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Pakistan identifies 13 sectors for priority investment after concluding PM’s ‘milestone’ China visit

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (left) meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, on June 7, 2024. (Government of Pakistan)
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Updated 09 June 2024
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Pakistan identifies 13 sectors for priority investment after concluding PM’s ‘milestone’ China visit

  • PM Shehbaz Sharif concluded China visit on Saturday which included meetings with Chinese business, political figures 
  • Both countries agree to promote cooperation in offshore oil and gas, mining, agriculture and digital communication sectors 
Updated 09 June 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government has identified 13 priority sectors for top Chinese companies to invest in to ensure Pakistan’s export-oriented growth, a joint statement issued by both countries after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China this week said. 

The Pakistani premier concluded his five-day “milestone” visit to China on Saturday, which included several high-profile meetings with top political and business leaders, after announcing plans to send 1,000 Pakistani students to a top Chinese agricultural facility for advanced training before his departure.
His engagements across various Chinese cities were aimed at upgrading the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), through which Beijing has pledged over $60 billion to the South Asian country. 
Sharif’s China visit took place at an important time for Islamabad, which has increasingly sought over the past couple of months to bolster its fragile economy by seeking foreign investments and enhanced regional connectivity with allies. During his time in Beijing, Sharif met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, who both reaffirmed their support for Pakistan’s efforts to become a regional hub of trade and connectivity.
“The Pakistani government identified 13 priority sectors for enhancing export-oriented industry and encouraged Chinese top companies in these sectors to make investments in Pakistan,” a joint statement issued by the foreign ministries of both countries said on Saturday. 
“The Chinese side welcomed Pakistan to expand exports to China.”
As per the joint statement, China reiterated its commitment to Pakistan’s industrialization and said it would encourage Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones. The two sides expressed their willingness to actively encourage Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan’s mining industry and strengthen the planning of mining industrial parks, including downstream mineral processing, the statement said. 
“The Chinese side expressed its willingness to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan in such areas as offshore oil and gas resources, and natural gas hydrate and Chinese companies to actively participate in the development of offshore oil and gas blocks of Pakistan,” the statement said. 
The statement said the two sides would carry out practical cooperation for modernizing agriculture in Pakistan in areas such as seed technology, crop cultivation, drip irrigation, prevention and control of animal and plant diseases. 
“Both countries agreed to strengthen development of the Pakistan-China digital information channel, and promote the integration of information and communication technology infrastructure and develop an innovation corridor through Pakistan,” the statement added. 
Pakistan and China also agreed to launch a new phase of energy cooperation by modernizing production, transmission and distribution systems to reduce line and other losses, the statement said. 

Topics: Pakistan China Ties

Militants kill young army cadet during evening prayers in northwest Pakistan

Updated 25 October 2024
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Militants kill young army cadet during evening prayers in northwest Pakistan

  • Incident occurred when 19-year-old Arif Ullah was visiting his hometown on leave
  • Military says the young PMA cadet fought back, saved worshippers during the attack 
Updated 25 October 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A 19-year-old cadet of the Pakistan Military Academy, on leave from training in Kakul, was killed by militants on Friday while attending evening prayers at his hometown mosque in northwest Pakistan, according to a statement from the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The incident occurred in Lakki Marwat, a volatile district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, where militants from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have frequently targeted police precincts and checkpoints, killing several law enforcement personnel.
Pakistan’s western provinces of KP and Balochistan, which share borders with Afghanistan, have seen an increase in militant violence in recent months. While the armed factions operating in these regions pursue distinct political agendas, Pakistani officials assert they collaborate on certain operations.
Islamabad has also accused Afghan authorities of “facilitating” these groups, whose leadership is reportedly based across the border, to launch attacks in its territory. Afghan officials, however, deny these claims, saying that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter.
“On 25 October 2024, Khwarij [militants] attacked a Mosque in District Lakki Marwat during Maghrib [evening] Prayers,” the ISPR said in its statement. “Gentleman Cadet Arif Ullah (under training at Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul & on leave at his hometown), was also present there, offering prayers in the same Mosque.”
“As soon as Khwarij started firing, he immediately responded and fought the khwarij bravely,” the statement added. “However, during the incident, Gentleman Cadet Arif Ullah (Age 19 years) embarced Shahadat [martyrdom] sacrificing his life, while saving many innocent lives of worshippers.”
The ISPR said such acts of attacking worshippers in mosques reflected the ideology of the militants.
It also noted that the young cadet’s spirit of sacrifice also showed the dedication of Pakistani security forces who wanted to eliminate militant violence from the country.

