KARACHI: Saudi oil giant, Aramco, has completed the acquisition of a 40 percent stake in Gas & Oil Pakistan Ltd. (GO), Aramco said on Friday, officially marking the Saudi company’s entry into Pakistan’s fuel retail market.
Aramco is a global integrated energy and chemicals company that produces approximately one in every eight barrels of the world’s oil supply and develops cutting-edge energy technologies, while GO is involved in the procurement, storage, sale, and marketing of petroleum products and lubricants. GO is also one of Pakistan’s largest retail and storage companies.
The Saudi oil giant signed the agreement to acquire stake in GO in Dec. 2023, which was approved by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) last month. The acquisition represents Aramco’s first downstream retail investment in Pakistan and signals the company’s growing retail presence in high-value markets.
“Our global retail expansion is gaining pace and this acquisition is an important next step on our journey. Through our strategic partnership with GO, we look forward to supplying Aramco’s high-quality products and services to valued customers in Pakistan,” Yasser Mufti, Aramco’s executive vice president of products and customers, was quoted as saying in an Aramco statement.
“We are also delighted to welcome another high-caliber addition to Aramco’s growing network of global partners, and look forward to combining our resources and expertise to unlock new opportunities and further grow the Aramco brand overseas.”
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as the top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.
In February 2019, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia inked investment deals totaling $21 billion during the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Islamabad. The agreements included about $10 billion for an Aramco oil refinery and $1 billion for a petrochemical complex at the strategic Gwadar Port in Balochistan.
Both countries have lately been working to increase bilateral trade and investment, and the Kingdom recently reaffirmed its commitment to expedite an investment package worth $5 billion.
Saudi Aramco completes acquisition of 40% stake in Gas & Oil Pakistan
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Saudi Aramco completes acquisition of 40% stake in Gas & Oil Pakistan
- The Saudi oil giant signed the agreement to acquire stake in GO in Dec. 2023, which was approved by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) last month
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia have lately been working to increase bilateral trade and investment, and the Kingdom recently reaffirmed expediting $5 billion investment
Gilgit authorities cull over 1,000 stray dogs after fatal attacks, sparking activist outcry
- Officials say over 10 people have lost their lives, several others have been injured due to dog bites
- Animal rights activists argue no matter how many dogs are killed, others will soon move in to fill the void
KHAPLU, Gilgit-Baltistan: In response to recent canine attacks that claimed over 10 lives, authorities in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region have launched an operation, killing more than 1,000 stray dogs, sparking a debate as animal rights activists denounce the culling as inhumane, officials confirmed on Saturday.
Stray dog culling has long been a contentious issue across Pakistan, particularly in major cities like Karachi and Islamabad, where authorities routinely target stray animals to prevent rabies outbreaks and dog attacks. However, animal rights groups argue that these efforts are cruel and advocate for alternative methods such as mass vaccination and sterilization.
The authorities in GB have intensified the dog culling exercise in Gilgit city after its residents complained of being attacked by them.
“Due to a surge in dog attacks, we have launched the operation and more than 1,000 dogs have been shot,” Iman Shah, special assistant to the chief minister, told Arab News over the phone.
“So far, more than 10 people have lost their live due to dog bites in Gilgit municipal area and over 20 were injured this month,” he added. “According to an estimate, the stray dog population in Gilgit is over 15,000. In all three hospitals of Gilgit, vaccine is available.”
The spokesperson for Municipal Committee of Gilgit, Mazhar Moghul, also confirmed the development.
“In Gilgit, women, school children, senior citizens and young people have come under attack by stray dogs,” he said. “To protect and save the lives of the citizens, we have launched the operation against stray dogs.
Moghul told Arab News over the phone that 10 teams had been constituted to kill the dogs and added that the shooting teams had been instructed not to target female animals.
When asked about the argument that it was cruel to kill these dogs, he said the authorities planned to introduce the “TNVR program,” which would trap, neuter, vaccinate and return the animals with the help of the government and private NGOs.
He acknowledged that the dog culling campaign had been ongoing throughout the year, but said it was intensified this month due to written public complaints about dog bites.
Speaking to Arab News, Dr. Hussain Ali, who works with the Snow Leopard Foundation, said stray dogs play a vital role in the ecosystem.
“They contribute to the ecosystem as scavengers by feeding on dead animals, often found in garbage dumps,” he said. “They also act as predators, preying on mice and other animals that can be harmful to humans and crops. Additionally, dogs assist in the dispersion of seeds through their feces, promoting plant diversity.”
Mahera Omar of the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society also criticized the GB authorities for the dog culling campaign.
“Killing dogs in Gilgit is an inhumane and ineffective way to deal with rabies, dog bites or the stray population,” she told Arab News. “No matter how many dogs are killed, others soon move into the area to fill the void, and the cycle of cruelty continues.”
She said Pakistan needed to add rabies awareness to its public health priorities.
“Globally, the strategic goal of nations is to shift focus to mass vaccination of dogs and increased access to post-exposure prophylaxis for humans in order to eliminate dog-mediated rabies by 2030,” she added. “Such an effort requires political will, resources and, of course, good management.”
Omar urged Pakistanis to lobby the government to implement a humane and effective national rabies program to join the ranks of progressive and compassionate nations.
Pakistani diplomat at UN accuses India of sponsoring militants, mistreating minorities
- Pakistan says India’s ‘terrorist franchise has gone global,’ targeting political dissidents in North America
- Pakistani diplomat issued the statement after India accused his country of hosting Al Qaeda founder
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani diplomat at the United Nations responded to India’s assertions against his country on Saturday, accusing New Delhi of sponsoring armed factions targeting Pakistani civilians and mistreating religious minorities.
The riposte came after an Indian diplomat exercised the Right of Reply following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s United Nations General Assembly speech, which was critical of New Delhi.
The Indian diplomat said Pakistan was “run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism,” yet it had “the audacity to attack the world’s largest democracy.”
She also maintained that Islamabad had pursued a policy of “cross-border terrorism” against her country and had “hosted Osama bin Laden” for a long time.
“India continues to sponsor [terrorist] activities not only against Pakistan but also in other countries,” Muhammad Faheem, Third Secretary at the Pakistan Mission, told the world body.
“For decades, India has been the primary perpetrator, supporter and financer of terrorism,” he continued. “India’s sponsorship of terrorist organizations, such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and the Balochistan Liberation Army, has led to the loss of thousands of innocent Pakistani lives.”
Faheem said his country had shared evidence of Indian activities with the international community.
“Now, the Indian terrorist franchise has gone global, with assassinations and attempted murders of political dissidents on North American soil,” he added.
Pakistan has long accused India of sponsoring the anti-Pakistan militant factions which New Delhi has dismissed in the past.
India also faced diplomatic pressure due to its suspected involvement in the murder of a Sikh dissident in North America, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was based in Canada and was a prominent leader of the separatist Khalistan movement.
Nijjar was killed last year in June, and Canada publicly accused India of being involved in his assassination, sparking a diplomatic row between the two countries.
The United States also urged India to cooperate with Canada’s investigation into the murder.
The situation further complicated for New Delhi after an attempted assassination was of another Sikh dissident was reported, this time in the US.
The Pakistani diplomat also highlighted Indian “occupation” of Kashmir and said it had unleashed a “reign of terror” against its minorities.
Prime Minister Sharif had also criticized India for running a “settler-colonial project” in the disputed Himalayan territory by seizing Kashmiri lands and properties and trying to change the demographics of the Muslim-majority region.
So far, India has not responded to the Pakistani diplomat’s statement.
Ex-PM Khan’s party calls off Rawalpindi protest after clashes with police
- PTI claims the Punjab police resorted to violence, fired rubber bullets on peaceful protesters
- Police in Rawalpindi deny use of rubber bullets, calling it ‘propaganda’ against the law enforcers
ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party called off its protest in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Saturday after police fired tear gas during the day to disperse hundreds of supporters and cut off the power supply at the demonstration site in the evening.
Security was intensified, with shipping containers placed at the entry and exit points of Rawalpindi to prevent PTI sympathizers from entering the city. The party seeks to build public pressure on the government for the ex-premier’s release, who has been in jail for over a year and has faced charges ranging from treason to corruption.
PTI is also protesting the government’s proposed constitutional amendments, which it claims are designed to suppress judicial independence, an allegation the government denies.
Video clips on social media showed police firing tear gas at supporters to prevent them from reaching Rawalpindi. Later, authorities cut power to the protest area to halt the possibility of a major demonstration.
“The protest has been called off due to the injuries and the violence that has been done by the Punjab police,” Zulfi Bukhari, a former federal minister and close aide of Khan, said while expressing gratitude to the protesters.
Referring to the protests that broke out on May 9, 2023, after the former premier’s brief arrest in a graft case in which people holding PTI flags vandalized government buildings and military properties, he maintained the party did not want its workers blamed again for any violence or destruction of public property.
Bukhari claimed the police used rubber bullets on peaceful protesters.
“We understand the scheming that is going on and we understand what’s going to be tried to do against us,” he added.
Speaking to Arab News, Inspector Sajjad-ul-Hassan, spokesperson of the Rawalpindi police, justified the used of tear gas to “disperse violent protesters.”
“They were pelting stones on the cops deployed in the city,” he said.
Asked if the law enforcement personnel also used rubber bullets, he denied in the negative.
“This is just a propaganda against the police,” he added.
Authorities had blocked all major entry and exit points of the city ahead of the protest, making it difficult for people to commute. A day earlier, the Punjab Home Department issued a notification imposing Section 144, a legal provision that bans gatherings of four or more people.
Apart from Rawalpindi, the ban was also enforced in the nearby cities of Jhelum, Chakwal and Attock.
‘SECTION 804’
Earlier, the top PTI leaders vowed to continue with their protest despite the government’s attempts to defeat their plan.
“God willing, you will see what will happen today,” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who belongs to Khan’s party, told reporters from inside his car, leading a convoy of hundreds of charged up supporters toward Rawalpindi, earlier in the day.
“Section 804 has been imposed across Pakistan,” he shouted, referring to the prisoner identification number assigned to Khan when he was first arrested in August last year.
PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai uploaded a video on social media in which a thick cloud of smoke is visible in the background.
“You can see that they have started shelling at Attock,” Yousafzai said. “They are shelling unarmed citizens. But God willing, they will not be able to stop us.”
Addressing the situation in a media talk, Senator Talal Chaudhry of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party said protest was everyone’s right, but “we will not allow violence and disruption in the name of protest.”
He also questioned the rationale behind the protest at a time when the country’s macroeconomic indicators are looking up.
“Is this protest taking place because inflation has come down in Pakistan from 37 percent to 9 percent,” he asked. “Is this protest taking place because Pakistan’s stock exchange has reached from 40,000 to 80,000 points?”
He wondered why did “armed people from other provinces” come to Punjab to protest.
“This is not a protest but an attempt to generate violence,” he added. “They want to create such circumstances where people once again talk about default in Pakistan. Once again, the poor have nothing to eat [and] Pakistan moves toward chaos again. We won’t let such attempts by these people succeed.”
Prior to that, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari addressed a news conference in Lahore, warning protesters of stern action if they took law into their own hands.
“Section 144 has been imposed in Rawalpindi and Rangers have been deployed also,” Bokhari warned. “And today if anyone tries to interfere in peace and security, if anyone tries to take the law into their hands, tries to block streets or public squares, then the law will deal with them with an iron fist.”
Pakistan, regional states express concern over rising militant threat from Afghanistan
- The Quadrilateral Group of Pakistan, China, Iran and Russia discuss Afghanistan’s situation on UNGA’s sidelines
- Participants agree on continued engagement with Afghan Taliban, vow close coordination among themselves
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif attended the Quadrilateral Group meeting of Pakistan, China, Iran and Russia to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, with participants expressing concern over the emerging threat of militancy from the post-war country, said an official statement on Saturday.
The group was formed after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 to coordinate efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and address security, migration and economic challenges in the region. Its key focus is promoting regional peace, stability and connectivity by involving Afghanistan.
Last year, the Quadrilateral Group held a meeting in Uzbekistan, while the latest gathering of the four countries took place on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
“The participants of the meeting expressed concern over the security challenges emanating from the territory of Afghanistan, particularly the terrorism threat and called on the Afghan interim government to fight terrorism and eliminate all terrorist groups and prevent Afghan territory from being used against its neighbors, the region and beyond,” the statement said.
“The meeting also emphasized the importance of engagement with Afghanistan and to continue close coordination between the four countries to strengthen regional efforts for the normalization of situation in Afghanistan and addressing its various challenges in a comprehensive manner,” it added.
Among the four regional states, Pakistan has voiced the most concern over the rise in militant violence, which it attributes to armed factions reportedly operating from Afghanistan.
Last year, officials in Islamabad accused the administration in Kabul of “facilitating” armed groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), before initiating a deportation drive against Afghan immigrants, leading to the expulsion of over 700,000 individuals.
Afghan authorities deny any involvement in Pakistan’s security issues and have opposed Pakistan’s decision to expel its citizens.
The TTP has also targeted Chinese nationals working on energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan.
In March this year, Russia reported a major militant attack near Moscow, in which operatives associated with Daesh’s Khorasan chapter, based in Afghanistan, killed 145 people and injured over 550.
Iran has similarly raised concerns about security and diplomatic challenges under the Afghan Taliban administration in the past.
There have been broader concerns about Afghanistan becoming a hub for transnational militancy, with recent UN reports underscoring the issue.
Six dead as Mari Petroleum helicopter crashes in Pakistan’s North Waziristan
- Police say the incident happened due to technical fault, with no evidence of sabotage
- The helicopter was flown by Russian pilots, two of whom have reportedly lost their lives
PESHAWAR: A charter helicopter belonging to Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) crashed in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday after developing a technical fault, killing six people, including two foreigners, and injuring eight other crew members, police said.
Mari Petroleum is a leading Pakistani oil and gas company, primarily involved in the exploration, development and sale of hydrocarbons. The company’s principal activities include oil and gas drilling, along with providing energy solutions to the local market.
Rohanzeb Khan, a senior police official, said the crash took place in Pakistan’s restive North Waziristan that shares a border with Afghanistan and has experienced significant security challenges.
“The helicopter crashed near the Shawa Oil Field, a remote hilly area in the North Waziristan tribal district,” he told Arab News over the phone while confirming the death toll. “Initial information suggests the cause of the crash was a technical fault and no evidence of sabotage was found.”
“There were two to three foreigners onboard the helicopter but their identity is yet to be confirmed,” he added.
According to a statement released by the petroleum company, the helicopter was flown by three Russian pilots and carrying 11 passengers when the crash took place due to engine failure.
According to the Associated Press, two of the pilots have also lost their lives.
“The helicopter’s tail rotor hit the ground while making an emergency landing,” the police official said while sharing details of the crash.
However, he said further investigations were underway to ascertain the facts related to the incident.
Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where North Waziristan is located, expressed grief over the loss of “six precious human lives” in the crash, directing the district administration to ensure prompt medical treatment to those wounded in the mishap.
