KARACHI: The number of migratory birds arriving in the wetlands of Pakistan’s Sindh province has declined by nearly 15% compared to last year, according to the Sindh Wildlife Department on Saturday, raising alarm among conservationists about the impact of water scarcity and climate change on critical habitats.
A recently completed “Annual Waterfowl Survey” for the 2024–25 season recorded 545,258 migratory waterbirds at 30 major wetland sites across the province. The data show a 14.68% drop from the previous year’s count of 639,122 birds, with both surveys covering around 40% of Sindh’s total wetland area.
“The apparent reason for the decline in migratory bird numbers is the decrease in water bodies, as these migratory waterfowl are associated with wetlands and the availability of natural food therein,” Javed Ahmed Mehar, Conservator at the Sindh Wildlife Department, told Arab News.
“We plan to conduct a detailed study with relevant stakeholders to determine the causes of this decline [with greater certainty],” he added.
Wildlife photographer Shahbaz Alam, who has documented Sindh’s lakes and marshlands extensively, also attributed the drop to drying wetlands.
“These birds spend their day in the water, searching for food, and then move toward greener areas,” he said. “With Sindh facing severe water shortages and the drying of wetlands due to climate change, the habitat is simply vanishing.”
Describing the situation as “very alarming,” Alam said he had also noticed the decline over the years.
“Where we once saw thousands [of birds], we now see only hundreds,” he told Arab News.
Pakistan has 19 wetlands designated as Ramsar sites under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, an international treaty named after the Iranian city where it was adopted in 1971. The convention aims to conserve globally important wetlands and promote their sustainable use.
Together, these Pakistani sites span 1.34 million hectares. More than half are located in Sindh, including Keenjhar Lake, Haleji Lake, the Indus Delta, Jubho Lagoon and the Rann of Kutch. These wetlands have long served as critical stopovers for migratory birds traveling along the Indus Flyway, an avian route from Siberia and Central Asia.
Among the worst-hit areas this season was the Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary, which witnessed drought-like conditions, while Nareri Lagoon in Badin hosted the largest number— 155,068 birds.
According to Rasheed Ahmed Khan, who led the survey, the decline is directly related to the decrease in rainfall and the reduction of water bodies and wetlands.
“Due to a severe lack of rainfall last year, almost all dams in Tharparkar remained dry. If reduced rainfall continues due to climate change, there could be a significant decrease in the future,” he warned.
The survey team, comprising experts from the Sindh Wildlife Department and Zoological Survey of Pakistan, recorded over 57 species of migratory waterfowl. These included prominent sightings of Common Teal, Northern Shoveler, Indian Spot-Billed Duck, Cotton Pygmy Goose and Lesser Flamingo.
Endangered species like the Great White Pelican were also documented, highlighting the region’s ecological significance.
Sindh Wildlife Department reports nearly 15% drop in migratory birds amid drying wetlands
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Sindh Wildlife Department reports nearly 15% drop in migratory birds amid drying wetlands
- The annual waterfowl survey counts 545,258 birds this season, down from 639,122 last year
- Experts warn that continued habitat loss is likely to cause further decline in bird numbers
China to launch space mission Thursday as Pakistani astronaut selection begins for future flights
- Pakistani astronaut will visit a Chinese space station under a cooperation pact signed in February
- Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceflight will carry zebrafish and bacteria for life science experiments in orbit
BEIJING: China is set to launch its Shenzhou-20 mission that will carry three astronauts to the Chinese space station Tiangong at 5.17 p.m. on Thursday local time (0917 GMT), state media said on Wednesday.
The main purpose of the mission is to complete the in-orbit rotation with the Shenzhou-19 crew which is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site on April 29, China Manned Space Agency officials said at a press conference broadcast on CCTV.
The Shenzhou-20 spaceflight from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China will carry astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, CCTV said.
The spaceflight will be Chen Dong’s third and the first for the other two — a space engineer and a former air force pilot.
They will conduct space science and application experiments, install a space debris protection device as well as extravehicular payload and equipment, and perform recovery tasks.
The mission will also bring with it zebrafish, planarians and streptomyces as research objects to carry out three life science experiments at the space station.
The crew, scheduled to return to Earth in late October, can expect a resupply mission via the unmanned Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft.
The country’s fourth batch of astronauts set to participate in Shenzhou spaceflights is currently in training, featuring for the first time astronauts from China’s special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Pakistan.
The Hong Kong and Macau astronauts are likely to carry out their first mission as early as 2026, state media reported.
China said the selection of the Pakistani astronauts is underway. Both countries signed an agreement for space cooperation in February.
One of the two Pakistani astronauts that will join the Chinese missions is set to focus on payloads and scientific research aboard China’s space station.
