Pakistan eyes Chinese investment for desalination plants in Karachi

Pakistan eyes Chinese investment for desalination plants in Karachi
The handout photograph shows Chinese delegation meets Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry (fourth right) in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 15, 2025. (PID)
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Updated 15 April 2025
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Pakistan eyes Chinese investment for desalination plants in Karachi

Pakistan eyes Chinese investment for desalination plants in Karachi
  • Six-member delegation of Chinese construction company meets Pakistan’s maritime affairs minister
  • Chinese company says committed to bringing advanced technologies and investment to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A Chinese construction company has expressed interest in installing desalination plants at Pakistan’s Port Qasim to convert seawater into drinking water, the maritime affairs ministry said on Tuesday, amid Islamabad’s efforts to resolve its water crisis. 

Pakistan has the fourth-highest rate of water consumption in the world. The country’s agriculture sector uses the most amount of freshwater than any other sector. Rainfall has steadily declined over the past few decades and experts have been warning for years the country will approach “absolute scarcity” of water by 2025.

The Chinese delegation met Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry in Islamabad to discuss joint investment between the two countries. 

“One of the key topics discussed during the meeting was the installation of desalination plants at Port Qasim,” the ministry said in a statement. 

“The Chinese delegation expressed strong interest in investing in facilities to convert seawater into potable water, an initiative that would address both industrial and domestic water needs.”

Chaudhry highlighted that the desalination plants would supply drinking water and support small industrial operations around the port.

He added that these proposals were a step toward resolving regional water issues that aligned with Pakistan’s climate resilience and environmental sustainability objectives.

“Pakistan’s maritime sector offers promising opportunities for foreign investment, particularly in areas such as port development, logistics, maritime tourism and blue economy ventures,” the ministry quoted Chaudhry as saying.

He encouraged the delegation to explore investment in maritime tourism, part of Pakistan’s economic diversification plan and also invited them to upcoming forums showcasing the country’s potential as a regional maritime hub.

The ministry added the delegation was ready to carry out feasibility studies and collaborate with local stakeholders to launch the project “promptly and effectively.”

“We see tremendous potential in contributing to Pakistan’s sustainable infrastructure goals,” the ministry quoted Wang Yaodong, the head of the Chinese delegation, as saying. 

“Our company is committed to bringing advanced technologies and investment that can help improve living standards and support economic development.”


Pakistan’s award-winning Loralai Olives eyes exports to US, Japan, Gulf markets

Pakistan’s award-winning Loralai Olives eyes exports to US, Japan, Gulf markets
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Pakistan’s award-winning Loralai Olives eyes exports to US, Japan, Gulf markets

Pakistan’s award-winning Loralai Olives eyes exports to US, Japan, Gulf markets
  • Khaity Technologies owns Loralai Olives which recently won silver for olive oil quality at New York International Olive Oil Competition
  • Pakistan had potential to export $2 billion worth of olive oil if it can grow 10 million fruiting trees across Pakistan in next five years

KARACHI: A Pakistani olive oil firm is eyeing the US, Gulf and Japanese markets for exports as world leaders Italy and Spain see a decline in production, creating space for new entrants, the chief executive officer of the company said in an interview this week.

Khaity Technologies (Pvt.) Ltd., is a top AI-powered agriculture app that owns Loralai Olives (LO), named after an olive-producing district in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province. In recent weeks, LO has received global recognition by securing silver for olive oil quality at the 2025 New York International Olive Oil Competition. 

Olive production is beneficial for Pakistan due to its potential to reduce the country’s reliance on imported edible oils, create jobs, and promote sustainable agriculture. Additionally, it can boost the economy by establishing a new export market and fostering entrepreneurship. Olive trees are hardy and can thrive in various conditions, including water-stressed areas, making them an environmentally sustainable crop.

“We will be doing some exports when Pakistan starts harvesting olive crop this year in October- November,” Shaukat Rasool, the CEO of Khaity Technologies, told Arab News in a telephone interview, saying Pakistan had the potential to export as much as $2 billion worth of olive oil if it could grow 10 million fruiting trees across Pakistan in the next five years.

“The GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] can be a big market for us as they too import a big chunk of olive oil,” said Rasool, adding that the US and Japan were key export markets to tap.

The olive production decline in Italy and Spain is largely due to the impacts of climate change, including prolonged droughts and increased heat, which negatively affect olive tree growth and yields.

With depleting production in the two leading manufacturing countries and space for new entrants in the market, Pakistan needed to look to tap the $15 billion olive oil exports market, Rasool said. 

“Their [Italy and Spain] production is decreasing, leading to a price hike that is forcing their global customers to look for a substitute to fill this gap,” said Rasool, who has set an annual target for his company to export more than 200 tons of Pakistani olive oil in the next five years.

“Pakistan can fill that gap and produce as much olive oil as Italy and Spain are producing.”

Pakistan’s olive oil production is already experiencing a boom, with the country aiming to produce 4,600 tons by 2030. While currently producing around 861 tons of table olives annually, Pakistan has the potential to become a major olive oil producer, with 10 million acres of land suitable for cultivation, almost twice the area of Spain. Production had increased from 90 kilograms in 2019 to over two tons in 2022 and 2023 in the Hazara region alone.

SUPPORTIVE ECOSYSTEM

Rasool, whose company employs 60 people, launched the LO brand last year after harvesting his first olive crop at orchards spread over 50 hectares in the Chakri village of Rawalpindi as well as what his company collected from farmers in the Loralai district of Balochistan.

“This year we have extracted around 10 tons of olive oil while next year our target is to scale this up to 25 to 30 tons,” he said.

Increased local production will save most-needed forex reserves for Pakistan which last year had to spend $2.9 billion on the import of palm and soya bean oil for domestic consumption, according to official data. This year through April, the country’s imports surged as much as 140 percent to $3.2 billion.

Pakistan is also seeking to promote drought-resistant crops like olives that can live for a thousand years without consuming much water, said Rasool.

Pakistan has collaborated in the past with Italy, the world’s biggest olive producer, to develop its olive sector and has so far grown as much as six million trees in the Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

“The government has identified more than 95 districts across Pakistan for cultivating olive,” said Rasool.

While Khaity Technologies is currently selling its olive oil nationwide through Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media platforms, the firm is hoping to secure as much as $1 million in investment from local and international partners to set up an extraction plant at the site of its olive farm in Rawalpindi.

“Extraction mills must be set up inside the olive farms because the quality of oil is time-bound in terms of extraction,” Rasool explained. 

Pakistan currently has three extraction plants, two set up by the government and one by a private party, in Loralai, which have a 600 kilograms per hour crushing capacity. LO uses a government extraction plant to extract olive oil within six to eight hours of harvesting.

To produce the best quality olive oil, the fruit must be harvested and milled for the extraction of oil within 10 hours, Rasool explained. 

In Loralai, the government has established a mill with a capacity to crush 600 kilograms of olive fruit in an hour, helping farmers extract oil within six to eight hours of harvesting.

“Next time, maybe we can win gold if we could be able to bring down our milling time to three to four hours,” Rasool said. 

“There should be an ecosystem that addresses the entire olive oil supply chain ranging from harvesting to extraction and storage.”


Pakistan conducts trainings for Hajj support staff to assist pilgrims at Mashair sites 

Pakistan conducts trainings for Hajj support staff to assist pilgrims at Mashair sites 
Updated 22 May 2025
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Pakistan conducts trainings for Hajj support staff to assist pilgrims at Mashair sites 

Pakistan conducts trainings for Hajj support staff to assist pilgrims at Mashair sites 
  • This year, Pakistan has employed 561 Hajj support staff known as Moavineen
  • Nearly 112,620 Pakistanis are set to perform the annual pilgrimage in June 2025

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hajj Mission (PHM) is conducting trainings for Hajj support staff from May 3-27 to orient them with knowledge of routes, accommodations and responsibilities related to assisting pilgrims as they visit sacred sites for the annual pilgrimage in Makkah, state news agency APP reported on Thursday.

This year, Pakistan has employed 561 Hajj support staff, known as Moavineen, to assist nearly 112,620 Pakistanis set to perform the annual pilgrimage, which will fall in the first week of June. 

“Over 430 Moavineen currently serving in the transport, accommodation and food departments have been oriented so far on how to assist Pakistani intending pilgrims in Mashair during the Hajj days,” APP reported, quoting Deputy Coordinator Operation Sadaqat Ali as saying.

Mashair refers to sacred sites in Makkah where pilgrims visit or perform Hajj rituals, including Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah. 

Pakistani pilgrims have been assigned 34 maktabs, numbered from 101 to 134, in Mina, while 17 maktabs are located on roads 56 and 62. The remaining are situated on road 511, the report said. The term maktab in the context of Hajj refers to an administrative office or center that provides pilgrims with essential services during their stay in Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah.

Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf has also recently reviewed the transport, accommodation, and catering arrangements for pilgrims, APP added.

For the first time, Pakistani Hajj pilgrims will have access to fully air-conditioned camps in Mina and will be accommodated in top-of-the-line hotels and buildings in the Azizia and Batha Quraish neighborhoods.

Over 35,000 pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia so far to attend the pilgrimage, according to Pakistani state media.


Pakistan’s Imran Khan invites ‘establishment’ for talks, denies deal for his release

Pakistan’s Imran Khan invites ‘establishment’ for talks, denies deal for his release
Updated 22 May 2025
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Pakistan’s Imran Khan invites ‘establishment’ for talks, denies deal for his release

Pakistan’s Imran Khan invites ‘establishment’ for talks, denies deal for his release
  • Khan has been in jail since August 2023 in a slew of cases he says are politically motivated
  • Establishment is euphemism to mean Pakistan army and associated pro-military entities

ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has denied reports a deal has been made for his release from prison, once again inviting the “establishment” for talks in the interest of Pakistan as it faces external and internal security threats and treads a tricky path to economic recovery.

In Pakistan, the establishment is a euphemism to describe the armed forces and intelligence agencies and associated pro-military entities.

The military has ruled Pakistan for at least three decades since independence in 1947 and wields extraordinary influence even with a civilian government in office. The current army chief, General Syed Asim Munir, promoted this week to field marshal, only the second general in Pakistan to get the rank, is widely believed to have considerable sway over government affairs. The military says it does not interfere in politics. 

“The rumors that are being spread about a deal with me, no deal has been made, nor are there any talks regarding a deal, are all lies,” Khan said in a message posted on his X account after he met his lawyers and family members on Wednesday.

“I myself am inviting the establishment that if they want to talk in the interest of Pakistan, if they are concerned about Pakistan, then come and talk,” he added, saying political forces in the country would have to come together at a time when Pakistan faced “external threats, growing terrorism, and the restoration of the economy.”

“I was not asking for anything for myself before, nor will I ask for anything now,” Khan said, referring to reports he was trying to negotiate a deal to get out of prison. 

After being jailed in August 2023 and slapped with a slew of cases Khan says are politically motivated, a Pakistani court sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment in a land corruption case in January. Before that, he had either been acquitted or his sentences suspended in most other cases, except for one on charges of inciting supporters to rampage through military facilities to protest against his arrest on May 9, 2023. Khan denies giving the instructions for the protests. 

His supporters have led several violent protest rallies since the May 9 incidents, with the government and military publicly vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice. The protests were widely seen as the most serious challenge to the military’s hegemony in years. 

The army has since also faced sharp domestic criticism over accusations it was behind the jailing of Khan and cracking down on supporters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, as well as what critics alleged was rigging the general election last year to favor a rival party. The army rejects the accusations. 

But the military’s popular support has surged after the worst military conflict in decades with arch-rival India earlier this month. On May 7, the Indian military carried out air strikes on what it called “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan, in response to a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan claimed to have downed at least 5-6 Indian fighter jets in response and carried out air strikes on Indian military bases. India has indicated that it suffered some losses and inflicted damage on key Pakistani air bases and air defense systems. 

A ceasefire was brokered by the US on May 10. 

– With inputs from Reuters


Fashion and family: Amir Adnan heiress takes father’s legacy forward with sustainable vision

Fashion and family: Amir Adnan heiress takes father’s legacy forward with sustainable vision
Updated 22 May 2025
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Fashion and family: Amir Adnan heiress takes father’s legacy forward with sustainable vision

Fashion and family: Amir Adnan heiress takes father’s legacy forward with sustainable vision
  • Parishae Adnan, 30, celebrates taking over as CEO with debut collection Nakhlistan, which means oasis 
  • Aims to take her father’s iconic brand into future rooted in climate sustainability, cultural integrity

KARACHI: The name Amir Adnan has been synonymous with menswear in Pakistan for over 35 years. 

Adnan launched the eponymous men’s fashion wear brand in 1990 and several sub-brands since, and is widely credited for glamorizing the long-sleeved sherwani outer coat in modern times.

Now, it’s time for his daughter Parishae Adnan to take the helm of Adnan’s fashion empire as CEO and transition the company, Shapar Private Limited, into a future rooted in climate sustainability and cultural integrity.

Last week, Parishae, a 30-year-old managerial economics graduate, launched the company’s summer collection, Nakhlistan, which means oasis, a show she has conceptualized and that she exhibited as a formal celebration of her appointment as CEO in May 2024. 

“It absolutely feels incredible, I feel a lot of gratitude, taking the legacy forward,” Parishae told Arab News in an interview last week.

Adnan said it was always clear that his children would take over the business. 

“My children were raised while we were working in the workshops, and they’ve been seeing this all along. My eldest daughter, Parishae, she worked with me for three years and now she’s become the CEO of the company,” he told Arab News.

“It’s not common, especially in this industry that we are working in, the fashion industry, to see legacy go on from one generation to another.”

The picture shared by Parishae Adnan on September 28, 2018, shows Parishae Adnan (left) posting for a picture with her father, Amir Adnan, at Fashion Pakistan Week 2018. (Parishae Adnan)

And Parishae has plans for her father’s company, with her major aim being to introduce and integrate environmentally conscious practices into its operations.

“We need to do anything, even if it’s a little small step,” said Parishae, who explored fields like acting, hospitality, IT, and supply chain before finally embracing fashion designing.

“One of the first things I did was I changed our packaging material, making it recyclable.” 

In 2021, she launched the ‘House of Parishae,’ a collection grounded in sustainable couture, with her debut show featuring 35 pieces created entirely from upcycled clothing, extending the life cycle of garments and promoting conscious consumption.

“The idea that couture, high end couture luxury can come out of upcycling or recycling, it’s not an idea that was digestible to the public in Pakistan,” the designer said, pointing to inspirations like Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen. 

“People here usually don’t go for that concept for their event wear. They don’t want to spend so much money if it’s going to be recycled or upcycled.”

But Parishae is resolved to take her vision forward — all the while staying true to what she has in common with her father: a deep connection to Pakistan’s cultural identity. 

The designs of Adnan, who was born in Lahore to a bureaucratic father and a mother from the royal family of Dhaka, often draw inspiration from the sartorial heritage and timeless attire of South Asian nobles.

“If I go back in time and I look at my forefathers, photographs or paintings, they actually wore what I’m making right now, literally,” Adnan said.

Parishae too sees cultural identity as central to her vision, especially in an increasingly globalized and digitally connected world.

“As globalization is on a rise, it is even more important in this day and age to understand where your roots are coming from and it’s even more important to keep an identity, a cultural identity, in order for you to realize who you are and where you belong to,” she said.

“I wanted to be a pioneer for change, not in the West because they already have that. It’s actually trying to help us here because you never know, there might be a next generation that looks at this story and gets inspired by it and says, ‘Let’s go, it’s been done before, we can do it better’.”

And her father is proud. 

“For every parent, whether you’re a father or a mother, it’s always your dream to see your children outdo you,” Adnan said. 

“For me to see my daughter excel in my lifetime ... is one of the best gifts I could have asked from Allah.”


Trump says settled Pakistan-India standoff through trade deals

Trump says settled Pakistan-India standoff through trade deals
Updated 22 May 2025
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Trump says settled Pakistan-India standoff through trade deals

Trump says settled Pakistan-India standoff through trade deals
  • Trump has repeatedly said he offered to help both nations with trade if they agreed to de-escalate
  • India has previously rejected that trade concessions were discussed in ceasefire discussions

ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had used US trade ties to persuade nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan to back off from their worst military confrontation in decades earlier this month, a claim New Delhi has previously rejected. 

Following a May 10 understanding reached between India and Pakistan in what was a US-mediated ceasefire to stop military action on land, in the air and at sea, Trump has repeatedly said he had offered to help both the nations with trade if they agreed to de-escalate.

Pakistan has not commented specifically on the trade-related claim though it has repeatedly thanked Trump for his role in the de-escalation efforts. The Indian government has, however, said trade concessions did not come up in discussions to secure the ceasefire. 

“If you take a look at what we just did with Pakistan and India, we settled that whole thing, and I think I settled it through trade,” Trump said in televised comments during a meeting at the White House with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

“We’re doing a big deal with India. We’re doing a big deal with Pakistan,” the US president added, without giving details of what agreements he was referring to. 

Before the ceasefire, the militaries of India and Pakistan were engaged in one of their most serious confrontations in decades since May 7, when India struck targets inside Pakistan it said were affiliated with militants responsible for the killing of 26 tourists last month in Indian-administered Kashmir.

After India’s strikes in Pakistan, both sides exchanged heavy fire along their de facto border, followed by missile and drone strikes into each other’s territories, mainly targeting military installations and air bases.

The escalating hostilities threatened regional peace, leading to calls by world leaders to cool down tempers.

Trump has said he not only helped mediate the ceasefire but also offered mediation over the simmering dispute in Kashmir, a Himalayan region that both India and Pakistan claim in entirety but govern in part. The two nations have fought two wars over Kashmir, which has long been described as the regional nuclear flashpoint.

New Delhi has rejected Trump’s offer for mediation, saying Kashmir was a bilateral issue, while Pakistan has welcomed the offer. 

With inputs from AP