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On World Press Freedom Day, Pakistani PM says journalists in Gaza ‘heroes of humanity’

On World Press Freedom Day, Pakistani PM says journalists in Gaza ‘heroes of humanity’
Police personnel stand guard in front of news media vans parked outside a special court in Islamabad on August 21, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 03 May 2024
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On World Press Freedom Day, Pakistani PM says journalists in Gaza ‘heroes of humanity’

On World Press Freedom Day, Pakistani PM says journalists in Gaza ‘heroes of humanity’
  • Committee to Protect Journalists says at least 97 press members killed in Gaza war, 92 of them Palestinians
  • UNESCO on Thursday awarded its world press freedom prize to all Palestinian journalists covering the war in Gaza
Updated 03 May 2024
Arab News Pakistan
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday the journalists who were covering the war in Gaza, especially those who had died in the line of duty, were “heroes of humanity.”
Sharif said this in his statement on World Press Freedom Day, observed on May 3 each year to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The day also marks the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in Windhoek in 1991.
According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 97 members of the press have been killed since the war in Gaza broke out in October, 92 of whom were Palestinians.
“The male and female journalists who sacrificed their lives during coverage in Gaza are heroes of humanity,” Sharif said. “I salute them.”
Separately, UNESCO on Thursday awarded its world press freedom prize to all Palestinian journalists covering the war in Gaza, launched by Israel over seven months.
“In these times of darkness and hopelessness, we wish to share a strong message of solidarity and recognition to those Palestinian journalists who are covering this crisis in such dramatic circumstances,” said Mauricio Weibel, chair of the international jury of media professionals.
“As humanity, we have a huge debt to their courage and commitment to freedom of expression.”
Audrey Azoulay, director general at the UN organization for education, science and culture, said the prize paid “tribute to the courage of journalists facing difficult and dangerous circumstances.”
The war started with Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to a media tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas has killed at least 34,596 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.
With inputs from AFP

Australian skipper Pat Cummins bashed for attending Coldplay concert while team lost to Pakistan

Australian skipper Pat Cummins bashed for attending Coldplay concert while team lost to Pakistan
Updated 15 sec ago
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Australian skipper Pat Cummins bashed for attending Coldplay concert while team lost to Pakistan

Australian skipper Pat Cummins bashed for attending Coldplay concert while team lost to Pakistan
  • Cummins was rested for third ODI at Perth which Pakistan won after humiliating Australia by eight wickets
  • Former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke criticizes selectors for resting Cummins, other stalwarts for India series
Updated 15 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Australian skipper Pat Cummins was criticized by his country’s former captain Michael Clarke and other media personalities this week for attending British rock band Coldplay’s concert the night Pakistan beat the world champions to complete a rare 2-1 ODI series win.
Australia rested stalwarts Cummins, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Marnus Labuschagne in the third ODI against Pakistan in Perth on Sunday with the series level at 1-1. The Australian cricketers were given rest ahead of Australia’s Border-Gavaskar Test series against India which will start later this month. 
Pakistan won the one-sided match comfortably on Sunday, beating Australia by eight wickets to secure their first ODI series win in the country in 22 years. Cummins’ wife posted a picture of her husband enjoying a Coldplay concert with him on Sunday night, triggering criticism from ex-Australian football and rugby players Mat Rogers and Scott Sattler. 
“It was a decider, the one that matters and our captain went to a Coldplay concert,” Rogers said in a discussion with Sattler on Australia’s SEN radio network. “If you’re going to do it, just keep a low profile.”
Sattler criticized Cummins’ wife for posting a picture of the couple on social media, citing it as an invitation to “open yourself up to criticism when you’ve made yourself unavailable to represent your country.”
Former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke said he was “confused” with the selectors’ decision to rest Cummins and the other cricketers with 11 days left till the first Test match against India.
“If Australia had won the first two games, then you can understand why they rest their big fish, but it was series on the line,” Clarke said on a radio show. “I understand resting for Test cricket, I love that, but it’s a one-day game. They are going to bowl more than that at training.”
 Another former Australian captain Tim Paine came to the selectors’ rescue, defending them for giving younger players a chance to prove themselves. 
“We’re blooding some youth and giving them experience while the big boys get ready for the Test series,” Paine said. 
Pakistan will play a three-match T20I series against Australia starting Thursday. The first match will be played in Brisbane, the second in Sydney on Saturday while the third will be contested between the teams on Monday in Hobart.

