ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday expressed its disappointment at the adoption of a resolution in the European Parliament calling for a temporary withdrawal of Pakistan’s preferential trade status with the European Union under the GSP+ mechanism in the wake of the recent anti-France protests in the country by a religious party.
In an official statement issued by the foreign office, it said that the discourse in the European legislature reflected “a lack of understanding” regarding blasphemy laws and religious sensitivities in Pakistan and the rest of the Muslim world.
“Pakistan is a parliamentary democracy with a vibrant civil society, free media and independent judiciary, which remains fully committed to the promotion and protection of human rights for all its citizens without discrimination,” said the statement. “We are proud of our minorities who enjoy equal rights and complete protection of fundamental freedoms as enshrined in the Constitution. Judicial and administrative mechanisms and remedies are in place to guard against any human rights violations.”
The European Parliament called on the European External Action Service (EEAS) earlier this week to “immediately review Pakistan’s eligibility for GSP+ status” in light of violence and discrimination against religious minorities, academics and civil society organizations.
It urged the EEAS to see if “there is sufficient reason to initiate a procedure for the temporary withdrawal of this status and the benefits that come with it, and to report to the European Parliament on this matter as soon as possible.”
A preferential trade mechanism, GSP+ allows developing countries to export some of their goods to the European Union without paying any duty.
The facility is offered to developing countries that ratify and implement 27 international conventions on human rights, environmental protection and good governance.
Pakistan has benefited from trade preferences under the GSP+ program since 2014 and has managed to enhance its exports from 4.5 billion euros in 2014 to 7.5 billion euros last year.
The European Parliament, however, expressed concerns over the violent protests in Pakistan by members of the proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) religious party which it said led to the anti-French sentiment in the country.
It also called on the government to review and repeal the blasphemy laws, saying they were incompatible with international human rights laws and were “increasingly used to target vulnerable minority groups in the country.”
The resolution urged Pakistan to amend the 1997 Anti-Terrorism Act to ensure that blasphemy cases were not tried in anti-terrorism courts and provided opportunity for bail to the accused.
It added that the EU member states must continue to support Pakistan with judicial reforms and capacity-building to ensure that lower courts were equipped to promptly hold trials for those detained and dismiss blasphemy cases that were not supported by sufficient reliable evidence.
Pakistan’s foreign office, however, said in its statement that the country had played an active role in promoting freedom of religion or belief, tolerance and inter-faith harmony.
“At a time of rising Islamophobia and populism, the international community must exhibit a common resolve to fight xenophobia, intolerance and incitement to violence based on religion or belief and work together to strengthen peaceful co-existence,” its official statement continued.
It added that Pakistan and the EU had multiple mechanisms in place to discuss entire spectrum of bilateral relations.
“We would continue to remain positively engaged with the EU on all issues of mutual interest,” said the foreign office.
Zohra Yusuf, former chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, told Arab News that Pakistan had committed to the European Union to improve its human rights situation in return for the GSP+ status, but “unfortunately the progress regarding the minorities, such as attacks on their worship places and forced conversions, has been very slow.”
“Pakistan may face economic consequences if we keep pandering to the religious right and radical groups which are often found involved in attacks against the minorities,” she said.
Pakistan ‘disappointed’ after Europe considers economic punishment for anti-France protests
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Pakistan ‘disappointed’ after Europe considers economic punishment for anti-France protests
- The European Parliament recently called for a review of Pakistan’s GSP+ status that led to an increase in the country’s exports to Europe
- Human rights experts say Pakistan may face economic consequences if it continues to pander to the religious right and radical groups
Pakistan eye third victory in Azlan Shah hockey tournament against Japan today
- Pakistan beat hosts Malaysia and South Korea 5-4, 4-0 respectively last week
- 30th edition of Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is being played in Malaysia from May 4-11
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan men’s field hockey team will face Japan today, Tuesday, in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup clash in Ipoh, state-run media reported, as the green shirts eye a third victory in the tournament.
Pakistan have already won the two matches they have played in the tournament so far against hosts Malaysia, and South Korea. Pakistan beat a strong Malaysian side 5-4 on Saturday to win their opening contest of the cup before thrashing South Korea 4-0 on Sunday.
“In the 30th Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup, Pakistan in their third match will play against Japan at Ipoh in Malaysia today,” state-run Radio Pakistan reported, adding that the match is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.
