Profit PAKISTAN, US ENTERING A ‘NEW ERA’ OF COOPERATION, UNDERSTANDING: PM In partnership with
Thursday, 5 June, 2025 | 8 Zilhaj, 1446
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 329 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
PREMIER SHEHBAZ LAUDS PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAYING MR TRUMP PROVED, BEYOND ANY DOUBT, HE IS A MAN OF PEACE, ADVOCATING FOR TRADE AND INVESTMENT
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ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
rime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday stated that bilateral ties between Pakistan and the United States are entering a “new era” of cooperation and understanding while extending greetings to the United States on its 249th Independence Day. “On the 249th Independence Day of the United States, I extend heartfelt congratulations,” Premier Shehbaz said while speaking
at a ceremony hosted by the US Embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday, according a statement from the Prime Minister Office. He congratulated the American people and expressed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening relations between the two nations. “We are committed to further strengthening our relations, and both countries are entering a new era of partnership, particularly in areas like trade, agriculture, education, and healthcare,” he added. He mentioned the shared democratic values between the two nations, citing the wisdom
Pakistan desires to strengthen economic partnership with Belarus: PM ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that Pakistan desired to strengthen economic partnership with Belarus and benefit from the country’s expertise in agricultural machinery manufacturing. The prime minister, in a meeting with a sevenmember delegation led by Belarusian Defense Minister Lieutenant General Victor Khrenin, which called on him here, said that Pakistan and Belarus enjoyed excellent bilateral ties which were strengthening over time.
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MENTIONS SHARED DEMOCRATIC VALUES BETWEEN TWO NATIONS, CITING WISDOM OF US FOUNDING FATHERS, THEIR ALIGNMENT WITH IDEALS OF PAKISTAN’S FOUNDER
of the US founding fathers and their alignment with the ideals of Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-eAzam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. During his address, the prime minister also thanked US President Donald Trump for his role in facilitating a ceasefire. He praised Trump's dedication to peace and economic growth, highlighting that Trump’s belief in promoting global peace had led to de-escalation between Pakistan and India. “President Trump has shown, beyond a doubt, that he is a man of peace, advocating for trade, investment, and a de-escalation of conflict," he added. On the topic of Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war on terror, the prime minister reminded the audience of Pakistan’s struggle and the losses it had endured since the 9/11 attacks. “We lost nearly 90,000 lives and faced economic losses of $150 billion, yet Pakistan's resolve to fight terrorism in all its forms remains unwavering," Sharif said. The PM further said the four-day armed conflict with India confirmed that the Pahalgam incident was a "false flag operation" orchestrated by India. He stated that had the incident been genuine, India should have provided credible evidence to the global community.
PM invites opposition leader for consultation on appointing new CEC ISLAMABAD
MonitoRing RepoRt
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formally invited the opposition leader for consultations regarding the appointment of the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). This invitation comes months after the term of the current CEC, Sikandar Sultan Raja, expired in January 2025. The government had failed to meet the constitutional deadline of March 12 for the appointment of a new CEC and two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The constitutional framework, under the 26th Amendment, allows the incumbent CEC and members to remain in office until their successors are appointed.
Pakistan, India ‘ought to work together’ to combat menace of terrorism: Bilawal CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
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NEW YORK/ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has adopted Israeli-style policies in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and is undermining regional peace, emphasizing that “if the premier spy agencies” of both Pakistan and India “sit together” there could be a significant decline in terrorist activities in the region. Bilawal in a strongly worded press conference at the United Nations, suggested that instead of accusations, counteraccusations and finger-pointing over terrorism, Pakistan and India ought to work together to combat this menace in an effective way. “If ISI [Inter-Service Intelligence of
Pakistan] and RAW [Research and Analysis Wing of India] “sit and work together” to fight these forces, we would see a significant decrease in terrorism both within
Ministry of Commerce expresses doubts over $60 billion export target by 2029: report Citing domestic and international challenges, the ministry outlines key policy reforms and interventions to boost export potential, but warns of hurdles ahead PROFIT
MonitoRing deSk
The Ministry of Commerce has raised concerns about the feasibility of achieving the government’s ambitious $60 billion export target for 2029, citing both domestic and international challenges. As per reports, the Ministry acknowledged that achieving the export target is becoming increasingly difficult due to external factors such as ongoing US tariffs, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and a global market slowdown. Domestically, high energy costs and infrastructure constraints are also seen as major obstacles to sustained export growth. The ministry noted that achieving the $60 billion target will depend on key enablers such as trade diplomacy, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) capacity building, enhanced market access, and institutional reforms, all requiring a whole-ofgovernment approach. The ministry emphasised that efforts to address these challenges include ongoing tariff rationalisation to reduce industrial costs and an enhanced focus on e-commerce, which is seen as a critical enabler of modern trade. A new e-commerce policy is in the works to improve regulations, strengthen digital infrastructure, and offer support to online exporters. In addition to ecommerce, a new domestic commerce policy is being developed to revitalise local production, increase domestic surplus, and improve export capacity. The ministry stressed that a coordinated approach involving financial support, regulatory facilitation, energy pricing reforms, and trade mechanism improvements is essential for driving export growth. On the financial front, the ministry revealed efforts to reduce policy rates and expand export facilitation schemes, as well as revive concessional financing mechanisms aimed at promoting solar energy and supporting industrial growth. Ensuring regionally competitive energy pricing and reliable power for exportoriented industries remain key priorities.
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India and Pakistan,” he stressed. The press conference came upon completion of the delegation’s meetings at United Nations Headquarters.
