ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Indonesia have signed bilateral trade pacts and memorandums of understanding worth $10.7 million during a recently held trade expo in the country, state-run media reported on Monday, adding that the development would boost economic relations between the two countries.
Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) is Indonesia’s largest international trade fair held annually in October. The recent TEI exhibition was held from Oct. 9-12, 2024, at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition.
Pakistan and Indonesia have attempted to bolster their economic ties through trade and investment over the years. The two countries signed a Preferential Trade Agreement in 2012 that became operational in September 2013, allowing for concessional market access to 232 goods from Pakistan such as fresh fruits, cotton and fabrics, and 313 from Indonesia, such as edible palm oil products, sugar confectionaries and cocoa products.
According to the Pakistan Business Council, the trade relationship between Pakistan and Indonesia holds significant potential for growth, with opportunities for increased cooperation in areas like agriculture, textiles, and energy.
“Business-to-business bilateral cooperation trade agreements and memorandums of understanding worth 10.7 million dollars were signed between the two countries during this event,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said. “In this regard, Trade Expo Indonesia was held recently to promote bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Pakistan.”
Radio Pakistan said both countries have also reiterated their desire to increase cooperation in the fields of trade and economy with the support of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a Pakistani hybrid civil-military forum, set up in June last year to attract international investment in its key economic sectors.
Earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also felicitated Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on taking oath of office.
“Warm felicitations to H.E. Prabowo Subianto, on taking oath as the President of Indonesia. Our nations have enjoyed fraternal ties, rooted in shared values & mutual respect,” Sharif said in a post on social media platform X.
The prime minister expressed his willingness to work closely with President Subianto to enhance bilateral cooperation and promote regional, and global peace and security.
ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province has launched a mass marriage program for 3,000 underprivileged women and started receiving applications in this regard, Pakistani state-run media reported on Monday.
Marriages are often a costly and extravagant affair in Pakistan, placing a significant financial burden on families, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds. The traditional South Asian wedding festivities include costly ceremonies, lavish food, and ornate decorations.
This financial burden has taken a toll on many Pakistanis as the country suffers a prolonged economic crisis characterized by soaring inflation and inflated power bills. As per local customs, the bride’s male relatives are also often expected to give dowry to the groom, with the condition often delaying marriages.
“Chief Minister Punjab’s ‘Dhee Rani’ Mass Wedding Program has been launched in the province,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported on Monday. “Under the program, the receiving of applications for inclusion in mass weddings has begun.”
Applications for the program can be submitted online at https://cm.punjab.gov.pk. A helpline has also been set up on 1312 in this regard, while special teams will visit homes of the applicants to ensure transparency, according to the report.
Under the mass marriage program, each bride will receive around Rs100,000 ($350) along with furniture, clothing, dinner set and 13 essential household items.
Mass marriages for lower-income communities are regularly held across Pakistan, supported by government initiatives, philanthropic efforts and local communities. The practice usually involves tens of couples who marry at a single ceremony, significantly reducing the costs.
In January, 122 Hindu couples were married in a similar ceremony hosted by the Pakistan Hindu Council in the country’s southern port city of Karachi.
DUKKI: Muhammad Abdullah, a coal miner in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan, still mourns the loss of his colleagues who were killed in a deadly attack in the Dukki district this month.
The 28-year-old resident of Dukki, who has been working as a miner for the last eight years, worries about his livelihood as mining in the mountainous district with vast coal reserves has come to a complete standstill since the attack.
At least 21 miners were killed and seven others injured on Oct. 11 when unidentified gunmen attacked a coalfield, operated by Jiyand Coal Mining Company, with sophisticated weapons and hand grenades, forcing those left behind to flee the district.
“The laborers are in fear after the attack and the majority have quit this job and migrated to their native villages,” Abdullah told Arab News.
“Since the horrific attack, all coalfields [in Dukki] have stopped mining, causing economic woes for local mine workers.”
Abdul Ghaffar (first left), a resident of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, is sitting with his fellow mineworkers in one of the coalfields of Dukki, located in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, on October 19, 2024. (AN photo)
Abdullah said he would be unable to meet his family’s expenses or pay his children’s school fees if mining remained suspended in Dukki.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has been embroiled in a low-level insurgency for over two decades. The province, rich in natural resources like copper, gold, natural gas and coal, has attracted economic interest from various international entities. Despite its wealth of resources, safety and security for workers remain a major concern.
The southwestern province has more than 5,000 active mines in Dukki, Harnai, Kachi, Ziarat and Quetta districts. Dukki, a remote mountainous district located some 225 kilometers from the provincial capital Quetta, has more than 1,500 coal mines, where mine owners say 20,000 laborers work day and night to produce 1.8 million tons of coal annually, but the Oct. 11 attack halted the supply of coal to parts of Balochistan and other provinces.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most prominent of separatist groups often associated with similar attacks in the region, denied involvement in it.
Khairullah Jan, a 52-year-old coal mine owner in Dukki, said the daily coal production in the district had reduced from 4,950 tons to 1,320 tons. Initially, 150 coal trucks daily used to supply coal from Dukki to other parts of the country but for the last 10 days, only 40 trucks have been supplying the product per day.
According to the All Pakistan Mine and Mineral Association (APMMA), a single coal truck carries around 33 tons of coal and each truck with “good” quality coal costs around 1.2 million rupees ($4330.82).
“Majority of the coalfields in Dukki are empty as laborers from Afghanistan and other districts of Pakistan have left the area after the Oct. 11 attack,” he told Arab News.
“This will impact the brick kiln industry because we haven’t supplied coal for the small industries in Punjab and other provinces over the last ten days. We have been facing attacks on trucks carrying coal and threat letters for extortion for the last seven months but the recent attack forced the laborers to think of their safety [first].”
Fateh Muhammad Nasir, another coal mine owner who has been part of the coal business for the last 25 years, said the coal mining industry in Dukki was facing an estimated daily loss of more than Rs130 million ($469,673) due to the suspension of mining activity.
Arab News reached out to Provincial Mining Minister Mr. Shoib Nosherwani and other officials to confirm the figure but they did not respond till this report was filed.
“The laborers are adamant that they won’t resume work until they get security assurance from the chief minister,” he said. “The Balochistan chief minister should visit Dukki and give confidence to the miners.”
Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the provincial government, said the authorities were making all efforts to allay the concerns of coal miners in the region.
“The coal miners are on a volunteer strike since the attack in Dukki on Oct. 11, but the government will ensure security for the miners across Balochistan,” Rind told Arab News.
“The government is in touch with the miners and owners through district administration and local notables, soon the issue will be addressed.”
As fear drives miners away and economic losses mount, the future of coal mining in Dukki remains uncertain. The situation underscores the need for immediate and robust security measures to protect workers and sustain the vital industry.
Abdul Ghaffar, a resident of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province who works as a watchman at one of the coalfields in Dukki, said mining could only resume in the district if the government provided security to the miners.
“The government must provide protection and security to the coalfields and laborers after which we would resume our work happily,” he said.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will lead the country’s delegation at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) being held from Oct. 21-26 in Samoa, the foreign ministry said on Monday, where he is expected to present Islamabad’s stance on key global issues.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent nations whose roots go back to the British Empire. However, today any country can join the modern Commonwealth, with the last two countries to join the group being Gabon and Togo in 2022.
The (CHOGM) brings together delegations from 56 nations from Africa, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. The CHOGM says on its website that it aims to reinforce multilateral cooperation, explore new opportunities, and tackle common challenges for the well-being of future generations.
“Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar will lead the Pakistan delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) being held from October 21 to 26, 2024 in Samoa,” the foreign office spokesperson said in a statement.
It said that the deputy PM, who is also Pakistan’s foreign minister, will present the country’s perspectives on key global issues and challenges with a focus on climate change, economic development, and strengthening international cooperation within the Commonwealth community.
In his keynote address at the Commonwealth Business Forum titled: “Transforming our Workforce,” Dar will highlight Pakistan’s emphasis on youth empowerment, skill development and digital transformation, the statement said.
“Deputy Prime Minister Dar will also engage with the heads of delegations of other Commonwealth member states,” the foreign office said.
Pakistan and the UK, which is home to a large Pakistani diaspora, have trade, defense and education ties, among engagement in other areas.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has departed for Washington to take part in the annual International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank meetings starting today, Monday, state-run media reported, where he is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from China, Saudi Arabia, UAE and other countries.
Global finance chiefs will gather in Washington this week amid intense uncertainty over wars in the Middle East and Europe, a flagging Chinese economy and worries that a US presidential election could ignite new trade battles and erode multilateral cooperation.
The IMF and World Bank annual meetings are scheduled to draw more than 10,000 people from finance ministries, central banks and civil society groups to discuss efforts to boost patchy global growth, deal with debt distress and finance green energy transition.
“Federal Minister of Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, here on Sunday departed for the United States to participate in the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB),” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said.
It said that the minister will meet high-ranking IMF and World Bank officials during his trip.
“He will also meet with his counterparts from China, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkiye,” the state broadcaster said.
Aurangzeb will engage with top officials from the US State and Treasury Departments, global credit rating agencies and commercial banks, particularly investment banks from the Middle East, the state media said.
“The Minister will address investment forums and seminars, sharing Pakistan’s economic outlook, and visit renowned US think tanks,” Radio Pakistan said. “He will also interact with selected international and American media representatives.”
Pakistan has frequently turned to the IMF for multi-billion loan programs in the past to sustain its fragile $350 billion economy. The South Asian country in July agreed to a $7 billion IMF deal, its 24th payout from the global lender since 1958, in exchange for unpopular reforms including cutting back on power subsidies and widening its chronically low tax base.
Last year it came to the brink of default as the economy took a plunge amid political chaos following catastrophic 2022 monsoon floods as well as a global economic downturn.
Polio is rising in Pakistan ahead of a new vaccination campaign
Since January, health officials have confirmed 39 new polio cases in Pakistan compared to six in 2023
Pakistan regularly launches campaigns against polio despite attacks on workers, police protecting them
Updated 21 October 2024
AP
ISLAMABAD : Polio cases are rising ahead of a new vaccination campaign in Pakistan, where violence targeting health workers and the police protecting them has hampered years of efforts toward making the country polio-free.
Since January, health officials have confirmed 39 new polio cases in Pakistan, compared to only six last year, said Anwarul Haq of the National Emergency Operation Center for Polio Eradication.
The new nationwide drive starts Oct. 28 with the aim to vaccinate at least 32 million children. “The whole purpose of these campaigns is to achieve the target of making Pakistan a polio-free state,” he said.
Pakistan regularly launches campaigns against polio despite attacks on the workers and police assigned to the inoculation drives. Militants falsely claim the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children.
Most of the new polio cases were reported in the southwestern Balochistan and southern Sindh province, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and eastern Punjab province.
The locations are worrying authorities since previous cases were from the restive northwest bordering Afghanistan, where the Taliban government in September suddenly stopped a door-to-door vaccination campaign.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the two countries in which the spread of the potentially fatal, paralyzing disease has never been stopped. Authorities in Pakistan have said that the Taliban’s decision will have major repercussions beyond the Afghan border, as people from both sides frequently travel to each other’s country.
The World Health Organization has confirmed 18 polio cases in Afghanistan this year, all but two in the south of the country. That’s up from six cases in 2023. Afghanistan used a house-to-house vaccination strategy this June for the first time in five years, a tactic that helped to reach the majority of children targeted, according to WHO.
Health officials in Pakistan say they want both sides to conduct anti-polio drives simultaneously.
