g SAYS ANY ATTEMPT TO STOP OR DIVERT FLOW OF WATER BELONGING TO PAKISTAN UNDER IWT WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN ‘ACT OF WAR ’
g DG ISPR SAYS PAKISTANI NATION AND ARMED FORCES DETERMINED TO DEFEND COUNTRY ’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND SOVEREIGNTY AT ALL COSTS
g WE HAVE CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE INDICATING INDIA TA SKED ALL ITS PROXIES TO CARRY OUT TERRORIST ACTS EVERYWHERE IN PAKISTAN: DG ISPR
Jammu and
is a publicly listed company that has obtained a license from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to operate as a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC) It primarily focuses on investments in technology medical insurance, and IT-enabled services, particularly through its associate, TRGIL In another development, TRG Pakistan’s associate, TRGIL, received a significant milestone as IBEX Limited a US-based technology company repurchased approximately 3 56 million shares from TRGIL for $70 million in November 2024 Despite the positive performance in the first three quarters, TRG Pakistan faced challenges in the previous financial year, having reported a loss of Rs30 8 billion for FY2024 TRG Pakistan s improved performance comes at a time when it continues to focus on its investments and partnerships, especially in the technology sector, which has shown promise for growth
PR OFIT M o N i to r i N g D e s k Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday assured that Pakistan is well-positioned to manage the global uncertainty arising from new US tariff policies, stating that the government is actively engaging with Washington to mitigate any adverse impact Addressing members of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Aurangzeb confirmed that dialogue with American counterparts is already underway We already have constructive engagements with US authorities on the sidelines of the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings ” he noted adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to dispatch a high-level delegation to Washington for negotiations on tariff-related matters Aurangzeb quantified the current trade relationship with the US revealing that Pakistan s annual exports to the United States stand at approximately $5 billion, while
and bilateral institutions, think tanks, and friendly nations He also spoke about Pakistan s improved economic indicators, noting particular progress on inflation and the current account balance “The current account is expected to remain in surplus this fiscal year ” Aurangzeb stated adding that fiscal discipline
both the Ministry of Finance and the
Committee members suggested transitioning from a minimum wage model to
wage framework The Chairman proposed that a private member submit a
to
this change During the meeting the Finance Minister mentioned that budget proposals from chambers of commerce had been under review since February, with 95% of submissions already received He also informed the committee that policy matters related to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had been shifted to the Ministry of Finance and the Director General of Tax Policy now reports directly to the Finance Minister MNA
would take up the issue of wage non-compliance with relevant ministers and seek explanations from defaulting departments The committee requested the Ministry of Finance to submit a detailed compliance report within 30 days Earlier the Finance Minister briefed the committee on his visit to the U S high-level meetings and preparations for the
any
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
Expressing Pakistan’s concerns on the highly irresponsible and destabilized Indian actions and statements Ishaq Dar said Indian media and political leaders are directing a similar discourse against Pakistan He warned that India s highly irresponsible ploy for narrow objective gains was dragging the entire region towards extreme instability
He said no cause or objective can justify taking the lives of innocent people “This is our national policy and this is the Islamic policy too Killing of the human being as per the Quran is killing of the entire humanity and saving a life is tantamount to saving the entire humanity, he added He said Pakistan, being a victim of terrorism itself, was concerned over the loss of lives in Pahalgam attack and it als o extended condolences being victims o f t e r r o r i
pacted but Pakistan In Pakistan he said more than 80 000 lives had been sacrificed and over US$150 billion had been lost while the overall economic impact and indirect losses were close to $500 billion
