Traditional Saudi stall steals spotlight at Pakistani Foreign Office charity event in Islamabad

Visitors look Saudi Arabia’s stall, comprising a traditional Bedouin tent, during the Pakistan Foreign Office Women’s Association charity bazaar in Islamabad on December 1, 2024. (AN Photo)
Short Url
Updated 01 December 2024
Follow

Traditional Saudi stall steals spotlight at Pakistani Foreign Office charity event in Islamabad

  • A charity bazaar was organized to raise funds for families of low-income staff of the Pakistani foreign ministry
  • Embassies of different countries showcased their cultural performances, costumes, music, art and food at the event

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s stall, comprising a traditional Bedouin tent with the rich aroma of ‘gahwa’ and the sweetness of dates, on Sunday stole the spotlight at the Pakistan Foreign Office Women’s Association (PFOWA) charity bazaar, which showcased a vibrant tapestry of cultural performances, traditional costumes, music, art and food from various embassies and missions in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, inaugurated the bazaar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Sunday. The event featured stalls from various countries as well as from Pakistani small and medium enterprises to raise funds for low-income MoFA staff.




Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar inaugurates Annual Charity Bazaar 2024, organized by Pakistan Foreign Office Women’s Association, in Islamabad on December 1, 2024. (Photo courtesy: MOFA)

At the entrance of the bazaar, the very first stall was set up by the Embassy of Saudi Arabia that featured a traditional Bedouin tent where visitors were welcomed with dates and gahwa, a traditional Arabic coffee.
“It is a very welcoming gesture by the Saudi embassy as they introduced us to the true taste of Saudi coffee which is very unique,” Tayyaba Aleem, a visitor, told Arab News, adding the traditional setting of the tent added an authentic cultural touch and made it a special experience.




Participants serve Saudi dates and gahwa to visitors at the Pakistan Foreign Office Women’s Association charity bazaar in Islamabad on December 1, 2024. (AN Photo)

In his inaugural address, Dar said the event offered a unique opportunity for people to visit the Pakistani Foreign Office, and experience rich cultures of various countries through their food and handicrafts, and to contribute to a charitable cause.
“Today’s bazaar is a captivating blend of diverse cultures and the variety of experiences fostering harmony and fraternity among different nations,” he said, adding that from the kind support and donations to setting up stalls showcasing traditional outfits, apparel, artifacts and a variety of delights, the event was a collective celebration of diversity and inclusion.




This photo shows general views of Palestinian stall at the Pakistan Foreign Office Women’s Association charity bazaar in Islamabad on December 1, 2024. (AN Photo)

“I am extremely grateful to the diplomatic missions in Islamabad and their contributions in this colorful event.”
Diplomats described the experience as a valuable opportunity to showcase their country’s cultural heritage, while learning about the traditions of others.




This photo shows general views of the UAE stall at the Pakistan Foreign Office Women’s Association charity bazaar in Islamabad on December 1, 2024. (AN Photo)

“It is a multilateral event and it brought a lot of things in for the participants, and for the visitors,” Muhammad Motahar Al-Ashabi, the ambassador of Yemen to Pakistan, told Arab News.
He said the Yemeni stall showcased pictures of his country’s rich heritage, including its architecture, culture and food.
“This display is a symbolic participation, but we have received a very good response from the visitors,” the ambassador added.




This photo shows general views of Yemeni stall at the Pakistan Foreign Office Women’s Association charity bazaar in Islamabad on December 1, 2024. (AN Photo)

Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Irfan Neziroglu commended the PFOWA for providing a “wonderful opportunity” to engage with other diplomats and Pakistani people through the event.
“We brought a variety of authentic products, mostly from Turkiye, including traditional food, and received many visitors at our stall,” he told Arab News.
“We also visited the stalls of other embassies and a kind of cultural richness we see here, not only different countries, but also the richness of Pakistan, from different parts of the country.”




