ISLAMABAD: Dutch Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag is scheduled to arrive in the federal capital today, Wednesday, to discuss the evolving situation in Afghanistan, the Pakistani foreign office said.
Pakistan helped The Netherlands with the evacuation of its diplomats and other personnel from Afghanistan after the Taliban captured Kabul on August 15.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte expressed his concern regarding a fresh wave of asylum seekers from Afghanistan during a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, and told the media the last thing his country wanted was “a repeat of what happened in 2015 and 2016 with the Syrian refugee crisis.”
“In the backdrop of recent developments in Afghanistan, Pakistan and The Netherlands have been in close contact,” the foreign office said in its statement, adding that a telephonic conversation was also held between the foreign ministers of the two countries on August 21.
The foreign office said The Netherlands was one of its largest trading partners in the European Union, and a number of Dutch companies had been investing in the country. “The visit of Foreign Minister Kaag will add to the current momentum of high-level exchanges [between the two countries] and help further strengthen bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.”
Pakistan also hosted German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday who said his country would work closely with the leadership in Islamabad for regional peace.
During a presser with Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Maas said the Taliban were “going to present a new government and it remains to be seen if this government is as inclusive as we demanded it to be.”
“It is important for us that all Afghans, Afghans who do not support the Taliban, are represented by this government, and it remains to be seen if the Taliban will take this into account,” the German FM said.
He thanked Pakistan for playing a constructive role in the evacuation of German citizens along with vulnerable Afghan nationals from the war-torn country in the last two weeks.
“Pakistan as a neighbor of Afghanistan is fully experiencing the effect of this crisis,” Maas said.
Dutch foreign minister expected in Islamabad today for talks on Afghanistan
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Dutch foreign minister expected in Islamabad today for talks on Afghanistan
- Pakistan helped Netherlands evacuate diplomats and other personnel from Afghanistan after Taliban captured Kabul on August 15
- German foreign minister visited Pakistan on Tuesday, said his country would work closely with leaders in Islamabad for regional peace
Pakistan launches cashless Ramadan market in Islamabad to promote digital payments
- Pilot market allows shoppers to buy subsidized food using digital payments
- Initiative aims to improve transparency and public relief during Ramadan
KARACHI: Pakistan has launched a cashless subsidized Ramadan food market in the capital Islamabad, the interior ministry said on Wednesday, introducing digital payments for essential goods as authorities try to improve transparency and affordability during the Muslim holy month.
The facility in the G-6 Aabpara area allows citizens to purchase vegetables, fruit and staple food items at regulated prices without cash, part of a broader push toward digitizing subsidy delivery.
Ramadan bazaars, which are temporary and often state-supported markets, are set up across Pakistan each year to limit price spikes as demand rises during fasting hours and evening meals.
Ramadan is likely to start on Feb. 19 in Pakistan.
“The objective is to provide the public affordable and quality items. No negligence in public relief will be tolerated,” the interior ministry said in a statement.
Officials said the market will operate daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes private vendors under monitoring mechanisms to ensure goods are sold according to wholesale market rates.
Authorities also instructed administrators to strengthen cleanliness, security and complaint-handling systems and ensure price lists are prominently displayed.
Pakistan last year launched its first-ever cashless weekly market in Islamabad, but slow Internet speeds and patchy phone connectivity have hampered adoption among vendors and shoppers.
The government plans to turn Islamabad into Pakistan’s first fully cashless city, using QR-code payments to formalize retail transactions, reduce tax evasion and improve documentation in one of South Asia’s most informally run economies.
Pakistan relies heavily on cash, enabling widespread tax evasion and limiting financial transparency. Economists say expanding digital payments can raise government revenues, curb corruption, and make marketplaces safer for customers and traders.
Pakistan has increasingly experimented with targeted subsidies and digital systems to manage food affordability during Ramadan, when consumption rises sharply and lower-income households face pressure after years of high inflation.
Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched a Rs38 billion ($136 million) Ramadan relief package, pledging direct digital cash transfers of Rs13,000 ($47) each to 12.1 million low-income families across Pakistan.
The government will distribute the relief package through bank accounts and regulated mobile wallet platforms, fully replacing the previous utility store-based subsidy model with a digital payment mechanism overseen by the State Bank of Pakistan.
