ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met his Palestinian and Iraqi counterparts on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey on Thursday, the Pakistani foreign office said on Friday.
The Forum, attended by top political leaders, diplomats, opinion makers and academics, is being held from June 18-20 in an Antalya resort on the coast of the Mediterranean.
During the meeting with Palestinian Foreign Minister Dr. Riyad Al-Maliki, “Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and underscored the importance of two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders under the relevant UNSC [United Nations Security Counsil] resolutions for sustainable peace in the region.”
The Israeli military said this week it had launched aircraft attacks in the Gaza Strip - the first since an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire ended 11 days of cross-border fighting last month.
In his meeting with the Palestinian leader, Qureshi also expressed strong concerns on the recent Israeli strikes against Gaza.
Maliki briefed Foreign Minister Qureshi on the latest situation in Palestine, conveying “deep appreciation on behalf of the Palestinian President and people of Palestine to the Foreign Minister for proactively taking up the case of Palestine at the UN General Assembly during the recent Israeli aggression against Gaza.”
Both foreign ministers discussed rising Islamophobia and agreed on the need to evolve a joint strategy to counter discrimination against all religious faiths.
Qureshi also extended an invitation to Maliki to visit Pakistan.
“Foreign Minister Maliki accepted the invitation and responded that he looked forward to visiting Pakistan in the near future,” the foreign office said.
Qureshi also met Iraqi Foreign Minister Dr. Fuad Hussein on the sidelines of the Forum on June 17.
“Foreign Minister Qureshi highlighted the importance of liberalizing the visa regime for facilitating Pakistani Zaireen [pilgrims] visiting the religious sites in Iraq,” the foreign office said. “Both Foreign Ministers also exchanged best practices in promoting religious tourism.”
Pakistani foreign minister meets Palestinian, Iraqi counterparts at Antalya Diplomacy Forum
https://arab.news/w7pbj
Pakistani foreign minister meets Palestinian, Iraqi counterparts at Antalya Diplomacy Forum
- The Forum, attended by top political leaders, diplomats, opinion makers and academics, is being held from June 18-20
- Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for Palestinian cause, underscored importance of two-state solution
Pakistan drops 8,000 MW power procurement, claims $17 billion savings amid IMF-driven reforms
- Government says decision taken “on merit” as it seeks to cut losses, circular debt, ease consumer pressure
- Power minister says losses fell from $2.1 billion to $1.4 billion, circular debt dropped by $2.8 billion
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has abandoned plans to procure around 8,000 megawatts of expensive electricity, the power minister said on Sunday, adding that the decision was taken “purely on merit” and would save about $17 billion.
The power sector has long been a major source of Pakistan’s fiscal stress, driven by surplus generation capacity, costly contracts and mounting circular debt. Reforming electricity pricing, reducing losses and limiting new liabilities are central conditions under an ongoing $7 billion IMF program approved in 2024.
Pakistan has historically contracted more power generation than it consumes, forcing the government to make large capacity payments even for unused electricity. These obligations have contributed to rising tariffs, budgetary pressure and repeated IMF bailouts over the past two decades.
“The government has abandoned the procurement of around 8000 megawatts of expensive electricity purely on merit, which will likely to save 17 billion dollars,” Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari said while addressing a news conference in Islamabad, according to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan.
He said the federal government was also absorbing losses incurred by power distribution companies rather than passing them on to consumers.
The minister said the government’s reform drive was already showing results, with losses reduced from Rs586 billion ($2.1 billion) to Rs393 billion ($1.4 billion), while circular debt declined by Rs780 billion ($2.8 billion) last year. Recoveries, he added, had improved by Rs183 billion ($660 million).
Leghari said electricity tariffs had been reduced by 20 percent at the national level over the past two years and expressed confidence that prices would be aligned with international levels within the next 18 months.
Power sector reform has been one of the most politically sensitive elements of Pakistan’s IMF-backed adjustment program, with higher tariffs and tighter enforcement weighing on households and industry. The government says cutting losses, improving recoveries and avoiding costly new capacity are essential to stabilizing public finances and restoring investor confidence.
