15 killed in Pakistan sectarian tribal clashes

Pakistani residents carry an injured man after a twin blasts at a market in Parachinar, capital of Kurram tribal district, on June 23, 2017. (AFP/File)
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Updated 24 September 2024
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15 killed in Pakistan sectarian tribal clashes

  • Violence hit Kurram district near border with Afghanistan where same tribes fought in July
  • The last clashes in July had killed 35 people and ended only after a jirga called a ceasefire

PESHAWAR: At least 15 people have been killed in clashes between two tribes in northwestern Pakistan, a local official said Tuesday, as a deadly feud over land is reignited.
With heavy weapons including mortar shells, the violence hit Kurram district near the border with Afghanistan where the same tribes fought in July.
“The conflict, initially over land, involves two tribes — one Sunni and the other Shia — which has turned the dispute into a sectarian clash,” a senior administrative official stationed in Kurram told AFP on condition of anonymity.
He said 15 people had been killed since Saturday.
The Associated Press of Pakistan, the official news agency, reported around twenty other people had been wounded.
The Kurram district, formerly a semi-autonomous area, has a history of bloody clashes between tribes belonging to the Sunni and Shiite sects of Islam that have claimed hundreds of lives over the years.
The last clashes in July killed 35 people and ended only after a jirga (tribal council) called a ceasefire, with officials attempting to broker a new truce.
Tribal and family feuds are common in Pakistan.
However, they can be particularly protracted and violent in the mountainous northwestern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where communities abide by traditional tribal honor codes.
In Pakistan, a predominantly Sunni Muslim country, the Shiite community says they have long suffered discrimination and violence.


Babar Azam says a lot has changed since last Champions Trophy, but Pakistan belief remains same

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Babar Azam says a lot has changed since last Champions Trophy, but Pakistan belief remains same

  • Defending champions and hosts Pakistan will face New Zealand in the opening match in Karachi on Wednesday
  • Azam heads into the tournament as the world’s top ranked batter and his form will be crucial for Pakistan

KARACHI: Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has said that a lot has changed since they last played the Champions Trophy, but his side’s belief was still the same.
The statement by the former Pakistan skipper came a day ahead of defending champions and hosts Pakistan’s opening match against New Zealand in Karachi.
Babar hit 46 from 52 balls in the 2017 Champions Trophy final against India that helped Pakistan on their way to a 180-run win at The Oval.
However, the right-hander refuses to live in the past and wants to make more memories in front of the adoring Pakistani public in the coming weeks.
“I am very excited. My primary memories of the 2017 final are Fakhar Zaman’s innings [of 114], the spell of Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali’s spell and the winning moment,” Azam was quoted as saying by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
“Playing against India, that excitement and the nervousness was there but when we won, we enjoyed and celebrated. [But] a lot has changed since the Champions Trophy was held in 2017. We have new players coming, we only have three or four players who were part of that winning team. But the belief, confidence and execution is the same.”
Pakistan-New Zealand clash on Wednesday will include two of biggest names in the competition, with Azam set to go head-to-head with Kiwi star Kane Williamson.
Joe Root, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli are part of the respective England, Australia and India squads but Azam stands in a league of his own in ODI cricket, heading into this competition as the world’s top ranked batter in the 50-over format.
“When you have responsibility as a senior player in any team and the team relies on you and has belief in you, then I take it in a positive way,” he said.
“I try to give my best in every match. I try to perform so that Pakistan win and I enjoy my cricket.”
His form will be crucial if Pakistan are to improve on their recent tournament record. They have been knocked out in the group stage at the last two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups and suffered the same fate at last year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after losing to co-hosts USA.
But Azam said he does not have any “pressure.”
“What has happened in the past is beyond us. We have discussed mistakes we have made and we have worked on them. So we will try not to do what we have done in the past,” he was quoted as saying.
Azam’s home city of Lahore is among the three Pakistani cities hosting matches and he believes local knowledge will help his side thrive.
“When you play at home you get that edge as you know the conditions,” he said. “You have a knowledge of how the pitch will behave, both in the first and second (innings), but still you have to play good cricket because all other teams are among the best.”


