by Editor | May 25, 2021 | Investing, Muslim World
Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi
Islamabad : Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday invited more French businesses to benefit from Pakistan’s investor-friendly policies in various sectors.
Talking to French Ambassador to Pakistan Marc Barety, who called on him here, the foreign minister welcomed French automaker Renault’s decision to manufacture vehicles in Pakistan and expressed satisfaction at the two-way flow of investment from both sides.
The ambassador conveyed that there were several French companies interested in doing business with Pakistan. He also assured of France’s full support in enhancing cooperation in all fields of mutual interest.
Qureshi appreciated the development projects undertaken by the French Development Agency (AFD) in hydropower generation and renovation of Lahore Fort.
The two sides appreciated the current trajectory of bilateral relations and agreed to further enhance relations in all areas of mutual interest. They agreed that the exchange of high-level visits was important to further strengthen the bilateral relations. In this regard, the foreign minister stated that the Pakistani side looks forward to the visit of President Emmanuel Macron at his earliest convenience at the invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
—AB/UNA-OIC
by Editor | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Jeddah : Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Sunday signed the bilateral Hajj agreement for the year 2019. Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mohammed Saleh Benten and visiting Pakistan Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri signed the agreement at the minister’s office in Makkah.
Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Abdulfattah Bin Sulaiman Mashat, Secretary for Hajj Affairs Hussain Sherif and other senior officials from the Saudi side while Religious Affairs Secretary Muhammed Mushtaq Ahmad and Director General of Hajj Dr. Sajid Yousfani from the Pakistani side attended the discussions held prior to the signing of the agreement.
As part of the Kingdom’s initiative to sign annual bilateral Hajj agreements with Islamic countries, the Hajj minister received the Pakistani delegation, according to a statement issued by the ministry.
Minister Benten also received the delegation from Jordan, headed by Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Minister Abdul Nasser Abul Bassal.
The visiting ministers commended the Hajj arrangements made by Saudi Arabia and hailed the services being offered by Kingdom to pilgrims, the statement added.
The Pakistani minister said the effective usage of technology has significantly eased the performance of the Hajj ritual. The Hajj quota for Pakistan for the year 2019 will be 184,210, which is an increase of 5,000, compared with last year’s 179,210.
Pakistan is set to implement E-Hajj visa program from the next season. Pakistan will be included in the Makkah Road scheme to implement Proof of Concept (POC) system for pre-clearance at the Karachi airport, said a senior Pakistan official.
The POC system enables immigration checks in home countries at the time of departure, instead of upon arrival in the Kingdom. The scheme known as the Makkah Road significantly reduces the waiting time for pilgrims at the Saudi airports upon arrival.
The official said 35,000 pilgrims from the Sindh province would be covered in the first phase of the scheme, which will be expanded to other parts of the country subsequently, the official said.
—AG/UNA-OIC
by Editor | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Islamabad : At least five people including two policemen were killed on Friday in a terrorist attack near the Chinese Consulate in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi, police and hospital officials said.
Deputy Inspector General of Police of Karachi South Region Javed Alam confirmed that two policemen and three other unidentified persons were killed when a group of terrorists opened fire at them near the consulate in the diplomatic zone where several other foreign missions are located in Clifton area of Karachi.
Around three to four terrorists reached the area and started firing and hurled a couple of hand grenades at the police personnel deployed for security in the area.
Director of the Jinnah Hospital Karachi Seemi Jamali told media that overall five bodies and one injured have been shifted to the hospital.
Two of the deceased were recognized as police personnel but the others have not been identified yet, said the hospital director.
Soon after the firing began, police, security forces and commandos of the Pakistan Army rushed to the site and cordoned off the area.
Karachi’s police chief Amir Sheikh said at least three terrorists have been killed in the shootout with the security forces. Two suicide jackets were also recovered from the killed terrorists, the police chief said.
The firing has stopped and security forces and police are conducting a search operation, the police chief said.
The bomb disposal squad is clearing the area and is defusing the explosive devices planted by the terrorists, police said.
All roads leading to the diplomatic enclave have been closed for public and media. A state of emergency has been declared in all the hospitals in the city.
A separatist group, the Balochistan Liberation Army, reportedly claimed the attack but there was no official confirmation about it.
Prime Minister Imran Khan “strongly condemned the firing incident ” saying it was part of a conspiracy against the Pakistan and China economic and strategic cooperation.
“However, such incidents will never be able to undermine Pakistan-China relationship that is mightier than Himalaya and deeper than Arabian sea,” Khan said.
—IANS
by Editor | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
By Islamuddin Sajid,
Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday refused to accept tough conditions laid down by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a financial bailout package, local media said.
According to Geo News, Pakistan refused IMF conditions to further increase power tariffs, imposition of more taxes and sharing details related to Chinese financial assistance.
“Disagreement with IMF continues on certain issues which include an increase in electricity prices by 20 to 22 percent ” Asad Umar, finance minister, told reporters after concluding a meeting with the visiting IMF team.
However, in a statement, the Finance Ministry said that positive engagement with the IMF will continue over the coming weeks to finalize the program.
The IMF delegation led by Herald Finger, arrived in Islamabad on Nov. 7, on a two week-long visit for talks on a financial package on request of the Pakistani government to help in addressing its balance of payment issue.
Pakistan has approached the money watchdog for the second time during the last five years after the country faced serious financial challenges. It will be the 22nd program since Pakistan and IMF relations began.
In a statement IMF said: “There has been broad agreement on the need for a comprehensive agenda of reform and policy actions aimed at reducing the fiscal and current account deficit, bolstering international reserves, strengthening social protection, enhancing governance and transparency and laying the foundation for a sustainable job-creating growth path.”
A day before the arrival of IMF team, Umar announced that Islamabad had overcome the balance of payment crisis with help from Saudi Arabia and China.
On Monday, $1 billion of the $3 billion committed by Saudi Arabia was remitted to the State Bank of Pakistan while Pakistani authorities said the remaining $2 billion will be received within a few days.
—AA
by Editor | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Abdul Razak Dawood
Islamabad : Abdul Razak Dawood, advisor to Pakistani Prime Minister on commerce, textile, industry and production, and investment, has said that Pakistan has great potential in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai from November 5-10.
Pakistan wants to bring forward industrial cooperation with China, Dawood said while speaking to Xinhua news agency.
“Development of Gwadar and development of industrial cooperation are the two main things we want (from China), apart from having a market access to China.”
He added that Pakistan wants to take its textiles, leather, sugar, rice and other agricultural products to Chinese business markets in the initial stage, but later it will do business in light engineering.
Dawood, who attended an event organised for promoting friendly cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese businessmen, said while addressing the session that the Pakistani government wants to make CIIE participation fruitful, as it will give a chance to bring business people of the two countries closer.
He added that Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and businessmen are going to Beijing to expand the role of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as the Chinese government has opened its gates for them, and now its Pakistan’s turn to use this opportunity to develop the country.
He said that the Pakistani government wants industrialisation to develop more and CPEC is one of the important vehicles Pakistan can use to achieve that goal.
Dawood said that the main priority of the current Pakistani government is to enhance its exports, adding that when exports increased it will lead to job creation to millions of people who are unemployed.
—IANS
