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‘A lot to offer’: Pakistan envoy to Saudi Arabia urges greater tech collaboration between both nations

Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Ahmed Farooq (top right), is seen attending a virtual tech-talk session, “AI: The Story of the New Wave – Opportunities and Risks,” hosted in Islamabad by the Pakistani embassy in Riyadh on August 18, 2024. (Pakistani embassy in Riyadh)
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Updated 18 August 2024
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‘A lot to offer’: Pakistan envoy to Saudi Arabia urges greater tech collaboration between both nations

  • Ambassador Ahmed Farooq says Pakistan’s IT sector has grown over the decades and includes some of the best global IT service providers
  • GenAI enterprise strategist Tariq Khan sees space for Pakistani experts in Saudi market, especially in health care workflow automation
Updated 18 August 2024
NAIMAT KHAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Farooq, on Sunday emphasized the growing potential of collaboration between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the field of information technology (IT), saying that both countries had “a lot to offer” to each other in this regard.

The remarks came at a virtual tech-talk session, “AI: The Story of the New Wave – Opportunities and Risks,” hosted in Islamabad by the Pakistani embassy in Riyadh.

The event featured discussions led by Tariq Khan, a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) expert and enterprise strategist at Pakistan’s Systems Ltd. tech company, and drew representatives from leading Saudi firms.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Farooq said the Pakistani mission in Saudi Arabia had been diligently working over the past year and a half to strengthen ties between tech industries of both nations.

“We believe that both countries have a lot to offer each other,” he said. “Greater collaboration between the tech sectors of both countries would be mutually beneficial.”

The Pakistani diplomat underscored that Pakistan’s IT sector had grown over the decades and included some of the best global IT service providers, stressing the importance of IT in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the opportunities it presented for Pakistani professionals.

Saudi Arabia is consolidating its economy on modern lines under Vision 2030, which is a strategic development framework intended to cut the Kingdom’s reliance on oil by developing public service sectors such as IT, health, education, infrastructure, recreation and tourism.

“Significant investments are being made for developing capacities of local human resource and startups, and now we are seeing a thriving tech ecosystem in this country (Pakistan),” Ambassador Farooq said, urging for more direct interactions between Pakistani and Saudi tech companies and startups to foster deeper connections.

He noted that Pakistani educational institutions produced around 25,000 IT graduates annually, who were gaining relevant work experience across sectors such as AI, cybersecurity, and gaming.

“It is important to note that Pakistani companies are developing products and services across all IT fields creating a skilled workforce in the process,” the Pakistani diplomat said. 

Additionally, he said, the Pakistani embassy in Riyadh maintained liaison with all relevant stakeholders. 

“For example, we have shared Saudi vocational curriculum and requirements with Pakistani training institutions so that training programs for the Pakistani workforce can be adapted according to Saudi requirements thereby ensuring that our skilled professionals are equipped to meet relevant Saudi market requirements,” the ambassador said.

In his speech, Khan discussed the relevance of GenAI, capable of generating text, images, videos, or other data using generative models, and its potential in various thriving sectors in Saudi Arabia. He said his firm, Systems Ltd, had been approached by petroleum and oil companies in Saudi Arabia to explore AI capabilities for process optimization.

“Smart building in residential projects has a lot of potential between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in terms of AI and intelligent decision-making tools and optimization tools,” Khan said, highlighting the potential for collaboration in smart grid management, energy material development and optimizing electricity and water usage in new residential projects.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong economic, defense and religious ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the top source of remittances for the cash-strapped South Asian country.

In recent years, Pakistani tech firms have also been attending the annual LEAP exhibition, which showcases cutting-edge technology, artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives and innovations, in Riyadh to exhibit their IT prowess and innovative products.

AI could significantly benefit health care and insurance sectors in Saudi Arabia amid the Kingdom’s shift toward an insurance-based health care system, according to Khan. Pakistan’s expertise in health care workflow automation could be valuable in this context.

“Pakistan can help there a lot” the expert said. “We have not only AI companies that can automate health care processing and documentation, but we also have multiple companies in the country that already do, health care workflow automation.”

Speaking about concerns regarding displacement of jobs due to GenAI, Khan compared it to the airline industry and said while some jobs could be affected in the short term, new opportunities would emerge with the transformation.

“Gen AI will only increase the avenues and the places where we need help, and businesses will transform,” he said. “That’s why they will still require more people, just like airline industry that I mentioned, jobs are not going away in the long run.”

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Ties AI

One dead as rescue teams control fire at residential building in Karachi

Updated 11 September 2024
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One dead as rescue teams control fire at residential building in Karachi

  • Pakistan’s most populous city witnesses hundreds of fire incidents annually due to poor safety controls
  • Rescue 1122 says the firefighters used foam to put out the flames, helped people stranded on the roof
Updated 11 September 2024
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: One man was killed and his body retrieved after a fire broke out at a residential building in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Wednesday, prompting authorities to deploy five fire brigade vehicles to control the blaze.
Karachi, Pakistan’s largest and most populous city, is home to hundreds of thousands of industrial units, residential neighborhoods and some of the country’s tallest buildings.
However, it suffers from a fragile firefighting system and poor safety controls, leading to hundreds of fire incidents annually.
Last month, a massive fire engulfed a plastic factory in the city, which took several hours to extinguish, though no casualties were reported.
“The fire was brought under control due to Rescue 1122’s quick response,” informed a statement released by the service, adding that its workers used foam to put out the flames.
“During the search, the body of a 55-year-old deceased man was recovered from the building,” it said.
The statement also mentioned that some people who were stranded on the roof were safely rescued.
“The final search operation will be conducted after the cooling process,” the statement continued.
The fire incident occurred at the Shah Faisal Colony, a densely populated neighborhood in the city.