Pakistani players Abdul Hanan Shahid, Arshad Liaqat, Ghazanfar Ali and Sufiyan Khan scored goals against South Korea to ensure the national team dominated the match on Sunday. Pakistan’s defense did an impressive job to contain the Korean hockey team, thwarting their efforts to score a single goal.
The 30th edition of the prestigious field hockey tournament is being played in Ipoh, Malaysia from 4-11 May. The cup will be contested between six teams, namely Canada, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Korea.
The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 will see a round-robin stage at first where all six participating teams will play against each other once, followed by positional playoffs.
The teams finishing in the bottom two places of the league stage will contest in a fifth-place classification match. Teams finishing in third and fourth place in the pool stage will compete for bronze, while the top two teams will play in the final for the title.
All participating teams, except Japan, will be heading to Gniezno in Poland shortly after the tournament to participate in the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup. There the title and an opportunity to be promoted to the FIH Hockey Pro League will be at stake.
Pakistan Cricket Board launches national team’s kit for T20 World Cup 2024
- Pakistan will take part in T20 World Cup 2024 scheduled to kick off in United States on June 2
- Green shirts will play separate T20I series against Ireland, England this month to prepare for mega event
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) this week launched the national team’s kit for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to kick off next month in the United States and West Indies.
Cricket boards launch their national team’s kit before mega tournaments such as the World Cup. At a ceremony held in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on Monday night, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi launched the Pakistan team’s “Matrix Jersey” at the Qaddafi Stadium.
“Unveiled the new kit of Pakistan Cricket team!” Naqvi wrote on social media platform X. “Team Pakistan’s Green Matrix jersey is more than just a uniform; it’s a symbol of unity, representing every culture, and individual that makes up the rich fabric of our nation.”
The PCB chairman uploaded a video with his post in which star cricketers Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah can be seen with the PCB chairman checking out the new jerseys.
Skipper Azam and his squad have left for Dubai from where they will travel to Ireland and England to play two separate T20I series. Pakistan will play three T20Is against Ireland in Dublin from May 12-14 before they take on 2022 World Champions England from May 22-30 in a four-match series.
The series will be an important one for Pakistan as the team prepares for the T20 World Cup scheduled to kick off from June 2 in the US and West Indies.
Pakistan have a strong bowling line-up in the form of fast bowler Mohammad Amir, who played in two T20s against New Zealand after ending his retirement, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Abbas Afridi.
Under Babar, Pakistan has done well in the last two T20 World Cups, reaching the semifinals in 2021 at the United Arab Emirates and losing to England in the final at the 2022 tournament in Australia.
Naqvi has promised a cash award of $100,000 to every player if the team wins the tournament.
Saudi, Pakistani investors to continue talks today on day two of investment conference
- High-level Saudi business delegation arrived in Pakistan on Sunday to attend two-day investment conference
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia have been working closely in recent weeks to increase bilateral trade, investment deals
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani government officials and investors are expected to continue discussions with a high-level Saudi business delegation on enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries today, Tuesday, on the second day of the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia investment conference.
A 50-member delegation, led by the Kingdom’s Assistant Minister of Investment Ibrahim Al-Mubarak, arrived in Pakistan on Sunday to attend a two-day investment conference, with representatives of some 30 Saudi firms from the fields of IT, telecom, energy, aviation, construction, mining exploration, agriculture and human resource development.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been working closely in recent weeks to increase bilateral trade and investment deals, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last month reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to expedite an investment package of $5 billion.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday night that the two countries would sign “solid agreements” worth billions of dollars, saying his government was ready to remove hurdles in the way of speedy development of projects.
“That time is coming very fast, when we will, God willing, witness agreements, solid agreements worth billions of dollars. That will set the ball rolling,” Sharif said at a dinner hosted in honor of the visiting Saudi delegation.
Al-Mubarak described Pakistan as a “strategic” partner and friend of the Kingdom.
“The relationship with Pakistan has always been strong, but we look for it to be even stronger, and we can do great things together. I am sure we can achieve both countries’ aspirations and visions,” he said.
The Saudi business delegation’s visit comes on the heels of one by Sharif to Riyadh from Apr. 27-30 to attend a special two-day meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
On the sidelines of the WEF conference, the Pakistani PM met and discussed bilateral investment and economic partnerships with the crown prince and the Saudi ministers of finance, industries, investment, energy, climate, and economy and planning, the adviser of the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council and the presidents of the Saudi central bank and Islamic Development Bank.
