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Pakistani PM calls for relocating brick kilns, steel furnaces outside cities to combat pollution 

In this picture taken on October 24, 2018, smoke billows from a chimney as Pakistani labourers rest beside a brick kiln on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. (AFP/ File)
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Updated 04 December 2021
ARAB NEWS PAKISTAN 
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Pakistani PM calls for relocating brick kilns, steel furnaces outside cities to combat pollution 

  • Air quality in Pakistan has deteriorated in recent years, with winters worsening the situation 
  • Lahore routinely ranks as one of world’s most polluted urban centers, frequently tops daily rankings 
Updated 04 December 2021
ARAB NEWS PAKISTAN 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday directed federal and provincial governments to work to move industrial units like brick kilns and steel furnaces outside major cities in order to tackle rising pollution in the country, Pakistani state-run APP news agency reported on Saturday. 

Air quality in Pakistan has deteriorated in recent years, with hazardous pollution in winters driven by a mixture of low-grade diesel fumes and smoke from seasonal crop burn off and worsened by colder temperatures. Experts say hazardous air quality can cause breathing issues that range from discomfort to respiratory tract and heart diseases. 

The central Pakistani city of Lahore routinely ranks as one of the world’s most polluted urban centers, and frequently tops daily rankings.

But authorities have been slow to act, blaming the smog on crop burning in neighbouring India or saying the figures were exaggerated. 

On Friday, PM Khan presided over a meeting on pollution-related issues and issued a number of directives, including relocation of industries outside cities and the promotion of electric-powered vehicles. 

“We must incentivize the industry for shifting their units out of the city and the use of modern technology for environment safety,” the prime minister was quoted as saying by APP. "Pollution was a silent killer but environmental protection had never been a priority of the past governments. Now there is no more room for negligence." 

Khan directed the Punjab government to adopt a comprehensive smog control policy at the earliest and said measures were needed to incentivize the use of quality fuel and the gradual replacement of vehicles with electric vehicles. He said new buses for all mass transit services in the country must be electric-powered. He also called for dialogue with regional countries to protect the environment through collective efforts. 

“We should take all steps to increase the green cover of our cities through Miyawaki forest technique,” he added. 

Named after Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, the technique aims to recreate self-sustaining multilayered indigenous forests on degraded land with little to no human intervention. 

The prime minister also highlighted the importance of public awareness campaigns to bring behavioral change among the masses in order to convince them of the need for environmental protection. 

Topics: Pakistan brick kiln

Pakistan unveils new EV policy with over $353 million in subsidies for electric bikes, rickshaws

Updated 4 sec ago
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Pakistan unveils new EV policy with over $353 million in subsidies for electric bikes, rickshaws

  • The new policy for 2025-30 aims to cut $1 billion in fuel costs and 4.5 million tons of emissions
  • Pakistan currently has about 70,000 electric motorcycles, 5,200 electric cars and 450 electric buses
Updated 4 sec ago
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday unveiled Pakistan’s new Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2025-30, announcing a five-year subsidy of over Rs100 billion ($353 million) for electric bikes and rickshaws.

The move comes amid a steady rise in electric vehicle adoption in a market traditionally dominated by Japanese automakers. Pakistan’s urban areas exhibit some of the world’s highest levels of air pollution, with road transport being a major contributor.

Chinese and Korean EV brands are increasingly entering the local market, making these vehicles a more frequent sight in cities such as Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

“Total subsidy over five years will be over Rs100 billion and it will basically be focused on the two-and-three wheelers,” Haroon Akhtar Khan, a close aide to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, told a news conference. “We will have subsidized financing for 116,053 electric bikes, 3,171 rickshaws.”

“A Rs9 billion [$31 million] subsidy will be allocated, and it is already there in the 2025-26 budget,” he continued.

Khan added the government also allocated a 25 percent quota for women to increase their mobility.

He projected the initiative will help with the annual savings of Rs283 billion ($1 billion) in fuel costs and a reduction of 4.5 million tons of carbon emissions.

Khan said Pakistan’s new EV policy was aimed at disincentivizing internal combustion engine vehicles and promoting electric mobility to help cut greenhouse gas emissions that damage the earth’s ozone layer.

He informed Pakistan has around 70,000 electric motorcycles, 5,200 electric cars and 450 electric buses, adding the government issued 61 manufacturing licenses for electric two- and three-wheelers including motorcycles and rickshaws.

