Green turtles fight to survive against Pakistan’s urban sprawl

In this picture taken on November 28, 2023, a green turtle lays her eggs on Sandspit beach in Karachi. (AFP/File)
Short Url
Updated 05 December 2023
Follow

Green turtles fight to survive against Pakistan’s urban sprawl

  • Sandspit Beach is a popular spot for Karachi’s 22 million residents, and a critical habitat for endangered green turtles
  • Construction of beach houses along the five-mile-long beach has eaten into strip of land where turtles nest 

KARACHI: Against the backdrop of the mega port city of Karachi, choked with traffic and construction, four green turtles emerge from the frothy Arabian Sea seeking a spot to lay their eggs.

Three immediately retreat to the water, put off by the glittering lights and heavy beat of a nearby beach party.

But one trundles toward the end of the beach bank, its flippers whipping sand into the air before settling on a dry spot of sand in which to deposit 88 golf ball-sized eggs.

Six conservationists tasked with protecting the last surviving turtle species to nest in Pakistan stand guard nearby.

“Being human doesn’t only call for loving another human being. These animals also require the same attention and love,” said Ashfaq Ali Memon, the head of marine wildlife at Sindh province’s Wildlife Department.




In this picture taken on November 28, 2023, Ashfaq Ali Memon (L), the head of marine wildlife at Sindh province's Wildlife Department, releases newly-hatched green turtles on Sandspit beach in Karachi. (AFP)

Sandspit Beach is a beloved recreation spot for the city’s 22 million residents, as well as a critical habitat for Pakistan’s endangered green turtles.

The eight-kilometer (five-mile) stretch of beach is being relentlessly encroached upon by the construction of concrete beach houses that have, meter-by-meter, eaten into the strip of sand where turtles nest.

“Once I saw someone disturbing a turtle while she was laying eggs. She ran off for safety, leaving a trail of eggs behind her. That was a very painful scene,” said Haseen Bano, Memon’s wife who supports the work of the volunteers.

Marine turtles have covered vast distances across the world’s oceans for more than 100 million years but human activity has tipped the scales against the survival of these ancient creatures, the World Wildlife Fund says.




In this picture taken on November 28, 2023, Sindh province's Wildlife Department volunteer Amir Khan checks a green turtle after she laid eggs on Sandspit beach in Karachi. (AFP)

Until the early 2000s, the beaches of Pakistan’s Arabian coast were the nesting habitat for five endangered turtle species.

Now only the green turtles come to shore to lay their eggs on just two beaches in Karachi and on uninhabited islands in Balochistan province, further down the coast toward Iran.

Alongside construction, noise and garbage pollution, WWF-Pakistan has also reported that diesel and petrol fumes have caused deformities in hatchlings.

As well as major disruption to their nesting habitats, thousands of turtles are also injured or killed in fishing nets every year.

Named for the greenish color of their cartilage and fat, they are classified as endangered across the world.

Sindh Wildlife Department has a dedicated team of six volunteers, paid according to fluctuating donations, who patrol the beaches after dark during nesting season between August and January.

“When the turtles arrive to use the pits, our volunteers are present to take care of them and to ensure no one can disturb them,” Amir Khan told AFP.

The 88 — a decent batch for a young female — were delicately collected the same night and taken to a protected coastal conservation center and reburied in the sand for the 45-60 day hatching cycle, away from the danger of stray dogs, mongoose and snakes.

Baby turtles just a few hours old and only about two inches long are meanwhile brought to the water’s edge in buckets by volunteers and released one-by-one, swimming off into the night.

Data on the number of green turtles is not available in Pakistan but, for the past few years, the number of hatchlings has increased.

In 2022, volunteers successfully hatched 30,000 eggs and the current year’s count has already passed 25,000 just over halfway through the season.

Khan said these “living dinosaurs” will continue to struggle against the accelerating urban sprawl of the city and the dangers posed by fishermen.

“It feels good to take care of these turtles, they boost the beauty of our beach,” said Mohammad Javed, a 29-year-old volunteer who inherited the caretaker legacy from his father.


Pakistan to hike defense spending in FY26 budget to counter India’s ‘hegemonistic designs’ — minister

Updated 4 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan to hike defense spending in FY26 budget to counter India’s ‘hegemonistic designs’ — minister

  • Ahsan Iqbal says military would “certainly require more financial resources” to defend the country against India
  • Analysts say an over 40 percent hike in the current defense budget of $7.53 billion expected in budget for FY26

Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Sunday Pakistan’s defense spending would be hiked in the budget for the next fiscal year as the military would “certainly require” more financial resources to defend the country against India.