This photo shows general views of Turkish stall at the Pakistan Foreign Office Women’s Association charity bazaar in Islamabad on December 1, 2024. (AN Photo)

Basma Al-Masharqa, a Palestinian woman residing in Islamabad, also set up a stall, featuring traditional Palestinian cuisine.
“I prepare Palestinian food and all is handmade in my home,” she told Arab News. “For small businesses like us, it is so nice because many people, they are coming here and they see our work.”




Basma Al-Masharqa (1L), a Palestinian woman residing in Islamabad, gestures at her food stall setup at the Pakistan Foreign Office Women’s Association charity bazaar in Islamabad on December 1, 2024. (AN Photo)

She said such events should be organized more frequently to help home-based businesses in the Pakistani capital.
“My mother used to cook this food and we are trying to bring our traditional culture to the Pakistani market,” Basma’s daughter, Maryam, told Arab News, saying it was a “great place” to present the Arabic food as it brought together diverse communities.




Visitors writing messages in solidarity with Gaza at the Palestinian stall at the Pakistan Foreign Office Women’s Association charity bazaar in Islamabad on December 1, 2024. (AN Photo)

Amina Amir from Algeria praised the diversity of cultures presented at the event, hoping that Algeria would also participate next year to showcase her country’s rich heritage.
“As the largest country in Africa, we have diverse traditions and cultures that we would love to present,” she said. “It is a very good initiative as this is my second time attending this bazaar as I like to see the variety of different cultures and different countries.”


Modi says India has only ‘paused’ military action against Pakistan

Updated 9 sec ago
Follow

Modi says India has only ‘paused’ military action against Pakistan

  • India won’t “tolerate nuclear blackmailing” by Pakistan, would take stern action for any future militant attack, Modi says
  • His comments were the first since Saturday’s understanding between India and Pakistan to stop all military actions

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday India has only “paused its military action” against Pakistan and would “retaliate on its own terms” if there is any future militant attack on the country.

His comments were the first since Saturday’s understanding between India and Pakistan to stop all military actions on land, in the air and at the sea in a US-brokered ceasefire. 

The escalating hostilities between the two nuclear-armed rivals after a deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir had threatened regional peace.

“We will be monitoring every step of Pakistan,” Modi said in an address to the nation, adding that India won’t “tolerate nuclear blackmailing” by Pakistan and would take stern action for any future terror attack.

“This is not an era of war, but this is not an era of terrorism either. There should be zero tolerance for terrorism,” Modi said.

The PM’s comments come from as Indian and Pakistani authorities both said Monday there was no firing reported overnight along the heavily militarized region between their countries, the first time in recent days the two nations were not shooting at each other.

“The night remained largely peaceful across Jammu and Kashmir, and other areas along the international border,” the Indian army said in a statement, adding that no incidents had been reported.

Senior military officials from India and Pakistan spoke via a hotline on Monday, the state-run Pakistan Television reported. It gave no details, but the two sides were to assess if the ceasefire was holding and how to ensure its implementation. There were fears it would not hold after they accused each other of violations just hours after it was announced.

Local government officials in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, called Azad Kashmir, reported no incidents of cross-border firing along the Line of Control and said that civilians displaced by recent skirmishes between Pakistani and Indian forces were returning to their homes.

Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, said late Sunday that Pakistan remains committed to upholding the ceasefire and will not be the first to violate it.

Soon after the ceasefire announcement on Saturday, Pakistan reopened all of its airports and restored flight operations. India followed up Monday with reopening of all the 32 airports that were shut temporarily across northern and western regions due to the flare up in tensions.

“It’s informed that these airports are now available for civil aircraft operations with immediate effect,” the Airports Authority of India said in a statement.

The militaries of the two countries have been engaged in one of their most serious confrontations in decades since last Wednesday, when India struck targets inside Pakistan it said were affiliated with militants responsible for the massacre of 26 tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The tourists, mostly Indian Hindu men, were brutally killed in front of their families in the meadow town of Pahalgam last month.

India accused Pakistan of backing the militants who carried out the massacre, a charge Islamabad denied. The incident first led to a spat of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures by both the nations, sending their bilateral ties to a near historic low.

