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INDIA DEFEATED DIRECTLY, NOW FUNDING TERROR PROXIES, SAYS DG ISPR Saturday, 1 August, 2026 | 17 Safar, 1448
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MILITARY SAYS PROXY WARFARE INTENSIFIED AFTER INDIA FAILED TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES THROUGH DIRECT CONFRONTATION GOOD GOVERNANCE, CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS AND STRONGER INSTITUTIONS VITAL FOR LASTING NATIONAL SECURITY
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OVER 40,000 INTELLIGENCE-BASED OPERATIONS THIS YEAR; 2,084 TERRORISTS ELIMINATED NATIONWIDE
More than 31,000 operations were carried out in Balochistan alone, underscoring the province's central role in Pakistan's security strategy. The operations, he said, resulted in the elimination of 2,084 confirmed terrorists, averaging 10 militants killed every day—the highest operational ratio achieved in the country's history. However, he acknowledged that Pakistan continued to pay a heavy price for peace. Terrorist attacks this year have claimed the lives of 819 Pakistanis, including 303 soldiers, 194 police and other law enforcement personnel, and 322 civilians. According to official figures, 3,145
PPP says new provinces must follow constitutional process
terrorist incidents have been recorded nationwide during 2026, with 1,971 occurring in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,148 in Balochistan, and 26 elsewhere in the country. Despite these figures, Lt. Gen. Chaudhry insisted that the operational balance had shifted decisively in Pakistan's favour. "The ratio has changed," he explained, noting that while terrorists once inflicted greater losses on security forces, Pakistan now neutralises more than two militants for every martyr, demonstrating what he described as the growing effectiveness of intelligencedriven operations.
The DG ISPR argued that the changing pattern of terrorism reflected a broader strategic shift by Pakistan's adversaries. According to him, hostile elements had intensified terrorist attacks after failing to achieve their objectives through direct means. He alleged that India had increasingly invested in proxy militant organisations, combining terrorism with psychological warfare and digital propaganda in an attempt to destabilise Pakistan from within. He claimed that every terrorist incident was rapidly followed by a carefully orchestrated online campaign involving militant organisations, foreign-based digital networks and Indian media platforms designed to magnify fear, undermine public confidence and project an exaggerated image of instability. Describing the mechanism, Lt Gen Chaudhry said incidents were first circulated through coordinated social media accounts before being amplified by Indian news outlets and eventually echoed by sections of international media. He cited the July 16 terrorist attack in Mastung as an example, alleging that accounts linked to banned organisations and foreign-based activists simultaneously promoted a coordinated narrative immediately after the incident.
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PM welcomes Gaza ‘disarmament breakthrough,’ reaffirms support for independent Palestinian State ISLAMABAD
SAlEEm JAdOOn
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STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Friday said any proposal to create new provinces or administrative units must strictly follow the constitutional process, with the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) set to deliberate on the issue before adopting a formal position. Speaking to a media outlet, PPP Secretary General Nayyar Bokhari stressed that new provinces could only be created through a constitutional amendment approved by the required two-thirds majority in the relevant provincial assembly, the National Assembly and the Senate. "The Constitution has clearly laid down the complete procedure. Neither the creation of new provinces nor any alteration in provincial boundaries is possible without the prescribed constitutional mechanism," Bokhari said, rejecting the notion that administrative units could be established through an executive order. His remarks came a day after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called for a national political consensus on creating new administrative units, arguing that structural reforms were essential to improving governance and overcoming the country's administrative challenges.
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Pakistan, Türkiye move to revive ITI Freight Train as strategic Eurasian Trade Corridor
BALOCHISTAN'S CHALLENGES ROOTED IN TERRORISM, EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE AND ENTRENCHED ELITE INTERESTS: DG ISPR
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ECLARING that Pakistan has turned the tide against terrorism through sustained intelligence-led operations, the military spokesman on Friday accused India of increasingly relying on proxy militant groups and coordinated disinformation campaigns after failing to achieve its objectives through direct confrontation. Addressing an extensive press conference that lasted over two hours, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry painted a comprehensive picture of Pakistan's internal security landscape, arguing that the country's counterterrorism campaign had entered a decisive phase. He attributed the recent spike in militant violence not to the weakening of the state but to the desperation of terrorist organisations and their external sponsors as Pakistan's security apparatus tightened its grip on militant networks. Presenting operational data covering the first seven months of 2026, the military spokesperson said security forces had conducted 40,348 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country, averaging nearly 200 operations every day.
Rs 20.00 | Vol XVII No 127 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday welcomed the latest developments under the Board of Peace aimed at implementing the disarmament process envisaged in the Gaza Peace Plan, expressing hope that the progress would accelerate efforts toward a just and lasting peace and ultimately lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. The prime minister’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump announced that talks held in Cairo on Thursday between mediators and Hamas representatives had resulted in a phased disarmament agreement for Gaza. However, a Hamas official described the arrangement as a draft, while US officials said Israel remained sceptical that the Palestinian group would surrender its weapons. “Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” President Trump said in a post on social media, adding that the disarmament process would be carried out in phases. The issue of Hamas’ weapons has remained one of the principal obstacles to implementing the ceasefire agreement that has been in place since October 2025. According to AFP, Hamas officials said a committee established by Trump’s Board of Peace to govern Gaza would oversee the process of storing the group’s weapons. In a post on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz said, “Pakistan welcomes developments under the Board of Peace towards the implementation of the disarmament process under the Gaza Peace Plan.” He said the progress reflected the importance of sustained diplomatic engagement and commended the mediating countries, including the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, for their efforts in advancing the peace process. The prime minister said these countries deserved “special appreciation for their ef-
forts in achieving this progress.” Commending President Trump’s “courageous leadership,” Prime Minister Shehbaz described the development as “a significant achievement for the Board of Peace.” “Pakistan expresses the hope that with these developments, concrete steps will be taken towards implementing all commitments under the Gaza Peace Plan,” he said. The prime minister further expressed hope that the ongoing peace efforts would help realise the Palestinian people's right to self-determination through a credible, inclusive and time-bound political process in accordance with international legitimacy and relevant United Nations resolutions. He reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding position that the process should culminate in the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with AlQuds Al-Sharif as its capital. The Board of Peace was initially proposed in September 2025 and was formally established in January 2026. Under its charter, the US government serves as the board’s official depository, while President Trump designated the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington as its headquarters.
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Pakistan and Türkiye agreed in principle on Friday to work toward the early revival of the IslamabadTehran-Istanbul (ITI) freight train and transform it into a permanent commercial trade corridor, marking a significant step toward strengthening regional rail connectivity and boosting trade links between South Asia, Central Asia and Europe. The understanding was reached during a delegation-level meeting between Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi and Türkiye’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu during Abbasi’s two-day official visit to Türkiye, according to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Railways. Originally launched in 2009 under the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the 6,500-kilometre ITI freight corridor connects Pakistan, Iran and Türkiye. However, the service has operated only intermittently since being suspended in 2012 due to security and operational challenges. Pakistan and Iran had agreed in December 2025 to revive the freight service. Confirming the latest development, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said both sides had agreed to move forward with practical measures to operationalise the corridor.
Methane blast near Quetta kills 34 miners
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QUETTA
STAFF REPORT
A methane gas explosion in the Sorange coalfield near Quetta killed at least 34 miners. Chief Inspector of Mines Balochistan Muhammad Atif said 34 miners were inside two coal mines when the blast occurred on Thursday. He said, "So far, 32 bodies have been recovered from both mines," adding that the operation was continuing in the mine where the explosion took place to recover two miners. Later, bodies of two more miners were recovered. The explosion struck a private coal mine in Sorange, around 30 kilometres northeast of Quetta, and triggered a fire that caused the mine to collapse. A nearby mine was also hit by the impact of the blast. Earlier, officials had said 24 miners were working about 4,000 feet underground in the first mine when the explosion occurred, while 12 miners were in the second mine. The blast was heard across a wide area of Sorange. Rescue efforts faced major difficulties as methane gas remained trapped inside the mines and fire continued to burn underground. Mining engineers and workers created alternative routes to reach the trapped men, but access remained hazardous deep below the surface. Provincial Minister for Mines and Minerals Mir Shoaib Nosherwani announced Rs500,000 in compensation for the family of each deceased miner and Rs300,000 for every injured worker. He also said an inquiry would be conducted into the incident. SERIES OF MINE ACCIDENTS: The latest disaster is the most serious in a run of mining accidents in Balochistan. In June, three people were injured after explosive material used in mining accidentally detonated in the Khanuzai area of Quetta division. In April, three coal miners were killed in an accident in Bolan after methane gas accumulated inside a mine in the coalfield near Mach. Other miners escaped and alerted the authorities, while rescue teams from the Mines and Minerals Department and local workers later found the trapped miners dead from suffocation caused by inhaling methane gas.
PM orders review of WB’s Fiscal Federalism Report, reaffirms provincial autonomy — orders sweeping OGRA reforms, fast-tracks digital monitoring of petroleum supply chain
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STAFF REPORT
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday underscored that Pakistan’s constitutional federal structure, provincial autonomy, and close cooperation and consultation between the federation and the provinces remained indispensable to ensuring the country’s long-term development, economic progress and national stability. The prime minister made these remarks while meeting a World Bank delegation led by its Country Director for Pakistan, Bolormaa Amgaabazar, which called on him here, according to a Prime Minister’s Office statement. Welcoming the delegation, the prime minister lauded the longstanding partnership between Pakistan and the World Bank, describing it as a valuable contributor to the country’s socio-economic development over the years. He expressed gratitude to the institution for its continued support to Pakistan’s
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STAFF REPORT
development journey and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining close collaboration with international development partners. PM Shehbaz said the government was vigorously implementing a comprehen-
sive reforms agenda aimed at placing the national economy on a path of sustained stability, resilience and long-term growth.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday ordered comprehensive institutional reforms and accelerated digital transformation of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), directing authorities to strengthen transparency, regulatory oversight and institutional capacity to build a more efficient, accountable and consumer-centric petroleum sector. Chairing a high-level meeting on the revamping and digitization of OGRA, the prime minister said the government’s reform agenda must be implemented uniformly across all public institutions, stressing that regulatory bodies should be equipped with modern systems capable of ensuring trans-
parency, efficiency and effective governance. To strengthen monitoring of petroleum products nationwide, the prime minister directed the development of a comprehensive fuel movement monitoring system based on the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) modern tracking mechanism, calling it a proven model for improving oversight and accountability. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Dr Musadik Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Ali Pervaiz Malik, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa, and other senior government officials.
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02 NEWS
Saturday, 1 August, 2026 | ISLAMABAD
PTCL BOARD APPROVES BINDING OFFER FOR MAJORITY STAKE ACQUISITION, EYES DIGITAL WALLET
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STAFF REPORT
HE Board of Directors of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) approved the submission of a binding offer for the acquisition of a majority stake in the issued and paid-up ordinary share capital of a target company, according to a disclosure submitted to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday. The notice, filed under Rule 5.6.1 of the PSX Rule Book and Sections 96 and 131 of the Securities Act, 2015, referenced an earlier communication from July 21, 2023, on the matter. PTCL is now reportedly setting its
sights on acquiring a known digital wallet, potentially bringing the country's leading digital financial services platform under the PTCL Group. The company said the proposed transaction remains subject to successful negotiations, completion of due diligence, execution of definitive transaction documents, and receipt of all requisite corporate, regulatory and statutory approvals and consents. PTCL added that the proposed consideration and other commercial terms remain subject to finalisation, and that no definitive agreement has been executed at this stage. The company said it would keep the PSX informed of any material developments related to the transaction.
