ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Friday said it had closed the gates along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border for two days according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.
The decision – to shut down the crossings along the Chaman and Torkham border today and tomorrow – was taken at Kabul’s request to help it conduct its parliamentary elections seamlessly. “Both the crossing points will remain closed for all kinds of traffic, except emergency cases,” it added.
However, on Friday, the Afghan government said that it had decided to postpone the polls to maintain security in the Kandahar province, following the killings of two top officials in Kandahar city on Thursday in an attack initiated by a Taliban militant. The officials included Kandahar’s governor, its police and intelligence chief who had congregated to attend a security meeting with American officials and discuss security measures for the upcoming elections.
Afghanistan remains prone to extremist violence, though its security forces have been fighting against militant factions with international assistance for years. It has frequently blamed Pakistan for its security deficit, though Islamabad has also accused Kabul of providing a sanctuary to groups and individuals who have been targeting Pakistani state and society with impunity.
Pakistan shuts down Chaman and Torkham gates
Pakistan shuts down Chaman and Torkham gates
- Initiates move for two days on Afghanistan’s request
- Follows killings of top Kandahar officials on Thursday
Global ride-hailing company inDrive eyes expansion into Pakistan’s foodtech, health care sectors
- InDrive CEO Arsen Tomsky says company challenges unfair practices such as inflated rates, high commissions
- Says Pakistan among inDrive’s top ten markets worldwide, notes country’s large youthful population
ISLAMABAD: The chief executive officer of global ride-hailing company inDrive revealed this week that his organization was eyeing expanding into Pakistan’s foodtech and health care sectors, aiming to tap into the country’s massive young population.
The development takes place after inDrive announced earlier this month that it was entering Pakistan’s online grocery delivery market by launching a new service in the southern port city of Karachi. inDrive said it would launch the service by partnering with quick commerce platform Krave Mart.
In an interview with state-run Pakistan TV Digital on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, the company’s founder and CEO Arsen Tomsky said it enters countries where policies are stable and to challenge what he described as unfair practices such as inflated rates, high commissions and price monopolies.
“Step by step we will launch into new fields where we see significant injustice,” Tomsky said. “For example, we have started to think about health care. Also this year, we are expanding in foodtech, where we see again, a significant level of injustice.”
Tomsky noted that Pakistan is among the company’s top ten markets globally. He added that the South Asian country presented significant opportunities as it was home to over 250 million people, where a large percentage of the population was young.
“The market is absolutely booming and taking off,” he said. “I believe in the fantastic future of the country.”
According to inDrive’s website, it was founded in 2013 and incorporated in the US in 2018. inDrive says it is available in 888 cities across 48 countries.
The ride-hailing platform’s unique feature allows passengers and drivers to negotiate the fare directly. The company says that in 2022 and again in 2023, inDrive was the second most downloaded ride-hailing app worldwide based on Google Play and App Store data.
