Category: 1. Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani foreign policy analysts on Thursday urged the government to undertake “serious efforts” to ensure implementation of long-delayed projects part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which include special economic zones (SEZs), modernizing railway lines and extending the corridor to Afghanistan.

Islamabad and Beijing said on Thursday they would prioritize “high-quality” cooperation under CPEC, unveiling plans for an upgraded version of the multibillion-dollar flagship Belt and Road project. CPEC was launched in 2015 and is essentially an infrastructure network that includes energy, highways, railways projects, and the development of the Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea connecting Pakistan and China.

The announcement came during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Pakistan, who met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Zardari in Islamabad on Wednesday. Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s desire to deepen bilateral cooperation with China in trade, investment, ICT, agriculture, industrialization, mines and minerals and other key sectors, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

While Pakistan has said the project is extremely vital to revive its struggling economy, political, security and economic challenges have caused CPEC projects to suffer delays.

Pakistani economists and foreign policy experts said that while CPEC holds vast economic potential, consistent policies by Pakistan and its accelerated implementation are required for tangible results. Shakeel Ramay, an economist, said SEZs were a key part of the CPEC that could not be established at the required pace due to governance, political, and other challenges.

“The positive point is that the government has now realized their importance and is working on it, but serious efforts are needed to expedite the implementation,” Ramay added.

Ramay also highlighted delays in the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project.

The ML‑1, a $6.7 billion upgrade of Pakistan’s 1,687-kilometer Karachi–Peshawar rail artery first agreed upon in May 2017, is central to CPEC. The overhaul, involving track doubling, advanced signaling and higher-speed trains, is expected to boost cargo and passenger capacity while easing the transport of trade goods to and from the country’s southern ports.

“The hope is there for the project to kickstart with Pakistan and China’s openness to third-party inclusion creating opportunities for the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and other investors,” Ramay said.

China is also involved in the development of a deep-sea port in Pakistan’s Gwadar city, located in its impoverished southwestern Balochistan province. In January this year, Pakistan operated the first commercial flight at the Gwadar International Airport, which has been developed with Chinese funding.

Ramay noted that implementation of CPEC projects in Gwadar was visible, despite hurdles.

“The Chinese government has donated 5,000 solar units, built a state-of-the-art hospital, and, along with Pakistan, is investing in skills development,” he said, adding that 30 Chinese and Pakistani companies have invested almost 3 billion Yuan ($418 million) in the Gwadar Free Trade Zone.

CPEC’s EXPANSION INTO AFGHANISTAN

Yi and the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan held trilateral talks in Kabul this week. The three sides agreed to strengthen economic, trade and security cooperation, and extend CPEC to Afghanistan.

However, ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan remain tense as Islamabad blames Kabul for not taking action against militants it alleges launch attacks on Pakistan from its soil. Kabul denies the allegations.

Naghmana Hashmi, Pakistan’s former ambassador to China, said extending CPEC to Afghanistan had always been seen as a natural step to link Central Asia together. However, she said security issues delayed the plan.

“Without peaceful Afghanistan and secure transit, CPEC could not completely develop for Pakistan,” she told Arab News.

Hashmi noted that while the Taliban initially stayed away from the idea to extend CPEC into Afghanistan, they later endorsed it. She said that with the Taliban now in power in Afghanistan, internal security for CPEC projects in the country might not be a “major challenge.”

Dr. Talat Shabbir, director of the China-Pakistan Study Center at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, said CPEC’s expansion into Afghanistan could take time given the complex bilateral relationship between Islamabad and Kabul.

“Political and bilateral connectivity is essential for such a venture, but I am hopeful that progress will be made soon as the Chinese are actively working on this aspect,” Shabbir said.

Security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan working on CPEC projects, however, has been an area of concern for both nations. Militant attacks in Balochistan, northwestern Pakistan and Karachi targeting Chinese nationals have urged Beijing to express concern over the safety of its citizens in Pakistan.

Shabbir noted that Pakistan had bolstered security for Chinese citizens in the wake of these attacks.

