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Saudi Crown Prince wins hearts in Pakistan

News Network
February 19, 2019

Feb 19: Dubai The historic two-day official visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman concluded with a strong message about the ‘bright future of Pakistan.

“Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman won the hearts of the people of Pakistan when he said “consider me Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia” in response to my asking him to treat the 2.5 mn Pakistani’s working in KSA as his own,” Prime Minister Imran Khan summed up his feelings in his tweet.

Crown Prince Mohammad was seen off on Monday by Premier Imran and Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the Nur Khan Airbase. But before leaving, they held a candid but important press conference.

Imran thanked the Crown Prince for his visit hoping that he would stay longer next time “so I can show you the beauty of Pakistan and the northern areas.” He also thanked Prince Mohammad for his announcement of releasing more than 2,000 Pakistani prisoners from Saudi jails with immediate effect. “I want to thank you on behalf of the people of Pakistan” for announcing the release of Pakistani prisoners,” he said. He also thanked the crown prince for the agreements worth $20 billion that were signed on the first day of his visit in Islamabad.

We believe in Pakistan’s future and that it has a huge opportunity. In 2030, Pakistan will be next to two huge economies.

- Mohammad Bin Salman

“I woke up this morning and when I looked at my mobile phone, I realised ─ after your statement last night saying that you would be Pakistan’s ambassador in Saudi Arabia ─ that if you stand in elections here, you would get more votes than me,” Imran said on a lighter note, addressing the Crown Prince who was standing at a podium to his right. “You are extremely popular,” he added.

Crown Prince Mohammad told the press conference: “We believe in Pakistan’s future and that it has a huge opportunity. In 2030, Pakistan will be next to two huge economies. One, China will be the largest economy in 2030, and two, India will be the third-largest economy so Pakistan will definitely benefit from these neighbours,” he said.

Huge Potential

“We saw the Pakistani economy grow by 5 per cent in 2018 so we believe that Pakistan has huge potential, it could be one of top 20 economies in the future,” he reiterated.

“If the efforts of the leadership, the people of Pakistan, and their allies come together, definitely it can reach that one day,” he added.

Saudi Arabia has always been a 'friend in need' to Pakistan. For Pakistanis, this is a great day.

- Imran Khan

“So because of that, we believe in Pakistan and we want to be part of that journey and we want to risk our money, risk our efforts, to start from day one,” he explained.

“What we did today, it’s the beginning and we hope in the close future we do more and more partnering with Pakistan,” he said.

Pakistan is a very important country

After receiving a very warm welcome upon his arrival in Islamabad on Sunday, Crown Prince Mohammad engaged in various activities lined up for the day.

Speaking at the official reception at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad, Prince Mohammad said Pakistan will be a very, very important country in the future and that his country had been waiting for a leadership like that of Prime Minister Imran Khan to partner with Islamabad in various areas.

“Whatever we did was the beginning and I hope in the near future we do more,” he said.

That was evident in Saudi Arabia’s announcement of a whopping $20 billion investment to help Pakistan tide over its economic problems.

The credit for that change goes to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who unlike his predecessors, sought investment instead of charity. The Saudi investment is not a charity as it will benefit both the countries.

The investment will be mainly in minerals, tourism, petrochemicals, agriculture, food processing and other key sectors.

The crown prince said Pakistan is a “dear country” to all Saudis and that the two countries “have walked together in tough and good times”.

Prime Minister Imran in his speech welcomed the Saudi crown prince and his delegation to the country, saying the Kingdom has always been a “friend in need” to Pakistan.

“For Pakistanis, this is a great day,” he said, adding that Saudi Arabia had always been there when Pakistan needed friends.

Imran said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were now taking their relationship to a new level, where investment agreements would be mutually beneficial for the countries.

Khan told the Crown Prince that if it hadn’t been for security concerns, “you would have seen thousands and thousands of people on the streets welcoming you.”

Imran’s request

He requested the Crown Prince to allow Pakistani Haj pilgrims to complete immigration at the three major Pakistani airports before leaving for Saudi Arabia for their convenience.

Prime Minister Imran requested the Saudi authorities to look into the hardships of Pakistani labourers working in the Kingdom.

In response, the Crown Prince told Prime Minister Khan he could consider him the ambassador of Pakistan in Saudi Arabia.

“We cannot say no to Pakistan ... whatever we can do, we will deliver that,” he said.

Saudi Pakistan Supreme Council

Bilateral ties also received a significant boost with the launch of the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council. Chaired by Imran and Prince Mohammad, the council is a high-level institutional mechanism to fast-track decisions in critical aspects of cooperation, and to monitor its implementation in three key areas: political and security, economic, social and culture.

Seven MoUs signed

Seven Memoranda of Understanding were signed at a ceremony witnessed by Crown Prince Mohammad and Prime Minister Imran at the Prime Minister’s House,

The agreements signed include:

Technical cooperation programme between the Saudi Standards, Metrology And Quality Organisation (SASO) and Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).

Cooperation agreement between Saudi and Pakistani governments in the field of sports.

Financing agreement for the import of Saudi goods between the Saudi Fund for Development and Pakistan.

Framework MoU regarding Saudi funds’ participation in the financing of power generation projects between the Saudi Fund for Development and Pakistan.

MoU between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to explore investment opportunities in refining and petrochemical sectors.

MoU between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in the field of mineral resource sector.

MoU between the government of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on the development of renewable energy projects.

Prime Minister Khan also held a one-on-one meeting with the Saudi crown prince at PM House. It was followed by the inaugural session of the Saudi-Pak This is not charity

In response to the Saudi investment of $20 billion in different projects in Pakistan, , Saudi State Minister for Foreign Affairs Adel Al Jubeir said on Monday: “This is not charity, but investment for the benefit of the two countries.”

“We are developing a roadmap with set targets ahead in areas including counter-terrorism, economy, people-to-people contacts and culture to further deepen our relations,” the Saudi Minister said in a joint press conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Working Groups

Foreign Minister Qureshi said 10 joint working groups had been formed under the Saudi-Pak Supreme Coordination Council, which would meet every three months. He said the Council would coordinate in areas including security, defence, intelligence sharing and energy and the leadership would oversee the implementation of projects.

What analysts say

Senior officials and analysts praised the visit. They said it presents a “historic opportunity” to expand collaboration in all sectors.

Dr. Huma Baqai, expert on International Relations, said the high-profile visit is manifestation of the strength of the relationship and it would go a long way in building strategic and economic relations that have been the hallmark of two brotherly countries.

Economist Mirza Ikhtiar Baig said Pakistan is facing several economic challenges and Saudi investment in development projects in the country would send across a positive message to the world about Pakistan.

Saudi Arabia was investing in long-term projects, which showed that Middle East countries have sighted Pakistan to be a developed country in the near future, he said.

The economist said the main focus of Pakistan is to strengthen trade, agriculture, tourism and other relations with Saudi Arabia. Riyadh is interested to establish an oil refinery in Gwadar.

Former Foreign Secretary Najam-ud-Din Sheikh said the Saudi relationship with Pakistan is considered to be exemplary and exceptional. He said Pakistan supported Saudi’s role and provided all out assistance to the Kingdom at political, military and diplomatic levels. Former Ambassador Fauzia Nasreen also praised the visit. She said heavy investment in development projects would be a message to the world that Pakistan is a haven for foreign investors.

Prisoner release

Prince Mohammad Bin Salman ordered the immediate release of 2107 Pakistani prisoners from jails in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said Crown Prince Salman ordered the release of prisoners following a request from Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said cases of other Pakistani prisoners would also be reviewed.

The minister tweeted: “As a sequel to Prime Minister of Pakistan request, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Bin Salman has ordered the immediate release of 2107 Pakistani prisoners from Saudi jails. Saudi Crown Prince arrived in Islamabad on a two-day official visit on Sunday.

