Pakistan calls Trump’s proposal to relocate people of Gaza to Egypt and Jordan ‘deeply troubling’

Pakistan calls Trump’s proposal to relocate people of Gaza to Egypt and Jordan ‘deeply troubling’
A member of the Egyptian-Qatari committee gestures while inspecting vehicles carrying Palestinians, displaced to the south by Israel’s order during the war, as they return to their homes in northern Gaza amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, near Gaza City on January 27, 2025. (REUTERS)
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Pakistan calls Trump’s proposal to relocate people of Gaza to Egypt and Jordan ‘deeply troubling’

Pakistan calls Trump’s proposal to relocate people of Gaza to Egypt and Jordan ‘deeply troubling’
  • Trump last week told reporters that it was time to “clean out” the besieged Gaza Strip, urging the leaders of Jordan and Egypt to take in Palestinians
  • The proposal was rejected by Palestinian authorities, Egypt and Jordan, while the Arab League warned against any ‘attempts to uproot Palestinian people’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Thursday said a proposal by United States (US) President Donald Trump to displace the people of Gaza was “deeply troubling” and “unjust.”

Trump last week told reporters that it was time to “clean out” the besieged Gaza Strip, urging the leaders of Jordan and Egypt to take in Palestinians from Gaza, either temporarily or permanently.

The statement came as a fragile ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas took effect, pausing more than 15 months of war.

Trump’s proposal was roundly rejected by Palestinian authorities, Egypt and Jordan, while the Arab League warned against any “attempts to uproot the Palestinian people from their land.”

“The proposal to displace the people of Gaza is deeply troubling and unjust,” Shafqat Ali Khan, a spokesperson for the Pakistani Foreign Office, told reporters at a weekly press briefing in Islamabad.

“The Palestinian land belongs to the Palestinian people, and the only viable and just option is the two-state solution, according to the UN Security Council resolution.”




Screengrab taken from PTV News shows Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson, Shafqat Ali Khan, addressing weekly press briefing in Islamabad, Pakistan, on January 30, 2025. (PTV News/Screengrab)

Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”

The South Asian country has dispatched several relief consignments for Gaza and has previously called for a “concrete plan” to rebuild the territory, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

During the press briefing, the Foreign Office spokesperson also spoke about a second round of Pakistan-Qatar bilateral consultations in Doha on Feb. 5.

“The deputy prime minister [and] foreign minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, will lead Pakistan delegation,” he said. “And besides the dialogue, the deputy prime minister [and] foreign minister will also interact with the Qatari leadership.”

The development comes months after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Qatar in Oct. 2024 to bolster economic cooperation between the two countries. In 2022, the Qatar Investment Authority committed $3 billion for projects in

Pakistan, spanning airport management, renewable energy and hospitality.

“The leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Qatar relations, exploring potential avenues for enhanced cooperation in trade, potential areas of investment, energy, and culture,” Sharif’s office said at the time.

About the repatriation of 22 Pakistani survivors of a boat capsize off Morocco, the Foreign Office spokesperson shared that the first batch of Pakistani nationals, who survived the incident, had arrived in the country, without sharing the number of repatriated Pakistanis.

The boat capsized near Morocco’s coast on Jan. 15 while carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, according to migrant rights group Walking Borders.

“I can inform you today the first batch has arrived through two flights in Islamabad. The Pakistan Embassy in Rabat is in close coordination with Moroccan authorities to oversee the relief effort and finalize the complex repatriation procedure,” he said.

“The welfare of Pakistani nationals abroad remains an important priority of the government and it will continue to work to extend all possible facilitation in this regard.”


