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Sindh government to bury Pakistani actress after family refuses to claim body

Sindh government to bury Pakistani actress after family refuses to claim body
The photo posted on Instagram on August 4, 2024, shows deceased Pakistani actor and model Humaira Asghar Ali. (Photo courtesy: Humaira Asghar/ Instagram)
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Updated 4 min 17 sec ago

Sindh government to bury Pakistani actress after family refuses to claim body

Sindh government to bury Pakistani actress after family refuses to claim body
  • Humaira Asghar Ali’s decomposed body was found in flat when a court bailiff arrived to vacate the rented property
  • Initial police investigation using phone records and social media activity shows Ali might have died nine months ago

KARACHI: The Culture Department of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province on Thursday announced it would take responsibility for the burial of actress and model Humaira Asghar Ali, whose decomposed body was found in her apartment this week, nearly nine months after her death.

Sindh’s Minister for Culture and Tourism, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, said the department would perform the last rites of the actress after her family refused to claim the body.

“Humaira Asghar is not without heirs, the Sindh government’s Department of Culture is her guardian,” Shah told Arab News, calling the case “heart-wrenching.”

“Our first effort will be to persuade the parents to receive the body,” he said. “If that does not happen, the Department of Culture will fully cooperate with the police to ensure Humaira Asghar is laid to rest with dignity and respect.”

Shah said he had contacted the Additional Inspector General of Police in Karachi, and the Secretary for Culture had formally written to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South to hand over the body.

The letter, seen by Arab News, states that the minister for culture was “very much aggrieved” by the lack of cooperation from Ali’s legal heirs.

“Considering her contributions to the arts and culture of the country, the Culture Department, Government of Sindh, is willing to take responsibility for her burial arrangements with respect and in a dignified manner,” it says.

The letter requested police to hand over the body to the department “after fulfilling formalities as per law.”

Ali’s body was discovered earlier this week when a court bailiff arrived at her apartment in Karachi’s upscale Ittehad Commercial area to vacate the property following a complaint by the landlord.

Initially, the post-mortem conducted by Karachi Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed suggested the body had decomposed over a period of about a month. However, further forensic investigation and digital evidence suggest she likely died in October 2024, nearly nine months ago.

Ali’s last known digital activity, including a Facebook post on September 11 and an Instagram post on September 30, supported that timeline, police said.

Her phone records and call detail data also confirm no communication beyond October last year.

Police said Ali’s family had declined to claim the body. It remains unclear whether she was estranged from her relatives or what the exact reason was for their refusal to receive her remains.

Ali rose to fame after winning Veet Miss Super Model in 2014 and appearing in the reality show Tamasha Ghar in 2022.

She featured in television dramas such as Just Married, Ehsaan Faramosh, Guru, and Chal Dil Mere. In cinema, she appeared in the 2015 action-thriller Jalaibee and later in Love Vaccine in 2021.


Pakistani PM orders urgent overhaul of tariff commission that sets trade duties

Pakistani PM orders urgent overhaul of tariff commission that sets trade duties
Updated 2 min 26 sec ago

Pakistani PM orders urgent overhaul of tariff commission that sets trade duties

Pakistani PM orders urgent overhaul of tariff commission that sets trade duties
  • Third-party review planned to boost Commission’s performance
  • Automated research capacity seen as key to solving business challenges

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday ordered an urgent overhaul of a top government body responsible for regulating customs duties on imports and exports, aiming to strengthen its legal, administrative and institutional powers amid growing calls to modernize the country’s trade policy.

Announcing its federal budget for 2025-26, Pakistan said it planned to cut the overall tariff regime by more than 4 percent over the next five years, as part of reforms aimed at shifting the country toward an export-led growth model. 

As per the National Tariff Policy 2025–30, the government plans to abolish additional customs duties, regulatory duties, and the fifth schedule of the Customs Act, 1969. The policy envisions a streamlined customs structure with just four duty slabs ranging from 0 to 15 percent, which would become the maximum rate. The move is part of Pakistan’s push not just to boost its exports and protect its local industry but also meet international obligations, including aligning with the government’s commitments under a $7 billion IMF program approved last year.

“Reorganization of the National Tariff Commission along modern lines is indispensable to fully meet the requirements of the new tariff regime,” a statement quoted Sharif as saying after he chaired a high-level review meeting on the NTC’s performance.

The PM’s proposed reforms aim to modernize the NTC so it can better support businesses, collect real-time market data and align with the country’s new tariff regime.

The premier directed that a third-party review be conducted to identify weaknesses in the Commission’s performance and make it “more effective.” He also stressed the importance of strengthening the NTC’s research and data-gathering abilities.

“The National Tariff Commission must have an effective capacity to gather all ground realities related to domestic business, imports, and exports market,” Sharif said. 

“The automated and effective research capacity of the National Tariff Commission can play a key role in resolving the problems faced by domestic business.”

