ISLAMABAD: China has warned its nationals against traveling to Pakistan’s two western provinces, South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday, following a deadly suicide bombing in Karachi that killed two of its citizens on Sunday.
The attack occurred just before the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, scheduled for next week, and was claimed by the separatist armed group, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which said it used a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device for the explosion.
This was not the first attack against Chinese nationals in Karachi, where the same militant group killed three Chinese academics and their local driver in a suicide bombing in April 2022.
Pakistan announced plans to strengthen security protocols for Chinese workers in the country earlier this year after another suicide attack killed five Chinese workers on the Dasu Hydropower Project, and took strict disciplinary action against five senior officials for their “negligence.”
“In a statement on Monday, the embassy advised Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to the southwest province of Balochistan and the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which have seen a surge in attacks targeting Chinese personnel and projects,” the Hong Kong-based newspaper, known for providing in-depth coverage on Asia-Pacific, said in its report.
It added that Beijing had called on Islamabad to “severely punish” the attackers and “plug security loopholes” to protect the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Chinese nationals.
A statement in English available on the embassy’s website reminds “Chinese citizens, enterprises, and projects in Pakistan to be vigilant, pay close attention to the security situation, strengthen security measures, and make every effort to take safety precautions.”
The BLA opposes Pakistan’s control over Balochistan, claiming the region is exploited for its resources without benefiting the local population, an allegation denied by the state.
The group also has a history of targeting Chinese interests in the country due to Beijing’s involvement in infrastructure projects in Balochistan.
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Tuesday the Chinese killed in the Sunday attack were Independent Power Producers engineers, adding that the government was in energy debt restructuring negotiations with them.
A senior Pakistani politician, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who closely monitors China-Pakistan relations, also shared the South China Morning Post story on social media, expressing regret over the situation.
“What a Shame, this travel advisory, warning of dangers of travel to Pakistan, is not emanating from Washington or London, but from Beijing, our next-door neighbor & Strategic Partner,” he wrote on X.
“China has huge investments in strife-torn Nigeria & Congo, but never have we witnessed there 19 murders of Chinese engineers & technicians in 6 incidents in 5 years, as we see these recurring in Pakistan,” he added.
Sayed questioned the priorities of the current government, saying it was focusing more on local protesters than addressing militants operating in the country.
China warns citizens against travel to Pakistan after deadly suicide bombing — report
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China warns citizens against travel to Pakistan after deadly suicide bombing — report
- Two Chinese engineers were killed in a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device blast in Karachi on Sunday
- Beijing has called on Islamabad to ‘severely punish’ the attackers and ‘plug security loopholes’ to protect CPEC
Pakistan PM calls for collaborative efforts to stem polio amid alarming surge in cases
- Pakistan has so far reported 68 poliovirus cases this year, 27 of them from Balochistan
- Shehbaz Sharif says security of polio volunteers and vaccinators cannot be compromised
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for greater collaboration among the country’s health authorities to stem the spread of poliovirus, state-run media reported this week, as Pakistan witnesses an alarming surge in cases of the infection.
Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease. Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world.
Pakistan on Monday reported its 68th poliovirus case of the year when a child contracted the virus from the northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district. Sharif spoke to the national anti-polio team on Monday regarding efforts to curb the spread of the disease.
“The Prime Minister said unfortunately, the number of polio-affected children is rising in Pakistan, which needs even more collaborative efforts,” the state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Monday.
Sharif noted that the use of technology in Pakistan’s health sectors, including polio eradication, is being increased to modernize public health care and achieve better results.
“He added that the security of polio workers cannot be compromised, and all possible measures should be taken in this regard,” Radio Pakistan said.
Of the 68 cases reported this year, 27 were from Balochistan, 20 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 19 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad, according to Pakistan’s anti-polio program.
A sub-national polio vaccination campaign was conducted across Punjab, Sindh, KP, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad on December 16–22, vaccinating over 42 million children.
Pakistani bank arranges $300 million loan for government through UAE branch
- United Bank Limited operates one of largest branch networks in Pakistan
- Initiative to help shape a stronger, more vibrant Pakistani economy, says UBL
ISLAMABAD: The United Bank Limited (UBL) this week announced it had facilitated $300 million in foreign financing for Pakistan’s government through its branch in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), saying that the initiative would help shape the country’s economy into a more vibrant one as Islamabad struggles to repay its external debt obligations.
