Over 400 artists from 40 countries participating in World Culture Festival in Karachi

Members of the Wahab Shah Dance Company perform during a folk art performance in the inaugural of the World Cultural Festival in Karachi, Pakistan on September 26, 2024. (REUTERS)
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Updated 27 September 2024
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Over 400 artists from 40 countries participating in World Culture Festival in Karachi

  • Festival will continue for about a month and feature artists from Palestine, UAE, Germany and Azerbaijan
  • The organizers say it will project Pakistan’s soft image and highlight the ‘peace-loving’ nature of its people

KARACHI: Over 400 artists from 40 countries are set to participate in Pakistan’s first World Culture Festival that started in Karachi on Thursday, with a top official from the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) saying the event will project the country’s soft image and highlight its “peace-loving” nature.
The inaugural ceremony featured international artists from Rwanda, Azerbaijan, South Africa, and Nepal, with a series of performances beginning with Pakistan’s music maestro Farhan Rais Khan on the sitar, a traditional string instrument, alongside his troupe.




Artists from South Africa perform during the opening ceremony of the World Culture Festival at Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi on September 26, 2024. (AFP)

The festival will run for a little more than a month until October 30. In addition to Pakistan, artists from the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Palestine, Egypt, Bangladesh, China, Germany and Sri Lanka will also perform throughout the event.
“I believe in the power of culture, art and music,” ACP President Muhammad Ahmed Shah said while addressing the inaugural ceremony. “I want to showcase the talent of my country. More than 300 musicians from Pakistan are a part of this festival.”




Rwandan musicians Peace Jolis (L) and Lee Dia perform during the opening ceremony of the World Culture Festival at Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi on September 26, 2024. (AFP)

Shah said he was proud of Pakistan’s culture and heritage, adding it was important to change the country’s perception on the global level.
“We want to show the world that Pakistanis are the most peace-loving people,” he continued. “Pakistani artists are no less than anyone else across the world.”
The opening ceremony had Pakistani and international artists in attendance, in addition to dignitaries and media personnel. Governor of Sindh Kamran Tessori was present at the occasion as chief guest.
The evening had a performance from Azerbaijan, featuring artists Sahib Pashazade and Kamran Karimov. The presentation reflected the rich cultural heritage of their country.
“We are very excited to be a part of this festival,” Pashazade told Arab News. “We will be performing with the Azerbaijan Tar [a long-necked, plucked lute] which is included in UNESCO’s heritage … We will also be playing the Azerbaijan Mugham [a classical composition from the Central Asian state] which too is part of UNESCO’s heritage.”




Sahib Pashazade from Azerbaijan plays a Tar string musical instrument during the inaugural of the World Cultural Festival in Karachi, Pakistan, on September 26, 2024. (REUTERS)

“I want to thank the people of Pakistan,” he added. “Their kindness and hospitality inspire us a lot. We are also a Muslim country. Azerbaijan is Pakistan’s brother country. We can relate to the experience, feelings and emotions of the people here. Cultural exchanges are very important in bringing nations together.”
Noor ul Hassan, who is the first Pakistani actor to star in the first season of the Pakistani-Turkish production “Selahaddin Eyyubi,” was also present at the occasion.
“This is the first time [such a festival is] happening in Karachi,” he said while speaking to Arab News. “During the 90s, we used to have Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop. They were the pioneers. I have attended so many of their festivals myself.”
Hassan said he used to work as a freelance theater manager with Rafi Peer during that period. Its events were held annually and brought together a host of foreigners with whom the local would mingle and learn from.
“Then the circumstances changed due to terrorism and lawlessness,” he added. “I am glad this revival is happening … The work that the Arts Council of Pakistan is doing in Karachi should take place in the entire country.”


Iraqi envoy calls for joint security efforts with Pakistan on national army’s 104th anniversary

Updated 12 sec ago
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Iraqi envoy calls for joint security efforts with Pakistan on national army’s 104th anniversary

  • Ambassador Lafta attended a ceremony as chief guest at the National Counter Terrorism Center in Pabbi
  • Pakistan and Iraq have strengthened defense ties in recent years, cooperating in the fight against militancy

