ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Foreign Office on Sunday refuted reports about the deployment of Chinese security forces in Pakistan to ensure security of Chinese nationals working in the country, describing them as “totally false.”
Media reports, following talks between Pakistan and China on the security of Chinese nationals this week, suggested that China has for the first time deployed its own security personnel in Pakistan to protect its projects and citizens amid rising terror attacks.
Chinese nationals have been in the crosshairs of separatist militants who believe Beijing is helping Pakistan exploit minerals in the underdeveloped southwestern province of Balochistan, where China has a strategic port and mining interests.
“I completely deny this. No Chinese forces are being deployed in Pakistan,” Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told Arab News. “This is totally false and there is no credibility to these reports.”
Thousands of Chinese nationals are working in Pakistan, primarily on roads, infrastructure and development projects associated with the $65 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
“Discussions on the security of Chinese nationals are an ongoing process,” Khan said. “This is our commitment to ensure the security of Chinese personnel in Pakistan and these dialogues between the two countries are part of that arrangement.”
Beijing has been pushing Pakistan to allow its own security staff to provide protection to thousands of Chinese citizens working there, frustrated by a string of attacks on its citizens.
The push came after a bombing at the Karachi airport last October killed two Chinese engineers who were returning there to work at a power plant. In March 2024, five Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in northwest Pakistan.
In October, the Pakistani government approved an additional Rs45 billion ($160 million) budget for the armed forces, primarily to enhance their capacity to protect Chinese commercial interests in Pakistan.
This week, Pakistan’s envoy to Beijing, Ambassador Khalil Hashmi, told reporters that discussions between the two countries on security measures to protect Chinese nationals working in Pakistan are still a “work in progress.”
“It’s a complex security environment,” he said. “We have the capability to resolve, to counter and combat and defeat these terrorist forces.”

ISLAMABAD: With a measuring tape draped around his neck, Muhammad Shafiq cut through a piece of fabric, expertly following along yellow chalk markings he had made according to the exact size of a client. 

Each year, the demand for custom-made clothing skyrockets ahead of the Muslim festivals of Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, with tailoring shops in Islamabad and other cities of Pakistan bustling with women eager to get their dresses made in time. The exercise requires long shopping trips to malls and bazaars to buy cloth in various fabrics and prints, or ordering them online, and then giving them to tailors to fashion into outfits as per customized measurements and styles.

But in the past few years, many tailoring businesses have had to contend with a growing preference for ready-to-wear fashion, chosen for its convenience, affordability, and accessibility, allowing women and men alike to easily find stylish and fashionable garments without the need for custom tailoring or extensive shopping trips.

“It’s not that there is no work at all but earlier we would have advanced bookings almost a month before Eid,” Shafiq, 53, who has been a tailor for four decades, told Arab News at his cramped shop in the Pakistani capital earlier this month.

“But now it’s down to around 10 days [of advanced bookings]. Many people don’t have the time to get clothes stitched and opt for boutique-made, ready-to-wear outfits.”

“CONVENIENCE”

Ready-to-wear clothing is widely available at Pakistani stores, department stores, and online platforms, making it easier to find and purchase. Pret collections also often reflect current fashion trends, allowing consumers to stay up to date with the latest styles. And instead of scheduling fittings and waiting for custom-made garments, consumers can simply try on and purchase ready-to-wear pieces on the go.

Arslan Haider, a designer and store manager, said boutiques and designer brands were certainly reshaping fashion preferences on holidays like Eid.

“During events like Eid, the market sees a surge in business and new fashion trends emerge in stores, which helps businesses flourish,” Haider told Arab News. 

But tailoring still worked as a cheaper option in some cases, he said, and the older generation, more concerned with perfect fittings, preferred bespoke clothing while younger people were more inclined toward pret.

“Stitched clothes come with stylish designs and they eliminate the need for multiple visits to tailors to provide measurements and other accessories,” Haider said, adding that the convenience was a serious consideration for many customers.

“Unstitched clothes require at least seven to eight days with a tailor, and there’s always a risk of error. With stitched clothing, customers get a standardized product, whether they buy online or from a store,” he said.

Farida Qureshi, a UK-based customer visiting Pakistan for Eid, said she preferred ready-to-wear fashion as it saved time and effort. Getting an outfit stitched, on the other hand, did not just require buying the cloth and paying a visit to the tailor, but also purchasing matching accessories such as laces, beads and buttons, which was a time-consuming task. 

“Finding everything in one place, ready-made is far easier than visiting different shops and then waiting for a tailor,” Qureshi said. 

But there are still those who want the personalized touch of a tailor on their Eid dresses. 

“I do buy ready-made clothes, but I often face size issues,” Qureshi said. “With my tailor, I get exactly what I want.”

Which is why business still thrives for many tailors like Shafiq, who work up to 16 hours daily during Ramadan to complete Eid orders. 

“Some people want a perfect fit, something that ready-made clothes can’t always provide,” he said. 

“I have customers who have been coming to me for years because they know I already have their measurements and can tailor their Eid clothes exactly to their liking.”