ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar met Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki on Friday and discussed bilateral cooperation, appreciating the Kingdom for facilities for pilgrims during this month’s Hajj, Pakistani state media said.
More than 1.83 million Muslims performed the Hajj this year, including more than 1.6 million from 22 countries, and around 222,000 Saudi citizens and residents, according to Saudi Hajj authorities. Among them were around 160,000 Pakistanis.
During a meeting with the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki on Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Dar “appreciated the facilities extended by Saudi Arabia to Hujjaj during the Hajj.”
The two leaders also discussed “bilateral cooperation and key areas of mutual interest and reaffirmed the commitment to further strengthen their strategic bilateral partnership.”
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have close diplomatic ties and the Kingdom is home to over two million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the top source of remittances for the cash-strapped South Asian country.
Dar also separately met United States Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome and Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidon on Friday.
Pakistan deputy PM meets Saudi envoy, appreciates facilities for pilgrims during Hajj
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Pakistan deputy PM meets Saudi envoy, appreciates facilities for pilgrims during Hajj
- Over 1.83 million Muslims performed Hajj this year
- Among them were around 160,000 Pakistanis
Pakistan orders undocumented foreigners, Afghan Citizen Card holders to leave by March 31
- The government says it has already granted sufficient time to these people for their dignified return
- It maintains people who continue to stay in Pakistan must abide by the country’s constitution
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government on Friday announced that all Afghan nationals residing illegally in the country, including Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, must depart voluntarily by March 31 or face deportation starting April 1.
The ACC scheme, initiated in 2017, provided temporary legal status to undocumented Afghans in Pakistan. It differs from the Proof of Registration (PoR) system, which grants refugee status to Afghan nationals recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Pakistan government.
Unlike PoR card holders, who are protected under international refugee frameworks, ACC holders were never formally recognized as refugees and were only granted temporary permission to stay.
The recent directive will primarily impact them along with other undocumented Afghan nationals, many of whom fled to Pakistan following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
“Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Program (IFRP) is being implemented since 1 November 2023,” the government’s statement, available on the Press Information Department’s website, said. “In continuation to Government’s decision to repatriate all illegal foreigners, national leadership has now decided to also repatriate ACC holders.”
“All illegal foreigners and ACC holders are advised to leave the country voluntarily before 31 March 2025,” it added. “Thereafter, deportation will commence [with effect from] 1 April 2025.”
The statement maintained Pakistan had granted sufficient time to these people to ensure their dignified return. It also added that the authorities would adopt a humane approach while carrying out the repatriation process.
“It is emphasized that no one will be maltreated during the repatriation process and arrangements for food and health care for returning foreigners have also been put in place,” the statement noted.
It pointed out that all those individuals who were staying in Pakistan would need to fulfil legal requirement and abide by the country’s constitution.
The Pakistan government launched the deportation drive against “illegal immigrants,” mostly Afghan nationals, in November 2023 after a string of suicide bombings in the country.
Officials in Islamabad cited security concerns for the decision, alleging that Afghan nationals had been involved in militant activities, including attacks on Pakistani civilians and security forces, a claim denied by Taliban authorities in Kabul.
Last year, the government also announced that Afghan citizens residing in Islamabad would require No Objection Certificates (NOCs) after alleging that many of them had participated in an anti-government protest led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which later turned violent.
The government’s directive will affect numerous Afghans in Pakistan awaiting resettlement to third countries, including the United States.
Many of them had assisted international forces and now fear retribution from the Taliban. However, recent policy changes under President Donald Trump’s administration have all but suspended US refugee admissions, leaving thousands in limbo.
Last month, the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which operates under the UN system, voiced concern over Pakistan’s directive requiring Afghan nationals to relocate from Islamabad and Rawalpindi or face deportation, urging the government to consider human rights standards in implementing the policy.