Topics: Pakistan Army ISPR LAKKI MARWAT

Pakistan, Bangladesh agree to strengthen strategic cooperation at Samoa meeting

Updated 25 October 2024
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Pakistan, Bangladesh agree to strengthen strategic cooperation at Samoa meeting

  • Ishaq Dar meets Bangladesh’s foreign affairs adviser on the sidelines of Commonwealth conference
  • The two sides agree to enhance high-level dialogue, discuss trade and cultural exchanges
Updated 25 October 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bangladesh agreed to enhance high-level dialogue and strengthen strategic cooperation on Friday, as Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar met with Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Muhammad Touhid Hossain, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.
Relations between the two countries have mostly remained uneasy since 1971, when Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan following a violent war. Tensions particularly deepened under the tenure of Sheikh Hasina Wajid, daughter of Bangladesh’s founding leader. However, the downfall of her administration in a popular uprising this year has opened the door for improved cooperation, with both nations signaling a renewed focus on economic ties and diplomatic engagement.
“Deputy Prime Minister Dar and Adviser for Foreign Affairs Hossain agreed to advance high-level dialogue and cooperation between Pakistan and Bangladesh, particularly in the areas of trade, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people contacts,” Pakistan’s foreign office announced in a post on X, formerly Twitter, after the meeting.
“Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation at various multilateral fora,” it added.


Dar’s meeting with the Bangladeshi official comes after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s interaction with the top interim administration official in Dhaka, Muhammad Yunus, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September.
During this meeting, they discussed various aspects of bilateral cooperation and exchanged pleasantries, marking a notable diplomatic engagement between the two nations following the change of political dispensation in Bangladesh.

Topics: Pakistan Bangladesh Ties Ishaq Dar

Government, opposition trade blame after attack on van carrying political prisoners in Pakistan

Updated 25 October 2024
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Government, opposition trade blame after attack on van carrying political prisoners in Pakistan

  • Information minister accuses Imran Khan’s party of making ‘botched attempt’ to free its supporters
  • Khan’s PTI blames the government of orchestrating the attack with police help to discredit the party
Updated 25 October 2024
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: A war of words erupted between the government and Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Friday, shortly after three prison vans came under attack on the outskirts of Islamabad, with both sides accusing each other of orchestrating the incident, allegedly aimed at freeing 82 PTI prisoners.
The incident occurred near the Sangjani Toll Plaza on the historic Grand Trunk Road between Islamabad and Taxila as PTI workers, arrested during recent protests in the federal capital, were being transported back to Attock Jail after a court appearance.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar condemned the incident in a televised statement, blaming the PTI and its “history of violence” for the incident, while a PTI spokesperson accused the government of orchestrating the attack to discredit the party.
“The attack on the prisoner vans was a premeditated action,” the minister said.
“When the prison van slowed down near Sangjani Toll Plaza, armed workers in four vehicles attacked and attempted to free the 82 prisoners,” he added. “But all 19 escapees have been apprehended.”
Tarar claimed the son of a PTI lawmaker in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province was part of the plan and had been taken into custody. He noted that the attackers were equipped with weapons and shot at the police during the “botched attempt” to free the prisoners.
“Strict action will be taken,” he said. “Arrests will be made, and an example will be set so that no one attempts such an escape again.”
A PTI spokesperson, Shaikh Waqas Akram, however, said in a video clip the police broke the windows of the prison vans, opened their doors and forced all prisoners to step out.
“Police pushed them to run, but the PTI prisoners refused to escape,” he maintained.
In response, the information minister called the party’s narrative “laughable.”
“It sounds like a movie story where the police open the door and say, ‘Run away, we are setting you free,’ and then vandalize everything themselves,” he said. “All the CCTV footage [of the incident] is available.”
Tarar said the police were interrogating the arrested suspect to trace the mastermind of the incident, adding that the writ of the state would be enforced at all costs.
Earlier, local media reports said the attackers shot at the tires of the prison vans, causing them to burst.
Pakistan has witnessed significant political turbulence since the ouster of ex-premier Khan in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022.
The former PM has been imprisoned for over a year on various charges, including corruption and sedition, which his party claims are politically motivated to sideline him from the national political landscape.
PTI has held demonstrations and rallies to pressure the government and secure his release. The latest protests in the capital, which led to the arrests of its workers and provincial lawmakers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, were also part of the same campaign.

