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Pakistan
World

Bangladesh, Pakistan and India bottom in air quality rankings in 2023, data shows

Published 19 Mar, 2024 11:00am
Commuters pass an industrial area as smoke rises from re-rolling factories at the Shyampur area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: Reuters
Commuters pass an industrial area as smoke rises from re-rolling factories at the Shyampur area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: Reuters

SINGAPORE: Pakistan remained one of the world’s three smoggiest countries in 2023, as Bangladesh and India replaced Chad and Iran, with particulate matter about 15 times the level recommended by the World Health Organization, data published on Tuesday showed.

Average concentrations of PM2.5 - small airborne particles that damage the lungs - reached 79.9 micrograms per cubic metre in Bangladesh in 2023, and 73.7 micrograms in Pakistan.

The WHO recommends no more than 5 micrograms.

“Because of the climate conditions and the geography (in South Asia), you get this streak of PM2.5 concentrations that just skyrocket because the pollution has nowhere to go,” said Christi Chester Schroeder, air quality science manager at IQAir, a Swiss air-monitoring organisation.

Punjab govt to take action against air pollution: Minister

“On top of that are factors such as agricultural practices, industry and population density,” she added. “Unfortunately, it really does look like it will get worse before it gets better.”

 Smoke rises from the chimneys of brick factories on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: Reuters
Smoke rises from the chimneys of brick factories on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: Reuters

In 2022, Bangladesh was ranked as having the fifth-worst air quality, and India was eighth.

About 20% of premature deaths in Bangladesh are attributed to air pollution, and related healthcare costs amount to 4%-5% of the country’s GDP, said Md Firoz Khan, an air pollution expert at Dhaka’s North South University.

Indian pollution also increased last year, with PM2.5 levels about 11 times higher than the WHO standard.

India’s New Delhi was the worst-performing capital city, at 92.7 micrograms.

China also saw PM2.5 rise 6.3% to 32.5 micrograms last year, after five consecutive annual declines.

Only Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and New Zealand met WHO standards in 2023.

The IQAir report was based on data from more than 30,000 monitoring stations in 134 countries and regions. Chad, the world’s most polluted country in 2022, was excluded from the 2023 listings because of data issues.

 A man rides a bicycle through smoke rising from steel mills located near a slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: Reuters
A man rides a bicycle through smoke rising from steel mills located near a slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: Reuters

Iran and Sudan were also taken off the 2023 list. Christa Hasenkopf, director of the Air Quality Life Index at the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, said 39% of countries have no public air quality monitoring.

Pollution forces city-wide closures of businesses, schools in eastern Pakistan

“Considering the large potential benefits and relatively low cost, it’s stunning that we don’t have an organised global effort to deploy resources to close these data gaps, especially in places where the health burden of air pollution has been largest,” she said.

Opinion Print 2024-03-19

Pakistan falls in human development

Published 19 Mar, 2024 04:53am

The global Human Development Report of 2023-24 has been released recently by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) from New York. Since 1990, this report has been presenting rankings of countries in the Human Development Index (HDI).

The HDI of a country is measured by four indicators, as follows:

  • Gross national Income per capita (in PPP $)

  • Life expectancy at birth (years)

  • Expected years of schooling (years)

  • Mean years of schooling (years)

The value of the HDI ranges from 0 to 1. Grouping of countries is done on the following basis:

========================

High: 0.8 to 1.0

Medium: 0.550 to 0.8

Low: Below 0.550

========================

The extremely depressing finding from the report is that according to the latest ranking Pakistan is ranked 164thout of 193 countries. With HDI of 0.540 it is in the group of countries with a low level of human development.

Pakistan has fallen from the medium to low level of human development over the years. According to the 2020 ranking, Pakistan was in the 154th position. The HDI value was 0.557 and it was characterized as a country with a medium level of human development. In the 2021-22 ranking it fell to the 161st position and was relegated to countries with a low level of HDI.

The source of further concern is that Pakistan is ranked in the HDI way below Bangladesh and India. Bangladesh has a HDI of 0.670, which is 24% higher than that of Pakistan. It is in the medium group of countries with the 129th rank. India has a HDI of 0.644 and is also in the medium group of countries, with the 134th ranking.

Pakistan’s performance in the HDI over the decades since 1990 has varied, with the decade, 2000 to 2010, showing the biggest cumulative increase in the index of 14.3%. The smallest increase of 8.1% has been witnessed in the last decade from 2010 to 2020. The best performance in increasing the index was witnessed in Bangladesh during the decade from 1990 to 2000, and from 2000 to 2010 in the case of India.

A comparison between Pakistan, India and Bangladesh reveals that in relative terms Pakistan does more poorly in the mean years of schooling indicator. It is 7.4 years in Bangladesh, 6.6 years in India and only 4.5 years in Pakistan. The smallest difference between Bangladesh and Pakistan is observed in the indicator related to life expectancy at birth. It is reported at 73.7 years in Bangladesh and at 66.4 years in Pakistan.

The global Human Development Report of the UNDP for 2023-24 also presents the latest estimates of the incidence of poverty in each country. Poverty has been measured either as multidimensional poverty or as the incidence of poverty below the international poverty line of 2017 PPP $ 2:15 per day.

There is an extraordinary finding from this report. While Pakistan does relatively poorly in relation to Bangladesh and India in the HDI as highlighted above, the surprise is that it has a lower incidence of poverty, when measured with respect to the international poverty line. It is reported at only 4.9% in Pakistan and significantly higher at 10.9% in India and 13.5% in Bangladesh. This type of sharp contradiction between related indicators needs to be clearly investigated by the UNDP.

The causes of the fall in human development of Pakistan from the medium to the low-level need to be investigated. The first question is what has been happening to the public outlay on education and health by the federal and provincial governments?

The PRSP progress reports by the federal Ministry of Finance give estimates of the total public expenditure on education and health respectively. There appears to have been a big decline in the level of spending on education as a % of the GDP. It was 2.1% of the GDP in 2017-18, which has fallen sharply to only 1.3% of the GDP in 2021-22. However, the level of health spending has risen from 1.1% of the GDP to 1.4% of the GDP.

The big fall in education expenditure has actually led to a decline of over 3% in the number of public schools and teachers during the last few years. This is revealed by the publication, Pakistan Education Statistics, of the Academy of Educational Planning of the federal Ministry of Education.

There is clearly a crisis in the education sector of Pakistan. Almost 40% of the children, aged 5 to 16 years, are out of school. The education system has failed to expand in line with the growth in the number of school-going children in the country.

The bulk of education expenditure is by provincial governments. The share in 2021-22 was 93%. Provincial governments have been unable to allocate larger funds to education for two reasons. First, the level of federal transfers to the provincial governments was 5.8% of the GDP in 2017-18, which has declined to 5.3% of the GDP in 2021-22. Second, the provincial governments have failed to launch their own vigorous fiscal effort. Their own-revenues have fallen from 1.4% of the GDP in 2017-18 to 1.1% of the GDP in 2021-22. Consequently, the fiscal space has diminished for at least maintaining the level of education spending as a % of the GDP, if not raising it.

A comparison of the level of public education spending of Pakistan with that in India and Bangladesh has been made with the World Development Indicators database of the World Bank. It was significantly higher in 2022 at 2% of the GDP and as high as 4.6% of the GDP in India.

Therefore, if Pakistan is to increase substantially the human capital endowment of the population to raise the potential for achieving a higher growth rate in coming years, it will have to invest and spend more on education. An immediate target is to take the level of public spending back to at least 2% of the GDP, financed by additional revenues generated through wide-ranging progressive taxation reforms and economy in other expenditures.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Dr Hafiz A Pasha

The writer is Professor Emeritus at BNU and former Federal Minister

Business & Finance Print 2024-03-19

TDAP facilitates visit of Chinese delegation to Pakistan

Published 19 Mar, 2024 04:53am

KARACHI: The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) is proud to announce the successful facilitation of the visit by a distinguished Chinese delegation to Pakistan from March 15th to March 18th, 2024.

Led by Pang Chi, Chairman, and Hu Yu, Legal Representative of Hunan Yuzhen Food Co. Ltd, China, the delegation’s visit aims to explore avenues for enhancing bilateral trade relations between Pakistan and China.

During their stay, the delegation engaged in constructive meetings and discussions with key stakeholders in Pakistan’s agricultural sector. TDAP played a pivotal role in organizing these meetings, ensuring that the delegation had the opportunity to interact with leading exporters and industry players.

The highlight of the visit included productive sessions with prominent entities such as The Fauji Meat Limited and members of The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan. These meetings provided valuable insights into the quality and variety of meat and rice products available in Pakistan, aligning perfectly with the delegation’s interests in importing these commodities.

Furthermore, the delegation expressed keen interest in exploring investment opportunities and forming joint ventures (JVs) with Pakistani companies. TDAP facilitated these discussions, fostering an environment conducive to collaboration and mutual benefit.

Pang Chi, Chairman of the delegation, commended the efforts of TDAP in orchestrating a seamless and productive visit. He emphasized the importance of such initiatives in strengthening trade ties between the two nations and expressed optimism about the future prospects of bilateral cooperation.

Hu Yu, Legal Representative of Hunan Yuzhen Food Co. Ltd, lauded the hospitality extended by Pakistani counterparts and expressed confidence in the potential for fruitful partnerships in the fields of agriculture and trade. TDAP remains committed to fostering closer economic relations between Pakistan and China, and endeavors to continue facilitating such meaningful exchanges in the future.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Sports Print 2024-03-16

PCB all set to host tri-series after two decades

Published March 16, 2024

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met the Chairman of Cricket South Africa (CSA), Lawson Naidoo and the Chairman of New Zealand Cricket (NZC), Roger Twose, a PCB spokesman said.

The agenda of the meeting included the ODI Tri-series between Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa, to be held in February 2025 in Pakistan, just before the ICC Champions Trophy. The Tri-series was finalised and welcomed by the host and both the member boards.

Chairman PCB also extended an invitation to Roger Twose and Lawson Naidoo to visit Pakistan.

Pakistan Cricket Board last hosted a tri-series in October 2004, where Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe were the other two teams in the event.

Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi said, “The Tri-series between Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand will be an exciting event and it is after a long time that Pakistan will host such a tournament. I would like to thank the heads of NZC and CSA for agreeing to participate in the Tri-series. The PCB is also looking forward to hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 which will be a great pleasure for Pakistan to host the top eight ODI teams on its soil.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Print Print 2024-03-16

No IAEA delegation visiting Pakistan: FO

Published March 16, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Friday rejected the media reports as fake which claimed that a delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is visiting Pakistan.

“Any stories regarding the visit of a high-level IAEA delegation to Pakistan are fake news. No official from IAEA is currently visiting Pakistan, nor are any policy talks planned in the near future with IAEA,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said while responding to media queries.

International Atomic Energy Agency technical guidelines: Pakistan approves production of radiopharmaceuticals, quality control

She said that Director General IAEA visited Pakistan in February 2023 and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued briefings to the media on the occasion.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Pakistan Print 2024-03-15

UNDP Human Development report: Pakistan ranks 164th with ‘low’ human development status

Published March 15, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the 2023-2024 Human Development Report entitled, “Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World” has ranked Pakistan 164th with a “low” human development status.

The report released here on Thursday noted uneven development progress is leaving the poorest behind, exacerbating inequality, and stoking political polarization on a global scale. The result is a dangerous deadlock that must be urgently tackled through collective action.

The 2023-2024 report places Pakistan in the “low” human development category while in 2022, Pakistan had a Human Development Index (HDI) value of 0.540 with a global ranking of 161 out of 192 countries. In 2023, the country dropped three places to 164 in the global ranking.

“The widening human development gap revealed by the report shows that the two-decade trend of steadily reducing inequalities between wealthy and poor nations is now in reverse,” said Achim Steiner, Administrator of UNDP.

“This gridlock carries a significant human toll. The failure of collective action to advance our response to climate change, digitalization or poverty and inequality not only hinders human development but also worsens polarization and further erodes trust in people and institutions worldwide.”

“Despite managing well the Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan’s HDI and global ranking have suffered due to persistent social, economic and political pressures, including macroeconomic challenges as well as the lingering effect of the 2022 floods,” said UNDP Pakistan Resident Representative Dr Samuel Rizk.

He observed that there is a notable 33 percent decline in Pakistan’s inequality-adjusted HDI, bringing it to 0.360. In the Gender Inequality Index (GII), the country’s rank remains the same at 135 out of 166 countries. The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) score stays unaffected at 0.198, indicating persistent challenges.

The report reveals that following pandemic-caused setbacks for their HDI in 2020, the South Asian region has demonstrated an overall more resilient recovery compared to East Asia and the Pacific, as well as the global average. However, significant disparities remain between “high” HDI and “low” HDI countries, indicating ongoing challenges in achieving equitable development.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Pakistan Print 2024-03-15

Chinese CG praises UAF leadership

Published March 15, 2024

FAISALABAD: China Consul General Zhao Shiren has said that China relations with the University of Agriculture Faisalabad will be taken to the new heights and in this context, they intend to launch a merit and need-based scholarship project for the students studying at UAF.

He stated this during a meeting with UAF Vice Chancellor Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Deans, Directors and Chinese universities alumni

He said that the relations between China and Pakistan are based on brotherhood, time tested, and strong. Both countries are enjoying good ties in energy, infrastructure, agriculture, education and other sectors to achieve common goals.

He said that China Pakistan Economic Corridor has opened new avenues for development. He praised the UAF leadership and faculty for the university development and addressing agricultural challenges.

Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that 70 teachers from the UAF had received higher education from universities in China. He said that the UAF has launched a Sino-Pak dual diploma in modern agricultural technology in collaboration with Ballie College China, under which the students will study in the UAF for the first two years and in the third year in China.

He said that the UAF had introduced high-yielding varieties of commodities including wheat, cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, chickpea, which will enable increment in per acre production.

On this occasion, Pro-Vice Chancellor UAF Dr. Sarwar Khan, Dean Food Sciences Dr. Masood Sadiq Butt, Dean Veterinary Sciences Dr. Farzana Rizvi, Dean Engineering Dr. Anjum Munir, Dean Social Sciences Dr. Khalid Mushtaq, Principal Officer Public Relations and Publication Dr. Jalal Arif, Principal Community College Dr. Anjum Zia, Director Planning and Development Irfan Abbas, Director External Linkage Dr Kashif Saleemi and others attended.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Pakistan Print 2024-03-15

Covid-19 death figures in Pakistan higher than official figures: ADB

Published March 15, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Covid-19 death figures are estimated at 664,000 in Pakistan, around 20 times the official figures, says the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The bank in its latest report, “What has Covid-19 taught us about Asia’s health emergency preparedness and response?” stated that there is disagreement over data related to Covid-19 mortality.

Actual Covid-19-related deaths appear to be more than double official reports. Cumulative excess mortality, the difference between predicted and officially reported deaths, was estimated at multiples of the official Covid-19 death figures. It is estimated at 736,000 in Indonesia, around five times the official death figures, and 664,000 in Pakistan, around 20 times the official figures.

The bank stated that undercounting appears more prominent in low-income economies, implying it is related to limited testing capacity and low public trust in health facilities. There is also evidence of data manipulation. Given the inaccuracies, understanding how policies may or may not have succeeded in controlling Covid-19 is difficult.

The report noted that the Psychological Well-Being (PWB) trend during 2019–2022 was heterogenous in Asia. By leveraging Google’s high-frequency search data on depressive symptoms, provide insights into the changes in PWB from the search intensity of depressive symptoms.

Of 34 Asian economies in the sample, eight—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—had significant PWB losses during the early pandemic stage, while others saw a relatively mild decline.

For these eight countries, the data show that peaks of government Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPI) stringency and Covid-19 severity occurred at the different stages of the pandemic. The severity of government restrictions occurred early in the pandemic and gradually decreased over time. However, the health risk of Covid-19 (measured by deaths per million people) was highest in mid-2021, when the delta variant quickly became dominant in many economies.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Print Print 2024-03-15

Sanctions on IP gas line: Govt in talks with US Admin to secure waiver: Musadik

Published March 15, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been engaged with the US administration to secure a waiver from US sanctions on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline in order to meet its energy needs, while simultaneously fulfilling contractual obligations with Iran.

Federal Minister for Energy Dr Musadik Masood Malik said during a press conference on Thursday.

He said the government is working on two fronts simultaneously: one to secure a waiver from US sanctions and the other to build gas pipeline infrastructure in accordance with the contractual obligations of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.

IP gas pipeline project: CCoE decides to start work on first phase

Responding to a question regarding his meeting with the IMF visiting team, he said he held only an introductory meeting with them but the government had met all the conditions of the IMF related to the power sector.

He maintained that the IMF team was also apprised that the government had intent to bring reform in the energy sector not a condition of the IMF for future generation of the country.

The minister said that reforms in the energy sector would be introduced to end the differential price between the cost and sale of electricity to bring down Rs1,000 billion annual losses.

He further said that most of the work on WACOG (weighted average on cost of indigenous gas and imported RLNG) had been done which would help to reduce the cost of power generation.

Citing example, he said Bhikki and Haveli Bahadur Shah had been more efficient power plants, however, per unit cost of electricity reached to Rs22-24 due to expensive RLNG. While, cost of electricity on local gas was Rs12 and some private companies were generating electricity on Rs6 per unit.

Responding to a question regarding DISCOs, he said the performance and efficiency of the DISCOs would be improved by reducing electricity theft and line losses.

The government would devise a strategy for DISCOs either they would be run under private-public partnership or public sector, until then the efficiencies of DISCOs would be improved.

Musadik Malik said each public sector oil company had been directed to establish a separate company for renewable energy. This, he said would help generate cheap electricity and protect the environment.

The minister said that the prime minister envisaged the uplift of rural and urban areas, and added that it had been decided to provide direct subsidy to the farmers on fertilisers. He maintained provision of high-yielding seeds and solar tubewells to the farmers would be ensured in order to enhance the productivity of the agriculture sector.

He said loans will also be provided for the establishment of farm industries in order to ensure maximum utilisation of fruits and vegetables.

For the urban areas, he said that a plan had been developed to provide IT-related training to 500,000 and commercial banks would be directed to provide soft loans to the small and medium sector.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Pakistan Print 2024-03-13

India says it seizes drugs worth $58m from Pakistani boat

Published March 13, 2024

NEW DELHI: Indian authorities have intercepted a boat from Pakistan carrying drugs worth about $58 million and arrested its six Pakistani crew members, India's defence ministry said on Tuesday.

India has previously accused its neighbour of encouraging drug mafias to run networks across the border. Pakistan has denied these allegations.

The boat was intercepted about 350 kilometres (217 miles) off the coast of the western Indian state of Gujarat overnight on Tuesday, an Indian defence ministry statement said.

"The boat along with crew has been apprehended and is being brought to Porbandar (in Gujarat) for further investigation."

All six crew members are Pakistani citizens, said Amit Vishwakarma, senior officer of the Gujarat anti-terrorist squad.

Indian authorities similarly intercepted a boat that entered Indian waters from Pakistan in April last year, arresting nine Pakistani nationals from the vessel and seizing drugs estimated to be worth $37 million.

Pakistan Print 2024-03-13

Pak-Tanzania Bilateral Political Consultations held

Published March 13, 2024
Photo: APP
Photo: APP

ISLAMABAD: The inaugural session of Pakistan-Tanzania Bilateral Political Consultations took place in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.

Ambassador Shaharyar Akbar Khan, Additional Foreign Secretary (Africa) led the Pakistani delegation, while Ambassador Salvator Marcus Mbilinyi, Director (Asia and Australasia) headed the Tanzanian side, said a statement of the Foreign Office here.

It stated that discussions covered political, trade, investment, capacity building, education, defence, and cultural relations.

The two sides committed to strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation and underlined the importance of high-level exchanges.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Opinion Print 2024-03-11

Country needing an action in accord with reason

Published March 11, 2024

The swearing-in ceremony of Asif Ali Zardari as 14th President of Pakistan yesterday was coincided by arrests of several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers in various parts of the country.

The PTI, as per its plan, has embarked on a protest drive against the Feb 8 vote rigging through which, according to the party, its mandate was “stolen”. Those arrested included senior lawyers and leaders of PTI Sardar Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja.

That political stability remains elusive even one month after the general election with the consequent emergence of new legislatures in provinces and at the Centre, and election of four chief ministers and prime minister is a grim reality. That the absence of required political stability has been exacting its toll on the country’s economy is no longer a secret.

A weak and controversial mandate for the ruling coalition is nothing but a stupendous challenge for the government and electorate alike. The seemingly unstable structure of the Shehbaz Sharif-led government (PDM 2.0) and its inclination to collapse in short time will only add to political instability in the country.

In other words, the main takeaway of the Feb 8 general election is that the political instability of 2023 continues in 2024.

Political stability and predicable policies frameworks are widely considered as key drivers for attracting global investment.

The setting up of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) was a step aimed at achieving and ensuring policy consistency. This objective seems to have been somehow achieved or it will be attained in due course.

However, insofar as the goal of ensuring political stability is concerned, it is conspicuous by its absence.

The current spell of political polarization in the country, in my view, underscores the need for introduction and adoption of a new ‘Charter of Democracy’ that must seek to protect and preserve, among other things, country’s economic interests while suggesting ways and means to insulate the process for every general election from any real or perceived interference in future.

Hence the need for all the stakeholders to join hands to initiate an action in accord with reason without any loss of time.

Sehrish Mustafa Haider (Karachi)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Print Print 2024-03-11

Xi, Raeesi congratulate Zardari

Published March 11, 2024

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping sent congratulations on Sunday to Asif Ali Zardari on his election as Pakistan’s president, state media reported. Reuters.

NNI adds: President of Iran Syed Ebrahim Raeesi in a message congratulated Asif Ali Zardari on his election as the president of Pakistan.**

President Raeesi expressed hope that during his presidency, the relations between the two countries, having historical, cultural and religious history, will be more developed and deepened than before.

The Iranian President stated, “As always, and especially in the new era, the Islamic Republic of Iran declares its readiness to expand relations with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”

Pakistan Print 2024-03-09

Speakers call for gender equality

Published March 9, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a roundtable on Friday emphasized the need for gender equality by enhancing women’s role in institutions, and departments, through the formulation of policies aimed at addressing the challenges that are preventing women’s empowerment in the country.

Marking International Women’s Day (IWD), the Centre for Strategic Perspectives (CSP) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) hosted a roundtable discussion titled, “Women’s Inclusion in Policy Discourse of Pakistan.”

The keynote speaker at the roundtable discussion was Fauzia Viqar, Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace.

Other discussants included: former Ambassador Seema Ilahi Baloch; Dr Salma Malik, associate professor, QAU; Major Wajiha Arhsad, assistant director, Information Operations Division, ISPR; Atiya Amir, deputy controller program, Radio Pakistan; Shanza Faiq, assistant director, Foreign Minister’s Office; and Dr Fareeha Armughan, head -Center of Evidence Action Research, SDPI.

In her remarks, Fauzia Viqar underscored the critical need for gender-friendly economic inclusion with a view to removing the primary obstacle to women's economic and financial empowerment. Pakistan ranks significantly low in economic empowerment and performs inadequately in the women’s peace and security index. Despite these disheartening statistics, substantial measures have been implemented to address the challenges, empowering women to claim their rightful place in society. Viqar emphasized the urgency of removing roadblocks—societal, institutional, and systemic—to ensure women's equal competence. This aligns with ongoing efforts in Pakistan to foster a more inclusive and empowering environment for women.

In order to ensure consistent progress, Fauzia Viqar proposed a range of measures, including: (i) women refusing to believe that they are not equal; (ii) persistent efforts towards realization of the guarantees on women’s equality and rights enshrined in the Constitution; (iii) continued endeavours to meet Pakistan’s international obligations under the relevant Conventions/treaties; (iv) upscaling of women’s representation across-the-board; (v) instituting measures to include women’s perspectives on all aspects of the policy discourse; (vi) development of ‘solidarity networks’ and ‘mentorship’ among women themselves; and (vii) the imperative of women displaying leadership in all areas of their endeavour.

In her introductory remarks, Dr Neelum Nigar, director CSP aligned the discussion with IWD 2024 theme, envisioning a gender-equal world free from bias.

She emphasized that the conversation will shed light on the pivotal role of women in shaping and participating in policy discourse across key domains such as the economy, foreign policy, diplomacy, energy, and the media within the specific context of Pakistan.

In his remarks on the occasion, DG ISSI Ambassador (retired) Sohail Mahmood emphasized the pivotal role of women in shaping policies for Pakistan's socio-economic development and fostering an inclusive decision-making process.

He said that beyond equality, addressing unique challenges faced by women unlocks the nation's full potential. Women, with their diverse perspectives, enrich policy discourse, offering essential insights to address multifaceted challenges, he added.

He also highlighted the role of historical figures such as Fatima Jinnah, Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan and Shaista Ikramullah as well as contemporary leaders, underscoring Pakistan's commitment to human rights and gender equality across various sectors.

Additionally, he added that Pakistan's global advocacy, particularly at the United Nations, reflects efforts to enhance women's protection in conflict and post-conflict settings. The 2022 National Gender Policy Framework stands as a testament to the country’s ongoing commitment to women's empowerment.

