Pakistan, UAE sign MoUS to set up joint business council, consular affairs’ committee

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Updated 21 April 2025
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Pakistan, UAE sign MoUS to set up joint business council, consular affairs’ committee

Pakistan, UAE sign MoUS to set up joint business council, consular affairs’ committee
  • UAE Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan was in Islamabad on two-day visit
  • UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and US and a major source of foreign investment

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates on Monday signed multiple memoranda of understanding (MoUs), including to set up a joint committee for consular affairs and a UAE-Pakistan Business Council.

The agreements were inked during a two-day visit to Islamabad by UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of foreign investment, with over $10 billion invested in the last two decades. Approximately 1.8 million Pakistanis reside in the UAE, forming the second largest expatriate group there after Indians. Pakistanis contribute significantly to the UAE’s economy and are seen as a source of livelihood for many families in Pakistan. 

“Prime Minister emphasized upon the need to enhance cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and people-to-people contacts,” Pakistani Premier Shehbaz Sharif’s office said in a statement after he met the visiting UAE dignitary. 

“He reiterated Pakistan’s strong desire to elevate the excellent political ties between Pakistan and the UAE to a mutually beneficial economic partnership.”




UAE's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (second left), meets his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar (not pictured), in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 21, 2025. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

The two leaders also discussed the regional situation and global developments during the meeting.

Earlier, Al Nayhan addressed a joint press conference with Pakistani deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar, who is also the foreign minister.

“I must say that our relationship has been growing on a good pace,” Al Nayhan said. “I think both our leaders, the people of Pakistan and the UAE do want to see more development in the relationship.”

The UAE deputy prime minister said relations between the two countries, over the past few years, have been “moving faster than they have for a while.”

“And I really look forward that the good spirit that has been moving the relationship in the last few months would continue on so many different cycles, if it’s trade, investment, aviation,” Al Nayhan added.




Pakistan's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Ishaq Dar (right) receives his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 21, 2025. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Dar and Al Nayhan also oversaw the signing of MoUs in multiple sectors, including one between the UAE ministry of culture and the culture division of Pakistan to promote cooperation in the culture sector. Another MoU was signed between the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry to set up a UAE-Pakistan Joint Business Council, while a third was for the establishment of a joint committee for consular affairs.

The setting up of the consular affairs committee comes days after officials in Pakistan and the UAE confirmed that a months-long visa rift had been resolved and Pakistanis could now apply for five-year visas to the Emirates. Previously, Pakistanis had increasingly reported visa rejections from the UAE and an overall decrease in employment opportunities, allegedly due to their lack of respect for local laws and customs, as well as their participation in political activities and sloganeering while abroad.

Last year, the Pakistan Business Council (PBC) was set up at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, aiming to increase Pakistan’s bilateral trade volume with the UAE to $40 billion within three fiscal years, according to the head of the new body. 

Pakistan and the UAE have also moved in recent months to strengthen trade ties in other ways.

The two sides signed accords in mining, railways, banking and infrastructure in February during the Abu Dhabi crown prince’s visit to Pakistan. Last year, Pakistan and the UAE signed deals worth more than $3 billion covering railways, economic zones and infrastructure development.


Pakistani pilgrims pray for Palestinians, Muslim world on sacred Day of Arafat

Pakistani pilgrims pray for Palestinians, Muslim world on sacred Day of Arafat
Updated 11 sec ago
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Pakistani pilgrims pray for Palestinians, Muslim world on sacred Day of Arafat

Pakistani pilgrims pray for Palestinians, Muslim world on sacred Day of Arafat
  • Over 117,000 Pakistanis have joined millions of Muslims from around the world in Arafat to seek forgiveness
  • Pilgrims express satisfaction with facilities provided by Pakistan’s Hajj mission supported by Saudi authorities

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani pilgrims on Thursday vowed to pray for Palestinians and the wider Muslim world as they joined over a million fellow worshippers in Arafat on one of the most sacred days in Islam to seek forgiveness.

The Day of Arafat, observed on the 9th of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar, marks the spiritual peak of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Its central ritual, Wuquf, involves standing in devotion from noon until sunset near Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) delivered his farewell sermon.

After sunset, pilgrims travel to Muzdalifah, located between Arafat and Mina, to collect pebbles for the symbolic “stoning of the devil” ritual performed the following day.

“It is a big day for the Muslims around the world and those who are present here,” Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said while speaking to media from Mount Arafat.

“I urge Pakistani pilgrims that along with praying for their own families, they should also pray for the country, Muslim Ummah, especially people of Gaza, Palestine and Kashmir,” he added.

Malik Aslam, a Pakistani pilgrim from Gujar Khan, a city in Rawalpindi District, said the situation in Gaza was deeply disturbing and that he would pray for Palestinians.

