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Pakistan reiterates commitment to provide foolproof security to Chinese nationals

Pakistan reiterates commitment to provide foolproof security to Chinese nationals
Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb meets China’s Vice Minister of Finance Liao Min in Washington on October 26, 2024. (Photo courtesy: X/@Financegovpk)
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Updated 27 October 2024
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Pakistan reiterates commitment to provide foolproof security to Chinese nationals

Pakistan reiterates commitment to provide foolproof security to Chinese nationals
  • Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb meets China’s Vice Minister for Finance Liao Min in Washington
  • Separatist and religiously motivated militants in Pakistan have increasingly targeted Chinese interests in country
Updated 27 October 2024
Aamir Saeed
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb this week reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to provide foolproof security to Chinese nationals, the Finance Division said, amid a surge in attacks on Chinese citizens in the South Asian country. 
Pakistani separatist and religiously motivated militants have mounted attacks on Chinese projects in the country in recent years. A suicide blast claimed by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) killed two Chinese nationals in Karachi this month, while five Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in March in northwest Pakistan.
The attacks have forced Beijing, a major ally and investor in Pakistan, to call on Islamabad to ensure security for its citizens. Pakistan has sought to ease Chinese fears, vowing to provide fool-proof security to Chinese nationals working in the country.
On Saturday, Aurangzeb met China’s Vice Minister of Finance, Liao Min, during the 2024 annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in Washington where both sides spoke on a range of issues, including economic cooperation and security for Chinese nationals. 
“Committed to providing foolproof security to Chinese workers,” the Finance Division said about Aurangzeb’s commitments to the Chinese official. “Shared that the majority of Chinese companies are interested in expanding their investments and increasing employment opportunities in Pakistan.”
The two officials also touched upon economic cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing, with the statement saying Pakistan aims to launch an inaugural Panda bond in the Chinese market to “diversify” its financing base.
A Panda bond issuance would be Pakistan’s first foray into China’s capital markets. 
Aurangzeb thanked the Chinese official for Beijing’s help in enabling Pakistan to secure a $7 billion bailout program this year, the Finance Division said. 
“Both sides emphasized the need for online payment settlements and integration of the two countries’ payment systems,” the statement added. 
Chinese economic assistance has been crucial for Pakistan in recent years, with Beijing pledging over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. 
CPEC is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative, a massive China-led infrastructure project that aims to stretch around the globe.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Muhammad Aurangzeb

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Officials urge parents to get children inoculated as Pakistan gears up for nationwide anti-polio drive

Officials urge parents to get children inoculated as Pakistan gears up for nationwide anti-polio drive
Updated 53 sec ago
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Officials urge parents to get children inoculated as Pakistan gears up for nationwide anti-polio drive

Officials urge parents to get children inoculated as Pakistan gears up for nationwide anti-polio drive
  • Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains an endemic
  • Since late 2018, Pakistan has seen a resurgence of cases and increased spread of virus
Updated 53 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

ISLAMABAD: Officials on Sunday urged parents to have their children administered anti-polio vaccine as Pakistan gears up for a nationwide inoculation drive from Oct 28.
The development comes amid a deepening polio crisis in the South Asian country, which has reported 41 polio cases so far this year.
The anti-polio vaccination drive aims to inoculate more than 45 million children across the country from Oct. 28 till Nov. 3, according to Pakistan polio program.
“Parents are requested to fully cooperate with polio workers,” Ayesha Raza Farooq, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s focal person for polio eradication, said in a statement.
“Parents must ensure vaccination of their children aged below five years.”
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains an endemic.
Since late 2018, Pakistan has seen a resurgence of cases and increased spread of poliovirus, highlighting the fragility of gains achieved in the preceding three years.

Topics: anti-polio program

Left-field thought and patio heaters: How Pakistan turned series on head

Left-field thought and patio heaters: How Pakistan turned series on head
Updated 49 min 19 sec ago
AFP
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Left-field thought and patio heaters: How Pakistan turned series on head

Left-field thought and patio heaters: How Pakistan turned series on head
  • A revamped selection committee dropped out-of-form batsman Babar Azam, pace spearheads Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah
  • Azam’s replacement Kamran Ghulam, prolific in the domestic game but hitherto ignored, rewarded selectors with a century on debut
Updated 49 min 19 sec ago
AFP

