MULTAN, Pakistan: Police in Pakistan say they have detained eight Chinese nationals who tried to enter a power plant with weapons in the eastern Punjab province.
Officer Zafar Iqbal says the eight men were stopped at a checkpoint on Sunday outside the Qadirabad power plant in Sahiwal after a pump-action gun, a handgun, a rifle and ammunition were found in their vehicle. He says an investigation is underway.
China has heavily invested in energy and other projects across Pakistan as part of its global “Belt and Road” initiative, and has sent thousands of workers to the country.
A suicide bomber struck a bus carrying Chinese engineers in the Baluchistan province on Saturday, wounding three of them as well as three paramilitary guards. The Baluch Liberation Army, a separatist group, claimed responsibility.
Pakistan detains 8 Chinese over possession of firearms
Pakistan detains 8 Chinese over possession of firearms
- The eight men were stopped at a checkpoint on Sunday outside the Qadirabad power plant in Sahiwal after a pump-action gun, a handgun, a rifle and ammunition were found in their vehicle
- An investigation is underway, says Officer Zafar Iqbal
ADB, Pakistan sign over $300 million agreements to undertake climate resilience initiatives
- Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in weather patterns
- The projects in Sindh and Punjab will restore nature-based coastal defenses and enhance agricultural productivity
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed more than $300 million agreements to undertake two major climate resilience initiatives, Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said on Tuesday.
The projects include the Sindh Coastal Resilience Sector Project (SCRP), valued at Rs50.5 billion ($180.5 million), and the Punjab Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Agriculture Mechanization Project (PCRLCAMP), totaling Rs34.7 billion ($124 million).
Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns. In 2022, monsoon floods killed over 1,700 people, displaced another 33 million and caused over $30 billion losses, while another 1,037 people were killed in floods this year.
The South Asian country is ramping up climate resilience efforts, with support from the ADB and World Bank, and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable areas.
“Both sides expressed their commitment to effectively utilize the financing for successful and timely completion of the two initiatives,” the PID said in a statement.
The Sindh Coastal Resilience Project (SCRP) will promote integrated water resources and flood risk management, restore nature-based coastal defenses, and strengthen institutional and community capacity for strategic action planning, directly benefiting over 3.8 million people in Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin districts, according to ADB.
The Punjab project will enhance agricultural productivity and climate resilience across 30 districts, improving small farmers’ access to climate-smart machinery, introducing circular agriculture practices to reduce residue burning, establishing testing and training facilities, and empowering 15,000 women through skills development and livelihood diversification.
Earlier this month, the ADB also approved $381 million in financing for Pakistan’s Punjab province to modernize agriculture and strengthen education and health services, including concessional loans and grants for farm mechanization, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and nursing sector reforms.
