KARACHI: A team of experts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be visiting Pakistan in mid-March for the first review of the South Asian country’s $7 billion loan program, an IMF official said on Friday.
A successful review would see the Washington-based lender release around $1 billion tranche to cash-strapped Pakistan, which seeks to boost its foreign exchange reserves to achieve the IMF’s threshold of three-month import cover.
IMF bailouts are critical for Pakistan which narrowly avoided a sovereign default in June 2023 by clinching a last-gasp, $3 billion IMF loan and is currently navigating a tricky path to economic recovery.
“An IMF staff team is scheduled to visit Pakistan in early to mid-March for discussions around the first review under Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility-supported program,” Mahir Binici, the IMF resident representative in Pakistan, told Arab News in response to a query.
Pakistan, which averted a default in 2023, is currently navigating a path to economic recovery under the $7 billion bailout. The review is expected to revolve around the country’s compliance with its taxation targets and overall structural reforms.
The South Asian country has undertaken several reforms in taxation, energy and others sectors as well as with regard to better management of loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs), while provincial governments in Pakistan’s Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have recently enacted laws to impose taxes on farm incomes in line with the lender’s requirements.
Pakistan’s finance adviser Khurram Schehzad told Arab News in a recent interview that the country was “fully prepared to go into the review process,” adding that the IMF was on board “on the targets and benchmarks that we have achieved as well as only a few we are chasing.”
The South Asian country also seeks to secure an additional $1.5 billion loan from the IMF to deal with climate-related issues under a Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangement.
“In this regard, a technical team will be in Pakistan starting in late February to discuss technical issues related to a possible RSF arrangement,” Binici said.
The Global Climate Risk Index places Pakistan among the countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Floods in 2022, which scientists said were aggravated by global warming, affected at least 33 million people and killed more than 1,700. The country’s economic struggles and high debt burden impinged its ability to respond to the disaster.
IMF mission to visit Pakistan by mid-March to review $7 billion loan program, official says
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IMF mission to visit Pakistan by mid-March to review $7 billion loan program, official says
- A successful review would see the Washington-based lender release around $1 billion tranche to cash-strapped South Asian country
- Islamabad has also requested IMF for additional $1.5 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility to deal with climate-related issues
Baloch rights group says top leader arrested in police raid in southwestern Pakistan
- Baloch Yakjehti Committee says Dr. Mahrang Baloch was arrested amid a province-wide wheel-jam strike
- The top BYC leader has long claimed the ethnic Baloch community is subjected to extrajudicial harassment
QUETTA: A leading Baloch ethnic rights group announced on Saturday its top leader was arrested along with several of her colleagues in southwestern Balochistan after police raided their protest camp at dawn in the provincial capital of Quetta.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch has long campaigned for the rights of the ethnic Baloch community, which claims to be subjected to extrajudicial harassment, arrests and killings by security forces in the province.
The Pakistani state, however, denies the allegation, saying its forces are combating separatist militants who target armed forces personnel and foreign nationals in the mineral-rich province that borders Iran and Afghanistan.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) said its leader’s arrest came amid a province-wide wheel-jam strike that followed an alleged police attack on a protest in Quetta that killed three people on Friday evening. According to BYC, Baloch and other supporters began a sit-in with the bodies of the deceased when authorities intervened and detained them.
“At around 5:30 this morning, police and other state agencies attacked the protest sit-in, seized the bodies of the martyrs from the demonstrators, and arrested Baloch Yakjehti Committee’s central leader, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, along with her companions,” Sammi Deen Baloch, a BYC leader, said in a social media post.
“The bodies of the slain youth were also forcibly taken into custody. In addition, a crackdown was carried out against women and children as well,” she added.
Arab News made multiple attempts to contact government and police officials for comment, but did not receive a response.
However, AFP quoted a senior police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, who confirmed the arrests and said that Baloch and 17 others had been taken into custody.
“It is currently being assessed what charges should be filed against them,” the official said.
Previously, the provincial authorities of Balochistan accused the BYC of getting into a confrontation with police after some demonstrators attempted to retrieve the bodies of deceased militants involved in the hijacking of the Jaffar Express train last week.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, had targeted the Peshawar-bound passenger train in the mountainous Bolan region on March 11, taking hundreds of passengers hostage.
The siege that lasted for two days ended after a military operation that killed 33 militants. The attack, which also claimed the lives of more than 30 Pakistanis, was one of the deadliest train assaults in the country’s history.
The government decided to lodge a police case against protesters who allegedly stormed the mortuary at the Civil Hospital Quetta to get the militants’ bodies and booked 12 individuals on Thursday.
Pakistan Railways reduces train fares for travel on Eid Al-Fitr
- Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis travel via airplanes, trains, buses to their hometowns to celebrate Eid with family and friends
- This week, Pakistan’s government announced a three-day holiday from Mar. 31 to Apr. 2 on account of the Muslim festival of Eid Al-Fitr
KARACHI: Pakistan Railways has reduced fares for passenger for travel during Eid Al-Fitr holidays, it announced on Saturday.
Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan for Muslims worldwide. Ramadan began in Pakistan on Mar. 2, a day after most other Muslims nations, and the Eid Al-Fitr festival at end of the holy month is expected to fall on Mar. 31.
Pakistan’s government this week announced a three-day holiday from Mar. 31 to Apr. 2 on account of the Muslim festival of Eid Al-Fitr.
“The competent authority has been pleased to grant 20 percent concession in fares of all mail and express, intercity and passenger trains in all classes (managed by PR only) on account of the auspicious occasion of Eid Al-Fitr,” the railways department said in a notification.
“This concession will be allowed on current booking only on 1st, 2nd and 3rd days of Eid Al-Fitr.”
Eid Al-Fitr is one of two major Muslim festivals, the other being Eid Al-Adha, which is marked by the slaughtering of animals such as sheep and goats whose meat is shared among family and friends and donated to the poor. This year, Eid Al-Adha is expected to fall on June 6 or 7, marking the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage.
Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis travel via airplanes, trains, buses to their hometowns from far-flung cities and abroad to celebrate the joyous occasions with families and friends each year.
Pakistan Railways also runs special trains on both Eids to facilitate passengers.
“No person or party will be allowed to avail two or more concessions at one time,” the notification read. “Concessional fares shall not be applicable to the Eid special trains.”
On World Water Day, PM calls for steps to preserve glaciers for Pakistan’s secure future
- Pakistan has around 13,000 glaciers, of which nearly 10,000 are receding and expected to cause significant water disruptions
- PM Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan’s wetlands are disappearing three times faster than its forests and demand immediate action
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged Pakistanis to take steps to preserve water resources, including glaciers, for a water-secure future of the country, his office said on Saturday, on the World Water Day.
The World Water Day is an annual United Nations (UN) observance held on March 22 each year that highlights the importance of freshwater. The day is used to advocate for sustainable management of freshwater resources across the globe.
In his message, Sharif said the day, being observed under the theme of “Glacier Preservation” this year, reminds them of the critical role glaciers play in sustaining the planet’s freshwater supplies and of the grave challenges in protecting this essential resource.
“Nearly half of the global population experiences water scarcity for at least part of the year. Billions remain without access to clean drinking water, while water pollution continues to rise at alarming levels. Our wetlands are disappearing three times faster than our forests. This is no longer a distant threat. It is a global crisis that demands immediate and collective action,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office.
“On this World Water Day, let us reaffirm our resolve to preserve our glaciers, protect our water resources, and work together for a resilient, water-secure future— for our people, our region, and our planet.”
There are a total of 13,000 glaciers in Pakistan and nearly 10,000 of them are receding and expected to cause significant water disruptions, according to Pakistani authorities.
The melting of these glaciers at a fast pace and heavy untimely rains due to climate change put the South Asian country at risk of frequent floods, while at the same time, droughts pose an equally serious threat, with nearly 80 percent of Pakistan’s land categorized as arid or semi-arid and 30 percent of population directly affected by drought-like conditions.
Melting glaciers contribute to rising sea levels, another cause of coastal erosion. The sea level at Karachi rose almost 8 inches (almost 20 centimeters) between 1916 and 2016, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It’s projected to rise another half-inch (about 1.3 centimeters) by 2040.
In areas near the southwestern coastal city of Gwadar, like Pishukan and Ganz, waves have swallowed up mosques, schools, and settlements. There are gashes in the cliffs at the popular picnic spot of Sunset Park and rocks have cascaded onto the shore, while beaches run flat for dozens of kilometers because no structures remain on it.
“Pakistan is among the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change. Our average temperatures are projected to rise faster than the global average,” Sharif said.
“Over three-quarters of our water resources originate outside our borders. That is why Pakistan attaches great importance to transboundary water cooperation.”
He said his government was working to mitigate climate-induced flood risks and reduce drought impacts through ecosystem-based adaptation, and implementing 25 priority interventions from promoting nature-based agriculture and restoring the Indus delta to curbing industrial pollution and investing in green infrastructure.
Pakistan urges halt in Israeli strikes on Gaza for success of Saudi-backed conference on two-state solution
- Development comes after French President Emmanuel Macron said he spoke with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and they will co-chair a conference on the two-state solution
- Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has consistently called for an independent Palestinian state based on ‘internationally agreed parameters’ and pre-1967 borders
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan urges the world to halt Israeli strikes on Gaza for the success of a conference in June on the two-state solution to the Palestine issue, Pakistan’s permanent mission to the United Nations (UN) said on Saturday.
The statement came days after French President Emmanuel Macron said he spoke with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two leaders condemned the resumption of Israeli strikes on Gaza. Macron said they will co-chair a conference on a two-state solution, aimed at “helping revive a political perspective for both Israelis and Palestinians.”
