��������

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed his administration officials to draw up a concrete plan for boosting Pakistani beef exports to Malaysia, as part of efforts to strengthen trade with the Southeast Asian nation.

Malaysia is a major supplier of palm oil to Pakistan, with halal meat remaining a largely untapped area for bilateral trade. The prime minister chaired a meeting to review the trade situation via video link from New York, where he has been attending the United Nations General Assembly this week.

“There is enormous potential in Pakistan-Malaysia trade and we are taking steps to harness it fully,” Sharif said, according to a statement circulated by his office after the meeting.

“Relevant institutions must prepare a viable and concrete plan for the export of Pakistani beef to Malaysia,” he instructed.

The prime minister described Pakistan and Malaysia as having “long-standing brotherly relations spanning decades” and said Kuala Lumpur had always stood by Islamabad in times of difficulty, support which Pakistan “values highly.”

Pakistan and Malaysia established diplomatic ties in 1957, soon after Malaysia’s independence, and cooperate in forums such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Commonwealth.

The centerpiece of their economic relationship is the Malaysia-Pakistan Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (MPCEPA), signed in 2007 and in force since 2008.

Recovering from a prolonged economic crisis that pushed it close to default, Pakistan is striving for export-led growth and actively seeking new markets.

QUETTA: At least 11 people were killed and 26 others injured on Saturday in two separate road accidents in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, government officials said.

The first crash occurred on the N-85 highway near Panjgur when a Khuzdar-Panjgur bound passenger bus collided with an Iranian Zamyad vehicle carrying smuggled diesel. The vehicle burst into flames on impact, setting the bus ablaze.

“Eight people were killed in the accident and three injured,” said Panjgur Deputy Commissioner Kabeer Zarkoon, adding that one critically injured passenger had been referred to Karachi for treatment.

Footage seen by Arab News showed the bus completely gutted by fire.

The second incident took place in Khanozai, about 35 kilometers from Pishin, when a Quetta-Islamabad bound bus overturned after colliding with another vehicle on the N-50 highway.

“The bus crashed into a vehicle coming from the opposite direction and overturned, killing three passengers and injuring 23,” said Amir Hamza, Assistant Commissioner Karezat.

He said eight critically injured passengers were shifted to the Trauma Center Quetta, while others with minor injuries were treated on the spot.

Fatal road accidents are frequent in Pakistan, where poor road conditions, aging vehicles and disregard for traffic rules often cause casualties.

Much of Balochistan lacks dual carriageways, making head-on collisions a persistent danger. The traffic police regularly warn drivers on social media against speeding and reckless driving.

Smuggled Iranian fuel has also played a role in major damage caused by accidents in the province.

Balochistan’s porous border with Iran makes it possible for people to bring diesel and petrol illegally, which are then sold across the province and parts of Sindh, despite the risks of transporting them in unsafe vehicles.