KSrelief launches 2025 winter kits project for Pakistan

KSrelief launches 2025 winter kits project for Pakistan
Updated 44 min 11 sec ago
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KSrelief launches 2025 winter kits project for Pakistan

KSrelief launches 2025 winter kits project for Pakistan
  • 84,500 winter kits to be distributed across Pakistan as part of KSrelief annual initiative for vulnerable communities
  • In 2023 alone, KSrelief provided over 110 million meals globally, including a significant share for Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) on Thursday launched its 2025 project to distribute winter relief kits in Pakistan, to be distributed to needy people in all four provinces of Pakistan as well as the Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir northern regions. 
As part of the program, KSrelief will distributes 84,500 shelter, NFIs (non-food items), and winter kits across Pakistan as part of its annual initiative to support vulnerable communities.
“It’s my pleasure to participate in this ceremony on behalf of my country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, Saudi ambassador to Pakistan, said at the launch ceremony. 
“This kit will be distributed among the needy people in all four provinces of Pakistan, including Gilgit-[Baltistan] and Azad Kashmir.”

In this handout photo, released by Saudi Embassy, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki (left), Saudi ambassador to Pakistan, speaks during the launching ceremony of KSrelief’s 2025 winter kits project in Islamabad on January 30, 2025. (Photo courtesy: X/@KSAembassyPK)

In the first phase, KSrelief will deliver 50,000 winter kits to residents of the 50 coldest and snow-bound districts in Pakistan. Distribution will be region-specific, targeting 16,000 kits in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 12,000 in Balochistan, 10,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), 6,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), 4,000 in Sindh, and 2,000 in Punjab. These winter packages include two polyester quilts and a kit of warm shawls for both men and women, as well as warm clothing for children and adults.

In this handout photo, released by Saudi Embassy, Pakistan’s National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain (3L), Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki (2R) and other officials inspect packages during the launching ceremony of KSrelief’s 2025 winter kits project in Islamabad on January 30, 2025. (Photo courtesy: X/@KSAembassyPK)

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.
To ensure transparency and effective implementation, the project will be carried out in close collaboration with key stakeholders, including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs), Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA), State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), and local authorities. 

This handout photo, released by Saudi Embassy, shows trucks, loaded with winter relief kits to distribute in Pakistan, parked during the launching ceremony of KSrelief’s 2025 winter kits project in Islamabad on January 30, 2025. (Photo courtesy: X/@KSAembassyPK)

“The joint effort is expected to benefit over 591,500 individuals, underscoring KSrelief’s commitment to alleviating hardships and improving the well-being of those in need across Pakistan,” a statement from the humanitarian agency said. 
Attending the ceremony, Pakistani minister for food security, Rana Tanveer Hussain, said the event marked “yet another milestone in the strong and historic ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, reflecting their shared commitment to humanitarian aid and development.”
In 2023 alone, KSrelief provided over 110 million meals globally, including a significant share for Pakistan.


Pakistan tax-to-GDP ratio rises 10.8% in FY25 second quarter, below IMF target

Pakistan tax-to-GDP ratio rises 10.8% in FY25 second quarter, below IMF target
Updated 30 January 2025
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Pakistan tax-to-GDP ratio rises 10.8% in FY25 second quarter, below IMF target

Pakistan tax-to-GDP ratio rises 10.8% in FY25 second quarter, below IMF target
  • Pakistan navigating challenging economic recovery path buttressed by $7 billion IMF program that comes with tough measures 
  • Senate Standing Committee of Revenue expresses concerns over Federal Bureau of Revenue’s handling of sales tax collection

