ISLAMABAD: Pakistan hopes that a $6 billion IMF loan package it is currently availing will be its last, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said in an interview published on Friday, adding that the government planned to boost spending on large infrastructure projects by up to 40 percent to create jobs and foster productivity in a pandemic-hit economy.
Earlier this week, Tarin denied the country was opting out of an International Monetary Fund program, saying the government had approached the IMF to ask it to ease “tough conditions” on a $6 billion loan.
The International Monetary Fund Executive board approved the three-year loan package for Pakistan in July 2019 to rein in mounting debts and stave off a looming balance of payments crisis, in exchange for tough austerity measures. In March this year, the IMF said after the latest payment, Pakistan had received total disbursements of $2 billion under the Extended Fund Facility.
“All we are saying is that we are just basically going to give them alternate ways of achieving the same objective” including revenue generation and reducing energy debt, Tarin said in an interview with Bloomberg, adding that the aim was for this to be the last IMF bailout in Pakistan’s history.
While balancing the budget will be key for Pakistan’s current loan program with the IMF, the new finance minister is negotiating with the organization for more wriggle room to support economic growth, Bloomberg said.
The government’s GDP target for next year is a percentage point higher than the IMF’s 4 percent projection, and Tarin seeks to boost growth to 6 percent in the year after, he said. The Washington-based lender sees the economy expanding 1.5 percent in the current fiscal period after a rare contraction last year.
The federal government will earmark as much as 900 billion rupees ($6 billion) for development expenditure in the year beginning July, Tarin, who took office last month, said in an interview with Bloomberg in Islamabad. The economy needs to expand by 5 percent next year, he said.
“That’s the bare minimum we need for a country this size,” Tarin, who is due to present a new budget next month for the world’s fifth most-populous nation, said. “There are almost 110 million youth.”
“Tarin’s plan will reverse his predecessor’s decision to lower spending to narrow the budget deficit, which he estimates to be a little above 7 percent of gross domestic product in the current fiscal year through June, against 8.1 percent in the previous year,” Bloomberg reported. “Tarin said he expects the deficit in the next fiscal to be 1 or 1.5 percentage points lower.”
“We need 2 million jobs every year,” he said. “If we do not go into growth mode, we will have a major crisis on the streets.”
The central bank, which has cut interest rates to a three-year low to support the economy, has been on pause mode for a while and has left some of the heavy lifting to the government.
“First we have to get more revenues,” Tarin said, adding that he’s targeting about 6 trillion rupees next year in tax authority revenue, compared with this year’s 4.75 trillion-rupee target.
Aiming that this is last IMF bailout in Pakistan’s history — finance minister
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Aiming that this is last IMF bailout in Pakistan’s history — finance minister
- Shaukat Tarin says will give IMF “alternate ways of achieving same objective” including revenue generation and reducing energy debt
- Says Pakistan plans to boost spending on large infrastructure projects by up to 40 percent to create jobs and foster productivity
Legendary Pakistani actor Talat Hussain passes away after prolonged illness
- Talat Hussain, whose career spanned six decades, featured in prominent TV dramas, stage plays and films
- Hussain received several awards during his lifetime, including Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Pride of Performance awards
ISLAMABAD: Legendary Pakistani actor Talat Hussain passed away in Karachi on Sunday at the age of 83 after a prolonged illness, his daughter confirmed, as tributes from prominent journalists and actors poured in from all over the country.
The actor, whose career spanned several decades from the 1960s and saw him perform in critically acclaimed TV dramas, movies and stage plays over the years, passed away at a private hospital in Karachi. Hussain is survived by a wife, two daughters and a son.
He starred in prominent projects such as Chiragh Jalta Raha, Ishaara, Gumnaam, Qurbani, Jinnah— The Movie, Actor in Law, Chupan Chupai and Project Ghazi.
“It is with profound grief and a very heavy heart that we announce that our dearest Talat Hussain passed to his eternal abode this morning,” his daughter Tazeen Hussain wrote on Instagram.
“Details of funeral and otherwise to follow later.”
Hussain studied at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. His stellar performances earned him prestigious awards throughout his career, including the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) award in 2021 and the Pride of Performance Award in 1982 by the Pakistani government.
