KETI BANDAR, Thatta: Fatima Hanif was just a teenager when she and her family sought refuge in Baghan, a town in the southern Pakistani district of Thatta, after a devastating sea storm hit their village, Hasan Utradi, near the Keti Bandar port in 1999. The storm claimed around 400 lives across the coastal belt in Pakistan’s Sindh province, depriving thousands of their homes and valuables.
In June last year, authorities issued an alert regarding Cyclone Biparjoy and Hanif, now in her 40s, rushed to the same town along with her husband and son to seek refuge. However, their village and the coastal belt of Sindh were largely spared this time, thanks to the expanded mangrove forests along the coastline in the southern Sindh province.
“Twenty-five years ago, when these [forests] weren’t here, our houses were flooded,” Hanif said, gesturing to the mangroves lining along her coastal village. “Now that these are here, our houses are saved, and we ourselves remain safe too.”
Hanif’s village lies in the Indus River Delta — a low, flat triangular piece of land where the river splits and spreads out into several branches before entering the Arabian sea. The Indus delta has 17 creeks starting from Qur’angi area in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi to Sir Creek on the Pakistan-India border to the east.
Spanning over 600,000 hectares, the Indus delta ranked as the sixth largest in the world and was flourishing around a century ago, with 260,000 hectares, or 40 percent of the area, covered in mangroves. But this cover drastically reduced to 80,000 hectares due to the low inflow of fresh water from the Indus River due to the construction of several dams and barrages, according to Riaz Ahmed Wagan, chief conservator of the Sindh Forest Department.
Due to this decline in flow of fresh water, Sindh forest authorities launched an extensive reforestation drive in the 1990s and planted harder, salt-tolerant mangrove species such as Avicennia marina, Aegiceras corniculatum, Rhizophora mucronata and Ceriops tagal. As a result, the Indus delta now boasts the largest arid climate mangrove forests in the world.
“From 260 [thousand hectares], it reduced to 80,000 [hectares] and now from 80,000 [hectares], we have currently made it up to 240,000 [hectares]. So, we are nearly about 33-34 percent of the overall delta,” Wagan told Arab News.
“We hope that at least 500,000 hectares in all can be restored through manmade efforts and we hope that by the year 2030 we will be able to reach that landmark.”
Currently, Sindh Forest Department workers have been planting mangrove propagules in a nursery near Keti Bandar, an ancient town that has been rebuilt several times after being submerged by seawater, according to Muhammad Khan Jamali, the Keti Bandar range forest officer.
“When the off-season [from October till February] arrives, we transport them from here to the plantation areas ahead, where they are planted,” Jamali told Arab News as he monitored the process in the nursery.
Ameer Ahmed leads a team of 150 workers who have been diligently planting 80,000 propagules a day in Dabo Creek, some 20 nautical miles from Keti Bandar.
“We lay down a rope and plant [propagules] at 10-feet intervals,” Ahmed told Arab News, placing a rope for his team to follow. “There are 150 of us and we plant 80,000 plants daily.”
The precise pattern, visible from a drone camera, highlights the effectiveness of this manmade effort to restore mangrove forests after decades of reduced freshwater inflow hindered their natural growth.
“Some have matured, some are still premature, and we are planting new saplings, so they are small,” Jamali said, explaining the difference in size of mangrove patches across the delta.
But the reduction water inflow was not the sole reason behind mangrove deforestation and the cutting of these plants for firewood also affected the forests in the Indus delta.
As vigilant forces ensure that no one cuts the plants, coastal communities have also been involved in efforts to protect the forests.
“Cutting of the mangroves is totally banned and we are actively monitoring through our personnel that no mangrove cutting should be undertaken,” said Captain Nehman, an officer of the Pakistan Navy.
He said the navy had partnered with the forest department and local police to protect the mangroves. “We are also engaging the local community to educate them about the importance of the mangroves because these are acting as the lungs of our ecosystem,” Nehman added.
Hanif, one of the aware citizens, said she doesn’t allow anyone near the mangroves close to her home.
“We don’t even let them touch these. Neither do we cut them ourselves, nor we let others do,” she said. “When a sea storm comes, it’s this very [plant] that saves us.”