Topics: Pat Cummins Pakistan vs Australia coldplay

Cross-border bus service between Pakistan and China resumes after 14 years 

Cross-border bus service between Pakistan and China resumes after 14 years 
Updated 12 November 2024
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Cross-border bus service between Pakistan and China resumes after 14 years 

Cross-border bus service between Pakistan and China resumes after 14 years 
  • Gilgit and China’s Kashgar was suspended in 2010 after massive landslide damaged Karakorum Highway’s portion
  • Locals, government officials praise resumption of bus service saying it would enhance trading and travel opportunities
Updated 12 November 2024
Nisar Ali

KHAPLU, Gilgit-Baltistan: A Pakistani government-owned company and a leading Chinese transportation organization on Tuesday resumed a bus service connecting Pakistan and China through the high-altitude Khunjerab border pass after 14 years, officials said as locals praised the initiative, saying it would lead to further economic opportunities for them. 
The bus service used to operate on the Khunjerab Pass, which connects Pakistan’s semi-autonomous northern Gilgit-Baltistan to China’s Xinjiang region. It was suspended in 2010 after a massive landslide at Hunza’s Attabad village damaged a 14 kilometer portion of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) connecting the two countries. The landslide killed at least 20 people and displaced 6,000 in the area. 
The damaged road was restored by the GB government while the Northern Areas Transportation Company (Natco), a Pakistan government-owned company, collaborated with the Chinese transportation company Xinjiang-Kashgar Xin Lu Transportation Co. Ltd.,to restore the bus service from Gilgit to China’s Kashgar city. 
“After 14 years, the bus service resumed officially from Tuesday,” Aziz Ahmed Jamali, Natco’s managing director, told Arab News over the phone. “The bus will run for this route twice a week and the fare per passenger is Rs18,000 [$64.69].”
Jamali said at least 320 passengers will be able to travel by the bus service each month. 
“Natco has been serving in Gilgit-Baltistan since 1974 and it carries 500,000 passengers every year,” he said. “It is operating on 40 routes across GB at national and international destinations.”
According to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), 96 percent of trade between Pakistan and China consists of China’s exports to Pakistan, while Pakistan’s share of exports to China is only 4 percent.
The main items imported from China into Pakistan include electronic items, shoes, garments and spare parts while Pakistan exports gemstones, dry fruits, medicinal herbs and clothing items to the neighboring country.
The Natco official said direct traveling from Gilgit to Kashgar will save traders time and enhance their economic opportunities.
“After a long time, the bus service between Pakistan and China has resumed. It will enhance the connectivity between the two regions,” Iman Shah, special assistant to GB’s chief minister on information, told Arab News over the phone.
Shah described the bus service as an “urgent need” to accelerate travel and trade between Pakistan and China.
“I have also traveled to China from Gilgit in a Natco vehicle in 2003-4,” Shah said. “Now this time we have modern buses and it will be very beneficial for both countries.”
Chinese interests in Pakistan have suffered attacks from separatist groups and religiously motivated militants in recent months. A suicide blast in northwestern Pakistan killed six Chinese engineers in March while last month, a blast near the airport in Karachi killed two Chinese nationals.
Shah said that since Natco was a semi-government company, people would feel safe traveling in its buses from Gilgit to Kashgar.
Locals spoke optimistically of the bus service, saying its restoration would bring in more opportunities for everyone, especially traders. 
Muhammad Iqbal, a businessman, told Arab News he had traveled many times in Natco’s buses before the service was suspended in 2010. 
“The resumption of bus service is a good omen for both countries, especially the people of Gilgit-Baltistan,” Iqbal said. “Hundreds of locals are involved in trade and tourism activities in GB. So this development will open the door of new opportunities and help enhance the connectivity between two regions.”

