Pakistan rules out military operation after deadly Balochistan attacks, vows targeted response

Pakistan rules out military operation after deadly Balochistan attacks, vows targeted response
Pakistan's Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi (left) addresses a media briefing along with Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti in Quetta, Pakistan on August 27, 2024. (Ministry of Interior)
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Updated 27 August 2024
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Pakistan rules out military operation after deadly Balochistan attacks, vows targeted response

Pakistan rules out military operation after deadly Balochistan attacks, vows targeted response
  • Attacks, killing over 50, were the most widespread in years by separatists fighting for secession of Balochistan
  • Interior minister says federal government will extend full support to provincial authorities to ensure peace in province

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi said on Tuesday Pakistan would not launch a military operation against separatist militants who had launched coordinated attacks in the country’s volatile southwestern Balochistan province a day earlier, vowing to tackle them with a targeted response.

Naqvi arrived in Quetta, Balochistan’s provincial capital, on Tuesday, a day after over 50 people were killed in the most widespread assault in years by ethnic militants fighting a decades-long insurgency to win secession of the resource-rich southwestern province, home to major China-led projects such as a port and a gold and copper mine.

“Those people who think they can threaten us with such acts will soon get a good enough message from us,” Naqvi said during a brief media interaction, with Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti by his side. 

“We don’t need a proper [military] operation for them ... They are terrorists. They can even be dealt with by a [police] Station House Officer.”

Separatist militants in Balochistan, a key region bordering Iran and Afghanistan, are fighting for independence, alleging exploitation of the province’s mineral and gas wealth by the central government. The Pakistani state denies this and says it is working for the uplift of the region through various development schemes.

Naqvi told reporters the federal government would extend all possible support to provincial authorities to ensure peace in Balochistan.

“This war is every Pakistani’s war,” he was quoted as saying in a statement released by the interior ministry after his meeting with Bugti. 

Balochistan is home to key mining projects, including Reko Diq, run by mining giant Barrick Gold, and believed to be one of the world’s largest gold and copper mines. China also operates a gold and copper mine in the province and is building a port in the seaside city of Gwadar. 


Punjab government bans public gatherings in Rawalpindi ahead of PTI protest today

Punjab government bans public gatherings in Rawalpindi ahead of PTI protest today
Updated 27 September 2024
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Punjab government bans public gatherings in Rawalpindi ahead of PTI protest today

Punjab government bans public gatherings in Rawalpindi ahead of PTI protest today
  • PTI first announced it would hold rally on Sept. 28, then said it would organize “peaceful protests” instead
  • PTI is aiming to hold large rallies across Pakistan to build pressure for ex-PM Imran Khan’s release from prison

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government on Friday imposed Section 144 in Rawalpindi district for two days, banning public gatherings as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposition party called on supporters to gather for a protest at a public park today, Saturday. 
The PTI announced earlier this week it would hold a rally in Rawalpindi on Sept. 28 but then said on Thursday it was canceling the gathering on the instructions of party founder and ex-premier Imran Khan and would hold “peaceful protests” instead on the same day. 
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, a key Khan ally, in a message on X on Friday, called on party supporters to gather at Rawalpindi’s Liaqat Bagh park the following afternoon. 
A notification issued by the Punjab Home Department dated Sept. 27 did not name any outfit but said a political party had planned a demonstration for Saturday, warning that “miscreants” and “mischief mongers can take advantage of the … protest to carry out subversive/anti-state activities … to fulfil their nefarious designs.”
It added that Section 144(6) had been imposed in Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Chakwal and Attock “to maintain law and order situation” and “ensure [the] security of the people and installations/buildings against any potential threat or untoward activity.” 
Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period.
The notification said the district administration was prohibiting “all kinds of political assemblies, gatherings, sits-in, rallies, demonstrations, jalsas, protests and such like other activities” on the weekend and had also banned people from carrying weapons in Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Chakal and Attock districts.
Taking to X, Omar Ayub Khan called on people to gather at Liaqat Bagh, a famous park on Murree Road in Rawalpindi.
“Tomorrow, Sept. 28, 2024, Saturday, god willing, at 2pm you have to come in large numbers to Liaqat Bagh where we will have a protest. It is our legal and constitutional right, for Prime Minister Imran Khan, for Pakistan, and for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.”