“All pilgrims should pray for all the Muslims, especially those in Palestine,” he told Arab News. “Pilgrims should pray for the success of Muslims in all fields.”

“I am also praying for my parents and all those who left this world,” he added.

Expressing his feelings from Mount Arafat, Muhammad Usman, another pilgrim from Gujrat district in Punjab, said he was thankful to God for blessing him with the opportunity to perform Hajj.

“Today, I am reflecting on my entire life and praying that Allah grant me a better, righteous life ahead,” he told Arab News, saying he would begin a new chapter of life after Hajj.

“I hope to leave here with all my known and unknown sins forgiven,” he added.

Muhammad Abdullah, from Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said his day was going well, as the weather was not too hot.

“I will pray for the whole Ummah, following example of our Holy Prophet [PBUH],” he added.

Speaking about the arrangements, Samad Wazir, a pilgrim from the northwestern Waziristan tribal district, expressed satisfaction with the facilities provided by both the Pakistani Hajj mission and Saudi authorities, hoping the same standard would continue in the coming days.

“It is very well arranged and there has been no problem at all in the tents and other places,” he said, adding that everyone had their own folding beds and received meals on time in the tents.

“Even on the buses, the arrangements were smooth, as everyone boarded in turn with the help of Hajj volunteers, who also guided us all the way to our tents,” he added.

Munir Ahmed Bhatti, a pilgrim from Gujranwala city, also praised the Pakistani mission for the arrangements in Mina and Arafat.

“We gathered for Hajj and this time the government of Pakistan has done very good arrangements and we are satisfied,” he said, adding that pilgrims got good residences, food and transportation.

Over 117,000 Pakistani pilgrims are currently in Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025.


Pakistan’s Punjab grants 90-day sentence remission to 450 prisoners ahead of Eid Al-Adha

Pakistan’s Punjab grants 90-day sentence remission to 450 prisoners ahead of Eid Al-Adha
Updated 30 min 6 sec ago
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Pakistan’s Punjab grants 90-day sentence remission to 450 prisoners ahead of Eid Al-Adha

Pakistan’s Punjab grants 90-day sentence remission to 450 prisoners ahead of Eid Al-Adha
  • A total of 270 prisoners will be released from jails to celebrate Eid Al-Adha with their families
  • Sentence remissions are traditionally announced on religious, national occasions in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Around 450 prisoners in Pakistan’s populous Punjab province have been granted a special 90-day remission in their sentences ahead of Eid Al-Adha, the Punjab government announced on Thursday.

Pakistani leaders traditionally announce sentence remissions for prisoners on religious festivals and other special occasions like Independence Day.

These remissions are intended as goodwill gestures to promote rehabilitation and allow selected inmates to reunite with their families during important national and religious occasions.

“Prisoners in Punjab’s jails have been given a special 90-day sentence remission,” the Punjab administration said in a statement, adding “450 inmates will benefit” from the decision.

Two hundred and seventy prisoners out of 450 will be released from Punjab’s jails and be able to celebrate Eid with their families, it added.

The sentence remission was granted by the Punjab government under Rule 216 of the Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978.

Prisoners convicted of militancy, sectarianism, espionage, treason, anti-state activities, murder, rape, drug trafficking, robbery, kidnapping, financial embezzlement or causing loss to the national treasury, as well as those punished for violating jail rules within the past year, will not be eligible for sentence remission.

Earlier this year in March, President Asif Ali Zardari announced a special 180-day remission in sentences for eligible prisoners on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr.

He had also approved similar remissions for prisoners on Pakistan Day and Eid Al-Fitr last year.


Central bank issues microfinance banking license to Pakistan subsidiary of Egyptian fintech

Central bank issues microfinance banking license to Pakistan subsidiary of Egyptian fintech
Updated 05 June 2025
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Central bank issues microfinance banking license to Pakistan subsidiary of Egyptian fintech

Central bank issues microfinance banking license to Pakistan subsidiary of Egyptian fintech
  • Halan Microfinance Bank Limited is a subsidiary of MNT-Halan, one of Egypt’s largest microfinance companies
  • MNT-Halan acquired Advans Pakistan Microfinance Bank in 2024, rebranded it as Halan Microfinance Bank

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan said on Thursday it had granted a nationwide microfinance banking license to Halan Microfinance Bank Limited, a subsidiary of MNT-Halan, one of Egypt’s largest microfinance companies.

MNT-Halan acquired Advans Pakistan Microfinance Bank in March 2024 and rebranded it as Halan Microfinance Bank. Halan focuses on digital banking, mobile wallets, cards, and a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platform.

