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Pakistan launches crisis unit as ship carrying 65 migrants capsizes near Libyan coast

Pakistan launches crisis unit as ship carrying 65 migrants capsizes near Libyan coast
An aerial picture shows boats transporting migrants of different nationalities entering a port in the Garabulli area following their rescue at sea by the Libyan Coast Guard, on April 25, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 10 February 2025
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Pakistan launches crisis unit as ship carrying 65 migrants capsizes near Libyan coast

Pakistan launches crisis unit as ship carrying 65 migrants capsizes near Libyan coast
  • Pakistan says embassy in Tripoli trying to ascertain “further details of Pakistani affectees”
  • Thousands of Pakistanis yearly pay large sums to traffickers to arrange risky journeys to Europe
Updated 10 February 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office said on Monday it had activated a crisis management cell and was trying to ascertain whether any Pakistanis were aboard a ship carrying 65 passengers that had capsized near the coast of Libya. 
The last tragedy comes weeks after at least 13 Pakistanis died when a boat carrying 86 migrants to Europe capsized near the coats of Morocco on January 16. 
Each year thousands of Pakistanis pay large sums to traffickers to arrange risky and illegal journeys to Europe, where they hope to find work and send funds to support families back home. Many people also take unlawful migrant routes to escape conflicts and religious persecution. 
A foreign office spokesperson said a vessel had capsized near the port of Marsa Dela, in the northwest of Zawiya city in Libya, and the Pakistan embassy in Tripoli had dispatched a team to a local hospital to assist authorities in identifying the deceased. 
“The Embassy is also trying to ascertain further details of the Pakistani affectees,” the statement said. “The Crisis Management Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been activated to monitor the situation.”
Pakistan has recently launched a crackdown on human trafficking rings that arrange perilous journeys via sea for migrants, as its nationals are frequently among those who drown on crammed boats that sink on the Mediterranean Sea separating North Africa from Europe, considered the world’s deadliest migrant route.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos, marking one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea. 
More recently, five Pakistani nationals died in a shipwreck off the southern Greek island of Gavdos on Dec. 14.

Topics: Pakistan Libya

Pakistan, South Korea partner up to produce high-quality seed potatoes using aeroponics

Pakistan, South Korea partner up to produce high-quality seed potatoes using aeroponics
Updated 24 March 2025
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Pakistan, South Korea partner up to produce high-quality seed potatoes using aeroponics

Pakistan, South Korea partner up to produce high-quality seed potatoes using aeroponics
  • Aeroponics is a method of cultivation in which plants are grown in an air or mist environment without the use of soil
  • Sustainable method is gaining popularity globally for its ability to maximize plant growth with minimal water use
Updated 24 March 2025
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has partnered up with South Korea to produce high-quality seed potatoes using aeroponics, a method of cultivation in which plants are grown in an air or mist environment without the use of soil, state media reported on Monday.

This novel method is gaining popularity around the world for its ability to maximize plant growth with minimal water use, making it a sustainable option for urban farming and vertical agriculture.

Pakistan’s agriculture sector is a significant contributor to the economy, accounting for about 23 percent of the GDP and employing around 37.4 percent of the national labor force. According to 2024 data, Pakistan ranks ninth in the world in potato output and has seen its production jump by more than 35 percent in the last three years, from 5.87 million tones in 2020-21 to an estimated 8.01 million tones in 2022-23.

“The best potato seeds will now be produced in Pakistan with the cooperation of South Korea,” Pakistan’s APP news agency reported, after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed the inauguration ceremony of modern aeroponic cultivation during his visit to the National Agricultural and Research Center on Monday. 

Pakistan has been actively promoting corporate farming, with the government offering farmland to foreign investors to boost agricultural productivity and attract investment. 

The latest partnership, the Seed Potato Production and Aeroponics Complex, is a joint project between the Korea Partnership for Innovation in Agriculture (COPIA) and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) for the production of certified potato seeds through advanced aeroponics technology. Seed potatoes are tubers that you can use to grow new potatoes that will be genetically identical to the parent potato. 

The infrastructure of the project includes the construction of four aeroponic greenhouses and 35 screen houses, as well as a cold storage facility and a 100-kW solar power system. 

According to PARC Chairman Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, traditional potato cultivation produces only five tubers per plant, while the aeroponic system can produce between 50 to 60 tubers per plant. 

“These modern technologies will not only help in meeting the local consumption of seed potatoes but will also reduce the heavy import bill,” APP quoted Ali as saying.

“Despite cultivating potatoes on an area of ​​about 850,000 acres, Pakistan depends on importing 6,000 to 12,000 tones of potato seeds annually due to the poor quality of locally produced seeds.”

