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Pakistan gear up for FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan

Pakistan gear up for FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan
Tajikistan's Ehson Panshanbe (R) contorls the ball during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier football match between Pakistan and Tajikistan at the Jinnah Sports stadium in Islamabad on November 21, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 20 May 2024
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Pakistan gear up for FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan

Pakistan gear up for FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan
  • Pakistan will play a home match against Saudi Arabia on June 6 in Islamabad
  • It will be followed by an away match in Tajikistan on June 11, the PFF says
Updated 20 May 2024
Shahjahan Khurram
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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan football team has begun practicing in Islamabad for the upcoming matches against Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan as part of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Round 2, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) said on Monday.

The Pakistan side is scheduled to play a home match against Saudi Arabia on June 6 in Islamabad, which would be followed by an away match in Tajikistan on June 11. Pakistan is in Group G along with Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Jordan.

A total of 36 football squads have been split into nine groups with four teams each in the second round of qualifiers. The winners and runners-up from each group would progress through to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers.

“Head coach Stephen Constantine is leading the team’s efforts, focusing on refining their skills and tactics for the encounter against one of the football powerhouses (Saudi Arabia),” the PFF said in a statement.

“Goalkeeping coaches Rogerio Ramos and Noman Ibrahim have been dedicating their efforts to the goalkeepers, while fitness coach Claudio Altieri is ensuring peak performance in preparation for the crucial match.”

Preliminary Pakistan squad

Goalkeepers: Hassan Ali and Tanveer

Defenders: Haseeb Khan, Mamoon Moosa Khan, Huzaifa, Waqar Ihtisham, Abdul Rehman, Umar Hayat, Muhammad Adeel, Muhammad Saddam and Zain ul Abideen

Midfielders: Yasir Arafat, Alamgir Ghazi, Ali Uzair, Rajab Ali, Moin Ali, Junaid Ahmed and Fahim

Forwards: Adeel Younas, Shayak Dost, Ali Zafar and Fareedullah

The PFF said the names of diaspora players joining the national training camp later would be included in the final squad.

Topics: Pakistan football team

After bail in state gifts case, new charges filed against Pakistan’s Imran Khan

After bail in state gifts case, new charges filed against Pakistan’s Imran Khan
Updated 31 min 50 sec ago
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After bail in state gifts case, new charges filed against Pakistan’s Imran Khan

After bail in state gifts case, new charges filed against Pakistan’s Imran Khan
  • Khan has been named in case relating to alleged violence by his supporters during a rally in September 
  • Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023, says all cases against him are politically motivated 
Updated 31 min 50 sec ago
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Rawalpindi police said on Thursday they had filed fresh charges against former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan related to violence at a party rally in September, a day after a court granted the ex-premier bail in a case involving the illegal sale of gifts from a state repository. 

On Wednesday, the Islamabad High Court granted Khan bail in the new Toshakhana case, filed in July and involving a jewelry set worth over €380,000 gifted to the former first lady by a foreign dignitary when Khan was prime minister from 2018-2022. The couple is accused of undervaluing the gift and buying it at a lesser price from the state repository.

Before the new case was filed, Khan, who has been in jail since last August, was convicted in four cases. Two of the cases have since been suspended, including an original one relating to state gifts, while he was acquitted in the remaining two.

“A case has been registered for arson, stone pelting, resisting the police, damage to government property and other incidents,” Rawalpindi Police announced on X, reading the charges against Khan in connection to a protest held by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in September. 

“Investigation team headed by SSP Investigation is investigating Imran Khan. Khan will be produced in court to obtain physical remand.”

Charges have also been filed in the case against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and a number of PTI leaders, including Seemabia Tahir, Amir Mughar and Aliya Hamza.

The police report of the case, which was filed on Sept. 28, the day of the rally, lists terrorism, attempted murder, vandalism, destruction of public and state property, and interference in government operations as the main charges. It says participants of the PTI rally created unrest, obstructed public access by burning tires and caused difficulties for citizens.

It also charges PTI leaders and supporters of raising anti-government slogans, hurling stones at the police and attacking them with iron rods during the protest.

Several police vehicles were damaged by PTI rallygoers and one police officer was injured, the report says.

Khan was in prison when the Sept. 28 rally took place. The former premier denies any wrongdoing, and alleges all the cases registered against him since he was removed from power in 2022 are politically motivated to keep him in jail.

