ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government on Friday approved a financial package of Rs5 million ($17,925) for each family of a “missing person,” pointing out that a commission had been working on the issue for almost a decade.
Hundreds of political workers, rights activists and professionals have gone missing in Pakistan over the years, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southwestern Balochistan provinces, where militants have waged a war against the state for long.
Families say people picked up by security forces often disappear for years, and are sometimes found dead, with no official explanation. Pakistani security agencies have been blamed in many cases, though they have always denied involvement in such disappearances.
“The cabinet today has approved an aid package of five million rupees for each family of missing persons,” Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told the media in Islamabad after the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The development comes just hours after a Baloch rights group signed an agreement with the local authorities in Gwadar to call off its sit-in that began last Sunday.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) staged the protest demonstration to highlight the alleged human rights abuses, extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances of Baloch nationals in the province.
“Terrorism engulfed Pakistan after the Afghan war that created a number of internal challenges including the issue of missing persons,” the minister continued, adding a commission had been formed that worked for nearly a decade to address the problem.
He highlighted “positive cooperation” from the country’s powerful intelligence agencies to resolve the issue.
“A report has been compiled after consultations with the state institutions and intelligence agencies,” he said. “The state is like a mother, so a relief is being extended to the victims as per this principle.”
The law minister informed that “only 23 percent of missing persons cases are pending” as a total of 10,200 cases were brought before the commission working on the issue and 8,000 of them had already been resolved.
“The government is committed to resolving all cases of the missing persons by utilizing all available resources,” he added.
Pakistan approves financial compensation for families of ‘missing persons’ after decade-long effort
https://arab.news/88vn8
Pakistan approves financial compensation for families of ‘missing persons’ after decade-long effort
- Government vows to pay Rs5 million to such families since ‘the state is like a mother’ and must extend such relief
- Rights activists have frequently raised the issue of enforced disappearances, mostly targeting political workers
UAE, Pakistan launch new feeder service to strengthen maritime connectivity
- The new service establishes a regular shipping link between Karachi and the UAE ports of Fujairah and Khor Fakkan
- It will support supply chain continuity and help ensure Pakistan’s trade maintains dependable access to global markets
KARACHI: Pakistan and Emirati authorities have launched a new feeder service linking Karachi with the UAE ports of Fujairah and Khor Fakkan to strengthen maritime connectivity, the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) announced on Thursday.
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, after China and the United States. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs
The new service establishes a regular shipping link between Karachi and two of the region’s key transshipment hubs, enabling Pakistani importers and exporters to maintain reliable access to global container shipping networks.
The service will call at the Karachi Gateway Terminal Limited (KGTL), part of AD Ports Group’s international operating arm, Noatum Ports. The first vessel of the service arrived at KGTL on the evening of 11 March, officially marking the start of regular operations.
“The introduction of this feeder service further enhances Karachi Port’s connectivity with key regional hubs and supports Pakistan’s growing trade requirements,” KPT Chairman Rear Admiral (Retd.) Shahid Ahmed said in a statement.
“Strengthening maritime links with the UAE will help facilitate smoother cargo movement while providing greater flexibility for the country’s trading community as per the vision of honorable Minister for Maritime Affairs Mr.Junaid Anwar Choudhry.”
Pakistan’s economy relies heavily on maritime trade, and strengthened connectivity with regional transshipment hubs provides additional resilience for exporters, importers and supply chains. The new feeder link supports supply chain continuity through KGTL and helps ensure Pakistan’s trade maintains dependable access to international markets, according to KPT.
Cargo routed through Fujairah and Khor Fakkan will benefit from seamless connectivity to regional and international shipping networks, supported by the UAE’s advanced logistics infrastructure. Containers can be efficiently transferred via integrated road and rail corridors to major commercial hubs and logistics centers across the UAE.
“The commencement of this feeder service reflects KGTL’s continued commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s maritime connectivity and supporting the country’s trading community,” said KGTL Chief Executive Officer Khurram Aziz Khan.
“By linking Karachi directly with major UAE transshipment hubs, this service provides importers and exporters with reliable access to global shipping networks while reinforcing the role of Karachi Gateway Terminal as a key gateway for international trade.”
