Pakistan affirms ‘all-weather’ partnership with China after days of controversy

Pakistan affirms ‘all-weather’ partnership with China after days of controversy
Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong (left) calls on Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, Pakistan on Januart 28, 2025. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
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Updated 28 January 2025
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Pakistan affirms ‘all-weather’ partnership with China after days of controversy

Pakistan affirms ‘all-weather’ partnership with China after days of controversy
  • Pak-China relations have been in spotlight recently as Beijing has publicly criticized Islamabad about security lapses and threats
  • On Monday the Guardian published a report quoting a top Chinese official criticizing Pakistan’s “false rhetoric” around CPEC projects

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday met Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to an ‘all-weather strategic’ partnership between the two nations, after days of controversy that has threatened to strain ties between the longtime allies.

Pakistan-China relations have been in the spotlight in recent months as Beijing has publicly criticized Islamabad about security lapses and threats to its nationals and projects in Pakistan. Last week, Pakistan had to issue a series of clarifications after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reportedly attended an event in Washington where he met people aligned with a political movement opposed to the Chinese state.

On Monday, the Guardian published a report quoting a top Chinese official criticizing Pakistan’s “false rhetoric” around projects that are part of the joint multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and expressing “serious concerns” over the scheme’s future due to security challenges. The Chinese embassy later rejected the contents of the article as “completely false.”

“They reaffirmed the Pak-China All-Weather Strategic Partnership, which is a cornerstone of bilateral relations between the two states,” Dar’s office said in a statement after he met Jiang. 

“During the meeting, they reviewed the progress of CPEC 2.0, a significant project aimed at enhancing economic cooperation and regional connectivity. Both sides expressed their commitment to elevating bilateral ties to new heights, further solidifying their strategic partnership.”

Jiang also invited Dar to the UN Security Council event, “Practicing Multilateralism, Reforming and Improving Global Governance,” hosted by China under its presidency of the UNSC on Feb. 18 in New York. 

“The Deputy Prime Minister accepted the invitation, underscoring Pakistan’s commitment to multilateral cooperation,” the statement added. 

Beijing has pledged to build energy, infrastructure and other projects as part of the over $60 billion CPEC scheme launched in 2015 as a flagship of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to grant China access to trade routes in Asia and Africa. 

Recent attacks, including one in October 2024 in which two Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, have forced Beijing to publicly criticize Pakistan and media has widely reported in recent months that China wants its own security forces on the ground to protect its nationals and projects, a demand Islamabad has long resisted.

Progress on the economic corridor has been slow, particularly in the restive southwestern Balochistan province where China is building a deep-sea port and last week opened Pakistan’s largest airport in the coastal town of Gwadar, among other mega projects. 

Ethnic separatist groups target Chinese interests in the area, blaming both the governments in Pakistan and China of exploiting the province’s natural resources and neglecting the local population, allegations both Beijing and Islamabad deny. Gwadar residents have held intermittent protests for months, saying Chinese projects in the area have not improved the lives of the local population.

Pakistan has repeatedly assured China it will protect its nationals in the country from militant threats and has tightened security protocols for Chinese investors and nationals. Islamabad says attacks on Chinese nationals are an “international conspiracy” to sour ties.


Pakistani forces kill 30 militants in restive province bordering Afghanistan

Pakistani forces kill 30 militants in restive province bordering Afghanistan
Updated 19 sec ago
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Pakistani forces kill 30 militants in restive province bordering Afghanistan

Pakistani forces kill 30 militants in restive province bordering Afghanistan
  • The deaths occurred during an intelligence-based operation in the volatile South Waziristan district
  • The development follows kidnapping of a traders’ union president and two Pakistan Customs officials

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have killed 30 militants in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the military said on Tuesday, amid a surge in militant violence in the restive region that borders Afghanistan.
Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in the country, particularly in KP, since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Islamabad broke down in November 2022.
The TTP and other militant groups have frequently targeted security forces convoys and check-posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
The militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Sararogha area of KP’s South Waziristan district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
“Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Kharji [militant] found in the area,” the ISPR said in a statement.
The development came days after unidentified men kidnapped a traders’ union president and two Pakistan Customs officials in the district, according to local administration. While no group claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, TTP was suspected of involvement in it.
Islamabad has frequently blamed the surge in militant activities on Afghanistan, accusing it of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.
The South Waziristan district, which borders Afghanistan, had been a stronghold of the TTP before successive military operations drove the militants out of the region more than a decade ago. Pakistan says TTP fighters have regrouped in the restive region in recent years.
 


Babar Azam says a lot has changed since last Champions Trophy, but Pakistan belief remains same

Babar Azam says a lot has changed since last Champions Trophy, but Pakistan belief remains same
Updated 49 min 57 sec ago
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Babar Azam says a lot has changed since last Champions Trophy, but Pakistan belief remains same

Babar Azam says a lot has changed since last Champions Trophy, but Pakistan belief remains same
  • Defending champions and hosts Pakistan will face New Zealand in the opening match in Karachi on Wednesday
  • Azam heads into the tournament as the world’s top ranked batter and his form will be crucial for Pakistan

KARACHI: Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has said that a lot has changed since they last played the Champions Trophy, but his side’s belief was still the same.
The statement by the former Pakistan skipper came a day ahead of defending champions and hosts Pakistan’s opening match against New Zealand in Karachi.
Babar hit 46 from 52 balls in the 2017 Champions Trophy final against India that helped Pakistan on their way to a 180-run win at The Oval.
However, the right-hander refuses to live in the past and wants to make more memories in front of the adoring Pakistani public in the coming weeks.
“I am very excited. My primary memories of the 2017 final are Fakhar Zaman’s innings [of 114], the spell of Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali’s spell and the winning moment,” Azam was quoted as saying by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
“Playing against India, that excitement and the nervousness was there but when we won, we enjoyed and celebrated. [But] a lot has changed since the Champions Trophy was held in 2017. We have new players coming, we only have three or four players who were part of that winning team. But the belief, confidence and execution is the same.”
Pakistan-New Zealand clash on Wednesday will include two of biggest names in the competition, with Azam set to go head-to-head with Kiwi star Kane Williamson.
Joe Root, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli are part of the respective England, Australia and India squads but Azam stands in a league of his own in ODI cricket, heading into this competition as the world’s top ranked batter in the 50-over format.
“When you have responsibility as a senior player in any team and the team relies on you and has belief in you, then I take it in a positive way,” he said.
“I try to give my best in every match. I try to perform so that Pakistan win and I enjoy my cricket.”
His form will be crucial if Pakistan are to improve on their recent tournament record. They have been knocked out in the group stage at the last two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups and suffered the same fate at last year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after losing to co-hosts USA.
But Azam said he does not have any “pressure.”
“What has happened in the past is beyond us. We have discussed mistakes we have made and we have worked on them. So we will try not to do what we have done in the past,” he was quoted as saying.
Azam’s home city of Lahore is among the three Pakistani cities hosting matches and he believes local knowledge will help his side thrive.
“When you play at home you get that edge as you know the conditions,” he said. “You have a knowledge of how the pitch will behave, both in the first and second (innings), but still you have to play good cricket because all other teams are among the best.”


Pakistan offers over 70 offshore and onshore blocks to foreign investors for oil and gas exploration

Pakistan offers over 70 offshore and onshore blocks to foreign investors for oil and gas exploration
Updated 18 February 2025
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Pakistan offers over 70 offshore and onshore blocks to foreign investors for oil and gas exploration

Pakistan offers over 70 offshore and onshore blocks to foreign investors for oil and gas exploration
  • Pakistan, which imports most of its energy needs, is currently looking for ways to lessen the cost of power generation
  • The South Asian country is focusing on indigenization, electrification and liberalization to advance its energy sector

ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik on Tuesday said that Pakistan was offering foreign investors 40 offshore and 31 onshore blocks for oil and gas exploration, Pakistani state media reported, as Islamabad pursues a multi-pronged strategy to advance the energy sector.
The statement by the petroleum minister came at the 30th Annual Technical Conference and Oil Show in Islamabad, which brought together experts, officials of regulatory bodies and industry stakeholders to discuss oil and gas exploration, and renewable energy resources.
Pakistan is currently focusing on indigenization, electrification and liberalization to advance the energy sector, and has identified Access to Energy, Provision of Affordable Energy and Sustainability of Energy as fundamental pillars of its strategy.
Speaking at the conference, Malik said a significant portion of Pakistan’s natural resources remained unexplored and invited international investors to capitalize on opportunities in these newly opened blocks, the state-run APP news agency reported.
“Pakistan is open for business and we will provide all necessary facilitation to investors,” the petroleum minister was quoted as saying.
Pakistan, which has been struggling with an economic crisis, imports most of its energy needs and is currently looking for ways to lessen the cost of power generation.
Malik said reducing energy prices for the underprivileged was one of the government’s top priorities and efforts were underway to increase local production.
“We are utilizing domestic resources for energy,” he said, adding that Pakistan possessed untapped shale and tight gas reserves.
The minister said the government was introducing a deregulation policy and aimed to open the oil sector under a price cap mechanism, stressing the importance of transitioning the sector to modern technology.
“Prosperity will not come by simply introducing one machine,” he said. “For sustainable growth, we must engage in science and research ourselves.”


Punjab CM lays foundation stone of 300-bed Saudi-German Hospital in Lahore

Punjab CM lays foundation stone of 300-bed Saudi-German Hospital in Lahore
Updated 18 February 2025
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Punjab CM lays foundation stone of 300-bed Saudi-German Hospital in Lahore

Punjab CM lays foundation stone of 300-bed Saudi-German Hospital in Lahore
  • $250 million hospital will be equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment along international standards
  • The Saudi-German Hospital Network is a leading health care provider in UAE, Egypt, Yemen and Morocco

ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister of Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has laid the foundation stone for a 300-bed Saudi-German Hospital in Smart City, Lahore, which will cost $250 million, state television reported on Tuesday.
The Saudi-German Hospital Network, founded in 1988, is a leading private health care provider in the Middle East and North Africa region. It is operated by the Middle East Healthcare Company and spans Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco and Pakistan.
Known for advanced medical care in specialties like cardiology, neurology and oncology, the Saudi-German Hospital collaborates with top German institutions and integrates AI-driven solutions. The network continues to expand and meet growing health care demands with a reputation for cutting-edge technology and skilled professionals.
“Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has laid the foundation stone of Saudi-German Hospital in Smart City Lahore,” Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) reported. “The hospital will be a 300-bed medical facility and will be completed at a cost of $250 million.”
The hospital will be equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and provide international standard medical facilities, it said, adding that the project would be a “huge source of employment for the people.”
PTV quoted Sharif as saying that the government values the private sector’s commitment to bringing positive changes to the country’s health care system.
She called improving the health care system her “priority,” with the Saudi-German Hospital marking a key milestone in enhancing public health and establishing a welfare society, according to state media.
Earlier in February, the Saudi Fund for Development approved a $40 million grant to build the King Salman Hospital in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Last August, the Saudi-German Hospital signed a partnership deal with the Capital Smart City in Islamabad.
Saudi Arabia has been a key ally of Pakistan, providing financial aid, oil subsidies and investments in sectors like energy and health care. The two nations share strong religious and cultural ties, with millions of Pakistani expatriates contributing to both economies. Their partnership is further strengthened through trade, defense cooperation and diplomatic support.


Skipper Rizwan urges Pakistan to enjoy ICC Champions Trophy

Skipper Rizwan urges Pakistan to enjoy ICC Champions Trophy
Updated 18 February 2025
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Skipper Rizwan urges Pakistan to enjoy ICC Champions Trophy

Skipper Rizwan urges Pakistan to enjoy ICC Champions Trophy
  • Pakistan had been due to host the tournament in 2008 but was thrown into cricketing isolation by a security crisis
  • Major teams have toured Pakistan as security improved, opening way for cricket-mad nation to stage the tournament.

KARACHI: Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan said on Tuesday the Champions Trophy would be a “historic occasion” for the country, a day before the hosts kick the tournament off against New Zealand.
The Champions Trophy is the first major cricket event hosted by Pakistan in nearly three decades and is regarded as second only to the World Cup in the one-day game.
“A global event has come to Pakistan after 29 years so I think the whole nation should enjoy this historic occasion,” Rizwan told a news conference on the eve of the tournament, which runs until March 9.
Pakistan had been due to host the tournament in 2008 but was thrown into cricketing isolation by a security crisis as violence spilled over from the long-running war in neighboring Afghanistan.
Gunmen then attacked a bus carrying Sri Lanka’s team in Lahore the following year, wounding several players and killing eight policemen and civilians.
However, major teams have toured Pakistan in the past five years as security improved, opening the way for the cricket-mad nation to stage the tournament.
“Pakistan has suffered enough and for a long time, but we have also won during this phase like the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup,” Rizwan said.
Still, the build-up has not been without problems after neighbors and arch-rivals India refused to play in Pakistan over long-standing political tensions. India will instead play their matches in Dubai.
Pakistan’s opponents in the tournament opener in Karachi beat them twice this month during a tri-series event that included South Africa.
“There shouldn’t be any doubts on our performance,” Rizwan said. “We may not have played on our abilities but we all want to win the event for the country and people.”
Rizwan hoped to have pace bowler Haris Rauf on the pitch after he suffered chest muscle strain in the match against New Zealand in Lahore last week.
“Haris bowled 80 percent yesterday and today he is bowling at his full rhythm and told us that he is not feeling any discomfort, so I hope he is fully fit,” Rizwan said.