EVOLVING GLOBAL L ANDSCAPE WARRANTS REGIONAL COOPERATION TO CONFRONT CHALLENGES: PM
’T BE ALLOWED TO ‘ PURSUE THE DANGEROUS PATH THAT WILL BE REGARDED A S AN ACT OF AGGRESSION BY THE PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN ’
the
leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir and the unyielding spirit of our resilient people who stood firm in the face of provocation and responded with courage and professionalism ”
variants, namely the 1 5T, the 2 0T and the H6 HEV, the company did not give it a price bump over the previous price despite the car boasting a redesigned grill LEDs 14 6 touchscreen upgraded steering wheel hybrid engine etc The market hailed this as a highly
350 Afghan students reach Pakistan under HEC Scholarships
being prepared to facilitate the privatisation process PR OFIT
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved the establishment of six new Daanish schools in Balochistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) at an estimated cost of Rs19 253 billion This initiative is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ’s effort to enhance access to quality education in remote areas The project which involves a 50:50 cost-sharing model between the
OFIT
PR
obstacle in the government s effort to divest its majority stake in the loss-making airline According to media reports, Justice Jawad Hassan issued a brief order rejecting the petition, stating that a detailed judgment would follow later The petition had contested the legality of the privatisation claiming that the federal government issued an advertisement for the sale of PIA without fulfilling requirements outlined in Section 23 of the Privatisation Commission Ordinance, 2000 The petitioner s lawyer argued that the government failed to properly assess PIA’s assets and ignored Supreme Court precedents regarding such transactions He also contended that the high court had jurisdiction under Article 199 of the Constitution to review violations of law by statutory bodies He referenced a Supreme Court ruling in the Arshad Waheed vs Province of Punjab case that clarified the scope of judicial review However, Justice Hassan noted that while courts can review administrative actions judicial restraint should be exercised in economic policy matters particularly those involving financial decisions made by expert statutory bodies The petitioner also opposed an amendment to Section 28 of the Privatisation Commission Ordinance, introduced by the caretaker government in 2023, which led to the establishment of an appellate tribunal He argued that this tribunal was unnecessary since high courts already have constitutional authority to hear such cases
federal government and provincial governments aims to provide educational opportunities to the most marginalized communities The six schools will be
Musakhel and Zhob as well as in AJK with each school s estimated cost ranging from Rs2 66 billion to Rs3 63 billion Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, who chaired the meeting, emphasised the importance of improving education in underdeveloped regions
s ta f f r e p o r t The Supreme Court of Pakistan has introduced an e-filing system across all its registries in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi, and Quetta, marking a significant step towards digital transformation in the judicial process The new system enables electronic submission of case files
The Daanish Schools network already established in Punjab is expanding to other provinces to support talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds The new schools aim to go beyond traditional rote learning by integrating technology to enhance the educational experience and track student progress Iqbal also noted the alarming number of over 25 million out-ofschool children in Pakistan, stressing that raising the literacy rate to 90% is crucial for national development
TH E cashless economy is an old idea one of the staples of science fiction going back to the last century Like the paperless office though it has been much touted it has not always delivered as promised with ever new bottlenecks appearing which could easily torpedo the whole project One reason why the government wants the economy to stop using cash is because it would make documentation of transactions that much easier, with the effect tax evasion and money laundering would become much easier to detect However, government efforts, though laudable, are unlikely to do all that much The economy is turning cashless because businesses are obliged to accept digital payments rather than cash, even if it brings them into the tax net In a way this is the next stage in Mankind s millennia of dealing with money After millennia of using precious metals gold and silver along with copper for small sums and then a couple of centuries of using paper money backed by the metals the 20th century saw the move to fiat currencies where metal no longer backed currencies which existed independently Digitization has made the paper unnecessary, as most money consists of bank deposits, which are recorded on computer, which replaced the cumbersome old ledgers, usually leather-bound, in which entries were made by clerks using quill pens Indeed, if the economy becomes cashless, banks will become paperless
The main obstacle to this, and one which was not addressed by the setting up of three committees in the meeting on this issue chaired by the Prime Minister on Thursday is security Even if stained and worn currency notes are indisputably money and once received can be given elsewhere no questions asked (which is important for bribes) Cashless transactions are not only traceable but frauds can occur (and not merely the Nigerian who wants some money) The whole essence of money is security History is rife with examples of money (generally paper) which were valued at almost nothing because confidence was lost in the issuer Apart from chances of fraud, connectivity is an issue Without it, the certainty of cash will be lacking This at least the government is aware of Then there is the whole bitcoin issue The government already faces the wrath of the IMF on this issue It has forbidden miners being given a special power tariff It must not see bitcoin as valuable but realise that it is the future of money
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
IN September 2022, Pakistan was in global headlines, but not for a good reason A large portion of the country nearly one-third was submerged following unusual monsoon floods
More than 1700 people lost their lives and millions were displaced Crops were destroyed acres of agricultural land were ruined, and the economy was battered The incident was labelled a climate catastrophe” by the UN
Here we are, three years later, not under water but burning in the clutches of blistering heatwaves
