‘New milestone in Pak-Saudi ties’: Air Sial makes inaugural flight to Jeddah
‘New milestone in Pak-Saudi ties’: Air Sial makes inaugural flight to Jeddah/node/2278076/pakistan
‘New milestone in Pak-Saudi ties’: Air Sial makes inaugural flight to Jeddah
Crew members of Pakistan's private airlines, Air Sial, pose for a picture after its inaugural flight from Sialkot to Jeddah in the Saudi port city of Jeddah on March 29, 2023. (Air Sial)
ISLAMABAD: A Sialkot-based private airline on Wednesday flew its inaugural flight to the Saudi port city of Jeddah, said an official statement released by the country’s diplomatic mission in the kingdom that described the development as another milestone in the bilateral relations between the two countries.
Air Sial was launched by the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industries in 2017 and started operating in December 2020. The airline operates both domestic and international flights, connecting major cities in Pakistan with destinations in the Middle East and Europe.
Its first flight was received by Pakistan’s consul general Khalid Majid and other officials in Jeddah.
“Hailing it as a significant achievement in further strengthening the [Pak-Saudi] bilateral relations, Majid conveyed gratitude to the Saudi government for providing support and hospitality to Air Sial and expressed optimism that the new airline would enhance connectivity between the two brotherly countries, paving the way for greater collaboration and increased trade,” said the statement.
Air Sial was launched as a collective effort of Sialkot’s business community. Located in the country’s most populous Punjab province, the city is the hub of cottage industries in the country and is internationally known for making high quality sports goods and surgical instruments.
The airline has also chosen a strategic destination in the kingdom since Jeddah is not only a major commercial hub but also serves as the gateway for pilgrims intending to visit the Islamic holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
ISLAMABAD: In a country where conservative social norms often discourage casual dating, nearly 190 Pakistanis gathered in Islamabad on Saturday for a rare singles meet-up offering a more open, yet culturally respectful, route to finding a life partner.
Organized by Muzz, the world’s largest Muslim marriage app with over 15 million members, the event launched a series of matchmaking gatherings across Pakistan under the banner “Baat Pakki,” an Urdu phrase used when families agree to a marriage match. Muzz told Arab News it has over 2 million users in Pakistan.
A chaperone was mandatory for every participant, reflecting cultural sensitivities and ensuring seriousness.
“The goal of the event today was to help people of mixed ages to be able to meet each other,” Shahzad Younas Khan, CEO of Muzz, told Arab News.
“The job of the team here … is to help people mingle and make sure that hopefully by the end of the event, everyone has talked to everyone who’s potentially compatible with them,” he added.
Singles talk to each other at the Muzz “Baat Pakki” event in Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 3, 2025. (AN photo)
Attendees were divided into three age groups — 22 to 30, 30 to 40 and 40-plus — with an adjoining lounge for family members. Icebreaker questions and Muzz staff helped start conversations at each table.
Singles first met within their age group before being introduced to others, aiming for broad interaction during the four-hour gathering.
The event was unique in a country where marriages are traditionally arranged by families or through professional matchmakers known as “Rishta Aunties,” who connect prospective families but rarely allow singles to meet independently before a match is proposed.
“Involving parents makes the process more transparent,” said Nazleen Javed, 65, who attended with her daughter. “Matchmakers are fake. See if you are coming with mother, your lie gets caught. A mother cannot lie, and the blessings of parents are different.”
Mothers talk to each other at the Muzz “Baat Pakki” event in Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 3, 2025. (AN photo)
Others valued the chance to break away from rigid traditions.
“This way is better because you can see, talk and get a feel of the person,” said Noreen Khan, who came with her son. “Children have to spend their lives together. They should have some freedom to meet and speak to each other.”
Maheen, 27, said she had long been uncomfortable with conventional arranged marriage practices.
“I am not fond of the traditional way [of matchmaking] wherein the boy’s family visits your house and you, holding the tray, enter the room and they are looking at you, picking out faults,” she said.
“You [should be able to] talk to each other one-on-one, face-to-face, without the fear of rejection,” she continued. “That’s why I am here.”
A mothers talks to Muzz team at the “Baat Pakki” event in Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 3, 2025. (AN photo)
Fariha Khan, 36, who works in the NGO sector in Peshawar, appreciated the diversity of participants.
“People from different cities and castes met here. That hesitation around differences was reduced today.”
Saad Waheed, 28, a mechanical engineer, admitted feeling uneasy at first after arriving at the event.
“I was a little bit hesitant … because I needed a chaperone and it felt very strange to me,” he said. “But in the long run, it makes sense. It means that everyone that’s here is serious about what they have signed up for.”
Singles and parents are pictured at the at the Muzz “Baat Pakki” event in Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 3, 2025. (AN photo)
Waheed also maintained matrimonial apps often felt impersonal to him.
“Single events like these offer a chance to make friends, which is a more natural way of meeting a partner.”
Nayab Nazir, Muzz’s marketing lead for Pakistan, said participants can later review the profiles of those they met through the app.
“I go back home, and if I have liked, let’s say, five people at the event, I can actually go and look at all those five profiles and connect directly instead of having a third person in between.”
Founded in 2015, Muzz has increasingly adapted its approach for Pakistan’s cultural context.
“We actually found that by inviting the mums it just helped make sure everyone was more serious,” Khan, the company’s CEO, said.
“It helps reduce the taboo of going to a singles event effectively,” he added. “A lot of mums can meet each other. They can see lots of people in one place in just a few hours.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi will depart for a visit to the Gulf countries today, Sunday, to meet senior officials there to discuss Islamabad’s surging tensions with New Delhi, his ministry said.
Naqvi will arrive in Oman for a day-long visit on Sunday, the interior ministry said. However, it did not clarify which Gulf states the minister will visit.
The development takes place as fears of a military confrontation between India and Pakistan loom large after New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing the perpetrators of an Apr. 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists. Pakistan denies involvement and has called for an international probe into the incident.
“Regional Situation – Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi will depart today for a visit to Gulf countries,” the interior ministry said.
“He will arrive in Oman today for a one-day visit and will hold meetings with senior officials.”
Pakistan has increasingly engaged countries such as the US, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, South Korea and other nations in recent days to present its point of view regarding its tensions with India.
The border forces of both countries have traded fire for 10 consecutive days along the Line of Control frontier in Kashmir, which acts as a de facto border between India and Pakistan, international media reports say.
Both countries have also traded diplomatic barbs, expelled each other’s nationals and closed a key lander border route.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week gave the Indian military “operational freedom” to respond to the Kashmir attack. Pakistan has since then conducted war exercises and vowed that any military action from India would invite a “strong” response.
Both nuclear-armed nations have fought two out of three wars since 1947 over the disputed Kashmir territory. India and Pakistan claim the entire region but administer only parts of it.
ISLAMABAD: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has established a War Fund to express solidarity with Pakistan’s armed forces, state-run media reported on Sunday, as Islamabad’s tensions with New Delhi continue to surge.
The LCCI is one of the most prominent Pakistani chambers of commerce in the country. It represents the interests of the business community, both locally and nationally, with responsibilities including advocacy, trade policy representation and economic regulation.
The LCCI made the announcement as Pakistan’s tensions with India continue to surge following the Apr. 22 attack at a popular tourist resort in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists. New Delhi blames Islamabad for backing perpetrators of the attack, an allegation Pakistan vehemently denies.
“Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has announced to establish a “War Fund” to express national solidarity with armed forces during wartime conditions,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
LCCI President Mian Abuzar Shad was quoted by Radio Pakistan as saying that the fund has been initially established with Rs10 million [$35,683], adding that they intended to collect Rs1 billion [$3,571,429] which would be achieved “very soon.”
Fears of a military confrontation between the nuclear-armed nations, who both rule the disputed Kashmir territory in part but claim it in entirety, have surged after Apr. 22.
Both nations’ forces have traded fire over the Line of Control frontier in Kashmir while diplomats have exchanged barbs and both countries have expelled citizens and ordered their land border shut.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the Indian military the “operational freedom” to respond to the Apr. 22 attack. Pakistan has since then conducted war exercises and vowed that military action from India would result in a “strong” response.
Several countries such as the US, China, UK, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and other Middle Eastern nations have called on both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid an armed confrontation.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar this week reiterated the government’s commitment to ensure foreign investment from friendly countries translates into “tangible outcomes,” state-run media reported amid Islamabad’s attempts to achieve sustainable economic progress.
Pakistan has looked toward regional partners and friendly nations, particularly Gulf states, in the past few months to increasingly attract foreign trade and investment.
At the heart of Islamabad’s efforts lies a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that has drained the country’s revenues, triggered a balance of payment crisis and battered its economy.
“Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has reiterated the government’s commitment to provide all necessary facilitation to translate foreign investments into tangible outcomes for economic growth and prosperity,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday.
Dar was chairing a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Saturday to review progress related to investment initiatives by friendly countries across infrastructure, energy, petroleum and economic development sectors.
“The deputy prime minister emphasized streamlined processes, enhanced institutional coordination, and fast-tracked implementation of investment projects,” the report said.
To fast-track decisions related to international investment, Pakistan formed the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in June 2023.
The SIFC is a hybrid civil-government body formed to attract international investment in priority sectors of the economy such as energy, tourism, agriculture, livestock, mines and minerals, and others.
Since it was formed, the government says the SIFC has helped it sign memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with several countries worth billions of dollars.
ISLAMABAD: Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars will reignite their Pakistan Super League (PSL) rivalry today, Sunday, when the two teams lock horns at the Qaddafi Stadium in an important clash of the tournament.
The Qalandars are placed at number three on the PSL points table, winning four matches from their eight fixtures. The Kings have also won only four matches from the seven games they have played and are placed at number four on the table.
Lahore had the upper hand the last time the two teams met on the field for the PSL X tournament, winning the encounter by 85 runs.
“Don’t miss the ultimate rivalry #LQvKK today at Qaddafi Stadium!” the PSL wrote on its official social media platforms.
The Kings will head into the match confident, having beat an out-of-form Multan Sultans squad by 87 runs on May 1.
The Qalandars have been in fine form as well, demolishing Islamabad United by 88 runs on Apr. 30 before their match against Quetta Gladiators on May 1 ended in a no result tie due to rain.
Qalandars have had batting success in the form of openers Abdullah Shafique and the explosive Fakhar Zaman while fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has fared impressively as well.
The Kings will look toward their skipper and opener David Warner, who has been out of form as of late, and Tim Siefert to deliver the goods.
The intense rivalry between the two franchises has been compared to the India-Pakistan and Australia-England cricket rivalry, with many also using the phrase “El-Clasico of cricket” to describe their clash.
The match will kick off at 8:00 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time.
