Pakistani PM meets Sri Lankan president, US presidential envoy at World Economic Forum summit
Pakistani PM meets Sri Lankan president, US presidential envoy at World Economic Forum summit /node/2442696/pakistan
Pakistani PM meets Sri Lankan president, US presidential envoy at World Economic Forum summit
The combination of photos shows Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar meeting Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe (right) and US presidential special envoy on climate, John Kerry (left) at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, on January 16, 2024. (Photo courtesy: PMO)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar met Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe and US climate envoy John Kerry on Tuesday at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum summit in Davos.
Kakar arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to attend the 54th WEF summit, where he is scheduled to attend three thematic events and also deliver a keynote address. The Pakistani premier is expected to meet key business and political leaders during the summit, which is expected to last till Jan. 19.
In a picture shared by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Kakar can be seen shaking Kerry’s hand as the two interact.
“The local and global effects of climate change, especially problems arising from it for developing countries, were discussed in the meeting,” the PMO said in a statement.
During his meeting with Wickremesinghe, the two leaders spoke about promoting bilateral trade between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and regional issues, the PMO added.
According to the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the Pakistani premier is scheduled to attend an informal session on global conflict on Wednesday, which will be attended by renowned policymakers, investors, business leaders and experts.
The state-run media said Kakar’s engagements would also include a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Wednesday.
The WEF summit takes place as the global economy faces a year of subdued growth prospects and uncertainty stemming from geopolitical strife, tight financing conditions and the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence, according to an annual survey of top economists conducted each year ahead of the WEF meeting in the Swiss resort of Davos and released on Monday.
Over 60 heads of state and government, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, are attending Davos this year to hold both public appearances and closed-door talks. They will be among more than 2,800 attendees, including academics, artists, and international organization leaders.
The gathering is a venue to connect decision-makers in an array of fields and industries but is often panned by critics as an emblem of the yawning gap between the rich and the poor: Young Swiss Socialists staged a rally Sunday to blast the forum and brand attendees as “the richest and most powerful, who are responsible for today’s wars and crises.”
KARACHI: In a quiet, old bungalow near the Sindhi Muslim Food Street and the famed Zahid Nihari restaurant on Tariq Road, a new space in Karachi offers a rare kind of nourishment: a feast for the mind.
Launched last month, the citizen-run free Kitab Ghar Karachi is more than just a library but aims to inspire people, especially young curious minds to read, think critically, and engage in intellectual conversations, cultivating creativity and renewing the exchange of ideas in a country where such spaces are quietly disappearing.
Kitab Ghar seeks to revive a library culture that was vibrant until the 1990s, when book houses in places like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad drew students, writers and literary enthusiasts, particularly during the dynamic literary decades of the 1970s and 1980s.
Before the digital era, libraries were among the few trusted sources for books, research and periodicals but the spread of online resources and the Pakistani state’s limited prioritization of these intellectual sanctuaries have gradually led to a decline.
“We want people to come to the library and start that [reading] culture again in Pakistan,” Areeba Fatima, one of the co-founders of the free library, told Arab News.
Co-founder of Kitab Ghar, Areeba Fatima (center), poses for a picture with her colleagues at the library in Karachi, Pakistan, on October 19, 2024 (Areeba Fatima)
Beyond providing a serene reading environment, she said, Kitab Ghar Karachi wanted to cultivate a community of thinkers and doers by hosting regular events and discussions on a range of topics, from politics to art.
“We want to foster, nourish and develop communities of people who being at a public library enjoy interacting,” Fatima added.
Karachi’s Kitab Ghar is the sister library of one in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore, launched in 2021, and the brainchild of Fatima’s friend Zara Suhail Mannan, who completed four years of education at Yale University and came back with the concept of combining reading with community development.
The picture taken on November 4, 2024, shows a board reading "By The People, For the People" at the gate of Kitab Ghar in Karachi, Pakistan. (AN photo)
“She thought that we were going to set up a public library and community space together, which made a lot of sense to me,” Fatima, who was then a student at Lahore University of Management Sciences, recalled.
With the help of a third friend, Airas Qadir, Mannan and Fatima started collaborating with civil society organizations, and finally Mannan rented a space for Kitab Ghar in Lahore, where readers come to read books and where regular events are held. That model is now being replicated in the southern port city of Karachi, where the library was launched on Oct. 19.
“When we all found ourselves in Karachi, we decided to open Kitab Ghar Karachi,” said Fatima.
