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Afghans in northwestern Landi Kotal worry about packing up businesses amid deportation threat

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An Afghan refugee stands next to his luggage at Landi Kotal bazaar, Pakistan and Afghanistan at Torkham in Khyber, Pakistan on October 19, 2023. (AN Photo)
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Afghans cross into Pakistan at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Torkham on September 15, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 24 October 2023
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Afghans in northwestern Landi Kotal worry about packing up businesses amid deportation threat

  • A large number of Afghans operate shops and grocery stores in Landi Kotal town in northwest Pakistan 
  • Pakistan’s government has told illegal immigrants to leave voluntarily by November 1 or face deportation
Updated 24 October 2023
Kashaf Rehman

LANDI KOTAL: Imran, 22, who only gave his first name, was busy catering to a large number of customers crowded around his fruits and vegetables shop at a busy marketplace in Pakistan’s northwestern Landi Kotal town. Arguably the busiest shop in the market, Imran feared that in the days to come, that may not be the case anymore.

Landi Kotal is a small town in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and is located at a distance of 20 kilometers from the main border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Torkham in Khyber. The town is home to a large population of Afghan nationals who operate shops and businesses in the busy Landi Kotal bazaar, and many of them are undocumented. 

Pakistan remains one of the world’s largest refugee host countries and has experienced multiple influxes of Afghan refugees. These span the period from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 to the Taliban takeover in 2021, after which some 600,000 Afghan refugees fled to Pakistan, according to the UN Refugee Agency. Before the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021, Pakistan was already hosting over 1.5 million Afghan refugees.

Pakistan, wary of rising militancy in the country that it blames on Afghan militants, handed illegal immigrants in the country an ultimatum earlier this month: leave by Nov. 1 or face deportation.

For many undocumented Afghan citizens in Landi Kotal, it’s time to pack up and head to Afghanistan, a country they have not known to be home in a long time.

“My family has been living here in Pakistan for over 40 years. We have our entire life’s income invested here, we have businesses here, and we have family ties with people here,” Imran, 22, told Arab News on Thursday.

“How can we leave this country now?“




People walk past shops at the Landi Kotal bazaar, Pakistan and Afghanistan at Torkham in Khyber, Pakistan on October 19, 2023. (AN Photo)

Safiullah Shinwari, a 49-year-old shopkeeper, said he has been living in Pakistan for the past 38 years. He lamented that it was not possible for one to wrap their business within a month and head to another country altogether.

“If the Afghans go, they won’t be able to build a house for themselves there in years,” Shinwari told Arab News. “We are helpless now. We have built our lives here in the past 40 years, our livelihood is here.”

The prospect of heading to Afghanistan, where no shelter awaits him and his family, also weighs heavily on Imran’s mind.

“Building a house is not easy, what will we do there,” he asked.




Imran, an Afghan refugee, arranges vegetables in a metal container at his fruits and vegetables shop at Torkham in Khyber, Pakistan on October 19, 2023. (AN Photo)

Afghan residents in Karachi and other parts of the country accuse Pakistani authorities of harassing Afghan nationals who possess PoR and Afghan Citizenship Cards (ACC).

Pakistan’s government and police have rejected the accusations and said only illegal immigrants in the country would be expelled after Nov. 1.

According to UN Refugee Agency spokesperson Qaiser Afridi, many Afghans who fled to Pakistan after the takeover of Kabul in 2021 are individuals whose lives and freedom could be at risk if they return to Afghanistan.

“We are requesting the government to register these people and we are also willing to provide any financial and technical support required in this regard,” Afridi told Arab News.

Dilawar Khan, 43, said his bakery shop in Landi Kotal bazaar is worth Rs2.5-3 million ($7,260-10,891). He said 80 percent of the businesses in the market were owned by Afghan nationals, adding that driving them out would inflict economic losses on local businesses in the area.




Afghan refugees awaiting their turn to cross into Afghanistan at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Torkham, Pakistan on October 19, 2023. (AN Photo)

Khan worried for his four kids, including two daughters, who are enrolled in Pakistani schools.

“They are getting an education here, but all of it will go to waste if we are made to leave,” Khan told Arab News, referring to the Taliban government’s restrictions on education for Afghan girls.

