ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani delegation to the UN General Assembly staged a walkout in protest as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium, vowing to continue Israel’s attacks on Iranian-backed fighters in Lebanon in a closely watched United Nations speech on Friday.
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in Oct 2023, Pakistan has repeatedly raised the issue at the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other multilateral platforms and demanded international powers and bodies stop Israeli military actions in Gaza. The South Asian country has also dispatched several aid consignments for Palestine.
Video footage widely shared on social media showed the Pakistani delegation walking out of the UNGA hall.
“Pakistani delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif walked out as Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahi took the podium after PM Shehbaz’s speech,” the foreign office said, as it shared a video of the walkout with reporters.
Netanyahu’s speech on Friday dampened hopes for a ceasefire that could head off an all-out regional war.
“As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice, and Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their homes safely,” Netanyahu told the UNGA, referring to escalating violence between the Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel.
“Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for nearly a year. Well, I’ve come here today to say enough is enough.”
Several delegations including Pakistan’s walked out as Netanyahu approached the lectern while supporters in the gallery cheered.
In southern Lebanon, Israel continued to strike Hezbollah targets while diplomats at the UN voiced fears the attacks could flare into a wider war that draws in Israel’s arch-foe, Iran.
In his speech, Netanyahu sought to pin blame for the conflict on Iran, whose delegation was absent for the speech. He said Israel was defending itself against Tehran on seven fronts, including against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthis in Yemen.
“There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach. And that’s true of the entire Middle East. Far from being lambs led to the slaughter, Israel soldiers have fought back with incredible courage,” Netanyahu said.
“I have another message for this assembly and for the world outside this hall: We are winning,” he said. “We’ll continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are made.”
During the speech, Netanyahu cited the presence in the hall of families of hostages seized by Hamas on Oct. 7. The war began when Hamas gunmen stormed Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, Israel’s military has leveled swaths of the besieged Palestinian enclave, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing more than 41,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
With inputs from Reuters
Pakistan delegation walks out as Israeli PM takes podium to address UNGA
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Pakistan delegation walks out as Israeli PM takes podium to address UNGA
- Over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched a war on Gaza in October last year
- Netanyahu’s speech on Friday dampened hopes for a ceasefire that could head off an all-out regional war
Karachi Shipyard to build Pakistan’s first major commercial ship in 40 years
- Pakistan’s premier investment body SIFC revives 1100 TEU Container Ship Project, says state broadcaster
- Project to feature collaboration among navy, Karachi shipyard and Pakistan National Shipping Corporation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s premier investment body has revived a shipbuilding project through which the Karachi Shipyard will build the country’s first major commercial ship in four decades, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday.
The 1100 TEU Container Ship Project, which had been on hold for nine months, has been revived by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a hybrid civil-military government body formed in 2023 to facilitate foreign investment in Pakistan’s key economic sectors.
The cargo shipbuilding project will feature collaboration between the Pakistan Navy, Karachi shipyard, and Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, the state media said.
“Under this project, Karachi Shipyard will locally construct its first major commercial cargo ship after forty years,” Radio Pakistan said.
It said the 24.75-million-dollar contract provides an opportunity for Pakistan to build ships at a cost lower than international market rates.
“This is a key step toward reducing dependence on foreign shipping companies and promoting Pakistan’s economic self-sufficiency,” the state media said.
Pakistan has sought to reduce its dependency on bailout programs and aid from allies in recent years. The South Asian country has said it aims for export-oriented growth and wants to reduce its imports to save valuable foreign exchange amid a macroeconomic crisis.
After Wasim, Pakistan cricketer Amir retires from international cricket
- Amir came out of retirement in April after nearly four years to participate in T20 World Cup 2024
- Amir, 32, has played 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 62 T20Is for Pakistan since his international debut in 2009
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir has announced his retirement from international cricket, a day after all-rounder Imad Wasim did the same, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Thursday.
Left-arm pacer Amir, 32, returned to international cricket after nearly four years in April this year for the T20 World Cup. He has featured in 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 62 T20Is for Pakistan since making his international debut in June 2009.
Amir has also taken 271 international wickets and scored 1,179 runs across the three formats. His retirement announcement follows a day after Wasim publicly said he was retiring from international cricket after putting much thought and reflection into the matter.
“All-rounder Imad Wasim and left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir have announced their retirements from international cricket,” the PCB said. “Both players last featured for Pakistan in this year’s ICC T20 World Cup held in the USA and West Indies.”
The PCB said Amir and Wasim have both been “key members of the Pakistan men’s cricket team” over the years and also represented the Pakistan U-19 team.
Amir was also part of the 2009 ICC T20 World Cup winning squad, and with Wasim, both were an integral part of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy winning squad.
“It has been a great honor to play for Pakistan across all three formats,” Amir said. “I know this is a difficult decision, but I feel this is the right time for the next generation to take the baton and elevate Pakistan cricket to new heights.”
The Pakistani pacer thanked the PCB for extending “much-needed support” over the years and the Pakistani fans.
