ISLAMABAD: Nine Pakistani nationals were injured in a fire that erupted at a chemical factory in the United Arab Emirates’s (UAE) Ajman city, Pakistan’s top diplomat to the UAE said on Sunday.
The fire erupted late Saturday at the factory that produced chemical products used to make sanitizers and perfumes, according to the Pakistani embassy in the UAE.
The injured Pakistani nationals hailed from Shaheed Benazirabad in the southern Sindh province and Dera Ghazi Khan in the eastern province of Punjab.
“A sad accident of fire eruption occurred at sanitizers, perfumes related chemical products facility in Ajman, UAE late on February 24,” Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE, told Arab News.
“Nine Pakistanis got injured in the ill-fated incident who were immediately rushed to different hospitals.”
The UAE is home to some 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates and the second-largest source of remittances to the South Asian country, after Saudi Arabia. A majority of these Pakistanis includes skilled laborers and technicians.
Tirmizi said the injured Pakistanis were admitted to hospitals in Ajman, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
“I assure you that all possible assistance shall be extended to fellow Pakistanis who became victims of the accident,” he said.
Hussain Muhammad, the Pakistani consul general in Dubai, said they were constantly in touch with the Emirati authorities and ensuring all-possible assistance to the injured Pakistani nationals.
“We are ensuring all possible assistance to the injured Pakistanis and [officials of] the Welfare Wing of Pakistan’s Consulate General, Dubai visited the hospitals immediately after the unfortunate occurrence and are constantly in touch with the relevant authorities,” he told Arab News.
Nine Pakistanis injured in UAE factory fire — Pakistan envoy
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Nine Pakistanis injured in UAE factory fire — Pakistan envoy
- The fire erupted late Saturday at the factory that produced chemical products for sanitizers, perfumes, Pakistani embassy says
- The UAE is home to 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates and the second-largest source of remittances to Pakistan, after Saudi Arabia
Pakistani, Bangladeshi officials discuss trade, investment and aviation as ties thaw
- Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war
- Ties between Pakistan, Bangladesh have warmed up since last year and both nations have resumed sea trade
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider on Sunday met Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka, the latter's office said on, with the two figures discussing trade, investment and aviation.
Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war, which saw the part previously referred to as East Pakistan seceding to form the independent nation of Bangladesh.
Ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have warmed up since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster as a result of a student-led uprising in August 2024. Relations remain frosty between Dhaka and New Delhi over India’s decision to grant asylum to Hasina.
Pakistan has attempted to forge closer ties with Bangladesh in recent months and both South Asian nations last year began sea trade, followed by efforts to expand government-to-government commerce.
"During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to expand cooperation in trade, investment, and aviation as well as scaling up cultural, educational and medical exchanges to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two South Asian nations," Yunus's office said in a statement on X.
In 2023-24 Pakistan exported goods worth $661 million to Bangladesh, while its imports were only $57 million, according to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. In Aug. this year, the Pakistani and Bangladeshi commerce ministries signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Joint Working Group on Trade, aiming to raise their bilateral trade volume to $1 billion in the financial year that began in July.
The Pakistani high commissioner noted that bilateral trade has recorded a 20 percent growth compared to last year, with business communities from both countries actively exploring new investment opportunities, according to the statement.
He highlighted a significant increase in cultural exchanges, adding that Bangladeshi students have shown strong interest in higher education opportunities in Pakistan, particularly in medical sciences, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence. Haider also said that Dhaka-Karachi direct flights are expected to start in January.
"Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus welcomed the growing interactions between the two countries and emphasized the importance of increased visits as well as cultural, educational and people-to-people exchanges among SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) member states," the statement read.
"Professor Yunus also underscored the need to further boost Bangladesh–Pakistan trade and expressed hope that during Mr. Haider’s tenure, both countries would explore new avenues for investment and joint venture businesses."