UBL is a banking company incorporated in Pakistan and one that is engaged in commercial banking and related services. It operates one of the largest branch networks in the country, augmented by its industry-leading digital banking services which have earned it local and international recognition.
“UBL UAE is proud to facilitate $300 million in foreign financing for the Government of Pakistan— a testament to our commitment toward setting new standards in the banking industry,” the bank said in a statement on its social media accounts on Monday.
“This venture marks another milestone in our journey to shape a stronger, more vibrant economy.”
Pakistan has struggled to meet its external debt repayment obligations, often resulting in its regional allies rolling over loans worth billions of dollars. The cash-strapped nation has been struggling to ward off an economic crisis that has drained its revenue, pushed inflation to record levels, and weakened its currency significantly over the past two years.
Pakistan secured a fresh 37-month $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this year after it narrowly avoided a sovereign default on its payment obligations in 2023. Pakistan’s finance minister, however, has reiterated the country needs to move toward an export-oriented growth model supplemented by long-term financial reforms to ensure its progress is sustainable.
Top five Pakistani women who led the way as trailblazers in 2024
- Pakistan’s Ayla Majid became first Muslim and South Asian to get elected president of global accountancy body ACCA
- Maryam Nawaz became the first woman chief minister of a Pakistani province after contentious elections in February
ISLAMABAD: As the world prepares to bid farewell to an eventful 2024 and welcome the new year, here is a list of five Pakistani women who shattered stereotypes and made history by dominating in their respective fields ranging from politics to mountaineering, and sports to music.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif
Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the daughter of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, made history in February after she was elected as the first woman chief minister of a Pakistani province.
After her Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party won the highest number of seats after a contentious election in February, Sharif was elected as the chief minister of the country’s richest and most populous Punjab province.
She formally joined politics in 2012 and became increasingly involved in politics during her father’s four-year, self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2023. In 2019, she was appointed vice president of the PML-N, leading anti-government rallies throughout the country against then prime minister Imran Khan’s government.
Political opponents and critics, however, say her election to the chief minister’s post is an example of the enduring influence of feudal politics in Pakistan.
Ayla Majid
In November, Ayla Majid became the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected president of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a global accountancy body.
Majid is the chief executive officer of a firm that advises on decarbonization, sustainability, and energy transition. Majid is leading more than 252,500 members and 526,000 future members of ACCA across 180 countries during her year-long term in office.
She has over 20 years of experience in energy, transaction advisory, mergers and acquisitions, investments and corporate governance. Majid holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of London.
Arooj Aftab
Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab earned Grammy nominations for the fourth time in a row in November. Her single “Raat Ki Rani” earned a nomination in the Best Global Music Performance, category while her album, “Night Reign” has earned a nomination for the Best Alternative Jazz Album category.
This category honors vocal or instrumental albums where new alternative jazz recordings comprise more than 75 percent of the playing time.
In 2022, Aftab became the first Pakistani singer to win a Grammy for her song ‘Mohabbat’ in the Best Global Music Performance category.
Naila Kiani
In May, Dubai-based mountaineer Naila Kiani became the first Pakistani woman to summit Mount Makalu, the fifth-highest mountain in the world. The tremendous achievement also brought another feather to Kiani’s cap, as it made her the first and only Pakistani woman to summit 11 out of 14 mountains that stand 8,000 meters above sea level.
Kiani had previously summited Broad Peak (8,047 meters), Annapurna (8,091 meters), K2 (8,611 meters), Lhotse (8,516 meters), Gasherbrum 1 (8,068 meters), Gasherbrum II (8,035 meters), Nanga Parbat (8,125 meters), Mount Everest (8,849 meters), Manaslu (8,156 meters) and Cho Oyu (8,201 meters) mountains.
The mother of two, who is also a banker by profession, garnered fame in 2018 after her wedding photos from K2’s base camp were widely shared on social media. She is also a recipient of the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s third-highest civilian award, which she received in March 2024 for climbing Mount Everest.
Saleema Imtiaz
Saleema Imtiaz became the first Pakistani woman to be nominated to the International Cricket Council’s International Panel of Development Umpires in September. The nomination qualifies Imtiaz, 52, to officiate in women’s bilateral international matches and ICC Women’s Events.
Imtiaz, mother of Pakistan women’s international player Kainat Imtiaz, began her umpiring career with the Pakistan Cricket Board Women’s Umpires Panel in 2008. Her extensive experience includes officiating in high-profile events under the Asian Cricket Council such as the 2022 and 2024 ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup and the 2023 ACC Emerging Women’s Cup in Hong Kong.
