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Pakistan army chief reviews rescue efforts by military in aftermath of Turkiye-Syria quakes

In this picture taken on February 24, 2023, volunteer Mohammed Alaa al-Jalil (back) and his colleague search for animals in the rubble of earthquake-devasted buildings in Jindayris, in the rebel-held Syrian province of Aleppo. (Photo courtesy: AFP/FILE)
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Updated 01 March 2023
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Pakistan army chief reviews rescue efforts by military in aftermath of Turkiye-Syria quakes

  • Death toll in Turkiye from February’s earthquake has risen to 45,089
  • The total death toll including in Syria has risen to about 51,000
Updated 01 March 2023
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: General Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS), on Wednesday visited the Headquarters of the military’s Engineers Division in Rawalpindi and highlighted the need to keep assisting Turkiye and Syria in the aftermath of deadly earthquakes.

The death toll in Turkiye from last month’s devastating earthquake has risen to 45,089, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on Wednesday, bringing the total toll including Syria to about 51,000. The earthquake and subsequent powerful tremors injured more than 108,000 in Turkiye and left millions sheltering in tents or seeking to move to other cities.

“COAS was briefed in detail regarding efforts carried out by Pak Army Urban Search and Rescue Team (US&RT) during Türkiye and Syria Earthquake,” the army’s media wing said in a statement after Munir’s visit to the Engineering Division headquarters. 

“COAS met and interacted with the rescue team members and appreciated their professionalism and commendable work done during rescue efforts in the earthquake ... highlighted the importance of our enduring strategic relations with Türkiye and Syria and need to assist, particularly in times of crises.”

A fresh earthquake shook southeast Turkiye on Monday, killing one person, injuring 110 and causing 29 buildings to collapse, Turkish authorities said, triggering frantic work to rescue several people believed trapped in rubble.

The earthquakes have struck months ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections, scheduled to be held by June, which present the biggest political challenge to President Tayyip Erdogan in his two-decade rule.

Topics: Pakistan army chief rescue efforts by Pakistan Turkiye-Syria quakes

Pakistan mulls contributory pension system to curtail expenditure amid IMF loan talks 

Updated 4 sec ago
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Pakistan mulls contributory pension system to curtail expenditure amid IMF loan talks 

  • A high-level committee presents its report to PM Sharif, recommending closure of some public institutions
  • The committee says all vacant positions that have been unfilled for more than a year should be eliminated
Updated 4 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A high-level committee tasked with finding ways to rationalize the government structure and expenses suggested a contributory pension system for public sector employees while presenting its preliminary report to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at a meeting focusing on the two objectives in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The development took place right ahead of the federal budget, scheduled to be presented by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in the National Assembly later today.
Pakistan faces large, persistent fiscal deficits that contribute to macroeconomic instability and crowd out public and private investment.
The issue has also become significant in the context of the government’s efforts to secure another International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout since a reduction in the government’s expenses can help reallocate funds to address more pressing economic issues.
“The initial report offered short-term and mid-term recommendations,” said a statement circulated by the PM Office after the meeting. “The committee recommended shutting down some public institutions, merging several, and transferring some to the provinces.”
“All vacant positions which have been unfilled for more than a year should be eliminated to save national funds,” the statement continued. “The committee also recommended introducing a contributory pension system for newly recruited government employees.”
The report also suggested the government impose restrictions on unnecessary official travel and promote teleconferencing.
Subsequently, the prime minister constituted a high-powered committee, asking its members to present a comprehensive action plan within 10 weeks.
He said the committee should utilize the best international practices to provide solid recommendations.
Sharif also expressed hope the committee’s recommendations would save the nation billions of rupees.
The committee that worked on the preliminary report was headed by the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission and had experts like Dr. Qaiser Bengali, Dr. Farukh Saleem and Muhammad Naveed Iftikhar.
 

Topics: pension International Monetary Fund

Prominent Pakistani anchorman Imran Riaz Khan arrested, presented in Lahore court

Updated 11 min 54 sec ago
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Prominent Pakistani anchorman Imran Riaz Khan arrested, presented in Lahore court

  • Riaz was arrested from Allama Iqbal International Airport in early hours of Wednesday
  • Khan, well known critic of army and supporter of ex-PM Khan, has been arrested five times before
Updated 11 min 54 sec ago
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani anchorman and YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan was presented in a court in Lahore on Wednesday following his arrest from an airport early in the morning, his lawyer said, adding that his legal team was unaware of the charges against him. 

The prominent TV journalist turned promoter of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s political party was picked up from the Allama Iqbal International Airport in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore where he had arrived to catch a flight to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj. 

Riaz was produced in the Model Town lower court of Judicial Magistrate Kamran Zafar on Wednesday afternoon. This is his fifth arrest in a year. 

“We are told he [Imran Riaz] is arrested in a case registered against him in Lahore Model Town,” Riaz’s lawyer Azhar Siddique told Arab News, naming a prominent locality in the city. 

“We aren’t aware of the charge against Imran Riaz and why there was an urgency by police to arrest him while he was leaving for Hajj.”

The lawyer said a habeas corpus petition to judge the legality of Riaz’s arrest had been moved in the Lahore High Court and would be heard today. 

Riaz, who has more than 5.7 million followers on X and millions more on other social media platforms, took on the Pakistani military and its intelligence agencies after ex-PM Khan was removed from power in April 2022 and blamed the army for being behind his ouster. He was picked up in May last year and returned home in September, with authorities giving no indication of where he had been.

He was last arrested in February this year over his alleged involvement in an anti-judiciary campaign on social media.

Human rights groups have widely accused Pakistani security agencies of being behind the disappearances of political workers, leaders and rights activists, allegations that authorities deny.

Pakistan has a controversial record regarding media freedom and the safety of journalists. Media personnel have frequently complained of being targeted by state authorities for their work while some have been attacked and killed, and others have left the country citing threats to their life. 

The South Asian country was ranked 150 in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index published by RSF.

Topics: Imran Riaz Khan

Over 600,000 Afghans expelled from Pakistan since deportation drive launched last year

Updated 12 June 2024
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Over 600,000 Afghans expelled from Pakistan since deportation drive launched last year

  • Over 16,000 Afghan nationals repatriated over last two weeks
  • Expulsion drive has soured relations with Taliban government 
Updated 12 June 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A deportation drive targeting illegal foreigners living in Pakistan is continuing, with more than 16,000 Afghan nationals expelled over the last two weeks, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said on Wednesday, bringing the total number of those deported to over 600,000. 

The government launched a deportation drive last year after a spike in suicide bombings which the Pakistan government, without providing evidence, says were carried out by Afghan nationals. Islamabad has also blamed them for smuggling, militant violence and other crimes. 

A cash-strapped Pakistan navigating record inflation, alongside a tough International Monetary Fund bailout program last year, had also said undocumented migrants had drained its resources for decades.

“Repatriation of illegal foreign nationals including Afghans to their homeland is continuing in a dignified and safe manner,” Radio Pakistan said. 

“According to the latest statistics, over 16,000 Afghan nationals returned to their country during the last two weeks. So far, over 600,000 Afghans have been repatriated to Afghanistan.”

Until the government initiated the expulsion drive last year, Pakistan was home to over four million Afghan migrants and refugees out of which around 1.7 million were undocumented, as per government figures. 

Afghans make up the largest portion of migrants, many of whom came after the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021, but a large number have been present since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Islamabad insists the deportation drive is not aimed specifically at Afghans but at all those living illegally in Pakistan. 

In October 2023, Pakistan announced phase one of the “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan” with a 30-day deadline for “undocumented” aliens to leave the country or be subject to deportation, putting 1.4 million Afghan refugees at risk.

