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Articles by Peer Muhammad
How green are Pakistan’s political manifestoes?
Pakistan’s national elections are scheduled for February 8, 2024, but election manifestoes by the major parties were only released at the end of January. The Third Pole looks at how the major parties are – or are not – prioritising climate change in their manifestoes. The front runner PML-N’s ambitious manifesto Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) is considered a frontrunner to lead the next government.
Farmers who lost crops in Pakistan floods struggle without compensation
Most farmers in Pakistan whose crops were destroyed in last year’s devastating floods do not have any insurance they can fall back on, leaving many thousands facing potential destitution. Smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable – not only were their summer crops ruined, but they are now struggling to buy seeds, fertiliser and other inputs for their winter crops, since prices of all have skyrocketed.
Farmers in mountainous areas of Pakistan feel the heat
Since March, major cities in Pakistan have experienced unseasonable and extremely high temperatures. However, farmers in the mountainous areas of the Upper Indus Basin in the Hindu Kush Himalayas have also been affected. Last winter there was heavy rain and snowfall in the mountainous northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Timely warnings avert loss of life from surging glacier in Pakistan
On 7 May, as Pakistan reeled under an unusually long and severe heatwave, an ice-dammed lake burst in the Hunza valley of northern Pakistan. The flood swept away a historic bridge on the Karakoram Highway, destroyed six houses in Hassanabad village, agricultural land, orchards and two hydropower projects. Despite the severity of the disaster, no lives were lost. This is because the flood did not take villagers by surprise. The Shishper glacier started to surge back in 2018.
Most tap water in northern Pakistan not fit to drink
Gilgit-Baltistan occupies a crucial position in the supply of water to the whole of Pakistan. The region hosts around 7,000 glaciers, which provide a major source of meltwater into the Indus basin, on which Pakistan is critically dependent. Yet most people living in the lightly populated mountainous region rely on mostly unfiltered water from snowmelt runoff, springs, groundwater and rivers for drinking, leaving them at risk of disease.
Karachi could be submerged by 2060
Three coastal cities in Pakistan’s Sindh province, including the country’s financial capital Karachi, would be submerged by 2060 if the current trends of sea erosion in the Indus delta and coastlines continue unchecked. That was the unambiguous message delivered by National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) chief Dr Asif Inam to parliamentarians last month.
Triple Threat: Pakistan's Mango Growers Face a Sticky Season
Title This story was originally published June 18, 2020 by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Mango vendors wait for customers in the Barakahu area of Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, on June 16, 2020. | Thomson Reuters Foundation/Peer Muhammad A combination of a coronavirus-spurred trade slowdown, locust attacks and odd weather have created a nightmare year for growers and exporters of Pakistani mangoes, with both production and demand plummeting this year, they said.
Managing glaciers along CPEC in Gilgit-Baltistan
Share this story Tweet The much touted China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be passing through Pakistan’s beautiful Gilgit-Baltistan province in the north to reach the Chinese operated Gwadar port in the south of the country, leading to hopes that it will transform the economy and help bridge Pakistan’s power shortfall.
In Pakistan's warming mountains, farmers fish for a new living
© REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro File Photo-A man prepares fishing net along a road near the port area in Karachi, Pakistan GHIZER, Pakistan, Sept 18 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) -Two years ago, Raja Iqbal Hussain quit his job as a low-paid hotel waiter in Dubai and went back to his native village in northern Pakistan to set himself up as a fish farmer.
Karachi could be submerged by 2060
Three coastal cities in Pakistan’s Sindh province, including the country’s financial capital Karachi, would be submerged by 2060 if the current trends of sea erosion in the Indus delta and coastlines continue unchecked. That was the unambiguous message delivered by National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) chief Dr Asif Inam to parliamentarians last month.
FEATURE-In Pakistan's warming mountains, farmers fish for a new living
GHIZER, Pakistan, Sept 18 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Two years ago, Raja Iqbal Hussain quit his job as a low-paid hotel waiter in Dubai and went back to his native village in northern Pakistan to set himself up as a fish farmer. The 36-year-old father of three has now started bringing in a small profit from his fish, and is looking forward to earning more next year once they have grown.
FEATURE-In Pakistan's warming mountains, farmers fish for a new living
By Peer Muhammad GHIZER, Pakistan, Sept 18 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Two years ago, Raja Iqbal Hussain quit his job as a low-paid hotel waiter in Dubai and went back to his native village in northern Pakistan to set himself up as a fish farmer. The 36-year-old father of three has now started bringing in a small profit from his fish, and is looking forward to earning more next year once they have grown.