Pakistan offers condolences after gunmen kill 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir
- The incident happened in Pahalgam where unidentified assailants gunned down mostly domestic tourists
- Such attacks have historically strained ties between the two nuclear rivals, pushing them close to war
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday voiced concern over the killing of civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir, after at least 26 people were gunned down by unidentified assailants at a tourist site in the region’s deadliest attack on non-combatants in decades.
The shooting occurred Tuesday afternoon in Pahalgam, a popular resort town in the Anantnag district, when armed men emerged from forest cover and opened fire on crowds of mostly domestic tourists.
Indian officials said the attack bore the hallmarks of an organized militant assault, though no group claimed responsibility for it. Survivors described a calculated and prolonged attack, with gunmen selectively targeting men and sparing women.
“We are concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives in an attack in Anantnag district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” the foreign office of Pakistan said in a statement.
“We extend our condolences to the near ones of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” it added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cut short a state visit to Saudi Arabia in response, called the attack a “heinous act” and pledged that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
Such attacks have historically strained ties between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed rivals with a long-standing dispute over Kashmir. In 2019, a suicide bombing in Pulwama killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel and triggered cross-border air strikes, pushing the neighbors to the brink of war.
New Delhi has repeatedly blamed Islamabad for backing militant groups operating in the region, an allegation Pakistan denies, insisting it supports only the political aspirations of Kashmiris.
On Wednesday, India’s army also reported killing two gunmen in a separate incident near the Line of Control, the de facto border separating the Pakistani and Indian sides of Kashmir, in Baramulla district, describing it as a foiled infiltration attempt.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since 1947, with both countries claiming it in full. A violent separatist insurgency has simmered in the Indian-administered part since the late 1980s, although militant violence had declined in recent years.
Tuesday’s attack has also promoted global reaction, with US President Donald Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen condemning the violence and pledging support for India in pursuing the assailants.
Pakistan’s finance chief seeks deeper US trade ties, welcomes reform efforts at global lenders
- Muhammad Aurangzeb downplays US tariff concerns, says Pakistan sees greater opportunity in rebalancing trade
- IMF chief says the international lender is trying to determine how to design loan programs for countries like Pakistan
KARACHI: Pakistan’s finance minister said on Tuesday the country wants to broaden trade and investment ties with the United States, especially in minerals critical to the energy transition, while also joining other vulnerable economies in urging reforms at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is currently in Washington to attend the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings, where policymakers are grappling with debt distress, climate vulnerabilities and growing calls from the Global South to reshape how multilateral institutions lend and design reforms.
The IMF has acknowledged the need to tailor programs more toward pro-growth reforms and private-sector led development, particularly for repeat borrowers like Pakistan.
“We genuinely believe that there’s a win-win situation,” Aurangzeb said at the Atlantic Council, pointing to high-level US interest in Pakistan’s copper and rare earth potential. “Reko Diq is only the first one... the value addition and downstream stuff is going to be really game-changing for Pakistan.”
Aurangzeb downplayed concerns over US tariffs, saying the country saw greater opportunity in rebalancing trade and attracting strategic investment.
He reiterated a high-level delegation from Islamabad would visit Washington in the coming weeks to explore broader cooperation beyond tariffs, citing minerals, agriculture and green technology as key areas.
On multilateral reform, Aurangzeb welcomed the willingness of IMF and World Bank leaders to reassess their lending frameworks, especially in light of liquidity strains across the Global South.
“These institutions also need to have ownership and accountability at their end to really drive impact,” he said, calling for a system that allows countries like Pakistan to access flexible financing and avoid perpetual debt cycles.
He praised recent efforts to unify public and private sector arms within the World Bank and to coordinate better with other lenders like the ADB and AIIB.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Tuesday the international lending agency was not just telling countries to get their own houses in order, but was also looking at the way it does business, including conducting a review of how it designs loan programs, and determines their length and conditions.
She said the IMF was also looking at countries that have had repeated programs, such as Pakistan, Argentina and Egypt, to ensure loan programs were designed the right way.
Pakistan has been in over 20 IMF programs, including a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility finalized last year to stabilize its economy.
Aurangzeb said the government was pursuing structural reform, with a focus on climate, population, and fiscal sustainability, including efforts to broaden the tax base and digitize enforcement.
– With input from Reuters
Pakistan’s foreign investment dropped 19% during first nine months of FY25— central bank
- Foreign portfolio investment dropped by 514% in July-March FY25 period, says state bank
- Pakistani financial analysts attribute decline to political uncertainty, lack of ease of doing business
KARACHI: Pakistan’s foreign investment declined by 19% to $1.3 billion during the first nine months of this fiscal year through March, recent data from Pakistan’s central bank said, with analysts attributing the slump to political uncertainty and lack of ease of doing business.