Pakistan begins construction of $3.5 billion Chinese-designed nuclear energy project
- The Chashma-5 nuclear power plant is being constructed along the left embankment of the fast-flowing Indus River in Mianwali
- Beijing is building roads, bridges, power plants, and railways in Pakistan to link its far west with Gwadar port on Indian Ocean
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has begun construction of a $3.5 billion Chinese-designed nuclear energy project, which would produce 1,200 megawatts of electricity, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday.
Pakistan and China are longtime allies. Beijing is building roads, bridges, power plants, and railways under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, to link its far west with the
Chinese-built Gwadar port on the Indian Ocean in Pakistan’s Balochistan.
The nuclear power plant, known as Chashma-5, is being constructed at a site along the left embankment of the fast-flowing Indus River in Mianwali, a district in the eastern Punjab province. The site is already home to four Chinese-supplied nuclear power plants that were built in recent decades.
In a post on X, Sharif said the Chashma-5 nuclear power plant was another “milestone” in strategic cooperation between the two friendly countries.
“Commencement of construction of the most modern and the biggest, C-5 Nuclear Power Plant is another milestone in strategic cooperation between Pakistan and China. The plant will contribute 1200 MW electricity,” Sharif said.
“I congratulate PAEC (Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission) and CNNC on this remarkable achievement.”
The development comes as Pakistan, which has one of the highest electricity tariffs in the region, is making preparations to stop capacity payments to independent power producers (IPPs), and PM Sharif’s cabinet this month approved settlement agreements with eight bagasse-based IPPs, with the aim to reduce electricity prices and save the national exchequer billions of rupees.
High cost of power is one of the key factors that leads to inflation in the South Asian country.
Pakistan has also been holding talks on reprofiling power sector debt owed to China and structural reforms, but progress has been slow. It has also vowed to stop power sector subsidies.
Pakistan government, ex-PM Khan party to again meet on Jan. 2 in bid to ease political tensions
- Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in 2022 has plunged the country into a prolonged political crisis
- Both sides last week held first round of talks after the ex-premier threatened a civil dissidence movement in the country
ISLAMABAD: Ayaz Sadiq, speaker of the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament, has summoned an in-camera meeting of negotiation teams of the government and the opposition on Jan. 2, the National Assembly Secretariat said on Monday, amid efforts to ease prolonged political tensions in the country.
The development came a week after the government and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former prime minister Imran Khan held the first round of formal negotiations on Dec. 23, with the PTI asked to present its demands in writing at the next session.
Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in 2022 has plunged Pakistan into a political crisis, particularly since the PTI founder was jailed in August last year on corruption and other charges and remains behind bars. His party and supporters have regularly held protests calling for his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent.
“The Honorable Speaker, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, will chair a 2nd meeting (in-camera) on negotiations between Treasury and Opposition on Thursday, the 2nd of January, 2025,” the National Assembly Secretariat said in a notification on Monday.
Khan previously rejected talks with the government, saying his party would only talk to the “real powerbrokers” in Pakistan, the all-powerful army, but earlier this month he set up a negotiating committee of top party members to open a dialogue with the government for the fulfilment of two demands: the release of political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate protests on May 9 last year and Nov. 26 this year, which the government says involved his party supporters, accusing them of attacking military installations and government buildings.
The talks opened days after Khan threatened a civil dissidence movement and amid growing concerns he may face trial by a military court for allegedly inciting attacks on sensitive security installations during the May 9 protests.
Sadiq last week said the first round of talks were held in a “cordial” environment, calling them vital to end “political polarization” in the country.
“Since some members of the opposition could not join the talks today, we have decided to hold the next meeting on Jan. 2,” he said on Dec. 23. “The opposition will also present a charter of demands in the meeting.”
Speaking to the media after the talks, Khan’s close aide, Asad Qaiser, said the PTI team had asked the government to release all political prisoners, including the former prime minister, and form a judicial commission, comprising senior Supreme Court judges, to probe the May 9 and Nov. 26 protests.
“We should be allowed to hold a meeting with Imran Khan,” Qaiser said. “He is our leader. We will move forward with his instructions.”
The negotiations came days after Pakistan’s military announced prison sentences for 25 people involved in the May 9 protests, which PTI has demanded be investigated. The PTI has also repeatedly said it fears the government and military will try Khan in army courts for the May 9 violence. He is already being tried for the violence in a civilian court.