Arif Habib Limited denies launching AI investment platform, calls claims fabricated PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
Arif Habib Limited has denied any involvement in a fake news article circulating on social and online platforms, which falsely claims the company has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) investment platform promising earnings of up to Rs500,000 per week. In a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), the company said neither Mr Arif Habib nor Arif Habib Limited, nor any entity within the Arif Habib Group, has launched, endorsed, sponsored or been associated with any such AI investment platform or scheme. It described the content of the circulating article as entirely false, fabricated and unauthorised. The company said it has no affiliation with the fraudulent publication or any website, application or platform promoting these claims, and advised investors and the general public to exercise caution and avoid engaging with or relying on the misleading content. The fabricated article traces back to an impersonating webpage designed to look like Dawn, which carried a fabricated "news report" claiming that Arif Habib had launched an AI platform called BTC+700 Lurot, encouraging readers to invest in it to earn money. The publication itself issued a clarification on Thursday, saying that the site had no connection to or association with the Dawn Media Group. Arif Habib Limited said it remains committed to protecting investor interests and the integrity of the capital market, adding that all official announcements and material information about the company are disseminated solely through its own communication channels and those of the PSX.
DGTO to hold phased elections for 350 trade bodies nationwide PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
The Directorate General of Trade Organisations (DGTO), an arm of the Ministry of Commerce, is set to conduct elections of approximately 300 to 350 chambers and trade associations across the country in phases. The elections will be held in accordance with the Trade Organisations Act and relevant rules to ensure transparency and continuity in the functioning of trade bodies. The phased schedule is aimed at facilitating smooth conduct of the electoral process and effective oversight by the DGTO. According to the DGTO's official website, the country currently has 169 trade associations, 73 chambers of commerce and industry, 18 small chambers, 32 women's chambers, 11 town associations, seven joint chambers of commerce and industry, and two small trade associations. Officials described the elections as a key component of the regulatory framework governing trade organisations, which play a vital role in representing the interests of the business community and supporting economic activity.
This is not PTCL's first major acquisition move. According to earlier reports by Profit, the company completed its Rs108 billion ($400 million) purchase of Telenor Pakistan and Orion Towers on December 31, 2025, after clearing conditional approval from the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) in October 2025 following an 18-month review. The deal, which shareholders formally endorsed alongside up to $400 million in financing from lenders including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), vaulted PTCL into second place among Pakistan's telecom operators, with Telenor and Ufone later merged into a combined entity under Pak Telecom Mobile Limited following PTCL's completion of the acquisition.
PTCL Group's most recent half-year results showed consolidated revenue up 62% year-on-year, driven substantially by the
Telenor integration, underscoring the scale of the company's recent appetite for major acquisitions.
PSX rebounds as buying returns after days of selling pressure PROFIT STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) saw buying return on Friday after days of selling pressure, with the benchmark KSE100 Index gaining over 5,00 points during the second half of the trading session. According to the PSX website, trading opened on a bullish note, with the index gaining 1,200 points within the first few minutes. The positive momentum continued during the session, pushing the KSE100 Index to an intraday high of 177,108.66, up 1,530 points. The index later surrendered some of
its gains but remained in positive territory, closing at 176,096.11, up 546.13 points, or 0.31%, from the previous close. Buying was seen across key sectors, including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, fertiliser, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs, power generation and refinery. The gains followed a cautious session on Thursday, when investors stayed on the sidelines amid uncertainty over ongoing diplomatic engagements between the United States and Iran on regional stability, resulting in a range-bound day that ended with modest losses. The KSE-100 had declined 495.00 points, or 0.28%, to
settle at 175,547.98 points that day. Global shares were on track for weekly gains after earnings from some U.S. tech giants eased concerns about AI returns, while the yen declined after the Bank of Japan kept interest rates unchanged on Friday. South Korea's battered KOSPI leapt 17.91%, mounting a record comeback after heavy losses earlier this week. The tech-heavy bourse, still about 30% off its all-time high, has become emblematic of the sharp swings in investor sentiment towards artificial intelligence-related stocks. In Europe, the STOXX 600 index hit a record high and was poised for its fourth
Five Pakistani firms chase US orders at Texworld New York PROFIT STAFF REPORT
The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) launched a national pavilion at Texworld New York City 2026, aiming to expand Pakistan's presence in the US market and strengthen commercial ties with international buyers, according to a statement. The pavilion was organised by TDAP in collaboration with the Trade and Investment Wing of the Consulate General of Pakistan in New York, and features five Pakistani companies exhibiting valueadded textiles, apparel, leather products, sports goods and home textiles. Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed
Sheikh, inaugurated the pavilion at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Centre, alongside Consul General Aamer Ahmed Atozai and Trade and Investment Counsellor Adnan Mahmood Awan. Addressing the event, Ambassador Sheikh said the textile sector remains central to Pakistan's economy and reaffirmed the government's commitment to promoting exports and expanding commercial engagement with the United States. Consul General Atozai said Pakistan has established itself as a reliable sourcing destination, and reaffirmed the consulate's support for facilitating business partnerships between Pakistani exporters and US buyers. Awan said the exhibition of-
fers Pakistani exporters an opportunity to engage international buyers and strengthen their presence in the US market. Companies exhibiting under the Pakistan Pavilion include A1 Infinity, MRI Group, Hometex Corporation, Ruqi Sports and Niza Sports, showcasing products ranging from home textiles, towels and apparel to leather garments, sportswear and gloves. The three-day exhibition, running from July 29 to July 31, is expected to draw buyers and industry representatives from the United States and other international markets, giving Pakistani exporters a platform to explore new business prospects and strengthen existing commercial relationships.
consecutive month of gains. The MSCI All Country World Price index gained 0.87% and was on track to snap a two-week losing streak. It will still end the month with losses of 0.33% should current levels hold. Oil prices were steady on Friday and on track for a monthly rise as traders assessed supply flows through key maritime chokepoints and developments in U.S.-Iran talks. Brent futures were up 47 cents, or 0.53%, at $89.50 a barrel by 0952 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 4 cents, or 0.05%, to $83.63 a barrel.
Service Global Footwear credits 601,767 shares to employees under ESOS, paid-up capital rises to Rs2.07b PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
Service Global Footwear Limited has credited 601,767 ordinary shares to eligible employees who exercised their options under the company's Employees Stock Option Scheme (ESOS), the company informed the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in a notice on Friday. The shares were credited on July 30, 2026, under the ESOS 2020 scheme approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). Following the allotment, the company's paid-up capital rose to Rs2,070,693,720, divided into 207,069,372 ordinary shares of Rs10 each, up from 206,467,605 shares prior to the issue. A certificate issued by statutory auditors Riaz Ahmad & Company, Chartered Accountants, confirmed that an aggregate subscription amount of Rs22,595,396 had been received by the company as of June 30, 2026, in line with the approved scheme. The subscription comprised Rs3,909,000 against 130,300 shares at an exercise price of Rs30 per share, Rs9,261,684 against 257,269 shares at Rs36 per share, and Rs9,424,712 against 214,198 shares at Rs44 per share.
Govt may reintroduce targeted fuel subsidy within days if Middle East tensions persist, says petroleum minister PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
The federal government has indicated that it could reintroduce targeted fuel subsidies within the next few days, with financial support from the provinces, if renewed tensions in the Middle East persist, while standing firm on its plan to proceed with petroleum price deregulation. "If this matter [renewed US-Iran attacks] does not end in a few days, we will bring back the targeted subsidy mechanism that we previously used to prevent the price shock from reaching the people," Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said while talking to journalists after attending a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum. He recalled that the government had initially provided Rs130 billion in fuel subsidies before bringing the provincial governments on board under the targeted
subsidy mechanism. He said the prime minister and the entire government understood the difficulties being faced by common Pakistanis. He said that while Pakistan remained under an IMF loan programme with limited financial resources, recovering legitimate fuel costs from consumers was the only option; otherwise someone else would have to bear the burden if pricing was kept artificially controlled. Global oil markets showed some easing on Friday, with prices falling even as they remained on track for a monthly rise of about a fifth, as more supplies flowed through key maritime chokepoints despite the absence of breakthroughs in US-Iran talks. Brent futures fell $1.44, or 1.6 per cent, to $87.59 a barrel by 0658 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude slipped $1.59, or 1.9 per cent, to $82 a barrel. On a monthly basis, both
benchmarks were still set to rise around 20 per cent. Analysts said crude was edging lower as rising Middle East tension was being offset by signs of increased flows through the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, which typically carries about a fifth of global crude oil and LNG shipments, has been a
focal point for oil markets since it was largely blockaded following the February 28 launch of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Separately, Saudi Arabia is seeking to lead a coalition to strengthen defence cooperation across the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, all key chokepoints for global energy supplies.
IPAK to establish new subsidiary in Portugal via Dubai unit IPAK Connect PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
International Packaging Films Limited (IPAK), one of Pakistan's leading manufacturers of flexible packaging films, has decided to establish a new subsidiary in Portugal through IPAK Connect Packaging Materials Trading FZCO, its wholly owned subsidiary based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the company disclosed to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday. IPAK Connect has resolved to incorporate a wholly owned subsidiary in Portugal, subject to obtaining all necessary legal, regulatory and corporate approvals. Once incorporated, the Portuguese entity will be
fully owned by IPAK Connect, making it an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of IPAK within the broader IPAK Group. The company said the new subsidiary will become part of the IPAK Group and serve as its commercial platform within the European Union. It is intended to strengthen the Group's commercial presence in Europe, deepen engagement with existing and prospective customers, and support marketing, distribution and future expansion across European markets. The Portuguese entity will serve as a dedicated hub for IPAK Group's European activities, supporting closer collaboration with customers, converters, distributors and other industry partners. The local pres-
ence will enable faster commercial coordination and more direct engagement on product development, order planning and after-sales support. The company said the Portugal subsidiary would also strengthen the Group's market intelligence by deepening its understanding of evolving packaging technologies, sustainability requirements, regulatory changes and customer preferences, helping ensure its products and commercial strategy remain aligned with the European market. The Portugal move follows an earlier disclosure by IPAK on July 22, 2026, in which the company said its wholly owned subsidiary Global Packaging Films (Private) Limited (GPAK) had approved the acquisi-
tion of a state-of-the-art Metallizer at an estimated project cost of around Rs1.4 billion. The company said that investment was part of the Group's broader strategy to expand its share of value-added products, strengthen GPAK's metallising capabilities, increase production capacity for metallised packaging films, improve operational efficiency and meet rising demand from domestic and export markets. International Packaging Films Limited was incorporated in Pakistan as a private limited company under the repealed Companies Ordinance, 1984 (now the Companies Act, 2017) on October 2, 2015. The company's status was converted to a public limited company on June 11, 2021,
and it was subsequently listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange on June 3, 2024. IPAK said it would keep the exchange updated on any significant developments related to the matter. ABOUT IPAK GROUP IPAK Group is engaged in the manufacture and supply of flexible packaging films used across a broad range of consumer and industrial applications. Through its expanding manufacturing capabilities and international business network, the Group serves customers in Pakistan and overseas markets, with a focus on quality, innovation, operational excellence and long-term customer relationships.