RAWALPINDI: When Pakistan slumped to a sixth Test defeat in a row, by an innings as England piled up 823-7 in Multan just over two weeks ago, it sparked some soul-searching and a radical rethink.
A revamped Pakistan selection committee dropped out-of-form batsman Babar Azam, pace spearheads Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah and instead turned to spin with instructions to groundstaff to produce pitches to match.
The featherbed batsmen’s paradise of the first Test at Multan was recycled, with the help of a dowsing by water and industrial fans, into a turning pitch for the second.
Azam’s replacement Kamran Ghulam, prolific in the domestic game but hitherto ignored, rewarded the new selectors with a century on debut.
But it was the recalled Noman Ali and Sajid Khan who ripped England apart with spin, guile and a flourish as they took all 20 wickets on their way to a 152-run victory.
More of the same was ordered for the series-deciding third Test in Rawalpindi and Pakistan completed a remarkable turnaround by nine wickets on Saturday.
The 2-1 triumph over England was their first home series win since February 2021.
“We were losing matches after matches, series after series because there was no plan,” former Pakistan wicketkeeper batsman Kamran Akmal told AFP.
“It’s thanks to the PCB for thinking out of the box and selectors for picking the discarded spinners that this win was forced,” said Akmal.
Pakistan took a punt using the same pitch for two Tests in a row in Multan.
But they pulled out all the stops in Rawalpindi, which had a reputation in the past of favoring seam bowlers, employing patio heaters and rakes to set up a spinning track.
Noman and Sajid this time shared 19 wickets as England crumbled to 112 all out and Pakistan cruised to victory by nine wickets.
Former England captain Michael Atherton gave credit to Pakistan for finally finding a way to win after a dire spell in all formats of the game.
“Pakistan now have a template to win at home,” said Atherton, who was a TV commentator for the series.
“You have got to be strong at home. Then you search for ways to adapt your game to win abroad.”
His TV colleague, another former England captain Nasser Hussain, said Pakistan “switched a plan mid-series and it’s paid dividends.”
Pakistan has had five PCB chairmen in as many years, with 26 different selectors and six head coaches over that same period.
Hussain said as a result, their previous tactics “would last a week” before being chopped and changed, ruling out an overarching strategy like the one that yielded two Test victories in a row.
“We met some fans who told us that they are happy that Pakistan at least have a plan now, even if it is an unorthodox one,” said Hussain.
“The win with a new plan has given them new joy.”
The series victory is the first Shan Masood since he was appointed captain last year and has given him respite from calls for his resignation.
But Pakistan will next play a two-match Test series in South Africa in December, where they have never won.
“We will need to plan and work hard for further progress and just not sit on this one win,” warned Akmal.
“A win will motivate everyone,” he said. “I am sure this will lift our cricket and we will regain our glory of the past.”

Topics: Pakistan v England Pakistan-England Test series

Iran says 10 guards killed during clash with militants in province bordering Pakistan

Iran says 10 guards killed during clash with militants in province bordering Pakistan
Updated 27 October 2024
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Iran says 10 guards killed during clash with militants in province bordering Pakistan

Iran says 10 guards killed during clash with militants in province bordering Pakistan
  • Armed gangs clashed with border police patrol in Taftan located in Sistan-Baluchestan province, says Iranian state media
  • Pakistan and Iran are often at odds over instability on shared porous border, blaming each other for not rooting out militants
Updated 27 October 2024
SAADULLAH AKHTER

ISLAMABAD: Ten Iranian border guards were killed in Taftan city, located in the country’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province bordering Pakistan, during clashes with militants, Iran’s state media reported on Saturday.
One of Iran’s poorest regions, Sistan-Baluchistan on the border with Pakistan has long been plagued by unrest involving drug-smuggling gangs, rebels from the Baloch minority and religiously motivated militants.
“Sistan and Baluchestan police information base announced in a statement that a few hours ago, armed gangs clashed with the border police patrol in Goharkoh, Taftan city, in Sistan and Baluchestan province, and killed 10 border guards,” state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said in a post on its website.
The state media said Iran’s minister of interior appointed a team to investigate the “dimensions of this incident.”
Pakistan and Iran have had a history of rocky relations despite a number of commercial pacts, with Islamabad being historically closer to Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Pakistan and Iran are also often at odds over instability on their shared porous border, with both countries routinely trading blame for not rooting out militancy.
Pakistan-based militant group Jaish Al-Adl (Army of Justice) has claimed responsibility for several attacks on Iranian forces in Sistan and Baluchestan. 
Tensions surged in January when Pakistan and Iran exchanged airstrikes, both claiming to target alleged militant hideouts in each other’s countries. Both sides have since then undertaken peace overtures and restored bilateral ties.

Topics: Pakistan Iran border

Azam, Afridi back in Pakistan squad for Australia tour

Azam, Afridi back in Pakistan squad for Australia tour
Updated 27 October 2024
AFP
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Azam, Afridi back in Pakistan squad for Australia tour

Azam, Afridi back in Pakistan squad for Australia tour
  • Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi will be rested for limited-overs matches against Zimbabwe next month
  • Pakistan will play three ODI matches against Australia on Nov. 4, 8 and 10 at Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth
Updated 27 October 2024
AFP