Sindh province and southern Punjab are facing temperatures beyond 50 C setting off a health emergency forcing schools to close and intensifying water scarcity Climate science explains both events, but what ties them is our inaction Or, more truthfully, the unwillingness to act Despite the consecutive repeated climate crises whether the floods in 2010 and 2022 or heatwaves in 2015 2022 and now in 2025 Pakistan continues to turn a blind eye as if it is a once-in-a-decade event Moreover, a recent disastrous hailstorm that occurred in Islamabad cannot be ignored, which caused economic losses, damaged vehicles, solar energy infrastructure, and disrupted day-to-day activities What actions were taken afterward? Absolutely nothingno preparedness no compensation no sense of urgency Climate change is not just an environmental issue- it is a growing threat to our national security The prevailing scientific agreement is clear: Pakistan is ranked among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world In less than 15 years, we have faced cyclic disasters that are escalating From rapid deluges in Baluchistan to glacier lake outbursts in Gilgit-Baltistan and extreme heatwaves in Sindh the warnings could not be clearer Yet after every crisis we slip back into comfortable denial An equally concerning yet frequently ignored issue is the effects these extreme climate events have on the national security of Pakistan A repeated pattern of climate disasters strains the military’s disaster management capacity and causes a diversion of resources from security operations In security-risk regions like Baluchistan and South Punjab environmental stress is deepening the existing sociopolitical tensions O
If we continue to have an attitude of denial and treat the climate chang e crisis as a routine disruption rather than a full-scale urg ent national concern, the consequences will be far more devastating than anything we have experienced so far. The time for awareness has passed. Now is the time to take responsibility, to act, and to leadbefore another crisis not just challeng es our limits to respond, but threatens our foundations of national security.
IUnderstanding social and political transformation in Pakistan through data” The guest speaker was Mr Bilal Geelani the Executive Director of Gallup Pakistan I had mixed feelings after listening to Mr Geelani who successfully showcased glass half full with the help of data spanning the last 25 years
Data is a collection of facts, opinions, figures trends numbers and patterns To be datadriven is generally considered good for the stakeholders to analyze the situation at hand However it is the individual s perspective which shapes conclusions from the data under consideration The very first striking slide was the population growth from 1947 when we started our journey with 33 million and now being 240 million suggests that the country progressed significantly to fulfill requirements of such a huge population But the fact which surprised me the most was the detail about life expectancy in Pakistan which was 44 years in 1960s and now it is 67 years with an exception of 74 years in the capital city of Islamabad This improvement in life expectancy indicates significant development in social and personal life domains Because life expectancy doesn t improve with healthy intakes only, several other factors such as job opportunities, stress management, smoking patterns, health facilities and so on equally contribute to it This improvement in life expectancy suggests advancement in several sectors Use of tobacco has detrimental effects on health; data suggests there is significant reduction in the use of tobacco in the last 25 years from 38 percent smokers to 20 percent today which is less than the USA But still there is a need to further curtail smoking to bring it to the level of most developed counties at least if not to eliminate it completely Alleviation of poverty and spending on education remain prominent concerns for everyone in the country If you listened to Mr Geelani, the situation of these two sectors is not as bleak as we usually think He contended that
students in the year 2000 to 2 8 million students currently enrolled in HEIs of Pakistan Higher education is a luxury if there is such a huge increase in the enrolment of HEIs both in public and private universities; it means prosperity prevails in the society The data presented by the speaker on literacy was amazing; our understanding remains that the literacy rate in Pakistan is around 62 percent But, he argued that the focus of our efforts during the last two to three decades to improve literacy was the young population If we look at the literacy of our population up to 25 years of age the data suggests it is 80 percent which is the result of our effective policies to improve literacy Data speaks truth and it suggests significant improvement in the yield of our major crops like wheat and maize Recently we witnessed an interesting indicator of prosperity in the society especially in this region that is the availability of toilets to households According to the data, almost 638 million people do not have access to the toilet in India In Pakistan only 5 percent people do not have access to toilets and that in the rural areas Mobility stats have also significantly improved over the decades with a sharp increase in motorcycle users The most interesting part of discussion was the political environment of the country which revolves around people less than 30 years of age Pakistan’s 50 percent population is less than 30 years old which is a real strength for the country from both economic and political points of view In politics the age group between 18 to 29 years is shaping political discourse because they have started voting significantly during the last two decades Existing parties, including the PML(N) and the PPP, are continuously losing their vote bank for the last two decades which suggest that they probably failed to understand the sentiment of this segment of population between 18 to 29 years of age People in this age bracket do appreciate schemes like laptops and infrastructure development but they consider it their right These young people aspire for identity and promi-
nence on the global stage, they need a kind of leadership which can represent them with pride and honour Traditional slogans have lost their appeal and so have conventional political parties
There is a huge space for new thoughts novel approaches and a fresh vision to lead
segment of society Existing parties have to completely revamp their image to accommo-
istan; otherwise new players will eventually end their existence in coming years This is what the data suggests There are two factors in the portrayal of a gloomy picture of Pakistan First the availability heuristics people believe in what they listen to every day of their lives Our mainstream media and social networking platforms both usually promote pessimism in the society broadcasting negative indicators We hardly observe these encouraging trends in our mainstream primetime debates Therefore people start believing in what is available to them to watch
The second factor is the vested interest of a specific segment of society which aims to win grants and privileges from Western countries and donors They highlight the undesirable affairs of the society to secure their interests Therefore the international audience also started to believe in the negativity as a preeminent indicator for Pakistani society
We have demonstrated our strengths to the entire world during the recent India-Pakistan conflict with exceptional technological expertise, defeating one of the best fighter jet platforms available today This speaks volumes about our abilities We only need to propagate our strengths instead of indulging in untoward instances which are not uncommon to any society on this planet Remember the glass is half full so let s celebrate!
The writer is Associate Professor of Management Sciences and head, Center of Islamic Finance, COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus
Rivers of tragedy
Dr AbDus sAttAr AbbAsi
into a global phenomenon a symbolic battle cry that has echoed across continents Death to the IDF,” shouted from the stage by Bobby Vylan of the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan is no longer just a slogan It is a collective cry of the oppressed a reflection of unspeakable suffering and a moral indictment
A c h a nt b e co m e s a g l o b a l re c ko n i n g
And the rage behind the chant is not rhetorical It is rooted in numbers that defy imagination Since 7 October 2023 more than 38 000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza Over 14,000 of them were children
Thousands more remain under rubble
UNICEF reports that 9 out of 10 children in Gaza are acutely malnourished According to WHO 74 percent of Gaza’s hospitals are either completely destroyed or inoperable
The Red Crescent reports that over 300 paramedics have been killed in targeted strikes
The few surviving doctors speak of makeshift surgeries without anesthesia, of children screaming in agony as their limbs are amputated on cold concrete One UN physician stationed in Rafah wrote in her dispatch: This is not war This is organized mechanical bureaucratized death
said what few Western officials dare to utter publicly: Get your own house in order ” He referred directly to the unchecked settler violence in the West Bank and the increasing brutality of Israel’s military operations In one stroke the moral lens was inverted not on the protestor but on the perpetrators of the suffering Within hours, the chant had gone viral From the streets of London and Berlin to the campuses of UCLA and Columbia, it was repeated amplified reinterpreted In Johannesburg banners bearing the phrase were raised next to Mandela s warning that freedom is incomplete without the freedom of Palestinians In Malaysia and Indonesia, it became a mainstay of anti-apartheid rallies In Istanbul, it was sung from balconies during blackout protests No PR campaign no government declaration no diplomatic silence could now erase it What was once taboo was now mainstream a visceral condemnation of what Israel has done and continues to do in Gaza and the West Bank under the silent complicity of the so-called civilized world
A young nurse from Médecins Sans Frontières wrote, I have treated babies with phosphorous burns so deep I can see their bones glowing I’ve seen a child still clinging to the leg of their dead mother surrounded by debris unaware that the mother is gone We do not treat patients We grieve for them while we try to save them These words are not exaggerations They are real, raw testaments of horror “Death to the IDF” is not a celebration of violence It is a lament, a howl of anguish, a demand for the world to open its eyes And yet instead of listening the West is choosing repression Donald Trump now in his second term ordered the revocation of Bob Vylan s US visa, calling the slogan terrorist rhetoric But censorship only gave the chant more fuel Protests erupted in front of US consulates from Paris to Sao Paulo Demonstrators carried signs that read: “You banned the voice Not the truth Even progressive Jewish voices began to echo the sentiment not as anti-Semitism, but as anti-militarism We will not let our identity be weaponized to protect genocide,” read
one statement from a New York synagogue Israeli officials continue to invoke their mythology that the IDF is the most moral army in the world But the evidence now overwhelms the narrative Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and B Tselem have all documented war crimes The use of white phosphorus in civilian zones The targeting of journalists The siege of entire hospital networks The starvation of refugee populations And while Netanyahu claims this is all in the name of security millions of people now see it for what it is: apartheid enforced by cluster bombs, domination enforced by siege, religion used to sanctify slaughter Israeli commentator Yehoshua Pfeffer writing in defence of Israel called the current moment a sacred process He compared Israel s suffering and response to the flowering of Aharon s staff, a symbol of divine blessing and continuity But what is blossoming in Gaza is not fruit it is charred flesh What is flowering is not hope it is funerals To argue that this slaughter is part of a divine process is to desecrate every teaching of justice mercy and humanity While Pfeffer invokes scripture Palestinian families dig through rubble to find the limbs of their children There is also a striking historical hypocrisy that the global south and Muslim world can no longer ignore When Serbia constructed ethnic concentration camps in Bosnia and slaughtered thousands of Muslims it was the USA under Bill Clinton alongside NATO that intervened militarily to stop the genocide and dismantle Yugoslavia But now, when Israel is doing the same with US-supplied weapons the very same West remains silent Their eyes are closed Their ears are stopped Their hearts have ceased to beat There is no urgent summit, no red line, no NATO intervention The same global community that once promised “Never Again” now provides the funding, lo-
C I A a n d M o s s a d b l i n d e d
PR E S I D E N T Masoud Pezeshkian s pen may have traced the contours of Iran’s break with an institution increasingly seen not as a guardian, but as a geopolitical saboteur one with the blood of hundreds of Iranians on its hands On Wednesday the Iranian President formally enacted the Law Mandating the Government to Suspend Cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a legislative thunderclap echoing through the halls of nuclear diplomacy This isn’t merely a bureaucratic pause; it is Tehran’s declaration that the IAEA under Director General Rafael Grossi has shed its impartial mantle to become a combination of an intelligence-gathering and political-pressure instrument wielded by the U S and the Israeli regime against Iran
W H AT T H E L AW D E M A N D S: The law mandates the immediate “suspension of all cooperation” with the IAEA conducted under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its associated safeguards agreements This step is a direct response to the violation of national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Zionist regime and the United States of America through their attacks on Iran s peaceful nuclear facilities, actions that have endangered Iran’s “supreme national interests ” Crucially the suspension may not amount to a permanent disengagement Cooperation will remain frozen until two non-negotiable conditions are met as detailed by Ebrahim Azizi Chairman of the Parliament s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee:
I G U A R A N T E E D S E C U R I T Y: Iran s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) must verify the restoration of absolute security for the nation’s nuclear facilities and the scientists who operate them – a shield against further aggression
I I I A E A S F U N D A M E N
L R E F O R M AT I O N: The Agency must undergo a demonstrable transformation end its discriminatory practices and unequivocally recognize Iran s inalienable rights under international law, particularly Article IV of the IAEA Statute, which explicitly guarantees all member states the right
THE IAEA’S DESCENT: Tehran’s damning indictment paints a picture of an agency that has catastrophically abandoned its mandate The core assertion is stark: the IAEA particularly under Director General Rafael Grossi has morphed into a dual-purpose instrument of espionage and political coercion, serving the agendas of Washington, Tel Aviv, London, Paris, and Berlin This transformation is evident in a chain of destructive actions:
Grossi s May report on Iran while later conceding in a CNN interview that the IAEA possessed no evidence or indication that Iran s nuclear program was moving toward weaponization, was laced with ambiguity and unverified assertions Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, contend this was deliberate: “Through this malign action [Grossi] directly facilitated the adoption of a politically-motivated resolution against Iran by the IAEA Board of Governors (BoG) as well as the unlawful Israeli and U S bombings of Iranian nuclear sites In an astounding betrayal of his duties, he has additionally failed to explicitly condemn such blatant violations of IAEA safeguards and its Statute This June 12 BoG resolution, pushed by the E3 (UK, France, Germany) and the US, became the diplomatic fig leaf for aggression
I I E N A B L I N G WA R T H R O U G H O M I S S I O N A N D A C T I O N: Tehran sees a direct line from Grossi s flawed report and the subsequent BoG resolution to the military attacks The June 13 Israeli strikes and the June 22 U S bombardment were not just violations of international law and the UN Charter, but, in Iran’s view, the physical manifestation of a process the IAEA enabled Critically Grossi’s refusal to condemn these brazen attacks on safeguarded facilities a flagrant breach of the Agency s safeguards agreements and Statute amounts to tacit endorsement and renders him complicit in the offenses
Iran views Grossi’s immediate demands for access to the bombed sites with profound suspicion and alarm Framed as necessary for safeguards verification Tehran decodes these requests as thinly-veiled intelligence-gathering missions for the very aggressors who carried out the strikes Based on Grossi s abysmal past performance, the objectives appear chillingly clear:
Providing the U S and Israel with detailed on-the-ground evaluations of the effectiveness of their strikes – critical intelligence they currently lack Despite boasts from figures like U S President Donald Trump claiming the sites were obliterated,
gistics, and diplomatic immunity that enables genocide in real time Not a single world power be it the USA China Russia the European Union or the OIC has moved decisively to stop Israel The Muslim world, shamefully fractured, remains content issuing hollow condemnations Worse, some of its own governments have joined
TH E Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case takes a while to find its tone
The show’s prosaic title is the first indication of a balancing act between well-publicised facts and dramatisation subtext and context the thin line between justice and retribution
The Sony LIV series follows the Central government s investigation into Rajiv Gandhi s horrific death on May 21, 1991, in a suicide bombing carried out by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam member Gandhi was campaigning in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu for the Lok Sabha election His Congress party had been voted out of power and he was aiming to return as the head of state Gandhi s gruesome demise was blamed on a misguided policy decision during his prime ministership: sending the Indian Peacekeeping Force military unit to aid Sri Lanka in its civil war with the LTTE The Tamil Tigers led by Velupillai Prabhakaran sought to avenge alleged abuses by the IPKF, identifying Gandhi as a high-value target of their rage
The Hunt, adapted from Anirudhya Mitra’s non-fiction book Ninety Days: The True Story of the Hunt for Rajiv Gandhi’s Assassins begins on Gandhi s last day Gandhi (Rajiv Kumar) arrives in Sriperumbudur late into the night A group of Tamil Tigers led by the one-eyed Sivarasan (Shafeeq Mustafa), is patiently waiting for him
In the first of several miracles for the inquiry led by Kaarthikeyan (Amit Sial), a still camera containing photographs of the perpetrators survives the blast even though the photographer Haribabu doesn t Haribabu (Vishnu G Warrier) is one of many local LTTE sympathisers instructed to capture the impact of the suicide attack for propaganda purposes
The contours of Sivarasan’s plot soon comes into view Kaarthikeyan and his core teammates – Amit (Sahil Vaid) Ragothaman (Bagavathi Perumal) Amod Kant (Danish Iqbal) Radhavinod (Girish Sharma) and Ravindran (Vidyut Garg) – assiduously track down and interrogate the plotters Sivarasan and his hardened aides manage to evade capture Mounting pressure leads to the deployment of custodial beatings and even the threat of rape
The early episodes of The Hunt have a rough time setting up
the conspiracy without boring viewers The dialogue switches between Tamil and Hindi, with Kaarthikeyan – a Tamilian in real life – bizarrely shown as a Hindi speaker (Some aspects of Sivarasan s dastardly scheme and the manhunt have already inspired plot points in The Family Man s second season, in which an ex-LTTE operative tries to carry out one last mission ) After its initial clumsiness, The Hunt gets down to business The screenplay by Nagesh Kukunoor, Rohit Banawlikar and Sriram Rajan gradually attains the rigour of an engaging police procedural Pedestrian lines such as The Gandhi family is very unlucky and Rajiv Gandhi must go! (attributed to Prabhakaran, played by Jyothish MG) make way for the dogged pursuit of a formidable adversary
There are just about enough details of the larger political backdrop to satisfy the mildly curious viewer The events explored over seven episodes remain sensitive with unverified theories about the assassination still floating around The show s creators sidestep the minefields presented by pro-LTTE sentiment within Tamil Nadu, or the role, if any, played by politicians in delaying the capture of the fugitives This welcome lack of sensationalism does dilute the absurdity of the circumstances surrounding Sivarasan s end game
The absence of finger-pointing does not preclude attempts to understand the ideology of the Tigers A character observes that “One man’s hero is another man’s terrorist” – a reworking of an oft-quoted line from Gerald Seymour ’s novel Harry s Game
Although Sivarasan is portrayed as a comic book villain, his commitment to his cause, which is matched by the other Tigers, is unmistakeable Parallels are drawn between the camaraderie within Kaarthikeyan’s group and the solidarity between Sivarasan and his comrades Amit
Sahil Vaid and Vidyut Garg as government officials bound by rules but not always contained by them The overall feeling is of a job well done despite the hiccups and the meddling The motives behind the political double-dealing and Indian links to the storied separatist movement are left to other,
QamaR BashiR
Punjab government's comprehensive arrangements for Muharramul Haram
and his loyal
China welcomes progress in Russia-Afghan interim government ties: spokesperson
strength and resilience for all women
Alongside Bibi Khadija (A S) and Bibi Fatima (A S) Bibi Zainab (A S) stand
ond year the Maryam Nawaz-led government has proactively made extensive arrangements ahead of Ashura Roads and streets along procession routes have been repaired, and hazardous electric wiring has been secured in advance in key areas where mourning activities will take place
In a significant shift in governance for the first time police and district administration officials are personally visiting licensed organizers of Majalis and processions, listening to their concerns, and ensuring all necessary facilitation All arrangements are being made in full consultation with license holders keeping them on board at every step
Information Azma Bukhari has played a key role Her thoughtful recommendations regarding Muharram arrangements were wholeheartedly approved by the Chief Minister, leading to the successful implementation of widespread measures across the province To counter any threats of
For the first time, under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz special arrangements have been made to provide langar (free food) and cold beverages for the participants of Muharram processions and Majalis Now in its sec-
Moreover special water stalls have been set up across Punjab for the comfort of mourners, and water spraying along the procession routes will help mitigate the effects of the summer heat This proactive and inclusive approach to public service reflects the personal commitment of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz who is directly overseeing these arrangements to ensure that the needs of the Shiite community and all mourners are met with dignity and respect The role of Punjab’s Inspector General of Police and the Chief Secretary has been pivotal as both senior officials are closely monitoring these preparations Additionally, Punjab s Minister for
conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Berlin Responding to a question about European companies concerns over China s rare earth export controls, Wang emphasized that it is a sovereign right and international responsibility for any country to impose necessary regulations on dual-use items
goods that can serve both civilian and military purposes China s policy is consistent with international practices, and contributes to safeguarding global peace and stability, Wang said He highlighted that as long as export control regulations are followed and the
proper procedures are completed the normal demands of European enterprises will be met Wang noted that Chinese authorities have also established a “fast track” mechanism to facilitate exports to European companies Certain forces are deliberately hyping this matter between China and Europe with ulterior motives Wang stressed ON UKRAINE CRISIS Regarding the Ukraine crisis, Wang said China has consistently advocated for peace talks to solve the crisis and welcomes the efforts of all parties to reach a comprehensive lasting and binding peace agreement Wang said China s position on the Ukraine crisis has been open and consistent, and includes peace talks, not providing lethal weapons to the parties in the conflict and controling the export of (civilian/military) dual-use items including drones strictly China has not only fulfilled its international responsibilities but also initiated the “Friends of Peace” group with Brazil
and other Global South countries at the United Nations, mobilizing greater efforts for a ceasefire and ending the conflict, Wang said, adding that China’s objective and fair position has been widely recognized by the international community Although there are still major differences in the positions of the parties concerned it is better to talk than to fight, he said The history of Europe over the past centuries has proved that no matter how complex and difficult the situation is, the door to peace and reconciliation should not be closed Wang said China welcomes all parties to play a constructive role in promoting the conclusion of a comprehensive, lasting and binding peace agreement, building a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture and achieving enduring peace and stability in Europe at an early date Wang added ON 50 YEARS OF CHINA-EU TIES
Noting that this year mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union (EU) Wang said the positioning of China-EU relations should be that of partnership the mainstream tone
should be cooperation the key value should be independence, and the development prospects should be win-win Stressing that China-EU ties will only move forward he said China’s policy toward the EU remains stable and continuous We support European integration and its strategic autonomy he said adding that China supports Europe in becoming an important pole in a multipolar world Wang said China is accelerating its high-level opening up and creating a more market-oriented law-based and internationalized business environment On global and regional conflicts China insists on a political solution through dialogue and consultation, opposes the use of force and unilateral sanctions, and adheres to the principle of non-interference in others’ internal affairs safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries especially small and medium-sized countries, said the Chinese foreign minister China is willing to share opportunities with all countries, including Europ e a n
with China to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind he added
Saif awan
CORPORATE CORNER
Oand their
German
The German Consul General Dr Rüdiger Lotz has said that he is leaving Pakistan especially Karachi with many fond memories During my three-year tenure, I learned a lot about Karachi I received immense warmth and affection here, which I will never forget,” he remarked while addressing a farewell dinner hosted by the Economic Diplomacy Forum and Hashimi Group at a local club where he was the chief guest Prominent businessman Zubair MotiwalaChairman BMG and host Dr Muhammad Farooq Afzal also spoke on the occasion The chief guest was presented with a shield by Dr Muhammad Farooq Afzal, and a gift pack was presented by Hashmi Group Chairman Dr Rashid Hashmi The event was attended by a number of distinguished guests including Consul General of Japan Hattori Masaru Consul General of China Yang Yundong Consul General of Türkiye Cemal Sangu, Consul General of Sri Lanka Jagath Kumara, Consul General of Iraq Mehr Mujahid Gijan, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh Mahboob Alam Head of Trade Mission of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Bich Thao Deputy Consul General of the USA Amy Hood Deputy Consul General of Oman Abdullah Juma Honorary Consul General of Malawi Abdullah Zaki, Honorary Consul General of Ivory Coast Fazal Dadabhoy, Honorary Consul of the Philippines Imran Yousuf Jofa,Honorary Consul General of Ethiopia Ibrahim Tawab other prominent attendees included Home Secretary Iqbal Memon Parvez Madraswala Moeenuddin Haider Qazi Asad Abid Athar Iqbal Majyed Aziz Kaleem Farooqui Mahboob A Khan Gaiti Khurram Ms HudaGarib Zubair Chhaya Shehla Rashid Hashmi, Syed Turab Shah, and others
SYED AFSAR SAJID
Famed poets and intellectuals Iqtidar Javed and Prof Dr Sh Muhammad Iqbal have lately brought out their aforesaid verse collections (‘Luhu Lal Ghari: Marsiye’ and ‘Bay Baalo-Par ) on spiritual and secular themes in the wake of a humming upsurge in the domain of Urdu poetic creativity
‘Luhu Lal Ghari: (Marsiye)’
Iqtidar Javed is a versatile writer Nazm ghazal criticism and column writing are his favourite areas of self-expression and social communication The instant book adds another laurel to his numerous literary acquisitions, viz marsiya (an elegy intended to mourn a martyr, more specifically martyrs of Karbala) Epic tragedy and lament are its three major ingredients
