You are here

  • Home
  • Pakistan condemns fresh Israeli attack on Gaza’s Khan Younis, calls it ‘mockery of humanity’

Pakistan condemns fresh Israeli attack on Gaza’s Khan Younis, calls it ‘mockery of humanity’

Pakistan condemns fresh Israeli attack on Gaza’s Khan Younis, calls it ‘mockery of humanity’
This handout picture released by the Israeli army on July 22, 2024, shows Israeli soldiers behind an armoured vehicle during military operations in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Short Url

https://arab.news/gp2jg

Updated 22 July 2024
Follow

Pakistan condemns fresh Israeli attack on Gaza’s Khan Younis, calls it ‘mockery of humanity’

Pakistan condemns fresh Israeli attack on Gaza’s Khan Younis, calls it ‘mockery of humanity’
  • Israeli tanks rolled back into the greater Khan Younis area after Israel ordered evacuations of some districts it said were being used by militants
  • Israeli tank salvoes killed 49 Palestinians in the town of Bani Suhaila and others fringing eastern Khan Younis, with the area also bombarded by air
Updated 22 July 2024
KASHIF IMRAN
Follow

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday condemned fresh Israeli strikes in Gaza’s Khan Younis area that killed 49 Palestinians, describing it as a “mockery of humanity.”
Israeli tanks rolled back into the greater Khan Younis area after Israel ordered evacuations of some districts it said had been used for renewed attacks by militants.
The Palestinians were killed by tank salvoes in the town of Bani Suhaila and others fringing the eastern side of Khan Younis, with the area also bombarded by air, residents said.
“Such an aggressive attack within minutes of instructions given to Khan Younis refugees to evacuate is a mockery of humanity,” Sharif said in a statement. “The unarmed Palestinian refugees were not even given a chance to evacuate.”
The Gaza health ministry said the dead included several women and children and that at least 186 other people had been injured by Israeli fire.
Around 400,000 people are living in the targeted areas and dozens of families have begun to leave their houses, Palestinian officials said, adding they were not given time to get out of harm’s way before the Israeli strikes began.
The Pakistan premier said it was clear that Israeli forces were acting on “the agenda of genocide of the Palestinians.”
He reiterated Pakistan’s support for the Palestinians in their struggle for right to self-determination. “The United Nations must play its role in resolving the Palestine issue,” Sharif added.
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in October last year, Pakistan has repeatedly raised the issue at the United Nations and demanded international powers and multilateral bodies stop Israeli military actions in Gaza.
Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas after militants killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in a cross-border assault on Oct. 7, 2023, according to Israeli tallies.
The death toll among Palestinians in Israel’s retaliatory offensive since then had reached at least 39,006 as of Monday, Gaza health authorities said.

Topics: Israel Gaza War on Gaza

Climate, trade and investment top agenda as Pakistan deputy PM meets UK counterpart

Climate, trade and investment top agenda as Pakistan deputy PM meets UK counterpart
Updated 05 September 2024
Follow

Climate, trade and investment top agenda as Pakistan deputy PM meets UK counterpart

Climate, trade and investment top agenda as Pakistan deputy PM meets UK counterpart
  • Dar began a five-day visit to the UK on Wednesday with a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Lammy
  • On Thursday Dar also met Commonwealth chief, discussed “shared priorities” ahead of Samoa summit 
Updated 05 September 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday met his UK counterpart Angela Rayner and discussed cooperation on “shared priorities” such as climate change, trade and investment and creating opportunities for young people.

Dar, who is also the foreign minister of Pakistan, began a five-day visit to the UK on Wednesday with a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London. During his trip, Dar is also scheduled to engage with other UK officials and parliamentarians as well as representatives of the British-Pakistani community.

“Dar underscored the importance of a strong Pakistan-UK partnership for furthering the two countries’ shared interests in the bilateral and regional domains,” a statement from the Pakistani foreign office said. 

“Recalling Deputy Prime Minister Rayner’s visit to Pakistan in the aftermath of the 2022 floods, Deputy Prime Minister Dar expressed Pakistan’s desire to work with the UK on climate action and mobilizing international assistance for climate-vulnerable countries.”

Dar said creating opportunities for young people and enhancing bilateral trade and investment were other “shared priorities” of both countries. He also appreciated the UK’s continued duty-free access facility for Pakistani exports.

Earlier on Thursday, Dar met Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland in London and discussed “shared priorities” ahead of the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting scheduled to be held from October 21-25 in Apia, the capital and only city of the island nation of Samoa.

On Wednesday, in his meeting with Lammy, Pakistan’s Dar said he looked forward to working with the British official on “tackling climate change, creating opportunities for young people, and boosting trade and investment.”

“He reiterated Pakistan’s desire for transforming the close, historic ties into an enhanced strategic partnership,” a statement from Dar’s office said. 

This is Dar’s first official visit to the UK since the election of the Labour government of UK PM Keir Starmer, who assumed office in July.

Topics: Pakistan UK Ties Ishaq Dar

Related

Ahead of 2024 summit, Pakistan deputy PM discusses ‘shared priorities’ with Commonwealth chief
Pakistan
Ahead of 2024 summit, Pakistan deputy PM discusses ‘shared priorities’ with Commonwealth chief
Pakistan’s deputy PM meets British foreign secretary, seeks ‘strategic partnership’ with UK
Pakistan
Pakistan’s deputy PM meets British foreign secretary, seeks ‘strategic partnership’ with UK

Investor pressure on Nike builds over garment workers’ rights from Cambodia to Pakistan

Investor pressure on Nike builds over garment workers’ rights from Cambodia to Pakistan
Updated 05 September 2024
Reuters
Follow

Investor pressure on Nike builds over garment workers’ rights from Cambodia to Pakistan

Investor pressure on Nike builds over garment workers’ rights from Cambodia to Pakistan
  • Nike sources from five factories in Pakistan but is not a signatory to Pakistan Accord
  • Accord is a binding health and safety agreement between workers’ unions and brands 
Updated 05 September 2024
Reuters

LONDON/NEW YORK: Investor pressure on Nike is building ahead of Tuesday’s annual shareholder meeting, with Norway’s sovereign wealth fund pledging to back a resolution demanding the company consider ways it can improve working conditions at garment factories.

Nike is struggling with sliding sales and also faces criticisms over its supply chain. Investment research firm MSCI downgraded its ESG (environmental, social and governance) rating for Nike in 2022 and 2023, and rates it as a “laggard” on supply chain labor standards.

The resolution proposed by a group of investors including Domini Impact Equity Fund says current approaches in the industry “often fail to identify and remedy persistent rights abuses such as wage theft, inadequate health and safety or gender-based violence.”

Domini was among more than 60 investors last year to sign a joint letter to Nike urging it to pay $2.2 million in wages to workers at suppliers in Cambodia and Thailand whom rights groups said were denied severance pay owed to them after factory shutdowns during the pandemic. Reuters could not independently verify the allegations, and Nike has denied them.

In a statement, Nike said its corporate governance team had been in touch with all the co-filers of the resolution.

“We greatly value the opportunity to engage with and solicit feedback from our shareholders, and we believe that maintaining an open dialogue strengthens our approach to corporate governance practices and disclosures,” it said.

The resolution reflects a push from some investors for Nike to create binding agreements with workers at factories and suppliers in countries where worker exploitation is a problem.

It asks Nike to consider whether binding agreements with workers would improve its ability to address human rights issues when sourcing from high-risk countries.

Nike sources from five factories in Pakistan, according to its own supply chain disclosures, yet it is not a signatory to the Pakistan Accord, a binding health and safety agreement between workers’ unions and brands that peers including Adidas and Puma have signed.

‘TOTAL SILENCE’

Several investors told Reuters that Nike’s lack of response to the 2023 letter, and to requests for meetings, were concerning.

“The total silence is the thing that worries me,” said Frank Wagemans, senior engagement specialist at Achmea Investment Management in the Netherlands. “We signed the joint investor letter last year, we also reached out to Nike ourselves and we didn’t get a reply which was quite astonishing to me because supply chain is probably the key ESG topic for Nike.”

The decision by Norway’s fund, Nike’s ninth biggest shareholder, went against recommendations by Nike’s management for shareholders to reject the resolution.

Nike has also urged shareholders to reject a separate proposal from investor Tulipshare, which urges Nike to assess the effectiveness of its supply chain management.

Tulipshare made the same proposal at last year’s shareholder meeting, where it won support from 11.7 percent of voters. Norway’s fund has said it will not support the Tulipshare proposal.

Shareholder advisory firms Glass Lewis and ISS also recommended voting against both resolutions.

Frankfurt-based Union Investment said it would back both proposals.

“We would like to see concrete efforts to enhance Nike’s understanding of gaps in its strategies to mitigate legal, reputational, and human rights risks,” said Janina Bartkewitz, ESG expert and analyst at Union Investment.

“Protecting vulnerable workers is of paramount importance.”

Marie Payne, responsible investment officer at Cardano in London, said new regulations like the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive increased the need for companies to strengthen supply chain practices and to report on their efforts.

If any of the proposals get 20 percent of votes or more, that would send a signal to Nike that these issues are important to shareholders, said Caroline Boden, director of shareholder advocacy at Mercy Investments.

“Part of the strategy is to get the attention of the company, but another part is to signal to other shareholders that there’s a group of investors that perceives this issue as material, and which could pose further risk to the company,” she said.

Topics: Nike Nike Pakistan

England seek Pakistan clarity after reports say Test could be moved

England seek Pakistan clarity after reports say Test could be moved
Updated 05 September 2024
AFP
Follow

England seek Pakistan clarity after reports say Test could be moved

England seek Pakistan clarity after reports say Test could be moved
  • Media have suggested schedule for next month’s three-match series could be altered due to construction work at proposed grounds
  • England are currently scheduled to play the first Test in Multan from October 7, followed by matches at Karachi and Rawalpindi
Updated 05 September 2024
AFP

LONDON: England are seeking clarity over their forthcoming Test tour of Pakistan following reports that matches could be moved to a another country.

Media in the region have suggested the schedule for next month’s three-match series could be altered due to construction work at the proposed grounds.

England are currently scheduled to play the first Test in Multan from October 7, followed by matches at Karachi and Rawalpindi, but renovations ahead of next year’s Champions Trophy are understood to be causing issues at the latter two venues.

It is understood the prospect of moving one or more of the games to the United Arab Emirates or Sri Lanka has been suggested, with the England and Wales Cricket Board awaiting developments.

England coach Brendon McCullum addressed the issue on Thursday while speaking to reporters at The Oval ahead of the third Test against Sri Lanka.

“We don’t really know (what is happening in Pakistan) but we can’t pick a team until we know where we’re going to play,” he said.

“It would be nice if, over the next couple of days, we found out.”

The former New Zealand captain added: “Then we’ll sit down and make sure we’ve got the right team for the right conditions and the right opposition.”

England did not tour Pakistan between 2005 and 2022, owing to security concerns, with the Pakistan Cricket Board staging matches in the UAE throughout that period.

Topics: Pakistan England Test Arab News Pakistan Brendon McCullum

Pakistan PM sets $25 billion IT exports target within five years

Pakistan PM sets $25 billion IT exports target within five years
Updated 05 September 2024
Follow

Pakistan PM sets $25 billion IT exports target within five years

Pakistan PM sets $25 billion IT exports target within five years
  • Pakistan is banking on nascent but growing IT sector to increase exports, generate critical foreign exchange 
  • Push to boost the sector is facing challenges as internet speeds in Pakistan have dropped by 30-40 percent 
Updated 05 September 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the country needed to hit $25 billion in information technology (IT) exports in the next five years, urging experts and entrepreneurs to present a plan to reach the target.

Pakistan is banking on its nascent but growing IT industry to increase its exports and generate critical foreign exchange revenue for a cash-strapped country. IT exports soared to $3.2 billion in the fiscal year 2023-2024, marking a robust 24% year-on-year increase from the previous fiscal’s $2.59 billion.

But the push to boost the sector is facing challenges as internet speeds in Pakistan have dropped by 30-40 percent over the past few weeks, affecting millions of Pakistanis, adversely hitting businesses and drawing nationwide complaints. The telecommunications authority has attributed the slowdown to damaged underwater cables while IT Minister Shaza Khawaja has blamed a surge in VPN use, but digital advocacy groups and IT unions say the internet slowdown may be linked to the government’s trial of an upgraded web management system or national firewall. The government says any firewall, if imposed, will not be used for censorship purposes.

Last month, the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) said Pakistan's economy could lose up to $300 million due to internet disruptions caused by the imposition of a national firewall.

“The target is simple and we have to touch the figure of $25 billion in the next five years,” PM Sharif said on Thursday while addressing a ceremony organized by Google as it launched an initiative to manufacture 500,000 Chromebooks in Pakistan, the first of which was presented to the premier on Thursday. “Give me a pathway on how to achieve this figure.”

Speaking at the ceremony, Regional Director of Google for Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Farhan S. Qureshi, said there were “huge opportunities” for freelancers in Pakistan. 

There are 19 million freelancers globally, out of which Pakistan has 2.37 million active freelancers. The South Asian nation ranks among the top four countries that offer freelance services, with key global platforms for freelance work being Upwork, Fiverr, and PeoplePerHour. 

According to data from the central bank. Pakistani freelancers earned $397.3 million in foreign remittances during the fiscal year 2021-22. This amount is likely underreported as much of freelance income is received as home remittances.

“The businesses of over 2.3 million freelancers are suffering due to the slow Internet services,” Tufail Ahmed Khan, president of the Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA), told Arab News last month. “Not only freelancers but IT companies and e-commerce businesses are also affected by the significant degradation in Internet speed.”

He said Pakistani freelancers had earned over $350 million in 2023 while slow Internet speed was now making it difficult to complete projects online. 

Khan said the most concerning aspect was that the government had given no timeline on when the issue would be resolved and the uncertainty could damage Pakistani freelancers’ reputation among clients. 

Last month, workers on Fiverr said the global freelancing platform had made several accounts in Pakistan “unavailable” due to possible “Internet disruptions.”

Topics: Google IT exports PM Shehbaz Sharif Fiverr

Pakistan ‘vehemently’ condemns Israeli operation in West Bank’s Jenin and Tulkarm

Pakistan ‘vehemently’ condemns Israeli operation in West Bank’s Jenin and Tulkarm
Updated 05 September 2024
Follow

Pakistan ‘vehemently’ condemns Israeli operation in West Bank’s Jenin and Tulkarm

Pakistan ‘vehemently’ condemns Israeli operation in West Bank’s Jenin and Tulkarm
  • More than 30 Palestinians have been killed and dozens of arrests have been made during the operation
  • War that began in October last year has killed more than 40,500 people, Palestinian health officials say
Updated 05 September 2024
Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday “vehemently” condemned recent assaults by Israeli forces on the West Bank city of Jenin and on refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarem, as a major Israeli operation in the two cities continued for an eighth day.

More than 30 Palestinians have been killed and dozens of arrests have been made during the operation, which began a week ago in different areas of the West Bank. 

“Targeting of individuals sheltered in refugee camps is yet another breach of international humanitarian law by the Israeli occupation forces,” Foreign Office spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters. “This demonstrates their contempt for international law and the basic tenets of decency and acceptable international behavior.”

Baloch called for an “immediate cessation of these raids masqueraded as military operations in the West Bank,” and urged the UN Security Council to play its role in preventing Israeli forces from carrying out “further attacks against civilians, holding Israel accountable for its war crimes and taking effective measures to protect the Palestinian people.”

The Israeli military has said it launched the operation, its biggest in the West Bank for months, to thwart Iranian-backed groups preparing attacks on Israeli civilians.

Thousands of Palestinians have been arrested in raids and more than 680 — fighters and civilians — have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the war in Gaza began nearly 11 months ago, according to Palestinian health ministry figures.

The latest round of the war began on Oct. 7 after Hamas fighters stormed from Gaza into southern Israel, killing 1,200 and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

Israel’s Gaza campaign has since demolished swathes of the enclave, displaced nearly all its 2.3 million people multiple times, given rise to deadly hunger and disease and killed more than 40,500 people, Palestinian health officials say.

Internationally mediated talks to end the conflict continue, with Hamas and Israel trading blame for a lack of progress and the US expressing optimism that a ceasefire can be reached.
 

Topics: Pakistan West Bank Israel Jenin Tulkarm 

Latest updates

Trump says would tap Musk to lead US government ‘efficiency’ panel
Trump says would tap Musk to lead US government ‘efficiency’ panel
Ronaldo scores 900th career goal as Portugal beat Croatia
Ronaldo scores 900th career goal as Portugal beat Croatia
Alex Morgan retires from professional soccer and is expecting her second child
Alex Morgan retires from professional soccer and is expecting her second child
Zelensky demands ‘tangible results’ after major government shake-up
Zelensky demands ‘tangible results’ after major government shake-up
Multi-day Israeli raids leave West Bank Palestinians trapped ‘in prison’
Multi-day Israeli raids leave West Bank Palestinians trapped ‘in prison’

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2024 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.