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Pakistani writers say Abu Dhabi book fair opportunity to promote country’s talent, rich culture

Pakistani writers are participating in a panel discussion called "The Pakistani Drama" at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in Abu Dhabi, UAE on May 01, 2024. (Dr. Osama Siddique)
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Updated 01 May 2024
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Pakistani writers say Abu Dhabi book fair opportunity to promote country’s talent, rich culture

  • Abu Dhabi International Book Fair kicked off on Apr. 29 and is scheduled to continue till May 5
  • In a first, Pakistani writers will take part in the fair to discuss country’s literature and fiction works 
Updated 01 May 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani writers taking part in the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair on Wednesday hailed the platform as a crucial opportunity for the South Asian country to promote its culture and dispel negative stereotypes associated with the nation. 

The international fair kicked off on Apr. 9 and is scheduled to continue till May 5 in Abu Dhabi. It is an annual event that brings different writers together to promote reading, diverse cultures and knowledge locally, regionally, and globally. Organizers of the fair say their aim is also to promote cultural exchange and dialogue between several nations.

It also brings together leaders from the publishing and creative industries every year, providing promising opportunities for those involved in this sector to form new partnerships, learn about the latest trends and developments, and discuss its fundamental priorities.

For the first time ever, Pakistani writers are taking part in the international festival in two different sessions. One was held on May 1 while the other is slated to take place on May 3. 

“Pakistan’s maiden participation in this event is crucial not only for the diaspora but also for familiarizing the Gulf and the world with Pakistan’s cultural richness, countering stereotypes, and dispelling reductionist descriptions,” Dr. Osama Siddique, a Pakistani novelist, told Arab News from Abu Dhabi.




Pakistani envoy to UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi (left), visits the Pakistani stall at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in Abu Dhabi, UAE on April 30, 2024. (Pakistan mission in UAE )

Siddique is part of a panel that will discuss the state of Pakistan’s literary on May 3. He said Pakistani literature has struggled on the global stage due to a lack of support from the state, ineffective institutions, expensive printing materials and a lack of publishing industry development.

“Writers need to be proactive, and publishers must elevate their standards, and events like this provide a perfect platform for this,” he added.

He said Pakistan often falls short of showcasing its rich civilization, culture, and literature, despite the country’s profound historical and linguistic heritage spanning over 9,000 years.

He said Pakistani writers, local entrepreneurs and the Pakistani embassy in UAE collaborated to ensure Pakistan’s participation in the annual fair for the first time this year. 

“It’s a start, albeit insufficient,” he said. 




Pakistani writers participate at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in Abu Dhabi, UAE on May 01, 2024. (Dr. Osama Siddique)

“It is vital to capitalize on such opportunities, considering the significant cultural investments made by the Gulf states in education, literature, and the arts,” he noted.

Tahira Iqbal, a Pakistani novelist who writes in Urdu, said participating in such events is crucial as it allows one to connect with writers from diverse backgrounds, languages, and regions. 

Iqbal will also attend the May 3 session with Siddique as a panelist. 

“Although Pakistani fiction is of high quality, it has not garnered significant recognition on the global stage, so participating in such events can address this issue,” Iqbal told Arab News. 

Shazia Ali Khan, a UAE-based Urdu film screenplay writer, said such events provided an opportunity for writers to challenge preconceived notions about their country, its culture, and the role of women within it.

“So it is almost like an ambassadorial or diplomatic mission, where just us being there and speaking our minds may or may not remove any notions in people’s minds about where we come from, what our culture is, and how empowered the women are,” Khan told Arab News.

Khan stressed that Pakistani writers should ensure their literary works are translated so that they reach a wider audience, noting how most literary works originating from Pakistan were in Urdu language. 

“In the absence of good translations and the proper sort of publishing houses backing all of this up to get to the end user is a bit difficult,” Khan pointed out. 

Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE, said the country’s participation in the event is a testament to the rich literary heritage and vibrant intellectual discourse that it possesses.

“This representation not only showcases the diversity and creativity of Pakistani literature but also fosters meaningful cultural exchanges on a global platform,” he told Arab News.

By engaging in such events, Tirmizi said Pakistan played a crucial role in promoting cross-cultural understanding, fostering dialogue, and building bridges of friendship and cooperation between nations.

Topics: Abu Dhabi Book Fair Pakistan writers

Hindu pilgrimage begins at Kashmir site where April attack triggered brief war with Pakistan

Updated 4 sec ago
AFP
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Hindu pilgrimage begins at Kashmir site where April attack triggered brief war with Pakistan

  • Last year, half a million devotees took part in the Amarnath pilgrimage to a cave above the town of Pahalgam
  • Pahalgam is site where April 22 attack killed 26 tourists, unleashing brief but intense war with neighboring Pakistan
Updated 4 sec ago
AFP

PAHALGAM, India: Hindus began a vast month-long pilgrimage in contested Indian Kashmir on Thursday, with many of the faithful starting from near the site where a deadly April attack triggered conflict with Pakistan.

Last year, half a million devotees took part in the Amarnath pilgrimage to a sacred ice pillar located in a cave in the forested Himalayan hills above the town of Pahalgam.

Pahalgam is the site where gunmen on April 22 killed 26 mostly Hindu tourists.

New Delhi said the gunmen were backed by Pakistan, claims Islamabad rejected — triggering a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures that escalated into a four-day conflict.

It was the worst standoff by the nuclear-armed nations since 1999, with more than 70 people killed in missile, drone and artillery fire on both sides, before a May 10 ceasefire.

But pilgrim Muneshwar Das Shashtri, who traveled from Uttar Pradesh state, told AFP “there is no fear of any kind.”

“Our army is standing guard everywhere. No one can raise a finger toward us,” he said.

India has ramped up security for the event, deploying 45,000 troops with high-tech surveillance tools overseeing the grueling trek to reach the high-altitude cave, dedicated to the Hindu deity of destruction Shiva.

“We have multi-layered and in-depth security arrangements so that we can make the pilgrimage safe and smooth for the devotees,” said VK Birdi, police chief for the Muslim-majority territory.

At Pahalgam, soldiers have turned a tented base camp into a fortress encircled by razor wire.

Troops in newly deployed armored cars, or from gun positions behind sandbags, keep a close watch — efforts boosted by facial recognition cameras.

“High-quality surveillance cameras have been installed at all major points along the route,” said Manoj Sinha, the Indian-appointed top administrator for Jammu and Kashmir.

All pilgrims must be registered and travel in guarded vehicle convoys, until they start out to walk.

Camouflaged bunkers have been erected in the forests along the route, where dozens of makeshift kitchens provide free food.

Electronic radio cards pinpoint their location.

Pilgrims can take several days to reach the cave, perched at 3,900 meters (12,800 feet) high, around 30 kilometers (18 miles) uphill from the last easily motorable track.

“Whatever the attack that was carried out here, I am not afraid. I have come to get a glimpse of baba (the ice formation)” said Ujwal Yadav, 29, from India’s Uttar Pradesh state, undertaking his first pilgrimage to the shrine.

“Such are the security arrangements here that no one can be hurt.”

Sinha has said that “public confidence is returning,” but admits that pilgrim registration had dipped by 10 percent this year.

Once a modest, little-known ritual, attended by only a few thousand mainly local devotees, the pilgrimage has grown since an armed insurgency erupted in 1989.

India’s government has since heavily promoted the annual event, which runs until August 9.

Rebels fighting against India’s control of Kashmir have said the pilgrimage is not a target, but have warned they would act if it was used to assert Hindu dominance.

In 2017, suspected rebels attacked a pilgrim bus, killing 11 people.

The gunmen who carried out the April 22 killings remain at large, despite the manhunt by security forces in Kashmir where India has half a million soldiers permanently deployed.

On June 22, India’s National Investigation Agency said two men had been arrested from the Pahalgam area who they said had “provided food, shelter and logistical support” to the gunmen.

Indian police have issued wanted notices for three of the gunmen, two of whom they said were Pakistani citizens. Pakistani has rejected the claim.

Topics: Pahalgam Kashmir Hindu pilgrimage

Pakistan PM orders doubling of digital payment targets to boost cashless economy

Updated 2 min 43 sec ago
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Pakistan PM orders doubling of digital payment targets to boost cashless economy

  • Move aims to deepen transparency, widen tax net as mobile app users set to rise from 95-120 million
  • Government targets expansion of QR code usage, e-payments and Internet access across the country
Updated 2 min 43 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the doubling of all key digital economy targets, including mobile-based payments, QR code adoption, and overall transaction volumes, as part of Pakistan’s push to accelerate its transition to a cashless economy, his office said on Thursday.

The directive comes as authorities aim to increase mobile payment users from 95 million to 120 million, and QR code-enabled merchants from 0.9 million to 2 million. The total value of digital transactions is expected to rise from Rs7.5 billion ($26.9 million) to Rs12 billion ($43 million), according to figures shared in a meeting chaired by Sharif on Thursday. A statement released after the discussions did not provide a timeline for meeting these targets.

Sharif said the targets were not ambitious enough and must be doubled across the board to match the scale of Pakistan’s digital transformation agenda.

“A digital transaction system is essential for bringing transparency to the economy,” Sharif said. “It is an urgent need of the hour to ease payments between citizens and businesses and raise awareness about the use of digital systems.”

Pakistan, a country of over 240 million people, has a vast informal economy and low tax compliance. The government has long identified digitization as a key tool to improve governance, reduce corruption, and expand the country’s narrow tax base.

Three committees — the Digital Payments Innovation and Adoption Committee, the Digital Public Infrastructure Committee, and the Government Payments Committee — have already been formed to oversee the transition. 

At Thursday’s meeting, Sharif directed the bodies to present “workable proposals in collaboration with all stakeholders,” the statement said.

The State Bank of Pakistan is developing strategies to simplify digital transactions for traders, including special incentive packages for small businesses. The government also plans to expand the use of digital mobile apps and improve access to digital public infrastructure.

Sharif was also briefed on new services set to launch soon, including e-stamping, as well as public Wi-Fi expansion across hospitals, schools, parks, government offices and metro lines in Islamabad.

He instructed officials to roll out these facilities across all federal territories, as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Topics: cashless payments Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif Digital payments

Pakistan issues fresh monsoon flood alert as deaths rises to 64 in over a week

Updated 03 July 2025
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Pakistan issues fresh monsoon flood alert as deaths rises to 64 in over a week

  • New rainfall system threatens Pothohar, central and southern Punjab, KP provinces 
  • NDMA warns of glacial floods, landslides as rivers expected to swell across country
Updated 03 July 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s disaster and weather authorities issued fresh flood warnings on Thursday as new monsoon rains are expected in parts of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, with the national death toll from rain-related incidents rising to 64 in just over a week.

A weather system is currently active over Chakwal, Talagang, and Mianwali districts and is expected to bring rain, wind and thunderstorms to areas including Khushab, Sargodha, Bhakkar, Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat in the next two to four hours, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in an advisory on Thursday morning.

“Public is advised to take precautionary measures during the weather activity accordingly,” the PMD said in a statement issued from its Islamabad office.

Separately, the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) also warned of a fresh spell of monsoon rains across the province from July 5 to 10, with heavy downpours expected to trigger flash flooding, especially in low-lying and river-adjacent districts.

“The second monsoon spell will begin from July 5 across Punjab,” the PDMA said in an alert, listing expected rains in Rawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Chakwal, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, and D.G. Khan among other districts. 

“All relevant departments have been issued preemptive alerts on the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz,” it added.

The warning comes as Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that at least 64 people, including 45 children and 31 women, had been killed and over 113 injured in rain-related incidents since June 26.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province accounted for 22 deaths, followed by Punjab with 21, Sindh with 15, and Balochistan with five, the NDMA said.

The authority has issued impact-based alerts highlighting the risk of urban flooding, flash floods, landslides and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) across northern regions like Gilgit-Baltistan and KP as well as hill torrents in DG Khan and Rajanpur.

“The National Emergencies Operation Center has issued multiple alerts in light of forecasted severe weather conditions expected from 2nd to 8th July 2025,” the NDMA said.

In the country’s mountainous north, especially in Gilgit-Baltistan, high temperatures have accelerated glacier melt, compounding the risk of sudden floods and landslides in narrow valleys and near vulnerable glacial lakes, the authority added.

“Tourists are advised against visiting high-altitude and glacial regions during this period,” the NDMA warned, instructing municipal and district administrations to clear stormwater drains, activate emergency response teams and prepare for possible evacuations.

Pakistan, home to over 240 million people, is consistently ranked among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. In 2022, record-breaking monsoon rains and glacier melt caused catastrophic floods that affected 33 million people and killed more than 1,700.

In its alert on Thursday, the PDMA specifically warned of urban flooding in northern and central Punjab, while the PMD warned of localized thunderstorms and strong winds hitting key agricultural and urban districts over the next 48 hours.

The authorities have urged the public to stay indoors during thunderstorms, avoid unnecessary travel and keep children away from electricity poles and waterlogged areas.

For emergencies, the PDMA advised citizens to contact its helpline 1129.

Topics: Pakistan Monsoon Floods Flood Alert NDMA

Pakistani’s Bioniks fits first prosthetic limb on Gaza child survivor Sidra

Updated 03 July 2025
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Pakistani’s Bioniks fits first prosthetic limb on Gaza child survivor Sidra

  • Pakistani startup provides arm to young girl through Jordan partnership as part of Gaza amputee support mission
  • Founded in Karachi, Bioniks specializes in low-cost, customizable prosthetics using 3D printing and smart sensors
Updated 03 July 2025
Hasaan Ali Khan

KARACHI: Pakistani health-tech Bioniks has successfully fitted its first prosthetic limb in Gaza for a young girl injured in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the firm said on social media on Thursday, marking the start of its broader effort to support amputees in the besieged territory.

The company said the fitting was made possible through its partnership with Mafaz, Bioniks’ official collaborator in Jordan. The recipient, Sidra, lost her arm during the war and now becomes the first beneficiary of Bioniks’ long-term humanitarian initiative aimed at war victims in Gaza.

“This marks the beginning of Bioniks’ mission to support amputees in Gaza,” the company said in a statement posted to X on Thursday, adding that Sidra’s journey “reflects the resilience of so many in Gaza.”

Bioniks said it hopes to give survivors “mobility, confidence, hope, dignity, and independence ... in a place where conflict has taken so much.”

Bioniks did not specify how many Gaza patients it plans to support or the timeline for future fittings but said its mission will be sustained and scaled in coordination with regional partners.

Founded in Karachi, Bioniks specializes in low-cost, customizable prosthetics using 3D printing and smart sensors. It has gained international recognition for its work with children and war survivors across Pakistan, and has begun expanding its outreach to conflict zones in the region.

The latest war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas carried out a cross-border attack on Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages according to Israeli tallies. Israel has since been carrying out a devastating air and ground assault on Gaza, whose health ministry says the offensive has killed over 56,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and tens of thousands more have been injured. The fighting has displaced nearly 80 percent of the population and decimated the strip’s already fragile health infrastructure.

Aid organizations have widely reported a growing number of amputations, especially among children, due to Israeli airstrikes and the collapse of trauma care. UNICEF estimates that between 3,000 and 4,000 children in Gaza have had one or more limbs amputated. The besieged enclave is now home to more child amputees per inhabitant than anywhere else in the world.

Bioniks said its goal is to reach more children and adults in Gaza with personalized prosthetic limbs and follow-up care.

“Bioniks believes that no one should be left behind when it comes to mobility and dignity,” the company said in the press release. “Through this initiative, our goal is to reach more children and adults affected by war with customized prosthetic limbs and long-term care.”

The company has previously worked with Pakistani hospitals and rehabilitation centers to provide smart prosthetics to underprivileged children and adults, often using crowd-funding and donor support to cover costs.

Topics: Pakistan BIONIKS Gaza Palestinne Prosthetic limbs

Pakistan central bank reserves rise to $14.51 billion, surpass IMF target

Updated 03 July 2025
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Pakistan central bank reserves rise to $14.51 billion, surpass IMF target

  • Forex reserves surge by over $5 billion in FY25, import cover and debt metrics improve
  • Reserves bolstered by exports, remittances, and investment and not new borrowing
Updated 03 July 2025
Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank foreign exchange reserves rose to $14.51 billion by the end of June, an increase of $5.12 billion over the previous fiscal year, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Wednesday, marking a key milestone as the country closed out its 2024-25 financial year.

The new figure exceeds the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) June 2025 reserves target under Pakistan’s ongoing $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF), and reflects a significant turnaround in the country’s external account after years of balance-of-payments stress.

Pakistan’s forex reserves stood at $9.39 billion at the end of FY24, and have now climbed to their highest level since early 2018. The increase also pushes Pakistan’s import cover — a key indicator of external sector strength — to 2.5 months, up from 1.7 months a year ago and less than one month during the 2022-23 crisis period.

The rise in reserves was driven largely by non-debt inflows, including improved exports, growth in IT services, higher foreign direct investment, and record remittances from overseas Pakistanis, according to government finance adviser Khurram Schehzad.

“Reserves rising. Debt falling. Stability strengthening,” Schehzad posted on X, formerly Twitter, noting that the central bank’s reserves now exceed the IMF’s end-June target.

He added that the debt-to-GDP ratio has declined from 75 percent in FY23 to an estimated 69 percent in FY25, reflecting improved macroeconomic management.

Pakistan entered FY25 facing a challenging external financing outlook, with over $20 billion in debt repayments due during the year. However, a combination of improved current account discipline, fiscal consolidation, and bilateral inflows helped ease pressure on the rupee and shore up confidence in the central bank’s position.

Pakistan’s economy grew an estimated 2.4 percent in FY25, up from 0.3 percent in the previous fiscal year, as inflation cooled and the rupee stabilized after a steep depreciation cycle in 2022-23. The IMF has encouraged Pakistan to maintain exchange rate flexibility and strengthen domestic revenue collection in order to ensure macroeconomic resilience.

The improvement in external buffers is likely to boost investor sentiment at a time when the government is stepping up efforts to attract foreign direct investment and privatize state-owned enterprises.

Further inflows, particularly from Gulf countries and China, are expected in the first half of FY26, which could help Pakistan meet its gross financing needs without resorting to expensive commercial borrowing.

Despite the progress, risks remain. Pakistan’s external debt servicing burden remains high, and its ability to maintain reserve adequacy will depend on continued inflows and fiscal discipline.

Still, the end-June reserve level marks a notable turnaround from just two years ago when Pakistan was on the brink of default and foreign reserves had fallen below $4 billion, barely enough for three weeks of imports.

With reserves now exceeding $14.5 billion, the country has gained critical breathing space to manage its external obligations and restore market confidence.

Topics: Pakistan State Bank of Pakistan Pakistan's central bank reserves Pakistan's economy

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