Pakistan deputy PM in Saudi Arabia to attend OIC meeting on Gaza, Lebanon

Pakistan deputy PM in Saudi Arabia to attend OIC meeting on Gaza, Lebanon
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar gestures at the Madinah Airport in Madinah on November 10, 2024, ahead of his departure for Riyad to attend the OIC Foreign Ministers Meeting. (Photo courtesy: X/ @DPM_PK)
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Updated 10 November 2024
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Pakistan deputy PM in Saudi Arabia to attend OIC meeting on Gaza, Lebanon

Pakistan deputy PM in Saudi Arabia to attend OIC meeting on Gaza, Lebanon
  • Ishaq Dar to take part in OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Saudi Arabia today
  • Pakistan PM to attend Nov. 11 Arab–Islamic summit to show solidarity with Palestine

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is in Saudi Arabia to attend the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting that will discuss Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon, state-run media reported on Sunday. 
Saudi Arabia will host the extraordinary Arab–Islamic summit between the Arab League and the OIC on Nov. 11 to address Israel’s bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza and Lebanon. 
Muslim countries have called on Israel to impose an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East after its military campaigns in Gaza have killed over 43,000 people in the strip and injured thousands more. Its military campaigns in Lebanon and attacks on Iran last month have heightened fears of a wider war in the Middle East.
“Deputy Prime Minister is in Saudi Arabia on an official visit to attend the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said.
It said Dar visited the holy city of Madinah where he offered prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque and prayed for the peace, unity and prosperity of the Muslim Ummah.
Pakistan’s foreign office said this week that the CFM will be a preparatory session for the Nov. 11 summit on Monday, which will be attended by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. 
The Nov. 11 summit will be a follow-up to the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in November 2023 in Riyadh, the foreign office said. 
“At the Summit, the prime minister will reiterate Pakistan’s full support to the Palestinian cause,” it said. “He will call for an immediate end to the genocide in Gaza; an urgent and unconditional ceasefire; immediate cessation of the ongoing Israeli adventurism in the region that is endangering the security of the countries in the Middle East.”
On the sidelines of the summit, Sharif is expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders from other Arab League and OIC Member States.


Pakistan’s PIA to resume flights to Europe from Jan. 10 after four-year ban 

Pakistan’s PIA to resume flights to Europe from Jan. 10 after four-year ban 
Updated 44 min 37 sec ago
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Pakistan’s PIA to resume flights to Europe from Jan. 10 after four-year ban 

Pakistan’s PIA to resume flights to Europe from Jan. 10 after four-year ban 
  • PIA’s authorization was suspended in June 2020 over concerns of not complying with international aviation standards
  • Pakistan’s national flag carrier to resume Europe operations with Islamabad-Paris flight, will operate two flights per week

KARACHI: The state-owned Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will resume its flights to Europe for the first time in four-and-a-half years on Jan. 10, 2025, an airline spokesperson confirmed on Saturday, after the EU aviation regulator lifted a ban on the national flag carrier. 

PIA’s authorization to operate in the EU was suspended in June 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani authorities and its Civil Aviation Authority to ensure compliance with international aviation standards.

The suspension came days after Pakistan launched an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses issued in the country following a PIA plane crash that killed 97 people.

“On Jan. 10, 2025, PIA’s flight will depart from Islamabad for Paris,” the airline’s spokesperson said in a statement. “In the initial phase, two flights will be operated per week, which will be gradually increased.”

It said the flights will be operated on Fridays and Sundays, adding that the Jan. 10 flight will depart Islamabad at 11:30 am and arrive in Paris at 4:00 pm. 

The flight from Paris, meanwhile, will depart at 6:00 p.m. and arrive in Islamabad at 5:00 am. 

“The schedule is such that passengers will have breakfast in Pakistan and lunch in Paris,” the spokesperson said. 

Last Friday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the lifting of the ban would strengthen the national flag carrier’s reputation and bring financial benefits to the airline.

The ban was costing PIA nearly 40 billion Pakistani rupees ($144 million) in revenue annually, according to government records presented in parliament.

PIA and the government had been pressing the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to lift the ban even provisionally. The government’s attempt to privatize the airline fell flat when it received only a single offer this year, that too well below its asking price.

In a statement, the PIA also vowed to abide by the EASA regulations as it welcomed the lifting of the ban.
 


Baloch separatists becoming as big a national security threat as Pakistani Taliban – think tank

Baloch separatists becoming as big a national security threat as Pakistani Taliban – think tank
Updated 07 December 2024
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Baloch separatists becoming as big a national security threat as Pakistani Taliban – think tank

Baloch separatists becoming as big a national security threat as Pakistani Taliban – think tank
  • Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies says surge in frequency of attacks by separatists shows evolution in their strategy 
  • Balochistan Liberation Army, Pakistan’s most prominent separatist group, carried out 12 attacks last month, killing 45 

ISLAMABAD: A Baloch separatist group is becoming as big a threat to Pakistan’s national security as the Pakistani Taliban, according to a think tank.