The aim of the joint initiative is to significantly improve the quality and availability of potato seeds in Pakistan, reduce the cost of potato production and improve production by ensuring the availability of quality seed potatoes at reasonable prices. 

“The Prime Minister said that with the establishment of this modern center, the best potato seeds will be provided to the farmers and they will not have to be ordered from outside,” APP reported. “It is expected that this seed will be of the highest quality and this will boost potato production and Pakistan will also be able to export potatoes.”

Addressing the ceremony, RDA Korea Administrator Kwan Jae-han said the goal of the partnership project was to increase the productivity of Pakistan’s agricultural sector, adding that the collaboration with NARC in potato seeds was an “important milestone.”

Earlier on Monday, Sharif also inaugurated the National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology, a specialized national institution dedicated to agricultural research in the three domains of plants, animals and microbes, with 28 state-of-the-art labs. 

Topics: Pakistan South Korea Ties potatoes aeroponics

Pakistan government denies sugar price hikes as consumers complain of higher rates in Ramadan

Pakistan government denies sugar price hikes as consumers complain of higher rates in Ramadan
Updated 24 March 2025
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Pakistan government denies sugar price hikes as consumers complain of higher rates in Ramadan

Pakistan government denies sugar price hikes as consumers complain of higher rates in Ramadan
  • Islamabad last week announced a fixed price of Rs164 per kg until April 15, but consumers say they have been paying as high as Rs180 per kg
  • Analysts believe the current sugar price crisis stems from the government’s decision to allow export of 800,000 tons of sugar last year
Updated 24 March 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain on Monday dismissed reports of sugar price hikes in the country as consumers complained of higher rates of the commodity in Ramadan than the price fixed by the government.
Pakistan’s government capped the sugar price at Rs130 per kilogram, but market rates have remained above Rs180 per kg since January. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this month formed a 10-member committee, led by Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, to negotiate price reduction with the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA).
Last week, Dar announced a fixed retail price of Rs164 per kg until April 15, following talks with the PMSA. He also formed a sub-committee under Hussain to find a permanent solution to the issue and explore a possible two-tier pricing mechanism, ensuring that the public pays less while the industry pays more for sugar. The committee has been tasked with submitting its report by mid-April.
“The media is reporting that the price of sugar in the market is Rs180 ($0.64) per kilogram, which is not true as there is no such situation,” Hussain told reporters in Islamabad.
“Under no circumstances will the retail price be allowed to exceed Rs164 per kilogram and the ex-mill price will not go beyond Rs159 per kilogram.”
The PSMA has set up stalls across the country during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, where sugar is being sold at Rs130 per kilogram, according to the minister. It is available at Rs153 per kilogram at the government-run Utility Stores.
Hussain warned of strict action to ensure fair pricing of the commodity.
“The federal government, in cooperation with provincial authorities, will take firm action against anyone attempting to inflate sugar prices,” he said.
Sohail Shehzad, the secretary-general of the PSMA Punjab chapter, said the millers were providing sugar at the price fixed by the government, though issues might persist in areas where fresh supply had not yet arrived.
“As directed by the Government, the sugar industry is charging ex-mill prices as per the benchmark of Rs154 to Rs159,” he told Arab News.
“Retail rates have also come down to almost Rs164 with few exceptions of far-flung areas where fresh supplies on new rates have not yet reached.”
Arab News spoke with customers at various markets in the federal capital of Islamabad, who confirmed buying sugar at Rs180 per kilogram, Rs16 above the government price.
“I do not understand how the government claims the retail price of sugar is fixed at Rs164 per kilogram, when I am still buying it for Rs180,” Muhammad Javed, an electrician, told Arab News, holding a bag of groceries in his hands.
“No shop in my area is selling it at the official price and there is no proper enforcement.”
He lamented that the authorities announce price caps, but retailers keep charging whatever they want.
“If the government is serious about controlling prices, they need to ensure availability at the fixed rate, not just make statements,” Javed said.
Sumeera Ramzan, another consumer, said the government had made the price announcement and assumed the issue would be resolved, while sugar continued to be sold at Rs180 per kg in the market.
“As a housewife, managing the household budget is becoming increasingly difficult with these rising prices,” she told Arab News.
Shehbaz Rana, a journalist covering economic issues, said the crisis stemmed from the government’s decision to allow the export of 750,000 metric tons of sugar last year, along with nearly 50,000 metric tons sent to a Central Asian country under a government-to-government agreement.
“In total, around 800,000 metric tons of sugar were allowed for export and as a result, sugar mills profited from the international market, selling at higher prices,” he told Arab News.
Rana said the government lacks an effective mechanism to control market prices.
“Whenever price caps are imposed on any product or commodity, they often have counterproductive effects leading to increased hoarding and speculation,” he said, adding that the solution lied in holding sugar mills accountable, especially those that were allowed to export but were now failing to maintain agreed prices.
“The government should allow both imports and exports freely, letting market forces regulate the supply.”
But Food Security Minister Hussain said it was “completely incorrect” to suggest that sugar prices increased due to the government’s decision to allow exports last year.
“In 2023, Pakistan had a sugar stock of 7.6 million metric tons, while domestic consumption was only 6.3 million metric tons,” he said, adding that this left a surplus of approximately 1.5 million metric tons, of which only 700,000 metric tons were exported.
“This export earned Pakistan a valuable foreign exchange of $400 million.”
This year, Hussain said, sugarcane cultivation increased by 2 percent as compared to last year and initial projections indicated that sugar production would be higher, however, sugarcane yields remained lower than expected due to the impact of climate change and as a result, sugar production stood at 6 million metric tons this year.
“However, with a carryover stock of around 500,000 metric tons from last year, the total available stock is 6.5 million metric tons — still more than the country’s consumption needs,” he said, reiterating there was no sugar shortage and rather, the country had a surplus.
“We will not tolerate this misinformation campaign as there is no pressure on the sugar market, nor are prices as high as some claim,” he said, adding that the government was committed to ensuring price stability and preventing any artificial inflation.

