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PM Sharif says second phase of CPEC to help transform Pakistan’s economy

PM Sharif says second phase of CPEC to help transform Pakistan’s economy
(From left to right) Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari along with Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong cut special cake to mark China’s National Day, in Islamabad on September 19, 2024. (Photo courtesy: PMO)
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Updated 20 September 2024
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PM Sharif says second phase of CPEC to help transform Pakistan’s economy

PM Sharif says second phase of CPEC to help transform Pakistan’s economy
  • CPEC, a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, aims to connect China to the Arabian Sea and help Islamabad expand and modernize its economy
  • Beijing has shown willingness for its second phase that includes new corridors for growth, livelihood, innovation, green economy and development
Updated 20 September 2024
Arab News Pakistan
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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would help Pakistan transform its economy, Pakistani state media reported.
The statement came at a reception hosted by the Chinese embassy in Islamabad with regard to China’s National Day, which was attended by PM Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, diplomats, dignitaries, and senior civil and military officers.
CPEC, a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, aims to connect China to the Arabian Sea through a network of roads, railways, pipelines and ports in Pakistan and help Islamabad expand and modernize its economy.
China has also shown willingness for the second phase of CPEC and has given assurances for the establishment of five new corridors, including that of growth, livelihood, innovation, green economy and open regional inclusive development.
“We are entering into the second phase of CPEC which has huge potential of mutual cooperation in the field of agriculture, information technology, mines and minerals and many other important areas of mutual interests,” the state-run APP news agency quoted Sharif as saying at the event to commemorate China’s 75th anniversary.
He acknowledged China’s critical role in Pakistan’s talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new $7 billion bailout program to keep its economy afloat. Islamabad has for years relied on China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for assistance to meet such external financing requirements.
“The ongoing partnership not only fostered regional development and peace but also contributed to global stability and progress, aligning with President Xi Jinping’s vision,” Sharif added.
Speaking at the event, President Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to working together with China for shared prosperity, peace and stability in the world.
The high-quality development of CPEC would “help unlock greater benefits for our people, besides enhancing connectivity and prosperity of the region,” he was quoted as saying by the APP.
President Zardari felicitated the Chinese people on the auspicious occasion, saying the first of October marked the rebirth of a strong, united China that was achieved through the “heroic struggle” of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party.
He reflected on the invaluable contributions made by the successive generations in transforming the Pakistan-China friendship into an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties China's National Day Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Babar Azam becomes first Pakistani batter to register 30 centuries in 50-over domestic matches

Babar Azam becomes first Pakistani batter to register 30 centuries in 50-over domestic matches
Updated 20 September 2024
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Babar Azam becomes first Pakistani batter to register 30 centuries in 50-over domestic matches

Babar Azam becomes first Pakistani batter to register 30 centuries in 50-over domestic matches
  • Babar hit an unbeaten 104 off 100 balls as Allied Bank Stallions defeated Engro Dolphins in Champions One-Day Cup
  • For the 2nd consecutive game Dolphins failed to chase a total and reached only 97 runs in pursuit of the 272-run target
Updated 20 September 2024
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Babar Azam on Thursday became the first Pakistani batter to register 30 or more List-A centuries as he smashed a brilliant 104 runs to guide Allied Bank Stallions to a victory over Engro Dolphins in the Champions One-Day Cup at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. 
For the second consecutive game Dolphins failed to chase a total as they could only reach 97 runs in pursuit of the 272-run target set by Stallions.
Babar hit an unbeaten 104 off 100 balls with the help of seven fours and three sixes, including a boundary on penultimate ball of the innings to bring up his record century. 
“Babar Azam smashed his 30th List-A century, becoming the first Pakistan batter to register 30 or more List-A centuries,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement.
The List-A cricket refers to 50-over domestic matches. The ton comes as a major sigh of relief for Babar, who’s had a poor form over the past few months. 
Babar has failed to score a half-century in the last eight Test matches he has played and has also failed to deliver stellar performances in the last two ICC cricket world cups in India and the United States.
Yasir Khan (46, 58b, 5x4s), Shan Masood (34, 36b, 3x4s) and Tayyab Tahir (33, 49b, 4x4s) were the other notable contributors. In turn, Mehran Mumtaz (3-14) and Jahandad Khan (3-18) picked up three wickets each as Dolphins fell for a paltry 97 in just 25 overs. 
After Stallions won the toss and elected to bat first, Shan and Yasir provided a solid opening partnership of 76 runs before falling in 13th and 17th overs, respectively. Babar and Tayyab stitched a 57-run third-wicket partnership before the latter fell in the 30th over. 
Hussain Talat chipped in with 23 off 25 balls with the help of two fours while also adding 46 with Babar for the fifth wicket. The eighth-wicket partnership between Babar and Haris Rauf stretched for 41 runs in 23 balls with the latter only contributing three runs. All six Dolphins bowlers picked up one wicket each. 
Jahandad’s three-wicket burst with the new ball left Dolphins at 40-3 before the other bowlers struck at regular intervals as they lost remaining seven wickets for just 57 runs. Abrar Ahmed dismissed the top scorers for Dolphins, Sahibzada Farhan (32, 36b, 6x4s) and Asif Ali (21, 28b, 3x4s). Haris Rauf bagged two wickets as well. 
Stallions made it two out of three wins as they qualified for the playoff stage, along with UMT Markhors and Lake City Panthers, while the Dolphins faced their third consecutive defeat. Lions and Dolphins are fighting for the fourth place in the playoff stage and will face each other on September 22.

