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Pakistan praises Muslim World League for advocating Muslim causes, fostering unity

Pakistan praises Muslim World League for advocating Muslim causes, fostering unity
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks during a meeting with Secretary General of the World Muslim League Sheikh Dr. Mohammad bin Issa on the sidelines of Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summitt in Riyadh on November 11, 2024. (Photo courtesy: PMO)
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Updated 15 November 2024
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Pakistan praises Muslim World League for advocating Muslim causes, fostering unity

Pakistan praises Muslim World League for advocating Muslim causes, fostering unity
  • Shehbaz Sharif met with MWL Secretary-General Sheikh Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa in Riyadh
  • The two figures discussed various projects and initiatives that were being planned by the two sides
Updated 15 November 2024
KASHIF IMRAN
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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday met with Muslim World League (MWL) Secretary-General Sheikh Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa and praised his organization for advocating the causes of and fostering unity among Muslim countries, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif met the secretary-general of the MWL, a Makkah-based non-governmental organization that represents followers of Islam around the world, in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, where the Pakistan premier was attending an extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit on the situation in Gaza and Lebanon, and rising tensions in the Middle East amid ongoing Israeli military campaigns.
He appreciated the “remarkable” work being done by the MWL in promoting the true image of Islam around the world, particularly lauding the leadership of the secretary-general in steering the organization.
“Muslim World League had a critical role in advocating for Muslim causes and spreading the message of fraternity, tolerance and mutual respect,” he said. “[This] is particularly important during the ongoing conflict in Gaza and various other challenges confronting the Muslim world.”
The Prime Minister recalled the secretary-general’s visit to Pakistan in April this year and said he was looking forward to early completion of various projects and initiatives that were being planned by the two sides.
He mentioned the establishment of the Seerat Musuem in Pakistan and said this noble project would be instrumental in highlighting various aspects of the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
Sharif laid the foundation stone of the museum that would exhibit relics related to the life of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) at a ceremony in Islamabad on April 14, which was also attended by the MWL secretary-general.
Through these projects, Sharif said, the MWL was attracting the attention of younger generation and reinforcing the timeless message of Islam by using latest digital technologies. He hoped to receive the secretary-general soon in Pakistan to build on the momentum and fast track implementation of ongoing projects.
“The Secretary General of Muslim World League praised the Prime Minister for his commitment and efforts to further strengthen ties between Pakistan and Muslim Ummah,” Sharif’s office said. “He also congratulated the Prime Minister on the success of his recent visits to Saudi Arabia.”

Topics: Muslim World League Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Arab-Islamic summit Pakistan Saudi Ties

Pakistan greenlights settlement with 8 independent power producers to save national kitty $853 million

Pakistan greenlights settlement with 8 independent power producers to save national kitty $853 million
Updated 11 sec ago
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Pakistan greenlights settlement with 8 independent power producers to save national kitty $853 million

