Category: 1. Pakistan

JAKARTA/MANILA: Asian activists are preparing to set sail with the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international fleet from 44 countries aiming to reach Gaza by sea to break Israel’s blockade of food and medical aid. 

They have banded together under the Sumud Nusantara initiative, a coalition of activists from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Maldives, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan, to join the global flotilla movement that will begin launching convoys from Aug. 31. 

Sumud Nusantara is part of the GSF, a coordinated, nonviolent fleet comprising mostly small vessels carrying humanitarian aid, which will first leave Spanish ports for the Gaza strip, followed by more convoys from Tunisia and other countries in early September.

The international coalition is set to become the largest coordinated civilian maritime mission ever undertaken to Gaza. 

“This movement comes at a very crucial time, as we know how things are in Gaza with the lack of food entering the strip that they are not only suffering from the impacts of war but also from starvation,” Indonesian journalist Nurhadis told Arab News ahead of his trip. 

“Israel is using starvation as a weapon to wipe out Palestinians in Gaza. This is why we continue to state that what Israel is doing is genocide.” 

Since October 2023, Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians and injured over 157,000 more. As Tel Aviv continued to systematically obstruct food and aid from entering the enclave, a UN-backed global hunger monitor — the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — declared famine in Gaza on Friday, estimating that more than 514,000 people are suffering from it. 

Nurhadis is part of a group of activists from across Indonesia joining the GSF, which aims to “break Israel’s illegal blockade and draw attention to international complicity in the face of the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.” 

“We continue to try through this Global Sumud Flotilla action, hoping that the entire world, whether it’s governments or the people and other members of society, will pressure Israel to open its blockade in Palestine,” he said. 

“This is just beyond the threshold of humanity. Israel is not treating Palestinians in Gaza as human beings and the world must not keep silent. This is what we are trying to highlight with this global convoy.” 

The GSF is a people-powered movement that aims to help end the genocide in Gaza, said Rifa Berliana Arifin, Indonesia country director for the Sumud Nusantara initiative and executive committee member of Jakarta-based Aqsa Working Group.  

“Indonesia is participating because this is a huge movement. A movement that aspires to resolve and end the blockade through non-traditional means. We’ve seen how ineffective diplomatic, political approaches have been, because the genocide in Gaza has yet to end. This people-power movement is aimed at putting an end to that,” Arifin told Arab News. 

“This is a non-violent mission … Even though they are headed to Gaza, they are boarding boats that have no weapons … They are simply bringing themselves … for the world to see.” 

As the Sumud Nusantara initiative is led by Malaysia, activists are gathering this weekend in Kuala Lumpur, where a ceremonial send-off for the regional convoy is scheduled to take place on Sunday, led by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. 

One of them is Philippine activist Drieza Lininding, leader of civil society group Moro Consensus Group, who is hoping that the Global Sumud Flotilla will inspire others in the Catholic-majority nation to show their support for Palestine. 

“We are appealing to all our Filipino brothers and sisters, Muslims or Christians, to support the Palestinian cause because this issue is not only about religion, but also about humanity. Gaza has now become the moral compass of the world,” he told Arab News. 

“Everybody is seeing the genocide and the starvation happening in Gaza, and you don’t need to be a Muslim to side with the Palestinians. It is very clear: if you want to be on the right side of history, support all programs and activities to free Palestine … It is very important that as Filipinos we show our solidarity.” 

The PML-N and PPP on Saturday announced that they would contest the upcoming by-elections together.

PTI’s 12 lawmakers were disqualified in Punjab by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) following their conviction in the May 9 (2023) cases. The disqualified lawmakers hailed from eight National Assembly and four Punjab Assembly constituencies. The PPP has shown interest in contesting on six vacant seats — NA-143 and PP-203 (Sahiwal), NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan), and NA-96, NA-104 and PP-98 (Faisalabad) — and sought applications from the interested candidates.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi made the announcement during a press conference in Islamabad with PPP MNA Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari.

“We want to tell our workers and the whole of Pakistan that we are a democracy,” Abbasi said, adding that they would contest the by-polls according to a “predetermined formula”.

“We will contest together. Wherever a PPP candidate is running, the PML-N will support them,” he said. “Wherever a PML-N candidate is running, the PPP will support them.”

Ashraf talked about a meeting between the leadership of both parties regarding the by-elections, stating that a “predetermined formula” had been decided for the polls.

“If a PPP candidate is runner-up in a constituency, federal or provincial, the PML-N will support them,” he stated. “If a PML-N candidate is runner-up in a constituency, then the PPP will support them.”

The PPP leader and former premier said that there was a full agreement between the leaders of both parties, adding that this plan was made on their directions.

“Now there will be no more confusion between us or our candidates,” Ashraf added.

“The people of Pakistan need to know that we are allies,” Abbasi said. “Our leadership makes intelligent decisions. We make sure to say that we are allies in all fora.”

