US expedites visa application process for Pakistanis amid ‘unprecedented’ demand 

The undated photo shows Consulate General of the United States in Karachi, Pakistan. (US Embassy & Consulates in Islamabad)
Short Url
Updated 19 September 2023
Follow

US expedites visa application process for Pakistanis amid ‘unprecedented’ demand 

  • The development comes amid soaring inflation, political unrest and economic meltdown in Pakistan 
  • More than 540,000 Pakistanis have left the country this year in search for greener pastures abroad 

ISLAMABAD: The United States (US) consulate in Pakistan’s Karachi said on Tuesday it had expedited the US visa application process for Pakistani applicants and was working to reduce wait times, amid an “unprecedented” demand. 

The development comes amid soaring inflation, which clocked in at 27.4 percent year-on-year in August, political unrest and an economic meltdown in Pakistan that have forced people to look for options abroad. 

More than 540,000 Pakistanis have left the country till August this year, according to the country’s Emigration & Overseas Employment. Of them, 15,052 were highly qualified individuals and 31,130 highly skilled workers. 

The US consulate said the demand for US visas was the highest it had ever been in the South Asian country and it was “working hard” to bring down visa appointment wait times. 

“We have expedited thousands of non-immigrant visa appointments. More than ten thousand Pakistani visa applicants originally scheduled for 2024 at the US Consulate General in Karachi are receiving notice that their appointments have been rescheduled in 2023, some as early as next week,” it said in a statement. 

“To create added flexibility for Pakistani travelers, visa applicants can rebook appointments at either the Consulate General in Karachi or US Embassy in Islamabad.” 

Starting September 25, the US consulate said, it would also start accepting new interview waiver applications for some applicants who had previously been issued US visas. “These steps demonstrate how deeply the United States values the relationship between our two countries,” it added. 

The exodus of skilled Pakistani workforce from their country comes amid the rising costs of living, low employment rates, and the devaluation of the local currency that has made it difficult to afford basic necessities. 

Many Pakistanis believe there is no immediate solution to the country’s complex economic woes originating from decades of corruption, mismanagement and political instability, and find it better to look for greener pastures abroad. 


Pakistan PM to discuss Indus Basin restoration at UN climate conference in Dubai today

Updated 11 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan PM to discuss Indus Basin restoration at UN climate conference in Dubai today

  • Ninety percent of Pakistan’s people and more than three-quarters of its economy resides in the Indus Basin
  • Kakar has also interacted with world leaders on the sidelines of COP28 conference and met the IMF chief

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar will attend a discussion session today, Saturday, on the ecological restoration of the Indus Basin at the United Nations climate change conference in Dubai.
Kakar is on a week-long visit to the Middle East to interact with some of the top leaders in the region to promote investment opportunities in Pakistan. He arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday to spearhead his country’s delegation at the 28th UN Conference of Parties (COP28) that began on Nov. 30.
Pakistan is among the most vulnerable nations in the world to climate change and has set up its own pavilion at the conference venue to highlight some of the most-pressing issues related to a rapidly accelerating climate crisis.
“The @LivingIndus has arrived at #COP28,” United Nation Pakistan announced in a social media post on Friday. “Dr. @AdilNajam will be one of several panelists discussing investment in ecological restoration during a session at #Pakistan Pavilion this Saturday, in presence of Prime Minister @anwaar_kakar.”

Living Indus, the country’s biggest climate initiative that is estimated to cost $11-17 billion, was launched with UN support by former climate change minister, Senator Sherry Rehman, last year in September.
The initiative aims to protect and restore the health of the Indus River, which is crucial for the economy, environment and well-being of millions of people in Pakistan.
The Living Indus project focuses on addressing the challenges faced by the Indus River system, including water scarcity, pollution and habitat degradation, through various conservation and sustainable management strategies.
According to the information available on its website, 90 percent of Pakistan’s people and more than three-quarters of its economy resides in the Indus Basin. More than 80 percent of Pakistan’s arable land is irrigated by its waters, and nine out of the ten largest cities in the country are situated within 50 kilometers or less of the waters of Indus.
The Indus River has served as the vibrant core of the social, cultural and economic life of what is now Pakistan for well over 5,000 years. However, Senator Rehman warned last year it was the world’s second most polluted river today.
The prime minister already met with Pakistani climate experts at his country’s COP28 pavilion on Friday where he was briefed on various initiatives to deal with the looming climate crisis.
He also interacted with world leaders on the sidelines of the conference and held a conversation with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva who appreciated progress made by his administration to maintain economic stability and timely implementation of planned reforms in Pakistan.