In Pakistan’s Sindh, mangrove forests shield vulnerable coastal communities against sea storms, hurricanes
https://arab.news/w9weu
In Pakistan’s Sindh, mangrove forests shield vulnerable coastal communities against sea storms, hurricanes
- Indus River Delta in Pakistan, world’s sixth largest, spans 600,000 hectares and extends from Karachi to Sir Creek near Indian border
- Mangrove forests in delta have seen massive growth in two decades, recovering from severe reduction caused by decreased freshwater inflow
IMF Executive Board to meet on May 9 to review Pakistan’s loan programs
- IMF board’s approval of staff-level agreement with Pakistan will pave the way for disbursement of $1 billion
- Islamabad also secured a new loan program with IMF in March to help build resistance against natural disasters
KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Executive Board will meet on May 9 to review its staff-level agreement with Pakistan for an ongoing $7bn bailout program and a new climate resilience loan scheme with Islamabad, the global lender said on its website recently.
The IMF reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan in March on the first review of the country’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and a new $1.3 billion loan arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). Pakistan secured the EFF program last year and deems it crucial to escape a prolonged economic crisis. The staff-level agreement, once approved by the IMF Executive Board, will pave the way for an immediate disbursement of about $1 billion for Pakistan.
The RSF, on the other hand, will support Pakistan’s efforts in building resilience to natural disasters, enhancing budget and investment planning to promote climate adaptation, improve the efficient and productive use of water. It will also help in strengthening Pakistan’s climate information architecture to improve the disclosure of climate risks and align energy sector reforms with mitigation targets.
“May 9, 2025, Pakistan-first review under the extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility, request for Modification of Performance Criteria, and request for an arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility,” the IMF wrote on its website on Friday, disclosing its Executive Board’s schedule.
Pakistan has been prone to natural disasters and consistently ranks among the most severely affected countries in the world due to climate change effects. Unusually heavy rains and melting of glaciers in 2022 triggered flash floods across the country, killing over 1,700 people and inflicting losses over $33 billion.
The IMF program has played a key role in stabilizing Pakistan’s battered economy, which has made some gains in recent months, most notably a reduced inflation rate. The government has said the country is on course for a long-term recovery, while Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has vowed Islamabad will continue to implement financial reforms mandated by the international lender.
Pakistan secured the $7 billion loan program in September 2024 as it attempted to consolidate its economy since averting a default in 2023. Islamabad has since undertaken several reforms to reduce public debt, maintain low inflation, improve energy sector viability, and accelerate growth.
Pakistan hopes to achieve further economic progress by increasing its exports and attracting foreign investment from regional allies, particularly the Gulf countries. Islamabad has signed memoranda of association (MoUs) regarding trade and investment worth billions of dollars with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, China and other countries in recent months.
Kashmir attack unites political foes in India, Pakistan
- Analysts say domestically both sides could use the latest diplomatic crisis to generate political gains
- Pakistan’s largest opposition party backed anti-India resolution in Senate, ensuring it passed unanimously
ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan are exchanging fire over their de-facto border since the Kashmir attack, but in New Delhi and Islamabad political foes are coming together and looking to score points.
On April 22, gunmen killed 26 people in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, the disputed Himalayan region that has long been a dangerous thorn in relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
India accuses Pakistan of backing the perpetrators of the worst attack on civilians in years in Kashmir, an accusation rejected by Islamabad.
In addition to shooting over the Line of Control frontier in Kashmir, the two nations have exchanged diplomatic barbs, expelled citizens and ordered the border shut.
But while the world holds its breath over a possible escalation, analysts said that domestically both sides could use the crisis to generate political gains.
“New Delhi could use it to bolster its image as strong and confident and tough on terror,” said political scientist Michael Kugelman.
“Islamabad could use it to try to rally support for a civilian and military leadership that isn’t terribly popular at home,” Kugelman told AFP.
Pakistani opposition parties have in recent times become more openly critical of the military, which has long been heavily involved in politics and the economy.
But now the fallout of the Kashmir attack has “entirely diverted attention with one common enemy,” Pakistani political scientist Ayesha Siddiqa told AFP.
“When there is a fear of war, people show greater support for the army,” she said.
When the Senate voted on an anti-India resolution last week, jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party voted in favor, ensuring it passed unanimously.
Siddiqa said the party had no other choice or it would have been deemed unpatriotic.
“It is not about being with this installed government or the army, it is about standing against the enemy,” PTI’s spokesman Sheikh Waqas Akram said.
Information Minister Ataullah Tarar echoed the message: “We don’t speak as party members, we speak as Pakistanis.”
