https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:27:27 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-pakistan-abandons-gas-pipeline-project-with-iran-due-to-us-sanctions-threat/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:06:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658340 Pakistan has cancelled the building of its major gas pipeline with Iran due to the threat of economic sanctions imposed by the United States. The decision seemingly concludes around a decade of expectations for the project. According to Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, the country's Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Musadik Malik, said in written testimony to the National Assembly that, "Pakistan has issued a Force Majeure and Excusing Event notice to Iran under the Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement (GSPA), which resultantly suspends Pakistan's obligations under the GSPA." He confirmed that the pipeline – which aimed to supply 750 million cubic feet of gas per day to Pakistan from its western neighbour – "is stalled due to international sanctions on […]]]> 658340 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-pakistans-ex-premier-khan-arrested-after-sentenced-to-jail-in-corruption-case/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 13:10:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658094 Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday was arrested from his residence in Lahore after he was handed a jail term in a corruption case, said a senior leader of his party, Anadolu reports. Farrukh Habib, former state minister for information, said on X, formerly Twitter, that the Punjab police arrested Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI), and will shift him later to Islamabad. According to Khan's focal person on legal affairs, Naeem Haider, the ex-premier was sentenced to three years in prison, along with a fine of one lakh rupees ($360) in the Toshakhana case. "The court has given direction to Inspector General Islamabad to execute the decision as soon as possible," Haider said in […]]]> 658094 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-rights-groups-urge-independent-impartial-probe-into-greek-migrant-shipwreck/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:51:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657872 Human rights groups, on Thursday, underlined the need for an "independent and impartial investigation" into a migrant shipwreck off the coast of Greece in June that left more than 80 irregular migrants dead and hundreds of others missing, Anadolu Agency reports. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, in a joint statement, expressed concern over conflicting accounts from the Greek coastguard and survivors and underscored "the urgent need for an effective, independent and impartial investigation." On 14 June, a 30-meter-long fishing boat, "Adriana", capsized and sank about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Greece's southern coastal town of Pylos, with the majority of people on board from Pakistan, Syria and Libya. There were 104 survivors, with 82 bodies recovered out of 400-700 […]]]> 657872 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-pakistan-intelligence-using-israel-spyware-report-says/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 11:25:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657839 Pakistan intelligence and police agencies are using Israeli spyware, Haaretz has reported."Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency and various police units in the country have been using products produced by the Israeli cybertechnology firm Cellebrite since at least 2012," the Israeli paper revealed today. This is in spite of the country having no diplomatic ties with Israel and stressing its boycott of the occupation state. As a result, the paper reported, the purchase of the software was made through Singapore. Cellebrite software allows law enforcement agencies to engage in digital forensic work by hacking into password-protected cellphones and copying all the information stored on them. The news has, once again, raised the question of whether spyware should be sold to oppressive regimes […]]]> 657839 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-almost-400-pakistan-migrants-detained-by-traffickers-freed-from-warehouses-in-east-libya/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 16:20:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657130 Security forces in eastern Libya have freed almost 400 Pakistani migrants who were detained in smugglers' warehouses, as human traffickers continue to run their operations in and from the country, with some reporting to brutal tactics of outright kidnap. According to the migrant rights group, Al-Abreen, at least 385 Pakistani nationals were released early yesterday from warehouses used by smugglers in the Al-Khuwair area, which is located about 5 miles south of the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk. One of the rights group's activists, Esreiwa Salah, told the Associated Press news agency that the Pakistani migrants had arrived in Libya with the intention of traveling to Europe, but were then detained by the traffickers who demanded ransoms to secure their […]]]> 657130 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-pakistan-oil-companies-collaborate-with-saudi-aramco-for-10bn-refinery-project/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 18:55:42 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655972 Four leading Pakistani oil companies will join hands with Saudi Arabia's state-owned Aramco for a $10 billion Greenfield refinery project at Pakistan's strategic Gwadar Port, Anadolu Agency reports. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Pakistani and the Saudi companies in the capital, Islamabad, on Thursday, said a statement from the Ministry of Petroleum. The Pakistani state-owned entities, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited, Pakistan State Oil, Pakistan Petroleum Limited and Government Holdings Private Limited (GHPL), will collaborate with Aramco through a "joint investment strategy", the statement said, without providing further details. The project envisions setting up an integrated refinery petrochemical complex with a crude oil processing capacity of a minimum of 300,000 barrels per day (BPD), along with […]]]> 655972 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-qatar-beats-rivals-to-run-pakistan-airports/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 18:59:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655097 Qatar has manged to fend off competition from Saudi Arabia, UAE and China to secure a deal with Pakistan over the running of Islamabad Airport. The sale, via tender of a contract, to manage Islamabad Airport is nearing completion after consultations with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Ministry of Finance said Thursday. The Ministry said that Pakistan had begun outsourcing of operations at three major airports, and Islamabad was the first of these to be affected. Generating foreign exchange reserves for Pakistan's ailing economy is said to be the reason for the sale. In its statement, the Ministry said it had been unanimously agreed for the outsourcing of operations at Islamabad Airport to go ahead in order to improve […]]]> 655097 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-pakistan-art-on-wheels/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 18:27:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654893 In Pakistan, trucks plying on roads are "works of art", with subtle and colourful touches rendered by masters in truck painting art, Anadolu Agency reports. Known as "truck painting", this art is popular among drivers and owners of trucks in Pakistan, earning them laurels from art lovers all over the globe. These heavy goods vehicles used for the shipment of products have become "works of art" that colour Pakistani roads. History of art The origin of "truck painting art" in Pakistan dates back to the 1920s. Bedford trucks imported from the UK became the first vehicles carrying colourful paintings. Transport companies have designed their own logos on wooden panels attached to trucks they own. Over time, these logos have become […]]]> 654893 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230721-uk-quran-burning-desecration-deeply-insulting-to-muslims/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 16:31:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654391 Britain has condemned the desecration and burning of the Quran, Islam's holy book, in the Swedish capital city of Stockholm, Anadolu Agency reports. In a written statement issued by a spokesperson of UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the British government said such actions are "deeply insulting to Muslims around the world and completely inappropriate". Saying the UK denounces hatred on the basis of religion or belief, the Foreign Office said: "We will defend freedom of religion or belief for all, and promote mutual respect. We recognise the deep suffering experienced by Muslims around the world caused by the burning of the Quran." READ: UN Human Rights Council condemns attacks on Quran despite Western states' rejection Arab and Islamic states […]]]> 654391 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230717-irans-irgc-to-work-with-pakistan-army-on-border-security/ Mon, 17 Jul 2023 11:26:55 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652876 Iran and Pakistan have agreed to enhance defence cooperation and coordinate on border security following a meeting on Saturday in Tehran between the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), General Hossein Salami, and Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir. Munir, who was on a two-day visit, also met with his Iranian counterpart, General Mohammad Baqeri to discuss increasing bilateral relations in the fields of defence, security, military and training. Salami was quoted as saying: "The IRGC is prepared to work in cooperation with the Pakistani Army to change the security conditions at the border between the two countries and turn them into economic borders." "We consider the security of Pakistan as our security and we will end the […]]]> 652876 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230712-un-human-rights-council-condemns-attacks-on-quran-despite-western-states-rejection/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 19:28:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652011 The UN Human Rights Council condemned recent attacks on the Muslim holy book, the Quran, despite Western countries' votes against the resolution, Anadolu Agency reports. The draft resolution was presented by Pakistan on behalf of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The resolution, which calls for condemnation of attacks targeting the Quran and described them as "acts of religious hatred", was put to vote by the 47-member council. The resolution was adopted with 28 countries voting in favour, 12 countries voting against it, and seven countries abstaining at the 53rd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council. Countries that voted in favour of the resolution included Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cameroon, China, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, […]]]> 652011 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230712-pakistan-rejects-israel-criticism-of-human-rights-violations/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:25:01 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651998 Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on Wednesday rejected Israel's criticism of alleged human rights violations in his country on Wednesday, instead alleging the "Zionists" of atrocities against Palestinians for decades, Anadolu Agency reports. "There is no comparison of Israel's brutalities and human rights violations against Palestinians. They (Israeli forces) have left hundreds of thousands of Palestinian kids orphaned," Sharif said, while addressing a ceremony in the capital, Islamabad. He was responding to a rare statement made by Israel at the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, in which its Permanent Representative to the UN, Adi Farjon, about the human rights situation in Pakistan. Farjon said Tel Aviv is "deeply concerned about the overall rights situation in Pakistan