Middle East | Pakistan

Pakistan has stepped up its diplomatic efforts to help ease tensions in the Middle East, as foreign ministers from key regional countries gather in Islamabad for high-level discussions.

Seafarers’ helplines say they are overwhelmed with messages from crews stuck in the Gulf by the Middle East war, desperately seeking repatriation, compensation and onboard supplies. “Writing to urgently inform you that our vessel is currently facing a critical situation regarding provisions and one crew health conditions,” read an email from one seafarer on March 24 to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)’s Seafarer Support team. “Immediate supply of food, drinking water, basic necessities is required to sustain the crew,” said the message to the team’s helpline. The ITF said it had received more than 1,000 emails and messages from seafarers stuck around the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region since the war erupted with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Bomb strikes Some sought to clarify what their rights are while navigating a war zone, while others sent videos of bombings striking next to their ship and asked the federation for help to get off board, according to ITF documents s...

GILGIT: While concerns had been raised about the potential adverse impact of the escalating war in the Middle East and the resulting rise in fuel prices on Gilgit-Baltistan’s tourism and hospitality industry, the situation on the ground suggests otherwise, with a surge in both foreign and domestic tourists. According to officials from the GB tourism department, applications from foreign adventure tourists for climbing and trekking permits have already surpassed last year’s figures. An official told Dawn that the tourism season typically begins in May, although both foreign and domestic visitors also arrive during the blossom season, which peaks towards the end of April. Despite tensions in the wake of the US-Israel war on Iran as well as the fuel price hike, the number of tourists in Skardu has significantly increased since Eidul Fitr. Applications from foreign adventure tourists for climbing and trekking permits has surpassed last year’s figures The official noted that a large number of both foreign and dome...

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday said the government was making every effort to mitigate the impact of ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Saturday, said the government was making every effort to mitigate the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Pakistan and China have reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, calling for urgent diplomatic measures to de-escalate ongoing regional conflicts.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting de-escalation and regional stability while discussing the situation in the Middle East with Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zedong on Thursday. On Monday, Pakistan took centre stage in a coordinated diplomatic push alongside Turkiye and Egypt for de-escalation, as the trio appeared instrumental in securing a five-day pause of US plans to strike Iranian energy and power infrastructure, officials said, describing the effort as going beyond routine crisis management. A press release by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that the Chinese ambassador called on the premier at the PM House today. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, and the foreign secretary were also present, it said. PM Shehbaz appreciated China’s “steadfast economic support” and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advancing CPEC 2.0, “with a focus on agriculture, industrial co...

KARACHI: Petroleum dealers announced on Wednesday that they were postponing a strike they planned to begin on March 26, keeping in view the situation resulting from the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has given rise to a global fuel crunch and supply uncertainties. Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) Chairperson Abdul Sami Khan told Dawn that “we have postponed the strike, keeping in view the hardships consumers will face if the war escalates and leads to a supply chain crisis of petroleum products”. He did not give a confirmed date till when the strike was being postponed. Asked if the PPDA would call a strike in the near future, he said, “I cannot confirm right now as the situation is highly volatile.” The association had announced the strike on March 13 and given the government until March 26 to revise the petroleum dealers’ margin from 2.59 per cent to 8pc in the wake of a Rs55 per litre hike in diesel and petrol rates. The decision to raise the prices was announced on March 6 as Pakistan fe...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday announced a financial support package to help its developing member countries mitigate the economic and financial impacts resulting from the conflict in the Middle East. A press release issued by the lender quoted ADB President Masato Kanda as saying, “ADB will deliver rapid, flexible, and scalable assistance to help countries manage immediate pressures and strengthen long-term resilience, notably fast-disbursing budget support and trade and supply chain finance to secure the import of essential goods, now including oil.” Kanda further said that this built on the ADB’s track record of supporting Asia and the Pacific through “periods of global uncertainty”. ADB has ample resources to safeguard existing and planned operations, while expanding emergency support in line with developing member countries’ needs, including utilising its countercyclical lending buffer, the statement said. It added that the bank was closely monitoring global market developments and their pot...

Gold prices fell by 1.8 per cent on Friday as the dollar strengthened on a report that the United States will deploy extra troops in the Middle East, fanning concerns of higher oil prices, inflation, and with it, elevated interest rates. Spot gold fell 1.8pc to $4,563.64 per ounce after earlier rising 1pc. US gold futures for April delivery were 0.7pc lower at $4,574.90. The dollar and US Treasury yields extended gains after a Reuters report, citing three US officials, that the US military is deploying thousands of additional marines and sailors to the Middle East. A stronger dollar makes dollar-priced bullion less attractive to holders of other currencies. The US-Israeli war on Iran has killed thousands, spilled across the Middle East and hit the global economy since the two countries launched a joint attack on February 28. Iran’s prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could keep energy prices elevated and fuel inflation. “Gold and silver are being dragged lower as markets climb the usual wall of worry a...