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Saturday, 1 August, 2026 | ISlAMABAD
SAUDI ARABIA'S FALCON VISION GROUP EYES $10B INVESTMENT IN PAKISTAN
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STAFF REPORT
AUDI Arabia's Falcon Vision Group has expressed interest in investing $10 billion in Pakistan, with Federal Minister for the Board of Investment Qaiser
Ahmed Sheikh assuring a visiting delegation of full facilitation for investment in the country. Sheikh met a high-level delegation of business personalities, overseas Pakistanis and media representatives, including Muhammad Tariq Ghaus, Vice Chairman and President of the Jeddah-based Falcon Vision Company, according to the
Board of Investment. Ghaus briefed the minister on Falcon Vision's operations across infrastructure, construction, technology and other industrial sectors, saying Saudi investors have earmarked up to $10 billion for potential investments in Pakistan across various sectors. Sheikh called the development a sign
of confidence in Pakistan's economy, citing incentives such as income tax exemption in Special Economic Zones until 2035, duty concessions on machinery imports, one-window Business Facilitation Centres, and full repatriation of profits for local and foreign investors alike. He said the government was also
PM orders review of WB’s Fiscal Federalism Report, reaffirms provincial autonomy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
Referring to the World Bank’s report, the prime minister described its analysis and comparative assessment, based on international best practices and experiences, as highly commendable, saying such evidence-based studies provided valuable guidance for informed policymaking and institutional reforms. To ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the report, the prime minister directed the constitution of a high-level committee to review its findings and recommendations in detail. He said the committee would examine the report in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, including the provincial governments, while fully respecting Pakistan’s constitutional framework and federal structure, so that practical and implementable proposals could be considered in the larger public interest. During the meeting, World Bank Country Director Bolormaa Amgaabazar
presented the report titled “Strengthening Fiscal Federalism in Pakistan” and briefed the prime minister on its key findings and recommendations. The World Bank delegation highlighted the evolution of fiscal federalism in Pakistan following the 18th Constitutional Amendment and the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. It also shared its analysis and observations on revenue generation, public expenditure, federal-provincial fiscal relations, institutional coordination and the utilisation of public resources. The delegation further presented a range of policy recommendations aimed at promoting fiscal discipline, improving the efficient utilisation of public resources, enhancing service delivery, and strengthening coordination between federal and provincial institutions. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema and Ahsan Iqbal, Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr Syed
Pakistan, Türkiye move to revive ITI Freight Train as strategic Eurasian Trade Corridor CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
“In our inter-delegation meeting, while we evaluated cooperation opportunities in Pakistan’s planned railway infrastructure projects, we agreed to take concrete steps toward developing the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul train,” Uraloğlu wrote on his official X account following the meeting. According to the Pakistan Railways statement, both ministers described the ITI corridor as a strategic initiative capable of significantly enhancing trade, logistics and regional connectivity by linking South Asia with Central Asia and Europe through an integrated rail network. The two sides also reviewed progress on Pakistan Railways’ Rohri-Taftan Main Line-3 (ML-3) upgrade, a strategically important route connecting central Pakistan with the Iranian border that Islamabad expects will substantially increase cross-border freight movement and facilitate regional trade. They also discussed developments regarding the Karachi-Rohri Main Line-1 (ML-1) project, a key segment of Pakistan’s north-south railway corridor linking the country’s largest port city with the national rail network. Pakistan invited Turkish stateowned enterprises and private companies to invest in the remaining sections of the ML-1 project and participate in other major railway infrastructure initiatives. During the meeting, the ministers further explored the possibility of Türkiye joining the proposed Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway Corridor (UAPRC), an ambitious regional rail project designed to connect landlocked Central Asian states with Pakistan’s Arabian Sea ports through Afghanistan. The two countries also discussed potential Turkish technical cooperation for the project. Beyond infrastructure development, Pakistan and Türkiye agreed to broaden collaboration in technology transfer, digital railway systems, rolling stock modernisation, institutional capacity building and greater private sector participation in railway development. The two sides also explored opportunities for joint ventures and local manufacturing at Pakistan Railways’ Carriage Factory Islamabad, concrete sleeper plants and engineering workshops, including the production of passenger coaches, freight wagons and railway equipment using Turkish technology. Pakistan Railways has been actively pursuing foreign investment and international technical partnerships as part of its broader efforts to modernise its ageing rail network and improve operational efficiency. According to Federal Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, the state-owned railway operator generated a record Rs115 billion ($404 million) in revenue during the 2024-25 fiscal year. However, an Auditor General’s report, released in June, also recorded losses of Rs61 billion ($214 million) for the same period.
Tauqir Shah, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, and senior government officials also attended the meeting. PM REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO STRONGER PAKISTAN-AZERBAIJAN TIES Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to further strengthening its longstanding brotherly relations with Azerbaijan, recalling the extensive high-level engagements between the two countries over the past two and a half years. The prime minister expressed these views while talking to Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Khazar Farhadov, who paid a farewell call on him. PM Shehbaz said the solid foundation laid during Ambassador Farhadov’s tenure would continue to guide and reinforce bilateral relations in the years ahead, expressing confidence that cooperation between the two friendly nations would continue to expand across multiple sectors.
He warmly acknowledged the ambassador’s dedicated efforts in deepening the historic and brotherly relationship between Pakistan and Azerbaijan and commended his significant contributions to broadening bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic, defence, cultural and people-to-people spheres, including the launch of direct flights between the two countries. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch also attended the meeting.\ Conveying his warm regards to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, the prime minister fondly recalled his several visits to Azerbaijan during the past two and a half years, as well as President Aliyev’s visit to Pakistan in July 2024, describing these exchanges as instrumental in elevating bilateral cooperation. PM Shehbaz also wished Ambassador Farhadov every success in his future diplomatic assignments.
India defeated directly, now funding terror proxies, says DG ISPR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
The military spokesperson also claimed that hundreds of websites, more than a thousand social media accounts and hostile diaspora networks were engaged in disseminating anti-Pakistan propaganda, portraying terrorism as a sign of state failure rather than a consequence of externally supported militancy. A substantial portion of the briefing focused on Balochistan, where the military rejected suggestions that the province was slipping beyond state control. Instead, Lt Gen Chaudhry argued that the province's challenges stemmed from a combination of weak governance, entrenched tribal elitism, external interference and terrorist violence. He maintained that certain influential groups sought to preserve longstanding political and economic privileges by resisting institutional reforms and exploiting legitimate public grievances. According to the DG ISPR, these elements opposed strengthening civilian institutions, modernising policing structures and improving governance because such reforms threatened the traditional power structure that had existed for decades. He also rejected calls for negotiations with militant organisations, stating that the state would continue engaging directly with the people of Balochistan rather than those employing violence to pursue political objectives. Moving beyond purely military issues, Lt Gen Chaudhry repeatedly emphasised that security operations alone could not guarantee lasting peace. He described good governance as the cornerstone of national security, arguing that Pakistan's rapidly expanding population required a serious national debate on administrative reforms. Referring to recent discussions on creating new administrative units, he stressed that the issue should be examined solely through constitutional procedures and democratic consensus. With Pakistan's population approaching a quarter of a billion people, he questioned whether the existing provincial framework remained sufficient to deliver efficient governance but emphasised that elected representatives—not the military—must determine any future constitutional changes. The DG ISPR also sought to clarify what he meant by the concept of a "hard state." Contrary to common perception, he said a hard state did not signify military dominance but rather a constitutional order where laws
were applied equally to every citizen without exception. He cited Article 5 of the Constitution, arguing that loyalty to the state and obedience to the Constitution were fundamental obligations that preceded the exercise of constitutional rights. The military spokesperson maintained that national cohesion required citizens to recognise Pakistan as their foremost identity while fulfilling constitutional responsibilities alongside demanding rights. Responding to allegations regarding underdevelopment in Balochistan, Lt Gen Chaudhry challenged what he described as misleading narratives. He pointed out that Balochistan receives the country's highest per capita development allocation and argued that militant groups deliberately target roads, bridges, hospitals, educational facilities and labourers precisely to obstruct economic progress. On the issue of missing persons, he disclosed that the Commission of Inquiry had received 10,901 complaints, of which 9,372 had been resolved. According to him, thousands had returned home or were traced in prisons, while some individuals previously reported missing were later identified among terrorists killed during security operations. Alongside kinetic operations, Pakistan is expanding its security infrastructure across Balochistan. Lt Gen Chaudhry announced the establishment of FC West, additional police deployments, recruitment of new Assistant Superintendents of Police, procurement of bulletproof vehicles and continued investment in law enforcement capacity. Simultaneously, the government has earmarked Rs70 billion for socioeconomic projects and another Rs24 billion under the Balochistan Special Development Initiative, focusing on roads, education, digital skills, information technology and human resource development. The military views these initiatives as integral to its broader strategy of defeating militancy by strengthening governance, expanding economic opportunities and increasing the state's presence in remote areas. Concluding the briefing, the DG ISPR argued that Pakistan's struggle was no longer confined to conventional security operations but extended to governance, information warfare, institutional reform and national resilience. While acknowledging that terrorism remains a serious challenge, he maintained that the state had gained the strategic initiative and was steadily dismantling militant networks through sustained intelligence-led operations.
PPP says new provinces must follow constitutional process CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
Reiterating the PPP's long-standing position, Bokhari said the party supported the creation of a South Punjab province but opposed any move to carve out new administrative units in Sindh. He urged the government to place the matter before Parliament if it was serious about administrative reforms. "If there is genuine intent to establish new provinces, including South Punjab, the constitutional requirements should be fulfilled through Parliament," he said. The PPP leader also challenged Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and the ruling PML-N to initiate the process from Punjab, recalling that a resolution seeking the creation of a South Punjab province was already pending before the Punjab Assembly. Bokhari said the federal cabinet should formally take up the issue before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif consults PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on what he described as an important national matter. He added that the PPP's Central Executive Committee would discuss the proposal in detail, assuring that
any decision would be guided by constitutional principles, democratic norms and the will of the people. The debate over administrative restructuring has gathered momentum in recent weeks. While the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has repeatedly demanded that Karachi be made a separate province, the PPP has consistently opposed any division of Sindh, despite both parties being coalition partners in the federal government. Meanwhile, both the PPP and the PTI have long advocated the establishment of a South Punjab province. Adding to the debate, Istehkam Pakistan Party (IPP) President and Federal Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan recently proposed dividing each of Pakistan's four provinces into four smaller provinces, arguing that a total of 16 provinces would improve governance and ensure better service delivery in remote areas. Speaking at the Pakistan Economic Summit 2026 on Thursday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described administrative restructuring as the only viable solution to Pakistan's governance challenges. He urged all political parties to sit to-
gether and build consensus on issues including new provinces, warning that the existing administrative system had failed to resolve the country's longstanding problems. Responding to those remarks, Bokhari maintained that Parliament—not the media—was the appropriate forum for discussing systemic reforms. "If there are flaws in the system, Parliament is the place to address them," he said, questioning who should be held accountable if governance mechanisms were not functioning effectively. Commenting on Pakistan's recent diplomatic successes, Bokhari credited Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for playing a significant role, while also acknowledging the contributions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. He said it was now the federal government's responsibility to translate diplomatic gains into economic stability and tangible public relief, warning that accountability for any failure to improve the economy would rest with the Centre.
working to address energy costs and administrative hurdles. Delegation member Maqbool, linked to real estate projects including J7 Emporium, briefed the minister on plans for a Special Technology Zone and called for closer coordination between Special Technology Zones and Special Economic Zones. Sheikh noted that SEZ rules have been amended to allow private sector participation in zone establishment and management. Colonel Jamshed informed the minister of a joint venture to build a modern shopping mall in Chakwal, citing the district's high literacy rate and skilled workforce.
PM welcomes Gaza ‘disarmament breakthrough,’ reaffirms support for independent Palestinian State CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
A United Nations Security Council resolution adopted in mid-November 2025 authorised the Board of Peace, together with cooperating states, to establish an international stabilisation force in Gaza following the ceasefire that began in October 2025 under a Trump-backed plan accepted by both Israel and Hamas. Pakistan is among the 14 countries that signed the Board of Peace charter on January 22 on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, becoming one of the body's founding members. The founding members also include Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Albania, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, El Salvador, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Mongolia, Morocco, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, representing countries from the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caucasus. Originally conceived to oversee the Gaza ceasefire and post-war reconstruction, the Board of Peace’s charter also expands its mandate to peace-building efforts in all regions affected by or at risk of conflict. Hamas has said it expects the mediators and the Board of Peace to ensure Israel complies fully with the ceasefire agreement, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Despite the ceasefire that took effect in October 2025, violence has continued in the territory. According to health officials, Israeli strikes on Thursday killed at least four people, including two children.
