Monsoon rains expected in Pakistan from June 26, bringing relief amid heat wave 

ISLAMABAD: Azerbaijan and Pakistan inaugurated a joint chamber of commerce and industry on Wednesday, Pakistan’s privatization ministry said, as part of Islamabad’s efforts to bring investment matters in priority sectors under a single platform.

Azerbaijan officials have made several visits to Pakistan in recent months as Islamabad seeks to strengthen trade and investment ties with former Soviet republics and Central Asian states. Last July, President Ilham Aliyev visited Pakistan and announced that the two countries were working to enhance bilateral trade to $2 billion.

The development also takes place amid Pakistan’s aggressive efforts to escape a prolonged economic crisis by attracting investment in energy, mining, agriculture, infrastructure, livestock and other key sectors of its economy. Pakistan has signed agreements worth billions of dollars with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries since 2023 after its macroeconomic crisis brought it to the brink of a sovereign default. 

“Pakistan has achieved another significant milestone in boosting investment and business activities with the inauguration of the Azerbaijan-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry,” the privatization ministry said in a press release. It added that Pakistan’s Privatization Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Khazar Farhadov were chief guests at the event in Islamabad. 

Khan said the joint chamber of commerce has enabled both countries to address investment matters under a single platform, adding that Pakistan would collaborate with Azerbaijan’s business community to boost exports of local products.

Ambassador Farhadov said both countries were taking steps to enhance bilateral cooperation, the ministry said. He expressed confidence in the joint chamber of commerce as a platform that would aid in increasing the existing $2 billion business volume between both countries.

Islamabad and Baku’s cooperation spans several sectors. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said in January that both countries were in the process of finalizing a memorandum of agreement to enhance security ties through cooperation in arms trade, defense infrastructure and intelligence sharing.

In December, Pakistan waived customs and regulatory duties on imports from Azerbaijan under the Pakistan-Azerbaijan Preferential Trade Agreement. The agreement aims to enhance economic cooperation by reducing tariffs on goods such as Pakistan’s sports equipment, leather and pharmaceuticals, and Azerbaijan’s oil and gas products.

ISLAMABAD: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has distributed 50,000 winter relief kits in 52 of Pakistan’s coldest and snow-covered districts, state-run media reported on Wednesday, saying that an estimated 350,000 people to benefit from the initiative. 

The humanitarian agency launched its initiative last month, saying that it would distribute 84,500 shelter, NFIs (non-food items), and winter kits across Pakistan as part of its annual initiative to support vulnerable communities.

KSrelief had said during its first phase, it would distribute 50,000 winter relief kits in Pakistan’s coldest regions. The remaining 34,500 shelter NFIs will be strategically allocated for disaster response, with distribution planned over three additional phases, set to conclude by December 2025, the agency had said. 

“The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has launched a large-scale relief initiative, distributing 50,000 winter kits to residents in 52 of Pakistan’s coldest and snow-covered districts,” the organization said, as per a report in the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). 

KSrelief said 12,200 kits in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province have been already distributed across 11 districts out of a total of 16,000. The remaining 3,800 kits are currently being delivered in six additional districts, the report said. 

It also distributed 10,000 kits in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, 6,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), 4,000 in Sindh and 2,000 in Punjab. 

“Each winter kit includes two quilts, woolen shawls for men and women, and warm clothing for children and adults – offering much-needed protection against harsh weather conditions,” APP said. 

APP said the kits are being distributed in collaboration with Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs), local administrations and the Hayat Foundation.

“With an estimated 350,000 beneficiaries across the country, the initiative underscores KSrelief’s ongoing commitment to humanitarian aid, providing essential support to vulnerable communities facing extreme winter hardships,” the report said. 

In 2023 alone, KSrelief provided over 110 million meals globally, including a significant share for Pakistan.