Pakistan, China to finalize modalities for third party participation in CPEC

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar shakes hands with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, China, on May 15, 2024. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
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Updated 21 May 2024
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Pakistan, China to finalize modalities for third party participation in CPEC

  • In the past, Pakistan has invited Saudi Arabia, Turkiye Germany, UAE, Iran, Indonesia, Afghanistan to join CPEC
  • Pakistani deputy prime minister is on four-day visit to Beijing to discuss second phase of multi-billion CPEC initiative 

KARACHI: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday Islamabad and China needed to finalize the modalities for other countries to be part of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, as Islamabad seeks to attract foreign investment into Pakistan.

Dar, who is also Pakistan’s foreign minister, was speaking at a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, which the Pakistani official is visiting on a four-day official trip as Pakistan moves into phase two of CPEC, an initiative in which Beijing has pledged to invest $65 billion.

The project spans several phases, each with distinct goals and impacts on the region. The first phase began in 2015 and mainly focused on building critical infrastructure, particularly in the transportation and energy sectors. The second phase expands the focus to include industrial cooperation, agricultural development and the promotion of social and economic development. This phase is also expected to include the development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), efforts to boost green energy production like hydropower and solar energy, and initiatives to modernize agriculture and increase exports.

In the past, Pakistan has invited Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Germany, UAE, Iran, Indonesia and Afghanistan to join CPEC but there has been no progress on the invitation.

“As we embark on phase two of CPEC we look forward to developing corridors of growth, livelihood, innovation, green development, and inclusivity to carry forward our shared vision of making CPEC an inclusive and transparent project,” Dar said at the press conference. 

“We also need to finalize the modalities for third party participation in CPEC.”

In 2022, then former prime minister Imran Khan welcomed all countries and international organizations to participate in the flagship project. PM Shehbaz Sharif has also invited other nations to join the project.

“We appreciate China’s development assistance to Pakistan and look forward to further enhancing China’s development footprint in Pakistan, to attract foreign investment in diverse sectors under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC),” Dar said, referring to a special body set up last year to oversee foreign investments. “I commend China’s readiness to deepen our financial bilateral trade and investment.”

Dar said his visit would help in accelerating the implementation of the Mainline-1 (ML-1) railway project, a $6.8 billion project to upgrade its railway lines, along with the realignment of the Karakoram Highway and strengthening “cooperation in agriculture, mining, minerals, energy, information technology and industrial sectors.”

The Pakistani official also condoled on behalf of the Pakistani leadership and people over the killing of five Chinese workers in a suicide bombing in Pakistan in March.

Vowing to bring the planners, financiers and perpetrators of the attack to justice, Dar said China and Pakistan would maintain close cooperation through bilateral channels in this regard.

“I have shared with his Excellency, the foreign minister, extensive and deliberate measures we have taken to protect Chinese interests in Pakistan while thanking China for acknowledging the sacrifices Pakistan has made against terrorism,” he said. 

“Let me express our focus on that. We will not rest until the last menace of terrorism is finally eliminated from Pakistan.”


Pakistan’s UN ambassador calls for global action against militants operating from Afghanistan

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Pakistan’s UN ambassador calls for global action against militants operating from Afghanistan

  • Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring safe havens for militants as it suffers from surge in attacks 
  • Munir Akram calls for eliminating root causes of militancy such as poverty, injustice and unresolved conflicts

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram has called for global action against religiously motivated militants such as Daesh, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the separatist Majeed Brigade outfits, alleging that over two dozen “terrorist groups” are operating from Afghanistan which are a threat to the entire region and beyond. 

Pakistan has suffered a surge in militant attacks in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan. The TTP or the Pakistani Taliban have carried out attacks against civilians and law enforcers in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces while the Majeed Brigade, a specialized unit of the Baloch Liberation Army, have scaled attacks in the southwestern Balochistan province. 

Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to take action against militants that it says are using Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan, a charge the Taliban-led government denies. Pakistan last year conducted cross-border strikes into Afghanistan against alleged militant targets, escalating tensions with its western neighbor. 

Akram made the comments during the UN Security Council briefings on “Threats to international peace & security caused by terrorist acts,” Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN shared on social media platform X on Tuesday. 

“While strongly rejecting any imputation that an ISIL-K/Daesh recruitment is taking place inside the country, Pakistan has urged the international community to take greater cognizance of the renewed terrorist threat posed by the TTP, Majeed Brigade and Daesh,” the mission said. 

“He stated in unequivocal terms that over two dozen terrorist groups are operating inside Afghanistan, which is also the ‘main hub for ISIL-K’s recruitment and facilitation,’ as is confirmed by the UN Monitoring Team’s recent report.”

