MILITARY WARNS ANY FUTURE PAK-INDIA HOSTILITIES MIGHT LEAD TO ‘CATACLYSMIC DEVASTATION’
g
g SAYS THOSE SEEKING TO ESTABLISH A NEW NORMAL MUST KNOW THAT PAKISTAN HAS ESTABLISHED A ‘NEW NORMAL OF RESPONSE, WHICH WILL BE SWIFT, DECISIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE’
r Pakistan on Saturday expressed grave concern
ISLAMABAD
s ta f f r e p o r t
the erasure will be mutual
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday welcomed the signing of an agreement between the federal government s negotiation committee and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) describing it as a “victory for peace dialogue and the people of both Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Pakistan
The prime minister appreciated the efforts of Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and members of the high-level committee for concluding a peaceful settlement saying all conspiracies and rumours now stand buried and issues have been resolved amicably
He termed the accord a positive step for Pakistan and AJK adding that the “restoration of peace and normalcy is a good gesture The premier reaffirmed that the government was ever ready to resolve the issues of our Kashmiri brethren and assured that their rights “had always been protected and would continue to be safeguarded ”
PM Shehbaz Sharif who had earlier directed the committee to immediately travel to Muzaffarabad, said the government
It added that “those seeking to es-
tablish a new normal must know that Pakistan has established a new normal of response which will be swift decisive and destructive
would always stand by the people of Kashmir He urged citizens not to pay heed to rumours emphasizing that public service and welfare are among the top priorities of this government ‘Victory for peace, for Kashmir, and for Pakistan’ Speaking to the media after returning from Muzaffarabad Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry termed the signing of the pact a victory for peace, for Kashmir, and for Pakistan He said the JAAC had launched protests over public-interest and governance issues in AJK which unfortunately led to clashes and the tragic loss of three lives, including both police personnel and protesters We extend
our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased he said adding that the federal government intervened promptly to prevent further violence Dr Fazal said that a high-level delegation comprising Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interprovincial Coordination Senator Rana Sanaullah Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yousaf, former Adviser on Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira former AJK President Masood Ahmed Khan and former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf was constituted to hold negotiations with the JAAC
RAWALPINDI
rescheduled departure
A JK bloodbath
Violence in A JK can only be stopped by effec tive talks
AZAD Jammu and Kashmir s eruption into violence was extreme with the deaths of both sides indicating that violence could grow The death of nine people on Wednesday in Muzaffarabad followed the killing of a shopkeeper on Tuesday; that six people were killed is bad enough, but the death of three policemen by shooting shows that there was firing on both sides Some of the protesters were prepared this time This is a bad marbinger for the future especially for the future negotiations which are the only way out of the impasse which seems to have developed between the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Action Committee The federal government, which deputed two Ministers, Engineer Amir Muqam and Tariq Fazaql Chaudhary to help with the negotiations, said that it had agreed to all but two points of the JKAAC demands Those relate to placing a limit on the size of the Cabinet, and the election of the refugees’ member to the AJK Assembly which is presently done by a separate all-Pakistan ballot, and which is used to create a majority according to the will of the Islamabad government than the will of the people of Zazad Kashmir As pointed out by Mr Chaudhry, placing a limit on the size of the Cabinet is something only the Assembly can do Abolishing the refugee seats would be opposed by the federal government as those are the only representatives of those areas of Kashmir under Indian occupation Any change in their number or nature would require an amendment in the AJK Constitution
This unrest has lasted for some time, and can be attributed to the long domination of AJK by the federal government It is an uncomfortable truth that the AJK government is always of the same party hue as that in Islamabad The June appointment of 27 ministers (taking the total to 29) as well as seven special assistants to the PM breathed new life into the JKAAC protests The appointments may have been necessary to shore up the government’s majority but seems to have fuelled public resentment However that also seems one of the government’s red lines, and the point does not seem to have been settled by the negotiations between a vastly expanded federal team and the JKAAC The AJK government needs to establish its writ but must also ensure that this does not stand in the way of a settlement The federal government must also remain aware that Azad Kashmir is supposed to ber the base camp for the liberation of Kashmir and purely local concerns should not be allowed to provide comfort to any hostile power
