KARACHI: A local startup connecting overseas Pakistanis with their families through a mobile app plans to set up new facilities in Dubai and other parts of the South Asian region as part of its international outreach plan to facilitate greater number of immigrant families, its founder said on Saturday.
Launched in August, the InstaKin app has been downloaded by Pakistani nationals residing in 86 countries who want to resolve immediate family issues back home.
Several Pakistani startups in recent months have captured the attention of global venture capitalists, attracting over $300 million during the course of this year.
Most recently, an online travel and ticketing platform, Bookme.pk, and a beauty and fashion startup, Bagallery, raised $7.5 million and $4.5 million, respectively, in Series A rounds.
“Our majority customers are based in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, apart from Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. The Middle East is therefore an important market for our company,” Yasir Shirazi, the founder and chief executive officer of InstaKin, told Arab News.
“Setting up teams in other South Asian countries will also facilitate members of the region’s other diaspora communities working in the Middle East, whether they belong to Sri Lanka or Bangladesh,” he continued. “We already have two offices in Karachi and the United States. The third one will be established in Dubai.”
The InstaKin mobile app offers various services, including delivery of medicines and food, bill payments, legal services and property management. The platform hopes to tap more than 38 million South Asian immigrants, including nearly 10 million overseas Pakistanis.
The Dubai office having a local team would also facilitate financial services through local banks, according to the InstaKin CEO.
“Recently, I was in Dubai where we partnered with telecom companies and signed agreements with two banks whose customers will be able to use our services,” he said.
The startup is facilitating payments through Roshan Digital Accounts, a facility provided by the Pakistani central bank to overseas nationals to open bank accounts.
Shirazi said he was running his operations through a WhatsApp group before launching the mobile app.
“An overwhelming response from overseas Pakistanis compelled us to come up with our own product,” he said.
The app has so far served over 10,000 customers, mostly from the Middle East.
“Overseas Pakistanis, whose parents need any services come to us and we facilitate them through runners. They hire these runners through us,” the top InstaKin official said.
He maintained the launch of the app reduced the dependency of overseas Pakistanis on friends and relatives.
“Our users tell us they just log into the app and hire a rider,” he added. “They don’t need to call friends or relatives to run errands in their country.”
The startup aims to establish itself as a one-stop solution for users across the globe to reduce day-to-day complexities in the lives of about 250 million immigrants in a simple and instant manner.
“We want to be a one-stop shop for Pakistani immigrants in the Middle East such that if they need any services in Pakistan, they can visit the app and get things done,” Shirazi said.
Responding to a question about overseas funding, he said the Y Combinator, an American technology startup accelerator, was one of its major investors.
“Y Combinator is the world’s largest venture fund based out of Silicon Valley and we are actually one of the very few companies in Pakistan which got investment from it,” the InstaKin CEO said.
“We also have other investors mostly from the Silicon Valley,” he said without divulging the exact investment figure.
Startup connecting overseas Pakistanis to families at home plans new office in Dubai
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Startup connecting overseas Pakistanis to families at home plans new office in Dubai
- InstaKin downloaded by Pakistanis in 86 countries who want to resolve family issues back home
- Majority of its users are Pakistani nationals residing in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
Islamabad’s delegation in New York to advance Pakistan’s case following India standoff briefs UNSC
- PM appointed delegation to visit world capitals to advocate for Pakistan after latest military confrontation with India
- Military escalation between May 7-10 saw the two countries trade missile, drones and artillery fire until US brokered a ceasefire
ISLAMABAD: A high-level Pakistani delegation, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, has met representatives of the United Nations Security Council’s elected member states and briefed them on last month’s conflict between India and Pakistan as well as New Delhi’s attempt to block Pakistan’s share of Indus waters, Pakistani state media reported on Monday.
Tensions between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India remain high since they struck a ceasefire on May 10 following the most intense military confrontation between them in decades. Both countries accuse the other of supporting militancy on each other’s soil — a charge both capitals deny.
The latest military escalation, in which the two countries traded missile, drones and artillery fire, was sparked after India accused Pakistan of supporting militants who killed over two dozen tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. Islamabad denies involvement.