The railways minister said that Sindh and Punjab wished each other well, while both had positive wishes for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, especially amid the recent floods in the northern areas.

Pakistan Railways has announced the upgradation of the Shalimar Express, following the successful launch of the Pak Business Express.

According to a PR spokesperson on Saturday, the Lahore–Karachi train service will soon feature modern coaches, an enhanced operational strategy, and multiple passenger-friendly facilities. The booking process will be made more convenient through online reservations, while travelers will also enjoy WiFi internet service during their journey.

To further improve the travel experience, the Shalimar Express will offer quality, hygienic food onboard. Pakistan Railways is also considering introducing a car transportation facility, allowing passengers to move their vehicles safely over long distances.

The official added that the launch date of the upgraded service will be announced soon, marking another milestone in the modernization drive of Pakistan Railways.

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Updated On: Sat, 23 Aug 2025

16:20:34 PKT

OSAKA (Dunya News) – Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday participated in the World Expo 2025 held in the Japanese city of Osaka, where she received a warm welcome.

The CM was given a detailed briefing on the objectives, activities, and projects of the global exhibition.

Speaking on the occasion, Maryam Nawaz praised the inspiring theme of the Expo, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” and stated that Expo 2025 is an effective global platform for the betterment of humanity and improvement in public services. She appreciated the ideas being presented at the Expo regarding modern technology, eco-friendly initiatives, and public facilities, calling them exemplary.

She also paid a special visit to the Pakistan Pavilion, where she was warmly received. She met with Pakistanis and foreign tourists present at the pavilion, listened to their views, and praised the arrangements.

Maryam emphasised that such representation is extremely important to showcase Pakistan’s cultural and technological heritage at the international level. She added that cities in Punjab will also be developed under the modern concept of a “Future City” to make urban life more eco-friendly, sustainable, and technologically advanced.

She also visited the stall of the Japanese company KUBOTA, which is offering innovative solutions for sustainable food and agriculture.

Over 150 Japanese and international companies are participating in Expo 2025. The Chief Minister was also taken on a tour of the world’s largest wooden structure, the “Grand Ring,” a 20-meter-high architectural marvel spread over 61,000 square meters. A Water and Light Show titled “Rainbow in the Dark Night” also captivated visitors at the exhibition.

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 23 (APP): Pakistan has successfully achieved 68 percent of its tree plantation target under the government’s flagship initiative, the “Upscaling Green Pakistan Program” which aims at combating climate change, enhancing forest cover and restoring degraded ecosystems across the country.

According to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, in collaboration with provincial governments, planted more than 2.22974 billion saplings between 2019 and December 2024, against the overall target of 3.29 billion saplings by 2028.

Sindh emerged as the top-performing province by planting 856.01 million saplings, achieving 85 percent of its set target. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) followed with 713.25 million plantations, while Punjab contributed 364.79 million, achieving 77 percent of its goal. Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) planted 177.05 million, and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) accounted for 94.10 million plantations. In Balochistan, 24.55 million saplings were planted during the review period.

The program’s annual progress breakdown includes 492.03 million saplings in 2019, 595.37 million in 2020, 766.50 million in 2021, 233.41 million in 2022, and 125.99 million in 2023.

A senior Ministry official told Wealth Pakistan that Pakistan loses nearly 11,000 hectares of forest land annually due to wildfires, climate change, and land conversion. To address this alarming trend, the government has coupled plantation drives with several structural and policy interventions.

An interprovincial coordination committee was constituted to curb illegal logging and regulate inter-provincial timber movement. The committee regularly highlights challenges faced by the forestry sector and issues recommendations for compliance.

In line with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directives, the Ministry has also developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on forest fire management in coordination with all provinces, AJK, and GB. Forest fire monitoring data is now systematically collected and reviewed at the national level. Additionally, an early warning system prototype has been installed in two valleys of KP and is currently in the testing phase.

The Federal Forestry Board has also been revived to address deforestation challenges and ensure alignment with the National Forest Policy 2017. Moreover, provinces have updated their forestry-related laws and policies, including the Punjab Forestry Policy 2019, Sindh Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) Policy 2023 (Amended), KP Forest Ordinance 2002, KP Protected Forest Management Rules 2005, Balochistan Forest Act 2022, GB Forest Act 2019, GB Forest Force Rules 2020, GB Wildlife Biodiversity Areas Act 2021 and AJK Forest Regulations (Amendment) Act 2017.

In addition to inland plantation, the country has recorded remarkable progress in mangrove restoration. Since the early 1990s, mangrove cover along Pakistan’s coastal areas has increased by 300 percent, making Pakistan the only country in the region with an expanding mangrove forest cover.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar lands in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on an official visit on August 23, 2025. Picture: X/@ForeignOfficePk

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