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio rose to 10.8% in the second quarter of the 2024-25 fiscal year, a statement from the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue said on Thursday, below the target of 13.6% agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when it approved a $7 billion bailout loan for the cash-strapped country last year. 
The South Asian nation is navigating a challenging economic recovery path buttressed by the 37-month loan program that comes with tough measures especially on the taxation front, such as broadening the tax base to include previously undertaxed sectors such as agriculture, industrialists, and developers, abolishing exemptions and bringing the retail, agriculture, and export sectors into the normal income tax regime and imposing new taxes on the construction and sale of buildings and plots, and on milk and lubricating oil. 
The bailout has also called for increasing the tax rate on farm income, continuing fiscal consolidation to reduce the deficit and improve fiscal discipline, improving tax administration and compliance, strengthening federal-provincial institutional arrangements and improving public investment management.
“The tax-to-GDP ratio has risen to 10.8% in the second quarter [of FY24-25], up from 9.5% in the first quarter, although it remains below the IMF-agreed target of 13.6% by the end of the program,” said a press release after the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue met on Thursday. “By comparison, India’s tax-to-GDP ratio stands at 18%.”
During the meeting, the committee was briefed on Pakistan’s current revenue shortfall of Rs384 billion for the first half of the fiscal year. The FBR collected Rs5,624 billion in taxes, falling short of the targeted Rs6,008 billion. 
Senator Saleem Mandviwala, the chair of the committee, expressed concerns over the Federal Bureau of Revenue’s handling of sales tax collection.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb responded by highlighting ongoing reforms, including a move to simplify income tax forms for salaried individuals and a push for transparency in tax collection through technological innovations.
Aurangzeb also discussed the government’s intention to separate tax policy from FBR operations in the next financial year, aiming to ease the burden on the salaried class.
“We are taking steps to keep the tax form simple and easy,” he added.
The committee also stressed the need for reforms to reduce the administrative burden on taxpayers while ensuring that tax collection remained “efficient and fair.”
The possibility of converting certain taxes into a carbon tax, a proposal raised by Senator Sherry Rahman, was also discussed. 
“While the finance minister acknowledged the World Bank’s 10-year $20 billion Country Partnership Framework, which includes climate and carbon concerns, some members, including Senator Farooq H. Naik, raised concerns about the impact of a carbon tax on inflation and its effect on the poor,” the statement said. 
Under the IMF deal, the highest effective tax rate on farm income can rise to as much as 45% from the current 15%. It will be implemented from this year, a move that was termed “unprecedented” by brokerage and investment banking firm JS Global at the time the loan was approved last year.
“These changes could contribute to inflation, particularly in food prices, affecting consumers nationwide,” said Ghasharib Shaokat, head of product at Pakistan Agriculture Research, adding that larger farmers will be affected more.
Inflation averaged close to 30% in FY23 and 23.4% in FY24, which ended on June 30. The consumer inflation rate slowed to 4.1% year on year in December, the lowest in more than 6.5 years.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government is based on a weak coalition and faces political pressure from the party of popular jailed opposition leader, former premier Imran Khan.
But Sharif says his government is committed to the tough but unavoidable reforms mandated by the IMF. 
Pakistan has been struggling with boom-and-bust cycles for decades, leading to 22 IMF bailouts since 1958.


Pakistan lagging in EV production, only 60,000 produced against 600,000 target — senate body

Pakistan lagging in EV production, only 60,000 produced against 600,000 target — senate body
Updated 30 January 2025
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Pakistan lagging in EV production, only 60,000 produced against 600,000 target — senate body

Pakistan lagging in EV production, only 60,000 produced against 600,000 target — senate body
  • Pakistan has said it will cut power tariff for operators of EV charging stations by 45% as part of ongoing reform of energy sector
  • BYD Pakistan says up to 50% of all vehicles bought in Pakistan by 2030 will be electrified in some form in line with global targets

KARACHI / ISLAMABAD: A Senate Standing Committee this week criticized a lag in the production of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Pakistan, saying only 60,000 had been produced by this year against a target of 600,000, as the government moves to transition to green transport solutions and beat climate change. 
The government of Pakistan approved an ambitious National Electric Vehicles Policy (NEVP) in 2019 with the goal of electric vehicles comprising 30% of all passenger vehicle and heavy-duty truck sales by 2030, and an even more ambitious target of 90% by 2040. For two- and three-wheelers, as well as buses, the policy set a goal of achieving 50% of new sales by 2030 and 90% by 2040.
“Senator Sherry Rehman criticized Pakistan’s lagging EV production, noting that only 60,000 EVs have been produced against a 600,000 target,” according to a statement released on Wednesday by the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, which is chaired by Rehman.
“She also highlighted that the transport sector contributes 48% to air pollution, making EV adoption critical. The Ministry of Industries faced scrutiny for lacking data on local EV production and charging stations.”
While Pakistan had aimed to install 3,000 EV charging stations by 2030, only eight had been established, Rehman said, calling on banks to introduce EV financing to enhance accessibility.
“Key recommendations included expanding EV charging stations and incentivizing private investment, promoting renewable energy adoption in homes and businesses, ramping up local EV production to meet policy targets, enforcing energy-efficient building codes nationwide, and encouraging energy-efficient transport and public transit use,” the press release said. 
Earlier this month, Pakistan said it would cut the power tariff for operators of EV charging stations by 45% as part of the ongoing reform of the energy sector designed to boost demand. The government is also planning to introduce financing schemes for e-bikes and the conversion of two- and three-wheeled petrol vehicles.
The cabinet on Jan. 15 approved a reduced tariff of 39.70 rupees ($0.14) per unit, down from 71.10 rupees previously, which will be in place within a month. The government expects an internal rate of return of more than 20% for investors in the sector.
According to a report submitted to the government by power ministry adviser Ammar Habib Khan and reported by Reuters on Jan. 15, there are currently more than 30 million two- and three-wheeled vehicles in Pakistan, which consume more than $5 billion worth of petroleum annually.
The energy ministry plans to convert 1 million two-wheelers to electric bikes in a first phase, at an estimated net cost of 40,000 rupees per bike, according to the report, saving around $165 million in fuel import costs annually.
BYD Pakistan, a partnership between China’s BYD and Pakistani car group Mega Motors, told Reuters in September that up to 50% of all vehicles bought in Pakistan by 2030 will be electrified in some form in line with global targets.
Separately, Nasir Hussain Shah, the energy minister in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, on Thursday announced the provincial administration would “extend maximum assistance” to the private sector for investment in the EV sector to curtail fossil fuel consumption.
He said this during a meeting with Yasir Bhambani, the chief executive officer of China’s ADM Group, which has announced it will invest $350 million to set up an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Pakistan and 3,000 EV charging stations.
“The Sindh government would utilize its successful public-private partnership mode of development to provide suitable sites and other facilities to set up EV charging stations in cities and main highways,” the information department said in a statement.
Shah assured the ADM Group of uninterrupted power supply to promote EVs, saying he was also open to transitioning government vehicles to electric power.


Since 1994, Pakistan has reduced polio cases by over 99% — WHO

Since 1994, Pakistan has reduced polio cases by over 99% — WHO
Updated 30 January 2025
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Since 1994, Pakistan has reduced polio cases by over 99% — WHO

Since 1994, Pakistan has reduced polio cases by over 99% — WHO
  • Pakistan reported at least 73 cases last year, up from only one in 2021
  • Disease is rapidly spreading in volatile provinces like KP and Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: The World Health Organization on Thursday commended Pakistan for having reduced polio cases by over 99% since 1994, saying it would stand alongside Pakistan to “run the last mile” and end the crippling disease. 
Pakistan reported at least 73 cases last year, up from only one in 2021, and the disease is now rapidly spreading in the country’s most volatile regions, the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Balochistan in the southwest. The first case of polio was reported last Wednesday from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains one of the last two polio-endemic countries in the world. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually, but by 2018, the number had dropped to just eight cases. Only six cases were reported in 2023, and one in 2021.
However, Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts have faced several challenges in recent years, including attacks by militants and misinformation spread by religious hard-liners.
“Since 1994, Pakistan has reduced polio cases by over 99%,” the WHO said on X after Islamabad hosted the Technical Advisory Group for Polio Eradication, a crucial forum that engages global experts and partners to “reinforce the response and seize the historic opportunity to end the global threat of polio.”
 “WHO stands alongside Pakistan to run the last mile and end this global threat. No child will be safe from polio until all children are safe.”


