Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister reaches Peshawar hours after party reports him ‘missing’ from Islamabad 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party nominated Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur (C) addresses a protest against the alleged skewing in Pakistan's national election, in Peshawar on March 10, 2024. (AFP/File)
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Updated 10 September 2024
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister reaches Peshawar hours after party reports him ‘missing’ from Islamabad 

  • Key Imran Khan ally CM Ali Amin Gandapur ‘missing since 7pm’ on Monday, PTI spokesman says 
  • Several PTI leaders detained in late night swoops on PTI members day after rally to demand Khan’s release

ISLAMABAD: The brother of Ali Amin Gandapur, a senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party who is the chief minister of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said on Tuesday he had established contact with the leader who had been “missing” since Monday evening when he was invited to the capital for an official meeting.

Reports of Gandapur’s ‘disappearance’ emerged as PTI Chairman Gohar Khan and other members of the party were detained in late night arrests in Islamabad over charges of violating a new law to regulate public gatherings in the Pakistani capital.

“Established contact with brother who after a hectic prolonged meeting on law and order [in Islamabad] has now entered his own province [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa],” PTA MNA Faisal Amin Khan, Gandapur’s brother, said on X.

Zarwali Khan, Gandapur’s secretary, also told Arab News the CM was in Peshawar, the provincial capital. 

Earlier, PTI Spokesman Zulfi Bukhari had said Gandapur has been “missing” since 7pm on Monday evening.

“It has now been confirmed that he has been abducted/arrested,” Bukhari wrote on X. “There is no element of a democracy left after this recent crackdown tonight.”

PTI’s Omar Ayub Khan, who is the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, has posted that Gandapur was “being held incommunicado by the Federal Government/ Establishment after being invited for a cup of tea.”

“His security staff is not traceable, and their phones are powered off,” he said. “All this is being done because PTI and our Allies held a peaceful protest in Islamabad on 8th September.”

PTI held a major political gathering on the outskirts of the city demanding the release from prison of its founder, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Sunday. The gathering was largely peaceful but some supporters clashed with police en route to the gathering, in which a senior police official was injured, police said.

The government last week passed the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024, to “regulate” holding public gatherings in Islamabad, including by specifying timings for rallies and designating specific areas. The law has set three-year jail terms for participants of ‘illegal’ assemblies, with ten-year imprisonment for repeat offenders.

The Islamabad administration had allowed the PTI to hold Sunday’s rally from 4pm till 7pm but the gathering went on until nearly 11pm. 

“They were arrested due to violation of the new law, the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, in PTI gathering on September 8,” Islamabad police spokesperson Taqi Jawad told Arab News, confirming the arrests of PTI leaders Gohar Khan, Shoaib Shaheen and Sher Afzal Marwat.




The screengrab taken from a video posted on PTI Gohar Khan's X shows Islamabad Police detaining Gohar Khan in Islamabad on September 10, 2024. (@BarristerGohar/X)

At Sunday’s rally, Gandapur had delivered a hard hitting speech directly taking on the all-powerful military and calling on it to put its house in order. 

“Fix your institution, fix your generals, fix yourself,” Gandapur said in a direct reference to the army.

Khan, jailed since last August, was ousted from the PM’s office in 2022 in a parliamentary vote of no confidence after what is widely believed to be a falling out with Pakistan’s powerful military, which denies being involved in politics. Since his removal, Khan and his party have waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance against the military. 

The ex-PM also faces a slew of legal charges and was convicted in four cases since he was first taken into custody, all of which have been either suspended or overturned by the courts. He remains in jail, however, on new charges brought by Pakistan’s national accountability watchdog regarding the illegal sale of gifts from a state repository while he was prime minister from 2018 till 2022.

The PTI says it has faced an over year-long crackdown since protesters allegedly linked to the party attacked and damaged government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after Khan’s brief arrest that day in a land graft case. Hundreds of PTI followers and leaders were arrested following the riots and many remain behind bars as they await trial. The military, which says Khan and his party were behind the attacks, has also initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence.

The party says it was not allowed to campaign freely ahead of the Feb. 9 general election, a vote marred by a mobile Internet shutdown on election day and unusually delayed results, leading to accusations that it was rigged and drawing concern from rights groups and foreign governments.

The PTI says it won the most seats but its mandate was “stolen” by PM Shebaz Sharif’s coalition government which formed the government with the backing of the all-powerful military. Both deny the claim.