In Pakistan's warming mountains, farmers fish for a new living
As erratic rains and rising temperatures make traditional crops harder to grow, the government is backing cold-water fish farming as a good source of income and nutrition By Peer Muhammad GHIZER, Pakistan, Sept 18 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Two years ago, Raja Iqbal Hussain quit his job as a low-paid hotel waiter in Dubai and went back to his native village in northern Pakistan to set himself up as a fish farmer.
Plastic Bags Are Now Illegal in Northern Pakistan
Flavio Ronco/ Flickr Environment The government has started delivering cloth bags as alternatives. By Peer Muhammad HUNZA, Pakistan, June 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) — In this district in northern Pakistan flanked by soaring mountain ranges and glaciers, plastic shopping bags are now illegal. In late April, the provincial government banned their "use, purchase, export or import" in an effort to cut plastic waste and pollution, and rolled out first deliveries of cloth shopping bags.
FEATURE-In Pakistan's northern mountains, plastic bags face the bin
© Buena Vista Images Representative Image HUNZA, Pakistan, June 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - In this district in northern Pakistan flanked by soaring mountain ranges and glaciers, plastic shopping bags are now illegal. In late April, the provincial government banned their “use, purchase, export or import" in an effort to cut plastic waste and pollution, and rolled out first deliveries of cloth shopping bags.
FEATURE-In Pakistan's northern mountains, plastic bags face the bin
By Peer Muhammad HUNZA, Pakistan, June 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - In this district in northern Pakistan flanked by soaring mountain ranges and glaciers, plastic shopping bags are now illegal. In late April, the provincial government banned their "use, purchase, export or import" in an effort to cut plastic waste and pollution, and rolled out first deliveries of cloth shopping bags.
Senate passes resolution binding prime minister to attend house session | The Express Tribune
Cyber Security Council Bill tabled in Senate, Mini-Marshall Plan for FATA to be introduced. Senate adopted a resolution on Monday making it mandatory for the Prime Minister to attend the Senate session at least once a week. PHOTO: FILE The Senate on Monday adopted a resolution making it mandatory for the Prime Minister to attend the Senate session at least once a week, Express News reported.
For the record: Leaders dismiss reports of ‘grand political alliance’
“There is zero chance of any alliance with the PTI because of our different political agendas and policies. There is no such alliance on the cards with the PML-Q either,” Umer Ayaz Abbasi, spokesperson for the PAT told The Express Tribune. Abbasi criticised the PTI as lacking ‘clear-cut policy’. “Our agenda is for the poor people and not for the Chaudhrys or the Khans,” he added.
Villagers 'Living Between Life and Death' as Pakistan's Glaciers Melt
BADSWAT, Pakistan, Aug 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) — When a glacial lake burst in Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan province in July, Sher Baz watched helplessly as the waters swept away his family home. Residents of Badswat village, which lies in Ishkoman valley at the foot of the Hindu Kush mountain range's snow-capped peaks, were at the mercy of the flash flood that carried off homes, roads, and bridges, as well as crops and forest.
Villagers 'living between life and death' as Pakistan's glaciers melt
"With glaciers melting faster than before, we feel more vulnerable and it seems like we are under constant threat of a natural disaster," said villager Shakoor Baig BADSWAT, Pakistan, Aug 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When a glacial lake burst in Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan province in July, Sher Baz watched helplessly as the waters swept away his family home.
Sea Buckthorn Comes to the Rescue of Mountain Villages in Pakistan
Last year, Behram Baig left his job at a large corporation in Karachi and moved back home to the Passu valley to start a new life: promoting the use of sea buckthorn. Baig wanted to tell people about the plant’s multiple health benefits and inspire others to make a living from it. Sea buckthorn is a deciduous shrub found across Europe and Asia. It produces small orange berries once a year, which are turned into pastes, liquids and oils for a variety of uses.
CPEC project: Nascent industries afraid of big Chinese firms
ISLAMABAD: Despite prospects of hefty benefits in many aspects, the business community sees the $45-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project a threat to the domestic industry if the government does not come up with certain preemptive measures to give protection to vulnerable sectors of the economy.
Development outlook: Innovation, value addition key to economic growth
ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a seminar on Wednesday underscored the need for promoting innovation, value addition, quality improvement and competitiveness for achieving higher economic growth. They were speaking at the seminar titled “Creating Capabilities for Growth”, organised by the Consortium for Development Policy Research and the International Growth Centre.