ISLAMABAD: Iraqi Ambassador to Pakistan Hamid Abbas Lafta emphasized the need for joint security efforts to combat militancy during a ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of his country’s national army, according to Pakistan’s military media wing on Wednesday.
Pakistan and Iraq have strengthened ties in recent years through defense cooperation, with Islamabad providing training to Iraqi security forces. In 2014, Iraq procured Super Mushak trainer aircraft from Pakistan to bolster defense relations between the two Muslim-majority nations.
Lafta attended the ceremony to mark the anniversary of the Iraqi army as the chief guest at the National Counter Terrorism Center in Pabbi, Sarai Alamgir, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
“The Iraqi ambassador stressed the importance of joint security and counter-terrorism efforts between Iraq and Pakistan,” it said in a statement.
During his speech, Lafta praised the sacrifices made by the Iraqi army in the fight against militancy and emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and Iraq.
He highlighted the importance of security collaboration between the two countries and commended their joint efforts in combating militancy. Lafta called for further cooperation to benefit the people of both nations, expressing his commitment to forge a “united front” in the fight against extremism.
The Iraqi envoy also pledged to work with Pakistan for regional peace and to strengthen the friendship between the two countries.
Last year in August, Pakistan’s Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, met Iraq’s Secretary of Defense, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Dawood Salman, to discuss enhancing defense and security cooperation between the two states.
A few months before, in May, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif met Lafta, seeking greater cooperation in all fields of mutual interest, particularly in defense.


Qatar Airways denies reports of office closures in Pakistan

Updated 08 January 2025
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Qatar Airways denies reports of office closures in Pakistan

  • The airline says flights to and from Pakistan have been operating as per schedule
  • Local media had claimed Qatar Airways had shut down offices in Pakistani cities

KARACHI: Qatar Airways on Wednesday denied media reports claiming it was shutting down operations in Pakistan and saying its “offices remain open.”
The airline, Qatar’s national carrier, was founded in 1993 and is wholly owned by the State of Qatar. Operating from its hub at Hamad International Airport in Doha, it has become one of the world’s leading airlines, known for its modern fleet, luxurious amenities, and extensive route network.
The clarification followed local media reports and statements from travel agents earlier this week, alleging that Qatar Airways had closed its offices and call centers across Pakistan, even as flights continued to operate on schedule.
“Qatar Airways flights to and from Pakistan are operating as usual and our offices remain open,” the airline said in a post on X. “Recent published reports claiming that Qatar Airways has closed offices in Pakistan are incorrect.”


Qatar Airways began operations in Pakistan in 1994, the year the airline was established.
Initially, it started flying to Karachi, but it has expanded its services to other major Pakistani cities, including Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar, since then.
The airline offers both domestic and international connections.


Pakistan PM to inaugurate faceless customs assessment system today during Karachi visit

Updated 08 January 2025
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Pakistan PM to inaugurate faceless customs assessment system today during Karachi visit

  • Launched as a pilot project last month, the system aims to streamline customs clearance through automation
  • Shehbaz Sharif will also visit PSX to celebrate its achievement as the second-best performing global stock market

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to inaugurate the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) new Faceless Customs Assessment System at the Karachi Port Trust during his daylong visit to the city, which began on Wednesday, to examine several key initiatives aimed at improving economic efficiency and health care services.
The Faceless Customs Assessment System, launched as a pilot project in December 2024, aims to streamline customs clearance through automation. By minimizing human interaction, the system seeks to enhance transparency, reduce clearance times and improve trade facilitation.
The initiative marks the first step in a broader government plan to scale up the system to upcountry ports and border stations in the coming months.
“The Prime Minister will visit the South Asia Pakistan Terminal at Karachi Port Trust, where he will inaugurate the FBR’s automated customs clearance system, the Faceless Customs Assessment System,” the PM Office said in a statement. “The Prime Minister had directed the installation of this system during his last visit to Karachi.”
Pakistan seeks to modernize its port facilities to transform itself into a transit trade hub. The country has also invited landlocked Central Asian nations to utilize its ports for access to global sea lanes, enhancing regional trade connectivity.
Sharif is also scheduled to attend a ceremony at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) to celebrate its achievement as the second-best performing stock market globally in 2024, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index rising 56 percent over the year.
His PSX visit comes at a time when the government aims to unlock both foreign and domestic investment to overcome a prolonged economic crisis. Pakistani officials have described the market’s strong performance as a reflection of growing investor confidence and the administration’s commitment to fiscal reforms and improved business facilitation.
Sharif will also attend the launch of the “Manual of Clinical Practice Guidelines” at Aga Khan University, calling it a milestone in Pakistan’s health care sector. The guidelines are expected to standardize medical practices and improve health care delivery nationwide.


