ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday called for the early completion of two major hydropower projects in the country with the assistance of Chinese engineers while emphasizing their “foolproof security.”
Sharif presided over a meeting in Islamabad to review the implementation of agreements and memoranda of understanding signed during his visit to China last month, aimed at enhancing collaboration in various fields, including business, agriculture, information technology, mining and energy.
During his five-day stay in China, he interacted with representatives of various firms and held meetings with top political leadership, highlighting Pakistan’s gradually improving macroeconomic situation while seeking business collaboration and increased investment.
Days after his return to Pakistan, however, a visiting Chinese official in Islamabad mentioned the country’s internal security deficit, describing it as a major challenge undermining the confidence of Chinese investors.
“The prime minister instructed WAPDA [Water and Power Development Authority] to establish safe centers to ensure foolproof security for Chinese nationals working on the Dasu and Diamer Bhasha projects,” said a statement released by his office, referring to two hydropower projects on the Indus River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan regions.
“He also directed that these projects should be completed as soon as possible,” it added.
The prime minister said he would not tolerate any delay in the implementation of agreements with the Chinese authorities.
The meeting was told that a delegation of Chinese shoe manufacturing companies had visited Pakistan to discuss relocating their factories.
The statement said there was a potential for an investment of up to $8 billion by these companies.
The meeting was also briefed by the information technology ministry about Huawei’s progress on technical training for 300,000 students, facilitating business through a one-stop operation, and developments in smart governance and smart city projects.
The prime minister said he would personally oversee the implementation of various projects agreed between the two countries.
Discussing the development of agriculture in Pakistan on advanced and technological lines, he said it was vital to send 1,000 students to China on government scholarships for advanced training.
“Students from all four provinces, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, will be sent to China based on merit, with special preference given to students from underprivileged areas of Balochistan,” he said.
“The process of sending students for advanced agricultural training to China should begin from the next academic semester,” he added.
The prime minister also directed to expedite the development of Gwadar port, airport and industrial zone to turn it into a hub of regional trade.
PM Sharif directs fast-tracking of hydropower projects, emphasizes ‘foolproof security’ for Chinese workers
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PM Sharif directs fast-tracking of hydropower projects, emphasizes ‘foolproof security’ for Chinese workers
- PM says he will not tolerate any delay in the implementation of agreements made during his China visit
- He instructs the authorities to expedite Gwadar’s development to turn it into a hub of regional trade
Pakistan civil aviation says unaware of reported landing of Israeli nationals in Karachi
- A Flydubai flight, en route to Colombo from Dubai, made an emergency landing at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport this week after condition of a woman worsened
- Israeli media reported the flight was carrying two Israeli citizens among passengers and the Israeli foreign ministry ‘worked, together with others, to ensure their welfare’
KARACHI: The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) on Thursday said it was unaware of the reported presence of Israeli nationals on a Flydubai flight that made an emergency landing in southern Pakistani city of Karachi earlier this week.
The Flydubai flight FZ-569 was en route to Colombo, Sri Lanka from Dubai, when the condition of a woman aboard the plane worsened and it landed at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi at 11pm on Wednesday.
Israeli newspaper, The Times of Israel, reported the flight was carrying two Israeli citizens among passengers, citing the Israeli foreign ministry. The ministry “worked, together with others, to ensure the welfare” of the Israelis, it added.
But a PCAA spokesperson, Saifullah Khan, said Pakistani aviation authorities were unaware of the presence of Israeli nationals on the flight.
“The report about the Flydubai flight 569 just had that it was en route to Colombo from Dubai and the condition of some woman [aboard] worsened and it landed at 11pm [on Wednesday] in Karachi,” Khan told Arab News.
“But she expired. Her body was sent to [Pakistani charity] Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation in Malir and the plane left at 3am [on Thursday]. It was not mentioned [in the report] how many passengers were aboard and what their nationalities were.”
The woman who died on the plane was a Sri Lankan national, according to Khan. Her body was later flown to Sri Lanka on another flight.
Pakistan does not have diplomatic relations with Israel as the South Asian country does not recognize the Jewish state. Islamabad calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in October last year, Pakistan has repeatedly raised the issue at the United Nations and demanded the world stop Israeli military actions in the Palestinian territory.
Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, told The Independent’s Urdu service the Flydubai flight was diverted to Karachi due to a medical emergency.
“The Sri Lankan woman aboard the plane was examined by a medical team and declared dead, after which the body was taken off the plane,” she said. “No other passenger got off the plane.”
Pakistan disaster authorities warn of heavy rains, floods over next two days
- Parts of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eastern Punjab provinces received heavy showers this week
- At least four people were killed and 31 others were wounded in rain-related incidents in KP, provincial official said
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned of heavy rains and flash floods in upper and central parts of the country over the next two days, Pakistani state media reported on Thursday.
Parts of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and eastern Punjab provinces received heavy showers this week, with rainwater inundating several low-lying areas.
The NDMA warned that if the rainfall exceeded 50-100 millimeter, it may lead to urban and flash flooding in local nullahs and river tributaries, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The areas likely to be affected include Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot and Rawalpindi [in Punjab], while Galiyat, Kashmir, Kohistan, Mansehra and Murree are prone to land sliding and flash flooding,” the report read.
The NDMA has asked provincial disaster management authorities and district administrations to closely monitor the situation and take appropriate measures to safeguard the people at risk, according to the report.
It has advised public to take precautionary measures while traveling to landslide-prone areas.
This week, at least four people were killed and 31 others were wounded in rain-related incidents in KP, a PDMA spokesperson said.
Earlier in April, heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods in Pakistan, leaving 92 people dead and another 116 wounded.
Pakistan’s eastern province of Punjab also reported 21 deaths from lightning and roof collapses while the country’s southwestern Balochistan province reported at least 15 deaths from torrential rains.
The NDMA this month launched a community engagement app for Pakistanis ahead of the monsoon season. The ‘Pak NDMA Disaster Alert’ mobile app generates alerts and updates guidance for organizations and individual responders in national and provincial languages.
Pakistan to consider expelling hundreds of thousands more Afghans in a continued clampdown
- Pakistan’s crackdown on undocumented migrants has drawn sweeping criticism from the United Nations, aid agencies and rights groups
- Since the deportations started, an estimated 600,000 Afghans have gone back to Afghanistan, with deportations appearing to halt recently
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will consider a plan to expel hundreds of thousands more Afghans who have been living in the country for years, the foreign ministry said Thursday, the latest in a monthslong government clampdown on undocumented migrants.
The plan is still in the works, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters — and the government may ultimately reject it.
It would mark the “second phase” of the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” and it would involve persons who had been given identification documents known as “Afghan citizen cards” to legalize their stay in Pakistan for a limited time.
“At this stage, I do not have a date to share with you,” she said at a weekly news briefing in the capital, Islamabad, adding that an announcement about the action would be made “at an appropriate time.”
Pakistan’s crackdown on undocumented migrants has drawn sweeping criticism from the United Nations, aid agencies and human rights groups.
Since the deportations started, an estimated 600,000 Afghans have gone back to Afghanistan. After forcing thousands back daily, the deportations slowed down and appeared to halt in recent months.
On Wednesday, following a visit by the UN refugee agency chief, Filippo Grandi, Islamabad announced it has extended the stay of 1.45 million Afghan refugees residing in the country.
During his visit, Grandi welcomed what he described as the Pakistan government ‘s suspension of the deportations.
However, Baloch denied that was the case and said there has been no suspension in the anti-migrant crackdown that targets those without valid papers. The deportations only involve those in Pakistan illegally — and they are being carried out in a “humane manner,” Baloch said.
She insisted Afghan refugees living here need not worry as their stay has now been expended.
Amnesty International said Thursday it welcomed Islamabad’s decision to extend one-year stays. Thyagi Ruwanpathirana, the group’s regional researcher for South Asia, urged Pakistan to “extend this lifeline to all Afghan refugees in Pakistan.”
She also urged Pakistan to formally suspend the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” and top all forcible returns of Afghans in the country.
Pakistan has long hosted an estimated 1.7 million Afghans, most of whom fled during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of their country. More than half a million others escaped Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021, with thousands waiting in Pakistan for resettlement in the United States and elsewhere.
Baloch also urged the international community to expedite the process for the relocation of thousands of Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover, most of who are still in Pakistan, she said.
These Afghans have been desperately waiting for their visa applications to be processed so they could leave for the United States, Canada, United Kington, Germany, Australia, Italy and several other countries.
The delay in the resettlement has left these Afghans in a vulnerable position, contending with economic hardship and lack of access to health, education and other services in Pakistan.
Baloch’s remarks appeared to catch Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation off guard.
Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, a spokesperson with the refugee ministry, said they had heard through official channels that the deportations have stopped. He said no Afghan refugees have been forcibly deported from Pakistan — whether they had proper papers or not — and that there were no reports of arrests in the neighboring country in the past 24 hours.
Haqqani appealed on the Islamabad government to give Afghans enough time to leave Pakistan in an orderly fashion and that there be no forced deportations.
“Our second request is for our Afghan brothers to return to their country voluntarily,” he said. “Now there is peace in the country ... the refugees should return to their country.”
Pakistan’s top court to announce judgment in parliamentary reserved seats case today
- Supreme Court’s 13-member bench to announce verdict in reserved seats case at 12:00 p.m. today
- Khan-backed Sunni Ittehad Council, Pakistan’s ruling coalition are both vying for reserved seats in parliament
ISLAMABAD: All eyes will be on Pakistan’s top court today, Friday, as it delivers its verdict on an important case regarding the allocation of reserved seats in parliament for women and religious minorities, which legal experts say will have “far-reaching” consequences for the country’s ruling coalition government and opposition parties.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on a set of petitions challenging the denial of reserved seats in parliament to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) party, backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.
A 13-member full court bench began hearing the petitions last month, filed by the chairman of the SIC and challenging the denial of reserved seats to the party and their distribution to other parties that formed the ruling coalition after the Feb. 8 general elections.
A supplementary cause list issued by the top court on Thursday said the verdict would be announced at 12:00 p.m. by a 13-member bench on Friday, July 12.
“This ruling will definitely have far-reaching consequences for the government, judicial system and the opposition,” Shafqat Abbas Tarar, an advocate and secretary of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association, told Arab News on Thursday.
Weeks before the national election, the PTI was stripped of its iconic election symbol of the cricket bat on technical grounds, and all its candidates had to contest polls as independents.
After the election in which Khan-backed independents won the most seats overall, they joined the SIC party to claim a share of reserved seats in parliament for women and religious minorities.
Under Pakistan’s election rules, political parties are allotted reserved seats in proportion to the number of parliamentary seats they win in the election. This completes the National Assembly’s total strength of 336 seats.
After the elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruled in March that the Khan-backed SIC party was not eligible for extra reserved seats in the legislature, dealing a blow to the embattled group’s governing prospects and proving to be a major setback for Khan, who has been in jail since last August.
The ECP’s decision was upheld by the Peshawar High Court but the Supreme Court overruled the verdict, followed by the ECP suspending 77 lawmakers from Sharif’s ruling coalition. The government lost its two-thirds majority in the National Assembly as a result, with its numerical strength decreasing to 209 from 228. In the 336-member National Assembly, the figure to attain the two-thirds majority is 224, without which the government cannot push through constitutional amendments.
Intizar Hussain Panjutha, a focal person for former prime minister Imran Khan, hoped the top court would decide the case in the SIC’s favor.
“We deserve all these 77 seats as per law and the constitution and we hope the Supreme Court will decide in our favor,” Panjutha told Arab News.
Pakistan, Azerbaijan sign 15 agreements in various fields including trade, minerals and tourism
- Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev arrives in Pakistan on two-day visit to bolster economic cooperation
- Visit takes place amid Pakistan’s push to increase trade and investment relations with allies to stabilize economy
ISLAMABAD: The governments of Pakistan and Azerbaijan on Thursday signed 15 agreements in various fields including transit trade, mineral resources and tourism during the ongoing visit of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev.
Aliyev arrived in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Thursday for a two-day official visit to bolster economic cooperation between the two countries. Pakistan and Azerbaijan enjoy cordial ties and cooperation in various areas such as defense, trade and tourism.
“Pakistan and Azerbaijan have signed fifteen agreements and MoUs [memorandum of understandings] for cooperation in diverse fields,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said in a report.
The video showed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Aliyev clapping as ministers from both sides shook hands and signed the MoUs.
Both sides signed agreements in various fields such as consular affairs, transit trade, preferential trade, privatization of state property, law and justice, mineral resources and geology.
According to Radio Pakistan, the two countries also signed agreements regarding culture exchange programs, cooperation in information technology and telecommunication, television production, scientific and technical cooperation, tourism, air services, and the establishment of twin cities of Baku and Islamabad.
Agreements relating to small and medium enterprises, literature and science were also inked between the two sides.
INVESTMENT PROJECTS WORTH $2 BILLION
While welcoming Azerbaijan’s president to Pakistan, PM Sharif urged both countries to enhance bilateral trade and cooperation, adding that the volume of trade between the two countries currently stood at a “minuscule” level of $100 million.
“If I may say with your permission, brother president, that we have discussed an initial figure of $2 billion of investments in areas of mutual beneficial projects,” Sharif said as the audience broke out in applause. “For that we had initial discussions today and tomorrow, a formal discussion will take place with the teams of the two countries.”
Sharif said he would undertake a visit to Azerbaijan in November this year, hoping the two countries would ink agreements worth $2 billion then.
“There is great potential in both sides to really enhance these figures to billions of dollars in years to come,” the Pakistani premier said.
Aliyev confirmed that delegations of the two countries would meet on Friday to discuss investment projects worth $2 billion.
“We have already reviewed several projects in the areas of energy, infrastructure, connectivity and many others, including defense industry where we are cooperating very successfully,” he said. “So, we will build a strong partnership not only on a political level which we already have but on economic level, trade and investment levels.”
Aliyev’s visit takes place as Pakistan increasingly seeks to position itself as a transit hub connecting landlocked Central Asian states to the Arabian Sea.
Islamabad has sought to bolster trade and investment relations with allies to stabilize its fragile $350 billion economy that faces an acute balance of payment crisis, soaring inflation and surging external debt.
Pakistan last year narrowly avoided a sovereign debt default when it secured a last-gasp $3 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Since April, Sharif has undertaken visits to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates while Pakistan has received important diplomatic and business delegations from Iran, China, Azerbaijan, Japan, Saudi Arabia and other countries to bolster trade and cut reliance on foreign aid.
