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Trade deals with Saudi, US, UAE to boost Pakistan economy, promote cooperation – army chief

Trade deals with Saudi, US, UAE to boost Pakistan economy, promote cooperation – army chief
Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir (left) is addressing Pakistani diaspora during his visit to US on August 10, 2025. (Pakistan Army)
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Updated 15 sec ago

Trade deals with Saudi, US, UAE to boost Pakistan economy, promote cooperation – army chief

Trade deals with Saudi, US, UAE to boost Pakistan economy, promote cooperation – army chief
  • Field Marshal Asim Munir is on his second visit to the US in two months
  • During his last visit, he had an unprecedented White House meeting with Trump

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has said memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed with Ƶ, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and China were being implemented to promote economic cooperation and attract investment, state-run media reported on Sunday.

Pakistan has recently inked a series of agreements aimed at boosting trade, economic cooperation and bilateral investment with China, the US, Ƶ, the UAE and the Central Asian republics as the country seeks to stabilize an economy weakened by a prolonged balance of payments crisis.

Pakistan and Ƶ last year signed 34 MoUs worth $2.8 billion, seven of which have since been converted into agreements valued at $560 million. The UAE, Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the US, has also pledged $10 billion in future investments in priority sectors. Islamabad and Washington also recently finalized a trade agreement under which a 19 percent tariff was imposed on a wide range of Pakistani goods, the lowest rate in the South Asian region.

“Various Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) are being implemented with the US, Ƶ, the UAE and China, which will promote economic cooperation and investment,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported, quoting Munir as saying while speaking to members of the Pakistani community in the United States during an official visit.

Munir arrived in the US last week to attend the retirement ceremony of the outgoing US Central Command chief and meet senior American political and military leaders.

This is the army chief’s second visit to the US in two months. During his last visit in June, he had an unprecedented lunch meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.

Munir described his latest trip as marking “a new dimension” in US ties. “He said the aim of these visits is to take the relations on a constructive, sustainable and positive trajectory,” Radio Pakistan said.

Pakistan was “extremely grateful” to Trump, whose “strategic leadership not only stopped the India-Pakistan war but also prevented many wars in the world,” Munir added, referring to its latest conflict with New Delhi in May.

The army chief also commented on the conflict in the Middle East, calling the situation in Gaza “a worst human tragedy that has serious implications at both the global and regional levels,” according to the state broadcaster.


PM Sharif, president vow to promote religious freedom as Pakistan marks Minorities Day

PM Sharif, president vow to promote religious freedom as Pakistan marks Minorities Day
Updated 18 min 33 sec ago

PM Sharif, president vow to promote religious freedom as Pakistan marks Minorities Day

PM Sharif, president vow to promote religious freedom as Pakistan marks Minorities Day
  • Pakistan observes Aug. 11 every year to highlight the contributions of religious minorities to the nation’s progress
  • There have been several instances of mob violence against religious minorities in Muslim-majority Pakistan in recent years

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari vowed to promote religious freedom and interfaith harmony to build an inclusive society, as Pakistan marks the National Minorities Day today, Monday. 

Pakistan observes the National Minorities Day every year on Aug. 11 since 2009, when the Pakistani government established it with the aim of recognizing the contributions of religious minorities to the nation’s progress.

According to the latest digital census conducted in 2023, over 96 percent of Pakistan’s population is Muslim, with the remaining four percent comprising 5.2 million Hindus, 3.3 million Christians, 15,992 Sikhs and others. 

There have been dozens of instances of mob violence against religious minorities in Pakistan in recent years, including an attack on Christians in Jaranwala, a town in Punjab province, where churches, homes and businesses were set ablaze in August 2023. In the southern Sindh province, Hindus have frequently complained about forced conversions, particularly of young girls within their community, and attacks on temples. 

“Today, the entire nation, including me, is celebrating National Minorities Day to protect the rights of minorities and appreciate their key role in the country’s development and progress,” Sharif was quoted as saying by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). 

“Today, we renew our pledge to always strive for religious freedom and equal rights of minorities in the light of the teachings of the founder of Pakistan and Islamic teachings.”

