ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi urged India on Tuesday to immediately release all political prisoners in Kashmir, even as he pushed for those imprisoned to be extended their right to freedom of speech.
During his visit to Muzaffarabad — the capital city of Pakistan-administered Kashmir — President Alvi addressed a special session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly as part of the Kashmir Solidarity Day commemorations.
He also urged India to allow the Kashmiri leadership to travel abroad and present their viewpoints to the rest of the world; and to stop the use of firearms and pellet guns against civilians in the area.
President Alvi stressed that India should stop its ongoing “atrocities” and allow international observers to investigate human rights’ violations in the Valley, as well.
Mushtaq Minhas, the Minister for Information in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, told Arab News that Dr. Alvi’s visit to Muzaffarabad was significant and showed that the Pakistani leadership fully supported the struggle of the Kashmiri people.
Meanwhile, Major General Asif Ghafoor, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) ---- which is the media wing of Pakistan’s military --- said that decades of “atrocities” have failed to suppress the Kashmiri freedom struggle.
“Kashmir remains a long-pending unresolved issue on the UN agenda since 1948. Decades of atrocities by Indian Occupation Forces have failed to suppress ever strengthening legitimate freedom struggle. Determined Kashmiris shall succeed IA. #KashmirSolidarityDay,” he tweeted.
Kashmir Solidarity Day is an occasion which is marked across Pakistan on February 5 every year. This year, the government of Pakistan re-affirmed its “unflinching support” to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their struggle for self-determination.
India must release all political prisoners in Kashmir — President Alvi
India must release all political prisoners in Kashmir — President Alvi
- Urges neighbor to recognize the rights of the people in the Valley
- Pakistan remains committed to finding a just and peaceful solution to long-standing dispute, foreign minister says
Kuwait-backed digital bank to enter Pakistan with $100 million investment
- Finance adviser Khurram Schehzad describes the development as sign of rising investor confidence
- It comes as Pakistan seeks foreign investment particularly from Gulf nations to bolster its economy
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Adviser Khurram Shehzad on Friday said Kuwait Investment Authority–backed Raqqami Islamic Digital Bank (RIDB) was set to invest $100 million in the South Asian country by launching operations in February this year.
The bank will be Pakistan’s first fully digital Shariah-compliant bank, according to its website. It offers online financing, savings, and payments to individuals and small-medium enterprises, with a focus on financial inclusion for underserved segments.
The development comes as Pakistan seeks foreign investment, particularly from Gulf nations, to bolster its economy and stabilize its finances. In 2024, the State Bank of Pakistan had issued a no-objection certificate to RIDB.
“Kuwait Investment Authority–backed Raqqami Bank set to launch in Pakistan with a $100 million investment,” Schehzad said in a post on X. “This is a strong vote of confidence in Pakistan’s improving economic outlook and reform momentum.”
Schehzad said Raqqami was backed by the State of Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund, a development he described as a sign of rising investor confidence in Pakistan.
It also underscores strengthening investment ties between Pakistan and Kuwait, particularly in the financial and digital economy sectors, he added.
Earlier in January, Bank Islami launched Pakistan’s first Shariah-compliant QR payment gateway enabling real-time online payments allowing customers to pay instantly from their bank accounts and enabling merchants to receive payments securely through a smooth checkout experience.
