ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai will renew its ties with the United Arab Emirates, Islamabad’s envoy to the UAE said on Sunday.
The first world fair to be held in the Middle East, Expo 2020 Dubai opened on Friday. Delayed by one year, the event aims to attract 25 million visitors over the next six months.
Pakistan is one of over 190 countries showcasing their cultures and innovations inside pavilions on the 438-hectare exhibition site.
“Our participation would renew closer connection and effective interaction between our two countries,” Ambassador Afzaal Mahmood said in an interview with Emirates News Agency (WAM).
“Through Pakistan Pavilion, we wish to invite the international community to learn about our nation, visit Pakistan for tourism and do business with our country,” he said.
On the first day of the exhibition, WAM said, the Pakistani pavilion was visited by some 8,000 people.
Themed “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” Expo 2020 Dubai is divided into three sub-theme districts: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. The Pakistani pavilion is in the Opportunity area.
Themed “Pakistan: The Hidden Treasure,” it was built with $14 million funding support from the UAE and inaugurated by the Pakistani prime minister’s adviser on commerce and investment, Abdul Razak Dawood in March.
“It will serve as the hub of business opportunities and promoting our 7,000 years old culture,” Dawood said at the time, adding that Pakistan expects Expo 2020 to give the Pakistani business community “access to networking with the international market and investors.”
Pakistan’s participation in Expo 2020 to ‘renew’ ties with UAE — envoy
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Pakistan’s participation in Expo 2020 to ‘renew’ ties with UAE — envoy
- Expo 2020 Dubai, hosting exhibitors from 200 countries, starts on Friday after delay of a year due to the pandemic
- Pakistan’s pavilion, themed “Pakistan: The Hidden Treasure,” is located in the Opportunity area of the exhibition site
Pakistan police repel militant attack on Bannu checkpoint, five officers injured
- Police say several attackers killed or wounded in overnight assault in northwest Pakistan
- Incident comes amid surge in militant attacks Pakistan blames on Afghanistan-based groups
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani police said on Friday they repelled an overnight militant attack on a checkpoint in the northwestern district of Bannu, injuring five officers in an area that has seen a sharp rise in militant violence in recent years.
The attack took place late at night at the Sheikh Landak check post, located within the limits of Huweid police station in Bannu, a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border. Police said officers responded swiftly, preventing the attackers from overrunning the post.
Militant attacks in Pakistan have surged since 2021, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan, with security forces frequently targeted. Islamabad says the violence is largely driven by groups it refers to as Fitna Al-Khawarij, a term Pakistani authorities use for militants they say are linked primarily to the Pakistani Taliban and allied factions operating from across the border in Afghanistan. Pakistan has also accused India of backing militant networks involved in attacks, allegations New Delhi denies.
“Late at night, terrorists of Fitna Al-Khawarij carried out a cowardly attack on Sheikh Landak check post,” police said in a statement, adding that officers “displayed full courage, bravery and a timely response, successfully foiling the attack.”
Police said effective retaliatory fire caused “heavy human and material losses” to the attackers, with reports of several militants killed or wounded.
Five police personnel sustained minor injuries during the exchange and were immediately shifted to hospital for treatment, where they are receiving medical care, the statement said.
Following the attack, additional police units were deployed to the area and a search operation was launched to locate any remaining attackers.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government of failing to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the allegation, saying it does not allow its soil to be used against any country.
The accusations have added to tensions between the two neighbors, who have also seen periodic border clashes over the past year.