Likewise in India, Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party, usually a harsh critic of Modi, made a statement saying that the opposition was united in condemning the attack.
“Whatever steps the government wishes to take, we will fully support them,” Gandhi said.
“The intent behind this attack is to divide society and pit brother against brother,” he added.
“At such a time, it is extremely essential that every Indian remains united and stands together — so that we can foil this conspiracy of the terrorists.”
The youth wing of the Congress party has held rallies, waving the Indian flag and offering their support to Modi.
“I pray to God for the peace of those who lost their lives in this attack,” said Ravi Kumar, a member of the Indian Youth Congress, during a rally on Friday.
He called for “strong and decisive action. The people of the country and the opposition are standing firmly with you.”
Even members of India’s Muslim minority — portrayed as a Pakistani “fifth column” by some in Modi’s Hindu nationalist party — have got behind the government and taken aim at Pakistan.
“Remember, if you go into another country and kill innocent people, no country will remain silent,” said Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party (AIMIM).
On the Pakistani side, government officials and official media have presented the Kashmir attack as “fake and orchestrated by India.”
This message has been widely shared on social media in Pakistan, where disinformation is rife, has gone down well on the street.
“India is holding us responsible after having executed its own citizens,” said Matloob Inkalabi, a resident of Pakistani Kashmir.
In Islamabad, Waqas Sheikh, a 56-year-old trader, agreed.
“The attack was planned by the Indians, Pakistan has nothing to do with it,” he says, assuring that he “supports the army if India continues its provocations.”
Since the Kashmir attack, Indian police have issued wanted posters for three men — two Pakistanis and an Indian — who they say are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organization.
Modi is “under pressure to deliver,” said Praveen Donthi from International Crisis Group (ICG).
“The public is used to a certain hostile rhetoric when it comes to Pakistan, and they are now begging for blood, they are asking for a military retaliation,” Donthi said.
One killed, 44 injured in oil tanker explosion in southwestern Pakistan
- Oil tanker exploded after it caught fire due to welding work nearby, say police
- Twenty-one injured being shifted to Karachi for treatment, says health official
QUETTA: One person was killed while 44 others were injured in southwestern Pakistan this week when an oil tanker exploded after catching fire, a government official confirmed on Tuesday.
The incident took place at an oil depot in Balochistan province’s Nushki city on Monday afternoon when a tanker filled with fuel caught fire due to welding work nearby, police said. In footage widely shared on social media platforms, dozens of people can be seen fleeing the tanker as it explodes, with thick black smoke and flames leaping into the sky.
Nushki Deputy Commissioner Amjad Soomro told Arab News 44 people standing close to the burning oil tanker were injured after it exploded. Nushki police said the driver of the tanker drove the burning vehicle from the oil depot and parked it in an open field.
“The driver who drove the burning tanker out from an oil depot was killed on the spot,” Soomro told Arab News.
Waseem Baig, the spokesperson for the provincial health department, said 35 people were admitted to the Civil and Bolan Medical hospitals on Monday for burn injuries.
“Twenty-one injured of the Nushki oil tanker explosion are being shifted to Karachi due to severe burn wounds via the army’s C-130 airplane,” Baig said.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti expressed grief over the incident, directing authorities to provide immediate and quality medical care to the injured, as per Pakistani newspaper Dawn.
“A complete and transparent investigation into the Nushki incident has been ordered,” Bugti was quoted as saying by Dawn.
Oil tanker explosions can be caused by several factors such as collisions, overheating of the engine or overfilling which can build unnecessary pressure on the tank.
In 2017, 212 people were killed in Pakistan when a tanker carrying 40,000 liters of fuel overturned after trying to make a sharp turn while traveling from Pakistan’s Karachi city to Lahore on a highway.
Pakistan engages UAE amid looming threat of military conflict with India
- Exchange takes place amid fears India may carry out limited airstrikes or raids near Pakistan border over attack in Pahalgam
- Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan stressed exercising restraint, peaceful resolution of disputes, says Pakistan’s foreign office
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on Tuesday to discuss Islamabad’s surging tensions with New Delhi, the foreign ministry said, as the threat of a military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors looms large.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have boiled since Apr. 22, when gunmen killed 26 tourists at a popular tourist resort in Indian-administered Kashmir. The attack triggered outrage in India along with calls for action against Pakistan, whom it says is involved, accusations Islamabad has denied. India has long accused Pakistan of backing militancy in Kashmir, a region both nations claim and have fought two wars over. Islamabad says it only provides diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris in their struggle for self-determination.
