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On International Human Rights Day, Pakistan urges world not to ‘turn a blind eye’ to Palestine

On International Human Rights Day, Pakistan urges world not to ‘turn a blind eye’ to Palestine
People ride on a truck in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on December 9, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 10 December 2024
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On International Human Rights Day, Pakistan urges world not to ‘turn a blind eye’ to Palestine

On International Human Rights Day, Pakistan urges world not to ‘turn a blind eye’ to Palestine
  • Pakistan does not recognize Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on ‘internationally agreed parameters’
  • President Asif Ali Zardari urges the international community to take ‘practical measures to end barbarism of Israel in Palestine’
Updated 10 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged the world not to “turn a blind eye” to human rights violations in Gaza and the West Bank, his office said on Tuesday, as the world marked the International Human Rights Day.
Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948, the International Human Rights Day is marked annually on Dec. 10 to remind all nations to adhere to protecting inviolable human rights and preserve human values.
In a statement issued from his office, Sharif said the South Asian country was fully cognizant of its regional and international commitments and had taken legislative, policy and programmatic measures for the promotion of human rights.
“While we commemorate International Human Rights Day, we should not forget the plight of the people of Palestine who are facing Israel’s brutal aggression in Gaza and the West Bank,” he said.
“The world should not turn a blind eye to the gravest human tragedies of our time and play its role to ask Israel to immediately cease the ongoing genocide of the people of Palestine.”
Sharif’s statement comes amid ongoing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 43,000 people and injured thousands more since Oct 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.” The South Asian country has dispatched several consignments of relief goods for Gaza, besides establishing the ‘Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for Gaza’ that aims to collect public donations for the war-affected people.
In his message on the International Human Rights Day, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said they strongly condemned the “ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian people” by Israel in Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories.
“We urge the international community to take practical measures to end the barbarism of Israel in Palestine,” he said.
“On this day, let’s pledge to fulfil our shared responsibility to protect and promote human rights to create a society based on equality, justice and human dignity.”
 

Topics: International Human Rights Day Pakistan Palestine

Pakistani embassy evacuates 100 nationals from Syria via Lebanon border

Pakistani embassy evacuates 100 nationals from Syria via Lebanon border
Updated 17 min 20 sec ago
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Pakistani embassy evacuates 100 nationals from Syria via Lebanon border

Pakistani embassy evacuates 100 nationals from Syria via Lebanon border
  • Over 1,300 Pakistanis were stranded in Syria last week, when Syrian opposition forces seized the capital of Damascus
  • Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says the return of Pakistanis stranded in Syria is a ‘matter of concern’ for his government
Updated 17 min 20 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR & Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s embassy has evacuated 100 Pakistani nationals from Syria through its border with Lebanon, an embassy official said on Tuesday, shortly after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said their return was a “matter of concern” for Islamabad.
More than 1,300 Pakistanis were stranded in Syria last week, when Syrian opposition forces seized the capital of Damascus unopposed following a lightning advance that sent President Bashar Assad fleeing to Russia on Sunday.
Pakistan’s foreign office said these Pakistanis would be evacuated once the Damascus airport reopened, but on Monday, PM Sharif sought his Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati’s “personal intervention” in evacuating these Pakistani nationals.
“We have evacuated 100 Pakistanis from the Syria-Lebanon border. There are 80 pilgrims and 20 Pakistani residents,” Muhammad Nafees, an official at the Pakistani embassy in Damascus, told Arab News on Tuesday.
“Embassy officials transported them in buses to the Syria-Lebanon border.”
Officials of the Pakistani embassy in Lebanon received these Pakistani nationals at the border, according to Nafees.
“They are returning to Pakistan on two flights” he shared. “The Pakistan embassy in Syria is working to evacuate all remaining Pakistanis within a couple of days.”
The development came shortly after PM Sharif said around 250 Pakistani pilgrims had recently gone to Syria.
“The pilgrims and other Pakistani teachers and students, their return is a matter of concern and we have to rapidly make arrangements,” the premier said in televised comments after a meeting of his cabinet.
“Apart from the 250 pilgrims, 300 more Pakistanis want to go back to Pakistan. We are concerned about this and have to do arrangements.”
Sharif said the Lebanese premier had assured him of helping Pakistan evacuate its nationals in their telephonic conversation on Monday.
“He said ‘it doesn’t matter if there are visas or not, we will look after them and you should begin the process’,” the Pakistan premier said.
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 so they could have a secure place to stay while repatriation flights were arranged.

Topics: Pakistan Syria Ties Lebanon border

Pakistan’s Punjab, Chinese firm sigh agreement to set up robotic agricultural equipment manufacturing plant

Pakistan’s Punjab, Chinese firm sigh agreement to set up robotic agricultural equipment manufacturing plant
Updated 10 December 2024
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Pakistan’s Punjab, Chinese firm sigh agreement to set up robotic agricultural equipment manufacturing plant

Pakistan’s Punjab, Chinese firm sigh agreement to set up robotic agricultural equipment manufacturing plant
  • Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who is on a visit to China, witnessed the signing of MoU between Punjab and AI Force Tech
  • Pakistan, which has been faced with an economic crisis, is currently looking to boost its agricultural production and exports
Updated 10 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The agriculture department in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Chinese firm, AI Force Tech, to set up a robotic agricultural equipment manufacturing plant in the province, Pakistani state media reported on Tuesday.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who is on a visit to China from Dec. 8 till Dec. 15, witnessed the signing of MoU between the two sides and dilated upon agriculture sector reforms in Punjab during her meeting with AI Force Tech officials.
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.
Sharif inspected the latest agricultural tools equipped with robotic technology and observed the robotic machinery, assuring the company of her government’s full cooperation in manufacturing the modern robotic agricultural machinery in Punjab, Pakistan’s APP news agency reported.
“It is our determination to make farmers prosperous by adopting modern agricultural technology,” she was quoted as saying by APP. “On my invitation, a delegation of AI Force Tech will visit Punjab soon for the purpose.”
Pakistan, which has been faced with an economic crisis, is currently looking to boost its agricultural production and exports to earn precious foreign exchange to support its economy.
In August this year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan was looking forward to exploring new avenues to benefit from China’s agricultural prowess and “modernization.” He said that as he arrived in the Chinese city of Xi’an, which has matured into an agricultural, industrial and educational hub since the 1980s as part of the economic growth of inland China.
“Looking forward to learning about China’s agricultural modernization and innovation from the world class facilities of this great city,” the premier said on X. “Keen to explore new avenues of cooperation and further deepen our linkages in agriculture to enhance Pakistan’s food productivity and quality.”
In September, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan would be sending 1,000 agricultural experts to China to get training and transform the agriculture sector on modern lines.

Topics: Pakistan China

Pakistan stock market crosses 111,000 points on hopes of interest rate cut 

Pakistan stock market crosses 111,000 points on hopes of interest rate cut 
Updated 10 December 2024
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Pakistan stock market crosses 111,000 points on hopes of interest rate cut 

Pakistan stock market crosses 111,000 points on hopes of interest rate cut 
  • KSE-100 index climbed 1,482.06 points, or 1.35 percent, to reach 111,452.44 points
  • Pakistan slashed interest rates by 250 basis points in November to revive economy
Updated 10 December 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) crossed 111,000 points during intra-day trading on Tuesday, analysts said, amid hopes of an interest rate cut.
The benchmark KSE-100 index climbed 1,482.06 points, or 1.35 percent, to reach 111,452.44 points from the previous close of 109,970.38 points, making it the 10th consecutive session when shares traded in green at the market.
Analysts credited the rally to positive sentiment prevailing in the market amid an optimistic overall outlook.
“Not unusual to see profit-taking come through after the steep recent increase,” Raza Jafri, head of equities at Intermarket Securities, told Arab News. “The overall outlook remains bullish though on reducing interest rates and the government’s commitment to reforms.”
Pakistan had slashed interest rate by 250 basis points in November to help revive a sluggish economy, amid a major drop in the annual inflation rate. The State Bank has slashed interest rate by 700 basis points (bps) in four consecutive meetings since June, bringing it to 15 percent.
According to a poll by Topline Securities, 71 percent of participants expect the central bank to announce a minimum rate cut of 200bps at the upcoming Monetary Policy Committee meeting on Dec. 16.
Arif Habib Corporation CEO Ahsan Mehanti said stocks remained bullish after National Savings Schemes rates were cut, amid speculation of further reductions.
“Robust economic indicators, rupee stability and recovery in global equities on receding geo-political tensions played a catalyst role in record surge at the PSX,” he told Arab News.
Pakistan’s annual consumer inflation also dropped to 4.9 percent in November below government projections, primarily due to a high base from the previous year. This marked a decline from 7.2 percent in October and a significant fall from the nearly 40 percent multi-decade high recorded in May 2023.

Topics: Pakistan Interest Rate Pakistan Stock Exchange

Pakistan top court rejects government’s plea allowing military court verdicts in May 2023 riot cases

Pakistan top court rejects government’s plea allowing military court verdicts in May 2023 riot cases
Updated 10 December 2024
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Pakistan top court rejects government’s plea allowing military court verdicts in May 2023 riot cases

