RELIEF, UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY TO INDUSTRY AMONG TOP PRIORITIES: PM
meeting was attended by federal ministers Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, Ahad Khan Cheema Ali Pervaiz Malik Adviser to PM Muhammad Ali Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani National Coordinator Power Task Force Lt-Gen Zafar Iqbal, PM s Coordinator Musharraf
tivity The meeting received a detailed briefing on ongoing reforms and projects related to electricity generation transmission and distribution It was informed that as per the Prime Minister s instructions, the first phase of the privatization of outdated and loss-incurring GENCOs was completed generating revenue of Rs9 05 billion for the national exchequer The second and third phases were underway at a fast pace To ensure transparency, the auction proceedings were being broadcast live The meeting was further informed that successful negotiations were held with 36 Independent Power Producers (IPPs) regarding electricity tariffs, resulting in projected
TForeign inflows in T-bills hit $7 3.6m, equit y market sees $64.6m outflows in May
Despite Indian aggression in May, foreign investment remains steady in T-bills, while equit y market faces higher outflows
and
Electricit
Power
WH E N US President Donald Trump arranged a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, the details could be handled by the Directors General Military Operations of both countries an Indian lieutenant-general and a Pakistani major general, but apparently there is no parallel mechanism between Israel and Iran, for he has to perform monitoring duties himself On the other hand it seems that in the Indo-Pak conflict while he had an unstable and unreliable ally in Indian PM Narinder Modi, in Israel, the PM, Benjamin Netanyahu is quite clearly certifiable It was only Mr Trump’s personal intervention combined with a dressing-down that made Mr Netanyahu abort a bombing mission by Israeli planes that would have made nonsense of the ceasefire for then Iran might well have felt honourbound to reply with a missile strike If the missile strike had inflicted casualties, as they have been doing, Israel might have felt it necessary to respond by further bombings and missile launches and the whole cycle of attack and counterattack would have started once again
Mr Trump should now realize why the truce in the Gaza Strip broke down: because Israel repeatedly violated the truce for some petty advantage All Mr Netanyahu would have got for violating the ceasefire would have been bragging rights, about how he had had the last word and was thus the best guardian of Jews against the Goyim It is almost uncanny how he mirrors the antics of Mr Modi, whose greatest loss in the recent encounter with Pakistan was as the invincible defender of the Hindu rashtra against Muslims However Mr Netanyahu probably knew that he would not suffer any loss of credibility, because Mr Trump’s backing of Israel has amounted to becoming a booster for Israel during the conflict
The major problem is that the ceasefire does not address certain crucial issues, centring around Iran s quest for a weapon (according to Israel and the USA, though without any evidence) or technological capability (according to itself) Iran has vowed to continue its efforts, and though the destruction has been immense, if Iran puts in the required funds, facilities can be rebuilt Unless knowledge of the nuclear process disappears from the world, scientists can be trained to take their murdered colleagues places All it requires is political will, and there is no sign that Iran’s has been broken
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late)
Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
TH A N K S to automation and luxurious lifestyles overgrown bellies are everywhere And their prevalence is increasing by the day Today machines carry out most of the tasks that were previously done by humans Of course, there is nothing wrong with automating boring, repetitious, mechanical work An undesirable side product of it however has been that human beings are fast losing the capacity or the inclination to do any physical work whatsoever Physical effort and exposure to the elements in the slightest degree have not only become unbearable for those that can help it but are perceived by many of them as things to be ashamed of Unwise food choices have made matters worse What with the innumerable home delivery food op-
r p o s e
W h a t ’ s be h i n d W a s h i n gt o n ’ s t i l t
t o w a r ds I s l a m a ba d?