Like the Lahore space, the library in Karachi is also funded by patrons who each donate between $18 and $90 per month.
Muazzam Ali Tahir, a patron, and regular visitor who recently moved from Islamabad to Karachi for work, said he was looking for a place where he could both read and work.
“When I was studying abroad, libraries were like a key place where people could go,” he said. “People could also hang out, work and collaborate with each other.”
Muazzam Ali Tahir is reading a book at Kitab Ghar Library in Karachi, Pakistan, on November 4, 2024 (AN photo)
Javeria Naeem, 20, who runs a fashion business, is also a regular visitor.
“I’ve always loved Kitab Ghar Lahore, so I was thrilled about its Karachi chapter,” she said, adding that other libraries she visited often lacked a “sense of community.”
“It’s not an isolated, boring place with just books like most libraries,” she added. “It’s lively and makes you feel great.”
The picure taken on November 4, 2024, shows a map in the library in Karachi, Pakistan. (AN photo)
Syed Abdur Raffay Shah, 19, an artist and designer, said he was a regular visitor of the place, describing Kitab Ghar as a “unique experience.”
“I used to spend over 12 hours in libraries just studying and relaxing, but this one stands out with its welcoming atmosphere,” he said. “It has a special communal feel, as if everyone here is contributing to restoring Pakistan’s educational landscape.”
The library has several events planned in the coming weeks.
“We can generate a conversation on blasphemy or feminism or other topics which are very significant, so that is what we are trying to do,” Fatima, the co-founder, said, adding that the “mission” that began in Lahore would continue beyond Karachi.
“We will make more Kitab Ghar libraries in different cities of the country as we aim to create a Pakistan where people read, think and discuss, where people are politically mature and where they matter the most.”
ISLAMABAD: The power to lead peace efforts in Palestine rests with the Saudi crown prince, the Pakistan Ulema Council said on Wednesday, as Muslim countries gear up to discuss the Middle East unrest at the Arab-Islamic summit.
Since October last year, Israel has killed over 45,000 Palestinians in its air and ground attacks on Gaza. Last month, it also invaded Lebanon, killing 3,000 people since.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly condemned Israel’s attacks and on Nov. 11 will hold the extraordinary Arab–Islamic summit between the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to address the situation.
“The power to lead peace efforts and address this issue rests solely with Mohammed bin Salman, no one else holds this level of influence,” PUC chairman Tahir Ashrafi told Arab News.
“He is the center of the Muslim [world], due to the Two Holy Mosques and he is the head of the OIC.”
The PUC head said that the Saudi crown prince’s image as an ambassador of peace was recognized worldwide, as he recalled his successful mediation efforts in 2022, which led to the release of prisoners from various countries as part of a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.
“The role of Saudi Arabia and Ameer Mohammed bin Salman as an ambassador of peace is acceptable to Europe, the Islamic world, the UK and the US,” Ashrafi said.
“His vision is very clear, and the vision is a two-state solution.”
Ashrafi was hopeful that next week’s summit would lead to a solution to the Palestine crisis.
“It is hoped that a suggestion or solution will be presented there that will help the world overcome the current situation,” he said.
“If the whole Muslim world and some European countries accept the Palestinian state and appoint their ambassadors, it will be a big step and it will give a lot of strength to the oppressed Palestinians and to the solution to this issue.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday to discuss issues of common interest such as regional peace, bilateral defense and security cooperation, the military said.
The development takes place after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week during his two-day visit to the Kingdom. The two leaders discussed bilateral economic ties and regional developments, with Sharif apprising the crown prince that the Kingdom had a “central role” to play in Pakistan’s “future economic plans.”
In October, Pakistani and Saudi businesses signed 27 agreements and memorandums of understanding valued at $2.2 billion. During Sharif’s visit to the Kingdom last week, the two countries agreed to increase this figure to $2.8 billion.
Munir, who is currently on an official visit to the Kingdom, met the Saudi crown prince at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, the Inter-Services Public Relations, (ISPR) the military’s media wing, said in a statement.
“The two dignitaries engaged in a comprehensive discussion on a range of issues of mutual interest, including regional peace, defense and security cooperation, and strategies for enhancing bilateral relations,” the ISPR said.
In this handout photograph, released by the Saudi Press Agency on November 6, 2024, Pakistan Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. (SPA)
The army’s media wing said Munir expressed his gratitude to the Saudi crown prince for his “steadfast support for Pakistan,” acknowledging his role in fostering peace and stability across the region.
