TRUMP SAYS ‘HONOURED’ TO HOST FIELD MARSHAL FOR TALKS IN WHITE HOUSE
re in talks with Pakistan on a trade agreement The leadership of both nations is truly remarkable ” The meeting between Field Marshal Asim Munir and Donald Trump was held at the White House Cabinet Room over lunch Trump also once again claimed credit for the Pakistan-India ceasefire despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintaining in a conversation with him
late on Tuesday that the breakthrough was achieved through talks between the two militaries and not US mediation
Addressing the development, the PPP chairman said: Today, Pakistan s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir will meet with Donald Trump over lunch a positive step in PakistanUS relations Especially given the president s role in mediating a ceasefire
Following Pakistan s decisive victory in the recent five-day war, India has regrettably resisted all efforts toward a permanent peace including US-led diplomacy ” He said Pakistan neither sought conflict nor was it desperate for dialogue However Bilawal said Pakistan recognised that peace was in the interest of both nations
“There is no military solution to our disputes India’s weaponisation of water repression in Kashmir and politicisation of terrorism are unsustainable positions The path forward lies in honest diplomacy not denial
Meanwhile, Michael Kugelman, a Washington-based South Asia analyst, emphasised that the meeting should not be seen only in the context of the IranIsrael conflict
‘Mere Statements Won’t Work’: PTI urges govt to take a clear stance on Israel issue
We have consistently condemned Israel and we will continue to do so What Israel has done to destabilize humanity must be met with more than just words Real action is needed now, he added
Spain, the resolution, co-sponsored by Pakistan and 47 other states, garnered 149 votes in favor to 12 against with 19 abstentions Among those opposing the resolution were the United States and Israel while India was among the countries abstaining These (the demands made in the Assembly resolution) are not aspirations they are obligations, the Pakistani envoy said, stressing, The international community must act with urgency to ensure their implementation ” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar called the resolution a necessary assertion of international will saying “Pakistan is proud to have supported and cosponsored this initiative Pointing out that over 55 000 lives have been lost including 18 000 children and 28 000 women, he said that infrastructure has been razed homes, hospitals, schools, cultural heritage, and places of worship while famine looms, with humanitarian workers and UN personnel being attacked with impunity Against this backdrop Ambassador Iftikhar reiterated Pakistan’s call for the immediate steps necessary not only to stem this horror but also to lay the foundations for a just and lasting peace These included an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire, ending the killings; lifting of the Gaza blockade, with humanitarian aid allowed freely and safely and international agencies empowered, not hindered; full restoration of UNRWA’s mandate access and funding; and confronting the root cause: the prolonged illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land There will be no durable peace without justice and no justice without the realization of the two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has called on the gov-
ernment to take a proactive and decisive stance rather than limiting itself to issuing statements to mount on effective diplomatic pressure on the rogue Israeli state to halt its war crimes because it is rapidly emerging as a grave threat to global peace Addressing a press conference alongside party MNAs–Mubeen Arif Jatt and Osama Ahmed Mela on Wednesday PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram strongly condemned the unchecked aggression of the Israeli state describing it as a major threat to regional peace and stability
He emphasized that the unchecked Israeli state posed a significant threat to regional peace and stability However he criticized the government for failing to take any meaningful action regarding the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict as mere statements were no longer sufficient
PTI CIS noted that PTI Patron-in-Chief Imran Khan’s stance had always been clear regarding Israel; they had condemned Israel in the past and would continue to do so in the future as well However PTI CIS emphasized that the situation warranted strong and decisive leadership, and therefore, the unlawfully incarcerated PTI Patronin-Chief must be released immediately, as he is the only leader capable of steering the nation through such a critical and challenging time He stated that the government devoid of public mandate must recognize the rapidly evolving regional dynamics, put its own house in order, and immediately cease its ongoing policy of political vendetta and retribution
Senate Panel Blocks E-Commerce Tax, Endorses Levy on Elite Club Profits
Missiles attacks, war of words rage on as Iran-Israel conflict enters 6th day
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 Trump also hinted at potential US involvement in the conflict, stating, “We now have completely and total control of the skies over Iran ” He refrained from specifying who he was referring to with “we ” sparking questions about the nature of US involvement Trump while maintaining that the US was not directly involved in the conflict warned Iran that if US troops or assets in the Middle East were targeted, the US would
and F-35 jets to assist Israel with missile interception and air defense The situation remains tense as both nations continue their military actions with growing uncertainty over the level of US involvement and the broader geopolitical implications of this escalating conflict ‘Mere Statements Won’t Work’: PTI urges gov t to take a clear stance on Israel issue
Salman Akram Raja in a bid to break his spirit but warned that such brutal and inhuman tactics are destined to fail This is an affront to justice and basic human dignity he stated calling on the Punjab Police to stop this tyranny immediately He said that the court hearings inside the jail were being systematically postponed to completely cut him off from others and to extend his unlawful detention in sheer violation of his rights enshrined in the jail manual and the constitution PTI CIS pressed that these illegal actions were part of a deliberate and systematic larger scheme to isolate the country s most popular and unifying leader from the public, as the illegitimate and imposed rulers were petrified of the strongest voice against their wrongdoings Waqas underlined that it is high time state institutions began performing their duties independently without fear or favor and delivered justice by releasing all political prisoners languishing in jails unlawfully for the last two years under politically motivated, fabricated, and concocted cases He made it clear that, in view of the volatile regional situation, PTI decided to postpone its planned protest movement, emphasizing that this is a time for national unity and solidarity rather than political confrontation “Despite enduring every kind of state oppression and consistent denial of justice Imran Khan has postponed the protest movement in the greatest national interest as for him the country s welfare has always remained the top priority, Waqas added He said that PTV employees were facing a deplorable situation, as many of them were still waiting for their salaries and pensions
CB turns down SIC ’s
request for par tial reser ve seats ’ alloc ation
have not been allotted to any other party so far The ECP s lawyer argued that parliament had enacted a law after the SC s July 13 verdict, stating that once a political affiliation was declared in the nomination papers, it could not be changed He added that the law was applied retrospectively and a review petition on the matter was still pending Later the Supreme Court s constitutional bench formally dismissed the request to enforce its decision regarding the allocation of reserved seats to PTI for the 39 assembly members Earlier, Faisal Siddiqui responded to the objection regarding the extension of the timeline for reserved seats He stated that after the 2018 elections the ECP issued a fresh schedule Employing a pun he said when BAP the Balochistan Awami Party which is generally regarded as the king s party came forward, the schedule was issued After all, Baap is Baap (a father is a father), he added
At UN, Pakistan c alls G aza situation not just c atastrophic but ‘collapse of humanity ’
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
In this regard, he said, Pakistan looks forward to the convening of the high-level conference on Palestine and the two-state solution in coming weeks, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia The conference was to be held this week but was postponed following the Israeli aggression against Iran that led to heightened tensions between the two Middle East rivals We must work together to ensure its tangible outcomes in advancing a credible path toward durable peace, Palestinian statehood, and its full membership in the United Nations,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar said, adding “It will be yet another clear demonstration of where the international community stands on this issue ” The stakes he said were high and the international
community must not look away as the credibility of the international system of multilateralism itself was on trial “It is ludicrous that the occupying power the worst violator of international law and those who protect and shield it can stand in this August Assembly criticizing and blaming the rest of the international community for being on the right side of history, he said “Moral bankruptcy must have no space in this house We must rise above politics and pressure and act with moral clarity legal integrity and political will We must condemn aggression Pakistan s commitment to the Palestinian people was unwavering he said reaffirming We will continue to raise our voice in solidarity and in hope until justice is done, until the occupation is ended, and their inalienable rights are realized
COMMENT
TH E US State Department has said that while President Donald Trump has offered his services as a mediator between Pakistan and India, no side could be forced to accept mediation
This was as clear an effort to renege on his firm commitment to mediate as possible, and it came at an inopportune time, when the USA was trying to mediate between Iran and Israel It was inopportune because it showed the most powerful man in the world try to oil out of a commitment That cannot be helpful when he addresses the Israel-Iran conflict, not with him calling on Iran to surrender unconditionally, and bragging as if a party, that Israel had command of the air
Mr Trump is a shifty character, whose word cannot be relied on When he brought about a ceasefire at the Indian request, he said that he was willing to mediate on all matters, including Kashmir Kashmir must be accepted for the central issue that keeps the peace of the world under the threat of an Indo-Pak nuclear incident In fact, it is not just the peace of the world, but the existence of the human race It was only logical that the silence be broken, for if the Indian refusal to talk about Kashmir, or to accept any mediation in the matter be allowed to stand as it has for so many decades the risk to the entire world is too great Mr Trump has a track record of ducking inconvenient truths He is among those who deny that there is any global warming, claiming that it is a Chinese conspiracy against the USA He is now just one step from declaring that there will be no nuclear winter
Any hope that he would bring pressure to his ally, Israel, to behave carefully and reasonably against Iran, must fade, just as it becomes clear that he is very transactional in his dealings and is ready to do anything in the moment so long as a shortterm goal is achieved Just as much as he was ready to mediate on Kashmir In all probability, he knew full well that India would probably not agree, but he held it out as a sop to Pakistan, to get it to agree to the ceasefire He has also indirectly conveyed that Pakistan will have to fend for itself over the Indus Water Treaty, which India has suspended, and can expect no help from him
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
Can the c apital keep up with the demand? T r u m p ’ s o p p o r t u n i s m
IN D I A in the last two decades has been trying to paint Pakistan on the diplomatic channels as a net exporter of terrorism On 13 December 2001, when the Indian Parliament was attacked, India blamed Pakistan and moved its forces to the border and war seemed imminent Consequent to a master defensive manoeuvre by the Pakistan Army India realized that its offensive would not be able to achieve its objective and war was averted Subsequently it became a predictable activity after every terrorist incident in India Without going into details, fingers were pointed towards Pakistan In 2008 terrorists struck Mumbai, it was called 26/11 of India, and the armies moved to the borders, however the situation was better handled diplomatically by Manmohan Singh On 18 September 2016 after a terrorist activity in Uri India carried out surgical strikes on the LOC in AJK Three years later when Indian elections were around the corner, after a false flag operation in Pulwama on 14 February 2019, the Modi government decided to drop a few bombs on the trees of Balakot This time Pakistan decided to respond and not only engaged targets across the LOC but also shot down two Indian aircraft Indian pilot Abhinandan landed in Pakistani territory and was let off as a goodwill gesture after being served a fantastic cup of tea India, despite its best efforts, failed to club Pakistan among rogue nations The Pahalgam incident on 22 April 2025 was therefore carefully choreographed to create a 1971-like moment for the BJP Terrorism saw a surge in the last six months to unleash a neoMukti Bahini in Pakistan Political polarization in the country was accentuated by the surge in terrorist activities All this had a demoralizing effect on the Pakistani nation Some cynics in Pakistan drew parallels between the current situation and the environment of East Pakistan in 1971 Pakistan’s economy was “struggling and was also enticing for the Indians Indian government may have strongly felt that striking Pakistan at this point could create a high point before the centenary meeting of the RSS in September 2025 The Pahalgam false-flag operation was perfectly designed Its FIR against Pakistan was launched within 10 minutes of the incident Prime Minister Modi decided to cut his visit to KSA short where billions of dollars worth MoUs were to be signed He called a meeting on security at the airport and immediately flagged Pakistan with the terrorists In coming days, he granted his armed forces operational freedom to avenge Pahalgam The Indian government received an injury to its ego and future plans when it failed to convince the capitals of the world to link Pakistan with the Pahalgam incident It received a shock when Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif offered an impartial and neutral inquiry Its plans were rebuked by the international community and Pakistan was not censured by any country Pakistan achieved a diplomatic turnaround and most nations of the world started proposing a
C a p i t a l h o s p i t a l i t y
Tprobe into the incident India acted exactly the way it wanted to, and launched strikes on six locations in Pakistan on the night of 7 May inflicting death and injuries on 62 innocent civilians including children and women besides estroying mosques But in the process it lost three Rafales one Su30 one Mig29 and one Mirage 2000 In that one night India lost
Pakistan on the other hand, utilized a template in which all elements of power and institutions worked in synergy, to bring out the most efficacious results This was PakistanÊs déjà vu of 6 September 1965, or even better. Pakistanis now stand united in the love for their country and its defenders The Kashmir issue is again in the international focus Pakistan must pursue its case at all forums of the world, to absolve itself of the blame of harboring terrorism once and for all.
