ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday launched Pakistan’s five-year homegrown National Economic Plan, targeting an annual investment goal of $10 billion as the country seeks to recover from a prolonged macroeconomic crisis.
Pakistan has faced a series of economic challenges in recent years, including a balance-of-payments crisis, dwindling foreign exchange reserves and a depreciating national currency. The new plan, titled “Uraan Pakistan,” or “Fly Pakistan,” aims to transition the country from its current macroeconomic stability to sustainable growth.
In July, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal announced the plan would be based on the 5Es framework — exports, energy, economic growth, education and equality — to foster stability and lay the groundwork for Pakistan’s future growth.
Speaking at the launch ceremony in Islamabad, Sharif emphasized that the government’s role was to promote business opportunities in the private sector and serve as a catalyst for economic progress.
“I want to tell you that our goal of investment will be $10 billion yearly,” Sharif said, urging the country’s affluent classes to also chip in and make sacrifices for the country.
Emphasizing the need to develop a strategy for an industrial and agricultural framework, he said the government must create a mechanism that drives people toward export-led growth.
“What we need is export-led growth,” he noted. “You have to create an environment for exports and also give incentives.”
The prime minister said the dollars needed to repay the country’s debt could only be earned through increased exports, urging people to withdraw money from banks amid declining interest rates to invest in the industrial and agricultural framework to boost exports and create productive employment.
He highlighted that Pakistan’s exports had grown by 11 percent, remittances by 24 percent and IT exports by 34 percent in the past five months.
Terming export-led growth as the pivot of “Uraan Pakistan,” he said tax reduction in the IT sector had helped the country strengthen digital economy.
Earlier, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told the gathering that the economic plan stood on a handful of pillars.
“Firstly, our growth will be driven by exports to avoid the boom-bust cycles we have experienced in recent years,” he maintained. “Secondly, the private sector must take the lead in driving the country’s progress.”
Pakistan agreed to a 37-month, $7 billion bailout program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this year, promising the lender economic reforms in exchange. These reforms include increasing the tax base, regulating the energy sector and privatizing loss-making state-owned enterprises.
Aurangzeb hoped the five-year plan would put Pakistan on an upward economic trajectory in the next two to three years to ensure that this becomes the last IMF program the country would ever have to resorts to.
Pakistan is working actively to collaborate with regional allies in trade, defense, agriculture and other key sectors of the economy to attract foreign investment and brighten its economic prospects.
It has also enhanced bilateral trade and investment ties with close allies like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Central Asian states and other Gulf countries.
Last year, the country was on the verge of a sovereign debt default before Islamabad managed to clinch a last-gasp $3 billion IMF bailout to helped its economy stay afloat.
Pakistan’s finance minister has repeatedly said the country needs to undertake stringent economic reforms and develop itself as an export-led economy to achieve sustainable growth.
Pakistan unveils National Economic Plan with $10 billion annual investment target
https://arab.news/w9ye3
Pakistan unveils National Economic Plan with $10 billion annual investment target
- PM Sharif emphasizes to adopt mechanisms driving the country to export-led growth
- Pakistan has grappled with economic crises that brought it close to default last year
Digital, forensic evidence suggests actress Humaira Asghar Ali died in Oct. 2024 — officials
- Ali’s decomposed body was found at a flat in Karachi on Tuesday when a court bailiff arrived to vacate the rented property
- Police cite phone data, social media inactivity to estimate death occurred nine months ago, family declines to claim body
KARACHI: Pakistani actress and model Humaira Asghar Ali is believed to have died at least nine months ago in October 2024 based on digital and forensic evidence, investigators told Arab News on Thursday, after her decomposed body was discovered this week in her Karachi apartment.
Ali’s remains were found at a flat in the city’s Ittehad Commercial area when a court bailiff arrived to vacate the rented property on Tuesday, following a complaint by the landlord. Police said the bailiff broke open the door and found the deceased inside.
Initially, Karachi Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed, who conducted the post-mortem, said the body’s “very advanced stage of decomposition” suggested death had occurred around a month prior.
However, police investigations into Ali’s phone records, her last social media activity and interviews with neighbors found no indication that she had been alive after October 2024, Arab News has found. Her last Facebook post was on September 11, 2024 and last Instagram post on September 30, 2024. Neighbors interviewed by police and reporters said they had not seen her since Sept-Oct last year.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Syed Asad Raza confirmed that Ali’s phone was last active in October 2024, with the final recorded call placed that month.
“As per Call Detail Record (CDR) the last call was made in October 2024,” Raza told Arab News, without offering further details.
Two officials with direct knowledge of the case, who declined to be named, said the estimated time of death was around October 2024.
“Humaira’s body is likely nine months old,” the first official said on condition of anonymity. “She probably died between paying her last utility bills and when her electricity was disconnected in October 2024, probably due to non-payment of the bill.”
