Pakistan cuts 50 percent export charges at major port to boost trade, economic growth

Shipping containers are seen stacked on a ship at a sea port in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 6, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 23 June 2025
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Pakistan cuts 50 percent export charges at major port to boost trade, economic growth

  • The reduction in charges at Port Qasim is part of government reforms to enhance trade facilitation
  • Pakistan plans to establish an industrial zone to promote marine, aquaculture sectors, minister says

KARACHI: The Pakistani government has reduced port charges for exporters by 50 percent at the country’s second biggest Port Qasim, the Pakistani maritime affairs ministry said on Monday, amid efforts to boost trade and economic growth.

The development came after a strategic roadmap meeting of the ministry, at which Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry emphasized the government’s commitment to creating opportunities for local businesses and encouraging trade through ports and fisheries.

Pakistan is striving to boost trade and investment amid a gradually healing macroeconomic environment after a prolonged downturn that forced Islamabad to seek external financing from friendly nations and multiple loan programs with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“The government’s reform agenda in the maritime sector, including the charge reduction at Port Qasim, signals a strong commitment to supporting the business community, enhancing trade facilitation, and promoting economic development across coastal regions,” he was quoted as saying.

Officials briefed the participants that the Marine Fisheries Department had met its export target of $410 million this fiscal year through fisheries and aquaculture exports, according to the maritime ministry. Additionally, the ship recycling industry had generated a revenue of Rs6 billion ($21.1 million), reflecting the growing potential of maritime industries in the country.

Chaudhry said the government is focused on modernizing port infrastructure, streamlining customs operations, and fostering a business-friendly environment to enhance Pakistan’s competitiveness in international trade.

“The Ministry of Maritime Affairs is actively working on reforms to unlock the economic potential of vast coastline and maritime resources,” he said. “These efforts are part of a broader strategy to transform the maritime sector, boost exports, and contribute significantly to the country’s GDP.”

He announced his ministry’s plans to establish an Aquaculture Industrial Zone aimed at promoting business activities in the marine and aquaculture sectors.

“Pakistan’s first-ever Marine and Aquaculture Policy will be introduced soon to provide a comprehensive framework for sustainable development in these areas,” he said.


Pakistan cricket team leaves for Dhaka for upcoming Bangladesh T20I series 

Updated 7 sec ago
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Pakistan cricket team leaves for Dhaka for upcoming Bangladesh T20I series 

  • Three-match T20I series will be played in Dhaka from July 20 to 24 
  • Series follows Pakistan’s 3–0 home sweep over Bangladesh in May

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national men’s cricket team has departed for Dhaka via Dubai to play a three-match T20 series against Bangladesh starting July 20, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Wednesday. 

The series will be played from July 20 to 24 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka and will take place just two months after Bangladesh toured Pakistan in May, where they were whitewashed 3–0.

The team traveled to Bangladesh in two separate groups on July 15 and July 16, the board said. The first group comprised captain Salman Ali Agha, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf and members of the support staff. 

“The second group of the national squad has also departed from Karachi to Dhaka via Dubai,” the PCB said in a statement.

This group comprised Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris, Sahibzada Farhan, Hasaan Nawaz, Sufyan Moqim, Hussain Talat, Ahmad Daniyal, Salman Mirza and members of the support staff. 

The series in Dhaka also offers an opportunity for newer players like Hassan Nawaz and spinner Moqim to gain international experience, while selectors continue testing bench strength ahead of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup.

The Sher-e-Bangla stadium is known for its spin-friendly conditions, which could suit bowlers like Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz.

The tour comes after Pakistan and Bangladesh agreed to mend bilateral ties last year, paving the way for renewed engagements between the two sides.

Pakistan last toured Bangladesh in November 2021 when they also won a T20I series 3–0.

Pakistan squad for Bangladesh T20Is:

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, and Sufyan Moqim.

Team Management:

Naveed Akram Cheema (manager), Mike Hesson (head coach), Ashley Noffke (bowling coach), Muhammad Hanif Malik (batting coach), Shane McDermott (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Grant Luden (strength and conditioning coach), Talha Ejaz (analyst), Syed Naeem Ahmad (media manager), Irtaza Komail (security manager), Dr. Wajid Ali Rafai (doctor), and Muhammad Ehsan (masseur).
 