The Pakistani prime minister said that the welfare of all minorities, whether they be Sikhs, Christians, Hindus or Parsis, is one of the “priority duties” of the government.

In his message on the occasion, the Pakistani president vowed to safeguard and advance the rights of minorities in the country. 

“This day reflects Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision of a Pakistan where every citizen lives in equality, harmony, and mutual respect,” the president secretariat press wing said in a press release.

Zardari said Pakistan’s constitution guarantees equal rights to all citizens, irrespective of religion, caste, creed, or color. He added that it also safeguarded the legitimate interests of minorities, ensuring their political, economic, religious, social, and cultural rights.

“Pakistan stands resolutely against all forms of discrimination, extremism, and religious intolerance,” he said. “We remain determined to build a society free from prejudice— one that embraces diversity as a strength and is anchored in mutual respect, interfaith harmony, and shared progress.”

Every year, a range of events, discussions, and communal assemblies are organized by the government through the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, and various minority communities to observe the day.


West Indies level series with 5-wicket win over Pakistan in second ODI

West Indies level series with 5-wicket win over Pakistan in second ODI
Updated 11 August 2025

West Indies level series with 5-wicket win over Pakistan in second ODI

West Indies level series with 5-wicket win over Pakistan in second ODI
  • Roston Chase’s 49 not out off 47 balls included two sixes, winning boundary as West Indies scored 184-5 in 33.2 overs
  • Pakistan won preceding T20 series 2-1, third and final match in ODI series is scheduled for Tuesday at the same stadium

TAROUBA, Trinidad and Tobago: Roston Chase and Justin Greaves led West Indies to a five-wicket victory over Pakistan with 10 balls to spare in the rain-reduced second one-day cricket international on Sunday, leveling the three-match series at 1-1.

Chase’s 49 not out off 47 balls included two sixes and the winning boundary as West Indies scored 184-5 in 33.2 overs.

The hosts were chasing a revised target of 181 runs in 35 overs under the DLS method after multiple rain interruptions saw Pakistan’s innings end at 171-7 in 37 overs. Right-arm fast bowler Jayden Seales took 3-23 in seven overs.

West Indies stumbled from 101-3 after 18 overs at Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago, to 111-5 off 24 overs, including the wicket of Sherfane Rutherford, who hit a 33-ball 45 with three sixes and four fours.

Chase and Greaves (26 off 31) shared a 77-run unbroken partnership for the sixth wicket.

West Indies earlier chose to bowl first and Hasan Nawaz again played a key role for Pakistan with 36 not out off 30 deliveries, after his unbeaten 63 in the ODI opener.

Hasan’s knock on Sunday included three sixes — two of them in what turned out to be the last over of Pakistan’s innings after more rain. Hussain Talat got 31 off 32 balls but most Pakistan batters were much slower, including captain Mohammad Rizwan who was trapped lbw by Gudakesh Motie for a 38-ball 16.

Pakistan beat West Indies in the first one-day international on Friday, also by five wickets.

The third and final match in the ODI series is scheduled for Tuesday at the same stadium.

Pakistan won the preceding Twenty20 series 2-1 played in Florida.


Pakistan demands UN Security Council stop Israel’s planned occupation of Gaza

Pakistan demands UN Security Council stop Israel’s planned occupation of Gaza
Updated 20 min 13 sec ago

Pakistan demands UN Security Council stop Israel’s planned occupation of Gaza

Pakistan demands UN Security Council stop Israel’s planned occupation of Gaza
  • Israel’s cabinet last week approved a plan to take control of the Gaza city, drawing outrage from Muslim states worldwide
  • Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad says the UN Security Council must be ready to impose a cost on Israel if it defies demand

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), on Sunday demanded the Security Council stop Israel’s planned occupation of Gaza city, saying the move “aims to erase Palestinian presence.”

After a security cabinet meeting on Friday, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed a plan to take over Gaza had been approved, with Israeli forces preparing to take control of Gaza while providing humanitarian aid to civilian population outside combat zones.