Pakistan PM congratulates China on annual political meetings, invites President Xi to visit
- China has set ambitious economic growth, defense spending targets amid shifting geopolitical realities
- Shehbaz Sharif says Beijing has made ‘remarkable progress’ in achieving national development goals
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday congratulated China on convening two major annual political meetings, where Beijing set an ambitious economic growth target and announced a substantial increase in defense spending amid a changing geopolitical environment, while also inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit.
China’s “Two Sessions,” comprising the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, began on March 4 and 5, respectively, shaping the country’s policy direction for the year.
The meetings upheld a GDP growth target of approximately 5 percent for 2025, as Beijing navigates global trade uncertainties following the return of Donald Trump’s administration in Washington.
China also announced a 7.2 percent increase in defense spending, underscoring its commitment to military modernization and national security amid rising regional and global tensions.
“I extend my warm congratulations to President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and the Chinese people on the successful convening of the ‘Two Sessions’ in Beijing,” Sharif said in a social media post on X.
“China is making remarkable progress in achieving its national development goals,” he continued. “We are particularly impressed by China’s modernization under President Xi’s visionary leadership.”
The prime minister reaffirmed that Pakistan and China would continue to work together to strengthen bilateral cooperation and achieve the “shared objectives of peace and development.”
Pakistan and China have long collaborated on infrastructure development and regional connectivity, with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) serving as the flagship project of their strategic partnership.
As both nations move toward the next phase of CPEC, their focus has shifted to business and industrial cooperation, aiming to boost investment, manufacturing and technology transfer.
Bilateral cooperation, however, faces challenges, particularly security threats to Chinese personnel and projects in Pakistan. Attacks on CPEC-linked infrastructure and Chinese nationals by militant groups have raised concerns.
Additionally, delays in project execution, financial constraints and bureaucratic hurdles have slowed some CPEC initiatives, requiring both countries to enhance policy coordination and implementation efficiency.
The Prime Minister’s Office also issued a statement on Friday, saying China’s Ambassador Jiang Zaidong met Sharif earlier in the day. Among other things, they discussed “progress on security and counter-terrorism cooperation between both countries.”
The prime minister also noted this year marked the tenth anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan in 2015, as he renewed his invitation for the Chinese leader to visit the country again.
Pakistan nearing $4.4 billion loan to ease power sector debt
- Pakistan’s government is negotiating 1.25 trillion Pakistani rupee loan with commercial banks
- Plugging unresolved power sector debt is top priority under ongoing IMF bailout program
KARACHI: Pakistan’s government is negotiating a 1.25 trillion Pakistani rupee ($4.47 billion) loan with commercial banks to reduce its bulging energy sector debt, the power minister and banking association said.
Plugging unresolved debt across the sector is a top priority under an ongoing $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, which has helped Pakistan dig its way out of an economic crisis.
“The loan will be repaid over a period of 5 to 7 years,” Power Minister, Awais Leghari told Reuters, adding that the term sheets are yet to be signed.
Pakistan’s government, the largest shareholder or owner of most power companies, faces a challenge in resolving debt due to fiscal constraints. To address this, Islamabad has raised energy prices, as recommended by the IMF, but still needs to settle the accumulated debt.
“We’ve approached many banks, let’s see how many participate. It’s a commercial transaction and they have the choice of participating, however, we think there is liquidity in the system for it and banks have the appetite,” Leghari said.
The government plans to reduce “circular debt” — public liabilities that build up in the power sector due to subsidies and unpaid bills — this year by eliminating government-guaranteed debt and moving to a revenue-based system.
This approach is expected to lower financing costs, enabling the government to pay off interest and service debt obligations, he added.
“Such repricing of liabilities induces more efficiency, and reduces cost for consumers,” said Ammar Habib Khan, adviser to the power minister.
Zafar Masud, Chairman of the Pakistan Banks Association, told Reuters that the interest rate would be a floating exchange rate and the country’s top banks would participate, in addition to those who are already part of the outstanding loan.
“This will help in clearing up all the debt in the next 4 to 6 years which has been sitting on banks’ balance sheets,” he said.