Traditionally marsiya in Arabic Persian and Urdu is considered as a literary genre intended to sanctify and commemorate the supreme sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his valiant companions in Karbala Structurally as a literary genre
marsiya bears the following features: face (preamble) figure (character portrayal), departure (for the battleground), arrival (in the battleground), ‘rajaz’ (narration of the
plan has been finalized to
ful conduct of mourning processions and Majalis on 9th and 10th of Muharramul Haram and more than 147 000 officers and personnel of Punjab Police will perform security duties across the province Sharing details of the security plan, a Punjab Police spokesperson stated, On Ashura, a total of 4,418 mourning processions will be taken out across the province and 6,667 Majalis will be held In the provincial capital 125 mourning processions will be taken out and 605 Majalis will be held More than 62,000 community volunteers will assist the 147,000 police personnel in security arrangements for Majalis and mourning processions on Ashura ” he added The Punjab Police spokesperson informed that in Lahore more than 10,000 police officers and personnel have been deployed for the security of mourning processions
and Majalis
While providing details about the security arrangements for 8th Muharram he said that more than 58 000 officers and personnel performed security duties for mourning processions and Majalis across the province, including Lahore On the 8th of Muharramul Haram, more than 3,600 police officers and personnel were deployed for security in the provincial capital Across the province 1 365 mourning processions and 3 940 Majalis were held In Lahore on the occasion of 8th Muharram, 86 mourning processions were taken out and 416 Majalis were held Across the province more than 27 000 community volunteers assisted in the security arrangements for Majalis and mourning processions
On the other hand, Punjab IG Police Dr Usman Anwar expressed the hope that peaceful conduct of Ashura event will be ensured with the cooperation of religious scholars community leaders security agencies and other institutions
The security remains on high
alert throughout the province, and implementation of Section 144 imposed by the Government of Punjab is being ensured while aerial firing display of weapons promotion of hateful content and incitement are strictly being monitored the IG police stated
He said that all activities are being closely monitored through cameras of Safe Cities Authority and district administration adding that CTD Special Branch Traffic Police Dolphin Squad and PERU along with other field formations have been deployed for Muharram security duty Dr Anwar directed officers to ensure strict implementation of the Loudspeaker Act and a carry out a vigorous crackdown on those promoting hateful content on social media must be ensured The IGP said that control rooms established in all districts are connected with the Central Police Office control room and remain in constant contact RPOs CPOs and DPOs should themselves go into the field and monitor the security arrangements for Youm-e-Ashura
heroics of the martyrs), battle (epic), martyrdom (sacrifice), and finally mourning the martyrs Dedicated to his late elder sister Fatima Sirajuddin (1938-72) the book in view enfolds marsiyas (elegiac laments) describing the personages events and sacrifices relating to the Tragedy of Karbala, interspersed with na at, salam, manqabat, rajaz and nauha
The book carries a flap scribed by a veteran Indian Urdu poet and literary scholar Sheen Kaaf Nizam (aka Shiv Kishan Bissa – b 1947) who has made a concise yet detailed probe into the poetic skills of Iqtidar Javed considering him a gifted poet of nazm which as a genre often flourishes in pursuit of an empyrean sublime such as we notice in the latter Nizam believes that as a marsiya-nigar Iqtidar owes his creative versatility to this phenomenon
Noted poet Nazir Qaiser has written an engaging foreword to the book He terms Iqtidar Javed’s poetic intuition as ‘kashf ’ - a ‘sufi concept dealing with knowledge of the heart rather than of the intellect It is related to disclosure which leads to gaining familiarity with things unseen behind the veils’ Thus to Nazir Qaiser, Iqtidar Javed is a true mystic of the Zeitgeist
Poetr y : Spiritual and Terrene
Iftikhar Arif ’s flap further authenticates Iqtidar Javed s art as a marsiya-nigar in the tradition set by Quli Qutub Shah (1565-1612), ruler of Golconda (Hyderabad Deccan), tracking down to, among many, Zameer and Khalique, Meer Anees and Mirza Dabeer and then the past century ushering the renaissance of marsiya as reflected in the elegiac poetry
of Syed Aal-e-Raza Josh Jamil Mazhari Nasim Amrohvi Saba Akbarabadi Faiz Ummeed Fazli Mustafa Zaidi, Mohsin Naqvi, Hilal Naqvi, and Iqtidar Javed the author of the present work with a symbolic title denoting the momentous shedding of pietistic blood exemplifying martyrdom Iqidar Javed has employed the
technique of nazm in his marsiya that enables him to enrich its intellectual content His stylistic innovations in the structural pattern of the genre are verily appreciable The book is sure to draw a wide reading clientele representing both, the initiated and uninitiated ‘Bay Baal-o-Par’ (The hapless) Prof Dr Sh Muhammad Iqbal (Tamgha-i-Imtiaz) is a well-known trilingual (Urdu English Punjabi) writer, poet, and critic He has so far published eleven collections of poetry, three books of criticism, and ten books of prose besides an autobiography and a book on Allama Iqbal in the pipeline His is a story of pure valour and resilience in the face of heavy odds that he has had to forbear as a visually handicapped person The book carries commendatory flaps by Dr Najeeba Arif, Chairperson PAL poet Nazir Qaiser and late Prof Dr AB Ashraf of Ankara University Turkiye Other than that literary luminaries like Prof Fateh Muhammad Malik, Naseem Sahar, Prof Hasan Askari Kazmi, Prof Anwar Jamal, Shahid Bokhari et al have also added their considered im-