The move has drawn a sharp reaction from several countries around the world, including Pakistan, while UN human rights chief Volker Turk this week called on Israel to immediately halt its plan of occupying Gaza city.

Speaking at a UNSC meeting on the Middle East, Ahmad said the latest Israeli move would extinguish prospects for peace and was the culmination of a campaign of “ethnic cleansing.”

“Gaza is enduring a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe. For nearly two years, it has suffered indiscriminate bombardment, total blockade, and deliberate deprivation and starvation, while violence and dispossession escalate in the West Bank and East Jerusalem,” he said.

“The so-called humanitarian system is a cruel illusion. Famine is rampant. Civilians are being shot trying to collect food. Under the circumstances, this Council must urgently demand Israel, under Chapter of the Charter, to refrain from its stated plan of occupying Gaza city.”

Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, has consistently condemned Israel’s war on Gaza that has killed over 61,000 Palestinians since Oct. 2023, calling for uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid into Palestinian territory.

Ahmad once again urged an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, release of hostages and exchange of Palestinian prisoners, a complete halt to displacement, unhindered humanitarian access, and protection of the legal and historical status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites.

“Those shielding Israel from accountability — through political cover, military support, or diplomatic protection — are complicit, and must share responsibility. They must reconsider their policies, for history will judge them harshly,” he said.

“The Security Council must be ready to impose a cost on Israel if it defies the demand of the Council and the will of the international community. The Council must enact enforcement measures including the deployment of an international protection force to save the besieged population.”


US trade deal likely to bring huge investments to Pakistan, army chief tells overseas Pakistanis

US trade deal likely to bring huge investments to Pakistan, army chief tells overseas Pakistanis
Updated 10 August 2025

US trade deal likely to bring huge investments to Pakistan, army chief tells overseas Pakistanis

US trade deal likely to bring huge investments to Pakistan, army chief tells overseas Pakistanis
  • The statement comes during Field Marshal Asim Munir’s second visit to the US in less than two months
  • Field Marshal Munir says his visits aim to take bilateral ties to ‘constructive, sustainable and positive path’

KARACHI: Pakistan’s recent trade deal with the United States (US) is expected to bring huge investments to the South Asian country, Pakistani military sources said on Sunday, citing Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir who is on a visit to the US.

Field Marshal Munir has engaged with senior American military and political leadership during his ongoing visit, after years of strained relations mainly due to disagreements over counter‑terrorism issues.

Pakistan eyes greater collaboration with the US under President Donald Trump and both nations have appeared to be keen to rebuild their military and economic relationship in recent months.

On Sunday, the army chief met a group of overseas Pakistanis and spoke with them about his visits and a host of issues of national significance for Islamabad, according to Pakistani military sources.

“My second visit after a gap of just one and a half months marks a new dimension in Pakistan-US relations,” Field Marshal Munir was quoted as saying.

“The aim of these visits is to take the relationship on a constructive, sustainable and positive path. A possible trade deal with the US is expected to bring in huge investments.”

Both countries last month reached a trade deal according to which the US will charge a 19 percent tariff on imports from Pakistan, compared to a 29 percent reciprocal tariff announced in April that had raised alarm in Islamabad. Separately, President Trump has highlighted a partnership with Pakistan to develop the country’s oil reserves.

Field Marshal Munir said the implementation of various Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the US, Ƶ, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China was underway to promote economic cooperation and investment.

“Our progress and prosperity are linked to Pakistanis living around the world,” he said, adding the country’s 64 percent young population has immense potential to build a promising future of the country.

Under Trump’s renewed outreach, Washington has praised Pakistan’s leadership and reinstated military cooperation previously curtailed over Afghanistan-related concerns. Islamabad, in turn, seeks to balance its longstanding partnership with China, including arms supply and defense infrastructure, with growing engagement with the US.

Pakistan’s powerful military, which has ruled the country directly for nearly half of its history and holds sway in political matters even when not in power, plays a central role in shaping its foreign and security policies.

This is the Pakistani army chief’s second visit to the US since June, when Trump hosted him for an unprecedented lunch at the White House, signifying growing closeness between the two countries. Both leaders discussed the tensions in the Middle East, particularly the 12-day Iran-Israel military conflict.

