KYRGYZ PRESIDENT ARRIVES ON HISTORIC VISIT WITH TRADE BOOST, CASA-1000 AND CONNECTIVIT Y ON AGENDA
g SADYR ZHAPAROV FIRST KYRGYZ HEAD OF STATE IN 20 YEARS TO VISIT ISLAMABAD, SIGNALLING RENEWED MOMENTUM IN BILATERAL TIES
g LEADERS TO FOCUS ON BOOSTING TRADE TO $100M THROUGH EARLY FINALISATION OF FTTA, CA SA-1000 PROJECT AND KEY REGIONAL ENERGY COOPERATION
g LEADERS WILL REVIEW FULL SPECTRUM OF BILATERAL COOPERATION, INCLUDING TRADE, ENERGY, AND EDUCATION
CoaS hails pak-KSa ‘robust defence collaboration;’ vows deeper cooperation
he added Senior officials including the Paniyala DSP the station house officer and District Police Officer (DPO) Sajjad Ahmad Sahibzada reached the blast site A statement from the DPO s office said the attack was carried out by unidentified terrorists The DPO condemned the incident as a cowardly act and said such assaults would not dent police morale Later, DI Khan Police said the DPO reviewed evidence collected from the site and received a briefing from Saddar SP Muhammad Nawab Khan Paharpur SP Syed Asad Ali Shah and the district bomb disposal unit about the nature of the attack and initial findings The ongoing search operation involved police, the Al-Burq and Elite forces, and bomb disposal teams Security was heightened in sensitive areas following the blast By late afternoon police confirmed two militants had been killed during an exchange of fire with security personnel According to the police statement, the shootout lasted for long
istan’s unwavering support for Indonesia in the wake of devastating floods and landslides that claimed hundreds of lives and caused widespread destruction, particularly in Sumatra In a telephonic conversation with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto the prime minister con-
ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir on Wednesday expressed satisfaction over the robust defence collaboration between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, underlining the shared commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations and regional security according to the military s media wing
The remarks came during a meeting with Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF) Commander Lieutenant General Fahad Bin Saud AlJohani, who called on him at the General Headquarters the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement posted on X by state broadcaster PTV News
The ISPR said, COAS Munir emphasized the importance of continued cooperation in training, capacity building and intelligence sharing The visiting commander acknowledged the professionalism of the Pakistan Army and appreciated the country s positive role in regional peace and stability
Both sides discussed matters of mutual interest regional security and avenues for enhanced defence cooperation reiterating their resolve to further deepen military-tomilitary ties, the statement said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
share a long-standing multifaceted relationship rooted in strategic military cooperation mutual economic interests and shared Islamic heritage Riyadh has historically provided economic assistance and energy support to Islamabad, including financial aid and oil supplies In September, the two nations signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement under which any attack on either country would be treated as an act of aggression against both Separately, COAS Munir also met Bahrain National Guard Commander General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa where discussions covered bilateral defence cooperation regional security and matters of mu-
tual interest Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen existing military-to-military relations
The visiting Bahraini commander acknowledged the professionalism of the Pakistan Army and its contribution to regional stability, while COAS Munir highlighted the long-standing brotherly relations between Pakistan and Bahrain expressing Pakistan s continued support for Bahrain in all domains
These engagements underscore Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to maintain strong defence and strategic partnerships in the Gulf region enhancing regional stability while fostering professional military cooperation with allied countries
PSX , NCCPL and CDC waive fees and margin requirements for Pakistan Energy Sukuk transactions under circular debt plan
SINGAPORE R e u t e R s Asia shares were on steadier footing
70% of Pakistan’s expor ts at risk due to firms’ non- compliance with global requirements, warns World Bank official
quirements that major buyers will soon mandate In a recorded message, Adnan Pasha Siddiqui, advisor to the finance minister, highlighted that the US corridor accounts for $5–6 billion of Pakistan’s exports mostly home textiles He said global demand however has shifted toward synthetic sportswear and apparel made from artificial fibres where competitors like Bangladesh and Vietnam have advanced production He argued that Pakistan must diversify beyond traditional products such as bedsheets and expand into sportswear and apparel targeted at younger consumers
export potential is estimated at 26% of GDP, about $60 billion Aftab Haider, CEO and co-founder of Pakistan Single Window said achieving such compliance will be difficult due to Pakistan’s large informal sector limited tax registrations and low digital literacy among farmers He noted that these constraints leave Pakistan far from meeting traceability re-
