In a first, Pakistani firms showcase products at Gulfood Manufacturing expo in Dubai

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi (center left) cuts ribbon to inagurate Pakistan Pavilion at Gulfood Manufacturing expo in Dubai, UAE, on November 5, 2024. (Pakistan Embassy in UAE)
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Updated 06 November 2024
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In a first, Pakistani firms showcase products at Gulfood Manufacturing expo in Dubai

  • Gulfood Manufacturing is a global exhibition advancing the global food processing sector through innovation
  • Over two dozen Pakistani firms are exhibiting food ingredients and supply chain solutions at the mega event

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday made a debut at the Gulfood Manufacturing 2024 exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Center, the Pakistani consulate in Dubai said, with more than two dozen Pakistani companies showcasing their products at the premier food manufacturing and processing event.
Since 2014, Gulfood Manufacturing has been advancing the global food processing sector through innovation. This year, more than 1,200 suppliers from over 60 countries are participating in the mega event.
On Tuesday, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) chief Zubair Motiwala inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at the 10th edition of Gulfood Manufacturing expo to market Pakistan’s food manufacturing and export potential.
“It’s a wonderful experience and I am immensely pleased that Pakistani exhibitors are here to avail this opportunity for showcasing their packaging and food processing capabilities,” Motiwala was quoted as saying in a statement shared by the Pakistani consulate.
Under the umbrella of TDAP, 21 Pakistani companies are showcasing food ingredients, processing and packaging, printing, labelling and supply chain solutions for the food and beverage industry at the exhibition, while eight other Pakistani companies are independently participating in the event, according to Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Faisal Niaz Tirmizi.
The TDAP chief and the Pakistani ambassador visited all the stalls at the Pakistan Pavilion and had detailed interactions with the exhibitors, according to the statement. The commercial section of the Pakistani consulate in Dubai provided all assistance to the exhibitors for pre-event arrangements.
The development comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to increase trade and foreign investment after it narrowly escaped a default last year by securing a last-gasp $3 billion financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The South Asian country has since sought to increase its exports and promote closer economic ties with regional and international allies to bolster its fragile economy, which has been suffering from a prolonged macroeconomic crisis.
 


Pakistani Sikh journalist granted bail after being accused of ‘anti-state’ propaganda

Updated 14 December 2024
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Pakistani Sikh journalist granted bail after being accused of ‘anti-state’ propaganda

  • Harmeet Singh was accused of leading a ‘misleading campaign’ against Pakistan’s institutions during last month’s protests by ex-PM Khan’s party
  • The protests resulted in clashes that government says killed four law enforcers, while Khan’s party says 12 supporters were killed in crackdown

KARACHI: A special court in Islamabad on Saturday granted a week-long, pre-arrest bail to Harmeet Singh, a Pakistani Sikh journalist from Peshawar, after he was accused by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of launching a “misleading campaign” against Pakistan’s state institutions and security agencies during last month’s protest by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party in the Pakistani capital.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Nov. 24 led thousands of supporters to Islamabad, seeking to pressure the government to release the ex-premier from jail and order an audit of Feb. 8 national election results. The protests resulted in clashes that Pakistan’s government says killed four law enforcers and injured hundreds of others.

The PTI says at least 12 of its supporters were killed and another 37 sustained gunshot injuries due to firing by law enforcers near Islamabad’s Jinnah Avenue on Nov. 26, while 139 of its supporters were still “missing.” Pakistani authorities have denied the deaths, saying security personnel had not been carrying live ammunition during the protest.

In a case registered against Singh, the FIA said the journalist built “false narrative and propagated misleading, concocted and baseless campaign against State Institutions and Security Agencies of Pakistan,” and promoted it through his X account on various instances, including the incident of Nov 24-27, when Khan supporters clashed with law enforcers in Islamabad.

“These false cases are meant to suppress the voices that criticize the government for its wrongdoings,” Singh said on Saturday, after being granted pre-arrest bail by the Islamabad court till Dec. 21.

The Sikh journalist said the charges against him were part of a “broader effort” to silence critics of the government.

“Their wish has always been to break the mirror that we hold up. It is our duty to show them the mirror, and we will keep showing it,” he added.