Topics: Imran Khan PTI state gifts case Arab News Pakistan

Pakistani PM thanks King Salman, Gates foundations for global anti-polio efforts

Pakistani PM thanks King Salman, Gates foundations for global anti-polio efforts
Updated 21 November 2024
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Pakistani PM thanks King Salman, Gates foundations for global anti-polio efforts

Pakistani PM thanks King Salman, Gates foundations for global anti-polio efforts
  • Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains last polio-endemic country in the world
  • This year, 50 cases have been reported in Pakistan so far, a majority in Balochistan province 
Updated 21 November 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday met a delegation of the Polio Oversight Board in Islamabad and thanked the King Salman and Bill & Melinda Gates foundations, among others, in their global efforts for polio eradication.

Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. The nation’s polio eradication campaign has hit serious problems with a spike in reported cases this year that has prompted officials to review their approach to stopping the crippling disease.

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.

“The Prime Minister thanked the King Salman Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary Foundation, UNICEF and CDC, which are partners with the Government of Pakistan in the polio eradication campaign,” Sharif’s office said in a statement after the meeting. 

“The role of all these organizations reflects the global efforts in the polio eradication campaign.”

This year, 50 cases have been reported in Pakistan: 24 from Balochistan province, 13 from Sindh, 10 from KP and one each from Punjab and Islamabad. 

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 eradication program began in 1994, and the number of cases has declined dramatically since then. But efforts to eradicate the virus have for years 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. 

In July 2019, a vaccination drive in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was thwarted after mass panic was created by rumors that children were fainting or vomiting after being immunized.

Public health studies in Pakistan have shown that maternal illiteracy and low parental knowledge about vaccines, together with poverty and rural residency, are also factors that commonly influence whether parents vaccinate their children against polio.

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. 

Topics: King Salman Gates foundations anti-polio program

Government moves to accelerate relocation of Chinese industries to Pakistan

Government moves to accelerate relocation of Chinese industries to Pakistan
Updated 21 November 2024
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Government moves to accelerate relocation of Chinese industries to Pakistan

Government moves to accelerate relocation of Chinese industries to Pakistan
  • Seven-member panel was formed in September to formulate policy framework to boost Chinese industrial migration 
  • Panel’s focus is to develop incentive package to attract Chinese investment, make Pakistan regionally competitive
Updated 21 November 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday Pakistan would provide land to Chinese industries as Islamabad pushes forward with initiatives to boost industrial migration from the neighbor and longtime ally, Radio Pakistan reported.

A seven-member panel was formed by Iqbal in September to formulate a comprehensive policy framework for relocating Chinese industries to Pakistan, aimed at enhancing industrial collaboration under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Last year the government said it had completed more than 50 schemes worth $25 billion under CPEC, a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, with more than $65 billion pledged for road, rail and other infrastructure developments in the South Asian nation of 241 million people.

“Iqbal has directed the officials concerned to identify suitable sites for the establishment of Model Special Economic Zones and prepare a comprehensive concept paper for the purpose,” Radio Pakistan reported about Iqbal’s meeting with the industrial migration panel. 

“The minister said Pakistan would provide land to Chinese industries, while they would manage the infrastructure and market these zones themselves.”

The panel is led by the additional secretary of the Board of Investment and comprises members from the Commerce Ministry, the Ministry of Industries and Production, the Finance Division, the State Bank of Pakistan, the Federal Board of Revenue, and the CPEC Secretariat. 

The panel’s primary focus is to identify challenges in industrial relocation, propose solutions, and develop an incentive package to attract Chinese investment and make Pakistan regionally competitive.

The security of the Chinese nationals and their interests, which are often attacked by insurgents, remains the biggest challenge for Islamabad.
 

Topics: Chinese industries Pakistan

Pakistan inaugurates nation’s first maritime science and technology park 

Pakistan inaugurates nation’s first maritime science and technology park 
Updated 21 November 2024
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Pakistan inaugurates nation’s first maritime science and technology park 

Pakistan inaugurates nation’s first maritime science and technology park 
  • Park to be hub for AI, cybersecurity, ocean renewable energy, seafood processing, shipbuilding and coastal tourism
  • Naval chief says park will address Pakistan’s economic challenges, be expanded to Islamabad, Lahore and Gwadar
Updated 21 November 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s naval chief inaugurated the country’s first Maritime Science and Technology Park (PMSTP) in the southern port city of Karachi on Wednesday, according to the navy’s media wing, which said the facility would prove to be a “significant step” in addressing the country’s economic challenges. 