Fertiliser sales: DAP importers don’t agree with price reduction
ISLAMABAD: Fertiliser importers have turned down a government proposal to slash the price of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) from Rs2,500 to Rs2,250 per 50kg bag to bring it in line with the international market rate, sources said. The proposal was shot down at a meeting on Thursday at the Ministry of National Food Security and Research. In the global market, the price has gone down since the fixing of the rate in Pakistan at Rs2,500 per bag through a government notification on June 25, 2016.
Undeterred by Trump’s victory, Pakistan remains positive
KARACHI / ISLAMABAD: Stock markets were rattled when Republican candidate Donald Trump appeared to edge ahead of Hillary Clinton in the US presidential race. The dollar lost value and safe-haven assets such as gold and the Japanese yen soared. But as euphoria, surprise and even anger wore off as Trump was announced the president-elect, volatile markets began to calm down as well. Pakistan equities recovered while gold lost much of its gain during the day as well.
World Bank to help Pakistan design new tariff policy
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has agreed to provide technical assistance to Pakistan in its efforts to frame a new tariff structure aimed at giving a boost to national exports and government revenues. The offer of technical assistance came after a proposal in that regard was floated by Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir in a meeting with a high-level delegation of the World Bank.
NTC restructured, can now take suo motu notice
ISLAMABAD: The National Tariff Commission (NTC) would have powers to take suo motu notice of certain issues pertaining to dumping of goods under its new laws, said Federal Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir while speaking at a press conference on Monday. The minister said the NTC was now fully functional after revamping of its structure and provision of required human, financial and technical resources.
Food insecurity: Farmers, poor suffer as stocks of food remain unutilised
ISLAMABAD: Despite surplus production of staple food commodities, a significant portion of Pakistan’s population remains food insecure, largely due to extreme poverty, which has adverse effects on both the farming community as well as the masses, particularly the poor. Pakistan is largely an agrarian economy with the largest irrigation system in the world. It has been producing surplus amounts of wheat, rice, potatoes and other major crops for years.
Opening up commerce: Iran invites Pakistan for free trade talks
ISLAMABAD: In a significant leap towards a free trade agreement (FTA), the Iranian authorities have asked Pakistan to send a delegation to Tehran for kicking off formal negotiations for liberalising commerce between the two neighbours. “Iran has finally invited Pakistan to bring a delegation by the end of this month or early next month in order to start the first round of talks on the much-awaited FTA,” said a senior officer in the Ministry of Commerce while talking to The Express Tribune.
GSP Plus facility: EU mission tells govt to strictly enforce child, labour rights
ISLAMABAD: A European Union assessment mission on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Plus has urged Pakistan to strictly implement laws that protect human rights, including fundamental rights of the child and bonded labour.
Five-year plan: Plan developed to enhance exports to Azerbaijan to $500m
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Defence Production has developed a joint action plan to enhance Pakistan’s exports to Azerbaijan up to $500 million in the next five years. An official in the Ministry of Commerce shared that following Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Azerbaijan last month, an Inter-Ministerial Working Group meeting took the decision to enhance exports to Azerbaijan to $500 million from the existing value of $60 million.
Textile industry: Bosan rejects APTMA demand for duty-free import of cotton
ISLAMABAD: Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikander Hayat Khan Bosan has rejected the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association’s (Aptma) demand to allow duty-free import of raw cotton to support the textile industry. Earlier, Aptma representatives sought from the government, among other incentives, to allow duty-free import of raw cotton for import but Bosan declined this demand conditionally.
Formal kick-off: First CPEC-specific shipment to arrive in mid-November
ISLAMABAD: The first shipment under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will enter Pakistan in November through the Sost border in Gilgit-Baltistan, which is due to close this year. Both China and Pakistan’s governments have finalised arrangements to formally kick off trade activity under the umbrella of CPEC, starting specific import of goods through the new route under the $45-billion project.
Textile industry’s revival: Bailout package worth Rs175 billion prepared
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will soon take a decision on a huge bailout package of over Rs175 billion for the textile industry aimed at supporting the exporters of textile products. A source in the Ministry of Textile Industry told The Express Tribune that a comprehensive bailout package had been finalised and sent to the prime minister for final approval for support of the textile sector, which accounts for more than 60% of the country’s total exports.