13 women-led startups graduate from program by Pakistan’s largest digital bank

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13 women-led startups graduate from program by Pakistan’s largest digital bank

  • Incubator program equipped women with skills, financial literacy and tools to upscale startups, says Mobilink Bank 
  • Pakistani startup Ecobricks bags “Best Startup Award” while Recycle Bin, EcoGrow each won Innovation Challenge 

ISLAMABAD: Thirteen women-led startups recently graduated from an incubator program offered by Pakistan’s largest digital microfinance bank, equipping them with skills, financial literacy and the tools to upscale their enterprises, Mobilink Bank said in a statement this week. 

International and local rights groups have spoken out against women being marginalized in conservative Pakistan, where they are often subjected to gender inequality, suffer from lack of work opportunities, face violence and sexual abuse. 

A graduation ceremony of Mobilink Bank’s ‘Women Inspirational Network (WIN) Incubator Program’ was held in Islamabad on Saturday, Mar. 8, on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The event was attended by key stakeholders, industry leaders, businesswomen, partner organizations and media representatives, Mobilink Bank said in a statement on Monday. 

“As a future-ready bank, we’re not just providing tools and opportunities but paving the way for lasting change,” Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, chief executive officer and president of Mobilink Bank, said in a statement. “When a woman rises, she lifts her family and community with her.”

Graduates of ‘Women Inspirational Network (WIN) Incubator Program’ pose for a picture in Islamabad March 8, 2025. (Mobilink Microfinance Bank)

Pakistani startup Ecobricks received the “Best Startup Award” and a prize of Rs1 million ($3,573), while Recycle Bin and EcoGrow were each awarded Rs500,000 ($1,786) as winners of the Innovation Challenge. 

“The awards recognized promising ideas and provided crucial financial support to fuel these businesses’ continued growth and success,” the bank said. “The bank also announced the launch of the program’s second cohort to continue nurturing a thriving ecosystem for women-led businesses.”

Pakistan’s foreign secretary Amna Baloch was the chief guest at the event. She described the incubator program as a “resounding success.”

“The stories of these women inspire hope and motivate others to take the reins of their lives into their own hands,” Baloch said in a statement.


Pakistan oil regulator in crosshairs of refineries, marketing firms over ‘take or pay’ clause

Updated 50 min 41 sec ago
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Pakistan oil regulator in crosshairs of refineries, marketing firms over ‘take or pay’ clause

  • OMCs strongly oppose proposal due to fear of liquidity crises, supply disruptions and potential market exits
  • Refineries say oil marketing firms failing to lift product disrupts operations, threatens supply chain stability

ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) said this week it would mediate between refineries and Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to reach a “mutually agreeable” resolution on differences over the authority’s proposal to impose a “take or pay” clause in purchase agreements with refineries, which OMCs argue would unfairly burden them.

Pakistan has five oil refineries that process crude oil to produce refined petroleum products. Around 30 OMCs are licensed by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to ensure the availability of petroleum products in the country.

A conflict emerged between local oil refineries and OMCs over OGRA’s proposal to include a take or pay clause in Sales Purchase Agreements (SPAs), with OMCs strongly opposing the move fearing liquidity crises, supply disruptions and potential market exits. Under the new contracts, oil marketing companies would have to pay at least cost to refineries if they are unable to pick up their allocated quantities of product.

The chairman of the Oil Marketing Association of Pakistan (OMAP), a body representing two dozen small and medium-sized Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), wrote a letter to OGRA Chairman Masroor Khan this week to formally oppose the proposed clause, saying it would serve the interests of refineries and large OMCs at the expense of smaller players, further consolidating the monopolistic control of big fish in the oil sector. 

OGRA spokesperson Imran Ghaznavi told Arab News refineries and OMCs had been asked to enter into written sale and purchase contracts. 

“The take or pay clause means if an OMC does not buy the contracted quantity, it will still have to pay the purchase price or a penalty and vice versa,” he said. 

OMAP chairman Tariq Wazir Ali told Arab News on Monday the body had “expressed our grave concerns regarding the proposed imposition of the take or pay clause in the SPAs between refineries and OMCs as it poses significant risks to the financial sustainability of OMCs.” 

He said imposing a take or pay clause would hamper competition, discourage new entrants, and ultimately harm the overall efficiency of the petroleum supply chain. He also said the proposed clause overlooked refineries’ opportunistic behavior as they often withheld supply when prices were expected to rise, forcing OMCs into costly imports, and offloaded maximum stock when prices fell, causing financial losses to OMCs.