Topics: Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan China Border

Pakistan says smog to persist in Punjab’s plain areas throughout November and December

Pakistan says smog to persist in Punjab’s plain areas throughout November and December
Updated 12 November 2024
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Pakistan says smog to persist in Punjab’s plain areas throughout November and December

Pakistan says smog to persist in Punjab’s plain areas throughout November and December
  • Toxic smog has shrouded Pakistan’s cultural capital Lahore and 17 other districts in Punjab since last month
  • Punjab has closed schools, banned entry of heavy transport vehicles on specific days in Lahore amid smog crisis
Updated 12 November 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Tuesday said smog conditions in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province are expected to persist throughout November and December, advising citizens to take precautions to protect themselves from air pollution. 
Toxic smog has shrouded Pakistan’s cultural capital of Lahore and 17 other districts in Punjab since last month. Health officials say more than 40,000 people have been treated for respiratory ailments forcing Punjab to close schools until Nov. 17 to protect children’s health. The UN children’s agency has warned that the health of 11 million children in Punjab is in danger due to air pollution. 
South Asia, particularly India and Pakistan, is shrouded in intense pollution every winter as cold air traps emissions, dust, and smoke from farm fires. Pollution could cut more than five years from people’s life expectancy in the region, a study found last year.
In its latest advisory, the NDMA said it has been monitoring the smog situation in Pakistan and its surrounding areas via state-of-the-art ground-based and space-based monitoring tools.
“It is anticipated that smog conditions will persist throughout November and December in the plains of Punjab,” the NDMA said. “Urban centers such as Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, Peshawar, Mardan, and Nowshera are expected to experience smog during these months.”
The disaster management agency said it used its monitoring tools to analyze and project emissions from the industry, transportation and agriculture sectors. 
“This includes emissions from stubble burning, volatile organic compounds, and nitrogen oxides, as well as surface-level ozone and particulate matter like PM10 and PM2.5,” the NDMA added. “Using information on aerosol optical depth, our team is identifying hotspots significantly affected by smog.”
Seasonal crop burn-off by farmers on the outskirts of Lahore also contributed to toxic air, which the World Health Organization says can cause strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases.
The NDMA urged people to avoid stepping outdoors during smog peak hours in the morning, wear masks during outdoor activities, stay hydrated and use dehumidifiers. 
Last month, Punjab identified four hotspots in the city where it imposed restrictions. These included banning auto rickshaws with polluting two-stroke engines, along with restaurants that operate barbecues without filters.
Last Friday, Pakistani authorities ordered the closure of all parks and museums for 10 days, urging people to avoid unnecessary travel.

Topics: Pakistan Smog Lahore Smog

IMF delegation meets finance minister to discuss Pakistan’s $7 billion loan performance

IMF delegation meets finance minister to discuss Pakistan’s $7 billion loan performance
Updated 12 November 2024
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IMF delegation meets finance minister to discuss Pakistan’s $7 billion loan performance

IMF delegation meets finance minister to discuss Pakistan’s $7 billion loan performance
  • IMF Pakistan Mission Chief Nathan Porter meets Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb 
  • International lender approved 37-month, $7 billion loan program for Pakistan in September 
Updated 12 November 2024
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Pakistan Mission Chief Nathan Porter met Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday, the finance ministry said, as he arrived in the country to discuss Islamabad’s performance regarding the $7 billion bailout program approved earlier. 
The IMF said last week Porter would arrive in Islamabad from Nov. 11-15 to discuss recent developments and Pakistan’s loan “program performance to date.” The IMF had clarified that Porter’s visit was not part of the first review of the loan program, which it said would take place not before the first quarter of 2025.
Porter’s visit takes place amid Islamabad’s efforts to overcome ongoing economic challenges, reform its fiscal policies and bring about structural reforms as part of its commitments to the global lender. 
In July, the IMF reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan for a 37-month $7 billion bailout package while in September, the Fund’s Executive Board approved the 25th loan program that Pakistan has obtained since 1958.
“A delegation led by IMF Mission Chief Nathan Porter had an initial meeting with Finance and Revenue Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb,” the Ministry of Finance said. 
Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervez Malik, Governor State Bank of Pakistan Jameel Ahmed, Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial and senior finance ministry officials were also present in the meeting, the ministry said. 
Islamabad secured the $7 billion loan, critical to keeping its $350 billion fragile economy afloat, after taking painful measures such as hiking fuel and food prices and implementing reforms to broaden the country’s tax base and privatize state-owned entities. 
The country’s stock market has also seen a bullish trend in recent weeks, which government and financial analysts have attributed to Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic conditions and improved investor sentiments.