Topics: fire accident Karachi Rescue 1122

Pakistan and European Union pledge joint efforts to tackle religious intolerance

Updated 11 September 2024
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Pakistan and European Union pledge joint efforts to tackle religious intolerance

  • Religious affairs minister tells a visiting EU official Pakistan is committed to protecting minority rights
  • Pakistan Ulema Council also urges religious scholars to highlight minority rights in Friday sermons
Updated 11 September 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain met with the European Union’s Special Envoy for the Promotion of Religion and Belief Frans van Daele in Islamabad on Wednesday, discussing the challenge of religious intolerance globally and agreeing to work together towards its eradication.

The EU has previously raised concerns over extremist violence perpetrated in the name of religion in Pakistan, specifically mentioning its blasphemy laws and forced conversions, which it says have marginalized religious minorities.

These concerns even prompted the European Parliament to consider reassessing Pakistan’s preferential trade status under the GSP+ scheme, which grants Pakistani exports duty-free access to the European market.

According to a statement circulated by the ministry after the meeting, they also discussed “terrorism, the eradication of sectarianism, the establishment of peace, and the promotion of interfaith harmony.”

“The participants [of the meeting] agreed to work together to reduce the trend of intolerance and achieve a peaceful common future,” it added.

Hussain told the EU official his ministry had formulated a policy on interfaith harmony and sent it to the federal cabinet for approval.

“Pakistan is committed to protecting the rights of minorities,” he said.

FRIDAY SERMONS

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Ulema Council urged religious scholars across the country to highlight the rights of women and minority rights in Islam during the Friday sermons.

“Like other sections of the society, women and minorities are entitled with due respect and honour in the teachings of Islam and all these rights play a pivotal role for the existence of an ideal society,” the council said in a statement.

The council said the teachings of Islam centered on human dignity and respect, urging prayer leaders across the country educate the public about this in the light the Qur’anic teachings.

 

Topics: religious intolerance

Imran Khan says no more talks with military or government, announces rally on Sept. 22 - family

Updated 11 September 2024
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Imran Khan says no more talks with military or government, announces rally on Sept. 22 - family

  • Khan says the ‘establishment’ asked him to postpone Islamabad rally from Aug. 22 to Sept. 8 for security reasons
  • He maintains they promised to facilitate the rally in return, but instead blocked all roads leading to the venue
Updated 11 September 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced his refusal to engage with the “establishment or government,” according to a message from prison shared by his sister on Wednesday, warning that his party is ready to proceed with another public rally on September 22, even without official permission.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party held a rally on the outskirts of Islamabad on Sunday, demanding his release from prison after his arrest over a year ago on multiple charges, which he claims are fabricated to keep him out of power. Clashes broke out between his supporters and the police on the day of the rally, with a top PTI leader and Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, warning the government to release Khan within two weeks or his party would free him from jail on its own.
This was followed by a police crackdown on PTI lawmakers, who were arrested from the parliament building, prompting the party to announce a nationwide protest on Friday.
In his message, Khan said the “establishment,” a euphemism for the country’s powerful military, had previously asked to postpone his rally from August 22 to September 8, citing intelligence reports of security threats.
“They gave their reassurance for complete facilitation if the jalsa [rally] was shifted to 8th September,” the ex-premier’s message, shared by his sister Aleema Khanum on social media, said. “Instead, they placed thousands of containers across every entry point into Islamabad.”
Objecting to the dispersal of his party supporters with tear gas and the arrest of lawmakers from parliament, he said, “There will be no further talks with the establishment or government.”
“Rest assured,” he continued, “We will go ahead with the jalsa on [September] 22. NOC [no-objection certificate] or no NOC.”
Khan’s party had already announced a rally in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on September 22.
His message comes after PTI leaders held a news conference on Tuesday, saying they would take their party’s political struggle to the streets, apart from fighting legal and political battles in court and parliament.

