KHAPLU: Fruit farmers in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit Baltistan (GB) region expressed optimism on Friday their access to the Chinese market will strengthen the local economy after the country’s trade authorities announced the successful dispatch of the first-ever consignment of Pakistani cherries across the border this week.
GB is frequently described as Pakistan’s gateway to China since it is home to the Khunjerab Pass, which is the highest paved international border crossing in the world and the highest point on the Karakoram Highway. This pass and highway are crucial components of the route that connects Pakistan to China, facilitating trade and travel between the two countries.
GB’s mild to cold climate also makes it an ideal location for fruit orchards, particularly cherries, which are considered some of the best in the region. The area also supports the cultivation of other fruits like apricots and apples, contributing to its reputation for high-quality produce.
Despite its proximity with China, the farmers in GB never exported fruit to the neighboring market before the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) announced the dispatch of the first consignment of cherries on June 5.
“We are very happy that our cherries have entered the Chinese market,” Abbas Skinderi, a cherry farmer from Nagar district, spoke to Arab News over the phone. “If half of GB’s production goes to China, the farmers will be the top beneficiaries.”
Skinderi said there were limited markets available to farmers in GB, adding the recent development would reduce poverty in the area.
“As China opens its door for our cherries, we will plant more of these trees,” he continued.
Irfan Ali Shah, another farmer, agreed, saying the export to the Chinese market would change the lives of local farmers.
“Hundreds of people in GB are associated with cherry farming,” he noted. “This is the first time our cherries have been exported to China. This will change our destiny since the Chinese market is very close to the region.”
Shah said the development was also significant due to the limited shelf life of cherries.
“Due to transportation problems and dilapidated roads, it’s difficult to safely send our cherries to Pakistan’s main cities,” he informed. “China, in contrast, is much closer to GB than cities like Lahore or Karachi, ensuring that our production will not be wasted and our incomes will increase.”
GB’s major cherry-producing areas include Hunza, Nagar, Gilgit, Ghizer, Skardu and Ghanche districts.
Speaking to Arab News, Nazir Ali, a TDAP assistant director, said the first consignment of cherries was packed in a refrigerated container used internationally for transporting perishable goods.
“Over 100 cherry orchards, alongside a cold storage and packing house at Rahimabad in Gilgit, are now registered with the General Administration of Chinese Customs,” he said. “This registration ensures that the cherries meet the stringent quality and safety standards required by the Chinese market, thereby guaranteeing the best prices for Pakistani farmers.”
Javed Akhtar, a deputy director at GB’s agriculture department, said the first consignment had 15 to 20 tons of cherries.
“China’s protocol for exporters of cherries is very tough,” he continued. “Luckily, under the guidance of the plant protection and agriculture departments, our traders fulfilled all protocols and managed to successfully send the first consignment to China. The climate of GB is very favorable for cherry production and 14 different varieties of cherries are found in the region.”
According to the agriculture department, the region produces about 5,000 tons of cherries per season. Access to the Chinese market is expected to significantly boost this production level as more and more farmers adopt advanced agricultural practices and begin to grow the fruit.
Farmers in Gilgit Baltistan foresee economic boom as Pakistan exports first cherry consignment to China
https://arab.news/g53yj
Farmers in Gilgit Baltistan foresee economic boom as Pakistan exports first cherry consignment to China
- Region’s fruit farmers say it is easier to transport cherries to China than to Pakistan’s major urban centers
- GB’s agriculture department says the region produces approximately 5,000 tons of cherries every season
Pakistan party calls Sindh resolution against new provinces ‘unconstitutional’
- The development follows calls to separate Karachi from Sindh amid governance concerns intensified by a deadly mall fire last month
- Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan calls for a referendum in urban areas of Sindh for the establishment of a new administrative unit
ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) political party on Sunday criticized the Sindh provincial government for adopting a resolution in the provincial assembly against the creation of new provinces, describing it as “illegal, unconstitutional.”
The resolution was adopted on Saturday after fresh demands by the MQM-P and other voices to grant Karachi a provincial or federal status following governance challenges highlighted by a deadly mall fire earlier this year that killed 80 people.
Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city that is home to more than 20 million, is the country’s main commercial hub and contributes a significant share to the national economy.
Speaking at a press conference, MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the Constitution of Pakistan provided procedure for establishing new provinces, but a province had “carried itself as if it were a separate country,” referring to Saturday’s resolution.
“Anything in contrast with the constitution cannot be adopted. This is illegal, unconstitutional, undemocratic,” he said, calling for a referendum in urban areas of Sindh for the establishment of a new administrative unit in the region.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had tabled the resolution in the assembly on Saturday, condemning what he described as “divisive statements” about breaking up Sindh or detaching Karachi.
“The province that played a foundational role in the creation of Pakistan cannot allow the fragmentation of its own historic homeland,” Shah told lawmakers, citing Article 239 of Pakistan’s 1973 Constitution, which requires the consent of not less than two-thirds of a provincial assembly to alter provincial boundaries.
“If any such move is attempted, it is this Assembly — by a two-thirds majority — that will decide,” he said.
The resolution reaffirmed that Karachi would “forever remain” an integral part of Sindh and directed the provincial government to forward the motion to the president, prime minister and parliamentary leadership for record.
Calls to alter Karachi’s status have periodically surfaced amid longstanding complaints over governance, infrastructure and administrative control in the megacity, though no formal proposal to redraw provincial boundaries has been introduced at the federal level.
Taha Ahmed Khan, a senior MQM-P member, acknowledged that his party had “presented its demand openly on television channels with clear and logical arguments” to separate Karachi from Sindh.
“It is a purely constitutional debate,” he told Arab News on Saturday. “We are aware that the Pakistan Peoples Party, which rules the province, holds a two-thirds majority and that a new province cannot be created at this stage. But that does not mean new provinces can never be formed.”
