KHAPLU, Gilgit-Baltistan: In response to recent canine attacks that claimed over 10 lives, authorities in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region have launched an operation, killing more than 1,000 stray dogs, sparking a debate as animal rights activists denounce the culling as inhumane, officials confirmed on Saturday.
Stray dog culling has long been a contentious issue across Pakistan, particularly in major cities like Karachi and Islamabad, where authorities routinely target stray animals to prevent rabies outbreaks and dog attacks. However, animal rights groups argue that these efforts are cruel and advocate for alternative methods such as mass vaccination and sterilization.
The authorities in GB have intensified the dog culling exercise in Gilgit city after its residents complained of being attacked by them.
“Due to a surge in dog attacks, we have launched the operation and more than 1,000 dogs have been shot,” Iman Shah, special assistant to the chief minister, told Arab News over the phone.
“So far, more than 10 people have lost their live due to dog bites in Gilgit municipal area and over 20 were injured this month,” he added. “According to an estimate, the stray dog population in Gilgit is over 15,000. In all three hospitals of Gilgit, vaccine is available.”
The spokesperson for Municipal Committee of Gilgit, Mazhar Moghul, also confirmed the development.
“In Gilgit, women, school children, senior citizens and young people have come under attack by stray dogs,” he said. “To protect and save the lives of the citizens, we have launched the operation against stray dogs.
Moghul told Arab News over the phone that 10 teams had been constituted to kill the dogs and added that the shooting teams had been instructed not to target female animals.
When asked about the argument that it was cruel to kill these dogs, he said the authorities planned to introduce the “TNVR program,” which would trap, neuter, vaccinate and return the animals with the help of the government and private NGOs.
He acknowledged that the dog culling campaign had been ongoing throughout the year, but said it was intensified this month due to written public complaints about dog bites.
Speaking to Arab News, Dr. Hussain Ali, who works with the Snow Leopard Foundation, said stray dogs play a vital role in the ecosystem.
“They contribute to the ecosystem as scavengers by feeding on dead animals, often found in garbage dumps,” he said. “They also act as predators, preying on mice and other animals that can be harmful to humans and crops. Additionally, dogs assist in the dispersion of seeds through their feces, promoting plant diversity.”
Mahera Omar of the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society also criticized the GB authorities for the dog culling campaign.
“Killing dogs in Gilgit is an inhumane and ineffective way to deal with rabies, dog bites or the stray population,” she told Arab News. “No matter how many dogs are killed, others soon move into the area to fill the void, and the cycle of cruelty continues.”
She said Pakistan needed to add rabies awareness to its public health priorities.
“Globally, the strategic goal of nations is to shift focus to mass vaccination of dogs and increased access to post-exposure prophylaxis for humans in order to eliminate dog-mediated rabies by 2030,” she added. “Such an effort requires political will, resources and, of course, good management.”
Omar urged Pakistanis to lobby the government to implement a humane and effective national rabies program to join the ranks of progressive and compassionate nations.
Gilgit authorities cull over 1,000 stray dogs after fatal attacks, sparking activist outcry
https://arab.news/p6drx
Gilgit authorities cull over 1,000 stray dogs after fatal attacks, sparking activist outcry
- Officials say over 10 people have lost their lives, several others have been injured due to dog bites
- Animal rights activists argue no matter how many dogs are killed, others will soon move in to fill the void
Pakistan ex-PM Khan, wife appeal graft convictions
- Khan has been convicted four times since his arrest in Aug. 2023, with two convictions overturned and the sentences in the other two cases suspended
- A graft court this month found Khan and his wife guilty of ‘corruption’ over a welfare foundation they established together called the Al-Qadir Trust
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi appealed against their convictions for graft on Monday, his lawyer said.
Khan, 72, has been held in custody since August 2023 charged in around 200 cases that he claims are politically motivated.
The former cricketing star was sentenced to 14 years in jail and his wife to seven this month in the latest case to be brought against them.
“We have filed appeals today and in the next few days it will go through clerical processes and then it will be fixed for a hearing,” Khan’s lawyer Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry told AFP outside Islamabad High Court.
Khan has been convicted four times since his arrest, with two convictions overturned and the sentences in the other two cases suspended.
A special graft court found the pair guilty of “corruption and corrupt practices” over a welfare foundation they established together called the Al-Qadir Trust.
The court hearing for the case was postponed three times and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said earlier it was being used to pressure him into cutting a deal with the government to step back from politics.
Khan alleged before the conviction that he had been “indirectly approached” about the possibility of house arrest at his sprawling home on Islamabad’s outskirts.
Bibi, a faith healer who married Khan shortly before he was elected in 2018, is being held at the same jail as her husband in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad.