behind Pakistan s weak export performance are longstanding The country remains largely outside global value chains, with exports concentrated in textiles, cereals and cotton, and heavily reliant on a few markets such as the US, EU and China Ms Twum said past free trade agreements have focused mainly on tariff cuts without facilitating investment or technology transfer
w s d e s k Haleon Pakistan Limited has announced that its Jamshoro manufacturing facility has secured TRUE Platinum Certification, the highest level under the Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE) programme becoming the first Haleon site worldwide to reach this milestone The development was shared in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday The company stated that the certification reflects its commitment to sustainability noting that its Jamshoro
aims to help facilities measure, improve and recognise zero-waste performance by promoting sustainable waste reduction and resource-efficiency practices Haleon said these practices contribute to positive environmental health and economic outcomes
As a leading consumer healthcare company in Pakistan, Haleon emphasised that the achievement demonstrates sustainability leadership within its global operations The
company added that by adopting circular principles and focusing on resource optimisation, it aims to deliver better everyday health with humanity while operating responsibly Haleon Pakistan formerly known as GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Pakistan Limited, was incorporated in Pakistan as a public listed company on March 31 2015 The company is a subsidiary of Haleon Netherlands B V The ultimate parent of the company is Haleon plc The company is principally engaged in the manufacturing, marketing and sale of consumer healthcare and over the counter health products
Finding customers for DISCOs
PM tells Turkish trade delegation to come for ward and invest
AS Turkish firms got involved in the Pakistani energy sector, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif threw out a novel idea: that they could come and buy the electricity distribution companies He made this suggestion while attending the MoU signing ceremony in Islamabad between the two countries, which gave Turkish companies exploration rights in three offshore and two onshore oilfields Mr Sharif said that there was a need for cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector He was right to speak of the entire energy sector rather than merely the oil and gas exploration sector represented by the companies, because the delegation was headed by Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparsalan Bayrakrar Mr Bayrakrar was the one who said that the recent pledge by Mr Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to receive bilateral trade from the $1 1 billion in 2024, to $5 billion in three years, would only be possible if Turkey developed ventures in oil and gas exploration, the energy sector and the minerals sector He recalled that he had attended the Pakistan Minerals Development Conference early in the year Turkish involvement in the Pakistani energy sector has not been entirely happy The episode of the Karkey powership in 2010 should be recalled, when Pakistan had to cancel the deal, which eventually went into arbitration, which Pakistan won Though it was the height of the power crisis, Karkey was charging too much for the power its ship was generating It should provide a salutary reminder that Turkey may well be a fraternal country, and its government and people may golf Pakistan in high regard, but the government operates through companies and corporations, out to make a profit Only if Turkish businesses see their way to turning a lira will they operate While seeking
The people who only ask to be included
PE R S O N S with Disabilities (PwDs) are among the most marginalized sections of society in Pakistan, unheard and unseen, while the efforts on part of successive government towards mainstreaming and integrating them are equally insufficient and inconspicuous Despite the much trumpeted slogans of transfiguring their fate the country s political leadership has miserably failed to address their issues and redress their grievances Their miseries continue; only in their routine lives they are facing a mountain of challenges which may remain insurmountable if the society community and government do not come forward and extend a willing helping hand Promises have been made in the past to safeguard the rights of the unlucky but unfortunately these promises have never been kept Like other Third World countries, Pakistan has vowed to extend all kinds of moral and material support to safeguard the dignity wellbeing and rights of the disabled in Pakistan but these remain inadequate and therefore ineffective 2 54 percent of the total population comprises vulnerable persons who are leading a miserable life in the absence of basic necessities of life
They are deprived of their basic right of education healthcare job opportunities among other things It is difficult rather impossible to get jobs especially in the government sector; the prevalent injustices plaguing the society affect the disabled the most hence their sense of deprivation grows with every passing day
The number of the handicapped in the entire region has risen manifold, particularly within the last many years The ratio in Pakistan is even more than the other regional countries primarily due to frequent occurrences of natural and manmade disasters like earthquakes floods terrorism and extremism