Their meeting also takes place amid a surge in regional tensions following Israel’s military campaigns in Palestine and Lebanon, and its missile attack on Iran last month.
Munir also separately met Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman, the ISPR said, adding that the two vowed to further strengthen cooperation in the defense and security domains.
In this handout photograph, released by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on November 6, 2024, Pakistan Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir meets Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman in Riyadh. (Photo courtesy: ISPR)
The Pakistan army chief also held meetings with Saudi Arabia’s assistant minister of defense, air chief, chief of general staff of the Royal Saudi Armed Forces and chief of Royal Saudi Land Forces, the ISPR said.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial ties rooted in shared history, culture, faith and economic ties. The Kingdom is the top source of workers’ remittances for Pakistan, crucial for Islamabad to help keep its $350 billion economy afloat.
Saudi Arabia has often come to cash-strapped Pakistan’s aid, bailing it out of its prolonged economic crisis through debt rollers and by providing it oil on deferred payments.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani political analysts and foreign affairs experts on Wednesday predicted that Islamabad may find common ground with Washington under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, however, the country will not be his “first priority” in the backdrop of more pressing global issues.
American billionaire and former president Donald Trump beat Vice President Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s race to get elected as the 47th US president after bagging key battleground states.
Victory in Wisconsin after earlier triumphs in Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania saw the former president clear the threshold of the 270 Electoral College votes required to clinch the White House.
Pakistan places great value on its relations with the US. Once close allies, Washington and Islamabad have collaborated closely in the domains of militancy, economy, security, trade and global affairs. Ties between the two countries remained strained over the past couple of years as Washington remained suspicious of Pakistan’s alleged support to the Taliban in its takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
“Well, I think Pakistan or the PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party] will not be President Trump’s first priority,” former Pakistani diplomat Javed Hafeez told Arab News.
“He has many other issues to tackle, be it Ukraine or be it the war in Gaza and Lebanon. So Pakistan would not be on top of his priorities but down the line somewhere,” he added.
Senior political analyst Zaigham Khan said Islamabad and Washington may improve their relations based on some common ground under a new American administration.
“We may find a common ground on Afghanistan because Trump is not very happy with the Taliban,” Khan said. “So that could be one area of convergence between the US and Pakistan.”
Dr. Qamar Cheema, executive director of the Islamabad-based Sanober Institute which holds dialogues on geopolitics and governance, said Trump would not be able to normalize ties between India and Pakistan.
Relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, who have fought two wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir they administer in parts, have been strained since 2019.
Islamabad has asked New Delhi to reverse its controversial 2019 decision to strip Indian-administered Kashmir of its autonomy for it to normalize relations with its neighbor. India refuses to do so.
“US President Donald Trump will not be able to play a role in normalizing Pakistan-India relations,” Cheema told Arab News.
“The reason for this is that in the past, he tried to normalize Pakistan-India relations, but India rejected it and said it is a bilateral issue and that it will not normalize relations with Pakistan.”
Former prime minister Imran Khan’s PTI party, which has blamed Joe Biden’s administration for orchestrating his removal from office in 2022 via a “foreign conspiracy,” has expressed hope Trump would pressurize Pakistani authorities to order his release from prison.
Imran Khan has been in jail since August 2023 after he was convicted on charges ranging from corruption to violating Pakistan’s marriage laws, which he says are politically motivated.
As prime minister, Imran Khan met Trump in 2019 for the first time during which the two leaders praised each other.
Cheema, however, thought Trump will not call for Khan’s release from prison.
“I don’t think Trump will be able to do anything for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf but since former prime minister Imran Khan met Trump in the past, maybe he thinks that some role could be played,” he said.
Khan agreed, saying that Washington did not enjoy the same “leverage” it did with Pakistan years ago.
“I don’t think America enjoys that kind of leverage any longer,” he said. “It enjoys that when it’s giving generous aid to Pakistan.”
Saudi crown prince meets with Pakistani army chief in Riyadh
Both reviewed Saudi-Pakistani relations and opportunities to develop them
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, other officials attended meeting
Updated 06 November 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir in Riyadh on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the reception, Saudi-Pakistani relations and opportunities to develop them were reviewed. A number of issues of common interest were also discussed.
The meeting was attended by Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman and other officials.
In this handout photograph, released by the Saudi Press Agency on November 6, 2024, Pakistan Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. (SPA)