Khan’s popularity continues to undermine a shaky coalition government that kept PTI from power in elections last year.
Even from behind bars, Khan has fired off statements through his legal team railing against the government and promising to fight his battles through the courts.
Sometimes violent protests have paralyzed Islamabad in recent months and the party has announced further rallies next month to mark one year since elections that were marred by allegations of rigging.
Khan called off talks with the government last week aimed at easing political tensions.
Ousted from power by a no-confidence vote in 2022, the former cricket star has since launched an unprecedented campaign in which he has openly criticized Pakistan’s powerful generals.
Analysts say the military’s leaders are Pakistan’s kingmakers, although the generals deny interfering in politics.
A UN panel of experts found last year that Khan’s detention “had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for political office.”
Khan was barred from standing in last February’s election and his PTI party was hamstrung by a widespread crackdown.
PTI won more seats than any other party but a coalition considered more pliable to the military’s influence shut them out of power.
Pakistan sets up pavilion at Arab Health expo to demonstrate health care manufacturing prowess
- The exhibition, running from Jan. 27 till Jan. 30, focuses on nine key product sectors, including medical equipment, disposables and surgical goods
- Pakistan Pavilion is hosting 40 Pakistani firms at the exhibition, highlighting the importance of enhancing Pakistan’s exports across diverse sectors
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has set up its pavilion at the Arab Health 2025 exhibition in Dubai to showcase the South Asian country’s capabilities in health care manufacturing and innovation, the Pakistani embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Monday.
Arab Health 2025, organized under the patronage of the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, is one of the largest and most prestigious health care exhibitions in the world. This year, the event is featuring over 3,800 exhibitors and has attracted more than 60,000 health care professionals and industry leaders from over 70 countries.
The exhibition, running from Jan. 27 till Jan. 30, focuses on nine key product sectors, including medical equipment and devices, disposables and surgical goods, orthopedics and physiotherapy, imaging and diagnostics, general health care services, health care infrastructure, wellness and prevention, health care transformation and health care technology.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at the expo at Dubai World Trade Center, which is hosting 40 leading Pakistani companies under the umbrella of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), highlighting the importance of enhancing Pakistan’s exports across diverse sectors to achieve sustainable economic growth.
“Arab Health has served as an important platform for the health care industry over the past 50 years for collaboration, innovation, and shaping the future of health care,” Ambassador Tirmizi said as he inaugurated the pavilion.
“Our mission is committed to doubling the number of Pakistani exhibitors at next year’s exhibition.”
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States (US), and a major source of foreign investment, valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
The Arab Health exhibition also hosts scientific conferences offering insights into the latest trends in health care, advancements in digital health and artificial intelligence and strategic investment opportunities in the sector.
Ambassador Tirmizi emphasized the significance of leveraging platforms like Arab Health to foster business-to-business linkages, drive innovation in research and development, and enhance collaboration in digital health care services, according to the Pakistani embassy.
Pakistani exhibitors expressed their satisfaction with the arrangements and reiterated the importance of Arab Health in unlocking Pakistan’s export potential in the UAE and the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets.
Pakistan to invite local businessmen in renewed push to privatize loss-making national airline
- A deal to sell off the Pakistan International Airlines fell through late last year, after a potential buyer reportedly offered a fraction of the asking price
- Pakistan hopes the recent opening of European routes, expected to be followed by a similar announcement by the UK, will boost PIA’s selling potential
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has renewed its efforts to privatize the loss-making Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and plans on inviting local businessmen to the new bidding process, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday.
Pakistan’s government has been scrambling to find a buyer to privatize the debt-ridden airline since late last year, when a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered a fraction of the asking price.
The airline posted losses of $270 million in 2023, according to local media reports. Its liabilities were nearly $3 billion, about five times the total worth of its assets.
Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad, Sharif said a new effort was being carried out to privatize the airline, so that PIA becomes the PIA of its heydays in the ‘60s.
“This time we are inviting Pakistani businessman from Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and Lahore,” Sharif said in televised comments. “A new bidding process will be carried out, whichever group wins the bid, PIA will be given to them.”
The development comes weeks after PIA resumed its operations in Europe, with the first flight to Paris on Jan. 10, following a hiatus of four years.
The airline was restricted in 2020 by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) after Pakistan launched an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses issued in the country, following a PIA plane crash in Karachi that killed 97 people. EASA lifted its ban on PIA in November last year, however, the airline remains barred from flying to the UK and the US.
Separately on Monday, a delegation from the UK’s Department for Transport and Civil Aviation Authority arrived in Pakistan to conduct a safety assessment ahead of the resumption of PIA flight operations between the two countries, according to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“There will be several high-level meetings between the two sides,” the PCAA said in a statement. “The discussions will examine aviation safety protocols, review documentation, and evaluate operational procedures.”
