KARACHI: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced on Thursday it deployed significant resources in Pakistan last year to aid the country’s economic recovery from the devastating 2022 floods, while supporting the government in other areas, including climate change, food security and gender parity, for sustainable and inclusive development.
The Philippines-based international financial institution began its operations in December 1966 and has since been promoting economic and social development in Asian and Pacific regions. Pakistan, one of its early members, has received ADB assistance over the years and developed many urban services and social sectors with its help.
In its Annual Report 2023, the ADB highlighted different areas in which it provided assistance to Pakistan during the last year.
“ADB signed a loan of $180 million to help develop climate-resilient and low-carbon municipal services for up to 1.5 million residents in the Punjab cities of Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi,” the report said.
“For Bahawalpur, the project includes a new recycling facility, a landfill with measures to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and leachate, and new equipment and vehicles for citywide waste collection,” it continued. “For Rawalpindi, the project will, among other deliverables, construct a water treatment plant to process 54 million liters per day and implement distribution systems to serve around 82,000 households with metered connections.”
The report said the bank also signed an emergency grant of $5 million with the authorities in Islamabad to top up its flood assistance of $475 million from 2022.
“The grant supports farming households, including those headed by women, in the most flood-impacted area of Balochistan Province,” it informed. “It provides about 60,000 households with climate-resilient rice seeds sufficient to cultivate around 54,000 hectares, and includes measures to strengthen on-farm resilience to disasters triggered by natural hazards.”
The ADB also worked to improved agricultural productivity in the flood-affected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province while trying to bolster the inclusion of women in by providing around 28,000 of them with training on seed cleaning and storage practices as well as on the safe handling of pesticides and fertilizers.
“ADB is also working to improve conditions for Pakistani women seeking to establish or expand their own businesses, particularly access to finance without the need for credit history or collateral,” the report added.
The bank also signed a $250 million loan for power transmission strengthening in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces to help achieve environmental sustainability and climate resilience in the country’s power sector.
“The project aims to expand the national grid and enhance grid stability to improve energy access in the country, where only 80 percent of the population has access to electricity,” it said. “Upgrades under the project are expected to help supply 2 gigawatts of additional clean peak power and avoid about 13,700 tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year.”
ADB said it also provided a $300 million policy-based loan to the country for sustainable, broad-based and inclusive economic growth by strengthening the government’s capacity to generate domestic revenues to reduce budgetary constraints and restore macroeconomic stability.
“The program will help Pakistan improve tax administration and compliance, including through digitization,” the report said. “It will also enhance public expenditure and debt management, and increase trade and investment flows.”
Additionally, the bank committed $360 million under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program to help upgrade 330 kilometers of the national highway in Pakistan.
“This span of roadway links Pakistan’s hinterlands to CAREC Corridor 5, a vital trading route between landlocked Central Asian countries and the ports of Gwadar and Karachi,” it explained. “By enhancing the climate and disaster resilience of the highway, ADB is helping overcome high risks of road flooding and opening up a bottleneck to regional trade.”
ADB highlights special focus on climate action, social equity in post-floods Pakistan
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ADB highlights special focus on climate action, social equity in post-floods Pakistan
- The bank provided $180 million for climate-resilient, low-carbon municipal services in Punjab province last year
- It also worked to increase female inclusion in agriculture sector by helping them handle pesticides and fertilizers
IDEAS 2024: Pakistan says volume of defense exports not at par with actual potential
- Pakistan hosts 12th edition of premier defense exhibition IDEAS in southern port city of Karachi
- Karachi to host over 550 exhibitors, including 340 global defense companies, from 55 countries
KARACHI: Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Tuesday Pakistan’s volume of defense exports is not at par with its actual potential, as the South Asian country inaugurated the 12th edition of its premier defense expo in the southern port city of Karachi.
The International Defense Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) exhibition, Pakistan’s premier defense exp, has been held biennially since its inception under General (retired) Pervez Musharraf’s administration in 2000 and has grown into a key event for the defense sector. This year’s exhibition, running from Nov. 19-22 at the Karachi Expo Center, will host over 550 exhibitors, including 340 international defense companies, alongside more than 350 senior civil and military officials from 55 countries.