India refuses to abandon Russia O
Rthe Indian delegation is trying to convince the world that Pakistan supports cross-border terrorism, General Kurilla s statement is a tight slap in India s face Despite India’s aggressive campaign to label Pakistan as a launchpad for terrorism the UNSC appointed Pakistan vice-chair of the anti-terrorism committee Pakistan s army chief got an invite to attend a military parade in Washington, and lunch with President Trump, and the IMF released its recent tranche of loans to Pakistan Given the fact that the international political and financial system is dominated by the USA it s hard for Indians to digest There s no such thing as a free lunch in international relations; these favours must have strings attached The USA could demand cooperation from Pakistan
to maintain its presence in the region One thing is clear: no matter the price, India won’t compromise its long-standing relationship with Russia under Washington’s pressure Indians understand the importance of this alliance which dates back to the 1950s when the USSR helped India in the UNSC when the USA was allied with Pakistan India has balanced its relations with Russia and the USA for decades India’s membership in QUAD and BRICS simultaneously is a glaring example of its balancing approach and independent foreign policy Although the USA will continue engaging with India to counter China, India won t be an easy partner to manipulate As Professor Jeffrey Sachs says, “India is a superpower and it’s too big for an alliance ” For India, pursuing an independent foreign policy will come at a cost but this cost isn t bigger than ditching Russia at Washington s behest The writer is a freelance columnist
I n d i a h a s b a l a n c e d i t s r e l a t i o n s w i t h R u s s i a a n d t h e U S A fo r
d e c a d e s I n d i a Ês m e m b e rs h i p i n Q UA D a n d B R I C S
s i mu l t a n e o u s ly i s a g l a r i n g ex a m p l e o f i t s b a l a n c i n g
a p p ro a c h a n d i n d e p e n d e n t fo r e i g n p o l i c y A l t h o u g h t h e U S A
w i l l c o n t i n u e e n g a g i n g w i t h I n d i a t o c o u n t e r C h i n a , I n d i a wo n Ê t b e a n e a s y p a r t n e
Defiance echoes, power trembles
declared them legitimate; now, when Iranian missiles strike military targets in Israel, it cries foul The fact is that for the first time, the myth of Israeli invincibility has been shattered Despite being crippled by over three decades of Western sanctions Iran mustered the will, technological capability, and national unity to retaliate forcefully Iran s defiance is not just military; it is moral and symbolic What startled many observers was the response or lack thereof from the international community When Israel called for help no nation rushed to its side Even Trump held back, declaring that America would not intervene unless US interests were directly threatened Trump’s overall strategy is becoming clearer with time In hindsight Trump’s game was brilliantly Machiavellian He is letting Israel bear the brunt of Iranian retaliation, allowing the US to quietly calculate the diplomatic fallout Israel intoxicated by power and assured of international backing assumed Iran would not respond But it did and did it with great precision targeting sites like the
refinery in Haifa, as can be seen in the accompanying image The result? Israel is isolated Its defence narrative now is crumbling Its allies are retreating And now with its arrogance bruised and its invincibility myth destroyed Israel is finally talking about returning to negotiations, with Trump hinting that a diplomatic resolution is possible and, indeed, likely And this time the negotiations might actually work Why? Because Iran never really left the negotiation table Despite the provocations Iran held its ground diplomatically while defending itself militarily Now, with leverage restored and deterrence firmly established, Iran will be negotiating from a position of strength This shift could
HADiqA MAryAM ABBASi
TTehran No longer content with shadow wars and proxy battles Israel took aim at Iran s military leadership and nuclear infrastructure destroying centrifuge production facilities in Karaj and at the Tehran Nuclear Research Center damage confirmed by the IAEA Iran’s response was swift and sweeping “Operation True Promise III” saw the launch of hypersonic Fattah missiles and waves of drones that managed to punch through Israeli air defenses and hit both civilian and military targets Over 1 300 Israelis have been forced into hotels after their homes were destroyed More than 18,000 have
a r i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , d e s t roy i n g c e n t r i f u g e p ro d u c t i o n f a c i l i t i e s i n K a r a j a
a s i o - Co r te z ’s o w n v i c to r y
o ve r t h e D e m o c r at i c e s t a b l i s h m e n t a l m o s t s e ve n ye a r s to t h e d ay e a r l i e r I s r a e l i i n t e l l i g e n c e o p e r a t i ve s, m a s q u e r a d i n g a s o m n i p o t e n t a s s a s s i n s, p l a c e d a t
l e a s t 2 0 c a l l s t o s e n i o r I r a n i a n m i l i t a r y f i g u