Topics: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan Imran Khan

Pakistani national charged in alleged Iran plot to kill US official

Updated 11 September 2024
AFP
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Pakistani national charged in alleged Iran plot to kill US official

  • Asif Raza Merchant was arrested on July 12 as he planned to leave the US
  • He allegedly sought to hire a hitman to avenge an Iranian general’s killing
Updated 11 September 2024
AFP

NEW YORK: A Pakistani man with ties to Iran has been charged for allegedly plotting to assassinate a US official in retaliation for the US killing of Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Asif Raza Merchant, 46, allegedly sought to hire a hitman to assassinate a politician or a US government official in the United States, the Justice Department and prosecutors said in a statement.
“As these terrorism and murder for hire charges against Asif Merchant demonstrate, we will continue to hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against Americans,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
Soleimani, the head of Iran’s foreign military operations, was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020. Iranian officials have repeatedly vowed to avenge his killing.
“As alleged, Merchant orchestrated a plot to assassinate US politicians and government officials. Today’s indictment is a message to terrorists here and abroad,” United States Attorney Breon Peace added.
The intended victim was not identified but the attorney general has previously said no evidence has emerged to link Merchant with the July 13 assassination attempt against former president Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has said the Pakistani national had “close ties to Iran” and that the alleged murder-for-hire plot was “straight out of the Iranian playbook.”
Another FBI official said the assassins Merchant allegedly tried to hire were in fact undercover FBI agents.
“After spending time in Iran, Merchant arrived in the United States from Pakistan and contacted a person he believed could assist him with the scheme to kill a politician or government official,” the Justice Department said in a statement.
“That person reported Merchant’s conduct to law enforcement and became a confidential source.”
Merchant was arrested on July 12 as he planned to leave the country.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations said in August it had “not received any report on this from the American government.”
“But it is clear that this method is contrary to the Iranian government’s policy of pursuing Soleimani’s killer,” the mission said in a statement carried by Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
In August 2022, the United States charged a member of the Revolutionary Guards with plotting to assassinate former US National Security Adviser John Bolton.
The Justice Department said Shahram Poursafi, who remains at large, had offered to pay an individual in the United States $300,000 to kill Bolton.

Topics: Asif Raza Merchant General Qassem Soleimani

Afghanistan says to begin work on $10 billion gas pipeline through Pakistan, India, Turkmenistan 

Updated 11 September 2024
AFP
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Afghanistan says to begin work on $10 billion gas pipeline through Pakistan, India, Turkmenistan 

  • Work on the TAPI pipeline has repeatedly been delayed due to security issues in conflict-ravaged Afghanistan
  • Afghan officials Wednesday joined dignitaries in Turkmenistan to celebrate pipeline’s completion on that side of border
Updated 11 September 2024
AFP

Afghanistan said Wednesday work would begin on a $10 billion gas pipeline traversing South Asia as officials joined dignitaries in neighboring Turkmenistan to celebrate its completion on that side of the border.
Progress on the TAPI pipeline — running through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India — has been repeatedly delayed because of security issues in conflict-ravaged Afghanistan.
“From today the operations will start on Afghanistan’s soil,” Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said at the ceremony in comments broadcast by Afghan state television.
At the border ceremony in Islim Cheshma in Turkmenistan, officials on both sides, including Afghan Prime Minister Hassan Akhund, hailed the project.
“This project will benefit not only the economies of the countries participating but also the countries of the whole region,” Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedow said in a video broadcast live at the ceremony.
In the Afghan border province of Herat, a public holiday was declared to mark the occasion, with posters celebrating the project plastered around the capital of the same name.
The pipeline will see around 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas each year extracted from the Galkynysh gas field in southeast Turkmenistan.
It will be pumped through a 1,800-kilometer (1,120-mile) pipeline traversing Afghanistan, including Herat and Kandahar in the south, before crossing into restive Balochistan province in Pakistan and ending in Fazilka in Indian Punjab.
Pakistan and India will each purchase 42 percent of the gas deliveries, and Afghanistan 16 percent, while Kabul will also benefit from lucrative transit fees of around $500 million per year, according to Afghan media.
Work on the Turkmen side began in 2015 and was initially scheduled to start in Afghanistan in 2018, but has been repeatedly delayed.
India’s commitment to the pipeline has also previously been questioned over its relationship with Pakistan and its already easy access to liquefied natural gas markets.
- Jobs and cheap gas -
The ceremony was an opportunity to simultaneously launch various bilateral projects, including a fiber-optic line to Herat, an electricity line, and the inauguration of a railway bridge.
In a country plagued by unemployment, TAPI “will provide jobs for 12,000 people in Afghanistan,” the government spokesman Mujahid told AFP.
Neither Afghan nor Turkmen officials have provided details on the financing or the expected date for TAPI to come online.
However, Swapnil Babele, an analyst with the research group Rystad Energy, expects further delays “as a lot of work remains to be done and the question of future financing is unclear.”
“We expect it to be operational only in the next decade,” he told AFP.
For the three recipient countries, the pipeline will have the advantage of “delivering gas cheaper than liquefied natural gas and ensuring consistent supply.”
It is the most significant development project for Taliban authorities since they seized power in 2021, ending their two decade-long insurgency against the foreign-backed government.
The pipeline gives the government, which is not officially recognized by any nation, a strategic role in regional cooperation between Central Asia and South Asia, which is facing huge energy deficits.
Afghanistan, although still under economic and financial sanctions from the West, is currently trying to relaunch ambitious projects, particularly in energy, mines and infrastructure.
At the end of July, Afghanistan and China officially relaunched a major copper-extraction project in the world’s second-largest known deposit, near Kabul, which had been bogged down since 2008.

Topics: Afghanistan gas pipeline TAPI pipeline

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