Wall Street ended sharply lower on Friday, with the S&P 500 closing at its lowest in six months, as the US-Israeli war against Iran entered its fourth week, deepening worries about inflation and the potential for higher interest rates. The conflict in the Middle East showed no signs of easing. The US military was deploying an amphibious assault ship with thousands of additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East, while Iran’s new supreme leader hailed Iran’s “unity” and “resistance”. “The market is finally settling into the idea that this may go on longer than initially expected, and I think that’s why markets are selling off. This conflict may go on not for just a few weeks, but maybe beyond several months,” said Jake Dollarhide, CEO of Longbow Asset Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Magnificent 7 companies fall Wall Street’s most valuable companies dropped, with Nvidia and Tesla losing over 3pc each. Alphabet, Meta Platforms and Microsoft were all down about 2pc. US Treasuries fell for a third session, in ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday discussed the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East in phone calls with leaders from several countries, with all calling for de-escalation in the region. The ongoing war, launched by the US and Israel against Iran, has expanded across the Middle East with Tehran targeting US bases and assets in other countries in the region, including Azerbaijan, and Tel Aviv targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on the social media platform X that the premier held a telephone conversation with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev “to exchange greetings on the auspicious occasion of Eidul Fitr”. “The two leaders also discussed the ongoing hostilities in Iran and the Gulf region,” the statement said. “The prime minister reiterated [his] strong condemnation of the attacks against Azerbaijan and expressed full solidarity and support with the brotherly people of Azerbaijan in these challenging times.” It added that both leaders called for an immediate de-esc...

The arrival of petrol and crude oil tankers continues at Port Qasim as the government steps up efforts to ensure fuel availability amid the ongoing Middle East crisis.

Spot premiums for Middle East crude grades Oman and Dubai have soared to ​all-time highs even as trade slumps due to the US and Israeli war on Iran, with some ‌traders arguing that the benchmarks have lost relevance due to supply disruption. The surge in the benchmarks, used to price millions of barrels of Middle Eastern crude bound for Asia, is pushing up costs for Asian refiners, forcing them to seek alternatives or reduce output further in coming months. Cash Dubai’s premium to swaps jumped ​to $56 a barrel on Monday, compared with an average of 90 cents in February, data from S&P Global Platts and Reuters showed. ​The premium accounts for about a third of the grade’s value, assessed at $153 a barrel by Platts ⁠for May-loading cargoes, versus $111.76 for Murban futures. Dubai prices are distorted, given its wide price gap with Murban, three trade sources said. Similarly, ​the premium for Oman crude futures to Dubai swaps hit a record near $51 a barrel on Friday, far above February’s 75 cents average. Middl...

War in the Middle East is disrupting the flow of critical medicines to the Gulf, imperilling supply routes for cancer drugs and other treatments that require refrigeration and forcing companies to reroute flights and find overland access into the region, industry executives said. The conflict, sparked by US and Israeli attacks on Iran two weeks ago and broadened by Iranian strikes around the region, has knocked out key air transit hubs and closed shipping routes, snarling the movement of goods for many products from medicines to food and oil. While there are few signs yet of major shortages, that could change if the conflict drags on, some executives said. The Gulf relies heavily on imports and some medicines have short shelf lives and need strict cold-chain storage, making lengthy overland shipping less practical. Executives at Western drugmakers said they were seeking alternative routes into the Gulf and trucking some drugs overland from airports like Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Other options were Is...

The US and Israel’s war against Iran has led to sporting events being postponed in the region, while competitions elsewhere have been hit by travel disruption, with thousands of flights cancelled in some of the world’s busiest transit hubs. Bahrain and Saudi F1 races set to be cancelled Next month’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Formula One Grands Prix are set to be cancelled due to the Middle East conflict. Multiple sources told Reuters an announcement, seen within the sport as just a matter of time, was expected with a March 20 deadline looming for freight that has to be transported to Bahrain for logistical reasons. Trump says inappropriate for Iran to be at World Cup US President Donald Trump said on March 12 that Iran’s soccer team were welcome to take part in this year’s World Cup but that he believed it was not appropriate they be there “for their own life and safety”. Iran have qualified for the 48-team tournament to be held in the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11 and are scheduled to play two group mat...

Flight operations between Pakistan and the Middle East are gradually stabilising after being severely disrupted by the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel, aviation sources said on Friday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for Saudi Arabia on Thursday to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discuss escalating tensions in the Middle East following the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

Pakistan has reiterated its commitment to stand alongside Saudi Arabia, highlighting the deep-rooted strategic relationship between the two nations as tensions rise in the Middle East.

ISLAMABAD: Senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Tuesday assured the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis that there was no situation requiring a mass evacuation of Pakistani nationals from the Middle East. The head of the MoFA’s Crisis Management Cell gave a detailed briefing to the NA committee about the number of Pakistanis stranded in various Middle Eastern countries due to the ongoing conflict and about the efforts being made to repatriate them. In the meeting, presided over by PPP MNA Syed Agha Rafiullah, the committee members expressed their serious concerns over the manifold increase in airline fares, particularly by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The ministry official informed the committee that Pakistanis were facing fuel shortages and transport problems in various countries, adding that the absence of public transport had created further difficulties for them. “Gulf missions reported large registered populations but comparatively manageable eva...