Author: Horshid Shirazi

The Commonwealth Secretariat’s Trade Competitiveness Section (TCS) and International Trade Policy Section (ITPS) have recently concluded a highly successful workshop on ‘Trade Negotiations and Diplomacy,’ aimed at enhancing the negotiating skills of Pakistan’s trade officials and strengthening their participation in international trade discussions. The workshop, held on 12th and 13th June 2023, in collaboration with the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and in close consultation with Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce, brought together twenty carefully selected officers –  of which 10 are women – to benefit from the training. Taking place in Bhurban, Pakistan, the workshop provided an ideal setting…

Over the last decade, China’s dominance in the Indian Ocean region has gained headlines, with relatively little attention paid to Pakistan’s maritime advances. Surprisingly, despite a financial crisis and political turmoil, Islamabad has continued to improve its naval fleet, which raises concerns for India and other neighboring countries. Beijing has increased its backing for Pakistan’s navy modernization to boost the capacity of a major ally who will help China confront the security issues that it faces in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). China has boosted its naval presence in the IOR at the same time, creating its first overseas military…

Pakistan’s bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund has brought a degree of relief to the cash-strapped country, but another aspect of Islamabad’s strategy for easing its economic crisis is bearing little fruit so far. The Pakistani government in early June authorized barter trade with Afghanistan, Iran and Russia — encouraging direct exchanges of goods and services without cash as a way of reducing pressure on rapidly dwindling foreign reserves. The Commerce Ministry released a list of 57 eligible products, including oil and gas, under what is called the Business-to-business (B2B) Barter Trade Mechanism 2023. A month later, however, insiders…

Pakistan and Switzerland have vowed to strengthen bilateral friendship and explore opportunities for mutual cooperation in diverse fields.                                   The resolve was expressed during a meeting in Islamabad on Saturday, of Pakistan-Switzerland Friendship Group having representatives in the parliaments of two countries. The meeting emphasized the need for enhanced parliamentary exchanges to deepen understanding and collaboration. The Swiss delegation was given a tour of the Parliament and briefed about its rich history. They also visited Nathiagali to explore Pakistan’s scenic beauty. The Pakistani side expressed…

Pakistan’s seafood exports surged by over 17 percent in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year starting from July 2022 to June 2023, compared to the same period of the last fiscal year, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said. The seafood exports were recorded at 456.67 million U.S. dollars in July-May of the ongoing fiscal year as against the exports of 389.87 million U.S. dollars in July-May of the last fiscal year 2021-2022, showing a growth of 17.13 percent, the PBS said on Monday. In terms of quantity, the exports increased by 32.65 percent from 148,354 metric…

Pakistani President Arif Alvi said that his country continued to host one of the largest refugee populations in the world, showing Pakistan’s unwavering resolve and commitment to the welfare and voluntary repatriation of refugees. In his message on the occasion of World Refugee Day being observed on Tuesday, Alvi said that “on the day, we are reminded of the immense contributions of the government and people of Pakistan in hosting millions of Afghan refugees over the past four decades.” Pakistan’s unparalleled humanitarian efforts in providing refuge to such a large number of displaced individuals, despite limited resources, serve as a…

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman has said that Pakistan cannot afford around nine percent GDP losses owing to the climate change issues, wherein, Pakistan’s share in climate change is less than one percent. Speaking at the concluding session of the second day of the Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit titled, “Changing Narratives”, the minister said, “Pakistan’s contribution to global carbon emissions is less than one percent, but here we are enduring 45 degrees Celsius heatwaves.” The minister said that neighbouring India was one of the leading countries contributing to climate change and Pakistan is bearing the…

Health officials expressed alarm at the outbreak of dengue virus in southwestern Pakistan’s district Kech on Thursday, as official data showed the infection claimed two lives and infected over 2,000 people during the months of April and May. Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that is transmitted from humans to mosquitoes. In its most lethal form, the disease is known to be fatal. Patients who are infected with dengue suffer severe flu-like symptoms, including high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea, and vomiting that can last for a week. Data by the Provincial Malaria Program showed district Kech reported…

ISLAMABAD — The U.N. Security Council demanded unanimously Thursday that Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders swiftly reverse their restrictions on women’s access to education and work, and it condemned a recent ban on local female staff working for the United Nations. “These restrictions are unprecedented in the history of the United Nations, and they put the very presence of the U.N. in Afghanistan in jeopardy,” United Arab Emirates Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh said of the most recent edict. “But as we all know, this is just the latest in a wave of restrictions that we have witnessed over the past year and a half.”…

The Russian football team, shorn of international competition due to the invasion of Ukraine, will not take part in the inaugural edition of the Central Asian Championship despite having been slated to. Russia had been invited but declined the invitation this week claiming it was due to a loaded fixture list despite having been barred by UEFA and FIFA from their competitions. However, national coach Valery Karpin gave a different reason, saying he had concerns over the high temperatures and his players getting injured because of the artificial pitches. As a result the draw went ahead for the friendly competition…