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Pakistan’s ruling party, key ally to hold further talks to bridge budget differences

Pakistan’s ruling party, key ally to hold further talks to bridge budget differences
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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (right) meets PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in Islamabad, Pakistan on June 20, 2024. (Government of Pakistan/X)
Pakistan’s ruling party, key ally to hold further talks to bridge budget differences
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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (center) meets former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and representatives of his party, Pakistan Peoples Party, in Islamabad, Pakistan on June 20, 2024. (Government of Pakistan)
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Updated 21 June 2024
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Pakistan’s ruling party, key ally to hold further talks to bridge budget differences

Pakistan’s ruling party, key ally to hold further talks to bridge budget differences
  • Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz agree to form committees to resolve differences 
  • Bhutto-Zardari led PPP has accused government of ignoring its recommendations in federal budget
Updated 21 June 2024
Aamir Saeed
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ruling party and one of its major coalition allies, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Thursday agreed to form committees to bridge their differences over the fiscal budget and other matters related to the allocation of development funds, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement. 

Differences between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the PPP parties arose last week when the government unveiled its much-awaited Rs18.877 trillion ($67.76 billion) federal budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 on Wednesday. 

The tax-heavy budget is expected to play a pivotal role in Pakistan’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a fresh financial assistance program with the global lender. The PPP alleged that the government did not take it into confidence regarding key aspects of the budget.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with a delegation of senior party leaders on Thursday to discuss the main points of contention between them, ahead of the key vote on the budget slated for next week. PPP lawmakers’ votes will be crucial for the government, without which it would not be able to pass the document. 

“All political parties have to work together for the country’s progress, prosperity and public welfare,” Sharif was quoted as saying in a handout issued by the PMO after the meeting concluded. 

The prime minister said the government has taken measures in the budget to provide relief to the common man.

“Further consultation will continue through the committees,” the statement said. 

It pointed out how Pakistan’s benchmark index rose to a historic high on Thursday, saying that it was proof that the budget had been validated by traders and investors. 

Pakistan’s benchmark share index rose 2.8 percent to a new record high on Thursday, as investors welcomed the budget since it avoided an anticipated increase in capital gains tax, despite an ambitious tax revenue target.

Pakistan’s parliament held a debate session on the budget after a hiatus of a week on Thursday. Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub described it as “economic terrorism.”

“This budget in actuality is economic terrorism against the people and the future of the country,” Ayub said. 

'RUBBER STAMP IN PARLIAMENT'

PPP lawmaker Sehar Kamran told Arab News earlier this week that the government had ignored her party in pre-budget consultations and wanted to use them as a “rubber stamp” in parliament to have the budget passed.

“Shehbaz Sharif’s government wants to use us as a rubber stamp in parliament to pass the budget, but we won’t do it if our reservations are not addressed,” Kamran said.

Kamran said the two parties also disagreed over the distribution of development funds and various projects related to Pakistan’s provinces.

The PPP, which voted Sharif into power after the contentious national election in February, is not part of the federal government but has its government in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province. 

“If the government needs our votes in parliament to pass the budget, then it will have to listen to us first to address our grievances,” she had said.

Topics: Pakistan

Pakistan PM arrives in Baku seeking ‘predictable’ climate financing at COP29

Pakistan PM arrives in Baku seeking ‘predictable’ climate financing at COP29
Updated 22 sec ago
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Pakistan PM arrives in Baku seeking ‘predictable’ climate financing at COP29

Pakistan PM arrives in Baku seeking ‘predictable’ climate financing at COP29
  • The annual UN climate summit, which opened on Monday, is expected to see tough talks on finance and trade
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif will call on developed nations to undertake deeper emission cuts, Pakistani foreign office says
Updated 22 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan today, Tuesday, to attend the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), where he would call for “predictable financing” for developing countries to fight climate change.
The annual UN climate summit, which opened on Monday, is expected to see tough talks on finance and trade, following a year of weather disasters that have emboldened developing countries in their demands for climate cash. Nearly 200 countries are gathering for the summit, where reaching a consensus for a deal among so many will be difficult.
PM will address the World Leaders Climate Action Summit on Nov. 13, while he will also attend several high-level events on the sidelines of the summit and hold bilateral meetings with world leaders, according to the Pakistani foreign office.
“At the COP29, Pakistan will call for balanced and ambitious progress on all issues such as loss and damage, adaptation, mitigation and means of implementation. It will seek predictable financing to address developing countries’ climate goals,” it said in a statement. 
“Pakistan will also underscore the historical responsibility and the principle of Equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibility and call on developed nations to undertake deeper emission cuts.”
Pakistan is ranked the 5th most vulnerable country to climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index. In 2022, devastating floods killed over 1,700 people and affected over 33 million, with economic losses exceeding $30 billion. International donors last January committed over $9 billion to help Pakistan recover from the ruinous floods but little of that cash has yet to trickle in, according to officials.
Pakistan also regularly faces other climate change-induced affects such as droughts, cyclones, torrential rainstorms and heatwaves. Currently, record-high air pollution levels have triggered hundreds of hospitalizations, school closures and stay-at-home orders in the eastern city of Lahore and other cities in the populous Punjab province, which has been enveloped in a thick, toxic smog since last month.
A mix of low-grade fuel emissions from factories and vehicles, exacerbated by agricultural stubble burning, blanket Lahore and its surroundings each winter, trapped by cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds. The city of 14 million people stuffed with factories on the border with India regularly ranks among the world’s most polluted cities, but it has hit record levels this month, as has New Delhi.
Officials said this month Pakistan will urge developed countries at COP29, being held from Nov. 11 till Nov. 22, to fulfill past pledges and provide easy access to climate funding without attaching conditions.
“Pakistan is very clear on our stance on what we need from all the developed countries when it comes to the pledges, one, they need to complete their pledges, they need to fulfill their pledges, and two, easy access to the fundings,” Romina Khurshid Alam, PM Shehbaz Sharif’s coordinator on climate change, told Arab News in an interview on Nov. 8.
Pakistani authorities have said archrivals Pakistan and India need to coordinate actions to temper toxic smog, which winds carry across the border.
“We are open to dialogues and open to come up with the solution, we want to get the things done by dialogue,” Alam said, noting that the chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab had also urged India to pursue diplomacy to resolve this issue.
“This is not a game, the main thing is to think about the children and to think about the future.”
Last year, the Punjab government tested artificial rain to try to overcome the smog, and this year, trucks with water cannons have sprayed the streets, with no results.
The World Health Organization says air pollution can trigger strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. It is particularly punishing for children and babies, and the elderly.

Topics: Pakistan at COP29 UN COP29

UN warns toxic smog in Pakistan’s Punjab province is endangering children

UN warns toxic smog in Pakistan’s Punjab province is endangering children
Updated 11 November 2024
AP
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UN warns toxic smog in Pakistan’s Punjab province is endangering children

UN warns toxic smog in Pakistan’s Punjab province is endangering children
  • Toxic smog has shrouded Lahore and 17 other districts in Punjab since last month
  • Health officials say over 40,000 people have been treated for respiratory ailments
Updated 11 November 2024
AP

ISLAMABAD: The UN children’s agency on Monday warned that the health of 11 million children in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province is in danger because of air pollution that experts say has become a fifth season in recent years.
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.
UNICEF’s representative in Pakistan, Abdullah Fadil, in a statement urged the government to make urgent and greater efforts to reduce air pollution for the 11 million affected children under the age of 5 and others.
“Prior to these record-breaking levels of air pollution, about 12 percent of deaths in children under 5 in Pakistan were due to air pollution,” Fadil said. “The impact of this year’s extraordinary smog will take time to assess, but we know that doubling and tripling the amount of pollution in the air will have devastating effects, particularly on children and pregnant women.”
Pakistan has shut schools until Nov. 17 in parts of Punjab as part of measures aimed at protecting children’s health. Authorities on Friday ordered the closure of all parks and museums for 10 days, and they have been urging people to avoid unnecessary travel.
According to the Environmental Protection Department in Punjab, Multan remained the most polluted city on Monday, with air quality index readings of about 800. Anything over 300 is considered hazardous to health.
Though the government has ordered the mandatory wearing of face masks, that has been widely disregarded. The government has also said it was looking into methods to induce artificial rainfall to combat the pollution.

Topics: Punjab smog

At Arab-Islamic summit, Pakistan PM says independent Palestinian state only ‘avenue toward peace’

At Arab-Islamic summit, Pakistan PM says independent Palestinian state only ‘avenue toward peace’
Updated 11 November 2024
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At Arab-Islamic summit, Pakistan PM says independent Palestinian state only ‘avenue toward peace’

