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Pakistan PM visits China embassy after guard shoots Chinese nationals at Karachi factory

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Updated 06 November 2024
Shahjahan Khurram 
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Pakistan PM visits China embassy after guard shoots Chinese nationals at Karachi factory

Pakistan PM visits China embassy after guard shoots Chinese nationals at Karachi factory
  • Pakistani security guard shot two Chinese nationals at Karachi textile mill on Tuesday 
  • Shehbaz Sharif vows culprit will be punished, says security of Chinese nationals top priority
Updated 06 November 2024
Shahjahan Khurram 
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the Chinese embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday to condemn an attack on Chinese nationals in Karachi a day earlier, vowing to bring the perpetrator of the crime to book.
Pakistan police have filed terrorism charges against a security guard for firing at four Chinese nationals on Tuesday morning at a textile mill in Karachi. The Chinese nationals were at the mill to install new machinery when the guard opened fire at them “for unknown reasons” before fleeing, police said.
Two Chinese nationals were injured in the attack. Sharif visited the Chinese embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday where he met the country’s envoy Jiang Zaidong to condemn the incident.
“I have come here to meet you to condemn this attack on Chinese nationals and to inquire after the injured,” Sharif told Zaidong according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).




Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong at the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad on November 6, 2024. (Photo courtesy: PMO)

The prime minister assured the Chinese ambassador that the culprit would be arrested soon and handed an exemplary punishment.
“I am personally monitoring the process of arresting the people involved in the incident and bringing them to justice,” Sharif said.
The Pakistani premier said he had issued instructions for the injured Chinese nationals to be provided the best possible medical care, describing China as a longstanding friend of Pakistan.
“The attack on Chinese citizens is a blatant attempt to damage the brotherly relations between Pakistan and China,” Sharif said.
He said that the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan is the government’s top priority. The Chinese ambassador thanked Sharif for his visit and hoped the premier would play his role in ensuring the culprit is punished, the PMO said.
Sharif was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his aide Tariq Fatemi.
ATTACKS ON CHINESE NATIONALS
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in attacks on Chinese nationals in recent months by separatist outfits based in its southwestern Balochistan province. 
China, breaking with tradition, recently spoke out publicly against security threats to its workers and nationals in Pakistan, where hundreds work on Beijing-funded projects linked to the over $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Last month, two Chinese nationals were killed in a suicide bombing near the international airport in Karachi. In March this year, a suicide bombing killed five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver in northwestern Pakistan as they headed to the Dasu Dam, the largest hydropower project in the country.
In 2022, three Chinese educators and their Pakistani driver were killed when an explosion tore through a van at the University of Karachi. A bus blast in northern Pakistan in 2021 killed 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals.
Pakistan announced in a joint statement with China last month it had agreed to increase security for Chinese citizens and projects in the South Asian nation, as Beijing called for urgent security measures following a surge in militant threats.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties Chinese nationals Chinese nationals in Pakistan China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

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Pakistan minister urges timely sale of stored wheat to avoid financial losses, benefit farmers

Pakistan minister urges timely sale of stored wheat to avoid financial losses, benefit farmers
Updated 6 sec ago
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Pakistan minister urges timely sale of stored wheat to avoid financial losses, benefit farmers

Pakistan minister urges timely sale of stored wheat to avoid financial losses, benefit farmers
  • In Pakistan, the wheat crop is planted in mid-December and the majority of the crop is harvested between April and early June
  • Pakistani farmers last year held several protests over lower wheat prices due to the import of excess wheat that flooded markets
Updated 6 sec ago
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain on Sunday asked authorities to ensure timely sale of stored wheat to avoid financial losses to the country and to benefit farmers and consumers, ahead of the arrival of new crop.
Hussain issued the directives while presiding over a meeting to review wheat reserves, management strategies, and the selling process to avoid any future crises.
In Pakistan, wheat crop is planted in mid-December and the harvest usually begins in March, with the majority of the crop harvested between April and early June.
Last year, farmers in Pakistan held several protests over lower wheat prices due to the import of excess amounts of the commodity that flooded local markets.
“There would be zero tolerance for any delays in the wheat sale process as prolonged storage could impact the quality of wheat and lead to financial losses for the national treasury,” Hussain was quoted as saying by the government’s Press Information Department (PID).
Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and constitutes its largest sector. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), agriculture contributes about 24 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and accounts for half of the employed labor force in the country.
However, the prices of wheat last year dropped significantly in Pakistan and were much below the government’s support price of Rs3,900 ($14) per 40-kilogram bag.
During Sunday’s meeting, Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation (PASSCO) officials informed the minister they had strengthened coordination with different agencies and provincial authorities to accelerate the sale of wheat.
“Various measures have been implemented to ensure transparency in the wheat sale process, benefiting both farmers and consumers,” they were quoted as saying.
Hussain instructed PASSCO officials to devise effective policies to address administrative and financial challenges, ensuring smooth operations in the future, according to the PID. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to agricultural development, food security, and farmers’ welfare.