Fertiliser subsidy claims: FBR stays away, food ministry steps in
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)’s decision to distance itself from the verification process of subsidy claims filed by diammonium phosphate (DAP) importers, has spelt trouble for the Ministry of National Food Security and Research because of its lack of expertise in the area. The payment of subsidy claims has already been delayed for months in the wake of less coordination among government departments and absence of cooperation from some provinces.
Pakistan, US remain committed to expanding ties
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United States remain committed to working together to expand bilateral and investment ties, aimed at tapping potential on both sides. The statement was made in a joint communiqué by US Trade Representative Michael B Froman and Pakistan Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan at the end of the co-hosted 8th annual US-Pakistan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting held this week.
Funding: USAID to make $60m available for clean energy
ISLAMABAD: Under the new energy initiative, ‘US-Pakistan Partnership for Access to Credit’, the USAID will make at least $60 million funds available to Pakistan in the coming years for clean energy projects. This was stated by a US delegation visiting the country. United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Michael Froman led the delegation to Islamabad to discuss the ongoing US-Pakistan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA).
Pakistan urges US to ease travel advisory
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has urged the United States to revise its travel advisory pertaining to the country in a bid to promote a softer and more investor-friendly image to US citizens.
Efforts on to shield farmers from climate change impact
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Ismail Shah has stressed that the government is making all necessary arrangements to cushion farmers against the challenges posed by climate change.
Textile industry: PTEA blames govt for falling exports
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Textile Exporters’ Association (PTEA) has blamed the government for not taking prompt steps to save falling exports and for failing to keep its commitment to the sector. In its recent meeting with Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir, the association, led by Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Rauf Alam, urged the government to take up issues with all other arms of the government to enable the sector to revive exports.
PASSCO fails to recover Rs60.5m from Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD: Federal audit observed that Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Service Corporation (Passco) failed to recover Rs60.5 million outstanding against the Afghanistan’s government for years, resulting in a loss of potential interest income of Rs29.7 million, which the sum would have otherwise earned.
Pak-Iran ink MoU for new payment mechanism
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to open channels in their respective central banks for bilateral trade transactions and put an end to the dollar account for clearance of Letter of Credit (LC). The agreement has been signed to remove trade hurdles between the two countries.
Fertiliser subsidy: Sindh and K-P remain stingy in contribution
ISLAMABAD: Provincial governments of Khyber-Pakthunkhwa (K-P) and Sindh are adopting a stingy approach in contributing their share of the fertiliser subsidy pool, a situation much like last year’s, putting in doubt the government’s plan to support the agriculture sector. Plan to support farmers came strongly from Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who said the country’s economic growth was pegged back by contraction in the agriculture sector.
UN FAO urges natural water resources’ security
ISLAMABAD: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director General Dr Jose Graziano da Silva has urged authorities to ensure security of natural water resources and their efficient utilisation for sustainable food security in the country.
Post Brexit: UK assures Pakistan GSP Plus-like trade package
ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom has assured Pakistan that it would extend a package similar to the Generalised Scheme of Preference (GSP) Plus in the backdrop of Britain’s decision to exit the 28-nation European bloc in a referendum on June 23, 2016. “Ministry of Commerce Secretary Azmat Ali Ranjha was in the UK last week to figure out the future course of action in relation to bilateral trade in the wake of Brexit,” said a senior officer in the Ministry of Commerce.
Trade promotion: Businessmen demand direct cargo flights to Central Asia (Business)
ISLAMABAD: The business community has asked the government to start direct cargo flights of Pakistan International Airlines from Lahore to Tajikistan in order to save time and cost on the export of goods to Central Asian states. A delegation of businesspersons met Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan last week where they highlighted the challenges being faced by exporters in the absence of direct cargo flights and road links with the Central Asian nations.
Too little too late: Senate committee demands recovery of $800 million
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology expressed concern over the outstanding payment of $800 million against Etisalat. This amount is still pending from the privatisation of Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation Limited (PTCL) almost a decade ago.
IT ministry complains: FATA Secretariat restricts broadband expansion
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has hit out at the Fata Secretariat for refusing to allow extension of the Broadband for Sustainable Development project in tribal areas for the provision of 2G and 3G telecom services under the Universal Services Fund.
Parliamentary body: Concern over delay in raising force for CPEC
ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project (CPEC) on Monday expressed concern over the delay in finalising terms of reference (ToRs) for raising the Special Security Division (SSD) by federal and provincial governments. Stressing the need for quickly convening a meeting inviting representatives of all provincial governments, the committee urged the government not to waste time in this regard. The meeting was presided over by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed.
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