UAE pavilion at Pakistan's national library helps researchers understand Arab culture

In this photo, people are reading books at the UAE pavilion in Pakistan's national library on Jan 10, 2020. (AN Photo)
Short Url
Updated 11 January 2020
Follow

UAE pavilion at Pakistan's national library helps researchers understand Arab culture

  • The UAE corner will have 5000 books on different topics related to the Middle East
  • Readers say it will help them understand the Arab culture and the development model of the Gulf state

ISLAMABAD: Scholars, researchers and students hailed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) book pavilion at the National Library of Pakistan in Islamabad on Friday, saying it would help them learn more about Arab culture, heritage and the development model of the UAE.

“I am doing PhD in Islamic Studies from the International Islamic University. Currently, I am doing research on comparative religions and this UAE pavilion has given me access to some wonderful books on Islamic history and Arab culture,” Sajjad Ali told Arab News.




In this photo, people are reading books at the UAE pavilion in Pakistan's national library on Jan 10, 2020. (AN Photo)

The book pavilion has different titles and was inaugurated by Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE Minister for Tolerance, on December 27, 2019. The pavilion is considered a rich and qualitative addition to libraries in Pakistan due to its advanced services that fulfills the information needs of students and researchers focusing on the Middle East.

According to a statement issued by the embassy of the United Arab Emirates, the facility will have 5000 books in Arabic and English on different topics that are published in the UAE.




The UAE pavilion at the National Library of Pakistan contains more than 1500 books on different topics. It is a gift to the country’s biggest library by the diplomatic mission of the Arab state in Islamabad. January 10, 2020 (AN Photo)

“The embassy has given more than 1500 books that deal with its country’s history, culture, heritage, tourism, and folk stories. Some of these titles also deal with biographies of notable Arab leaders and issues related to the Gulf region,” Muhammad Riaz, who is spearheading the UAE pavilion at the library, told Arab News in Islamabad on Friday.

“They have promised 5000 books. The remaining ones will be provided in different phases during the upcoming months,” he said.




The UAE pavilion at the National Library of Pakistan contains more than 1500 books on different topics. It is a gift to the country’s biggest library by the diplomatic mission of the Arab state in Islamabad. January 10, 2020 (AN Photo)

Most of the people who visit the library are scholars and researchers from different universities of Pakistan, Riaz continued, adding that the daily turnout of visitors was around 800 to 1000.

The National Library of Pakistan claims to have the largest number of books with more than 400,000 titles, 480 daily newspapers, and over 1600 magazines.




The UAE pavilion at the National Library of Pakistan contains more than 1500 books on different topics. It is a gift to the country’s biggest library by the diplomatic mission of the Arab state in Islamabad. January 10, 2020 (AN Photo)

“We wrote letters to many universities about the new UAE book pavilion and the number of visitors who want to explore this collection is gradually increasing. Many of these people include MPhil and PhD students. Some of them are also preparing for competitive exams with Arabic language as their subject,” he said.

Since the library is adjacent to the Diplomatic Enclave, Riaz continued, its membership also includes ambassadors of various countries many of whom have also shown keen interest in the pavilion.

“As the world is now a global village and information is not limited to one country or region, everyone seems inquisitive to know about other cultures and regions,” he added. “It will help many Pakistanis and foreigners to know about Arab culture and issues related to the UAE and the Middle East.”




A visitor holds a book in the UAE pavilion at the National Library of Pakistan in Islamabad on January 10, 2020. (AN Photo)

Muhammad Usman, who is preparing for his civil services examination told Arab News that the UAE pavilion was a great addition to the library since it would help people familiarize themselves with the Middle Eastern culture, history and heritage.

“I recently did MA in English and am now preparing for the CSS exams. This corner will help me know more about the UAE, its rapid development and bilateral relationship with Pakistan,” he said.


Pakistan, US navy ships hold joint drills in North Indian Ocean

Updated 9 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan, US navy ships hold joint drills in North Indian Ocean

  • PNS Shamsheer and USS Fitzgerald conduct exercises to boost interoperability, maritime coordination
  • Drills follow Pakistan-India military standoff in May that raised regional security and maritime tensions

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Shamsheer and United States Ship (USS) Fitzgerald conducted an exercise in the North Indian Ocean to enhance interoperability and strengthen maritime cooperation, the Pakistan Navy said on Wednesday.

The exercise follows a military stand-off between Pakistan and India in May, which also made the naval forces of the two countries adopt a hostile posture, though it did not lead to any exchange of fire at sea.

Pakistan and the US navies have a long history of joint maritime cooperation through drills, bilateral training missions and multinational operations like AMAN and CTF-150.

These engagements have focused on maritime security and coordinated responses to regional threats, reflecting a strategic partnership in maintaining stability in the Arabian Sea.

“PNS Shamsheer and USS Fitzgerald conducted a passage exercise in the North Indian Ocean, underscoring the maritime cooperation between the two navies,” the Pakistan Navy said in a post on X. 

“The exercise featured a series of professional naval engagements aimed at enhancing interoperability,” it added. “These interactions reaffirm the shared commitment of both navies to maritime security and regional stability.”

The PNS Shamsheer is a guided-missile frigate commissioned by the navy in December 2009.

It was built in China and has a strong track record in maritime security, participating in regional patrols, anti-piracy operations multinational exercises and bilateral drills.

The USS Fitzgerald is a guided-missile destroyer commissioned in October 1995 under the US Seventh Fleet.

The navy drill between Pakistan and the US comes at a time when the two countries are also in the process of rejuvenating their political and economic relationship.

The exercise is part of Pakistan’s broader strategy to strengthen naval partnerships and reinforce its presence in the region amid ongoing strategic rivalries.


UN credibility at stake over Palestine, Kashmir, says Pakistan speaker, as he backs multilateralism

Updated 25 min 25 sec ago
Follow

UN credibility at stake over Palestine, Kashmir, says Pakistan speaker, as he backs multilateralism

  • Ayaz Sadiq was speaking at the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva
  • He warned the UN risked the fate of the League of Nations if multilateralism was undermined

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker (NA) Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has warned that the credibility of the United Nations system is under threat, according to an official statement on Wednesday, as he called for a return to multilateralism to address long-standing conflicts in places like Palestine and Kashmir.

Speaking at the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, Sadiq said the international system was being undermined by populism, unilateralism and the politicization of humanitarian principles.

He stressed the need for diplomacy and institutional reform to restore global trust in the system.

“The world has witnessed enough bloodshed,” Sadiq told parliamentary leaders from around the globe. “It is time for new thinking, time to embrace pluralism, time to respect diversity and time for a new beginning.”

Citing the UN Security Council’s failure to resolve protracted disputes around the world, he said peaceful conflict resolution must now be treated not only as a legal obligation, but a strategic imperative.

Coercion and unilateral action, he added, cannot deliver sustainable peace.

Sadiq evoked Geneva’s historic role as the heart of diplomacy, recalling that the city had been the birthplace and graveyard of the League of Nations.

He maintained today’s multilateral institutions risk a similar fate if they continue to be undermined by narrow nationalism and hegemonic politics.

The NA speaker praised the unanimous adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2788, led by Pakistan during its recent presidency, which calls for strengthening global mechanisms for peaceful dispute settlement through mediation, arbitration, judicial action and diplomatic engagement.

Turning to the global economy, he said over 100 developing countries are facing debt distress or liquidity crises, highlighting what he described as systemic shortcomings in the international financial and trade architecture.

Sadiq called for urgent reforms to build a fairer, development-oriented global financial system that supports the Global South, enhances economic resilience and reduces inequality.

He also reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding call to reform and democratize the UN Security Council, making it more representative, accountable and transparent.

Only such reform, he added, can help restore trust in multilateralism and enable the global system to meet the challenges of the 21st century.


Climbers attempt rescue of German biathlete injured on Pakistan mountain

Updated 30 July 2025
Follow

Climbers attempt rescue of German biathlete injured on Pakistan mountain

  • Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier was struck by falling rocks at 5,700 meters on Laila Peak
  • The Olympian is a seven-time biathlon world champion and certified mountain guide

KHAPLU, Pakistan: A team of foreign climbers were on Wednesday due to launch a rescue mission for German double biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier, days after she was seriously injured by a rockfall on a Pakistani mountain.

The accident happened around midday on Monday at an altitude of 5,700 meters on Laila Peak in the Karakoram range, according to a statement from her team on her official social media sites.

Her climbing partner was able to sound the alarm after reaching safety.

“It was determined that a helicopter rescue is not possible,” Areeb Ahmed Mukhtar, a senior local official in Ghanche district, where the more than 6,000 meter (19,700 feet) mountain is located, told AFP.

“The conditions at the altitude where she was injured are extremely challenging, and a team of foreign climbers will launch a ground rescue mission today,” he added.

Shipton Trek & Tours Pakistan, which organized the expedition, confirmed the ground rescue by a team of four that includes three Americans and a German mountaineer.

The 31-year-old was “hit by falling rocks,” her team said on Tuesday, adding no one had yet been able to reach her due to the danger of further rockfalls and the site’s “remoteness.”

A helicopter managed to fly over the location and rescuers saw that “the experienced mountaineer is at least seriously injured,” it said.

“No signs of life were detected.”

Muhammad Ali, a local disaster management official, told AFP that weather conditions have been “extremely harsh” in the region for the past week, with rain, strong winds and thick clouds.

Dahlmeier, an experienced mountaineer, had been in the region since the end of June and had already ascended the Great Trango Tower.

The International Biathlon Union said in a statement it was “thinking of Dahlmeier and her family, hoping for good news to emerge soon.”

She has won seven world championship gold medals, and at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang she became the first female biathlete to win both the sprint and the pursuit at the same Games.

Dahlmeier retired from professional competition in 2019 at the age of 25.

She went on to become a commentator on biathlon events for German broadcaster ZDF, and also took up mountaineering.

She is a certified mountain and ski guide and an active member of the mountain rescue, according to her team.


Pakistan PM says human smuggling in decline after crackdown prompted by migrant boat tragedies

Updated 30 July 2025
Follow

Pakistan PM says human smuggling in decline after crackdown prompted by migrant boat tragedies

  • Sharif issues message on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, calls for collective national resolve
  • He says FIA and intelligence agencies have curbed smuggling networks, prosecuted complicit officials

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday human smuggling incidents involving Pakistani migrants had declined following a series of deadly boat tragedies, crediting law enforcement actions for curbing the crime, which he described as an organized global enterprise of exploitation.

Sharif’s remarks came in a statement marking the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, observed this year under the theme “Human Trafficking: A Coordinated Crime – End Exploitation.”

The message follows a series of maritime tragedies over the past two years in which scores of Pakistanis have drowned while attempting to reach Europe through irregular sea routes.

These included a shipwreck off Greece in mid-2023, a December 2024 incident near the Greek coast, a January 2025 disaster off Morocco and two separate capsizings off the Libyan coast in early and mid-2025.

“To prevent such incidents and bring traffickers to justice, the federal government formed a special task force for timely intervention,” Sharif said in the statement circulated by the Prime Minister’s Office to mark the day.

“It is encouraging that the task force has worked with diligence and strategy to address the root causes, motives and consequences of this grave crime,” he added. “The FIA and Intelligence Bureau have significantly reduced the activities of human smuggling networks, and complicit officials have also been held accountable.”

The prime minister described human smuggling as a “transnational crime” that targets vulnerable people in search of livelihoods.

“Criminal networks around the world exploit citizens seeking employment opportunities through human smuggling,” he said.

“In recent years, the tragic deaths of Pakistani migrants who drowned while trying to travel abroad illegally have further exposed the horrific and dangerous face of human smuggling.”

Sharif noted the government was not only targeting smugglers but also educating the public about safe, legal avenues for overseas employment.

He emphasized while the state is working to create job opportunities at home and abroad, risking one’s life through illegal routes was both dangerous and a violation of national and international law.

Pakistan actively participates in global platforms to counter trafficking, including the Budapest Process, Bali Process and the STARSOM Project, which focus on regional cooperation across Asia, Africa and the Americas.

“Today is an opportunity to renew our collective resolve,” the prime minister said, “to ensure that federal and provincial governments, law enforcement agencies, the foreign ministry and intelligence institutions continue to play their part in eradicating this heinous crime.”


Pakistan army chief calls for development push in Balochistan amid spike in separatist violence

Updated 30 July 2025
Follow

Pakistan army chief calls for development push in Balochistan amid spike in separatist violence

  • Field Marshal Asim Munir discusses militant violence while addressing National Workshop Balochistan
  • He reiterates that India is using militant proxies to fuel unrest in province, vows to defeat its ‘hybrid war’

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir called for development initiatives and their smooth execution in southwestern Balochistan, the country’s most volatile province, to address militant violence and ensure long-term stability in the province, according to a military statement on Wednesday.

Balochistan has seen a surge in separatist violence and coordinated attacks targeting security forces, foreign nationals and non-local commuters on highways and buses. The mineral-rich province borders Afghanistan and Iran and is central to high-profile infrastructure projects under the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), adding to its strategic significance and exposure to unrest.

The army chief made the comments while addressing participants of the 16th National Workshop Balochistan, a forum established in 2017 for the exchange of ideas related to the region, in Rawalpindi. The audience included parliamentarians, civil society representatives, civil servants, media professionals and youth leaders.

“The COAS highlighted the pivotal role of development initiatives in Balochistan, advocating for enhanced inter-agency cooperation and a cohesive national approach to propel provincial progress and national advancement,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said in the statement.

Munir reiterated the military’s commitment to eliminating militancy and said violent extremism must be countered, while calling for a unified national response.

He also reiterated that India was sponsoring militant proxies to destabilize Balochistan, as he referred to “Fitna-al-Khawarij,” Pakistan’s official term for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and “Fitna-al-Hindustan,” used to describe the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other separatist outfits.

The army chief maintained these actors were part of an Indian “hybrid war” strategy and would meet the same fate as the neighboring nuclear state itself , which Pakistan said was defeated in the four-day military conflict in May.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused India of fomenting unrest in Balochistan, allegations New Delhi denies.

Munir said, however, that such efforts had failed to shake the “deep-rooted patriotism” of the province’s people.

Separatist groups in Balochistan have long accused the Pakistani state of exploiting the province’s vast natural resources, ranging from gas and coal to copper and gold, without equitably sharing the benefits with local communities. They claim successive governments have prioritized extraction over development, leaving the region impoverished despite its mineral wealth.

These groups also allege widespread rights violations by the country’s security forces, including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial detentions of suspected activists. Human rights organizations have also echoed some of these concerns. Pakistani authorities have, however, consistently rejected such accusations, maintaining that a significant number of development projects are underway to uplift Balochistan’s economy, improve infrastructure and expand access to education and health care.

Earlier this month, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said his administration was ready to reconcile with “disgruntled” ethnic Baloch elements. However, he also issued a warning that anyone found involved in militant violence would be dealt with “with iron hands.”