The Israeli military on Wednesday resumed ground operations in central and southern Gaza, as a second day of airstrikes killed at least 48 Palestinians, according to health authorities. The renewed ground operations came a day after more than 400 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes in one of the deadliest episodes since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023, shattering a ceasefire that has largely held since January.
“If we can halt Israel’s military campaign, sustain a ceasefire and end the humanitarian crisis, it would create conditions conducive to the success of the endeavor for a two-State solution at the Conference, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, next June,” the Pakistani mission quoted the country’s permanent representative, Munir Akram, as saying at the UN.
“This is an outcome that should be desired by the world and should enjoy consensus within the Security Council.”
Palestinian territory – encompassing the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem – has been occupied by Israel since 1967. Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has consistently called for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and pre-1967 borders.
“The Security Council, and the world community, cannot sit back and watch this on-going ethnic cleansing,” Akram was quoted as saying. “A failure to halt this brutal war will unleash the worst instinct of powerful and predatory states, shred the principles of the UN Charter, designed to prevent aggression and the scourge of war.”
Israel’s war on Gaza, which began after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and displaced almost all of Gaza’s 2 million population by laying waste to swathes of neighborhoods, schools and hospitals.
At least nine injured as police, ethnic Baloch protesters clash in Pakistan’s southwest
- The clashes erupted during a protest by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee rights group over the arrest of three of its key members by authorities this week
- Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land, has been the site of an insurgency for decades and has witnessed a surge in violence in recent months
QUETTA: At least nine people, including policemen, were injured after clashes broke out between police and protesters from an ethnic Baloch rights group, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, late Friday night in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, officials said.
The BYC accused law enforcement agencies of forcibly arresting its three central committee members on Wednesday and called for a protest on Sariab Road in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province which has recent witnessed a spike in separatist attacks.
The call for protest followed a clash between protesters and the police after people attempted to take away bodies of deceased militants who were killed after the Jaffar Express train hijacking last week, according to authorities. The provincial government lodged a police case against the protesters who stormed the mortuary at Civil Hospital Quetta and booked 12 protesters on Thursday.
Last week, militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) separatist group hijacked the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express passenger train in the rugged, mountainous Bolan region, with more than 400 passengers onboard. The hours-long siege ended after Pakistan launched an operation and killed 33 militants. The deadliest train assault resulted in the killing of over 30 Pakistani security personnel and civilians.
“The Baloch Yakjehti Committee blocked highways in Quetta and the police took legal action against the protesters who were blocking the roads,” Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, said on Friday.
“The protesters pelted stones at police and tortured policemen, injuring several cops and civilians.”
The BYC was staging a sit-in on Sariab Road with bodies of three protesters, which it alleged were killed by gunfire from the authorities.
Rind said the government was ascertaining whose bodies BYC placed in their protest: “It is impossible to know the causes of death of the bodies unless the bodies were brought to the hospital for medico-legal procedure.”
Dr. Arbab Kamran Kasi, head of Trauma Center Quetta told Arab News, they had received nine injured persons, including policemen.
“Six injured with minor wounds were discharged, two are being treated and one was referred to the Combined Military Hospital,” he shared.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a veteran human rights activist who heads the BYC, accused police of killing three protesters by shooting at a peaceful rally in Quetta.
“We called a peaceful sit-in today on the Sariab Road in Quetta but the police attacked our protesters,” she told Arab News. “Now we have camped at Sariab Road with the bodies of three slain protesters and we won’t end the protest until justice has been provided to our slain workers.”
The office of the Quetta commissioner denied reports of firing by authorities.
“No shelling was carried out by the administration during the BYC protest. No firearms or rubber bullets were used,” it said in a statement. “Only water cannons (non-lethal and safe method) were used to disperse the crowd.”
It said the administration respects the right to peaceful protest, however, lawlessness and attacks on state institutions cannot be permitted.
Amnesty International, a global human rights watchdog, voiced alarm over the reports of deaths of three protesters and nearly a dozen injuries following live ammunition fired by authorities against the protesters in Quetta, describing it as “a shocking indictment of the Pakistani authorities’ utter disregard for human life.”
“In blatant violation of the right to protest, the authorities conducted mass arrests and fired tear gas before resorting to unlawful use of lethal weapons against the unarmed protesters. Mobile networks in the city remain suspended, hindering free flow of information,” it said on X.
“Amnesty International urges the Pakistani authorities to immediately stop the reckless crackdown against the peaceful protesters and guarantee the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, in line with Pakistan’s international human rights obligations.”
Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province by land but its most backward by almost all economic and social indicators. For decades it has been plagued by a low-level insurgency by militants fighting for a greater share of the province’s wealth.
Separatist militants, such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) accuse the central government of denying locals a share of Balochistan’s mineral resources. The federal government and the military strongly deny these accusations, and say they have launched several projects in the province to support its development.
Violence by Baloch separatist factions, primarily the BLA, killed about 300 people last year, according to official statistics, marking an escalation in the decades-long conflict.