Oil refinery

The biggest Saudi investment will be to set up an oil refinery in port city Gwadar. The oil refinery and petrochemical complex with an investment of around $11 billion would open new energy vistas in Pakistan. The Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with his Saudi counterpart to set up a $10 billion oil refinery, $ 1 billion petrochemical complex, installation of two Re-gassified Liquefied Petroleum Gas (RLNG) plants at an estimated cost of $4 billion and $2 billion investment in mineral development sector, an official source told APP.

“The petrochemical complex and refinery will help bring down the country’s oil import bill by $ 1.2 billion annually,” he said, adding Pakistan’s annual oil consumption was around 26 million tons (MT), out of which 13.5 MT was met through local production of eight existing oil refineries. “Around 50 per cent crude oil is imported to meet energy needs.”

Highest Civil Award for Crown Prince

President Dr Arif Alvi conferred the Pakistan’s highest civil award “Nishan-e-Pakistan” on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman during a ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sad in Islamabad.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Imran Khan, federal ministers, three Services Chiefs, Chairman Joint Chiefs of the Staff Committee, members of the Saudi delegation and senior civil and military officials.

The country’s highest civil award was conferred on the Saudi Crown Prince in recognition of his efforts and contributions towards enhancing bilateral brotherly and traditional ties between the two countries.

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News Network
July 10,2020

New Delhi, Jul 10: With the highest single-day spike of 26,506 COVID-19 cases and 475 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of COVID-19 cases in India reached 7,93,802 on Friday, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Out of the total number of cases, 2,76,685 are active, 4,95,513 have been cured/discharged/migrated and 21,604 have died so far due to the infection.

With as many as 2,30,599 COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra continues to remain the worst-affected state, followed by Tamil Nadu (1,26,581) and Delhi (1,07,051).

Meanwhile, 2,83,659 samples were tested for coronavirus on Thursday, taking the total number of samples tested up to July 9 to 1,10,24,491, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

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News Network
May 14,2020

May 14: The UN’s children agency has warned that an additional 6,000 children could die daily from preventable causes over the next six months as the COVID-19 pandemic weakens the health systems and disrupts routine services, the first time that the number of children dying before their fifth birthday could increase worldwide in decades.

As the coronavirus outbreak enters its fifth month, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) requested USD 1.6 billion to support its humanitarian response for children impacted by the pandemic.

The health crisis is “quickly becoming a child rights crisis. And without urgent action, a further 6,000 under-fives could die each day,” it said.

With a dramatic increase in the costs of supplies, shipment and care, the agency appeal is up from a USD 651.6 million request made in late March – reflecting the devastating socioeconomic consequences of the disease and families’ rising needs.

"Schools are closed, parents are out of work and families are under strain," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said on Tuesday.

 “As we reimagine what a post-COVID world would look like, these funds will help us respond to the crisis, recover from its aftermath, and protect children from its knock-on effects.”

The estimate of the 6,000 additional deaths from preventable causes over the next six months is based on an analysis by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, published on Wednesday in the Lancet Global Health Journal.

UNICEF said it was based on the worst of three scenarios analysing 118 low and middle-income countries, estimating that an additional 1.2 million deaths could occur in just the next six months, due to reductions in routine health coverage, and an increase in so-called child wasting.

Around 56,700 more maternal deaths could also occur in just six months, in addition to the 144,000 likely deaths across the same group of countries. The worst case scenario, of children dying before their fifth birthdays, would represent an increase "for the first time in decades,” Fore said.

"We must not let mothers and children become collateral damage in the fight against the virus. And we must not let decades of progress on reducing preventable child and maternal deaths, be lost,” she said.

Access to essential services, like routine immunisation, has already been compromised for hundreds of millions of children and threatens a significant increase in child mortality.

According to a UNICEF analysis, some 77 per cent of children under the age of 18 worldwide are living in one of 132 countries with COVID-19 movement restrictions.

The UN agency also spotlighted that the mental health and psychosocial impact of restricted movement, school closures and subsequent isolation are likely to intensify already high levels of stress, especially for vulnerable youth.

At the same time, they maintained that children living under restricted movement and socio-economic decline are in greater jeopardy of violence and neglect. Girls and women are at increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence.