He said the countless sacrifices made by our valiant law enforcement agencies as well as common citizens have helped address the threat of terrorism and contributed towards regional and international peace and stability
The deputy PM informed that he had contacted dozens of foreign ministers and other high leaders of various countries to explain to them the recent situation in the region He highlighted that India’s illegal and unilateral action of August 5 2019 reminded of the violation of the relevant UN SC resolutions and the fourth Geneva Convention as well as India s own commitments
Replying to a question, the deputy prime minister said PM Shehbaz Sharif was leading from the front, as he had been in touch with the relevant departments and authorities with regard to the current situation He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also chaired the national security committee He (PM Shehbaz Sharif) is leading from the front and the military and civil leadership have been working day and night under his leadership, Dar said To another query, the deputy PM said the governm
Afghanistan so he visited Afghanistan which remained absolutely successful from the political point of view
refugees point of view He said during his call with the Chinese Foreign Minister, the Chinese FM supported Pakistan’s stance and offered an independent investigation
Responding to another question the deputy prime
lead to a direction that would be unsustainable not only between the two countries but also the entire region It is a combined responsibility of friends and the regional actors to make sure that India does not make this mistake ” he added
FO SPOKESPERSON BRIEFS MEDIA PERSONS ABOUT DETAILS OF PAHALGAM ATTACK: Addressing the presser, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shafqat Ali Khan briefed the media persons about the details of the Pahalgam and raised questions over the occurrence of the incident and the registration of the FIR
He said about 26 people died and several were injured in the incident but neither any arrest of suspects was made
nor any evidence was shared The place is located at a dis-
tance of 230 km from the Line of Control
The Indians using different social media platforms showed the same pattern of accusing Pakistan without any evidence and that within a short period of time, he said, adding the place of occurrence was located in the difficult terrains but after 10 minutes FIRs was filed which raised certain serious questions
PAKISTAN ARMED FORCES FULLY PREPARED TO RESPOND TO ANY AGGRESSION BY INDIA:
DG ISPR: Addressing the presser, Director General InterServices Public Relations (ISPR), Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry Wednesday on the occasion vowed that the Pakistan Armed Forces are fully prepared to respond to any aggression by India
Addressing a press conference alongside Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and the Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, the DG ISPR reiterated that the Pakistani nation and armed forces are determined to defend the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty at all costs
He emphasized that the entire nation is united and all political parties have already expressed their resolve to respond with full force in case of any Indian aggression
The DG said that Pahalgam is 230km from the Line of Control (LoC) and questioned how it’s possible for someone to reach such a remote area within 10 minutes
“We will focus on facts not accusations ” he said adding that Pakistan was presenting evidence rather than engaging in baseless allegations
He noted that the alleged attack site is far from the nearest town of Bagh in Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Displaying various visuals of the area’s geography, Lt Gen Ahmed explained that the distance from the incident site to the nearest police station was approximately 30 minutes He questioned how an FIR could be registered in just 10 minutes
He also criticized the Indian media for prematurely blaming Pakistani agencies within minutes of the Pahalgam incident, citing a zipline operator s video to support what he called a false narrative
“Why did India’s narrative immediately claim that Muslims attacked Hindus?” he asked noting that the prime minister had also expressed concerns over the matter
The DG ISPR said that India was using the Pahalgam incident as a pretext to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty India itself is a terrorist state and detains Pakistani and Kashmiri individuals in jails, where they are tortured to make forced statements ” he said
Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif said that hundreds of Pakistanis are being held illegally in Indian prisons India is using these detained Pakistanis in fake encounters In Uri Muhammad Farooq was martyred in a staged encounter, he added He said they have credible intelligence indicating that following the Pahalgam incident, India has tasked all its proxies to carry out terrorist acts everywhere in Pakistan
“Whether these proxies are operating in Balochistan or other parts of Pakistan he questioned
DG ISPR said that since January 24 Pakistan has witnessed 3 700 terror incidents resulting in 3 896 casualties
He said that 77,816 operations have been conducted in which 1,666 terrorists have been eliminated
“This is terrorism that is being abetted and sponsored by India The whole world can see and feel its effects We must be cognizant that Pakistan remains the last bulwark standing against this scourge of terrorism
DG ISPR said
He said, India is facilitating terrorism for the sake of its short-term, myopic political objectives Terrorism and extremism are internal problems of India Instead of addressing these issues India is externalizing them This
cycle is manifesting itself in the Pahalgam incident
A similar pattern was observed in the Jaffar Express case, where a specific Indian account predicted the attack beforehand and later confirmed it post-incident a narrative boosted by Indian media
Responding to a question, the DG ISPR stated, ‘We are closely monitoring the situation with a prepared response As per the National Security Council s deliberations multiple options are available Pakistan will be defended at all costs
He said the Pulwama attack was exploited for political gains, and now Indian analysts are citing the Pahalgam incident as a security failure He stated that India’s objective is to falsely implicate Pakistan and exploit these allegations for electoral gains By accusing Pakistan of infiltration India justifies the killing of innocent civilians such as the martyrs of Kupwara on April 23 There is irrefutable evidence confirming India s involvement in terrorist activities within Pakistan Lt General Ahmed Sharif said that Indian intelligencerun social media accounts which accused Pakistan of the Pahalgam incident had also made suspicious predictions before the November 4 2023 Mianwali attack
A day before the attack, these accounts posted, Tomorrow is a big day, so we are going to bed early today, and the next morning, they wrote, “Good morning Mianwali ” DG ISPR said the terrorist attack in Mianwali was carried out by Fitna AlKhawarij Later on October 6 2024 Chinese citizens were targeted in Karachi Before this attack the same Indian intelligence-linked social media accounts posted:
“Big day in the next few hours ” – Followed by: Big explosion in Karachi, more details are coming On the morning of October
Pe R H A P S the most remarkable thing about the press conference of Inter-Services Public
Relations Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry disagreement was that he presented evidence of his claims, in the shape of an audio clip That India was engaged through its agents in committing terrorism in Pakistan but to have the evidence made public so that there could be no mistake was indeed novel
General Chaudhry presented a distinct c o contrast between himself and Indian spokesmen, who managed to bring the whole situation to the point of war, with the Indian government going so far as to suspend the Indus Basin waters Treaty; all without providing a single iota of evidence General Chaudhry’s audio clip can be subjected to independent testing His interpretation of it can be disputed (though admittedly he put so little spin on it as to preclude any dispute)
The Indian media has been left by him to do its damnedest The Indian government has not shown the courage of its convictions by making available the evidence in its possession
One of the more disturbing conclusions that one can reach from what has been made available is that it is possible to find officers willing to engage in terrorism, with civilians as casualties There is no justification for such unsoldierly activities, not even among members of the Intelligence Corps or intelligence formations It almost seems as if Indian soldiers have been infected with the Israeli disease of failing to observe the rules of war such as by bombing hospitals and refugee tents and massacring ambulance crews Is this a sign that India intends to fight a ‘dirty’ war, one in which its troops commit war crimes? Has the Indian Army lost all sense of soldierly honour, that it contains within it someone willing to target noncombatants?
General Chaudhry’s press conference and presentation of evidence adds to the already considerable dossier that Pakistan has already presented to the Un and members of the world community, including those countries which have now been hit by Indian terrorism, whose citizens have been murdered, been targeted India finds it almost natural to target Pakistan with terrorism It for those who support it as a large market to realise that their citizens have been targeted with skills honed in Pakistan which has been victimised for decades
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
verse), for example, or anything that demands humility on the part of man, then the same position can have immense entertainment value
Fe w men, and fewer women, understand the place and utility of logic Of course, there is no shortage of self-proclaimed ‘logical’ types who swear by it and think of it as the instrument that can be relied upon to supply surefire answers to all problems under the sun (To what extent does logic govern their everyday lives is a completely different story however, but that is for another day Suffice it to say here that it is very easy to overestimate oneself in this regard ) On the other extreme of
Logic alone then is no assurance for a sound philosophy of life while everybody should learn to be as logical as possible it must never be forgotten that logic like mathematics consists of certain rules that in the final analysis, merely yield tautologies Bertrand Russell famously described mathematics as the subject where we never know what we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true Logic, being a branch of mathematics is the same To its credit its conclusions are certain But there is no reason to believe that they are necessarily judicious as well It all inevitably comes down to axioms we are all familiar with children asking the frustrating why? question ad infinitum Do not handle the knife!’ ‘why?’ ‘You will get hurt ’ ‘why?’ ‘Because it is sharp ’ ‘why?’ ‘To cut fruit ’ ‘why?’ ‘So that we can keep ourselves nourished ’ ‘why?’ ‘To live and be healthy why? A time soon comes when there is no answer to why? At that stage one has no choice but to accept something (without question)–the axiom The rest of the story can be logical (or not) but the axiom, being outside the system, cannot be categorized either as logical or otherwise especially on the fundamental questions of life (where conclusions from higher frameworks cannot provide the axioms for lower ones– laws of physics as axioms
of everything are advised to try and convince some enlightened logical youth that his parents were not guilty of impudence when they decided to bring him into the world without his prior consent The youth’s stance may sound ridiculous to many, but it is not necessarily illogical If complete ownership of one’s life– in which private liberty freedom and individual rights constitute the ultimate value– happens to be the cornerstone of someone s philosophical framework, then the position makes a great deal of sense For there is no valid retort to the argument then, except challenging this very foundation If, on the other hand, the framework happens to be founded on God’s will (the way God wants to run the uni-
added In recent weeks, China has begun deploying more symbolic and strategic tools Restrictions on importing Hollywood films travel advisories cautioning Chinese citizens against traveling to the USA and warnings to students who might study at US universities reflect a change The trade war widens and cuts into culture, education, and tourism During the standoff, China is doubling diplomatic efforts in europe and Southeast Asia President Xi Jinping, in his first public response, emphasized unity against “unilateral bullying ” During a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez he urged the european Union to resist economic coercion and support multilateralism Xi is also set to visit Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, which are nations strategically vital to China’s regional influence Talks are expected to focus on infrastructure cooperation market access and agricultural trade
Meanwhile, Chinese Commerce Minister wang wentao has engaged with global trade leaders from the eU, ASeAn, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and other BRICS and G20 nations These efforts are part of an overarching goal in Beijing s campaign to diplomatically isolate the USA and strengthen ties with the Global South notably, a breakthrough happened as China and the eU agreed to restart trade relief and electric vehicle pricing discussions, which may help mitigate long-simmering disputes and unlock new avenues for Sino-european cooperation
Despite its hardline response Beijing remains open to negotiations with the USA based only on mutual respect China is still open to negotiating, but threatening and pressuring is not the way to reach out to us, the Commerce Ministry said This approach mirrors China’s larger diplomatic strategy: engage but do not submit As the tensions deepen the US-China trade war is no longer merely an economic confrontation It is a test of political will and world power Trade routes are being upended, diplomatic alliances reshaped, and the very architecture of international commerce strained As washington intensifies the stakes, Beijing is recalibrating cultivating new partnerships and declaring itself a power unwilling to back down whether this standoff results in dialogue or decoupling one fact remains clear: global trade rules are being rewritten in real time
The writer is associated with a government Think-tank and can be reached at danialihsanndu@gmail com
Trade routes are being upended, diplomatic alliances reshaped, and the ver y architecture of international commerce strained As Washington intensifies the stakes, Beijing is recalibrating, cultivating new par tnerships, and declaring itself a power unwilling to back down
Hof realpolitik neither side can afford to weaponize water If anything the perilous road they are now tempted to tread will lead not to victory, but to mutual impoverishment The Indus Waters Treaty has survived wars political upheavals and decades of bitter recriminations Brokered by the World Bank in 1960 after years of arduous negotiations, the treaty divided the six rivers of the Indus Basin between the two countries India was given control of the eastern tributaries the ravi, Beas, and Sutlej while Pakistan retained rights to the western rivers the Indus Jhelum and Chenab Importantly while India could use the western
rivers for limited purposes like hydroelectric projects it was prohibited from any consumptive use that would significantly diminish Pakistan s flows That the treaty has endured for 65 years is not an accident It is a testament to the fact that neither India nor Pakistan can afford the catastrophic consequences of disrupting the river system that sustains hundreds of millions of lives Pakistan in particular, relies on these waters for 80 percent of its irrigated agriculture To tamper with that supply would be to invite famine, mass displacement and potentially the collapse of a fragile state For India the risks are scarcely smaller: regional instability international condemnation and the not-sodistant prospect of full-scale war with a nuclear adversary
Technically, as experts on both sides acknowledge, India does not currently possess the infrastructure necessary to significantly choke off the flow of the western rivers Diverting or storing the massive volumes of the Indus and its tributaries would require the construction of enormous dams and canals across some of the most difficult terrain on Earth a process that would take years not weeks Even if undertaken such efforts would be politically costly and economically ruinous yet the dangers lie less in immediate engineering feats than in the corrosive effects of escalation India s decision to suspend the treaty, although largely symbolic in the short term, undermines the spirit of a rules-based order that has kept the worst impulses of nationalism in check It also sets a dangerous precedent that could rebound on India itself After all China holds the headwaters of the Brahmaputra river, vital to India s northeast If India chooses to treat international river agreements as disposable under pressure,
why should it expect better from others? Pakistan s reaction too
s h o u l d n o t b e h e l d h o s t a g e t o t h e d a n g e ro u s f a n t a
T r i a l b y m e
With close to a thousand TV channels broadcasting 24X7, 100,000 newspapers, innumerable radio stations, and billions of messages on social media, the attention span of the average viewer has been reduced to some few seconds
WI T H close to a thousand TV channels broadcasting 24X7, 100 000 newspapers innumerable radio stations and billions of messages on social media all competing for eyeballs the attention span of the average viewer has been reduced to some few seconds In this scenario, there is no chance of a subtle message going through; you have to be really loud and outrageous to be heard which has resulted in the quality of public discourse touching its nadir
The strident tone of shouting matches masquerading as discussions on TV channels with countless instances of verbal exchanges degenerating into walk-outs, and even physical fights, reinforces this conclusion Social media is even worse; with no norms to follow users have no hesitation in posting defamatory content and at times even the choicest abuses newspapers (not The Statesman) for long the advocates of balanced language, are going overboard with colourful headlines like Mr ABC slams/excoriates the statement of Mr DEF, where denies/refutes could have sufficed A crime involving some famous person is manna for the media which discusses it in sordid detail very often with pronounced biases and pronounces judgement even before the investigation is complete The worst offenders, TV channels, feed on controversies; once a juicy scandal breaks out, anchors float the most outrageous theories, invite the most uncivil panellists and forget everything about common decency
Such media trials have come to the notice of Courts; according to the Andhra Pradesh High Court: A trial by media refers to the impact of television, newspapers, and social media on a person’s reputation by creating a widespread perception of guilt or innocence before or after a verdict in a Court of law
Media trials can prejudice the public affect judicial functioning and lead to wrongful portrayals of individuals, instigating hatred and violence against them The most famous victim of a media trial was actress rhea Chakraborty, a one-time girlfriend of actor Sushant Singh rajput (SSr) who died by suicide on 14 June 2020 at the young age of thirty-four The cause of death was suicide as determined by the coroner with the initial post-mortem report indicating SSr died of asphyxia due to hanging The final post-mortem report, received on 25 June 2020, confirmed the cause of the death as asphyxia due to hanging adding that it was a “clear case of suicide ” The report further said that there was no evidence of foul
by his young son s death
fo r c e n t u r i e s T h e i r f u t u r e
The strident tone of shouting matches-masquerading as discussions on TV channels-with countless instances of verbal exchanges degenerating into walk-outs, and even physical fights, reinforces this conclusion
SSr s father KK Singh filed an FIr accusing rhea Chakraborty and six others of abetment of suicide, wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement, theft, criminal breach of trust, cheating etc This was the signal for media to go on overdrive; Chakraborty was portrayed as an avaricious and heartless gold digger who had conspired to kill SSr Day in day out the same script was repeated Public opinion forced enforcement agencies to go after Miss Chakraborty, who was jailed for some days TV channels purposely vilified her, labelling her as a ‘witch and sorceress,’ vitiating the minds of viewers against her; TV channels went so far as to taunt SSr for dying by suicide and for good measure labelled him a drug addict notably none of the TV Channels or anchors apologised, or expressed any kind of regret, after the CBI s closure report, in March 2025 Some public-minded individuals moved the Bombay High Court against the biased and damaging coverage of the SSr suicide case by TV channels The Court held: in an attempt to out-smart each other these two TV channels started a vicious campaign of masquerading as the crusaders of truth and justice and the saviours of the situation throwing the commands of the CrPC and all sense of propriety to the winds These TV channels took upon themselves the role of the investigator the prosecutor as well as the Judge ” Justice yashwant Verma is the most recent victim of media inquisition After some cash was allegedly burnt in a fire at his residence, all types of media went hammer and tongs after him Some gentlemen of the media even went to the extent of pointing out cases where the judge could have received illegal gratification In their bid for eyeballs few if any referred to Justice Verma s explanation fewer abided by the maxim that an accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty rather, based on the assumed guilt of Justice Verma, some high political functionaries built up a case for revival of the defunct national Judicial Appointments Commission (nJAC) Act Probably this is the price one pays for the voluminous amount of information that can be retrieved on a click of a mouse- which is pure misinformation, often dished out in the guise of information, by websites and news channels Western media does not lag behind in conducting their own trials; the SSr and Aryan Khan cases have their parallels in Casey Anthony Amanda Knox Harvey Weinstein and oJ Simpson cases where extensive and mostly biased media coverage had the potential of affecting the decision of the jury An even more alarming trend seems to have emerged recently; judges of constitutional courts are being tried by the media! To elaborate: social media posts and occasionally even newspapers and TV channels question decisions of constitu-
tional courts in highly inappropriate language and attribute the worst kind of motives to judges one saw this happen when the Supreme Court stopped bulldozer justice, i e , demolition of houses of accused persons now, when the Supreme Court is deciding on the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 two BJP MPs have come out with guns blazing against the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Supreme Court (SC) They went so far as to allege that the CJI was responsible for all civil wars in the country, stating that if the SC were to legislate, Parliament and all State Assemblies should be shut down These gentlemen went on to make derogatory references to various cases where Supreme Court had decided against the Government; the Tamil nadu Governor s case the judgement nullifying S 377 of the IPC, and the decision to strike down S 66A of the Information Technology Act, to mention a few The BJP dissociated itself from these intemperate utterances; the BJP President tweeted: “The BJP has nothing to do with the statements made by BJP MPs nishikant Dubey and Dinesh Sharma on the judiciary and the Chief Justice of the country These are their personal statements, but the BJP neither agrees with such statements nor does it ever support such statements
The BJP completely rejects these statements ” However the two leaders were unfazed; neither did they take down their statements nor did the leadership initiate any action against them Judges are expected to decide cases impartially, based on the law and evidence presented in Court However, the pressure of public opinion, fuelled by media coverage can totally vitiate this process because judges would feel compelled to consider the potential public reaction to their rulings which could undermine their independence as also the integrity of the judicial process negative portrayal of judges and judiciary in the media, can fuel distrust and scepticism, debasing the relationship between the judiciary and the public-influencing how future cases are perceived and decided
Thus far the Supreme Court has been extremely lenient with persons charged with contempt, but given the calculated and brazen challenges to its majesty, one hopes that the Supreme Court comes down heavily on the contemnors Finally what Caroline Kennedy daughter of President John F Kennedy American author diplomat and attorney said is equally relevant for us: The bedrock of our democracy is the rule of law and that means we have to have an independent judiciary, judges who can make decisions independent of the
T h e E U a n d b i g t e c h
Palestinian paramedic who survived a deadly Israeli strike on a medical convoy in southern Gaza last month has been released from Israeli detention, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) confirmed on Tuesday Assaad al-Nassasra 47 was one of only two survivors from an Israeli attack on March 23 in Rafah which killed 15 medics including eight from PRCS The group described the incident as a “massacre of medical teams ” AlNassasra, an ambulance driver, had been missing for 37 days following his arrest by Israeli forces during
r e u t e r S
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, confirmed on Wednesday that the next round of nuclear talks with the United States will take place in Rome on Saturday This will be the fourth round of high-level talks between the two nations mediated by Oman
The talks are part of ongoing efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal which aims to curb Iran s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief Araghchi announced after a cabinet meeting, stating that Iranian officials would also meet with representatives from Britain France and Germany – the other signatories to the 2015 deal – on Friday ahead of the talks with the United States
The European powers have expressed concerns about the potential re-imposition of UN sanctions as the 2015 resolution expires in October The new round of discussions builds on progress made during previous talks in Oman on April 12 However serious differences remain particularly concerning the lifting of sanctions and Iran s nuclear activities which Western countries have alleged are aimed at
developing nuclear weapons Tehran denies these allegations maintaining that its nuclear programme is purely for peaceful purposes Iran s outreach to Britain, France, and Germany underscores Tehran s desire to engage with all parties to the deal before moving forward with discussions with Washington Iran s UN mission has strongly rejected what it calls threats and economic blackmail from the European trio, stressing that diplomacy should proceed without coercion This round of talks follows a series of high-level exchanges that began in Oman earlier this month Diplomats have expressed cautious optimism about the potential for further progress, although both sides remain far apart on key issues
The nuclear talks are part of a broader diplomatic effort to stabilise the Middle East and prevent further escalation While Tehran insists that negotiations should be focused solely on the nuclear
President Xi Jinping stresses sound planning for economic, social development in 2026-2030
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for adapting to changing situations grasping strategic priorities and making sound plans for the country s economic and social development in the 20262030 period
The remarks came as China revs up efforts to fulfill the targets set in the 14th Five-Year Plan (20212025) in the final year of its implementation and to formulate the next five-year plan “The planning must focus on the goal of basi-
cally realizing socialist modernization with a view to building a great country and advancing national rejuvenation, Xi said at a symposium on China s economic and social development in the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) held in Shanghai A key guiding document for medium-to-long-term economic and social progress, China’s five-year plan outlines the country’s overall goals major tasks and policy orientation across various sectors over a five-year period In planning economic and social development for the next five years, targets and tasks should be set in a reasonable manner with approaches and measures to be proposed for each specific field,
said Xi also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission “We must unswervingly manage our own affairs well and stay committed to expanding high-standard opening up, Xi told the symposium, stressing promoting high-quality development on all fronts
placed
should
suring
gineering & Technology in Lahore She left the presidential seat and sat among the students She responded to the welcome slogans of the students by waving at them upon her arrival at the ceremony Under Honhaar Scholarship Phase-II 20,000 scholarships will be given to students from 02 to
staged and fabricated The Pakistani nation and its armed forces remain resolute The public will
be informed about issues like the Jaffer Express incident, she said Referring to recent military tensions, she remarked that the enemy cancelled its planned exercises after Pakistani jets took to the skies demonstrating Pakistan's
s ta
t Pakistan s leading digital microfinance bank, Mobilink Bank, has announced a strategic partnership with Daraz Pakistan, the country s largest e-commerce platform to accelerate financial inclusion access to finance and digital enablement of micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across Pakistan The collaboration advances the two institutions joint vision for economic growth at the grassroots level for long-term macroeconomic gains President and CEO, Mobilink Bank, Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, and Ehsan Saya, Managing Director, Daraz Pakistan & Sri Lanka formalised the collaboration in Islamabad Under the partnership Mobilink Bank will provide tailored financing solutions (ranging from PKR
KCFR hosts Russian CG for Talk on ‘End of World War II and Post-War World Order’
Dawood Global Foundation and OGDCL distribute 350 wheelchairs
KARACHI (s ta f f r e p o r t ) : The Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR) hosted His Excellency Andrey Viktorovich Fedorov Consul General of the Russian Federation in Karachi, for a thought-provoking session on the theme “End of World War II and the Post-War World Order The event took place at Avari Towers and was attended by a large and diverse audience comprising diplomats, scholars, students, media personnel, and members of the business and strategic community Ms Nadira Panjwani, Chairperson of KCFR, in her welcome remarks appreciated the Russian Federation’s consistent diplomatic engagement with Pakistan and underscored the importance of platforms like KCFR in fostering dialogue and deeper understanding between nations She also touched upon current global challenges and drew comparisons between past and present geopolitical dynamics
KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t Dawood Global Foundation is committed to distributing 10 000 wheelchairs across Pakistan In a major step towards improving healthcare accessibility in Sindh, Dawood Global Foundation, in collaboration with Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) distributed 350 wheelchairs today to hospitals operating under the People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) Sindh The distribution ceremony took place at the Deputy Commissioner s Office Hyderabad The event was attended by Mr Zahid Ali Mahesar, Regional Coordinator, OGDCL Hyderabad, Mr Miran Ali Shah, National Coordinator, Dawood Global Foundation; and PPHI representatives from all participating districts Mr Zain Ul Abedin Memon Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad was Chief Guest and senior officials were present Their presence reinforced the collective commitment to strengthening healthcare services at the grassroots level Under this initiative, 50 wheelchairs were provided to each of the following districts: Hyderabad, Tando Allah Yar, Sanghar Tando Muhammad Khan Badin Jamshoro and Sujawal This distribution is expected to significantly support patient mobility and comfort across hospitals in these regions Mr Zain Ul Abedin Memon, Deputy Commissioner, Hyderabad, said that today s initiative is a wonderful example of how public-private partnerships can directly improve the lives of our citizens He expressed gratitude to Dawood Global Foundation and OGDCL for their generous contribution noting These wheelchairs will greatly benefit patients across multiple districts ensuring better care and accessibility for all We are very proud of the work of the Foundation and of this great initiative led by its CEO, Tara Uzra Dawood "
CM Maryam Nawaz congratulates Canada's Mark Carney on election victory
LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t Chief
legally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir s (IIOJK) Pahalgam which led to the deaths of 26 tourists Since then, New Delhi has not only downgraded its diplomatic ties with Islamabad, but has also suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with PM Modi vowing to punish those responsible India blames Pakistan for the attack a claim that Islamabad vehemently denied and also termed as a false flag operation and has further offered a credible, transparent, and independent investigation by a neutral commission of experts to ascertain the truth Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has warned that there s credible intelligence that India intends to carry out military action against Pakistan in the next 24 to 36 hours on the pretext of baseless and concocted allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam incident However, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar Pakistan would not make first strike but it would respond forcefully to any aggression by India Expanding on the heightened tensions Khan who was the country s PM during Pakistan s retaliatory action via Operation Swift Retort against Indian airstrikes following the Pulwama attack in IIOJK extended his condolences to the Pahalgam incident’s victims and their families and said instead of introspection and investigation Modi government is again placing the blame on Pakistan
When the False Flag Palwama Operation incident happened, we offered to extend all-out cooperation to India but India failed to produce any concrete evidence As I predicted in 2019 the same is happening again after the Pahlgam incident the PTI founder remarked Instead of introspection and investigation, Modi Sarkar is again placing the blame on Pakistan,” he added R
as guaranteed by United Nations resolutions I have also been highlighting the fact that India led by RSS ideology is a grave threat, not only to the region but beyond it Indian oppression in Kashmir intensified after