The navy said in its press release that the PMSTP is Pakistan’s first dedicated maritime science park integrating academia, industry and the government in a unique collaboration to foster growth across the country’s maritime sectors. 

It said the park’s initiatives will target diverse fields including naval technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, ocean renewable energy, seafood processing, shipbuilding and coastal tourism. Pakistan Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf inaugurated the park on Wednesday during the second day of the International Defense Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) exhibition in Karachi. 

“PMSTP is envisioned as a transformative hub for innovation and advancement, focusing on maritime science and technology to bolster Pakistan’s blue economy,” the navy said. “The project represents a significant step toward addressing Pakistan’s economic challenges, with plans for expansion beyond Karachi to Islamabad, Lahore, and Gwadar.”

Pakistan, home to multiple sea ports, has tried to tap into them to enhance its economic growth especially in the trade and tourism sectors. Pakistan’s ports, which have access to the Arabian Sea, employ thousands of people in fishing, shipping and other marine sectors.

IDEAS is Pakistan’s premier weapons expo, held biennially since its inception under former army chief General (r) Pervez Musharraf’s administration in 2000 and has grown into a key event for the defense sector. 

This year’s exhibition is running from Nov.19 — Nov. 22 and is expected to host over 550 exhibitors, including 340 international defense companies, alongside more than 350 senior civil and military officials from 55 countries.

Topics: Maritime Science and Technology Park IDEAS 2024 Karachi Pakistan Pakistan Navy

Pakistan unveils new ‘game changer’ fighter drone

Pakistan unveils new ‘game changer’ fighter drone
Updated 51 min 10 sec ago
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Pakistan unveils new ‘game changer’ fighter drone

Pakistan unveils new ‘game changer’ fighter drone
  • ‘Shahpar-III’ can fly up to 35,000 feet and carry heavy weapons such as bombs, missiles and torpedoes
  • Cruise missile fired from ‘Shahpar-III’ drone can strike within 250 kilometer range, says manufacturing company
Updated 51 min 10 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir this week unveiled the “Shahpar-III” drone capable of flying 35,000 feet into the air and carrying heavy weapons such as bombs, cruise missiles and torpedoes, with the head of the company that manufactured the drone describing it as a “game changer” in battlefield. 

Developed by Global Industrial Defense Solutions (GIDS), a state-owned Pakistani defense conglomerate, Shahpar-III represents the third generation of the Shahpar series of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The latest edition is capable of carrying a payload of up to 500 kilograms, which enables it to transport a variety of heavy weapons. 

Munir unveiled the drone during the ongoing International Defense Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) expo in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Wednesday. Pakistan’s premier expo, running from Nov. 19-22 at the Karachi Expo Center, will host over 550 exhibitors, including 340 international defense companies, alongside more than 350 senior civil and military officials from 55 countries.

“It is a main game changer in a battlefield with the kind of weapons it can carry,” Asad Kamal, Chief Executive Officer of GIDS, told Arab News, adding that the drone would soon be inducted into the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). 

UAVs offer a unique advantage to combat forces around the world as they can be deployed in hazardous environments without risking human lives, mostly in conflict zones, to carry out precision strikes. 

Apart from its obvious military advantages, UAVs or drones can also be used for civilian purposes such as search and rescue missions, reconnaissance, surveillance, agriculture monitoring and delivery services.

The Shahpar-III is a successor to the Shahpar-II drone which could fly up to 20 hours at a maximum altitude of 23,000 feet in the air, according to GIDS website. The Shahpar-III can fly up to 35,000 feet for 24 hours and carry a payload of up to 500 kilograms. 

GIDS, which has been selling its products to around 14 countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, introduced Shahpar-II in 2021. The drone’s impressive endurance and high-altitude capabilities make it a formidable asset for military operations. 

“This has a more strategic value to an armed force in comparison to Shahpar-II,” Kamal explained. “Shahpar-III is a natural step up when you’re making UAVs drones.”
Kamal said the drone can see targets at night and “take on the enemy” with heavy weapons. 

“That means that from your own borders, you can launch a cruise missile from an unpiloted plane,” he said. “That cruise missile has a range of 250 kilometers. So, it can give any force a lot of firepower value by having this sort of a weapon in its arsenal.”

Topics: IDEAS 2024 Pakistan Karachi Shahpar-III

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