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PM REAFFIRMS PAKISTAN’S ‘UNWAVERING’ SUPPORT FOR SAUDIA AMID HOUTHI ATTACKS Saturday, 17 October, 2026 | 5 Jumada al-Awwal, 1448

PM SHEHBAZ MEETS NEWLY APPOINTED SAUDI AMBASSADOR DR RAJEH TAMI ALBUGAMY, REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR KINGDOM’S SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY

DESCRIBES STRATEGIC MUTUAL DEFENCE AGREEMENT AND MAKKAH JOINT DEFENCE AGREEMENT AS ‘HISTORIC MILESTONES’ IN BILATERAL TIES

Rs 20.00 | Vol XVII No 203 | 8 Pages | Lahore Edition

CONDEMNS HOUTHI ATTACKS ON SAUDI ARABIA THAT CAUSED DEATHS AND INJURIES, INCLUDING AMONG PAKISTANI NATIONALS SHEHBAZ THANKS SAUDI LEADERSHIP FOR ITS CONTINUED ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO PAKISTAN

Pakistan vows to honour Makkah Defense Pact, condemns Houthi attacks on Riyadh ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD SALEEM JADOON

RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity amid an escalation in Houthi attacks, saying the two countries had always stood by each other. The prime minister made the remarks during a meeting with newly appointed Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Rajeh Tami Albugamy, who called on

him at the Prime Minister’s House, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Welcoming Ambassador Albugamy to Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif congratulated him on assuming his new responsibilities. The Saudi envoy assumed his diplomatic assignment in Islamabad on Thursday, reaffirming the commitment to strengthening the strategic and fraternal ties between the two countries. During the meeting, the prime minister said Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations had made significant progress in recent years and reiterated Islamabad’s com-

Jirga nominations for RDCs in KP's merged districts near completion PESHAWAR

STAFF REPORT

Pakistan on Friday strongly condemned the latest Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and other civilian infrastructure and reaffirmed its commitment to Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security, and fulfil its obligations under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, while reiterating Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself and its sovereignty. Addressing his weekly media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Office Spokesperson Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan said Pakistan remained deeply concerned over the continuing attacks against the Kingdom. “Pakistan strongly condemns the latest terrorist attack by the Houthi militia,” the spokesperson said, ex-

mitment to expanding bilateral cooperation across various sectors. He strongly condemned the recent escalation in Houthi attacks against Saudi

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03 Arabia, which had resulted in deaths and injuries, including among Pakistani nationals, the PMO statement said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

Naqvi says a party chief upset after being denied KP governor role ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said on Friday that the process of nominating members of Regional Development Councils (RDCs) and area representatives in the province’s merged districts had entered its final stages, with nominees selected through jirgas in consultation with local communities. In a post on X, the governor said representatives preferred by the people had been nominated in all 12 districts, taking into account local traditions and community consultations. He added that the names had been forwarded to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after completion of the process. Kundi stressed that the voices, traditions and aspirations of residents of the merged districts must be given fundamental importance in decision-making. He said the representatives should enjoy the confidence and trust of the local population. Jirgas and consultative meetings were held in several tribal districts on Thursday to select RDC members and discuss local representation, public grievances and development priorities. Meetings involving local elders, religious scholars and other stakeholders took place in Bajaur, Kurram, Bara, Khyber, Upper Dir and Lower Dir, while separate jirgas were held in Mohmand, Bannu and Waziristan. District administrations and relevant authorities facilitated the consultations, which also covered law and order and coordination with government institutions. Local elders expressed confidence in the proposed administrative system and pledged cooperation in addressing public issues and promoting peace and stability. The councils are being established in 12 districts: Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, North Waziristan, Upper South Waziristan, Lower South Waziristan, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat and Bannu.

tending condolences to the bereaved families and sympathies to the injured. He said attacks on civilian populations and critical infrastructure were unacceptable and posed a grave threat to regional peace and security. The spokesperson noted that on October 11, Pakistan joined Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey in a joint statement under the R4 group framework, condemning the Houthi attacks. The four countries expressed solidarity with Riyadh, supported its legitimate measures to protect its territory and population, and called for an immediate and unconditional end to the attacks. The spokesperson said a Pakistani national was killed and others were injured in the attack on Riyadh airport. He added that a Pakistani driver was killed in Yemen last week.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has claimed that the head of a political party became unhappy with the federal government after not given the Khyber being Pakhtunkhwa governorship under the province’s new setup. Naqvi did not name the political leader but said the individual had expected to be considered for the post following the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in KP. He said the government instead retained Faisal Karim Kundi

as governor and moved ahead with an advisory council to assist him in administering the province. Naqvi said some of the criticism directed at the new arrangement was therefore rooted in personal political disappointment rather than constitutional objections. The interior minister also defended the federal government’s decision to impose emergency measures in KP, reiterating that security concerns and the provincial administration’s response to terrorism had driven the move. He said the Centre had repeatedly sought cooperation from the

former PTI-led provincial government before taking the decision. Naqvi maintained that the federal government had no objection to political protest but could not compromise on counterterrorism policy or national security. The emergency and governor’s rule were imposed earlier this month, transferring executive authority in KP to the governor with the assistance of an 11-member advisory council. PTI has challenged the move in court and maintains that the measures undermine the province’s electoral mandate and autonomy.

Pakistan condemns Rajnath Singh's threats, warns India against aggression ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Pakistan has strongly condemned Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s “provocative remarks” threatening military aggression against Islamabad, warning that such rhetoric reflects the neighbouring country’s “hegemonistic mindset” and poses a risk to regional peace and stability. Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Sajjad Haider

Khan speaking during his weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Friday also reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognised disputed territory whose final status must be determined in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. Sajjad Haider Khan said, “Pakistan rejects and condemns the Indian defence minister’s provocative remarks entailing a

threat of Indian aggression against Pakistan. Such reckless statements reflect India’s hegemonistic mindset and the risk its belligerent posture poses to regional peace and stability in South Asia.” The FO spokesperson's remarks came after Rajnath Singh said that any “fresh terrorist activity from across the border would invite a strike even bigger than the last time”.

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Sanaullah says talks with PTI possible if it adopts ‘constitutional, legal approach’ ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said the government may consider negotiations with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) if the party agrees to play a constructive role within constitutional and legal parameters. Speaking on a private television programme, Rana Sanaullah said the opposition’s approach was causing harm to the party itself. He said that during Imran Khan’s tenure as prime minister, he had not even contacted the opposition leader by telephone, whereas Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shook hands and spoke with the opposition leader when he arrived in the National Assembly. Rana Sanaullah expressed regret over the detention of Imran Khan’s sisters, saying the government was also saddened by the situation. However, he said everyone knew what they had been saying regarding the long march. He alleged that Imran Khan’s sisters had made statements about storming the Governor House, adding that their detention had become necessary to maintain control of the situation. The prime minister’s adviser said the nature of statements made by PTI’s social media network was also well known. He maintained that if the party had agreed to play its role through constitutional and legal means, there would have been no need for an interim arrangement. However, he said the possibility of reconsidering the matter remained open. Warning about the security situation, Rana Sanaullah said the country's existence could be threatened if terrorism was not eliminated promptly and the nation failed to unite against it. He stressed that federal and provincial governments needed to adopt a uniform policy to tackle terrorism effectively. Rana Sanaullah claimed that India was no longer in a position to fight Pakistan through conventional warfare and alleged that it had established bases in Afghanistan. He further alleged that India was financing terrorist activities in Pakistan, adding that the wider region viewed Pakistan as a security provider.

Dar pushes SCO Summit preparations, calls event key opportunity for regional engagement ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday reviewed preparations for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State Summit, scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in 2027, and directed relevant authorities to ensure coordinated and timely arrangements for the high-level regional gathering. According to the Foreign Office, Dar chaired a follow-up meeting to assess progress on preparations for the summit and review the implementation of decisions taken at the previous meeting. Highlighting the significance of the upcoming summit, the deputy prime minister said it would provide an important opportunity to deepen engagement with SCO member states and advance shared regional priorities. He directed all relevant authorities to work in a coordinated and timely manner to ensure the smooth conduct of the summit. The meeting was attended by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, the secretary defence, the chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), and senior officials from relevant ministries. DPM directs monitoring of supply chains, prices of essential commodities Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Friday chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee to review the stock position, supply arrangements and prices of essential commodities, emphasising the need for effective monitoring to protect domestic consumers.

Pakistan demands UN action as Israel bars displaced Palestinians from returning home ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Pakistan on Friday condemned Israel’s refusal to allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in the occupied West Bank, describing the move as a serious violation of international law and calling on the United Nations Security Council to intervene to halt the forced displacement and ensure accountability. “Pakistan considers that continued forced displacement of Palestinians and attempts to prevent their return constitute a serious violation of international law and undermine the fundamental right of the Palestinian people,” Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan told reporters at his weekly briefing. The condemnation came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu de-

clared on Tuesday that Palestinians displaced from the Tulkarm refugee camp would not be allowed to return, despite an Israeli Supreme Court order requiring the government to provide a timetable for their return. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced from the Tulkarm, Jenin and Nur Shams refugee camps since Israel launched military operations in the northern West Bank in January 2025, saying the operations were aimed at militant infrastructure. Most of the displaced residents have remained unable to return to their homes. “The international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council, must intervene to halt these unlawful evictions, enforce the right of return of displaced Palestinians and hold the occupying power accountable for its ongoing violations,” the spokesperson said. Netanyahu, in a video statement filmed near the Tulkarm refugee

camp, described the facility as a “terror stronghold” and praised Israeli troops for “clearing it out under our directives”.

Pakistan, which does not recognise Israel, has consistently advocated a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,

calling for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Pakistan, 18 countries reject Colombia's Jerusalem embassy move ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Pakistan and 18 other countries have condemned Colombia’s inauguration of its embassy in Jerusalem, declaring that any move to recognise the city as Israel’s capital was “null and void” and had no legal effect. According to a Foreign Office statement issued on Friday, the joint declaration was endorsed by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,

Malaysia, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Turkiye and Yemen. The ministers expressed their unequivocal rejection of the move, saying it contravened relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and undermined international efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution. They reaffirmed that their position was consistent with relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, particularly Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478,

adopted in 1980. The resolutions rejected attempts to alter Jerusalem’s character or status and called on states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city. The joint statement described Jerusalem as part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967. The foreign ministers urged the Colombian government to reconsider and reverse its decision, uphold its obligations under international law and refrain from measures that could prejudice the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

02 NEWS

Saturday, 17 October, 2026 | LAHORE

PAKISTAN BACKS PROPOSED SCO DEVELOPMENT BANK, PLANS FURTHER PANDA BOND ISSUANCES IN CHINA

BANGKOK

neWs Desk

AKISTAN has reaffirmed its support for the proposed Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Development Bank, with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb also outlining plans to become a repeat sovereign bond issuer in China's capital market. The developments emerged during a meeting between Aurangzeb and Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo'an on the sidelines of the World Bank Group–IMF Annual Meetings 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. During discussions on the proposed SCO Development Bank, the Chinese side sought Pakistan's active participation in ongoing consultations and its support in build-

Pakistani, Chinese firms plan Rs20b investment in gas sector

finance minister auranGzeb reaffirms suPPort for reGional develoPment bank as china seeks Pakistan's ParticiPation; islamabad Plans rePeat sovereiGn bond issuances under rmb 7.2 billion ProGramme

ing consensus among member countries on establishing the institution. Aurangzeb reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to advancing the initiative, which is intended to strengthen regional financial cooperation. Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, met with H.E. Lan Fo’an, Minister of Finance of the People’s Republic of China, on the sidelines of the World Bank Group–IMF Annual Meetings 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. [Photo: @Financegovpk] The two ministers also reviewed Pakistan's plans to maintain a sustained pres-

ence in China's capital market through further Panda Bond issuances. Discussions covered Pakistan's inaugural Panda Bond issuance, which received regulatory support and credit enhancement from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), secured a competitive coupon of 2.5% and attracted strong investor demand. Aurangzeb outlined plans for additional issuances under the approved RMB 7.2 billion Panda Bond programme, with continued support from the AIIB. The ministers also discussed Pakistan's return to the Eurobond market after a four-

pressed his intention to attend the ministerial meeting. Both sides reviewed infrastructure cooperation, with Lan Fo'an referring to progress towards an agreement on proposed route changes to a China– Pakistan highway project. Aurangzeb also briefed his counterpart on Pakistan's engagement with Alibaba to promote digital transformation and artificial intelligence skills development. He reiterated the government's commitment to implementing the cooperation framework and expanding bilateral collaboration in these areas.

year absence. On bilateral economic relations, Aurangzeb highlighted Pakistan's progress towards macroeconomic stability and acknowledged China's financial support during periods of economic difficulty. Lan Fo'an welcomed Pakistan's improving economic position and renewed access to international capital markets. The meeting also covered Pakistan's SCO chairmanship and preparations for the forthcoming summit, including the SCO Finance Ministers' Meeting scheduled to take place in Islamabad. The Chinese finance minister ex-

ADB commits to fast-tracking ML-1 railway project as Pakistan seeks expanded development g

Proposed investment over three to five years targets opportunities under government's 35% third-party gas sale framework

Pakistan calls for early comPletion of ml-1 feasibility study, commencement of Procurement and Greater Private-sector investment under adb's 2026–2030 PartnershiP strateGy BANGKOK

PROFIT

Web Desk

Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda has reaffirmed the bank's continued engagement with Pakistan and committed to helping fast-track its institutional processes for the ML-1 Railway Upgradation Project. The commitment came during a meeting with Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Pakistan's Governor to the ADB, Ahad Khan Cheema, on the sidelines of the 2026 Annual Meetings in

Monitoring report

A Pakistani and a Chinese energy company have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore investment opportunities worth approximately Rs20 billion in Pakistan's gas sector over the next three to five years. According to a news report, the agreement between Shaheen Energy (Pvt) Ltd and China's Anton Oilfield Services Group will focus on opportunities created by the government's 35% third-party gas sale framework, alongside upstream gas projects. Under amendments to the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Policy 2012, introduced in 2024, exploration and production companies can sell up to 35% of their share of pipeline-specification gas to buyers licensed by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) through a competitive process. The framework allows greater private-sector participation in gas processing, transportation and supply infrastructure. Karachi-based Shaheen Energy specialises in processing lowpressure natural gas and flare gas through purification, dehydration and compression for industrial and commercial use.