With India vowing to go after those responsible for the incident, top Pakistani leaders have reached out to senior officials in China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and other countries since last Tuesday amid fears any action from India may lead to a wider conflict in the region.
“The two leaders discussed recent regional situation and matters of mutual concern,” the foreign ministry said about Dar’s conversation with Al-Nayhan. “DPM/FM apprised H.H. of Pakistan’s National Security Committee’s decisions in response to India’s unfounded allegations, inflammatory rhetoric, and unilateral actions.”
India and Pakistan have both announced a flurry of punitive measures to downgrade ties since the attack, with India suspending a key water-sharing treaty and Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian planes.
Pakistan’s foreign office said Al-Nayhan stressed the importance of upholding regional stability, promoting dialogue, exercising restraint and peaceful resolution of disputes.
“Reaffirming the strong fraternal ties between Pakistan and the UAE, both leaders committed to maintaining close coordination & consultations in light of evolving regional situation,” the statement added.
The statement concluded by saying that both sides expressed their resolve to further enhance bilateral cooperation and advancing shared objectives of peace, stability and sustainable development.
A day earlier, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun called for measures to reduce tensions between the two neighbors.
“China welcomes all measures that will help cool down the current situation and supports carrying out fair and just investigations at an early date,” Jiakun said at a press briefing on Monday.
“As the neighbor of both India and Pakistan, China hopes that India and Pakistan will exercise restraint, work in the same direction, handle relevant differences properly through dialogue and consultation, and jointly uphold peace and stability in the region.”
The last time India conducted an aerial strike against Pakistan was in 2019, when it retaliated for a suicide bombing in Pulwama in Indian-administered Kashmir in which at least 40 Indian paramilitary police were killed. Pakistan had denied complicity in that assault and the Indian strikes were followed by Pakistan’s downing of an Indian fighter jet and capturing of an Indian pilot, bringing the two neighbors to the brink of an all-out war.
Indian and Pakistani border forces traded fire for a fifth night in a row at the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir territory, the Indian Army said on Tuesday.
Pakistan’s average inflation to remain between 5.5-7.5% during FY25— central bank
- Pakistan’s real GDP growth rate expected to hover between 2.5-3.5%, says State Bank of Pakistan
- Central bank says “strong momentum” in remittances, exports to continue outpacing increase in imports
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s average inflation is expected to remain in the 5.5-7.5% range in the fiscal year ending June 2025, the country’s central bank said in its half-yearly economic report this week, stating that its real GDP growth is expected to hover between 2.5-3.5%.
Pakistan’s economy has improved in recent months, supported by declining inflation, which caused the central bank to reduce its policy rate to 12% after a series of cuts totaling 1,000 basis points since June 2024.
In a report titled “The State of Pakistan’s Economy, Half Year Report FY25” released on Monday, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) noted that inflationary pressures have receded notably, with headline inflation reaching a multi-decade low of 0.7% by March 2025.
“In view of steeper-than-anticipated disinflation, combined with an adequately tight monetary policy stance, continued fiscal consolidation and an ease in global commodity prices, the SBP projects average inflation for FY25 to fall in the range of 5.5–7.5 percent,” the SBP said in a press release.
Pakistan’s inflation rate rose to a record high of 38% in May 2023 on account of surging food and fuel costs. This was caused by Islamabad’s move to withdraw energy and fuel subsidies under a deal agreed with the International Monetary Fund in exchange for a financial bailout package.
The report said Pakistan’s current account balance is projected to remain in the range of -0.5 to 0.5 percent of the GDP. The central bank said it expects a “strong momentum” in foreign remittances and exports to continue outpacing the increase in imports.
“This is expected to cushion against lower financial inflows and help strengthen external buffers,” the report said. “The SBP’s projection for real GDP growth remains unchanged in the range of 2.5–3.5 percent.”
The report highlighted downside risks in the form of additional fiscal consolidation and less-than-expected wheat harvests. It pointed out risks to the medium-term outlook, largely stemming from global trade disruptions and related commodity price volatility in light of Washington’s tariffs, changing geo-political situations, adjustments in administered energy prices and spillover of movements in international currencies on the local currency.