The two expelled each other’s diplomats, shut their airspace, land borders, and suspended a crucial water treaty.

After Wednesday’s strikes in Pakistan, both sides exchanged heavy fires along their de facto border in the restive Kashmir region followed by missile and drone strikes into each other’s territories, mainly targeting military installations and air bases. Dozens of civilians were killed on both the sides in heavy shelling, the two countries said.

The Indian military on Sunday for the first time claimed its strikes into Azad Kashmir and Pakistan last week killed more than 100 militants, including prominent leaders.

Lt. Gen. Rajiv Ghai, the director general of India’s military operations, said India’s armed forces struck nine militant infrastructure and training facilities, including sites of the Lashkar-e-Taiba group that India blames for carrying out major militant strikes in India and the disputed region of Kashmir.

Ghai said at least 35 to 40 Pakistani soldiers were killed in clashes along the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan. Five Indian soldiers were also killed, he said.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday said his country’s armed forces had killed 40 to 50 Indian soldiers along the Line of Control. Pakistani military also claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets and inflected heavy losses on Indian military installations by targeting 26 locations in India.

The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify the claims made by India and Pakistan.

Air Chief Marshal AK Bharti, the director general India’s air operations told a news conference on Monday that despite “minor damage (s) incurred, all our military bases and air defense systems continue to remain fully operational, and ready to undertake any further missions, should the need so arise.”

Bharti reiterated that New Delhi’s fight was “with terrorists, and not with Pakistan military or its civilians.”


Trump says used US trade ties to persuade India, Pakistan on ceasefire

Updated 20 min 9 sec ago
Follow

Trump says used US trade ties to persuade India, Pakistan on ceasefire

  • India and Pakistan last week used fighter jets, drones, missiles and artillery to attack each other in the worst fighting between them in decades
  • The two countries reached an understanding to stop all military actions on land, in the air and at the sea on Saturday in a US-brokered ceasefire

ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump said on Monday he had used United States (US) trade ties with India and Pakistan to persuade the nuclear-armed nations to back off from further military confrontation and agree to a ceasefire.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all military actions on land, in the air and at the sea on Saturday in a US-brokered ceasefire to cease escalating hostilities that had spiraled alarmingly, threatening regional peace.
The two sides used fighter jets, drones, missiles and artillery to attack each other in the worst fighting between them since the 1999 Kargil war, leaving around 70 people dead on both sides of the border.
Speaking at an event at the White House, Trump said the countries ended hostilities for a lot of reasons “but trade is a big one,” adding that Washington was already negotiating a trade deal with India and would soon start negotiating with Pakistan.
“On Saturday, my administration helped broker a full and immediate ceasefire, I think a permanent one, between India and Pakistan, ending a dangerous conflict of two nations with lots of nuclear weapons. They were going at it hard and heavy, and it was seemingly not going to stop,” he said.
“I said, ‘Come on, we are going to do a lot of trade with you guys. Let’s stop it. Let’s stop it. If you stop it, we will do trade, if you don’t stop, we are not going to do any trade.’ People have never really used trade the way I used it.”
While Trump thought his administration had brokered a permanent ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a Monday evening speech India had only “paused” military action against Pakistan.
Pakistan will have to get rid of its “terrorist infrastructure” if it wants to be “saved,” Modi said in his first comments since the ceasefire.
“I will tell the global community also, if we talk to Pakistan, it will be about terrorism only...it will be about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” Modi said, referring to Azad Kashmir.
Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations and both countries have fought three wars, two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir. Last week’s military conflict between them was also triggered by a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists on April 22.
India struck multiple Pakistani cities on Wednesday, blaming the April 22 attack on Pakistan. Islamabad denied any complicity in the assault and reciprocated with similar strikes against Indian military targets.
Modi’s comments came a day after Pakistan said its response to Indian strikes was a “great example” of the coming together of all elements of Pakistan’s national power, warning of a similar response to any future attempts to challenge the country’s sovereignty and integrity.
“No one should have any doubt that whenever our sovereignty would be threatened and territorial integrity violated, the response would be comprehensive, retributive and decisive,” Pakistani military spokesman Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said at a presser.
On Sunday, Trump also said he would try to work with both India and Pakistan to see if they can resolve their dispute over Kashmir.
“I will work with you both to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, referring to India and Pakistan.
India has for years insisted Kashmir is a bilateral issue and not allowed any third-party mediation.


