KARACHI: The German consulate in southern Pakistani city of Karachi has suspended its services for people who are not European Union (EU) citizens, the consulate said on Monday, citing “security concerns.”
The development comes amid a renewed wave of militant violence in the South Asian country, including attacks on foreign nationals and police officials in Karachi.
Unidentified militants on Sunday shot dead a senior counter-terrorism official, while five Japanese workers narrowly escaped a suicide attack in the city in April. No group claimed responsibility for attacks.
“Due to imminent security concerns the Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany will remain closed for services of non-EU-citizens until further notice,” the German consulate said in a statement. “Already issued visa for non-EU-citizens can be picked up.”
A spokesperson for the German consulate offered no further details when asked about the nature of the security concerns.
Pakistan has primarily witnessed an uptick in militant attacks in its two western provinces, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Pakistani Taliban called off their fragile truce with the government in November 2022.
Insurgents have also targeted Chinese working in Pakistan on projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in recent months. In March, five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed when a suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan rammed his explosive-laden car into a vehicle when they were heading to the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, where they worked.
It followed a Mar. 20 attack on a strategic port used by China in the southwestern province of Balochistan, where Beijing has poured billions of dollars into infrastructure projects, and a Mar. 25 assault on a naval air base, also in the southwest. Both attacks were claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most prominent of several separatist groups in Balochistan.
Islamabad has blamed the surge in violence on militants operating out of neighboring Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegation and says rising violence in Pakistan is a domestic issue of Islamabad.
German consulate in Karachi suspends services for non-EU citizens due to ‘security concerns’
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German consulate in Karachi suspends services for non-EU citizens due to ‘security concerns’
- The development comes amid renewed wave of violence in Pakistan, including attacks on foreigners and police in Karachi
- Militants have also recently targeted Chinese working in Pakistan on projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
Pakistan launches $136 million Ramadan relief package for 12.1 million families
- Rs13,000 per family to be transferred via bank accounts, mobile wallets under cashless system
- Pakistan’s national space agency says the Muslim fasting month is likely to begin from Feb. 19
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday launched a Rs38 billion ($136 million) Ramadan relief package, pledging direct digital cash transfers of Rs13,000 ($47) each to 12.1 million low-income families across Pakistan.
Pakistan’s national space agency announced a day earlier the Ramadan crescent would likely be visible on Feb. 18, with the first fast expected to fall on Feb. 19, subject to official confirmation.
The government will distribute the relief package through bank accounts and regulated mobile wallet platforms, fully replacing the previous utility store-based subsidy model with a digital payment mechanism overseen by the State Bank of Pakistan.
“This year, Rs38 billion have been allocated ... that will not only be distributed to the rightful people in all four provinces, but also to Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir through these wallets and digital bank accounts,” the prime minister said during a ceremony in the federal capital, adding that 12.1 million families would benefit.
The allocation marks a sharp increase from last year’s Rs 20 billion ($72 million) Ramadan program, as the government expands coverage and deepens its shift toward cash-based targeted subsidies.
Officials said Rs28 billion ($101 million) has been earmarked for families not currently receiving support under any federal income assistance program, while an additional Rs10 billion ($36 million) will go to those already registered under existing social protection schemes.
Syed Imran Shah, federal minister for poverty alleviation and social security, said the digital framework would allow transfers to be made in a “safe, effective and easy way,” reducing leakages and preserving beneficiaries’ dignity by eliminating long queues and physical distribution centers.
Amir Ali Ahmed, secretary of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), said the 2026 rollout builds on last year’s digital transition, when around two million beneficiaries received payments electronically.
A third-party validation report issued in December 2025 confirmed the transparency and operational effectiveness of the system, he added.
The prime minister said he would personally oversee periodic reviews of the program to ensure timely disbursement.
The government had scrapped the Utility Store-based Ramadan subsidy system last year, arguing that it led to quality concerns, long queues and administrative inefficiencies.
The digital transfer model aims to move toward a targeted subsidy regime aligned with broader efforts to expand financial inclusion and reduce cash-based leakages.