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
SOCIAL media has opened up many new platforms in communication entertainment and knowledge Unfortunately it has also given radicals the means to target, connect and communicate with individuals who are vulnerable to radicalization The exposure to extremist content and online groups can lead them down to a very dangerous track Terrorist groups exploit social media platforms for propaganda recruitment coordination fundraising and execution of their terror activities and it is only due to the platform's wide accessibility, low cost and instant reach Social media also enables them to communicate directly with audiences in real time-unfiltered by mainstream media channels To radicalize the individuals terrorists use numerous social media platforms which include online journals Facebook Twitter YouTube video games Telegram and many others It has been seen that both the terrorist groups Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State publish online journals which are available worldwide to train, educate and radicalize individuals “Social media is not about exploitation but service to the community Simon Mainwaring A study by Gabriel Weimann (University of Haifa) estimates that nearly 90 percent of organized online terrorism occurs via social
Taliban (TTP) and BLA utilize localized propaganda and online recruitment The TTP recruits via emotional v
i n t t a s k f o r c e i s n e e d e d t o s e t u p c y b e r u n i t s f o c u s e d o n d i s m a n t l i n g t e r r o r n e t w o r k s o n l i n e W e n e e d t o t r a i n p e o p l e t o r e c o g n i z e f a k e n e w s , e x t r e m i s t p r o p a g a n d a a n d r e c r u i t m e n t a t t e m p t s I t i s i m p o r t a n t t o p r e v e n t t e r r o r i s t s f r o m u s i n g e n c r y p t e d c h a n n e l s f o r p l a n n i n g a t t a c k s a n d a l s o a s s i g n u n
O p e r a t i o n S p i d e r w e b a n d t h e R
the
battlefield also
tween regular and irregular warfare Aerial
tacks may now be initiated anonymously, remotely, or even from third-party territories
This has a broad relevance, especially in contested airspaces where historical rivalries have shaped defense postures
Unmanned warfare also provides plausible deniability and a higher threshold of public tolerance This has political utility since states can now project force with impunity from the political costs that are usually borne by troops
Though this would seem to diminish the risk of armed conflict it also renders it more conceivable The same qualities that make drone warfare appealing low cost low risk and low visibility may also lower the threshold for using it, exposing the world to a more volatile strategic environment
This new model presents both a challenge and an opportunity to countries that prioritize strategic autonomy and credible deterrence but do not want to overstretch defense budgets Institutional innovation is required to move to dis-
This change does not occur in isolation Pakistan Air Force s (PAF) successful drone strikes against India during Operation Zarb-e-Karrar thwarted aggressive Indian military ambitions The PAF demonstrated its ability to respond to new realities of aerial warfare by integrating drone warfare with intelligence gathering, surveillance, and top-notch human command and control With Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu at the helm, the PAF is set to redefine its defense stance and innovate ahead of a larger adversary
tributed resilient and smart aerial capabilities
Instead of overreliance on legacy platforms, the focus should be shifted to integrated sensor networks, electronic warfare resilience, and tactical autonomy Still, even the most autonomous systems rely on human command context and interpretation
However even the smartest drone systems must rely on human context target verification, and doctrinal clarity It also requires definition of doctrine: at what point does a drone attack constitute an act of war? Who is to be held responsible when authorship lines are intentionally crossed? These questions are not restricted to one conflict or theater This is a new age where the size of the fleet or the range of the flight is not the only measure of air dominance; survivability, adaptability, and control of information are crucial aspects Actors with complex threat environments have to start thinking of airpower as a layered concept one that embraces agility over prestige and innovation over inertia
