KARACHI: A German diplomat was found dead in his residence located in Islamabad’s heavily guarded Diplomatic Enclave on Monday, state-run media reported, saying that preliminary reports suggest he had previously suffered a heart attack.
Thomas Jurgen Bielefeld, 58, was serving as the second secretary at the German Embassy in Islamabad. His body was discovered after embassy staff raised concerns about his two-day absence from work, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.
The state media reported that the German embassy staff broke into his apartment and found him unresponsive, following which the authorities were notified.
“He [police spokesperson] said the body was taken to the Polyclinic Hospital, where a post-mortem examination was conducted to ascertain the cause of death,” APP said. “Preliminary investigations suggested that the diplomat had previously experienced a minor heart attack, which could potentially be linked to his cause of death.”
APP said the German embassy was in touch with Pakistani authorities and its officials were cooperating with the investigation.
“Further investigations are underway to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident,” APP quoted the police spokesperson as saying.
Pakistan’s English language newspaper Dawn quoted the police as saying that the diplomat was found “dead with his eyes, nose and mouth bleeding at his residence located in Karakoram Heights.”
The report added that the diplomat last used the WhatsApp messaging platform at 7:44 p.m. on Saturday.
German diplomat found dead at his residence in Pakistan’s capital
https://arab.news/c2avn
German diplomat found dead at his residence in Pakistan’s capital
- Preliminary reports suggest diplomat previously experienced minor heart attack, says state media
- Thomas Jurgen Bielefeld was serving as second secretary at Germany’s embassy in Islamabad
IMF hails Pakistan privatization drive, calls PIA sale a ‘milestone’
- Fund backs sale of national airline as key step in divesting loss-making state firms
- IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce fiscal burden posed by state-owned entities
KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Saturday welcomed Pakistan’s privatization efforts, describing the sale of the country’s national airline to a private consortium last month as a milestone that could help advance the divestment of loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
The comments follow the government’s sale of a 75 percent stake in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group for Rs 135 billion ($486 million) after several rounds of bidding in a competitive process, marking Islamabad’s second attempt to privatize the carrier after a failed effort a year earlier.
Between the two privatization attempts, PIA resumed flight operations to several international destinations after aviation authorities in the European Union and Britain lifted restrictions nearly five years after the airline was grounded following a deadly Airbus A320 crash in Karachi in 2020 that killed 97 people.
“We welcome the authorities’ privatization efforts and the completion of the PIA privatization process, which was a commitment under the EFF,” Mahir Binici, the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan, said in response to an Arab News query, referring to the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility.
“This privatization represents a milestone within the authorities’ reform agenda, aimed at decreasing governmental involvement in commercial sectors and attracting investments to promote economic growth in Pakistan,” he added.
The IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce the fiscal burden posed by loss-making state firms, which have weighed public finances for years and required repeated government bailouts. Beyond PIA, the government has signaled plans to restructure or sell stakes in additional SOEs as part of broader reforms under the IMF program.
Privatization also remains politically sensitive in Pakistan, with critics warning of job losses and concerns over national assets, while supporters argue private sector management could improve efficiency and service delivery in chronically underperforming entities.
Pakistan’s Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises said on Friday that SOEs recorded a net loss of Rs 122.9 billion ($442 million) in the 2024–25 fiscal year, compared with a net loss of Rs 30.6 billion ($110 million) in the previous year.