Topics: Babar Azam

Indian general praises professionalism of Pakistani soldiers on UN mission in South Sudan

Indian general praises professionalism of Pakistani soldiers on UN mission in South Sudan
Updated 20 September 2024
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Indian general praises professionalism of Pakistani soldiers on UN mission in South Sudan

Indian general praises professionalism of Pakistani soldiers on UN mission in South Sudan
  • Severe flooding in Sudan last month led to the destruction of nearly two dozen villages and caused 30 confirmed deaths
  • Pakistani peacekeepers undertook daunting engineering tasks in a complex environment, ensuring protection of civilians
Updated 20 September 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Indian Force Commander at the United Nations (UN) mission in South Sudan, Lt. Gen. S Mohan, has commended the efforts of Pakistan’s peacekeeping contingent in saving hundreds of thousands of Sudanese people stranded in floods last month, the Pakistani military said on Thursday.
Severe flooding that resulted from torrential rains overwhelmed the Arbaat Dam and led to the destruction of nearly two dozen villages and caused at least 30 confirmed deaths in Sudan last month, Reuters reported.
Pakistani peacekeepers, who have been performing duties for peace and security in South Sudan, undertook daunting engineering tasks in a complex environment and ensured the protection of civilians, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
The Indian general acknowledged their professionalism in a letter written to Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, in which Lt Gen Mohan commended the “dedication and unwavering commitment” of Pakistani peacekeepers in Sudan.
“Pakistani blue helmets have undertaken daunting engineers’ tasks in complex and challenging operational environment to ensure protection of civilians, which has always remained top priority for Pakistani peacekeepers,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“Pakistani contingent worked day and night and protected over 250,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in worst flood affected areas.”
The complex and contentious relationship between Pakistan and India has been marred by territorial and other disputes, with the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir being the most significant of them. Ties between the two neighbors remain suspended since Aug. 2019, when New Delhi revoked semi-autonomous status of part of Kashmir it controls.
The ISPR said the Indian general specially acknowledged Pakistan’s Brig. Shafqat Iqbal and Lt. Col. Shahbaz Aslam for their role in saving the lives of Sudanese people, which served as a “testament” to Pakistan Army’s reputation in international peacekeeping efforts.
“Pakistan remains committed to play a pivotal role as a responsible member of the international community to help realize the ideals of global peace and security through active support in UN Peacekeeping Missions,” it added.

Topics: ISPR Pakistan Army South Sudan Pakistan India

UAE’s AD Ports delegation discusses investment opportunities with Pakistan’s deputy PM

UAE’s AD Ports delegation discusses investment opportunities with Pakistan’s deputy PM
Updated 20 September 2024
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UAE’s AD Ports delegation discusses investment opportunities with Pakistan’s deputy PM