Bangkok, Thailand, on October 15. Cheema appreciated ADB's lead role in advancing the ML-1 Railway Upgradation Project, a strategic investment aimed at modernising Pakistan's railway corridor, strengthening regional connectivity and transforming the country's transport and logistics network. He underlined the need for early completion of the feasibility study and commencement of the procurement process for the project. The meeting also focused on Pakistan's development priorities and avenues for strengthening cooperation under the

ADB Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) 2026–2030. Cheema welcomed the approval of the strategy as a framework for a more strategic and impact-oriented partnership. Emphasising private sector-led growth, the minister called for expanding ADB's non-sovereign operations in Pakistan and establishing a stronger permanent onground presence to facilitate investment transactions and develop a pipeline of public-private partnership projects. The Pakistan delegation also highlighted the importance of affordable devel-

Pakistan's refineries produce 92,482 tonnes of LPG in July-August FY27 g

lPG accounts for 49.5% of rePorted non-enerGy Petroleum outPut, followed by asPhalt at 30,981 tonnes and lubricant oil at 23,003 tonnes PROFIT

Monitoring report

Pakistan's refineries produced 92,482 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) during July-August FY27, accounting for approximately 49.5% of the combined output of reported nonenergy petroleum products, according to oil sector data. LPG remained the largest product category during the two-month period, with production nearly three times that of asphalt, which ranked second at 30,981 tonnes and represented 16.6% of the reported output. Lubricant oil followed with 23,003 tonnes, contributing 12.3%, while naphtha production stood at 15,143 tonnes and sulphur output reached 11,746 tonnes. Other products included extracted

Pakistan seeks Fitch's assessment on requirements for BB sovereign credit rating finance minister highlights fiscal consolidation, sustained primary surpluses, improving debt sustainability and stronger external buﬀers during meeting with fitch ratings BANGKOK Web Desk

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb has sought Fitch Ratings' assessment of the requirements for Pakistan to progress towards the BB sovereign credit rating category. The finance minister, accompanied by the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), met with Fitch Ratings on the sidelines of the World Bank Group–IMF Annual Meetings 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, to discuss Pakistan's economic performance and sovereign credit outlook. During the meeting, Aurangzeb highlighted Pakistan's restored access to international capital markets, fiscal consolidation and sustained primary surpluses. He outlined inflation trends, monetary policy, exchange rate stability and the contained current account deficit. Discussions also covered reserve accumulation, reduced forward liabilities and stronger external buffers to withstand economic shocks. The Pakistani delegation highlighted improving debt sustainability, declining debt servicing costs, longer borrowing maturities and bilateral rollover assurances. It also reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to completing the IMF programme, implementing structural reforms and promoting export-led growth.

oil at 10,097 tonnes, wax at 1,762 tonnes, MTT at 1,625 tonnes and solvent at 124 tonnes. No production was reported for bitumen cut-back, BTX or jute batching oil during the period. The latest figures follow an increase in annual refinery LPG production, which reached 521,895 tonnes in FY26

compared with 451,989 tonnes in FY25. Lubricant oil production also increased to 143,166 tonnes in FY26 from 114,297 tonnes a year earlier, while asphalt output stood at 209,419 tonnes. In contrast, naphtha production declined to 165,685 tonnes from 294,944 tonnes in FY25. Sulphur output reached 58,294 tonnes during FY26, while extracted oil production stood at 49,063 tonnes. Overall production of non-energy petroleum products declined marginally to 1,188,683 tonnes in FY26 from 1,198,895 tonnes in FY25. LPG is used extensively for household cooking and commercial activities, particularly in areas without access to pipeline natural gas. However, refinery production represents only part of Pakistan's domestic LPG output and does not reflect the country's total supply.

PTA urges mobile users to enable VoLTE, Wi-Fi Calling for better call quality g

telecom reGulator advises consumers to activate 4G/lte settinGs, check handset comPatibility and uPGrade older sim cards to address callinG issues PROFIT

Web Desk

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has advised mobile phone users to activate Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) and Wi-Fi Calling features to improve call quality and reduce connection delays on 4G networks. The advisory follows consumer complaints about poor voice clarity and delays in establishing calls, particularly as 4G coverage expands following the recent spectrum auction. The regulator urged subscribers to review their hand-

set network settings and ensure that the 4G/LTE option is enabled. According to PTA, VoLTE allows voice calls to operate over 4G networks, offering clearer audio and faster call connections. However, the service requires a compatible handset, SIM card and mobile network operator. For areas with weak cellular coverage, particularly inside buildings and basements, the authority recommended Wi-Fi Calling, also known as Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi). The feature enables users to make calls through an available Wi-Fi con-

nection instead of relying entirely on mobile network signals. To use the service, consumers must activate Wi-Fi Calling in their phone settings and connect to a Wi-Fi network, provided their handset and operator support the technology. PTA also advised users to verify whether their SIM cards support 4G and VoLTE, noting that older SIMs may require replacement. The authority said the recommended settings and technologies could help consumers improve their calling experience as 4G/LTE networks continue to expand.

opment financing and greater flexibility in ADB's lending framework, alongside expanded private-sector operations and continued support for Pakistan's development priorities. Cheema congratulated Kanda on his re-election for a second term and appreciated ADB's longstanding partnership with Pakistan. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation, accelerating project implementation and advancing shared development priorities to deliver sustainable development outcomes for Pakistan.

Govt imposes 11% additional customs duty on 13 auto parts to protect local industry

ecc approves higher import duty on locally manufactured automobile components, including tyres, windscreens and wheel assemblies

PROFIT

Monitoring report

The federal government has approved an 11% additional customs duty on 13 automobile parts and components to discourage imports and protect local manufacturers. According to a report by The Express Tribune, the decision was taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet following a proposal submitted by the Revenue Division and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The affected items include tyres for heavy commercial vehicles, licence plates, side reflectors, brackets, footrests, wheel assemblies, windscreens, seat bases, tail boxes, centre covers and related components. According to the Revenue Division, the additional duty applies to automobile parts already being manufactured domestically, as identified by the Engineering Development Board (EDB) and Ministry of Industries and Production. The measure involves amendments to SRO 693(I)/2006, issued on July 1, 2006, under Section 18(5) of the Customs Act, 1969. Currently, more than 1,200 Pakistan Customs Tariff (PCT) codes covering automobile parts and components fall under the notification, with additional customs duties imposed at varying rates. The Ministry of Industries recommended expanding the list of locally manufactured components on September 7, 2026, prompting the Revenue Division to seek ECC approval. The government expects the measure to encourage domestic production, reduce foreign exchange expenditure on imports, generate employment and support potential export opportunities.

KP moves CCI over exclusion of 769MW Swat hydropower projects from national power plan PROFIT

Monitoring report

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has approached the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to challenge the exclusion of four Swat River hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 769.56MW from Pakistan's Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) 2025–35, Business Recorder reported. In a letter dated September 29, 2026, the provincial government sought resolution of the dispute with the federal government under Article 157(3) of the Constitution, arguing that the projects were removed despite their inclusion in an earlier generation plan approved under CCI directives. The four projects include the

Province seeks restoration of four Projects in iGceP 2025–35, citinG violation of cci-aPProved criteria and lack of consultation with Provincial Government

Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation's (PEDO) 207MW Madyan Hydropower Project and 94.96MW Gabral-Kalam Hydropower Project, along with the 238.2MW Kalam-Asrit and 229.4MW Asrit-Kedam hydropower projects. According to the summary prepared by KP's Energy and Power Department, the projects were included in IGCEP 2021–31 following decisions taken at the CCI's 48th meeting on November 6, 2021. Under those decisions, provincial public-sector power projects with approved PCIs and financing arrangements as of March

2021 were to be classified as committed projects. The CCI had also endorsed the assumptions and criteria for preparing IGCEP 2021–31 and subsequent generation expansion plans. The provincial government said it proceeded with project development, financing arrangements and associated transmission infrastructure on the basis of these approvals. However, KP maintained that the projects were subsequently excluded from IGCEP 2025–35 without consultation or adherence to the previously approved planning criteria. The province argued that the decision was inconsistent with the National Electric-

ity Policy 2021, which provides for federalprovincial consultation on the assumptions and parameters used in national power generation planning. It also cited Article 157(2) of the Constitution, which outlines provincial powers relating to electricity generation, grid stations, transmission infrastructure and distribution tariffs, subject to constitutional provisions. The provincial government has invoked Article 157(3), which provides for the CCI to resolve disputes between federal and provincial governments concerning electricity matters. In its proposed recommendations, KP

requested the council to direct the restoration of all four hydropower projects in IGCEP 2025–35 and subsequent generation plans. It also sought reaffirmation or reconsideration of the planning assumptions and criteria approved by the CCI in 2021, including any amendments the council considers necessary. The province's Inter-Provincial Coordination Department has sought comments from the federal Power Division and the chief secretaries of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan within two weeks, in accordance with the CCI Rules of Procedure, 2010. The draft summary has been submitted for CCI consideration, with the provincial government seeking a formal decision on the treatment of its hydropower projects in the national electricity generation framework.

NEWS 03

PAKISTAN WEIGHS OVER $1B LNG IMPORTS TO AVERT WINTER GAS SHORTAGE

Saturday, 17 October, 2026 | LAHORE

PROFIT

STAFF REPORT

AKISTAN is considering importing 10 spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes worth more than $1 billion to avert a potential winter gas shortage, amid differences between the Petroleum Division and the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) over the cost and volume of imports. The News reported, citing senior Petroleum Division officials, that the matter is expected to be referred to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for a final decision. The Petroleum Division has proposed purchasing 10 spot cargoes to meet gas de-

mand during December, January and February, while the NCMC favours greater reliance on existing supply agreements to conserve foreign exchange reserves. International LNG prices have exceeded $27 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), with delivered costs potentially reaching $30 per MMBtu. Each spot cargo could cost more than $100 million. The procurement decision comes as QatarEnergy's force majeure, extended twice, remains in effect until November 6, creating uncertainty over contracted LNG deliveries amid the regional conflict and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The NCMC believes Pakistan could se-

cure more than 12 cargoes through existing arrangements until February 2027 at a price linked to 13.37% of Brent crude, potentially reducing import costs. However, the availability of these supplies remains uncertain because of the ongoing force majeure. A compromise proposal involves purchasing five spot cargoes at an estimated cost of $500 million while pursuing diplomatic efforts to secure additional supplies from Qatar. Under this option, Pakistan would seek the availability of 17 Qatari cargoes through February 2027, although deliveries would depend on regional security conditions and the restoration of supply arrangements.

Meanwhile, winter gas demand is projected to rise sharply, with Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited's requirement increasing from 500 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) to 1,550 MMCFD. Sui Southern Gas Company's demand is

Electricity consumers face Rs32.7 billion impact from September fuel adjustment PROFIT STAFF REPORT

The fuel price adjustment (FPA) for September 2026 is projected at Rs2.56 per unit, Rs1.45 higher than the August adjustment, with a potential financial impact of Rs32.7 billion on electricity consumers, according to the Power Division. In a statement issued on Thursday, the division said targeted load management and other measures helped contain the projected adjustment, which could otherwise have reached Rs5–6 per unit due to increased reliance on expensive furnace oil and high-speed diesel for

electricity generation. The division claimed its interventions prevented an additional burden of up to Rs3.44 per unit on consumers. To reduce the use of costly fuels, the government implemented targeted load management for approximately two to two-and-a-half hours during September. The Power Division said imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) was also supplied to the power sector at domestic gas rates, reducing the potential burden on consumers by 83 paise per unit. The measures came amid a sharp increase in international crude oil prices, which exceeded $120 per barrel during

the regional conflict, compared with approximately $70 per barrel assumed when Pakistan's base electricity tariff was determined. According to the division, the increase in global oil prices has raised electricity generation costs, particularly when power producers rely on furnace oil and high-speed diesel. The division warned that any further reduction in RLNG supplies could increase dependence on more expensive fuels, placing additional pressure on electricity tariffs. It also claimed that the cumulative impact of fuel price and quarterly tariff adjustments between January and August 2026 had been restricted

Pakistan vows to honour Makkah Defense Pact, condemns Houthi attacks on Riyadh CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Pakistan, he said, is a member of the Makkah Agreement for Joint Defence and is fully on board. It will fulfil its obligations under the pact, and Saudi Arabia has the right to defend itself and its sovereignty. He said Pakistan is in full agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey on the agreement. Asked about a possible military response under the agreement, the spokesperson said such matters fall within the domain of the security institutions. On the practical aspects of the pact, he said the ISPR and the headquarters established in Riyadh would be better placed to provide guidance. On Yemen, he said Pakistan’s position was consistent and clear: the conflict can only be resolved through dialogue, saying that Pakistan wanted regional disputes resolved peacefully.

