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Pakistan-origin Sadiq Khan receives knighthood in King’s New Year honors

Pakistan-origin Sadiq Khan receives knighthood in King’s New Year honors
The newly re-elected Labour Party Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, poses for the media on the Millennium Bridge before his swearing in ceremony in London on May 7, 2024. (AP/File)
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Updated 31 December 2024
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Pakistan-origin Sadiq Khan receives knighthood in King’s New Year honors

Pakistan-origin Sadiq Khan receives knighthood in King’s New Year honors
  • Khan grew up in south London as one of eight siblings in a working-class family
  • He calls it ‘the honor of my life to serve the city I love’ in a social media message
Updated 31 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan
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ISLAMABAD: London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the son of Pakistani immigrants, has been awarded a knighthood in King Charles’s New Year honors list, recognizing his contributions to public service and leadership in one of the world’s most dynamic cities, according to his social media post on Tuesday.
Khan, who grew up on a council estate in south London as one of eight siblings in a working-class family, faced numerous challenges on his path to becoming the capital’s mayor. His father worked as a bus driver and his mother was a seamstress, instilling in him a strong work ethic and a commitment to social mobility.
A trained lawyer, Khan entered politics as a Labour Party member and has been re-elected as London’s mayor three times, overcoming criticism over crime rates and housing issues in the city.
“Truly humbled to have received a knighthood in the King’s New Year’s Honours,” Khan wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “I couldn’t have dreamed when growing up on a council estate in south London that I’d one day be Mayor of London. It’s the honor of my life to serve the city I love.”
The King’s New Year honors list includes more than 1,200 individuals from various fields, including politics, sports, arts and community service.
Other notable recipients include Gareth Southgate, former England soccer manager, and Keely Hodgkinson, Paris Olympics gold medalist, who were also awarded knighthoods.
The honors, which date back to 1890, aim to celebrate contributions to national life, both from prominent figures and unsung heroes.

With inputs from Reuters

Topics: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan Mayor Sadiq Khan

Pakistan court sentences ex-PM Imran Khan to 14 years in prison in land bribe case

Pakistan court sentences ex-PM Imran Khan to 14 years in prison in land bribe case
Updated 14 min 50 sec ago
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Pakistan court sentences ex-PM Imran Khan to 14 years in prison in land bribe case

Pakistan court sentences ex-PM Imran Khan to 14 years in prison in land bribe case
  • The case involves a charitable entity, Al-Qadir Trust, set up by the ex-premier and his wife Bushra Khan in 2018
  • Authorities say the trust was a front for the couple to receive valuable land as bribe from a real estate developer
Updated 14 min 50 sec ago
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Pakistan on Friday sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan to 14 years in prison after he was convicted along with his wife of receiving land as a bribe from a real-estate tycoon, Khan’s party said.
The case involved a charitable entity, Al-Qadir Trust, set up by Khan and his third wife Bushra Khan in 2018 when he was still in office. The court sentenced Khan’s wife to seven years in prison in the case.
Pakistani authorities say the trust was a front for the couple to receive valuable land as a bribe from a real estate developer, Malik Riaz Hussain, who is one of Pakistan’s richest and most powerful businessmen. Hussain, like Khan and Bushra, denies any wrongdoing.
In response to Friday’s verdict, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said while it awaited a detailed judgment, the case against Khan and his wife “lacks any solid foundation and is bound to collapse.”
“All evidence and witness testimonies confirm that there has been no mismanagement or wrongdoing,” the PTI said in a statement.
“Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are merely trustees with no further involvement in the matter.”
The announcement of the verdict in the Al-Qadir Trust case had already been postponed thrice before, drawing criticism from Khan’s party.
Senator Talal Chaudhry, a member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, this week said the Al-Qadir Trust case was an “open-and-shut case” and there was no possibility of a deal in it.
“Whether the decision is made today or tomorrow, it is a clear verdict, [this is] an open-and-shut case,” he said at the third postponement of the verdict on Jan. 13. “This is about Pakistan and there is no possibility of a pardon.”
Authorities say the Al-Qadir Trust scheme originated with 190 million pounds repatriated to Pakistan in 2019 by Britain after Hussain forfeited cash and assets to settle a British probe into whether they were proceeds of crime. Instead of putting it in Pakistan’s treasury, Khan’s government is accused of using the money to pay fines levied by a court against Hussain for illegal acquisition of government lands at below-market value for development in Karachi.
Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023 and faces a slew of legal cases, says all charges against him are politically motivated and being backed by his political rivals led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the country’s all-powerful military. Both deny the allegations.

Topics: Al-Qadir Trust Ex-PM Imran Khan

Wildlife authorities seek declaration of fifth biosphere reserve for endangered Indus dolphins in Pakistan

Wildlife authorities seek declaration of fifth biosphere reserve for endangered Indus dolphins in Pakistan
Updated 8 sec ago
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Wildlife authorities seek declaration of fifth biosphere reserve for endangered Indus dolphins in Pakistan

Wildlife authorities seek declaration of fifth biosphere reserve for endangered Indus dolphins in Pakistan
  • Biosphere reserves are protected areas that aim to balance the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use
  • The number of endangered Indus dolphins has grown to 2,100 in Pakistan amid conservation efforts in recent years
Updated 8 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Wildlife authorities in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province seek another biosphere reserve for endangered Indus dolphins in Pakistan and have requested their counterparts in Sindh and Punjab provinces to take up the matter with the federal climate change ministry, aiming to boost conservation and scientific assessment of the endangered species.

Biosphere reserves are protected areas that aim to balance the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. They are part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Man and Biosphere (MAB) program, which was launched in the 1970s.

Currently, there are 738 biosphere reserves in 134 countries of the world. Four of them are in Pakistan, including two in KP and one each in Punjab and Balochistan provinces of the South Asian country, where authorities say the number of Indus dolphins has grown to 2,100.

There are several other potential sites, including the Indus River and associated riparian areas or wetlands along KP’s Dera Ismail Khan district, which can be declared biosphere reserves for blind Indus dolphins, according to KP Chief Wildlife Conservator Dr. Mohsin Farooque.

“KP Wildlife Department suggests that the area of the proposed Indus Blind Dolphin Biosphere Reserve may be extended to include the habitat falling in Punjab and Sindh provinces to cover the entire range of Dolphin and conserve its habitat along Indus River in Layyah, Rajanpur, DG [Dera Ghazi] Khan, Muzaffargarh etc. in Punjab and Sukkur etc. in Sindh,” Dr. Farooque said in a letter to Punjab and Sindh wildlife authorities.

“This will help conserve the entire ecosystem along Indus River, including associated riparian and wetland areas on both sides of the Indus River.”

The Indus River dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor) and the Ganges River dolphin, also known as “susu,” (Platanista gangetica gangetica) are two river dolphin subspecies that are today the only surviving members of a once primitive and widespread group of archaic cetaceans that swam in the ancient Tethys Sea 50 million years ago, according to experts.

As the sea levels dropped and lands shifted, the freshwater Indus River dolphins were left behind in inland rivers in what is present-day Pakistan. Their survival is crucial to the local eco-structure.

Dr. Farooque said wildlife did not recognize man-made boundaries and fulfilled their requirements and life cycle within their home range irrespective of district, province or country.

“It is, therefore, requested to take necessary measures to take up the case with Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Islamabad for declaration of Indus Biosphere Reserve along Indus in relevant districts of

Punjab and Sindh and promote transboundary management... for effective conservation of the endemic Indus blind dolphin,” he added.

Topics: Indus dolphins

Pakistan to launch indigenous satellite today to predict natural disasters

Pakistan to launch indigenous satellite today to predict natural disasters
Updated 17 January 2025
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Pakistan to launch indigenous satellite today to predict natural disasters