Topics: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party islamabad police

Pakistan PM optimistic about economic progress as stock market breaches 90,000 points

Updated 25 October 2024
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Pakistan PM optimistic about economic progress as stock market breaches 90,000 points

  • Shehbaz Sharif says the $7 billion long-term IMF facility will further bring improvement to the economy
  • He says the stock market has surged by 36 percent since March, reflecting gradual financial stability
Updated 25 October 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed optimism about further economic improvements in Pakistan, citing the positive impact of a $7 billion loan facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), after the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) crossed the historic 90,000-mark earlier in the day.
The KSE-100 index surged 1,141 points, or 1.25 percent, to reach an all-time high of 90,087 during intra-day trading before closing just below the milestone at 89,993.96 points, up by 1,047.98 points, or 1.16 percent, from the previous close. Analysts attributed the bullish sentiment to rising investor confidence, reflecting improvements in the country’s economic indicators.
The prime minister also highlighted the market’s performance as a reflection of his administration’s economic policies since assuming power after the February 8 general elections this year.
“By the grace of Allah, the gradual rise in the stock market since March 2024 reflects investors’ confidence in the government’s policies,” said Sharif in a statement. “This sharp rise in the stock market, after 14 years, is a result of the tireless efforts of the economic team.”
“The $7 billion long-term facility from the IMF will bring further improvement to the economy,” he added.
Sharif noted that his administration’s economic measures, including a reduction in the inflation rate from 38 percent to 6.9 percent, have set the country on a path of sustained recovery.
He also highlighted that the PSX had surged by 36 percent since March, reflecting gradual financial stability.
“I am hopeful that in the coming days, there will be more good news regarding economic improvements,” he added.

Topics: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) PM Shehbaz Sharif

England reeling at 24-3 in series-deciding third Test after gritty Shakeel century

Updated 25 October 2024
AFP
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England reeling at 24-3 in series-deciding third Test after gritty Shakeel century

  • Saud Shakeel’s 134 runs brought Pakistan close to a first home Test series win since February 2021
  • England need 53 runs to avoid an innings defeat with seven wickets in hand and three days left to play
Updated 25 October 2024
AFP

RAWALPINDI: Spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali left England reeling at 24-3 after Saud Shakeel’s fighting hundred put Pakistan ahead in the series-deciding third Test in Rawalpindi on Friday.
England came in looking to erase a deficit of 77 but had no answers for the Pakistan spinners on a turning pitch.
Sajid dismissed Ben Duckett for 12 and Noman Ali removed Zak Crawley (two) and Ollie Pope (one) in the space of five runs.
When bad light ended the second day’s play with five overs remaining, Joe Root and Harry Brook were at the crease on five and three respectively.

Pakistan's Sajid Khan appeals successful LBW out of England's Ben Duckett during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi on October 25, 2024. (AP)

England still need 53 runs to avoid an innings defeat with seven wickets in hand and three days left to play.
The series is tied at 1-1 after England won the first Test by an innings and 47 runs while Pakistan took the second by 152 runs, both in Multan.
On another day dominated by spin, Shakeel’s brilliant 134 was the highlight, pulling Pakistan within touching distance of a first home Test series win since they defeated South Africa in February 2021.
Shakeel anchored Pakistan’s innings, lifting them from a precarious 177-7 to 344 all out.
The left-hander held Pakistan’s innings together with a gritty knock spread over 322 minutes and 223 balls, hitting just five boundaries.

England's Ollie Pope reacts as he walks off the field after his dismissal during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi on October 25, 2024. (AP)

Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed was the pick of the England bowlers with 4-66 while Shoaib Bashir finished with 3-129.
The 29-year-old Shakeel defied England with an eighth wicket stand of 88 alongside Noman who made 45 before falling in the final over ahead of the tea break to spinner Bashir.
Shakeel added another 72 for the ninth wicket with Sajid who scored an unbeaten career-best 48.
Shakeel was finally caught off a miscued pull off pacer Gus Atkinson while Ahmed dismissed the last man Zahid Mahmood for nought.
The visitors looked to be in control when young spinner Ahmed bagged three quick wickets to leave Pakistan teetering at the end of the first session.

Pakistan's Sajid Khan, right, Noman Ali, second right and Mohammad Rizwan smiles as they walk off the field during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi on October 25, 2024. (AP)

England were eyeing a lead after Ahmed’s burst left Pakistan on 187-7 at lunch but the Shakeel-Noman stand turned those expectations into frustration.
Shakeel batted with composure and reached his fourth Test hundred with a single off Rehan in a resistance-packed innings.
Noman — surviving a leg-before decision on review and a dropped catch off Root — assisted Shakeel admirably, hitting a six and two fours as the duo helped Pakistan add 80 in the second session.
Rehan sent Mohammad Rizwan (25), Salman Agha (one) and Aamer Jamal (14) back to the pavilion and threatened to derail Pakistan.
England’s frontline spinners Jack Leach and Bashir could not extract the same sharp turn from the pitch as rival Sajid Khan, who took 6-128 on Thursday.
Pakistan resumed the day at 73-3 in search of a lead to press for a series win.
But Shakeel was the only batter able to continue after reaching double figures.

Topics: Pakistan vs England Rawalpindi Test

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