At Arab-Islamic summit, Pakistan PM says independent Palestinian state only ‘avenue toward peace’
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif criticized the world for its ‘indifference and inaction’ on the situation in Gaza and Lebanon, saying they had emboldened Israel
  • In his statement, the Saudi crown prince demanded the world must ‘immediately halt the Israeli actions against our brothers in Palestine and Lebanon’
Updated 11 November 2024
KASHIF IMRAN & Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday reiterated Pakistan’s complete support for an independent Palestinian state, saying it was the only “avenue toward peace” in the Middle East.
Sharif said this while addressing an extraordinary Arab–Islamic summit, hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, to discuss Israeli military actions in Gaza and Lebanon and escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Israel has waged a war in Gaza since October last year, killing over 43,000 people and rendering the strip almost uninhabitable. Last month, it also invaded Lebanon and has since killed 3,000 people there.
Sharif said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza had reached a level beyond imagination, criticizing the international community for its silence on Israel’s continued bombing of Gaza and Lebanon.
“Pakistan stands firm in its commitment to Palestine’s right to self-determination. We reiterate our unwavering support to establish an independent, viable and contiguous state of Palestine... This is the only avenue toward peace and justice in the holy land,” he said.
“We equally denounce Israel’s ongoing military aggression against Lebanon and stand in complete solidarity with its innocent people. Such escalations constitute a dangerous threat that could unleash a broader war.”
The Pakistan prime minister criticized the world for its “indifference and inaction” on the situation in Gaza and Lebanon, saying they had emboldened Israel.
“With each passing day every moral code has been blatantly violated by Israel yet the killing and destruction continues with no end in sight,” he said.
“The international humanitarian laws meant to protect the vulnerable have been torn to shreds... Humanity is being tested and failing. While Gaza bleeds, the world watches in silence.”
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”
Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza and Lebanon, Islamabad has dispatched more than 1,300 tons of relief goods for Gaza and Lebanon, besides establishing the ‘Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for Gaza and Lebanon’ that aims to collect public donations for the war-affected people.
Sharif said Muslim countries were bound “by faith and our conscience” to stand with the people of Palestine and not let this “systematic genocide” persist, urging the summit to call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, arms embargo on Israel, lifting of Israel’s blockade of Gaza, ensuring prompt delivery of food, water, electricity and medical aid, accountability of Israel for its “war crimes,” and a comprehensive review of Israel’s membership of the United Nations (UN).
“Let this summit be a moment of transforming our voices into actions,” he said. “Together we must move beyond condemnation and act swiftly to uphold justice and dignity for the people of Palestine and all those who face oppression.”
Monday’s summit was a follow-up to the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in November 2023 in Riyadh.
In his opening statement at the summit, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman again renewed Saudi Arabia’s rejection of Israeli attacks in Gaza and violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty. He criticized the obstruction of humanitarian agencies’ work in Gaza and rejected diminishing the role of the Palestinian Authority.
Israel had formally notified the UN of its decision to sever ties with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees after Israeli lawmakers backed the move last week.
The international community must “immediately halt the Israeli actions against our brothers in Palestine and Lebanon,” the crown prince said, condemning Israel’s campaign in Gaza as “genocide.”
“We condemn the Israeli military operations that targeted Lebanese territories and we reject anything that threatens Lebanon’s stability and safety as well as anything that violates its territorial integrity.”
He also condemned attacks on Iranian territory.

Topics: Arab-Islamic summit Pakistan Saudi Ties Palestine Pakistan Gaza Israel Arab News Pakistan

Pakistan allows Hajj fee payments in installments in new policy

Pakistan allows Hajj fee payments in installments in new policy
Updated 11 November 2024
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Pakistan allows Hajj fee payments in installments in new policy

Pakistan allows Hajj fee payments in installments in new policy
  • Pakistan will send 179,210 pilgrims under government scheme and through private operators
  • The government will prioritize first-time pilgrims in the official balloting process, minister says
Updated 11 November 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain on Monday unveiled the Hajj Policy 2025, announcing an instalment plan for pilgrims to pay Hajj fees.
Hajj is one of five pillars of Islam, annually undertaken by millions of Muslims. Pakistan has one of the largest Hajj quotas provided by Saudi Arabia to any Muslim country amid immense demand for the pilgrimage, with many citizens waiting for years for an opportunity to participate.
Next year’s Hajj under the government scheme is expected to range between Rs1,075,000 to Rs1,175,000, while an additional cost for the sacrifice will be Rs55,000, according to the religious affairs minister.
The first installment of Hajj dues, amounting to Rs200,000, must be deposited along with the Hajj application under the government scheme, while the second installment of Rs400,000 must be deposited within ten days of the balloting. The remaining amount must be deposited by February 10 next year.
“If you submit Rs200,000 at the time of the application and your name comes (in the lucky draw) then you will submit Rs400,000 before the rest of the amount between Feb. 1-10,” Hussain said at a press conference.
The Pakistani government approved the new Hajj policy earlier this month, having a quota of 179,210 pilgrims who would be facilitated under the government scheme and through private tour operators.
Hussain said the move would facilitate people who could not make large payments at once, clarifying that Rs50,000 would be deducted if the first instalment is withdrawn whereas Rs200,000 would be deducted if the third instalment was not submitted.
Preference would be given to those going for the pilgrimage for the first time, according to the minister. As per the new policy, children under the age of 12 will not be allowed to travel for Hajj.
“The traditional long package for the official Hajj scheme will cover 38 to 42 days and the short package will cover 20 to 25 days,” Hussain added.

