China eases restrictions on movement, food supply in Hubei — Pakistani students

A staff member (R) of a supermarket wearing a face mask uses a thermometer to check a woman's temperature at the entrance to the shop in Beijing on March 12, 2020. (AFP)
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Updated 12 March 2020
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China eases restrictions on movement, food supply in Hubei — Pakistani students

  • Delivery services have resumed in Wuhan, epicenter of deadly coronavirus, students say
  • More than 1,000 are stranded in the Hubei province ever since the outbreak in January

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani students stranded in China’s Hubei province said on Wednesday that local authorities had started easing restrictions on movement and food supply after coronavirus infections in the province registered a sharp decrease in recent days.
“The local government has announced that people in some areas will be allowed to use cabs within the province under certain conditions,” Muhammad Shahab Shah, a student of engineering at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, told Arab News during a telephonic call on Wednesday.
He added that some delivery services had resumed their operations in the province, too, but it might take until the end of April for the lockdown to be completed lifted.
A total of 1,094 Pakistani students are stranded in the Hubei province, since the lockdown was enforced on January 23 to stem the spread of COVID19, according to the Foreign Office.
A majority are residing in Wuhan city – the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
As the number of coronavirus cases in China plummeted to 19 on Tuesday, down from several hundred in a day two weeks ago, President Xi Jinping visited Wuhan for the first time in the same day to express solidarity with medical workers, volunteers, and residents.
The Chinese president’s visit in the city of around 11 million people, which is still under strict quarantine, is viewed as an early sign that restriction on movement within Hubei province has started easing.
The new cases outside of China continue to rise quickly, with countries such as South Korea, Italy and Iran experiencing severe outbreaks.
The virus has infected more than 115,800 people in more than 100 countries and killed over 4,200, with a majority in mainland China. Pakistan has registered 20 confirmed cases of the virus since February 26, of which one has recovered.
Pakistani students have also lauded cooperation and facilities extended to them during the quarantine that included delivery of free meals, hand gloves, sanitizers and medical advice.
“We are thankful to the Chinese government for all their support in this critical time,” Muhammad Sadiq, a Pakistani student in Hubei province, told Arab News on Wednesday.
Some Pakistani students who are stuck in the province had earlier made impassioned appeals to the government for their evacuation, but are now satisfied with the efforts of the Chinese government to protect them against the deadly virus.
“We heaved a sigh of relief when we discovered that the number of deaths and new [coronavirus] cases were going down,” Tatheer Hussain, a student of medicine at Hubei University of Science and Technology, told Arab News. “But it is still too early to declare a victory [against the virus].”


Pakistan stocks close at 150,591 record high on corporate earnings, institutional buying

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Pakistan stocks close at 150,591 record high on corporate earnings, institutional buying

  • Financial analyst describes market participation as “vibrant,” with total volume of shares traded surging to 662 million
  • Rally comes amid signs of stabilization in economy after IMF bailout, credit rating upgrades from international agencies 

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed at a record high of 150,591 points on Wednesday, with a leading brokerage firm attributing the surge to strong corporate earnings and institutional buying. 

The bullish trend at the stock market picked up from Tuesday, when the benchmark KSE-100 Index ended the session at 149,771 points. Analysts said the surge was driven by strong institutional inflows, which powered gains in the banking and cement shares. 

The bulls showed no signs of fatigue despite the floods on Wednesday, notching an intraday record high of 1,490 points before settling at 150,591 when trading ended, up by 820 points or 0.55 percent from the previous day’s close. 

“The upward momentum was underpinned by better-than-expected corporate earnings and a strong liquidity push from local institutions, lifting the benchmark to uncharted heights,” Karachi-based brokerage firm Topline Securities said in a statement. 

It noted that investor confidence remained “buoyant” as market heavyweights attracted “robust flows.”

Topline Securities described the market participation as “vibrant,” saying that traded volume surged to 662 million shares and at a value of Rs40.5 billion [$143.46 million]. 

“BOP [Bank of Punjab] led the volume chart, with 52 million shares changing hands during the session,” it concluded. 

Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad took to X on Tuesday to attribute the bullish trend at the stock market to Pakistan’s “rising global credibility, home-grown structural reforms agenda with positive macroeconomic outlook” that he said had turned into strong investor confidence. 

The PSX rally comes amid signs of stabilization in Pakistan’s economy after the country secured a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout in September 2024 and saw recent upgrades by international ratings agencies.