Khan also acknowledged the country lacks adequate EV charging infrastructure and faces challenges related to the absence of safety and quality standards.

He said the government aims for 30 percent of all new vehicles produced over the next five years to be electric.

“So, we are establishing new electric vehicle testing rules, safety and emission standards,” he said.

“We have to make sure that if anybody is manufacturing an electric vehicle there are no emissions,” he continued. “Another thing is battery disposal. We don’t want to create any environmental problem that the battery is not disposed properly.”

The country previously approved an ambitious National Electric Vehicles Policy (NEVP) in 2019, aiming for electric vehicles to make up 30 percent of all passenger car and heavy-duty truck sales by 2030.

The policy set an even more ambitious target of making 90 percent of all vehicle sales electric by 2040.

Topics: electric vehicle (EV)

Pakistan hosts Bangladeshi academic delegation under OIC’s scientific cooperation framework

Updated 19 June 2025
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Pakistan hosts Bangladeshi academic delegation under OIC’s scientific cooperation framework

  • Vice chancellors of Bangladesh universities met counterparts from top 15 Pakistani universities
  • Once a single country, Pakistan and Bangladesh have begun slowly rebuilding diplomatic ties
Updated 19 June 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A seven-member delegation from Bangladeshi universities is currently visiting Pakistan to deepen academic and scientific cooperation between the two countries, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s coordinating body for scientific collaboration said on Thursday.

Pakistan and Bangladesh, once a single country before the bloody 1971 war, have slowly begun rebuilding ties after last year’s political upheaval in Dhaka, which saw the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid, long viewed as critical of Islamabad and aligned with New Delhi.

She fled to India by helicopter after her administration’s downfall in August 2024, with Dhaka now seeking her extradition.

The ties between India and Bangladesh’s interim government have become frosty, creating space for Islamabad and Dhaka to re-engage after decades of limited contact.

“The forum brought together a seven-member Bangladeshi delegation comprising vice chancellors and senior representatives from leading universities, and vice chancellors from 15 top Pakistani universities, which are part of COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence,” the OIC-COMSTECH said in a statement, adding that academics from Bangladesh are visiting Pakistan from June 16-21.

The visiting delegation termed their ongoing visit as “historical, highly productive and promising” for academic collaboration between Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Vice chancellors from Pakistani and Bangladeshi universities held discussions aimed at deepening academic and scientific cooperation, it added.

The meetings focused on expanding collaboration in key areas including student and faculty exchange programs, scholarship opportunities, joint research initiatives apart from sharing academic expertise.

The participants of the meeting also agreed that each university would appoint a focal person to ensure effective follow-up on commitments made during the visit.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan Iqbal Hussain Khan, the chief guest at the event, praised COMSTECH for offering scholarships, organizing the visit and facilitating meaningful academic exchanges between higher education institutions of the two countries.

In May, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar agreed to strengthen bilateral relationship with Bangladesh and maintain high-level contacts with its leadership.

Pakistan’s government launched a new program in December 2024 through which it will provide fully funded scholarships to 300 Bangladeshi students.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Bangladesh Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus in New York last year at a ceremony hosted by the Bangladeshi leader to mark the completion of 50 years of Bangladesh’s membership in the United Nations.

Both sides had agreed to forge stronger ties and enhance bilateral cooperation in various fields during their meeting.

Topics: Bangladesh

Five groups submit qualification documents in Pakistan’s renewed push to privatize PIA

Updated 19 June 2025
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Five groups submit qualification documents in Pakistan’s renewed push to privatize PIA

  • Eight interested parties, including private firms and a military-backed group, initially submitted expressions of interest
  • Pakistan’s Privatization Commission will evaluate the qualification documents before advancing to the next stage
Updated 19 June 2025
Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: Pakistan has received qualification documents from five investor groups seeking to acquire a controlling stake in its loss-making national carrier, the Privatization Commission said on Thursday, as the government advances a long-delayed divestment plan.

The privatization of state-owned entities has been mandated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as Pakistan works to implement structural reforms and stabilize its economy, which has recently shown signs of macroeconomic improvement.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), in particular, has survived for years on government bailouts, placing further strain on the country’s already cash-strapped finances.

The government invited expressions of interest in April for a stake ranging from 51 percent to 100 percent in Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL), along with management control. The final deadline for submitting Statements of Qualification (SOQs) was today.

“The Privatization Commission received Expression of Interest (EOI) from ... eight interested parties,” the official statement said, adding that “five interested parties submitted SOQs by the deadline today.”