In phase two of the “repatriation plan,” around 600,00 Afghans who held Pakistan-issued Afghan citizenship cards (ACCs) will be expelled while phase three was expected to target those with UNHCR-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.

In April, the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) issued a notification validating the extension of the POR card till June 30 this year.

Before the deportation drive, people used to daily cross the Pak-Afghan border back and forth for business and personal purposes daily.

The drive has led to a spike in tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban rulers in Afghanistan. The Taliban deny militants are using Afghan soil to launch attacks, calling Pakistan’s security challenges a domestic issue.

Topics: Afghan refugees

PM Sharif stresses complete polio eradication amid emerging cases

Updated 12 June 2024
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PM Sharif stresses complete polio eradication amid emerging cases

  • The prime minister announces the construction a health tower in Islamabad under public-private partnership
  • The facility will include hospitals, medical university, modern laboratories and diagnostic centers for diseases
Updated 12 June 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed concern over the emergence of new polio cases in the country while presiding over a meeting to review the affairs of the National Health Ministry at the PM House in Islamabad.
Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. The country has made significant efforts to eradicate the disease, including organized nationwide polio vaccination campaigns. However, challenges such as parental refusal, misinformation and security issues have hindered full eradication.
Pakistan reported its fifth polio case this week after a two-year-old child from Quetta, Balochistan, passed away, saying he was suffering from the disease.
“We will utilize all national resources and partner help to ensure the complete eradication of polio from the country,” the prime minister was quoted as saying in a statement circulated after the meeting.
Pakistan has been working closely with various international donors and agencies, including the World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to eradicate polio.
These collaborations focus on funding, providing vaccines and supporting public health campaigns to increase vaccination coverage and monitor polio cases across the country, especially in high-risk areas.
The prime minister also announced the construction of the Quaid-e-Azam Health Tower in Islamabad, saying it would meet international standards and directed the immediate preparation of a plan to build the facility under public-private partnership.
He instructed that the health tower should include top-quality hospitals, a medical university, a nursing university, modern technology-equipped laboratories and diagnostic centers for diseases.
“The health sector is an extremely important and sensitive sector, tasked with the crucial duty of saving human lives,” he said. “I will personally oversee health-related matters in Islamabad.”

Topics: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Pakistan urges Hajj pilgrims to follow laws, avoid politics

Updated 8 min 47 sec ago
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Pakistan urges Hajj pilgrims to follow laws, avoid politics

  • Hajj pilgrims will reach Mina on Friday, marking the beginning of the annual Islamic pilgrimage
  • Ministry asks pilgrims not to engage in political or sectarian meetings, processions or protests
Updated 8 min 47 sec ago
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs on Wednesday directed Hajj pilgrims to abide by all the instructions of Saudi officials and avoid political conversations while performing the annual Islamic pilgrimage, which is scheduled to begin in the next two days.
Hajj is one of the five central pillars of Islam, mandatory for all adult Muslims to perform at least once in their lifetime if they have the financial means and are not restricted by any physical ailments.
According to official figures, around 160,000 Pakistani pilgrims are expected to perform the Hajj this year out of a quota of 179,210.
Zulfiqar Haider, the top official at the ministry, said in a statement the days of Hajj were approaching, and on Friday, all Pakistani pilgrims would reach Mina to perform the pilgrimage.
“He clarified that all arrangements during the days of Hajj in the sacred rituals are overseen by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and its approved offices,” the statement continued. “He also warned the pilgrims to strictly follow Saudi laws and ensure full compliance and strictly follow the instructions of Saudi officials by avoiding any arguments.”
“He also advised Pakistani pilgrims to refrain from any political or sectarian discussions and debates, and not to engage in any activities (meetings, processions, or protests) that could discredit Pakistan and violate Saudi laws,” the statement added.
Haider noted that pilgrims would be responsible for their own actions.
Hajj is scheduled to begin on Friday, June 14, and will continue until Tuesday, June 19.

Topics: Hajj 2024

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