Pakistan offers over 70 offshore and onshore blocks to foreign investors for oil and gas exploration

Updated 18 February 2025
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Pakistan offers over 70 offshore and onshore blocks to foreign investors for oil and gas exploration

  • Pakistan, which imports most of its energy needs, is currently looking for ways to lessen the cost of power generation
  • The South Asian country is focusing on indigenization, electrification and liberalization to advance its energy sector

ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik on Tuesday said that Pakistan was offering foreign investors 40 offshore and 31 onshore blocks for oil and gas exploration, Pakistani state media reported, as Islamabad pursues a multi-pronged strategy to advance the energy sector.
The statement by the petroleum minister came at the 30th Annual Technical Conference and Oil Show in Islamabad, which brought together experts, officials of regulatory bodies and industry stakeholders to discuss oil and gas exploration, and renewable energy resources.
Pakistan is currently focusing on indigenization, electrification and liberalization to advance the energy sector, and has identified Access to Energy, Provision of Affordable Energy and Sustainability of Energy as fundamental pillars of its strategy.
Speaking at the conference, Malik said a significant portion of Pakistan’s natural resources remained unexplored and invited international investors to capitalize on opportunities in these newly opened blocks, the state-run APP news agency reported.
“Pakistan is open for business and we will provide all necessary facilitation to investors,” the petroleum minister was quoted as saying.
Pakistan, which has been struggling with an economic crisis, imports most of its energy needs and is currently looking for ways to lessen the cost of power generation.
Malik said reducing energy prices for the underprivileged was one of the government’s top priorities and efforts were underway to increase local production.
“We are utilizing domestic resources for energy,” he said, adding that Pakistan possessed untapped shale and tight gas reserves.
The minister said the government was introducing a deregulation policy and aimed to open the oil sector under a price cap mechanism, stressing the importance of transitioning the sector to modern technology.
“Prosperity will not come by simply introducing one machine,” he said. “For sustainable growth, we must engage in science and research ourselves.”


Punjab CM lays foundation stone of 300-bed Saudi-German Hospital in Lahore

Updated 18 February 2025
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Punjab CM lays foundation stone of 300-bed Saudi-German Hospital in Lahore

  • $250 million hospital will be equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment along international standards
  • The Saudi-German Hospital Network is a leading health care provider in UAE, Egypt, Yemen and Morocco

ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister of Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has laid the foundation stone for a 300-bed Saudi-German Hospital in Smart City, Lahore, which will cost $250 million, state television reported on Tuesday.
The Saudi-German Hospital Network, founded in 1988, is a leading private health care provider in the Middle East and North Africa region. It is operated by the Middle East Healthcare Company and spans Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco and Pakistan.
Known for advanced medical care in specialties like cardiology, neurology and oncology, the Saudi-German Hospital collaborates with top German institutions and integrates AI-driven solutions. The network continues to expand and meet growing health care demands with a reputation for cutting-edge technology and skilled professionals.
“Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has laid the foundation stone of Saudi-German Hospital in Smart City Lahore,” Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) reported. “The hospital will be a 300-bed medical facility and will be completed at a cost of $250 million.”
The hospital will be equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and provide international standard medical facilities, it said, adding that the project would be a “huge source of employment for the people.”
PTV quoted Sharif as saying that the government values the private sector’s commitment to bringing positive changes to the country’s health care system.
She called improving the health care system her “priority,” with the Saudi-German Hospital marking a key milestone in enhancing public health and establishing a welfare society, according to state media.
Earlier in February, the Saudi Fund for Development approved a $40 million grant to build the King Salman Hospital in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Last August, the Saudi-German Hospital signed a partnership deal with the Capital Smart City in Islamabad.
Saudi Arabia has been a key ally of Pakistan, providing financial aid, oil subsidies and investments in sectors like energy and health care. The two nations share strong religious and cultural ties, with millions of Pakistani expatriates contributing to both economies. Their partnership is further strengthened through trade, defense cooperation and diplomatic support.