He was also awarded the Amanda Award in 2006 for Best Supporting Actor in the Norwegian film “Import Eksport” and the Nigar Award in 1986 for Best Supporting Actor in the film “Miss Bangkok.”
“Talat Hussain was one of the very few actors in Pakistan whom every generation knows about,” prominent Pakistani actor Behroze Sabzwari told Geo News.
Sabzwari said Hussain was a very “unique” actor and had his own sense of style.
“I always received love and affection from him,” he said. “He was my friend and was a great man.”
Pakistan PM expresses sorrow as deadly accident kills 11 of a family
- Deadly accident occurred on Saturday when passenger van collided with truck on Muzaffargarh-Mianwali Highway
- PM wishes speedy recovery for injured, directs authorities to provide “immediate medical treatment” to them
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow and grief over an accident this week that killed 11 of a family and injured 10 others, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Sunday.
The incident took place on the Muzaffargarh-Mianwali Highway on Saturday when a passenger van en route to Multan from Bhakkar collided with a truck. The accident resulted in the deaths of five men, three women and three children.
All 11 deceased were members of the same family, rescue officials confirmed, adding that they were traveling to visit relatives when the accident occurred.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the deaths of eleven members of a family in a traffic mishap on Muzaffargarh-Mianwali Highway,” APP said.
“The prime minister also wished speedy recovery of the injured and directed for the provision of immediate medical treatment to them.”
Road accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads, particularly in many rural areas, are in poor condition. In the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region, road tragedies are daily news.
Ten fan parks to broadcast iconic India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash— ICC
- Fan parks in New York, Birmingham, Rawalpindi, New Delhi and South Africa to broadcast India-Pakistan match on June 9
- Political tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan make their cricket rivalry one of sports’ fiercest ones
ISLAMABAD: Cricket fans in India, Pakistan, the United States and South Africa would be able to enjoy the iconic India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash on June 9 in ten different fan parks in their countries, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said this week.
The ICC has announced that this year’s World Cup matches will be broadcast in fan parks where people will watch the action live on huge screens with live entertainment including DJs, food and drink outlets, cricket ambassadors and family activities. In total, 23 matches will be shown across 16 fan parks in five countries next month.
Political tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan make their cricket matches a spectacle to watch for millions of fans across the globe. Diplomatic rows between the two countries mean they only play each other in other countries and only at international tournaments. Both haven’t played each other in a bilateral series since several years.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam will lead his side against Rohit Sharma’s India on June 9 in New York as both Group A teams lock horns in the ICC T20 World Cup fixture. The match will be broadcast in several fan parks across the world, the ICC said.
“Ten different fan parks will show the Group A game between India and Pakistan, including Cedar Creek Park, Seaford, New York hosted by Nassau County, the Indira Gandhi Indoor Arena in New Delhi, India and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Pakistan,” the ICC said in a statement on Saturday.
In New York City, the Oculus World Trade Center is one of the standout venues, with the fan park showing 18 matches on 10 different dates, including the highly anticipated final on June 29.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring communities together through broadcasting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in a record number of fan parks,” ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley said in a statement.
“These parks are designed to make the sport more accessible and enjoyable, allowing fans of all ages to experience a T20 World Cup like never before,” Tetley added.
Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets during their T20 World Cup clash in 2021 but the blue shirts exacted revenge on their traditional rivals next year, beating Pakistan by four wickets courtesy of a fighting half-century by former Indian skipper Virat Kohli.
Pakistan reports third polio case of 2024 from southwestern Balochistan province
- Virus detected in stool samples from child in southwestern Killa Abdullah district, says state media
- Pakistan and Afghanistan remain only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities reported the third poliovirus case of the current year on Saturday, state-run media reported, as Islamabad struggles to contain the crippling disease despite nationwide vaccination and awareness campaigns.
The latest polio case was reported from Pakistan’s southwestern Killa Abdullah district on Saturday, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said in a report. The virus was detected in stool samples collected from a child in the Darozai union council of Killa Abdullah district, the report said, adding that he had developed symptoms of paralysis on April 20.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where the poliovirus, which causes paralysis and can be a life-threatening disease, is endemic.
“It is incredibly tragic that another child has been affected by polio this year in Balochistan,” Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, coordinator to the prime minister on national health services, said.