Akram pointed out that Pakistan had defeated Al-Qaeda and other militant networks within its borders, adding that the South Asian country continues to confront “terrorist threats” such as the TTP, Daesh and the Majeed Brigade operating from safe havens across the border.

He demanded addressing root causes of militancy such as poverty, injustice, prolonged unresolved conflicts, foreign occupation and denial of the right of self-determination to people. 

“Without addressing the root causes, we can hope for little success if our focus remains restricted to the consequences of such policies,” he maintained.

Akram pointed out that it was unfortunate how counter-terrorism policies have often equated Islam with extremism, adding that such misplaced notions fuel Islamophobia and further radicalization.

He condemned “terrorism” in all its forms, saying Pakistan was one of the countries worldwide leading the battle against militancy. 

“For more than four decades, we have remained at the forefront of global counter terrorism efforts and been a principle target of terrorist attacks, financed by our adversaries in the region and we have paid a heavy price in innocent human life; lost 80,000 casualties and enormous damage to our economy,” Akram said. 


Polio vaccination mandatory for Pakistani Umrah pilgrims following surge in cases

Updated 41 min 47 sec ago
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Polio vaccination mandatory for Pakistani Umrah pilgrims following surge in cases

  • Saudi Arabia instructs Pakistani pilgrims to receive polio vaccination at least four weeks before departure, says state media 
  • Development takes place amid surge in polio cases in recent months, with Pakistan reporting 73 infection cases last year 

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has made it mandatory for Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan to receive polio vaccination before traveling to the Kingdom for the spiritual pilgrimage, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported this week. 

The development takes place amid a surge in poliovirus cases in Pakistan in recent months, with the South Asian country reporting 73 cases last year and only one this year. Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure and to ensure immunity, health experts say it is crucial that all children under five complete the oral polio vaccine series.

According to Radio Pakistan, GACA has issued a letter directing Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan to receive polio vaccination at least four weeks before their departure and to carry the vaccination certificate with them. 

“The vaccination should not be more than six months old at the time of departure,” the state broadcaster said. 

The Pakistani state media said Umrah pilgrims and relevant institutions have been asked to “strictly implement” this condition to avoid offloading of pilgrims from the plane.

Pakistan has said it vaccinated over 45 million children in its first anti-polio vaccination campaign of the year conducted last week from Feb. 3-9. 

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last two countries where polio remains endemic. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases.

Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994, but efforts to eradicate the virus have been hampered by vaccine misinformation, opposition from some religious hard-liners who view immunization as a foreign plot, and frequent attacks on polio vaccination teams by militant groups.


Review clears Uruguay, Pakistan and Uganda challenge WADA anti-doping listings

Updated 56 min 23 sec ago
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Review clears Uruguay, Pakistan and Uganda challenge WADA anti-doping listings

  • All three were put on WADA’s watchlist in September 2024 over “outstanding non-conformities” to updated anti-doping code
  • Sanctions bar non-compliant nations or organizations from hosting major sporting events, flying their flag at sporting events

Montreal: The World Anti-Doping Agency announced Friday that a review committee recommended the removal of Uruguay from its compliance watchlist, while Pakistan and Uganda vowed to fight accusations of code violations.

All three were put on WADA’s watchlist in September 2024 over “outstanding non-conformities” to the agency’s updated anti-doping code.

Some of the states’ legislation was also alleged to be in conflict with those rules.

In a statement, WADA said Uruguay’s national anti-doping organization provided information and documentation that showed “critical corrective actions had now been corrected in full.”

As such, the agency’s Compliance Review Committee recommended the withdrawal of a notice of non-compliance against Uruguay.

If the Executive Committee agrees, there would be no sanctions applied to Uruguay.

The Olympic committees of Pakistan and Uganda, meanwhile, notified WADA they plan to “dispute the allegations of non-compliance against them, as well as the proposed consequences, and the conditions of reinstatement,” the global anti-doping body said.

The two cases would be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for consideration “in due course.”

No penalties will be imposed until the court rules.

There are currently four signatories to WADA’s code that are non-compliant: Cameroon and Russia, the International Federation of Basque Pelota and the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation.

Sanctions bar non-compliant nations or organizations from hosting major sporting events and from flying their flag at sporting events.