Skipper Rizwan urges Pakistan to enjoy ICC Champions Trophy

Updated 18 February 2025
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Skipper Rizwan urges Pakistan to enjoy ICC Champions Trophy

  • Pakistan had been due to host the tournament in 2008 but was thrown into cricketing isolation by a security crisis
  • Major teams have toured Pakistan as security improved, opening way for cricket-mad nation to stage the tournament.

KARACHI: Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan said on Tuesday the Champions Trophy would be a “historic occasion” for the country, a day before the hosts kick the tournament off against New Zealand.
The Champions Trophy is the first major cricket event hosted by Pakistan in nearly three decades and is regarded as second only to the World Cup in the one-day game.
“A global event has come to Pakistan after 29 years so I think the whole nation should enjoy this historic occasion,” Rizwan told a news conference on the eve of the tournament, which runs until March 9.
Pakistan had been due to host the tournament in 2008 but was thrown into cricketing isolation by a security crisis as violence spilled over from the long-running war in neighboring Afghanistan.
Gunmen then attacked a bus carrying Sri Lanka’s team in Lahore the following year, wounding several players and killing eight policemen and civilians.
However, major teams have toured Pakistan in the past five years as security improved, opening the way for the cricket-mad nation to stage the tournament.
“Pakistan has suffered enough and for a long time, but we have also won during this phase like the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup,” Rizwan said.
Still, the build-up has not been without problems after neighbors and arch-rivals India refused to play in Pakistan over long-standing political tensions. India will instead play their matches in Dubai.
Pakistan’s opponents in the tournament opener in Karachi beat them twice this month during a tri-series event that included South Africa.
“There shouldn’t be any doubts on our performance,” Rizwan said. “We may not have played on our abilities but we all want to win the event for the country and people.”
Rizwan hoped to have pace bowler Haris Rauf on the pitch after he suffered chest muscle strain in the match against New Zealand in Lahore last week.
“Haris bowled 80 percent yesterday and today he is bowling at his full rhythm and told us that he is not feeling any discomfort, so I hope he is fully fit,” Rizwan said.


Pakistan eyes Gulf market as it aims to double exports in five years — finance minister

Updated 18 February 2025
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Pakistan eyes Gulf market as it aims to double exports in five years — finance minister

  • Pakistan has signed MoUs to ensure business-to-business collaborations with Gulf countries
  • Muhammad Aurangzeb Pakistan wants trade, investment to be the engines of economic growth

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb has said Pakistan sees huge potential in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market, as the country plans to double its exports in the next three to five years, according to details of his media interviews shared on Tuesday officially.
The minister and the governor of Pakistan’s central bank, Jameel Ahmad, traveled to Saudi Arabia last Saturday to attend the two-day Alula Conference for Emerging Market Economies 2025, which brought together global financial leaders, including the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva.
Pakistan has already taken several steps to benefit from the Middle Eastern and Chinese markets, signing memorandums of understanding to ensure business-to-business collaborations and setting up special economic zones to attract foreign investment for greater employment and industrial development.
“Our ambition is that we are roughly about $30 billion plus in terms of exports, and we want to double in the next sort of three to five years,” Aurangzeb said in interviews with Asharq Business and Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Alula Conference in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the country sold $30.7 billion worth of goods in the international market by the end of the last fiscal year in June 2024, showing an 11 percent growth over the $27.7 billion in exports made in 2023.
In the first seven months of the current fiscal year until January, Pakistan’s exports rose 10 percent to $19.6 billion compared with $17.8 billion in the corresponding period a year ago.
The finance minister said his country had progressed in terms of macroeconomic stability in the past 12 to 14 months, pointing out that it was now trying to turn trade and investment into the engines of its economic growth.
“Going forward, I see GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council], where we are sitting right now, we see huge export potential in these markets,” he continued.
The GCC is a regional organization comprising Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.
Pakistan’s fragile economy has shown signs of stability in the past year, with inflation easing to 2.41 percent in January, creating room for the central bank to reduce borrowing rates by a cumulative 1,000 basis points since June to 12 percent to spur growth.
The State Bank of Pakistan expects 2.5 to 3.5 percent growth in the current fiscal year ending in June.
“We want to now consolidate and use this and the fiscal space which is available to prioritize expenditures that can then help our trajectory as we move forward,” said the minister.