Women in Pakistan's Thar eye road out of poverty by snapping up truck-driving jobs

A group of female dump truck drivers pose for a picture at a coal mining site in Tharparkar, Pakistan, on February 22, 2022. (AN Photo by Khurshid Ahmed)
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Updated 28 February 2022
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Women in Pakistan's Thar eye road out of poverty by snapping up truck-driving jobs

  • Full of resources yet most impoverished, Tharparkar has massive coal reserves that can last for centuries
  • Mining in the desert region has provided livelihood opportunities to thousands, though activists say it can also impact the area’s natural habitat

KARACHI: Sharifan descends into a 160-meter-deep pit with a gigantic dumper truck and returns with a huge quantity of coal every day to supply nearby power plants in a remote and one of the most impoverished districts of Pakistan's southern Sindh province.

The combustible, black rock has provided residents of Tharparkar district a way out of abject poverty and a source to accelerate economic growth in the country.

According to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s Energy Planning Report, the impoverished desert region has 175 billion tons of coal reserves which were discovered by the Geological Survey of Pakistan in the 1980s. In terms of energy, these coal deposits are equivalent to 50 billion tons of oil — more than Saudi and Iranian oil reserves combined.




Children can be seen at a school in Tharparkar, Pakistan, on February 22, 2022. (AN Photo by Khurshid Ahmed)

Like hundreds of others in the region, Sharifan, who goes by just one name, also decided to grab the opportunity that was knocking at her door and joined a mining firm as a dump truck driver — a job mostly performed by men — last year.

She said that women in her village were not allowed to work, but she went ahead with it along with some others.

“I joined the workforce because of poverty,” she told Arab News. “The times were tough for us and everyone in the family was struggling for survival.”

In 2014, Pakistan decided to utilize Thar coal for power generation under the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework. For this purpose, it formed Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) that has been annually extracting 3.8 million tons of coal since 2019.




A woman is driving a truck loaded with coal in Tharparkar, Pakistan, on February 22, 2022. (AN Photo by Khurshid Ahmed)

This coal is sold to Engro Powergen Thar Limited (EPTL), the country’s only indigenous coal-fired power plant which generates 660 megawatts (MWs) of electricity. The provincial administration of Sindh controls 54.7 percent stakes in the coal mining company.

“Training women to drive trucks was an uphill task,” said Naseer Memon, SECMC corporate social responsibility and communications general manager, while briefing a group of journalists from Karachi on a recent visit to Thar. “We took up the challenge and opened a training school for them.”

“Out of the 55 trained women, now we have 25 full-time dumper drivers and there is no discrimination between male and female employees in terms of wages and benefits,” he added.

Women drivers, some of whom are uneducated, said they agreed to perform the job, which is otherwise considered masculine in nature, to ward off poverty.

Sharifan said she was initially scared of driving the giant vehicle, adding she could now do it with her “eyes closed” after 10 months of training.

“The financial condition of my family was very difficult with no earner,” Amina, another female driver with the company, told Arab News. “However, everyone is comfortable now since I am earning and our children are going to school.”




Young children are attending Thar Foundation Primary School in Tharparkar, Pakistan, on February 22, 2022. (AN Photo by Khurshid Ahmed)

The women drivers earn as much as Rs35,000 ($200) a month. In addition to that, they get medical facilities and other fringe benefits as well.

“Women empowerment without economic independence is nothing but a hollow slogan,” Memon said. “The whole of Tharparkar was desolate and disconnected just 10 or 15 years ago.”

Coal mining in the region created job opportunities and the local workers now constitute 60 to 70 percent of the total workforce at mines and power plants, according to SECMC officials. These workers can earn as much as Rs60,000 ($340) a month.

The area with coal reserves is divided into 13 different blocks of various sizes. Currently, coal is only extracted from blocks I and II.

SECMC, which operates in Block-II, is not the sole operator in the region: A Chinese power generation company, Shanghai Electric, has recently hit the first layer of three billion tons of coal in Block-I.




A group of female dump truck drivers pose for a picture at a coal mining site in Tharparkar, Pakistan, on February 22, 2022. (AN Photo by Khurshid Ahmed)

The Chinese firm employs around 7,000 Pakistani workers, according to a report by Pakistan’s state-run APP news agency.

The integrated project, which includes 1,320MW mine-mouth power plant, is projected to supply electricity to four million households in Pakistan.

Apart from providing employment opportunities, these firms have also been engaged in community development in Tharparkar, which ranked 109th among Pakistan’s 114 districts on the 2020 United Nations Human Development Index (HDI).

An HDI report published in 2017 described Tharparkar as “the most deprived district in Sindh, and as the only district in the very low category, it lags far behind other districts in the province.”

Today, as part of corporate social responsibility, companies are annually spending about Rs350 million ($1.98 million) in the region through Thar Foundation, a non-profit organization established by the Sindh government along with SECMC, EPTL and other partners.

The Sindh government has contractually bounded firms to allocate two percent of mining and one percent of power generation profit for community development in the area, according to SECMC officials.

“Thar Foundation has set up 27 schools in its beneficiary areas, Islamkot and Mithi, which have a capacity of 5,500 students,” Memon informed. “So far, 4,100 students are enrolled and one-third of them are girls. Sending a girl to school is the most difficult task in the area.”

Going forward, Thar Foundation plans to adopt and operate all government-run schools in Islamkot town of the district.

“Children hailing from far-flung areas are now able to attend schools where we give them books, uniforms and transportation almost free,” said Pooja Goswami, principal of The Citizens Foundation School in Islamkot. “This is happening due to the development taking place in the area.”

Mining firms have also been imparting vocational education. They operate 17 reverse osmosis (RO) plants, of which 10 have been adopted from the government and rehabilitated. These plants supply 331,340 gallons of water per day to around 15 villages.

“We trained local women as RO operators and now 13 of them run these plants in Tharparkar. Most of them belong to Islamkot and Mithi,” Rashna Zamir, a social mobilizer and coordinator for RO plant operators, told Arab News.

Thar Foundation is also providing medical facilities by setting up a hospital in Islamkot. It has also invited Shanghai Electric to play its part in community development which may help generate additional resources to benefit people.

However, social activists remain concerned all this development may ultimately undermine the area’s natural habitat and culture.

“The companies are extracting underground water for mining and the process is impacting local population and grazing lands,” Ali Akbar Rahimoon, an activist, told Arab News.

“Even the British made a separate land policy for Thar due to its unique culture, requirements and sources of livelihood,” he continued. “The companies paid to acquire entitled lands from the government, but they have also occupied communal lands which has started impacting the livelihoods of people who are associated with livestock and farming.”

Rahimoon said locals also complained of being left out of the development process, adding that many of those who did not belong to the region were considered for jobs.

“The government must set up an institution in the area for providing skills to locals,” he said while demanding a long-term policy to benefit Thar residents.


Pakistan, China discuss progress of CPEC projects, connectivity with Central Asia

Updated 27 July 2025
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Pakistan, China discuss progress of CPEC projects, connectivity with Central Asia

  • CPEC is a major segment of China’s Belt and Road Initiative that aims to build land and maritime trade routes linking Asia with Africa and Europe
  • Pakistan Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal says connecting Central Asian states with CPEC will contribute to regional stability and economic cooperation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has met China’s Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong and discussed progress of ongoing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and linking the corridor with Central Asian states for greater regional connectivity and economic stability, Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said on Sunday.

Since 2013, Beijing has invested tens of billions of dollars in energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan as part of CPEC, a major segment of China’s Belt and Road Initiative that aims to build land and maritime trade routes linking Asia with Africa and Europe.

In May, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to the expansion of CPEC to Afghanistan after the recent trilateral meeting in Beijing, while Pakistani and Chinese leaders have invited Central Asian republics in recent years to join CPEC to enhance regional connectivity and economic cooperation.

At the meeting in Islamabad, both Pakistani and Chinese officials discussed the progress of ongoing CPEC projects and preparations for the upcoming Pakistan-China Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting, where key decisions are expected to be made.

“Connecting CPEC to Central Asian states will contribute to regional economic stability and economic cooperation,” Iqbal said as he reiterated his government’s commitment to ensuring security of CPEC projects, according to PID.

Despite massive Chinese investments, Pakistan has struggled to keep up its financial obligations regarding CPEC, while the undertaking has also been hit by militant attacks in recent years.

Iqbal previously said the two sides will hold the JCC meeting at the end of July, at which they will approve roadmap for CPEC’s Phase 2. The next phase would be based on five corridors, relating to growth, innovation, livelihoods, green energy, and open and inclusive development in the region, he told reporters at a briefing in Islamabad last month.

Speaking at Sunday’s meeting, he said the development of Gwadar port, which lies at the heart of CPEC in Pakistan’s Balochistan, and Special Economic Zones was top priority of his government.
“The government is committed to fully capitalizing on the port’s trade potential,” he said.

During the meeting, Ambassador Jiang reaffirmed China’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s development efforts, according to PID.
“He assured that bilateral cooperation will continue to expand in the coming years,” it said.


Chinese firm eyes investment in Pakistan’s ICT, new energy sectors — ministry

Updated 27 July 2025
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Chinese firm eyes investment in Pakistan’s ICT, new energy sectors — ministry

  • GuoDong Group expresses interest in building telecommunication towers, data centers and cloud computing infrastructure in Pakistan
  • IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja invites GuoDong Group officials to visit Pakistan for more detailed discussions, assures full support

ISLAMABAD: GuoDong Group, a leading Chinese communications firm, has expressed “strong interest” in investment in Pakistan’s information and communication technology (ICT) and new energy sectors, the Pakistani IT ministry said on Sunday.

The statement came after a meeting between Pakistan’s IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja and a three-member GuoDong Group delegation, led by its founder and chairman Lu Jie in Shanghai.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Global Artificial Intelligence Conference, at which both sides discussed investment opportunities in Pakistan, according to the Pakistani IT ministry.

“The delegation expressed strong interest in investing in Pakistan’s ICT sector, with a focus on telecommunication towers, data centers, and cloud computing infrastructure,” the Pakistani ministry said in a statement.

“Mr. Lu Jie also conveyed interest in expanding to new energy domains, including EV charging stations, smart city solutions, and advanced material manufacturing within Pakistan.”

The development comes as Pakistan, slowly recovering from a macroeconomic crisis under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal, has been looking to boost foreign investment for sustainable growth.

In May, the Pakistani government allocated 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity in the first phase of a national initiative to power cryptocurrency mining and Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centers. The South Asian country is also looking to build critical electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure as it targets 30 percent of all new vehicle sales to be electric by 2030 under its ambitious New Electric Vehicle Policy (NEVP) 2025–2030.

Welcoming the proposals, Khawaja invited the GuoDong Group officials to visit Pakistan for more detailed discussions with relevant stakeholders.

“She assured the delegation of the Government’s full support and facilitation to help realize these investment initiatives,” the IT ministry said.


At least five arrested as Pakistan widens crackdown on illegal currency exchange, transfers

Updated 27 July 2025
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At least five arrested as Pakistan widens crackdown on illegal currency exchange, transfers

  • The development comes days after a senior ISI official met exchange company representatives, amid concern over rupee’s depreciation
  • Pakistan operates a multi-tiered currency market, with rates diverging between official interbank channel, open market and ‘grey market’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested five suspects involved in illegal currency exchange and transfer of money, the agency said on Sunday, amid a widening crackdown on black market currency traders.

The development comes days after the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s powerful military-run spy agency, held a meeting in Islamabad with senior officials from currency exchange companies, amid growing concern over the rupee’s depreciation, which fell to a 22-month low of Rs284.97 against the US dollar earlier this week.

Maj. Gen. Faisal Naseer, a deputy chief of the ISI, chaired the session, according to Malik Bostan, who attended the discussion and is the chairman of the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP), told Arab News. The FIA had begun raiding informal, unregulated money transfer, or ‘hundi’ and ‘hawala,’ operators and currency smuggling networks.

In a statement on Sunday, the agency said it was tightening the noose around networks involved currency smuggling and had conducted major operations in the southwestern Balochistan province that border Iran and Afghanistan.

“Five suspects involved in hawala, hundi and illegal currency exchange have been arrested,” the FIA said in a statement. “The suspects were arrested in raids in different areas of Quetta and Chaman.”

Pakistan operates a multi-tiered currency market, with rates diverging between the official interbank channel, the open market, and an unregulated “grey market” where many traders and informal hawala dealers operate.

Burdened by over $58 billion in imports in the last fiscal year, Pakistan faces severe inflationary pressure whenever the dollar strengthens. The rupee has lost 2 percent of its value since January, despite Pakistan’s current account recording a surplus of $2.1 billion, according to central bank data.

During the raids in Balochistan, the FIA said, officials seized 684,000 Pakistani rupees, 230.5 million Iranian rials, more than 135,000 Afghanis, 700 US dollars, 200 Saudi riyals and 150 Australian dollars.

“Cheque books, hawala-hundi receipts and bank deposit slips were also recovered from the suspects,” it said.

“The accused were involved in currency exchange without a license. They could not give a satisfactory answer to the authorities regarding the recovered currency.”

The agency said it was further investigating the arrested suspects.


Pakistan to launch new remote-sensing satellite to monitor resources, boost disaster management

Updated 27 July 2025
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Pakistan to launch new remote-sensing satellite to monitor resources, boost disaster management

  • The launch will mark a major milestone in Pakistan’s space program, significantly enhancing its Earth observation capabilities
  • In addition, the satellite will support national development initiatives by mapping transportation networks, identifying geo-hazards

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will be launching another remote-sensing satellite from a Chinese launch center next week to monitor resources and boost disaster management efforts, its space research commission SUPARCO announced on Sunday.

The launch of the satellite will mark a major milestone in Pakistan’s space program, significantly enhancing its Earth observation capabilities. It will support a wide range of national applications, including precision agriculture to boost crop yields, monitoring infrastructure growth and urban sprawl, and enabling regional planning, according to SUPARCO.

The satellite will strengthen disaster management efforts by providing timely warnings for floods, landslides, and earthquakes, while tracking glacier recession and deforestation. In addition, it will support national development initiatives by mapping transportation networks and identifying geo-hazard risks.

"The launch of this remote sensing satellite, along with its integration into Pakistan’s existing remote sensing fleet — including PRSS-1 (launched in July 2018) and EO-1 (launched in January 2025) — will further strengthen the country’s space-based infrastructure, aligning with the National Space Policy and SUPARCO’s Vision 2047, aiming to position our nation at the forefront of space technology and innovation," SUPARCO said in a statement.

The satellite, whose data acquisition capabilities under various environmental conditions make it a vital asset for environmental monitoring and resource management, will be launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC), China on July 31.

Pakistan has taken strides in its space research program in recent years months.

In January this year, China launched Pakistan’s indigenously developed Electro-Optical (EO-1) satellite into space from its Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, aiming to predict natural disasters and monitor resources, Chinese and Pakistani state media reported.

In Nov. last year, SUPARCO announced its rover will join China’s Chang’E 8 mission to explore the moon’s surface in 2028. Prior to that in May 2024, Pakistan launched its first lunar satellite aboard China’s Chang’e-6 probe, which was tasked with landing on the far side of the moon that perpetually faces away from the Earth. China was the first country to make such an ambitious attempt.


Authorities seize 1,000 kilograms of donkey meat in Islamabad, arrest ‘foreign national’

Updated 27 July 2025
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Authorities seize 1,000 kilograms of donkey meat in Islamabad, arrest ‘foreign national’

  • The seizure was made during a raid at a farmhouse in Islamabad’s Tarnol area, with authorities recovering 50 live donkeys as well
  • Official says the meat had been packed for ‘export to a neighboring country,’ more raids to be conducted to trace local facilitators

ISLAMABAD: Local administration in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad has seized around 1,000 kilograms of donkey meat from an illegal slaughterhouse and arrested a “foreign national,” officials said on Sunday.

The seizure was made during a joint raid by the Islamabad Food Authority (IFA), local police and the Islamabad district administration on a farmhouse in Tarnol area, according to the IFA.

Fifty live donkeys were also recovered from the site and an IFA team was destroying the meat under the supervision of Deputy Director Dr. Tahira Siddique.

Police have lodged a case against the arrested foreign national, who had been running the operation, and are looking for his local facilitators.

“A foreign national was arrested at the site which has been sealed and an investigation is underway,” Muhammad Nasir Butt, a spokesperson for the Islamabad district administration, told Arab News.

“We will conduct further raids as per the findings of the investigation and efforts are also underway to trace local individuals involved.”

Butt said the meat had been packed for “export to a neighboring country.”

“So far, we have not found any traces of meat being used in the local restaurants, but administration is investigating the matter from multiple angles,” he added.

According to a police report seen by Arab News, the farmhouse had no authorization to process donkey meat or export live donkeys.

“Due to the absence of records for [processing] haram meat, and on the basis of its supply and sale, legal action shall be taken against concerned individuals under Sections 11, 12, 13, and 14 of the Islamabad Capital Territory Food Safety Act, 2021,” the report said.

Pakistan is frequently listed among countries with the highest number of donkey populations worldwide. The country’s donkey population rose to 6 million in fiscal year 2024-25, which ended in June, compared to 5.9 million in 2023–24, according to the latest economic survey.

In May this year, Pakistan Customs had foiled an attempt to smuggle donkey hides worth approximately Rs80 million (around $283,800) to China. The staff deployed on the Risk Management Profiling System of the Karachi Customs

Collectorate detected a container number SEGU-3154225 cleared from the South Asia Pakistan Port (SAPT) terminal in Karachi, whose export documents showed 285 packages of leather products were being sent to China.

The animal’s meat and hides are quite popular in China. Gelatin derived from donkey hides is highly sought after in China for its use in Ejiao, a traditional medicinal remedy. Several Chinese eateries sell donkey meat and burgers for consumption.

Dr. Siddique, who was part of the team that raided the farmhouse, said the availability of safe and quality food in Islamabad was the top priority of the IFA.

“We are enforcing a zero-tolerance policy against those who endanger public health,” she was quoted as saying by the IFA.