US seeks prisoner swap with Afghanistan involving Guantanamo detainee arrested in Pakistan — media

Updated 6 min 55 sec ago
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US seeks prisoner swap with Afghanistan involving Guantanamo detainee arrested in Pakistan — media

  • Outgoing US administration seeks to bring back three Americans in exchange for Muhammad Rahim Al-Afghani
  • Al-Aghani reportedly had ties with bin Laden and was the last person brought to the CIA interrogation program

WASHINGTON: The Biden administration is negotiating with Afghanistan to exchange Americans detained in the country for at least one high-profile prisoner held in Guantanamo Bay with alleged ties to former Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
Representatives of the White House and the US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report. Representatives for the Afghan Taliban also did not immediately respond.
US President Joe Biden’s administration is seeking the return of three Americans seized in 2022 — Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi — in exchange for Muhammad Rahim Al-Afghani, the WSJ reported.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters that the Biden administration has been negotiating with the Taliban since at least July on a US proposal to exchange Corbett, Glezmann and Habibi for Rahim.
The Taliban, who deny holding Habibi, countered with an offer to exchange Glezmann and Corbett for Rahim and two others, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Corbett and Habibi were detained in separate incidents in August 2022 a year after the Taliban seized Kabul amid the chaotic US troop withdrawal. Glezmann was detained later in 2022 while visiting as a tourist.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council said they could not confirm the WSJ story, but added that the administration was “working around the clock” to secure the release of the three Americans.
Rahim’s lawyer, James Connell, told Reuters that neither the Biden administration nor the Taliban had informed him or Rahim of the negotiations.
“It does seem important to include Rahim or his representative in the conversation,” said Connell. “As it happens, he is willing to be traded or exchanged.”
Rahim was “the last person brought into the CIA torture program,” said Connell, referring to an agency program instituted after the Sept. 11, 2001, Al Qaeda attacks that used harsh interrogation methods on suspected Islamist militants.
The CIA denies the methods amounted to torture.
A Senate intelligence committee report on the agency’s so-called enhanced interrogation program called Rahim an “Al Qaeda facilitator” and said that he was arrested in Pakistan in June 2007 and “rendered” to the CIA the following month.
He was kept in a secret CIA “black site,” where he was subjected to tough interrogation methods, including extensive sleep deprivation, and then sent to Guantanamo Bay in March 2008, the report said.
The US-Taliban talks have been in motion since July, according to the WSJ, which cited sources who attended a classified House Foreign Affairs Committee briefing last month with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
On Monday, Biden’s administration sent 11 Guantanamo detainees to Oman, reducing the prisoner population at the detention center in Cuba by nearly half as part of its effort to close the facility as the president prepares to leave office Jan. 20.
 


Protesters in Pakistan’s north continue blockade of key highway to China over power outages

Updated 08 January 2025
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Protesters in Pakistan’s north continue blockade of key highway to China over power outages

  • Residents of Gilgit-Baltistan started a sit-in on Jan.1, vowing to protest until they got reliable electricity
  • Despite the area’s significance, some residents say they only get electricity for 30 minutes in 24 hours

ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of protesters in Pakistan’s northern Hunza Valley blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH) for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday, demonstrating against severe power outages during the region’s freezing winter.
The protest, which began on January 1, involves local residents, political parties and civil society groups who vowed to continue their sit-in until their demands for reliable electricity were met.
Demonstrators on Tuesday voiced frustration over the Gilgit-Baltistan government’s failure to ensure even a few hours of power each day, saying over 80,000 people were struggling for basic needs.
The KKH, a vital trade and strategic route linking Pakistan with China, has been obstructed at Aliabad, the district headquarters of Hunza. The area plays a critical role in bilateral trade facilitated by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has increased since an agreement to keep the Khunjerab Pass open year-round for economic exchanges.
“This is a nerve-breaking power outage in Hunza,” said Baba Jan, a protester, speaking at the sit-in. “We are getting power only 30-40 minutes in 24 hours.
“It is very cold here,” he added. “The temperature drops to minus 15 at night. Students don’t have Internet due to the power outage. There are issues in lighting, heating and cooking that people are facing here.”
Rehan Shah, another protester agreed, emphasizing the area’s important defense and strategic location.
“It’s the gate of CPEC and Pakistan-China connectivity,” he noted. “People here are hardly getting power for one hour and twenty minutes during the daytime. They’ve been out protesting on the streets for the last six days.”
Power cuts, known locally as load shedding, are a chronic issue in Pakistan, with many areas facing significant disruptions. The harsh winters in Gilgit-Baltistan exacerbate the problem, leaving residents without adequate heating or access to essential services.
Last week, Hamid Hussain, an engineer at the Gilgit-Baltistan Water and Power Department, acknowledged the issue but attributed it to technical limitations.
“The region heavily relies on hydropower, which often faces disruption in winter due to the freezing of rivers and lakes,” he told Arab News.
“There are 137 power stations in Gilgit-Baltistan,” he added. “The installed capacity of these power stations is 190 megawatts. However, power generation is 140 megawatts during the summer while 76 megawatts during the winter due to the low flow of water.”
Protesters have demanded thermal power generators to supplement energy needs during the winter, but Hussain said they were costly and were hard to implement due to financial constraints.