Topics: Pakistan IMF Talks IMF Pakistan IMF bailout measures

Pakistani-American investors pledge $20 million for Pakistan’s IT sector at California conference

Pakistani-American investors pledge $20 million for Pakistan’s IT sector at California conference
Updated 12 November 2024
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Pakistani-American investors pledge $20 million for Pakistan’s IT sector at California conference

Pakistani-American investors pledge $20 million for Pakistan’s IT sector at California conference
  • Investment conference draws IT firms, venture capitalists and tech professionals from Pakistani diaspora
  • Pakistan’s IT exports face significant challenges from Internet connectivity issues due to firewall installations
Updated 12 November 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A recently held Pakistan-US Tech Investment Conference in California yielded initial commitments of over $20 million by US-based companies led by Pakistani American entrepreneurs, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported this week, describing the development as a “pivotal moment” for the country’s information technology sector.
The event was inaugurated by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh on Sunday and was organized by the Pakistani Consulate in Los Angeles. It was supported by Pakistan’s Ministry of IT & Telecom, Ministry of Commerce, Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).
The conference was held at Stanford University and drew a broad range of participants, including IT firms, venture capitalists, tech professionals and prominent members of the Pakistani diaspora, the APP reported. Government officials and journalists were also in attendance. 
“A Pakistan-US Tech Investment Conference, held in California, on Sunday, marked a pivotal moment for Pakistan’s IT sector with an initial commitment of over $20 million by American companies led by Pakistani-American entrepreneurs,” APP reported on Monday. 

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh speaks during Pakistan-US Tech Investment Conference in California on November 11, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Embassy US)

Pakistan’s IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to advancing the IT sector and achieving an ambitious $25 billion export target during her keynote address. She highlighted strategic initiatives fostering an investor-friendly environment, urging the Pakistani diaspora to seize these opportunities, the state-run media said. 
“Ms. Khawaja said Pakistan’s IT sector was thriving, with exports already exceeding $3 billion,” APP said. “She noted that the government remained fully committed to supporting the IT industry, fostering innovation, and ensuring that the momentum continues to fuel both technological and economic progress.”

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh (3L), sitting with Pakistan-American investors, speaks during a press briefing at the Pakistan-US Tech Investment Conference in California on November 11, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Embassy US)

The conference featured projects in diverse areas including artificial intelligence, fintech, health tech, e-commerce and software development. These initiatives were aimed at generating employment, attracting foreign investment and seamlessly integrating Pakistan’s IT landscape into the global market.
Sheikh urged American businesses to explore Pakistan’s vibrant market and called on the Pakistani-American tech community to act as a bridge for deeper economic collaboration between the two countries. He also addressed common misconceptions, reaffirming Pakistan’s reputation as a flourishing investment destination which he said was also being recognized at the global level.
The PSEB delegation, led by its chief executive officer, included 11 Pakistani startups. A representative from the US State Department’s economic team for Pakistan also attended the event, reinforcing bilateral support from Washington, the state media said. 

Participants gesture for a group photo with Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh during Pakistan-US Tech Investment Conference in California on November 11, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Embassy US)

While Pakistan collaborates with countries such as Saudi Arabia and others in IT frequently, its IT exports face significant challenges due to Internet connectivity issues stemming from firewall installations to regulate content and social media platforms. This hinders local tech firms’ ability to communicate with international clients and results in delayed deliveries, loss of business opportunities and a tarnished reputation for Pakistan’s IT industry, ultimately stifling growth and costing millions of rupees in losses.

Topics: Pakistan US Ties Pakistan IT industry Pakistani investors

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