— orders sweeping OGRA reforms, fast-tracks digital monitoring of petroleum supply chain CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
He further instructed authorities to deploy advanced technology and software for end-to-end digital monitoring of the entire petroleum supply chain—from ports and refineries to storage depots, transportation networks and petrol pumps—to enhance transparency, improve operational efficiency and curb irregularities. Emphasising the need to strengthen OGRA’s institutional capacity, the prime minister directed that reputable experts from the private sector be inducted through a transparent, merit-based recruitment process as part of the authority’s restructuring. He assured that the government would provide every possible professional and technical resource required to support the reform process. Reaffirming the government’s commitment to safeguarding public resources, Prime Minister Shehbaz said every penny of taxpayers’ money would be protected, warning that no one would be allowed to exploit consumers or manipulate the system for personal gain.
04 COMMENT
Pakistan needs policy, not political drama
Saturday, 1 August, 2026
Palestine needs watching
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While the world concentrates on the USA’s war with Iran, Israel moves in on Palestine
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ITH the USA bombing Iran, and Israel clashing with Hezbollah in South Lebanon, it would be easy for the world to forget that the situation created after Hamas launched an attack on Israel in October 2023, has still not been resolved. However, it is almost as if Israel is bent on reminding the whole world that the issue is still live, by continuing the aggression in Gaza, as well as continuing to build settlements in the West Bank and occasionally invading the precincts of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. It is because of the amping up of Israeli violence against the Palestinians that Jordan is being obliged to call a meeting of Arab and Islamic countries to discuss the issue. Jordan’s recognition of Israel has obviously not bought it peace, for it still faces pressure from its own population of Palestinian refugees. It is in this context that Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke to his Saudi and Turkish counterpart, Faisal ibn Farhan al-Saud and Hakan Fidan respectively. Turkey has been vocal about the plight of the Palestinians, bringing down upon it the wrath of Israel, where there has begun talk of the need to eliminate the Sunni Arc of Resistance, after the Shia Arc has been eliminated in the shape of the destruction of Iran. It is interesting that so many allies of the USA are vocally criticizing Israel for its actions. That is a good indication of the sort of pressure being faced by the countries expected to participate. It is worth noting that even in the Arab countries, the Palestinian issue is increasingly being framed as an Islamic issue, for Palestine has a special place in the hearts of all Muslims, including non-Arabs (like Iran or Pakistan), because it is the land of the Meraj and the home of Masjid Al-Aqsa. The problem is that it does appear that anything practical will be done. As has already been seen, Israel does not care for international disapproval, and so long as it has US support, it snaps its fingers at disapproval. The policy of trying to keep on the right side of the USA cannot work so long as Israel engages in the kind of behaviour it has been showing. Indeed, that behaviour is alienating its support in the USA and European countries. However, can the Islamic world depend on this Israeli overreach?
Arif Nizami (Late) Babar Nizami
Editor Pakistan Today
Editor Profit
The first could be over the Indus
TaRique ahmed abRo
S India continues to “illegally” hold the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in “abeyance,” following the April 2025 Pahalgam false-flag operation, the prescient statement by Ismail Serageldin, the former Vice President of the World Bank, that “the wars of the 21st century will be fought over water,” has all the likeliness to become a reality due to Indian pugnacity. The treaty that has held ground for nearly 66 years, and stood as one of the most successful transboundary watercourse division arrangements between two nation-states has been weaponized by India in blatant violation of international law, including the UN Water Convention (also known as the 1992 Helsinki Water Convention) and the 1997 Watercourses Convention. Pakistan has consistently rejected India’s claim that it “can unilaterally suspend the treaty,” arguing that the IWT, brokered by the World Bank, has no exit mechanism. Its diplomatic position regarding this matter has been unequivocally clear, and is based on purely technical grounds: Article XII(4) of the IWT stipulates that the treaty “shall remain in force until terminated by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two Governments.” Furthermore, it holds that the IWT’s own dispute-resolution architecture— the Permanent Indus Commission under Article VIII, and the Neutral Expert and Court of Arbitration mechanisms under Article IX— exists precisely to address disagreements without either party resorting to unilateral action. Pakistan considers this action detrimental to its vital national interests, including water, food and economic security. Invariably, its civil as well as military leadership has categorically declared that the waters of the Indus River system are the nation’s “red line” and “an existential lifeline.” Therefore, any Indian nefarious attempt to “divert or stop” Pakistan’s share of water could lead to a “war” between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, in a National Security Committee meeting held on 24 April 2025, had warned that “any attempt to stop or divert Pakistan’s water will be considered as an ‘act of war’ and will be responded to with full force across the complete spectrum of national power.” Similarly, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has also warned India while speaking at an international conference on IWT in Islamabad on June 30 that by holding the water-sharing treaty in abeyance, New Delhi is sowing the “seeds of war” and “jeopardizing the peace and security” of the region.
come more important than ever. Economic recovery cannot be sustained through temporary measures or political slogans. It requires responsible financial management, meaningful tax reform, support for productive industries, and an environment that rewards innovation and enterprise. Education presents another example of the cost of inconsistency. Every government recognises that education is central to national development, yet meaningful reform rarely survives changes in political leadership. Public debate often focuses on curriculum disputes while the quality of learning receives far less attention. Schools continue to struggle with inadequate facilities, teachers receive limited professional support, and millions of children remain outside the education system. Even many students who complete their education leave without the knowledge and skills required by a modern economy. A nation cannot expect to compete in a rapidly changing world if it treats education as a political project instead of a national priority. The healthcare sector faces similar challenges. Public hospitals continue to operate under considerable pressure while preventive healthcare receives insufficient attention. Medical professionals work with limited resources, and patients often bear the burden of weaknesses within the system. Healthcare should never become a political achievement that exists only for one electoral cycle. It should reflect a national commitment to protecting the wellbeing of every citizen regardless of political preference or financial circumstances. Strong healthcare systems are built through steady investment, professional management, and policies that endure through changes in government. Perhaps the greatest cost of policy uncertainty is borne by Pakistan’s young people. The country possesses one of the youngest populations in the region, offering enormous potential for innovation, entrepreneurship, scientific research, and economic growth. Yet many talented graduates increasingly believe that their future lies outside the country. Their decision is influenced not only by financial concerns but also by uncertainty about governance, opportunity, and institutional stability. They seek societies where merit is recognised, institutions function effectively, and governments provide a predictable environment in which ambition can flourish. Every educated young person who leaves represents not only the loss of individual talent but also a reminder that confidence in the country’s future must be restored. Climate change makes the need for effective policy even more urgent. Pakistan remains among the countries most vulnerable to floods, heat waves, water scarcity, and environmental degradation. These challenges do not disappear during periods of political conflict, nor do they distinguish between political parties. Addressing them requires careful planning, scientific knowledge, and cooperation that extends beyond electoral competition. Environmental policy cannot succeed if every administration changes direc-
The wars of future
M. A. Niazi
A
Rizwan ahmad
AKISTAN has never lacked political passion. Election campaigns dominate the national conversation, political rallies attract large crowds, television debates revolve around partisan disputes, and social media amplifies every controversy within minutes. Politics has become a constant spectacle where personalities receive more attention than policies and political rivalries overshadow the business of governing. Beneath this endless cycle of confrontation lies a far more important reality. The country’s most urgent challenges remain unresolved because public policy has too often been eclipsed by political theatre. For ordinary Pakistanis, the consequences are visible every day. Families struggle with the rising cost of living, young graduates search for employment in an uncertain economy, public hospitals remain under pressure, and millions of children continue to receive an education that does not prepare them for an increasingly competitive world. These are not problems that can be solved through speeches, slogans, or political victories. They require thoughtful policies, capable institutions, and a commitment to planning that extends well beyond the next election. Politics and public policy serve different purposes. Politics determines who governs, while policy determines how a country is governed. Elections are an essential feature of democracy, but they represent only the beginning of the process. Real progress depends on decisions that strengthen institutions, improve public services, create economic opportunities, and build confidence among citizens. Unfortunately, Pakistan has invested far more energy in political competition than in consistent public policy. Successive governments have often abandoned programmes introduced by their predecessors, regardless of whether those initiatives were producing positive results. Political ownership has repeatedly taken precedence over the national interest. Instead of improving existing reforms, new administrations introduce different priorities and ask institutions to begin again. This cycle wastes valuable resources, delays progress, and weakens public confidence in the ability of the state to deliver lasting change. The economy offers one of the clearest examples of this problem. Investors look for stability, predictability, and confidence before making lasting commitments. Businesses expand when regulations remain consistent and economic priorities are clearly defined. Frequent policy reversals create uncertainty that discourages investment and limits economic growth. At a time when Pakistan faces serious fiscal pressures, consistency in economic policy has be-
Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami Founding Editor
Stability needed to unlock people’s potential
The same sentiment has been reiterated by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff, at the 276th Corps Commanders’ Conference held on July 6 at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. He has issued a fresh warning to India that Pakistan will take “all necessary measures” to secure its rightful share of water. Pakistan’s rights as the lower riparian on the western rivers, that is, the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab for the unrestricted use of these rivers, are clearly enshrined in the IWT. Importantly, the treaty only allows India limited, specified use of upstream water from these rivers for domestic purposes, non-consumptive uses, and restricted agricultural and hydroelectric use, provided any hydroelectric projects are “run-ofthe-river” and do not alter the natural flow or allow India to store or divert significant volumes of water. Since May 2025, India has been pushing ahead with upstream infrastructure on the western rivers, including the planned expansion of the Ranbir Canal and the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel. Notably, on May 15, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague issued an award on “maximum pondage,” affirming that the treaty limits India’s control over the western rivers, vindicating Pakistan’s objections to Indian hydropower design on the Chenab and Jhelum. For Pakistan, the stakes are really high as water security has emerged as the one of the
tion according to political priorities. The consequences of climate change will be measured over decades, making continuity an essential requirement. Strong institutions remain the foundation of lasting national progress. Countries achieve sustainable development when institutions function independently, implement policies consistently, and earn the confidence of citizens regardless of changes in political leadership. Effective governance depends on transparent decision making, professional public administration, an independent judiciary, and regulatory bodies that enforce the law fairly and consistently. Strong institutions reduce dependence on individuals because they provide stability even during periods of political uncertainty. Political disagreement is both natural and necessary in every democracy. Competing ideas strengthen accountability and encourage better decision making. However, political competition should produce better policies instead of permanent confrontation. Education, healthcare, economic reform, climate resilience, judicial efficiency, and institutional development should command broad national agreement because these priorities affect every citizen regardless of political affiliation. The media also has an important responsibility. Public debate should move beyond personalities and political conflict to focus more closely on governance, policy implementation, and measurable results. Citizens deserve informed discussions about economic reform, educational outcomes, healthcare delivery, public spending, and institutional performance. Democracy becomes stronger when governments are judged not only by their political success but also by the quality of the policies they introduce and the improvements they bring to people’s lives. Pakistan’s future will not be determined by the intensity of political speeches or the outcome of the next election. It will be shaped by the strength of its institutions, the quality of its public policies, and the willingness of political leaders to place national priorities above immediate political advantage. Countries do not become prosperous through endless political conflict. They succeed because governments, institutions, businesses, and citizens work together toward shared national goals. Pakistan has no shortage of talent, resilience, or ambition. Its people have repeatedly demonstrated remarkable determination in the face of economic hardship, natural disasters, and political uncertainty. What the country needs is not another season of political drama but a lasting commitment to policymaking guided by evidence, continuity in governance, and institutions that serve the public interest. Political victories may dominate today’s headlines, but thoughtful public policy determines whether future generations inherit a nation that is stronger, more prosperous, and more confident than the one that exists today.
The writer is a legal researcher on law, public policy, and politics, with a focus on governance, institutional reform, and accountability.
Editor’s mail
greatest security concerns for the country since India’s willful violation of the IWT. Statistically, around 90 percent of Pakistan’s agriculture and a third of its hydropower depend on the Indus Basin, which irrigates nearly 90 percent of Pakistan’s food production, underwrites close to a quarter of its GDP, and is home to some 80 percent of its population. According to a 2026 research report published by Ampic Strategies, “Pakistan’s per-capita water availability has declined from roughly 5,260 cubic meters in 1951 to under 1,000 today.” Therefore, for a water-stressed country like Pakistan, the Indus is not an option; it is a matter of national survival. Notably, the violation of the IWT by India is not merely a bilateral issue; it is a global calamity in waiting– a litmus test for the credibility and effectiveness of international law, particularly the legal frameworks that regulate state behavior and ensure accountability in disputes involving shared natural resources. Thus, if the world turns a blind eye to the illegal Indian actions now, a dangerous example would be set, that could endanger regional as well as global peace at large. Having said that, the most viable path forward runs through the resumption of dialogue and using IWT’s inherent conflict resolution architecture rather than escaping from it. Moreover, the World Bank, drawing on its 2016 precedent, could also play a constructive role as a “mediator”. The writer is Research Officer at the Center for International Strategic Studies Sindh
Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively
Green deficit
OUR immediate environment in the city of Kamalia echoes the sad reminiscences of verdant areas. This condition is much more than a visual deficiency; it also becomes an ever-important health and social exclusion issue that primarily affects women and their children. The absence of adequate green patches deprives community of outdoor activities. Buy vitamins and supplements A park is a priceless place for physical exercise. It is ideal for walking, jogging and many other activities for keeping one fit and healthy while avoiding chronic diseases. it also provides engagement, relaxation and mental clarity. Our government must step in and prioritise green spaces by redeveloping vacant or underutilised lots into open public parks. The city government can offer the land and core infrastructure, while the people can share through volunteer planting initiatives, community cleanups and upkeep work. Kamalia deserves more than what it has now. If only we worked together, especially our women and children, to reclaim parks for healthier, happier and more active living. ASWAD KHAN KAMALIA, PUNJAB
Game revival
IN many Pakistani cities, young people spend their evenings with little to do other than scroll on their phones or wander the streets. This lack of healthy engagement not only wastes their energy but can also push them towards unproductive or risky activities. One simple, community-driven solution could make a huge difference — reviving night cricket. In the past, night cricket tournaments brought neighbourhoods together. They offered a safe space for youth to play, compete and bond. They also reduced idle street gatherings that sometimes led to disputes or petty crimes. With proper lighting, basic security and local sponsorships, night cricket can once again become a positive outlet for our young generation. Cities like Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi have many empty grounds that could be transformed into lively, family-friendly night cricket spots. Even small-scale matches in parks can create a sense of unity and healthy competition. Local authorities, sports boards and community groups should work together to make this happen. Sports have the power to unite, inspire and protect our communities. Let’s bring back night cricket — not just as a game, but as an investment in safer, happier and healthier cities. JUNAID MALIK SUKKUR
Billing scam
Having said that, the most viable path forward runs through the resumption of dialogue and using IWT’s inherent conflict resolution architecture rather than escaping from it. Moreover, the World Bank, drawing on its 2016 precedent, could also play a constructive role as a “mediator”
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THERE is something deeply broken in the way we are being treated as electricity consumers. We’re not just being overcharged but also being dismissed, ignored and manipulated. The recent publications by the Auditor General of Pakistan exposes how agricultural tube-wells were overbilled by Rs148 billion — yes, billion — with no proper justification. Similar things are happening to ordinary households like mine. What’s the point of regulations if no one is forced to follow them?. My electricity bill never matches my consumption. There’s no breakdown. No data. And when I try to raise a complaint, I’m met with sheer silence. How is it fair that DISCOs can charge people at their own will, without any oversight? If the audit system itself couldn’t get proper records from these companies, then how can an ordinary citizen expect justice? The government has not issued any public response, and the ministries’ response is just a blame game. We are not cattle to be herded and looted. We are citizens. We have rights. And we are tired of being robbed in broad daylight with no one to protect us. How long will this go on? When will someone finally listen? SAIMA AHMED LAHORE
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Saturday, 1 August, 2026
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Pakistan’s Governance Trap Escaping the Flipocracy
azhar Dogar
OR nearly eight decades, Pakistan has lived through one of the world’s longest constitutional experiments without ever reaching a constitutional settlement. Parliamentary democracy has alternated with military rule. Military governments have given way to elected civilian administrations. Civilian governments have, in turn, coexisted with varying degrees of military influence in what have come to be described as hybrid arrangements. Every transition has been presented as a necessary corrective to the failures of its predecessor. Every incoming government has promised stability, accountability, reform and economic renewal. Yet, despite repeated changes in who governs, the country has remained remarkably consistent in one respect, it has never fully resolved the fundamental question of how it wishes to be governed. This recurring constitutional oscillation has created what may be described as Pakistan’s Governance Trap, a self-reinforcing cycle in which military governments, civilian governments and hybrid arrangements repeatedly replace one another without resolving the underlying distribution of political authority or establishing a durable model of governance. It is, in many respects, a constitutional flipocracy, essentially a political pendulum that swings between competing centres of power while leaving the country’s most fundamental institutional questions unanswered. For a nation of more than 240 million people, possessing nuclear weapons, located at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean, this is not merely a domestic political concern. Pakistan sits astride some of the world’s most important strategic trade and energy corridors. Its stability influences regional security, migration, counterterrorism, maritime trade and geopolitical equilibrium. The consequences of Pakistan’s success or failure extend well beyond its own borders. History offers a remarkably consistent lesson. Nations need not adopt identical political systems to become prosperous, but they do require clarity regarding where authority resides, how governments are chosen, how power changes hands and, most importantly, who is accountable for outcomes. The USA follows a presidential system, Britain and Japan parliamentary constitutional monarchies, France a semi-presidential model, Singapore a parliamentary republic with its own distinctive governance traditions. Their political institutions differ considerably, but investors, businesses, citizens and state institutions understand the rules by which the state operates. Constitutional certainty encourages institutional maturity.
Pakistan has rarely enjoyed that certainty. Its post-independence history resembles a pendulum. Military governments have justified intervention on the grounds of corruption, weak governance, political instability or national security. Civilian governments have argued, equally persuasively, that democratic continuity is indispensable for strengthening institutions and ensuring legitimacy. Hybrid arrangements have attempted to reconcile both, presenting themselves as pragmatic adaptations to Pakistan’s unique circumstances. Yet each has ultimately given way to another turn of the wheel. The most damaging consequence of this cycle has been the separation of authority from accountability. Military governments frequently inherit crises created during civilian administrations or so they claim. Civilian governments inherit institutional structures shaped during military rule. Hybrid governments diffuse authority across multiple centres of influence. When progress occurs, several institutions may claim credit. When failure occurs, responsibility becomes fragmented. No successful corporation, university or nation consistently performs well when authority is dispersed but accountability remains unclear. Pakistan is hardly unique in confronting civil-military tensions. History provides numerous examples. Ancient Rome gradually witnessed increasing intervention by the Praetorian Guard in imperial succession, contributing to political instability and institutional decline. The later Ottoman Empire similarly experienced periods during which palace politics and military influence complicated governance and weakened administrative adaptability. In modern times, Turkey experienced repeated military interventions in 1960, 1971, 1980 and 1997, delaying the evolution of stable civilian supremacy. Thailand has experienced numerous coups since 1932, illustrating how repeated constitutional interruptions can generate long-term political uncertainty even alongside respectable economic performance. Egypt demonstrates that prolonged military predominance alone does not necessarily produce sustained productivity-led prosperity. Indonesia, following the Suharto era, gradually institutionalized democratic governance while preserving broad economic continuity. Chile’s transition after military rule similarly demonstrated that constitutional change need not require abandoning long term macroeconomic discipline and export competitiveness. The lesson from these diverse experiences is not that military governments inevitably fail or that civilian governments invariably succeed. Rather, it is that successful nations eventually establish constitutional clarity, institutional continuity and predictable rules that endure beyond individual leaders or governments. Pakistan’s second structural challenge has been economic rather than constitutional, although the two are inseparable.
Successive governments whether military, civilian and hybrid alike have often pointed to periods of respectable GDP growth as evidence of effective stewardship. Indeed, some of Pakistan’s strongest headline growth occurred during military governments, aided by favourable international conditions, geopolitical alliances and rents, debt rescheduling and substantial external financial inflows. Civilian governments have likewise overseen periods of macroeconomic stabilization, infrastructure development and important policy reforms. However, GDP growth alone is not the same as economic transformation. Transformation occurs when productivity rises consistently, exports become internationally competitive, investment accelerates, education strengthens human capital, technology drives industrial upgrading and institutions create an environment where innovation and entrepreneurship flourish. It is measured not by temporary spurts of growth but by permanent improvements in national competitiveness and living standards. Measured against those standards, Pakistan’s record reveals a sobering continuity across every form of government. Since independence, Pakistan has entered over 20 IMF stabilization programmes, one of the highest totals in the developing world reflecting recurring balance of payments crises rather than durable external competitiveness. Exports have generally remained below 15 percent of GDP, significantly lower than many successful export oriented Asian economies during their transformation phases. Gross investment has often hovered around the midteens of GDP, far below the levels exceeding 25–35 percent that characterized the sustained industrial takeoffs of countries like South Korea, China and Vietnam. Manufacturing has struggled to diversify into higher value products, while labour productivity has improved only gradually. Remittances have become an increasingly important source of foreign exchange, often cushioning external deficits but never substituting for a competitive export sector. These statistics reveal an uncomfortable truth. Pakistan has experienced episodes of growth, but not experienced sustained structural transformation of its economy. This is not an indictment of one category or form of government, but of the Pakistani state across successive political systems. The contrast with East Asia is instructive. South Korea emerged from the devastation of war poorer than many developing countries. Yet successive governments, despite significant political evolution, maintained an unwavering commitment to export-led industrialization, education, manufacturing competitiveness and technological upgrading. Taiwan pursued a remarkably similar path. Singapore transformed itself from a resource-poor island into one of the world’s leading financial and logistics hubs through disciplined long-term planning. More recently, Vietnam has steadily integrated itself into global manufacturing supply chains through decades of consistent export-oriented reforms. These countries differed substantially in
COMMENT 05
political institutions, historical experiences and cultures. What united them was not identical political systems but remarkable continuity in national economic strategy, its consistency and execution. Governments changed. National development strategies largely did not. Pakistan has too often experienced the opposite. Political transitions have repeatedly interrupted policy continuity and implementation. Incoming governments have frequently devoted more effort to reversing the initiatives of their predecessors than to improving and institutionalizing them. To begin with, there has never been a broad based consensus on national priorities. Institutions have remained weaker than personalities, and long-term planning has repeatedly yielded to short-term political imperatives. Pakistan therefore suffers from two mutually reinforcing deficits. The first is an institutional continuity deficit. The second is an economic continuity deficit. Together they create a vicious cycle. Constitutional uncertainty discourages long-term investment. Weak investment limits productivity growth. Low productivity constrains exports. Weak export performance generates recurring external financing pressures. Economic crises intensify political instability, which, in turn, interrupts reform. The pendulum swings again. Breaking this governance trap requires confronting two questions that Pakistan has postponed for far too long. The first concerns governance itself. The country requires a durable constitutional understanding of civil-military relations that commands broad legitimacy and survives changes in governments. Different societies legitimately choose different constitutional arrangements. There is no universal governance model. What successful nations eventually achieve, however, is institutional clarity regarding the respective roles of elected governments, military institutions, the judiciary and the permanent civil service. Whatever constitutional equilibrium Pakistan ultimately chooses, it must be sufficiently settled that governments are judged by their performance rather than by continuing disputes over where real authority resides. The second concerns economic transformation. Pakistan requires a genuine national economic model that extends beyond personalities, political parties and electoral cycles. That model should place export-led growth, productivity, technological capability, educational excellence, industrial upgrading, investment, innovation and institutional quality at the centre of national policy. It should survive changes in governments because it belongs to the nation rather than to any individual administration. These two reforms cannot succeed independently. Stable governance without economic transformation risks managing stagnation. Economic reform without institutional stability rarely survives political transition. Pakistan therefore requires both constitutional continuity and economic continuity if it is to realize the immense potential of one of the world’s youngest populations. The central lesson of Pakistan’s post-inde-
Why the New York Times story on Mossad recruiting Ahmadinejad doesn’t add up
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MIDDLE EAST EYE Marco carnelos
HE New York Times published an extraordinary investigation this month, asserting that Israel’s Mossad spent years cultivating former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as an intelligence asset, with the aim of installing him as leader of a postIslamic-Republic Iran. The report, authored by a team of veteran investigative journalists, describes secret meetings in Budapest, encounters with then-Mossad chief David Barnea, covert payments, and a dramatic wartime extraction of Ahmadinejad from his bombed Tehran compound on 28 February. From this moment, the story becomes confused. Ahmadinejad was allegedly led to a Mossad safe house inside Iran, but swiftly lost his trust in the Israelis and left. Whether he escaped or was allowed to exit remains unclear; either way, the tale tarnishes Mossad’s image, to say the least. Yet no matter how gripping the story might sound, upon closer examination, it is riddled with implausibilities, and deserving of far more scrutiny than the breathless coverage it has generated. Those who know Iran’s complex power structure know perfectly well that the president is not the top decision maker. The supreme leader and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) hold all the major cards, possessing the country’s most delicate secrets and deep knowledge of its operations abroad. If Israel’s real intention was to recruit a major Iranian asset, its efforts should have been directed towards an aide to the supreme leader, a member of the Supreme National Security Council, or a top IRGC official. The most immediately suspicious element of the story is its account of how the “recruitment” allegedly began: a Hungarian government official reportedly asked the rector of a Budapest university to invite Ahmadinejad to a climate change conference as cover for a meeting with Israeli intelligence operatives. Former Israeli intelligence professionals have themselves publicly balked at this description. Brigadier General (res) Hanan Geffen, a former commander of the Israeli army’s elite Unit 8200, called the sequence of events into question; for a sitting Mossad chief to personally travel to meet a target would be an extraordinary breach of standard operational practice, he noted. Career intelligence officers do not typically expose their director to a meeting with an unproven, high-risk target. That is pre-
cisely the kind of exposure agencies spend decades training to avoid. CURIOUSLY THIN VEIL: A climate conference as cover for a meeting with a globally recognised former head of state, still trailed by intelligence services and journalists worldwide, is also a curiously thin veil for an operation supposedly running since 2024. Furthermore, sharing part of this operation with another government would be highly risky - no matter how friendly the Orban government was with Israel. Such a move would only have increased the potential for security breaches in an extremely delicate operation. Even setting aside tradecraft objections, the very choice of Ahmadinejad as a candidate to lead Iran after a regimechange operation is bizarre. The former Iranian president spent eight years loudly denying the Holocaust, calling for Israel’s destruction, and hinting at nuclear ambitions. He is, by any measure, one of the most internationally toxic Iranian political figures of the last quarter-century: easily recognisable, reviled in much of the West, and permanently associated with the regime’s most extreme rhetoric. If Israeli intelligence planners were seeking a figure who could plausibly unify Iranians after a regime collapse, attract international legitimacy, and normalise relations with Israel, Ahmadinejad is close to the least credible choice imaginable. A former president later disqualified multiple times from running again for office by his own regime - one distrusted by reformists for his populist authoritarianism, and by hardliners for his later criticisms of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei - Ahmadinejad had no natural political base to inherit power. Installing him would not have been the best recipe to promote national reconciliation, ostensibly the outcome that any rational intelligence service would be seeking. According to parallel reporting from Haaretz, senior officers within Israel’s military intelligence reportedly viewed the plan as unrealistic, warning that predicting the outcome of a chaotic post-collapse political scramble was fundamentally unworkable. Their doubts centred specifically on the final stage of the plan: installing Ahmadinejad as leader. Military intelligence officials reportedly modelled scenarios in which attempting the plan would leave Israel worse off, amid concerns that toppling the Khamenei regime without an established civilian counterweight could hand power to the Revolutionary Guards, rather than any western-aligned successor. If Israel’s own military intelligence apparatus regarded the endgame as implausible, even while the operation was allegedly under-
way, that is a significant signal that outside observers should treat the whole scheme’s supposed strategic logic with considerable caution. Watching Iran today - including the concealment of the supreme leader and the country’s shadow power architecture - it is impossible to exclude the possibility that the IRGC could ultimately get the upper hand in the ongoing power struggle, even without the installation of Ahmadinejad. LONG-SIMMERING RIVALRIES: There is also a domestic Israeli political dimension worth noting. Analysts have pointed to longsimmering institutional rivalries between Israel’s military intelligence and Mossad, alongside the tense run-up to the country’s October elections, as factors that may be shaping how, and by whom, this story is being told. Leaks that flatter one agency’s boldness while implicitly criticising another’s caution are a familiar feature of intelligence bureaucracies everywhere, and Israel is no exception. Ahmadinejad’s office has dismissed the entire account, describing the allegations as “Hollywood-style claims” not even worth formally denying, and accused the New York Times of publishing fabricated material. Dismissals from implicated parties are, of course, unsurprising and cannot be taken at face value either - but they add another layer of contestation to a story that is already built almost entirely on anonymous sourcing. The Times report relies on unnamed American and Iranian officials, while Mossad did not respond to the newspaper’s requests for comment. No documentary evidence, recordings, or named intelligence of-
ficials have been produced. For a story of this magnitude - alleging that a foreign intelligence agency ran a years-long campaign to install a former head of state as the leader of a regional adversary with nuclear capabilities - the evidentiary base remains remarkably thin, resting on characterisations rather than verifiable primary material. There is also a broader coherence problem. The story conveniently ties together nearly every notable thread of the recent USIsrael-Iran war into a single, dramatic arc: the killing of Khamenei, a targeted strike on Ahmadinejad’s compound, a covert extraction, a failed Kurdish uprising, and Ahmadinejad’s mysterious reappearance at the slain supreme leader’s funeral before he vanished into alleged house arrest. Real intelligence operations are rarely so narratively tidy. Genuine covert programmes tend to be messy, compartmentalised, and only partially reconstructible even years after the fact. A fully arced story recruitment, wartime climax, betrayal and comeuppance - delivered within months of the events it describes, sourced entirely to anonymous officials on both sides of an active conflict, should raise any analyst’s eyebrow. CASE FOR CAUTION: None of this proves the story is false. Anonymously-sourced intelligence journalism has, on past occasions, proven to be accurate well before official confirmation has emerged. But the specific claims here - the amateurish tradecraft implied by the cover-story meeting, the strategic incoherence of choosing Ahmadinejad as a figurehead, the explicit scepticism voiced by Israel’s own military intelligence establishment, and the ab-
pendence history is therefore larger than the success or failure of any individual government. Military governments have recorded important achievements while committing significant and costly mistakes. Civilian governments have likewise produced notable accomplishments while often failing to complete their constitutional terms or fully implement long term reforms. Hybrid arrangements have demonstrated both possibilities and limitations. None, however, has succeeded in establishing a durable constitutional settlement alongside a sustained export-led transformation strategy capable of lifting Pakistan into the ranks of prosperous upper middle-income economies. The challenge before Pakistan is therefore not choosing between military rule and civilian rule necessarily. It is choosing institutional certainty over institutional ambiguity, continuity over perpetual constitutional experimentation, long-term national strategy over short-term political advantage. A stable, prosperous and institutionally confident Pakistan would benefit not only its own citizens but also the wider international community. It would strengthen regional trade, contribute to energy and transport connectivity, expand opportunities for one of the world’s largest youth populations and reinforce stability across one of the world’s most strategically important regions. Conversely, a Pakistan trapped indefinitely in constitutional uncertainty and recurring economic crises would continue to impose costs not only upon itself but also upon regional and international stability. The country cannot afford to remain a constitutional flipocracy, endlessly oscillating between military governments, civilian administrations and hybrid arrangements while postponing the deeper institutional settlement every successful nation ultimately reaches. Nor can it continue searching for short-term economic recoveries while neglecting the difficult work of building a productivity driven, export-oriented economy capable of competing in the 21st century. History rarely rewards nations that endlessly revisit yesterday’s constitutional debates while tomorrow’s economic opportunities pass them by. It rewards those that establish enduring institutions, settle the rules of governance, create clear lines of accountability and pursue long term national strategies with discipline, consistency and patience. Pakistan has reached precisely such a moment. Its future will not ultimately be determined by whether the next government is military, civilian or hybrid; but by whether the nation finally resolves the twin questions that have shaped its post-independence history: what constitutional model of governance commands enduring national consensus, and what long term economic transformation model will every future government implement? Until Pakistan answers both questions decisively, the constitutional pendulum will continue to swing, the flipocracy endure, and the country’s extraordinary potential remain only partially fulfilled. Solving these two challenges is therefore not simply essential for Pakistan, it is increasingly important for the region and the world.
The author is a senior international banker, with degrees in economics and political science from University of Pennsylvania and Brown University sence of any verifiable documentary evidence - together constitute a case for considerable caution. One element seems certain, considering the practice of the IRGC’s intelligence apparatus, which calls the shots in Iran: if there was some evidence that Ahmadinejad had compromised himself with Israel, he would have been executed already. Instead contrary to his predecessor, Mohammad Khatami, and his successor, Hassan Rouhani - he was allowed, albeit heavily escorted, to attend Khamenei’s unprecedented funeral. This decision seems to confirm that the Iranian regime does not consider Ahmadinejad to be particularly dangerous. Readers, and particularly policy analysts, would do well to treat the Ahmadinejad story as an intriguing but heavily contested account, rather than an established fact of the recent war - at least until independent corroboration emerges, beyond the current circle of anonymous officials. If the story should then turn credible, I would bet that Ahmadinejad’s recruitment started far before he became president - and that all the stunts he pulled during his mandate were deliberate acts to conceal his recruitment, with his puppet master’s full agreement. After all, no Iranian political figure has publicly supported better than Ahmadinejad the well-worn Israeli narrative about Iran posing an existential threat to Israel and to regional Arab states. Ahmadinejad’s policies in that regard offered stronger cover for his recruitment. For those who might be intrigued by this odd theory, but struggle to follow its logic, the best advice to make sense of it would be to read John Le Carre’s masterpiece, The Little Drummer Girl. Marco Carnelos is a former Italian diplomat. He has been assigned to Somalia, Australia and the United Nations. He served in the foreign policy staff of three Italian prime ministers between 1995 and 2011.
TRUMP TO BOMB OMAN, BUT IN A GOOD WAY SATIRE
T
NEWS BISCUIT Deskpilot
HE whole Strait of Hormuz thing is a massive, horrible mess, and it makes Donald Trump look like a LOSER. Which is pretty much the worst thing that could possibly happen, and threatens his re-election for a glorious third term. But the American President has a solution. He is offering to bomb Oman and the United Arab Emirates – but in a good way. Bombing the UAE and Oman will save the Iranians a lot of trouble. And bombing
in a planned and precise way will mean that the UAE and Oman won’t need to use up their valuable anti-missile missiles. Sounds mad? Don’t worry. There is some logic to Trump’s latest fever dream. The plan is to precision bomb a new waterway from the Strait of Hormuz to the Arabian Sea, so that oil tankers won’t have to go past Iran. ‘Digging would be way too slow,’ said the President, in a rare moment of clarity. ‘We can’t dig a new waterway in time for the mid-term elections. Bombing will be quick and effective. We still have loads of bombs – good solid American bombs - and we’re making new ones all the time. The rumours that we are running out of bombs are
fake news. We’ll use American shock and awe to build a new canal in record time. ‘I’ll be explaining my plan to the Sultan of Oman and also raisin it with the UAE. I reckon that they will be right on board. All of that land is just sand and no use for anything, not even golf courses. Once we’ve bombed it all out, we can scoop up the sand and make sandbags. Everyone in the Middle East wants to buy sandbags these days. We’re going to clean up. ‘I’m calling the new waterway the Donald J Trump Liberation Canal. It’ll be great. And I have no doubt that the UAE and Oman will be happy to pay me back in full for the costs incurred.’
06 NEWS
TRUMP SAYS GAZA TALKS PRODUCED HAMAS Gazans greet Hamas disarmament DISARMAMENT DEAL deal with ‘hope and deep doubt’
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Saturday, 1 August 2026 | ISLAMABAD
CAIRO
GAZA
AGENCIES
S President Donald Trump said on Thursday that talks in Cairo had produced what he called a phased agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, but Hamas described the arrangement as only a draft and Israeli officials signalled strong reservations. In a social media post, Trump said the Board of Peace had reached a “HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza” and called it “a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY.” He said the move would help pave the way for Gaza to be run by a new Palestinian government working with the Board of Peace, while giving Israel security and ending the use of Gaza as a base for attacks. The announcement was quickly met with caution from multiple sides. Ghazi Hamad, a member of the Hamas negotiating team, said, “We will not take any action regarding disarmament prior to Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip.” A Hamas source said the text under discussion was a “draft agreement” under which heavy weapons would be stored under the control of a Palestinian administration and would not be transferred to Israel. A US official told reporters that Israel is “very sceptical that Hamas will disarm,” while adding, “We’re very confident they will adhere to it.” The same official said that if Hamas failed to comply, “obviously President Trump would be very, very disappointed.”
AGENCIES
ISRAEL REJECTS PROPOSAL IN CURRENT FORM Before Trump’s announcement, an Israeli official said Israel had already rejected a proposal tied to the talks. The official said Israel was demanding the full disarmament of Hamas, the removal of weapons from Gaza and the complete demilitarisation of the territory as a precondition for any process. The official added that a 15-point document under discussion did not adequately address those demands and that Israel had conveyed its objections. There were also differing signals on timing. A Board of Peace official estimated the process could take between 200 and 320 days, though a US official played down that timeline. Nickolay Mladenov, Trump’s Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, said the objective was “a Gaza rebuilt, governed by Palestinians and at peace with Israel an a political horizon to a meaningful resolution the Israeli Palestinian conflict.”
WIDER PLAN STILL FACES OBSTACLES Hamas leaders were in Cairo for talks with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye on the second phase of Trump’s Gaza plan. Trump created the Board of Peace to oversee efforts to end the war and rebuild the enclave, and said last year it would supervise Gaza’s temporary governance. The broader plan calls for a surge in humanitarian aid, administration by a civilian Palestinian authority, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the deployment of an international force to help maintain security. A diplomat involved in the talks said it also includes dismantling tunnels, arms stockpiles and weapons production sites. Key issues remain unresolved, including the fate of light and personal weapons, whether Israeli troops would fully withdraw, and how many personnel could be provided for the proposed International Stabilisation
Gazans reacted with a mix of relief, disbelief and anger after Hamas agreed to a deal to end the war with Israel by surrendering its weapons in exchange for a phased Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The plan was announced by US President Donald Trump, while Israel had yet to comment. For many Palestinians in Gaza, any sense of hope was tempered by the destruction, displacement and shortages they have endured since the war began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Mohammed Hamdouna, a 35-year-old displaced teacher from northern Gaza, said, "Finally, the world’s longest nightmare will end," but added that he was "afraid to dream or believe it until the crossings are opened and aid and temporary shelters begin to enter Gaza." Hamdouna said Gaza’s people had paid "the price in blood" and argued that Hamas should have no further role in the territory. Others said they would judge the agreement only by what changes on the
Force. A US official described the arrangement as a “conditions-based deal” rather than a trust-based one. Fighting also continued on the ground. Health officials said Israeli strikes killed at least six Palestinians on Thursday, including two children, a woman and three men. The Israeli military said it had struck Hamas fighters in Gaza.
TOKYO
The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck southwestern Japan's Kumamoto prefecture has risen to 35, prefectural officials said on Friday, as rescuers pressed on with searches before the critical 72-hour window closed later in the day. Public broadcaster NHK reported that it had not yet been confirmed whether all of the deaths were directly caused by Tuesday's earthquake. Authorities warned the toll could increase further as rescue operations continued. The Japan Meteorological Agency measured the quake at magnitude 7.1, while the United States Geological
Survey and Germany's GEOFON seismic monitoring network estimated it at 6.8. The tremor hit at 4:27pm local time on Tuesday at a depth of 10 kilometres, about 5 kilometres east of Uto in Kumamoto Prefecture, according to the USGS. The earthquake registered the maximum level of 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale. Since the main shock, hundreds of smaller earthquakes have been recorded. HEAVY DAMAGE ACROSS KUMAMOTO In Hikawa Town, home to around 10,000 people, more than 120 houses and other buildings were completely destroyed. Rescue work also continued at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping centre in Kashima Town, about 20 kilome-
According to Gaza health officials and Israeli authorities, more than 1,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began in October, while four Israeli soldiers have been killed over the same period. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also said Israel intends to expand the area under its control to 70pc of the enclave.
Children among four killed in Gaza as Cairo talks resume
Japan quake toll climbs to 35 as rescue window nears end AGENCIES
ground. Mahmoud Yousef, 28, who was displaced from Gaza City to central Gaza and now relies entirely on humanitarian aid after losing his work at a cafe, said, "Anything before the crossings are opened and tents and aid are allowed in, is just words." He also questioned how long implementation, rubble removal and reconstruction would take. Ahmed Aal, a 37-year-old taxi driver living in a makeshift tent, said he had little faith the fighting would truly stop. "I’m not optimistic… Israel doesn’t honour agreements — they’ll invent something" to resume the war, he said, adding that while leaders negotiate, "Every minute, people die in Gaza." Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued daily air and artillery strikes in Gaza, saying it is targeting militants. For Umm Naeem Abu Sultan, 55, the news briefly lifted the burden of wartime life. She said she woke to her children shouting, "Mama, a truce! A truce!" and felt "so happy, as if the door to life was opening for us again," expressing hope that bombardment would end and that crossings into and out of Gaza would reopen.
CAIRO
AGENCIES
tres away. The mall was badly damaged by an explosion around 80 minutes after the earthquake, believed to have been caused by a gas leak, though the exact
cause has not been determined. Seven people rescued from the mall site later died, while five others were injured.
Youth-led protest shakes Modi after Indian minister quits NEW DELHI
AGENCIES
The resignation of Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after mass youth protests has opened a rare political vulnerability for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, with analysts and opposition leaders arguing that the campaign has dented the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's aura of invincibility.
Pradhan quit on July 25 after a protest in New Delhi led by the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, over examination irregularities. It was described as the first time a cabinet minister had been forced out under public pressure since Modi took office in 2014. The development has sharpened debate over whether the youth-led agitation could evolve into a wider threat to the BJP before key state elections, including polls in Uttar Pradesh in 2027. CJP has said it does not plan to become a political party immediately, but the campaign has kept pressure on the government and energised opposition ranks in parliament and on the streets. Political commentator and Modi biographer Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay said the protests were "a
big blow to Modi's strongman image" and "possibly a big turning point in Indian political history". He said, "The fear of the regime has now gone," pointing to the fact that young protesters stayed on the streets despite baton charges, tear gas and pellet guns used by paramilitary forces. OPPOSITION PRESSES ATTACK The opposition has sought to build on the momentum. On July 29, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked Home Minister Amit Shah in parliament, demanding his resignation as well and accusing him of having "ordered the shooting of our students". The BJP rejected the allegation, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju responding: "On what basis are you saying this?"
Israeli strikes killed at least four Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, including two children, as Hamas leaders met mediators in Cairo for fresh talks on the next phase of a US-backed peace plan. Medics said one strike hit a tent encampment in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, killing a man and an eight-year-old girl. In central Gaza, an air strike on a house in the Bureij refugee camp killed an 18-month-old child and wounded at least eight people. Later in the day, another Israeli strike targeted a Palestinian man on a bicycle near a tent encampment for displaced families in Gaza City, killing one person and wounding 10 others. Gaza health officials say more than 1,200 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire took effect. The truce halted full-scale fighting but has not stopped near-daily strikes. Four Israeli soldiers have also been killed in Gaza during the same period. CAIRO NEGOTIATIONS In Cairo, Hamas leaders were holding discussions with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye on implementing the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan. The proposal calls for a major increase in humanitarian aid, administration of Gaza by a civilian Palestinian body, the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory and the deployment of an international force to help maintain security.
Russian strike wipes out 10 members of one family in Ukraine KYIV/WARSAW AGENCIES
A Russian missile destroyed a family home near Kryvyi Rig in eastern Ukraine, killing 10 members of the same family, as Moscow launched a wider overnight barrage of 74 missiles and 284 drones across the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the dead were the Voronov family — mother Olena, father Artem, seven children and a grandchild. He said the youngest presumed victim was one and a half years old. Zelensky said, "The Russians used their ballistic missile to destroy an ordinary house belonging to an ordinary family," adding that it was "an ordinary home, blown into smithereens." The strike hit outside Kryvyi Rig, Zelensky’s home town. Sergiy Kovtoniuk, press officer of the State Emergency Service in the Dnipropetrovsk region, said six people had been confirmed dead and another four were presumed dead pending formal identification. He said rescuers recovered 17 body fragments from the site and that forensic examinations were continuing.
Xi stresses political guidance, innovation in military modernization BEIJING
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, urged efforts to strengthen political guidance and deepen innovation-driven development to advance the high-quality modernization of national defense and the armed forces. Xi made the remarks when presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Thursday. Xi urged efforts to fulfill the goals for the centenary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 2027 and make "decisive progress" in basically realizing the modernization of national defense and the
armed forces.This, he said, will provide strong strategic support for advancing the cause of building a great country and achieving national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization. The study session was held ahead of the PLA's founding anniversary on August 1. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission (CMC), Xi extended festive greetings to all members of the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel of the PLA, and members of the reserve forces and the militia. Sun Zheng, from the strategic planning office of the CMC, delivered a lecture on promoting the high-quality modernization of national defense and the armed forces
and put forward suggestions. Combat capabilities remain the ultimate objective and testing criterion for promoting the high-quality modernization of national defense and the armed forces, Xi said. He called for enhancing the military application of unmanned intelligent technologies and advancing the development and application of the network information system to gradually establish an intelligent military system. It is vital to strengthen the systematic integration of combat capabilities, conduct rigorous combat-oriented testing and evaluation, and bolster military training and combat readiness, thereby effectively safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, he said.
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saturday, 1 August, 2026 | IsLAMABAD
CORPORATE CORNER
CM MARyAM oRDERS PUnJAB-WIDE SAFE DRInkIng WAtER DRIvE, SEEkS FIvE-DAy ACtIon PlAn
P g
Bok recognized by SBP for outstanding performance under national Financial literacy Program LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
Bank of Khyber (BoK) has been recognized by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for its outstanding performance under the National Financial Literacy Program (NFLP-II) FY 2025–26. The recognition was conferred during the NFLP-II Annual Target Review Meeting and Certificate Distribution Ceremony held in Lahore on July 27, 2026, where appreciation certificates were awarded to banks for their contributions toward advancing financial literacy and financial inclusion across Pakistan. BoK achieved 150% of its assigned NFLP-II target during FY 2025–26, reflecting the Bank's strong commitment to promoting financial awareness in line with SBP's vision and objectives. Through a segmented approach focusing on women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs), the Bank conducted a series of financial literacy initiatives aimed at equipping underserved communities with the knowledge and confidence to make informed financial decisions. The Bank also continued to promote digital financial literacy, enabling individuals to safely access and benefit from digital banking services. This recognition reinforces Bank of Khyber's commitment to supporting national efforts for greater financial inclusion and sustainable economic development. The Bank remains dedicated to expanding the reach of financial education through impactful awareness programs, empowering communities, and contributing to a more financially informed, inclusive, and resilient Pakistan.
PAEM, HFP Hold Scientific Seminar on World Hepatitis Day KARACHI
STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Association for Eastern Medicine (PAEM), in collaboration with Hamdard Foundation Pakistan (HFP), organised a special scientific seminar titled "Tazkar-e-Hikmat" yesterday at Naimat Begum Hamdard University Hospital to mark World Hepatitis Day. The seminar aimed to raise awareness about the increasing number of hepatitis cases in Pakistan. A large number of experts in Unani and modern medicine, teachers, physicians, researchers, and students attended the event. The President of HFP, Ms Sadia Rashid, was the chief guest. Guest speaker Dr Hakim Syed Zahoor-ul-Hasan Zaidi, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Eastern Medicine, Hamdard University, presented his research on hepatitis. He said that hepatitis is a silent but highly dangerous disease. Controlling it requires not only proper treatment but also early diagnosis, preventive measures, public awareness, and a coordinated strategy. There are five main types of hepatitis—A, B, C, D, and E. Each type differs in its mode of transmission, symptoms, and treatment. Hepatitis A and E usually spread through contaminated food and water, while hepatitis B, C, and D are mainly transmitted through infected blood, unsafe injections, unsterilised medical equipment, blood transfusions, and certain other sources.
Serena Hotels brings together experts to discuss wellbeing as new leadership imperative ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Serena Hotels, under its Public Diplomacy initiative, Raabta, organized another thought-provoking panel discussion titled "Leading Beyond Performance: Wellbeing as the New Leadership Imperative." The session brought together distinguished professionals and thought leaders to explore the evolving role of wellbeing in shaping effective, compassionate, and sustainable leadership. Curated and moderated by renowned journalist and media personality Sidra Iqbal, the discussion provided a dynamic platform for meaningful dialogue on how organizations and leaders can create healthier workplaces while balancing performance, purpose, and people. The conversation highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence, resilience, psychological safety, and inclusive leadership in navigating today's increasingly complex professional landscape. The distinguished panel featured a diverse group of experts, each bringing unique perspectives from their respective fields. Abida Malik, President of the Behbud Association, shared her extensive experience in community development and people-centric leadership, emphasizing the importance of empathy and purpose in creating resilient organizations.
PUNJAB CM VOWS TO DELIVER SAFE DRINKING WATER TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD AFTER SUCCESS OF SUTHRA PUNJAB INITIATIVE LAHORE
SALEEM JADOON
UNJAB Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday reaffirmed her government’s commitment to ensuring the provision of safe drinking water to every household across Punjab after the successful implementation of the Suthra Punjab initiative, directing authorities to present a comprehensive and foolproof province-wide plan within five days. Chairing a meeting of the Punjab Saaf Pani Authority, the chief minister ordered that efforts to provide safe drinking water to citizens be accelerated, describing the initiative as one of the government’s foremost public welfare priorities. The meeting decided to engage an international consultancy for the project, while incorporating the latest Japanese and Chinese technologies to modernise water purification systems and improve service delivery across the province.
Participants were informed that the Punjab Saaf Pani Authority would be comprehensively restructured and upgraded on the successful model of the Suthra Punjab programme. It was also decided to strengthen the authority administratively and technically by equipping it with modern technology, adequate human resources and improved
transport facilities to enhance operational efficiency. According to the briefing, reverse osmosis (RO) plants and modern filtration plants would be installed in accordance with regional requirements to ensure uninterrupted access to safe drinking water. Plant identification numbers, operators’ names, contact details and operating
hours would also be prominently displayed at filtration and RO plants across Punjab to improve transparency and public access. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed the authorities to repair and properly maintain all 5,734 existing water filtration plants and ordered the installation of additional plants wherever required to meet local needs. She further instructed that the jurisdiction of the Punjab Saaf Pani Authority be expanded to cover all districts and tehsils of the province. The meeting was informed that the supply of safe drinking water through mobile bottling plants had already commenced in remote areas, with operational bottling plants currently benefiting more than 2,400 families every day. It was also decided that all trucks and plants operated by the authority would remain under continuous monitoring to ensure efficiency and accountability. The chief minister said the Punjab Saaf Pani Authority would be transformed into an active, efficient and wellorganised institution on the pattern of the Suthra Punjab programme.
Media training workshop on AI, journalistic safety and inclusive journalism concludes LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
The Women Media Center Pakistan organised a five-day media training workshop on Artificial Intelligence, Journalistic Safety and Inclusive Journalism for female students associated with media, women journalists, media practitioners and women aspiring to pursue careers in journalism. The workshop, held at a local hotel in Lahore from July 27 to July 31, 2026, familiarised participants with modern journalistic skills and the evolving requirements of the media industry to enable them to work professionally in the field. Director General Public Relations Punjab, Farid Ahmed, attended the concluding session as the chief guest and addressed the participants. Speaking on the occasion, DGPR Punjab Sheikh Farid Ahmed said that Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz, as the first woman chief minister of the province, had made the welfare, protection and empowerment of women one of the key priorities of her government. He said the Punjab government had undertaken numerous initiatives, including the establishment of state-of-the-art daycare centres for working women, provision of safe
Standard Chartered brings Pakistan's best mortgage proposition to EMAAR's broker network transport facilities for women, the Chief Minister Women Empowerment Package, Pink Games, the Pink Scooty Programme, expansion of working women hostels, promotion of women’s vocational and digital skills, creation of business opportunities and easy financial assistance, special facilities in the health and education sectors, and promotion of safe and dignified workplaces for women. He said these initiatives aimed to strengthen women economically and socially and provide them with an environment where they could perform their professional responsibilities with confidence and peace of mind. He further said that under the leadership of Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Zahid Bukhari, women-friendly initiatives had also been introduced in
the Information and Culture Department to provide women officers, journalists and media professionals with a safe, dignified and enabling professional environment. He said that on the directions of Information Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari, the daycare centre established at the DGPR had been upgraded in line with modern requirements so that working mothers could perform their professional responsibilities with complete peace of mind. Addressing the participants, Sheikh Farid Ahmed said they were fortunate to have access to opportunities. He urged them to continue their education beyond a bachelor’s degree, pursue master’s and doctoral studies, focus on education and also undertake field visits, which he said were equally important.
FFC announces results for second quarter ended June 30, 2026
UBl national Innovation Hackathon 2026 kicks off at nIC karachi
STAFF REPORT
STAFF REPORT
ISLAMABAD
Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited (FFC) has announced its financial result for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026 in its Board of Directors meeting held on June 29, 2026. Our Urea plants produced 1,417 thousand tonnes Urea whereas Sona DAP production of 369 thousand tonnes was also achieved. Urea offtake increased to 1,404 thousand tonnes, against 1,122 thousand tonnes during corresponding period, whereas DAP sales, including imported product, increased from 288 thousand tonnes to 318 thousand tonnes in 2026. Increase in offtake resulted in urea market share improvement to 56% from 48% previously, while DAP market share registered a growth of 3% to 66%. All product revenue was registered at PKR 200 billion as compared to PKR 155 billion during 2025, mainly due to higher sales volumes. The rise in revenue, control over operating costs along with investment income of PKR 28 billion, enabled the Company to achieve net profit of PKR 41.8 billion. This profitability translated into earnings per share of PKR 29.1 as compared to PKR 27.0 in the corresponding period last year. The Board of Directors of FFC has announced an interim dividend of PKR 14.5 per share, for the second quarter of 2026, bringing the cumulative dividend for the half year ended June 30, 2026 to PKR 23.0 per share.
KARACHI
The National Incubation Center Karachi (NIC Karachi), an Ignite-funded initiative under the Ministry of IT & Telecom, in collaboration with United Bank Limited (UBL), has launched the UBL National Innovation Hackathon 2026, bringing together 25 teams from across Pakistan for a 72-hour challenge to develop cutting-edge solutions for the country's financial, banking, and payments ecosystem. Competing for a grand prize of Rs5 million, the hackathon has attracted a diverse pool of participants, including students, startups, software professionals, researchers, innovators, and technology enthusiasts. More than a competition, the initiative serves as a launchpad for innovation, offering high-potential teams continued mentorship, incubation to refine their ideas into scalable, market-ready solutions capable of driving the future of digital finance in Pakistan. Abdur Rehman, Head of Creative Technology at UBL, in the opening remarks encouraged teams to focus on creating solutions that solve genuine customer problems. He stated that while the hackathon is a competition, its true value lies in experimentation, collaboration, and learning. He highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics in reshaping financial services and encouraged participants to build practical, customer-centric solutions capable of delivering meaningful impact.
Punjab Police issues 4.84m driving licences, intensify crackdown on traffic violators LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Punjab Police continued its province-wide drive to strengthen public service delivery and ensure strict enforcement of traffic laws, issuing more than 4.843 million driving licences during the current year while intensifying action against traffic violations across the province. According to a Punjab Police spokesperson, more than 5.830 million traffic challans were issued for violations of traffic regulations during the period, resulting in fines exceeding Rs11.16 billion. The spokesperson said enforcement teams also took action against environmental and road safety violations by issuing challans to 45,881 smoke-emitting
vehicles. In addition, 6,871 vehicles were impounded at police stations, while the fitness certificates of 28 vehicles were confiscated for failing to meet the required standards. Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdul Kareem directed that the campaign against traffic law violators should continue without interruption and stressed the need to ensure the effective implementation of amended traffic laws, ongoing reforms and the modern traffic management system across the province. He ordered authorities to maintain an uncompromising crackdown against those involved in overloading, over-speeding, underage driving, one-way violations and other dangerous traffic offences that pose risks to public safety.
KARACHI
STAFF REPORT
Standard Chartered Pakistan participated in EMAAR Pakistan's Broker Night, engaging with leading real estate brokers to showcase the Bank's home financing solutions and highlight how financing can help clients make faster, more informed property decisions. The engagement builds on Standard Chartered's relationship with EMAAR and a shared commitment to expanding access to premium real estate opportunities for resident and non-resident Pakistanis. During the session, brokers were introduced to Standard Chartered's mortgage offering and dedicated support model, enabling them to better guide clients. Recently recognised by Euromoney as Pakistan's Best Bank for Mortgages, Standard Chartered continues to strengthen its position as a trusted partner for homebuyers and investors. Saadya Riaz, Head, Wealth & Retail Banking, Standard Chartered Pakistan, said: "Brokers are often the first trusted advisers in a client's property journey. Through our partnership with EMAAR Pakistan, we are bringing together premium real estate opportunities and award-winning financing solutions to help clients make informed decisions with confidence. Our focus is simple: to make the path to ownership as seamless as possible while delivering the service and expertise clients expect from Standard Chartered." Aziz Jindani, Chief Executive Officer, EMAAR Pakistan stated: “Pakistan housing finance is anaemic relative to its GDP. Specific to EMAAR, many young families locally and abroad have the ability to afford a mortgage but struggle to find a financial institution to partner with.
BISP, PSDF Sign MoU for Benazir Hunarmand Programme LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and the Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on providing market-driven vocational training to Punjab's most vulnerable segments, particularly women and youth, under the Benazir Hunarmand Programme. The signing ceremony was held at the PSDF office in Lahore. It was attended by DG CI BISP, Syeda Adeela Bokhari; DG Punjab BISP, Mr. Haider Murtaza; Deputy Director (NSER Punjab), Ms. Roheena Iqbal; Focal Person, Benazir Hunarmand Programme, Ms. Humaira Farooq; and Regional Outreach Coordinator (Punjab), Benazir Hunarmand Programme, Ms. Nayab Jan. PSDF was represented by its CEO, Ahmed Khan, along with Ms. Ummara Zeeshan, Manager Program Design; Mr. Jafar Ali and the Specialist Program Design. Under this partnership, BISP will mobilise eligible beneficiaries through its regional network and the National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER). Candidates will also be able to self-register through the Benazir Hunarmand Portal. PSDF will provide training, learning materials, stipends where applicable, and cobranded certifications recognised by NAVTTC and aligned with the Higher Education Commission's National Vocational Qualifications Framework (NVQF). The partnership will create a structured graduation pathway from social protection to sustainable employment.
Saturday, 1 August, 2026
Published by Asad Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk