Beijing pushes for own security staff to provide protection to citizens in Pakistan

Members of the bomb disposal squad in plain clothes, survey the area after yesterday's attack on a police station, in Karachi, Pakistan on February 18, 2023. (REUTERS/File)
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Updated 14 November 2024
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Beijing pushes for own security staff to provide protection to citizens in Pakistan

  • String of recent attacks have angered China, pushed Pakistan to begin formal negotiations for a joint security management system
  • Pakistani officials say consensus developing on setting up joint system, Chinese officials sitting in on security meetings and coordination 

ISLAMABAD: Beijing is pushing Pakistan to allow its own security staff to provide protection to thousands of Chinese citizens working in the South Asian nation, during talks after a car bombing in Karachi that was seen as a major security breach, sources said.
Last month’s airport bombing in the southern port city that killed two Chinese engineers returning to work on a project after a holiday in Thailand was the latest in a string of attacks on Beijing’s interests in Pakistan.
The attacks, and Islamabad’s failure to deter them, have angered China, which has pushed Pakistan to begin formal negotiations for a joint security management system.
Five Pakistani security and government sources with direct knowledge of the previously unreported negotiations and demands spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, as the talks are sensitive.
“They (Chinese) want to bring in their own security,” said one official, who sat in on a recent meeting, adding that Pakistan had not so far agreed to such a step.
It was not clear whether Beijing wants to bring in state or private security personnel for the task.
Neither Beijing nor Islamabad confirmed the talks officially.
The source, and two other officials, said there was a consensus on setting up a joint security management system, and that Pakistan was amenable to Chinese officials sitting in on security meetings and co-ordination.
But there was no agreement on their participating in security arrangements on the ground.
The first official said Pakistan had asked China for help in improving its intelligence and surveillance capabilities instead of direct involvement.
A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry told Reuters it was not familiar with talks on a joint security scheme, but added, “China will continue to strengthen co-operation with Pakistan and make joint efforts to do its utmost to maintain the security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions.”
Inter-Services Public Relations, the information wing of the Pakistan army, declined to comment. The interior and planning ministries did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
In a statement last week, Pakistan’s interior ministry said both sides agreed to develop a joint strategy to prevent similar incidents in the future.

'GRAVE SECURITY BREACH'

The nature of the Karachi bombing has angered Beijing, which is now pushing harder to achieve a long standing demand to control security arrangements for its citizens.
A pick-up truck rigged with nearly 100 kg (220 lbs) of explosives waited unchecked for about 40 minutes near the outermost security cordon of the heavily guarded airport before its driver rammed it into a vehicle carrying Chinese engineers, officials said.
“It was a grave security breach,” admitted one of the officials investigating the bombing, which came just a week before Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Islamabad, the first such trip in a decade.
The official said investigators believe the attackers had “inside help” in securing details of the itinerary and route of the engineers, who had returned from a month off in Thailand.
They were to be escorted back to a power plant set up as part of plans for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Longtime Pakistan ally China has thousands of nationals working on projects grouped under the CPEC, a $65-billion investment in President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to expand China’s global reach by road, rail and sea.

'CHINESE FRUSTRATIONS'

Publicly China has mostly backed Pakistan’s arrangements, even as it calls for enhanced security.
Privately, Beijing has expressed frustration. At one recent meeting, the Chinese side provided evidence that Pakistan had failed to follow security protocols agreed on twice in recent months, three officials said.
Such protocols usually feature high standards for deployment and movement of Chinese officials.
Chinese nationals have been in the crosshairs of separatist militants who see Beijing as helping Pakistan exploit minerals in the underdeveloped southwestern province of Balochistan, where China has a strategic port and mining interests.
Thousands of Pakistani security officers from the army, police and a dedicated force called the Special Protection Unit are posted to guard Chinese nationals.
Only China’s embassy in Islamabad and its consulates are allowed Chinese official security personnel, the Pakistani officials said.