This change does not occur in isolation Pakistan Air Force s (PAF) successful drone strikes against India during Operation Zarb-eKarrar thwarted aggressive Indian military ambitions The PAF demonstrated its ability to respond to new realities of aerial warfare by integrating drone warfare with intelligence gathering surveillance and top-notch human command and control With Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu at the helm, the PAF is set to redefine its defense stance and innovate ahead of a larger adversary
Imama Khan is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS) Lahore She can be reached at info@casslhr com
The Unforgivable Betrayal
Tdedication and at the explicit behest of the USA has laboured as the primary mediator in a desperate bid for peace This is no isolated incident, no regrettable miscalculation This is the latest, and perhaps most audacious, strike in a chilling, unbroken chain of aggression that defines the very essence of the Israeli state I will not mince words This will expose the architect of chaos the purveyor of genocide and the relentless antagonist that, with each calculated atrocity, drags the entire world closer to the precipice of an unimaginable regional, perhaps even global inferno The time for polite diplomacy is over; the time for unvarnished truth is now The fundamental reality that Israel is not just a regional actor but is and has always been the antagonist of every story it touches, must be understood before one can appreciate the heinousness of the attack on Qatar The most recent but by no means the only evidence of this indisputable fact is the horrific post-apocalyptic landscape of Gaza A systematic painstakingly carried out genocide, broadcast live to a world that largely ignores it, is what takes place every day in that besieged strip It is not war We see in graphic detail the willful starvation of chil-
dren the targeted destruction of hospitals the ruthless killing of humanitarian workers and the complete destruction of entire cities all of which are excused by the twisted justification of self-defence
The disastrous exodus of more than 700,000 Palestinians from their homes to establish the state of Israel, known as the Nakba was the model Every single Israeli policy action for more than 76 years every settlement built illegally on stolen land every siege imposed every life put down every voice silenced, has been a direct continuation of that first, ruthless dispossession
The ongoing humiliation and dehumanization of a whole people the choking blockade of Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank are not unintended outcomes of a convoluted geopolitical conflict They are the purposeful, planned tools of an apartheid state, intended to destroy Palestinian identity and assert total control over supposedly ancestral homelands Israel has a history of conquest rather than defence Its story is one of systematic oppression rather than one of survival However even for a state used to functioning outside the bounds of international law, the attack on Qatar marks a new, terrifying low As the main, frequently only, mediator between Israel and Hamas Qatar has been instrumental for months This was not a self-appointed mission; rather the USA and other Western powers explicitly urged indeed, begged for this responsibility
The betrayal of Qatar by its closest ally is a significant geopolitical development Al Udeid Air Base the biggest US military facility in the Middle East is located in Qatar which has long been a vital strategic ally of the United States The USA has a de facto commitment to safeguarding Qatari airspace, making this relationship a pillar of regional
security The US government explicitly supported and encouraged Qatar s diplomatic efforts which included mediating a possible ceasefire between Israel and Hamas These efforts went beyond simple humanitarian efforts Israel has committed a grave betrayal with its attack on Qatar a country that has continuously served as a mediator on behalf of the USA It shatters the notion that nations aiding the USA will be shielded from the aggressions of its other allies openly disregards the sovereignty and security of a vital ally and directly undercuts the country s diplomatic efforts And what has Israel done to repay this vital, life-saving diplomatic endeavour? Utilizing a missile a clear-cut act of aggression directed at a sovereign state If the stakes weren t so tragically high, the hypocrisy would be almost comical An unprovoked attack has now been directed at Qatar a country that has continuously offered a lifeline to stability in a volatile region and has even given crucial support to the United States and its allies recall Qatar's unwavering support when Israel itself attempted to drag the USA into a war with Iran This is not just an assault on Qatar; it is an assault on the idea of diplomacy itself a calculated move intended to destroy any remaining confidence and obstruct any attempts at de-escalation It screams of a state that seeks perpetual conflict rather than true peace using every negotiation as a pretext for its next violent outburst Any country that dares to mediate should take note: if you disobey our unwavering will you will pay the price Israel s attack on Qatar has absolutely disastrous ramifications This is a purposeful, incendiary act intended to add fuel to an already raging fire, not just a single act of aggression Israel has shattered the last semblance of diplomatic decorum by attacking a country that has acted as a neutral arbiter and declared open season on anyone who dared to oppose its ruthless agenda or stand in its way This is a state that has never stopped and never will Its history is one of unrelenting territorial expansion and neighbour-subjugation The West Bank is still suffering; Gaza was only one cruel chapter Israel has now made it apparent that it is prepared to significantly increase the scope of its operations with the strike on Qatar Who will come next? Will it
