ISLAMABAD: A two-day International Maritime Sustainability Exhibition and Conference (IMSEC) that sought to foster Islamabad’s global and regional partnerships and facilitate investments concluded in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Saturday, the country’s maritime affairs ministry said.
The two-day conference from Sept. 13-14 was attended by the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco, marking it the first-ever visit by an IMO chief to the South Asian country.
“I am happy to visit Pakistan and this country has immense potential in the maritime industry,” Velasco was quoted as saying by the maritime affairs industry as the conference concluded.
“We have discussed various plans and strategies during this conference, and I am confident that Pakistan will continue to develop its shipping, recycling, and fisheries sectors, with a focus on environmental sustainability,” Velasco added.
The IMO chief stressed the agency’s commitment to providing Pakistan with technical facilities and support to bolster its maritime capabilities. He highlighted the significance of the country’s ports, which he said he had personally visited during his stay and underlined the UN agency’s ongoing programs related to global maritime affairs.
Admiral Faisal Abbasi, the commander of the Pakistan fleet, noted that the country’s maritime boundaries have remained free of piracy incidents throughout its history. He commended the role of the Pakistan Navy in combating piracy in the Gulf of Aden, a key waterway for global trade.
“The Pakistan Navy continues to take proactive steps in promoting and raising awareness about the importance of the maritime economy, with the ‘blue economy’ being the central theme of this year’s conference,” Abbasi said.
Abbasi announced that the next maritime conference will be held in November 2025, with more programs aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s role in the global maritime industry.
Two-day international maritime conference concludes in Karachi
https://arab.news/na9x9
Two-day international maritime conference concludes in Karachi
- Pakistan has immense potential in maritime affairs industry, says International Maritime Organization secretary-general
- Two-day conference sought to foster Islamabad’s global and regional maritime partnerships, facilitate investments
Germany to take in more than 500 stranded Afghans from Pakistan
- German interior minister says Berlin seeks to complete process for Afghan refugees by December
- Afghans part of refugee scheme were stuck in Pakistan after Chancellor Merz froze program earlier this year
BERLIN: The German government said Thursday it would take in 535 Afghans who had been promised refuge in Germany but have been stuck in limbo in Pakistan.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told the RND media network Berlin wanted to complete the processing of the cases “in December, as far as possible” to allow them to enter Germany.
The Afghans were accepted under a refugee scheme set up by the previous German government, but have been stuck in Pakistan since conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office in May and froze the program.
Those on the scheme either worked with German armed forces in Afghanistan during the war against the Taliban, or were judged to be at particular risk from the Taliban after its return to power in 2021 — for example, rights activists and journalists, as well as their families.
Pakistan had set a deadline for the end of the year for the Afghans’ cases to be settled, after which they would be deported back to their homeland.
Dobrindt said that “we are in touch with the Pakistani authorities about this,” adding: “It could be that there are a few cases which we will have to work on in the new year.”
Last week, the interior ministry said it had informed 650 people on the program they would not be admitted, as the new government deemed it was no longer in Germany’s “interest.”
The government has offered those still in Pakistan money to give up their claim of settling in Germany, but as of mid-November, only 62 people had taken up the offer.
Earlier this month, more than 250 organizations in Germany, including Amnesty International, Save the Children and Human Rights Watch, said there were around 1,800 Afghans from the program in limbo in Pakistan, and urged the government to let them in.