In her remarks, Ambassador Seema emphasized that women's inclusion in policy discourse is a fundamental prerequisite for gender equality and democracy. Addressing gender inequality is imperative for achieving women's empowerment and their active involvement in policymaking. While Pakistan is moving in the right direction, alarming figures and facts highlight the urgent need for progress, she added.

She noted that as per available data, only five percent women hold senior positions.

Ambassador Seema further elaborated on the fact that although women in Pakistan contribute across various sectors such as health, education, forces, policy, academia, etc, they face significant under-representation in higher positions and politics, despite constituting half of the population.

Major Wajiha shed light on how women in the Pakistani forces and UN peacekeeping are paving the way in the international world. Similarly, within the Pakistan armed forces, women’s participation is growing and even extending to combat role as well. However, this journey has not been without challenges, she said.

She added that it is becoming increasingly important to understand that gender is not a limitation but a strength. She highlighted that women in uniform bring new experiences and strength to the table. The increase in women's representation in the forces indicates that there are no limits to what women cannot achieve.

Dr Salma Malik in her remarks elucidated that to empower women, it is pivotal to provide safe social space, respect, and security. Pakistan in the past few decades has had many “first women” who were able to break the glass ceiling and cultural barriers to excel in a male-dominated society.

Talking about women in conflict, Dr Salma highlighted that women are the direct and indirect victims of a conflict and often remain at the end of the line in the receiving queue and post-conflict rehabilitation; at the same time, women also stand the agency of the conflict in certain scenarios.

Dr Fareeha during her remarks shed light on the existing “implicit bias” that exists, preventing women from achieving their full potential in workplaces. Due to the systemic biases institutions behave in ways that are biased and not gender inclusive. This bias is also deep-rooted in societal norms, culture, hierarchy, and general social conditioning. To address these challenges it is imperative to bring gradual change in the architecture of the society through interventions and discussions. Equally important is to define and enhance women’s role in institutions, departments, and government by first identifying gender issues and then implementing policies to address them.

Shanza in her remarks highlighted the increased role and inclusivity of women in the foreign office of Pakistan. Women work side by side with their male counterparts at different desks and departments and undertake important roles at the forefront of diplomacy and foreign affairs in the Foreign Office without any gender bias. Some strong women are contributing to the policy discourse. However, much still needs to be done. Women's participation must be made more inclusive in areas such as conflict resolution, peace-building dialogue, and policy discourse. While Pakistan has achieved numerous strides in making its institutions such as the foreign office a women-inclusive institution, further steps need to be taken to improve women's representation in all facets. Consideration should also be given to developing what is characterised as “feminist” foreign policy.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Business & Finance

inDrive’s optimism: eyeing opportunities in Pakistan’s challenging environment

Published March 8, 2024

Whether grappling with political turmoil, inflation, or exchange rate issues, Daniil Petin, Vice President of Mobility at inDrive (global), remains optimistic about Pakistan’s potential for sustainable growth.

Despite the country’s economic challenges and a bleak near-future outlook, inDrive views Pakistan as a strategic market with substantial untapped potential.

Moody’s Investors Service recently characterised Pakistan’s fiscal strength as “very weak,” citing elevated political risks that constrain its credit profile. This economic distress has led several companies to either shut down or scale back operations. Notable examples include Careem suspending its food delivery business in 2022 and challenges faced by Airlift, among others.

inDrive to expand operations in five more cities in Pakistan

In an exclusive interview with Business Recorder during his recent visit to Pakistan, Petin acknowledged the economic difficulties but emphasized inDrive’s commitment to developing Pakistan as one of its core markets. Despite challenges faced by other companies, inDrive sees Pakistan as a significant opportunity.

“Pakistan is one of our big bets. For us, we see huge potential. If you look at the macro factors for Pakistan, everything is telling you that it’s going to be growing. Look at the population, which now is over 240 million,” Petin remarked.

A major player in the ride-hailing sector, inDrive considers Pakistan the 6th most important market in its mobility portfolio.

The company’s ride-hailing service operates in 20 cities, while its inter-city service covers 200 cities.

Notably, it holds the second position as the most downloaded ride-hailing app globally and claims the top spot in Pakistan with 6.5 million downloads in 2023.

While inDrive is the most downloaded app, it doesn’t necessarily translate to being the most used.

Can ride-hailing, logistics and delivery companies lead an EV revolution in Pakistan?

However, inDrive maintains the leading position in terms of active users among ride-hailing applications in Pakistan.

“If you look at Pakistan’s GDP from a macro level, its 20% industry, 20% agriculture, and then 60% services.”

“Services are booming, e-commerce is booming and internet technologies are booming. And for us, it’s a good sign that it’s going to be developing further.”

Acknowledging economic challenges such as inflation, increased fuel prices, and currency depreciation, Petin highlighted the importance of a long-term perspective. He expressed confidence in Pakistan’s growth potential, emphasising that these economic fluctuations are just temporary obstacles.

In addressing price concerns, Petin stated, “We haven’t increased our prices dramatically. The prices are being discussed between the client and the driver or the courier, and for mobility, the same mechanics that are at the core of the inDrive business when you negotiate the price.”

Despite challenges, inDrive is witnessing substantial growth in Pakistan, prompting top officials to visit the country frequently to understand the growth patterns and ensure sustainability.