Pakistan and China sign agreement to deepen media cooperation at regional broadcast festival

Updated 16 July 2025
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Pakistan and China sign agreement to deepen media cooperation at regional broadcast festival

  • Pact coincides with second television festival of SCO countries currently underway in China
  • Forum brought together over 300 media officials, journalists, industry executives from across the region

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have formalized a new agreement to strengthen media collaboration, cultural exchanges and journalist training, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday.

The pact was signed by Pakistan Television Managing Director Ambreen Jan and China’s National Radio and Television Administration Vice Minister Dong Xin and coincides with the second television festival of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries, currently underway in China. 

The 2025 Media Cooperation Forum in Urumqi, Xinjiang, brought together over 300 media officials, journalists, and industry executives from across the region. 

“Under the agreement, Pakistan and China will exchange information and content, undertake joint media projects, and promote cultural understanding through shared narratives,” Radio Pakistan reported. 

“The collaboration will also include training programs, workshops, and journalist exchange initiatives aimed at strengthening professional skills and fostering mutual learning between media personnel of both countries.”

The accord aligns with the broader emphasis on media cooperation demonstrated at the 2025 SCO forum, which aims to institutionalize collaboration through initiatives like an SCO Media Agency.

Pakistan and China have long maintained strong ties, from economic projects like the China Pakistan Economic Forum to military alliances. Media cooperation adds another layer to the partnership, reinforcing shared messaging and countering disinformation 

The agreement builds on earlier Pakistan–China joint media efforts, including MoUs for film co-productions and shared outlets. In December, Pakistan’s information secretary highlighted that twelve Pakistani films had aired in China since 1957, and a new co-production premiered in Beijing.

Observers say Beijing’s hosting of SCO events like the television and film festival, along with broader media initiatives, reflects China’s intention to use soft power and regional platforms to solidify cultural influence. Pakistan, for its part, often frames such cooperation within a shared vision of regional stability and development.


Audit finds $21 million financial irregularities in Pakistan Cricket Board

Updated 16 July 2025
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Audit finds $21 million financial irregularities in Pakistan Cricket Board

  • Auditors flag $18.6 million in unpaid sponsorships, question spending on police meals during foreign tours
  • Report also cites improper hiring, unauthorized perks for PCB chairman, governance lapses over two years

ISLAMABAD: An audit report has found financial irregularities to the tune of more than rupees 6 billion ($21 million) and governance issues within the Pakistan Cricket Board dating back two years.

The Auditor General of Pakistan’s report for the 2023-24 financial year was published in The News and highlighted the non-recovery of outstanding sponsorship worth rupees 5.3 billion ($18.6 million) as the major discrepancy identified.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is the third person in four years to lead the sport’s national administration, following Ramiz Raja and Zaka Ashraf. He is also a government minister.

The report also questioned the rupees 63.39 million ($220,000) the PCB spent on meals for police and law enforcement personnel assigned for the security of foreign teams during international matches in Pakistan.

The auditors said providing security was the responsibility of governments, and disagreed with the PCB’s explanation that visiting international teams were given extra safety guarantees that required heavy police deployment.

The audit report also flagged the hiring of three junior regional coaches who didn’t meet the eligibility criteria and the appointment of a media director outside the proper procedure.

Compensation paid to cover utility charges, fuel and accommodation for the PCB chairman between February and June of last year was also highlighted as unauthorized because Navqi received that as part of his government benefits.

The auditors rejected the cricket board’s response that the PCB chairman “is authorized for utility expense as per bylaws.”

The PCB is yet to comment on the audit report.


Nearly 150 killed as Pakistan’s deadly monsoon season intensifies

Updated 16 July 2025
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Nearly 150 killed as Pakistan’s deadly monsoon season intensifies

  • At least 77 dead in Punjab as roof collapses drive surge in monsoon fatalities 
  • Officials urge precautions after 27 people killed in 24 hours in Punjab province 

ISLAMABAD: Nearly 150 people in Pakistan have died and hundreds have been injured since late June due to heavy monsoon rains this season, disaster management authorities said on Wednesday.