UK announces £108 million to support Pakistani businesses tackle climate change

Updated 23 November 2024
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UK announces £108 million to support Pakistani businesses tackle climate change

  • Funds will help businesses develop climate technologies, support Pakistan’s private sector
  • UK government says program will support the creation of over 100,000 Pakistani jobs

ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom (UK) government this week announced £108 million in funds to support Pakistani businesses adapt to climate challenges, saying that it would help them develop technologies and meet significant investments required to tackle climate threats.
The announcement was made at the culmination of the two-day visit by British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan Hamish Falconer to Islamabad on Friday.
The British government said the funding will support a first-of-its-kind investment facility to deliver climate technologies and private sector support in Pakistan. The program will be delivered in partnership with the International Finance Corporation.
“The UK and Pakistan are committed to tackling tomorrow’s threats today,” Falconer was quoted as saying by the British government on Friday. 
“That’s why we’re investing in the expertise needed and supporting local businesses, alongside the Government of Pakistan, to get ahead of the challenges that climate change poses to the Pakistani people and the world.”
According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is among the countries most at risk from climate change. The 2022 floods, which experts linked to global warming, impacted over 33 million people, resulted in more than 1,700 deaths and caused an estimated $33 billion in damages.
Pakistan’s economic struggles and high debt burden put a strain on its resources and impinged its ability to respond to the disaster.
Pakistan has also been grappling with increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, including droughts, heatwaves, and heavy rainfall. This year, the country experienced its heaviest April rainfall since 1961, with 59.3 millimeters recorded. Additionally, several regions faced severe heatwaves in May and June.
“The program will leverage the £108m the UK puts in to mobilize 5-6 times that amount of investment from the private sector and will support the creation of over 100,000 Pakistani jobs,” the British government said on its official website. 
Pakistan and the UK enjoy strong military, economic and educational ties, with the latter hosting a large Pakistani diaspora.
Recent high-level visits by military leaders from both countries have signalled a deepening of defense ties and cooperation. The strong relationship is built on a shared history and the significant presence of a Pakistani diaspora in the country.


Cannot allow Islamabad protest, Pakistan interior minister tells ex-PM Khan’s party

Updated 23 November 2024
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Cannot allow Islamabad protest, Pakistan interior minister tells ex-PM Khan’s party

  • Jailed Imran Khan’s party has called for “long march” to Islamabad on Nov. 24 to demand his release
  • Pakistani authorities block roads, seal off motorways ahead of opposition’s Islamabad protest

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday discussed the prevailing political situation in the country with former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Gohar Ali Khan, warning him that the government will not allow the party to stage a protest sit-in or rally in the capital.
Thousands of Khan supporters are expected to arrive in Islamabad on Sunday for a “long march” to the capital. The PTI’s march is primarily aimed at pressurizing the government to end the jailed Khan’s imprisonment, which has lasted for over a year, on what his party contends are politically motivated charges. 
The party also aims to raise its voice against alleged rigging in the Feb. 8 general elections while calling for measures to ensure judicial independence, which it says has been undermined by the 26th constitutional amendment. The government denies this. 
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the government to form a committee to hold discussions with the PTI. The court said that if no breakthrough was reached between the two parties, then the government would be responsible for maintaining law and order. It said that in that case, “no protest or rally or for that matter sit-in shall be allowed.”
“Mohsin Naqvi informed Barrister Gohar about the post-Islamabad High Court order situation,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. “He said we are bound by the high court’s order and cannot permit any procession, sit-in or rally.”
The minister informed the PTI chairman about the engagements of the 80-member high-level delegation accompanying the president of Belarus, who will be in Islamabad from Nov. 24-27. 
“Barrister Gohar said he will inform the Interior Minister about the final response after party consultation,” the state media said. 
MOTORWAYS, MAJOR ARTERIES SEALED
Pakistan’s National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) said on Friday that motorways across the country leading to Islamabad have been sealed from various areas to protect people’s lives ahead of the PTI’s planned protest. 
Authorities sealed off major arteries and roads with shipping containers leading to Islamabad from the surrounding Rawalpindi city, including at the Faizabad terminal, and other areas on Friday. 
In a notification released on Friday, the NHMP cited intelligence reports that protesters were planning to disrupt law and order in the capital, adding that they would be armed with sticks and slingshots. 
“To prevent any untoward situation and to protect the lives of the people, motorways have been closed from various locations,” the NHMP said.
“The lives and property of the people will be guaranteed at all costs. Those who take the law into their hands will be dealt with strictly.”
Hours earlier on Friday, the NHMP had shared a notification on social media platform X in which it had said that certain sections of the motorway were closed due to maintenance work. These sections were: M-1 Islamabad to Peshawar, M-2 Islamabad to Lahore, M-3 Lahore to Abdul Hakeem, M-4 Pindi Bhattian to Multan, M-14 Hakla to Yarik and M-11 Lahore to Sialkot. 
As per local media reports, the Metro Bus service between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi will be suspended on Nov. 24 while a ban on public gatherings has been imposed in Punjab from Nov. 23-25 ahead of the PTI’s march. 
Earlier this week, Pakistan’s interior ministry had authorized the deployment of paramilitary Punjab Rangers and Frontier Corps troops in Islamabad to maintain law and order.
Pakistan’s parliament also passed a law earlier this year to regulate public gatherings in Islamabad, specifying timings for rallies and designating specific areas. The law prescribes three-year jail terms for participants in illegal assemblies and 10-year imprisonment for repeat offenders.