At the UN, he held several meetings with ambassadors from the Security Council (UNSC) members, including the US, France, and the current president of Guyana. “Narendra Modi is essentially a ‘Temu copy’ of the Israeli Prime Minister,” Bilawal drew parallels between India’s actions in Kashmir and Israel’s settler model in Palestine, saying “Narendra Modi was the Butcher of Gujarat, then of Kashmir, and now he seeks to trample the ancient Sindh civilization.” He criticised New Delhi’s unilateral changes in Kashmir, saying they were inspired by Israel’s occupation tactics. “India is unfortunately learning from the worst examples,” he added.
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Pakistan elected VC of UNSC’s Counter-Terrorism Committee ISLAMABAD
Staff CoRReSpondent
In a significant diplomatic victory, Pakistan has been named vice-chair of the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) Counter-Terrorism Committee, tasked with overseeing implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) concerning international anti-terror efforts, according to an official statement issued by Pakistan’s mission to UN on Wednesday. Islamabad has played an active role in promoting the principles and purposes of the UN Charter and made significant contributions to international peace and security, including its role as one of the leading troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions across the world. It was elected to the UN Security Council in June 2024 and replaced Japan in the Asian seat. Pakistan had been one of the worst victims of terrorism for over two decades as the country loss more than 80,000 lives and thousands more injured. Pakistan has time and again raised the issued of India sponsoring and backing terrorist groups such
as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) to carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours plunged to the lowest levels following recent standoff over killing of 26 tourists in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, that the New Delhi blamed on Islamabad. Pakistan categorically rejected the allegation while offering a transparent probe int the incident, and drew the international community’s attention to Indian proxies involved in terrorism inside the country. According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN today, Pakistan has also been appointed as Chair of the UN Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011), which oversees the implementation of the sanctions measures on the Taliban. In further recognition of its diplomatic engagement, Pakistan has also been appointed Co-Chair of the Security Council’s Informal Working Group (IWG) on documentation and working methods, as well as the newly formed IWG on Sanctions.
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14 Indian-sponsored terrorists killed in Datta Khel operation: ISPR RAWALPINDI
Staff RepoRt
Fourteen Indian-sponsored terrorists of Fitna-alKhawarij were killed in an intelligence-based operation by security forces in North Waziristan’s Datta Khel, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, “On June 2-3, 2025, an intelligence-based operation was conducted by the Security Forces in the general area of Datta Khel, North Waziristan District, on the reported presence of khwarij belonging to the Indian proxy, Fitna-alKhawarij.” The statement added that during the conduct of the operation, the troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and “after an intense exchange of fire, 14 Indian-sponsored khwarij were sent to hell.” “Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored Kharji found in the area, as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country,” the statement concluded. The ISPR asserted that security forces remain fully committed to rooting out all Indian-sponsored terrorist elements from Pakistani soil. Yesterday, Pakistan security forces killed seven terrorists associated with “Fitna al Hindustan” in two separate IBOs in Balochistan. As per details, security forces conducted IBOs in Machh and Kalat against the “Fitna al-Hindustan”, resulting in the killing of seven India-backed terrorists Last month, security forces killed nine terrorists “sponsored” by India during a series of operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the ISPR. Last month, DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry accused India of activating its “assets” to intensify terrorist attacks in Pakistan, presenting “irrefutable evidence” of Indian statesponsored terrorism directed by Indian military personnel. “Post-Pahalgam, because of the designs of terrorism that they have, they tasked all their assets, the terrorists operating in Balochistan, and we have credible intelligence for that, the Fitnah-al-Khawarij and the independent terrorist cells … to increase their activity,” he had said. Pakistan has been grappling with an alarming surge in terror activities, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. Despite heightened military tensions between Pakistan and India last month, militant groups were unable to significantly escalate their activities in the country, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabadbased independent think tank.
Seven-member committee to finalize digital payment mechanism for fuel ahead of budget PROFIT
MonitoRing deSk
The federal government has established a seven-member committee tasked with finalising a detailed plan for digitising payments at fuel stations across the country. The initiative, directed by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, is a key part of the government’s efforts to reduce cash transactions in favor of digital payments. According to a news report by Dawn, the committee will be led by Sharjeel Murtaza, the Chief Digital Officer at Karandaaz Pakistan, and will include key figures such as Ali Jan Khan,
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UNDER THE PROPOSED PLAN, PETROL STATIONS TO OFFER DIGITAL PAYMENT OPTIONS; CASH PAYMENTS TO INCUR ADDITIONAL RS2-3 CHARGE PER LITER
a consultant on digital reforms at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), along with senior representatives from the FBR, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, the Oil Companies Advisory Council, and the State Bank of Pakistan. Karandaaz Pakistan will provide technical and secretarial support to the committee, which will submit its final proposal to the FBR and the Ministry of Finance. The plan is part of a broader government push, which will be revealed in the upcoming federal budget,
to introduce differential tax and transaction rates for cash and digital payments, particularly in the fuel sector. The report, citing sources, said that policymakers have already been working on the technical aspects of the plan. The aim is to transition from a highcash economy to a low-cash, and eventually a cashless, system, where feasible. This would involve both incentivizing consumers and businesses to move towards digital transactions while increasing costs for cash payments.
Under the proposed plan, all petrol stations across Pakistan will be required to offer digital payment options, including QR codes, debit and credit cards, and mobile payment services. The government-notified petroleum prices will apply to digital transactions, while cash payments will incur an additional charge of Rs2-3 per liter. This approach follows similar measures already implemented, such as higher costs for cash payments at motorway tolls compared to M-Tag users.