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Saudi Arabia ‘gifts’ Pakistan two mosques in Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 

This photo shows aerial view of "The King Abdul Aziz Mosque" in Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, gifted by Saudi government to Pakistan that can accommodate more than 10, 000 worshippers. (Courtesy: Saudi Embassy Islamabad)
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Updated 16 November 2021
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Saudi Arabia ‘gifts’ Pakistan two mosques in Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 

  • The mosques, situated in Mansehra and Muzaffarabad, can accommodate over 10,000 and 6,000 worshippers respectively
  • Pakistan’s religious affairs minister says the kingdom will soon revive Umrah pilgrimage for Pakistani nationals
Updated 16 November 2021
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia on Monday handed over two mosques in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) as a “gift” to the people of Pakistan, the Saudi ambassador to Islamabad said.
The Kingdom donated the King Abdul Aziz Mosque in the city of Mansehra, KP, which can accommodate more than 10,000 worshipers, according to the Saudi embassy. The King Fahd Mosque in Muzaffarabad has a capacity to accommodate more than 6000 worshipers.
The mosques contain spacious courtyards and have distinct designs, inspired by the two mosques in the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque.
“These two holy mosques, one in Mansehra and other in Muzaffarabad, were built by the government of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a gift to the people of Pakistan,” Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki told Arab News on the sidelines of the handing over ceremony in Islamabad.




This photo shows aerial view of "King Fahd Mosque" in Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, gifted by Saudi government to Pakistan that can accommodate more than 10, 000 worshippers. (Courtesy: Saudi Embassy Islamabad)

“Both countries enjoy historic and deep relations with economic, military and cultural cooperation. These mosques also showed the depth of religious and cultural ties.”
He said following the 2005 earthquake, the kingdom had completed many welfare projects in affected areas of Azad Kashmir and KP. “These included hospitals, houses, schools, water and sanitation [projects].”
Saudi Arabia wants a strong and prosperous Pakistan, and has always stood with it through thick and thin, Ambassador Al-Malki said, noting the $3 billion deposit and $1.2 billion oil facility recently pledged by the kingdom.




Saudi ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Makli (L) and Pakistan's Religious Minister Pir Noor ul Haq Qadri (R) sign the handing over document of two mosques gifted by the Kingdom to Pakistan in Islamabad on Nov. 15, 2021. (Courtesy: Religious Affairs ministry)

Pakistan’s religious affairs minister Noor ul Haq Qadri said this “gift” was a clear manifestation of Pakistan’s longstanding historical, spiritual and religious relations with Saudi Arabia.




A group photo of Saudi ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Makli with Pakistani religious affairs minister Noor ul Haq Qadri along with other officials during handing over ceremony of the two large mosques  in Islamabad on Nov. 15, 2021. (Courtesy: Religious Affairs ministry)

“On behalf of the government and people of Pakistan, I am thankful for this kind act of the Saudi leadership,” Qadri told Arab News, adding that these mosques were built by the Saudi government on the request of local people as no such big mosques were left in these areas after the 2005 earthquake.




This photo shows aerial view of "King Fahd Mosque" in Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, gifted by Saudi government to Pakistan that can accommodate more than 10, 000 worshippers. (Courtesy: Saudi Embassy Islamabad)

Qadri expressed hopes for an early revival of Umrah pilgrimage for Pakistani people. “I have spoken with the ambassador for the revival of Umrah for Pakistani people and he gave me a good news that the kingdom will allow Pakistanis to perform the pilgrimage very soon.”
Zahoor Shakir, an adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on religious affairs, also thanked the Saudi government for building the King Abdul Aziz Mosque in Mansehra.
“I want to assure that the provincial government of KP will look after this gift, which is very close to our hearts, and ensure its maintenance,” Shakir told Arab News.




This photo shows aerial view of "The King Abdul Aziz Mosque" in Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, gifted by Saudi government to Pakistan that can accommodate more than 10, 000 worshippers. (Courtesy: Saudi Embassy Islamabad)

AJK minister for religious affairs, Hafiz Hamid Raza, termed it a historic occasion for the Kashmiri people as Saudi government fulfilled their longstanding desire by donating a “very noble gift” to them.
“Saudi leadership always stood by Kashmiris and was at the forefront in relief and welfare activities after the 2005 earthquake,” he said.

