Punjab mulling over acquiring national airline, says Pakistan ruling party chief 

Punjab mulling over acquiring national airline, says Pakistan ruling party chief 
Pakistan International Airline (PIA) planes are positioned on the tarmac at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad on October 10, 2012. (AFP/File)
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Updated 03 November 2024
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Punjab mulling over acquiring national airline, says Pakistan ruling party chief 

Punjab mulling over acquiring national airline, says Pakistan ruling party chief 
  • Nawaz Sharif says Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz consulted him on acquiring PIA, renaming it “Air Punjab”
  • Pakistan this week kicked off national flag carrier’s privatization process, receiving single highest bid of $36 million

ISLAMABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz proposed acquiring the country’s national flag carrier and renaming it as “Air Punjab,” her father and ruling party chief Nawaz Sharif said this week, days after Islamabad started the bidding process for the state-owned asset. 

Pakistan’s government kickstarted the privatization process of the loss-making Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flag carrier on Thursday, holding a televised auction in which it received the sole bid of Rs10 billion ($36 million) from Blue World City, a real estate development firm. 

The bid fell far short of the minimum price of Rs85 billion ($305 million) set by the government, following which Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province formally offered to exceed the bid on Friday, saying that the PIA should remain under government control to preserve its status. 

“Maryam said to me during consultations, “Shouldn’t we acquire the PIA and establish a brand new airline? Bring in brand new planes and that we should give a new airline to Pakistan,” Sharif said to members of his party in New York during a meeting. 

“She told me to name it as ‘Air Punjab.’“

The former prime minister said he told the Punjab chief minister to weigh the option of buying the PIA or the possibility of the Punjab government establishing a new one altogether. 

“We could introduce a new airline that would offer direct flights from Karachi, Lahore, Pesha­war, and Quetta to New York, along with services to London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and other international destinations,” Sharif said. 

He said the Punjab government was holding consultations on the matter. 

Pakistan decided to move ahead with PIA’s privatization under terms agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a 37-month, $7 billion bailout approved in September, aiming to divest over 51 percent of its stake in the financially struggling national carrier.

Critics, including PIA union representatives and independent analysts, called the low bid an “embarrassment” for the government, with airline employees suggesting Pakistani authorities should expand PIA’s fleet to restore its operational viability.


Pakistani who wounded ex-PM Khan in 2022 attack sentenced to life

Pakistani who wounded ex-PM Khan in 2022 attack sentenced to life
Updated 14 sec ago
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Pakistani who wounded ex-PM Khan in 2022 attack sentenced to life

Pakistani who wounded ex-PM Khan in 2022 attack sentenced to life
  • Naveed Ahmad was arrested after he opened fire on Khan in Wazirabad in November 2022 during a rally
  • Khan is currently serving prison sentences for corruption, revealing official secrets and violating marriage laws

LAHORE: A Pakistani man who shot and wounded former Prime Minister Imran Khan and killed one of his supporters in 2022 was convicted and sentenced Saturday to life in prison, his lawyer said.

The attacker, Naveed Ahmad, was arrested shortly after he opened fire on Khan in Wazirabad, a city in Punjab province, wounding him in the leg.

Khan was traveling in a convoy of vehicles on his way to a rally in Islamabad in November 2022, after he was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April that year.
He is currently serving prison sentences for corruption, revealing official secrets and violating marriage laws.


Fifteen militants, two soldiers killed in military operations in Pakistan’s northwest

Fifteen militants, two soldiers killed in military operations in Pakistan’s northwest
Updated 27 April 2025
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Fifteen militants, two soldiers killed in military operations in Pakistan’s northwest

Fifteen militants, two soldiers killed in military operations in Pakistan’s northwest
  • Pakistani security forces carried out three separate raids in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
  • PM Sharif praises security forces for successful operations, pays tribute to the dead soldiers

ISLAMABAD: Two soldiers and 15 militants were killed as Pakistani security forces launched three separate operations in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said on Saturday.

Pakistani militant network, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has intensified attacks in the region in recent years. Pakistan refers to TTP fighters as “khwarij,” a term rooted in Islamic history for an extremist sect that rebelled against authority and declared other Muslims to be apostates.

“On 25-26 April 2025, fifteen khwarij were killed in three separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province,” the ISPR said in a statement.

The operations were conducted in Karak, North Waziristan and South Waziristan districts.

In Karak, eight militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation.

“In an another operation conducted in North Waziristan District, four khwarij were killed by the security forces,” the statement continued. “However, during the intense fire exchange, two brave sons of soil, Lance Naik Usman Mohmand (age: 28 years, resident of District Charsadda) and Sepoy Imran Khan (age: 26 years, resident of District Kurram) having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat [martyrdom].”

The ISPR said that in South Waziristan’s Gomal Zam area, three more militants were killed. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the dead militants, who, according to the statement, were involved in “numerous terrorist activities.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for the successful operations and paid tribute to the soldiers who died.

“The entire nation stands with the security forces in the fight against terrorism,” he said in a statement circulated by his office.

Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence, particularly in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and southwestern Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Islamabad accuses TTP factions operating from Afghanistan of fueling unrest, a charge the Afghan Taliban denies.


Trump-backed financial firm partners with Pakistan Crypto Council to boost blockchain adoption

Trump-backed financial firm partners with Pakistan Crypto Council to boost blockchain adoption
Updated 31 min 33 sec ago
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Trump-backed financial firm partners with Pakistan Crypto Council to boost blockchain adoption

Trump-backed financial firm partners with Pakistan Crypto Council to boost blockchain adoption
  • Pakistan has signaled plans to announce comprehensive cryptocurrency legalization policies soon
  • Country’s finance chief says such partnerships will open new doors for investment and innovation

KARACHI: World Liberty Financial (WLF), a decentralized finance platform backed by US President Donald Trump, signed a letter of intent with Pakistan’s Crypto Council on Saturday to advance blockchain innovation, stablecoin adoption and decentralized finance (DeFi) integration across the South Asian country.

The agreement, signed in Islamabad, comes as Pakistan looks to formalize its crypto economy amid rising interest in blockchain technologies.

Pakistan is already among the world’s fastest-growing crypto markets, ranking near the top in global adoption rates, with an estimated $300 billion in annual crypto transactions and around 25 million active users.

The government has signaled plans to announce comprehensive cryptocurrency legalization policies soon, building on its wider digital economy ambitions fueled by a largely young population and growing mobile penetration.

“Pakistan’s youth and technology sector are our greatest assets,” Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who is currently in Washington and attended the ceremony through video link, said, according to a government statement. “Through partnerships like this, we are opening new doors for investment, innovation and global leadership in the blockchain economy.”

The WLF delegation also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and several federal ministers during the visit.

The partnership outlines cooperation on areas such as regulatory sandboxes for blockchain product testing, tokenization of real-world assets, expansion of stablecoin applications for remittances and trade and advisory support on blockchain infrastructure and regulatory trends.

Pakistan’s proactive stance follows its broader push to position itself as a hub for digital finance innovation, with 64 percent of its population under the age of 30.

Rising mobile broadband access, a booming freelance economy and increasing government interest in blockchain have accelerated the country’s Web3 adoption.

Bilal Bin Saqib, CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council, said the collaboration with WLF was aimed at empowering Pakistan’s young population and integrating the country more deeply into the future of global finance.

WLF leadership praised Pakistan’s “energy, vision and talent,” calling it one of the most exciting places in the world to build decentralized finance ecosystems.


Pakistan requests extra 10 billion yuan on China swap line, says finance minister

Pakistan requests extra 10 billion yuan on China swap line, says finance minister
Updated 26 April 2025
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Pakistan requests extra 10 billion yuan on China swap line, says finance minister

Pakistan requests extra 10 billion yuan on China swap line, says finance minister
  • Muhammad Aurangzeb says Pakistan aims to diversify its lending base by issuing panda bond
  • He expects IMF board to approve first loan review, climate resilience disbursement early next month

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has put in a request to China to augment its existing swap line by 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said, adding he expected the country would launch a Panda bond before year-end.

Pakistan has an existing 30 billion yuan swap line already, Aurangzeb told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group spring meetings in Washington.

“From our perspective, getting to 40 billion renminbi would be a good place to move toward ... we just put in that request,” Aurangzeb said.

China’s central bank has been promoting currency swap lines with a raft of emerging economies, including the likes of Argentina and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan has also made progress on issuing its first panda bond — debt issued on China’s domestic bond market, denominated in yuan. Talks with the presidents of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) — the two lenders who are in line to provide credit enhancements for the issue — had been constructive, he said.

“We want to diversify our lending base and we have made some good progress around that — we are hoping that during this calendar year we can do an initial print,” he said.

Meanwhile, Aurangzeb expected the IMF executive board to sign off in early May on the Staff Level Agreement on its new $1.3 billion arrangement under a climate resilience loan program as well as the first review of the ongoing $7 billion bailout program.

Getting the green light from the IMF board would trigger a $1 billion payout under the program, which the country secured in 2024 and has played a key role in stabilizing Pakistan’s economy.

Asked about the economic fallout from the tensions with India following the killing of 26 men at a tourist site earlier this month, Aurangzeb said it was “not going to be helpful.”

The attack triggered outrage and grief in India, along with calls for action against neighbor Pakistan, whom New Delhi accuses of funding and encouraging terrorism in Kashmir, a region both nations claim and have fought two wars over.

After the attack, India and Pakistan unleashed a raft of measures against each other, with Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian airlines and suspending trade ties, and India suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty that regulates water-sharing from the Indus River and its tributaries.

Trade flows between the two countries had already fallen off sharply following past frictions and totalled just $1.2 billion last year.

Aurangzeb estimated growth around 3% in the current financial year which ends in June 2025, and in the 4-5% range next year, with a view to hitting 6% thereafter.


Pakistan engages Egypt, Turkiye, China after rejecting India’s accusations over Kashmir attack

Pakistan engages Egypt, Turkiye, China after rejecting India’s accusations over Kashmir attack
Updated 26 April 2025
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Pakistan engages Egypt, Turkiye, China after rejecting India’s accusations over Kashmir attack

Pakistan engages Egypt, Turkiye, China after rejecting India’s accusations over Kashmir attack
  • Ishaq Dar reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to safeguarding its national interests in his conversations
  • China and Pakistan agree to have close communication, coordination over the regional developments

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister (FM) Ishaq Dar on Saturday engaged with his counterparts from Egypt and Turkiye and held a meeting with China’s envoy as Islamabad seeks to rally diplomatic support after rejecting India’s accusations over a deadly militant attack on tourists in Kashmir.
At least 26 people were killed earlier this week when gunmen opened fire at a popular tourist site in Indian-administered Kashmir, in one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in the disputed region in decades.
India blamed Pakistan for orchestrating the attack amid calls for retaliatory strikes from its media. Islamabad denied any involvement, warning of a “befitting response” to any escalation and offering a neutral investigation into the incident.
India has already unilaterally suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a landmark river water distribution mechanism signed in 1960, expelled Pakistani diplomats and shut down a major land border crossing.
Dar discussed recent regional developments over the phone with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during the day.
“DPM/FM Dar firmly rejected India’s baseless allegations, condemned its unilateral actions, and false propaganda against Pakistan,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement after the two officials held the conversation.
“He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to safeguarding its national interests while promoting regional peace and stability,” it added.
In a separate call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Dar briefed him on decisions taken by Pakistan’s National Security Committee in response to India’s accusations.
He thanked Turkiye for its consistent support to Pakistan at international forums, and the two sides agreed to maintain close coordination as tensions rise in the region.
Earlier in the day, the deputy prime minister met Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong in Islamabad.
Reaffirming their “all-weather strategic partnership,” both Pakistan and China agreed to maintain close communication and coordination, said another statement.
Dar’s conversation with Jiang comes at a time when Pakistan has rejected India’s move to suspend the IWT, warning that any attempt to block waters from flowing into Pakistan would constitute an act of war and set a dangerous precedent for New Delhi, given India’s own reliance on rivers originating from China.