UAE’s AD Ports delegation discusses investment opportunities with Pakistan’s deputy PM
  • High-ranking AD Ports delegation meets Ishaq Dar to discuss investment opportunities particularly in aviation sector
  • To ward off its prolonged economic crisis, Pakistan has intensified its efforts in recent months to attract international investments
Updated 20 September 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the UAE’s Abu Dhabi Ports (AD) group discussed investment opportunities with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar this week, his office said, amid Islamabad’s push to secure investments to bolster its fragile economy. 
Pakistan has intensified its efforts in recent months to attract international investments, particularly from Gulf countries, as it looks to evade a prolonged macroeconomic crisis. The South Asian country has been struggling with a chronic balance of payments crisis, a weak currency and low foreign reserves that have crippled its $350 billion economy. 
AD Ports Group, a leading maritime and logistics provider in the Middle East, signed an agreement in July this year to invest $250 million in Pakistan in 10 years as it plans to build an advanced port facility in the country’s seaside metropolis of Karachi.
“A high-ranking UAE delegation led by CEO of Shipping and Transhipment, Abu Dhabi Ports Amir Maghami, today called on DPM/FM @MIshaqDar50 to discuss investment opportunities in Pakistan, particularly in the aviation sector,” Dar’s office said. 
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States. It is also an ideal export destination for the South Asian nation as the short distance between the two countries limits transportation costs and facilitates commercial exchanges.
The Middle Eastern country is also home to over a million and a half Pakistani expatriates. After Saudi Arabia, the UAE is Pakistan’s largest source of workers’ remittances and the preferred choice of thousands of laborers who live and work in the country.

Topics: Pakistan UAE ties

Female leopard succumbs to gunshot wounds in Pakistan’s capital

Female leopard succumbs to gunshot wounds in Pakistan’s capital
Updated 20 September 2024
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Female leopard succumbs to gunshot wounds in Pakistan’s capital

Female leopard succumbs to gunshot wounds in Pakistan’s capital
  • Leopard was brought to Islamabad from Azad Kashmir, where it suffered gunshot wounds
  • She was shot near the heart at close range which proved fatal, says wildlife official 
Updated 20 September 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A female leopard succumbed to gunshot wounds in Pakistan’s capital this week, state-run media reported, despite efforts by the city’s wildlife team to save her life.
The leopard, also known as “The Malka Queen” was rescued from Azad Kashmir’s Haveli district by the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) in a severely injured state after being wounded by gunshots, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.
It said bullets had damaged the leopard’s spinal cord and rear paws due to which she could neither stand nor walk. The report did not specify when the female leopard was rescued and brought to Islamabad.
“A female leopard (Malka-Queen) rescued from Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Haveli district perished amid rehabilitation efforts of IWMB,” APP said. 
It added that the killer had shot the leopard close to her heart which proved fatal for her. 
An IWMB spokesperson said medical experts removed the bullets from the leopard’s body but were unable to prevent her from dying. 
“One shot hit Malka near the heart and the other near the spinal cord,” the spokesperson said. “The veterinarians had also expressed concern for the Queen’s life as the vet had already indicated minimal chances of recovery but still, we tried our best as we wanted to give her a chance.”
The IWMB had informed the Azad Kashmir Wildlife Department about the leopard’s death, prompting the latter to initiate legal action against the accused responsible for shooting the leopard, the spokesperson said. 
 “We have informed AJK wildlife department that it’s a 12-bore shotgun shot hit from quite close distance with an SG or LG Cartridge,” the spokesperson said. 
The body of the leopard was shifted to the Pakistan Museum of Natural History in consultation with the Azad Kashmir Wildlife Department to preserve the leopard’s taxidermy for research and education purposes. 
The IWMB official clarified that taxidermy of only those wild animals was allowed that were considered important for research and education purposes whereas those with risks of communicable or viral diseases were buried.
He said taxidermy was an important component required for further research and education purposes to enhance knowledge of the wild species.

Topics: Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) leopard Pakistan wildlife azad kashmir

Pakistan anti-narcotics body teams up with Higher Education Commission against drugs on campus

Pakistan anti-narcotics body teams up with Higher Education Commission against drugs on campus
Updated 20 September 2024
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Pakistan anti-narcotics body teams up with Higher Education Commission against drugs on campus