A second official who also requested anonymity said expired food items and rusted containers in the kitchen supported that timeline.
“The jars had rusted, and food had expired six months ago,” the official said.
There was only one other apartment on the same floor, which was vacant at the time, possibly delaying detection, investigators said.
“The occupants of that apartment told us they returned in February, and by then the smell had faded. After ten to fifteen days, the odour starts to decrease. The balcony door had also been left open,” the second official added.
Water pipes in the home were dry and rusted and no alternative power source was found.
“There were no candles either,” the official said.
Police surgeon Syed, who conducted the autopsy on Tuesday, returned to the apartment on Wednesday with senior officers.
“We have collected multiple surface samples from the scene, which have been sent to the laboratory,” she said, declining to provide further comment.
Police said Ali’s family had declined to claim the body. It is unclear whether she was estranged from her relatives or what the exact reason was that they had refused to receive her remains.
Ali rose to fame after winning Veet Miss Super Model in 2014 and appearing in reality show Tamasha Ghar in 2022.
She has featured in television dramas such as Just Married, Ehsaan Faramosh, Guru, and Chal Dil Mere. In cinema, she appeared in the 2015 action-thriller Jalaibee and later in Love Vaccine in 2021.
Pakistan military dismisses fears of Iran-style strikes on its nuclear sites
- Army says ‘no concern whatsoever’ about becoming ‘next target’ after Israel-US attacks on Iran
- Military spokesman warns any misadventure against nuclear Pakistan would have ‘horrific consequences’
ISLAMABAD: Military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Wednesday there was “absolutely no concern” within Pakistan’s military establishment that Pakistan could become the “next target” for attacks on its nuclear facilities, following last month’s conflict between Israel and Iran.
In June, Israel and the United States launched strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites after Tel Aviv claimed Tehran was close to developing nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denied. Pakistan condemned the Israeli and American strikes at the time, calling them a violation of international law. Islamabad has repeatedly assured the world that its nuclear assets are secure and intended solely for deterrence.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Chaudhry was asked if there were concerns Pakistan could be targeted next in light of recent developments in the Middle East.
“There is absolutely no concern, whatsoever, in the military, that Pakistan can become the next target,” Chaudhry responded.
He said Pakistan was an established and declared nuclear power, adding that the world had never attempted a “misadventure” against a nuclear state.
“And if such a misadventure is taken or attempted, then it will lead to horrific consequences which the world may not be able to endure,” he warned.
The army spokesperson reiterated that seeking conflict with a nuclear-armed country was “absurd, sheer stupidity and inconceivable.”
His comments come amid heightened regional tensions and renewed focus on nuclear security following the Israel-Iran conflict.
In early May, India and Pakistan engaged in their worst fighting in decades after Delhi blamed Islamabad for supporting an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in April, an allegation Pakistan denied. The clashes included missile strikes, fighter jet operations, artillery fire and drone attacks, leaving more than 70 dead on both sides before a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10.
Though the ceasefire has held, tensions remain high. India has since put a decades-old water-sharing agreement on hold, with Islamabad warning that any attempt to divert or stop its waters would be treated as an “act of war” and met with full force.
Pakistan waives all duties, taxes on sugar imports to curb price hikes
- Announcement comes as sugar prices surge to Rs200 [$0.70] per kg in several parts of Pakistan
- Pakistan to import 350,000 tons of sugar in two phases initially, says food security ministry
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Food Security Ministry announced on Wednesday it has decided to waive all duties and taxes on sugar imports to ensure the product is available to the public at affordable prices.
In Pakistan, high sugar prices have triggered public outcry and become flashpoints for opposition criticism in the past, with allegations of hoarding and cartelization frequently surfacing in election years or periods of economic volatility.
The latest announcement from the ministry comes as sugar prices surge to nearly Rs200 [$0.70] per kilogram in several parts of the country, triggering public concern. National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain chaired a meeting of the steering committee on sugar on Wednesday, which decided to import the commodity through the Trade Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) to ensure transparency and quality control.
“To facilitate this process, the government has exempted all duties and taxes on sugar imports so that sugar can be made available to the general public at affordable prices and inflationary pressures can be eased,” the ministry said in a statement.
It said sugar will be imported initially in two phases. In the first phase, a tender for 200,000 metric tons of sugar will be issued, followed by another tender for 150,000 metric tons after one week.
The ministry said these import quantities have been determined in line with immediate market requirements and anticipated demand in the coming weeks.
“The imported sugar will be of premium quality, meeting standard market expectations— specifically, the coarse-grain variety commonly used by consumers,” the statement said.
“Additionally, post-shipment inspection will be strictly enforced to ensure that quality standards are upheld.”
Hussain said the government would deploy a streamlined and “active system” to guarantee timely distribution of imported sugar across the country, leaving no room for hoarding or profiteering.
