ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have installed a statue of Punjab’s first Sikh ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, which was unveiled in a ceremony attended by Sikh pilgrims from India, as reported by Radio Pakistan on Thursday.
Ranjit Singh was a prominent leader and the founder of the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century, reigning from 1801 until his death in 1839.
Known as the “Lion of Punjab,” he consolidated various Sikh factions and established a powerful kingdom that stretched across the Punjab region of modern-day India and Pakistan.
Even to this day, he is widely admired as a hero within the Sikh community for his strong leadership, military prowess and efforts to unify the Punjab under Sikh rule.
“The statue of first Sikh ruler of Punjab Maharajah Ranjit Singh has been permanently installed at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib,” Radio Pakistan reported.
“Punjab’s Minister for Minority Affairs and Pardhan of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, along with officials from the Project Management Unit Kartarpur and Sikh pilgrims from India, attended the installation ceremony,” it added.
The event was arranged at a time when Sikh pilgrims from various countries are in Pakistan to commemorate Ranjit Singh’s 185th death anniversary on Saturday in Lahore.
Arora, the Punjab minister, emphasized the importance of protecting the statue while addressing the gathering.
Ranjit Singh’s nine-foot-tall bronze statue was previously installed at the Lahore Fort where it was vandalized by some people in 2020 and 2021.
Pakistan set up the Kartarpur Corridor as a visa-free border crossing to facilitate Indian Sikh pilgrims seeking to visit the place where the founder of their religion, Guru Nanak, spent the last 18 years of his life.
Indian Sikh pilgrims attend ceremony as Pakistan unveils Ranjit Singh’s statue in Kartarpur
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Indian Sikh pilgrims attend ceremony as Pakistan unveils Ranjit Singh’s statue in Kartarpur
- Sikhs from different parts of the world are visiting Pakistan to commemorate Ranjit Singh’s 185th death anniversary
- Ranjit Singh’s bronze statue was previously installed at Lahore fort where it was repeatedly vandalized by people
Pakistan’s new national firewall to target ‘propaganda and unwanted content,’ confirms official
- IT ministry official plays down concerns of crackdown on social media content, says the step is taken to protect national security
- Experts call it an ‘Internet surveillance mechanism’ that can easily become a threat to individual privacy and freedom of expression
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is installing a national firewall to filter and block “propaganda and unwanted content” online, enhance its capacity to protect digital data from hackers and ensure cybersecurity, confirmed a top government official on Sunday, emphasizing the measure was not aimed at curtailing dissent on social media.
A firewall is a network security device that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security parameters. It constitutes a barrier that sits between a private internal network and the public Internet. The main purpose of a firewall is to allow non-threatening traffic in and to keep dangerous and undesirable traffic out.
Pakistan’s Internet regulatory body, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), already possesses the technological ability to block unwanted content and prevent the access of local users to specific websites. However, the installation of the national firewall is expected enhance its capability to filter and monitor the Internet content on a wider scale.
“The PTA is trying to enhance its capability through the installation of the national firewall to block propaganda, unwanted content on the Internet besides ensuring data protection and cybersecurity,” a top Ministry of Information Technology official told Arab News on condition of anonymity since he was not authorized to speak to media about the issue.
“The PTA is installing the firewall to boost national security,” he added. “The Internet users should not worry about any crackdown or limiting their views and traffic.”
Pakistan has frequently blocked the Internet and social media applications in the name of national security in recent years, prompting digital rights activists to express reservations over the firewall and its likely utilization to filter the social media content and stifle dissenting voices.
“Try to see the firewall within a broader national interest perspective, not just from the social media prism,” the ministry official said, acknowledging the firewall could also be used for filtering and blocking the social media content.
He noted that just the installation of the firewall was not going to be enough to achieve the objective, adding it would also require a complete infrastructure and mechanism to process and analyze the data and initiate further necessary corrective actions.
However, he declined to reveal information about the cost and purchase of the firewall.
“Every country is using the firewall to protect its data and national interest,” he continued. “Therefore, we should not worry about it.”
The PTA did not respond to Arab News’ queries until the filing of this report.
Information technology experts warned the advantages and disadvantages of a firewall would depend on its usage and the subsequent actions.
“We could use this firewall to block our users’ access to content like Islamophobia and pornography while filtering out content spreading propaganda against our national institutions,” Muhammad Zohaib Khan, Chairman of Pakistan IT Industry Association, the main representative body for the country’s IT and IT-enabled services, told Arab News. “This will help us protect against cyberattacks against our digital assets.”
He maintained the installation of the firewall was a “good step,” though he admitted its “benefits will depend on its use.
“As long as it doesn’t hurt the IT industry, we support the initiative,” he added.