Last month, the Baloch Liberation Army killed dozens of people in the restive southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan. The deadliest assault was a suicide bombing at a train station in Quetta.

The BLA wants independence from the federal government, which last month launched an operation against armed groups operating in the province.

A report published Thursday by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies said the surge in frequency and intensity of BLA attacks reflected a “significant evolution” in the group’s operational strategy and capabilities that required the government to update its approach.

The country experienced 61 terrorist attacks in November, a 27 percent increase from the previous month, said the report. The number of fatalities increased from 100 in October to 169 in November.

The BLA carried out 12 attacks last month. These killed 45 people, more than the fatalities from Pakistani Taliban attacks in November, the report added.

A research analyst from the institute, Safdar Sial, said the BLA was learning from the tactics of the Pakistani Taliban.

There was no ideological common ground between the two banned outfits, he said, but the BLA were successful at hitting soft targets to get big casualty numbers and deploying suicide bombers.

“This is not the same BLA as four or five years ago,” Sial told The Associated Press on Friday. 

“They are perpetrating tactical assaults. The targets have changed. The tactics have changed. It will be difficult (for the government) to tackle the threat that has developed.”

Though Pakistan’s largest province, Balochistan is its least populated. It’s also a hub for the country’s ethnic Baloch minority, whose members say they face discrimination by the government.

There are also deep grievances about enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and the exploitation of the abundant natural resources at the expense of people in the province.

Rights activists say that those who demand a greater share of natural resources often go missing after being detained by security forces.

The BLA enjoyed public support in the province by aligning itself with people’s concerns about enforced disappearances, state exploitation, and inequity, said Sial.

The group’s propaganda painted the casualties of its attacks as government collaborators or accused them of being from eastern Punjab province, he added.

The BLA has targeted people from the east of the country as part of its drive to expel outsiders from Balochistan, which lies in the southwestern part of Pakistan, bordering Iran.

Sial said the government needed to win “hearts and minds” in Balochistan because the BLA was recruiting young people.

Nobody from the provincial government was available for comment on the report.

But Balochistan’s former information minister Jan Achakzai said the state had curtailed the BLA’s ability to attack infrastructure, military installations and personnel, causing the group to pivot to softer targets. 

The BLA were a tactical threat, he said, while the Pakistani Taliban were a strategic threat, whose goal was to overthrow the government and impose its interpretation of Islamic law in the country.

And while there was no comparison between the Pakistani Taliban and the BLA when it came to size or external support, the Baloch separatists were increasingly audacious, ruthless — and they were making headlines, Achakzai said.

“The recent attack was an open space, a railway station, with no security. There were civilians. They (the BLA) come out on the main highways, which aren’t easy to man” with security, he said.


Pakistan slashes power tariff by Rs1.14 per unit in fuel price adjustment

Pakistan slashes power tariff by Rs1.14 per unit in fuel price adjustment
Updated 07 December 2024
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Pakistan slashes power tariff by Rs1.14 per unit in fuel price adjustment

Pakistan slashes power tariff by Rs1.14 per unit in fuel price adjustment
  • Price reduction will be applied to electricity bills of December 2024, says state-run media 
  • Move likely to bring relief to businesses, citizens reeling from steep increases in electricity tariffs

KARACHI: Pakistan’s National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has slashed the power tariff by Rs1.14 per unit as a fuel price adjustment measure, state-run media reported on Saturday, with the move likely to further ease inflation in the country. 

The decision is expected to provide relief to businesses and citizens, who have suffered from steep and sudden increases in electricity tariffs following energy sector reforms suggested by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, electricity charges had increased by 58.8% until May this year.

“According to a statement issued by the Power Division, NEPRA has once again reduced electricity prices by Rs1.14 per unit on account of fuel adjustment,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said. 

“The price reduction will be applied to the bills of December.”

The state media said electricity prices would continue to decrease because of the government’s prudent measures.

Meanwhile, Energy Minister Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari said in a statement the government was determined to make electricity more affordable for the people.

Pakistan produces expensive electricity due to a combination of factors including high reliance on imported fossil fuels, inefficient energy mix, substantial transmission and distribution losses and chronic issues like circular debt and regulatory inefficiencies. 

The outdated infrastructure and inadequate power plants further exacerbate costs, while underutilization of domestic resources such as hydropower and coal add to the problem.

Additionally, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and complex tariff structures contribute to higher electricity prices. High power cost is one of the key factors that lead to spiraling inflation in the country.


‘Creeping coup’: In Pakistan, lack of Internet access is costing livelihoods

‘Creeping coup’: In Pakistan, lack of Internet access is costing livelihoods
Updated 07 December 2024
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‘Creeping coup’: In Pakistan, lack of Internet access is costing livelihoods

‘Creeping coup’: In Pakistan, lack of Internet access is costing livelihoods
  • Protest by thousands in Pakistan capital last month triggered Internet outages and slowdowns
  • Businesses relying on Internet say Pakistan could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue

KARACHI: A protest by thousands in Pakistan’s capital last month demanding the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan triggered the arrest of hundreds, but also, digital rights campaigners say, nationwide Internet outages and slow-downs.
Pakistan has a record of curbing online access in response to political turmoil, banning social media sites or simply temporarily shutting down the Internet altogether.
The United States condemned Internet shutdowns in Pakistan following parliamentary elections in February in which Khan’s party won the most seats despite a crackdown on its activities.
Businesses that rely on the Internet have complained Pakistan could lose hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue as a result of the government’s imposition of a national firewall to monitor and regulate content and social media platforms and prolonged Internet disconnections.
The government denies any attempt at censorship.
“We’re seeing a loss of civilian control over basic IT and digital infrastructure, only made worse by a lack of transparency,” said Usama Khilji, a prominent digital rights activist. “It’s almost like a creeping coup.”
In Layyah, a small town in south-eastern Pakistan, getting steady Internet connection requires Sehrish Bano to hop from room to room balancing her laptop and toggling between the three different connections.
More often than not, she said, none of them work.
The 25-year-old said the poor, unreliable Internet connections hampered her ability to earn a living as a freelance video editor and complete her online graphic design course.
“I’m not able to take online classes because Zoom keeps freezing and I can’t understand what my teacher is saying,” she said. Compared to three months ago, “even simple things like sending an audio message via WhatsApp or downloading a picture or a PDF takes five times as long.”
Internet speeds have dropped by more than 30 percent in the last three months, Shahzad Arshad, chairman of the Wireless and Internet Providers Association of Pakistan, an advisory body of Internet service providers, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Arshad attributed the decline to the government’s deployment of “a web management system or firewall.”
Farieha Aziz, co-founder of Bolo Bhi, a digital-rights and civil-liberties group, said there had been no acknowledgement of an official firewall and accused authorities of not coming clean on the issue.
“It seems sustained opacity is the official government policy,” Aziz said.
Rights group Amnesty International has also called on Pakistan to be transparent about Internet disruptions.
“The opacity of the Pakistani authorities regarding the use of monitoring and surveillance technologies that block content, slow down and control Internet speeds is an alarming concern,” Jurre Van Bergen, Amnesty technologist said in August.
“Time and again, the use of such technologies, including national firewalls, has proven to be incompatible with human rights,” Van Bergen said.

DIGITAL CHASM
Aziz said it was clear the government’s aim was to clamp down on free speech and dissent.
“Never before,” she said, has the government “been able to disrupt a whole function of an app; usually the entire website or application stops working. But here we are seeing that only media files are being disrupted.”
Aziz said the issue was compounded by the government’s attempts to restrict the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which encrypt data and mask IP addresses, allowing users to browse the Internet more securely.
The Pakistani government has said it would no longer pursue a ban on VPNs and denies any responsibility for slowing down of bandwidths nationwide.
The United Nations says Pakistan’s digital divide is vast — more than half the country does not have access to the Internet because of inadequate digital infrastructure and affordability challenges.
That divide could become a chasm, experts said.
“WhatsApp, sharing voice notes, links for education and work purposes, has become a way of life,” said Aziz. Government measures that slowed Internet speeds, or cut connections altogether, she said, were “creating digital haves and have-nots.”
The problem has become so bad that some whose livelihoods depend on Internet access are considering leaving the country.
Ehtesham Khan, a freelance photo editor and graphic designer, said he was contemplating moving to Dubai because frequent Internet disruptions had led to him losing clients.
And it is not just individuals who are thinking of leaving.
“Companies are already relocating to other places, Dubai, Singapore, where Internet access isn’t a problem,” Khilji said. “Our foreign income and Internet exports have reduced, and our IT industry’s potential is reducing by the day because of these issues.” 


Pakistan women face Saudi Arabia in international friendly match in Doha today

Pakistan women face Saudi Arabia in international friendly match in Doha today
Updated 07 December 2024
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Pakistan women face Saudi Arabia in international friendly match in Doha today

Pakistan women face Saudi Arabia in international friendly match in Doha today
  • Pakistan women last played international football match against Bangladesh in October 
  • Head Coach Adeel Rizki says all Pakistani players in camp are “injury-free, in good spirits”

KARACHI: The Pakistan women’s national football team will face Saudi Arabia today, Saturday, for a FIFA International Friendly match at the Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, the Pakistan Football Federation said. 

Pakistan completed a three-day training camp under the guidance of Head Coach Adeel Rizki for the only encounter between the two sides. 

Pakistan women were last seen in a friendly international fixture against Bangladesh in October when the two sides met in the SAFF Women’s Championship. Pakistan and Bangladesh drew the match 1-1. 

“All players in the camp are injury-free and in good spirits,” Rizki said ahead of the match on Friday. “Although we only had two training sessions to prepare for this match, the team has shown great commitment and focus.”

He admitted Pakistan were missing some “key players” for Saturday’s fixture but said it allowed the team to test the younger talent. 

“Despite the challenges, we are ready to compete and make Pakistan proud,” Rizki said. 

The match is scheduled to kick off between the two sides at 9:00 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time.