Cop among two killed in separate IED blasts in northwestern Pakistan

Updated 23 November 2024
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Cop among two killed in separate IED blasts in northwestern Pakistan

  • No group has so far claimed responsibility for blasts which took place in Bajaur tribal district
  • Seventy-five police personnel have been killed, 113 injured in militant attacks in KP this year

PESHAWAR: A police constable and a civilian were killed in separate Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasts in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, police said, as Islamabad struggles to contain surging militancy in its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
The IED blasts took place in the northwestern Bajaur tribal district on Saturday morning, killing one cop and a civilian.
As per official data, 75 police personnel have been killed and 113 injured in militant attacks and targeted assassinations in KP province this year.
“Both blasts were reported in the premises of Loi Mamund police station earlier today,” Bajaur Police spokesperson Muhammad Israr told Arab News.
No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts so far.
“An IED was placed in front of the policeman’s house which detonated when he was leaving home for duty at around 9:30 am in Mena village of Loi Mamund,” Israr added.
He said the other blast took place around 8:00 am in Irab village, also located within the vicinity of Loi Mamund police station, in which one person was killed.
Israr said police have started investigating both incidents.
Pakistan blames the surge in militancy in KP province, which borders Afghanistan, on the Pakistani Taliban militants that it alleges have found safe havens in Afghanistan.
Kabul denies the allegations and urges Pakistan to resolve its security challenges on its own. Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since November 2022 when a fragile truce between the Pakistani state and the Pakistani Taliban broke down.


Death toll from sectarian clashes in Pakistan’s Kurram district surges to 54

Updated 16 min 9 sec ago
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Death toll from sectarian clashes in Pakistan’s Kurram district surges to 54

  • Sectarian clashes since Thursday have wounded at least 86 in Kurram, says hospital official
  • KP Chief Minister sends high-level delegation to Kurram district to assess security situation

