
Pakistan draws five potential buyers for national air carrier
The bids were submitted ahead of a June 19 deadline to acquire up to 100 percent of Pakistan International Airlines, which has accumulated over $2.5 billion in losses in roughly a decade.
Still, following a major restructuring, it posted its first operating profit in 21 years in the year through June 2024.
The sale is seen as a test of Pakistan's ability to shed loss-making state firms and meet conditions of a $7 billion International Monetary Fund bailout. It would be the country's first major privatization in nearly two decades.
Eight parties submitted their expressions of interest, but only five of them provided documents of qualification, the ministry said in a statement.
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Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan approves $20.8 million flood aid as nearly 400 dead in latest monsoon spell
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's top economic body on Tuesday approved a relief package worth Rs5.8 billion ($20.8 million) to support people affected by recent rains and flash floods in the country's northwest, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. The announcement comes as nearly 400 people have been killed during the latest spell of monsoon rains in northern Pakistan that began late last week. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported that of the 400 deaths since Friday, 356 were in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which has been lashed by cloudbursts, flash floods, lightning strikes and landslides in the deadliest downpour of this year's monsoon season. In total, 707 Pakistanis have died in monsoon rains since June 26, according to the NDMA. 'Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet has approved a relief package worth 5.8 billion rupees as federal assistance for the rain and flood affected people,' Radio Pakistan said in a report after a meeting of the ECC was held in Islamabad with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in the chair. 'The ECC directed the Finance Division to immediately release 4 billion rupees of the approved package to mitigate the sufferings of affected people.' Earlier in the day, while addressing a joint news conference on Tuesday, Pakistan's army and government spokesmen and the chief of the NDMA said coordinated relief and rescue operations had been stepped up in affected parts of KP and the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region. 'Currently, there are eight units of the infantry and eight units of the FC [frontier constabulary] directly involved in search and rescue and flood relief operations,' Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, told reporters in Islamabad. 'In the search and rescue work, 6,903 of children and adults have been rescued by the army units,' the army spokesman said, adding that over 6,300 people had also received medical treatment. Chaudhry said logistics bases had been set up in Kanju and Daggar to supply food, tents and medicines, while helicopters were flying emergency aid to remote areas. Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said 70 percent of the region's power supply had also been restored, including in districts like Buner, Shangla, Swat and Bajaur, where electrical grids, poles and transformers were destroyed. He said ministers for energy, communications and Kashmir affairs were deployed in the field to monitor relief operations. 'In Malakand division, the N-90 highway has been fully reopened after clearing all blockades,' Tarar added. More than 1,200 tents, 3,000 kilograms of medicines and 40 tons of food rations have been dispatched to the flood-hit regions, with over 500 medical camps operational in the area. Chairman of the NDMA, Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, who also addressed the news conference, said at least 25,000 people had been rescued in total in the last four days. He warned of continued risks from localized flooding and cloudbursts in KP, GB, and northern Punjab, with a new monsoon spell expected in the last week of August. 'A complete survey has been launched, which has been started to assess the damage of houses and public infrastructure,' Malik said, adding that its findings would be ready by early September. Malik said more than 50 percent of landslides had been cleared and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had approved a special ration package for affected districts. Aid convoys to Swabi, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, Shangla and Swat were also underway, with support from military formations and non-governmental organizations 'All arms of the state are mobilized in this national response,' he added. TRAVEL ADVISORY Separately, the NDMA issued a travel advisory on Tuesday warning of road closures and damage in the country's north due to floods and landslides. According to the advisory, tourists have been told to avoid travel on vulnerable stretches of the Karakoram Highway and connecting routes, including Torghar, Batagram, Shangla, Lower Kohistan, Tattapani, Gilgit and Hunza. Road blockages due to floods and landslides were reported at several points on the Karakoram Highway, as well as at multiple locations along the Mingora–Swat road. The NDMA also listed a number of damaged or closed bridges and roads in Gilgit-Baltistan, Skardu, Ghizer, Hunza and Astore. 'Surmo Bridge, Ghanche: damaged; no alternate … Baghecha, Skardu: damaged; alternate: temporary causeway but unsafe,' the advisory said. It added that the Astak Bridge on the Jaglot–Skardu road was partially open, while major routes such as Shandur, Ishkoman, Gulmit in Gojal, Hoper in Nagar, and the Skardu–Kargil road in Kharmang district were closed with no alternate routes available. The advisory urged travelers to check updates regularly and avoid unnecessary movement in the affected areas until roads are cleared and safe for traffic. PUNJAB ALERT The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Tuesday also issued a fresh alert for heavy monsoon rains across much of the province from Aug. 19–22. 'Severe thunderstorms are forecast in most districts, including Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Lahore, Gujrat and Sialkot,' the PDMA spokesperson said, adding that downpours were also expected in Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan and Rajanpur. PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said all commissioners and deputy commissioners had been directed to remain on alert in line with instructions from Punjab's chief minister. He warned of rising water levels in rivers and streams, flash flooding in hill torrents, and the risk of urban flooding in major cities. 'Citizens are urged to adopt precautionary measures during bad weather,' Kathia said. 'Stay in safe places during storms, avoid unnecessary travel, and keep children away from low-lying areas and electricity poles and wires.' The DG added that health, irrigation, communications, local government and livestock departments had all been placed on high alert. In case of emergency, people were advised to call the PDMA helpline at 1129.


Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Global monitor reports ‘major disruption' as Internet connectivity plunges to 20% in Pakistan
KARACHI: Pakistan experienced a dramatic collapse in Internet access on Tuesday, with connectivity falling to just 20% of normal levels, according to NetBlocks, a global observatory for Internet governance. This follows a pattern of frequent Internet throttling and service outages in Pakistan, which human rights observers and digital-rights activists have long decried as tools for censorship and political control. Authorities deny this. 'Metrics show a major disruption to Internet connectivity across #Pakistan with high impact to backbone operator PTCL; overall national connectivity is down to 20 percent of ordinary levels.' NetBlocks said in a post on X. At the time of the filing of this report, state telecom authorities, including PTCL and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, had not responded publicly to the latest outage, even as millions of users remain offline. There are approximately 116 million Internet users in Pakistan, according to DataReportal's Digital 2025 report. This figure represents about 45.7 percent of the total population. Internet shutdowns significantly impact Pakistan's economy, causing substantial financial losses and hindering economic growth. In 2024, Pakistan experienced the highest economic losses globally due to Internet disruptions, totaling $1.62 billion. In a separate statement, the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP) condemned the recurring breakdowns, calling them a 'national failure.' Its chairman, Shahzad Arshad, said the situation reflected years of neglect and overdependence on a few backbone providers. 'Internet outages are no longer rare accidents in Pakistan — they've become a recurring reality. For two-thirds of the country to go dark in 2025, on the very date we saw the same collapse in 2022, should ring alarm bells at every level of government,' Arshad said. 'We cannot build a digital economy on a foundation this fragile.' Arshad stressed that a reliable Internet is now as essential as electricity. 'Freelancers, students, hospitals, banks — all depend on uninterrupted connectivity. Every hour offline costs Pakistan millions and damages our reputation internationally.' Internet disruptions, whether total shutdowns or selective throttling, have become increasingly common in Pakistan, especially during times of political unrest or protests. The latest disruption comes months after Pakistan confirmed the installation of a national Internet firewall, a centralized filtering system designed to monitor, restrict and control online content. Officials have framed the firewall as a tool for cybersecurity and 'harmful content' moderation, but digital rights groups warn it enables large-scale censorship and surveillance of political speech. Pakistan has also blocked access to major platforms in the recent past. Social media site X (formerly Twitter) remained banned from February 2024, days after a general election, until May 2025, after opposition parties accused authorities of rigging the polls and used the platform to amplify their allegations. The ban was lifted in May this year.


Arab News
12 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan seeks ‘forward-looking' UK ties, urges greater Commonwealth trade and connectivity
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is seeking a 'forward-looking partnership' with the United Kingdom and remains committed to expanding trade and connectivity within the Commonwealth, according to official statements on Tuesday following high-level meetings in London. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who arrived in the UK on Saturday, is on an official visit aimed at strengthening Pakistan-UK relations, deepening cooperation in digital technology, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and boosting multilateral ties through the Commonwealth. He also inaugurated a pilot project of the Punjab Land Record Authority at the Pakistan High Commission to help members of the diaspora resolve land issues in Pakistan remotely. Dar held separate meetings with British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Commonwealth Secretary‑General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey today after interacting with members of the British-Pakistani community earlier in his visit. 'Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, held a productive meeting today with the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Angela Rayner, in London,' the foreign office said. 'They emphasized the importance of sustained high-level engagement and expressed satisfaction with the positive momentum in relations, driven by close people-to-people ties and growing collaboration across multiple domains.' The statement said Dar 'underscored Pakistan's desire to build an inclusive and forward-looking partnership with the United Kingdom.' He also highlighted the contributions of the British-Pakistani diaspora to the UK and extended an invitation to Rayner to visit Islamabad at a mutually convenient time. COMMONWEALTH CONNECTIVITY The Pakistani deputy premier also met Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey over breakfast, congratulating her on her recent appointment and reaffirming Pakistan's deep commitment to the organization as a founding member. Reflecting on their earlier exchange at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, Dar expressed confidence in the Commonwealth's role as a platform to foster shared values and build consensus among member states. 'The DPM/FM assured the Secretary‑General of Pakistan's strong commitment to the Commonwealth's Sustainable Development and Connectivity agendas,' the foreign office said. 'He underscored Pakistan's intent to play a more active role in promoting intra‑Commonwealth trade and development.' 'Additionally,' it added, 'he underscored Pakistan's acute vulnerability to climate change and sought the Commonwealth's support in addressing this pressing challenge.' Dar praised Botchwey's work on the 2025–2030 Commonwealth Strategic Plan and conveyed Pakistan's full support for advancing shared goals of democracy, development, and resilience. He also extended a formal invitation to the Commonwealth Secretary-General to visit Islamabad at her earliest convenience.