IN the end, it wasn t just one neighborhood like one of those left-leaning precincts that line the waterfront from Astoria over to Red Hook No when Zohran Mamdani won the first ballot of the Democratic primary for mayor on Tuesday night he did so by winning nearly everywhere A 17-point victory in Washington Heights, where one of Andrew Cuomo s chief backers, Representative Adriano Espaillat, presides Eighteen points in the Financial District, home to the kind of well financial types who are thought to fear what a democratic socialist would mean to the economy Mamdani ran even with Cuomo in Black neighborhoods like Cypress Hills and Pelham Parkway, and eked out near double-digit wins in what were thought to be conservative leaning white neighborhoods Dyker Heights and College Point “A neighborhood realignment ” one senior Mamdani campaign advisor said as the results trickled in We won everywhere At the Cuomo election night party held at the Carpenters
Island City hundreds of young supporters screamed loud enough to rattle the windows Mamdani s mother, the filmmaker Mira Nair, began to cry She was comforted by Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, who was also crying Ella Emhoff started cheering David Hogg who was recently ousted by the Democratic National Committee stood off in a corner looking bored Lina Khan huddled with Zephyr Teachout Kal Penn screamed alongside everyone else, hugging whoever was in reach Few could believe that it actually happened not just a win but a landslide and cheers washed over the party every time new results were announced padding the young upstart’s lead When Cuomo appeared on screen the Mamdaniacs serenaded him Nah-nah-nah nah-nah-nah hey-hey gooooood-bye!
It was by any measure one of the biggest upsets in New York political history, an order of magnitude bigger than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s own victory over the Democratic establishment almost seven years to the day earlier That was a low-turnout affair for a congressional seat and no one saw AOC coming This time a former governor had a $25 million super PAC behind him, the support of all the editorial boards, and his campaign saw Mamdani s coming from a mile away, and blitzed the airwaves warning that he was dangerously unprepared and far too leftwing for the job None of it mattered Cuomo never understood ranked choice voting while Mamdani teamed up with Brad Lander to consolidate the left and liberal vote in his favor Mamdani s failure to condemn the phrase globalize the intifada last week, in the face of allegations from Cuomo and others that he was an antisemite was scarcely a blip Mamdani s victory comes just eight months after the city took a sharp right-ward turn in the presidential election coming out for Donald Trump in a way that it has for no Republican in a generation At the beginning of the mayoral race, the Democratic contenders tacked right too, talking up quality-of-life concerns and crime and repudiating their previous stances from the woke-era of four years earlier Only Mamdani remained resolutely in the left lane and stressed affordability In the end voters responded not just to someone coloring in broad strokes, but someone whose entire campaign was a repudiation of a Democratic establishment that failed to stop Trump’s return to power and then lined up behind a governor who had been driven from office in a sexual harassment scandal barely three years earlier Despite what was by all accounts a crushing victory for Mamdani, it is also a race that is not over Mayor Eric Adams will be running in the general election, as will Republican Curtis Sliwa, and another independent the attorney Jim Walden Cuomo has said that he is going to wait and evaluate to see if there is a path for him to run in November too but he would run as an
IN the chaotic hours following the beginning of the Israeli regime s illegal aggression against Iran on June 13 a brazen assault that martyred revered commanders such as Major General Hossein Salami and Major General Mohammad Bagheri a sinister parallel operation unfolded According to the Washington Post Israeli intelligence operatives masquerading as omnipotent assassins placed at least 20 calls to senior Iranian military figures Their demand was grotesque: Record a surrender video denouncing the Islamic Republic within 12 hours, or face annihilation alongside your families “We will kill you your family your children everyone with the dirt ” one Mossad agent hissed to an IRGC general adding We re closer to you than your own neck vein Yet not a single general complied Not one fled Not one betrayed their nation This collective act of courage, amid Israel s bombardment of civilian infrastructure, exposes the hollow core of the Zionist regime’s psychological warfare The failure of this campaign is not merely operational; it is a strategic and moral collapse that demands global attention A WINDOW INTO ISRAEL’S DESPERATION: The leaked audio, published by The Washington Post, reveals Israel s playbook: exploit moments of vulnerability to fracture Iran’s government Calls were placed just two hours into the regime’s heinous act of aggression coinciding with the targeted killings of Iran’s top commanders Israeli intelligence agents presumably from Mossad or Aman and fluent in Persian threatened IRGC generals to record disassociation videos sent via Telegram Do you want to be the next one on the list? one
TEHRAN