where enforced disappearances, […]]]> 651998 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230712-iraq-to-buy-pakistans-jf-17-fighter-aircraft/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 13:53:02 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651950 Iraq is reportedly planning to buy JF-17 fighter aircraft from Pakistan, becoming the fifth country to do so, according to a report on Sunday by Pakistan's The News International, citing unnamed sources. If the deal goes ahead, Iraq will join Malaysia, Nigeria, Azerbaijan and Myanmar in receiving the fighter jets, which have been manufactured jointly with China. The latest agreement is still pending approval from the Iraqi parliament. Iraq is believed to have signed a contract with a Pakistani company to purchase an unspecified number of aircraft, thought to be JF-17 Block III. Iraqi Defence Minister Jumaa Inad has been quoted as saying, "We signed a contract with a Pakistani company to purchase aircraft." BREAKING: IRAQ TO BUY JF-17 FIGHTER […]]]> 651950 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230711-new-probes-contradicts-greek-coastguard-account-migrant-tragedy/ Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:40:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651416 A new investigation by the Guardian and others has found that attempts by the Greek coastguard in June to tow a boat carrying roughly 750 refugees which capsized leaving only 104 survivors may have caused the vessel to sink. Most of the passengers were from Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Pakistan. Nine of the survivors have been arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and migrant smuggling and have denied the charges. On 14 June the fishing trawler left Egypt, picked up passengers in Libya, and then tried to sail to Italy before sinking off the coast of Greece. At the end of June, survivors told Greek judicial officials that the coastguard made a disastrous attempt to tow the overloaded trawler and one even shouted at the coastguard to […]]]> 651416 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230711-pakistan-receives-2bn-in-financial-support-from-saudi-arabia/ Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:16:44 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651398 Pakistan has received $2 billion in financial assistance from Saudi Arabia, days after Islamabad and the IMF reached a $3 billion stand-by agreement, the country's Finance Minister announced on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reports. "State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has received deposit of $2 billion from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This inflow has increased the forex reserves held by SBP and will accordingly be reflected in the forex reserves for the week ending 14 July," Ishaq Dar wrote on Twitter. On 30 June, Pakistan signed a nine-month IMF agreement under a standby arrangement for $3 billion, subject to IMF board approval on 12 July. The deal will help shore up the South Asian country's depleting foreign reserves and contain a […]]]> 651398 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230709-turkish-president-urges-unity-against-growing-islamophobia-in-western-countries/ Sun, 09 Jul 2023 09:53:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650623 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized the need for collective action Saturday to address escalating Islamophobia and xenophobia in Western nations, reports Anadolu Agency. "The vile attack on our sacred book, the Quran, in Sweden on the first day of Eid al-Adha reveals the terrifying dimensions of Islamophobia," he said in a video sent to the Gala Dinner of the 46th Annual Convention of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA). Erdogan emphasized the responsibility of all Muslims to prevent a recurrence. "All of us, all Muslims, have a great responsibility to ensure that such acts, to which we react very strongly in Turkiye, do not recur. If we act as one heart and one wrist, […]]]> 650623 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230707-pakistan-premier-reiterates-call-for-protests-as-nation-observes-day-to-uphold-sanctity-of-quran/ Fri, 07 Jul 2023 13:18:42 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650406 Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on Friday reiterated his call for nationwide protests against the recent burning of the Quran in Sweden, as the country observes Youm-e-Taqaddus-e-Quran, or Quran Sanctity Day, Anadolu Agency reports. "When it comes to the [matter of] Quran, the entire nation is united. The entire Muslim ummah is disturbed by the incident in Sweden," Sharif said on Twitter. Demonstrations and rallies will be held across Pakistan against last week's desecration of the Quran by Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old man of Iraqi origin, in front of a Stockholm mosque. The act was deliberately timed to coincide with Eid Al-Adha, a significant Islamic religious festival observed by Muslims worldwide. READ: Russia detains Egyptian citizen who desecrated Quran The […]]]> 650406 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230706-families-of-missing-in-greece-migrant-boat-disaster-plead-for-recovery-of-bodies/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 21:00:11 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650201 Since Matloob Hussain from Pakistan went missing during a deadly shipwreck off Greece last month, his brother, Adil, has left the door of his Athens home open in the hope he appears. It will stay open until his body is found. Matloob, 43, is among hundreds of migrants from Pakistan, Syria and Egypt who are presumed dead after their overcrowded fishing trawler, that set sail from Libya for Italy, sank off the coast of Pylos in international waters on 14 June. A total of 104 men were rescued and 82 bodies were found. But with survivor accounts suggesting as many as 750 people were on board, several families are calling on authorities to raise the wreck from the seabed and […]]]> 650201 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230706-pakistan-uae-sign-renewable-energy-deal/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 16:34:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650224 Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) inked an agreement Thursday for the development of renewable energy projects in the South Asian country, Anadolu Agency reports. Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and UAE's Special Envoy for Climate Change, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who is also the President-designate of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP28, witnessed the signing ceremony in Islamabad. Pakistan's Secretary of the Power Division, Rashid Mahmood Langrial, and Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of the UAE, Sharif Al Olama, signed on behalf of their respective sides, said a statement. UAE companies will invest in renewable energy projects in all four provinces of the country. Pakistan is currently facing an acute electricity shortage, resulting in hours-long […]]]> 650224 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230706-pakistan-premier-slams-global-silence-on-israel-war-crimes-in-palestine/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 13:51:02 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650188 Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on Thursday condemned Israeli violence against Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank, saying Tel Aviv is committing war crimes "for all practical purposes" and is encouraged by global silence, Anadolu Agency reports. "Encouraged by global silence and without any care for the consequences, what Israel is doing in Occupied West Bank constitutes war crimes for all practical purposes," Sharif said. "Let there be no doubt about it. The killing of 12 Palestinians including five children as a result of the Israeli aerial & ground operations in Jenin Refugee Camp may just be a statistic to the world but they are real people of flesh & blood who are being massacred for demanding their fundamental rights," […]]]> 650188 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230706-eu-lawmakers-urge-intl-probe-into-deadly-greek-migrant-shipwreck/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 12:14:50 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650160 EU lawmakers today urged Greece and the European Commission to launch an international and independent probe into last month's deadly migrant boat shipwreck off the coast of Greece. The European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs held a debate dedicated to the tragedy believed to have claimed hundreds of lives. The vessel was carrying migrants mainly from Pakistan, Egypt and Syria. The committee called upon "the Greek authorities and the [European] Commission to establish, as a matter of urgency, an independent and transparent international investigation into the incident," said German EU lawmaker Birgit Sippel, chair of the session. The European Parliament demands a probe into the actions of the Greek authorities and the EU's Border and Coast Guard Agency […]]]> 650160 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230705-pakistan-top-judge-calls-migrant-boat-sinking-off-greece-human-rights-issue/ Wed, 05 Jul 2023 12:53:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=649877 Pakistan's top judge called last month's sinking of a migrant boat off Greece, in which hundreds of Pakistanis reportedly died, a "human rights issue", Anadolu Agency reports. Hearing a case on the trafficking of children on Wednesday, Chief Justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial, said human traffickers are getting millions of rupees, while innocent and poor people are tricked into going abroad on the pretext of better jobs. "Citizens are duped by human traffickers and pay millions of rupees," the local daily, Dawn, quoted the top judge as saying. He added that even women and children become victims of human smuggling. The Chief Justice also directed the provincial authorities to submit a report regarding actions taken to curb human smuggling […]]]> 649877 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230705-un-rights-council-to-hold-emergency-session-to-discuss-quran-burning-in-sweden/ Wed, 05 Jul 2023 07:46:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=649694 The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold an emergency session later this week to discuss the burning of the Quran in Sweden, a spokesman said Tuesday. Last Wednesday, a man – identified as Salwan Momika – burned a copy of the Quran under police protection in front of Stockholm Mosque, causing outrage. "The UN Human Rights Council will hold an urgent debate to "discuss the alarming rise in premeditated and public acts of religious hatred, as manifested by the current desecration of the holy Quran in some European and other countries," council spokesman Pascal Sim told reporters. "This urgent debate will be convened following a request of Pakistan, sent on behalf of several members of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, including […]]]> 649694 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230704-iran-becomes-full-member-of-shanghai-cooperation-organisation/ Tue, 04 Jul 2023 14:33:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=649636 Iran, on Tuesday, gained full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at the end of the 23rd summit of the SCO Council of Heads of States, Anadolu Agency reports. Tehran became the ninth member of the regional bloc. "The member states stressed the historical significance of the admission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the SCO as a full Member State," said the New Delhi Declaration issued at the end of the summit, released on Tuesday evening. The SCO members also noted the "importance" of signing the memorandum of obligations by Belarus to "achieve the status of an SCO member state". In his address to the summit, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, urged the SCO to grant Belarus full […]]]> 649636 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230703-pakistan-moves-to-charge-traffickers-with-money-laundering-over-greece-boat-tragedy/ Mon, 03 Jul 2023 16:14:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=649040 Pakistan has decided to charge the suspected human traffickers involved in last month's shipwreck off the coast of Greece under the country's anti-money laundering law, an official statement said on Monday, Anadolu Agency reports. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which is investigating the gory incident in which some 350 Pakistanis were among over 800 onboard a fishing trawler that sank, said in a statement that the passports of the suspected traffickers will also be blacklisted, apart from blocking their national identity cards and bank accounts. The decisions were announced during a meeting held in the north-eastern city of Lahore to review the progress in the shipwreck investigation with Director General FIA, Mohsin Butt, in the chair. READ: European official: Recent […]]]> 649040 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230627-pakistan-man-crosses-4-countries-on-walk-to-makkah-for-hajj/ Tue, 27 Jun 2023 12:29:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647652 On a sunny October day last year, Usman Arshad set out from his hometown in north-eastern Pakistan to do what he had wished for a long time, Anadolu Agency reports. Over the next six months, undeterred by freezing winds and scorching heat, he walked some 5,400 kilometres (3,350 miles) across four countries to fulfil his dream of performing Hajj, the annual pilgrimage that is the fifth and final pillar of Islam. "I am very happy. It was my dream to walk all the way to the Kaaba," said Arshad, 26, referring to what Muslims consider the house of God built by the Prophet Ibrahim and his son, Ismail. "I chose to walk because I believe this path brought me closer […]]]> 647652 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230624-weighing-expansion-brics-increasingly-draws-membership-requests/ Sat, 24 Jun 2023 15:36:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646894 The BRICS group, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, continues to attract applications from numerous countries as it explores expansion opportunities, Anadolu Agency reports. Anadolu compiled the developments regarding the enlargement process of BRICS. Amid the search for a multipolar world, Brazil, Russia, India and China laid the foundations in 2009, with South Africa joining in 2010. BRICS, while criticising the unequal structures and resolutions of the Group of Seven (G-7) and the UN Security Council, calls for reforms in international structures and norms to establish a multipolar order. With a combined population representing nearly 42 per cent of the world's population, the BRICS countries control 18 per cent of global exports. The collective gross domestic product (GDP) of […]]]> 646894 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230621-pakistan-collects-dna-samples-to-identify-victims-of-greek-shipwreck/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 13:42:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646424 Pakistani authorities collected the DNA samples of relatives to identify the victims who lost their lives in the tragic boat accident off the coast of Greece on 14 June, Anadolu Agency reports. The country observed a day of mourning on Monday as hundreds of Pakistanis were reportedly among those who died or went missing in the tragedy. "A government team visited our area and collected samples of 28 families on Monday," Raja Zafar Iqbal, a resident of Kotli district of Azad Kashmir, told Anadolu over the phone. Iqbal, who lost two nephews in the incident, said his family is in shock. On Wednesday, authorities briefed Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on the latest development and said they have arrested at least […]]]> 646424 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230621-3-more-bodies-found-after-greek-boat-tragedy/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 11:30:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646304 Three more bodies have been found in the area where a fishing vessel carrying 750 refugees capsized after being left at sea and in distress for six hours by Greek authorities. The overcrowded trawler sank off the southwest coast of Greece in the early hours of 14 June. It was the sixth day of the search and rescue operation and the discovery of the three men has raised the official death toll to 81. It is likely that hundreds of bodies will never be found. Most of the passengers on board were Syrian, Egyptian, Pakistani and Palestinian. Of the 400 Pakistanis on board, only 12 are thought to have survived. Reports from survivors say Pakistani passengers were forced below deck where children were […]]]> 646304 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230620-pakistan-negotiating-to-hand-over-karachi-port-terminals-to-uae-for-emergency-funds/ Tue, 20 Jun 2023 22:57:22 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646069 Pakistan is undergoing negotiations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to hand over operational management of the port terminals of the city of Karachi, as Islamabad continues to seek emergency funds to pay off its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). According to the Pakistani media outlets, the government yesterday constituted a committee to negotiate the finalisation of a deal to transfer control and operations of the Karachi Port terminals to the UAE, in a move which would be the first inter-governmental transaction under a law Pakistan enacted last year to raise emergency funds. The meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions, chaired by Pakistan's Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar, had decided to set up the negotiation committee […]]]> 646069 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230620-we-reject-hate-speech-against-refugees-permeating-other-societies-from-roots-in-west-turkiye-president/ Tue, 20 Jun 2023 16:30:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646031 Turkiye opposes hate speech, neo-Nazism, Islamophobic and xenophobic rhetoric targeting refugees which have permeated other societies after taking root in Western countries, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reports. In a message marking 20 June, World Refugee Day, Erdogan stressed that people around the world, including those in the region