Singh, one of the few Pakistani Sikh journalists and anchors who has been critical of the government and Pakistan’s powerful military, is widely recognized for his outspoken stance on political issues.

The development comes weeks after police booked another journalist, Matiullah Jan, on charges that he was found in possession of 246 grams of narcotic methamphetamine (crystal meth) when his vehicle was stopped at the capital’s E-9 area.

Jan, a broadcaster working with Neo TV, was “picked up” from outside a hospital in Islamabad, where he was investigating alleged fatalities during the recent protests in support of jailed ex-premier Imran Khan, according to his son. He was released three days later.

A recent report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) ranked Pakistan as the 12th-worst country for press freedom in South Asia. According to the CPJ, 103 journalists and media workers have been killed in Pakistan between 1992 and 2024.

In recent years, journalists in Pakistan have complained of increasing government and military censorship, intimidation and harassment as well as digital abuse. Authorities deny they persecute journalists. This has been an especially dangerous year for the press in Pakistan, with at least six journalists killed in direct or suspected relation to their work, the CPJ said in October.

Arab News approached the FIA and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar but they did not respond to requests for comment.

“The contents promulgated through his [Singh’s] tweets are inciting the general public of Pakistan toward the acts of violence and terrorism, and are coercing general public to commit offenses against the State Institutions and Security / Law Enforcement Agencies,” the FIA said in its report against the Sikh journalist, adding that they tended to create “a sense of fear, panic and insecurity” among people.

The FIA lodged the case against Singh under sections 9 (glorification of an offense), 10 (cyber terrorism), 11 (electronic forgery) and 24 (legal recognition of offenses) of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and section 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Singh’s lawyer, Beena Faraz, condemned the government’s treatment of journalists, saying that “intimidation and harassment of the press have been a constant” in Pakistan’s history.

“If such things are happening under this government, they have happened in the past as well. It is part of every era to abduct journalists, intimidate them, and silence them through harassment,” she added.


Asian Development Bank approves $330 million loan for social protection in Pakistan

Updated 14 December 2024
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Asian Development Bank approves $330 million loan for social protection in Pakistan

  • This financing will support objectives of inclusive growth, poverty reduction, skills development and health care access
  • The ADB has committed over $52 billion to Pakistan, one of its founding members, since 1966 in public, private sector loans

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has signed a loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the Integrated Social Protection Development Program (ISPDP) additional financing amounting to $330 million, the government said on Saturday.
The ISPDP builds on the ongoing ADB-funded program for strengthening and expanding social protection systems in Pakistan through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), according to the Pakistani government’s Press Information Department (PID).
In Pakistan, the federal government disburses billions of rupees annually to the underprivileged and vulnerable people through the BISP. The agreement was signed by Secretary Economic Affairs Dr. Kazim Niaz and ADB Country Director Emma Fan from respective sides.
“In his remarks, the Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs highlighted the importance of this additional financing from concessional lending for enhancing institutional capacity and improving access to education and health care, particularly among women, adolescent girls, and children from low-income families,” the PID said in a statement.

Pakistan's Economic Affairs Secretary Dr. Kazim Niaz (second left) and Asian Development Bank Country Director Emma Fan (second right) are signing a loan agreement for the Integrated Social Protection Development Program (ISPDP) in Islamabad, Pakistan, on December 14, 2024. (PID)

The ADB country director reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s objectives in strengthening social safety nets.
“This additional financing will support in achieving the program objectives of achieving inclusive growth, poverty reduction skills development and health care access for vulnerable populations,” Fan was quoted as saying.
The regional development bank has committed over $52 billion to Pakistan, one of its founding members, since 1966 in public and private sector loans, grants, and other forms of financing to promote inclusive economic growth in the country.
Last month, Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $500 million loan agreement under the ‘Climate and Disaster Resilience Enhancement Program,’ according to Pakistani state media.
The program is aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s capacity for climate change adaptation and disaster risk management and will address the country’s vulnerabilities to natural disasters and climate impacts.