Among the groups that submitted documents are a consortium comprising Lucky Cement, Hub Power Holdings, Kohat Cement, and Metro Ventures; a consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation with Fatima Fertilizer, City Schools and Lake City Holdings; Air Blue Limited; Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited, which is a military-backed firm; and a consortium including Serene Air, Augment Securities, Bahria Foundation, Mega C&S Holding and Equitas.

The government had previously attempted to privatize PIA in 2024 but called off the process after receiving a single bid of Rs10 billion ($36 million) from Blue World City — far below the Rs85 billion ($305 million) floor price.

The sale was scrapped, citing the airline’s weak financial position and unattractive terms for buyers.

PIA has long been a fiscal liability, with operational earnings repeatedly offset by heavy debt servicing. However, following restructuring, it reported an operating profit of Rs9.3 billion ($33.1 million) in April, its first in 21 years.

“The SOQs submitted by the parties will be evaluated by the Privatization Commission against the prequalification criteria,” the official statement informed. “The prequalified parties will proceed to the next stage where they will be given access to the virtual data room to undertake buy-side due diligence.”

Topics: PIA Pakistan International Airline (PIA) privatization

Pakistan draws five potential buyers for national air carrier

Updated 19 June 2025
Reuters
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Pakistan draws five potential buyers for national air carrier

  • The interested parties include business groups and a military-backed firm
  • The sale is seen as a test of Pakistan’s ability to shed loss-making state firms
Updated 19 June 2025
Reuters

ISLAMABAD: In its efforts to sell its struggling national airline, Pakistan has received expressions of interest from five parties, including business groups and a military-backed firm, the Privatization Ministry said on Thursday.
The bids were submitted ahead of a June 19 deadline to acquire up to 100 percent of Pakistan International Airlines, which has accumulated over $2.5 billion in losses in roughly a decade.
Still, following a major restructuring, it posted its first operating profit in 21 years in the year through June 2024.
The sale is seen as a test of Pakistan’s ability to shed loss-making state firms and meet conditions of a $7 billion International Monetary Fund bailout. It would be the country’s first major privatization in nearly two decades.
Eight parties submitted their expressions of interest, but only five of them provided documents of qualification, the ministry said in a statement.

Topics: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)

Pakistan calls for Israel’s accountability for Iran war after army chief’s meeting with US president

Updated 19 June 2025
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Pakistan calls for Israel’s accountability for Iran war after army chief’s meeting with US president

  • The foreign office condemns Tel Aviv’s ‘unjustified and illegitimate aggression’ during weekly foreign office briefing
  • It says Islamabad has always advocated for diplomatic solutions, will support meaningful efforts toward de-escalation
Updated 19 June 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday called on the international community to end Israel’s ongoing war against Iran, condemning Tel Aviv for launching an “unjustified and illegitimate” attack and demanding its accountability.

The statement came hours after Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, attended a luncheon at the White House hosted by US President Donald Trump, a rare engagement that lasted longer than scheduled.

Trump, who has publicly backed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and stated Iran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, confirmed that the Israel-Iran conflict was discussed during his meeting with Munir.

While he did not share further details, Pakistan has maintained its longstanding position that Israel’s war with Iran threatens to destabilize the region.

“Pakistan strongly condemns unjustified and illegitimate aggression by Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” foreign office spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said at the outset of his weekly press briefing.

“Pakistan stands in resolute solidarity with the people of Iran and unequivocally denounces these blatant provocations, which constitute a grave danger and a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the entire region and beyond, with serious implications,” he added. “The international community and the United Nations bear the responsibility to uphold international law, stop this aggression immediately and hold the aggressor accountable for its actions.”

Khan pointed to a joint statement released earlier this week by 20 countries, including Pakistan, calling for an immediate halt to hostilities in the Middle East and urging de-escalation.

The statement underscored the urgent need to establish “a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction,” applying to all states in the region without exception.

It further called on all Middle Eastern countries to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Asked whether the United States sought any “special favor” from Pakistan during the army chief’s meeting with Trump, Khan said both nations share “strong and multifaceted relations” with “a full agenda of interaction and cooperation.”

“So, I don’t know how to characterize or define a special favor,” he remarked.

The spokesperson reiterated that Pakistan has consistently advocated for diplomatic solutions to international conflicts and would support any meaningful initiative in that direction.

Topics: Israel Iran conflict

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