LAHORE: Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi were named on Sunday in Pakistan’s squads for the November limited-overs series in Australia after being dropped from the last two Tests against England.
However, selectors said the duo will be rested for the limited-overs matches in the Zimbabwe tour later next month.
A new captain for Pakistan’s white-ball format will also be announced later on Sunday to replace Azam, who stepped back this month after a second turn in the post.
Pakistan open the Australia tour with three one-day internationals in Melbourne (November 4), Adelaide (November 8) and Perth (November 10).
That will be followed by three Twenty20 internationals in Brisbane (November 14), Sydney (November 16) and Hobart (November 18).
Allrounders Aamer Jamal and Arafat Minhas, spinner Faisal Akram, wicketkeeper batsman Haseebullah and batsmen Irfan Khan and Saim Ayub have been selected for the first time in ODIs.
Likewise, allrounders Jahandad Khan and Salman Agha have been selected for the first time in T20Is.
Azam, appointed white-ball captain for the first time in 2019, stepped down after Pakistan’s disastrous first-round exit from the ODI World Cup in India last year.
However, he was re-appointed for a second time in March ahead of the T20I World Cup in the United States and West Indies — where Pakistan exited in the first round again, adding pressure on him to resign.
Squads for Australia:
ODI SQUAD: Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi
T20I SQUAD: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan
Squads for Zimbabwe:
ODI: Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir
T20I: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan

Topics: Pakistan vs Australia Pakistan vs Zimbabwe Pakistan cricket Babar Azam Shaheen Shah Afridi

Pakistan’s Sirbaz Khan eyes summiting world’s 14 tallest peaks without oxygen support

Pakistan’s Sirbaz Khan eyes summiting world’s 14 tallest peaks without oxygen support
Updated 27 October 2024
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Pakistan’s Sirbaz Khan eyes summiting world’s 14 tallest peaks without oxygen support

Pakistan’s Sirbaz Khan eyes summiting world’s 14 tallest peaks without oxygen support
  • Khan became first Pakistani climber to summit 14 tallest peaks above 8,000 meters this month, 12 without supplemental oxygen
  • To become first Pakistani to climb all 14 peaks without oxygen support, Khan will have to summit Annapurna and Kanchenjunga mountains
Updated 27 October 2024
Nisar Ali

KHAPLU, Gilgit-Baltistan: Pakistani climber Sirbaz Khan, who made history by becoming the first person from his country to summit 14 of the world’s tallest mountains, is setting his sights on another record already: becoming the first Pakistani to summit them without supplemental oxygen.
Khan made history earlier this month when he became the first Pakistani to summit all 14 of the world’s highest peaks, with his successful ascent of the 8,027-meter Mount Shishapangma.
The 14 peaks, often referred to as the “eight-thousanders,” are over 8,000 meters high and are considered the ultimate test in high-altitude mountaineering. Khan, who was born and raised in Hunza, embarked on this journey in 2017 with the ascent of Nanga Parbat, one of the deadliest mountains in the world.
Another remarkable achievement to Khan’s name is that he has climbed 12 of these eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen. While that’s impressive, he wants to do better.
“Out of 14 peaks, I have scaled 12 peaks without using supplemental oxygen,” Khan told Arab News in an exclusive interview over the phone.
“So my next immediate plan is to summit the remaining two peaks without oxygen. And god willing, I will also be the first Pakistani to summit all 14 peaks without using oxygen.”
To achieve that, Khan said he will have to climb mountains Annapurna and Kanchenjunga, both in Nepal, without supplemental oxygen.
The mountaineer’s impressive conquests include the treacherous K2, which he has summited thrice, mountain Annapurna and the towering Mount Everest, which he has climbed twice without supplemental oxygen.
According to Khan, scaling such huge mountains is no easy feat.
“In mountaineering, we should be physically and mentally fit,” he explained. “Sometimes you have to make important decisions at very high altitudes, even in the death zone.”
The Pakistani climber found Nanga Parbat, standing at 8,126 meters and nicknamed the “Killer Mountain,” the most formidable challenge out of all the 14 peaks he climbed.
“Out of fourteen peaks, Nanga Parbat was more challenging for me because of its steepness and sudden change of weather, which were very difficult,” Khan said, adding that it was the first eight-thousander he summited.
The Pakistani climber said mountaineers face various challenges during their ascent, such as wind speeds, sudden snowfall, avalanches and crevasses. He urged people who wanted to pursue professional climbing to seek beginner and advanced training before “storming into this field.”
 Khan said another challenge is when mountaineers are unable to contact their friends and family members for several days during arduous expeditions. His family and friends requested him to give up mountaineering when he initially started.
“However, after summiting a few peaks, their trust was built in me and they always supported me to fulfill my dream, thank god,” he said.
Khan said he was driven to scale all 14 eight-thousanders in Pakistan as no one had done it before from his country, while plenty of Nepalese climbers had achieved the feat. 
He said it was an additional challenge for Pakistani climbers as they did not have access to mountaineering schools in the country. And while there is no dearth of talent in the country, Khan said Pakistan lacked a certified guide. 
“Now we want to make institutions and introduce new programs so that we could also become internationally certified guides,” he said, adding that international guides can work in different countries in all seasons. 
“Because in Pakistan we have only summer season for this field,” he explained. 
Khan hoped his achievement of summiting all 14 of the world’s top peaks would motivate others to pursue mountaineering. 
“This will pave the way for the new generation and attract more people in this field,” he said.

Topics: Pakistani mountaineer Sirbaz Khan

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