KABUL: A Kabul-based $24 million hospital funded by Pakistan was officially handed over to Afghan authorities on Saturday, according to a statement issued by the foreign office.
Afghan Vice President Sarwar Danish, Afghan Minister of Public Health Dr. Ferozuddin Feroz and Pakistani Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Muhammad Khan, jointly inaugurated the “200-bed state-of-the-art” hospital in a ceremony held in Kabul, the foreign office said.
Named ‘Jinnah Hospital’ to honor Pakistan’s founder, the hospital will focus on neurosurgery for the time being and in the future will also conduct kidney transplants, Waheed Mayar, spokesman of the Afghan public health ministry told Arab News.
Mayar said the new facility will bring much-needed relief to Afghans who spend over $300 million dollars annually on medical bills and often needed to travel to India, Pakistan and Iran due to the state of Afghanistan’s own hospitals.
According to the press release, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Zahid Nasrullah Khan, said that the Jinnah Hospital was a “flagship project” of the nation’s $1 billion development assistance to Afghanistan. It is the second of three medical facilities built by Islamabad in Afghanistan with one kidney center in Jalalabad already complete and another 100-bed facility under-construction in Logar, in eastern Afghanistan.
Pakistan hands over $24 million Kabul hospital to Afghan authorities
Pakistan hands over $24 million Kabul hospital to Afghan authorities
- Named ‘Jinnah Hospital’ to honor Pakistan’s founder, the hospital will focus on neurosurgery at this stage
- It is the second of three medical facilities built by Islamabad in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia leads Pakistan’s December remittances as inflows rise 16.5%
- Remittances reach $3.6bn in December, central bank says
- Flows from Gulf countries remain backbone of Pakistan’s external financing
KARACHI: Workers’ remittances to Pakistan rose sharply in December with inflows led by Saudi Arabia, according to State Bank of Pakistan data released on Friday, providing critical support to the country’s foreign exchange reserves and balance of payments.
Remittances, a key source of hard currency for Pakistan, have remained resilient despite global economic uncertainty, helping cushion the country’s current account, support the rupee and stabilize foreign exchange reserves at a time when Islamabad remains under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout program.
According to the State Bank of Pakistan’s official data, workers’ remittances reached a record $38.3 billion in fiscal year 2024-25 (July 2024–June 2025), up from about $30.3 billion the year before, reflecting strong labor migration to Gulf countries and improved formal banking channels. Economists say remittances are especially vital for Pakistan because they finance imports, support household consumption and reduce reliance on external borrowing.
“Workers’ remittances recorded an inflow of $ 3.6 billion during December 2025,” the central bank said in a statement.
“In terms of growth, remittances increased by 16.5 and 12.6% on y/y and m/m basis respectively.”
On a cumulative basis, remittances also posted solid growth in the current fiscal year.
“Cumulatively, with an inflow of $ 19.7 billion, workers’ remittances increased by 10.6% during H1FY26 compared to $ 17.8 billion received during the same period last year,” the statement said.
Saudi Arabia remained the single largest source of inflows in December with $813.1 million, followed by the United Arab Emirates at $726.1 million, the United Kingdom at $559.7 million and the United States at $301.7 million, according to the central bank.
Millions of Pakistanis work abroad, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, sending money home to support families and local economies. The government and central bank have encouraged the use of formal channels in recent years, helping improve transparency and sustain inflows.
