The Weekly Frankly Speaking Islamabad

10/06/2022

10/06/2022

19/05/2022

Pakistan's economic challenge continues as the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said the country made a net addition of USD 4.77 billion in the first half (July–December 2021) of the current fiscal year to its total external public debt of USD 90.6 billion, media reports said on Saturday.

In its quarterly report on Foreign Economic Assistance (FEA) for July-December 2021, the MEA said the total external loan inflows during the first half of the year amounted to USD 8.972 billion against loan outflows of USD 4.2 billion, thus making a net addition of USD 4.772 billion, reports The Dawn.

“As of Dec 31, 2021, Pakistan’s total external public debt stood at USD 90.6 billion,” said the quarterly report as quoted by The Dawn.

It said that during the first half of FY22, the government of Pakistan signed new loan agreements worth USD 8.481 billion as commitments.

These included USD 2.484 billion worth of agreements with foreign commercial banks, USD 1.956 billion with multilateral development partners, USD 3 billion as safe deposits, USD 1 billion committed as Eurobonds, and another USD 1 billion from the international capital markets through tap-issuance.

19/05/2022

When a fisherman in Pakistan threw a net to catch fish, his luck shone. On May 15, a fisherman has found 18 big croaker fish in Jiwani, Balochistan. This fish is called Keer in the Baloch language. Talking about the cost of fish, it is worth lakhs. The largest fish is worth about five lakhs, while the cost of small fishes is one lakh rupees.
The boat’s captain Sajjad Umar was very happy to catch these fish. He said that one day lakhs of rupees have been found by searching for fish. The croaker and the Japanese meager are two such fish that are found in the Pakistani seas and are sold very expensive. The reason behind their high prices is their large bladders. which are used for treatment.

18/05/2022

A Pakistani man travelled to Saudi Arabia by motorbike, completing his journey in 50 days, to perform the Umrah pilgrimage.

Abrar Hassan, a Pakistani biker and vlogger, started his journey on February 9 and arrived in Madinah on March 27 after crossing three continents and various countries. From there, he travelled to Makkah to perform Umrah.

Hailing from Nankana Sahib, a city in Punjab, Hassan has travelled to 80 countries, at least 12 of them on his motorcycle.

“It was always my dream [to travel to Saudi Arabia on a motorbike] and it came true this year,” Hassan, a mechanical engineer with a German automotive company, told Arab News.

During the trip, his video of holding conversation with Saudi women, who were selling tea, had also gone viral on social media.

09/01/2022

24/09/2021

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to sell six Airbus-320 aircraft, recently retired from its fleet, reported on Friday.

The aircraft will be sold without engines and in this context, the PIA has sought offers from the country’s renowned companies.

The companies have been asked to submit their offers with the PIA latest by October 26 around 3 pm, while the bids will be opened in the presence of the companies on the same day at 4 pm.

Earlier, an out-of-service ATR aircraft of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) fetched Rs8.3 million at auction. The old plane parked at Gilgit airport was auctioned to a local scrap dealer.

18/02/2021

Exciting javelin throwing competitions ended in Bheera Tehsil of Sargodha. More than 300 horse riders participated in the javelin throwing competitions.A spear-throwing celebration was held in Bhairah in which 70 teams of more than 300 horsemen from Sargodha, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Talagang, Gujarat, Jhelum and other districts participated.A large number of spectators were present to witness the skill and bravery of the horsemen, while the dance of the horses to the beat of the drum with spear was also tied.Prince and Shaheen of Sargodha bagged the first and second positions while Islamabad bagged the third position while the successful riders were awarded prizes in the end.

18/02/2021

ISLAMABAD - The Chinji National Park, around 130 kilometres south from the federal capital in the district Chakwal, will be the next destination for the jeep lovers – searching new tracks for the adventure.

Chinji National Park has been upgraded previous month with the tourist information centre and a watch tower to attract tourists in the National Park established in 1987.

This National Park lies in Talagang forest subdivision in district Chakwal at an elevation of 2231 feet. The total area of the Chinji Reserved Forest is 15003 acres with 115 compartments and three beats.

Though the Reserved Forest was declared as a National Park of the Punjab government forestry, however, the park could not get any attention for appropriate initiative to ensure effective management of park’s resources.

The Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) Project realised the socio-economic and geo-biological importance of this important National Park having unique geological features, diverse landscapes and rich biological diversity.

01/11/2020

Rule of law my next focus to take 'powerful criminals' to task: PM
GILGIT: November 01 - Prime Minister Imran Khan addressing at Freedom Day celebration.

GILGIT, Nov 1 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday said having put the national economy on the right course, his next focus was to ensure rule of law in the country and take the “powerful criminals” to task, who had been blackmailing the national institutions.

“Now, I will personally oversee the state institutions to establish rule of law in the country and bring under law the powerful criminals who are trying to blackmail them. Insha Allah, in the coming days, you will see whose legs shake and whose forehead sweats,” the prime minister said addressing the 73rd Independence Day Parade of Gilgit Baltistan here at the FCNA helipad ground.

