KARACHI: Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have finalized the Memorandum of Understand (MoU) for the construction of multi-billion dollar Saudi Aramco oil refinery in Gwadar deep seaport city, located in Balochistan province, officials said on Thursday.
Pakistan is expecting to sign a number of investment deals including the construction of mega oil refinery in the month of February in the presence of a high-level Saudi delegation, confirmed Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry.
“The oil refinery project is the biggest investment project of Saudi Arabia in Pakistan,” he added.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have lately expressed renewed interest in enhancing bilateral strategic and trade engagements while the Kingdom also pledged $3 billion in a financial assistant to help Pakistan out of its economic woes.
“A 15-member delegation of Saudi Arabia visited Gwadar from Karachi as part of the finalization process of the MoU for Aramco oil refinery,” Haroon Sharif, Minister of State and Chairman of Pakistan Board of Investment (BoI), told Arab News.
“We have finalized the MoU for the construction of Aramco oil refinery,” Sharif said adding that “overall directions have been agreed upon and the agreement will be signed at an ‘appropriate time’.”
Pakistani authorities expect $15 billion investment from Saudi Arabia after Prime minister Imran Khan chose the Kingdom for his maiden visit and consequently made two official visits.
Earlier, the BoI chief had said that “We are going to sign MoUs with Saudi Aramco and Acwa Power within few weeks. Saudi Aramco is going to set up oil refinery and petrochemical complex in Pakistan while Acwa Power will invest in Pakistan renewable energy sector”, Sharif informed.
As part of the investment plan, the Saudi Aramco will construct petrochemical complex housing multi-billion dollar oil refinery.
“I am expecting around $15 billion investment from Saudi Arabia in the next 3 years. The inflow of investment for oil refinery and petrochemical complex in Pakistan is estimated to be between $6 billion to $10 billion,” BoI Chairman told Arab News.
Pakistan hopes to attract more than $40 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the next five years. “We estimate that roughly around $40 billion investment will be made by these three countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, and China) in the next three to five years,” Sharif had told Arab New during his recent interview.
During the recent visit of the Saudi delegation to Gwadar, the Chairman of Gwadar Port Authority, Dostain Khan Jamaldini, on Wednesday gave a briefing about the current developments including the port, progress on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Gwadar Master Plan.
Pakistan, KSA set to ink multi-billion dollar Aramco oil refinery deal
Pakistan, KSA set to ink multi-billion dollar Aramco oil refinery deal
- MoU for construction of mega oil refinery will be inked in February, says information minister
- Pakistan expects $15 billion investment from Saudi Arabia in the next 3 years
UN torture expert decries Pakistan ex-PM Khan’s detention
- Khan’s party alleges government is holding him in solitary confinement, barring prison visits
- Pakistan’s government rejects allegations former premier is being denied basic rights in prison
GENEVA: Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan is being held in conditions that could amount to torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on torture warned Friday.
Alice Jill Edwards urged Pakistan to take immediate and effective action to address reports of the 73-year-old’s inhumane and undignified detention conditions.
“I call on Pakistani authorities to ensure that Khan’s conditions of detention fully comply with international norms and standards,” Edwards said in a statement.
“Since his transfer to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on September 26, 2023, Imran Khan has reportedly been held for excessive periods in solitary confinement, confined for 23 hours a day in his cell, and with highly restricted access to the outside world,” she said.
“His cell is reportedly under constant camera surveillance.”
Khan an all-rounder who captained Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, upended Pakistani politics by becoming the prime minister in 2018.
Edwards said prolonged or indefinite solitary confinement is prohibited under international human rights law and constitutes a form of psychological torture when it lasts longer than 15 days.
“Khan’s solitary confinement should be lifted without delay. Not only is it an unlawful measure, extended isolation can bring about very harmful consequences for his physical and mental health,” she said.
UN special rapporteurs are independent experts mandated by the Human Rights Council. They do not, therefore, speak for the United Nations itself.
Initially a strong backer of the country’s powerful military leadership, Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022, and has since been jailed on a slew of corruption charges that he denies.
He has accused the military of orchestrating his downfall and pursuing his Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and its allies.
Khan’s supporters say he is being denied prison visits from lawyers and family after a fiery social media post this month accusing army leader Field Marshal Asim Munir of persecuting him.
According to information Edwards has received, visits from Khan’s lawyers and relatives are frequently interrupted or ended prematurely, while he is held in a small cell lacking natural light and adequate ventilation.
“Anyone deprived of liberty must be treated with humanity and dignity,” the UN expert said.
“Detention conditions must reflect the individual’s age and health situation, including appropriate sleeping arrangements, climatic protection, adequate space, lighting, heating, and ventilation.”
Edwards has raised Khan’s situation with the Pakistani government.