Given these circumstances, it was unreasonable to expect OMCs to bear inventory losses while refineries remained insulated from the market’s volatility, Ali said. 

“The proposed mechanism must be accompanied by a robust enforcement framework ensuring that refineries adhere to the same rules of fair play and supply commitments, regardless of market price trends,” he added, urging OGRA to convene an inclusive consultative meeting with equal representation of all stakeholders, including small and medium OMCs, before finalizing a decision. 

“MUTUALLY AGREEABLE CONTRACTS“

The conflict has emerged after five leading oil refineries wrote a letter to the OGRA chairman, arguing that OMCs had frequently failed to pick up agreed quantities of High-Speed Diesel (HSD) and Motor Gasoline (MOGAS), which had disrupted refinery operations and threatened supply chain stability. The refineries said while they maintained commercial agreements with OMCs, it was OGRA’s responsibility to enforce compliance with these contracts.

The refineries pointed to Rule 35(g) of the Pakistan Oil (Refining, Blending, Transportation, Storage, and Marketing) Rules 2016, which mandates that local production must be prioritized before allowing imports. Keeping this in mind, they have supported OGRA’s suggestion of introducing a take or pay clause to ensure product uplift but say it should be implemented through mutual agreement and strict regulatory oversight. 

“The engagement sessions with the OMCs will start soon,” OGRA spokesperson Ghaznavi said, “and OGRA will, in the best national interest and for achieving efficiency in the oil supply chain, mediate between refineries and OMCs for a mutually agreeable sale and purchase contracts.”


Pakistan launches first dematerialized ID card on silver jubilee of database authority 

Updated 10 March 2025
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Pakistan launches first dematerialized ID card on silver jubilee of database authority 

  • Digital Pakistan initiative aims to expand knowledge-based economy, spur socio-economic growth using digital technologies
  • Pakistan has made considerable progress in its digital transformation journey with rapid expansion of mobile broadband networks 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) marked its silver jubilee on Monday, launching the country’s first dematerialized ID card to commemorate 25 years in legal identity management and national database integration.

The launch of the new card is part of the government’s vision of a Digital Pakistan, where citizens will have digital certificates instead of material ID or, at least, in addition to material ones.

“Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi commended the launch of the dematerialized ID as a step toward digital identity,” NADRA said in a statement. 

“With the launch of this feature in the Pak ID Mobile Application, citizens will no longer need to carry physical ID cards. Moreover, digital verification systems will soon be implemented to facilitate authentication for various services under the World Bank-funded Digital Economy Enhancement Project.”

A pilot project for the fully digital identity will be launched on Aug. 14, 2025 to coincide with Pakistan’s Independence Day.

Pakistan has made considerable progress in its digital transformation journey with the rapid expansion of mobile broadband networks over the last decade. Today, nearly 80 percent of the adult population lives in areas served by mobile broadband (3G or 4G) networks, compared to 15 percent in 2010. But experts say more work must be done to ensure that connectivity reaches everyone, as only 22 percent of the population is subscribed to mobile Internet. 

To this end, Digital Pakistan is a flagship initiative of the government to expand the knowledge-based economy and spur socio-economic growth using digital technologies. 

“The vision with regards to Digital Pakistan Policy is to become a strategic enabler for an accelerated digitization ecosystem to expand the knowledge based economy and spur socio- economic growth,” according to a government policy document outlining the strategy.


No Pakistani players on ICC Champions Trophy 2025 team of the tournament

Updated 10 March 2025
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No Pakistani players on ICC Champions Trophy 2025 team of the tournament

  • India won ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Mar. 9 
  • Pakistan crashed out of home trophy without a win

ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced its ‘Team of the Tournament’ for the Champions Trophy 2025, which concluded last week, with no Pakistani player making it on the prestigious list.

The ninth edition of the Champions Trophy saw India being crowned as the winners on Mar. 9 after they overcame New Zealand in the final. Pakistan ended their campaign in the home trophy without a win.

“Several exceptional performers lit up the tournament with the bat and ball,” ICC said on its website. “The best of them made it to the Team of the Tournament.”

The team includes six players from India, four from New Zealand and two from Afghanistan.

