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Pakistan’s petroleum minister seeks Chinese investment at Silk Route Expo in Xi’an

Pakistan’s petroleum minister seeks Chinese investment at Silk Route Expo in Xi’an
Pakistan’s Petroleum Dr. Musadik Malik speaks during China-Pakistan Conference for Economic and Trade Cooperation in Xi’an, Shaanxi on September 20, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Gawadar Pro)
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Updated 21 September 2024
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Pakistan’s petroleum minister seeks Chinese investment at Silk Route Expo in Xi’an

Pakistan’s petroleum minister seeks Chinese investment at Silk Route Expo in Xi’an
  • Dr. Musadik Malik promises to facilitate Chinese businesses interested in getting into joint ventures
  • Potential areas of cooperation include oil and gas exploration, refinery upgradation and coal conversion
Updated 21 September 2024
Aamir Saeed
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ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Musadik Malik held roundtable meetings with Chinese companies at the Pakistan Pavilion, set up at the 8th Silk Route Expo in Xi’an, China, on Saturday, offering them opportunities to invest in his country by getting into joint ventures.
In recent years, Pakistan has significantly benefited from China’s involvement in the energy sector, primarily through projects carried out under the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Key areas of cooperation include the development of coal-fired power plants, hydropower projects and renewable energy sources. These projects have greatly enhanced Pakistan’s power generation capacity, with a report in China Daily last year mentioning the addition of over 8,000 megawatts to the national grid.
Malik conducted the roundtables at a time when leading Pakistani petroleum sector players, such as Oil and Gas Development Company, Pakistan Petroleum Limited and Mari Petroleum Company, are also participating in the expo.
“Opening the discussion forum, Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Musadik Malik laid down the vision of Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif,” said an official statement from the Ministry of Energy. “He committed ... to provide full facilitation [to Chinese firms] in partnering with Pakistani companies in joint ventures whether individually or with consortium.”
The statement added the key areas in which the Chinese businesses have been invited to partner in are oil and gas exploration, refinery upgradation, coal conversion and regasification.
The minister noted that Pakistan has one of the largest reserves of coal, adding the government wanted to create value from its resources while protecting the environment.
“We will become technology partners, joint venture partners,” he was quoted as saying.
Pakistan has already invited Chinese investment in a number of sectors.
Only a day earlier, a Chinese business group announced to set up textile parks in the country to boost Pakistan’s exports by about $5 billion.

Topics: Pakistan china Dr. Musadik Malik

‘Seerat Festival’ paying tribute to Prophet Muhammad to conclude in Pakistan capital today 

‘Seerat Festival’ paying tribute to Prophet Muhammad to conclude in Pakistan capital today 
Updated 8 min 9 sec ago
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‘Seerat Festival’ paying tribute to Prophet Muhammad to conclude in Pakistan capital today 

‘Seerat Festival’ paying tribute to Prophet Muhammad to conclude in Pakistan capital today 
  • Three-day festival began on Friday in Pakistan’s capital featuring participation from local, international scholars
  • Festival is part of government’s initiatives to highlight Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) life and teachings for others to follow
Updated 8 min 9 sec ago
Falak Mahmood Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s first-ever “Seerat Festival” to pay tribute to the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), featuring participation from local and international scholars, is set to conclude today, Sunday, in Islamabad. 

The three-day festival commenced on Friday at a local university in Islamabad with an international conference titled: “Searching for World Peace: In the Light of the Prophet’s Teachings.” The event has been organized by the National Rehmat-ul-Alameen and Khatam-un-Nabiyyin Authority (NRKNA), a religious government authority, at a local university in the federal capital.

The Seerat Festival, held during Rabi’ Al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born, is part of the government’s initiatives to highlight his life and teachings as crucial for the development of modern Muslim communities.

“We will start a new movement of knowledge,” Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said on Friday while addressing the conference. “Muslims will once again become world leaders of knowledge. We will take action in accordance with the character of the Prophet (PBUH).”

Islamic scholars present at the gathering, where handwritten manuscripts of the Qur’an had also been displayed, emphasized the significance of following in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

According to a press release issued by the NRKNA, a Youth Convention will be held at the university in connection with the festival today while documentaries focusing on the valuable lessons from the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) will be screened. 

Topics: Seerat Festival

Pakistan and China to conduct joint police and paramilitary drills in border region

Pakistan and China to conduct joint police and paramilitary drills in border region
Updated 20 min 56 sec ago
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Pakistan and China to conduct joint police and paramilitary drills in border region

Pakistan and China to conduct joint police and paramilitary drills in border region
  • A visiting Chinese minister agrees to train Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan police at an academy in Xinjiang
  • Both neighbors decide to increase counterterrorism, anti-smuggling and anti-narcotics cooperation
Updated 20 min 56 sec ago
Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have agreed to conduct joint police and paramilitary exercises in the border region, an official statement said on Saturday, while also pledging to boost bilateral cooperation in various security fields.

Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan and China’s Xinjiang share a 600-kilometer-long border that holds strategic significance for both countries, especially in the context of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.

These areas serve as critical trade routes, fostering deeper economic ties between the two nations. However, China remains concerned about the security situation in Xinjiang, where it has been dealing with militancy, and the flow of narcotics in the region.

These issues came up for discussion during a meeting between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Chinese Minister for Political and Legal Affairs Chen Mingguo in Islamabad.

“During the meeting, it was agreed to enhance cooperation in various fields, including counter-terrorism, cross-border cooperation, anti-smuggling, and anti-narcotics efforts,” said a statement circulated by the interior ministry said.

“It was also agreed to conduct joint police and paramilitary forces exercises in Gilgit-Baltistan or Xinjiang and train Gilgit-Baltistan police officers at the Xinjiang Police Academy,” it added.

Naqvi emphasized Pakistan wanted to completely eliminate smuggling of drugs, arms and all other goods to China.

The Chinese minister also expressed the desire to enhance relations with Pakistan in all fields, according to the interior ministry’s statement.

He also invited Naqvi to visit Xinjiang.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties Police training

Rights activists demand judicial probe into police killing of blasphemy accused in Pakistan

Rights activists demand judicial probe into police killing of blasphemy accused in Pakistan
Updated 21 September 2024
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Rights activists demand judicial probe into police killing of blasphemy accused in Pakistan

Rights activists demand judicial probe into police killing of blasphemy accused in Pakistan
  • The man was killed in an alleged police shootout in the Umerkot district located in southern Sindh province
  • Amnesty International has also asked Pakistan for an impartial probe, fair trial of those responsible for killing
Updated 21 September 2024
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistani rights activists and civil society members demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting high court judge following the killing of a man accused of blasphemy by police officials in the southern Sindh province while holding a news conference at the Karachi Press Club on Saturday.
The incident happened in Pakistan’s Umerkot district where a man named Dr. Shahnawaz Kanbhar was shot dead by the police in an alleged shootout on September 19 after being accused of spreading blasphemous content on social media against the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
This was the second such development since the beginning this month after a police officer killed a blasphemy suspect in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province while he was in custody.
The home minister in Sindh’s provincial administration, Zia-ul-Hasan Linjar, constituted a police inquiry committee to investigate the incident.
“We believe the accused was arrested and killed in a staged encounter [shootout],” Khizar Qazi, the head of the country’s independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in Sindh, told Arab News after the news conference.
“We demand a judicial inquiry by a sitting high court judge and that the police officers involved be charged under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code [dealing with murder],” he added. “Justice must be served for the bereaved family.”
The government has already suspended eight low-ranking police personnel and two of their superior officials while the inquiry is being conducted.
Only a day ago, Amnesty International issued a statement against these “extrajudicial killings,” urging the Pakistani authorities to complete “a thorough, impartial and independent investigation into the incidents and ensure those responsible are prosecuted in fair and transparent trials.”
It also highlighted that four people accused of blasphemy have so far been killed in the country since May 2024.
Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in Pakistan, where mobs have lynched people deemed to have insulted Islam.
Amnesty International also asked Pakistani authorities to repeal the law, saying it had “long helped perpetuate discrimination and violence.”

Topics: Pakistan blasphemy Karachi Police

Lahore rally to push for release of Imran Khan ends as government calls it ‘flop show’

Lahore rally to push for release of Imran Khan ends as government calls it ‘flop show’
Updated 21 September 2024
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Lahore rally to push for release of Imran Khan ends as government calls it ‘flop show’

Lahore rally to push for release of Imran Khan ends as government calls it ‘flop show’
  • The electricity supply to the venue was cut as KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur was on his way to address the gathering
  • The PTI leadership had agreed to organize the rally between the designated time of 3-6pm at Lahore’s outskirts
Updated 21 September 2024
Haseeb Asif

LAHORE: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally in Lahore abruptly ended after authorities cut the electricity supply shortly after the 6pm deadline, with the government calling the gathering a “flop show.”
After days of uncertainty, the Lahore administration on Friday evening allowed the PTI to hold the rally from 3-6pm in the Kahna area of the city, subject to compliance with 43 conditions, including that supporters would not cause unrest or chant anti-state slogans.
Thousands of people arrived in the city from different parts of Pakistan to attend the rally and demand the release of the ex-premier who has been in prison on multiple charges for over a year as the administration of Punjab, of which Lahore is the capital, asked organizers to strictly end the gathering by 6pm as agreed.
“With so much preparation, after taking so much time and making full effort, they [the PTI] were able to gather only a few people from across Pakistan,” Federal Minister of Information Attaullah Tarrar said in a televised statement. “If you take the aerial view of the venue of the rally, you will realize that it was a flop show.”