INAUGURATION OF COLOMBIA’S EMBASSY IN JERUSALEM CONDEMNED On the Palestinian issue, the spokesperson said Pakistan joined the foreign ministers of 18 other countries in condemning Colombia’s inauguration of its embassy in Jerusalem. The move, he said, was contrary to relevant UN Security Council resolutions and detrimental to the two-state solution. He said Pakistan would continue to support the Palestinian people and an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. Pakistan also condemned obstacles placed in the way of Palestinians returning to their homeland and supported their inalienable right to self-determination. RECENT VISITS OF OMANI FM, Russian INTERIOR MINISTER On bilateral engagements, the spokesperson said Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al-Busaidi visited Pakistan from October 13 to 14 at the invitation of Deputy Prime

Govt weighs new tax collection agency as FBR faces further restructuring PROFIT

STAFF REPORT

The federal government is considering establishing a new tax collection agency or further restructuring the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) amid concerns about its performance despite successive reform initiatives, The Express Tribune reported. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the FBR to submit comprehensive proposals covering human resource reforms, restructuring and institutional changes by October 19, according to directives issued by the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday. Officials said the possibility of creating a separate national tax agency was discussed at a high-level meeting last Saturday, following which FBR Chairman Rashid Langrial instructed officers to develop proposals for the prime minister. However, discussions remain preliminary, and no decision has been taken on establishing a new organisation or changing the FBR's existing structure. Tribune cited the FBR, which confirmed it was preparing reform proposals under the prime minister's direction but said no policy had been finalised. The board maintained that the government's focus was on improving the existing tax administration through changes in staffing, technology and operational processes. It also rejected suggestions that revenue collection would be outsourced to a private company. According to officials involved in the discussions, one option under consideration would allow the FBR to continue operating alongside a new tax agency, with employees who do not transfer remaining in their existing positions until retirement. Establishing a separate agency with powers currently exercised by the FBR would require legislative changes, including amendments to the FBR Act 2007 and several tax laws.

Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar. The two ministers co-chaired the eighth session of the Pakistan-Oman Joint Ministerial Commission and agreed to enhance cooperation in trade, investment, energy, maritime connectivity, information technology, workforce mobility and other sectors. Five agreements and MoUs were signed, along with a protocol recording the commission’s proceedings, he added. The deputy prime minister met Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev on October 14 at the Foreign Ministry, the spokesperson said. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry also attended. The sides reviewed the trajectory of bilateral ties, discussed cooperation in trade, investment, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, and stressed continued coordination at multilateral forums, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, he added. On October 10, the Deputy Prime

to 65 paise per unit, equivalent to 1.9% of the base electricity tariff. Separately, the Power Division said the additional electricity consumption package for industrial and agricultural consumers had encouraged greater use of power supplied through the national grid. The package aims to increase electricity consumption by productive sectors while improving utilisation of existing generation capacity. The projected September FPA remains subject to the applicable regulatory process, with the final adjustment and amount payable by consumers to be determined following regulatory approval. Minister spoke by telephone with the Maldivian foreign minister to discuss preparations for the forthcoming visit of the Maldivian president to Pakistan, he said, adding that both sides agreed to remain in close coordination to ensure a “substantive and productive visit.” On October 15, he said DPM Dar held separate telephone conversations with Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. In his talk with the Egyptian minister, he emphasised dialogue and diplomacy and reaffirmed support for de-escalation efforts. With the Turkish minister, he discussed Gaza and Palestine, as well as the agenda and strategy for the upcoming OIC Council of Ministers meeting in Iraq. PROVOCATIVE STATEMENT OF INDIAN DEFENCE MINISTER The spokesperson said Pakistan strongly rejected the provocative statement of the Indian defence minister. Pakistan, he said, is ready to defend its territorial sovereignty and integrity and to give a befitting response to any aggressor. He recalled that last year’s Indian military provocation was met with an effective response, and said Pakistan would fully defend its security in the event of any aggression.

PM reaﬃrms Pakistan’s ‘unwavering’ support for Saudia amid Houthi attacks CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

PM Shehbaz said the two countries had always stood by each other, describing the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement and the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement as “historic milestones” in their longstanding fraternal relationship and reflections of their shared commitment to regional peace and security. The prime minister also thanked the Saudi leadership for its longstanding economic and financial support to Pakistan and assured the new ambassador of Islamabad’s full cooperation in further strengthening bilateral ties. DAR UNDERSCORES ISLAMABAD-RIYADH LONGSTANDING FRATERNAL, STRATEGIC TIES Ambassador Albugamy also met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, who underscored the longstanding fraternal and strategic relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, according to the Foreign Office (FO). In a statement, the FO said Dar reaffirmed the two countries’ “shared commitment to further strengthen bilateral cooperation for mutual progress and prosperity”. The new Saudi envoy conveyed greetings from the Kingdom’s leadership to Pakistan. Dar reciprocated by conveying his best wishes to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi leaders.

SHARP ESCALATION IN MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS The meetings came amid a sharp escalation in tensions involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The Houthis said they had targeted facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco after Saudi officials reported a strike on a building in Riyadh housing the energy giant’s operations centre. Powerful explosions also rocked the Saudi capital as the coalition fighting the Houthis said it had intercepted a missile fired by the group towards Riyadh. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia launched strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, targeting fuel and energy facilities that it said were being used to support missile and drone attacks. The Yemeni group subsequently threatened a “harsh and painful” response against Saudi airports, refineries and oil installations. Hours later, Saudi authorities warned of potential hostile aerial threats in the Kingdom’s eastern province and Riyadh. Witnesses reported loud explosions near Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, while a Saudi energy ministry official later confirmed an attack. Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency said four people — two women, a man and a child — were injured by debris from two intercepted Houthi cruise missiles in the capital, while 15 homes were damaged. The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers following the collapse in July of a truce in their long-running conflict with Yemen’s coalition government.

World Bank's Banga sets goal of quintupling critical minerals financing in five years PROFIT

STAFF REPORT

World Bank President Ajay Banga on Friday said the development lender has set a goal of quintupling its critical minerals business in five years, and has identified 20 countries that it can partner with on critical minerals development projects. Banga revealed the new goal in prepared remarks to a plenary session at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok. "In critical minerals, we plan to quintuple our business in five years," Banga said. "This week, we launched

our first country compacts with MDB partners—to build local industries and keep more jobs and value at home." The World Bank's new Metals and Minerals implementation plan is targeting $19 billion in critical minerals financing over the fiscal 2026-2030 period, compared with $3.6 billion in the fiscal 2021-2025 period. Critical minerals development is an area where the United States, the World Bank's largest shareholder, has called for the bank to devote more financing resources. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier this week that he wanted the bank to play a bigger role in enabling critical minerals mining and processing capacity through project de-risking and finance and investment in enabling infrastructure.

expected to increase from 300 MMCFD to 500 MMCFD. Any shortfall in LNG imports could result in gas supply curtailments for exportoriented and other industries, compressed natural gas stations and the cement sector,

Pakistan condemns Rajnath Singh's threats, warns India against aggression CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Pakistan and India went to war in May last year after India launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan following the Pahalgam incident in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Pakistan responded by downing eight Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales. The war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States. “We wish to remind India of the consequences of its military aggression in May last year, when Pakistan demonstrated both its capability and resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and gave a befitting response and reply to Indian aggression,” he said. He stressed that there should be “no ambiguity” that Pakistan remained fully prepared to safeguard its “sovereignty and territorial integrity” against any “ill-advised aggression”.

IESCO seeks 54% tariff hike to Rs43.54 per unit ahead of privatisation PROFIT

STAFF REPORT

Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) has sought a 54% increase in its electricity tariff to Rs43.54 per unit from the existing Rs28.20 per unit for calendar year 2027, as it seeks to improve its financial position ahead of privatisation, Business Recorder reported. The proposal was presented during a public hearing conducted by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Thursday, where tariff petitions of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) were also examined. IESCO, which is included in the first phase of the government's privatisation programme, has requested Rs157.864 billion in prior-year adjustments (PYA) to address accumulated financial obligations. The company's management said the Privatisation Commission had directed it to clean up its balance sheet before being offered to private investors. The requested adjustments include costs associated with supplying electricity to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K), which accounts for approximately 17% of IESCO's electricity supply.

04 COMMENT

Your child is not safe. and the state knows it

Peshawar school tragedy

Is the government shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted?

HE Peshawar school roof collapse tragedy, as a result of which as many as 34 children were killed along with one teacher, has evoked all the standard noises that a government makes in the face of a tragedy of this kind. The KP government announced that it would carry out a safety audit of the schools in the province. The problem is not limited to KP by any means, There have been three incidents this summer alone in Lahore, all three roof collapses in private schools. Fortunately, none of those collapses resulted in such massive casualties, but the problem seems to be the same. Essentially, old structures are being made to serve a new function. It is probably instructive that one of the Lahore collapses occurred when children were playing on the roof. It is no use saying that there should be a sufficiency of playgrounds. Small children especially cannot resist the lure of an empty roof. Buildings which were meant mostly as residences are being converted into schools. Because they are private institutions whose primary purpose is to turn a profit, necessary conversion costs, meant to adapt a building meant for a family of four to eight into one where several hundred children will be running about, are skimped. It would be wrong to ask for the old building to be torn down and purpose-built. There is a long and respectable tradition of repurposing buildings. However, this should not lead to any loss of life. Repurposing a building is supposed to mean assessing whether existing structures can handle the new purpose. Schools are not the only purpose to which old buildings have been put. There are many restaurants in Lahore opened in old residential buildings. Safety audits should include them. With two provinces already affected, it is all the more incumbent upon Sindh and Balochistan to carry out the necessary surveys. Both have not been left behind in the privatization of education. One caveat is that safety checking should not be left to become an excuse for extracting bribes from school owners. While education is a purely provincial subject, there will be no harm done if the federal government plays the role of a coordinator, establishing standards to which private schools in a province must adhere. Such tragedies as the one of Peshawar are entirely avoidable.

Child abuse keeps happening

Dr Zafar Khan SafDar

VERY society reveals what it values not through the laws it writes, but through the failures it repeatedly tolerates. Laws can be passed in a day, committees can be formed in an afternoon and statements of concern can be issued within hours. What matters is what happens afterwards. By that measure, Pakistan has been sending its children a devastating message for years. More than ten reported cases of child abuse are recorded every day, the conviction rate in child sexual abuse cases remains only 17 percent, professional child protection services remain desperately inadequate, and every new tragedy produces the same familiar cycle of outrage, promises and silence. Pakistan recorded 1,914 reported cases of child abuse during the first six months of 2026 alone, including more than 1,000 cases of child sexual abuse, according to Sahil’s latest report based on newspaper monitoring across the country. That translates into more than ten reported cases every day, and even that number represents only what reaches the media. In 2024, the corresponding figure was around nine cases a day. Reported child sexual abuse cases increased by 20 percent in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier. The direction is unmistakable. The problem is growing while the institutional response remains far behind it. But the most frightening number may not be the total. It is where the abuse happens and who the alleged perpetrators are. Acquaintances accounted for 43 percent of alleged perpetrators in the first half of 2026, while 45 percent of reported incidents occurred inside the victim’s own home. The place that should offer a child the greatest protection is often where that protection breaks down. The person who should be trusted may be the person who causes the harm. It destroys one of childhood’s most basic assumptions: that home is safe and adults can be trusted. The cases making headlines are not isolated horrors but symptoms of a society failing its children. In Karachi, 18-month-old Aizel was taken from her home and later died, while six-year-old Muhammad

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Sir Syed in his mother’s lap M. A. Niazi

Babar Nizami

Editor Pakistan Today

Editor Profit

Today is Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s 209th birth anniversary

Dr MuhaMMaD afZaal

HE mother, no doubt, is a peerless example of the shadow of the Almighty’s mercy and kindness. Allama Iqbal very nicely says in his beautiful verse: Yaad se teri dil-i dard ashna mamoor hai/ Jise Kaabay main duaon se fiza mamoor hai (My sorrowful heart is filled with your memories/Just as the air of the Kaaba is filled with prayers) The forefathers of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, born, New Delhi, 17 October 1817, died, Aligarh, 27 March 1898) migrated in 1000 AH from Herat, a province of Afghanistan, during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan. The Mughals welcomed them warmly, They had been given not merely shelter but wealth, property, status, titles and seats in the court, by the Mughal Emperor. Sir Syed’s grandfather Syed Muhammad Hadi was given the mansab (post) of Qazi and the title of \Mir Jawad Ali Khan’ by the Emperor Alamgir II In this way, Sir Syed’s family began to be called ‘Khan;. Before this, no one in the family used this word as part of the name. Sir Syed;s father, Syed Muhammad Muttaqi, became the personal adviser of the Emperor Akbar II, having been close to the Emperor since the time he had been a child. Sir Syed was awarded the title of Air Jang by the last Mughal Emperor,

Bahadur Shah Zafar. Sir Syed’s maternal grandfather, Khwaja Fareeduddin, was not only awarded but also appointed wazir, or minister (of which there would only be one), and was given a seat in the court of the Emperor. With the Mughal Empire in decline, Sir Syed abandoned it and joined hands with the British, who were the mortal enemies of the Mughals. The Muslims and of the whole empire of India. During the War of 1857, instead of being on the side of his family’s kinf masters, the Mughals, and of the Muslims, his co-religionists, he was loyal to the British, the East India Company a\nd the British Crown. He forgot the the Mughals and their many acts of kindness towards him and his family For saving the lives of the British, Sir Syed was viewed with favour by the British government.