“Looking ahead into 2025, Pakistan is further upgrading its security protocols with a mix of technology, intelligence sharing, and community-level engagement in CPEC areas,” he said.

The PTI on Thursday alleged that “men in plain clothes abducted” the son of Aleema Khanum, the sister of party founder and ex-premier Imran Khan.

PTI Lawyer Rana Mudassar Umar told Dawn.com that Aleema’s son, Shahrez Khan, was “kidnapped” from his home in Lahore.

“People dressed in plain clothes entered the house and took Aleema Khan’s son with them,” he claimed. “No case has been registered against Shahrez, nor is he related to politics.”

Mudassar said that no information had been given about Shahrez’s whereabouts and that he would approach the Lahore High Court for his recovery.

When approached for comment, Lahore Police said they were unaware of the matter and would act only after receiving a complaint.

PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram wrote on X: “During an attack, people dressed in plain clothes abducted the son of Aleema Khan, the sister of Mr Imran Khan, from her home.

“We strongly condemn this thuggery and oppression. We demand from the current government and the Chief Justice that her son be immediately recovered and safely returned to her,” he added.

A post from the PTI’s official X account said that Aleema’s home, from where Shahrez was taken, was “attacked by individuals in plain clothes”.

“Her son Shahrez has been abducted, family members were harassed and staff were beaten,” the post alleged, calling the incident “fascism” and adding that Shahrez must be recovered immediately.

A longer statement from the party’s central information department termed the incident “the height of thuggery and oppression”.

“Shahrez Khan was abducted from his bedroom after breaking the doors of the house, the servants were subjected to brutal violence and Shahrez Khan was tortured in front of his two innocent children after forcibly entering the room,” the party alleged in the statement.

The statement highlighted that Shahrez was stopped from travelling with his wife at Lahore Airport yesterday and “illegally offloaded”. The PTI branded this treatment a “blatant violation of basic human rights”.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur took to X to condemn the incident and demand Sharez’s immediate release.

“The abduction of Aleema Khan’s son Shahrez from her home by men in plain clothes is despicable,” he wrote.

Former opposition leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan also condemned the incident.

“Plain clothes unknown people attacked the house, abducted her son Shahrez and beat the household staff,” he wrote on X. “Such cowardly acts prove that PM Imran Khan, his family members and PTI activists cannot be defeated.”

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja also highlighted that during the incident, household staff were allegedly attacked and the family was harassed.

Born in Lahore to Aleema, Shahrez completed his schooling at Aitchison College before heading to Oxford University for his MBA. At present, he works as the regional head at Simba Global, a big linen supplier based in Australia and is also a triathlete.

Hours after the PTI announced late Thursday that men in plainclothes had “abducted” the son of Aleema Khanum, the sister of party founder and ex-premier Imran Khan, from her residence, Lahore police announced that Shahrez Khan had been arrested in connection with a May 9 case.

Shortly after the ‘abduction’ was reported, police officials had expressed ignorance of Shahrez’s whereabouts and said they could only look into the matter if an official complaint was lodged.

Earlier, PTI Lawyer Rana Mudassar Umar had told Dawn.com that Aleema’s son, Shahrez Khan, was “kidnapped” from his home in Lahore.

“People dressed in plain clothes entered the house and took Aleema Khan’s son with them,” he claimed. “No case has been registered against Shahrez, nor is he related to politics.”

Mudassar said that no information had been given about Shahrez’s whereabouts and that he would approach the Lahore High Court for his recovery.

PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram wrote on X: “During an attack, people dressed in plain clothes abducted the son of Aleema Khan, the sister of Mr Imran Khan, from her home.

“We strongly condemn this thuggery and oppression. We demand from the current government and the Chief Justice that her son be immediately recovered and safely returned to her,” he added.

A post from the PTI’s official X account said that Aleema’s home, from where Shahrez was taken, was “attacked by individuals in plain clothes”.

“Her son Shahrez has been abducted, family members were harassed and staff were beaten,” the post alleged, calling the incident “fascism” and adding that Shahrez must be recovered immediately.

A longer statement from the party’s central information department termed the incident “the height of thuggery and oppression”.

“Shahrez Khan was abducted from his bedroom after breaking the doors of the house, the servants were subjected to brutal violence and Shahrez Khan was tortured in front of his two innocent children after forcibly entering the room,” the party alleged in the statement.

The statement highlighted that Shahrez was stopped from travelling with his wife at Lahore Airport yesterday and “illegally offloaded”. The PTI branded this treatment a “blatant violation of basic human rights”.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur took to X to condemn the incident and demand Sharez’s immediate release.

“The abduction of Aleema Khan’s son Shahrez from her home by men in plain clothes is despicable,” he wrote.

Former opposition leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan also condemned the incident.

“Plain clothes unknown people attacked the house, abducted her son Shahrez and beat the household staff,” he wrote on X. “Such cowardly acts prove that PM Imran Khan, his family members and PTI activists cannot be defeated.”

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja also highlighted that during the incident, household staff were allegedly attacked and the family was harassed.

Born in Lahore, Shahrez completed his schooling at Aitchison College before heading to Oxford University for his MBA. At present, he works as the regional head at Simba Global, a linen supplier based in Australia. He is also a triathlete.

Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi has urged the international community to recognize that developing countries like Pakistan are paying the highest price for terrorism and climate change, despite the crisis being caused largely by developed nations.
 
He said this while addressing a luncheon hosted in his honor by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Belgium President Malik Ajmal, attended by a large number of Pakistani community members residing in Belgium on Thursday.
 
In his speech, Governor Kundi said that after decades of terrorism, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is now facing the devastating impacts of climate change and floods.
 
“The world must realize that developing countries like Pakistan are suffering the most because of the actions of developed nations,” he stressed.
 
He lauded the Sindh government for always standing by KP in difficult times, adding that it was once again extending support to flood-affected families.

He said that as head of the Red Crescent Society, he was personally monitoring relief activities across the province.

Criticizing deforestation, Governor Kundi said natural disasters had worsened due to the unchecked cutting of forests. “I could not find the so-called Billion Tree Tsunami anywhere today,” he remarked.
 
Turning to security, he said peace could not be restored without intelligence-based operations, as terrorists do not recognize dialogue.
 
“Terrorists are equipped with modern weapons; the police alone cannot fight them,” he said, recalling that peace in Swat was achieved during the PPP government through a military operation.
 
He accused the previous government of bringing back militants, who are now again taking up arms.
 
Highlighting financial issues, he said that although KP received Rs. 700 billion under the NFC Award, the provincial government had failed to answer where the funds were spent.
 
He reminded that at the time of FATA’s merger, it was promised that Rs. 100 billion would be spent annually, but the commitment was never fulfilled, leaving the former tribal districts deprived of basic facilities.
 
Governor Kundi reiterated that peace was the province’s foremost challenge, accusing militants of receiving support from India and Afghanistan.
 
He said Pakistan was trying to resolve issues with Afghanistan at all levels through dialogue, while urging anti-state elements to lay down their arms.
 
On social welfare, he said that more than 10 million people were benefiting from the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), which, he said, embodied the slogan of “Roti, Kapra aur Makaan.”
 
Discussing politics, Governor Kundi said that Parliament was being weakened by politicians themselves.
 
He said that the Chief Election Commissioner had been appointed by the previous government, adding that political differences should be settled through politics, not by targeting state institutions.
 
Speaking on foreign relations, he said India was humbled by Pakistan’s armed forces and praised PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for effectively presenting Pakistan’s case on the international stage. “PPP can never forget the Kashmir cause,” he emphasized.
 
He also recalled that despite not having a majority, PPP succeeded in passing the NFC Award and the 18th Amendment through consensus.
 
“In the new NFC, we will fight for a greater share for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he vowed, expressing optimism that Pakistan was moving in the right direction.
 
Governor Kundi acknowledged the valuable role of overseas Pakistanis, saying they had always stood with the country in testing times.