ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for the restructuring of the country’s wheat board and steps to enhance production of wheat and other crops, his office said on Friday, weeks after farmer protests over wheat imports.
Pakistan saw weeks of protests this year by farmers in Punjab, the country’s largest province and “bread basket,” who demanded the government stop wheat imports that had flooded the market at a time when they expected bumper crops.
Pakistan’s wheat production during 2023-24 stood at 31.4 million tons as compared to 28.2 million tons last year, posting a growth of 11.6 percent. According to official data, the country had over 36 million tons of wheat stock by June, including carry-forward stock.
Wheat has a 9 percent share in Pakistan’s agriculture and contributes 2.2 percent of the GDP and is harvested in Pakistan from April to June, with peak vegetation development occurring between late March and early February.
Sharif, while presiding over a meeting of officials of the national food security ministry and other bodies, issued directives to include representatives of the Land Information and Management System and the Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) in the wheat board.
“Farmer representatives should be included in the wheat board,” Sharif was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office.
The prime minister urged authorities to devise an alternate strategy to purchase wheat and consult Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and provincial governments in this regard.
During earlier protests, farmers had said the import of wheat in the second half of 2023 and the first three months of this year had resulted in excess amounts of the commodity in the country, leading to reduced prices.
Official data shows Pakistan spent over $1 billion to import 3.5 million tons of wheat from July 2023 till May 2024.
Agriculture is one of the most significant income sectors in Pakistan, making up nearly 23 percent of the GDP of the country.
PM calls for restructuring Pakistan wheat board weeks after import crisis protests
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PM calls for restructuring Pakistan wheat board weeks after import crisis protests
- Wheat has nine percent share in Pakistan’s agriculture sector and contributes 2.2 percent of GDP
- Pakistan saw weeks of protests by farmers demanding government stop wheat imports that had flooded market
Pakistani climbers retrieve body of porter from K2 bottleneck after a year
- In July 2023, a disturbing footage showed Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and her Nepali guide walking past injured Hassan Shigri on K2
- The disturbing footage, which made global headlines, showed the climbers stepping over the body of Shigri, who later died during her ascent
ISLAMABAD: A team of Pakistani climbers, led by Naila Kiani, this week recovered the body of a Pakistani porter from K2 bottleneck, a leading Pakistani mountaineering club said on Saturday, a year after his tragic death that grabbed international headlines.
On July 27, 2023, a disturbing drone footage went viral on social media, showing Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and her Nepali guide Tenjin Sherpa walk past injured Hassan Shigri on K2, the world’s second highest peak, instead of stopping and helping him.
Harila and her guide were on their way to become the world’s fastest climbers by scaling all the 14 highest peaks above 8,000 meters in 92 days. The footage was taken by two other climbers, Austrian Wilhelm Steindl and Philip Flaemig from Germany, whose ascent had been canceled that day owing to bad weather.
The disturbing footage showed the climbers stepping over the body of Shigri, who later died during Harila’s ascent. The 38-year-old Norwegian climber later rejected the accusation of deliberately ignoring Shigri and contended she and her team “did everything we could for him at the time.”
Kiani, a UAE-based Pakistani climber, led a mission to recover Shigri’s body with the help of a team of high-altitude climbers on an emotional appeal made by the family of the late Pakistani porter.
“A historic milestone has been achieved. A team of dedicated high-altitude porters (HAPs) successfully retrieved the body of Muhammad Hassan Shigri from the Bottleneck of K2 at an incredible 8,200 meters, safely reaching advance basecamp,” the Alpine Club of Pakistan, which arranges expeditions on various Pakistani peaks, said in a statement.
“This unprecedented rescue, the first of its kind on K2 from such a high altitude, concluded on 31st July at approximately 6:30 pm.”
Kiani utilized her ongoing clean-up project at K2 to swiftly organize the humanitarian mission and the team executed the critical operation by using existing infrastructure and a favorable weather window.
Kiani, the first Pakistani woman and the third Pakistani overall to climb 11 of the world’s 14 highest peaks above 8,000 meters, is part of the Climb2Change initiative by Mashreq, a leading financial institution in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which aims to clean up 14 of the world’s mightiest mountains, reaching seven peaks and base camps of the remaining seven mountains.
Members of the team that retrieved Shigri’s body included Dilawar Sadpara, Akbar Hussein Sadpara, Zakir Hussein Sadpara, Mohammed Murad Sadpara and Ali Mohammed Sadpara.
Shigri’s tragic death highlighted an urgent need for better training, equipment and ethical standards in mountaineering. The mission not only aimed to provide a dignified burial to Shigri but also showcased exceptional skills and dedication of Pakistani high-altitude climbers, underscoring the need for improved mountaineering education and safety protocols.
After being brought to the advance base camp on July 31, Shigri’s body was airlifted by a Pakistan Army chopper to Dassu, close to his village of Tissar in the Shigar district of Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region and handed over to his family on Thursday.
“I extend my heartfelt appreciation to Naila Kiani and her incredible team of mountaineers. Their bravery, dedication, and humanitarian spirit in the face of extreme challenges embody the true essence of mountaineering,” Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said in a statement.
“This historic rescue mission on the 70th anniversary of K2’s first ascent not only honors the memory of Muhammad Hassan Shigri but also sets a new standard for ethical and responsible climbing. We are immensely proud of their achievements and commitment to improving mountaineering standards in Pakistan.”
K2 was first summited on July 31, 1954 by Italian climbers Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni. The expedition was led by Ardito Desio and included Pakistani army colonel Muhammad Ataullah, Hunza porter Amir Mehdi and prominent climber Walter Bonatti.
Pakistan is home to five of the world’s tallest mountains that loom above 8,000 meters, including K2 and Nanga Parbat that are known for their treacherous climbs.
According to official figures, over 8,900 foreigners visited the remote Gilgit-Baltistan region in 2023 where the summer climbing season runs from early June till late August.
Pakistan approves 24 loss-making state entities for privatization program
- Pakistan this month reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund for a new $7 billion loan
- Under the last deal, the lender had said loss-making Pakistani state entities needed stronger governance
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCOP) has approved 24 entities for the Privatization Program 2024-29 and decided that the inclusion of other state-owned entities (SOEs) will be made upon completion of a review about their categorization as strategic or essential enterprises, Pakistani state media reported on Friday.
Pakistan, which has been facing low foreign exchange reserves, currency devaluation and high inflation, this month reached a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new $7 billion loan.
Under the last $3 billion bailout package from the IMF that was critical in averting a sovereign debt default last year, the lender had said SOEs whose losses were burning a hole in government finances needed stronger governance.
On Friday, officials presented the CCOP with the five-year, phased privatization program by the Ministry of Privatization, and the committee considered 84 SOEs fr privatization after deliberating on the policy guidelines.
“The CCOP recommended that priority should be accorded to reducing the federal footprint in commercial space and limiting it to the strategic and essential SOEs only,” the state-run APP news agency reported. “CCOP emphasized that even SOEs making profits would also be considered for privatization.”
Among the main entities Pakistan is pushing to privatize is its national flag carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The government is putting on the block a stake ranging from 51 percent to 100 percent.
The CCOP decided that the entities not categorized as “strategic” or “essential” would be placed before it for a decision regarding their inclusion in the privatization program, according to the report.
In his concluding remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the privatization program with “transparency, efficiency and whole-of-government approach,” stressing the importance of support and cooperation from all stakeholders.
Pakistan, Turkish navies conduct drills in North Arabian Sea to enhance interoperability
- The drills came upon the completion of a goodwill visit by a Turkish naval ship, TCG KINALIADA, to Karachi
- The drills included defense against asymmetric threats, visit board search and seizure as well as air defense
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Turkish naval ships have conducted coordinated patrol and naval drills in the North Arabian Sea to enhance interoperability between the two navies, the Pakistan Navy said on Friday.
The drills came upon the completion of a goodwill visit by a Turkish naval ship, TCG KINALIADA, to the southern Pakistani port of Karachi, according to Pakistan Navy.
“The drills comprised of various naval operations including defense against Asymmetric Threats, Visit Board Search & Seizure (VBSS) and Air Defense Exercises aimed to further hone professional skills and enhance interoperability between the two navies,” the Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
During the port call earlier, a delegation of Turkish Navy, led by Turkish Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Ibrahim Ozdem KOCER, called on Pakistan Navy’s field commanders and other dignitaries and discussed matters of mutual interest and avenues for collaboration, according to the statement.
Pakistan and Turkiye enjoy warm and brotherly relations and the visit of the Turkish naval ship to Pakistan is a manifestation of strong bilateral ties between both countries.
“The recent visit will further enhance the existing ties between the two nations in general and collaboration between the two navies in particular,” the Pakistan Navy added.
In recent years, Pakistan has acquired multiple MILGEM Corvette ships from Turkiye, representing a significant milestone in the strategic partnership between both countries.
Traditional tabla faces decline as modern music trends dominate Pakistan’s soundscape
- Few people are learning the percussion instrument that once played a central role in South Asia’s classical music
- A young artist says tabla can be a vital instrument if new music trends are embraced and fusion is given a chance
RAWALPINDI: Arif Hussain, a 65-year-old tabla player, sits in his modest shop in Rawalpindi’s Bagh Sardaran neighborhood, lamenting how his business is struggling to survive as the demand for the region’s once-iconic musical instrument declines.