Pakistan greenlights settlement with 8 independent power producers to save national kitty $853 million
  • In October, PM Sharif said his government was terminating purchase agreements with five IPPs to rein in electricity tariffs
  • A decade ago, Pakistan approved dozens of mostly foreign-financed private projects by IPPs to tackle chronic shortages
Updated 11 sec ago
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has approved settlement agreements with eight bagasse-based Independent Power Producers (IPPs) with the aim to reduce electricity prices and save the national exchequer $853 million, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Tuesday.
A decade ago, Pakistan approved dozens of private projects by IPPs, financed mostly by foreign lenders, to tackle chronic power shortages. But the deals, featuring incentives such as high guaranteed returns and commitments to pay even for unused power, ultimately resulted in excess capacity after a sustained economic crisis slashed consumption.
Short of funds, subsequent Pakistani governments have built those fixed costs and capacity payments into consumer bills, sparking protests by domestic users and industry bodies.
In October, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his government was terminating purchase agreements with five IPPs to rein in electricity tariffs as households and businesses buckled under soaring energy costs.
The latest approval for settlements with eight bagasse-based IPPS was given during a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Sharif. The country’s Central Power Purchasing Agency will now approach the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority for a reduction in the electricity tariff generated from these power plants, state media said. 
“The federal cabinet on the recommendation of the Ministry of Energy and Power Division has accorded approval to settlement agreements with eight IPPs which run on bagasse,” Radio Pakistan said, referring to a fibrous residue left over after sugarcane is crushed to extract juice. It is often used as a biofuel for electricity generation. 
“After the agreements, the price of electricity for common consumers will be reduced, resulting in the benefit of $853 million (Rs238 billion) to the national exchequer.”
The eight power plants include the JDW Unit-I and Unit-II, RYK Mills, Chiniot Power, Hamza Sugar, Al-Mueez Industries, Thal Industries and Chinar Industries, the report added.
In October, when Sharif decided to terminate purchase agreements with five IPPs, he said tariffs would be reduced gradually by revising agreements with other IPPs in the electricity sector.
“This will benefit electricity consumers by Rs60 billion ($215 million) annually. As a result, the national treasury will save Rs411 billion ($1.4 billion),” Sharif said at that time. 
The need to revisit power deals was a key issue in talks for a critical staff-level pact in July with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $7-billion bailout. The program was approved in September. 
Pakistan has also begun talks on reprofiling power sector debt owed to China and structural reforms, but progress has been slow. It has also vowed to stop power sector subsidies.

Pakistan says 79,000 Hajj applicants received in government scheme as submission deadline expires

Pakistan says 79,000 Hajj applicants received in government scheme as submission deadline expires
Updated 9 min 44 sec ago
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Pakistan says 79,000 Hajj applicants received in government scheme as submission deadline expires

Pakistan says 79,000 Hajj applicants received in government scheme as submission deadline expires
  • With 79,000 Hajj applications received so far, 10,605 slots remain vacant under the government scheme
  • Last year, Pakistan surrendered 21,000 Hajj seats to Saudi Arabia due to a shortage of applications
Updated 9 min 44 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry said on Tuesday all 79,000 applicants who had filed to perform the Hajj 2025 pilgrimage under the federal government scheme were “successful,” as the deadline for submissions expired. 
Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj, to be divided equally between the government and private schemes. The government last week extended the deadline for the submission of Hajj applications for government scheme slots from Dec. 3 to Dec. 10.
“The ministry of religious affairs has given great news to Hajj applicants, all 79,000 Hajj pilgrims who submitted applications till Dec. 10 have been declared successful,” the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday evening. 
With 79,000 Hajj applications received so far, 10,605 slots remain vacant under the government scheme. Last year, Pakistan surrendered 21,000 Hajj seats to Saudi Arabia due to a shortage of applications, but this year the government hopes all slots can be filled.
“Decision taken to continue receiving applications on a first-come, first-served basis for a few thousand vacant seats,” the ministry added, saying the application process would close as soon as the Hajj quota was met.
The religious affairs ministry announced this year’s Hajj policy last month, allowing pilgrims to pay Hajj fees in installments for the first time. The first installment of Rs200,000 ($717) must be deposited along with the application while the second installment of Rs400,000 ($1,435) has to be submitted within ten days of balloting. The remaining amount has to be deposited by Feb. 10 next year.
Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry has launched the ‘Pak Hajj 2025’ mobile application to guide and facilitate pilgrims. The app is available for both Android and iPhone users.
The Pakistan government has also announced a reduction in airfare for Hajj 2025, with a Rs14,000 ($50) drop in ticket prices. Pilgrims enrolled in the federal program will now pay Rs220,000 for airfare, down from last year’s Rs234,000. 
The national flag carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Saudi Airlines and other private airlines have agreed to the relief package, according to the Pakistan government.