achieve capital authorities vision of a clean and green Islamabad ’ The venturing of new hotels in the capital’s hospitality market must be seen in the larger context of this sector s contribution to the economy as hotels are strategic spaces and economic powerhouses According to Statista,
Readying for reprisals
$30 billion by 2033 from $16 billion three years ago Under the government s economic transformation agenda a resolute push for boosting the hospitality sector seems to be on the cards as the 13th Five-Year Plan (2024-29) terms harnessing the potential of hospitality business and
a study published by US firm Nielsen While the government along with its investment facilitation body is desperate to attract investment from abroad, the key point is that the road to foreign investment traverses through facilitating our own businessmen
The writer is an Islamabad-based freelancer
brand would also help
Biased by tes
Shakeel a malik
Pushback Diplomacy
from
“foreigner” status all the
He
to the
Court That appeal was still pending when he disappeared from
and reappeared in a field in Kurigram Bangladesh In that moment, the entire façade of legality that Assam s administration so painstakingly pretends to uphold crumbled into farce The man hadn’t lost his case, he hadn’t skipped bail, he hadn’t crossed the border he had simply been delivered like an uninvited gift to a country he had never belonged to The stories stack up like bricks in a wall of collective disbelief Abdul Latif, summoned to the police station with promises of a short conversation, found himself the next day not in his living room but in the sovereign territory of another nation Shaha Ali once already detained as a foreigner during the last wave of bureaucratic paranoia re-arrested in the dead of night despite having returned home on bail Ayesha Bibi, whose husband Abdul Sheikh was hauled away under the pretense of Aadhaar registration now doesn’t know whether he s in India Bangladesh or somewhere in the bureaucratic ether reserved for the politically inconvenient Mothers daughters, and wives cry outside detention camps they are not allowed to enter, peering through barred windows hoping to spot a familiar face bringing clothes and food that go undelivered And what do they receive in return? Silence Utter bureaucratic silence The police deny knowledge The camps refuse confirmation The government offers platitudes and the smug assurance that this is all legal, moral, and necessary That the Supreme
ISRAeL launched its war with Iran last week with what it called a “preemptive strike ” Iran according to the Israeli government was dangerously close to producing a nuclear weapon, and Israel needed to carry
missiles These weapons are provided at little or no cost to Israel, with American taxpayers primarily picking up the tab The U S has also consistently protected Israel at the United nations, shielding it from international accountability The Trump administration has basically lost control of its foreign policy Israel is now dictating U S policy in the Middle east They are clearly in the driver s seat, Stephen Semler, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, told The Intercept “This makes Trump look incredibly weak It should be a personal embarrassment He’s looking like a real chump ” Israel s war began on Friday with a surprise attack that killed almost the entire top echelon of Iran s military commanders and its foremost nuclear scientists Israel has since expanded its targets, attacking energy infrastructure and Iran’s government news agency The attacks have killed hundreds of civilians on Monday night U S Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the deployment of additional capabilities to the Middle east and said these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture The Pentagon refused to provide further clarification about the U S military build-up in the region The Israeli strikes have prompted waves of retaliatory ballistic missiles and drones from Iran Israel said at least 24 people have been killed with about 600 injured The U S military has repeatedly helped defend Israel from Iranian attacks The Pentagon did not respond to questions about what American assets were used or how many interceptor
ing, We are unlocking Rs 35 billion for the Newly Merged Areas one of the largest investments for the uplift of the area and the communities have ever seen It s not just about numbers; it s hope for families who have waited too long for light, education, and safety
Pakistan sees GDI as key to connectivit y, coastal development: Junaid Chaudhr y ISLAMABAD
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has underscored the Global Development Initiative (GDI)
ECC direc ts shif t from minimum indic ative prices to open market pricing for tobacco crop
bacco companies purchase tobacco from farmers The MIPs are based on the Cost of Production (CoP) determined by a committee formed under the PTB s by-laws
energy corridors The minister noted that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has already laid a solid foundation, transforming Gwadar into a vital economic link connecting China with the Arabian Sea “GDI builds upon this progress complementing our national goals of infrastructure modernization environmental resilience, and equitable development, particularly for underserved coastal communities such as Ormara and Pasni,” he emphasized
to a system based on open market pricing According to a news report, the decision was made following a meeting of the ECC, during which the Ministry of National Food Security and Research briefed the committee on the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) to regulate control and promote the tobacco industry including its export The PTB has been responsible for setting MIPs for various types of tobacco since its inception Under Section 8(1) of the PTB Ordinance, the federal government has been required to notify the MIPs for different grades of tobacco These are not support prices but represent the minimum threshold at which to-
As per the report the ECC discussed the need to shift away from this system in line with the government s broader policy to move towards open market pricing, which is determined by supply and demand forces The committee highlighted that the current practice while providing support in case of surplus production could potentially reduce cess collection if open market prices surpass the MIPs
During the meeting, the ECC approved the revised MIPs for the 2025-26 fiscal year and directed the Ministry to devise a comprehensive plan for transitioning to a system based on open market prices This plan will be presented to the ECC for further review and approval The proposed changes are expected to impact the cess collection from tobacco with an estimated increase of approximately Rs 222 81 million in 2025-26 due to the proposed enhancement in cess rates
aging pests helping mitigate losses estimated at 20–30% of crop output annually due to pest infestations Additionally, 30 top-performing agriculture students from local universities have been inducted into a three-month paid internship program where they will work alongside field officers from the Agriculture Extension Department
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the successful integration of the merged districts into the national framework Nawaz Sharif leaves