After rising as one of the most promising talents in international cricket in 2009, Amir was one of three Pakistan players banned from cricket for five years for spot-fixing during a Test match in England after being caught in a newspaper sting.
He was later jailed in the UK for six months.
He returned to the squad years later and proved instrumental in helping Pakistan win the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in England.
Pakistan launches scholarships for 300 Bangladeshi students amid push to forge closer ties
- Pakistan, Bangladesh have sought to improve bilateral ties since former PM Hasina’s ouster
- Fully funded scholarship program supported by NUST, Comsats and LUMS, says state media
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government this week launched a new program through which it will provide fully funded scholarships to 300 Bangladeshi students, state-run media reported, as Islamabad establishes closer ties with Dhaka under a new Bangladeshi administration.
The scholarship program is backed by Pakistan’s education ministry and supported by leading universities such as NUST, Comsats, and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), the Pakistan Television News reported.
“During a recent meeting, officials urged universities to promote the program in Bangladesh through events and an online portal,” PTV News said on Friday.
“The scholarships seek to enhance educational exchanges and cultural connections between the two countries.”
Established together as one independent nation in 1947, Bangladesh won liberation from then-West Pakistan in 1971. Relations between the two countries continued to deteriorate during former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration, which prosecuted several members of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party for war crimes relating to the 1971 conflict.
However, relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh have improved since Hasina was ousted in a bloody student-led protest in August. Islamabad’s ties with Dhaka have also improved as Bangladesh’s relations with India, where Hasina has sought refuge, have deteriorated.
Pakistan’s foreign office said in September that Islamabad sought “robust, multifaceted, friendly relations” with Bangladesh to ensure peace and stability in the region.
Sharif met Dr. Yunus in New York in September at a ceremony hosted by the Bangladeshi leader to mark the completion of 50 years of Bangladesh’s membership in the United Nations.
Both sides agreed to forge stronger ties and enhance bilateral cooperation in various fields during their meeting.
Pakistan PM calls for shutting down outdated power plants with higher fuel consumption
- Pakistan produces expensive electricity due to outdated infrastructure, reliance on imported fuel, and substantial transmission losses
- PM Shehbaz Sharif calls for expediting implementation of ongoing reforms and modernization of the country’s power transmission system
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called for shutting down inefficient and outdated power plants that produced less power with higher fuel consumption, Pakistani state media reported.
Pakistan produces expensive electricity due to a combination of factors, including outdated infrastructure and inadequate power plants, reliance on imported fossil fuels, inefficient energy mix, substantial transmission and distribution losses, and chronic issues like circular debt and regulatory inefficiencies.
Additionally, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and complex tariff structures contribute to higher electricity prices, while underutilization of domestic resources such as hydropower and coal add to the problem. High power cost is one of the key factors that leads to inflation in the South Asian country.
On Friday, Sharif presided over a meeting in Islamabad to evaluate and discuss future plans for power generation in the country and said only low-cost power projects should be prioritized in the future, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The closure of such [outdated] power plants will not only save valuable foreign exchange spent on fuel imports, but also reduce the cost of electricity for consumers,” he was quoted as saying.
The prime minister called for expediting implementation of ongoing reforms and instructed officials to modernize the power transmission system as per international standards, according to the report.
In October, Sharif said his government was terminating purchase agreements with five independent power producers (IPPs) to rein in electricity tariffs as households and businesses buckled under soaring energy costs.
The need to revisit power deals was part of reforms for a critical staff-level pact in July with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $7-billion bailout. The program was approved in September.
Pakistan has also begun talks to reprofile power sector debt owed to China and structural reforms, but progress has been slow. It has also promised to stop power sector subsidies.
Pakistan’s Sindh invites Qatari, Thai envoys to explore investment opportunities in province
- Sindh chief minister meets consul generals of Thailand, Qatar separately to discuss bilateral investment
- Pakistan seeks closer financial ties and improve bilateral relations with regional allies amid economic crisis
ISLAMABAD: The chief minister of Pakistan’s Sindh this week invited the envoys of Qatar and Thailand to explore investment opportunities in the province, as Islamabad attempts to attract increased foreign investment to remedy its economic woes.
Pakistan has forged closer trade, investment, and economic ties with regional allies as it seeks to escape an economic crisis that has drained its resources and weakened its currency significantly over the past two years.
Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah met the consul generals of Thailand and Qatar on Friday in separate meetings in the provincial capital of Karachi, ensuring them of the Sindh government’s full support to them in matters related to investment.
“Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has invited the investors of Thailand and Qatar to take advantage of the several investment opportunities in the province,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Friday.
During his meeting with Qatar Consul General Naif Shaheen Al-Sulaiti, Shah discussed various investment opportunities present in Sindh and invited the Qatar Investment Authority to invest in Sindh, the state broadcaster said.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Qatar in October as he sought to bolster economic cooperation amid the country’s efforts to boost foreign investment and stabilize its frail $350 billion economy.
In November, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori met Qatari’s Ambassador to Pakistan Ali Mubarak Ali Essa Al-Khater to discuss ways to enhance investment and improve bilateral ties between the two countries.