Tan initial report by one of his administration’s intelligence agencies, according to three people familiar with the matter One of the sources said Iran’s enriched uranium stocks had not been eliminated and the country s nuclear programme much of which is buried deep underground may have been set back only a month or two The White House said the intelligence assessment was “flat out wrong ” According to the report which was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency the strikes sealed off the entrances to two of the facilities but did not collapse underground buildings, said one of the people familiar with its findings
Trump warnd in an X post that media outlets were reporting ‘fake news’ and undermining the effort to eradicate Iran’s nuclear threat Some centrifuges remained intact the Washington Post said citing an unnamed person familiar with the report Trump s administration told the United
Nations Security Council on Tuesday that its weekend strikes had “degraded” Iran’s nuclear programme short of Trump’s assertion that the facilities had been obliterated
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the attack had removed the nuclear threat against Israel and he was determined to thwart any attempt by Tehran to revive its weapons program
“We have removed two immediate existential threats to us: the threat of nuclear annihilation and the threat of annihilation by 20 000 ballistic missiles he said
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had successfully ended the war in what he called a “great victory,” according to Iranian media
Pezeshkian also told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Tehran was ready to resolve differences with the US according to official news agency IRNA
Furthermore IRNA reported Iranian people based on Hamedan, Western Iran celebrated the succes of “Operation Harbinger of Conquest” Israel launched the surprise air war on June 13 attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders in the worst blow to the Islamic Republic since the 1980s war with Iraq F R A G I L E C E A S E F I R E H O L D S
US
Premier Li Q iang says C hina striving to become consumption powerhouse
s tA
Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday that China is striving to develop itself into a super-sized consumption powerhouse on the solid foundation of a manufacturing powerhouse and is willing to do whatever it takes to help
deepen its integration and connectivity with the world market and strengthen
dustrial collaboration with various coun-
mented production and supply chains
He added that China s sustained breakthroughs and advances in innovation will inject fresh vitality into global development, helping overcome sluggish economic growth worldwide Li also said that China is moving towards becoming a high-income country as a whole as the demand for consumption upgrade is robust in the world s second-largest consumption market The Chinese premier expressed confidence about China’s development China is confident in and capable of maintaining rapid economic growth he said Over the years no matter how the international environment has changed, China s economy has consistently maintained a good momentum ” Noting China’s gross domestic product grew by 5 4 percent in the first quarter of 2025 despite facing significantly heightened external shocks this year Li said key economic indicators continued to improve in the second quarter, and I noticed that international institutions have recently raised their expectations for China’s economic growth ” “China’s economic development is not about short-term spurts but sustained progress toward long-term goals, Li added
EQUAL CONSULTATIONS URGED TO RESOLVE DISPUTES DIFFERENCES
Li also called on the international community to take constructive actions in carrying out international economic and trade cooperation “Constructive actions mean we need to proactively take more practical measures to safeguard free trade and multilateralism and promote the stable development of the world economy Li said The premier called for resolving disputes and differences through equal consultations
emerging trade has grown against the odds he added He urged closer cooperation among all countries to strengthen the security and resilience of their development Themed Entrepreneurship for a New Era,” the event is gathering over 1 700 leading figures from more than 90 countries and regions from June 24 to 26 to explore how entrepreneurship
RUDA convenes public-private dialogue to establish state-of-art healthcare hub in Ravi City
LAHORE
The Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) hosted a dialogue session bringing together public and private stakeholders with the shared objective of establishing state-of-the-art healthcare facilities within Ravi City
This initiative signifies a step towards the comprehensive development of the city transforming it into a prominent healthcare hub
The event co-chaired by RUDA s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Imran Amin, Parliamentary Secretary for Housing, Sultan Bajwa, Provincial Secretary for Housing and Urban Development Noor ul Amin Mengal welcomed distinguished and renowned healthcare practitioners from across the country RUDA s Executive Director for