In its meeting with representatives of Denmark, Greece, Panama, Japan and other UNSC member states in New York, the Pakistani delegation highlighted that Islamabad’s response to Indian missile strikes was “measured, responsible and in accordance with the UN Charter,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“It briefed the UNSC elected members that [India’s] holding [of] Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance may lead to water shortage, food crisis and environmental disaster in Pakistan,” the report read.
“The delegation called on the members of the Security Council to move beyond conflict management and actively support conflict resolution in South Asia.”
India announced suspending the 1960 World Bank-brokered treaty, which ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, a day after the April 22 attack. Islamabad has called for a credible, international probe into the attack and described the Indian move to suspend the treaty as “act of war.”
Bhutto-Zardari told UNSC members that Indian allegations against Pakistan were without any “credible investigation or verifiable evidence,” and that New Delhi’s targeting of innocent civilians and suspension of Indus Waters Treaty was a threat to regional peace, according to the report.
The Pakistani delegates underscored Islamabad’s commitment to restraint and initiation of a comprehensive dialogue to address outstanding issues with India, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety but rule it in part.
“The elected members of UN Security Council appreciated Pakistan’s outreach and welcomed its reaffirmation of commitment to peace and diplomacy,” the report said.
“They noted the significance of de-escalation, respect for international law, and the peaceful settlement of disputes emphasized that the UN Charter must guide state conduct, particularly in regions of high sensitivity such as South Asia. They acknowledged the risks posed by any further escalation and stressed the need to pursue diplomatic solutions.”
The Pakistani delegation, led by Bhutto-Zardari, will also visit Washington DC, London and Brussels to present Pakistan’s position on the conflict. Another delegation, led by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, will visit Moscow this week.
Pakistan’s foreign office earlier said the two delegations will “underscore the imperative for the international community to play its due role in promoting a lasting peace in South Asia.”
Pakistan’s Punjab issues fresh rain alert after 21 killed by storms last month
- Pakistan has seen erratic weather changes leading to frequent heatwaves, untimely rains, storms and droughts in recent years
- Thunderstorms last month also claimed more than 10 lives and injured 30 others in the neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Monday issued a fresh alert about rains and strong, dusty winds in the province from June 2 till June 5, days after thunderstorms killed nearly two dozen people in Pakistan’s most populous province.
Thunderstorms killed at least 21 people and injured more than 100 others in Punjab as moist currents penetrated upper parts of Pakistan late last month, according to national and provincial disaster management authorities.
More rains and gusty winds are expected in Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiat, Attock, Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Narowal, Okara, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Khushab, Sargodha, Mianwali, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar districts.
“Citizens should stay in safe places to protect themselves from lightning. The public should never go out under the open sky during thunderstorms and storms,” the PDMA quoted its Director-General Irfan Ali Kathia as saying.
Due to possible rains, it said, the intensity of heat will decrease during the three-day Eid Al-Adha festival, which begins on Saturday.
Kathia said the PDMA has alerted the district administrations as well as health, irrigation, construction and communications, local government and livestock departments.
Pakistan has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns which have led to frequent heat waves, untimely rains, storms, cyclones and droughts in recent years. Scientists have blamed the events on human-driven climate change.
Thunderstorms last month also claimed more than 10 lives, while 30 others sustained injuries in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan’s northwest, according to provincial authorities.
In 2022, devastating floods, blamed on human-driven climate change, killed more than 1,700 Pakistanis, affected another 33 million and caused the country over $30 billion in economic losses.
Pakistan to play in Colombo when India hosts women’s World Cup
- India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since 2013 and play their matches in neutral venues when either country hosts an ICC event
- Neutral venue arrangement between the countries will also be in place for the men’s T20 World Cup in 2026, which India will co-host with Sri Lanka
Pakistan will play all their women’s 50-over World Cup matches in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo when India hosts this year’s tournament, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Monday.
Politically-estranged India and Pakistan, who have not played a bilateral series since 2013, will play their matches in neutral venues when either country hosts an ICC event, the sport’s global governing body announced in December.
“The venues for the knockouts are dependent on Pakistan qualifying as two alternative venues have been identified for one semifinal and the final,” the ICC said.
“Colombo will be the venue for the first semifinal and the final only if Pakistan qualify for those stages.”