Pakistan stocks record single-day gain, bonds rally after ceasefire with India, IMF tranche approval

Updated 12 May 2025
Follow

Pakistan stocks record single-day gain, bonds rally after ceasefire with India, IMF tranche approval

  • Pakistan and India last week traded air, ground and drone strikes, leading to aggressive selloffs by investors
  • On Monday, Pakistani rupee marked first gain since the start of May as Pakistan’s dollar bonds rose 5.7 cents

KARACHI: Pakistan’s stocks rose more than 9 percent, the highest single-day gain in decades, and its international bonds rallied on Monday, analysts said, following a ceasefire with India and the approval of $1 billion tranche by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) suffered losses in the last three sessions since India struck multiple Pakistani cities with missiles on Wednesday. Pakistan responded with fighter jet, drone and artillery strikes and four days of conflict between the two sides came to a halt on Saturday evening after the United States announced a surprise ceasefire.
On Monday, the benchmark KSE-100 index rose by 9.45 percent, or 10,123 points, to close at 117, 297 points, compared to Friday’s close of 107,174 points. The country’s currency and international bonds also surged, paring their losses since tensions rose with India over an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22.
“The highest single-day gain in almost three decades comes after the ceasefire announcement of India and Pakistan,” Shankar Talreja, head of research at Karachi-based Topline Securities brokerage firm, told Arab News.
The KSE-30 index, which includes the top 30 most liquid companies, increased about 9.7 percent during the intraday trade, forcing the bourse to halt trading at 9:37am Pakistan time for an hour.
The geopolitical tensions had led to aggressive selloffs and fueled widespread investor concerns at the bourse which lost more than 12 percent between April 22 and May 8.
Monday’s rally triggered the upper circuit breaker for the second time in the PSX’s history since July 2023, according to Adnan Sami Sheikh, an analyst at Pakistan Qatar Investment Company Ltd. The otherwise risk-averse investors went on a buying frenzy primarily on the back of a US-brokered ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan.
“Local individual investors who had been net sellers in the recent past were aggressive buyers,” Talreja said, adding that according to Bloomberg-compiled data, PSX had become the world’s third best performing stock index over the last one year.
The other factor behind Monday’s rally was the IMF’s approval of $1.4 billion loan to Pakistan under its climate resilience fund, and the release of a $1 billion as part of the country’s $7 billion bailout program secured in Sept. last year, taking the total disbursements under the program to $2.1 billion, according to analysts.
The much-awaited inflows will boost the cash-strapped nation’s foreign exchange reserves, which Islamabad seeks to increase to $14 billion by June. The IMF, which the once-near-default Islamabad has visited frequently in recent years, wants Pakistan to hold enough dollars for at least three months of imports.
PAKISTANI RUPEE AND BONDS
Pakistan’s currency marked the first gain in the last seven sessions this month and rose 0.1 percent, with the US dollar closing at Rs281.57, according to the State Bank of Pakistan.
The rupee had devalued 0.3 percent since last month, when Pakistan’s now-de-escalating border tensions with India had first resurfaced.
The South Asian nation’s global bonds also rallied sharply and rose as much as 5.7 cents globally, Reuters news agency reported, citing Tradeweb data. Most of the bond maturities have clawed back the losses sustained since April 22.
“The investors are now perceiving lower country risk premium for Pakistan,” Talreja added.
Commenting on the developments, Pakistan’s finance adviser Khurram Schehzad said the South Asian nation has much more to offer.
He said positives like the IMF board’s approval, declining interest rate, spillover effect of a potential settlement of the US-China tariff issue, and Pakistan’s “measured and responsible” response in terms of narrative and the actions on ground against India have caught the attention of investors.
“Renewed investor confidence...enhanced IMF funding and support, renewed regional investor interest, one of the lowest inflation rates and stable currency parities in the region all position Pakistan for a more meaningful economic upside moving forward,” he said.