Here’s what the side looks like:

1. Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)

251 runs, 62.75 average, two hundreds

2. Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan)

216 runs, 72 average, one hundred

3. Virat Kohli (India)

218 runs, 54.5 average, one hundred

4. Shreyas Iyer (India)

243 runs, 48.6 average, two fifties

5. KL Rahul (wk) (India)

140 runs, 140 average, 42 highest score*

6. Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)

177 runs, 59 average, two wickets, five catches

7. Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan)

126 runs, 42 average, seven wickets, one five-wicket haul

8. Mitchell Santner (c) (New Zealand)

Nine wickets, 26.6 average, 4.80 economy

9. Mohammed Shami (India)

Nine wickets, 25.8 average, 5.68 economy, one five-wicket haul

10. Matt Henry (New Zealand)

Ten wickets, 16.7 average, 5.32 economy, one five-wicket haul

11. Varun Chakaravarthy (India)

Nine wickets, 15.1 average, 4.53 economy

12th player: Axar Patel (India)

Five wickets, 39.2 average, 4.35 economy


Geopolitics and lack of buzz blight Champions Trophy’s return

Updated 10 March 2025
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Geopolitics and lack of buzz blight Champions Trophy’s return

  • Indian board BCCI stuck to their policy of not touring Pakistan because of strained political ties 
  • Allowing India to play all their matches in Dubai robbed Pakistan of honor of hosting the final 

Geopolitical reality, lack of buzz in host nation Pakistan and mediocre cricket in general meant Champions Trophy’s much-anticipated return to the calendar did not go according to plan for the governing International Cricket Council (ICC).
The one-day international (ODI) tournament served as an ICC fundraiser but offered no assurance about the future of a format battling for relevance in a cricket landscape ruled by Twenty20 leagues either.
Financial engine India’s participation, a key factor behind the commercial success of any cricket tournament, was in doubt after Pakistan bagged the hosting rights for the first ICC event in the country since 1996.
The Indian board (BCCI) stuck to their policy of not touring Pakistan because of the strained political ties between the bitter neighbors, who play each other only in ICC events.
Like for the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan, a ‘hybrid model’ was agreed on under which India were allowed to play their matches in Dubai to salvage a tournament, which had been discontinued after the 2017 edition.
Under the agreement running until 2027, Pakistan will play in a neutral venue for any ICC event, like next year’s Twenty20 World Cup, scheduled in India.
Reigning T20 world champions India beat New Zealand in Sunday’s final to prove their credentials as a white-ball behemoth.
India have lost just one match — the final of the ODI World Cup in 2023 — in their last three ICC events and probably did not require what many called an “unfair advantage” of playing all their matches in Dubai.
“I feel sorry for India’s cricketers,” award-winning cricket writer Nicholas Brookes told Reuters.
“They are an outstanding team – in my mind, streets ahead of their competition regardless of conditions, and one of the greatest white-ball sides the game has seen.
“This tournament should have been their victory lap, but their brilliance has been somewhat overshadowed by constant questions about unfair advantages.”
Allowing India to play all their matches in Dubai robbed Pakistan of the honor of hosting the final and disrupted the schedule of the knockout matches.
South Africa were made to take a farcical 18-hour trip to Dubai in anticipation of a semifinal against India before flying back to Pakistan to face New Zealand.

“BENDING OVER BACKWARDS”

The whole affair made the ICC, currently headed by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, look weak in front of the world’s richest cricket board.
The scheduling also favored India, who had a week’s rest between their last two group matches, while Afghanistan played twice in three days.
“That looks like the ICC putting finances ahead of fairness,” said Brookes, whose “An Island’s Eleven” charts the history of Sri Lankan cricket and won the Wisden Book Of The Year award in 2023.
“Some people will naturally think that the governing body is bending over backwards to accommodate India.”
Defending champions Pakistan looked under-prepared for the tournament, both on and off the field.
Eleventh-hour facelift to stadiums in Karachi and Lahore, sparse crowd and three washouts dampened the spirit among the locals.
Adding to their woes, Mohammed Rizwan and his men finished bottom of Group A after a winless campaign that included a defeat by arch-rivals India.
An injury-ravaged Australia fielded a second string pace attack with Steve Smith, who quit ODIs after their semifinal exit, leading them in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins.
New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra bagged the player-of-the-tournament prize, while fellow Black Cap Glenn Phillips redefined fielding with gravity-defying catches and India’s Virat Kohli proved he is not a spent force yet but the cricket was largely mediocre.
Afghanistan could not make the last four but impressed on their Champions Trophy debut while former champions England are searching for a new captain after their winless campaign prompted Jos Buttler to step down.