“He expressed hope that this strategic intervention will help stabilize sugar prices in the local market and significantly ease the financial burden on consumers,” the ministry said.
Saudi aviation team to conduct security audit of seven Pakistani airports in August
- Saudi team to conduct audit at airports in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Multan, says official
- Saudi Arabia’s aviation team expressed satisfaction with Pakistan’s aviation security procedures in its last audit two years ago
KARACHI: A Saudi aviation team will conduct a security audit of seven Pakistani airports in August, a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The security audit will cover airports in Pakistan’s Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Multan cities, PCAA spokesperson Shahid Qadir said.
He said the director-general of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has approached Pakistan’s DG PCAA, Nadir Shafi Dar, to conduct the aviation security audit.
“A Saudi aviation security team will visit Pakistan in the coming month and will conduct this audit in August and onwards,” Qadir told Arab News.
The Saudi aviation team is coordinating closely with the PCAA’s Directorate of Aviation Security (AvSec), which will host the visiting delegation, Qadir said. The PCAA’s director general has designated the AvSec director to oversee the audit process, he added.
This marks the second such audit by Saudi aviation authorities, who conducted their inaugural security assessment of Pakistan in 2023. The Saudi team later expressed satisfaction with Pakistan’s aviation security procedures, which involve multiple stakeholders such as the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA), the Airport Security Force (ASF), airlines, cargo handlers and catering companies.
The development takes place as Pakistan’s civil aviation sector shows marked improvement in international benchmarks.
Following the separation of the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) from the PCAA and the enactment of the Civil Aviation Authority Act, Pakistan has achieved a score of 86.73 percent in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Universal Security Audit Programme (USAP).
As per the PCAA, this rating is higher than the global average of 71 percent and India’s 73 percent.
Separately, a two-member team from the United Kingdom’s Department for Transport (DfT) began its aviation security assessment of the Islamabad International Airport on Tuesday.
The team, accompanied by a representative of the British High Commission, will review airport security procedures, catering, and flight operations over its three-day visit.
“All aviation security stakeholders, including PAA officials, ASF personnel and representatives from PIA, British Airways, Air Blue, Kitchen Cuisine, Ras Menzies and others attended the initial briefing,” a PCAA handout said.
The PCAA said Pakistan has previously performed well in the UK’s DfT audits, saying that officials are optimistic about the outcome of the latest assessment.
The PCAA said its director general has also initiated engagement with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in pursuit of direct flight operations to the US.
The development follows Pakistan’s national carrier resuming flights to Europe in January after the European aviation safety agency lifted its four-year ban on the airline.
Pakistan International Airlines has also approached UK authorities for permission to resume its services to the country.
PIA was banned by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), UK and the US after Pakistan opened an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses following a PIA plane crash in Karachi in May 2020 that killed 97 people.
Police say militants behind quadcopter attacks in northwest Pakistan that killed one, injured three
- No group has claimed responsibility for attacks, one of which police say targeted a police station in Bannu
- Pakistan’s military blamed militant outfits backed by India for drone attacks that killed four children in May
PESHAWAR: One woman was killed while three others were injured in two quadcopter attacks in northwestern Pakistan this week, a police official said on Wednesday, blaming militants for carrying out the assault.
The first attack took place on Tuesday night in the northwestern tribal Bannu district’s Srah Bangla area, District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Abbas Kulachi said. The quadcopter strike killed a woman and left three injured, including two children, he added.
The second attack targeted the Miryan Police Station in the same district at 6:45 am on Wednesday, he said. The police officer added that an explosive-laden quadcopter deployed by the “Khawarij” had struck the facility.
Khawarij is a commonly used term by Pakistani authorities to describe extremist factions like the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“These attacks are being carried out by militants who have acquired and deployed quadcopters in carrying out attacks,” Amir Khan, a media officer for the regional police officer in Bannu, told Arab News.
He did not provide further details. Kulachi, however, said an investigation is underway to identify those responsible for the Miryan Police Station attack.
The TTP, which has carried out some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistan’s armed forces and civilians since 2007, has not claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
On May 19, a suspected drone strike reportedly led to the deaths of four children in Hurmuz village of the northwestern Mir Ali tehsil and injuries to five others, including a woman.
Pakistan’s military denied responsibility for the attack days later, attributing the incident to a proscribed militant network which it said was operating on “the behest of their Indian masters.”
“Initial findings have established that this heinous act has been orchestrated and executed by Indian-sponsored Fitna Al Khawarij,” the military’s media wing said in a statement.
Later in May, police said at least 22 people were wounded in another suspected quadcopter attack near a volleyball ground in Pakistan’s South Waziristan district.
The police spokesperson had said the origins and operators of the drone remained “undetermined.
Islamabad has repeatedly blamed Afghanistan-based militant groups for launching attacks inside Pakistan, a claim that Kabul denies.
Pakistan also blames India for backing militant groups in its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. India denies the allegations.
