ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Privatization Minister Abdul Aleem Khan promised to facilitate Chinese investors in Special Economic Zones (SEZs), state media reported this week as Islamabad eyes foreign investment in vital sectors to sustain growth and avoid a macroeconomic crisis.
SEZs are usually subject to different and more favorable economic regulations compared to other parts of the same country, which include tax incentives and the opportunity to pay lower tariffs.
China, a major ally and investor in Pakistan, has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. CPEC is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative, a massive China-led infrastructure project that aims to connect various countries around the globe through trade.
“Federal Minister for Privatization and Communications Abdul Aleem Khan says the Board of Investment will provide all facilities to Chinese investors including sale and transfer of land in Special Economic Zones,” Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday.
Khan, as per the state-run media, was presiding over a meeting in Lahore to discuss difficulties being faced by investors in SEZs.
“He directed to resolve all problems being faced in the Special Economic Zones across the country,” the state broadcaster said.
Chinese investment and financial support since 2013 have been key for Pakistan’s struggling economy, including the rolling over of loans so that Islamabad is able to meet external financing needs at a time its foreign reserves are low.
Though time-tested allies, recent security challenges have put a slight strain on Pakistan’s ties with China. Separatist militants have attacked Chinese projects in Pakistan over the past few months, killing Chinese personnel.
In October, a suicide blast claimed by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) killed three people in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, including two Chinese nationals, who were targeted in the attack.
Five Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in March this year, which was the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan in a week.
China has called on Islamabad to ensure security for its citizens in Pakistan. The South Asian nation has in turn sought to ease Chinese fears, vowing to provide fool-proof security to its citizens living and working in the country.
Pakistan vows to facilitate Chinese investors in Special Economic Zones
https://arab.news/g8tgn
Pakistan vows to facilitate Chinese investors in Special Economic Zones
- China, a major ally of Islamabad, has pledged $65 billion for a massive economic corridor project in Pakistan
- Chinese investment and financial support since 2013 have been key for Pakistan’s struggling, fragile economy
82 killed in three days of Pakistan sectarian violence
- Mobile network across Kurram is suspended and traffic on main highway remains halted amid tensions
- Around 300 families fled on Saturday as gunfights with light and heavy weapons continued into the night
PESHAWAR: Three days of bitter sectarian gunfights in northwestern Pakistan have killed at least 82 people and wounded 156 more, a local official said Sunday.
Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country but Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province — near the border with Afghanistan — has a large Shiite population and the communities have clashed for decades.
The latest bout of violence began on Thursday when two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims traveling under police escort were ambushed, killing at least 43 and sparking two days of gunbattles.
“The clashes and convoy attacks on November 21, 22, and 23 have resulted in 82 fatalities and 156 injuries,” said a local administration official speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Among the deceased 16 were Sunni, while 66 belonged to the Shia community,” he told AFP.
Around 300 families fled on Saturday as the gunfights with both light and heavy weapons continued into the night, however no fresh casualties were reported on Sunday morning.
“The mobile network across Kurram remains suspended and traffic on the main highway is halted,” said the local administration official.
Police have regularly struggled to stymy violence in Kurram, which was part of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas until it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018.
A delegation from the provincial government held talks with the Shiite community on Saturday and is scheduled to meet the Sunni community later on Sunday.
A security official in the provincial capital of Peshawar told AFP the negotiators’ helicopter had come under fire as it arrived in the region, although no one was harmed.
“Our priority today is to broker a ceasefire between both sides. Once that is achieved, we can begin addressing the underlying issues,” provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi said Sunday.
Last month at least 16 people, including three women and two children, were killed in a sectarian clash in Kurram.
Previous clashes in July and September killed dozens of people and ended only after a jirga, or tribal council, called a ceasefire.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 79 people died between July and October in sectarian clashes.
Several hundred people demonstrated against the violence on Friday in Pakistan’s second largest city of Lahore and Karachi, the country’s commercial hub.
Pakistan’s Iram Parveen Bilal bags Best Director award for ‘Wakhri’ at Indian film festival
- Wakhri, meaning one of a kind, is inspired by life of murdered Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch
- Yellowstone International Film Festival is an Indian festival that showcases films from around the world
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani director Iram Parveen Bilal this week bagged the Best Director Feature Film award at the fifth Yellowstone International Film Festival, held in India’s New Delhi, for her film “Wakhri.”