He was given the following favours: 1. He was appointed a Fellow of the University of Calcutta in 1876, by the Viceroy 2. He was appointed a Fellow of the University of Allahabad the same year, again by the Viceroy 3. He was given the title of Khan Bahadur 4. He was knighted in 1888, being awarded the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India, or KCSI, for his loyalty to the British Crown, through his membership in the Imperial Legislative Council 5. He was awarded an LlD honoris causa (honorary) by the University of Edinburgh in 1889 His mother Azizun Nisaa Begum was a religious-minded housewife. Her education was limited, being at home and comprising the reciting of the Holy Quran This was included in her daily routine, She adopted bai’at (spiritual discipleship with Hazrat Ghulam Ali, a religious personality of her times. She strongly condemned the worship of any except the One God.

Wali disappeared near his home and was found dead two days later. In Haripur, five-year-old Ayat Noor became another innocent victim. These are not simply tragedies to mourn. They are proof that the homes, communities and institutions meant to protect children are failing them, while the system wakes up only after another child has already paid the price. The justice system offers another measure of failure. Although the conviction rate in child sexual abuse cases has improved from 5 percent in 2021 to 17 percent in 2026, five out of six cases still do not end in conviction. Pakistan already has the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act 2020, passed after the rape and murder of six-year-old Zainab Ansari in Kasur, but legislation alone cannot protect a child. Without trained personnel, effective investigation, local protection mechanisms and accountability, a law remains little more than words on paper. Eight years after Zainab’s murder, Aizel is dead too. The question is not how many laws Pakistan has passed, but how many children those laws have actually protected. This is where Pakistan’s greatest weakness lies. Child protection cannot begin after a crime has occurred. It requires trained people who can identify warning signs, schools and hospitals that know when and how to report abuse, child-sensitive police, professional social workers and institutions capable of protecting a child from the first warning to the final outcome. Pakistan has none of this at anything close to the scale required. Reporting remains uneven, stigma silences families and children, and the burden of seeking justice often falls on those least able to carry it.

Karachi – Ph: 021-32640318 I

The vulnerability of school-age children makes this failure harder to defend. Children between 11 and 15 are the most vulnerable group in the latest figures, while girls account for 58 percent of reported victims. These are children in schools, neighbourhoods and communities where warning signs can be detected before tragedy strikes. Other countries have built systems around this reality through mandatory reporting, professional social workers, child-sensitive police and institutions empowered to intervene early. They have not eliminated abuse, but they have made protection a permanent responsibility rather than a reaction to the latest crime. Pakistan, by contrast, still treats each tragedy as an event. A child is abused, the nation reacts, politicians speak, committees are formed and, when the headlines disappear, the system returns to normal. That is the real scandal. We know the numbers, we know where the risks are, we know that most cases never reach the record and we know that justice remains painfully uncertain, yet we still have not built a system equal to the danger. Aizel was 18 months old. Muhammad Wali was six. Five-year-old Ayat Noor was another innocent child who should have been protected. None of them could demand accountability from the state. That responsibility belonged to adults, institutions and government. Pakistan does not need another statement of shock after the next child is harmed. It needs a permanent child protection system, effective reporting, trained social workers, specialised police and prosecution, stronger investigation and accountability for those who fail to act. The true test of a state is not how loudly it mourns a child after tragedy, but how seriously it works to prevent the next one. A state that cannot protect its children before they become statistics has already failed them. And by that measure, Pakistan is failing. The writer has a PhD in Political Science, and is a visiting faculty member at QAU Islamabad. He can be reached at zafarkhansafdar@yahoo.com and tweets @zafarkhansafdar

The true test of a state is not how loudly it mourns a child after tragedy, but how seriously it works to prevent the next one. A state that cannot protect its children before they become statistics has already failed them. And by that measure, Pakistan is failing.

Editor’s mail

She firmly believed in touheed, the Oneness of the Almighty. Sir Syed himself quoted her saying with great pride: ‘For every task pray to God, then He will do what He wills’ Azizun Nisaa Begum was a woman of principle.Once, when Sir Syed was in his 11th year, he beat an old family servant. When Azizun Nisaa came to know, she was very angry with Sir Syed. She turned him out of the house. For three days, he stayed at his maternal aunt’s house, which was nearby. After three days, when that aunt took him back to his mother, she angrily said that if the servant pardoned him, she would let him into the house, otherwise not. Ultimately, Sir Syed had to apologize to the servant, and as he pardoned him, so did his mother. Sir Syed later said that that incident had influenced him greatly. Azizun Nisaa Begum not only brought up her son but also provided him with his early education at home. For Quranic education, she provided him with a female tutor, even though it was against the traditions of the time. Syed Ziaur Rehman wrote about the thought and efforts by Azizun Nisa Begvu, to get her son educated in both ways, ancient and modern. “Their mother, Azizun Nisaa Begum, played a formative role in Sir Syed’s early life, raising him with strict discipline with a strong emphasis on modern education.:(‘Sir Syed and his Family Background’, Norad magazine, Aligarh Muslim University, 1998-99..) Despite his mother’s great will and efforts, Sir Syed did not achieve the highest degree of education. Instead, when he started a clerical job in the East India Company in 1938, he left off his education. He devoted himself to this job and showed wholehearted loyalty to the British. His mother wished him to get the highest educational qualification and degree, which was never fulfilled by her son. However, the honorary doctorate from the University of Edinburgh might be seen as a sort of fulfillment of that wish The writer is a freelance columnist

His mother wished him to get the highest educational qualification and degree, which was never fulfilled by her son. However, the honorary doctorate from the University of Edinburgh might be seen as a sort of fulfillment of that wish. Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Saturday, 17 October, 2026

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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

Pension misuse

A state exists because of the people living in a contiguous region, aspiring for a national identity, with a right to decide their fate. All state-funded institutions exist to serve citizens who pay taxes to create and fund a judiciary, a parliament, health/education services etc., and a uniformed security force to enforce laws and protect their lives and property. As long as welfare of citizens is the priority, national cohesion and commitment of the people to preserve state sovereignty remian intact. Unfortunately, over a period of time, the pension fund has gone haywire. The financial impact of retirement benefits of government employees has exceeded to such an extent that it now stands above the actual amount that is available to fund education, health and basic necessities of life. This is a very dangerous situation and must be resolved without any delay. What is disturbing is that even those who choose to acquire citizenship of another country after retirement, and pledge undivided loyalty to their new country of residence, continue to get their pensions in foreign exchange and other benefits. These individuals are simultaneously the beneficiaries of social security benefits of their newly adopted country. Irrespective of the post they held while in service of Pakistan, all benefits and immunities, without any exceptions, must cease to be applicable when they pledge loyalty to another country. Our country, with its limited and depleting resources must focus on serving the poeple of Pakistan who live here and pay all their due taxes. MALIK TARIQ ALI LAHORE

Fueling the crisis

THE recent hike in petroleum prices has added to the problems of the masses already suffering due to inflation and political instability. Due to the high cost of doing business in Pakistan, a large number of industrial units have shifted their operations to other countries. The recent decision would force more industrialists to do the same. High diesel prices will result in higher transportation costs for goods, and adversely impact industries that are dependent on cargo and freight services. The agriculture sector would suffer, too, because diesel is used in tractors, tube-wells, harvesters, thrashers and other agriculture machinery. These are really the worst times for the people in Pakistan. Unless the government finds new streams of revenue to create fiscal space for subsidies, the public will bear the brunt of soaring inflation. AHSANULLAH MENGAL WADH

Chainsaws and choices

DEFORESTATION — the large-scale destruction of forests — is one of the most urgent environmental threats facing both Pakistan and the world. Despite the vital role forests play in preserving biodiversity, regulating climate and supporting ecosystems, Pakistan’s forest cover remains dangerously low. Only about 5% of our land is forested, and even that limited area is vanishing rapidly. According to FAO estimates (2020), Pakistan lost nearly 1.2 million hectares of forest between 1990 and 2020, reflecting an alarming deforestation rate of 1.95%. Such rapid loss of green cover accelerates climate change, increases the risk of floods, erodes soil and threatens countless species that depend on forest habitats. The government has taken meaningful steps to counter this trend — most notably the National Forest Policy (2015) and the Billion Trees Tsunami Project (2014–2018), which demonstrated that coordinated action can yield significant environmental gains. But policy alone cannot solve the problem. The fight against deforestation demands sustained political will, strict enforcement of laws and active participation from communities, civil society and citizens. QAMER JAN TURBAT KECH

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Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

COMMENT 05

Pakistan’s Rs 90 trillion blind spot

Saturday, 17 October, 2026

The absence of price transparency is single biggest structural barrier to formalizing the real estate market saNa hayat

N September 10, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan published draft amendments to the REIT Regulations, 2022, proposing that investmentbased REITs be allowed, for the first time, to invest in vacant land and plots. The amendments also proposed reducing the real estate income and asset threshold from 75 percent to 65 percent, broadening the investor base to include group-level trusts and employee funds, and extending borrowing windows from 24 to 36 months. Within two weeks, ABAD members were publicly discussing corporate conversion and REIT registration. The direction is clear. Pakistan wants to formalize real estate investment. SECP wants regulated vehicles to absorb capital that currently moves through informal dealer networks and cash transactions. The tokenization market is moving in parallel: Fasset, now a unicorn after its $68 million Series C in August, signed a deal with Habib Rafiq Limited earlier this year to tokenize Pakistani real estate assets. Banks, meanwhile, are cautiously re-entering the housing finance space. The government’s revised “Mera Ghar, Mera Ashiana” scheme now offers financing up to Rs 10 million at a subsidized five percent markup for the first ten years. All of these initiatives share a single, unspoken assumption: that someone, somewhere, can reliably tell you what a Pakistani property is actually worth. That assumption is wrong. Pakistan’s real estate market is estimated at approximately Rs 90 trillion, according to the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry, significantly exceeding the combined value of bank deposits, the stock market, and mutual funds. It is the country’s largest asset class by a wide margin, worth nearly as much as the entire national GDP. The housing deficit stands at 10 to 27 million units depending on whose numbers you use, with roughly 350,000 units being added to the shortfall every year. Over 9 million overseas Pakistanis channel a significant portion of remittances into property back home. Real estate and construction together form the second-largest employer in the country, with 72 allied industries linked to the sector. And yet there is no standardized, publicly available data on what properties in this market are worth.

There is no Multiple Listing Service, no mandatory disclosure of transaction prices, no government registry publishing sale values, and no independent valuation benchmark that a buyer, seller, lender, or regulator can point to as a shared reference. The DC rate, the Deputy Commissioner’s valuation that serves as the basis for stamp duty and registration, is widely understood to be a fraction of actual market value. FBR has revised property valuations downward by 30 percent to 35 percent in seven cities this year alone, further widening the gap between declared values and the prices at which transactions actually occur. Compare this to virtually any market Pakistan aspires to benchmark against. In Canada, HouseSigma publishes the actual sold price of every residential transaction, updated in real time, searchable down to the street level. In the USA, Zillow’s automated valuation model covers over 100 million homes. In the UK, HM Land Registry publishes every residential sale price as a matter of public record. Even India, whose property markets share many of Pakistan’s structural problems, has begun mandating transaction price disclosure in several states and has formal housing finance penetration between 10 percent and 12 percent of GDP. In Pakistan, that figure sits between 3 percentand 5%. You cannot tokenize an asset whose value no one can independently verify. You cannot underwrite a mortgage without a credible appraisal benchmark. You cannot build a REIT around properties whose market prices are a matter of opinion rather than data. Zameen.com, the country’s largest property portal, hosts over 1.7 million listings. But those are asking prices: what sellers hope to receive, not what properties transact for or what they are independently assessed to be worth. The gap between an asking price and a fair market value can run between 15 percentand 30%, depending on the society, the block, and the seller’s motivation. For a family spending PKR 3 to 8 crore

on a home in DHA Lahore, that gap translates into tens of millions of rupees of uncertainty on a single transaction. The people most exposed to this opacity are not institutional investors or developers. They are ordinary Pakistani families buying a home, and the millions of overseas Pakistanis investing remotely in property they cannot regularly visit. Diaspora buyers face a compounding problem. They rely on family members or agents whose incentives may not align with theirs. They have no way to independently cross check prices across blocks, phases, or societies. When they commission construction, they have no cost benchmarks to catch overcharges. And when disputes arise, as the One Constitution Avenue crisis demonstrated earlier this year, the legal and regulatory framework offers limited protection for end-users who relied on approvals and structures that were never properly enforced. The trust deficit this creates is not abstract. Capital that could flow into productive real estate investment stays parked in bank accounts, in gold, or increasingly in Dubai property, where at least the regulatory framework is predictable. Pakistan ranked fourth among foreign investors in Dubai’s real estate market in 2025, down from second in 2023. The Gulf war has since redirected some of that capital back into Pakistani property, but the underlying dynamic has not changed: Pakistanis invest abroad in part because they do not trust the information environment at home. From an urban governance perspective, the absence of reliable price data cripples evidence-based planning. Municipal authorities cannot assess the real impact of infrastructure investments on surrounding land values. Provincial governments cannot design equitable property tax regimes when underlying asset values are declared at a fraction of reality. Researchers studying housing affordability in Lahore, Karachi, or Islamabad are working with data sets that

Pakistan’s real estate market is not short of capital, demand, or regulatory ambition. What it lacks is the information layer on which all of these depend. That layer is not a luxury for a later stage of market development. It is the precondition for every reform currently on the table.