Following rallies this month in Islamabad and Lahore, the PTI announced this week it would hold public gatherings in Rawalpindi and Lahore on Sept. 28 and Oct. 5 respectively to build pressure for Khan’s release. 
The ex-PM has been in jail since August last year on multiple charges including corruption, sedition and terrorism. Khan says the cases against him are politically motivated to keep him and his party away from politics. 
The PTI’s last two rallies were not without complications. The Sept. 8 rally in Islamabad was first planned for July and then August but was postponed both times as the party was denied permission to hold it by the district administration which cited security threats and a lack of resources to manage large gatherings. 
After the Islamabad rally, a number of PTI legislators were arrested on charges of violating an agreement on the basis of which permission for the rally was given, including abiding by a time limit and supporters sticking to certain routes to reach the designated venue for the rally on Islamabad’s outskirts. 
Last Saturday’s gathering in Lahore also came to an abrupt end after authorities cut off electricity supply to the venue after the 3-6pm deadline expired. 
Khan’s party says the challenges in holding rallies are part of an over year-long crackdown it has faced since protesters allegedly linked to the party attacked and damaged government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after the former premier’s brief arrest the same day in a land graft case.
Hundreds of PTI followers and leaders were arrested following the riots and many remain behind bars as they await trial. The military, which says Khan and his party were behind the attacks, has also initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence.
Khan, who has been in jail since last August, was ousted from the PM’s office in 2022 in a parliamentary vote of no confidence after what is widely believed to be a falling out with Pakistan’s powerful military, which denies being involved in politics.

 


Pakistan delegation walks out as Israeli PM takes podium to address UNGA

Pakistan delegation walks out as Israeli PM takes podium to address UNGA
Updated 27 September 2024
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Pakistan delegation walks out as Israeli PM takes podium to address UNGA

Pakistan delegation walks out as Israeli PM takes podium to address UNGA
  • Over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched a war on Gaza in October last year
  • Netanyahu’s speech on Friday dampened hopes for a ceasefire that could head off an all-out regional war

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani delegation to the UN General Assembly staged a walkout in protest as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium, vowing to continue Israel’s attacks on Iranian-backed fighters in Lebanon in a closely watched United Nations speech on Friday.
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in Oct 2023, Pakistan has repeatedly raised the issue at the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other multilateral platforms and demanded international powers and bodies stop Israeli military actions in Gaza. The South Asian country has also dispatched several aid consignments for Palestine.
Video footage widely shared on social media showed the Pakistani delegation walking out of the UNGA hall.
“Pakistani delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif walked out as Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahi took the podium after PM Shehbaz’s speech,” the foreign office said, as it shared a video of the walkout with reporters. 
Netanyahu’s speech on Friday dampened hopes for a ceasefire that could head off an all-out regional war.
“As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice, and Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their homes safely,” Netanyahu told the UNGA, referring to escalating violence between the Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel.
“Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for nearly a year. Well, I’ve come here today to say enough is enough.”
Several delegations including Pakistan’s walked out as Netanyahu approached the lectern while supporters in the gallery cheered.
In southern Lebanon, Israel continued to strike Hezbollah targets while diplomats at the UN voiced fears the attacks could flare into a wider war that draws in Israel’s arch-foe, Iran.
In his speech, Netanyahu sought to pin blame for the conflict on Iran, whose delegation was absent for the speech. He said Israel was defending itself against Tehran on seven fronts, including against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthis in Yemen.
“There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach. And that’s true of the entire Middle East. Far from being lambs led to the slaughter, Israel soldiers have fought back with incredible courage,” Netanyahu said.
“I have another message for this assembly and for the world outside this hall: We are winning,” he said. “We’ll continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are made.”
During the speech, Netanyahu cited the presence in the hall of families of hostages seized by Hamas on Oct. 7. The war began when Hamas gunmen stormed Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, Israel’s military has leveled swaths of the besieged Palestinian enclave, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing more than 41,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
With inputs from Reuters


Pakistan removes floor price for rice exports

Pakistan removes floor price for rice exports
Updated 27 September 2024
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Pakistan removes floor price for rice exports

Pakistan removes floor price for rice exports
  • Minimum export price for rice last set in November to be removed “effective immediately,” commerce ministry says
  • Earlier this month, India removed a floor price for basmati rice exports to help farmers struggling with debt 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan removed a floor price for rice exports on Friday, the country’s commerce ministry said, following a similar move by neighboring India.
The Ministry of Commerce said in a written notification that the minimum export price for rice which was last set in November would be removed “effective immediately.”
Earlier this month, India removed a floor price for basmati rice exports to help farmers struggling with debt and higher costs boost overseas sales of the premium grade just weeks ahead of the arrival of the new-season crop.
India and Pakistan, the only growers of basmati, both try to promote the premium grade of rice in a manner similar to French Champagne or Darjeeling tea.


Pakistan delays PIA auction for third time as bidders seek more time

Pakistan delays PIA auction for third time as bidders seek more time
Updated 27 September 2024
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Pakistan delays PIA auction for third time as bidders seek more time

Pakistan delays PIA auction for third time as bidders seek more time
  • No new date given for auction with the bidding process initially scheduled to be completed on Oct. 1 
  • Privatization commission spokesman says PIA’s cumulative losses have surpassed $2.86 billion

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government has delayed the auction of national carrier Pakistan International Airlines for the third time with no new date announced as potential bidders seek more time and information to assess the airline, a spokesman for the privatization ministry said on Friday.
The disposal of the flag carrier is a step that past elected governments have steered away from as it is likely to be highly unpopular, but progress on privatization is a precondition for cash-strapped Pakistan for an IMF bailout agreement approved this week.
The government announced in June it had selected six companies qualified to bid for PIA out of a pool of eight after receiving expressions of interest. The initial plan was to finalize the deal to sell PIA on the country’s Independence Day, Aug. 14, but the plan was delayed following requests from bidders who were waiting for the airline’s latest audited accounts, aircraft lease agreements and clarity on flights to Europe, which are currently banned. This was followed by September and October dates for the auction, but those have also not materialized. 
Pakistan plans to sell more than 51 percent of its stake in the loss-making airline as part of the economic reforms suggested by the IMF which approved a long-awaited 37-month $7 billion bailout deal on Wednesday that will require “sound policies and reforms” to strengthen macroeconomic stability and address structural challenges alongside “continued strong financial support from Pakistan’s development and bilateral partners.”
“Bidding is postponed but no new date is given officially,” Dr. Ahsan Ishaq, a spokesperson for privatization ministry, told Arab News on Friday.
He said the ministry had received “no official reason” from the bidders to delay the process but confirmed that they had been requesting more time and information to assess the carrier.
In August, the country’s central bank refused to grant a waiver or exemption to prospective buyers regarding PIA’s commercial bank loans of Rs268 billion ($971.1 million) and other financial guarantees in dollar terms, a development viewed as a setback to the privatization bid.
Dr. Ishaq said his ministry was in touch with the central bank to resolve the issue regarding all outstanding commercial loans of the national carrier before its final bid.
According to the ministry, the pre-qualified bidders for PIA include Air Blue, Arif Habib Corporation, Blue World City, Fly Jinnah, Pak Ethanol (Pvt) Consortium and YB Holdings Consortium.
Official data available with Arab News shows there are 88 commercially operated state-owned enterprises in Pakistan, with collective losses of up to Rs730.258 billion ($2.61 billion) in the fiscal year 2022 (FY22).
In its five-year privatization plan ending in 2029, the government has approved 24 state-owned enterprises for sale, including PIA.
The top ten loss-making Pakistani entities, including PIA with Rs97.5 billion, the National Highways Authority at Rs168.5 billion and the Peshawar Electric Supply Company Limited with Rs102.2 billion, accounted for cumulative losses of Rs650.197 billion ($2.33 billion) in FY22, according to official data.
In contrast, the remaining enterprises reported combined losses of Rs80 billion ($286 million) during the same fiscal year.
Dr. Ishaq said PIA’s cumulative losses alone had surpassed Rs800 billion ($2.86 billion), with the total asset valuation of the airline standing at approximately Rs160 billion ($572 million).
Haroon Sharif, a former member of the Cabinet Committee on Privatization and a senior economist, said the government should have started the privatization process with “simpler transactions” to improve the confidence of investors instead of trying to sell complicated organizations like PIA.
“It is difficult to smoothly privatize PIA as its accounts, assets and financial records are not as transparent as required by the bidders,” he told Arab News, suggesting that the government bifurcate the PIA into four or five different sections and privatize them in parts.
“The potential bidders will definitely want to see clear and transparent audits, assets and liabilities of PIA before going ahead for the final auction, so that’s why this may take some time,” Sharif said. “The government should also refrain from privatizing the national carrier in haste, otherwise it will backfire.”
With a fleet of 34 aircraft comprising 17 Airbus A320s, 12 Boeing B777s and 5 ATRs, the airline loses traffic to Middle Eastern carriers, who have a market share of 60 percent, because of an absence of direct flights to destinations.
The carrier has air service pacts with 87 countries, and landing slots at key destinations such as London Heathrow.
The re-organization plan of the business will separate the aviation-related aspects from non-core components, so freeing the operating subsidiary of a large portion of legacy debt.


Pakistan receives $1.02 billion first tranche from new IMF bailout

Pakistan receives $1.02 billion first tranche from new IMF bailout
Updated 27 September 2024
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Pakistan receives $1.02 billion first tranche from new IMF bailout

Pakistan receives $1.02 billion first tranche from new IMF bailout
  • IMF board on Wednesday approved a long-awaited $7 billion bailout deal
  • First tranche to be reflected in SBP liquid reserves to be released on Oct. 3

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s central bank said on Friday it had received $1.0269 billion from the International Monetary Fund as the first tranche of a $7 billion bailout to stabilize the economy, two days after the global lender’s board approved the package.
The IMF’s board on Wednesday approved a long-awaited 37-month $7 billion bailout deal that will require “sound policies and reforms” to strengthen macroeconomic stability and address structural challenges alongside “continued strong financial support from Pakistan’s development and bilateral partners.”
“Following the approval of the IMF Executive Board of 37-month Extended Fund Facility amounting to $7 billion, SBP has received the first tranche of SDR 760 million (equivalent to USD 1026.9 million) from the IMF today [Friday],” the central bank said.
“These inflows will be reflected in SBP liquid reserves to be released on Thursday 03 Oct 2024.”
Pakistan has been struggling with boom-and-bust economic cycles for decades, leading to 22 IMF bailouts since 1958. Currently the country is the IMF’s fifth-largest debtor, owing the Fund $6.28 billion as of July 11, according to the lender’s data.
The latest economic crisis has been the most prolonged and has seen Pakistan facing its highest-ever inflation, pushing the country to the brink of a sovereign default last summer before a stop-gap last-minute IMF bailout.
Inflation has since eased and credit ratings agency Moody’s has upgraded Pakistan’s local and foreign currency issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings to ‘Caa2’ from ‘Caa3’, citing improving macroeconomic conditions and moderately better government liquidity and external positions.
With inputs from Reuters