The monsoon season brings South Asia up to 80 percent of its annual rainfall, arriving in early June in India and late June in Pakistan, and lasting through until September.

The annual rains are vital for agriculture and food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers. But they also bring with them flooding and landslides and cause buildings to collapse.

“Due to this year’s monsoon rains, 77 citizens have died and 214 have been injured,” a spokesperson for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, said in a statement. 

In the past 24 hours alone, 27 people had died and 46 more injured across the province, the statement added.

On Monday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had warned of another wet spell in the country from July 15 till July 17 and said the death toll from monsoon rains and floods had reached 111 since June 26. With the fresh deaths in Punjab over the last 24 hours, that figure is nearing 150.

“Most deaths have been recorded due to roofs collapsing in dilapidated buildings and old houses,” DG PDMA said, urging citizens to avoid staying in old mud homes and to take extra precautions.

“Citizens are requested to take precautionary measures in view of the rainy season … Citizens are urged not to stay in old mud houses under any circumstances.”

On the instructions of Punjab’s chief minister, the injured are being provided “the best possible medical aid” and families of those killed will receive financial assistance under the provincial government’s policy, the agency added.

Children should be kept away from electric wires, poles, and low-lying flooded areas to prevent further casualties, the PDMA said. 

“By adopting precautionary measures, loss of life and property can be avoided.”

Pakistan, despite contributing less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

In 2022, unprecedented monsoon flooding submerged a third of the country, affecting over 33 million people and inflicting more than $30 billion in losses, according to government estimates.


UK removes Pakistan from Air Safety List, clears path for flight resumption

Updated 19 min 25 sec ago
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UK removes Pakistan from Air Safety List, clears path for flight resumption

  • Pakistani airlines were barred from flying to the US, UK and EU following a 2020 PIA crash in Karachi
  • Pakistan says the development will be followed by PIA’s privatization, efforts to resume New York flights

ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom has removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, the British High Commission announced on Wednesday, paving the way for Pakistani airlines to apply for permits to operate flights to the UK.

Pakistani airlines were barred from flying to the European Union and the United Kingdom following the crash of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Airbus A320 in a residential area of Karachi that killed nearly 100 people in May 2020. The crash was attributed to human error by both the pilots and air traffic controllers and was followed by claims that a significant number of Pakistani pilots held dubious or fake licenses.

PIA resumed operations to Europe earlier this year after a four-and-a-half-year ban was lifted by EU regulators. The airline relaunched flights from Islamabad to Paris on January 10 and introduced direct flights from Lahore to Paris in June.

“I’m grateful to aviation experts in the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to drive improvements to meet international safety standards,” British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said in the statement. “While it will take time for flights to resume, once the logistics are in place, I look forward to using a Pakistani carrier when visiting family and friends.”

The High Commission said the decision to remove Pakistan and its carriers from the UK Air Safety List followed years of engagement between the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and UK regulators.

The UK’s Air Safety Committee, which oversees the safety list through an independent technical process, determined that Pakistan had made the necessary improvements, continued the statement.

‘IMPORTANT MILESTONE’

Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called it an “important milestone” for the country, adding it would enhance Pakistan’s reputation at the international level and further strengthen bilateral cooperation with the UK.

He vowed to bring Pakistani airlines into competition with global carriers.

A PIA statement also announced the national airline was finalizing preparations to resume flights to the UK “as quickly as possible” and was in the process of filing a flight schedule. It informed it was planning to launch three weekly flights after getting approval from the UK authorities.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif maintained the next step was the privatization of PIA, adding the resumption of flights to Britain would add value to the airline’s proceeds.

“We will now get a better price for it because we are restoring all of PIA’s international routes before privatizing it, which is maximizing its value,” he said.

“We are also making efforts to resume the New York flight,” he continued, adding there was no ban on the flight but it had to be discontinued due to the unavailability of planes.

With over 1.6 million people of Pakistani heritage living in the UK and thousands of British nationals residing in Pakistan, the UK decision to allow flights from Pakistan is expected to ease travel and boost trade between the two countries.

The UK is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, with a bilateral relationship valued at £4.7 billion.