He also ordered the immediate activation of the NTC’s Appellate Tribunal, which handles disputes on tariff decisions, a step aimed at improving transparency and efficiency.

The NTC plays a crucial role in Pakistan’s trade policy. In the 2025–26 federal budget, customs duties are projected to contribute around 6 percent of total tax revenue, according to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024–25. While relatively small, these duties are politically sensitive and impact competitiveness for domestic industries that rely on protection from cheaper imports.

Pakistan’s economic managers are under pressure to balance protection of local industry with commitments under international trade agreements and IMF-backed fiscal targets. The government says the NTC must adapt to “modern requirements” and be given adequate training and resources to support economic stabilization and export-led growth.

“The government is committed to addressing the lack of training and resources for the National Tariff Commission and to aligning its work with modern requirements,” Sharif said at Thursday’s meeting. 


Pakistani finmin calls for reworking federal funding to provinces to reflect human development priorities

Pakistani finmin calls for reworking federal funding to provinces to reflect human development priorities
Updated 30 min 50 sec ago

Pakistani finmin calls for reworking federal funding to provinces to reflect human development priorities

Pakistani finmin calls for reworking federal funding to provinces to reflect human development priorities
  • Muhammad Aurangzeb identifies climate change, population growth as ‘existential issues’
  • The minister calls for a ‘shift from infrastructure-heavy thinking to human capital investments’

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb on Thursday called for a rethinking of how federal funds are allocated to provinces, arguing that future disbursements should reflect human development indicators instead of just population size.

Speaking at an event organized by the Ministry of National Health Services in connection with World Population Day in the federal capital, Aurangzeb said Pakistan’s rapid population growth posed a serious challenge and must be addressed through coordinated, long-term policy interventions.

“As we move forward with revisiting and reviewing the NFC [National Finance Commission] award, the current allocation driver must be reconsidered,” he said while addressing the gathering.

“There are broader factors, such as human development indicators, which should be incorporated,” he added. “These can help shape a revised formula for how we divvy up resources between the federation and the provinces.”

The NFC is a constitutional mechanism that determines how financial resources are distributed from the federal government to Pakistan’s provinces. The existing formula primarily weighs population, though there are several influential voices within the government demanding that future formulas consider a broader range of development metrics.

The finance minister also noted Pakistan must confront two “existential issues” — climate change and population growth — if it wants to reach its long-term goal of becoming a $3 trillion economy by 2047.

“Just think about it: 40 percent of children under the age of five in this country are stunted,” he said. “If we don’t address this, there is no sustainable path forward.”

Aurangzeb noted the issue extended beyond food and sanitation, pointing to the need for birth spacing, women’s education and family planning awareness.

He also emphasized the scale of available resources for addressing these challenges.

Referring to Pakistan’s recently signed 10-year Country Partnership Framework with the World Bank, he said the agreement includes $20 billion in financing, with $600–700 million annually earmarked for population-related measures.

“We have a lot of funds already at our disposal, provided we find the right places to invest and prioritize them correctly,” he said.

Aurangzeb also argued that Pakistan’s total development spending across federal and provincial budgets exceeds Rs 4.2 trillion ($14.7 billion).

“The issue isn’t funding,” he said. “We must shift from infrastructure-heavy thinking to human capital investments.”


No discussion to oust Zardari, promote Pakistan military chief to presidency – minister

No discussion to oust Zardari, promote Pakistan military chief to presidency – minister
Updated 51 min 33 sec ago

No discussion to oust Zardari, promote Pakistan military chief to presidency – minister

No discussion to oust Zardari, promote Pakistan military chief to presidency – minister
  • Speculation has swirled over alleged plan to replace president through constitutional amendment
  • Interior minister says rumor campaign backed by ‘hostile foreign agencies’ aims to destabilize leadership

KARACHI: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday dismissed rumors that President Asif Ali Zardari is being pushed out of office or that army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is eyeing the presidency, reiterating that there had been no discussion about such a change.

Media chatter about a possible constitutional amendment to replace President Zardari with someone else, potentially even the army chief, has gained traction in recent days. However, key political figures have swiftly rejected the notion.

“We are fully aware of who is behind the malicious campaign targeting President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the Chief of Army Staff,” Naqvi said in a post on X.

“I have categorically stated that there has been no discussion, nor does any such idea exist, about the President being asked to resign or the COAS aspiring to assume the presidency.”

The president maintains a “strong and respectful” relationship with the military leadership, Naqvi said, adding that the army chief’s “sole focus” was on Pakistan’s strength and stability. He warned those pushing this narrative in coordination with “hostile foreign agencies” to continue as they wished but vowed that the government would do “whatever is necessary to make Pakistan strong again, InshAllah.”

On Tuesday, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) echoed Naqvi’s rebuke, with PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari calling the rumors “baseless” and noting that the country’s federal government could not function without the PPP’s support.