Speaking to Arab News, a district administration official said on condition of anonymity that the rally was agreed to be scheduled from 3pm to 6pm and the authorities gave Khan’s party another hour to wind up the gathering before cutting the power supply.
The authorities took the action as Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur, who is also Khan’s close aide, arrived in the city and was on his way to the venue.
The KP administration’s spokesperson, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, said the Punjab government had blocked all the roads leading to the rally.
“The fear of the Punjab government is proof of the rally’s success,” he said, dismissing the “excuse” that the rally’s time was over.
“The closure of roads around the rally’s venue is a glaring proof of the Punjab government’s failure,” he added.

Supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former country’s prime minister Imran Khan, take part in a public rally on the outskirts of Lahore on September 21, 2024. (AFP)

However, Azma Bokhari, the Punjab provincial information minister, denied any road blockades during a news conference shortly before the 6pm deadline expired.
Bokhari maintained the PTI leadership had failed to mobilize people, saying there was only a small number of them at the venue.
“A total of 3,000 people from Punjab have joined the rally,” she said. “I can say it categorically that the PTI has been eliminated from Punjab.”
Earlier, television footage showed caravans of Khan supporters arriving in Lahore from various cities in KP, where the PTI has been in power, and elsewhere in Punjab to attend the rally, with long queues of vehicles forming on sections of the Islamabad-Lahore motorway reportedly due to road closures.
Most of Lahore remained open for traffic but access to a main thoroughfare, the Ring Road, leading to the venue, was blocked at a few locations as preparations were ongoing for the rally.


“Our demands are simple, only that the rule of law applies to Imran Khan’s cases,” Salman Akram Raja, PTI secretary-general, told Arab News at the venue of the rally. “Most [of the cases] have been discarded, so will the rest, as will the arrest.”
“There’s no basis for detaining the most popular political leader in the country,” he continued, adding: “History is on our side.”
Prior to that, the Punjab provincial administration had warned PTI leaders and workers not to indulge in any lawlessness.
“Nobody will be allowed to [violate the law],” Minister Bokhari said at a presser Saturday afternoon. “Organizers are responsible of ending the rally by 6pm.”

Supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former country’s prime minister Imran Khan, take part in a public rally on the outskirts of Lahore on September 21, 2024. (AFP)

She criticized the Khan-backed KP government for allegedly utilizing public resources for the rally and said the gathering could not help get him out of prison. She signaled to the possible arrest of suspects wanted in cases related to violence during PTI protests in May last year.
“The Punjab administration, under the supervision of the chief minister, is fully monitoring everything in the city and the province from the beginning of this rally till it disperses,” the minister said.
Only a day earlier, the PTI complained of a crackdown on supporters ahead of the rally, saying authorities had arrested dozens of PTI members and supporters. Punjab Police Director of Public Relations Syed Mubashar Hussain declined to comment on the arrests.

Topics: Lahore Rally Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party Imran Khan

Police constable in Pakistan’s capital adopts newborn baby girl abandoned in garbage bin

Police constable in Pakistan’s capital adopts newborn baby girl abandoned in garbage bin
Updated 21 September 2024
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Police constable in Pakistan’s capital adopts newborn baby girl abandoned in garbage bin

Police constable in Pakistan’s capital adopts newborn baby girl abandoned in garbage bin
  • Police say the infant is in good health and the constable has initiated the legal requirements for adoption
  • Over 4.2 million abandoned and orphaned Pakistani children are without shelter, as per SOS orphanage
Updated 21 September 2024
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: A constable of Islamabad Police has adopted a newborn baby girl who was found abandoned inside a red paper bag in a garbage bin on the outskirts of the federal capital, an official said on Saturday.
Dozens of newborn baby girls are abandoned annually at hospitals or dumped in garbage heaps across Pakistan due to poverty, the desire for a son or births out of wedlock.
Over 4.2 million abandoned and orphaned children are estimated to be without shelter in Pakistan, according to the SOS orphanage. Abandoned children left without care become victims of homelessness, exploitation and physical or sexual abuse.
Police officials in Islamabad were alerted on Friday by locals in the Chatha Bakhtawar area of the city to an infant found abandoned in a garbage dump inside a bag.
“One of our constables, Muhammad Asif, has adopted the girl, and she is in good health now,” Taqi Jawad, Islamabad police spokesperson, told Arab News.
He said a police team reached the spot immediately to rescue the baby following a call from local residents.
“The baby was immediately moved to a public hospital for a medical checkup where she was declared sound and healthy,” he said.
“One of the team members who rescued the infant is issueless,” he added. “So, he has adopted the girl.”
Jawad said the legal process for the adoption of the child was underway, and the documentation was getting completed.
The police spokesperson said the constable had applied for the guardianship of the child with the deputy commissioner’s office to fulfill the legal requirements for adoption.

Topics: islamabad police

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