Iran’s theory of victory Tehran’s theory of victory, in other words, is that it can hold out and inflict enough pain that the United States will end its containment of Iran

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Narges Bajoghli aNd Vali Nasr

HEN it comes to Iran, the Trump administration has a decidedly dismal record. It failed to wear down the Islamic Republic with months of intense bombings. It could not bend Iran’s will at the negotiating table. Yet despite seven months of setbacks, U.S. officials believe that they have turned the page. They have implemented fresh sanctions while maintaining the existing American blockade of the country’s southern coast, throttling its access to outside commerce. As a result, they have concluded that the Islamic Republic will soon either concede or be downed. There is no doubt that Washington has dealt significant damage to Iran. But the Islamic Republic does not believe it is unraveling. In fact, Tehran thinks that it will defeat the United States—and it isn’t hard to see why. The Iranian government did not merely survive the U.S.-Israeli bombardment. It retaliated ferociously, damaging American military bases and obstructing the Strait of Hormuz. Its people are paying a hefty economic price thanks to damage caused by the war and Washington’s cutoffs, but much of the population has rallied around the flag and seems to accept that hardship is necessary if Iran is to defend itself. As a result, Tehran has been emboldened. Its officials may not see eye to eye on each tactic. But they share the same ambitions: evicting U.S. forces from the Persian Gulf, forcing Washington to remove all its sanctions, and getting the United States to accept that Iran is a great power. This agenda might sound overly audacious, given that Iran has been materially weakened. But the Islamic Republic thinks its aims are within reach. It believes its military can drive U.S. troops from the Persian Gulf by continuing to strike American bases directly and by getting Arab countries to push the United States to leave. It thinks that by wreaking havoc on energy markets, it can force Washington to lift economic restrictions, as well. Tehran’s theory of victory, in other words, is that it can hold out and inflict enough pain that the United States will end its containment of Iran.

CLOSING RANKS No one doubts that Iran has been battered by war. Months of American and Israeli bombs have damaged the country’s industries and infrastructure, spiking unemploy-

would be considered unusable in any comparable jurisdiction. Why has no one built this infrastructure? The barriers are structural, not technological. First, there is no mandatory price disclosure at the point of transaction. Property sales are registered with provincial authorities, but the values declared are almost universally understated for tax purposes. This is an open secret. The result is that Pakistan has no official record of what properties actually sell for. Second, there is no centralized listing database. Unlike the MLS systems in North America, where every listed property enters a shared, accessible database, Pakistan’s listings are scattered across portals, WhatsApp groups, agent networks, classified ads, and word of mouth. Aggregating, cleaning, normalizing, and validating this data requires significant technical infrastructure and sustained effort. Third, the market is hyper-local in ways that make city-level or even society-level averages meaningless. A 10-marla plot in DHA Phase 6 Block D may be worth significantly more or less than the identical plot in Block J. Pricing depends on proximity to commercial areas, park-facing or back-lane positioning, corner or mid-row placement, and dozens of other micro-factors. Any valuation system that does not operate at the block level is not capturing the market as it actually functions. Despite these barriers, the raw material for price transparency does exist. Property portals collectively host tens of thousands of active listings at any given time. Asking prices, while imperfect, contain signal. When you aggregate thousands of asking prices across a society, filter by property type and size, and analyze them at the block level, meaningful patterns emerge. Low, Mid, and High price bands can be constructed that serve as the first objective reference point this market has ever had. This is the approach being explored by early-stage PropTech platforms. GharPulse, a Lahore-based property intelligence startup, currently tracks over 8,000 active listings across 21 societies and has generated nearly 2,000 assessment data points at the city, society, phase, and block level, covering homes, plots, and commercial properties. The assessments are constructed entirely from market data rather than opinion, producing price ranges for specific combinations of location, category, and property size. It is an early effort, but it points to the kind of data infrastructure that this market will eventually require at scale. The question facing policymakers is whether the current wave of regulatory reform will account for this gap or simply

ment and pushing more Iranians into poverty. Washington’s sanctions and naval blockade have caused rampant inflation. And the American and Israeli militaries can count many tactical successes, including the assassination of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. But strategically, the conflict has been disastrous. U.S. officials believed that punishing aerial bombardments and sweeping efforts to degrade the Iranian economy would bring the Islamic Republic to its knees. They didn’t. Washington hoped that assassinating Khamenei would prompt a mass antigovernment uprising. That scheme also failed. When the war started, Turkey planned to accommodate 70,000 Iranian refugees. But few people fled. In fact, as the war progressed, many Iranians living abroad returned home, including long-exiled cultural figures, journalists, and politicians, such as the singers Mohsen Namjoo and Bijan Mortazavi. This surge in nationalism is not an endorsement of the Islamic Republic. Many Iranians remain deeply unhappy with the country’s leadership. But the anger at their government has been subsumed by their anger at Washington. Previously, most Iranians were skeptical of the Islamic Republic’s claim that the United States was bent on their country’s destruction and in fact hoped Tehran would seek better relations with Washington. But the bombings of Iranian cities and U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to annihilate the country’s civilization (saying, for example, that he might “blow the entire nation up” and drive it “into hell with no chance of survival”) have changed attitudes. Iranians across the political spectrum now do think that the United States wants to obliterate their country—or at least make it capitulate to every American demand. This conclusion was apparent in our lengthy conversations with Iranians of all ideologies, which we started conducting when Washington first bombed Iran, in June 2025, and have continued to the present, tracing their political attitudes over that period. The vast majority expressed deep distress and anger at their government after the massacres that took place in response to January’s mass protests. But we found that political opinions have shifted drastically as the war has dragged on and as Trump has upped his annihilatory rhetoric. Little wonder, then, that Khamenei’s July funeral procession drew millions of mourners, even though the country was in the midst of conflict. Many U.S. officials seem to think that stiff economic pressure will ultimately

The United States may think that it has cornered Iran. But Tehran disagrees

prompt a shift in opinion—that if they suffer enough, Iranians will decide to try overthrowing their government or that the Islamic Republic, fearing for its survival, will submit to American demands. But this is magical thinking. Iran has spent the past 15 years developing an economy specifically designed to withstand American economic warfare. Iranian officials, for instance, have forged strong relations with neighboring traders and made the country nearly self-sufficient when it comes to food. As a result, even though Iran’s economy is hurting and inflation is high, cities and towns have had no shortages of important goods or services to date. That is not to say that Iranians feel optimistic about their country. They are anxious about the future, and they yearn for a return to calm and economic relief. But they do not see the U.S.-Israeli war as liberating. Instead, they see it as gratuitous aggression, and the resulting nationalism has blurred the lines between political factions and diminished the likelihood of another political uprising. The war, then, has strengthened the Islamic Republic.

PAIN AND GAIN Much like its population, the Iranian government has adopted a more hostile view of Washington since the conflict began. The country’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has moved trusted lieutenants to key roles (even as he himself remains in hiding), and they are largely hard-line figures tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. These people, including Mohsen Rezaei, the national security adviser, and Hossein Taeb, the commander of Iran’s main domestic paramilitary forces, think deterring further attacks requires a decisive, aggressive response to any provocations. They are skeptical that Washington is serious about diplomacy. They point out that the United States has twice attacked Iran amid negotiations and then walked away from the memorandum of understanding it signed with Iran in June—and thus argue that it cannot be trusted. In fact, they believe that if the United States shows interest in talks, it might even be planning for renewed attacks, as it was in June 2025 and February 2026. Iran’s relative moderates feel somewhat differently. These elites, which include Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, former President Hasan Rouhani, and former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, have consistently argued that Tehran should keep looking for a diplomatic solution to

build on top of it. REITs need appraisals. If the properties entering REIT portfolios are valued using the same opaque mechanisms that characterize the rest of the market, unitholders are buying exposure to an asset whose worth is, at best, an educated guess. Tokenization platforms need verifiable underlying values. If Fasset or any successor tokenizes a Rs 500 million property, investors need to know that figure reflects something other than the developer’s stated asking price. Mortgage lenders need collateral benchmarks. The reason Pakistan’s formal housing finance penetration remains at 3 percent to 5 percent of GDP is not only about interest rate volatility or the absence of patient capital. It is also about the inability to reliably value the asset being financed. The SECP’s REIT reforms are removing real barriers: the plot ban, the strict asset purity test, the narrow investor base. But the framework assumes a data environment that does not yet exist. If REITs holding plots in DHA Lahore or Bahria Town Karachi have no independent, granular, publicly accessible benchmark against which their portfolio valuations can be tested, the transparency that listing on the PSX is supposed to provide becomes partly performative. The path forward requires movement on multiple fronts. At the regulatory level, provinces could mandate disclosure of actual transaction prices at registration, replacing the fiction of DC rates with real market data. At the industry level, property portals could adopt standardized location identifiers and data formats, making it possible to track price movements over time rather than treating each listing as an isolated event. At the technology level, the platforms that are beginning to produce block-level intelligence from market data need to be taken seriously as infrastructure, not dismissed as yet another startup pitch. Pakistan’s real estate market is not short of capital, demand, or regulatory ambition. What it lacks is the information layer on which all of these depend. That layer is not a luxury for a later stage of market development. It is the precondition for every reform currently on the table. Sana Hayat is Director, People and Culture at GharPulse (Pvt.) Ltd. and a PhD Candidate in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo, Canada. She can be reached at contact@gharpulse.com.

Iran’s relative moderates feel somewhat differently

the conflict. Pezeshkian and Ghalibaf have highlighted the economic hardships facing ordinary people. But the distance between them and the country’s hard-line leaders is not as great as it might seem. As one analyst familiar with these figures told us, “No one is saying Iran should surrender.” They may see economic relief as a top priority, yet their solution is to force the United States to implement the memorandum of understanding it signed in June. That deal, in Iran’s view, committed Washington to unfreezing all of Iran’s assets, lifting all sanctions, never striking the country again, and paying reparations in exchange for nothing more than a cease-fire and renewed commerce through the Strait of Hormuz (on which Iran could still charge fees). Since the end of summer, Rezaei and Ghalibaf have declared that diplomacy must start with the United States returning to the memorandum. As the same analyst told us after recent UN meetings in New York, these figures think that “Trump is not ready” for real talks. Instead, they believe that Trump will return to this deal only if he comes to terms with Iran’s victory, and that means increasing the war’s costs for the United States. Iran’s behavior will therefore be unrestrained and disproportionate. If the war resumes, it will attack across the whole region, not just in the country’s immediate vicinity. The dominant view in Tehran is that prudence and predictability will only invite greater U.S. pressure and will do nothing to advance its main military goals: making Washington pull all its troops from the Persian Gulf and accept Iran’s primacy. Iran’s repeated attacks on American military bases and facilities in Jordan, Syria, and across the Persian Gulf are already aimed at this objective. Tehran is simultaneously trying to get Washington’s Gulf partners to close U.S. military bases in their countries. To do so, it has openly declared that peace and security in the Persian Gulf will depend on pushing out the American military and has repeatedly bombed Gulf states it suspects of aiding the U.S. war effort. Iran is ultimately unlikely to end the United States’ military presence in the Gulf region. But it has done enough to make Arab states think twice about relying on the American security umbrella, which could mean a smaller U.S. military footprint in the region. Iran, of course, could force the American military out of its neighborhood without obtaining economic relief. In fact, the Trump administration announced “economic D-Day” in part because the military was fatigued and because Iranian attacks on the U.S. Navy have forced Washing-

As the war progressed, many Iranians living abroad returned home

ton’s ships farther away from Iranian shores. But Iran believes it can coerce its adversary into some kind of economic understanding by causing sufficient financial suffering. To that end, Tehran has worked to drive up the price of oil, gas, diesel, jet fuel, and other oil derivatives by attacking several energy facilities in the Gulf region, including Qatar’s Ras Laffan gas field (in retaliation for an Israeli attack on Iran’s South Pars gas field) and oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates’ Fujairah port. Iran is also striking tankers ferrying oil and natural gas. And it is trying to consolidate its control over the Strait of Hormuz, which it sees as sovereign Iranian territory. Washington has fought back hard against this effort, and has recently succeeded at helping tankers pass through the chokepoint. But these operations have required enormous naval resources, and the United States cannot sustain them forever. Iran’s regional partners are also lending it a hand. Iranian-backed Iraqi forces have attacked a vital oil pipeline carrying Saudi Arabia’s oil to facilities on the Red Sea, which will markedly reduce global oil supplies for months. Its Houthi allies in Yemen have also consistently attacked Saudi oil facilities. The Houthis have even captured vast new territory and reached the Bab el Mandeb Strait, helping them menace the Red Sea—through which 12 percent of world trade passes. These attacks also showed that, although Iran’s network may be battered in Lebanon and Syria, it remains quite capable overall. STEADY AS SHE GOES The United States may think that it has cornered Iran. But Tehran disagrees. It does not see itself as on its heels or out of options. Instead, it believes that it has won great-power status. It is proud of its military performance and feels as if it commands newfound international respect. Officials in Tehran cheered images of Iran’s delegation being enthusiastically received by member states at the September meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the non-Western BRICS consortium. NARGES BAJOGHLI is an anthropologist and Associate Professor of Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

VALI NASR is Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and the author of Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History.