Pakistan anti-narcotics body teams up with Higher Education Commission against drugs on campus
  • According to 2022 study by ANF, about 53% of university and college students in Pakistan were exposed to drugs
  • Student and facility say easy access, stress, sense of isolation and social media adding to problem of drug use 
Updated 20 September 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) this month announced a country-wide campaign against drugs on educational institutions, the chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) as well as teachers and students in the federal capital also acknowledged the growing problem of narcotics use at the nation’s colleges and universities. 
According to an ANF study conducted in 2022, about 53 percent of students at Pakistani universities and colleges had been exposed to drugs, with around 27 percent admitting to using them.
“This campaign is in all tiers, like in drug demand reduction domain, in kinetic operations domain, in collecting information, in increasing outreach of government institutions so that that there is no drug or there is zero tolerance of any drug in any educational institution,” ANF Director Syed Sijjeel Haider told Arab News in an interview this month, explaining the agency’s plans to crackdown on drug use at institutions of higher learning.
“We are arranging awareness sessions in all universities. We are sensitizing the vice chancellors and the professors, etc. We are also sensitizing the parents, the teachers. We are also establishing focal points in all universities in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission.”
Haider said the ANF was in the process of collecting “focused and specific information” about drug use and sale of drugs in educational institutions.
“Accordingly, we will take enforcement measures as well,” he said, adding that the ANF had acted 84 times this year against drug dealers at educational institutions and filed charges against individuals arrested.
Pakistan’s interior ministry this year approved a new National Drug Survey, more than a decade after the last survey, conducted in 2012-13, revealed that around six percent of the Pakistani population, or 6.7 million people at the time, had used substances other than alcohol and tobacco in the previous year. The highest prevalence of drug use was recorded in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where nearly 11 percent of the population had used an illicit substance.
HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed acknowledged that drug use was becoming a rampant problem on campuses.
“Yes, this is an issue and we are very much serious and we are concerned,” Ahmed told Arab News in an interview earlier this month. “The government has given a policy of smoke-free campuses and we have evolved a policy document, which was approved by the Commission and we have asked all universities to implement it.”
“Similarly, we are working with different bodies, statuatory bodies, regulatory bodies that they should also provide support and curb those people [drug dealers] which are doing such type of activity, especially when they are reaching our education institutions. It is not only in higher education, it is everywhere, unfortunately. But I think everybody is alert, university administration, government, HEC and other agencies are also working on these things.”
Ahmed said the menace of drug use could not be controlled by any single institution or body.
“It is the collective responsibility of parents, society, teachers, the HEC and university administrations,” the HEC chairman said, pointing out how social media platforms had made buying drugs or being exposed to dealers much easier. “We are all responsible for ensuring that such things do not happen.”
“VERY EASY TO ACCESS”
Students and faculty at a number of universities in the Pakistani capital also cited the easy availability of drugs as one of the key factors fueling the problem.
“The main issue with drugs is that they are very easy to access. With just one phone call, you can get any illegal substance delivered to your doorstep for very little money,” Muhammad Bilal Sial, a computer science student at the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) in Islamabad, told Arab News.
“There are parties, there are pills, and many other things,” he added. 
Stress was a major factor also, many students said. 
Students are using drugs a lot, one reason is anxiety due to pressures, and financial issues,” Sial said. “Plus there are no jobs, no businesses and students are roaming around [unemployed] with degrees.”
Mahnoor Shah, a psychology student at Quaid-e-Azam University, also pointed to stress and a sense of isolation as a reason why students were turning to drugs. 
“Many students stay in the hostels, leaving their homes, so they indulge in such things due to loneliness, as it is very difficult to live alone,” she told Arab News.
Muqaddas Iqbal, another student at Quaid-e-Azam University, attributed the rise in drug use to peer pressure. 
“First of all, there is a lot of peer influence. If a friend is taking drugs and it is something normal for him, then you start thinking this must be something normal for me as well,” she said. “They start taking things out of a sense of adventure or thrill but ultimately, they become addicted.”
Dr. Wajid Zulqarnain, Head of the Media Sciences Department at SZABIST, said most students who took drugs lacked a strong bond with parents, making them more vulnerable to substance abuse.
“Majority of the cases is that they feel alien, they don’t have a good relationship with their parents,” he said, urging parents to pay more attention to their children’s activities and social media use. 
“Even though they [children] know this [drugs] is not good for their health, they take them because they don’t feel that they have any other alternative.”
Zulqarnain also blamed the proliferation of social media for the rise in drug use on campuses. 
“Particularly the students and the young students especially, after the invention of social media, that they have now easily accessed those groups and members who supply these types of drugs, particularly ice and atoms [methamphetamine],” he said. 
“Before that, it was thought that there were some sort of lower [university] staff involved in such activities, but not now.”

Topics: Anti-Narcotics Force methamphetamine Pakistan drugs survey Drugs crackdown

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