ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reappointed veteran diplomat Mohammad Sadiq its special envoy for Afghanistan, the Pakistani foreign ministry said this week.
Sadiq, who served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul from Dec. 2008 till Apr. 2014, retired in 2016 as secretary of the national security division.
The veteran diplomat was later appointed Pakistan’s special envoy to Afghanistan, but he resigned from the post in March 2023 after serving for nearly three years.
His reappointment comes at a time of strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan due to cross-border militant attacks in Pakistan and subsequent expulsion of Afghan refugees.
“The Prime Minister of Pakistan has been pleased to approve the appointment of Ambassador (R) Mohammad Sadiq as Special Representative of Pakistan for Afghanistan with immediate effect,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a notification this week.
Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups, urging the Taliban administration in Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by armed factions to launch cross-border attacks. The Taliban government in Kabul says Pakistan’s security and other challenges are a domestic issue and cannot be blamed on the neighbor.
In Nov. 2023, Pakistan began expelling illegal foreigners following a spike in bombings which the government said were mostly carried out by Afghan nationals. Islamabad has also blamed illegal Afghan immigrants and refugees for involvement in smuggling and other crimes.
Retired diplomat Mohammad Sadiq reappointed Pakistan’s special envoy to Afghanistan
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Retired diplomat Mohammad Sadiq reappointed Pakistan’s special envoy to Afghanistan
- Sadiq, who served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul from Dec. 2008 till Apr. 2014, resigned as special representative to Afghanistan in March 2023
- His reappointment comes at a time of strained Pakistan-Afghanistan relations due to surge in militant attacks in Pakistan, expulsion of Afghan refugees
Global ride-hailing company inDrive eyes expansion into Pakistan’s foodtech, health care sectors
- InDrive CEO Arsen Tomsky says company challenges unfair practices such as inflated rates, high commissions
- Says Pakistan among inDrive’s top ten markets worldwide, notes country’s large youthful population
ISLAMABAD: The chief executive officer of global ride-hailing company inDrive revealed this week that his organization was eyeing expanding into Pakistan’s foodtech and health care sectors, aiming to tap into the country’s massive young population.
The development takes place after inDrive announced earlier this month that it was entering Pakistan’s online grocery delivery market by launching a new service in the southern port city of Karachi. inDrive said it would launch the service by partnering with quick commerce platform Krave Mart.
In an interview with state-run Pakistan TV Digital on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, the company’s founder and CEO Arsen Tomsky said it enters countries where policies are stable and to challenge what he described as unfair practices such as inflated rates, high commissions and price monopolies.
“Step by step we will launch into new fields where we see significant injustice,” Tomsky said. “For example, we have started to think about health care. Also this year, we are expanding in foodtech, where we see again, a significant level of injustice.”
Tomsky noted that Pakistan is among the company’s top ten markets globally. He added that the South Asian country presented significant opportunities as it was home to over 250 million people, where a large percentage of the population was young.
“The market is absolutely booming and taking off,” he said. “I believe in the fantastic future of the country.”
According to inDrive’s website, it was founded in 2013 and incorporated in the US in 2018. inDrive says it is available in 888 cities across 48 countries.
The ride-hailing platform’s unique feature allows passengers and drivers to negotiate the fare directly. The company says that in 2022 and again in 2023, inDrive was the second most downloaded ride-hailing app worldwide based on Google Play and App Store data.