Pakistan says has ‘close interaction’ with Saudi Arabia, UAE in minerals and mining sectors

Updated 11 February 2025
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Pakistan says has ‘close interaction’ with Saudi Arabia, UAE in minerals and mining sectors

  • Pakistan’s landscape is a treasure trove of diverse mineral deposits from coal reserves to gold and copper deposits and gemstones
  • Islamabad has expedited efforts in recent months to exploit this untapped mineral potential to speed up Pakistan’s economic growth

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that Pakistan was having a “very close interaction” with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in minerals and mining sectors, amid Islamabad’s efforts to focus on key sectors to boost the country’s economy.
Pakistan’s landscape is a treasure trove of diverse mineral deposits from huge coal reserves in the southern Sindh province to gold and copper deposits in the southwestern Balochistan province. The northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is home to several gemstone mines, including emerald mines in Swat, Mardan’s pink topaz mines, and peridot mines in Kohistan.
Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik said last month Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were in “advanced” stages of talks relating to investment in Reko Diq copper and gold mine, one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold mines, in Balochistan, with Saudi Arabia reportedly offering Pakistan a 15 percent investment stake in the project. The UAE, a key development and investment partner of Pakistan, has also recently expressed its “keen interest” in collaborating with Pakistan in mining, minerals and agriculture sectors, according to PM Sharif’s office.
While this huge mineral potential has remained largely unexplored, Pakistan has expedited efforts in recent months to exploit this untapped potential to speed up its economic growth.
“Mines and minerals, which is generally a G2G [government-to-government] corridor, in this, we are having a very close interaction with the UAE [United Arab Emirates] and Saudi Arabia,” PM Sharif told a group of Pakistani businessmen and investors in Dubai.
Sharif is currently in the UAE to attend the World Governments Summit (WGS) on Feb. 10-11, which brings together a large number of heads of state/government, global policymakers, and leading private sector figures to discuss the future of governance, innovation and international cooperation. This will be Sharif’s second visit to the UAE since assuming office in March last year.
His statement follows remarks by Petroleum Minister Malik, in which he said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had done all the requisite homework with regard to a “very large asset.”
“Both sides have come up with valuation frameworks, the valuation ranges are in place, and both of the teams are empowered now to negotiate, and right now, we are under non-disclosure. So, I can’t give you the details, but suffice to say that we are expecting very big announcements very soon,” he said, on the sidelines of Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh last month.
Reuters reported that Saudi Arabian mining company Manara Minerals could invest in Pakistan’s Reko Diq mine in the next two quarters, citing the Pakistani petroleum minister.
Saudi Arabia is the largest source of remittances to Pakistan, which were recorded at $728.3 million in January, and a key ally, whereas Pakistani policymakers consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
Pakistan, faced with a prolonged economic crisis, last year also signed several agreements worth $2.8 billion and $3 billion with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, respectively.


Indian Ocean should not be ‘rivalry playground,’ Pakistan says at Aman-25 naval exercise

Updated 10 February 2025
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Indian Ocean should not be ‘rivalry playground,’ Pakistan says at Aman-25 naval exercise

  • The Indian Ocean, which represents crossroads of global oil markets, has been the site of geopolitical competition between major powers
  • Pakistan Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal says Islamabad prefers collaboration over confrontation and trade over tensions in the Indian Ocean

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Monday that the India Ocean should not be made a “rivalry playground” and it should rather serve as a “center of opportunities” for all nations as he addressed the concluding session of the AMAN Dialogue at the AMAN-2025 naval exercise in Karachi.
The Indian Ocean, which represents the crossroads of global oil markets, has been the site of geopolitical competition between major powers, including India, China and the United States, which involve economic, military, and political factors.
The US has expanded defense ties with India in recent years and frequently conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPS) in the Indian Ocean, especially in areas around India, as part of its strategic partnership with the country, in a bid to counter China’s growing maritime assertiveness in the region.
China, which commands the world’s largest naval force with more than 370 ships, has developed ports and bases across the Indian Ocean, including in Gwadar in Pakistan, Sri Lanka’s Hambantota, and Djibouti in Africa, to promote its trade interests.
“Pakistan prefers collaboration over confrontation and trade over tensions,” Iqbal said at the concluding session of the AMAN Dialogue. “Indian Ocean should not be the center of tensions and strategic contention, rather it should be a center of opportunities and shared progress.”
The dialogue, hosted by Pakistan on Feb. 9-10 as part of AMAN-2025 naval exercise, focused on security challenges in the Indian Ocean, including strategic competition, piracy, narco-trafficking, non-state actors, resource exploitation, climate change, emerging technologies such as AI and unmanned systems, the blue economy and the need for global collaboration to ensure stability and prosperity.
It brought together chiefs of navies, coast guards and defense forces from several nations, with an aim to provide them an opportunity to exchange views on global and regional security and adopt innovative solutions.
Iqbal called the AMAN Dialogue an example of mutual trust and shared prosperity, which signified Pakistan’s commitment toward peaceful maritime sector. He hoped that relations forged at the forum would turn into longstanding partnerships for the betterment of global maritime sector and yield results in shared progress.
Pakistan Navy has conducted the AMAN maritime exercise every two years since 2007 under the theme “Together for Peace,” involving ships, aircraft and special operations forces. Naval troops and special forces from more than 60 countries have been taking part in this year’s exercise, being held on Feb. 7-11.