Pakistan and India attacked each other with missiles, drones and artillery earlier this month in the worst military confrontation in decades between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. The conflict erupted after an attack in April on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad has denied the charge.

The tensions erupted into a military confrontation on May 7 after India first hit what it said was “terrorism infrastructure” in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir with missiles, and Pakistan retaliated, saying it had downed six Indian fighter jets. 

Fighting between the two nations continued for four days until a ceasefire was reached on May 10.

“Obviously, Pakistan will do anything within its reach to make its defense impregnable,” Ahsan told Arab News in a telephone interview when asked if there were plans to increase defense spending in the budget for fiscal year 2025-26, which will be unveiled on June 10. 

“Our military would certainly require more financial resources to defend the country against the hegemonistic designs of Modi.”

Ahsan declined to disclose the new figures for the defense allocation. 

Beijing is Pakistan’s primary supplier of military equipment. This includes more than half its 400-odd fighters, primarily the JF-17 but also the J-10C.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China has sold Pakistan $8.2 billion in arms since 2015. China was the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter from 2020-24, and Pakistan was China’s top customer. Islamabad consumed 63 percent – nearly two thirds – of Chinese weapon sales in that period.

In response to a question about media reports China was fast-tracking delivery of its advanced J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighters to Pakistan, with the first batch expected by early 2026, planning minister Ahsan said:

“Pakistan’s fighter jets have already done well against India and the country will do anything it can to make it’s defenses stronger.”

The finance ministry declined to comment on a planned hike in defense spending but an official privy to budget talks within the government and with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said:

“We are discussing all the issues including Pakistan’s revenues and defense with the IMF but nothing has been finalized yet.”

An IMF official said the lender did not comment on any country’s defense budget.

An IMF mission led by Nathan Porter visited Pakistan last week to discuss the country’s new fiscal plan but returned without reaching an agreement.
 
“We will continue discussions toward agreeing over the authorities’ FY26 budget over the coming days,” the Washington-based lender said in a statement on May 24. 

The media wing of the Pakistan army declined to comment on the issue immediately.

“WAR-LIKE SITUATION”

Two days after the ceasefire, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan New Delhi would target “terrorist hideouts” across the border again if there were new attacks on India and would not be deterred by what he called Islamabad’s “nuclear blackmail.”

“In the coming days, we will measure every step of Pakistan... what kind of attitude Pakistan will adopt,” Modi said, adding that India had only “paused” strikes.

Ashfaq Tola, the chairman of Karachi-based tax and corporate advisory firm Tola Associates and an adviser to past Pakistani governments on the budget-making process, said an over 40 percent hike in the current defense budget of Rs2.122 trillion ($7.53 billion) could be expected in the new financial plan. 

“Considering the ongoing situation, the country’s defense budget should stand at as much as Rs3,000 billion ($10.6 billion),” Tola said. 

“In such a big conflict, you need a lot of ammunition, surveillance, border movement, border troops management. To finance all these requirements, they will have to allocate more money this time.”

In a report published on Saturday, Tola Associates proposed raising the defense budget to Rs2.8 trillion, a 32 percent increase compared to the last fiscal year, owing to a “war-like situation” with India.

“The budgeted defense expenditure stood at Rs2,122 billion for FY25 while the actual expenditure till March 2025 was Rs1,424 billion. [However], due to the ongoing war situation with the neighboring country, defense spending may increase by up to 50 percent in the Q4FY25,” the report said. 

“Given the current regional tensions and the need to ensure Pakistan’s defense preparedness, we estimate total defense spending to reach Rs2.4 trillion by June 2025.”

After debt servicing, defense is the second biggest drain on Pakistan’s revenue, which the IMF, since approving a $7 billion bailout program for Islamabad last September, wants the government to increase through taxing incomes from agriculture, real estate and retail sectors in the new budget.

Pakistan’s historically large defense budget is attributed to a complex interplay of factors, primarily driven by regional security concerns and internal challenges. These include the perceived security threat from India as well as internal instability and security threats like terrorism. Additionally, debt servicing and the allocation of resources toward military interests have also played a role in shaping the budget.

In the last five years, Pakistan has increased its defense expenditures more than 60 percent to Rs 2.12 trillion ($7.53 billion), or two percent of GDP, according to data compiled by Karachi-based research firm Arif Habib Ltd.

“An increase [in defense spending] is certainly a possibility. The recent clash with India emboldened Pakistan’s military, as it has regained public goodwill and popularity that will give it the confidence to take potentially politically risky steps,” Michael Kugelman, a South Asia specialist based in Washington, told Arab News. 

“That includes ramping up an already-sizable defense budget at a moment when the economy, despite some recent stabilization on the macro level, remains fragile.”


Turkiye’s Erdogan, Pakistan’s Sharif discuss boosting cooperation in defense, energy, infrastructure

Updated 10 min 21 sec ago
Follow

Turkiye’s Erdogan, Pakistan’s Sharif discuss boosting cooperation in defense, energy, infrastructure

  • Sharif is visiting Iran, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Turkiye on five-day regional diplomacy visit
  • Ankara openly supported Pakistan in recent military confrontation with archrival India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Sunday and said the two countries would strive to boost economic cooperation, particularly in defense production, energy, IT, infrastructure development and agriculture.

Sharif reached Istanbul on Sunday as the first stop in a five-day regional diplomacy tour that will also see him visit Iran, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.

Ankara expressed solidarity with Islamabad in a military standoff with India earlier this month when the two nuclear-armed neighbors traded missile, drone and artillery strikes for days, killing around 70 people on both sides. A ceasefire was reached on May 10. 

Ankara also maintains cordial ties with India but after Erdogan’s expression of support for Pakistan in the recent conflict, Indian grocery shops and major online fashion retailers have boycotted Turkish products. Indian travel firms have also reported drop in Turkiye bookings over Pakistan support.

A statement released by Sharif’s office after delegation-level talks with Erdogan said the PM expressed “heartfelt gratitude” to the government and people of Turkiye for its support during the conflict with India, the worst between the two nations in decades. 

“Emphasizing the need to further strengthen economic cooperation, particularly through joint ventures and enhanced bilateral investment, the prime minister highlighted key sectors including renewable energy, information technology, defense production, infrastructure development, and agriculture as areas of mutual interest and potential,” the statement said. 

The two leaders also followed up on the implementation of key decisions taken during the 7th session of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council held in Islamabad on Feb. 13. 

“Both sides agreed to take steps for achieving 5 billion USD annual bilateral trade target as agreed earlier by the two leaders,” the statement from Sharif’s office said. 

Erdogan’s office said he told Sharif it was in the interest of Turkiye and Pakistan to increase “solidarity” in education, intelligence sharing and technological support in the fight against terrorism.

Erdogan spoke by phone with Sharif on May 7 to convey his solidarity after India first hit Pakistan and Azad Kashmir with missiles. Leaders from the two nations had several contacts subsequently and it is widely believed that Turkiye played an important role, besides the US, UAE and Saudi Arabia, in convincing India and Pakistan to back off and agree to a ceasefire. The two nations have strong ties, both being largely Muslim countries and sharing historical links.

Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two 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. They both acquired nuclear weapons in 1998.


Delegation-level talks begin in Istanbul between Pakistan’s Sharif, Turkiye’s Erdogan

Updated 25 May 2025
Follow

Delegation-level talks begin in Istanbul between Pakistan’s Sharif, Turkiye’s Erdogan

  • Sharif is visiting Iran, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Turkiye on five-day regional diplomacy visit
  • All four nations supported Pakistan in recent military confrontation with archrival India

ISLAMABAD: Delegation-level talks between Pakistan and Turkiye began on Sunday evening in Istanbul, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Tayyip Erdogan, the Pakistani premier’s office said.

Sharif reached Istanbul on Sunday as the first stop in a five-day regional diplomacy tour that will also see him visit Iran, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan. Ankara supported Islamabad in a military standoff with India earlier this month when the two nuclear-armed neighbors traded missile, drone and artillery strikes for days, killing around 70 people on both sides. A ceasefire was reached on May 10. 

The conflict, the worst between the neighbors in decades, was triggered by a militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denies involvement. 

“During the meeting, bilateral relations, regional and international issues, including the fight against terrorism, will be discussed,” Erdogan’s head of communications, Fahrettin Altun, said on X about the Turkish president’s meeting with Sharif. 

Erdogan received Sharif at the presidential palace ahead of the talks and will later also host a dinner for the visiting premier. 

The PM’s office in Islamabad said Sharif would hold wide-ranging discussions with the leaders of Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan during the regional tour on “an entire range of issues covering bilateral relations and matters of regional and international importance.”

“He will thank friendly countries for the support they have given to Pakistan during the recent crisis with India,” the PMO statement added. 

Erdogan spoke by phone with Sharif on May 7 to convey his solidarity after India first hit Pakistan and Azad Kashmir with missiles. Leaders from the two nations had several contacts subsequently and Turkiye publicly took Islamabad’s side. It is widely believed that Turkiye played an important role, besides the US, UAE and Saudi Arabia, in convincing India and Pakistan to back off and agree to a ceasefire. The two nations have historically strong ties. 

Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two 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. They both acquired nuclear weapons in 1998.


Nine ‘Indian-sponsored’ militants killed in Pakistan’s northwest — army

Updated 25 May 2025
Follow

Nine ‘Indian-sponsored’ militants killed in Pakistan’s northwest — army

  • Both India and Pakistan have traded accusations of supporting militancy on each other’s soil, a charge that each denies
  • Pakistan has blamed India for being behind recent terror attacks in the country, including suicide bombing of school bus

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan army said on Sunday it had killed nine “Indian-sponsored” militants in three separate operations in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Tensions remain high after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on May 10 following the most dramatic escalation of hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbors in decades earlier this month.

Since the military confrontation cooled off with the truce, Pakistan has blamed India for being behind several terror attacks in the country, including when three children were among at least five people killed when a suicide bomber struck an army school bus in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province earlier this week. India denies it backs militancy in Pakistan.

In a statement released on Sunday evening, the army said it had carried out three operations in KP’s Dera Ismail, Tank and Khyber districts. 

“An intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces in Dera Ismail Khan District … and after an intense fire exchange, four Indian sponsored khwarij [militants] were sent to hell,” the statement said.

It added that two militants were separately killed in Tank and three in Khyber.

“Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other kharji found in the area, as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country,” the statement added.

Both India and Pakistan have traded accusations of supporting militancy on each other’s soil, a charge that each denies. The latest escalation, in which the two countries traded missiles and drones, was sparked when India accused Pakistan of supporting a militant assault on tourists in the Indian-administered portion of the contested region of Kashmir. Islamabad denies any involvement.

Pakistan has mostly blamed India of supporting a separatist insurgency in Balochistan, a southwestern province that borders Iran and Afghanistan. It also accuses it of backing the Pakistani Taliban who regularly carry out attacks in the country’s northwestern and other regions. 

India denies the allegations.


Pakistani top minister hints at increasing defense budget weeks after military standoff with India

Updated 25 May 2025
Follow

Pakistani top minister hints at increasing defense budget weeks after military standoff with India

  • Budgeted defense expenditure stood at Rs2,122 billion for FY25 while actual expenditure till March 2025 was Rs1,424 billion
  • Pakistan’s historically large defense budget is attributed to a complex interplay of factors, including perceived threat from India 

KARACHI: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal hinted this week there could be an increase in Pakistan’s defense allocation in the budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, due to be announced next month, weeks after a military standoff with India that alarmed the world.

Pakistan and India attacked each other with missiles, drones and artillery earlier this month after tensions surged over an attack in April on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad has denied the charge.

“We want to try and put the least burden on the common man but right now I believe it is our national duty that in this budget we give our armed forces the resources they need to strengthen our defense capabilities so that our defense can be safe even in the future,” Iqbal said in remarks to reporters when asked about reports of an increase in the defense allocation for the new fiscal year. 

The conflict with New Delhi escalated on May 7 after India first hit Pakistan and Azad Kashmir with missiles, and Pakistan retaliated, saying it had downed six Indian fighter jets. 

Fighting between the two nations continuing for four days, with missile and drone strikes on each other’s military facilities and airfields as well as increased gunfire exchanges on the de facto LoC border. A ceasefire was reached on May 10.

“This has been established that our neighbor is a dangerous enemy, who once again attempted to attack us in the dark of night, but we punished them by fully responding to this offense and it [India] will definitely think a hundred times before committing such an aggression next time,” Iqbal added.

“However, our duty is to stay alert and prepared all the time so that if someone commits such a mistake in future, then it could be responded to more effectively.”

Two days after the ceasefire, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan New Delhi would target “terrorist hideouts” across the border again if there were new attacks on India and would not be deterred by what he called Islamabad’s “nuclear blackmail.”

“In the coming days, we will measure every step of Pakistan... what kind of attitude Pakistan will adopt,” Modi said, adding that India had only “paused” strikes.

In a report published on Saturday, Tola Associates, a major tax advisory and consultancy firm, proposed raising the defense budget to Rs2.8 trillion, a 32 percent increase compared to the last fiscal year, owing to a “war-like situation” with India.

“The budgeted defense expenditure stood at Rs2,122 billion for FY25 while the actual expenditure till March 2025 was Rs1,424 billion. [However], due to the ongoing war situation with the neighboring country, defense spending may increase by up to 50 percent in the Q4FY25,” the report said. 

“Given the current regional tensions and the need to ensure Pakistan’s defense preparedness, we estimate total defense spending to reach Rs2.4 trillion by June 2025.”

Pakistan’s historically large defense budget is attributed to a complex interplay of factors, primarily driven by regional security concerns and internal challenges. These include the perceived security threat from India as well as internal instability and security threats like terrorism. Additionally, debt servicing and the allocation of resources toward military interests have also played a role in shaping the budget.