As per the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) latest data, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Pakistan rose by 14% to $1.64 billion in the same period, compared to $1.44 billion the country attracted a year ago.
However, the total foreign investment also includes foreign portfolio investment (FPI), which are foreign investments in a country’s stocks, bonds and other securities. The SBP said FPI dropped by a staggering 514% as foreigners sold $269 million of the country’s equity and debt during July-March this fiscal year. Last year, foreign investors were holding $65 million in Pakistan’s stocks and bonds during the same period.
Pakistan’s government has said the country is on its path to economic progress. Pakistan formed the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in 2023 after coming to the brink of a sovereign default. The SIFC is a civil-military body that aims to attract foreign investment in minerals, agriculture, livestock, tourism, defense and other important sectors.
“Although the SIFC has been instrumental in generating leads for foreign investment, the actual materialization of flows has been weak due to hurdles in executing these,” Shankar Talreja, director of research at brokerage firm Topline Securities Limited, told Arab News on Friday.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has tasked his government to increase exports to $60 billion in the next five years, seeking to boost its foreign exchange reserves.
However, the country’s foreign reserves have declined to $10.6 billion during the week ended Apr. 11, as per the SBP’s figures. The amount is hardly enough to cover two months of imports whereas the International Monetary Fund (IMF) wants Pakistan to increase its reserves to support three months of imports.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and the finance ministry’s spokesperson Qamar Sarwar Abbasi did not respond to Arab News’ request for comments.
While Sharif’s government has signed various memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with several countries over the past year, it has not been able to attract even $3 billion in investment since the last two decades, since FY09, as per the central bank’s data.
Talreja said some foreign companies wanted to make major investments in Pakistan’s refinery sector but frequent changes in the country’s tax structure led to a “hue and cry” from them.
“The ease of doing business is quite low in Pakistan due to higher taxes and frequent bubbles in the economy led by inconsistent macro policies,” Talreja explained.
‘ZERO GROWTH IN PER CAPITA INCOME’
Financial analyst Sana Tawfik said besides political uncertainty and a high cost of doing business, Pakistan’s fragile balance of payment position has been a permanent concern for risk-averse investors.
These investors have seen Islamabad approach the IMF for frequent financial bailouts whenever it has tried to achieve an import-driven 5-6 percent growth, she said.
“Pakistan’s macroeconomic situation is no doubt improving but then we have to see how sustainable this improvement is,” Tawfik, the head of research at Arif Habib Limited, told Arab News.
Pakistan, Turkiye demand immediate ceasefire in Gaza, separate state for Palestinians
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara
- Both leaders discuss cooperation in energy, mining, military and defense, says Sharif’s office
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, reiterating their demand for the establishment of a separate and independent state for the people of Palestine.
Sharif is in Ankara on a two-day official visit to discuss bilateral ties between the two states, the regional situation and economic opportunities.
Pakistan and Turkiye have both repeatedly condemned Israel for its military campaign in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of over 51,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
“We strongly condemn the brutal killings of over 50,000 innocent Palestinians, including women and children,” Sharif said during a joint press conference with Erdogan.
“We have called for an immediate ceasefire and unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people. We renewed our call for a viable, independent and contiguous Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” he added.
Erdogan praised Pakistan for always adopting a “resolute” stance on the Palestinian issue, noting that Islamabad had given one of the strongest reactions to the ongoing “genocide” in Gaza.
“We will continue to work together toward the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the basis of 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and on the basis of its territorial integrity,” the Turkish president said.
Erdogan urged Turkish investors to develop joint business projects in Pakistan, saying that he discussed promoting mutual investments in Pakistan with Sharif and the allocation of a free economic zone for Turkish companies in the South Asian country.
“We wish to further develop our relations in the fields of military and defense industry through joint projects,” he said.
In a separate statement, Sharif’s office said he discussed the importance of enhancing economic collaboration with Turkiye, especially through joint ventures and bilateral investments, with Erdogan.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Sharif highlighted opportunities for cooperation in the fields of energy and mining, joint ventures in defense and agri production.
The PMO said Sharif also spoke about enhancing regional and bilateral connectivity to boost trade and deepen cooperation in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Pakistan and Turkiye enjoy close cultural, historical and military relations which they are now expanding into the realms of trade, economy and investment as both countries seek to develop their economies.
As long-standing allies and strategic partners, Pakistan and Turkiye maintain a tradition of regular exchanges and have institutionalized leadership-level mechanisms such as the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC).
The 7th session of the HLSCC was held in Islamabad on Feb 12-13 this year, and co-chaired by Sharif and Erdogan.