Topics: pak saudi ties Pakistan Saudi Arabia Mosques

Suspected militants bomb school for girls in northwestern Pakistan

Updated 09 May 2024
AP
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Suspected militants bomb school for girls in northwestern Pakistan

  • No one harmed as militants blow up girls school in North Waziristan district, say police
  • Pakistan witnessed attacks on girls’ schools until 2019 by militants opposed to female education
Updated 09 May 2024
AP

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan: Militants detonated a bomb at a girls school in a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban in the country’s volatile northwest, badly damaging the structure, police said Thursday. No one was harmed in the overnight attack.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack late Wednesday that targeted the only girls school in Shawa, a town in the North Waziristan district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, local police chief Amjad Wazir said.

UNICEF condemned the bombing as “despicable and cowardly act that could jeopardize the future of many young and talented girls.”

According to the police chief, the attackers first beat up the school guard before setting off the explosives at the private Aafia Islamic Girls Model School, which has 150 students.

Suspicion is likely to fall on Islamic militants and specifically the Pakistani Taliban, who have targeted girls schools in the province in the past, saying that women should not be educated.

In a statement, Abdullah Fadil, the UNICEF representative in Pakistan, said the “destruction of a girls’ school in a remote and underserved area is a heinous crime detrimental to national progress.” He cited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif statement on Wednesday declaring an education emergency and pledging to work toward enrolling 26 million out-of-school children.

Pakistan witnessed multiple attacks on girls schools until 2019, especially in the Swat Valley and elsewhere in the northwest where the Pakistani Taliban long controlled the former tribal regions. In 2012, the insurgents attacked Malala Yousafzai, a teenage student and advocate for the education of girls who went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, were evicted from Swat and other regions in recent years. The TTP are a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.

The Taliban takeover in neighboring Afghanistan has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban.

Topics: girls school Pakistan Aafia Islamic Girls Model School

US CENTCOM commander, Pakistan Army chief discuss joint training, regional security

Updated 09 May 2024
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US CENTCOM commander, Pakistan Army chief discuss joint training, regional security

  • US CENTCOM directs and enables military operations with allies and partners to increase regional security
  • CENTCOM commander appreciated Pakistan Army’s contribution in war against “terrorism,” says army
Updated 09 May 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir and General Michael Erik Kurilla, the commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) discussed regional security and joint training in a meeting on Thursday, the army’s media wing said. 

US CENTCOM directs and enables military operations with its allies to increase regional security and promote US interests. Among its stated command priorities is to counter violent extremist organizations. 

Pakistan has seen a surge in militant attacks in its Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces bordering Afghanistan since a fragile truce between the state and the Pakistani Taliban broke down in Nov. 2022. 

Both Pakistan and US have collaborated over the years to take out militant organizations, especially in Pakistan’s restive tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. 

Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said General Kurilla called on Munir at the army’s headquarters in Rawalpindi. 

“During the meeting, matters of shared interests, particularly cooperation in regional security matters came under discussion,” the ISPR said. 

“Both sides discussed avenues of joint training and reiterated the need for enhancing training interactions between CENTCOM and Pakistan Army.”

The ISPR said Kurilla acknowledged Pakistan Army’s success in its fight against “terrorism” and appreciated its continued efforts to bring peace and stability to the region. 

Ties between Islamabad and Washington, once close allies, have just started to warm after some years of frosty relations, mostly due to concerns about Pakistan’s alleged support of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies this support. 

Relations strained further under the government of former prime minister Imran Khan, who ruled from 2018-22 and antagonized Washington throughout his tenure, welcoming the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 and later accusing Washington of being behind attempts to oust him. Washington has dismissed the accusation. 

The government of PM Shehbaz Sharif that took over after Khan and whose term ended last year tried to mend ties but analysts widely believe the United States will not seek a significant broadening of ties with Islamabad in the near future but remain mostly focused on security cooperation, especially on counterterrorism and Afghanistan.

Topics: Pakistan US Ties CENTCOM

Pakistan’s foreign reserves with central bank surge past $9 billion after IMF inflows

Updated 09 May 2024
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Pakistan’s foreign reserves with central bank surge past $9 billion after IMF inflows

  • Pakistan last month received $1.1 billion from IMF as final tranche of its $3 billion loan program 
  • Talks between IMF and Pakistan for a fresh loan program is expected to be held this month 
Updated 09 May 2024
KHURSHID AHMED   

KARACHI: Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves with its central bank surged to $9.12 billion on Thursday, data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) after Islamabad received the final tranche of $1.1 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last month. 