On Wednesday, Hanan Balkhy, WHO’s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, cautioned that the eradication of polio in Afghanistan and Pakistan was threatened by US President Donald Trump ordering an unprecedented 90-day suspension of almost all foreign aid. On his first day back in the White House, Trump also announced he was withdrawing the United States from WHO.
In a video posted on X on Jan. 28, WHO’s Deputy Director Dr. Mike Ryan said despite support from donors in 2025, there remained a funding gap of $68 million for WHO’s polio eradication work in Pakistan.
“Urgent funding is required so the hard-fought gains are not jeopardized,” he cautioned. 

The Pakistan Polio Eradication Program is scheduled to hold the country’s first nationwide vaccination drive of this year from Feb. 3-9.


Pakistan says not taking EU’s GSP+ status ‘for granted’ amid multiple human rights concerns 

Pakistan says not taking EU’s GSP+ status ‘for granted’ amid multiple human rights concerns 
Updated 3 min ago
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Pakistan says not taking EU’s GSP+ status ‘for granted’ amid multiple human rights concerns 

Pakistan says not taking EU’s GSP+ status ‘for granted’ amid multiple human rights concerns 
  • The statement comes amid EU envoy’s visit to Pakistan, following bloc’s criticism of sentencing of civilians by Pakistani military courts
  • GSP+ status in the spotlight again this week as parliament passed controversial cybercrime law to regulate social media platforms 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Thursday Islamabad was not taking “for granted” the GSP+ status awarded by the European Union, saying there was a “robust” mechanism in place for the EU to supervise and coordinate implementation of Pakistan’s obligations under the special trade incentives arrangement. 
The statement by Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan came after a report published by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper said EU Special Rep­resentative for Human Rights, Olof Skoog, who is on a visit to Pakistan, had warned Pakistan “not to take its GSP+ status for granted.”
The GSP+ scheme grants beneficiary countries’ exports duty-free access to the European market in exchange for voluntarily agreeing to implement 27 international core conventions, including on human and civil rights.
Multiple developments on the human rights front have raised concerns over Pakistan’s GSP+ status in recent weeks. The EU last month openly criticized Pakistan for sentencing over 80 civilians in army courts after charging them for anti-government riots in May 2023 in which military installations were attacked, saying it was “inconsistent” with Pakistan’s international obligations. 
This week, the country’s GSP+ status has once more been in the spotlight after parliament passed a controversial cybercrime law that journalists and digital rights activists have widely said aims to crackdown against dissent on social media platforms. 
“In interstate relations, no one takes any state or any party for granted … EU remains a very important partner for Pakistan … It’s a rich and very comprehensive partnership ... and GSP+ is one component of this very rich relationship,” the foreign office spokesperson said at a weekly press briefing in Islamabad when asked about Skoog’s comments. 
He said there was a “robust” implementation process to supervise and coordinate Pakistan’s, “follow-up or implementation of the range of treaties.”
“What we have put across [to the EU] is our perspective on whatever things are happening on our legislative front, for example, on PECA [Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act] or on the [military] trials … but this is an ongoing process. There is no one sitting in judgment on what’s happening in Pakistan. It’s a collaborative dialogue between two partners and friends.”
Talking to Dawn, Skoog said he had expressed the EU’s “apprehensions and concerns” about the use of military courts against civilians.
“I had that conversation and will continue having those conversations. Our view is that for civilians, there should be a civilian court system applicable… We have raised our concerns when there is an expansive use of military courts in response to demonstrations,” he said.
Skoog also spoke about this week’s passage of controversial amendments to the country’s cybercrime laws.
“This is happening while I am visiting the country… I have been discussing [this] with government officials. Our view is there should be very limited restrictions on freedom of expression,” the special envoy said. 
“You can’t restrict freedom of expression just to protect the politicians, authorities or the system from being criticized, and these are the conversations we are having with Pakistan right now about where to draw the limits.”
The next round of the GSP+ scheme hinges upon what Pakistan does in terms of complying with its various international obligations, Skoog said, adding that it “cannot be taken for granted that [GSP+] will be there for the next round.”
In October 2023, the EU unanimously voted to extend GSP+ status until 2027 for developing countries, including Pakistan.