06 nEwS

ISRAELI SETTLERS ATTACK US PHOTOGRAPHER COVERING WEST BANK VIOLENCE

WEST BANK AGENICES

SRAELI settlers on Friday beat an American photojournalist working for The Washington Post while she was covering ongoing violence against Palestinian olive farmers in the occupied West Bank. Heidi Levine, a veteran photographer, was taken to hospital in Ramallah following the attack, with AFP photos showing her lying on a gurney with injuries to her leg and hand. The incident comes 10 days after settlers beat an AFP photographer covering the West Bank olive harvest, Jaafar Ashtiyeh, leaving him also requiring hospital treatment. Speaking to journalists from her hospital bed, Levine said that “more than 50” masked settlers holding sticks suddenly attacked her while she was working near the Palestinian villages of Abu Falah and Turmus Ayya in the central West Bank. “All of a sudden they jumped me and

said, adding the circumstances would be examined. “Attacks and violence against innocent civilians are grave and unacceptable acts,” the military said. The Israeli police said it had opened an investigation into incidents in Abu Falah and Turmus Ayya. “We were on our land, picking olives, and suddenly the settlers came down on us and started hitting us, throwing stones,” said Mukhllis Zuhdi, a farmer from Abu Falah. “There was even a foreign journalist whom they beat. These people have no mercy or compassion in their hearts,” he told AFP. ‘BRAZEN VIOLENCE’ The Foreign Press Association, which represents international media in Israel and the Palestinian territories, said the settlers stole Levine’s passport, phone, wallet and equipment. “This is the latest in a long line of violent attacks by Israeli settlers against journalists and other civilians in the occupied West Bank,” it said. “Yet our repeated calls for action to

I luckily had my helmet and flak jacket on and I… kept my face to the ground to try to protect my face,” she said. “They just kept kicking me and kicking me,” she added. The Washington Post reported that Levine had been wearing a flak jacket with “Press” clearly marked on the front and back. A spokesman for the US embassy in Jerusalem said it was aware of reports of the attack, declining to comment further due to privacy laws. “We have no higher responsibility than protecting American citizens,” he said. AFP did not witness the moment of the attack, but one of the agency’s journalists in the area saw Palestinian medics tending to someone on the ground and Israeli soldiers pushing away journalists trying to approach. The Israeli military claimed troops and border police forces were deployed to the area “following a report of a violent confrontation”. “Foreign media personnel were present at the scene and a female journalist had been injured during the confrontation,” it

confront this lawlessness have been ignored by Israeli authorities,” it added. Reporters Without Borders said it strongly condemned the attack and called on Israeli authorities to “put an end to this impunity and prosecute the perpetrators of this heinous assault”. “This brazen violence… is evidence of the impunity with which extremist Jewish settlers operate, often under the protection of Israeli armed forces,” added the advocacy group, known by its French initials RSF. Violence has flared in recent months in the West Bank, with near-daily attacks, thefts or vandalism by Israeli settlers against Palestinians. Settlers have also been seizing olive groves owned by Palestinians, who see the trees as a cultural symbol. Excluding east Jerusalem, around three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, alongside more than 500,000 Israelis residing in settlements considered illegal under international law.

HEC Sends 107 Sindh Agricultural Trainees to China Under PM Initiative ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) organized an orientation and predeparture ceremony at HEC Auditorium, Islamabad, for 107 Sindh-domiciled agricultural trainees proceeding to China for three months of specialized training at Northwest A&F University, Xi’an, under the Prime Minister’s Initiative for Short-Term Training of 1,000 Pakistani Agricultural Professionals. Ms. Wajiha Qamar, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Professor Dr. Zia Ul Haq, Executive Director, HEC, welcomed the distinguished guests, Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Dr. Shahzad Naveed, CPEC Agriculture Specialist and trainees. Dr. Zia informed that the initiative reflects

the vision of the Prime Minister of Pakistan to strengthen agricultural cooperation with China and equip Pakistani professionals with advanced knowledge and practical skills. Under the programme, 885 agricultural professionals from across the provinces, against their respective allocated provincial quotas, have already completed training at five Chinese insti-

China urges EU to show sincerity in resolving trade issues BEIJING

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to unswervingly follow the path of prioritizing ecological conservation and pursuing green development. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection trip on Friday to the city of Ulanqab, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Huangqihai Lake in Ulanqab was once on the verge of drying up due to climate and other impacts. After years of comprehensive conservation, its water body has gradually been restored and expanded. During the inspection trip, Xi visited the Huangqihai Lake Nature Reserve, where he was briefed on Inner Mongolia's efforts to strengthen ecological conservation, and inspected the lake's shoreline and mudflats and observed birds inhabiting the area.

tutions and returned to Pakistan. He informed; the remaining Sindh quota was initially at risk of remaining unutilized due to the limited availability of candidates meeting the prescribed eligibility criteria. However, the Prime Minister took a special step to ensure that Sindh’s allocated quota was retained for eligible Sindh-domiciled candidates rather than redistributed to other

provinces. In accordance with his directive, a crash course was conducted at Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, to prepare candidates for the prescribed assessment. Following the local training and assessment process, 107 eligible trainees have completed the requisite formalities and are now proceeding to China. Addressing the gathering, the Chief Guest highlighted the importance of Pakistan China cooperation in agricultural education, research, innovation and technology transfer. She emphasized that investment in professional training is essential for modernizing Pakistan’s agriculture sector, enhancing productivity and strengthening national food security. She encouraged the trainees to acquire practical expertise and apply their learning to address agricultural challenges upon their return.

Xi Jinping stresses prioritizing ecological conservation, pursuing green development BEIJING

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to unswervingly follow the path of prioritizing ecological conservation and pursuing green development. I also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection trip on Friday to the city of Ulanqab, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Huangqihai Lake in Ulanqab was once on the verge of drying up due to climate and other impacts. After years of comprehensive conservation, its water body has gradually been restored and expanded. During the inspection trip, Xi visited the Huangqihai Lake Nature Reserve, where he was briefed on Inner Mongolia's efforts to strengthen ecological conservation, and inspected the lake's shoreline and mudflats and observed birds inhabiting the area. He stressed the need to fully implement the country's wetland protection law, firmly uphold ecological red lines and safeguard biodiversity. For degraded wetland ecosystems, he called for giving priority to natural

restoration, supplemented by human intervention and carrying out restoration in a scientific and sound manner. Xi visited Chahar High-Tech Development Zone in Ulanqab and learned about Inner Mongolia's progress in advancing the construction of a hub for the "East Data, West Computing" project and the development of the green computing power industry. Noting that implementing the "East Data, West Computing" project and building a national integrated computing power network is an important decision made by the CPC Central Committee, Xi stressed the need to ensure the efficient operation of completed projects and finish the construction of follow-up projects on schedule. He called on all parties to earnestly implement the requirements for efficient, green and safe development; actively promote the development of the green computing power industry; and make greater contributions to building Digital China and developing new quality productive forces. Xi also viewed displays of local agricultural and livestock specialties, encouraging local authorities to better align production with sales to help farmers and herders increase their incomes.

Indian police detain 'cockroach' movement founder Dipke ahead of protest NEW DELHI

AGENCIES

Police detained India’s ‘cockroach’ movement founder Abhijeet Dipke on Friday, live images from his group showed, ahead of a protest called by him in capital Delhi’s central business district, the latest rally to demand the resignation of India’s election chief. The youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), opposition groups, and student organisations have held almost daily protests this month demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over a revision of voter

lists that critics say favours Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). More than 130 million voters were deleted during the revision but the Election Commission has denied favouring any party and said wrongly deleted voters can re-enrol. The BJP has accused rivals of trying to undermine democracy by wrongly questioning legitimate electoral processes. Dipke called Friday’s protest in support of two CJP leaders detained and sent to jail this week for five days for demonstrating at a protest site in violation of a ban. The group and left-wing student organisations had urged supporters

to gather at the Central Park in New Delhi’s busy Connaught Place shopping and food district on Friday evening to wave and hoist the national flag. The live video on CJP’s Instagram handle showed Dipke coming out of a house and walking towards the street, where police officers stopped him and, after a brief argument, hauled him into a police car and drove away. “We are detaining you right now,” a police officer could be heard telling Dipke. “I have not broken any law right now…how can you detain me?” Dipke asked the police officers as he was taken away.

Trump's new press secretary admits to failing bar exam as her credentials face scrutiny

WASHINGTON

ROME

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and senior military, police and prison officials have been placed under investigation in Italy over the treatment of Gaza flotilla activists, Italian prosecutors said on Friday. The move expands an investigation that was previously focused on Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. The case concerns suspected torture, kidnapping, personal injury, robbery and damage when Israeli forces intercepted small fleets of boats headed towards Gaza in 2025 and 2026, the Rome prosecutors’

office said in a statement. Investigators opened the probe after complaints from 50 Italian citizens who were detained by Israeli authorities following two Global Sumud Flotilla missions in September to October 2025 and April to May 2026. Katz did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ben-Gvir in June dismissed news that he was under investigation, saying he would “continue to stand proudly alongside our fighters”. DEATH THREATS AND BEATINGS ALLEGED rosecutors said activists detained after the first mission had reported beatings, injuries, death threats, insults and

AGENCIES

New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia acknowledged on Thursday that she had failed the bar exam, a prerequisite for practising law in the United States, as her credentials face scrutiny. Zacharia has described herself as a lawyer during television appearances and on social media, and listed herself as general counsel of a Californiabased conservative nonprofit. But the legal credentials of the press secretary, who President Donald Trump appointed last week, were called into question after she gave an inconclusive answer about where she had passed the bar exam. The 41-year-old graduated from Pepperdine University’s law school in 2011, but obtaining a law degree does not automatically qualify someone to practice law. In a Fox News interview on Thursday, host Sean Hannity asked Zacharia: “You took the bar exam, but you didn’t pass the bar exam, correct?”“Yes,” she responded. In a separate interview with conservative media outlet Real America’s Voice on Thursday, Zacharia said she had registered to take the bar exam but was “distracted and overwhelmed” by plans to move to China with her husband. “The results are somewhat inconsequential because I knew I wouldn’t need the bar in China,” she said. Foreign nationals cannot sit China’s bar exam, although they can undertake certain legal work at Chinese law firms. Hannity later asked Zacharia if she had ever taken the bar exam a second time, to which she said: “I did not". “I had four kids in six years,” she said. “It was never my intent to go into the practice of law.” Zacharia said on Real America’s Voice that “many people in the field” had assured her that she could “label myself a lawyer,” given her law degree and experience in business law gained in China, where she worked at a Beijing law firm. She added that she could “provide legal analysis, not legal advice”. “I was very careful how I executed this.” The Campaign for Accountability, a political ethics organisation, called on Wednesday for the California Bar Association to launch an investigation. “In California, calling yourself a lawyer without a license isn’t puffery; it’s a crime,” the organisation said in a press release. Zacharia held her first White House press briefing on Tuesday with an unusually short press conference, answering questions from only three journalists. She succeeds Karoline Leavitt, a loyal Trump supporter and often combative press secretary, who stepped down in August to care for her young children.

Italy names Israeli defence minister, senior oﬃcials in probe over Gaza flotilla activists AGENCIES

Saturday, 17 October 2026 | lAHOrE

accusations of terrorism. Activists involved in the second mission reported even harsher treatment, including beatings in the dark, the use of tasers and rubber bullets, the statement said. Investigators had identified various individuals forming the military and police chains of command involved in the operations, prosecutors said. Besides Katz and Ben-Gvir, prosecutors named 12 senior Israeli military, police and prison officials as suspects, including military chief Eyal Zamir. Zamir also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Prosecutors said they had sent Israel a request for judicial assistance in June,

seeking information needed to reconstruct events and establish individual responsibility. They did not say whether Israeli authorities had responded. The prosecutors said they had also held talks at the European Union’s judicial cooperation agency Eurojust because similar investigations into the two flotilla missions were under way in other unnamed European countries. Under Italian law, crimes committed abroad against Italian citizens can be prosecuted in Rome. Being placed under investigation in Italy does not imply guilt and does not automatically lead to a trial. However, if the probe determines that charges are warranted, prosecutors could lodge a formal request for trial. lotilla organisers say they aimed to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian assistance. Israel says its naval blockade on Gaza is lawful.