Pakistan top court rejects government’s plea allowing military court verdicts in May 2023 riot cases
  • The case pertains to the trial of over 100 civilians for allegedly attacking army installations in protests over ex-PM Khan’s arrest
  • The attacks occurred a year after Khan fell out with Pakistan’s powerful military, blaming the institution for his ouster from office
Updated 10 December 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan’s constitutional bench on Monday rejected the federal government’s plea to allow military courts to announce verdicts in cases of civilians allegedly involved in May 9, 2023 riots.
The case pertains to the trial of more than 100 civilians for their alleged role in attacks on army installations during the violent protests that followed former prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest in a graft case on May 9, 2023.
On October 23 last year, a five-member SC bench had unanimously declared that trying the accused civilians in military courts violated the constitution, but on Dec. 13, 2023, another top court bench suspended the Oct. 23 ruling as it heard a set of 37 intra-court appeals against it.
In March this year, the top court conditionally allowed military courts to pronounce reserved verdicts in the May 9 cases, modifying its Dec. 13 injunction and ordering military courts to commence trials but barring them from convicting or acquitting any accused until a decision on intra-court appeals.
On Monday, a seven-member constitutional bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, resumed hearing the appeals and rejected the government plea allowing the military courts to verdicts of trials of civilians, observing that giving permission to announce verdicts would mean recognizing the authority of military courts.
“We want to hear the case on a daily basis and announce a decision on it,” Justice Aminuddin remarked during the hearing.
In his remarks, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail urged lawyers of all petitioners to cooperate with the bench for an early verdict in the case.
The bench resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday, during which Additional Attorney-General (AAG) for Pakistan Amir Rehman requested the court for an adjournment, citing the unavailability of Ministry of Defense Khawaja Haris due to health issues. The court granted the request.
Several cases against Khan and his party related to the May 9, 2023 violence were registered by the government, which also cracked down on his supporters allegedly involved in the riots. Khan’s party has distanced itself from the protests and accused the country’s intelligence agencies of framing his party for the violence. The military denies the accusations.
The attacks took place a little over a year after Khan fell out with Pakistan’s powerful military, blaming the institution for colluding with his rivals to oust him from office in a parliamentary vote in April 2022, a charge denied by the military.
Khan, who remains a popular figure in Pakistan despite several court cases against him, has led a campaign of unprecedented defiance against the country’s powerful military. He has also accused the military of rigging the February 8 election in collusion with the election commission and his political rivals to keep him from returning to power. The military, election commission and Khan’s rivals deny the allegation.

Topics: Military Court Pakistan May 9 riots Imran Khan PTI supreme court Arab News Pakistan

Pakistan’s largest conglomerate Engro Corp. eyes tower sharing expansion with Veon tie-up

Pakistan’s largest conglomerate Engro Corp. eyes tower sharing expansion with Veon tie-up
Updated 10 December 2024
Reuters
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Pakistan’s largest conglomerate Engro Corp. eyes tower sharing expansion with Veon tie-up

Pakistan’s largest conglomerate Engro Corp. eyes tower sharing expansion with Veon tie-up
  • The companies plan expanding coverage to other operators and looking into other use cases, including electronic vehicle charging and drone landing
  • Under the partnership, Engro will pay Jazz, Veon’s digital operator in Pakistan, $188 million and guarantee repayment of Deodar’s $375 million debt 
Updated 10 December 2024
Reuters

KARACHI: Pakistan’s largest conglomerate Engro Corp, through it’s strategic partnership with Veon, is eyeing expanding telecom tower-sharing coverage in Pakistan and exploring different use cases in telecom infrastructure.
“Pakistan is a very large market in terms of telecom, which keeps growing larger,” Samad Dawood, vice chairman of Dawood Hercules Corp, which owns 40 percent of Engro Corp, told Reuters.
“This infrastructure business, with scale, allows us to utilize telecom infrastructure better in Pakistan and eventually also serve international markets as well,” said Dawood, identifying countries from “the Atlantic coast of Morocco all the way to Central Asian states” as potential markets.
Engro and Dutch telecommunication and digital services company Veon announced last week plans to pool and manage their infrastructure assets in Pakistan.
The companies plan expanding tower sharing coverage to other operators and looking into to other use cases, which could include electronic vehicle charging and drone landing.
Under the partnership, Engro will pay Jazz, Veon’s digital operator in Pakistan, $188 million and will guarantee the repayment of Deodar’s intercompany debt of $375 million.
This remains subject to corporate and regulatory approvals.
Deodar, under Veon, has a total tower count of 10,500 in Pakistan, while Engro’s existing tower count under Engro Enfrashare is 4,063 towers according to Topline Securities.
Earlier this year, Engro’s Dawood said restructuring would allow the firm to tap into broader economic opportunities, citing a challenging macroeconomic environment as a reason for the company’s restructuring.
Pakistan is navigating a challenging economic recovery path, having completed a $3 billion IMF bailout in April and now undertaking a $7 billion, 37-month bailout, approved in September, to ensure macroeconomic stability.
However, Dawood now says that things have changed, which have led to Engro’s largest transaction in Pakistani rupee terms.
“The actions taken in Pakistan over the last few quarters, along with hard decisions for macroeconomic stability, have led to this deal,” he said, adding that interest rates and inflation falling, combined with Pakistan’s ongoing IMF program, have also helped.”
Pakistan slashed interest rates to 15 percent in November from a record high of 22 percent earlier this year. Inflation has slowed down to 4.9 percent in November, from a multi-decade high of almost 40 percent in 2023.
“The incoming macro stability and IMF’s seal of approval has a huge impact on foreign financiers to look at Pakistan as an invest-able market,” Dawood said.

Topics: Engro Corp. Pakistan Veon

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