G O V T F O C U S I N G O N E X PA N D I N G TA X B A S E , R E D U C I N G TA X B U R D E N O N P O O R : P M
IFJ urges CJP to review PECA Law, citing threats to journalists, press freedom
ISLAMABAD
s ta f f r
r t International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has written a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan expressing concern over the challenges faced by journalists in the country, particularly under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) The letter, also sent to the prime minister and the chief justice of
Naqvi attends trilateral talks in Tehran on pilgrims ’ issues, border concerns
countries Naqvi emphasized that the trilateral talks would play a significant role in easing the issues concerning pilgrims and border management Naqvi also conveyed his best wishes to Iran s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian during his discussions with Iranian officials The Iranian Interior Minister expressed confidence that Naqvi s visit would strengthen the relations between
Pakistan and Iran Upon arrival at Tehran s Imam Khomeini International Airport, Naqvi was warmly welcomed by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni The trilateral meeting was convened at Pakistan s request to facilitate cooperation on these pressing issues
Zulfi Bukhari to testify before US Congress body on ‘political repression’ in Pakistan
LONDON s ta f f r e p o r t
PTI leader Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari a former aide to ex-premier Imran Khan, is set to offer testimony on political repression in Pakistan before the United States Congress’ Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission it emerged on Monday
According to its website the bipartisan commission was established in 2008 and is charged with promoting, defending and advocating for international human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights instruments The commission s hearing no-
tice states that the session will take place on Tuesday (tomorrow) at 3:30pm (12:30am PKT on Wednesday) and will “examine the government of Pakistan’s persecution of opposition political figures and journalists and its actions to control media communications and prevent free and fair elections in Pakistan” The session is open to the public and the media
“Many date the current phase of repression in Pakistan to 2022 when with the involvement of the Pakistan military popular Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted, and soon after, arrested, convicted of corruption and imprisoned,” the notice read
Parliamentary elections in February 2024 were, according to the US State Department, marked by ‘undue restrictions on freedoms of expression association and peaceful assembly as well as electoral violence and restrictions on the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms , it added The commission provided a list of witnesses who would provide testimony during Tuesday’s hearing Besides Bukhari the list includes Amnesty International s Advocacy Director for Europe and Central Asia, Ben Linden; Perseus Strategies Managing Director Jared Genser; and Afghanistan Impact Network founder Sadiq Amini
FBR to suspend registration of terminal operators failing to meet infrastructure standards
M o n i to r i n g D e s k The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced that it will suspend or cancel the registration of terminal operators at sea ports off-dock terminals dry ports, or land border stations if they fail to meet minimum requirements for infrastructure, information technology, and documentation The decision follows the issuance of Customs General Order (CGO) 7 of 2025 which aims to strengthen the monitoring and supervision of terminal operators According to FBR s procedures, terminal operators must comply with rule 548 of the Customs Rules,
2001 which mandates minimum standards in infrastructure secure environment, examination facilities, IT systems, and documentation FBR also clarified that off-dock terminal operators must adhere to the same standards as those outlined in rule 554A and follow guidelines provided by FBR in July 2024 These provisions are also applicable to dry ports and land border stations that are registered as terminal operators within the Customs Computerized System (CCS)
To enforce these regulations the FBR has outlined specific measures for regular inspection Every six months, the concerned regulatory col-
lectorate will inspect the terminal operators to ensure they meet the required standards The inspection report will detail whether each requirement has been met If deficiencies are found, terminal operators will be given 15 days to address the issues and submit a compliance report Failure to comply will result in the suspension or cancellation of the operator s registration, as per rule 553 of the Customs Rules, 2001 and Section 155F of the Customs Act, 1969 However if the terminal operator fulfills the requirements their registration will be reinstated The regulatory collectorate will submit a compliance report to FBR every six months
foLLowinG dEaL with indUStRy
CM Murad sets firm deadlines for major Karachi road projec ts
efficient link between the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (M-9) and the N-5 significantly reducing travel time and facilitating cargo movement from Port Qasim to the motorway network and key provincial destinations
pressway features six interchanges, toll plazas and other modern amenities aimed at boosting traffic efficiency and industrial connectivity
is nearing completion The project is being developed into a four-lane dual carriageway to replace the older congested routes that have long obstructed industrial and commercial traffic “This project is set to transform connectivity for freight and commuter traffic between Port Qasim Karachi’s industrial zones and the broader national highway network CM Murad remarked Once completed the 22kilometre corridor will provide a direct,
The Rs3 53 billion project is being executed in collaboration with the National Highway Authority (NHA) and Frontier Works Organization (FWO) Notable progress has been made on the new interchange at kilometre 34+740 of the M-9 The interchange construction has been divided into three segments: Southbound, bridge over M-9, and Northbound The Southbound section is expected to be completed by next month CM Murad instructed the PPP Unit to finish the Southbound portion in time for a formal opening on July 25 He also announced that the old link road would be permanently closed once the new route is opened to traffic Work on the bridge and Northbound sections began on April 24 and is progressing steadily The CM directed that the full interchange be completed by October 2025 to further improve traffic flow on the M-9
Meanwhile, the 39-kilometre Shahrah-e-Bhutto Expressway an access-controlled three-lane highway linking DHA to the M-9 near Kathore is 82% complete The ex-
The segment from Qayyumabad to Quaidabad is 99% finished, while work on the Quaidabad-to-Kathore stretch has reached 65% completion Interchanges at EBM Shah Faisal and Quaidabad are complete with steady progress being made at Jam Sadiq and Memon Goth despite delays from utility relocation and concurrent Yellow Line corridor construction The Samo Goth elevated section spanning 4 kilometres over the Malir riverbed to protect local villages has achieved 48% physical progress since its launch in August 2024 Preparations for the Kathore Interchange on the M-9 are also underway, with the Finance Department having approved a competitive bidding process Progress is also underway on the Rs6 1 billion Korangi Causeway Bridge which is 80% complete The 26-meter wide structure is expected to be finished by November 2025 Administrative approval has been granted for the junction linking Shahrah-e-Bhutto with the Korangi Causeway, with tenders issued and construction set to begin by mid-August Once operational the current causeway road will be decommissioned
M o n i to r i n g D e s k The National Highway Authority (NHA) has rejected allegations regarding irregularities in the awarding of the ADBfunded Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Tranche 3 project formally submitting a detailed status report to the Prime Minister s Office The project, which involves the construction of an additional two-lane carriageway along the 330 km stretch of National Highway N-55 from Rajanpur to Dera Ismail Khan is financed under ADB Loan No 4416-PAK The NHA clarified that the entire procurement process adhered to strict ADB guidelines and was carried out under the ADB Prior Review Mechanism, requiring prior approval from ADB at every stage both technical and financial In response to claims of awarding the project to a blacklisted firm the NHA asserted that the successful consortium comprising M/s Ningxia Communications Construction Co Ltd (NXCC) of China, along with local partners M/s Rustam Associates (RA) and M/s Dynamic Constructors (DC) was not blacklisted by any Pakistani agency including the NHA FBR PEC PPRA or the donor agency The NHA emphasized that these firms were in good standing with the Pakistan Engineering Council and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), with the local partners being registered in the “No Limit” category with PEC The NHA also addressed concerns regarding NXCC s performance on the Lodhran–Multan project noting
China, India leaders vow to be par tners as members of Global S outh
R t
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Monday met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Beijing Han said last October Chinese President Xi Jinping had a successful meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kazan leading China-India relations to a new starting point Noting that China and India are both major developing countries and important members of the Global South Han said it is the right choice for both sides to be
eU warns of tariffs on $84b in Us goods if trade talks fail
Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff Araghchi and Witkoff had previously failed to conclude a deal after five rounds of talks that began in April and were the highest-level contact between the two countries since Washington abandoned a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018 The Omani-mediated negotiations were halted as Israel launched its surprise attack on Iranian nuclear and military facilities on June 13 with the United States later joining its ally and carrying out limited strikes
We have been serious in diplomacy and the negotiation process, we entered with good faith, but as everyone witnessed, before the sixth round the Zionist regime, in coordination with the United States, committed military aggression against Iran " Baqaei said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a statement on Monday that Iran supports diplomacy and constructive engagement We continue to believe that the window for diplomacy remains open, and we will seriously pursue this peaceful path " Israel and Western nations accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has consistently denied While it is the only non-nuclear weapons power to enrich uranium to 60-percent purity -- close to the level needed for a warhead -- the UN s atomic energy watchdog has said it had no indication Iran was working to weaponise its stockpiles
CORPORATE CORNER
istration continue to eliminate inflation profiteering and encroachments?
of terror for the oppressor I thank Allah Almighty for making the idea of PERA a reality a few months earlier In a short period of eight months, the idea of establishing PERA has become a reality ” She said, “I felt profound happiness to see the training and preparation of the PERA force She highlighted After becoming CM I realized that there was no formal institution in Punjab to control inflation, hoarding and profiteering The services of the Commissioner, DC and Revenue Department were taken for price control management How long will the admin-
ruption in mega projects She further remarked that even PTI's voters have acknowledged that development funds in KP have been swallowed by corruption Ali Amin Gandapur has now emerged as the de facto Chairman
of the Loot Association, she quipped “Ironically, his cabinet members, while travelling on GT Road have themselves witnessed the progress and prosperity unfolding in Punjab Highlighting Punjab s governance, Azma Bokhari praised Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, stating that she has established a practical model of merit transparency and good governance in the province Every small and large project in Punjab is being completed with complete transparency, and no one can raise a finger on Maryam Nawaz’s development agenda,” she said Bokhari concluded by stating that under Maryam Nawaz s leadership Punjab is setting new benchmarks in development integrity, and public service, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to suffer under hollow slogans and rhetorical speeches
leadership of Ali Amin Gandapur
Meezan Bank and The Hunar Foundation Join Hands Under ‘Meezan Justuju’ to Bridge the