around Turkiye, are being forced to migrate due to factors including terrorism, conflict, civil war, starvation and famine, according to a statement by the Communications Directorate. "The number of forcibly displaced people has reached nearly 110 million today. Among them, 35.3 million refugees remain outside their homelands, while 62.5 million have been displaced within their own countries." "Our stance on irregular migration and the refugee issue, which […]]]> 646031 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230620-greece-shipwreck-no-bodies-or-burials-as-pakistan-village-mourns-lost-sons/ Tue, 20 Jun 2023 13:28:00 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645994 There is an air of mourning in Bandli, a small village nestled among lush green hills in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Anadolu Agency reports. Grief has gripped this village since last week's shipwreck off the coast of Greece, a tragedy that has claimed the lives of hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers. Bandli, which lies over 200 kilometres (125 miles) south-east of the region's capital, Muzaffarabad, and its people are mourning for 28 sons, all believed to have perished in the disaster. There are no bodies here in white shrouds, though, making the pain all the more difficult to bear. "We can't even cry because we don't know their fate. We don't have their bodies," Abid Rajorvi said through tears. His cousins, […]]]> 645994 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230620-300-pakistanis-presumed-dead-in-shipwreck-off-greek/ Tue, 20 Jun 2023 12:48:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645988 Pakistan observed a day of mourning for more than 300 Pakistanis presumed dead after an overcrowded fishing vessel carrying refugees sank off the coast of Greece. At least 78 bodies have been recovered and hundreds more are feared drowned after the boat capsized in what was the worst and deadliest disaster of the year. Most of the 750 passengers were from Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Pakistan and each paid $4,500 to make the journey. Testimonies from survivors say Pakistanis on board were singled out and forced below deck and that women and children were locked up whilst other nationalities were allowed on the top deck. The boat set off from Libya, then picked up the passengers in Egypt, before heading to Italy […]]]> 645988 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230619-with-scores-missing-from-shipwreck-family-members-flock-to-greek-migrant-camp/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 16:22:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645564 Inside a fenced migrant camp near Athens, relatives hugged survivors on Monday, while others refused to abandon hope of finding loved ones who were among the scores missing after one of the Mediterranean's deadliest shipping disasters last week, Reuters reports. Only 104 people are known to have survived when an ageing fishing vessel carrying up to 750 people sank in the early hours of 14 June to the south-west of Greece. There are 78 confirmed dead. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, although no survivors or bodies have been found since last week. Relatives have been turning up outside the Malakasa migrant facility since survivors were brought here on Friday, showing photos of the missing through the camp gates, in […]]]> 645564 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230616-greece-was-alerted-about-migrant-boat-frontex-chief-confirms/ Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:40:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645230 EU's Border Agency had alerted Greek authorities about a migrant boat a day before it capsized off the coast of Greece, its chief, Hans Leijtens, has confirmed, Anadolu Agency reports. "My colleagues detected on Tuesday a fishing boat, heading for Greece, with around 600 people aboard," Frontex chief, Leijtens, said in an interview with German daily, Suddeutsche Zeitung. "We reported the boat to the local authorities, as it is our duty. It is incredibly sad that it sank on Wednesday and that there has been another tragic accident," he said. READ: How migrant tragedy unfolded on the high seas, off Greece Leijtens said, immediately after the tragic incident, he travelled to Greece to understand what exactly happened, and how Frontex […]]]> 645230 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230611-heavy-rains-kill-28-in-pakistan/ Sun, 11 Jun 2023 10:37:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644017 At least 28 people, including women and children, died after heavy rains battered parts of Pakistan on Saturday, local media reported, Anadolu reports. At least 145 others were also injured due to the rains in some parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces, according to Geo News broadcaster. At least 69 houses were also partially damaged by the rain, it added. Earlier, Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for emergency rescue service Rescue 1122, told Anadolu over the phone that 20 people died and over 80 others were wounded in various parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He added that the death toll could rise. "Most casualties were caused by the collapse of walls and roofs in these areas," he said. READ: Pakistan, […]]]> 644017 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230606-peace-in-gulf-region-vital-says-china-as-iran-saudi-uae-mull-naval-alliance/ Tue, 06 Jun 2023 12:32:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642820 In an apparent approval of reports that Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman were forming a joint naval group with China, Beijing has said peace and stability of the Gulf region was of "vital importance to safeguarding world peace", Anadolu Agency reports. Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, said in a news briefing in Beijing on Monday: "Upholding the peace and stability of the Gulf region in the Middle East bears on the well-being of countries and people in the region and is of vital importance to safeguarding world peace, boosting global economic growth and keeping energy supply stable." He was reacting to reports that Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Persian Gulf states […]]]> 642820 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230605-pakistan-iraq-agree-to-make-diplomatic-travel-easier/ Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:33:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642642 Pakistan and Iraq, on Monday, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), abolishing visa conditions for diplomatic and official passport holders, Anadolu Agency reports. The understanding was reached during a meeting between Iraq's Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, and his Pakistani counterpart, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, in the capital, Baghdad, said a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Ministry. Zardari arrived in Baghdad on a three-day maiden visit earlier in the day. The two countries signed another MoU to enhance bilateral cultural cooperation. Soon after his arrival, Zardari and Hussein held delegation-level talks to discuss a variety of issues, including bilateral diplomatic relations and cooperation in different sectors, the statement added. The Ministers, it went on to say, agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations in […]]]> 642642 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230602-imran-khan-files-defamation-suit-against-pakistan-anti-graft-body-over-unlawful-arrest/ Fri, 02 Jun 2023 19:30:33 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642141 Former Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, on Friday said he filed a defamation case against the chief of the country's anti-corruption agency over his recent "unlawful" arrest, saying the move "adversely affected" his reputation, Anadolu Agency reports. Khan said he served the legal notice to Nazir Ahmad Butt, a retired military general, seeking $52.8 million in damages. The ex-Prime Minister, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote last April and has since been campaigning for snap general elections, was arrested from inside the Islamabad High Court on 9 May in a corruption case. His brief detention, which was later declared illegal, triggered protests and attacks on state and military installations. READ: TIMELINE – From ouster to arrest: Key dates in Imran […]]]> 642141 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230601-turkish-company-in-pakistan-offers-animal-sacrifices-to-celebrate-erdogans-win/ Thu, 01 Jun 2023 09:49:20 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=641867 A Turkish company in Pakistan offered animal sacrifices to celebrate the victory of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the presidential elections and his re-election for a third term, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday. The company, which operates in Islamabad, slaughtered dozens of animals to celebrate Erdogan's victory in the presidential elections that took place on Sunday, according to Anadolu Agency's correspondent. The reporter added that the meat was distributed to nine orphanages which house more than 1,500 students in the cities of Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, in addition to Turkmen families in the cities of Attock and Haripur. In the second round of the presidential election, Erdogan received 52.18 per cent of the vote while the opposition candidate Kamal Kilicdaroglu received 47.82 per cent, according […]]]> 641867 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230531-mena-region-has-highest-diabetes-rates-in-the-world/ Wed, 31 May 2023 14:48:52 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=641360 The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been found to have the highest prevalence of diabetes in the world, according to a report yesterday by the Daily Mail, citing the latest research. According to figures compiled by Our World in Data, using data from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), countries in the MENA dominate the list of the top 20 countries with the worst diabetes rates. The study measured the prevalence of diabetes among populations aged 20-79 in 211 countries. Although South Asian country Pakistan topped the list with 31 per cent of the population having the condition, followed by French Polynesia, Gulf state Kuwait was in third position at 24.9 per cent. Diabetes rates: ?? Pakistan: 30.8%?? […]]]> 641360 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230529-erdogan-supporters-worldwide-celebrate-turkish-election-victory/ Mon, 29 May 2023 18:01:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=640549 READ: Erdogan wins election according to Supreme Election Council]]> 640549 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230528-world-leaders-congratulate-turkish-president-erdogan-on-reelection-victory/ Sun, 28 May 2023 18:10:29 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=640473 The leaders of Qatar, Hungary, Somalia and Pakistan were among the first heads of state and government on Sunday to congratulate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is leading in the presidential runoff election. "My dear brother, congratulations on your victory, and I wish you success in your new term, and that you achieve in it what the brotherly Turkish people aspire to in terms of progress and prosperity," Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said on Twitter. Hungary's Viktor Orban also congratulated President Erdogan "on his unquestionable election victory!" "Congratulations brotherly and friendly Turkiye," Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's office tweeted. READ: Voting begins across Turkiye in first-ever presidential runoff In his congratulations note, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif […]]]> 640473 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230526-if-iran-exports-gas-to-europe-it-will-go-through-turkiye/ Fri, 26 May 2023 13:37:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=639972 The General Manager of the National Iranian Gas Company, Majid Jakini, said that if his country exports natural gas to Europe, it will be done through Turkiye. This came in statements to the Iranian Labour News Agency yesterday about Tehran's future approach regarding the country's natural gas exports. He added: "If we export natural gas to Europe, it will be through Turkiye." He pointed out that Pakistan, Afghanistan and Oman want Iranian natural gas and that negotiations are on their agenda, but the infrastructure needed to sign contracts with some of these countries is not yet ready. READ: Iran says it has successfully test-launched ballistic missile]]> 639972 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230525-pakistan-imran-khan-approaches-top-court-against-military-deployment/ Thu, 25 May 2023 18:07:08 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=639909 Calling it "undeclared martial law," Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, on Thursday approached the top court against the deployment of armed forces in parts of the country, requesting it to term the move unconstitutional, Anadolu Agency reports. The army was deployed in the provinces of Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the capital, Islamabad, over violence after Khan's controversial arrest on 9 May. His brief detention, which was later declared illegal, had sparked protests by his supporters, and attacks on state and military installations. Since then, thousands of suspects, including top PTI leaders, have been detained, and the army says it will try the rioters under military law. Besides anchor person, Imran Riaz Khan, his colleague and senior journalist, […]]]> 639909 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230522-gunmen-kill-5-iran-border-guards-near-pakistan-border/ Mon, 22 May 2023 12:22:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=638252 Unknown gunmen yesterday killed five Iranian border guards in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan, southeastern Iran, the official Iranian agency IRNA reported. According to IRNA, no party has claimed responsibility for the attack. The media centre of the Internal Security Forces said in a statement that First Sergeant Reda Burji was seriously injured during the attack. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani condemned the attack, saying "terrorist groups" were responsible. READ: Iranian flotilla returns after round-the-world cruise amid tensions with US Kanaani said the attack took place shortly after Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif's participation in opening economic projects on the border between Iran and Pakistan and urged the Pakistani government to implement the bilateral security agreements aimed at eliminating […]]]> 638252 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230522-fire-at-makkah-hotel-kills-8-pakistani-pilgrims-injures-6/ Mon, 22 May 2023 07:38:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=638189 A fire at a hotel in the Muslim holy city of Makkah killed at least eight Pakistani pilgrims and injured six others on Friday, a month before the annual Hajj pilgrimage is set to begin. In a statement, Pakistan's Foreign Office said: "We have reports of eight deaths and six injured Pakistanis in the incident. Our Mission in Jeddah is in contact with local authorities to provide relief to the victims and their families." Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep grief and sorrow over the incident and offered his condolences to the affected families, with his office's media wing stating that "The Prime Minister prayed for the highest ranks for the departed souls and for the families to bear […]]]> 638189 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230519-in-search-of-saeed-from-guantanamo-to-an-algerian-prison/ Fri, 19 May 2023 10:45:41 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=637920 Saeed Bakhouche – who I know as my brother 'Saeed', or prisoner 685 – was the last of 26 Algerians in Guantanamo. Those of us freed before him were very pleased when we heard that he was finally repatriated on 20 April to his home country, as an innocent man. But instead of enjoying the joy and peace that returning home should bring to a man from whom 21 years of family life have been taken, Saeed has unbelievably found himself in another prison. This time he is in a prison outside the Algerian capital, facing new interrogators, with no legal representation and no family visits – a situation worse than Guantanamo. It has been a month now. Saeed was […]]]> 637920 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230518-iran-pakistan-inaugurate-joint-border-market-power-transmission-line/ Thu, 18 May 2023 12:48:38 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=637826 Iran and Pakistan, on Thursday, inaugurated a joint border market as well as an electricity transmission line in the presence of top government officials, Anadolu News Agency reports. The Mand-Pishin Border Sustenance Marketplace is one of six border markets planned for the two neighbouring countries' shared border, as agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding signed on 21 April, 2021. Pishin is a city in the Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchestan, and Mand is a town in Pakistan's southern Balochistan province, where the market opened on Thursday. The market was thrown open by Iran's President, Ebrahim Raisi, and Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, in the presence of senior officials from both countries. The border market, which is set up on 10 acres […]]]> 637826 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230518-pakistan-to-be-fined-18bn-if-it-fails-to-complete-iran-gas-project/ Thu, 18 May 2023 12:27:08 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=637815 Pakistan faces a hefty $18 billion penalty if it fails to complete a gas pipeline project with Iran, Dawn has reported. Iran has already built its section of the pipeline, but Pakistan is yet to finish the one on its side of the border within the timeframe set out in the agreement. The 25-year deal to export Iran's natural gas through a pipeline to neighbouring Pakistan was signed between the two countries in 2009 and was supposed to be implemented by 2015. However, the project was stalled due to US sanctions against Tehran and pressure on Islamabad from Washington. According to a revised contract in September 2019, Iran agreed not to file a lawsuit if Pakistan completes the pipeline by […]]]> 637815