ISLAMABAD: Imam-e-Kaaba Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday on a four-day visit to “further strengthen the brotherly relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” state-run APP news agency reported.
Sheikh Saleh, who is also an adviser to the Kingdom’s Royal Court, has previously served as the head of Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council and president of the High Judiciary Commission.
“During his visit, Imam-e-Kaaba is scheduled to lead the Friday Prayer at the iconic Faisal Mosque,” APP reported.
“He is set to engage in meetings with key figures, including the President, Prime Minister, Chief of Army Staff, and other high-ranking officials.”
Born in the Saudi city of Buraydah, Sheikh Salen became a Hafiz-e-Qur’an at age 20. He holds masters and PhD degrees from Makkah’s Umm Al Qurra University and was appointed an imam at the Masjid Al Haram in 1983.
Imam-e-Kaaba arrives in Pakistan on four-day visit
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Imam-e-Kaaba arrives in Pakistan on four-day visit
- Sheikh Saleh is scheduled to lead Friday prayers at the iconic Faisal Mosque
- Imam-e-Kaaba will also meet key figures like the PM, president and army chief
EU, Pakistan sign €60 million loan agreement for clean drinking water in Karachi
- Project will finance rehabilitation, construction of water treatment facilities in Karachi city, says European Investment Bank
- As per a report in 2023, 90 percent of water samples collected from various places in city was deemed unfit for drinking
ISLAMABAD: The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Pakistan’s government on Wednesday signed a €60 million loan agreement, the first between the two sides in a decade, to support the delivery of clean drinking water in Karachi, the EU said in a statement.
The Karachi Water Infrastructure Framework, approved in August this year by the EIB, will finance the rehabilitation and construction of water treatment facilities in Pakistan’s most populous city of Karachi to increase safe water supply and improve water security.
The agreement was signed between the two sides at the sidelines of the 15th Pak-EU Joint Commission in Brussels, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
“Today, the @EIB signed its first loan agreement with Pakistan in a decade: a €60 million loan supporting the delivery of clean drinking water for #Karachi,” the EU said on social media platform X.
Radio Pakistan said the agreement reflects Pakistan’s commitment to modernize essential urban services and promote climate-resilient infrastructure.
“The declaration demonstrates the continued momentum in Pakistan-EU cooperation and highlights shared priorities in sustainable development, public service delivery, and climate and environmental resilience,” it said.
Karachi has a chronic clean drinking water problem. As per a Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) study conducted in 2023, 90 percent of water from samples collected from various places in the city was deemed unsafe for drinking purposes, contaminated with E. coli, coliform bacteria, and other harmful pathogens.
The problem has forced most residents of the city to get their water through drilled motor-operated wells (known as ‘bores’), even as groundwater in the coastal city tends to be salty and unfit for human consumption.
Other options for residents include either buying unfiltered water from private water tanker operators, who fill up at a network of legal and illegal water hydrants across the city, or buying it from reverse osmosis plants that they visit to fill up bottles or have delivered to their homes.
The EU provides Pakistan about €100 million annually in grants for development and cooperation. This includes efforts to achieve green inclusive growth, increase education and employment skills, promote good governance, human rights, rule of law and ensure sustainable management of natural resources.