The SBP confirmed on April 30 that Pakistan had received the final tranche of $1.1 billion as part of a $3 billion IMF loan program it entered last summer. 

The South Asian country is expected to hold discussions this month with an IMF mission for a “larger and longer” program that Islamabad hopes would help avert its macroeconomic crisis. 

“Foreign reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan total $ 9,120.3 million,” the SBP said in a statement. It added that total reserves held by the country stood at $ 14,458.9 million, out of which net foreign reserves worth $ 5,338.6 million were by commercial banks. 

Pakistan has been struggling with a chronic economic crisis since April 2022 that has seen its foreign exchange reserves plummet to historic lows and its national currency depreciate significantly against the US dollar. 

The South Asian country has turned to international financial institutions and multilateral partners to secure external financing in a bid to stave off a balance of payment crisis. 

Desperate to shore its foreign reserves, Pakistan has recently welcomed visits by business delegations and diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Japan, Qatar and Azerbaijan to attract investment. 

Last year Pakistan set up the Special Investment Facilitation Council, a body consisting of Pakistani civilian and military leaders and specially tasked to promote investment in Pakistan. The council is so far focusing on investments in the energy, agriculture, mining, information technology and aviation sectors and specifically targeting Gulf nations. 

Topics: Pakistan Pakistan IMF Ties

Pakistan fast bowler Amir to miss first T20I against Ireland after visa delay

Updated 09 May 2024
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Pakistan fast bowler Amir to miss first T20I against Ireland after visa delay

  • Mohammad Amir gets travel visa, expected to join squad from Friday, confirms PCB 
  • Pakistan will play three T20Is against Ireland and four against England this month 
Updated 09 May 2024
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir has received his travel visa but won’t make it in time to play the first T20I match against Ireland on Friday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed. 

Amir did not travel to Ireland with Pakistan’s squad this week due to visa delay issues. Pakistan will play a three-match T20I series against the Irish side from May 10-14 in Dublin before departing for the UK where they will play against England in a four-match T20I series. 

“Fast bowler Mohammad Amir will miss the first T20I due to delays in the issuance of his visa,” the PCB said in a statement on Thursday. “He is expected to join the side on Friday.”

Amir, 32, came out of international retirement last month for the home series against New Zealand, drawn 2-2. The pacer is eyeing a spot in the 15-man squad for next month’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States.

The three-match series in Dublin is also World Cup preparation as both teams are in the same group alongside India, US and Canada.

Amir will bolster Pakistan’s pace battery which comprises the likes of Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf. 

Squads:

Ireland: Paul Stirling (captain), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir (unavailable for first T20I), Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Khan.

Topics: Pakistan Mohammad Amir Cricket Arab News Pakistan

Pakistan to introduce new SOPs for security of Chinese nationals— interior minister 

Updated 09 May 2024
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Pakistan to introduce new SOPs for security of Chinese nationals— interior minister 

  • Pakistan has recently witnessed surge in militant attacks on Chinese nationals 
  • A suicide attack in northwestern Pakistan in March killed five Chinese engineers
Updated 09 May 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government will craft new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the security of Chinese nationals working and living in the country, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Thursday. 

Pakistan has seen a rise in attacks on Chinese nationals in the country in recent months. A suicide bomber in March rammed his vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a hydropower project in northwestern Pakistan. Five Chinese engineers were killed in the attack. 

Pakistan has said it has since then taken steps to enhance the security of Chinese nationals in the country. 

“Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi says new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) related to the security of Chinese nationals will be crafted and it will be implemented in letter and spirit,” the state-run Radio Pakistan reported. 

Naqvi was speaking to Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong in Islamabad, the state media said, adding that he vowed to bring the perpetrators of the March attack to justice. 

“Mohsin Naqvi said no conspiracy can sabotage the decades-old Pak-China friendship,” Radio Pakistan said. 

Zaidong expressed satisfaction with the measures taken by Pakistani authorities for the security of Chinese nationals. 

The Dasu attack was the third major one in a little over a week on China’s interests in the South Asian nation, where Beijing has invested over $65 billion in energy, infrastructure and other projects as part of its wider Belt and Road initiative.

Chinese interests in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province have also been under attack primarily by militants who seek to push Beijing out of the mineral-rich territory.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties Chinese nationals in Pakistan Arab News Pakistan

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