Pakistan and Bangladesh establish business council in ‘milestone’ agreement

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is aiming to establish exhibition centers to promote bilateral trade with Azerbaijan through which investors in both countries can showcase their products effectively, Privatization Minister Abdul Aleem Khan said recently, as Islamabad eyes deeper economic cooperation with Baku. 

The statement followed Khan’s meeting with Israfil Mammadov, the chief executive officer of Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund in Baku on Sunday, during which the two discussed bilateral trade and investment matters. Khan is part of a delegation of ministers who arrived in Baku on Sunday night with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on a two-day official visit to the country. 

Sharif arrived in Azerbaijan to discuss enhanced bilateral cooperation in areas like defense, trade and energy. His visit comes as part of Pakistan’s broader economic diplomacy with landlocked Central Asian states, to which it has offered access to its southern ports in Karachi and Gwadar for international trade.

“Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan further stated that after the establishment of the Pakistan-Azerbaijan Joint Chamber of Commerce in Islamabad, we are aimed to establish Exhibition Centers for investors to showcase products effectively which would help in increasing imports and exports for both states,” the Ministry of Privatization said in a statement on Sunday. 

Pakistan and Azerbaijan earlier this month inaugurated a joint chamber of commerce in Islamabad to bring investment matters related to their countries’ priority sectors under a single window. 

During his discussions with Mammadov, Khan pointed out that the partnership between the two countries was entering a new phase, adding that it would prove “brighter” for Pakistan. 

“Abdul Aleem Khan also highlighted that Azerbaijan could invest in Pakistan’s communications sector, specifically in the construction of Motorways in Sindh and Karachi, which would help Pakistan to connect with Central Asian Countries,” the ministry said. 

Pakistan’s economic engagement with Azerbaijan has also gained momentum more recently as the South Asian country seeks to escape a prolonged economic crisis that brought it to the brink of a sovereign default in 2023. In July 2024, the top leaders of both countries discussed investment and trade projects worth $2 billion during Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev’s state visit to Pakistan.

During his two-day visit, Sharif will hold high-level meetings with Aliyev and other senior Azerbaijan officials. Several agreements and memoranda of understanding are expected to be signed in multiple areas of cooperation during the visit, Pakistan’s Press Information Department said on Sunday. 

The Pakistani prime minister and Azerbaijan’s leadership will also address the Pakistan-Azerbaijan Business Forum on Monday, the PID said. It said the forum will bring together business leaders from both countries to explore avenues for joint ventures and trade and investment opportunities, emphasizing business-to-business (B2B) collaboration. 

ISLAMABAD: Former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq has said that he did not see Pakistan making any effort against India in their crucial Champions Trophy match in Dubai on Sunday.

India secured a six-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan and pushed the title-holders to the brink of elimination from the tournament, with Virat Kohli hitting an unbeaten 100 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan have lost both their matches and will need Bangladesh to beat New Zealand on Monday to have any chance of staying in contention for a spot among last four teams in the tournament.

Pakistan-born Rafiq, who went public with allegations of racism and bullying against Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2020, said Pakistan had long been disappointing fans with their dismal performances, particularly in significant matches.

“I don’t say this lightly. I didn’t see an effort [by Pakistan]. I didn’t see the, you know, the wanting to be out there and putting themselves in the fire line, you know, I didn’t see that,” he said in Arab News-hosted Instagram live after Sunday’s match.

“And it’s been too long now, you know, it’s been, it’s been far too long.”

Pakistan chased down a record 353 against South Africa this month in a tri-nation tournament at home but crashed in the final to 242 all out in a defeat to New Zealand.

Pakistan hammered India in the final of the previous Champions Trophy in 2017. That was India’s last defeat to Pakistan in a one-day international (ODI) match and Rohit Sharma’s men have since won five of the last six games against their greatest rivals, with one rained off.

Pakistan have been knocked out in the group stage at the last two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups and suffered the same fate at last year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after losing to co-hosts USA.

Rafiq said the consistent poor performances had been embarrassing for Pakistani cricket fans, and someone needs to take responsibility to fix things.

“You know, you can’t keep expecting your fans to just forget what’s going on. That was embarrassing, and I don’t think there’s any other words for it,” he said.

“I think the coaching staff, I don’t even know who is the selector [of Pakistani team] because there’s been so many. Someone, somewhere needs to really fix up.”

He pointed out that Dubai stadium was not filled to its 25000-seat capacity despite the India-Pakistan contest, which was not a good omen for the world cricket.

“I think that today should be a warning [to] not just Pakistan cricket, but to world cricket, you know, that ground [Dubai stadium] was not full. Honestly, that ground was not full. And, and at different times people were, it was pretty empty. But Pakistani fans were hardly there,” he said.

“This is you take advantage of this game, which is what world cricket does and expects that this is going to commercialize always. Be very, very careful... there were people that didn’t want to go and watch [the match].”