ISLAMABAD: The death toll from sectarian clashes in the northwestern Pakistani tribal district of Kurram rose to 54 on Saturday, a senior hospital official said, as fear grips the restive area days after an attack killed members of the Shiite minority.
Forty-one people were killed on Thursday when gunmen opened fire on vehicles carrying members of the minority Shiite community in the Kurram tribal district.
The assault, one of the deadliest attacks in recent years in the area, took place in the district where sectarian clashes have killed dozens of people in recent months. As per various media reports, clashes continued until Saturday, leaving more people deal in the district.
“So far, we have received almost 54 dead and another 86 wounded from the clashes,” Dr. Mir Hassan Jan, medical superintendent at the district headquarters hospital in Parachinar, one of Kurram’s main towns, told Arab News.
“In addition, we have referred 16 seriously wounded to Peshawar who were in critical condition,” he added.
Dr. Jan said bodies had been brought to the hospital since Thursday, forcing him to instruct all medics at the hospital to remain on duty around the clock.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which came a week after authorities reopened a key highway in the region that had been closed for weeks following deadly clashes.
Previous clashes in July and September killed dozens of people and ended only after a tribal council called for a ceasefire.
Shop owners in Parachinar announced a three-day strike on Friday to protest the attack while locals described an atmosphere of fear across the district following the incident.
Separately, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur sent a high-level delegation comprising provincial Law Minister Advocate Aftab Alam, KP chief secretary, commissioner Kohat Division and deputy inspector general (DIG) of the Kohat division to Kurram to assess the situation there.
The delegation would take members of the local jirga, or tribal council, into confidence and attempt to restore law and order in the area, said Hashim Khan, media officer to the KP law minister.
“After the visit, the delegation will submit a detailed report to the chief minister,” Khan told Arab News.
“The provincial government will then comprehensive measures to control the situation in Kurram with the input of tribal elders.”
‘TRANSPARENT INQUIRY’
Separately, mourners on Saturday demanded the government hold a transparent inquiry into the incident.
“A transparent inquiry of this incident should be carried out,” Hayat Abbas Najafi, one of the mourners, told Reuters in Parachinar.
“We call on the government as well as security institutions that Parchinar, which is a great part of Pakistan, should be saved from sectarianism and should be provided safety and security.”
Sajjad Hussain, another mourner, said among those killed were infants as young as six months old and women. 
“They were innocent passengers. What was their fault,” he asked.

With inputs from Reuters


UAE promotes Arab culture and cuisine at three-day festival in Karachi 

Updated 23 November 2024
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UAE promotes Arab culture and cuisine at three-day festival in Karachi 

  • UAE consulate in Karachi kicks off celebrations ahead of nation’s National Day 
  • UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners and major source of remittances

KARACHI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Consul General in Karachi this week paid a visit to promote several stalls selling Arab cuisine and highlighting Arab culture at a three-day festival in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, ahead of the Gulf nation’s National Day. 
Sindh’s Culture Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah inaugurated the three-day Sindh Craft Festival on Friday which showcases traditional shawls, quilts, handlooms, and caps made by artists from all over Sindh at Karachi’s famous Port Grand entertainment hub. 
UAE Consul General Dr. Bakheet Ateeq Al Rumaithi visited the festival on Friday to highlight Arab cuisine and review stalls promoting Arab culture at the festival. The UAE consulate is gearing up for celebrations to mark the nation’s 53rd National Day on Dec. 2.
“Various stalls have been set up at Port Grand keeping in mind Arab culture,” the UAE Consulate in Karachi said in a statement on Friday. 

Sindh’s Culture Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah (2L) inaugurates three-day Sindh Craft Festival during an event to mark the UAE’s 53rd National Day in Karachi on November 22, 2024. (Photo courtesy: UAE Consulate Karachi)

Al Rumaithi noted that women, children and the elderly were all taking part in the three-day cultural festival. 
“We have a centuries-old relationship with Pakistan which is strengthening,” he observed. 

UAE Consul General Dr. Bakheet Ateeq Al Rumaithi (5R) cuts the cake to celebrate the UAE’s 53rd National Day in Karachi on November 22, 2024. (Photo courtesy: UAE Consulate Karachi)

The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners and a major source of foreign investment, valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE ministry of foreign affairs. The UAE-Pakistan trade volume rose to $7.9 billion in 2023, up 12 percent from 2022. 
In May this year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the Emirates had committed $10 billion to invest in promising economic sectors in Pakistan. The Pakistan Business Council (PBC), set up this September at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also aims to increase Pakistan’s bilateral trade volume with the UAE to $40 billion in three years.
The UAE is also home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates and the second-largest source of remittances to Pakistan after Saudi Arabia.