Pakistan’s government hopes the opening of European routes, which officials expect will be followed by a similar announcement by the UK later this year, will boost PIA’s selling potential.
“We will take PIA back to the slogan ‘Great People To Fly With’,” Sharif said at the Islamabad ceremony. “This is difficult but not impossible.”
Pakistan to issue red notices for human traffickers in bid to curb illegal practice
- Development comes days after a boat capsized near Morocco on Jan. 15 while carrying 66 Pakistanis among 86 migrants
- The tragedy once again underscored the perilous journeys many migrants embark on due to conflict, instability at home
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday ordered authorities to issue red notices for human traffickers in order to curb the illegal practice, Pakistani state media reported, days after a migrant boat carrying over 60 Pakistanis capsized near Morocco.
The boat capsized near Morocco’s coast on Jan. 15 while carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, according to migrant rights group Walking Borders. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said last week that it was in process of repatriating 22 survivors of the tragedy.
The Morocco tragedy has once again underscored the perilous journeys many migrants, including Pakistanis, embark on due to conflict and economic instability in their home countries.
PM Sharif gave the orders to issue red notices for human traffickers at the first meeting of a task force he formed last week to curb human smuggling, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The prime minister instructed the FIA [Federal Investigation Agency] to provide the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the information gathered during investigations to facilitate the swift extradition of human traffickers,” the report read.
A red notice is a request from a member country of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to other member states to locate and arrest a person to extradite them to face criminal charges.
The Morocco tragedy is not the first one involving Pakistani migrants in recent years.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos, marking one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea. More recently, five Pakistani nationals died in a shipwreck off the southern Greek island of Gavdos on Dec. 14.
The Pakistani government has ramped up efforts in recent months to combat human smugglers facilitating dangerous journeys for illegal immigrants to Europe, resulting in several arrests. PM Sharif has also urged increased collaboration with international agencies like Interpol to ensure swift action against human trafficking networks.
“Complete eradication of human trafficking can only be achieved through the collective efforts and cooperation of all institutions,” Sharif told officials at Monday’s meeting.
Pakistan central bank cuts key policy rate to 12 percent amid easing inflation
- The State Bank of Pakistan has slashed rates from an all-time high of 22 percent in June 2024
- Pakistan’s consumer inflation rate fell to 4.1 percent in December, its lowest in over six years
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s central bank has cut its key interest rate by 100 basis points to 12 percent, the bank’s governor announced on Monday, amid easing inflation and expectations for growth to pick up after consecutive rate cuts in the last six months.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has slashed rates from an all-time high of 22 percent in June last year in one of the most aggressive moves among central banks of emerging markets.
Speaking at a press conference, SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed said inflation would ease further in January, but core inflation remained elevated, forecasting that full-year inflation would remain between 5.5-7.5 percent in the fiscal year ending in June.
“The Monetary Policy Committee, after a lot of discussions, decided to reduce our policy rate from 13 percent to 12 percent. In other words, a reduction of 100 basis points was decided in today’s meeting,” he said.
“Our full-year forecast for this year, from July 2024 to June 2025, is that the full-year inflation, in our opinion, will be between 5.5 percent and 7.5 percent.”
Pakistan’s consumer inflation rate fell to 4.1 percent in December, its lowest in more than six years, helped by favorable base effects. It was below the government’s forecast and down from a multi-decade high of around 40 percent in May 2023.
Pakistan posted a current account surplus of $0.6 billion in Dec., bringing the cumulative surplus to $1.2 billion for the first half of the current fiscal year, according to the central bank governor. This was the result of “major positive developments” in the last six months.
“The current account level that we are foreseeing now, which would be the average of this entire year, that is 0.5 percent deficit to 0.5 percent surplus,” Ahmed said.
The central bank maintained its forecast of full-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 2.5-3.5 percent. Under a $7 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan’s $350 billion economy grew 0.92 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2024-25, according to data approved by the National Accounts Committee in Dec.
The IMF will conduct a first review of the program in March, according to Ahmed.
“We have taken all actions required by the IMF from the central bank’s side,” he added.
Topline Securities, a Karachi-based brokerage and securities firm, said the latest rate cut would positively impact high leverage, cyclical and consumer discretionary companies.
“The leverage companies will benefit from lower finance cost, cyclicals will benefit from recovery of economy and consumer discretionary companies like autos will benefit from expected rise in consumer financing,” it said.
“Sector-wise, textile sector should stand beneficiary due to high leverage with positive impact of 3-5 percent, Steels 2-4 percent, and cement sector 2-3 percent.”