“The State Bank of Pakistan has granted a Nation-wide microfinance banking license to Halan Microfinance Bank Limited with effect from June 03, 2025,” the bank said in a statement. 

“The MFB has recently been acquired by MNT-Halan, Egypt’s leading fintech company having global presence, offering business and consumer lending, digital payments and e-commerce solutions to the underserved and unbanked.”

Since 2012, Halan has served Pakistan’s southern Sindh province with a range of financial services for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. The fintech has a network of 19 branches.

Halan Microfinance Bank pledged a $10 million investment in 2025 to drive expansion across Pakistan, reinforcing its presence in the country’s financial sector.

MNT-Halan was founded in 2018 and serves over eight million customers, including over a million borrowers. It holds a significant market share of 25 percent in Egypt. The fintech initially started as a ride-hailing service but has since evolved into a digital financial services provider, offering a range of financial services through their app, including lending, payments, e-commerce, and more.


Pakistan PM orders tighter polio surveillance after northern Gilgit-Baltistan reports first case

Pakistan PM orders tighter polio surveillance after northern Gilgit-Baltistan reports first case
Updated 05 June 2025
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Pakistan PM orders tighter polio surveillance after northern Gilgit-Baltistan reports first case

Pakistan PM orders tighter polio surveillance after northern Gilgit-Baltistan reports first case
  • Pakistan has confirmed 11 polio cases in 2025 compared to 74 last year
  • Pakistan, Afghanistan are only countries where polio remains endemic

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered that polio immunization efforts be enhanced after the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region reported its first case of the virus in seven years this week, the premier’s office said on Thursday.

Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of 5 are essential to provide children high immunity against the disease.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic. Pakistan has reported 11 polio cases so far this year, compared to 74 cases in 2024.

Earlier this week, the poliovirus was detected in a child from the district of Diamer in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, according to the country’s polio eradication program.

“The prime minister expressed deep concern over the recent reported polio case in Diamer,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.

“Union Councils where more polio cases are being reported and immunization is not good should be closely monitored.”

Pakistan concluded a nationwide polio vaccination campaign on June 1, the third this year. The drive had aimed to inoculate 45 million children under the age of five across 159 districts of the country.

In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 polio cases annually. By 2018, that number had dropped to just eight. In 2021, only one case was reported, and six cases were recorded in 2023.

Pakistan’s polio eradication program began in 1994, but efforts have been repeatedly undermined by misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners. These groups claim that immunization is a foreign plot to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western espionage.

Militant groups have also frequently attacked polio vaccination teams and the security personnel assigned to protect them.

A Pakistani police officer was killed on May 27 when gunmen opened fire on a team of health workers conducting a door-to-door polio vaccination campaign in the southwestern Balochistan province during the latest inoculation drive. 


Pakistan appointed vice chair of UN Security Council’s counterterrorism body

Pakistan appointed vice chair of UN Security Council’s counterterrorism body
Updated 05 June 2025
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Pakistan appointed vice chair of UN Security Council’s counterterrorism body

Pakistan appointed vice chair of UN Security Council’s counterterrorism body
  • Pakistani officials call the appointment international recognition of Islamabad’s counterterrorism efforts
  • Pakistan has also been named chair of the Security Council committee overseeing sanctions against the Taliban

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan was appointed vice chair of the United Nations Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee on Wednesday, a move its officials described as international recognition of the country’s efforts to combat militancy and engage constructively within the UN system.

The committee, established in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks through Resolution 1373, monitors how UN member states implement counterterrorism measures.

Pakistan was also named chair of the Security Council committee overseeing sanctions against the Taliban, and co-chair of two informal working groups, one on improving the Council’s transparency and procedures and another on sanctions-related issues.

“These appointments represent an acknowledgment of Pakistan’s active engagement with the United Nations system, including its constructive role as an elected member of the Security Council,” the mission said in a statement. “They are also an international recognition of Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts.”

These developments come nearly a month after New Delhi targeted Pakistani cities following a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists. Indian officials blamed Pakistan for the assault, though the administration in Islamabad denied involvement and called for an “impartial” international probe.

The situation, however, escalated into a four-day military conflict before a US-brokered ceasefire was announced on May 10 by President Donald Trump.

Pakistan has also said in the past it has been targeted by armed militant factions operating from neighboring Afghanistan and “sponsored by India.” Both Kabul and New Delhi deny the charge, though Pakistan’s presence on the Taliban sanctions committee could carry significance in this context.

The Pakistani mission at the UN said it would work with other member states to help strengthen multilateral efforts against militant violence.

Pakistan, which began its two-year term as an elected member of the Security Council in January, has advocated for greater inclusivity and equity in global governance institutions, including reform of the UN’s working methods.