Topics: sugar

At Punjab prison, inmates earn honest wage making leather shoes ahead of Eid

At Punjab prison, inmates earn honest wage making leather shoes ahead of Eid
Updated 24 March 2025
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At Punjab prison, inmates earn honest wage making leather shoes ahead of Eid

At Punjab prison, inmates earn honest wage making leather shoes ahead of Eid
  • The inmates, trained by experts from the private sector, were paid as part of the Punjab government’s Jail Reforms Agenda launched last year
  • Official says the skill development program and earnings would allow prisoners to cover personal expenses within prisons and support families
Updated 24 March 2025
Usama Iqbal Khawaja

ISLAMABAD: The provincial government in Pakistan’s Punjab province has paid wages to inmates ahead of Eid for crafting handmade ‘Norozi chappals,’ the home department said on Monday, marking a significant step in prison labor reforms.
The prisoners at Punjab’s Shahpur prison, trained by experts from the private sector, were paid as part of Punjab’s Jail Reforms Agenda for making Norozi chappals, a variation of the traditional Peshawari chappal, that are crafted from full-grain leather and feature a classic toe and cross-over strap design. These chappals often feature a double sole for added comfort and durability.
Tauseef Sabeeh Gondal, a Punjab home department spokesperson, said the provincial government is utilizing corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs of private companies to train inmates in various skills and the earnings would allow them to cover personal expenses within prison facilities and support their families outside.
“Around 20 prisoners were trained in the initial phase and they are now earning fair wages. In the open market, laborers typically receive Rs450 ($1.60) per set of 12 pieces of the upper or lower part of the sandal, but under this program, inmates are paid Rs455 per set,” Gondal said.
“Just two days ago, these inmates were paid around Rs10,000 ($35) each for their work.”
The Jail Reforms Agenda, which was initiated last year, covers all 44 prisons in the province and has introduced motor mechanics, barbering and information technology (IT) skills development programs, according to the home department.
Inmates in Punjab are now engaged in producing goods, including clothing, carpets, furniture, handicrafts, tiles, paper, footballs, perfumes and tissue paper. While eligibility criteria for these training programs vary, initially, prisoners with good conduct were selected.
Gondal said although industrial units for carpet, sports goods and manufacturing of some other goods already existed in Punjab prisons, this specific project aimed to ensure vocational training reached all inmates.
“The reforms go beyond industrial training. The government has also introduced educational programs, improved visitation facilities, psychological counseling, and skill development centers to help inmates reintegrate into society,” he shared.
Currently, a prison in Faisalabad is operating a full-scale printing press, Kasur prison is manufacturing shoes, and Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore is producing high-quality furniture, according to the official.
“In fact, I have a table in my office that was made by prisoners at Kot Lakhpat,” Gondal added.

Topics: Eid Al-Fitr Ramadan 2025 Punjab

Pakistan calls for ‘sustained dialogue’ to address issues with Afghanistan amid militancy surge

Pakistan calls for ‘sustained dialogue’ to address issues with Afghanistan amid militancy surge
Updated 24 March 2025
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Pakistan calls for ‘sustained dialogue’ to address issues with Afghanistan amid militancy surge

Pakistan calls for ‘sustained dialogue’ to address issues with Afghanistan amid militancy surge
  • The statement follows a visit by Pakistan’s special envoy to Afghanistan amid fraught ties between the two neighbors over a surge in militancy in Pakistan
  • The discussions in Kabul encompassed all issues of mutual concern, including peace and security, trade and economic cooperation, Islamabad says
Updated 24 March 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, has called for a “sustained dialogue” between Pakistan and Afghanistan to address a surge in militancy and other issues, the Pakistani foreign ministry said on Monday.