Dr. Bharath said polio is a terrible disease that affects not only the life of the child but their family as well. He said the government was bringing vaccines to the citizens’ doorsteps, urging them to avail the opportunity.
“I urge families to understand the risk this disease poses to children and make sure that they vaccinate all their children under the age of five when the polio worker shows up to their homes,” he said.
This is the third polio case of the year reported from Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province and the first reported from Killa Abdullah after three years.
Last year, six polio cases were reported in the country which included four from the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and two from the southern port city of Karachi.
Pakistan’s efforts to contain polio have often been met with opposition, especially in KP, where militants have carried out attacks against vaccinators and security teams guarding them.
Many believe in the conspiracy theory that polio vaccines are part of a plot by Western outsiders to sterilize Pakistan’s population.
Pakistani masses’ doubts regarding polio campaigns were exacerbated in 2011 when the US Central Intelligence Agency set up a fake hepatitis vaccination program to gather intelligence on former Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
Pakistani students praise teachers, landlords for ‘timely’ rescue during Kyrgyzstan mob violence
- Teachers stayed with students in hostels to protect them from rioters while landlords took many to safety
- Many students say they will resume their studies in Bishkek after their semester break ends in September
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani students evacuated from Kyrgyzstan after recent riots and violence against foreign nationals on Saturday lauded “tremendous and timely” support from their teachers and landlords, saying that they rescued and saved their lives.
Last week, violent riots erupted in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, following the emergence of online videos showing a brawl between local and Egyptian students of medical sciences. The mobs mostly targeted the hostels of medical universities and private lodges of international students, including Pakistanis, in the city.
Around 10,000 Pakistani students are enrolled in different institutes in Kyrgyzstan and nearly 6,000 of them were studying in Bishkek, according to Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in the Central Asian country. The Pakistan government has evacuated thousands of students stranded in Bishkek by arranging special flights following the riots.
“We are alive today due to tremendous, effective and timely support of our teachers and landlords shortly after the violence,” Bilal Ahmad, a fourth-year medical student from Vehari district in Punjab province, told Arab News on phone. “Our teachers stayed with us in the hostel the whole night to protect us from the mob.”
Ahmad said when the situation normalized in Bishkek, local elders and officials apologized to the students for the violence. “They shared their mobile numbers with us to call them in any emergency,” he added.
Social media platforms were abuzz with different videos and photos showing the mob attacks against the international students in Bishkek. The Kyrgyz miscreants barged into hostels to attack foreign students without discrimination. Five Pakistani students were injured as a result, according to the Pakistan embassy, one of them seriously.
“We locked our doors and windows and reinforced them with cupboards, tables and chairs to prevent the miscreants from entering,” Asadullah Khan, a third-year medical student from Quetta, told Arab News.
“We switched off lights of our rooms and prayed to Allah … We called our landlord and she immediately responded and rescued us from there,” he said, adding that she took around nine students to her residence in her own car on the gloomy night.
Khan said that members of local communities, teachers and other university staff had cooperated with the students in the difficult time. “They brought us food, water and biscuits and stood by us against their own people,” he continued.
He also informed the local community and teachers had widely circulated audio and video messages of apology to international students, including Pakistanis, a day after the violence, promising to do everything to hold all the criminals accountable.
Khan said his parents were worried about his safety, fearing that they may not let him resume his studies in Bishkek after the semester break ended in September.
“My parents are pushing me to migrate to a local medical college in Pakistan to complete my studies,” he added. “I have invested my three years and a lot of money, so let’s see when the education resumes.”
Some students said the situation was completely under control in Bishkek days after the violence, as the local police and paramilitary took charge of the security of hostels and private apartments where international students were residing.
“I will go back to resume my studies since I can’t waste my time,” Anjum Rasheed, a final year medical student from Peshawar, told Arab News. “The days of the violence are over now, and local Kyrgyz community has repeatedly apologized to the students for the unfortunate incident.”
“Our teachers and other staff of the university had been extremely cooperative during the mob attack, and there is no reason for us to quit the studies,” he said, adding that one of his teachers rescued him from the hostel and took him to a shelter arranged by a human rights organization in the city.
He also noted that a local family transported him with a couple of other students to the airport for their flight back to Pakistan.