“Zardari is the duly elected president of this country, and this system cannot function without him,” Bukhari said, dismissing the allegations as “uninformed and misleading.”

Irfan Siddiqui, a close aide to Prime Minister Sharif and a former senator, has also rejected the speculation, saying, “No such suggestion is under consideration at any level.”


Pakistan eyes $1 billion valuation in Roosevelt Hotel redevelopment plan

Pakistan eyes $1 billion valuation in Roosevelt Hotel redevelopment plan
Updated 24 min 3 sec ago

Pakistan eyes $1 billion valuation in Roosevelt Hotel redevelopment plan

Pakistan eyes $1 billion valuation in Roosevelt Hotel redevelopment plan
  • Pakistan ready to part with minority stake in the prime Manhattan property, government official says
  • Pakistan has said it will adopt a joint venture model for the hotel’s sale to maximize long-term value

KARACHI: Pakistan is seeking a valuation of at least $1 billion for the Roosevelt Hotel it owns in New York and is ready to part with a minority stake in the prime Manhattan property as it scouts for a redevelopment partner, a senior government official said.

Named after former US President Theodore Roosevelt, the century-old property in midtown Manhattan is seen as one of Pakistan’s most valuable foreign assets, which it acquired in 2000. Faced with mounting losses, the over 1,000 room hotel was shut in 2020, and has also operated briefly as a migrant shelter.

As part of the government’s $7 billion IMF-backed privatization push, Pakistan’s government approved a “transaction structure for the Roosevelt Hotel” on Tuesday , saying it won’t do an outright sale but has decided to adopt a joint venture model to maximize long-term value. It gave no further details.

The senior Pakistani official said the government will retain ownership in the project through an equity partnership, but declined to disclose the size of the stake being offered to any potential JV partner.

The official declined to be named since the process is confidential. JLL, or Jones Lang LaSalle, will run the process and the government is eyeing a valuation of over $1 billion for the 42,000 square feet property it hopes could be redeveloped for residential-cum-office use, the official said.

“It is among the best pieces of land in NY real estate ... The process begins immediately and is expected to be completed in the next six-nine months,” said the official.

Pakistan’s Privatization Ministry and state-owned Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which owns the hotel through its investment arm, did not respond to request for comments, and neither did JLL.

Pakistan this week also approved four parties to bid for a stake in debt-ridden PIA.

The hotel is located near marquee New York destinations such as Grand Central Terminal, Times Square, and Fifth Avenue, placing it in one of Manhattan’s most valuable commercial zones.

Pakistan’s government is estimating the redevelopment will take 4–5 years, the official said, adding the “interest level is extremely high.”

In June, the government said it expects $100 million in the initial payment from the joint-venture partnership by June 2026. 


Pakistani minister calls Israel ‘illegal state,’ rules out recognition

Pakistani minister calls Israel ‘illegal state,’ rules out recognition
Updated 10 July 2025

Pakistani minister calls Israel ‘illegal state,’ rules out recognition

Pakistani minister calls Israel ‘illegal state,’ rules out recognition
  • Statement follows social media debate over Pakistan’s possible alignment with the Abraham Accords
  • Religious affairs minister says Pakistanis are ‘deeply wounded’ by Israeli bombings on civilians in Gaza

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, on Thursday ruled out any possibility of recognizing Israel, calling it an “illegal state” during a meeting with Palestinian envoy Dr. Zuhair Muhammad Hamdallah Zaid, as he reaffirmed his country’s longstanding position on the issue.

The comments come amid a debate on social media over whether Pakistan might be moving closer to joining the Abraham Accords, a US-brokered framework that has seen several Muslim-majority countries normalize relations with Israel since 2020.

The speculation was stirred in the wake of the recent high-level engagements between Pakistani officials and members of US President Donald Trump’s administration.

“There has never been, and will never be, any recognition of Israel,” Yousaf said during the meeting, according to a statement by the religious affairs ministry. “Israel is an illegal state, and Pakistan has always condemned its oppression of the innocent Palestinian people.”

Pakistan has continued its vocal criticism of Israeli policies in recent weeks, especially in light of Tel Aviv’s military operations in Gaza and recent clash with Iran.

“We are deeply wounded by the bombings on defenseless civilians, especially children and women, in Gaza,” the Pakistani minister continued, adding that his country would “continue to raise its voice to awaken the conscience of the international community.”

Yousaf also called for the Palestinian issue to remain a top priority on the agenda of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Ambassador Zaid praised Islamabad’s “consistent and selfless” support and noted that many Palestinians serving in key positions had studied in Pakistan.

He reiterated the Palestinian people’s resolve to “sacrifice their lives, wealth and families” for the liberation of their land from Israeli occupation.

He informed that Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash, adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was expected to visit Pakistan soon, accompanied by the imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque.