Young Pakistani activist in Swat uses education, awareness campaigns to fight child marriages

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Updated 01 August 2024
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Young Pakistani activist in Swat uses education, awareness campaigns to fight child marriages

  • Hadiqa Bashir’s ‘Girls United for Human Rights’ has reached 90,000 girls in Swat to prevent early marriages
  • There are 19 million girls in Pakistan who are married before they turn the age of 18, UNICEF official says 

MINGORA, Pakistan: Eleven-year-old schoolgirl Hadiqa Bashir’s life changed a decade ago when her parents, influenced by relatives, told her she was to be married off to an elderly taxi driver. 

Though child marriages are a norm in Bashir’s conservative Pashtun family in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley, she sought the help of an uncle to defy her parent’s plans and even threatened her family that she would go to the police against them. 

Now 22, Bashir has dedicated her life to fighting child marriages in a country where there are 19 million girls who are married off before they turn 18, the sixth highest number in the world, according to UNICEF.

“When you experience something yourself, then you understand it, you know the pain,” Bashir told Arab News at her office in Swat District’s Mingora city. “An incident happened in my life as well due to which I started a campaign against child marriages in Swat.”




The picture taken on July 9, 2024, shows an aerial view of Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley. (AN photo)

The legal age of marriage for females in Pakistan is 16, except for Sindh province where the minimum age is 18.

Many poor families are pushed by financial strains to marry their daughters young in order to reduce costs at home, or see marriage as the best option for girls who have limited options to study in remote regions. A largely patriarchal society, conservative social norms and pervasive gender inequality also push trends like child marriage. 

Experts say the practice impedes the rights of girls to access education and health services, specifically in rural areas. It also affects their physical health, emotional well-being, education, and future prospects, exposing them to risks such as early pregnancy, domestic violence, and limited opportunities for personal and economic development and stripping away the right of decision-making, exacerbating power imbalances and restricting their autonomy in shaping their lives.

“The situation is very grave ... and you can see that child marriage often leads to early pregnancy before girls’ bodies are fully ready,” Susan Andrew, a child protection specialist at UNICEF Pakistan, told Arab News. “We are witnessing very high rates of infant and maternal mortality as well.”

Andrew added:

“The target should ultimately be that no girl is married before eighteen in Pakistan.”

And that is Bashir’s mission, which is why she set up the non-governmental organization, Girls United for Human Rights, in 2021 to campaign against child marriages. Bashir says she has since reached 90,000 of 1.4 million women and girls in Swat Valley to create awareness against the pervasive practice. 




The picture taken on July 9, 2024, shows a woman holding a booklet on women's right in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley. (AN photo)

“I WAS LUCKY”

With a population of 2.6 million, Bashir’s NGO estimates there are currently around 20,000 adolescent girls who could become victims of forced marriages in Swat, known around the world as the hometown of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban in 2012 for demanding education for girls and went on to become the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. 

“In my own family, my aunt was married at 11-12 years of age, and my grandmother was insisting that we should marry me at 11 and get me out of the school and teach me how to do household chores,” Bashir recalled.

“I was lucky that my uncle told me about human rights, about the Child Marriages Restraint Act, and then bravely I stood up to my grandmother, the first girl in my family to do so, and told her that I don’t want to marry, I want to continue my studies.”




Pakistani activist Hadiqa Bashir speaks to Arab News Pakistan in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley on July 9, 2024. (AN photo)

Bashir is aided in her campaign against early and forces marriages by international bodies like UNICEF and community leaders and religious clerics.

“[We] are getting very positive results [through awareness campaigns] with whoever we inform and educate about medical side effects [of child marriages],” Dr. Saeed Akbar, a community elder engaged with Bashir in Swat, told Arab News.

Akbar said he showed families photos of young brides who had died during pregnancy or childbirth. 

“We show them the available records and photo that ‘See, this is the issue, if you keep marrying your daughters at younger age, you may face these problems’,” he said. 

“Now some 70 percent people understand this while 20-30 percent don’t want to understand or need more time to understand but our efforts are ongoing and this segment will also be covered soon.”

Fazal Rabbi, a prayer leader in Swat, said there was “no place for child marriages in Islam,” which he also propagated in his sermons. 

“If a child is given better education and training, and married after reaching the legal age, this will be beneficial for them,” Rabbi told Arab News. “She will be able to take care of her children’s education and training better as well as of her home.”


Pakistan air force contingent lands in Saudi Arabia for aerial combat exercise

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Pakistan air force contingent lands in Saudi Arabia for aerial combat exercise

  • Saudi Arabia annually hosts Spears of Victory exercise, with last year’s activity having involved more than 60 aircraft from nine nations
  • This year’s exercise will include participation from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bahrain, France, Greece, Qatar, UAE, UK and US

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan Air Force contingent comprising JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter jets and dedicated air and ground crew has landed in Saudi Arabia to participate in the multinational aerial combat exercise, “Spears of Victory-2025,” the Pakistan army said in a statement on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia annually hosts the Spears of Victory exercise, with last year’s activity having involved more than 60 aircraft from nine nations. This year’s exercise will include participation of fighter jets and combat support elements from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bahrain, France, Greece, Qatar, UAE, UK and the US. 
“For this International deployment, PAF fighters flew nonstop from home base in Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, carrying out inflight Air-to-Air refueling, showcasing long range employment capabilities of JF-17 Block-III Aircraft,” the Pakistan army’s media wing said. 
During the exercise, PAF pilots flying AESA & Extended Range BVR Equipped JF-17 Thunder jets will be pitched against participating air forces equipped with a wide variety of sophisticated combat aircraft. 
Royal Saudi Air Force is holding the fifth cycle of the exercise, “which provides an excellent opportunity to bolster interoperability within the participating Air Forces in the backdrop of technological advancement, increasing complexity in Airpower application & shared aerial defense challenges,” the army statement said. 
“Participation of Pakistan Air Force contingent in the exercise not only highlights PAF’s commitment to regional & international cooperation but also underscores its capabilities and prowess to operate in diverse and challenging environments among contemporary airforces.”


Outgoing US president Biden turns down clemency request for Pakistani neuroscientist

Updated 30 min 31 sec ago
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Outgoing US president Biden turns down clemency request for Pakistani neuroscientist

  • Siddiqui is serving 86-year jail sentence after being convicted of attempting to shoot group of FBI agents, US soldiers and interpreters
  • US officials say incident took place as FBI agents, soldiers were about to interrogate Siddiqui at Afghan police compound in Ghazni in 2008

KARACHI: The sister of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist imprisoned in the US, on Tuesday called on supporters not to lose hope after outgoing US President Joe Biden rejected a petition seeking clemency for the jailed academic.
Siddiqui, a US-trained scientist who denies any wrongdoing, was convicted in 2010 and given a 86-year prison sentence for shooting at FBI agents and soldiers after her arrest in Afghanistan. She was arrested in July 2008 by Afghan police, who said she was carrying two pounds (900 grams) of sodium cyanide and crumpled notes referring to mass casualty attacks and New York landmarks.
The day after her arrest, according to the indictment, Siddiqui grabbed an M-4 rifle in her interrogation room and started shooting while yelling “death to America,” the trial jury heard. No US agents or soldiers were hit, but Siddiqui was shot and wounded in response, according to US prosecutors. She was subsequently convicted by a New York federal jury of attempted murder, armed assault and other charges. Siddiqui was never charged with links to terrorism.
Siddiqui’s family says she was visiting Pakistan in 2003 when she was abducted with her three children by Pakistani intelligence officials and handed to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which took her to Afghanistan. Pakistan’s intelligence agencies deny the claims.
“You must all by now have heard the news that our [mercy] petition was denied at the very last moment,” Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui, who has been lobbying for years for her sister’s release, said in a video message. 
The rejection comes in response to a 76,500-word dossier submitted by Siddiqui’s lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, urging Biden to grant her clemency before the end of his term.
“We will go onto Plan B and Plan D but not lose hope. Please, I have not lost hope, so all I am asking you is to please stay steadfast, stay with me, join us for Plan B and please continue the support,” Fowzia added.
In October 2024, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also wrote a letter to Biden, calling for Dr. Siddiqui’s release. The letter highlighted concerns about her treatment in prison and warned that her deteriorating physical and mental health could lead to self-harm.
Freeing Siddiqui or winning her repatriation to Pakistan has at times been a popular cause in her homeland, where her trial was seen as unfair.


Eight Chinese Hangor submarines to enter Pakistan fleet ‘very soon’— naval chief

Updated 21 January 2025
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Eight Chinese Hangor submarines to enter Pakistan fleet ‘very soon’— naval chief

  • Joint construction of eight Hangor-class submarines is key project in China-Pakistan naval cooperation
  • Pakistan signed agreement with China to procure eight Hangor-class conventional submarines in 2015

ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Pakistan Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, has said this month eight Hangor-class submarines built for Pakistan by China would be included in the South Asian country’s fleet “very soon.”
The joint construction of eight Hangor-class submarines is a key project in China-Pakistan naval cooperation. This type of submarine is equipped with the latest weapons and sensors and with an air independent propulsion (AIP) system on board, the submarine has significantly enhanced submerged endurance capabilities.
Pakistan signed a contract with China to procure eight Hangor-class conventional submarines in 2015, with the first four to be constructed by China and the other four to be assembled by Pakistan under a technology transfer agreement. The plan was that Pakistan will obtain the eight advanced submarines between 2022 and 2028. In December 2021, the fifth Hangor-class conventional submarine, also the first one built in Pakistan, officially received a steel cutting ceremony. 
In an interview to China’s Global Times newspaper this month, Ashraf said the Hangor-class submarines would “significantly enhance” Pakistan’s naval capabilities, improving stealth, maneuverability and firepower.
“The project is proceeding as per the timeline. We expect that these submarines will join the Pakistan Navy fleet very soon,” Ashraf said.
The initial Hangor delivery timetable would have seen the four Chinese-built submarines delivered by 2023. But there have been widespread reports that Germany had refused to approve export licenses for its MTU 396 diesel engine, which the submarine was designed to use. The German government had also declined to grant export licenses for its engines in regard to Thailand’s order of the S-26T, a variant of the Chinese Type 039B submarine. The Thai deal eventually fell through.
Neither Germany nor Pakistan have confirmed whether export clearance was ultimately approved or denied.
When Pakistan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) ordered the eight submarines from China in 2015 at an approximate cost of $4–5 billion, it was the largest arms export contract in China’s military history.


Imran Khan party to boycott talks with Pakistan government unless truth commissions announced

Updated 21 January 2025
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Imran Khan party to boycott talks with Pakistan government unless truth commissions announced

  • First round of talks aimed at cooling political instability took place on Dec. 23 with follow ups on Jan. 2 and 16
  • Pakistani court last week sentenced Khan to 14 years jail in a land corruption case, a setback to nascent talks

ISLAMABAD: Salman Akram Raja, a lawyer and close aide of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, said the jailed leader had told the party not to participate in the next session of ongoing reconciliatory talks with the Pakistan government unless it announced judicial commissions into accusations Khan’s party and supporters had led violent protests. 
The first round of talks aimed at cooling political instability in the 241-million South Asian nation took place between Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the government on Dec. 23, with follow up talks on Jan. 2 and 16. 
The PTI party’s demands to the government mainly include the release of all political prisoners including Khan, and the formation of two judicial commissions to probe into the events which led to his arrest in August 2023, and violent protest rallies, including one on May 9, when PTI supporters rampaged through military offices and installations, and a second one on Nov. 26 in which the government says four troops were killed. 
A Pakistani court last week sentenced Khan to 14 years imprisonment in a land corruption case, a setback to the nascent talks’ process. 
“He [Khan] has said we will not play committee-committee,” Raja told reporters after meeting Khan at the Rawalpindi Adiala prison on Monday.
“Our demands that judicial commissions be formed, if commissions are not announced into the events of May 9 and Nov. 26, then we will not sit in the next round [of talks].”

The talks opened last month as Khan had threatened a civil disobedience movement and amid growing concerns he could face trial by a military court for allegedly inciting attacks on sensitive security installations during the May 9 protests.
The negotiations also began two days after 25 civilians were sentenced by a military court to periods of two to 10 years of “rigorous imprisonment” in connection with attacks on military facilities on May 9, 2023. Just days later on Dec. 26, another 60 civilians were sentenced by a military court to jail time ranging from 2 to 10 years in connection with the May 9 attacks.
Khan’s first arrest in May 2023 in the land graft case in which he was sentenced last week sparked countrywide protests that saw his supporters attack and ransack military installations in an unprecedented backlash against Pakistan’s powerful army generals. Although Khan was released days later, he was rearrested in August that year after being convicted in a corruption case. He remains in prison and says all cases against him are politically motivated.
Protests demanding Khan’s release in November also turned violent, with the PTI saying 12 supporters were killed while the state said four troops had died.

 


Pakistan’s Reko Diq mine to generate $74 billion in free cash flow over 37 years — Barrick CEO

Updated 21 January 2025
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Pakistan’s Reko Diq mine to generate $74 billion in free cash flow over 37 years — Barrick CEO

  • Bristow says project’s timeline on track, with fencing, accommodation, and surveys already completed
  • Saudi mining firm Manara Minerals could invest in Reko Diq in next two quarters, Pakistani petroleum minister has said

KARACHI: The Reko Diq copper and gold project in Pakistan is expected to generate approximately $74 billion in free cash flow over the next 37 years, based on consensus long-term prices, the CEO of joint owner Barrick Gold said in a media interview.
Barrick Gold owns a 50 percent stake in the Reko Diq mine and the governments of Pakistan and the province of Balochistan own the other 50 percent. Barrick considers the mine one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas, and its development is expected to have a significant impact on Pakistan’s struggling economy.
The project, which was delayed due to a long running dispute that ended in 2022, is expected to start production by the end of 2028. It will produce 200,000 tons of copper per year in its first phase, with an estimated cost of $5.5 billion. The first phase is expected to be completed by 2029, Barrick’s CEO Mark Bristow told Pakistani digital media outlet Dawn News English.
A second phase, estimated to cost $3.5 billion, will double production, he added.
The mine is estimated to have reserves lasting 37 years but Bristow said that through upgrades and expansions it could potentially be mined for much longer.
A free cash flow of $74 billion could generate significant dividends, royalties and taxes for Pakistan, which currently has only around $11 billion in foreign reserves.
Barrick is also in talks with railway authorities and infrastructure providers to revamp the coal terminal in Port Qasim, on the outskirts of Pakistan’s port city Karachi, to develop infrastructure to transport copper in the country and for export.
Bristow said the project’s timeline is on track, with fencing, accommodation, and surveys already completed.
Saudi Arabian mining company Manara Minerals could invest in Pakistan’s Reko Diq mine in the next two quarters, Pakistani Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik said last week.
Executives from Manara visited Pakistan in May last year for talks about buying a stake in the project. Pakistan is also in talks with other Gulf countries about mining opportunities, Malik said.