Saudi relief reaches cold-hit Gilgit-Baltistan

Residents of Astor district in Gilgit-Baltistan receive winter kits from KSRelief. (Photo courtesy: KSRelief)
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Updated 14 January 2020
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Saudi relief reaches cold-hit Gilgit-Baltistan

  • Saudi relief program will help 150,000 Pakistanis in winter-affected regions
  • KSRelief’s winter assistance program in Pakistan is worth $1.5 million

ISLAMABAD: King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) distributed much-needed warm clothing and winter kits in Astor district of Gilgit-Baltistan, the Saudi Embassy said in a statement on Tuesday.




Residents of Astor district in Gilgit-Baltistan receive winter kits from KSRelief. (Photo courtesy: KSRelief)

As severe cold has struck several regions in Pakistan, in Astor, where hundreds of families have been badly affected, KSRelief distributed 3,000 blankets and 1,500 pieces of winter gear, including “men’s and women’s shawls, socks, gloves, and caps,” according to the statement.




Residents of Astor district in Gilgit-Baltistan receive winter kits from KSRelief. (Photo courtesy: KSRelief)

Earlier this month, KSRelief launched its winter aid program to distribute $1.5 million worth emergency kits in 21 districts of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, which have been hit by severe cold spells this winter.
The initiative will benefit 150,000 people.




Residents of Astor district in Gilgit-Baltistan receive winter kits from KSRelief. (Photo courtesy: KSRelief)

With one of the largest humanitarian aid budgets in the world, KSRelief has been working in 46 countries. Pakistan is the fifth-largest recipient of its help and has received more than $117.6 million in aid since 2005.




KSRelief officers distribute winter aid to families in cold-affected Astor district of Gilgit Baltistan. (Photo courtesy: KSRelief)

In November, hundreds of have undergone eye surgery and regained vision in Khairpur district of Sindh province during a medical campaign by KSRelief to prevent and treat blindness.


Pakistan forms committee to negotiate financial advisory services for Islamabad airport privatization

Updated 18 February 2026
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Pakistan forms committee to negotiate financial advisory services for Islamabad airport privatization

  • Committee to engage Asian Development Bank to negotiate terms of financial advisory services agreement, says privatization ministry
  • Inaugurated in 2018, Islamabad airport has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities and operational inefficiencies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Privatization Ministry announced on Wednesday that it has formed a committee to engage the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to negotiate a potential financial advisory services agreement for the privatization of Islamabad International Airport.

The Islamabad International Airport, inaugurated in 2018 at a cost of over $1 billion, has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities, and operational inefficiencies.

The Negotiation Committee formed by the Privatization Commission will engage with the ADB to negotiate the terms of a potential Financial Advisory Services Agreement (FASA) for the airport’s privatization, the ministry said. 

“The Negotiation Committee has been mandated to undertake negotiations and submit its recommendations to the Board for consideration and approval, in line with the applicable regulatory framework,” the Privatization Ministry said in a statement. 

The ministry said Islamabad airport operations will be outsourced under a concession model through an open and competitive process to enhance its operational efficiency and improve service delivery standards. 

Pakistan has recently sought to privatize or outsource management of several state-run enterprises under conditions agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a $7 billion bailout approved in September last year.

Islamabad hopes outsourcing airport operations will bring operational expertise, enhance passenger experience and restore confidence in the aviation sector.

In December 2025, Pakistan’s government successfully privatized its national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), selling 75 percent of its stakes to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group. 

The group secured a 75 percent stake in the PIA for Rs135 billion ($482 million) after several rounds of bidding, valuing the airline at Rs180 billion ($643 million).

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said this week the government has handed over 26 state-owned enterprises to the Privatization Commission.