No signs of thaw in India-Pakistan relations as Islamabad prepares to host SCO summit

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Updated 14 October 2024
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No signs of thaw in India-Pakistan relations as Islamabad prepares to host SCO summit

  • Analysts believe high-level participation from regional states will dispel the perception of Pakistan’s diplomatic isolation
  • Summit is also expected to bolster Pakistan’s economic standing, reflecting an intent to integrate into regional market

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan gears up to host its first-ever Council of Heads of Government meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Islamabad, analysts warn that hopes for a breakthrough in ties with arch-rival India remain slim despite the participation of a delegation from the neighboring country.
The summit, scheduled for October 15-16, is considered significant as Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will attend the gathering, marking the first visit by a senior Indian official to Pakistan in nearly a decade. However, no bilateral talks are expected due to ongoing tensions over Kashmir. The last high-level interaction between the two nations took place during the SCO meeting in Goa in May 2023, where strained relations persisted.
“They are coming here not for Pakistan but for the SCO meeting, and given the past and the recent history of our relationship, I don’t think we can expect a significant softening, especially when it’s a minister-level official, not a leader of the country,” Dr. Nafees Zakaria, who served foreign ministry spokesman, told Arab News this week while responding a question about the Indian delegation.
The summit comes amid heightened security concerns, following the killing of two Chinese nationals in a suicide bombing in Karachi earlier this month, as well as a general rise in militant attacks across the country.
Asked about his expectations from the regional summit, Zakaria expressed a desire for the SCO to take concrete steps toward promoting peace in the region.
“It would be a significant milestone if these countries could agree on a security arrangement, making the security of this region a shared and collective responsibility,” he said.
REGIONAL INTEGRATION
Speaking to Arab News, Dr. Talat Shabbir, Director of the China-Pakistan Study Center at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, emphasized the significance of the summit, noting the participating states would focus on trade, connectivity and security.
He stressed that member nations need to set aside their territorial disputes in order to enhance business opportunities and strengthen regional economies for the benefit of their populations.
“We increase our business, we enhance our connectivity, we enhance our economy, and we have to think for the good of the general population of our country, of the region,” he said while also highlighting the political benefits for Pakistan in hosting the multilateral forum.
“There is propaganda against Pakistan that it is being isolated by the world powers, but [this meeting] will prove it’s not true,” he continued. “Had it been isolated, a number of heads of state would not have come to our country.”
Dr. Khaqan Najeeb, former adviser to Pakistan’s finance ministry, said the upcoming SCO meeting could foster regional cooperation on economic issues while addressing shared challenges like security and trade barriers.
“The summit can help Pakistan bolster its economic standing by demonstrating its intent to integrate more deeply into regional and global markets,” he said. “Any enhanced trade agreements with SCO member states could open new markets for Pakistani goods.”
Another analyst, Shakeel Ramay, who writes on regional economic developments, agreed, noting the SCO presents multiple opportunities for Pakistan to tackle its economic and energy challenges.
“Pakistan can benefit from the vast market, as SCO member states constitute 40 percent of the world’s population and have a combined GDP of around $24 trillion,” he told Arab News. “They control 20 percent of the world’s oil and 44 percent of its gas reserves.”
He further added: “With the inclusion of Saudi Arabia and other aspirants, the market size, energy resource share and economic potential will be further enhanced.”
Pakistan has announced that the prime ministers of China and Russia, the vice president of Iran, India’s external affairs minister, along with other heads of government and representatives from multilateral organizations, will attend the regional summit.
To ensure the safety of approximately 900 delegates, stringent security measures have been implemented, with over 10,000 police, paramilitary and army personnel deployed.
Additionally, the federal government has declared public holidays in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on the two days of the summit.


Pakistani PM meets Saudi crown prince, discusses economic ties, security cooperation 

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Pakistani PM meets Saudi crown prince, discusses economic ties, security cooperation 

  • Sharif’s visit comes at a time when Islamabad is seeking to strengthen trade and investment ties with friendly nations
  • Riyadh has promised Islamabad a $5 billion investment package that cash-strapped Pakistan desperately needs

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today, Thursday, and discussed cooperation in the economic, trade, investment, energy and defense sectors, the premier’s office said in a statement. 

Sharif’s four-day visit to the Kingdom comes as Islamabad seeks to strengthen trade and investment ties with friendly nations. Riyadh in particular has promised a $5 billion investment package that cash-strapped Pakistan desperately needs to shore up its dwindling foreign reserves and fight a chronic balance of payment crisis. 

Islamabad and Riyadh signed 34 memorandums of understanding and agreements worth $2.8 billion last year to enhance private sector collaboration and commercial partnerships. The two nations are also in “advanced” talks relating to investment in the Reko Diq copper and gold mine, one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas, as per Pakistani officials. 

In October last year, Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih announced the Kingdom planned to allocate a significant portion of its $200 billion annual construction and material procurement contracts to Pakistan. Last month, Pakistan also signed an agreement with the Saudi Fund for Development to defer by one year a $1.2 billion payment on the country’s oil imports.

“​The meeting reaffirmed the strong and historic ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, with discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in economic, trade, investment, energy and defense sectors,” Sharif’s office said in a statement after he met the Saudi crown prince. 

“The Prime Minister appreciated the Kingdom’s commitment to increasing investments in key sectors, which will contribute to Pakistan’s economic growth and stability.”

The statement said both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defense and security cooperation as well, “recognizing the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing regional security challenges.”

They also discussed the “evolving regional situation as well as geopolitical landscape” and agreed to work closely at all levels to promote a “shared vision for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.”

“Both the leaders emphasized the need to further strengthen people-to-people ties, cultural exchanges, and educational collaboration,” the statement concluded.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties. Petroleum products mostly from Saudi Arabia make the major chuck of Pakistan’s import bill. The Kingdom is also home to more than two million Pakistani expatriates and serves as the top source of remittances.


‘Great time’: In Pakistani capital, padel pops up as new favorite Ramadan sport

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‘Great time’: In Pakistani capital, padel pops up as new favorite Ramadan sport

  • Padel is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and Islamabad residents are bewitched by global craze this Ramadan season
  • Padel games provide fun-filled pastime, opportunity to socialize and means to enjoy exercising without hard strain during fasting month

ISLAMABAD: On a recent Ramadan night, Mamoon Sabri, 27, slipped into a tracksuit an hour after the iftar meal and headed to his new favorite getaway: a padel court.

Racket in hand, he walked onto the artificial turf at The Pad, Islamabad’s first padel club, as a group of his friends also arrived. Soon they began hitting forehands and backhands across the net, slamming the ball off the back wall, scooping it over the net and teasing each other with shots close to the wall — and so went on an hour-and-a-half long game of padel.

The racket sport, a mix of tennis and squash that is the fastest-growing sport in the world, is also gaining traction in Pakistan, especially in Ramadan, with its culture of sports and physical activities in parks, streets, and sports grounds after iftar and until the pre-dawn suhoor meal, fostering a sense of community and promoting health at the same time. 

At The Pad and other padel courts in the Pakistani capital, padel games are offering people both a fun-filled pastime and an opportunity to socialize and exercise in the hours between iftar and suhoor. A Ramadan tournament is taking place at The Pad currently, with more than 50 teams participating in all-girls, mixed doubles and advanced team categories. 

As of 2024, there are approximately 30 million amateur padel players worldwide, with the sport, founded in Mexico in the 1960s, now played in over 130 countries, according to the International Padel Federation.

“Padel is a great time and Ramadan is always a great time for sports in Islamabad anyway because everyone wants to play, everyone wants to stay awake till sehri [suhoor] one way or the other,” Sabri, a sports broadcaster and consultant, told Arab News shortly after winning a men’s doubles game.

Mustafa Mirza, a co-founder of The Pad, said the club was fostering an atmosphere of camaraderie in Ramadan.

“Padel is a social hub and it is linked more with the lifestyle,” Mirza said. “We have an excellent response in Ramadan. We feel that the people who were not familiar with padel, because they ventured out in Ramadan and they found this sport to be so challenging and rigorous, and then they have taken part in it.”

Indeed, from dedicated sports clubs to pop-up facilities in upscale neighborhoods, there is a surge in courts and players this Ramadan, with families, friends, and even corporate groups gathering late into the night and enjoying the sport’s social nature. Many players said they would cap off their matches with post-game hangouts at nearby cafés and restaurants where they could enjoy suhoor in groups. 

Mahnoor Khan, a 27-year-old employee at a telecom company, said she had come to the courts for the first time with her husband and a group of friends, describing padel as a “very good sport for family and friends.”

“In Islamabad you don’t have a lot of options other than dining out, so this is the very first time that they have introduced something that is other than dining out for socializing,” she told Arab News. “You have a good game, and you go out after iftar or whenever … I think the concept is now spreading really fast.”

Zainab Ameen, who manages The Pad club with her husband, another co-founder Ameen-ud-Din Hafeez, said though the club had only launched a few months ago, the response was “tremendous.”

“We never thought that we will get this kind of response. We just started with two courts and when we got a very good response, we opened two more. And now, we are going to open a futsol [arena],” she told Arab News.

What makes padel particularly appealing during Ramadan is that as a low-impact sport, padel lets one enjoy exercising without any hard strain on the muscles, thus serving as an effective means of staying fit without feeling exceedingly overwhelmed in Ramadan.

“It’s a very low skill floor for the game to play. So, anyone who is starting off will have a good time because they are going to feel like, ‘Wow, what a shot, I am a machine’,” Sabri said. 

“But then there is also a very good skill ceiling … It’s a very interesting mixture in a way most racket sports are.”


Islamabad, Hong Kong conglomerate discuss ‘swift execution’ of $1 billion investment in Pakistan’s ports

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Islamabad, Hong Kong conglomerate discuss ‘swift execution’ of $1 billion investment in Pakistan’s ports

  • Hutchison Ports this month announced its plans to invest $1 billion to upgrade Pakistan’s port infrastructure
  • Pakistani minister, Hutchison Ports official agree to remove the project’s bottlenecks, says maritime affairs ministry

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s maritime affairs minister and a senior official of Hutchison Ports, a subsidiary of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, recently discussed the “swift execution” of a proposed $1 billion investment to modernize Pakistan’s ports, a statement from the maritime affairs ministry said. 

Hutchison Ports delegates met Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb earlier this month to present their $1 billion investment plan. The plan is aimed at upgrading Hutchison Ports’ existing terminals in Pakistan to enhance operational efficiency, logistics connectivity, and automation.

Hutchison Ports has been operating two terminals, HPKICT and HPSAPT, in Pakistan and has contributed more than Rs225 billion ($804 million) in government revenues and provided employment to a workforce of 5,000 individuals, according to the port operator.

“Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry met with Andy Tsoi, Managing Director of Hutchison Port Holdings Limited, to discuss the swift execution of the previously proposed $1 billion investment aimed at upgrading Pakistan’s port infrastructure,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs said on Wednesday.

 The statement said that the two discussed addressing challenges, expediting approvals and ensuring “smooth implementation” of port modernization plans to enhance Pakistan’s trade and maritime capabilities.

Both sides also discussed regulatory clearances, infrastructure upgrades and supply chain improvements, the ministry said, adding that they agreed to remove bottlenecks that could slow down the project.

“Andy Tsoi reiterated Hutchison Ports’ commitment to Pakistan and emphasized the importance of efficient execution to maximize economic benefits,” the ministry said. 

Hutchison Ports’ investment plan covers modernization of the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) and South Asia Pakistan Terminals Limited (SAPT), including provision of advanced port equipment, electrification of operations and improved road connectivity. 

The ministry said that to facilitate seamless trade, both parties agreed to enhance coordination among stakeholders and establish a clear roadmap for “timely execution.”

“Federal Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry assured Hutchison Ports of the government’s full cooperation in resolving operational challenges, streamlining approvals, and ensuring a favorable investment environment,” the statement added. 

Pakistan has aggressively tried to boost foreign trade in recent months and sought international partnerships to expand its maritime activities.

On Jan. 22, South Korean shipping company HMM launched the India North Europe Express (INX) weekly shipping service in Pakistan, providing the country direct access to Europe.

Dubai-based logistics giant DP World, in collaboration with Pakistan’s National Logistics Corporation, launched in January a feeder service to transport shipping containers from Dubai to Karachi, Pakistani state media reported. 

Pakistani officials and DP World have also finalized terms for a freight corridor project from Karachi Port to the Pipri Marshalling yard in southern Pakistan.

These efforts are in line with Pakistan’s efforts to navigate a tricky path to economic recovery after it nearly defaulted on its debts in 2023 before an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout program came to its rescue. 


Meals in motion: Delivery rider races against time in Ramadan

Updated 20 March 2025
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Meals in motion: Delivery rider races against time in Ramadan

  • Hajji Khan navigates Islamabad’s busy streets on an empty stomach in Ramadan, ensuring he delivers suhoor, iftar meals on time
  • Khan works for online food and grocery delivery platform Foodpanda, making $178.61 in Ramadan delivering around 25 orders a day

ISLAMABADL: Wearing his signature pink Foodpanda uniform, Hajji Khan stood waiting outside the white gate of a house in the Pakistani capital an hour before sunset would usher in the iftar meal in the holy month of Ramadan earlier this week. 

Minutes later, the gate opened, and a customer received his order and paid Khan, who hurriedly hopped back onto his bike and sped off to complete the next delivery for Foodpanda, a prominent online food and grocery delivery platform in Pakistan. 

The going gets a bit tough for Khan and other Foodpanda riders during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and often order food through restaurants or home chefs for the iftar and pre-dawn suhoor meals. Because the timing of the fasting meals are set, there is no room to be late, and riders like Khan, 25, often have to break their fast on the go with water and a fried snack bought from a nearby food stall, or by sitting down for a quick, free meal at a roadside charity ‘dastarkhwan.’

“We do our best to ensure timely deliveries before iftar so that customers can break their fast peacefully,” Khan said this week as Arab News accompanied him on pre-sunset delivery runs. 

Haji Khan, a Foodpanda rider, picks up an order from a restaurant in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 14, 2025. (AN Photo)

“We usually break our fast at free iftar dastarkhwans set up along the roadside. However, if I have many orders, then I break my fast while on the way to a delivery.”

The youngest of five brothers who left his home in the eastern Pakistani city of Sargodha four years ago to find work in Islamabad, Khan says he works in Ramadan from 2pm till the end of the suhoor meal at around 5am, making around Rs50,000 [$178.61] during the holy month, a modest income that barely covers basic expenses. 

GoNSave, a data company that serves leading gig platforms, said in a survey this month riders who worked during Ramadan and Eid cited personal financial needs, higher earnings from increased demand and incentives, and more job flexibility. At least 26.66 percent choose only to work during Ramadan.

’SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS’

While there are few orders during the morning and afternoon, Ramadan rush hour begins at around 4pm, around two hours before iftar. Then, it is no doubt a challenge to navigate the city’s busy and traffic-snarled roads on an empty stomach, the aroma of food wafting from the delivery box.

“Normally the day passes smoothly while fasting, but it becomes very challenging in the afternoon, when we start delivering food orders and the smell of food intensifies our hunger,” Khan said. 

“This is our peak time, and fasting feels particularly difficult but we push ourselves to take as many orders as possible and deliver them before iftar.”

Haji Khan, a Foodpanda rider, prays at a local mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 14, 2025. (AN Photo)

Khan, who delivers around 25 orders per day, says generous customers sometimes invite him in to break his fast if it is close to iftar time. 

These “small acts of kindness,” as Khan described them, made “all the difference” and pushed him to keep performing his duties despite the challenges. 

“Sometimes, a kind customer invites me to break my fast with them or they hand me an iftar parcel,” he said, as he stopped at a mosque for Asr, the third of five obligatory prayers in Islam.

“But if there’s nothing, I stop at a roadside dastarkhwan and share a meal with strangers who for a moment feel like family.”
 


Pakistan president visits Balochistan, vows to establish state’s writ amid surging attacks

Updated 19 March 2025
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Pakistan president visits Balochistan, vows to establish state’s writ amid surging attacks

  • Separatist militants last week hijacked train in Balochistan, holding hundreds hostage
  • President demands modern weapons for law enforcement agencies to strengthen security 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari visited Balochistan’s Quetta city on Wednesday to review the law and order situation in the province, vowing that the state would establish its writ there despite surging militant attacks in recent days. 

Zardari’s visit to Quetta takes place as Pakistan struggles to contain militant attacks in the southwestern province, where separatists last week hijacked a train and held hostage hundreds of passengers. The military launched an operation and, after a day-long standoff, rescued 354 captives and killed 33 insurgents. A final count showed 23 soldiers, three railway employees and five passengers had died in the attack.

Zardari arrived in Quetta on a day-long visit with his son and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday. The two attended a meeting with Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti to review the security situation in the province. 

“President Asif Ali Zardari says the terrorist elements will be defeated at all costs and writ of the state will be ensured in Balochistan,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said. 

The Pakistani president said “terrorists” want to divide the nation, vowing they would never succeed in their ambitions. 

“The president said that modern arms would be provided to the Counter-Terrorism Département and other law enforcement institutions to strengthen security efforts,” the state broadcaster reported. 

Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province by land but its most backward by almost all economic and social indicators. For decades it has been plagued by a low-level insurgency by militants fighting for a greater share of the province’s wealth.

Separatist militants, such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) accuse the central government of denying locals a share of Balochistan’s mineral resources. The federal government and the military strongly deny these accusations, and say they have launched several projects in the province to support its development. 

Militant violence has persisted in the province after the train hijacking. Three paramilitary soldiers among five people were killed in a suicide attack in Balochistan’s Nushki district on Sunday. 

A top parliamentary panel on national security met in Islamabad on Tuesday to discuss surging attacks in Balochistan. The panel stressed the need for a national consensus to counter militancy, calling for a unified political stance to confront the threat with “full force of the state.”