ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interior minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, said on Sunday that Prime Minister Imran Khan was personally handling the matter of Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries not accepting travelers vaccinated with Chinese jabs.
Saudi Arabia's updated travel restrictions require visitors to take Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson jabs in order to enter the country, leaving out Chinese shots, including the Sinopharm, Sinovac, and CanSino-Bio vaccines widely used in Pakistan. In Qatar, only Pfizer and Moderna are approved. In Kuwait, Oman, only Pfizer and AstraZeneca.
In late May, Pakistan requested Saudi Arabia to include Chinese vaccines to its list of approved COVID-19 shots for visitors traveling to perform Hajj and Umrah.
"On the problem about Pfizer and vaccine (acceptance) in Saudi Arabia and Middle East, Imran Khan himself is handling this. And he said in a cabinet meeting that he was talking to the concerned countries," Rasheed told reporters in Islamabad.
Last month, the World Health Organization gave emergency authorization to Sinopharm, raising hopes in the countries that rely on in it that the Chinese vaccine would be soon widely approved.
PM Khan in talks with Middle Eastern countries over Chinese vaccine issue — interior minister
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PM Khan in talks with Middle Eastern countries over Chinese vaccine issue — interior minister
- Saudi Arabia requires visitors to take Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson jabs in order to enter their borders
- Pakistan requested Saudi Arabia to include Chinese vaccines to its list of approved COVID-19 shots for Hajj, Umrah pilgrims
Pakistan minister urges use of AI to help predict disasters, monitor climate risks
- Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns
- Musadik Malik says Pakistan can use AI models to design interventions that create maximum impact with limited resources
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik on Tuesday urged the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen disaster preparedness and improve monitoring of climate vulnerabilities, saying AI could help the country better manage climate risks.
Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns. In 2022, monsoon floods killed over 1,700 people, displaced another 33 million and caused over $30 billion losses.
Another 1,037 people were killed in massive monsoon floods last year, while record snowfall and rains last month stranded hundreds of tourists and residents in several northern districts of the country.
Malik on Tuesday highlighted the critical role of AI in climate governance, public policy and disaster risk management during a panel discussion at the National Artificial Intelligence Workshop in Islamabad.
"The most significant and impactful application of artificial intelligence lies in its predictive and preventive capabilities," he said in a statement shared by the information ministry, noting that Pakistan faces serious challenges due to sparse and fragmented data that complicates effective policymaking.
"Through AI-based modelling, we can design interventions that create the maximum impact with limited resources."
The statement came a day after Pakistan opened Indus AI Week, which is running till Feb. 15, to align policy direction, industry adoption, talent development, and innovation under a single coordinated framework, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announcing that Islamabad would invest $1 billion in AI by 2030 to modernize the nation’s digital economy.
AI can play a crucial role in identifying climate vulnerabilities on the ground and can function as a watchdog by integrating multiple technologies and monitoring systems, according to Malik. This integration enables early identification of potential disasters, allowing timely and preventive interventions before damage occurs.
He stated AI is driving a global revolution but warned that its upcoming phase, particularly the emergence of AI agents, will have significant implications for employment.
“AI agents are likely to replace certain jobs and functions,” he said. "We must be extremely careful in how we integrate AI into public service and ensure timely and efficient reallocation and reskilling of affected human resources."
The minister noted that while technology can deliver short-term gains, their sustainability depends on innovation.
“One-time productivity can be achieved through technology adoption, but lasting progress requires innovation,” he added.
