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 e p o
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 the Islamabad High Court
Naqvi attends trilateral talks in Tehran on pilgrims ’ issues, border concerns
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
A z
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
The Rs3 53 billion project is being executed in collaboration with the National Highway Authority (NHA) and Frontier Works Organization (FWO)
pressway features six interchanges, toll plazas and other modern amenities aimed at boosting traffic efficiency and industrial connectivity
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,
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 that all issues had been resolved
Trenowned sets a stratospheric benchmark with total costs nearing Rs 20-25 million for the MBBS program even newer entrants in smaller
cities command Rs 100 000-150 000 monthly contrast this with the nominal fees of public colleges (Rs 30,000-100,000 per year), which are impossibly competitive, accepting only a tiny fraction of qualified applicants The private sector theoretically offering an alternative path has instead become an exclusive gated community for the affluent transforming the MBBS degree into a luxury good This predatory pricing becomes even more grotesque when viewed internationally Pakistan’s private MBBS costs are wildly out of sync with global averages especially considering the country s GDP per capita:
1 CHINA: Prestigious universities like Peking Union Medical college or Fudan University offer MBBS programs taught in english for international students for $3 000 - $6 000 USD per year (approx Rs 840 000 - Rs 1 68 million annually) Total cost: $15 000 - $30 000 USD (Rs 4 2M - Rs 8 4M) Significantly cheaper than Pakistan s private sector
2 UNITED KINGDOM: Among the world’s most expensive Annual tuition for international students at universities like imperial college London or University college London ranges from £35,000 - £45,000+ (approx Rs 12 25M - Rs 15 712 2per year) Total cost: £175,000 - £225,000+ (Rs 61MRs 79M+) While astronomically high these are globally elite institutions with vastly superior resources infrastructure research output and graduate earning
potential globally Pakistani private colleges offer none of this comparative advantage
3 UNITED STATES: Similar to the UK, top-tier private universities like Johns Hopkins or Harvard charge $60 000$80 000+ USD per year (Rs
vestments often prioritize cosmetic appeal over functional educational tools Regulation by bodies like the Pakistan Medical and Dental council (PMDc) has been weak and inconsistent, failing to curb rampant profiteering or rigorously enforce minimum standards The justification of
4 CIS STATES (RUSSIA UKRAINE KYRGYZSTAN KAZAKHSTAN): Historically popular with Pakistani students due to affordability Reputable universities like RUDn University (Moscow), crimea Federal University (Simferopol) or Kyrgyz State Medical Academy (Bishkek) charge $3 000$7 000 USD per year (approx Rs 840 000 - Rs 1 96M annually) Total cost: $15,000 - $35,000 USD (Rs 4 2M - Rs 9 8M) Often cheaper than Pakistani private colleges, despite the added costs of travel and living abroad The Pakistani private medical education model isn t just expensive; it s fundamentally broken and ethically compromised The exorbitant fees bear little relation to actual educational quality or resource investment Many colleges operate with skeletal permanent faculty relying heavily on poorly paid visiting lecturers or overburdened consultants infrastructure in-
bl e i n t e r n a t i o n a l b e n ch m a r k s , i s n a t i o n a l s e l f - s a b o t ag e I t d e e p e n s i n e q u i t y, f u e l s b r a i n d r a i n , a n d c o r ro d e s t h e e t h o s o f m e d i c i n e T h e s o l u t i o n d e m a n d s u rg e n t , mu l t i - p ro n g e d a c t i o n : S t ro n g e r, t r a n s p a r e n t r e g u l a t i o n by t h e P M
already
The
a $9 4 billion rescission package (i e cancellation of previously appropriated spending) Though much of the attention given to these cuts involves the effort to kill public broadcasting, $8 3 billion in savings actually come from
foreign-aid accounts The one that has drawn most fire in the Senate which has until July 18 to approve these rescissions involves the President s emergency Plan for AiDS Relief, a major legacy initiative of the George W Bush administration More generally the rescissions and the mass State Department firings should be seen as part and parcel of Team Trump s efforts to reorient
The favours behind corruption
TH e R e are 123 billionaires living in new York city Zohran Mamdani the socially and economically advantaged socialist boy who’s apparently never held a real job and is busy stoking class warfare as he campaigns to be the city s next mayor says they shouldn t exist Voters need to know that their city can get along just fine without Mamdani But it would fall into a raging hellhole without billionaires
“i don’t think that we should have billionaires because frankly it is so much money in a moment of such inequality and ultimately what we need more of is equality across our city and across our state and across our country,” Mamdani said last month on nBc’s “Meet the Press ” The views of an imbecile or of a performative politician feeding his ego and trying to make up for a life of mostly idleness, apparently appeal to Gotham voters Mamdani easily won the Democratic primary and is for now the favorite to win the general election in the fall For those who aren t familiar with Mamdani, or need a refresher, he is a Democratic Socialist with Marxist urges that he doesn’t try to hide As we noted last week: Like Karl Marx the privileged Mamdani who calls himself a BMW Bolshevik sees the world through the lens of class struggle The platform of the Democratic Socialists of America, of which he is a member, ‘fights’ for ‘the abolition of capitalism as well as the ‘social ownership of all major industry and infrastructure two Marxist
AreeBA FAhAd
the Paris Agreement
China, India leaders vow to be par tners as members of Global S outh
BEIJING s ta f f R e p o 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 partners contributing to each other s success Han called on both sides to further implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries adhere to the high-level guidance steadily advance pragmatic cooperation respect each other s concerns, and promote the sustained healthy and
EU warns of tariffs on $84b in US goods if trade talks fail
from Russian air strikes
"It's a full complement with the batteries," Trump said "We re going to have some come very
soon, within days a couple of the countries that have Patriots are going to swap over and will replace the Patriots with the ones they have Some or all of 17 Patriot batteries ordered by other countries could be sent to Ukraine very quickly", he said His threat to impose so-called secondary sanctions on Russia, if carried out, would be a major shift in Western sanctions policy Lawmakers from both political parties in the United States are pushing for a bill that would authorise
istration continue to eliminate inflation profiteering and encroachments?