NEWS 07 CM MARYAM UNVEILS RS5.61B SAHIWAL PROJECTS, CORPORATE CORNER Illicit trade drains Rs1.6tr ORDERS GIRLS’ HOSTEL, NURSES’ SCHOLARSHIPS

Saturday, 17 October 2026 | LAHORE

yearly from Pakistan’s economy: FBR data ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Pakistan is losing an estimated Rs1.6 trillion every year to tax evasion, under-reporting and illicit manufacturing across 18 key economic sectors, according to the latest assessment by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) presented to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.The stark figure was shared during a briefing by the FBR Transformation Team, which also updated the premier on the government’s drive to install realtime digital production monitoring systems in major manufacturing industries. Five sectors, including tobacco, cement, sugar, tiles and fertiliser, are already fully covered. The remaining 13 are at various stages of procurement and installation, with a firm deadline of December 31, 2026, for a nationwide rollout.It is pertinent to mention here that the tobacco sector shows one of the clearest examples of both progress and persistent challenges. Federal excise duty and sales tax collections rose from Rs284 billion to Rs329 billion in FY2025-26, a gain of Rs45 billion driven by stronger action against illicit and unstamped cigarettes. Yet illicit products still command more than 53 per cent of the total cigarette market, underscoring how deeply rooted the problem remains. This is largely because illicit manufacturers continue to operate outside the ambit of the FBR and government oversight, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive crackdown across the entire supply chain. However, the installed production monitoring systems will provide the FBR with real-time data on actual versus declared output, allowing authorities to target under-reporting that has long fuelled the parallel trade.Similarly, the sugar sector provides a more encouraging case study. Estimated tax evasion in the sector dropped sharply from around Rs70 billion before monitoring began to roughly Rs12 billion afterwards. The IMF projects that production monitoring across sectors could yield an additional Rs48 billion in revenue in FY2026-27, while digital invoicing may contribute another Rs46 billion.

World’s Slimmest TECNO POVA Curve 2 5G Launched in Pakistan LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

POVA is back, and it didn’t come quietly. TECNO today launched the POVA Curve 2 5G in Pakistan, a phone built on one bold idea: Beauty and Beast. You shouldn’t have to choose between a phone that turns heads and a phone that never quits. The POVA Curve 2 5G is both, with 8GB RAM + 256GB ROM, priced at PKR 99,999. The Beast Inside: Dimensity 7100 5G At the heart of the POVA Curve 2 5G is the MediaTek Dimensity 7100 5G processor, built for the way Pakistan uses its phones: gaming, streaming, multitasking and always-on connectivity. For gamers, that means 90 minutes of smooth, stable Free Fire gameplay at 60fps, with Ice Cooling 3.0 helping keep things steady. And the phone is made to last: it is TÜV Rheinland certified to stay lag-free for six years. Signal gets the same treatment: 20 5G bands and TECNO’s own technology deliver up to 100% stronger signal in buildings and basements and 60% stronger Wi-Fi, TÜV certified. It is what TECNO calls the Pakistan Signal King. 8000mAh in 7.42mm: The Slimmest Phone with a Battery This Big The POVA Curve 2 5G packs an 8000mAh battery into a body just 7.42mm thick and 195g in weight, making it the thinnest phone among those with an 8000mAh battery. It is the end of the old rule that a big battery means a brick. What does 8000mAh mean in real life? You can charge every two days, with more than 15 days of standby, and a TÜV certification for extended battery life of more than three days. When you do plug in, 45W wired fast charging takes the phone from empty to full in 82 minutes. It also supports 10W reverse charging and bypass charging. The battery is built for 2,000 cycles, which TECNO says is six years of safe, durable use.

Pediatric experts discuss child health advances as 28th Int’l Pediatric Conference opens in Islamabad ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Doctors and medical experts from Pakistan and abroad discussed the latest research, diagnostic approaches and treatment strategies in child healthcare as the 28th Biennial International Pediatric Conference opened at the Serena Hotel Islamabad on Friday.The three-day conference, organized by the Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA) Federal Branch under the theme "Next-Generation Child Health Care: From Research to Excellence," runs until October 18. More than 5,000 doctors and pediatric specialists from Pakistan and other countries are expected to attend over the three days. The conference is being held in Islamabad after a gap of ten years.Chairman Senate of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani was the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony on Friday evening and addressed the gathering.The opening day began with a scientific session on Immunization and Preventive Pediatrics. Experts covered breastfeeding, life-course immunization and overcoming vaccine resistance, the threat of Meningococcal B disease, and HPV vaccination. Dr. Syed Saeed Qadir of UNICEF, Prof. Aqeel Khattak, Prof. Nuzhat Yasmeen and Dr. Saima Khurshid Zubair delivered the keynote and invited presentations. Researchers also presented a study on mothers' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the immunization of children under five in Quetta.

PUNJAB CM INAUGURATES FOUR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, LAYS FOUNDATION FOR 10 MODEL AGRICULTURE MALLS ACROSS PUNJAB

P g

LAHORE

SALEEM JADOON

UNJAB Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday directed the authorities concerned to take steps for the construction of a girls’ hostel at the University of Sahiwal and the restoration of scholarships for nurses, while inaugurating four development projects worth Rs5.61 billion and laying the foundation stones for 10 model agriculture malls across the province. Addressing a ceremony for the distribution of laptops and Honhaar Scholarship cheques at the University of Sahiwal (UoS), the chief minister congratulated the students and their parents and paid special tribute to the teachers of the talented recipients. Maryam Nawaz said the occasion was an opportunity to acknowledge the sacrifices of parents who had enabled their children to reach this stage. “I salute the parents who have given the nation a talented generation to be proud of,” she said.

She said nurses and students of religious seminaries had, for the first time, also been included in government schemes. Under the Work for Punjab programme, university graduates were being offered internships with monthly stipends ranging from Rs60,000 to Rs65,000. The government was also considering assign-

ing responsibilities to graduates of schools, colleges and universities. The chief minister said facilities, including washrooms, drinking water and artificial intelligence (AI) tools, were being developed in educational institutions across Punjab. She said the government was em-

Azma slams Fazl over ‘irresponsible’ remarks, demands apology LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari on Friday criticised Maulana Fazlur Rehman over his latest remarks, calling them irresponsible and unbecoming of a senior political leader, and urged him to express regret over what she described as support for sympathisers of terrorists. Bokhari said responsibility for the deprivation of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) should not be shifted onto the federal government. Instead, she said, questions should be directed at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which had been in power in

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the past 13 years. She added that PTI founder Imran Khan and his party should also be questioned about the funds allocated for the former FATA and the lack of development work in the region. The provincial minister noted that Fazlur Rehman and his party had themselves been targeted in terrorist attacks on several occasions. She said he should therefore exercise caution in making such statements and questioned whom he was trying to appease through his remarks. “Politics should be pursued, but the ridicule of state institutions and the disrespect of martyrs must be avoided,” Bokhari said, recalling that the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl

BISP Chief visits Dir Colony, Peshawar, to offer condolences to parents whose children died in school tragedy

PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT

Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme Senator Rubina Khalid today visited Saeedabad, Dir Colony, Peshawar, and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the tragic school roof collapse. She conveyed her heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families over the deaths of innocent children and teachers, expressing solidarity with them during this difficult time.Speaking to the media, Senator Rubina Khalid said that those responsible for negligence and lapses in such incidents must be identified and held accountable under the law. She stressed the need to address systemic weaknesses and prevent negligence to avoid similar tragedies in the future. She also urged everyone to refrain from political point-scoring over such tragedies and instead show solidarity with grieving families, offer them support, and work collectively to address the underlying issues.

(JUI-F) chief’s earlier remarks had also triggered strong public anger. She further said serious questions had been raised about PTI’s policies concerning terrorist groups. Referring to the imposition of Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bokhari maintained that the federal government had not taken the step without reason. She attributed the situation to what she described as the PTI government’s policies towards terrorists in the province. Bokhari said Fazlur Rehman’s latest statement had sparked widespread public resentment, adding that irresponsible remarks were unbecoming of a mature political leader. She urged him to reconsider his words and position.

Pakistan Committed to Achieving $100b Export Target by 2035: Rana Ihsaan Afzal

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Industries Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving $100 billion in annual exports by 2035 through comprehensive trade reforms, improved market access, industrial competitiveness and sustained policy implementation.Addressing the closing ceremony of the 39th Annual General Meeting and International Conference of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE), organised at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Islamabad, he said Pakistan was moving towards an exportoriented economy to overcome recurring economic challenges and ensure sustainable growth.The two-day conference, themed “Mission $100 Billion: The National Race for Sustainable Export-led Prosperity,” brought together policymakers, economists, researchers and business representatives to discuss strategies for enhancing Pakistan’s exports.

CDA Accelerates Sector Development Work to Transform Islamabad into a Modern Capital

ISLAMABAD: The Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) visited Sector E-12 to review the latest progress of ongoing development works and directed the concerned officers to accelerate development activities. The Director General (Works), CDA, Chief Executive Officer, MCI, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General), Project Director and the concerned Assistant Commissioner also accompanied him during the visit. The CDA Chairman stated that the Authority is focusing particularly on development works across Islamabad, including sector development, the construction and improvement of roads, the construction of underpasses and pedestrian bridges, and the retrieval of valuable state land.Under the directions of Federal Minister for Interior Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi and the effective supervision of CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf, these initiatives are being undertaken with the objective of transforming Islamabad into a more developed, modern and model city.To ensure planned urban development and protect public assets, the CDA has made significant progress in retrieving state land in Sector E-12. More than 1,000 kanals of valuable state land, worth billions of rupees, have been retrieved. This achievement marks an important milestone in safeguarding public property and facilitating the planned development of the sector. The recovered land is supporting future development projects and helping advance the provision of essential infrastructure and civic facilities. The CDA is continuing development activities in Sectors I-12, E-12 and C-14 as part of its broader strategy to accelerate planned urban development and improve residential facilities across the federal capital. STAFF REPORT

powering young people through AI tools and had trained 500,000 youngsters under its skills development programme over the past two years. Skilled workers travelling abroad were also being provided assistance, including air tickets, through the Parwaaz Card. Maryam Nawaz praised Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat for introducing various initiatives, including a new syllabus. She said she had personally interviewed candidates in batches of 10 before appointing vice-chancellors on merit at universities across Punjab. I do not accept recommendations, even if they come from my own home,” she said. The chief minister said urban beautification should not be confined to Lahore, adding that Sahiwal, Okara and Pakpattan deserved the same attention. She said Punjab had received the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award for its low-cost housing initiative, which she described as the world’s fastest such scheme. She said 300,000 acres of land were being provided to landless people for cultivation.

Rana Tanveer Calls for Stronger CIMMYT Partnership to Raise Wheat Productivity and Achieve Food Security

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, called for stronger collaboration with CIMMYT to increase Pakistan’s wheat productivity through improved genetics, modern research facilities and advanced production technologies. He emphasised that Pakistan must aim beyond wheat self-sufficiency and develop a sustainable surplus to serve international markets and food-deficit countries.The Minister expressed these views during a meeting with Dr. Flavio Breseghello, Director of CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program, and Dr. Sajid Ali, Senior Scientist and Country Representative for Pakistan, at the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.Rana Tanveer Hussain stressed the need to substantially enhance wheat production to meet the food requirements of a population of around 260 million. Referring to the recent need for wheat imports, he said Pakistan must address its productivity gap through better seed, stronger research and wider adoption of modern agricultural technologies. He highlighted a wheat yield target of 3.5 tonnes per hectare and called for increased engagement with private partners to support national food security objectives.

PANAH engages CUST students in campaign against unhealthy foods and rising NCDs ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH), continuing its nationwide youth engagement campaign, organized an awareness session at the Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST) to educate students about the harmful effects of ultra-processed products (UPPs) and the importance of Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPWL) in preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs).The session brought together students, faculty members and youth advocates to discuss the alarming rise in diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and other diet-related NCDs in Pakistan.Addressing the participants, Mr. Sana Ullah Ghumman, Secretary General PANAH, highlighted the growing health challenges associated with unhealthy dietary habits and frequent consumption of ultra-processed products. He emphasized that mandatory Front-of-Pack Warning Labels can help consumers, particularly young people, easily identify packaged products containing excessive sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, enabling them to make informed and healthier food choices.He urged students to become ambassadors of public health and actively support evidencebased policies aimed at creating healthier food environments. He stressed that public awareness and effective government policies must go hand in hand to reduce the growing burden of NCDs.Mr. Ghulam Abbas, Vice President PANAH, highlighted the importance of youth participation in promoting healthier lifestyles and preventing NCDs. He said universities provide an effective platform for educating future generations about the dangers of unhealthy food consumption. He encouraged students to spread awareness among their families, peers and communities and support PANAH's campaign for mandatory Front-of-Pack Warning Labels on ultra-processed products.Speaking on behalf of the university, Professor X appreciated PANAH's continued efforts to protect public health through awareness and policy advocacy.

Saturday, 17 October, 2026

PAKISTAN EYES $8TR ‘MINERAL BONANZA’ AS GLOBAL DEMAND FUELS INVESTMENT PUSH

PRAYER TIMINGS

NEWS

ISLAMABAD

SALEEM JADOON

AKISTAN is entering a new phase in the development of its mineral economy as growing global demand for copper, gold, chromite, lithium, rare earth elements and other critical minerals presents a strategic opportunity for the country to attract investment, develop new supply chains and diversify its sources of foreign exchange. The opportunity is significant, given Pakistan’s extensive mineral-bearing areas and geological position within the broader Tethyan Metallogenic Belt, one of the world’s major copper and gold regions. The country has 92 known minerals, of which 52 are commercially exploited. According to the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMA), Pakistan’s mineral reserves are estimated to be worth around $8 trillion and extend across approximately 600,000 square kilometres. These resources underscore the considerable economic potential of the country’s mining sector. Despite this resource base, the min-

ing sector has historically contributed less than 3 per cent to gross domestic product (GDP), ICMA said. The institute estimates that improved governance and security could help increase annual mineral exports from approximately $3 billion to $8 billion, while raising GDP growth from around 3 per cent to 6 per cent. The key challenge, however, is to translate geological potential into commercially viable projects, export earnings, employment opportunities and

industrial capacity. This requires more than mineral extraction. It calls for sustained exploration, reliable geological data, modern technology, infrastructure, financing, predictable regulations, environmental safeguards and partnerships with international companies. Pakistan’s policy direction is increasingly focused on building this wider ecosystem to unlock the economic value of its mineral resources and position the country to benefit from

changing global supply chains. Reko Diq: A Flagship Mining Project Located in Balochistan’s Chagai district, the Reko Diq copper and gold project is one of the world’s largest undeveloped deposits of these metals. It is a joint venture in which Barrick Mining Corporation holds a 50 per cent stake, the Balochistan government owns 25 per cent, and three federal stateowned enterprises collectively hold the remaining 25 per cent. In February 2025, Barrick announced the completion of an updated feasibility study for the project, which is expected to make a substantial contribution to Pakistan’s economy and have a transformative impact on Balochistan. The updated study estimates a mine life of 37 years, with total capital investment of $8.83 billion. Development is planned in two phases, with Phase 1 requiring an estimated $5.6 billion to $6.0 billion. First production is expected by the end of 2028. Under Phase 1, the project is expected to process 45 million tonnes of ore annually, producing approximately 240,000 tonnes of copper and 297,000 ounces of gold each year.

PHC to take up PTI petitions against emergency, governor's rule in KP on October 20 PESHAWAR

STAFF REPORT

Another acquittal for Anmol 'Pinky': Court orders release in CTD narcotics case KARACHI

STAFF REPORT

A Karachi court on Friday approved the acquittal plea of Anmol, alias Pinky, in a narcotics case. The court acquitted her due to a lack of evidence and ordered her immediate release, provided she is not wanted in any other case. This case was originally registered at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station in 2018. Prior to this decision, she had already been acquitted in four other cases. In August, an Additional District and Sessions Court (South) in Karachi acquitted the alleged drug dealer in three separate drug-related cases registered at the Gizri Police Station after approving her acquittal pleas. According to defence counsel, those cases were registered against Anmol in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and she had previously been declared an absconder in all three. The lawyer informed the court that two co-accused, Ali and Fahmida, were already acquitted in 2024. The defence argued that Anmol was implicated solely on the basis of statements allegedly made by the coaccused. Since those co-accused were cleared, the prosecution could no longer secure a conviction against Anmol. The court observed that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence against the accused before granting her acquittal.

Over 1.87m highly educated Pakistanis left country in past three years

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) will hear petitions challenging the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 20. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and Advocate Salman Khan have filed separate petitions seeking to overturn the measures. The petitions name the Federation of Pakistan, the president, the prime minister, the KP governor and other relevant authorities as respondents. In its petition filed through lawyer Ali Zaman, the PTI has asked the PHC to declare the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule unconstitutional and set aside the decisions. The party argued that using terrorism as a justification to curtail the authority of an elected provincial government amounted to discriminatory treatment. It maintained that political differences could not serve as grounds for stripping the provincial administration of its powers. The petition also questioned why governor’s rule had not been imposed in Balochistan despite terrorist attacks and loss of life, or in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the period from 2007 to 2015. The PTI argued that the decision targeting the current provincial government was discriminatory. While expressing support for counterterrorism operations and efforts to restore peace, the party

ATC Rawalpindi defers verdict against Aleema Khan for 4th time A special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi has deferred its verdict for the fourth time in a case registered against Aleema Khan and 10 other accused in connection with the November 26 protests. ATC Rawalpindi Judge Amjad Ali Shah conducted the hearing today, while Aleema Khan’s counsel, Faisal Malik, appeared before the court alongside his legal team. The defense counsel urged the court to allow further arguments in the case. However, the court adjourned the hearing without pronouncing its reserved verdict. The verdict, which was sched-

uled to be announced today, will now be pronounced on October 26. According to the prosecution, Aleema Khan is accused of planning the November 26 protest and allegedly conspiring with Imran Khan during a meeting at Adiala Jail on November 22, 2024. Earlier, Aleema Khan was detained in Lahore after the city’s deputy commissioner ordered her 30-day detention under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. Police later confirmed that she was moved to Kot Lakhpat Jail. The detention came ahead of PTI’s planned September 27 countrywide protest and march toward Islamabad, which the party stated was aimed at demanding Imran Khan’s release.

alleged that claims of inadequate action against militancy were being used to exert political pressure on its government. The petition further stated that the PTI had secured a two-thirds majority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the 2024 general elections. It argued that the imposition of governor’s rule must comply with the constitutional requirements and procedures set out in Article 234. It also called for the emergency proclamation to be scrutinised under Article 232 and the applicable parliamentary require-

ments. The PTI additionally maintained that no unlawful action had been planned as part of its proposed long march. President Asif Ali Zardari approved the imposition of an emergency in the province on October 11 on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. The federal government cited the province’s worsening security situation and concerns over its counterterrorism efforts as grounds for the move. The PTI, which governs KP, has challenged the decision.

RAWALPINDI

STAFF REPORT

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ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

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Maryam blasts Fazl over terrorism remarks, holds PTI responsible for KP’s plight LAHORE

SALEEM JADOON

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday criticised Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman over his remarks concerning those accused of supporting terrorism, saying she had not expected such a stance from a senior politician who had himself been a victim of terrorism. In a statement posted on X, the chief minister said a senior political leader who had personally suffered from terrorism should not support those who backed it. She said it was deeply regrettable that, instead of holding accountable those responsible for what she described as the deterioration of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to incompetence, ineptitude and corruption, Fazlur Rehman was speaking in their favour. “Those in whose support statements are being issued should be asked: In thirteen years, did they even attend the funeral of a single martyr?” she said. Maryam Nawaz alleged that the PTI leadership had provided shelter to terrorists, nurtured them and supplied them with resources, safe havens and land in the province to launch attacks on Pakistan. She said the same people had accumulated a record of incompetence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, damaged the lives of its residents and exposed them to terrorism. The province’s precious resources had been squandered on sit-ins and protests, while 13 valuable years had been lost to corruption and ineptitude, she added. The chief minister said Fazlur Rehman’s remarks about the field commander who, in her words, had led Pakistan to a historic victory in the battle for truth and helped the country earn the honour of safeguarding the Haramain Sharifain had hurt the sentiments of patriotic Pakistanis. She said officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army continued to risk their lives to eliminate terrorism, with families losing their loved ones every day. “Every day, some mother's piece of liver, some sister's brother, and some woman's husband returns home wrapped in the green crescent flag,” she said. Maryam Nawaz said that rather than acknowledging the sacrifices of the martyrs and standing with the armed forces, siding with those who obstructed efforts to eliminate terrorism was unbecoming of a senior political leader. She noted that Fazlur Rehman’s own party had suffered from terrorism and that some of his associates had been killed in attacks. Those whom he was supporting now, she alleged, were the same people who had previously used abusive language against him and launched personal attacks on him. “For the victims of terrorism to stand with those who back terrorism is, at the very least, beyond my comprehension,” she said. The chief minister asserted that the PTI itself was responsible for the end of its government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Meanwhile, Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari also criticised Fazlur Rehman over his latest remarks, describing them as irresponsible and unbecoming of a senior political leader. She urged the JUI-F chief to express regret over what she characterised as support for sympathisers of terrorists. Bokhari said responsibility for the deprivation of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) should not be shifted onto the federal government. Instead, she said, questions should be directed at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which had been in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the past 13 years.

Suspected mastermind of Kohat Police Lines suicide attack killed in Lakki Marwat

PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

FAJR SUNRISE 5:40

Over 1.871 million highly educated and professional individuals left Pakistan for foreign countries during the past three years, according to a written response presented in the National Assembly. Overseas Pakistanis Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain presented the written response during Question Hour, revealing data on Pakistanis who went abroad. According to the available information, those who left included doctors, engineers, IT professionals, academics, and skilled and professional workers from other fields. The documents presented in the National Assembly were also shared by journalist Azzaz Syed. Commenting on the occasion, he said Pakistan had no shortage of talent; the real issue was the provision of better opportunities. Following the release of the figures, the migration of highly educated people abroad and its potential effects on the country’s economy, health, education and other key sectors have become subjects of significant debate. Experts say that providing better employment opportunities, professional development, suitable compensation and a favourable environment is essential to preventing the large-scale migration of educated and skilled people abroad. However, it is also important for the different reasons and sector-wise details of the individuals included in these figures to emerge.

Security forces have killed a suspected mastermind behind the Kohat Police Lines suicide attack during an intelligence-based operation in Lakki Marwat. The operation was launched after authorities received information about the presence of militants in the area.

Officials said the suspect was linked to the planning and facilitation of the suicide bombing targeting the Kohat Police Lines. Security personnel engaged the militants during the raid, resulting in the death of the suspected planner and other members of the group. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the site. Authorities said the operation formed part of ongoing efforts to trace those involved in attacks on security personnel and police installations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Kohat Police Lines attack had caused casualties among law-enforcement personnel and prompted a wider investigation into the militant network behind it. Security forces have intensified intelligencebased operations across southern and central parts of KP amid a rise in militant violence. Officials said sanitisation of the surrounding area was continuing to ensure no other militants remained present.

KP Governor announces increase in package for police martyrs PESHAWAR

STAFF REPORT

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has announced a substantial increase in the compensation package for police personnel killed or injured in the line of duty, raising financial assistance across different ranks. Under the revised package, compensation for police martyrs from constable to inspector rank has been increased from Rs11 million to Rs17 million, Kundi said. The compensation for martyrs holding the ranks of deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and assistant superintendent of police

(ASP) has been raised from Rs16 million to Rs25 million. For police personnel in grades 18 and 19, the compensation has been fixed at Rs30 million, while families of those in grade 20 and above will receive Rs35 million, the governor said. The relief package also provides greater financial support to personnel injured while on duty. Assistance for injured officers and personnel has been increased from Rs100,000 to Rs1.5 million. In cases of permanent disability sustained during duty, the government has approved compensation of Rs5 million, Kundi added.

Families of children killed in Peshawar school roof collapse demand justice PESHAWAR AFP

The families of children killed in a roof collapse at a school in Peshawar called for "justice" on Friday, the day after more than 30 pupils and a teacher were crushed to death. A woman teacher and 32 students, mostly younger than 14, died in the building collapse on Thursday morning. "The parents of all these children must receive justice," tailor Muhammad Wahab, who lost his 11-year-old nephew Hammad in the accident, told AFP on Friday. "I appeal to our rulers," he said, adding that Hammad had been "doing well in school" before the tragedy. Dozens of people gathered on Friday

outside the school to mourn the children who were killed in the collapse, which officials blamed on dilapidated infrastructure. One grief-stricken father showed AFP a picture on his mobile phone of his young daughter, dressed in red and gold, who lost her life. Another parent, Asadullah, said he lost a son, nephew, and three other close relatives in the tragedy. "The children were good students and often achieved top positions in their classes," he told AFP. "They happily went to school every day." Residents and rescuers described chaotic scenes in the aftermath of Thursday's collapse, as people scrambled to pull children out from under the rubble.

A man named Sohail told AFP that "everyone began screaming in panic" when his niece, who had escaped the building, arrived home to tell them it had collapsed. "When I arrived at the scene, I saw around 10 to 15 children trapped beneath the rubble, with debris piled up to their necks. We quickly pulled them out," he said. School owner detained Images released by emergency services showed rescue workers in high-visibility vests scrambling to move debris, rubble and dirt. A senior official in Peshawar told AFP that initial reports suggested the roof collapse was due to "weak infrastructure". "The school owner has been detained," the official said on condition of

Published by Asad Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk

anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed "deep sorrow and grief over the loss of precious lives" in an X post. President Asif Ali Zardari described the roof collapse as a "heartbreaking tragedy". Building collapses are common in Pakistan, largely due to poor safety standards and substandard construction materials in the South Asian nation of more than 240 million people. In June, more than a dozen children were killed when a roof collapsed at a tutoring centre in Lahore. In 2025, 27 people were killed and 10 injured when a five-storey building collapsed in Karachi's Lyari.