During his ongoing visit, Field Marshal Munir also attended the retirement ceremony of outgoing United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Michael E. Kurilla and witnessed the handover of command to Admiral Brad Cooper in Tampa, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.

Munir lauded General Kurilla’s leadership and his contributions to strengthening bilateral military cooperation between Pakistan and the US. He extended his best wishes to Admiral Cooper, expressing confidence in continued collaboration to address shared security challenges. The Pakistani army chief also met US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine and discussed with him matters of professional interest.

“On the sidelines, COAS (chief of army staff) interacted with Chiefs of Defense from friendly nations,” the ISPR said on Sunday, without mentioning the names of the countries.


Pakistan PM, Azerbaijan president discuss enhanced connectivity after peace deal with Armenia

Pakistan PM, Azerbaijan president discuss enhanced connectivity after peace deal with Armenia
Updated 10 August 2025

Pakistan PM, Azerbaijan president discuss enhanced connectivity after peace deal with Armenia

Pakistan PM, Azerbaijan president discuss enhanced connectivity after peace deal with Armenia
  • Armenia, Azerbaijan this week committed to peace after decades of conflict over border, ethnic enclaves within each other’s territories
  • Pakistan has close ties with Azerbaijan, which announced in July a $2 billion investment in Pakistan during President Aliyev’s Islamabad visit

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday held a telephonic conversation with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and discussed with him enhanced regional connectivity after Baku’s peace deal with Armenia, Sharif’s office said.

US President Donald Trump this week announced that Armenia and Azerbaijan had committed to a lasting peace after decades of conflict as he hosted the leaders of the South Caucasus rivals at a White House signing event.

The development comes as Pakistan, slowly recovering from a macroeconomic crisis under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan, looks to capitalize on its geostrategic location to boost transit trade and foreign investment for a sustainable recovery.

During their conversation, Sharif felicitated President Aliyev on the historic peace agreement with Armenia and said the end of the three decades-old conflict would usher in a new era of prosperity for the Caucuses.

“The prime minister particularly appreciated the role played by US President Donald Trump in facilitating this historic deal that would now bring peace and prosperity to the region,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.

“While thanking the Prime Minister, President Aliyev said that peaceful development in the region would create new opportunities for enhanced connectivity between Pakistan and Central Asia.”

Christian-majority Armenia and Muslim-majority Azerbaijan have feuded for decades over their border and the status of ethnic enclaves within each other’s territories. The nations went to war twice over the disputed Karabakh region, which

Azerbaijan recaptured from Armenian forces in a lightning 2023 offensive, sparking the exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians.

Trump said at the White House event the two former Soviet republics “are committing to stop all fighting forever, open up commerce, travel and diplomatic relations and respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

“President Aliyev expressed deep appreciation for Pakistan’s longstanding and consistent support to Azerbaijan on the Karabakh issue,” Sharif’s office said.

“The prime minister responded that ‘it has always been a matter of duty for the people of Pakistan to extend their support to their Azerbaijani brothers and sisters on this core issue and it was heartening to note that, under President Aliyev’s bold leadership and statesmanship, peace had finally been established in this region’.”

Both leaders expressed their satisfaction on the positive trajectory of their bilateral cooperation, according to the statement. The prime minister reiterated his invitation to President Aliyev to undertake an official visit to Pakistan soon. Both leaders are also expected to meet in Tianjin on the margins of an upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.

Pakistan and Azerbaijan maintain close ties. In July, Sharif met with President Aliyev in Khankendi on the sidelines of the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit, where the two leaders agreed to boost bilateral trade and investment.

This was Sharif’s third visit to Azerbaijan in 2025. He last traveled to Baku in May as part of a broader push at economic diplomacy with the Central Asian republics, to whom Pakistan has offered access to its southern ports in Karachi and Gwadar.

In July 2024, Azerbaijan announced a $2 billion investment in Pakistan during a visit by President Aliyev to Islamabad. In September last year, Pakistan signed a contract to supply JF-17 Block III fighter jets to Azerbaijan, marking the deepening of defense cooperation.