Despite the central role these hand-played drums have had in South Asia’s classical music, tabla’s resonant tones are fading from Pakistan’s modern soundscapes.
Visitors to this old market in Rawalpindi can still hear its rhythmic beats, though the echoes are no longer as widespread as they once were in royal Subcontinental palaces and bustling bazaars.
The situation was not entirely desperate while Pakistan’s film industry was producing motion pictures that relied on traditional themes and melodies, but the rise of contemporary music has changed that, with fewer people wanting to master the intricate art of playing this percussion instrument.
“Since 1984, I have stopped playing tabla,” Hussain told Arab News during a conversation this week. “There is no work for us anymore. Sometimes if any young people come, I teach them to play tabla. With the decline of the film industry, our work also deteriorated.”
For decades, tabla was a dominant presence in Pakistan’s musical landscape, particularly when ghazals were the entertainment of choice on television and at private gatherings, capturing the grandeur of the Urdu poetic tradition.
This cultural preference endured even as Western influences began to seep into the music scene.
However, as concerts gained popularity, younger artists gravitated toward guitars and drums, embracing more contemporary genres.
As classical singer Babar Niazi pointed out, this was not just the fading of a particular musical instrument but a reflection of a broader cultural shift.
“Back in the era of ghazal, you could not imagine a performance without tabla,” he said. “But since ghazal has declined, tabla isn’t played as much as it used to be.”
“Many of our ancient instruments are fading away, and with the rise of electronic music, the soul and feel of these traditional instruments are getting lost over time,” he added.
Niazi, who is the son of legendary folk singer Tufail Niazi, noted that modern music is about catchy beats and electronic vibes, which makes it instantly appealing to the younger generation.
A contemporary singer, Alamdar Khan, agreed with him, saying it was hard to compare the old and new styles of music.
“Sometimes retro comes back in fashion, but it’s always about the tempo, the sub-bass, and the super bass,” he noted. “It’s always about what sounds good to the ear and what the public and the masses want.”
Music composer Naveed Anwar explained the situation on the basis of generational gap.
“The person who plays guitar or drums looks very active and gives a dashing feel,” he said. “This is the reason that today’s generation does not like tabla players or eastern music.”
“Also, tabla is a very difficult instrument to learn,” he continued. “People do not want to work that hard on this approach.”
Young artists believe tabla can still be a vital instrument if fusion music is given a chance.
Coke Studio, one of the most influential and widely followed music platforms in Pakistan, heavily relies on this trend, blending various musical genres like pop, rock, hip-hop and electronic with Pakistani folk and classical music.
“The idea that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan also had when he collaborated with [Grammy-nominated composer] Michael Brooks was to make it [eastern classical music] relevant for the newer generation,” Saboohi Sarshar, a contemporary singer, told Arab News.
“I think that is something that tabla players and people who make tablas have missed out on, which is how to evolve it for the new generation,” she added.
Pakistan PM writes to China for debt reprofiling as IMF loan approval nears
- Debt reprofiling involves altering the terms of loan agreements to make it more manageable for a country
- IMF has consistently focused on Pakistan’s debt obligations, energy sector issues during talks with government
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday he wrote a letter to the Chinese government requesting debt reprofiling as his administration seeks a $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has consistently focused on the country’s debt obligations and energy sector issues.
Last month, Pakistan reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF for a fresh loan, which it expects to be validated by the Fund’s executive board later this month. The IMF has repeatedly expressed concerns about Pakistan’s plans to manage its escalating circular debt in the energy sector while also addressing its external financial obligations.
“I have written to China for [debt] reprofiling,” the prime minister informed his cabinet ministers.
Debt reprofiling is a financial strategy used to restructure a country’s existing debt obligations. It involves extending the maturity dates of debt, reducing interest rates or altering other terms of the debt agreements to make repayment more manageable.
The IMF previously raised concerns about Pakistan’s external financing gaps, prompting the country to seek assistance from friendly nations like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China, which shored up its foreign exchange reserves by depositing significant amounts into the central bank.
These nations also rolled over existing funds when Pakistan requested it, thereby providing additional relief to its financial situation.
The prime minister pointed out his government had also sent Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to China for talks on power sector debt relief.
He said he had a detailed conversation with President Xi Jinping during his own visit to China, where Xi asked about Pakistan’s plans to convert to coal-based projects under the multibillion-dollar joint economic corridor project.
Sharif told him it would help Pakistan save “$500 million in investment, and annually, we will save $1 billion, which will be a very significant thing.”
He maintained that his administration was aware of people’s hardship amid rising power tariffs causing inflationary pressure. But he noted that it was taking steps to provide relief to power consumers, though it would take some time before these efforts produce the desired outcomes.
“Rome was not built in a day, and you cannot expect instant results,” he added.