Earlier, before recitation of the verses from the Holy Quran, the national anthem was played, also voiced by the audience while waving the Pakistani flags. The contingents of Pakistan Armed Forces, Pakistan Rangers, Gigilt Baltistan Scouts and GB Police took part in the parade and also saluted the prime minister.

It was on this day (November 1) in 1947, when the GB people led by Gilgit Scouts stood against Dogra Governor Brigadier Ghansara Singh and arrested him. They also announced liberation of Gilgit-Baltistan from the Dogra rule and hoisted the National Flag of Pakistan.

The prime minister, who was accompanied by Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur, said in the Islamic history, the Muslims fought and ruled successfully until they were ditched by the traitors like Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq just for their personal gains.

He said the Holy Quran had ranked the hypocrites even below the infidels for their conspiring role because they hurt more. “Today, we are seeing Pakistan’s Mir Jafar, Mir Sadiq and Mir Ayaz Sadiq. These are the people, who are speaking the language of Narendra Modi,” he remarked.

Imran Khan, who wore the traditional white Gilgit cap with peacock plume, told the audience that the way Pakistan had conducted after the Pulwama incident was lauded by the world leaders but he (Ayaz Sadiq) alleged that Pakistan acted under pressure, which was also the electioneering slogan of Narendra Modi.

He viewed that the sole objective of such tirade was just to pressure and blackmail the government to get an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) for their corruption of billions of rupees.

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“I want to tell my nation today, Imran Khan will never forgive these looters. The judiciary was good when they were acquitted in the Hudabiya case but when a five-member bench ruled against him, who has absconded abroad, for money laundering, then it (judiciary) turned bad (for them),” he commented.

He said the so-called democratic people were trying to discredit the Pakistan Army and the judiciary. Referring to his maiden address after taking over the office, the prime minister said he had forecast that the opposition parties would unite against him as his 24-year struggle was for purging the country of corruption.

He viewed that the interests of Pakistan and those of the opposition were opposed to each other.

He said they tried to blackmail him for alleged election rigging, economic crisis, COVID-19, and even FATF (Financial Action Task Force) related legislation despite knowing the Indian efforts to put Pakistan in its blacklist.

“Now they have pointed guns at the Pakistan Army, the Army Chief and ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) Director General. They are speaking against the Army Chief and the ISI chief, it means I had chosen them rightly. My selection was totally right and I specially thank Allah for it. If these looters are speaking against them, it means they are good people,” he remarked.

Imran Khan said a strong military was inevitable for the security of a nation and prevent the country from the situation faced by other Muslim countries like Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan and Iraq due to the wars.

He said India had got the most extremist, anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan government, which was focused on the supremacy of Hindutva, marginalizing the Muslims in India and Kashmir through enforcing multiple discriminatory laws.

Considering the very facts, he said, it was essential to have a strong army because it were the security forces which boldly stood against terrorism.

Every other week, the security personnel sacrificed their lives in terror incidents in tribal areas, Balochistan and even Karachi. He said the Indian government was not only trying to destabilize Pakistan through terror incidents rather by fanning sectarianism too as had been disclosed by Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

However, he appreciated the intelligence agencies for thwarting all Indian designs.

Imran Khan, who is the first prime minister to attend the GB Independence Day celebrations for consecutive two years, assured to join them across his five-year term.

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The prime minister, who also visited the Martyrs’ Monument and laid a wreath there, congratulated the GB people on the Independence Day and paid tribute to the sacrifices by GB Scouts who liberated the region from the Dogra rule.

He also extended greetings to the people over his government’s decision of granting the GB a provisional provincial status following the elections.

The decision, which would fulfill their longstanding demand, had been made within the perimeters of the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions, he added.

Highlighting the picturesque beauty of Gilgit Baltistan, the prime minister said it was rich with the world’s unique mountain treks.

He declined to announce any development package for the region owing to the Election Commission’s restriction due to the upcoming elections.

However, he assured the people that his government was resolved to uplift the backward areas, including GB, Balochistan, western districts of Punjab and interior Sindh, and their people.

GB Governor Raja Jalal Hussain, in his address, said the people of GB were patriot and loved Pakistan, besides feeling proud to be called as Pakistani citizens.

He thanked the prime minister for his government’s decision to grant the GB the provisional provincial status fulfilling the longstanding demand of the people, who had been demanding their region to be declared as Pakistan’s fifth province to get equal rights and opportunities.
Criticizing the opposition parties for targeting the army, he said the GB people stood by the security forces.

He said during the Gujranwala gathering, the opposition parties had opposed the provincial status to the GB which would be avenged by the people through ballot in the upcoming polls.

GB interim Chief Minister DIG (retd) Haji Mir Afzal thanked the prime minister for attending the Independence Day celebrations and greeted the nation on the occasion.

He also thanked the Force Commander of Pakistan Army for the parade. He said some 74 years ago in November, the GB people liberated the region from the Dogra rule.

He said the GB people would stand by the Pak Army whenever they would require any sacrifice.