Wakhri, meaning one of a kind in the Punjabi language, was inspired by the life of murdered Pakistani social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch. The film’s plot revolves around the challenges faced by a widowed schoolteacher named Noor, who becomes a social media sensation overnight.
Yellowstone International Film Festival is an Indian film festival that showcases films from around the world, providing a platform for filmmakers. With special categories such as women empowerment films, environmental films and student films, this year’s YIFF was held from Nov. 15-20 in New Delhi.
“Thank you for the honor, [YIFF] jury and organizers,” Bilal wrote on Instagram on Thursday. “[Wakhri] shines brightest with its audiences. Deep gratitude to my entire team, cast and crew alike, for enhancing my vision every step of the way.”
Wakhri had its world premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December 2023 before its release in Pakistan on Jan. 5 this year.
Written by Bilal and Mehrub Moiz Awan, Wakhri has been produced by Abid Aziz Merchant, Apoorva Bakshi and Bilal’s Parveen Shah Productions.
The film stars prominent Pakistani actress Faryal Mehmood in the lead role, Gulshan Mated, Sajjad Gul, Salem Mairaj, Sohail Sameer, Bakhtawar Mazhar, Akbar Islam, Tooba Siddiqui, Behjat Nizami and Bushra Habib.
Pakistan reports three new polio cases, pushing 2024 tally to 55
- Two cases reported from southwestern Balochistan province, one from northwestern KP
- Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country
PESHAWAR: Pakistan has reported three new cases of poliovirus, two from the southwestern Balochistan province and one from the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the country’s polio eradication program said on Sunday, pushing this year’s total tally of cases to an alarming 55.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. The nation’s polio eradication campaign has faced serious problems with a spike in reported cases this year that have prompted officials to review their approach to stopping the crippling disease.
On Friday, Pakistan reported two poliovirus cases from the KP province.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of three wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan, bringing the number of total cases in the country this year to 55,” the polio eradication program said in a statement.
Two out of the three cases were reported from Balochistan’s Zhob and Jaffarabad districts while one was reported from the northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district.
The program said that D.I. Khan is one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern KP which has now reported six polio cases this year. Zhob has reported its third polio infection while Jaffarabad its second this year.
Out of a total of 55 cases reported this year, Pakistan has reported 26 from Balochistan, 14 from KP, 13 from Sindh and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Poliovirus, which can cause crippling paralysis particularly in young children, is incurable and remains a threat to human health as long as it has not been eradicated. Immunization campaigns have succeeded in most countries and have come close in Pakistan, but persistent problems remain.
In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994 but efforts to eradicate the virus have since been undermined by vaccine misinformation and opposition from some religious hard-liners, who say immunization is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western spies. Militant groups also frequently attack and kill members of polio vaccine teams.
Pakistan’s chief health officer this month said an estimated 500,000 children had missed polio vaccinations during a recent countrywide inoculation drive due to vaccine refusals.
“Considering the intense polio outbreak, it is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected,” the program said.
Pakistan’s religion ministry launches ‘Pak Hajj 2025’ app to facilitate pilgrims
- Pilgrims will be able to review Hajj training and flight schedules via app, says ministry
- Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry on Sunday announced it had launched the “Pak Hajj 2025” mobile application to guide and facilitate pilgrims about the annual Islamic pilgrimage next year.
Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage. Around 15 designated Pakistani banks on Monday started receiving applications for Hajj 2025 from intending pilgrims.
Pakistani pilgrims used the app, which is available for both Android and iPhone, last year to secure important updates and information about the Hajj pilgrimage.
“The Ministry of Religious Affairs has launched the mobile app ‘Pak Hajj’ for the awareness of Hajj pilgrims,” the religion ministry said in a statement.
“Hajj applicants will remain informed step-by-step through the Pak Hajj app.”
The ministry said pilgrims can view their Hajj training schedules, including dates, times, and locations, through the app, which also displays flight details with flight numbers, departure cities, dates, and times for both departure and return flights.
The app also presents information about Makkah and Madinah’s various locations and routes with the help of maps, the ministry said.