Topics: Pakistan wheat

Pakistan’s Punjab puts security on ‘high alert’ amid surge in militant attacks in northwest

Pakistan’s Punjab puts security on ‘high alert’ amid surge in militant attacks in northwest
Updated 09 March 2025
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Pakistan’s Punjab puts security on ‘high alert’ amid surge in militant attacks in northwest

Pakistan’s Punjab puts security on ‘high alert’ amid surge in militant attacks in northwest
  • Pakistan is the world’s second-most affected country by militancy, according to Global Terrorism Index 2025
  • Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of sheltering militant groups attacking its western regions, Kabul denies this
Updated 09 March 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province has put security on “high alert” and ordered intelligence-based search-and-sweep operations across the region, a police spokesperson said on Sunday, amid surge in militant attacks in the neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in the country’s northwest.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence in its KP and Balochistan provinces that border Afghanistan, including a twin suicide bombing that killed 18 people in KP’s Bannu district on March 4.
The attacks have prompted provincial authorities in Punjab to carry out intelligence-based operations and mock exercises to thwart any untoward incident in the eastern Pakistani province.
“During the last 24 hours, 436 search and sweep operations were conducted, along with eight mock exercises across Punjab,” Punjab police spokesperson Mubasher Hussain told Arab News, adding that 38 proclaimed offenders and 123 other suspects were arrested during these operations.
According to the 2025 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), Pakistan is now the world’s second-most affected country by militant violence, with deaths rising 45 percent to 1,081 in 2024.
The 12th annual GTI report, published by Australian-based think tank Institute for Economics and Peace, ranked 163 countries in 2024, covering 99.7 percent of the world’s population and analyzing the impact of militant activities worldwide. Pakistan is second only to West African country Burkina Faso on the list.
Officials in Islamabad accuse Afghanistan of harboring anti-Pakistan groups that launch cross-border attacks in Pakistan’s western regions. Kabul denies the allegation and insists Pakistan’s security is an internal matter of Islamabad.
The Punjab police spokesperson said the search-and-sweep operations are part of measures to combat militants and criminal elements.
“Authorities have recovered 2 Kalashnikovs, 12 rifles, 20 handguns, and hundreds of bullets from the arrested suspects,” he added.

Topics: militancy in Pakistan

Huawei trains over 20,000 Pakistani youth in AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing

Huawei trains over 20,000 Pakistani youth in AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing
Updated 09 March 2025
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Huawei trains over 20,000 Pakistani youth in AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing

Huawei trains over 20,000 Pakistani youth in AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing
  • Pakistan and Huawei last year signed an agreement to train 300,000 Pakistani youth in advanced information and communication technologies
  • Islamabad views ICT as a driver of economic change and seeks to transform the sector into a cornerstone of its strategy for financial stability
Updated 09 March 2025
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Huawei, a leading Chinese multinational corporation and technology company, has trained more than 20,000 Pakistani youngsters in advanced information and communication technology (ICT) skills, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said on Sunday, amid Islamabad’s efforts to develop a more technologically skilled workforce.
These youngsters have been trained under an agreement signed between Pakistan and Huawei last year to train 300,000 Pakistani youth in ICT skills to match international standards.
The Chinese tech firm is providing training to Pakistani youth in artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, cloud computing and other advanced technologies under the initiative.
“Huawei Technologies has trained 20,315 students so far. The program is upskilling students, trainers and those working in ICT technologies,” Sharif’s office said, following his meeting with a Huawei delegation in Lahore on Sunday.
“The master trainers trained by Huawei Technologies will provide training to youth at the local level.”
Pakistan views ICT as a driver of economic change and seeks to transform the sector into a cornerstone of its strategy for financial stability, courting foreign investment from countries like China and the Gulf states.
In Jan., the Pakistani IT ministry and Huawei launched a training portal to develop a more technologically skilled workforce in Pakistan, aimed at enabling the Pakistani youth to contribute to the country’s development.
During Sunday’s meeting, Sharif asked officials to ensure speedy implementation of IT training projects.
“The prime minister directed to make the ICT training portal accessible to maximum number of people, and expand the project to all provinces, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan,” Sharif’s office said.

Topics: Huawei Technologies pakistani youth Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Pakistan plans to adopt cryptocurrency as ‘strategic asset,’ adviser says

Pakistan plans to adopt cryptocurrency as ‘strategic asset,’ adviser says
Updated 09 March 2025
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Pakistan plans to adopt cryptocurrency as ‘strategic asset,’ adviser says

Pakistan plans to adopt cryptocurrency as ‘strategic asset,’ adviser says
  • Pakistan has over 20 million active users in the digital asset market who face significant challenges, including high transaction fees
  • Last month, Islamabad announced its plans to set up a national crypto council to establish a digital financial ecosystem in the country
Updated 09 March 2025
Ismail Dilawar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is planning to adopt cryptocurrency as a “strategic asset” to bring about a digital financial revolution, an adviser to the Pakistani finance minister said this week, after Islamabad signaled its intent to formalize digital asset regulations.
Pakistan’s finance division said last month that it was mulling a national crypto council to establish a financial ecosystem in the country that would allow safe investments in digital assets.
This month, the finance division announced the appointment of Bilal bin Saqib, a Forbes-recognized entrepreneur and Web3 investor, as chief adviser to the finance minister for the Pakistan Crypto Council.
“The Pakistan Crypto Council recognizes Pakistan’s strong position as one of the top 10 nations globally in crypto adoption,” Saqib said on X.
“Moving forward, it will be our priority to recognize crypto as a strategic asset, develop comprehensive and forward-thinking regulatory frameworks, and ensure compliance to position Pakistan as a leader in the digital financial revolution.”
Pakistan’s central bank previously declared virtual currencies, including Bitcoin, Litecoin, Pakcoin, OneCoin, DasCoin and Pay Diamond, illegal and prohibited their sale, purchase and exchange in trading.
The country currently has over 20 million active users in the digital asset market who face significant challenges, including high transaction fees, according to the finance division.
Saqib noted that the United States (US) had just made a “historic” move to establish a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve, which marked a pivotal moment for the global economy.
“It signals a shift in how nations perceive value, moving beyond traditional assets like gold and oil to embrace the digital future,” he said.
“For the world, this decision brings greater legitimacy to crypto as a store of value, accelerates institutional adoption, and strengthens the foundation of the digital economy. It also sets a precedent for other nations to follow, reshaping the future of global finance.”
Last month, Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb directed stakeholders to formulate a comprehensive framework for a digital asset ecosystem that ensures security, transparency, regulatory compliance and economic viability. He was presiding over a high-level meeting to discuss global evolution of cryptocurrency and potential impact of digital assets on Pakistan’s economy.
“This crypto council will oversee policy development, address regulatory challenges, and ensure that Pakistan’s digital asset ecosystem evolves in a secure, compliant, and sustainable manner,” the finance division said after the meeting on Feb 25.
“The Council will also collaborate with friendly countries to develop standardized frameworks for international digital economic engagement.”

Topics: CRYPTO Crypto currency cryptocurrency cryptocurrency in Pakistan

Militants kill three Pakistani paramilitary troops in restive northwestern district — police

Militants kill three Pakistani paramilitary troops in restive northwestern district — police
Updated 09 March 2025
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Militants kill three Pakistani paramilitary troops in restive northwestern district — police

Militants kill three Pakistani paramilitary troops in restive northwestern district — police
  • Kurram has been the flashpoint for sectarian tensions, with clashes between Shia and Sunni tribes claiming over 150 lives since Nov.
  • The attack follows an ambush on an aid convoy that killed five Pakistani troops and a truck driver in the restive district last month
Updated 09 March 2025
REHMAT MEHSUD

PESHAWAR: At least three Pakistani paramilitary troops were killed when unidentified militants attacked a security checkpoint in the northwestern Kurram district, a police official said on Sunday.
Kurram, a tribal district of around 600,000 that borders Afghanistan, has been the flashpoint for sectarian tensions between Shia and Sunni tribes, with clashes between both sides claiming more than 150 lives since Nov. last year.
In the latest incident, militants attacked a security checkpoint that killed three personnel of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) paramilitary force and injured four others, according to Kurram police spokesman Riaz Khan.
“Security forces were targeted by unidentified miscreants at around 5:15am within the limits of Chinarak police station in the ​​Tukre Patti area of Central Kurram,” Khan told Arab News. “Further surveillance is ongoing.”
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Last month, five Pakistani troops and a truck driver were killed after insurgents attacked trucks carrying aid to the restive district that has been cut off from the rest of the country since Nov., according to Abbas Majid, a senior police official. Authorities blocked roads following clashes between heavily armed tribes, causing a shortage of food and medicines in the district.
Shiite Muslims dominate parts of Kurram, although they are a minority in the rest of Pakistan, which is majority Sunni. The warring tribes reached a peace agreement on Jan. 1, but sporadic violence has continued in Kurram and both sides have occasionally engaged in battles with machine guns and heavy weapons.
Authorities have been airlifting the injured and ailing from Kurram to the provincial capital of Peshawar, and airdropping essential supplies in the region via helicopters since Jan. this year.
Last year was the deadliest in a decade for Pakistan, home to 250 million people, with a surge in attacks that killed more than 1,600 people, according to the Center for Research and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based analysis group.

Topics: KP militancy militancy in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

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