The exhibition will showcase a wide range of modern and traditional defense equipment, weapons systems and vehicles, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
“Though Pakistan is now exporting some high-tech products to more than 60 countries, the volume of exports is not at par with its actual potential,” Asif said while addressing the exhibition.
“A crucial factor, however, has been the limited involvement of the private sector in defense production and activity.”
The defense minister said relatively less attention has been paid to academia, industry interface and involvement of research and development organizations. He said these factors have curtailed the competitiveness of certain sectors of the defense industry.
“In order to achieve this objective, I will stress upon the integration of public and private defense industry to achieve maximum results,” Asif said. “New ideas, entrepreneurship and management skills mastered by the private sector need to be co-opted with the public sector defense industry.”
Without mentioning Pakistan’s arch-rival and nuclear-armed neighbor India, Asif called for greater cooperation between regional players to make South Asia a safer place.
“We believe in meaningful dialogue on the basis of equality, not only to resolve bilateral issues but also to give chance to peace and harmony in the region,” he said.
‘PRODUCTS OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS’
Brig. Ali Adil, director of coordination for IDEAS 2024, had outlined the event’s diverse activities during a news conference over the weekend, saying it includes live demonstrations of cutting-edge defense technology, an international seminar and the IDEAS Tri-Services Karachi Show.
The event will also offer opportunities for networking through business-to-business and business-to-government engagements.
“IDEAS 2024 will bring together representatives of defense industries from around the world to showcase their latest technological innovations, while Pakistan’s defense sector, including both public and private companies, will present products of international standards,” Brig. Adil had said.
He had said this year’s event will feature a new “Startups Pavilion” designed to offer international exposure to young Pakistani entrepreneurs, adding the pavilion will showcase innovative projects and technologies.
An international seminar on “Pakistan Defense Production Potential – Challenges, Opportunities, and Way Forward” will be held on the third day of the event, with presentations from leading national and international experts.
Karachi has faced significant security challenges, including a suicide bombing near Jinnah International Airport last month that killed two Chinese engineers and injured several others. The city also grapples with high street crime rates, with over 90,000 incidents reported in 2023, causing considerable hardship for residents.
To bolster security, local authorities have already fortified the Expo Center, the venue for the exhibition, with multiple layers of containers. As per local media reports, a ban on public gatherings in the city has been imposed for seven days.
Sikh pilgrims arrive at Pakistan temple to celebrate religion founder’s birth anniversary
- Sikh pilgrims to stay at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur for two days, says official
- Every year, Sikh pilgrims cross over from India to Pakistan via visa-free Kartarpur Corridor
ISLAMABAD: Sikh pilgrims from India arrived in Pakistan’s Kartarpur town at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, one of Sikhism’s holiest shrines, this week to attend the 555th birth anniversary of their religion’s founder, state media reported.
Every year, Sikh pilgrims cross over from India to Pakistan via a visa-free border crossing known as the Kartarpur Corridor which connects Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, near Narowal in Pakistan’s Punjab, to Gurudwara Dera Baba Nanak in Indian Punjab’s Gurdaspur district.
The Sikh pilgrims arrived at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib from the Pakistani city of Hassan Abdal to take part in the birth celebrations of Sikhism founder Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
“In connection with Baba Guru Nanak’s 555th birth anniversary celebrations, Sikh yatrees arrived at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur Narowal from Hassan Abdal today,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Monday.
Additional Secretary of Shrines Saifullah Khokar said all arrangements, including accommodation for Sikh pilgrims, have been completed in Kartarpur.
“He said the Sikh yatrees will stay in Kartarpur for two days,” Radio Pakistan said.
Much of Sikh heritage is located in Pakistan. When Pakistan was carved out of India at the end of British rule in 1947, Kartarpur ended up on the Pakistani side of the border, while most of the region’s Sikhs remained on the other side.