be Lebanon, which has already been damaged and endured countless Israeli bombardments? Will it be Jordan an unstable monarchy facing an unthinkable refugee crisis? Will it be Egypt torn between the destabilizing power of Israeli aggression and its own internal problems? Israel has just given the final push to the already stacked dominoes Israel is dancing with a lit match in a fiery furnace that is the region The assault on Qatar will undoubtedly be viewed as a direct challenge to the Arab and Muslim world as a whole, not just as a slight to Doha Resistance will be unstoppable due to the collective memory of past atrocities, the ongoing genocide in Gaza and this flagrant act of war against a major regional actor Already devastating the current conflict runs the risk of turning into a regional apocalypse that could attract all major powers, upending international stability and bringing in an era of unspeakable suffering The USA has been frantically trying to hide the horrifying reality that it has lost control of its most important client state but the attack on Qatar
only implementable part of the so-called plan was the release of every Israeli captive and their bodies
IN a series of events that shocked the world, Hamas not only issued a positive response to the latest US-Israeli ceasefire proposal, but Donald Trump publicly announced his intention to implement it and called upon his allies in Tel Aviv to halt their attack on Gaza
The road towards the latest ceasefire equation has been paved with confusion to say the least Therefore, in order to make this more digestible, it is perhaps more important to trace the deal’s origins and seek to read what potential outcomes may be ahead of us As an entry point to comprehending what has just happened and why so many nations have endorsed the proposal set forth by the US President and his Israeli counterpart, it is necessary to look at the document known as the “New York Declaration” On September 12 the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) unanimously
voted to adopt the declaration, which was popularly reported as a simple vote on Palestinian Statehood However, UNGA votes approving the so-called two-State solution model have been voted through unanimously for around three decades now
The real story here was the New York
chair
UN conference on reviving nego-
recognise Palestine at the UNGA in September a pledge that would also be made by Australia the UK Canada and a number of others
On August 4, a UNGA document was produced, which then outlined what had come as a result of the French-Saudi initiative For the purpose of this article it suffices to say that the different components of the New York Declaration that stand out as rather potentially problematic are the exact same as those outlined by Donald
Analysing the similarities between both plans makes it more understandable as to why the likes of France and Saudi Arabia, which just pushed for a completely separate plan are now fully on board and endorse the new Gaza ceasefire proposal It appears as if this process is one where offers and counteroffers are being made but all as part of a process that is meant to encircle the Palestinian people and their cause for national liberation
When Hamas came back with its response to the US-Israeli proposal it did so in an extremely calculated manner using the rhetoric of acceptance yet still outlining the need for further negotiation on different points of concern In all, Hamas had accepted Donald Trump s plan as a basis for negotiating a ceasefire, in the absence of any real agreement
What led Hamas to this assumed position was a number of factors including on one hand the total rejection of a surrender plan as it was viewed as unacceptable by the factions in Gaza and, on the other hand, the pressure of Qatar, Turkiye and Egypt to accept the deal
However, the White House seemed to indicate that it demands Hamas immediately hand over all Israeli captives held in Gaza within 72 hours after which they will just have to depend on Israel’s goodwill to uphold their side of the bargain Considering that Israel decided to violate a much more detailed and phased ceasefire agreement back in March, going on to mass murder over 12,000 civilians afterwards, the idea that Tel Aviv will respect such an agreement is outlandish
will be