Shahid Khan, a 22-year-old Afghan who owns a grocery store, appealed to the government to grant him Pakistani citizenship.

“I was born here, I have spent my whole life here,” he told Arab News. “We are living as immigrants here, and if we go back, we will still be immigrants there [in Afghanistan].”

Topics: Afghan refugees Afghan Refugees in pakistan Afghanistan Pakistan Afghan Ties Pakistan Afghanistan border

Pakistan to introduce new SOPs for security of Chinese nationals— interior minister 

Updated 9 sec ago
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Pakistan to introduce new SOPs for security of Chinese nationals— interior minister 

  • Pakistan has recently witnessed surge in militant attacks on Chinese nationals 
  • A suicide attack in northwestern Pakistan in March killed five Chinese engineers
Updated 9 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government will craft new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the security of Chinese nationals working and living in the country, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Thursday. 

Pakistan has seen a rise in attacks on Chinese nationals in the country in recent months. A suicide bomber in March rammed his vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a hydropower project in northwestern Pakistan. Five Chinese engineers were killed in the attack. 

Pakistan has said it has since then taken steps to enhance the security of Chinese nationals in the country. 

“Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi says new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) related to the security of Chinese nationals will be crafted and it will be implemented in letter and spirit,” the state-run Radio Pakistan reported. 

Naqvi was speaking to Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong in Islamabad, the state media said, adding that he vowed to bring the perpetrators of the March attack to justice. 

“Mohsin Naqvi said no conspiracy can sabotage the decades-old Pak-China friendship,” Radio Pakistan said. 

Zaidong expressed satisfaction with the measures taken by Pakistani authorities for the security of Chinese nationals. 

The Dasu attack was the third major one in a little over a week on China’s interests in the South Asian nation, where Beijing has invested over $65 billion in energy, infrastructure and other projects as part of its wider Belt and Road initiative.

Chinese interests in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province have also been under attack primarily by militants who seek to push Beijing out of the mineral-rich territory.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties Chinese nationals in Pakistan Arab News Pakistan

Pakistan Navy hands over rescued Iranian fishermen to Tehran on humanitarian grounds

Updated 09 May 2024
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Pakistan Navy hands over rescued Iranian fishermen to Tehran on humanitarian grounds

  • Pakistan Navy ship Yarmook rescued eight Iranian fishermen in March after their ship caught fire in open sea
  • Successful operation example of Pakistan Navy’s ability to deal with all kinds of situations, says army’s media wing
Updated 09 May 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy on Thursday handed over eight Iranian fishermen it had rescued in an earlier operation to Iranian officials on humanitarian grounds, the military’s media wing said in a statement. 

The rescue operation was conducted in March when a Pakistan Navy ship, Yarmook, heard a distress call from a fire-stricken boat in the open sea. Yarmook swiftly acted, the Pakistani military’s media wing said, adding that a successful rescue operation was carried out that saw all eight fishermen rescued and the fire extinguished.

“Pakistan Navy has handed over eight rescued Iranian fishermen to Iran’s diplomatic authorities,” the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. 

“The prompt and successful rescue operation is a practical example of Pakistan Navy’s ability to deal with all kinds of situations at sea.”

In February, the Pakistan Navy rescued nine Indian seamen who were stranded in a disabled tug en route to Sharjah.

The vessel, Ocean Tug SAS-5 registered at St. Kitts & Nevis, had been disabled for days near the Indian coast after a failure of its electric generators at a position 167 nautical miles southeast of the Pakistani port city of Karachi, according to Pakistan Navy.

Topics: Pakistan Navy Pakistan Iran Ties Iranian fishermen

Pakistan says will share concerns about terror groups threatening its security in ongoing US talks

Updated 09 May 2024
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Pakistan says will share concerns about terror groups threatening its security in ongoing US talks

  • Pakistan and United States are holding Pakistan-US Counterterrorism Dialogue in Washington
  • Pakistan has said suicide attack that killed five Chinese workers in March was planned in Afghanistan
Updated 09 May 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Foreign Office said on Thursday Islamabad would share its concerns regarding terror groups that threatened its security with Washington as the two countries hold counterterrorism talks in the United States this week. 
The three-day talks, which commenced on Wednesday and will conclude on May 10, are part of the Pakistan-US Counterterrorism Dialogue. The Pakistani delegation is led by the Additional Secretary United Nations division at the foreign ministry, Syed Haider Shah. 
The initial round took place last year in Islamabad, where discussions centered on the counterterrorism landscape in Pakistan and the wider region.
“The counterterrorism talks between Pakistan and the United States are ongoing and the two sides will discuss issues related to security and countering violent extremism and combating terrorism financing,” foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters in a weekly briefing in Islamabad, saying terrorism posed a collective threat to the international community. 
“It is important for Islamabad to share its concerns about terrorist groups that threaten its security with its interlocutors during these dialogues and this is a priority for Pakistan when we engage in these talks,” she added.
The FO statement comes two days after Pakistan’s military said a suicide bomb attack that killed five Chinese engineers was planned in neighboring Afghanistan, and that the bomber was also an Afghan national. 
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have soured in recent months as Islamabad says Kabul is not doing enough to tackle militant groups targeting Pakistan from across the border. Kabul says rising violence in Pakistan is a domestic issue for Islamabad and has denied allowing the use of its territory to militants.
Gaza 
At Thursday’s press briefing, the Pakistan foreign office also condemned Israel’s attack on a Jordanian aid corps for humanitarian assistance to occupied Gaza.
“It is not just a flagrant violation of the obligations of the occupying power but a dangerous provocation that may lead to further escalation of tensions in the region,” Baloch said, condemning the invasion and seizure of the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza by Israeli forces in what Islamabad said was defiance of international warnings and acceptable international behavior. 
“With its latest actions, Israeli occupation authorities have once again demonstrated their contempt for international humanitarian law as they continue to pursue an abhorrent policy of genocide and extermination in Gaza,” Baloch added.
Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations 
Amid a flurry of visits between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, including by the Saudi foreign minister and a high-powered business delegation to Islamabad and two visits by the Pakistani prime minister to Riyadh, the foreign office spokesperson said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were engaged in a “robust dialogue” on cooperation in diverse domains, including in the energy sector.
“The two sides are also engaged in discussions for increased Saudi investments in Pakistan,” she added.
Baloch highlighted Pakistan’s emphasis on increased engagement, particularly with the Middle East, to attract foreign investment, saying the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) set up last year to oversee foreign financing was implementing measures to offer incentives to foreign investors in support of this effort.
Pak-Iran Gas pipeline
Baloch said the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline was a “priority” for the country and reiterated that the South Asian nation would decide on the issue based on its own interest.
“Pakistan will take decisions based on its own national interest, and the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline is a priority for Pakistan,” she added.
The two countries signed an agreement to construct the pipeline from Iran’s South Fars gas field to Pakistan’s Balochistan and Sindh provinces in 2010, but work on Pakistan’s portion has been held up due to fears of US sanctions.
In March, Islamabad said it would seek a US sanctions waiver for the pipeline. Washington, however, has said it does not support the project and cautioned about the risk of sanctions in doing business with Tehran.

Topics: Pakistan foreign office Pakistan US Ties War on Gaza Pakistan Iran gas pipeline

Pakistan advance to Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final for first time since 2011 after beating Canada

Updated 09 May 2024
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Pakistan advance to Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final for first time since 2011 after beating Canada

  • Pakistan made a dramatic comeback in the last match when they faced a 2-0 deficit in the first 17 minutes
  • Green Shirts will face Japan again in the final on Saturday after drawing a match with them in the tournament
Updated 09 May 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan have surged into the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 after making a dramatic comeback in their last match against Canada, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown with Japan on Saturday.
The Green Shirts have had a notable history in the international men’s field hockey tournament held in Malaysia. Over the years, Pakistan have secured the championship three times, occurring in 1999, 2000, and 2003.
However, their performance remained on a decline in recent years, making it the first time Pakistan have advanced to the tournament final since 2011.
“Pakistan and Japan have qualified for final of the 30th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey tournament,” the state-owned Radio Pakistan reported on Thursday. “The final match of the tournament will be played on Saturday in Ipoh, Malaysia.”
In their last match against Canada on Wednesday, Pakistan faced a 2-0 deficit in the first 17 minutes, though the players showed resilience and prowess to help the squad make a comeback and clinch a narrow 5-4 victory.
Currently leading the table after four matches with three victories and a draw, Pakistan will face Japan in the final match. The two teams drew their previous game after putting in all their effort to defeat each other.
Malaysia and New Zealand trail behind, tied with six points each, occupying the third and fourth spots respectively in the tournament standings.

Topics: Pakistan Hockey

Pakistan’s PSO proposes swapping debt for stake in public sector companies

Updated 09 May 2024
Reuters
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Pakistan’s PSO proposes swapping debt for stake in public sector companies

  • Stopping the pile-up of unresolved debt across Pakistan’s power sector and settling it is a top IMF concern
  • PSO’s aggregate receivables from government agencies and autonomous bodies stands at about $1.8 billion
Updated 09 May 2024
Reuters

KARACHI: Pakistan State Oil, the country’s largest oil marketer, says it is in talks with the government on a plan to acquire stakes in public sector energy companies and offset mounting debt it is owed by firms such as the national airline.
Stopping the pile-up of unresolved debt across Pakistan’s power sector, and ultimately settling it, is a top concern of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with which Islamabad begin talks this month for a new long-term loan deal.
“Everything will be done through competitive bidding and we will participate and if we win, the stakes will be offset against (PSO’s receivables),” said Syed Muhammad Taha, the managing director and chief executive of state-backed PSO.
“That is our proposal and this is under consideration, so we are working with the government,” Taha said in an interview on Wednesday with Reuters, which is the first to report the plan.
Pakistan’s government, with a stake of about 25 percent, is the biggest shareholder of PSO, but private shareholders own the rest.
Government officials, including the petroleum minister and the information minister, did not reply to a Reuters request for comment.
Total circular debt in Pakistan’s power and gas sectors stood at 4.6 trillion rupees ($17 billion), or about 5 percent of GDP by June 2023, the IMF says.
Circular debt is a form of public debt that stems in part from failure to pay dues along the power sector chain, starting with consumers and moving to distribution companies, which owe power plants, which then have to pay fuel supplier PSO.
The government is either the biggest shareholder, or outright owner of most these companies, making it tough to resolve debt as fiscal tightening leaves it strapped for cash.
Among other steps sought by the IMF, Pakistan has raised energy prices to stop the build-up of debt. But the accumulated amount still has to be resolved.
Taha said the IMF reforms helped the sector by boosting creditors’ ability to pay, which will continue to improve.
PSO’s aggregate receivables from government agencies and autonomous bodies stood at 499 billion rupees ($1.8 billion), the largest share owed by gas provider Sui Northern Gas, whose largest shareholder is the government.
PSO’s annual report last year said the crisis of owed debt was a serious issue for it.
Taha said PSO had initially floated the idea of acquiring stakes or complete ownership of assets such as power plants in Nandipur in the northern Punjab province and Guddu in southern Sindh, as well as the government-owned holding entity for power generation companies.
It also discussed equity stakes in profitable public sector companies such as the Oil and Gas Development Co, he added.
PIA DEAL
Taha said PSO was also a part of the broader settlement framework for the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines, which would potentially include a “clean asset swap” and a stake in the airline’s non-core assets, such as property.
The government is putting on the block a stake ranging from 51 percent to 100 percent in debt-ridden PIA as part of the public-sector reforms sought by the IMF.
In March, media said the principal alone that PIA owed PSO for fuel supply amounted to roughly 15.8 billion rupees ($57 million).
Taha added that he expected modest growth in demand for petroleum products as the economy opens up, thanks to lower interest rates and higher disposable income.
As economic conditions improve, he added, PSO is working with big strategic investors from China and the Middle East to upgrade and expand its refinery arm, Pakistan Refinery Ltd.
PSO has a network of 3,528 retail outlets in addition to 19 depots, 14 airport refueling facilities, operations at two seaports, and Pakistan’s largest storage capacity of 1.14 million tons.

Topics: Pakistan economy Pakistan State Oil

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