Dutch telecom pays Dhabi Group $273 mln to acquire 15% stake in Jazz

Undated photo of a Jazz bill-board (R) in Karachi, Pakistan. (Photo Courtesy: Social Media)
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Updated 24 March 2021

Dutch telecom pays Dhabi Group $273 mln to acquire 15% stake in Jazz

  • VEON now has 100% ownership of the leading mobile service provider in Pakistan 
  • Jazz has over 68 million subscribers, including 27 million 4G users, was first to bring GSM to Pakistan

KARACHI: Dutch telecom giant, VEON Limited, has acquired 15 percent minority stakes in Pakistan Mobile Communications Limited (PMCL) from the Dhabi Group for $273 million, the European firm announced this week, making the company the 100% owner of Pakistan’s leading mobile service provider.

VEON is listed on NASDAQ and provides global connectivity and Internet services while PMCL operates a leading mobile service provider, Jazz, in Pakistan. 

“Our ambition to digitally empower Pakistan is fueled through enhanced connectivity and by creating equal opportunities for all,” Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim told Arab News on Wednesday. “We will continue to empower the people in remote areas to ensure that every Pakistani has access to high-speed Internet, and no one is left behind.”

In a statement issued on Monday, VEON said the transaction followed the Dhabi Group’s exercise of its out option announced on 28 September, 2020 and now gave VEON 100% ownership of PMCL, thereby streamlining the group’s governance over its Pakistani assets and enabling VEON to capture the full value of the growing business, including future dividends paid by PMCL. 

“We are excited to conclude this transaction and take full ownership of our business in Pakistan. Jazz has an abundance of growth opportunities as its customers embrace our market-leading 4G and digital services,” Sergi Herrero, VEON’s co-CEO, said in the statement. 

“We look forward to supporting the team at Jazz as they continue to develop these opportunities further,” Herrero said, adding: “I would also like to thank the Dhabi Group which has been a strong partner to VEON in Pakistan.” 

In September last year, the Dhabi Group, an Abu Dhabi-based investment holding company, decided to exit Pakistan’s telecom sector by selling out 15 percent stakes in Jazz to VEON. In 2016, Warid Telecom Pakistan, backed by the Dhabi Group, was also acquired by Jazz. In return, the group received 15 percent stakes in Jazz. 

With over 68 million subscribers, including 27 million 4G users, Jazz is one of the biggest mobile operators in Pakistan and the first to start GSM operations in the country. The mobile operator was also the first to provide 4G services to the residents of South Waziristan, a remote tribal area in the northwest of Pakistan. 

“The rollout of 4G services in South Waziristan is in line with our commitment to bridge the digital divide and connect our fellow countrymen with fast and reliable mobile broadband,” the Jazz CEO said. 

About 98 percent of Pakistani households own a mobile phone whereas mobile service penetration has reached 84 percent with 180 million mobile subscriptions, according to government data. 


Pakistan regulator bans coverage of rallies, gatherings ahead of ex-PM Khan court appearance

Updated 10 sec ago

Pakistan regulator bans coverage of rallies, gatherings ahead of ex-PM Khan court appearance

  • Khan is scheduled to appear before an Islamabad court to seek pre-arrest bail in multiple cases
  • Regulator says footage of mobs, attacks on police aired live ‘created chaos and panic among viewers’

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has barred television news channels from live and recorded coverage of rallies or public gatherings by any party, organization and individual in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, the regulator said on Monday, ahead of a court appearance by former prime minister Imran Khan.

The court ban comes after Khan supporters clashed with police earlier this month outside his Zaman Park residence in Lahore as well as outside a judicial complex in Islamabad where the former premier had appeared before a judge. The scenes of violence and chaos were widely televised

On Monday, in an advisory titled “Prohibition order on live coverage under Section 27 of PEMRA Ordinance 2002,” the regulator said it had observed that satellite TV channels were showing live footage and images of violent mobs attacking police and law enforcement agencies.

