Search form

You are here

  • Home
  • CM Punjab rewards Pakistani Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem with car, Rs100 million


CM Punjab rewards Pakistani Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem with car, Rs100 million

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif (right) meets Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem in his hometown, Mian Channu, Pakistan on August 13, 2024. (@pmln_org/X)
Short Url

https://arab.news/czh9t

Updated 13 August 2024
Follow

CM Punjab rewards Pakistani Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem with car, Rs100 million

  • Maryam Nawaz visits Nadeem’s home in Mian Channu city to pay tribute to Pakistan’s star javelin thrower
  • Nadeem bagged Olympic gold medal, Pakistan’s first in 40 years, last Thursday with a record 92.97-meter throw
Updated 13 August 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif presented a cheque of Rs100 million [$359,049] and gifted a car to Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem on Tuesday, paying tribute to his recent triumph at the prestigious international competition. 

Nadeem grabbed headlines last Thursday when he bagged Pakistan’s first individual gold medal in the men’s javelin throw competition during the Paris Olympics 2024. He threw the javelin at a distance of 92.97 meters, a new Olympic record to knock former Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra to second position. 

Following Nadeem’s triumph at the Olympics, Pakistani politicians announced cash rewards and honors for the star javelin thrower. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab announced a Rs50,000,000 [$179,524] cash award for Nadeem and promised to establish an athletics academy named after the Olympian.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday announced he would award the country’s highest civilian honor, the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, to Nadeem in a special ceremony.

Chief Minister Sharif arrived at Nadeem’s home in the eastern city of Mian Channu in Khanewal district, where she was accorded a warm welcome. Sharif met Nadeem’s family members at his house and clicked selfies with them. 

“Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif presented a cheque of Rs100 million and the key to a Honda Civic car “92.97” to Nadeem,” the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, of whom Sharif is a senior member, wrote on social media platform X. 




The picture posted on the PML-N X account shows a number plate reading “92.97” of a Honda Civic car gifted by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem in Mian Channu, Pakistan, on August 13, 2024. (@pmln_org/X).

The chief minister also presented Nadeem’s coach Salman Iqbal Butt a cheque of Rs5 million [$17,952] and lauded him for training the Pakistani star javelin thrower.

Nadeem is the son of a daily wage laborer who never had access to proper training facilities. His brother told international wire agency Reuters that he and Nadeem initially trained with improvised homemade javelins made by using long eucalyptus branches with iron tips on their ends. 

The star athlete was still training with substandard javelins months before the Paris Olympics until a last-minute appeal saw the Pakistani government intervene to sponsor his equipment. 

Nadeem is a 10-time international medalist who secured fifth position at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Pakistani star athlete won silver at the World Championships last year and gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2022, where he broke the 90-meter barrier for the first time with a 90.18-meter throw. 

Topics: maryam nawaz Arshad Nadeem CM Punjab Javelin throw 2024 Paris Olympics

Pakistan PM calls for collaborative efforts to stem polio amid alarming surge in cases

Updated 3 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan PM calls for collaborative efforts to stem polio amid alarming surge in cases

  • Pakistan has so far reported 68 poliovirus cases this year, 27 of them from Balochistan
  • Shehbaz Sharif says security of polio volunteers and vaccinators cannot be compromised
Updated 3 sec ago
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for greater collaboration among the country’s health authorities to stem the spread of poliovirus, state-run media reported this week, as Pakistan witnesses an alarming surge in cases of the infection. 

Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease. Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world.

Pakistan on Monday reported its 68th poliovirus case of the year when a child contracted the virus from the northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district. Sharif spoke to the national anti-polio team on Monday regarding efforts to curb the spread of the disease. 

“The Prime Minister said unfortunately, the number of polio-affected children is rising in Pakistan, which needs even more collaborative efforts,” the state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Monday. 

Sharif noted that the use of technology in Pakistan’s health sectors, including polio eradication, is being increased to modernize public health care and achieve better results. 

“He added that the security of polio workers cannot be compromised, and all possible measures should be taken in this regard,” Radio Pakistan said. 

Of the 68 cases reported this year, 27 were from Balochistan, 20 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 19 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad, according to Pakistan’s anti-polio program.

A sub-national polio vaccination campaign was conducted across Punjab, Sindh, KP, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad on December 16–22, vaccinating over 42 million children.

Topics: Polio Pakistan

Pakistani bank arranges $300 million loan for government through UAE branch

Updated 4 min 44 sec ago
Follow

Pakistani bank arranges $300 million loan for government through UAE branch

  • United Bank Limited operates one of largest branch networks in Pakistan
  • Initiative to help shape a stronger, more vibrant Pakistani economy, says UBL 
Updated 4 min 44 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The United Bank Limited (UBL) this week announced it had facilitated $300 million in foreign financing for Pakistan’s government through its branch in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), saying that the initiative would help shape the country’s economy into a more vibrant one as Islamabad struggles to repay its external debt obligations. 

UBL is a banking company incorporated in Pakistan and one that is engaged in commercial banking and related services. It operates one of the largest branch networks in the country, augmented by its industry-leading digital banking services which have earned it local and international recognition.

“UBL UAE is proud to facilitate $300 million in foreign financing for the Government of Pakistan— a testament to our commitment toward setting new standards in the banking industry,” the bank said in a statement on its social media accounts on Monday. 

“This venture marks another milestone in our journey to shape a stronger, more vibrant economy.”

Pakistan has struggled to meet its external debt repayment obligations, often resulting in its regional allies rolling over loans worth billions of dollars. The cash-strapped nation has been struggling to ward off an economic crisis that has drained its revenue, pushed inflation to record levels, and weakened its currency significantly over the past two years. 

Pakistan secured a fresh 37-month $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this year after it narrowly avoided a sovereign default on its payment obligations in 2023. Pakistan’s finance minister, however, has reiterated the country needs to move toward an export-oriented growth model supplemented by long-term financial reforms to ensure its progress is sustainable.

Topics: UAE ubl Pakistan

Top five Pakistani women who led the way as trailblazers in 2024

Updated 19 min 31 sec ago
Follow

Top five Pakistani women who led the way as trailblazers in 2024

  • Pakistan’s Ayla Majid became first Muslim and South Asian to get elected president of global accountancy body ACCA
  • Maryam Nawaz became the first woman chief minister of a Pakistani province after contentious elections in February 
Updated 19 min 31 sec ago
Fatimah Amjad

ISLAMABAD: As the world prepares to bid farewell to an eventful 2024 and welcome the new year, here is a list of five Pakistani women who shattered stereotypes and made history by dominating in their respective fields ranging from politics to mountaineering, and sports to music. 

Maryam Nawaz Sharif

Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the daughter of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, made history in February after she was elected as the first woman chief minister of a Pakistani province. 

This handout photograph taken and released by the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) of Punjab province on February 26, 2024, shows Governor Punjab Muhammad Balighur Rehman (C) administer oath to the newly elected Chief Minister of Punjab province Maryam Nawaz Sharif (2R) during a ceremony, as Pakistan's former Prime Ministers and leader of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) party Nawaz Sharif (R) and his brother Shehbaz Sharif (2L) look on at the Governor's House in Lahore. (Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) of Punjab province / AFP)

After her Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party won the highest number of seats after a contentious election in February, Sharif was elected as the chief minister of the country’s richest and most populous Punjab province. 

She formally joined politics in 2012 and became increasingly involved in politics during her father’s four-year, self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2023. In 2019, she was appointed vice president of the PML-N, leading anti-government rallies throughout the country against then prime minister Imran Khan’s government. 

Political opponents and critics, however, say her election to the chief minister’s post is an example of the enduring influence of feudal politics in Pakistan. 

Ayla Majid

In November, Ayla Majid became the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected president of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a global accountancy body.

Majid is the chief executive officer of a firm that advises on decarbonization, sustainability, and energy transition. Majid is leading more than 252,500 members and 526,000 future members of ACCA across 180 countries during her year-long term in office. 