The so-called “peace plan” was not a detailed proposal; instead it was more of a roughly put-together collection of political demands and ill-articulated desires with no mechanisms to implement it The
This and many other issues with the Trump-Netanyahu proposal evidently meant that Hamas needs to engage in negotiations to bring about a real deal that is realistic Therefore, this is what they asked for Then came the big surprise: Donald Trump decided to publish a post on ‘Truth Social that welcomed the Hamas statement treating it as an acceptance He appeared to indicate that details needed to be sorted out, but urged Israel to immediately stop bombing Gaza In response to this, Israel escalated its bombardment of Gaza City and its Prime Minister decided to issue his own written response to the developments of the day Instead of reacting negatively as Israeli media had been for hours, Netanyahu s office indicated that they are preparing for Hamas to hand over all of the captives in the first stage of the agreement and welcome it So here lies the issue Hamas seeks to engage in dialogue and it appears as if the US Trump administration was expressing its openness to hashing out the details of a ceasefire deal Yet, the Israeli government is speaking as if Hamas is just going to start releasing all of the captives and will agree to immediate disarmament Both cannot be true Therefore this deal will have to go one
rect blunt manner of Donald Trump’s statements The Russian president values clarity plain speech and mutual recognition of national interests In his view diplomacy should not be about ideological crusades or attempts to reshape others, but about frank acknowledgment of where interests align and where they do not This posture leaves the door open to better US-Russia relations if only Washington is willing to reciprocate The formula is simple: Russia will respect the national interests of others if its own are respected in turn INDIA, CHINA, AND THE FAILURE OF ISOLATION Equally significant were Putin’s remarks on Russia’s global partnerships Far from being cut adrift Moscow retains firm friendships with India and China two of the world s largest and fastest-growing economies Efforts to isolate Russia, whether through sanctions or diplomatic pressure, have not succeeded While the
of two ways: either through negotiations or Israel demands the immediate release of its captives The latter is not a reasonable assumption, as Hamas would lose all of its bargaining chips; therefore, it will only proceed in the case of negotiations Ultimately the negotiations could either lead to Hamas fully surrendering which is unlikely or the talks will begin to evolve towards shaping a ceasefire deal that is closer to what was previously proposed and accepted It appears however, that the Israelis will attempt to throw a spanner in the works before the talks reach such stages then blame Hamas for violating the deal As it stands there is no chance that a ceasefire can be implemented – according to the current parameters of the Trump-Netanyahu plan – where the Israelis would actually stop their ethnic cleansing and even the war If Hamas were to somehow agree to surrender it would be a death sentence for the future of Palestinian life and selfdetermination in Gaza Although it could appear somewhat unrelated, the US has just deployed its USS Gerald Ford Strike Group to the Mediterranean, as other military assets have been positioned in a posture that points towards a renewed attack on Iran
It is more than plausible to believe that this so-called peace proposal is part of a grander regional strategy This has been the case in the past, with previous rounds of Gaza ceasefire talks paving the way to
Farzeen nadeem
UN EXPERTS WARN TRUMP’S GA Z A PL AN COULD CAUSE MORE OPPRESSION
nent
DHowever, they warned that other elements of the plan were “deeply inconsistent with fundamental rules of international law
The experts including Francesca Albanese the special rapporteur on rights in the Palestinian territory, insisted that any peace plan needed to ensure self-determination and accountability, and “not create further conditions of oppression”
They slammed the plan s call for a transitional Board of Peace in Gaza which would be chaired by Trump himself saying it was regrettably reminiscent of colonial practices and must be rejected
Similarly, the experts maintained that the proposed “International Stabilisation Force would replace Israeli occupation with a US-led occupation contrary to Palestinian self-determination
Notion
The plan would also leave partial Israeli occupation in place indefinitely through a security perimeter inside Gaza, which was “absolutely unacceptable”, they said At the same time they decried that de-radicalisation is imposed on Gaza only despite the fact that anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab sentiments, radicalisation and public incitement to genocide have been hallmarks of dominant rhetoric in Israel over the past two years”
The experts also warned that amnesties offered to Hamas seem to be unconditional denying justice for victims of international crimes”, while the plan failed to “address accountability at all for Israeli international crimes and human rights violations The future of Palestine must be in the hands of the Palestinian people, the experts insisted Not imposed by outsiders under extreme conditions of duress in yet another scheme to control their destiny ”
AHMEDABAD
Ag e n c i e s
In yet another blow to India’s Muslim heritage, the Gujarat High Court declined to stay the demolition of a portion of the 400-yearold Mancha Masjid in Ahmedabad s Saraspur area paving the way for its partial destruction under the pretext of a road-widening project
The ruling came after the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) issued a notice to the mosque s committee to vacate a portion of the mosque for a development plan
The mosque’s Mutawalli had approached the court, asserting that the mosque a registered Waqf property under the Bombay Public Trusts Act since 1950 holds profound historical cultural and religious significance for Muslims
The petition argued that the demolition order violated provisions of the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations (GPMC) Act and the Waqf Act in addition to infringing upon constitutional rights of religious freedom The
appellants also contended that the single-bench judge who earlier dismissed their plea had misrepresented legal provisions and ignored detailed objections filed against the demolition Despite these concerns, the division bench of Justices A S Supehia and L S Pirzada refused to grant relief noting that the main structure of the mosque was not being demolished only a portion of the premises The bench further remarked that the single-judge order “has not committed any ille-
gality” in rejecting the writ petition, effectively brushing aside arguments regarding procedural lapses and constitutional violations
Legal experts and community leaders have decried the verdict as reflective of a growing judicial indifference and at times, bias towards Muslim religious sites They argue that while courts frequently intervene to safeguard Hindu temples mosques and other Islamic heritage sites are increasingly left vulnerable under the guise of development or “public interest ”
LAHORE
In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police have arrested the prime suspect in the murder of political and social figure Ameer Balaj Tipu
The accused identified as Khawaja Tarif Gulshan, better known as Teefi Butt, was
CM MARYAM SETS FAST-TRACK AGENDA FOR TRANSPORT, WATER, AND RURAL UPLIFT
Meezan Bank Pakistan's first and largest Islamic bank held the launch event of its history book Unconventional - The Bank No One Saw Coming, in Karachi The author, business leaders, dignitaries, and members of the Bank's senior management attended this exclusive event Mr Saleem Ullah – Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan graced the event as the Guest of Honour Eminent personalities including Dr Ishrat Husain, Mr Atif Bajwa, Mr Shehzad Naqvi, and Mr David Kenney spoke about their experiences with Meezan Bank and shared their reflections on the Bank s remarkable journey
This landmark publication traces Meezan Bank's journey from being only a concept to its position today as one of the leading banks in Pakistan as well as a global trendsetter in Islamic banking It captures defining moments strategic initiatives and the values that shaped its growth The book has been authored by
Mr Sibtain Naqvi, an independent researcher and writer specializing in institutional and cultural history whose work has also been presented at Oxford Cambridge Columbia, and other international universities Speaking on the occasion, Mr Irfan Siddiqui Founding President & CEO of Meezan Bank stated: We are deeply grateful to Allah (SWT) and to our customers and stakeholders whose trust has built Meezan Bank's legacy as Pakistan's pioneer in Islamic banking This
t
Baanhn Beli and Anjuman Taraqqi-e Urdu Pakistan jointly organized the launching ceremony of Dr Asaf Riyaz Qadeer s book Biyaz-e Sukhan and to mark 40 years of service of Baanhn Beli at Zia Mohyeddin Theater of the National Academy of Performing Arts-NAPA on Saturday The event kicked off with the screening of a recorded audio message from Mr Wajid Jawwad President of the Anjuman
Taraqqi-e Urdu He praised Dr Asaf Qadeer for his dedication to promote Urdu and the teachings of the Quaid-e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in North America He also spoke on Dr Asaf Qadeer's literary works He also recited poetry from Dr Asaf Qadeer's book, Biyaz-e Sukhan He welcomed the audience to the event Then Dr Asaf Qadeer spoke about his services in various fields He narrated how a wrong statement about the illness of the Father of the Nation led him to investigate the real circumstances of the passing away of the Quaid-e Azam He went on to describe how this took the shape of the Quaid-e Azam Center and Library in Houston He thanked Senator (r) Javed Jabbar for taking him to the concept of Pakistaniyet something he intends to take to other people
Z A PL AN AS ‘WINDOW FOR CEASEFIRE’