Pakistan to launch indigenous satellite today to predict natural disasters
  • The EO-1 satellite will be launched from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
  • It can provide timely updates on floods, landslides, quakes and glacier recession
Updated 17 January 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will launch its first fully indigenous Electro-Optical (EO-1) satellite today, Friday, to help predict natural disasters and monitor resources, Pakistani state media reported.
The EO-1 satellite will be launched from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The launch represents the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission’s (SUPARCO) dedication and expertise in advancing Pakistan’s technological capabilities in space science.
The satellite will enhance the country’s ability to monitor and manage natural resources, predict and respond to natural disasters, support food security and drive economic growth through informed decision-making and sustainable development.
“Designed and developed entirely by Pakistani engineers, EO-1 satellite is expected to provide substantial benefits across various sectors,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
Pakistan has witnessed erratic, frequent changes in its weather patterns, including floods, droughts, cyclones, torrential rainstorms, heatwaves and the slow-onset threat of glacial melting, in recent years that scientists have blamed on human-driven climate change.
In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of the country, killing over 1,700 people, inflicting economic losses of around $30 billion, and affecting at least 30 million people.
In urban development, the EO-1 satellite can help track infrastructure growth, manage urban sprawl and aid city and regional planning efforts. It will provide timely updates on floods, landslides, earthquakes, deforestation and land erosion in terms of environmental monitoring and disaster management, according to Pakistani state media.
The satellite will also support extraction and conservation strategies for natural resources, such as the monitoring of minerals, oil and gas fields, glacier recession and water resources.
Pakistan has taken strides in its space research program in the past few months. In Nov. last year, SUPARCO announced its rover will join China’s Chang’E 8 mission to explore the moon’s surface in 2028.
In May 2024, Pakistan launched its first lunar satellite aboard China’s Chang’e-6 probe, which was tasked with landing on the far side of the moon that perpetually faces away from the Earth. China was the first country to make such an ambitious attempt.

Topics: Pakistan Electro-Optical satellite EO-1 satellite

Poor visibility delays toss in Pakistan-West Indies Test in Multan

Poor visibility delays toss in Pakistan-West Indies Test in Multan
Updated 17 January 2025
AFP
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Poor visibility delays toss in Pakistan-West Indies Test in Multan

Poor visibility delays toss in Pakistan-West Indies Test in Multan
  • Pakistan regularly suffers from winter smog which has dire health consequences
  • Air quality in Multan was ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ and set to rise during the day
Updated 17 January 2025
AFP

MULTAN, Pakistan: Toss in the first Test between Pakistan and the West Indies in Multan on Friday was delayed because of poor visibility, as air quality monitors recorded high levels of pollution.

Pakistan regularly suffers from winter smog which has dire health consequences.

“The visibility has been affected due to fog so the toss has been delayed,” Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement.

“Once the visibility improves the two umpires will inspect the conditions.”

A pitch inspection was due at 9:30 am (0430 GMT).

The air quality in Multan was “unhealthy for sensitive groups” and set to rise throughout the day, according to monitoring site IQAir.

The two-match Test series is part of the World Test Championship’s third cycle (2023-2025) in which Pakistan are eighth and the West Indies ninth and last.

The second Test starts from January 25, also in Multan.

Topics: Pakistan vs West Indies

Pakistan central bank says UAE has confirmed rollover of $2 billion deposits

Pakistan central bank says UAE has confirmed rollover of $2 billion deposits
Updated 17 January 2025
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Pakistan central bank says UAE has confirmed rollover of $2 billion deposits

Pakistan central bank says UAE has confirmed rollover of $2 billion deposits
  • The development comes ahead of a review of Pakistan’s $7 billion IMF program, expected in Feb.
  • The UAE has rolled over deposits with Pakistan since 2023, helping it shore up its foreign reserves
Updated 17 January 2025
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has confirmed a rollover of $2 billion deposits with Pakistan, the Pakistani central bank said on Thursday.

The Gulf country has rolled over the deposits with Pakistan’s central bank since 2023, helping the South Asian country shore up its foreign exchange reserves, strengthen its currency and secure financial bailouts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Pakistan’s $350 billion economy has struggled for decades with boom-and-bust cycles and the South Asian country secured a $7 billion, 37-month loan program from the IMF in Sept. last year. The next review of the program is expected in February.

“UAE has confirmed rollover of its two deposits of $1.0 billion each placed with State Bank of Pakistan for another one year, which were maturing in January 2025,” the Pakistani central bank said in a statement.

The development comes more than a week after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in the Pakistani city of Rahim Yar Khan. Sharif later told his cabinet that the UAE president had agreed to roll over the $2 billion loan, which was due to mature this month.

The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States (US), and a major source of foreign investment, valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry. It is also home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates, who are one of the major sources of remittances to the South Asian country.

In January last year, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure, a Pakistani official said, amid Pakistani caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s visit to Davos, Switzerland to attend 54th summit of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves stood at $16.45 billion as of January 10, with SBP-held reserves at $11.73 billion, according to the central bank.

In the past, Pakistan has also secured external financing, a key condition for IMF bailouts, from longtime allies Saudi Arabia and China.

Topics: Pakistan UAE

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