Inflation has eased from a peak of 38 percent in 2023 to 4.1 percent in July 2025, while the rupee has stabilized against the dollar.


Germany charges Russian suspect over Daesh ties, planned move to Pakistan for training

Updated 38 min 30 sec ago
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Germany charges Russian suspect over Daesh ties, planned move to Pakistan for training

  • Suspect, a Russian national, was arrested on Feb. 20 at the capital’s airport as he prepared to board a flight
  • He has now been indicted on charges of supporting foreign terror organization, preparing serious act of violence

BERLIN: German prosecutors announced terrorism charges Wednesday against a man who they say may have planned to attack the Israeli Embassy in Berlin and intended to join the Daesh group in Pakistan.

The suspect, a Russian national identified only as Akhmad E. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested on Feb. 20 at the capital’s airport as he prepared to board a flight. He has now been indicted on charges of supporting a foreign terrorist organization, attempted membership in such a group, and preparing a serious act of violence.

Federal prosecutors said in a statement that the suspect initially planned to carry out an attack in Germany, possibly on the Israeli Embassy. He allegedly found instructions for making explosives on the Internet but was unable to pursue the plan because he couldn’t get a hold of the necessary components.

At the same time, the suspect was allegedly translating propaganda into Russian and Chechen for Daesh. Prosecutors said he intended to join the group in Pakistan and get military training, and that he financed the trip by taking out two contracts for expensive smartphones, which he then sold.

He allegedly sent a video declaring loyalty to the group to a suspected Daesh member outside of Germany shortly before his departure.

The indictment was filed earlier this month to a court in Berlin, which will now have to decide whether to send the case to trial.


Pakistan invites US investors as bidding opens for oil, gas blocks

Updated 20 August 2025
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Pakistan invites US investors as bidding opens for oil, gas blocks

  • Pakistan petroleum minister tells US Chargé d’Affaires government conducting bidding round for oil and gas exploration blocks
  • Relations between the two countries, long marked by tensions over counterterrorism efforts, have warmed under Trump presidency 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s petroleum minister on Wednesday invited US companies to take part in a fresh round of oil and gas exploration bids, underscoring growing economic cooperation between Islamabad and Washington after years of strained ties.

Pakistan–US ties have swung between cooperation and distrust over the last decade, with relations particularly frayed under President Joe Biden.

Washington repeatedly pressed Islamabad to crack down on militant sanctuaries in Afghanistan while accusing Pakistan’s intelligence services of maintaining links with the Afghan Taliban, which Islamabad denied. Pakistan, for its part, bristled at being sidelined in US strategy for Afghanistan’s exit in 2021 and later faced criticism over human rights, democracy and nuclear security. The Biden administration’s limited economic engagement and security downgrades added to the estrangement, leaving ties at their lowest point in years before the recent thaw under the second presidency of Donald Trump.

Last month, Trump granted Pakistan a reduced 19 percent tariff rate on exports, one of the lowest in South Asia, and Washington and Islamabad are also currently negotiating investments in rare minerals, hydrocarbons and cryptocurrency, among other areas. Trump also took credit for a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after the Asian neighbors engaged in hostilities in May following an April attack in India-administered Kashmir.

“Talking to the US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker in Islamabad, [Minister for Petroleum] Ali Pervaiz Malik emphasized opportunities for international cooperation and investment in the oil, gas and mineral sectors,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.

Malik welcomed the “strong interest” of US investors in Pakistan’s energy sector, adding that the government was conducting a bidding round for onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration blocks. 

“This bidding round is a great opportunity for international partners to invest,” Malik told Baker, according to the report.

The US envoy said American firms were “showing keen interest in Pakistan’s oil, gas and mineral sectors, in line with President Donald Trump’s vision,” Radio Pakistan said. 

She added that the embassy would “facilitate direct connections between American and Pakistani companies in the exploration and production sectors.”

The outreach comes as Islamabad seeks to revive its struggling energy sector and broaden sources of foreign investment to shore up its $350 billion economy. Pakistan remains heavily dependent on imported liquefied natural gas to meet domestic demand, straining foreign exchange reserves, while local production of oil and gas has stagnated for years.

BROADER PARTNERSHIP

Pakistan’s finance ministry said in a statement last month following a final round of talks in Washington on a trade deal to lower tariffs and increase investment that the pact “marks the beginning of a new era of economic collaboration especially in energy, mines and minerals, IT, cryptocurrency and other sectors.”

Islamabad described the deal as a marker of a broader partnership with Washington, and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who led the final round of talks, said there was a larger economic and strategic agreement.

“From our perspective, it was always going beyond the immediate trade imperative, and its whole purpose was, and is, that trade and investment have to go hand in hand,” he said, in video-taped remarks after the Washington talks.

Pakistan had faced a potential tariff of 29 percent, which was later suspended — as with other nations — to allow trade talks up to an Aug. 1 deadline.

Islamabad’s trade surplus with Washington was around $3 billion in 2024, mainly due to textile exports. The US is Pakistan’s biggest market for textiles.

Last month, Trump also trumpeted a pact to help develop Pakistan’s oil reserves.

“We have just concluded a Deal with the Country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves,” Trump wrote on social media in July. 

“We are in the process of choosing the Oil Company that will lead this Partnership.”

In a message on the occasion of Pakistan’s Independence Day on Aug, 14, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington looked forward to exploring cooperation with Pakistan on critical minerals and hydrocarbons.

Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal has said Islamabad will offer US businesses opportunities to invest in mining projects primarily in the southwestern Balochistan province through joint ventures with local companies, providing concessions such as lease grants.

The province is home to key mining projects, including Reko Diq, run by mining firm Barrick Gold, and believed to be one of the world’s largest gold and copper mines.

With inputs from Reuters


Aid groups intensify flood relief in Pakistan, warn of long road to recovery

Updated 20 August 2025
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Aid groups intensify flood relief in Pakistan, warn of long road to recovery

  • Heavy monsoon rains since late June have killed over 700, devastated infrastructure in the country
  • Charity organizations say more funding needed for rehabilitation as homes, fields and roads lie in ruins

ISLAMABAD: Major Pakistani charities have intensified their relief operations in flood-affected areas, with representatives warning on Tuesday that significantly more funds will be needed during the rehabilitation phase to support thousands of people who have lost their homes and livelihoods.

Since late June, heavy monsoon rains have killed at least 707 people across Pakistan, damaged infrastructure and triggered flash floods and landslides in the country’s mountainous north, according to official data.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), nearly 400 people have died and 181 have been injured in northern Pakistan in the latest spell of rains that began last week, with Buner district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province emerging as the worst-hit, accounting for 225 of the deaths.

Pakistan’s commercial hub Karachi, in the southern Sindh province, also experienced flash flooding on Tuesday following intense downpours that killed at least eight people. However, the primary focus of the NDMA and major relief organizations remains the northern districts, where emergency supplies are being dispatched daily to flood-hit areas.

“Currently, around 6,000 volunteers are working across Pakistan, with more than 1,100 deployed in Buner alone and since August 15, we have spent over Rs250 million ($886,525) on aid supplies, and are intensifying our efforts,” Dr. Hafeez ur Rahman, the top Alkhidmat Foundation (AKF) official, told Arab News.

While Rahman said many individuals were still donating generously, he warned that the larger challenge lay ahead.

“Far greater support will be required for the post-flood rehabilitation of homes and businesses,” he said, noting that AKF had already begun collecting data on damaged houses and shops to assist their owners with rebuilding.

Volunteers walks with umbrellas to avoid rain as they survey the damaged areas, following a storm that caused heavy rains and flooding in Bayshonai Kalay, in Buner district, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, on August 18, 2025. (REUTERS)

In the immediate term, he added, the charity is focused on food and medical relief. Daily meals, crockery and clothes are being distributed, while volunteers are helping residents clear mud from homes to make them habitable again.

“Two mobile health units with full diagnostic facilities are operating round the clock, while a hospital in Buner provides comprehensive medical services, including surgeries,” Rahman said.

He feared a surge in waterborne diseases in the flood-affected areas, saying the charity was distributing bottled water, installing portable filtration systems and deploying a high-capacity water purification truck capable of treating 2,000 liters per hour.

Raza Narejo, the country director of Islamic Relief, an international humanitarian organization based in the United Kingdom, said his teams were working closely with local communities in Buner, Swat and Shangla districts of KP and were committed to long-term recovery.

“So far, we have generated £500,000 ($677,350) initially and we are aiming for more than £5 million ($6.8 million) overall response initially in life-saving phase and then recovery rehabilitation transitioning toward development,” Narejo told Arab News.

He stressed that rebuilding efforts would require major investment in not only shelters, but also in damaged irrigation systems, farmland and road networks. Delivery of aid remained difficult due to damaged roads in the hilly terrain, he noted, though coordination with local authorities and communities was helping overcome challenges.

Meanwhile, emergency teams in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan regions from the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) have evacuated more than 3,000 people from high-risk areas and are providing food, tents and temporary shelter.

“AKAH is organizing safe shelter in schools, community buildings and with host families where a total of 100 families (800 individuals) have been supported with one month of food and non-food items,” the organization said in a statement.

AKAH’s community volunteers are also working to restore damaged drinking water supply lines, irrigation channels, roads and agricultural land under extremely challenging conditions. The charity plans to deploy 16,500 mobile health care units and deliver portable medical equipment to affected health facilities.

“Village Emergency Response Teams (VERT) have been on the frontlines in Diamer, rescuing residents and stranded tourists, delivering emergency supplies and evacuating the injured to hospitals,” the statement added.

The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has also activated its Emergency Operations Center.

“PRCS has deployed volunteers for flood awareness, conducted rapid needs assessments, and mobilized emergency stocks including water treatment plants,” the group said.


Deadly monsoons kill 377 in Pakistan’s northwest as PM tours worst-hit Buner district 

Updated 15 min 14 sec ago
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Deadly monsoons kill 377 in Pakistan’s northwest as PM tours worst-hit Buner district 

  • KP disaster agency reports 1,377 homes damaged and 182 injured in floods since last week
  • The NDMA warns of heavy rains in Karachi, with risk of flash floods and transport disruption

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday inspected the flood-hit district of Buner in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, one of the worst-affected areas in the ongoing monsoon season, where at least 228 people have died since last Friday out of 377 reported across the province.

The annual monsoon rains are vital for agriculture, food security and the livelihoods of millions of farmers in Pakistan, though in recent years they have caused intense flooding and landslides amid shifting weather patterns that scientists attribute to climate change worldwide.

Pakistan is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations and has recorded at least 707 deaths, including 427 in KP, since the start of the season on June 26, with weather authorities warning of more rains in the coming days.

“The Prime Minister departed to visit the flood-affected district of Buner,” said his office in a statement. “During the journey, he conducted an aerial inspection of flood conditions and damage in Buner and Shangla.”

“The Prime Minister will meet flood victims in Buner and distribute relief checks among them,” the statement added.

According to KP’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), 377 people, including 294 men, 50 women and 33 children, have died and 182 others have been injured in rains and flash floods across several districts since last week.

The agency said 1,377 houses had been damaged, including 355 completely destroyed, with the highest losses reported in Buner.

The PDMA said local administrations had been instructed to accelerate relief efforts and its emergency operations center was fully active.

KARACHI RAINS

Separately, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned of extremely heavy rains in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas and Sukkur in the next 12 to 24 hours, forecasting more than 100 mm of rain in a short span of time.

The NDMA said urban flooding could persist in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Mirpurkhas due to poor drainage, while flash floods were possible in Thatta, Badin, Jamshoro and Dadu.

It warned that rising water levels in the Indus River and its tributaries could inundate low-lying areas, potentially disrupting transport, electricity and telecommunications. Residents were advised to move valuables and livestock to safer ground and prepare emergency supplies.

RIVER FLOWS

In Punjab province, the PDMA said melting glaciers and monsoon rains were increasing river flows.

The Indus River was experiencing medium-level flooding at Chashma and Taunsa barrages, and low-level flooding at Tarbela, Kalabagh and Sukkur. Low-level flooding was also reported at points along the Sutlej River, while the Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi rivers were flowing normally with some tributaries at low flood levels.

The PDMA Punjab, in a separate alert issued on Wednesday, warned of a further rise in water levels from August 24 due to “severe thunderstorms in the upper parts of rivers.”

It cautioned of a medium-level flood risk in the Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala and said a low- to medium-level flood situation could persist in the Indus. The authority instructed all commissioners, deputy commissioners and relevant departments to remain on alert, ensure advance preparations and deploy rescue teams at sensitive locations.

The authority said Tarbela Dam was 99 percent full and Mangla Dam 74 percent, urging citizens to take precautions and cooperate with authorities in case of emergency evacuation.