Topics: Hajj 2025 Pakistan Hajj mission Pakistani Hajj pilgrims

Pakistan to work with US to bring main federal investigation agency to FBI standards

Pakistan to work with US to bring main federal investigation agency to FBI standards
Updated 10 December 2024
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Pakistan to work with US to bring main federal investigation agency to FBI standards

Pakistan to work with US to bring main federal investigation agency to FBI standards
  • Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi discusses modernizing Federal Investigation Agency with US Deputy Mission Chief Natalie Baker
  • FIA is tasked with investigations into terrorism, espionage, smuggling, trafficking, intellectual property rights, other crimes
Updated 10 December 2024
Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met US Deputy Chief of Mission Natalie A. Baker in Islamabad on Tuesday and discussed modernizing Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency to bring it at par with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The FIA is a border control, criminal investigation, counterintelligence and security agency under the control of the Interior Secretary of Pakistan, tasked with probing terrorism, espionage, smuggling, trafficking, intellectual property rights and other crimes.
The FIA’s main goal and priority is to protect national interests as well as defend Pakistan’s interests locally and uphold and ensure law enforcement in the country.
“The United States has agreed to assist Pakistan in modernizing FIA along the lines of FBI,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said in a report after Naqvi’s meeting with Baker.
“The United States will also provide assistance in making the National Forensic Agency more effective as per the modern requirements.”
Quoting Naqvi, Radio Pakistan said the minister underscored the importance of US collaboration in enhancing the capabilities of Pakistani law enforcement agencies.
“He stressed the urgent need for providing modern equipment and tools to the Civil Armed Forces to effectively deal with terrorism and emergency situations, calling it a top priority,” the state broadcaster added. 
The FBI is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. As a leading counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and criminal investigative organization, the FBI has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crimes. Although many of the FBI’s functions are unique, its activities in support of national security are comparable to those of the British MI5 and NCA, the New Zealand GCSB and the Russian FSB. 
Despite its domestic focus, the FBI also maintains a significant international footprint, operating offices in US embassies and consulates around the world.

Topics: Pakistan US Ties

At Pakistan conference, Palestinians call for concrete actions to end Israeli actions in Gaza

At Pakistan conference, Palestinians call for concrete actions to end Israeli actions in Gaza
Updated 10 December 2024
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At Pakistan conference, Palestinians call for concrete actions to end Israeli actions in Gaza

At Pakistan conference, Palestinians call for concrete actions to end Israeli actions in Gaza
  • Palestine Conference, held on occasion of International Human Rights Day, widely attended by politicians, activists, and students
  • Speakers urge Muslim countries to boycott Israel, halt trade, sever diplomatic ties and block Israel’s communication routes
Updated 10 December 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Palestinian leaders and activists at a conference held in Islamabad on Tuesday called on the global community, particularly Muslim nations, to take concrete actions to stop Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, ensure a ceasefire and hold leaders like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to account under international laws.
The Palestine Conference, held on the occasion of International Human Rights Day, was jointly organized by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Save Gaza Campaign, a civil society movement based in Pakistan. The forum was attended by a large number of Pakistanis, including politicians, rights activists, civil society members, journalists, and students.
The ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people and injured thousands more since the Oct 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas in Isarel. Israel’s 13-month military campaign has displaced an estimated 1.9 million Palestinians, many of them multiple times. Bombings, movement restrictions and evacuations ordered by Israel’s military block access to health care and keep aid workers from reaching people in need, with aid organizations and charities repeatedly warning of crisis-level hunger affecting nearly two million people. A United Nations-backed assessment last month warned that famine is looming in northern Gaza due to a near-halt in food aid. Essential goods such as water, fresh produce, and medicines are also scarce.
Speaking to Arab News, Dr. Khalid Qaddoumi, a spokesperson and head of the West Asia Desk of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, said it was the responsibility of the international community to act on arrest warrants issued by the International Court of Justice (ICC) last month against Netanyahu for alleged crimes against humanity.
The Israeli premier was an “internationally recognized war criminal” and should be held accountable, Qaddoumi said, calling on global powers to stand by the laws which they had themselves drafted at the UN and other human rights forums. 
“Unfortunately, those bottom lines of humanity ... have been violated continuously by the Israeli army and Israeli government, and with the green light from the world powers,” Qaddoumi said in an interview to Arab News on the sidelines of the conference. 
However, Qaddoumi said Israel could not break the Palestinian people or their resistance.
“Today 2.4 million Palestinians are still in their homeland despite the Israelis, aggressions, operations, and crimes and they fail to impose the enforced displacement, even our people in the north, they are in their own destroyed houses without water,” he added.
The Hamas representative said while Pakistan was providing humanitarian assistance to Palestine, it also needed to employ diplomatic and political means to get the borders opened.
“If the borders are not open, those things [humanitarian aid] will not come as we get not more than 40 trucks a day, which is a joke at a time that the minimum need is more than 1,000 trucks a day,” he said. 
“We were expecting for the last 47 years [but] nothing has come, unfortunately, except statements but now is the opportunity for the Muslim Ummah and countries like Pakistan to move forward and develop their action.”
Bilal Al Astal, a Palestinian journalist from Khan Younis and the director general of Friends of Palestine, an advocacy network that aims to raise awareness and foster international support for Palestine, said though Israel had destroyed nearly 88 percent of the Gaza Strip, including schools, hospitals, and all other infrastructure, there were reasons to be hopeful. 
“We need to remain somewhat optimistic about the situation,” he said, adding that the current situation had put a spotlight on Israel, with more and more countries openly recognizing it as “real perpetrators of genocide.”
“Along with these sacrifices, we have seen some advantages, more countries including European nations are now recognizing Palestine,” Astal added. 
Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, a former senator and the patron of the Save Gaza Campaign, demanded that the international community, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and particularly the government of Pakistan “move beyond mere condemnations” and take “concrete actions to stop the Israeli genocide.”
“They [Muslim countries] should boycott Israel, halt trade, sever diplomatic relations, prevent Israel and its supporters from using air, sea, and land routes for communication, and employ oil as a strategic tool against Israel and its allies,” he added.
“As around 430 days have passed since the genocide of Palestinians by Israelis began, we demand human rights for Palestinians and urge the international community to take actionable steps.”