ated the session by offering an indepth overview of the RUDA project, whereas Fatima Ali Khan, RUDA’s Director for Special Initiatives and CSR emphasized the pivotal role of healthcare sector in advancing the Ravi city
CEO RUDA Imran Amin discussed the critical topics encompassing urbanization, sustainable infrastructure, and the vision for integrated healthcare complexes within Ravi City’s framework Imran Amin further highlighted the significance of merging modernity with sustainability to foster an environment conducive to learning and growth
While Speaking on the occasion, Fatima Ali Khan, Director Special Initiatives RUDA elaborated on the objectives of the dialogue emphasizing the importance of healthcare sec-
Pakistan secures six year extension in IPEA membership at IEAM 2025
ISLAMABAD
In a major boost to the international mobility and recognition of Pakistani engineers, the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has secured a six-year extension in its full membership of the International Professional Engineers Agreement (IPEA) under the umbrella of the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) The announcement was made during the IEAM 2025, held from in Mexico PEC was represented at the meeting by Senior Vice Chairman, Engr Dr Sarosh Lodhi The IPEA is a multilateral agreement that facilitates the cross-border recognition of experienced professional engineers among member economies With this extension engineers registered with PEC as International Professional Engineers (IntPE-PAK) will continue to enjoy professional recognition in all IPEA member countries without the need for further assessment
Tobacco
tor in shaping and enhancing the development of urban spaces
During the event, Provincial Secretary for Housing, Noor ul Amin Mengal, and Parliamentry Secretary for Housing Sultan Bajwa also took the stage to discuss RUDA’s proactive efforts in promoting state-of-the-art healthcare facilities within Ravi City
Among the notables, Dr Tipu Sultan, Managing Director Children Hospital Lahore, Dr Farhat Abbas from Agha Khan University Karachi Dr Faisal Sultan CEO Shaukat Khanum Senior Journalist Salman Ghani and Saira Iftikhar Expert Punjab Nutrition Board GOP And UN Global Nutrition Champion, were also present on the occasion All of them commended RUDA’s initiative as a significant step towards realizing healthcare development in Ravi city
devolution sparks alarm over revenue loss, regulator y fallout
total of 5,715 trees equivalent to 96,301 15 cubic feet are scheduled for removal The targeted areas include Sectors F-8, G8 G-9 G-10 G-11 F-10 F-11 D-12 and areas located above Zero Point along the Srinagar Highway To ensure
thorough removal including stumps and roots work orders are being issued sector-wise Each subsequent work order will be issued only after the Forester certifies the satisfactory completion of work in the previous sector • The first work order was issued for Sector F8, involving the removal of 490 mature
Commercial Kashif Qureshi initi-
NA APPROVES RS356.8B FOR INTERIOR, NARCOTICS CONTROL; GOVT HIGHLIGHTS ANF DRUG SEIZURES, IMMIGRATION REFORMS
COAS,
PTI blasts govt for economic meltdown, public miser y
The Punjab s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) predicted that the province is likely to receive 25 percent more monsoon rains this year while the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast isolated rainfall for Karachi According to PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia on Wednesday, Punjab will receive 25 percent more monsoon rains in the current season Mr Kathia issued an alert to the district administrations on the instructions of the chief minister Monsoon rains are predicted to be 25pc more this year, he said An alert has been issued to the Department of Health, Irrigation, Construction and Communications Local Government and Livestock ” he added Citizens are requested to take precautionary measures in extreme weather conditions, stay in safe locations during thunderstorms and avoid unnecessary travel ” He said tourists should plan their travel as per weather conditions He warned of landslide risk in Murree Galiyat and other mountainous
Pakistan, US to finalise
areas due to heavy rains Citizens should stay in safe places to protect themselves from lightning and call the PDMA helpline 1129 in case of emergency
The PDMA said rains with strong winds are predicted in Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiyat, Attock, Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin Hafizabad Gujarat Jhelum and Gujranwala Lahore
Faisalabad Sialkot Narowal Toba Tek
Singh Jhang Sargodha and Mianwali are also expected to receive rain Rainfall is predicted in south Punjab including Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar from June 26-28 Relief Commissioner Punjab Nabeel Javed has instructed commissioners and deputy commissioners across the province to remain alert He said all relevant departments including Rescue 1122 and WASA are on alert Separately, Karachi is expected to receive rainfall on June 27 (Friday) the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said potentially ending an ongoing wave of extreme heat and humid weather The PMD has already forecast monsoon rain across the country from Wednesday, June
