, without benefiting the local population.
Islamabad denies the allegations, saying it is committed to improving the lives of local residents in the province through various development projects.
The latest attack took place on the peripheries of the provincial capital, Quetta, targeting a police vehicle parked near a restaurant.
“A police mobile was targeted after unknown gunmen riding on motorbikes attacked the police team with intense firing,” Muhammad Baloch, Senior Superintendent of Police, told Arab News.
“Three policemen, including a sub-inspector, were killed in the targeted attack and one was injured,” he added.
Baloch said the policemen were patrolling the area when the incident happened.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though suspicion is likely to fall on separatist militants, especially the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) that has previously targeted the police force in similar attacks.
CCTV footage of the attack seen by Arab News showed that armed men riding on two motorbikes attacked the police van. The gunmen, who had covered their faces, could also be seen escaping the area.
Sarfaraz Bugti, the Balochistan chief minister, condemned the attack, promising an effective response against the perpetrators.
“The state is not weak,” he said in a statement. “We will take revenge for the bloodshed of our martyrs.”
Last month, three policemen were killed and several injured after a police mobile was targeted with an improvised explosive device in Quetta.
Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has witnessed an uptick in militant violence recently, with the separatist BLA intensifying attacks against security forces and commuters in the region.
Last month, militants affiliated with the group held hundreds of hostages aboard the Jaffer Express, a passenger train, for nearly 36 hours before the army intervened and launched a rescue operation.
Pakistan to propose more US imports as delegation set to visit Washington in two weeks
- President Donald Trump imposed a 29 percent tariff on Pakistan last week, saying Islamabad charges 58 percent duty on American goods
- Pakistani exporters propose importing US cotton, liquefied natural gas and petroleum products to address trade imbalance
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani delegation is expected to leave for the United States in the next two weeks to discuss the tariff imposed by President Donald Trump, a commerce ministry official said on Wednesday, adding the main focus will be on increasing US imports to address Washington concern of trade imbalance.
Trump announced to impose a 10 percent baseline tariff on all imports to the US and higher duties on dozens of other countries, including some of his country’s biggest trading partners, rattling global markets and bewildering American allies. He also imposed a 29 percent tariff on Pakistan, saying it was charging a 58 percent tariff on goods imported from the US.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting on Wednesday to discuss Pakistan’s response to the US tariff, with his office saying in a statement a high-level Pakistani delegation will go to the US to hold negotiations over the issue and work out a mutually beneficial course of action.
“The delegation will go to the US in the next two weeks as the final date will be decided after the prime minister’s visit to Belarus,” Naveed Kallu, the commerce ministry spokesperson, told Arab News.
He said deliberations were underway on various proposals.
“Three to four different proposals are being worked out, with the main focus on offering options to the United States to increase its exports to Pakistan in order to address their major issue of trade balance,” he continued.
The US trade deficit with Pakistan was $3 billion in 2024, a 5.2 percent increase over 2023, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative.
The Pakistani official said another option under consideration was the imposition of reciprocal tariffs on US imports, but the government was focused on finding an amicable solution that would be acceptable to both sides.
When asked about the possible impact of the new American tariff on Pakistani exports, Kallu said it was premature to assess the effects, but Pakistan would be the least impacted country compared to its competitors.
“We are still subject to the lowest tariffs compared to our competitors,” he noted. “Therefore, the impact on our exports will be minimal.”
He said business leaders’ and exporters’ suggestions were also taken into account while formulating the strategy, adding commerce minister had held consultations with them earlier this week to get their recommendations over the issue.
In 2024, Pakistan exported $5.12 billion to the US, with $3.93 billion, or 76.7 percent, coming from textiles and apparel.
The All Pakistan Textile Manufacturers Association (APTMA) maintained a limited yet strategic import substitution favoring the US could be pursued to support a more balanced trade relationship and ease tariff pressures.
“We have suggested that the government focus on reducing the trade gap and propose to the US that Pakistan could purchase more cotton and other items, including petroleum products, in exchange for a reconsideration of the new tariff,” Shahid Sattar, APTMA secretary-general, told Arab News.
He said Pakistan contributes just 0.25 percent to the overall US trade deficit, which is not a significant number.
“Given the limited economic impact of Pakistan’s surplus and its modest tariff regime, there is credible room for negotiation, especially if US market access concerns are addressed constructively,” he added.
Sattar said the US is the second-largest market for Pakistan’s textile exports after the European Union, accounting for about 25 percent of the sector’s annual exports. This, he maintained, makes the industry highly dependent on the US market and particularly vulnerable to any increase in tariffs.
“Even a 10 percent reduction in this sector’s exports would amount to around $350 million,” he said, adding despite the sector’s vulnerability higher tariffs on competitors offered some reassurance.
“Pakistan’s 29 percent reciprocal tariff is comparable to India’s 27 percent but lower than those imposed on Bangladesh [37 percent], China [34 percent] and Vietnam [46 percent],” he continued while pointing out these countries had stronger industrial bases, better logistics, favorable taxation regimes, lower energy costs and an overall better business environment.
Sattar said US cotton is already duty-free and could substitute imports from Brazil.
“Allowing direct imports of US Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) by the textile sector would reduce energy costs and support US exports without harming Pakistan’s trade position,” he added.
Faisal Jahangir, Chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), the country’s second-largest export trade body after textiles, contributing over $2 billion to the national economy annually, said the tariff will have minimal impact on rice exports due to limited options in this sector for the US.
“The US imports rice from only two countries, Pakistan and India, due to the highest safety and compliance standards, and Pakistani rice meets these standards even better than India,” he told Arab News.
He said even Indian brands import rice from Pakistan to further export to other countries, especially the US.
“This tariff will affect US importers more, as they will still need to buy the rice but will now also have to factor in the added cost of the tariff,” he added.
Asked about his meeting with the commerce minister, Jahangir said REAP had suggested the government, along with other proposals, should consider imposing reciprocal tariffs on US food products.
“If our delegation fails to get any concession, we can respond to the [US] move by imposing reciprocal tariffs because we do have the option to import food products from many other countries,” he added.