Masud added that more than half of the 1.25 trillion debt is already on the banks’ books and is undergoing restructuring through self-liquidating facilities, which currently lack identifiable cash flows to support them.
($1 = 279.9000 Pakistani rupees)
Pakistan names new petroleum, privatization chiefs in cabinet reshuffle
- New privatization minister’s appointment follows Pakistan's failed attempt at offloading 60% PIA stakes
- A new railway chief has also been appointed, with talks underway with China to upgrade the railway network
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed new heads for the key petroleum and privatization portfolios on Friday, both departments seen as central to the country's recovery from an economic crisis.
Former junior finance minister Ali Pervaiz Malik was appointed as petroleum minister in a broader cabinet reshuffle.
His key task will be spearheading a major transaction in the Reko Diq copper and gold project.
Barrick Gold, which owns 50% of the project, is also in talks with railway authorities to revamp Port Qasim's coal terminal for copper transport, CEO Mark Bristow told Pakistan's Dawn News in January.
Muhammad Ali, formerly the special assistant to the prime minister on the power sector, has taken over as adviser for privatization. This follows Pakistan's failed attempt at offloading a 60% stake in debt-ridden airline PIA, which only received a single offer, well below the asking price.
Privatizing PIA and other state-owned enterprises is crucial for raising funds and reforming these entities under the ongoing $7 billion International Monetary Fund bailout program, set up to address an economic crisis stoked by surging inflation and a trade deficit caused by ballooning energy imports.
Bilal Azhar Kayani will take over as Pakistan's Minister for Railways.
The ministry is in talks with China to upgrade and reconstruct Pakistan's railway network, and develop the Gwadar port, under China's $65 billion investment in Pakistan, part of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative.
Pakistan honors female polio workers ahead of International Women’s Day
- Female health workers play a leading role in the door-to-door inoculation drives in high-risk areas
- The country’s polio eradication program calls them the “backbone” of efforts to eliminate the disease
KARACHI: The Pakistan Polio Eradication Program paid tribute to female polio workers on Friday, said an officials statement, recognizing their dedication in high-risk areas during a ceremony in Islamabad ahead of International Women’s Day.
Pakistan remains one of the few countries where polio persists, with eradication efforts often hindered by militant attacks, misinformation and parental refusals from targeted communities.
Female health workers play a leading role in the door-to-door inoculation drives, constituting more than 58.4 percent of the polio workforce, despite operating in some of the most challenging environments.
“Today, as we commemorate International Women’s Day, I want to reaffirm our collective commitment to ensuring a safe, dignified and enabling environment for every female frontline worker,” the polio eradication program’s statement quoted Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio, saying during the ceremony.
She highlighted the Pakistan Polio Programme’s implementation of an anti-harassment policy to ensure a secure and professional environment for female workers.
The event brought together national and provincial coordinators of the polio program alongside senior officials, where frontline female workers shared their experiences through video messages.
Many spoke about the challenges of convincing hesitant families while also expressing pride in their contributions to a polio-free future.
Anwarul Haq, the top official at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), praised their dedication, calling them the “backbone” of Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts.
“This year’s theme resonates deeply with us at the National Emergency Operations Center as we honor female polio workers who are considered as the backbone of Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts,” he said. “These women work tirelessly, often in difficult and high-risk areas, to ensure every child receives the life-saving polio vaccine.”
“Their courage and unwavering commitment reflect the incredible strength of Pakistani women,” he continued. “Empowering them is not just about recognizing their contributions: it is about strengthening our communities and ensuring a healthier, polio-free Pakistan.”
Haq stressed the importance of gender sensitivity in public health, saying that supporting women in frontline health roles helps build a more inclusive, resilient and prosperous society.
Pakistan concluded its first nationwide anti-polio campaign of 2025 last month.
So far, the country has reported six polio cases since the start of the year, with authorities planning additional vaccination rounds in April and May.