Topics: Pakistan Palestine International Human Rights Day

Pakistani among team of researchers to win prestigious Gordon Bell Prize for Climate Modelling

Pakistani among team of researchers to win prestigious Gordon Bell Prize for Climate Modelling
Updated 10 December 2024
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Pakistani among team of researchers to win prestigious Gordon Bell Prize for Climate Modelling

Pakistani among team of researchers to win prestigious Gordon Bell Prize for Climate Modelling
  • LUMS associate professor Dr. Zubair Khalid becomes first Pakistani to win prize for high-performance computing applications
  • Award honors innovation in using supercomputers to solve complex problems in science, engineering and other fields
Updated 10 December 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: A multi-institutional team of researchers, including a Pakistani academic, has won the Gordon Bell Prize for Climate Modelling by creating an advanced predictive model for climate analysis, a statement from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) said.
LUMS Associate Professor Dr. Zubair Khalid was part of the 12-member team that won the award, which recognizes innovative parallel computing contributions toward solving the global climate crisis. 
The team presented the project, titled, “Boosting Earth System Model Outputs and Saving PetaBytes in Their Storage Using Exascale Climate Emulators,” at the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) conference that was held in Atlanta earlier this November.
“The university has been instrumental in supporting my contributions to this endeavour by fostering an environment that encourages interdisciplinary research and collaboration,” LUMS said in a statement, quoting Dr. Khalid.

In this photo, released by the Lahore University of Management Sciences on November 27, 2024, Pakistani professor Dr. Zubair Khalid gestures with a group of multi-institutional team of researchers (3R) during the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) conference in Atlanta. (Photo courtesy: LUMS)

“Through my Center for Urban Informatics, Technology, and Policy, the university facilitated my engagement with global research networks and positioned me to contribute to high-impact international projects.”
Dean of the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering at LUMS, Dr. Walther Schwarzacher, congratulated Dr. Khalid for winning the prestigious award.
“This remarkable achievement highlights the outstanding contributions that the School’s faculty are making to address some of the greatest scientific challenges facing our society,” the statement quoted Schwarzacher as saying.
The Gordon Bell Prize is presented by the Association for Computing Machinery each year in conjunction with the SC Conference series, formerly known as the Supercomputing Conference. The prize was established in 1987. A cash award of $10,000 (since 2011) accompanies the recognition, funded by Gordon Bell, a pioneer in high-performance and parallel computing.

Topics: pakistan climate change LUMS

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