Mubashir Sargana, a cybersecurity professional and an Internet public policy researcher, said the firewall would help the authorities identify the originator and recipients of specific content along with the whole chain involved in further spreading that it on social media and websites.
“Specific hashtags and keywords will be entered to filter the content and get real time popups with which the authorities will be able to easily track down its originator and recipients,” he said.
“This is basically an Internet surveillance mechanism that can easily become a threat to privacy and freedom of expression,” Sargana added. “Only time will tell if the authorities are going to use the firewall to boost cybersecurity or hound and curb online dissent.”
Pakistan finance minister says ‘optimistic’ for ‘larger and longer’ IMF bailout program in July
- Muhammad Aurangzeb says virtual negotiations with the international lending agency are moving in a positive direction
- He also maintains Pakistan needs to work for the next three years to ensure that it never has to seek another IMF program
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb expressed optimism on Sunday Pakistan would secure a “larger and longer” bailout agreement in its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July, following the approval of the $67.76 billion federal budget.
Pakistan began discussions about a new loan with IMF officials soon after completing a $3 billion program that helped the country stave off a sovereign debt default last year.
The international lending agency sent its delegation to Pakistan in May to hold negotiations with the new government.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also confirmed during a speech at the National Assembly on Tuesday that his administration had prepared the budget in consultation with the IMF, after repeatedly emphasizing the importance of securing another bailout facility to keep macroeconomic reforms on track.
“I have already said we are moving in a positive way,” the finance minister said while discussing the fresh IMF program during a media interaction in the federal capital. “During July we should get into a good agreement.”
“I am very optimistic that we will be able to take it through the finish line for an extended fund program, larger and longer in nature,” he added.
Pakistan has sought IMF loans in recent years due to a combination of economic challenges, including significant fiscal and current account deficits, declining foreign exchange reserves and rising public debt.
These economic vulnerabilities have been exacerbated by external shocks like fluctuating commodity prices and internal challenges such as political instability and policy inconsistency.
The government has maintained the country’s economy is on the mend but considers the new bailout important to ensure a substantial financial cushion.
The finance minister reiterated that he viewed the program being funded and supported by the IMF as part of Pakistan’s own endeavor to strengthen itself economically.
“We need the IMF because not only these IFIs [international financial institutions] but even our firendly nations want a backstop which is the fund program,” he continued. “What we have to do in the next three years to make sure this is the last program.”
He mentioned he had already been in virtual discussions with the IMF to move toward a staff-level agreement.
Aurangzeb said the basic framework, including the prior actions, had been formulated while the IMF delegation was in Pakistan, saying that the structural benchmarks of the program had been the same for the last three or four years while Pakistan had not implemented.
“Now we have told them to trust us and we will get this done,” he added.
Prominent Pakistani food manufacturer announces setting up UAE subsidiary
- Ismail Industries produces a diverse range of confectionery, biscuits, chips, flour
- It includes Bisconni, the biscuit company, and popular candy maker Candyland
KARACHI: Ismail Industries Limited, a prominent food manufacturer and exporter in Pakistan, announced this week it would set up a subsidiary in Abu Dhabi after seeking the necessary regulatory approvals.
Pakistani businesses and industries have been grappling for years with chronic issues like the shortage of electricity, gas and water. A deteriorating law and order situation in most parts of the country and particularly the commercial hub, Karachi, is also fueling uncertainty for businesses. Major trade bodies have also rejected the new tax heavy finance bill for the coming fiscal year amid an annual inflation projection of up to 13.5 percent for June. The budget comes into effect on Monday.
“The Board of Directors (BoD) has resolved to establish/set-up a wholly owned subsidiary of the company in Abu Dhabi, UAE,” Ismail Industries said in a notice issued to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Friday, informing its shareholders that the subsidiary would manufacture, market, sell, and distribute all kinds of food, including biscuits and confectionery.
“The company will accordingly seek all necessary regulatory approvals and proceed with the incorporation process once the same has been obtained.”
Ismail Industries produces a diverse range of confectionery, biscuits, chips, flour, packaging and other items. It includes Bisconni, which offers an extensive range of premium biscuits and cookies, and Candyland, which was set up in 1998 and makes a wide array of candies, chocolates, jellies and bubble gums.
Ismail Industries is ISO 22000 certified, a standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization dealing with food safety. It is also certified by SANHA (South African National Halal Authority), a leading authority in the certification for Halal products around the world.
Pakistan president gives assent to tax-laden budget coming into effect tomorrow
- Bill comes ahead of more talks with IMF for fresh bailout loan
- Opposition parties, major trade bodies have rejected the budget
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has signed the Finance Bill 2024-25 into law, state-run media reported on Sunday, with the newly announced tax-laden budget to go into effect from tomorrow, Monday, the beginning of the new fiscal year.