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Ties hajj Hajj 2025

Woman among three arrested in connection with Karachi blast targeting Chinese nationals

Woman among three arrested in connection with Karachi blast targeting Chinese nationals
Updated 11 November 2024
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Woman among three arrested in connection with Karachi blast targeting Chinese nationals

Woman among three arrested in connection with Karachi blast targeting Chinese nationals
  • Two Chinese nationals were killed and 21 others injured in attack near the Karachi airport on October 6
  • The attack once again raised concerns about the safety of Chinese nationals and investments in Pakistan
Updated 11 November 2024
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistani authorities have arrested a woman among three suspects involved in a deadly suicide bombing in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi that killed two Chinese and a Pakistani national last month, an official said on Monday.
The bombing, which also injured 21 others, in the provincial capital of Sindh was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most prominent of separatist groups mainly operating in the neighboring Balochistan province.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is home to major China-led projects such as a strategic port and a gold and copper mine. The separatists accuse Beijing of helping Islamabad exploit the province’s mineral resources, an allegation denied by the Pakistani state.
Speaking to media in Karachi, Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar said officials had found body parts of the suicide bomber, later identified through fingerprint analysis as Shah Fahad, at the scene. The BLA had also identified Fahad as the attacker.
“A high-level investigation involving law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and intelligence services was launched immediately after the attack,” he said, adding forensic teams conducted a thorough examination of the scene and collected critical evidence.
“Last night, during an intelligence-based operation, the mastermind of the suicide bombing, Muhammad Javed alias Sameer, and his accomplice Gul Nisa were arrested at RCD Highway near Umar Goth Chowk in Karachi while riding a motorcycle.”

Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar (right) is addressing a press conference in Karachi, Pakistan, on November 11, 2024. (Sindh Home Department)

The investigation revealed Javed’s direct involvement in the suicide bombing, while the woman, Nisa, had facilitated the attack, according to the home minister. Another suspect, a rickshaw driver, had also been apprehended.
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan that has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, at the heart of which lies the Gwadar port in Balochistan.
Pakistan has previously said the attack in Karachi was aimed at disrupting its relations with China and destabilizing CPEC. The BLA has previously killed Chinese citizens working in the region and attacked Beijing’s consulate in Karachi.
Authorities discovered that the vehicle used in the Karachi airport bombing was purchased in September 2024 for Rs7.1 million in cash from a showroom in Karachi, according to Lanjar. It was taken to Hub in Balochistan, where the attackers mounted explosives on it and brought back to Karachi days before the attack.
“Since the transaction was made through legal channels, it did not initially raise suspicion,” Lanjar said, adding that the payment was made through a bank account in the name of a man, Saeed Ali, who was facilitated by Bilal.
The vehicle was later registered under Fahad’s name, while Nisa helped bring the car to Karachi and surveillance at the airport was carried out by Javed, who also informed the suicide attacker about the Chinese nationals’ exit from the airport, according to investigators.
Fahad arrived in Karachi along with Nisa on October 4 and stayed at a hotel in Saddar before executing the attack on the night of Oct 6.
“Investigators found that the bomber and his accomplices made preparations at various locations, including the Marriott Hotel, where they recorded a video,” Lanjar said.
“The video was sent to their BLA commander before the bombing took place. At around 9:30 p.m. on October 6, the group circled the airport before positioning the explosives-laden vehicle near the Chinese convoy.”
Lanjar said the attackers used up to 40 kilograms of a chemical substance to detonate the vehicle used in the attack, which has raised concerns about the safety of Chinese nationals and investments in Pakistan as well as the growing threat posed by separatist groups. The Karachi attack also prompted the Chinese side to publicly ask Pakistan to ensure security of its nationals, while a team of Chinese officials also joined investigations of the Oct. 6 attack.
In a separate development on Monday, Lt. Gen. Muhammad Avais Dastgir, chief of general staff of Pakistan Army, met with Gen. Li Qiaoming, commander of the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force, at the PLA Army Headquarters in Beijing, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
“During the meeting, CGS offered heartfelt condolences on loss of Chinese lives in recent terrorist attack in Karachi and affirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to ensure enhanced security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“The dignitary from China acknowledged Pakistan Army’s efforts and measures for improving the security of Chinese and assured wholehearted support to Pakistan.”
Chinese workers have increasingly come under attack in Pakistan in recent years, with notable incidents including a suicide bombing in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that killed five Chinese engineers in March 2024. The latest shooting occurred earlier this month, when a Pakistani security guard opened fire at a factory in Karachi, wounding two Chinese employees.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties Karachi blast Chinese nationals

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