This was Sharif’s second meeting with the crown prince in a month. Before that, he also met him when he traveled to the Kingdom on April 6-8. The Saudi foreign minister was also in Pakistan last month, a trip during which Pakistan pitched projects worth at least $20 billion to Riyadh, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense, and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as a top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.
Cash-strapped Pakistan desperately requires foreign investment as it tries to navigate an economic crisis that has resulted in a chronic balance of payments crisis for the country.
IT minister urges Saudi tech firm officials visiting Islamabad to explore opportunities in Pakistan
- Officials of several Saudi tech firms are part of the Kingdom’s high-level delegation visiting Pakistan
- The visit comes amid Pakistan, Saudi Arabia’s efforts to increase bilateral trade and investment deals
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s State Minister for Information Technology (IT) Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Monday met with representatives of Saudi Arabian IT firms, who are currently visiting Pakistan, and urged them to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan’s IT and telecom sector, the Pakistani IT ministry said.
These IT professionals are part of a high-level Saudi delegation, led by the Kingdom’s Assistant Minister of Investment Ibrahim Al-Mubarak, which arrived in Pakistan on Sunday.
“We are dedicated to offering a stable and supportive framework,” Khawaja told the Saudi delegates. “We encourage all Saudi companies to explore opportunities for partnerships and joint ventures.”
She urged the Saudi delegates to capitalize on the synergies between Pakistan’s technical proficiency and the access to the Saudi market, accompanied by the potential for valuable investments.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been closely working in recent weeks to increase bilateral trade and investment deals, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last month reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to expedite an investment package of $5 billion.
Also on Monday, the Saudi assistant minister of investment said Pakistan was a “high-priority economic investment and business opportunity” for Saudi Arabia. He was addressing a two-day Pakistan-Saudi Arabia investment conference in Islamabad, with a focus on business-to-business engagements.
“To the Saudi government and Saudi companies, Pakistan is considered a high-priority economic investment and business opportunity,” he said. “We believe in the great potential of Pakistan’s economy, demographics and talent as well as location and natural resources.”
The Saudi business delegation’s visit comes more than a week after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Riyadh to attend a special two-day meeting of the World Economic Forum, where he met top Saudi officials on the sidelines.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense, and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as a top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.
Saudi Manara Minerals’ team in Pakistan for talks on Reko Diq mine stake, document shows
- Reko Diq in southwestern Pakistan is considered one of world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas
- Manara officials are part of large delegation of Saudi investors, companies that arrived in Islamabad on Sunday
ISLAMABAD: Executives from Saudi Arabian mining company Manara Minerals are in Islamabad to continue talks about buying a stake in Pakistan’s Reko Diq gold and copper mine, a Pakistan government document showed on Monday.
The mine, located in Pakistan’s restive southwestern Balochistan province, is considered one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas by global mining company Barrick Gold Corp, which owns the project jointly with Pakistan.
The Manara officials are part of a large delegation of Saudi investors and companies that arrived in Islamabad on Sunday, according to a document seen by Reuters listing officials in the delegation.
The document listed Manara Minerals’ general manager as wanting to “continue the negotiations on the Reko Diq project.”
Barrick has said it will invest up to $10 billion to develop the project.
Manara Minerals, a joint venture between state-owned Saudi miner Ma’aden and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), declined to comment.
Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik and Commerce Minister Jam Kamal said on Monday that the Saudi delegation, representing three dozen investors and companies, will meet Pakistani companies to explore investment in sectors including agriculture, mining, aviation and livestock.
They did not name the Saudi companies.
Manara’s acting CEO Robert Wilt told Reuters in an interview in January that the company was in talks to potentially buy a stake in the Reko Diq mine.
Bloomberg has reported that Manara was initially interested in investing $1 billion to take a minority share in the copper mine.
Malik, the petroleum minister, who was also appointed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as a focal person for Saudi investments, did not respond to a Reuters request for a comment.
The Saudi delegation’s trip to Islamabad follows Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah’s visit to Islamabad last month, when he was briefed by Pakistani authorities on various avenues to invest in the country.
Pakistan, which is trying to navigate a path to economic recovery after securing an IMF bailout, desperately needs foreign investment to help fight a chronic balance of payments crisis.