Indian woman, who married Pakistani Facebook friend, returns to bring children back to Pakistan — husband 

Updated 02 December 2023
Follow

Indian woman, who married Pakistani Facebook friend, returns to bring children back to Pakistan — husband 

  • Anju, who later changed her name to Fatima, married an Upper Dir resident Nasrullah in July after traveling to Pakistan 
  • The woman has 15-year-old daughter and four-year-old son in India, where she faces a divorce case by her first husband 

Peshawar: A 34-year-old Indian woman, who traveled to Pakistan and married her Facebook friend in the northwestern Upper Dir district in July, returned to India this week to bring her two children from India to Pakistan, her Pakistani husband said on Friday. 

The woman, Anju, converted to Islam and changed her name to Fatima before getting married to Nasrullah, her Pakistani Facebook friend, on July 25. The couple made headlines in both countries at the time of their wedding. 

However, Fatima this week returned to her home country via the Wagah border crossing between Pakistan and India, with her husband saying she would return to Pakistan within a few months. 

“Anju has gone to India to bring her two children to Pakistan and to face a divorce case filed by her first husband,” Nasrullah told Arab News, adding the case could not be decided in her absence. 

Fatima has a 15-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son who live in India, according her husband. 

The woman traveled to Pakistan on a one-month visa that expired in August, but she continued to live with her husband in Pakistan. The 34-year-old decided to return to India after multiple visa rejections by Pakistani authorities and to “resolve her family issues.” 

Nasrullah said he wanted the Pakistani and Indian governments to help his wife bring her children to Pakistan. 

Late last month, the couple was seen visiting historic places in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore in videos shared on social media. 

“It is my last day in Pakistan and my journey since I came here has been very good,” Fatima said in one of the videos. “Every day is spent well here.” 

She praised the Pakistani people for the respect they gave her and their hospitality. 

Following their court marriage in July, the couple had received widespread love and respect from Pakistanis, with multiple Pakistani commercial enterprises announcing generous gifts for them. 


PM visits Pakistan Pavilion at COP28 in Dubai, appreciates experts for efforts to mitigate climate risks

Updated 01 December 2023
Follow

PM visits Pakistan Pavilion at COP28 in Dubai, appreciates experts for efforts to mitigate climate risks

  • Development comes ahead of PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s address with the World Climate Action Summit on Saturday
  • He will present Pakistan’s ‘vision for change,’ advocate for shared commitments to mitigating climate risks, Islamabad says

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday visited his country’s pavilion at the venue of United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference, or COP 28, in Dubai, his office said, adding the caretaker premier appreciated efforts of Pakistani experts for the mitigation of climate-related risks. 

The Pakistan prime minister arrived in Dubai this week to attend the World Climate Action Summit during the 28th UN Conference of Parties, which is running from November 30 till December 12 and looks to address some of the most-pressing issues related to what experts say is a rapidly accelerating climate crisis. 

Pakistan, one of the most vulnerable nations to climate change, has set up its own pavilion at the conference venue and will use the conference to remind wealthy countries of their “crucial” responsibility in supporting climate-vulnerable nations and the need for “equity and justice” in global climate policies, according to the Pakistani planning ministry. 

During his visit to the Pakistan Pavilion at COP 28, PM Kakar met with Pakistani climate experts, who briefed him on various initiatives to deal with the looming climate crisis, Kakar’s office said in a statement. 

“The Prime Minister was briefed on the efforts being made by Pakistan with regard to the negotiations and facilitation in operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund,” it said. 

“The Prime Minister was also briefed on the ‘Living Indus Initiative’ which is designed to rehabilitate the health of the Indus Basin in Pakistan through climate-resilient approaches and nature-based solutions.” 

Nearly 200 nations agreed on Thursday to launch a fund to support countries hit by global warming, in a historic moment at the start of UN climate talks in the oil-rich UAE. The formal establishment of the loss and damage fund, long sought by climate-vulnerable nations, provided an early win at COP28, where sharp divisions over the phasing out of fossil fuels were immediately apparent. 

The momentous occasion followed Pakistan’s crucial role at COP27 in Egypt, where, as the chair of the G77 and China group, it advocated for the establishment of the fund. 

PM Kakar’s visit to his country’s pavilion came a day ahead of his address at the World Climate Action Summit where he would present Pakistan’s “vision for climate change,” according to the Pakistani foreign office. 

