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Pakistan’s PM lands in Beijing to discuss economy, debt

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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Beijing on Tuesday to meet Chinese leaders and discuss plans for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $65 billion investment in the South Asian nation.

The major investment in development and energy projects in Pakistan is part of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to improve China’s road, rail and sea routes with the rest of the world, Reuters reported.

Islamabad and Beijing are considered longtime close allies, and Sharif is also expected to discuss security issues while on his visit.

On his two-day maiden visit to Beijing since taking office in April, Sharif will also seek some debt relief from China, in particular the rolling over of bilateral debt, an aide travelling with the prime minister told Reuters.

Chinese loans – around $23 billion – make up the largest chunk of Pakistan’s $27 billion of bilateral debt.

Sharif will be one of the first leaders to meet Xi since he secured a third term in power.

Pakistan had been struggling with a balance of payments crisis even before devastating floods hit the country over the summer, causing it an estimated $30 billion or more in losses.

“My discussions with the Chinese leadership will focus on revitalization of CPEC among many other things,” Sharif said in a statement adding that he will be meeting Xi and other Chinese executives while there.

Sharif’s government alleges that the CPEC project was slowed down during the tenure of ousted former premier Imran Khan, a charge the latter denies.

Sharif’s delegation among others includes the finance and energy ministers.

Pakistan has indicated previously that it will seek bilateral debt relief to lessen its balance of payment problems, but it hasn’t made any official announcement on whether it will formally ask Beijing for such help.

Pakistan’s central bank reserves have fallen to as low as $7.4 billion, barely enough for one and a half months of imports.

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Pezeshkian says Afghanistan, Pakistan helped Iran prevent infiltration into Iran

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Afghanistan and Pakistan cooperated with Tehran during the recent conflict to prevent individuals from using their territories to enter Iran and create unrest.

Speaking in a press conference on Saturday, Pezeshkian said Pakistan was cooperating with Iran “fully” while Afghanistan had also provided significant cooperation. He added that Turkmenistan, Russia and Iraq had helped Iran, while dialogue with Azerbaijan continued despite political differences.

Pezeshkian said regional cooperation had played an important role in helping Iran cope with the impact of the war and restrictions on the country.

The Iranian president also accused Iran’s adversaries of attempting to create insecurity along the country’s northwestern and southeastern borders, including plans to attack border posts and send armed individuals into Iran.

He said the plans were unsuccessful, partly because Iran responded to some of the efforts and because neighboring countries took measures to prevent individuals from using their territory to enter Iran.

Pezeshkian specifically highlighted the role of Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying both governments had deployed groups to monitor the situation along their territories.

According to the Iranian president, both countries had also made clear that no one would be permitted to use their soil to enter Iran and cause unrest inside the country.

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Ariana Airlines brings $2.3 million Boeing 737 engine from US to Kabul

The airline said the delivery represents an important step in strengthening its technical and operational capacity and supporting the continued operation of its fleet.

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Ariana Afghan Airlines has brought a Boeing 737 aircraft engine from the United States to Kabul following continued efforts by the airline’s leadership to complete the shipment.

According to Ariana Afghan Airlines’ media office, the engine had been held up in the United States due to customs procedures. Following completion of the required process, the engine was cleared and transported to Kabul.

The engine was purchased from US-based Global Engine for $2.3 million. Ariana’s technical team is expected to install the engine on one of the airline’s Boeing 737 aircraft following its arrival.

The airline said the delivery represents an important step in strengthening its technical and operational capacity and supporting the continued operation of its fleet.

Ariana Afghan Airlines’ leadership said it is also working to accelerate the procurement of additional spare parts and technical equipment required to maintain and support the airline’s aircraft and operations.

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Afghanistan issues more than 650,000 passports in one year

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Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, says more than 650,000 ordinary passports were issued across Afghanistan over the past Hijri year, while the visas of more than 16,000 foreign nationals were extended.

Mujahid made the remarks during the “Government in the Media Mirror” program, held under the theme “Public Services Week.”

According to him, the General Directorate of Statistics and Information also distributed nearly 2 million electronic national ID cards and around 1 million paper ID cards during the 1447 Hijri year.

Mujahid added that the agency provided hundreds of thousands of in-person and online services related to corrections and amendments to national ID cards over the past year.

The Islamic Emirate spokesperson said the General Directorate of Passports has sought to make services faster and easier by reducing the passport application form from nine pages to one page.

He also announced an expansion of services by the state-owned Afghan Post, saying the company delivered more than 5 million domestic mail items over the past year.

According to Mujahid, other measures to expand postal services included verifying and certifying hundreds of thousands of documents, launching express services, establishing a customer service center, and delivering documents directly to people’s homes.

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