Pakistan’s religious affairs minister this month announced the country’s Hajj 2025 policy, according to which pilgrims can pay fees for the annual Islamic pilgrimage in installments for the first time.
The first installment of Hajj dues, amounting to Rs200,000 ($717), must be deposited along with the Hajj application under the government scheme, while the second installment of Rs400,000 ($1,435) must be deposited within ten days of the balloting. The remaining amount must be deposited by Feb. 10 next year.
Tight security, internet shutdown in Islamabad ahead of protest by ex-PM Khan’s party
- Thousands of Khan supporters demanding his release from prison, judicial independence expected to reach Islamabad today
- All major roads and highways leading to Islamabad have been sealed with heavy deployment of law enforcement personnel
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the government has been compelled to take protective measures in the capital today, Sunday, as authorities place Islamabad under a security lockdown with thousands of Imran Khan supporters expected to reach here for an anti-government protest.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is leading a “long march” to the capital as it seeks his release from prison. The jailed former prime minister has been in prison for well over a year on charges he says are politically motivated. The PTI is also protesting against alleged rigging in the February general elections, and seeks to highlight its concerns about judicial independence, which it claims has been undermined by the 26th Constitutional Amendment, a charge denied by the government.
Security in the capital has been beefed up with paramilitary forces deployed at various parts of the city, equipped with riot gear, to quell any unrest by protesters. Pakistan’s interior ministry announced late Saturday night that mobile data and Internet service have been shut down in sensitive areas.
All major roads leading to Islamabad from the capital’s surrounding areas have been sealed off with shipping containers ahead of the protest. Pakistani authorities have also closed motorways at various locations to prevent Khan supporters from arriving in Islamabad.
“I am hopeful that this drama by the PTI will come to an end tonight and that the situation will return to normalcy,” Iqbal told reporters during a news conference in Lahore. He blamed the PTI for attempting to disrupt Pakistan’s economic recovery by creating chaos.
“The government is compelled to take protective measures to safeguard the lives and properties of community members as it is the government’s responsibility to maintain law and order in Pakistan,” he said.
Iqbal apologized to the masses for causing them inconveniences due to the security measures.
“I also appeal to the public to understand that these measures are essential to protect everyone from the disruptive actions of the PTI,” he said.
PTI SUPPORTERS LEAVE FOR ISLAMABAD
Despite the government’s warnings, senior PTI leader Raoof Hasan vowed Khan’s supporters would reach Islamabad at any cost.
“Our protesters are trying to reach Islamabad but you can see that the whole Islamabad is under lockdown,” Hasan told Arab News.
Hasan criticized the government’s security measures, saying that authorities were scared of an imprisoned Khan. He said many leaders of the party had been arrested.
“Many PTI leaders have been arrested and so far we don’t have the number of arrests but we will share the numbers by the end of the day,” Hasan.
Meanwhile, the PTI shared video footage of its supporters from the northwestern areas of Peshawar, Buner, Bajaur, Karak and other parts of the province leaving for Islamabad. Supporters of the party are expected to reach Islamabad from Punjab and Karachi as well.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has also left for Islamabad from the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, the party said in a statement.
Islamabad Police Spokesperson Jawad Taqi said police will comply with the Islamabad High Court’s orders, which had prohibited any protests in the capital.
“Security personnel from the Frontier Constabulary, Rangers, Punjab, Sindh and Islamabad police are deployed in the federal capital,” Taqi told Arab News. “Today, over 12 people from different locations have been arrested.”
Islamabad Inspector General (IG) Police Ali Nasir Rizvi told reporters that the capital’s security would not be compromised during the ongoing PTI protests.
“Section 144 has been enforced in the city, banning protests, rallies, and sit-ins, and strict actions will be taken against anyone violating the law,” he said, referring to a law that prohibits public gatherings.
A ban on public gatherings has been imposed in Punjab until Nov. 25, while the Metro Bus service between Islamabad and Rawalpindi will remain suspended on Sunday.
Pakistan’s parliament earlier this year passed legislation regulating public demonstrations in the capital, including designated protest areas and specific timings for rallies.
Violators risk imprisonment of up to three years for illegal gatherings and up to 10 years for repeat offenses.