Bengaluru, where the tournament will start with India playing in the opening match, will host the final on November 2 if Pakistan are knocked out earlier in the tournament, the ICC added.
Bengaluru will also stage the second semifinal on October 30, a day after the first semifinal in Colombo or Guwahati. Visakhapatnam and Indore are the two other host cities for the eight-team tournament.
India played all their matches in Dubai when Pakistan hosted the men’s Champions Trophy this year, including the final which they won.
Both the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League were suspended last month amid clashes between the two countries following an attack targeting tourists that killed 26 people in disputed Kashmir region in April. Matches resumed after a ceasefire was announced.
The neutral venue arrangement between the countries will also be in place for the men’s T20 World Cup in 2026, which India will co-host with Sri Lanka, and the women’s T20 World Cup in 2028 in Pakistan.
Pakistan earmarks $3.5 billion for development projects in upcoming budget
- The budget for fiscal year 2025-26 will be announced in the National Assembly on June 10
- Pakistan’s annual inflation rose to 3.5% in May, though macroeconomic outlook has improved
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Monday that the Finance Division has allocated Rs1 trillion ($3.5 billion) for development projects in the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2025-26.
The 2025–26 budget is expected to be presented by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in Pakistan’s lower house of parliament on June 10, following the Eid Al-Adha holidays, after the government postponed an earlier date of June 2.
Providing the breakdown $3.5 billion development budget, Iqbal said Rs664 billion ($2.3 billion) would be allocated to infrastructure projects, including energy, water, transport, physical planning and housing.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed that Rs120 billion ($426.7 million) be allocated for N25 Chaman-Quetta-Karachi Expressway,” he said at a press conference in Islamabad.
“Rs150 billion ($533.3 million) are for social sectors, special areas, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, have been allocated Rs63 billion ($223.9 million), and merged [tribal] districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been allocated Rs70 billion ($248.4 million).”
Similarly, Rs53 billion ($188.3 million) have been earmarked for science and information technology, Rs9 billion ($32.2 million) for governance and reform projects, and Rs11 billion ($39.1 million) for production sectors, according to the minister.
“The majority [of allocation] is for water, power and highway sector,” he added.
Late last month, Iqbal said Pakistan’s defense spending would be hiked in the upcoming budget as the military would “certainly require” more financial resources to defend the country against India. But neither Iqbal nor any other government official has so far shared any figures. Pakistan’s defense budget currently stands at Rs2.122 trillion ($7.53 billion).
The remarks came days after Pakistan and India attacked each other with missiles, drones and artillery in their worst conflict in decades that killed around 70 people on both sides. The two nations agreed to a ceasefire on May 10 after four days of hostilities sparked by a militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in April.
Pakistan’s annual inflation rate rose to 3.5% in May, though the country’s macroeconomic outlook has improved in recent months, supported by a stronger current account balance, increased remittances and declining inflation.
Authorities remain cautious as they aim to build on recent economic stabilization, guide the country toward gradual growth, and reaffirm their commitment to ongoing economic reforms.
Pakistan announces four-day holiday on Eid Al-Adha
- Eid Al-Adha is one of two important Islamic festivals, in which Muslims sacrifice animals and share their meat among family, friends and the poor
- Believers observe the annual festival to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Peace Be Upon Him) to sacrifice his son on God’s command
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has announced a four-day holiday on Eid Al-Adha starting from June 6, the Cabinet Division said on Monday.
Eid Al-Adha is one of the two most important festivals of the Islamic calendar. The other, Eid Al-Fitr, occurs at the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.
Muslims mark the Eid Al-Adha holiday by slaughtering animals such as sheep and goats, and the meat is shared among family and friends and donated to the poor.
“The prime minister has been pleased to declare 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th June, 2025, (Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday) as public holidays on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha,” the Cabinet Division said.
Last week, Pakistan’s moon sighting committee announced that the crescent marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah was not sighted due to unclear skies and the Eid Al-Adha festival would commence from June 7.
Eid Al-Adha is observed on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Peace Be Upon Him) to sacrifice his son on God’s command.
Dhul Hijjah is the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar, a sacred period during which the Hajj pilgrimage takes place. This year, the annual Hajj pilgrimage will commence on June 4.
