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At UN forum, Pakistan raises alarm over attacks on mosques in occupied territories

At UN forum, Pakistan raises alarm over attacks on mosques in occupied territories
Pakistan’s Additional Foreign Secretary Imran Ahmed Siddiqui speaks at the 10th UN Alliance of Civilizations Global Forum, in Cascais, Portugal on December 3, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan UN Mission)
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Updated 04 December 2024
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At UN forum, Pakistan raises alarm over attacks on mosques in occupied territories

At UN forum, Pakistan raises alarm over attacks on mosques in occupied territories
  • Statement comes amid ongoing Israeli invasion of Gaza where nearly 1,000 mosques have been destroyed
  • Palestinian Religious Affairs Ministry has said about 300 Islamic scholars have been killed in the military strikes
Updated 04 December 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has renewed its call at the United Nations on the need for an “action plan” to tackle Islamophobia and raised the issue of an “alarming rise” in attacks on mosques and other Islamic sites, particularly in “territories under foreign occupation,” the state-run APP news agency said on Wednesday. 
Additional Foreign Secretary Imran Ahmed Siddiqui represented Pakistan at 10th UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Global Forum, the UNAOC High Level Group of Friends Ministerial Meeting and the Global Conference on safeguarding religious sites held in Cascais, Portugal, with the ambassador of Pakistan to Portugal, Khalid Ejaz, part of the Pakistan delegation.
“Siddiqui reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to combating this scourage of Islamophobia,” APP reported about his address at the UNAOC forum. 
“At the same time, he reiterated Pakistan’s deep concern over the continued rise of Islamophobia, as manifested in the continued desecration of religious symbols, demolition of mosques and other Islamic religious and heritage sites, hate speech and disturbing attacks on Muslims, particularly in the territories under foreign occupation.”
The statement comes amid the ongoing Israeli invasion of Gaza, which has resulted in significant destruction and damage to numerous religious sites including mosques and churches. 
By March this year, more than 1,000 mosques had been destroyed by Israeli attacks. 
Hundreds of imams and religious scholars have also been killed as a result of the campaign in Gaza. The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs has said about 300 Islamic scholars, including Qur’an teachers, Islamic preachers and imams, have been killed in strikes.

Topics: Pakistan at UN Islamophobia

One soldier, 15 militants killed in operation in southwest Pakistan — army

One soldier, 15 militants killed in operation in southwest Pakistan — army
Updated 10 December 2024
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One soldier, 15 militants killed in operation in southwest Pakistan — army

One soldier, 15 militants killed in operation in southwest Pakistan — army
  • Remote Balochistan region has seen an increase in strikes by separatist ethnic militants this year
  • Province is home to Gwadar Port, built by China as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor 
Updated 10 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan army said on Tuesday one soldier and 15 militants were killed as security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in Zhob District in southwest Pakistan.
The remote southwestern Balochistan province has seen an increase in strikes by separatist ethnic militants this year. The province is home to key Chinese Belt and Road projects.
“During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij [militant] location and resultantly 15 x Khawarij were sent to hell,” the army said in a statement, adding that a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered from the militants.
“However, during intense exchange of fire, Sepoy Arif ur Rehman (age 32 years; resident of Mansehra District), having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced Shahadat [martyrdom].”
Pakistan’s military has a huge presence in the rugged Balochistan region bordering Afghanistan and Iran, where insurgent groups have been fighting for a separate homeland for decades to win a larger share of benefits from the resource-rich province. 
The military has long run intelligence-based operations against the insurgent groups, the most prominent being the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has escalated attacks in recent months on the military and nationals from longtime ally China. 
The region is home to the Gwadar Port, built by China as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $65 billion investment in President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative to expand China’s global reach.

Topics: Pakistan Army

Around 350 Pakistanis evacuated from Syria, foreign office says

Around 350 Pakistanis evacuated from Syria, foreign office says
Updated 10 December 2024
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Around 350 Pakistanis evacuated from Syria, foreign office says

Around 350 Pakistanis evacuated from Syria, foreign office says
  • Over 1,300 Pakistanis were stranded in Syria last week when Syrian opposition forces seized the capital of Damascus
  • PM Sharif on Monday sought his Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati’s “personal intervention” to evacuate Pakistani expats
Updated 10 December 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The foreign office said on Tuesday around 350 Pakistan nationals stranded in Syria, including 245 pilgrims, had crossed the Syria-Lebanon border, hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the repatriation of expats was a “top priority” for his government. 
More than 1,300 Pakistanis had been stranded in Syria since last week when opposition forces seized the capital of Damascus unopposed following a lightning advance that sent President Bashar Assad fleeing to Russia on Sunday.
While Pakistan’s foreign office initially said the Pakistanis, which included pilgrims, would be evacuated once the Damascus airport reopened, PM Sharif on Monday sought his Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati’s “personal intervention” to evacuate the expats.
“Around 350 Pakistani nationals including 245 Pakistani Zaireen [pilgrims] stranded in Syria have crossed the Syria-Lebanon border,” the foreign office said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

This handout photograph, released by Pakistan’s foreign ministry on December 10, 2024, shows Pakistani nationals crossing the Syria-Lebanon border amid the country’s repatriation of expats after Syria’s opposition forces seized the capital of Damascus last week. (Photo courtesy: MOFA)

“Under the directions of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar the Embassy of Pakistan, Damascus facilitated the repatriation process.”
Deputy head of mission Umar Hayat accompanied the Pakistani nationals to the border where the deputy head of mission in Beirut, Nawab Adil, received them in Lebanon.
Pakistan’s embassy earlier said Syria’s airports and borders with Jordan and Oman were currently closed, posing a “major challenge” to the repatriation effort. The embassy said it would accommodate Pakistani nationals at a school run by the mission in the meantime, so they could have a secure place to stay while repatriation flights were arranged.
Syria’s new interim leader announced on Tuesday he was taking charge of the country as caretaker prime minister with the backing of the former opposition forces who toppled President Assad three days ago.
In a brief address on state television, Mohammed Al-Bashir, a figure little known across most of Syria who previously ran an administration in a pocket of the northwest controlled by opposition forces, said he would lead the interim authority until March 1.

Topics: Pakistan Syria Ties Pakistan Lebanon Damascus Fall of Assad Pakistan foreign office

No ‘political cells’ operating in Pakistani spy agencies, government tells Supreme Court

No ‘political cells’ operating in Pakistani spy agencies, government tells Supreme Court
Updated 10 December 2024
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No ‘political cells’ operating in Pakistani spy agencies, government tells Supreme Court

No ‘political cells’ operating in Pakistani spy agencies, government tells Supreme Court
  • Court directs authorities to submit affidavits from heads of intelligence agencies confirming no political cells exist
  • Political parties and critics often accuse that ISI spy agency interferes in politics and government in Pakistan
Updated 10 December 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court “political cells” were no longer active in any intelligence agency of the country, as the top court directed authorities to submit affidavits by spy agency heads to attest they had no political functions, state-run media reported.
Pakistan’s premier military intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has long been accused of political interference including influencing elections, forming alliances, manipulating political parties and harassing opponents. The army denies it interferes in politics.
Former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali, the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party, has been credited with strengthening the ISI’s role in domestic politics and creating political cells that monitored opposition parties and managed political activities to consolidate his power.
The political role of intelligence agencies once more came in the spotlight in 1996 when Air Marshal Asghar Khan filed a case in the Supreme Court accusing the ISI of distributing funds to political parties to influence the outcome of the 1990 general elections. In 2012, the Supreme Court confirmed that the ISI had indeed funded certain political candidates to weaken the Pakistan Peoples Party. Despite the ruling, no action was taken against those involved, raising concerns about the accountability of intelligence agencies in Pakistan.
A seven-member constitutional bench of the Supreme Court heard the Asghar Khan case again on Tuesday, where the additional attorney general informed the court that its previous judgment in the case had already been implemented, political cells in intelligence agencies had been closed and no evidence of the distribution of cash among politicians had been found.
“The federal government has informed the Supreme Court of Pakistan that no political cell is functioning under any intelligence agency,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said. 
“The court directed the government to obtain a fresh affidavit from the heads of the intelligence agencies that no political cell is working under their management if such an affidavit is not already obtained.”
The Supreme Court also urged the Federal Investigation Agency to prove that the top court’s judgment in the Asghar Khan case had been implemented and directed the Ministry of Defense, under whose ambit the ISI falls, to submit a report in this regard before the next hearing.
Besides Bhutto, other Pakistani rulers have also been accused of using the ISI to influence political outcomes. It is widely believed that military ruler Gen Ziaul Haq used the agency to unite all opposition parties into an alliance against Bhutto’s PPP. 
During the post-Zia period, when President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed the government of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1990, the reasons officially stated were charges of corruption, failure to work with the provinces and attempts to question the powers of the armed forces. However Benazir said it was the ISI that plotted her government’s downfall.
In more recent years, the parties of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan have also accused intelligence agencies of working against them.

Pakistan greenlights settlement with 8 independent power producers to save national kitty $853 million

Pakistan greenlights settlement with 8 independent power producers to save national kitty $853 million
Updated 10 December 2024
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Pakistan greenlights settlement with 8 independent power producers to save national kitty $853 million

Pakistan greenlights settlement with 8 independent power producers to save national kitty $853 million
  • In October, PM Sharif said his government was terminating purchase agreements with five IPPs to rein in electricity tariffs
  • A decade ago, Pakistan approved dozens of mostly foreign-financed private projects by IPPs to tackle chronic shortages
Updated 10 December 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has approved settlement agreements with eight bagasse-based Independent Power Producers (IPPs) with the aim to reduce electricity prices and save the national exchequer $853 million, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Tuesday.
A decade ago, Pakistan approved dozens of private projects by IPPs, financed mostly by foreign lenders, to tackle chronic power shortages. But the deals, featuring incentives such as high guaranteed returns and commitments to pay even for unused power, ultimately resulted in excess capacity after a sustained economic crisis slashed consumption.
Short of funds, subsequent Pakistani governments have built those fixed costs and capacity payments into consumer bills, sparking protests by domestic users and industry bodies.
In October, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his government was terminating purchase agreements with five IPPs to rein in electricity tariffs as households and businesses buckled under soaring energy costs.
The latest approval for settlements with eight bagasse-based IPPS was given during a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Sharif. The country’s Central Power Purchasing Agency will now approach the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority for a reduction in the electricity tariff generated from these power plants, state media said. 
“The federal cabinet on the recommendation of the Ministry of Energy and Power Division has accorded approval to settlement agreements with eight IPPs which run on bagasse,” Radio Pakistan said, referring to a fibrous residue left over after sugarcane is crushed to extract juice. It is often used as a biofuel for electricity generation. 
“After the agreements, the price of electricity for common consumers will be reduced, resulting in the benefit of $853 million (Rs238 billion) to the national exchequer.”
The eight power plants include the JDW Unit-I and Unit-II, RYK Mills, Chiniot Power, Hamza Sugar, Al-Mueez Industries, Thal Industries and Chinar Industries, the report added.
In October, when Sharif decided to terminate purchase agreements with five IPPs, he said tariffs would be reduced gradually by revising agreements with other IPPs in the electricity sector.
“This will benefit electricity consumers by Rs60 billion ($215 million) annually. As a result, the national treasury will save Rs411 billion ($1.4 billion),” Sharif said at that time. 
The need to revisit power deals was a key issue in talks for a critical staff-level pact in July with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $7-billion bailout. The program was approved in September. 
Pakistan has also begun talks on reprofiling power sector debt owed to China and structural reforms, but progress has been slow. It has also vowed to stop power sector subsidies.

Pakistan says 79,000 Hajj applicants received in government scheme as submission deadline expires

Pakistan says 79,000 Hajj applicants received in government scheme as submission deadline expires
Updated 10 December 2024
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Pakistan says 79,000 Hajj applicants received in government scheme as submission deadline expires

Pakistan says 79,000 Hajj applicants received in government scheme as submission deadline expires
  • With 79,000 Hajj applications received so far, 10,605 slots remain vacant under the government scheme
  • Last year, Pakistan surrendered 21,000 Hajj seats to Saudi Arabia due to a shortage of applications
Updated 10 December 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry said on Tuesday all 79,000 applicants who had filed to perform the Hajj 2025 pilgrimage under the federal government scheme were “successful,” as the deadline for submissions expired. 
Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj, to be divided equally between the government and private schemes. The government last week extended the deadline for the submission of Hajj applications for government scheme slots from Dec. 3 to Dec. 10.
“The ministry of religious affairs has given great news to Hajj applicants, all 79,000 Hajj pilgrims who submitted applications till Dec. 10 have been declared successful,” the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday evening. 
With 79,000 Hajj applications received so far, 10,605 slots remain vacant under the government scheme. Last year, Pakistan surrendered 21,000 Hajj seats to Saudi Arabia due to a shortage of applications, but this year the government hopes all slots can be filled.
“Decision taken to continue receiving applications on a first-come, first-served basis for a few thousand vacant seats,” the ministry added, saying the application process would close as soon as the Hajj quota was met.
The religious affairs ministry announced this year’s Hajj policy last month, allowing pilgrims to pay Hajj fees in installments for the first time. The first installment of Rs200,000 ($717) must be deposited along with the application while the second installment of Rs400,000 ($1,435) has to be submitted within ten days of balloting. The remaining amount has to be deposited by Feb. 10 next year.
Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry has launched the ‘Pak Hajj 2025’ mobile application to guide and facilitate pilgrims. The app is available for both Android and iPhone users.
The Pakistan government has also announced a reduction in airfare for Hajj 2025, with a Rs14,000 ($50) drop in ticket prices. Pilgrims enrolled in the federal program will now pay Rs220,000 for airfare, down from last year’s Rs234,000. 
The national flag carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Saudi Airlines and other private airlines have agreed to the relief package, according to the Pakistan government.

Topics: Hajj 2025 Pakistan Hajj mission Pakistani Hajj pilgrims

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