The UNICEF pointed out that in many cases, refugee, migrant and internally displaced children are experiencing reduced access to protection and services while being increasingly exposed to xenophobia and discrimination.

“We have seen what the pandemic is doing to countries with developed health systems and we are concerned about what it would do to countries with weaker systems and fewer available resources,” Fore said.

In countries suffering from humanitarian crises, UNICEF is working to prevent transmission and mitigate the collateral impacts on children, women and vulnerable populations – with a special focus on access to health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education and protection.

To date, the UN agency said it has received USD 215 million to support its pandemic response, and additional funding will help build upon already-achieved results.

Within its response, UNICEF has reached more than 1.67 billion people with COVID-19 prevention messaging around hand washing and cough and sneeze hygiene; over 12 million with critical water, sanitation and hygiene supplies; and nearly 80 million children with distance or home-based learning.

The UN agency has also shipped to 52 countries, more than 6.6 million gloves, 1.3 million surgical masks, 428,000 N95 respirators and 34,500 COVID-19 diagnostic tests, among other items.

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News Network
May 30,2020

Washington, May 30: The United States will end its relationship with the World Health Organization over the body’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday, accusing the U.N. agency of becoming a puppet of China.

The move to quit the Geneva-based body, which the United States formally joined in 1948, comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing over the coronavirus outbreak. The virus first emerged in China’s Wuhan city late last year.

Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, Trump said Chinese officials “ignored their reporting obligations” to the WHO about the virus - that has killed hundreds of thousands of people globally - and pressured the agency to “mislead the world.”

“China has total control over the World Health Organization despite only paying $40 million per year compared to what the United States has been paying which is approximately $450 million a year,” he said.

Trump’s decision follows a pledge last week by Chinese President Xi Jinping to give $2 billion to the WHO over the next two years to help combat the coronavirus. The amount almost matches the WHO’s entire annual program budget for last year.

Trump last month halted funding for the 194-member organization, then in a May 18 letter gave the WHO 30 days to commit to reforms.

“Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and redirecting those funds to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs,” Trump said on Friday.

It was not immediately clear when his decision would come into effect. A 1948 joint resolution of Congress on U.S. membership of the WHO said the country “reserves its right to withdraw from the organization on a one-year notice.”

The World Health Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s announcement. It has previously denied Trump’s assertions that it promoted Chinese “disinformation” about the virus.

“It’s important to remember that the WHO is a platform for cooperation among countries,” said Donna McKay, executive director of Physicians for Human Rights. “Walking away from this critical institution in the midst of an historic pandemic will hurt people both in the United States and around the world.”

‘ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL’

The United States currently owes the WHO more than $200 million in assessed contributions, according to the WHO website. Washington also gives several hundred million dollars annually in voluntary funding tied to specific WHO programs such as polio eradication, HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis.

Amesh A. Adalja, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said that in practice Trump’s decision was unlikely to change the operations of the WHO.

“From a symbolic or moral standpoint it’s the wrong type of action to be taking in the middle of a pandemic and seems to deflect responsibility for what we in the U.S. failed to do and blame the WHO,” said Adalja.

When Trump halted funding to the WHO last month, two Western diplomats said the U.S. suspension was more harmful politically to the WHO than to the agency’s current programs, which are funded for now.

The WHO is an independent international body that works with the United Nations. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last month that the WHO is “absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war against COVID-19.”

When asked about Trump’s decision, a U.N. spokesman said: “We have consistently called for all states to support WHO.”

Trump has long scorned multilateralism as he focuses on an “America First” agenda. Since taking office, he has quit the U.N. Human Rights Council, the U.N. cultural agency, a global accord to tackle climate change and the Iran nuclear deal. He has also cut funding for the U.N. population fund and the U.N. agency that aids Palestinian refugees.

“The WHO is the world’s early warning system for infectious diseases,” said U.S. Representative Nita Lowey, a Democrat who chairs the House Committee on Appropriations. “Now, during a global pandemic that has cost over 100,000 American lives, is not the time to put the country further at risk.”

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