For over seven decades, the Sikh community had lobbied for easier access to their holiest temple.
Pakistan’s initiative to open the corridor earned widespread appreciation from the international community, including the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who had described it as a “Corridor of Hope.”
Pakistani senate committee says ‘unreasonable’ of clerics body calling VPN usage ‘unislamic’
- Council of Islamic Ideology’s chairman last week said use of VPNs to access illegal content is impermissible
- Senate Standing Committee on IT questions the legality of interior ministry’s letter banning use of VPNs
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology this week criticized a recent statement by Pakistan’s top body of clerics against the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) as “unreasonable,” stressing that recent Internet disruptions had impacted the livelihoods of over 2.5 million freelancers in the country.
The Ministry of Interior, in a letter to the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) on Friday, directed the nationwide blocking of illegal VPNs, citing their use by militants for financial transactions and violence. The ministry also noted that VPNs were being used by Pakistanis to access pornographic websites and blasphemous content.
The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), a constitutional advisory body that reviews laws to ensure they align with Islamic principles, also declared the usage of VPNs as “un-Islamic” in a statement after the development. CII Chairman Raghib Hussain Naeem said the state had the authority to prevent wrongdoing or actions that facilitate it, which included the blocking of VPNs. He said the use of VPNs with the intention to access illegal content or blocked websites is considered impermissible from an Islamic perspective.
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology on the recent Internet disruptions in Pakistan, chaired by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan on Monday, criticized the CII’s statement against the use of VPNs.
“The Committee called the Islamic Ideological Council’s comments on the blockage of VPNs as unreasonable,” a press release shared by the Senate Secretariat Media Directorate said. It added that the committee humorously suggested the CII should also ban television as it displays “harmful content.”
“The Committee opined that nothing would be achieved by blocking the tools, and instead, the government should focus on regulating them,” it said. “The Committee sought the basis for the Islamic Ideological Council’s judgment.”
Meanwhile, Senator Afnan Ullah questioned the legality of the interior ministry’s letter, saying that VPNs do not fall under the umbrella of social media apps. “The Committee directed the PTA to seek the legal opinion of the Attorney General of Pakistan on whether or not VPNs fall under the ambit of social media apps,” the statement said.
Digital rights activists and bodies have criticized Pakistan’s recent Internet restrictions, notably after the February general elections, where allegations of electoral manipulation led to the blocking of social media platform X.
Media reports also suggested the government was setting up a national firewall, which had led to the slowdown of Internet speed across Pakistan, saying the decision was taken to curb “anti-state narratives” by political activists.
Discussing the reasons for the Internet disruptions, Khan criticized the IT minister for not attending the meeting.
“She stated that there are around 2.5 million freelancers in the country, and the recent Internet disruption was causing hindrances for them in earning their livelihood,” the press release said. “Despite inviting the minister for IT, she didn’t bother to attend the meeting for the third consecutive time.”
It said the committee decided to highlight the IT minister’s inability to defend his ministry’s decisions in a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Among users of VPNs in Pakistan are supporters of the country’s imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan, who have called for a march on Islamabad on Nov. 24 to pressure the government for his release.
Pakistan needs additional $191.8 billion for low-carbon transition by 2050 — ADB
- Pakistan, one of 10 most vulnerable nations to climate change, faces challenges such as floods and extreme heat waves
- Under its updated Nationally Determined Contributions, Pakistan has pledged to reduce GHG emissions by 50% by 2030
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will need an additional $191.8 billion between 2020-2050 to transition to a low-carbon energy system and meet its international climate commitments, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report released this month said.
The report outlines a detailed pathway to help the South Asian nation reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while maintaining sustainable economic growth. It distinguishes between low-carbon and business-as-usual (BAU) scenarios, with the former focusing on deploying renewable energy, improving energy efficiency and transitioning to cleaner fuels in sectors like power, transport and industry.
“The low-carbon scenario would require an additional investment of $191.8 billion (in 2022 prices) between 2020 and 2050 over the BAU scenario, so the investment commitment is substantial,” the report said.