pressions of the person and art of Dr Iqbal, in the book which is a collection of his miscellaneous poetic work encompassing hamd, na’at, salam ghazal nazm qit’a hiko and fardiyaat The poet s couplet Aankh
TECP announces schedule for long-delayed Senate elections in KP and Punjab
ISLAMABAD
in Azad Jammu and Kashmir s (AJK) Neelum Valley rescue and administration officials confirmed According to rescuers, the
dent occurred at a sharp
Neelum Valley Road near Chilyana village some 50-km northeast of Muzaffarabad Neelum Valley District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) Akhtar Ayoub informed the media that shortly after Friday prayers, a vehicle went out of the driver’s control while negotiating a dangerous curve near Chilyana “It veered off the road and rolled down the mountain slope but stopped just short of falling into the river he added Ayoub said that upon receiving reports about the incident, a Rescue 1122 emergency unit was immediately dispatched from the district headquarters in Athmuqam Police personnel army troops and a large number of local residents also reached the scene and took part in the recovery operation,” he said
in the crowded and historically under-regulated area of Lyari Efforts to prevent such incidents in the future will be a key focus of the investigation and response
During the operation the bodies of five women and one man were recovered and transported by Rescue 1122 to a nearby army unit in Nauseri, where they were identified and handed over to the bereaved family Ayoub outlined According to Ayoub the deceased hailed from Botha Tanda a village on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, and were on their way to Jura town in the valley to visit relatives They were identified as Ameer Khan 65; his wife Gulshan Bibi 50; his daughters Naima Bibi 23 and Mishal Bibi 21; and his relatives Sundas 27 and Halima Basheer 27 Meanwhile, AJK Prime Minis-
ter Chaudhry Anwarul Haq Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar, Minister for Law Mian Abdul Waheed, and PML-N regional president Shah Ghulam Qadir expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss of lives In their condolence messages they extended sympathies to the bereaved family and urged motorists to exercise extra caution while driving on the region’s mountainous roads In May an assistant director three inspectors and a constable of the AJK police lost their lives when their vehicle plunged into a deep ravine in the Poonch division
Pakistan, Russia agree to step up effor ts for road, rail connec tivity through C ASs
ISLAMABAD S ta f f r e p o r t
Pakistan and Russia have agreed to collaborate on the establishment of a robust rail and road network to link Pakistan with Russia through the Central Asian States (CASs) providing landlocked states direct access to warm waters
The agreement was reached
during a high-level meeting between Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan and Russian Federation s Deputy Minister of Transport Andrey Sergeyevich Nikitin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial conference held recently in Tianjin, China
The two leaders emphasized accelerating infrastructure devel-
g AGREEMENT SIGNED IN SHUSHA IN PRESENCE OF PM SHEHBAZ; FINAL DEAL TO FOLLOW DURING AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT ’S PAKISTAN VISIT
opment across the region to facilitate trade and economic integration The initiative aims to transform Pakistan into a strategic transit hub by enhancing trade corridors and logistical routes extending to Russia and Central Asia
Highlighting Pakistan s ongoing modernization efforts, Federal Minister Khan said the country is digitizing its transport infrastructure, introducing barrier-free motorways mandatory e-tagging and comprehensive CCTV surveillance He stated that these reforms are part of Pakistan s broader goal to optimize regional connectivity and cross-border trade
Deputy Minister Nikitin acknowledged the potential of Pakistan-Russia cooperation in transforming regional trade dynamics and reaffirmed Russia s commitment to pursuing joint transport and infrastructure projects with Pakistan
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the relationship between Pakistan and Iran emphasizing the importance of cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including trade, security, and regional stability It is notable that the Prime Minister is in Azerbaijan leading Pakistan’s delegation for the 17th ECO Summit which was held on July 3-4 2025 This summit brought together representatives from member countries to discuss regional cooperation and address shared challenges S ta f f r e p o r t Pakistan, Iran FMs disc uss c urrent developments in region at ECO S ummit
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Friday met Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi where they discussed the current status and developments in the region The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 17th ECO Summit in Khankendi Azerbaijan During the discussions the two leaders agreed to keep each other updated on any developments that might occur in the region ensuring continuous dialogue between both countries