Cherry festival in northern Pakistan draws crowds amid growing exports to China
Home to the Khunjerab Pass — the highest paved international border crossing in the world — GB is often described as Pakistan's gateway to China.
The region's cold climate is ideal for growing high-quality fruits such as cherries, apricots and apples.
'This is the 5th National Cherry Festival, and we are organizing Agri-Mela as part of the festival,' Zakir Hussain, deputy director at the GB agriculture department, told Arab News on Friday.
'The aim of this festival is to introduce cherry as a cash crop.'
He said the event, organized in collaboration with the State Bank of Pakistan, aimed to raise awareness about harvesting, marketing and the economic importance of cherries.
According to the GB agriculture department, the region produces 8,000 to 9,000 tons of cherries annually, with dried cherry marketing now also underway.
'Almost 3,000 tons of cherries had been exported to China in 2024,' Hussain said, adding that GB was the leading cherry-producing region in Pakistan.
Local farmers say the festival boosts their income and visibility.
'We have been growing cherries for the last 12 to 13 years and we have 200 to 300 cherry trees in our orchard,' said Skinder Ali, a 40-year-old farmer. 'Whenever the festival is held in Gilgit-Baltistan, we participate. And due to this event, we get access to the market at the national level.'
The festival also attracted tourists from other parts of the country.
'We especially came to Skardu to see the cherries, and we are from Islamabad,' Zohra Begum, a 52-year-old visitor, said. 'We have been visiting [the stalls] for the last hour... The taste of cherries is very good ... So far we have purchased 10 kilograms. Let's see how much we purchase later.'
'I am a traveler and biker from Lahore,' said Mohsin Abbas, another tourist. 'We were in Shigar last night when we came to know about the festival. So we came here... We have tasted the cherries and they are very delicious.'
Ghulamullah Saqib, an agriculture expert and trainer, said the region's climate is well suited for cherries, which require 800 to 1,000 chilling hours to bear fruit.
'There are 14 varieties of cherry that are found in Gilgit-Baltistan,' he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
40 minutes ago
- Arab News
Pakistan says citizens can register for Hajj 2026 through online portal, 15 designated banks
ISLAMABAD: The registration process for Hajj 2026 is underway, Pakistan's religion ministry said on Wednesday, informing citizens that they can do so via its online portal and 15 designated banks across the country. Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) said last week it has begun the registration process for next year's Hajj pilgrimage. After the registration, which will continue till July 9, pilgrims will be able to opt for government or private Hajj scheme. No fee will have to be paid for Hajj registration. 'Overseas Pakistanis holding a valid Pakistani passport are also advised to complete their registration through the online portal as soon as possible,' MoRA said in a statement. The ministry further said it was mandatory for anyone who intended to travel from Pakistan for the pilgrimage to get themselves registered. 'The costs of the Hajj package and other terms and conditions will be announced separately in accordance with the Hajj Policy 2026,' the statement said. Pakistan received a quota of 179,210 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025, which was evenly divided between government and private Hajj operators. While the government filled its full allocation of over 88,000 pilgrims, a major portion of the private quota remained unutilized due to delays by companies in meeting payment and registration deadlines. Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the religious affairs ministry to begin preparations for the 2026 Hajj immediately, calling for urgent reforms to the country's private Hajj scheme.
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan calls for country-led, results-based approach to global development financing
KARACHI: Pakistan has called for a fundamental shift in global development financing, urging the international community to move away from donor-driven models and adopt country-led, results-oriented strategies that align with national priorities and deliver measurable outcomes, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday. The country has long struggled with foreign loans and aid programs that often impose rigid conditions, restricting its ability to pursue development goals on its own terms. Facing recurring external financing gaps, high debt servicing costs and limited fiscal space, Pakistan has also called for greater access to low-cost financing to support areas like climate adaptation and social spending without deepening its debt burden. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb raised these issues during his address at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Spain. 'In his remarks, the Finance Minister laid out a ... comprehensive strategy ... to foster meaningful progress,' said a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance. 'As a first step, he stressed the need for urgent execution of priority actions to transition from pledges to tangible delivery.' 'This, he noted, must involve greater country ownership of development agendas, with national strategies taking precedence over donor-driven models,' the statement added. 'Aligning frameworks with domestic priorities is key to ensuring sustainability and relevance on the ground.' Aurangzeb also called for expanding access to concessional and blended financing, particularly for investments aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate resilience. He emphasized that international financial institutions and credit rating agencies should account for a country's reform efforts, developmental ambitions and climate vulnerabilities when assessing risk and setting lending terms. The minister further advocated for a shift in how development cooperation is approached within developing countries, arguing for a move away from input-focused models toward results-driven strategies linked to measurable outcomes. He underscored the importance of integrating cross-cutting priorities, such as gender equity, digital inclusion and climate resilience, into national development plans. Aurangzeb also urged a scale-up of South-South and triangular cooperation, describing such partnerships as more contextually grounded and effective than externally imposed frameworks. The minister reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to building inclusive, results-driven partnerships during the conference.
Arab News
5 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan PM orders wider POS rollout after $3 billion tax surge to sustain reform momentum
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to expand its Point of Sale (POS) system across the retail sector in an effort to plug revenue leakages and document more of the cash-driven economy. Pakistan has undertaken a series of tax reforms in recent years under successive International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programs, focusing on digitization and expansion of the taxpayer base to improve revenue collection and reduce reliance on external financing. The POS system is part of this broader effort, aiming to improve compliance and transparency in a country where large segments of the retail economy operate informally, often escaping documentation and taxation. The POS system, which digitally links cash registers at retail outlets with the FBR's central database, allows real-time monitoring of sales and automated calculation of sales tax, reducing underreporting and tax evasion. 'The FBR must widen the scope of its Point of Sale system in retail,' Sharif said at a review meeting on tax reforms. 'The production processes of all industries, including tax defaulters, should be digitized to bring them into the tax net.' During the meeting, Sharif praised the FBR and the finance ministry for a 42 percent increase in federal tax revenues in the last fiscal year, saying it was the highest in a decade. Officials briefed the prime minister that Rs865 billion ($3.03 billion) in additional revenue had been collected during the previous fiscal year, owing to stronger enforcement and digitization. The tax-to-GDP ratio also rose to 11.3 percent, up 1.5 percentage points from FY24. Addressing the participants of the meeting, Sharif emphasized the need for respectful treatment of taxpayers. 'The FBR must treat the public with respect and dignity while fulfilling its duties,' he said. 'No negligence in achieving economic targets will be tolerated for the sake of Pakistan's bright economic future.' Sharif instructed the FBR to extend the Track and Trace Digital Production System to monitor goods from production to delivery. Officials informed him that the system has already been implemented in the sugar, tobacco and fertilizer sectors, and will soon cover cement and other industries. 'All institutions must work with full dedication to meet the new fiscal year's targets. Any complacency will not be tolerated,' the prime minister warned, adding that he is personally monitoring all revenue-related progress.