PEMRA said such footage or images were broadcast on TV “without any editorial oversight” during a recent standoff between supporters of a political party and law enforcement agencies in Lahore and Islamabad, wherein a violent mob used petrol bombs, injured unarmed policemen and torched police vehicles.  

The live telecast of such footage on different satellite TV channels “created chaos and panic among the viewers and police,” the electronic media regulator said.

“The competent authority while exercising powers vested under Section 27(a) of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002, as amended by PEMRA (Amendment) Act 2007, hereby prohibits live/recorded coverage of any kind of rally, public gathering, procession by any party, organization and individual, etc. in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) for today i.e. March 27, 2023,” PEMRA said.

In case of non-compliance, the media watchdog said the license of the TV channel would be suspended under Section 30(3) of PEMRA Ordinance 2002 without any show-cause notice, along with other enabling provisions of law.

The development came ahead of Khan’s appearance before an Islamabad court today, Monday, to request pre-arrest bail in cases registered against him over March 18 clashes between his supporters and the police in the Pakistani capital.

On March 18, hundreds of Khan supporters clashed with police as the former premier led a motorized caravan to the Pakistani capital from the eastern city of Lahore to appear before an Islamabad district court in a graft case.  

Several people were injured on both sides during the clashes that forced the court to adjourn proceedings of the case, popularly known as the Toshakhana reference, until March 30.  

Prior to that, Khan supporters had clashed with police in Lahore, when law enforcers attempted to arrest the ex-PM following the issuance of his non-bailable warrants in the Toshakhana case.


Pakistan-origin lawyer Tirana Hassan to lead Human Rights Watch

Updated 16 min 31 sec ago

Pakistan-origin lawyer Tirana Hassan to lead Human Rights Watch

  • New executive director was born in Singapore to Pakistani father and Malaysian-born Sri Lankan and Chinese mother
  • One of Hassan’s priorities will be to call out government selective applications of human rights obligations

ISLAMABAD: Tirana Hassan, a lawyer and veteran human rights investigator of Pakistan origin who has documented rights abuses throughout crises and conflicts globally, has been named the next executive director of Human Rights Watch, the organization announced on Monday.

Hassan was previously the Human Rights Watch chief programs officer and had been serving as acting executive director since September 2022, following the departure of long-time leader Kenneth Roth.

“As new executive director of Human Rights Watch, Tirana Hassan brings impeccable credentials as a human rights practitioner and an ambitious vision for human rights solutions to the challenges the world is facing,” said Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, CEO and president of the International Peace Institute and the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“A hugely experienced activist, Tirana will be a formidable leader and very much a force to be reckoned with!”

Hassan was born in Singapore to a Pakistani father whose family left India during partition and a Malaysian-born Sri Lankan and Chinese mother. Her family resettled in Australia in the 1970s after her father’s academic research on Singapore’s housing policies triggered the ire of the government, which was cracking down on dissent. She has said family stories of racism, prejudice, and repression helped shape her world view and contributed to her decision to work on behalf of rights for dispossessed people. Hassan holds degrees from the University of South Australia, University of Adelaide and Oxford University.

With decades of experience in the human rights and humanitarian fields, Hassan, who began her career as a social worker and spent many years working with women and children in conflict and crisis situations, first joined Human Rights Watch in 2010, covering emergencies across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. She went on to become Amnesty International’s director of crisis response before returning to Human Rights Watch as its chief programs officer in 2020, leading the organization’s research, advocacy, legal, and communications departments.

“Tirana has the rare combination of wide-ranging investigative experience, strategic creativity, and a deep commitment to human rights principle that Human Rights Watch needs to tackle the complex human rights challenges the world is facing,” said Kenneth Roth, former executive director at Human Rights Watch, who stepped down in August 2022. “I am thrilled that she will lead Human Rights Watch into the future.”

When she headed Amnesty International’s crisis team, Hassan oversaw the development of innovative uses of technology to advance human rights investigations in Myanmar, Syria, and other crisis areas. She brings a proven track record of developing ambitious programs to address critical human rights issues and will lead the Human Rights Watch’s work with activists, survivors, and civil society to head off the rising threats to human rights around the world.

“Tirana brings a powerful vision of innovation to this role – one that merges tried and true reporting methods with new and emerging technologies,” said Brad Samuels, director at SITU Research, a visual investigations practice that has worked with Human Rights Watch on several projects.

“She will be navigating a technology landscape filled with opportunities and hazards in equal measure, but her critical, collaborative, and rigorous approach will unlock powerful untapped investigative potential. This appointment is bad news for despots, autocratic regimes, and, especially, those who seek to evade accountability.”

One of Hassan’s priorities will be to call out government selective applications of human rights obligations. She will focus on using all possible levers to push governments to realize their legal obligations to victims everywhere, including in Afghanistan, Israel and Palestine, Ethiopia, and Iran.

“Tirana possesses the unique ability to be both a strong and an empathetic leader in calling out injustice without hesitation,” said Sherine Tadros, former correspondent for Sky News and current head of Amnesty International’s UN office and deputy director of advocacy who worked closely with Hassan over the years.

“Staff at Human Rights Watch are lucky to have her, and the human rights community as a whole is strengthened with her at the helm.”

After receiving a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of South Australia, Hassan worked as a social worker in Los Angeles, London, and Adelaide, counseling homeless young people before obtaining a law degree from the University of Adelaide. During her last year of law school, she co-founded the Woomera Lawyers Group, a refugee advocacy organization that provided legal services to asylum seekers detained in Australia’s notorious desert detention center. She represented refugees and asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran who were detained in the remote facility and later went on to work in the humanitarian sector. Hassan also holds a master’s degree in international human rights law from Oxford University.

Hassan served as a specialist focusing on the need to provide protection for children and for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict areas and the natural disaster response across Asia and Africa, with Médecins Sans Frontières, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, and Save the Children.

“I’m honored and humbled to lead this exceptional organization at a moment when the defense of human rights feels more urgent than ever,” Hassan said. “I look forward to building on Human Rights Watch’s formidable foundation to uplift the human rights defenders we work with and the communities we serve to put pressure on those in power to realize a rights-respecting future for us all.”


Saudi, Iranian foreign ministers to meet during Ramadan

Updated 27 March 2023

Saudi, Iranian foreign ministers to meet during Ramadan

  • The diplomats discussed in a phone call a number of issues relating to the trilateral agreement signed in China 
  • The Kingdom and Iran agreed on March 10 to re-establish diplomatic ties and reopen their embassies within two months

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, have agreed to meet during the month of Ramadan, the Saudi Press Agency reported early Monday. 

The diplomats also discussed in a phone call a number of issues relating to the trilateral agreement signed in China. 

"During the call, a number of common issues were discussed in light of the tripartite agreement that was signed in the People's Republic of China," Saudi state news agency SPA said. 

“The two ministers also agreed to hold a bilateral meeting between them during the ongoing month of Ramadan.” 

Ramadan is likely to end on April 20. 

The Kingdom and Iran agreed on March 10 to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies within two months following years of tensions. 


Ex-PM Khan to appear before Islamabad court seeking bail in cases over clashes with police 

Updated 27 March 2023

Ex-PM Khan to appear before Islamabad court seeking bail in cases over clashes with police 

  • Hundreds of Khan supporters clashed with police on March 18 as the ex-PM led a caravan to an Islamabad court 
  • Islamabad administration has banned public gatherings in the capital, tightened security ahead of Khan appearance 

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan will appear before an Islamabad court on Monday, today, to seek bail in five cases registered against him over clashes between his supporters and the capital police earlier this month. 

Hundreds of Khan supporters clashed with police on March 18 as the former premier led a caravan to the Pakistani capital from the eastern city of Lahore to appear before an Islamabad district court in a case involving the sale of state gifts. 

The clashes left several people injured on both sides and forced the court to adjourn proceedings of the case, popularly known as the Toshakhana reference, until March 30. However, Khan was booked in five more cases over clashes outside the Islamabad judicial complex. 

The Islamabad administration has imposed Section 144 (ban on public gatherings and display of weapons) in the federal capital, whereas the capital police have tightened security ahead of Khan’s appearance before the court. 

“Section 144 is in force in Islamabad. Violators will be arrested,” the Islamabad police said on Twitter. “In the light of court orders, only concerned persons will be allowed to enter the court premises.” 

Khan, who was ousted in a parliamentary no-trust vote in April last year, has for months been agitating against the government of PM Shehbaz Sharif and pushing for snap elections nationwide. 

He later dissolved two provincial legislatures ruled by his party and allies in a bid to pressure the government into announcing snap polls. 

The former premier faces dozens of cases across the country, with charges against him ranging from terrorism to sedition. 


In southwest Pakistan, fried vermicelli is everyone’s favorite Ramadan delight

Updated 11 min 4 sec ago

In southwest Pakistan, fried vermicelli is everyone’s favorite Ramadan delight

  • Many Pakistanis, fasting from dawn till dusk, prefer the staple, called ‘pheni,’ with hot milk in pre-dawn meals
  • Customers complain of increase in pheni’s price, bakery owners attribute it to soaring inflation across the country

QUETTA: After offering afternoon prayers, 54-year-old Muhammad Aziz starts displaying buckets filled with round bunches of fried vermicelli, called “pheni,” to attract customers to a local sweet shop in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta. Aziz, who works as a manager at the sweet shop, says the demand for the staple food item “increases” in southwest Pakistan during the holy month of Ramadan. 

In southwestern Pakistan, pheni is a Ramadan delight as people love to consume the light food item in their pre-dawn sehri meals. Vermicelli enthusiasts often consume it with hot milk and tea, which helps them avoid heavier meals during suhoor. 

“The demand for pheni increases in Ramadan because customers eat it with hot milk in their suhoor,” Aziz, 54, told Arab News on Saturday. “In Ramadan, we sell almost five to six buckets a day and each bucket contains 15-20 kilogram of pheni.” 

People buy vermicelli at a local sweet shop in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on March 26, 2023. (AN photo)

Mumtaz Ali, 43, has been making vermicelli for the last 20 years at Quality Sweets, a famous sweet shop in Quetta. Ali says his team, which comprises 12 members, works for 15 hours a day during Ramadan to prepare six sacks of vermicelli. 

Each sack weighs 85kg. 

“In Ramadan we hire extra labor who work in the vermicelli section for a month but we stop making pheni after the 23rd of Ramadan,” Ali told Arab News, adding that the focus then shifts toward confectionary items for Eid. 

The picture taken on March 26, 2023, shows stacks of fried vermicelli at a local sweet shop in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta (AN photo)

Explaining how the snack is prepared, Ali says “high quality” of flour is used to make vermicelli, which his workers knead with their hands and through machines. Next, it is mixed with water and salt. 

“Then we apply ghee to it and later we stretch the dough and make them into dough balls,” he said. “We then bring it here [to the kitchen] and fry it here to bring it into this position.” 

With inflation soaring to a decades-high in the country, bakery owners in Balochistan have also increased the price of pheni this Ramadan season. A kilogram of the round, slender threads has risen to Rs650 ($2.30) from Rs500 ($1.74) last year. 

“Inflation increases day-by-day, previously it increased in a year but now prices jump within a week,” Muhammad Javed Butt, who owns a bakery in Quetta, told Arab News. 

“Flour and oil prices have increased which is why we have to slightly up the [pheni’s] rate to maintain its quality.” 

But it nonetheless remains a part of people’s pre-dawn meals in Balochistan, he added. 

Khalid Hussain, 65, who buys pheni for his family every Ramadan, said they have it in sehr and iftar with milk. 

“Children love it a lot, they mix it with milk and really enjoy it,” he told Arab News. 

Hussain said there may be many baked items for Ramadan but pheni is the “most eatable” one.