Four killed in car, gas tanker collision in Pakistan’s northwest

Updated 12 May 2025
Follow

Four killed in car, gas tanker collision in Pakistan’s northwest

  • Road accidents are common in Pakistan, where highways and roads are poorly maintained and traffic laws are widely ignored
  • Last month, a speeding truck carrying laborers, women and children fell into a ravine in Sindh, killing at least 13 people

ISLAMABAD: At least four people were killed on Monday when a car collided with a gas tanker in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the provincial rescue service said.
The collision took place in Daraban area of KP’s Dera Ismail Khan district and the deceased included a nine-year-old child, according to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson.
The cause of the accident could not be immediately known.
“Bodies of all those killed were shifted to hospital,” the spokesperson said. “All deceased person hailed from Darazanda tehsil.”
Road accidents are common in Pakistan, where highways and roads are poorly maintained and traffic laws are widely ignored.
Last month, a speeding truck carrying laborers, women and children fell into a ravine in the southern Sindh province, killing at least 13 people and injuring 20 others, police said.
In Dec., at least 18 passengers were killed in two separate road crashes in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab and southern Sindh provinces, authorities said.


Pakistani textile industrialists expect Trump to cut export tariffs after India ceasefire

Updated 12 May 2025
Follow

Pakistani textile industrialists expect Trump to cut export tariffs after India ceasefire

  • President Donald Trump said he will “substantially” increase trade with Pakistan and India after the US brokered a ceasefire between both nations
  • Pakistan industrialists say they support Washington’s efforts and remain committed to promoting peace through Pakistan-US trade-led engagement

KARACHI: Pakistani textile mill owners on Monday expressed their hopes that United States (US) President Donald Trump will reduce tariffs on Pakistan’s exports, in line with his announcement to “substantially” increase trade with Pakistan and India following a ceasefire between the two nations.
Trump’s announcement came a day after Washington brokered the ceasefire after four days of fighter jet, missile, drone and artillery strikes by India and Pakistan against the other, leaving nearly 70 people dead on both sides.
The US president has imposed a 10 percent baseline tariff on all imports to the US and higher duties on dozens of countries. Pakistan faces a 29 percent tariff due to a trade surplus with the US of about $3 billion, though the US last month announced a 90-day pause in reciprocal tariffs.
The All-Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) said Trump’s message was an “encouraging signal” for the future of US-Pakistan economic engagement, especially in the textile sector that serves as the backbone of Pakistan’s export economy.
“His statement is a timely recognition of the crucial role trade can play in this regard. The US remains Pakistan’s largest export destination, with textiles accounting for nearly 80 percent of total exports to the American market. Additionally, Pakistan is the second-largest importer of US cotton and has taken proactive steps to increase cotton imports in response to concerns over the trade imbalance,” APTMA said.
“In line with these increased imports, we expect the US to reduce existing and proposed tariffs on Pakistan’s exports, thereby enhancing market access and unlocking greater trade opportunities.”
Trump said on Sunday he would try to work with both India and Pakistan to see if they can resolve their dispute over Kashmir, which had been divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both.
The two countries have fought two of their three wars over the region, while last week’s military conflict between them was also triggered by a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists on April 22.
“While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great Nations,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, referring to India and Pakistan.
“Additionally, I will work with you both to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir,” he added.
APTMA said it supports international efforts, particularly those led by the US, aimed at fostering lasting peace in South Asia, including the resolution of long-standing disputes through dialogue and mutual understanding.
“We recognize that economic cooperation and regional stability are deeply interconnected and remain committed to promoting peace through trade-led engagement,” it said.
“Building on this momentum, we look forward to strengthening a resilient and mutually beneficial US-Pakistan trade partnership, grounded in respect, national sovereignty, and shared economic goals.”