High fuel prices are changing the landscape of ride-hailing: how are the players responding

Petin provided insights into the growth trajectory across various verticals.

“inDrive’s city-to-city more than doubled orders for the service in 2023 and reached more than 300,000 orders for intercity rides in Dec 2023. Couriers are experiencing a 2.6x growth in orders done in 2023 versus 2022, establishing a leading position in the market. In terms of freight, inDrive demonstrated 5x growth in accepted orders in 2023 compared to 2022.”

To further diversify its services, inDrive is testing carpooling for inter-city travel, a relatively new concept in the market.

“Carpooling is something that is quite new to the market. For example, me, you, and Sidra, we are different people in different parts of Karachi. We want to go to Islamabad. So, we go to an application and we say we want to go tonight. And there’s a driver who is willing to give us a trip. So, we connect three of us through the application with the driver, and we go, and basically, for each of us, the cost is going to be lower rather than taking the whole car.”

Additionally, inDrive is exploring parcel delivery within its inter-city spectrum.

Petin described this service, saying, “Imagine you are a driver, you are driving someone, or you’re going yourself to a city from city A to city B. And someone could just give you a little parcel. You can take it and deliver it to city B as well. The cost is going to be pretty low, and it’s going to be fast delivery, like on demand.”

Despite the economic challenges faced by Pakistan, inDrive remains optimistic about the country’s potential for sustained growth, emphasizing its commitment to strategic investments and continued development in key markets.

Pakistan

Pakistan’s women ‘Rowdy Riders’ take on traffic and tradition

Published March 8, 2024
Zainab Safdar (R), an instructor with the women-only ‘Rowdy Riders’, assists a student during a lesson in Karachi. Photo: AFP
Zainab Safdar (R), an instructor with the women-only ‘Rowdy Riders’, assists a student during a lesson in Karachi. Photo: AFP

KARACHI: Revving round a dusty oval in the heart of Pakistan’s largest city, women on motorbikes practise looping a row of safety cones, their helmets securing colourful headscarves in place.

It is a rare sight in the culturally conservative country, where women are typically relegated to the back seats of cars or to riding side-saddle on motorbikes, ferried by a male relative.

“Change is under way,” says Zainab Safdar, demonstrating how to mount a two-wheeler while cloaked in a pink body-covering abaya.

 Karachi’s ‘Rowdy Riders’ group now boasts a membership made up of more than 1,500 housewives, students and professionals. Photo: AFP
Karachi’s ‘Rowdy Riders’ group now boasts a membership made up of more than 1,500 housewives, students and professionals. Photo: AFP

The 40-year-old is an instructor for the “Rowdy Riders”, a women-only group teaching novices in Karachi everything from the basics of balancing on a bicycle to high-octane gear changing and negotiating traffic.

Since being founded in 2017 by a handful of pioneering riders, the self-described “Rowdies” have swollen in number to more than 1,500 housewives, students and professionals.

‘International Women’s Day Gala’ held

“In the past, there were misconceptions about girls riding bikes,” Safdar said, referring to doubts about their abilities.

“Fortunately, with greater awareness, these notions have been dispelled.”

Women’s participation in the workforce is impacted by the limited availability of public transport services that ensure their safety.

In the sprawling megacity, granting women the skill and confidence to join legions of male bikers in the helter-skelter of congestion unlocks a new tier of freedom.

Most of the riders hail from Karachi’s middle class, but rigid gender norms often still hold sway.

University lecturer Shafaq Zaman said “it took a while to get permission” from her family to start classes to master a pedal bike two months ago.

Among the few dozen bikers assembled under the mid-afternoon sun, she looks on with her seven-year-old daughter Aleesha as a convoy of women open up their engines and rip past in a haze of dust.

“I am so inspired that now I have my own dream for me, that I want to ride on a heavy bike. I want to ride the whole of Pakistan,” 30-year-old Zaman said.

 The Karachi riding group also teaches women how to ride traditional bicycles. Photo: AFP
The Karachi riding group also teaches women how to ride traditional bicycles. Photo: AFP

Her story is not unusual. In Pakistan, very young boys are often seen steering motorbikes, but many of the “Rowdies” did not learn to ride a bicycle until well into adulthood.

“There should be a bike in every house, and usually there is, but it’s rotting because men do not use it and women don’t know how to,” said Sana Kamran, sitting confidently astride a 110cc Suzuki.

“If women can manage household responsibilities and earn a living, why can’t they ride a bike for their convenience?” the 41-year-old asked.

Motorbikes are ubiquitous across Pakistan – most commonly red Honda models or cheaper Chinese reproductions, considered capable of mastering any terrain.

The quest to conquer a bike has seen 26-year-old Farwa Zaidi suffer multiple bone fractures – but the injuries are a badge of honour she wears as proudly as the “Rowdy Riders” crest on her jacket.

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“Here I am, standing strong,” she said alongside her 70cc electric scooter.

 Members and students of the ‘Rowdy Riders’ line up before taking their bikes onto an open ground in Karachi. Photo: AFP
Members and students of the ‘Rowdy Riders’ line up before taking their bikes onto an open ground in Karachi. Photo: AFP

At four feet and six inches (137 centimetres) tall, Zaidi said her small stature made it difficult to claim a spot on crammed city buses.