“Achieving such an ambitious investment program will be challenging,” it added, emphasizing that a significant portion of the required financing would need to come from private sector investments and international financial assistance.
Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world, aims to become an upper-middle-income economy by 2047, its centenary year of independence. However, it also remains one of the 10 most vulnerable nations to climate change, facing challenges ranging from devastating floods to extreme heatwaves.
Under its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted in 2021, Pakistan has pledged to reduce GHG emissions by 50% by 2030, compared to 2015 levels. Of this, 15% is unconditional, while the remaining 35% is contingent upon receiving adequate international financial support.
The ADB report identifies the energy sector as central to Pakistan’s climate transition.
Investments in hydropower ($153 billion), nuclear power ($103 billion), wind ($62 billion) and solar energy ($51 billion) are necessary to shift away from coal and other fossil fuels. An additional $22 billion is required for modernizing transmission and distribution networks to ensure grid stability.
“The energy sector will need to evolve on a different path,” the report said, highlighting that energy-related emissions could be reduced by 23% by 2030 and 36% by 2050 under the low-carbon scenario compared to the BAU approach.
The report also noted that Pakistan’s renewable energy potential is vast, particularly in solar and wind, given the country’s high sunlight levels and favorable wind conditions. However, achieving these targets would require policy reforms, technological advancements and substantial foreign investments.
The ADB publication emphasized that the low-carbon scenario would involve a shift to cleaner fuels, including natural gas, nuclear power and renewables, as well as the electrification of transport and residential sectors.
By 2050, renewables could account for 61% of electricity generation under this scenario, compared to 17% under the BAU approach.
“Electrification and energy efficiency improvements will play a critical role in reducing demand and emissions,” the report noted, pointing to opportunities such as transitioning from coal to gas in industry and using electricity instead of gas for cooking.
To meet these goals, the report called for strengthening the investment climate, aligning incentives for private sector engagement and enhancing regulatory frameworks.
Pakistan says ‘ready to assist’ as Bangladesh deaths from dengue cross 400
- Around 78,595 patients have been admitted to hospital nationwide in Bangladesh, official figures show
- Dengue is endemic to Pakistan, which experiences year-round transmission with seasonal peaks
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday extended assistance to Bangladesh as it battles its worst outbreak of dengue in years, with more than 400 deaths as rising temperatures and a longer monsoon season drive a surge in infections, leaving hospitals struggling to cope.
Around 78,595 patients have been admitted to hospitals nationwide in Bangladesh, the latest official figures show. By mid-November, 4,173 patients were being treated, with 1,835 of them in Dhaka, the capital, and 2,338 elsewhere.
Dengue is an illness that spreads through vectors, carried by the bite of an infected mosquito. There is currently no cure or vaccine for dengue fever, which in its most severe form can lead to fatalities. People affected by dengue go through intense flu-like symptoms including high fever, intense headache, muscle and joint pain, and nausea and vomiting, typically persisting for approximately a week.
“Deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives due to the dengue outbreak in Bangladesh,” Sharif said in a message on X. “Pakistan stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Bangladesh at this difficult time and we stand ready to assist in whatever way we can.”
Dense populations in cities exacerbate the spread of the disease, usually more common in the monsoon season from June to September though it has spilled beyond that window this year.
A rise in temperatures and longer monsoons, both linked to climate change, have caused a spike in mosquito breeding, driving the rapid spread of the virus in Bangladesh.
Last year was the deadliest on record in the current crisis, with 1,705 deaths and more than 321,000 infections reported.
The growing frequency and severity of outbreaks strains Bangladesh’s already overwhelmed health care system, as hospitals battle to treat thousands of patients.
Bangladesh health officials have urged precautions against mosquito bites, such as mosquito repellents and bed nets, while experts want tougher measures to eliminate the stagnant waters where mosquitoes breed.
Dengue fever is endemic to Pakistan, which experiences year-round transmission with seasonal peaks.
With inputs from Reuters