Pakistan to launch anti-polio drive on Dec. 16 as national tally hits 63 this year

Updated 14 December 2024
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Pakistan to launch anti-polio drive on Dec. 16 as national tally hits 63 this year

  • Pakistan and Afghanistan are only two countries in world where poliovirus remains endemic
  • The upcoming vaccination drive will target 44 million children across 143 districts nationwide

KARACHI: Pakistan’s polio program has said that it will launch an anti-polio vaccination drive from Dec. 16 till Dec. 22 as the nationwide tally of polio cases reached 63 this year.
Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
Pakistan is responding to an intense resurgence of Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) this year, with 63 cases reported so far. Of these, 26 are from Balochistan, 18 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 17 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
“A large-scale polio vaccination campaign is being held in the country from December 16 to December 22 during which vaccinators will go house to house to immunize more than 44 million children under five in 143 districts against polio,” the Pakistan polio program said on Friday.
“To keep children safe, it is critical for parents to welcome vaccinators among them and bring their children forward for vaccination.”
On Saturday, the health department in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province said the upcoming vaccination drive in the province would target 10.6 million children under the age of five years to protect them from the debilitating poliovirus.
“Over 80,000 frontline workers will participate in the campaign, going door-to-door to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated,” it said in a statement. “To provide a secure environment for these efforts, 15,000 security personnel will be deployed across Sindh.”
The health department noted that the province had reported 17 cases of the virus this year, which highlighted the urgent need for effective vaccination campaigns.
“The situation remains critical, with most environmental samples testing positive for the virus, indicating ongoing circulation,” it said.
“This is the last campaign of the year, making it imperative that every child is vaccinated to stop the transmission of the virus and protect them from a lifetime of disability.”
For those who miss the vaccination during the campaign, the Emergency Operations Center’s Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline 1166 or WhatsApp Helpline 0346-7776546 would be available to provide assistance and information, the health department added.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last two countries in the world where the poliovirus remains endemic. Public health studies in Pakistan have shown that a lack of knowledge about vaccines, together with poverty and rural residency, are also factors that commonly influence whether parents vaccinate their children against polio.


Islamabad and Ankara agree to strengthen media cooperation, battle Islamophobia 

Updated 14 December 2024
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Islamabad and Ankara agree to strengthen media cooperation, battle Islamophobia 

  • Pakistan’s information minister meets Turkiye’s head of communications in Istanbul 
  • Minister says such measures would bolster public-level connections between both states

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkiye on Saturday agreed to strengthen media cooperation through joint broadcasts between their state-run television channels, and ways to combat Islamophobia and misinformation, Radio Pakistan reported. 

The development took place during a meeting between Pakistan’s Information Minister Ataullah Tarar and Turkiye’s Head of Communications Professor Fahrettin Altun at the Turkish Presidency. 

Tarar arrived in Turkiye on Dec. 13 for a three-day visit to the country where he is scheduled to take part in the Stratcom Summit 2024 in Istanbul.

During his meeting with Altun, Tarar discussed strengthening media cooperation, promoting public diplomacy and combating Islamophobia and misinformation by the two countries.

“The two sides agreed to joint broadcasts between PTV and Turkiye’s state-run television TRT, including airing popular Turkish dramas in Pakistan,” Radio Pakistan said in a report. 

Turkish dramas are highly popular in Pakistan, especially historical and period dramas, for their cultural similarities and high-quality production. “Diriliş: Ertuğrul” remains one of the most popular Turkish dramas to have aired in Pakistan, amassing a huge following over the years. 

The report said an agreement was also reached between the two to form a working group between Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Turkiye’s Directorate of Communications, with focal persons designated from both sides.

Tarar highlighted the vast potential for media cooperation between the two countries, noting that such collaborations would help strengthen public-level connections.

“The meeting also covered cooperation in the fields of entertainment and tourism, as well as the development of joint projects,” it added. 

Altun acknowledged that the Turkish drama “Ertugrul” gained significant popularity in Pakistan, Radio Pakistan said. 

“He said media cooperation between the two countries would help in the fight against Islamophobia and misinformation,” the report said. 


Karachi Shipyard to build Pakistan’s first major commercial ship in 40 years

Updated 14 December 2024
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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.