“He will address the summit tomorrow, where he will present Pakistan’s vision for climate change, advocating for common commitments in mitigation, adaptation, climate finance, and the loss and damage fund,” the foreign office said on Friday. 

“He will also emphasize equity and global cooperation for climate resilience. At COP28, Pakistan aims to collaborate with developing countries, for the operationalization of the ‘loss and damage’ fund, a meaningful outcome from the Global Stock Take, and the fulfillment of the long-overdue goal of mobilizing $100 billion annually in climate finance.” 


Pakistan headline inflation rises 29.2% year-on-year on back of gas price hike 

Updated 01 December 2023
Follow

Pakistan headline inflation rises 29.2% year-on-year on back of gas price hike 

  • Prices went up by 2.7 percent in November as compared to a 1 percent increase in the month before 
  • Analysts say increase in inflation figures for November is ‘in line with expectations’ after gas price hike 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s consumer price index (CPI) jumped 29.2 percent in November on a year-on-year basis, the country’s statistics bureau said on Friday, with analysts attributing monthly increase in prices to a recent hike in gas tariff. 

The headline inflation was recorded at 26.8 percent in October and 23.8 percent in November last year, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). 

Prices went up by 2.7 percent in November as compared to a 1 percent increase in the month before and a rise of 0.8 percent in November 2022. 

Financial analysts say the increase in inflation figures for the month of November was “in line with the expectations” after the gas price hike. 

“The inflation for the month of November is in line with the expectations. The major impact has come from the gas tariff hike,” Samiullah Tariq, a director at the Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company, to Arab News. 

“Going forward we hope that the inflation would ease off.” 

In late October, Pakistan announced a sharp increase in the price of natural gas for most households and industries ahead of the cash-strapped country’s first review of a $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout it entered in July. 

While the government did not increase the tariff for the protected category (57 percent of the domestic consumers), it increased the fixed monthly charge from Rs10 to Rs400 for this category. 

The price of gas was set at Rs2,100/mmbtu for export process industry, Rs2,400/mmbtu for export captive industry, Rs2,200/mmbtu for non-export process industry, Rs2,500/mmbtu for non-export captive industry, and Rs3,600/mmbtu for the CNG sector. 

In November, Pakistan cleared the first review of the nine-month standby arrangement, paving the way for Islamabad to receive a second tranche of around $700 million from the lender. 

Among the food items that recorded highest increase in November prices were tomatoes (60.42 percent), potatoes (14.92 percent), tea (12.95 percent), onions (12.32 percent), dry fruits (7.91 percent), fish (7.75 percent), eggs (7.15 percent) and fresh vegetables (4.47 percent), according to the PBS. 

Non-food items whose prices recorded the highest increased included gas charges (280.55 percent), woolen readymade garments (8.16 percent), dental services (5.19 percent), transport services (5.11 percent) and solid fuel (3.52 percent). 


Pakistan Cricket Board appoints ex-cricketers Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal consultants to chief selector

Updated 01 December 2023
Follow

Pakistan Cricket Board appoints ex-cricketers Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal consultants to chief selector

  • The development comes amid a reshuffle in Pakistan national team and the management 
  • It began amid Pakistan’s poor show during the 50-over World Cup tournament last month 

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday said it had appointed former cricketers Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum consultants to Chief Selector Wahab Riaz, amid a reshuffle in the national side and the board’s management. 

The reshuffle began amid Pakistan's poor show at the World Cup that saw the national side crashing out of the showpiece tournament even before the semi-final stage.

Former fast bowler Wahab Riaz was appointed Pakistan’s chief selector last month, after Inzamam-ul-Haq stepped down in October following allegations of a conflict of interests. 

On Friday, the PCB confirmed the appointment of Akmal, Anjum and Butt as consultant members to Riaz.

“The three have assumed their responsibilities in the selection panel with immediate effect. Their first assignment as consultant members to the chief selector includes the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, set to commence on 12 January 2024 following the conclusion of the Test tour to Australia,” the PCB said in a statement.

“When not engaged in selection duties, the consultant members may be assigned additional tasks such as conducting skills camps.”

Pakistan finished fifth in the 10-team World Cup tournament that culminated last month, with Australia lifting the trophy for a record sixth time.

Babar Azam resigned from the captaincy in all formats and Shan Masood was made test captain. Shaheen Afridi was appointed as skipper of T20 side while former captain Mohammad Hafeez was named as team director, who will also be the head coach of the team on the twin tours of Australia and New Zealand.

The PCB last month also appointed former international players Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal as bowling coaches for the national team.