The call for the dialogue followed a recent three-day visit to Afghanistan by Pakistan’s special representative, Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq Khan, to discuss bilateral relations with authorities in Kabul.

Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have soured lately due to security, political and border issues, with Islamabad accusing the Taliban-led Afghan government of sheltering anti-Pakistan militants behind cross-border attacks. Kabul denies these claims.

Tensions escalated this month after a train hijacking by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) group in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, which killed over 60 passengers, security personnel and militants. Pakistan said BLA fighters remained in contact with their handlers in Afghanistan while holding the passengers hostage for a day.

“DPM [Dar] emphasized the importance of sustained dialogue with the interim Afghan government to address Pakistan’s concerns and promote bilateral relations,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement.

Ambassador Sadiq gave a detailed briefing to Dar regarding his engagements with Afghan authorities, including Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

"During the meeting [with Muttaqi], both sides exchanged views on all issues of mutual concern, including peace and security, trade and economic cooperation, as well as people-to-people contacts," the Pakistani foreign ministry said.

"The Special Representative reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to continued engagement and mutually beneficial ties with Afghanistan, and underscored the importance of addressing all issues of concern, particularly security, to further consolidate bilateral ties... the two sides also reinforced the commitment to a mutually beneficial bilateral relationship, with a view to achieving lasting regional peace and stability."

Pakistan has been battling twin insurgencies — one mounted by religiously motivated groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and the other by ethnic Baloch separatists in Balochistan. Both provinces border Afghanistan.

Islamabad says the takeover of Kabul by the Afghan Taliban in 2021 has emboldened the TTP and other militant groups who have safe havens in Afghanistan. Afghan officials deny the allegation and insist that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.

During his visit to Afghanistan, Ambassador Khan also met with Acting Afghan Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi and discussed with him bilateral trade and economic relations as well as cooperation in the areas of transit and connectivity. 

"The two sides agreed to harness full potential of regional trade and connectivity for the mutual benefit of both countries," the Pakistani foreign ministry said.

"The DPM/FM expressed satisfaction at the discussions held with the Afghan side and issued directions to further consolidate bilateral ties, including through high-level engagement and enhancement of trade and transit cooperation."

Topics: Pakistan Ishaq Dar Afghanistan

Authorities ban public gatherings in Karachi ahead of protest by Baloch rights group

Authorities ban public gatherings in Karachi ahead of protest by Baloch rights group
Updated 24 March 2025
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Authorities ban public gatherings in Karachi ahead of protest by Baloch rights group

Authorities ban public gatherings in Karachi ahead of protest by Baloch rights group
  • The Baloch Yakjehti Committee announced a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club against the detention of Dr. Mahrang Baloch
  • A number of BYC supporters tried to reach the venue for the protest at 4pm, but they were intercepted by police, local media says
Updated 24 March 2025
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Authorities have banned all public gatherings in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, the commissioner’s office announced on Monday, ahead of a protest by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) rights group.

The BYC announced a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) against the detention of its leader, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, and some other members who were arrested last week at a protest camp in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.

Dr. Baloch, one of Pakistan’s most prominent human rights advocates, has long campaigned for the ethnic Baloch people, many of whom say they have been targeted by authorities with harassment, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Authorities deny these claims.

The Karachi commissioner’s office said senior police officials in Karachi had requested for the ban on public gatherings in the city in view of the “prevailing law and order situation” and to protect lives of general public.

“Syed Hassan Naqvi, Commissioner Karachi Division, hereby impose a complete ban on any type of protests, demonstrations, sit-ins, rallies and assembly of more than five persons with the Karachi Division,” Naqvi’s office said in a notification.

A number of BYC supporters tried to reach the KPC but they were intercepted by police, local media reported on Monday. The BYC protest was scheduled for 4pm in Karachi, while the group had also organized a protest in Quetta, where three protesters had died following a pre-dawn raid by police last week. Both sides blamed each other for the deaths.

Dr. Baloch and other protesters have been charged with terrorism, sedition and murder, according to the police charge sheet. On Sunday, Mary Lawlor, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights defenders, said she was “very concerned” at Baloch’s arrest.

Pakistan has been battling a separatist insurgency in Balochistan for decades, where militants target state forces and foreign nationals in the mineral-rich southwestern province bordering Afghanistan and Iran.

Earlier this month, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) separatist group launched a dramatic train siege that officials said ended in around 60 deaths, half of whom were separatists behind the assault.

Topics: Karachi Press Club Dr. Mahrang Baloch Baloch Yakjehti Committee Karachi

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