Global Vice President of ACCA and Founder & CEO of Planetive, AylaMajid, attends Business Summit 2023 in Islamabad on May 31, 2023. (Ayla Majid)

She has over 20 years of experience in energy, transaction advisory, mergers and acquisitions, investments and corporate governance. Majid holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of London.

Arooj Aftab

Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab earned Grammy nominations for the fourth time in a row in November. Her single “Raat Ki Rani” earned a nomination in the Best Global Music Performance, category while her album, “Night Reign” has earned a nomination for the Best Alternative Jazz Album category. 

Arooj Aftab attends 'A New York Evening With Arooj Aftab' at The Greene Space in New York City on October 4, 2024. (AFP)

This category honors vocal or instrumental albums where new alternative jazz recordings comprise more than 75 percent of the playing time.

In 2022, Aftab became the first Pakistani singer to win a Grammy for her song ‘Mohabbat’ in the Best Global Music Performance category.

Naila Kiani

In May, Dubai-based mountaineer Naila Kiani became the first Pakistani woman to summit Mount Makalu, the fifth-highest mountain in the world. The tremendous achievement also brought another feather to Kiani’s cap, as it made her the first and only Pakistani woman to summit 11 out of 14 mountains that stand 8,000 meters above sea level.

Kiani had previously summited Broad Peak (8,047 meters), Annapurna (8,091 meters), K2 (8,611 meters), Lhotse (8,516 meters), Gasherbrum 1 (8,068 meters), Gasherbrum II (8,035 meters), Nanga Parbat (8,125 meters), Mount Everest (8,849 meters), Manaslu (8,156 meters) and Cho Oyu (8,201 meters) mountains. 

The mother of two, who is also a banker by profession, garnered fame in 2018 after her wedding photos from K2’s base camp were widely shared on social media. She is also a recipient of the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s third-highest civilian award, which she received in March 2024 for climbing Mount Everest. 

Saleema Imtiaz

Saleema Imtiaz became the first Pakistani woman to be nominated to the International Cricket Council’s International Panel of Development Umpires in September. The nomination qualifies Imtiaz, 52, to officiate in women’s bilateral international matches and ICC Women’s Events.

Saleema Imtiaz holds a souvenir awarded for becoming Pakistan's first woman umpire on ICC International Development Panel in Multan, Pakistan, on September 17, 2024. (@TheRealPCB/X)

Imtiaz, mother of Pakistan women’s international player Kainat Imtiaz, began her umpiring career with the Pakistan Cricket Board Women’s Umpires Panel in 2008. Her extensive experience includes officiating in high-profile events under the Asian Cricket Council such as the 2022 and 2024 ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup and the 2023 ACC Emerging Women’s Cup in Hong Kong.

Topics: Pakistan Maryam Nawaz Sharif Ayla Majid Arooj Aftab Naila Kiani Saleema Imtiaz

Pakistan begins construction of $3.5 billion Chinese-designed nuclear energy project

Updated 48 min 36 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan begins construction of $3.5 billion Chinese-designed nuclear energy project

  • The Chashma-5 nuclear power plant is being constructed along the left embankment of the fast-flowing Indus River in Mianwali
  • Beijing is building roads, bridges, power plants, and railways in Pakistan to link its far west with Gwadar port on Indian Ocean
Updated 48 min 36 sec ago
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has begun construction of a $3.5 billion Chinese-designed nuclear energy project, which would produce 1,200 megawatts of electricity, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday.

Pakistan and China are longtime allies. Beijing is building roads, bridges, power plants, and railways under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, to link its far west with the

Chinese-built Gwadar port on the Indian Ocean in Pakistan’s Balochistan.

The nuclear power plant, known as Chashma-5, is being constructed at a site along the left embankment of the fast-flowing Indus River in Mianwali, a district in the eastern Punjab province. The site is already home to four Chinese-supplied nuclear power plants that were built in recent decades.

In a post on X, Sharif said the Chashma-5 nuclear power plant was another “milestone” in strategic cooperation between the two friendly countries.

“Commencement of construction of the most modern and the biggest, C-5 Nuclear Power Plant is another milestone in strategic cooperation between Pakistan and China. The plant will contribute 1200 MW electricity,” Sharif said.

“I congratulate PAEC (Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission) and CNNC on this remarkable achievement.”

The development comes as Pakistan, which has one of the highest electricity tariffs in the region, is making preparations to stop capacity payments to independent power producers (IPPs), and PM Sharif’s cabinet this month approved settlement agreements with eight bagasse-based IPPs, with the aim to reduce electricity prices and save the national exchequer billions of rupees.

High cost of power is one of the key factors that leads to inflation in the South Asian country.

Pakistan has also been holding talks on reprofiling power sector debt owed to China and structural reforms, but progress has been slow. It has also vowed to stop power sector subsidies.

Topics: Pakistan Nuclear Power Plant Chashma-5

Pakistan government, ex-PM Khan party to again meet on Jan. 2 in bid to ease political tensions

Updated 30 December 2024
Follow

Pakistan government, ex-PM Khan party to again meet on Jan. 2 in bid to ease political tensions

  • Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in 2022 has plunged the country into a prolonged political crisis
  • Both sides last week held first round of talks after the ex-premier threatened a civil dissidence movement in the country
Updated 30 December 2024
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Ayaz Sadiq, speaker of the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament, has summoned an in-camera meeting of negotiation teams of the government and the opposition on Jan. 2, the National Assembly Secretariat said on Monday, amid efforts to ease prolonged political tensions in the country.
The development came a week after the government and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former prime minister Imran Khan held the first round of formal negotiations on Dec. 23, with the PTI asked to present its demands in writing at the next session.

Representative of the government coalition attend the committee meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, on December 23, 2024. (X/@NAofPakistan/File)

Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in 2022 has plunged Pakistan into a political crisis, particularly since the PTI founder was jailed in August last year on corruption and other charges and remains behind bars. His party and supporters have regularly held protests calling for his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent.
“The Honorable Speaker, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, will chair a 2nd meeting (in-camera) on negotiations between Treasury and Opposition on Thursday, the 2nd of January, 2025,” the National Assembly Secretariat said in a notification on Monday.
Khan previously rejected talks with the government, saying his party would only talk to the “real powerbrokers” in Pakistan, the all-powerful army, but earlier this month he set up a negotiating committee of top party members to open a dialogue with the government for the fulfilment of two demands: the release of political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate protests on May 9 last year and Nov. 26 this year, which the government says involved his party supporters, accusing them of attacking military installations and government buildings.

Asad Qaiser (left), member of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, speaks during the committee meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, on December 23, 2024. (X/@NAofPakistan/File)

The talks opened days after Khan threatened a civil dissidence movement and amid growing concerns he may face trial by a military court for allegedly inciting attacks on sensitive security installations during the May 9 protests.
Sadiq last week said the first round of talks were held in a “cordial” environment, calling them vital to end “political polarization” in the country.
“Since some members of the opposition could not join the talks today, we have decided to hold the next meeting on Jan. 2,” he said on Dec. 23. “The opposition will also present a charter of demands in the meeting.”
Speaking to the media after the talks, Khan’s close aide, Asad Qaiser, said the PTI team had asked the government to release all political prisoners, including the former prime minister, and form a judicial commission, comprising senior Supreme Court judges, to probe the May 9 and Nov. 26 protests.
“We should be allowed to hold a meeting with Imran Khan,” Qaiser said. “He is our leader. We will move forward with his instructions.”


The negotiations came days after Pakistan’s military announced prison sentences for 25 people involved in the May 9 protests, which PTI has demanded be investigated. The PTI has also repeatedly said it fears the government and military will try Khan in army courts for the May 9 violence. He is already being tried for the violence in a civilian court.

Topics: Government PTI talks PTI pakistan government

Latest updates

Pakistan PM calls for collaborative efforts to stem polio amid alarming surge in cases
Pakistani bank arranges $300 million loan for government through UAE branch
Emma Raducanu pulls out of Australian Open warm-up with back injury
South Korean court issues warrants to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and search his office
Top five Pakistani women who led the way as trailblazers in 2024

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2024 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.