Parliament passed the government’s finance bill on Friday amid an annual inflation projection of up to 13.5 percent for June. The bill comes ahead of more talks with the IMF for a loan of up to $8 billion to avert a debt default for Pakistan, the slowest-growing economy in South Asia.
“President Asif Ali Zardari has given assent to the Finance Bill 2024-25 under Article 75 of the Constitution for next year’s federal budget,” Radio Pakistan said on Sunday. “The Finance Bill will be applicable from July 1.”
The government presented the national budget on June 12 with a challenging tax revenue target of 13 trillion rupees ($46.66 billion) for the year starting July 1, up about 40 percent from the current year, to strengthen the case for a new rescue deal with the international money lender.
The budget is gearing the country toward “an era of sustainable and inclusive growth,” a finance ministry report issued on Friday said, projecting annual consumer price inflation for June 2024 between 12.5 percent to 13.5 percent, up from 11.8 percent in May.
The rise in the tax target is made up of a 48 percent increase in direct taxes and a 35 percent hike in indirect taxes over revised estimates of the current year. Non-tax revenue, including petroleum levies, is seen increasing by 64 percent.
The tax would increase to 18 percent on textile and leather products as well as mobile phones besides a hike in the tax on capital gains from real estate.
Workers will also get hit with more direct tax on income.
Opposition parties, mainly parliamentarians backed by the jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, and top trade bodies have rejected the budget, saying it will be highly inflationary and lead to industry shutdowns.
Pakistan’s central bank has also warned of possible inflationary effects from the budget, saying limited progress in structural reforms to broaden the tax base meant increased revenue must come from hiking taxes.
The upcoming year’s growth target has been set at 3.6 percent with inflation projected at 12 percent.
Pakistan has projected a sharp drop in its fiscal deficit for the new financial year to 5.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), from an upwardly revised estimate of 7.4 percent for the current year.
Since 2022, Islamabad has taken painful measures demanded by the IMF for the last bailout loan, which included hiking fuel and energy prices, causing prices of essential commodities to skyrocket. Inflation surged to 38 percent in May 2023 before dropping to a 30-month low of 11.8 percent in May 2024.
With inputs from Reuters
Dubai-based food company explores opportunities in Pakistani corporate farming
- Bassam Karanouh, a partner of Dubai’s Caballero Foods, visited FonGrow farm in Khanewal
- Agricultural initiatives under Special Investment Facilitation Council are being administered by FonGrow
ISLAMABAD: Bassam Karanouh, a partner of the Dubai-based Caballero Foods company, visited the FonGrow agriculture and livestock farm in Khanewal city to explore opportunities in Pakistani corporate farming and promote “sustainable supply chains in the global meat market,” Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday.
Pakistan last year set up a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) — a civil-military hybrid forum — to attract foreign funding in agriculture, mining, information technology, defense production and energy as the South Asian country deals with a balance of payments crisis and requires billions of dollars in foreign exchange to finance its trade deficit and repay its international debts in the current financial year.
Initiatives in the agriculture sector under SIFC are being administered by FonGrow, which is part of the Fauji Foundation investment group run by former Pakistani military officers.
“A partner of Dubai Based Company Caballero Foods visited the FonGrow agriculture and livestock farm in Khanewal,” Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday. “The purpose of the visit was to explore the sustainable supply chains in the global meat market as well as promote bilateral trade ties with Gulf countries.”
The visiting company official was informed about the process of In Vitro Fertilization being used by FonGrow, in which an egg was fertilized outside the uterus of female cattle in a laboratory, resulting in the creation of multiple offspring from a healthy animal’s ovum.
“I would be glad to be the ambassador for Pakistan, for all the product they have, not only the meat because, I do believe in the product that they are producing,” Kakanouh said.
In an interview to Arab News last year, the CEO of FonGrow said Pakistan was seeking up to $6 billion investment from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain over the next three to five years for corporate farming, with the aim of cultivating 1.5 million acres of previously unfarmed land and mechanizing existing 50 million acres of agricultural lands across the country.
“We have estimated about $5-6 billion [investment from Gulf nations] for initial three to five years,” Major General (retired) Tahir Aslam, FonGrow’s managing-director and chief executive officer, told Arab News in an interview.
He declined to share details about the breakdown of the investment from each individual country.
The CEO said the company was engaging with several Saudi companies like Al-Dahara, Saleh and Al-Khorayef to attract investment in the corporate farming sector.
Aslam said his company was also working on different investment models with the Saudi and UAE companies for corporate farming, including joint ventures.