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 Skills-to-Job
AURANG ZEB V O W S TO TRANSFO RM MACRO ECO NO
imposes ban on new
notification from the Hunza Division Deputy Commissioner no new no-objection certificates (NOCs) for construction or expansion of commercial or residential structures will be issued in the areas surrounding Attabad, Borit, and Duiker lakes This includes a complete ban on construction near Duiker Lake citing the area’s fragile mountain ecology and limited carrying capacity Similarly the Baltistan Division Deputy Commissioner issued a separate notification enforcing a region-wide moratorium on new hotel constructions in ecologically sensitive areas, emphasizing compliance with the Ecologically Sensitive and Critical Areas Rules of 2023
The concerns over the impact of tourism on the region s environment were raised in a GB-EPA report which identified several areas in Skardu including Upper and Lower Kachura Lakes and several other local hotspots, where unchecked hotel construction had begun to damage the ecosystem These regions are now under scrutiny for environmental violations The GB-EPA also raised alarm over the deteriorating environmental
and Special
Power outages, flash floods hit multiple cities as rain continues across Pakistan
Widespread rainfall continues to affect various regions of Pakistan causing significant disruption to daily life with power outages and flash floods reported in several cities
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the current weather spell is expected to persist until July 17
In Lahore the rain brought relief from the intense heat reducing humidity levels but it also caused several power breakdowns across the city Multiple areas experienced electricity outages due to tripped feeders
The rain also caused water to accumulate on streets with poor drainage systems exacerbating the situation
The temperature dropped to a minimum of 27 C and a maximum of 33°C is expected in the coming days
Faisalabad also experienced rainfall, accompanied by a light breeze, which eased the heat and made the weather pleasant for resi-
dents However the rain turned heavier in other parts of Punjab including Dera Ghazi Khan Kamalia and Kohlu, causing significant flooding in low-lying areas In Dera Ghazi Khan and Taunsa water entered homes and shops forcing people to move to safer locations In Kamalia roads including those around the courts the Assistant Commissioner s office, and Iqbal Bazaar, were submerged Several electricity feeders tripped, leaving large parts of the area without power The sewage system near Mamu Kanjan Road also collapsed further complicating the situation for residents In the eastern parts of Taunsa, over 20 villages were submerged, displacing families and prompting them to seek refuge in safer places
Despite claims from local administrations that arrangements are in place many residents remain hesitant to leave their homes, as floodwaters have blocked roads, trapping people and their livestock
in dangerous conditions Meanwhile in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) the Met Office has forecasted rain for several districts including Peshawar Nowshera Mardan Charsadda and Swabi Flash floods are expected in local streams and landslides in areas such as Chitral, Swat, Shangla, and Buner Authorities have advised the public to stay on high alert especially in the upper regions where the risk of landslides is higher In the northern areas of Pakistan, including KP s mountainous regions, the rainfall has been particularly intense, and flash floods have caused extensive damage The public has been urged to exercise caution with ongoing efforts from the local administrations to provide relief In Sindh and Balochistan, conditions remain hot and humid, with light rain expected in cities like Sukkur and Larkana Though the rainfall may not be as severe as in the northern regions there is still a risk of localized flooding and residents are advised to remain cautious
The ongoing rainfall and flash floods have caused significant damage to infrastructure, including roads, power lines and drainage systems leading to widespread disruption Emergency services local authorities and relief teams are working to assist affected communities, but the situation remains tense as more rainfall is expected Local administrations are also focusing on ensuring that flood-prone areas are monitored and that flood relief is swiftly provided to those in need