The 8 October 2005 earthquake alone, for example, left thousands of people, including women and children, physically disabled In addition the ongoing war against terrorism in the region has also left behind thousands of such persons Especially the people of FATA and KP have fallen prey to this menace during this warfare A large number of children, women and elders have been deprived of their significant body parts like limbs and arms in terror incidents
The attack on the Army Public School Peshawar, which took place on 16 December 2014 is an eyeopener for those at the helm of affairs In this barbaric incident where the many children sacrificed their lives numerous fell prey to physical disability
Ialliances with IS-K Al-Qaeda remnants and separatist movements such as the BLA point to a disturbing convergence: an emerging militant consortium rooted in Afghanistan, aligned by opportunity and ideology and capable of destabilizing the entire region Reports of shared training camps coordinated logistics and even financial pipelines including alleged monthly payments to TTP leaders via Taliban-linked channels reveal a terror complex with quasi-state features This is why the world must treat the TTP not as a Pakistani headache but as a continental threat Central Asian states already fear the encroaching reach of IS-K and its affiliates China with multi-billion-dollar investments under CPEC cannot afford a deteriorating security perimeter Iran, Russia, and even Western powers whether they admit it or not have a stake in preventing Afghanistan from becoming a renewed sanctuary for global militancy Pakistan for its part must adopt a dual track: necessary military containment complemented by sharpened diplomatic leverage Kinetic operations alone cannot neutralize a group fortified by cross-border sanctuaries The inter-
Under the circumstances the people at the helm of affairs did not bother to formulate any comprehensive strategy to cope with the challenge that has caused despondency of such magnitude Most of the disabled in Pakistan lack basic facilities of living a better life According to the latest statistics 1 4 million persons are with disabilities in Pakistan most of them children without access to schools Existing facilities are limited in capacity while quantity and quality add to the dilemma Meanwhile the society s behaviour is generally and regrettably indifferent People often use derogatory remarks, calling them lula, langra (lame) apahaj mazoor (cripples) In the absence of fundamental amenities and basic facilities of life the disabled are often compelled to go for begging at bus stops shopping malls business centrEs outside the mosques and on the roads to earn their bread Parents forcibly send them begging at picnic points Another is the business of children’s smuggling; the handlers train them for begging purposes Most unfortunately many of the poor parents sell their toddlers to the child-lifters This way they get rid of them apparently unable to bear their burden So much so the kidnappers kidnap the completely able children and make them disabled after amputating their limbs or other parts of the body The darbar of Shah Daula in Gujrat city of central Punjab used to be the hub of such activities Poor parents who could not afford to feed disabled children especially with lesser grown skulls devote them to the darbar There they are given to the beggars for using them for begging wearing long green rags Most of the child lifters use to make the kidnapped children wear steel hats in order to stop their head-growth, dubbed them Shahdaula ke Choohay (Shahdaula’s Mice) and launch them for begging The government had enacted the Disabled Persons Employment and Rehabilitation Ordinance 1981 for the benefit of the disabled people which applied to both government and private enterprise The governments have however failed to implement it in its true letter and spirit, especially denying them the jobs quota This Ordinance was passed during President Ziaul Haq’s time as his own daughter Zain Zia was herself impaired Pakistan ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on July 5, 2011 Pakistan was among the 145 countries which ratified this Convention and thus its implementation was the responsibility of the state and development organizations including the disabled people’s organizations Being a signatory of this Convention the state is bound to ensure their rights but the dilemma is that all existing and previous regulations pertaining to giving basic rights to the disabled have not been implemented In other words these laws only exist on paper As far as the nongovernmental organizations’ role in this regard is concerned a few NGOs are in the country engaged in working for the betterment and welfare of these people These organizations seem active on world disabled day
national community must be pressed not politely nudged, to compel the Taliban into verifiable counter-terrorism commitments The UN s 1267 sanctions regime must evolve beyond paper condemnations to actionable, enforceable pressure targeting financiers facilitators and commanders tied to the TTP Yet there is a deeper global irony at play Many capitals celebrated the Taliban s return in 2021 as the beginning of relative stability But the TTP s expansion under their rule reveals a harder truth: authoritarian control within Afghanistan does not translate into regional restraint Instead of extinguishing militancy the Taliban s governance has oxygenated it
The Danish warning at the UNSC should therefore not be viewed as a mere diplomatic remark it is a geopolitical siren Pakistan has carried the burden of this threat for far too long If the world continues to underreact, the TTP will not simply destabilize Pakistan; it will radiate insecurity across Central and South Asia complicating global counter-terror objectives and threatening international economic corridors Calling the TTP a serious threat is not an exaggeration; it is the bleak reality confronting the region Denial is now a form of negligence Delay is a luxury no one possesses Pakistan needs a united regional and international front political diplomatic and strategic not to manage the TTP but to dismantle its ecosystem once and for all Only then can the world hope to close the destabilizing chapter that Afghanistan s permissive environment has opened The writer is a freelance columnist
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PGoing to the root of the problem
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The economy does not operate in isolation. Economies do not fail because people lack talent or because the market lacks potential Economies fail when the rules that govern them reward the wrong behaviour and punish the right PakistanÊs economy is not failing, it is being made to fail Fix the political economy The economy will fix itself
all plunderers who turned gov t into a criminal syndicate
PU B L I C outrage has reached a breaking point, and people are no longer willing to wait The anger that filled the streets across the country during the Trillion-peso March and the Baha sa Luneta protests and inside our homes watching online and TV coverage can’t be calmed down with finger-pointing empty dismissals or publicity stunts
More than 500 ghost flood control projects have already been proven to exist These projects show that engineers, workers, and politicians worked together to steal taxpayers’ money The main thieves actually gave back the hundreds of millions in cash and luxury cars that they stole as payment for the crime they already admitted people now expect the government to act quickly clearly and in a way that doesn t bend the law
There should be immediate charges, not delays or cover-ups aRD Henry alcantara, DE Brice Hernandez division head Jaypee Mendoza and their boss DpWH Usec Roberto Bernardo are the main people who are linked to the Bulacan first Engineering district fake projects Full thorough investigations must be done on these people, and the Ombudsman must officially charge them with non-bailable cases and the Sandiganbayan to order their arrest and detention Everyone should be treated the same, no matter their rank or ties The prosecutions should go beyond DpWH as a result of sworn allegations of kickbacks illegal enrichment and contract collusion Senators Jinggoy Estrada Joel Villanueva Chiz Escudero Bong Revilla, now-mayor of Makati nancy Binay, former House appropriations chair Zaldy Co, Congresswoman Mitch Cajayon-Uy, and Commission on audit official Mario Lipana (and his contractor spouse) must also be charged and jailed while on trial Contractors like the Discayas SYMS Wawao and others who are linked to shady flood-control contracts should be investigated legally, sued in civil court for compensation, jailed for plunder and banned from working on public projects in the future
Yes, the people want a quick decision but they also want process process that is quick strict and clear In this case the COa nBI DOJ the Office of the ICI Sandiganbayan and the Ombudsman must work together with congressional oversight
into quickly and thoroughly Former House appropriations Chair Zaldy Co has made shocking claims about important people, such as president Marcos, his son Sandro Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez If Mr Co is serious about these claims he needs to come home talk and provide investigators with sworn statements and proof Investigators need to make sure that viral materials are real which includes looking for any signs of aI manipulation, to protect real informants and reveal fake smears at the same time, the impeachment trial of Vicepresident Sara Duterte, which has been put on hold, should be revived Senate president Tito Sotto should bring the procedures back to life and end them so that the Senate impeachment court can make a final decision either acquitting after due process or convicting her if the evidence supports it If the president is faced with removal from office, the Constitutional processes should also be used to look closely at Vp Sara the person who will take over as president and importantly: the 2026 national budget must be cleansed now not next year This proposed budget is riddled with unprogrammed appropriations, opaque allocables, and high risk infrastructure lines, created under the stewardship of officials now implicated in the scandal also involved in its crafting are billionaire congressmen-contractors who participated in the DpWH budget robberies in the past years Will we allow this group to steal again our next year s budget? new DpWH secretary Vince Dizon has conceded time constraints that may postpone his budget reforms until 2027 That is unacceptable The public cannot permit another budget cycle to be crafted by the same personalities that allegedly facilitated the last robbery of public funds allocables the modern reincarnation of pork barrel must be made transparent and adjustable The numbers on past discretionary funds are shocking: what started as modest pDaF/CDF allotments (reported in the early 2000s as tens to hundreds of millions) has ballooned in recent years into allocations that according to
cables in the Baltic Sea and near Taiwan Last november, Sweden urged China to take part in a probe related to one such incident
in danger Undersea cables are the backbone of globalization in the internet era running across the ocean and sea floors to link nations and continents on different sides of the world a 2021 report by Total Telecom puts their number at close to 500, with a combined length of around 1 3 million kilometers (808,000 miles) The numbers have only grown since all of global data exchange flows through these cables said Johannes peters the head of the Center for Maritime Strategy and Security at the Christian albrechts University in Kiel “The internet, payment orders, any kind of information you can think of any kind of spoken communication it runs almost exclusively through these cables peters told DW On a global level, we are dependent on them But these communication networks are increasingly seen as targets for potential sabotage The danger has been made plain by an ongoing series of incidents in the Baltic Sea a study by the Washington University in Seattle found some 10 cables have been severed since 2022, including seven between november 2024 and January 2025 with additional incidents reported this summer Russia was repeatedly named as a possible offender, based on recorded ship movements or anchor trails But Moscow’s responsibility has not been proven beyond all doubt and the same goes for the claims that the damage was done on purpose It is also possible that the cables were damaged by accident or due to negligence China is also suspected of damaging some of the data
TROUBLE BREWING IN THE PACIFIC? asian nations are also vulnerable to undersea cable damage US allies Japan and South Korea, as well as Taiwan a selfruled island which Beijing sees as Chinese territory are connected to the US via cables running across the bottom of the pacific Ocean Their leaders fear that these underwater cables could be targeted in case of a conflict with China according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington China has already developed a ship that can cut cables lying as deep as 4 000 meters (over 13,100 feet) under the surface US officials are also issuing similar warnings The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission tasked with briefing the US Congress recently reported that China had increasingly engaged in undersea cable-cutting activities as a gray zone pressure tactic, and there is mounting evidence that Beijing is developing new cable-cutting technologies for potential wartime use ” WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CABLES ARE DAMAGED? Severing transcontinental data cables would have immense consequences, according to Kenny Huang, the head of the asia pacific Information Center (apIC) which serves as the Internet address registry for the asia–pacific region If the main cable is damaged you lose the entire Internet connectivity, he told DW If you lose the Internet connectivity, that means you lose everything ” he added an affected region would not even be able to use its own internal network effectively transforming it into an information vacuum In case of Taiwan, the island would be “blind,” with the fallout spanning far beyond communications and into sectors such as education economy agriculture and many others Other countries in the region are likely to face similar issues in case of an underwater attack and even if the cables are not severed or damaged, they could be used to tap into transcontinental information networks “Rival states
Afghan Taliban minister says US shooting has nothing to do with his people or govt
KABUL ag e n c i e s
The shooting of National Guard members in Washington DC over which an Afghan immigrant has been charged has nothing to do with Afghanistan s people or its government, Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Wednesday Muttaqi’s comments are the first on the incident by the Afghan Taliban government and come a week after events in Washington when suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal is accused of opening fire on guard members, killing one and critically wounding another
On Tuesday Lakanwal was charged with murder and other offences as he made his first court appearance appearing remotely from a hospital bed This incident has nothing to do with the honourable people of Afghanistan or with the Afghan government,” Muttaqi said “This is an individual criminal act, and the person who committed it was trained by the Americans themselves
US officials have said Lakanwal was part of a CIA-backed unit in Afghanistan He entered the US in 2021 through thenpresident Joe Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome scheme for those fearing reprisal by the Taliban forces who seized control of Afghanistan after the US military s withdrawal They (the Americans) trained him, they assigned him, and through an illegal process contrary to any international standard they brought him from Afghanistan to the United States Muttaqi said Lakanwal s status as an Afghan immigrant quickly became a flashpoint in Trump s immigration crackdown
China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges between the United States and China s Taiwan region and urged the United States to stop official exchanges with Taiwan and refrain from sending any wrong signals to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Wednesday It was reported that U S President Donald Trump had signed into law an act that called on the Department of State to regularly review interactions between the United States and Taiwan and look for ways to deepen interactions with Taiwan In response Lin told a regular press briefing that China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges between the United States and China s Taiwan region, and this position is consistent and clear “The Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests and is the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-U S relations Lin said He said the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-U S relations, and the U S government made a clear commitment in the joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations that “the United States of America recognizes the Government of the People s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural commercial and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan China urged the U S side to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U S joint communiques, handle the Taiwan question with extreme caution stop official exchanges with Taiwan and stop sending any wrong signals to Taiwan independence” separatist forces Lin said
dialogue and economic interdependence ” state media reported Speaking at a high-profile event in Islamabad Dar highlighted that unilateralist impulses, growing militarization and stalled diplomatic processes have created a fragile and precarious security environment across the region
“Multilateralism is under assault and the institutions of global governance are often criticised for the acts of omission and commission of a few states driven by unilateralist impulses, Dar said Referring to the four-day conflict with India in May, he added, “In 92 hours, the IndoPakistan war had the potential to escalate to far more dangerous levels ” Dar observed that states increasingly
resort to force to settle disputes often disregarding international law and UN Charter principles, while emerging technologies, transnational terrorism, hybrid warfare, and misinformation campaigns continue to challenge stability He noted that the region remains in an uneasy and fragile peace adding Pakistan demonstrated both resolve and capability to thwart aggression and reinforce deterrence The concept of a net security provider is buried ” Highlighting the global context the deputy premier said “Major power competition is a defining feature of our times with rivalries intensifying in military technological trade tariff, and resource domains Yet, Pakistan has consistently opposed bloc politics and zero-sum approaches, emphasizing cooperation rather than confrontation, dialogue diplomacy and the peaceful settlement of disputes As an elected member of the United Nations Security Council for 2025-26 Pakistan remains engaged in efforts to promote international peace and security Dar warned that extremist ideologies, political populism, democratic backslid-
ing and Islamophobia are negatively impacting the world, causing upheavals in unprecedented ways Pakistan envisions a South Asia where connectivity replaces divisions, economies grow in synergy, disputes are resolved peacefully in accordance with international legitimacy and peace is maintained with dignity and honour he said reaffirming readiness to work with all willing partners to unlock the region s potential Turning to the regional security environment Dar said South Asia comprises three geographically contiguous nuclear powers with complex relationships large armed forces continuous buildup of conventional and nuclear arms, and the regular induction of destabilizing weapons systems “Strategic stability is delicate, complicated by dangerously ill-conceived war-fighting notions in a nuclearized environment he added He highlighted the Indus Waters Treaty dispute longstanding unresolved conflicts like Jammu and Kashmir, and stalled structured dialogue with India for over 11 years as persistent challenges to regional peace Factors such as history,
The chief minister s remarks were delivered in a high-profile gathering attended by the chief secretary the inspec-
Karachi ATC acquits BYC leader Mahrang Baloch in sedition, terrorism case
t A Karachi anti-terrorism court on Wednesday acquitted Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Dr Mahrang Baloch in a sedition and public mischief case filed against her in October last year Mahrang had been booked by Quaidabad police on Oct 11 2024 under terrorism and related charges for allegedly inciting people and making accusations against state institutions ATC Judge Ayaz Mustafa Jokhio allowed her acquittal plea moved by Advocate Jibran Nasir ruling that there was “no probability” of her conviction “I hereby allow this application and acquit the accused Mahrang Baloch ” the written order stated The activist was discharged under Section 265-K of the Criminal Procedure Code which empowers courts to acquit an accused at any stage of proceedings According to the order, Mahrang appeared via video link from Quetta Prison, where she remains incarcerated following her March arrest The acquittal will not lead to her release due to other pending cases Judge Jokhio said he examined arguments from both sides and reviewed the case record He noted that the complainant had not produced any independent witness and that most prosecution witnesses all police officials except the complainant lacked knowledge of the alleged incident The judge highlighted that in their statements under Section 161 CrPC the witnesses “did not state a single word about the alleged incident indicating they had no direct information
tor general of police additional chief secretaries administrative secretaries of provincial departments, divisional and district officers, and police personnel, with a Fatiha offered for martyrs of the police and civil administration Highlighting the province’s ongoing security challenges Afridi said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has faced terrorism for four decades yet our brave police have resis-
Chairing a high-level meeting to review recommendations of the subworking group on customs duty and broader trade-sector reforms he said the recently approved National Tariff Policy
The prime minister said the
icy also sought to harmonise
country s import–export
with national
gets adding that a data-driven
derstanding of sector-specific challenges and proposals was crucial for expanding industrial production and trade volume
trust deficits impulses of dominance populism, hypernationalism, and ideological territorial ambitions further complicate stability The deputy PM also discussed the economic and human development challenges facing South Asia including poverty inequality illiteracy malnutrition, energy deficiencies, and poor regional connectivity He warned that intra-regional trade remains around 5 per cent, and platforms like SAARC have been largely inactive for over a decade FM Dar urged South Asian nations to overcome zero-sum mindsets embrace dialogue peaceful coexistence and winwin cooperation, stressing that the cumulative challenges of security, economic fragility, and climate crisis cannot be tackled amid political fragmentation and fractured regional architecture
ted for 21 years despite scarce resources The nation is proud of their sacrifices ” He lauded the courage of officers battling terrorists affirming If we fight for the sake of Allah and the interest of the people victory will always be ours We will restore peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at any cost The chief minister stressed complete transparency and accountability, declaring that decisions made behind closed doors would no longer be accepted Officers performance will now be evaluated through measurable performance indicators, and all decision-making must serve public interest To strengthen law enforcement, Afridi announced that bulletproof vehicles modern weapons anti-drone systems and the latest technology will be provided on an emergency basis to the police force A special policy will be developed to support families of martyred civil servants fully
He emphasized that political interference in administrative matters will not be tolerated and strict action will follow against those obstructing justice We will give relief to the people as per Imran Khan s vision and decision-making will always prioritize public welfare
Regretting that the Export De-
remained underutilised and failed to deliver its intended support for
data and realistic economic assessments He directed the authorities concerned to ensure strict monitoring of customs duty collection par-
trade consignments handled at border points The working group observed that sustainable, export-led economic growth would only be achievable through higher investment and production capacity policy continuity targeted government protection where required and improved industrial infrastructure During the meeting, Muhammad Ali Tabba and other businesscommunity representatives briefed the prime minister on customs- and tax-related bottlenecks and presented a set of reform recommendations Prime Minister Shehbaz welcomed their input and instructed the concerned ministries and insti-
tutions to extend all possible facilitation to industry and investors, underscoring that a predictable and supportive regulatory environment was essential for accelerating industrial recovery
federal ministers Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Musadik
Pervaiz Malik Azhar Bilal Kayani Haroon Akhtar the National Coor-
from a US prison The directive comes
interfere in the American judicial system The court however, emphasized the need for the federal government to provide a detailed update on all measures taken concerning her welfare and any potential repatriation A larger bench of the IHC, headed by Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and comprising Justices Khadim Hussain Soomro Muhammad Azam Khan, and Khanaam Ameen Minhas, heard the petition filed by Fauzia Siddiqui Imran Shafiq, Advocate representing the petitioner appeared along with the Additional Attorney General on behalf of the federation Advocate Imran Shafiq stated that the petition primarily concerns Dr Aafia s repatriation Justice Tahir observed that the original petition did not specifically request repatriation and highlighted that an extradition agreement exists between Pakistan and the United States The bench questioned why previous court directives were not fully complied with noting that contempt of court notices had been issued The Additional Attorney General explained that the federal government has challenged prior IHC decisions in the Supreme Court though the case has not yet been scheduled He reiterated that medical facilities are available in the US prison but a doctor chosen by the petitioner cannot be appointed and that the federal government has provided other facilities, including processing visas He stressed Pakistan’s inability to interfere in internal judicial matters of the United States, given Dr Aafia s American citizenship and conviction abroad Justice Tahir remarked on the prolonged delays caused by procedural hurdles stressing the urgency of resolving the petition and the limited time of the four-judge bench to sit daily The court directed the federal government to submit a full briefing detailing all steps taken including engagement with US authorities regarding medical care and repatriation procedures The IHC subsequently adjourned the hearing of Dr Aafia Siddiqui s case until January 20, awaiting the comprehensive update from the federal government