Learning to ride gave her a new sense of possibility.

“Once we master cycling, it instils a new-found confidence in our ability to conquer other challenges,” she says.

Pakistan Print 2024-03-07

9th round of Pak-EU Political Dialogue held: Pakistan, EU agree to continue working towards broadening of ties

Published March 7, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the European Union have agreed to continue working towards further deepening and broadening of bilateral ties in all areas of mutual interest.

This was agreed during the ninth round of Pakistan-European Union Political Dialogue which was held here on Wednesday.

According to a statement of the Foreign Office, Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi led the Pakistani delegation while the EU side was led by Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Enrique Mora.

It added that the Political Dialogue covered the entire gamut of the Pakistan-EU bilateral relationship encompassing all areas of mutual interest with a focus on Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP), trade and development cooperation, security, climate action, migration and mobility. Important Regional and global developments were also discussed.

Expressing satisfaction over the positive trajectory of the relations, it added that the two sides agreed to continue working towards further deepening and broadening of Pakistan-EU bilateral ties in all areas of mutual interest by regularly holding meetings of institutional mechanisms and undertaking follow-up actions.

Highlighting the importance of Pakistan-EU bilateral ties, the two sides agreed that regular high-level interactions have provided a new impetus to the relationship and underlined the necessity for close cooperation and dialogue amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, it further stated.

Acknowledging GSP Plus as a successful template of trade for development and mutually beneficial cooperation, the foreign secretary underlined the need for fostering deeper collaboration with key stakeholders on both sides to bring diversification and sustainability in trade ties between Pakistan and the European Union.

“The two sides also agreed to explore new opportunities under the EU’s flagship programs; Global Gateway Strategy and Horizon Europe,” it added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Opinion Print 2024-03-07

‘Protecting women farmers’

Published March 7, 2024

This is apropos a Business Recorder editorial “Protecting women farmers” carried by the newspaper recently. It is true that Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO’s) latest report titled “Protection issues faced by women farmers in Pakistan” is a situationer that has proven to be extremely enlightening.

But the report was found wanting in relation to certain areas of women’s participation in agriculture. For example, the report has stated, among other things, that approximately 74 percent of women and girls engaged in Pakistan’s labour force work in the agriculture sector, which generates 40 percent of household income. “Yet protection issues faced by women farmers in Pakistan remain little known and poorly documented.”

The newspaper has rightly highlighted the issue in relation to land ownership by women by saying that “the importance of land ownership here cannot be downplayed and the government would do well to allot unused state-owned land to women farmers and then provide them with the resources, education and training to support their success.”

The FAO report, however, doesn’t provide any insights into this very critical aspect insofar as the involvement of women in farming or agriculture is concerned as we do not have statistics or data to know how many or what percentage of the women farmers do own farm land in Pakistan. According to the report, “despite the important and varied roles that women play in agriculture, most women farmers do not own the land they work on”.

But FAO just cannot generalize about such a formidable challenge facing women farmers in Pakistan. It ought to have come up with some estimates, however modest, about land owning by women. Consider the following:

In rural India where an identical percentage of women work in agriculture over 12 percent of women farmers own land. In my view, owning land is critical to ensuring emancipation of women farmers, which would certainly end their exploitation to a certain extent. It is true that in Pakistani society agriculture is considered the business of men.

Given the increased participation in farming, they need the recognition and status that they actually deserve. Unfortunately, however, the discussion and conclusions on this subject appear to be trapped within the limits of a mindset that derives its absolute power from a system of social structures and practices in which men dominate, oppress, and exploit women, including those in the agriculture sector.

Shehnaz Rafiq Dhillon (Lahore)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Business & Finance Print 2024-03-07

Pakistan desired to expand trade ties with friendly countries: Alvi

Published March 7, 2024

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi said that Pakistan desired to expand its trade and economic relations with friendly countries.

The president expressed these views during separate meetings with Ambassador-designate of Pakistan to Portugal Dr Muhammad Khalid Ejaz and Ambassador-designate of Pakistan to Myanmar Imran Haider, who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday.

Talking to ambassador-designate to Portugal, President Dr Alvi urged him to work for further strengthening of bilateral trade ties with his host country, adding that Pakistan was ensuring a conducive environment for economic and trade activities.

"The foreign investors should avail of such business-friendly environment in Pakistan. Portuguese IT companies could benefit from the skilled human resources of Pakistan in the respective sector," the president said.

President Alvi also underlined the need to enhance political, cultural and people-to-people contacts between Pakistan and Portugal, besides strengthening exchanges at the political level.

The president, during his meeting with ambassador-designate to Myanmar, stressed upon further cementing of bilateral relations between the two countries. He stressed that both countries were required to enhance their cooperation in the business sector to promote trade.

He said that Ancient Buddhism heritage in Pakistan could further bring the two countries closer in tourism and cultural sectors.

On the occasion, the president also separately expressed his good wishes for the success of both envoys.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Pakistan Print 2024-03-06

US expresses its willingness to work with new govt

Published March 6, 2024

WASHINGTON: The United States of America (USA) on Tuesday expressed willingness to collaborate with Pakistan’s new government.

In a recent press briefing, United States Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller conveyed the US’s readiness to engage with Pakistan’s new government.