initiated during the UNGA to secure an immediate and durable ceasefire and ensure unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza According to a statement from the Foreign Office (FO) both ministers reaffirmed their firm commitment to the Palestinian cause and agreed to remain in close coordination with regional and international partners to advance a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace based on the two-state solution Dar also lauded Saudi Arabia’s “constructive and continued engagement” in the peace process Pakistan Welcomes Hamas’s Positive Response In a separate statement, the FO officially welcomed Hamas’s response to the US peace plan, calling it “an important opportunity to secure an immediate ceasefire end the bloodshed of innocent Palestinians in Gaza and ensure release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners
ECC approves SRO to amend B2B Bar ter Trade Mechanism with Iran, Afghanistan, Russia
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Thursday approved a draft Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) as proposed by the Ministry of Commerce, aimed at amending the business-to-business (B2B) barter trade mechanism governing bilateral trade with Afghanistan Iran and Russia Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired the ECC meeting and approved key supplementary grants and trade facilitation measures said a press release issued by the Ministry of Finance
The B2B barter trade mechanism, governing trade with Afghanistan, Iran, and Russia, was introduced in June 2023 The amendment aims to simplify implementation by allowing private entities to form consortia replacing certification by Pakistan s missions abroad with local undertakings, and permitting simultaneous import and export rather than the previous sequential requirement
The revisions also align the list of tradable products with the general Export and Import Policy Orders to facilitate smoother trade
In June 2023, the Ministry of Commerce introduced the Business-to-Business (B2B) Barter Trade Mechanism to facilitate trade between Pakistan Afghanistan, Iran, and Russia
The framework allows Pakistan to export a wide range of goods, including meat, fruits, vegetables rice and textile products highlighting the quality and variety of domestic produce to regional markets The agreement also enables Pakistan to export sports equipment to Iran and Afghanistan, supporting the growth of the national sports industry and fostering regional sporting collaborations
In return, Pakistan can import essential commodities such as crude oil LNG and LPG to meet energy requirements as well as chemical products fertilisers fruits, vegetables, and spices from Iran From Russia, imports include crude oil, LNG, LPG, wheat, pulses, and industrial machinery supporting both industrial and agricultural needs
The Ministry of Commerce s Special Regulatory Order (SRO) further included minerals, metals, coal, pulses, oil seeds, and fruits and vegetables from Afghanistan, supplementing domestic supply and promoting regional trade cooperation
ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t A local court in Islamabad issued bailable arrest warrants for YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan and two officials from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s anti-corruption body over a social media campaign against Islamabad Judge Humayun Dilawar Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah issued the arrest warrants on Friday for anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan head of the Directorate of Anti-Corruption Sadeeq Anjam and Adviser to KP CM on AntiCorruption Musaddiq Abbasi over their alleged involvement in a social media campaign against Islamabad Judge Humayun Dilawar Dilawar was the judge who convicted PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan in the
Toshakhana case in 2023 and sentenced him to three years in prison
All three warrants were issued under Sections 20 (offences against dignity of a natural person), 24 (cyber stalking) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 and Sections 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 506ii (punishment for criminal intimidation if threat be to cause death or grievous hurt etc) of the Pakistan Penal Code
There was no date given by which the three men needed to be produced before the court A day prior, the Islamabad
High Court (IHC) dismissed a petition seeking to quash a cybercrime case registered against a petitioner accused of running the campaign Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas, in a detailed judgement, ruled that the first information report (FIR) could not be quashed at this stage since a challan had already been submitted to the trial court He further observed that partially quashing an FIR to the extent of one suspect, while others remained nominated, was a legal impossibility Last September a judicial magistrate in KP’s Bannu issued arrest warrants for Judge Dilawar at the request of the AntiCorruption Establishment who were probing the Islamabad magistrate s
s alleged involvement in
graft case
