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CHINA ‘UNSTOPPABLE’, SAYS XI WITH SHEHBAZ, KIM AND PUTIN AT HIS SIDE Thursday, 4 September, 2025 | 10 Rabiul Awal, 1447
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PRESIDENT XI KICKS OFF PARADE MARKING 80 YEARS SINCE THE END OF WORLD WAR II
WARNS THE WORLD IS STILL ‘FACED WITH A CHOICE OF PEACE OR WAR,’ BUT CHINA IS ‘UNSTOPPABLE’
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XVI No 58 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
BESIDES INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILES, NEW UNDERWATER DRONES AND SUPERSONIC MISSILES WERE AMONG THE LATEST GEAR ON DISPLAY INDIA’S MODI ABSENCE AND PM SHEHBAZ’S PRESENCE HIGHLIGHTS PAKISTAN’S GROWING SIGNIFICANCE IN THE REGION
NO MAJOR WESTERN DIGNITARIES WERE AMONG TWO DOZEN WORLD LEADERS AT THE EVENT BEIJING
agencieS
ORTH KOREAN leader Kim Jong Un, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif flanked Chinese President Xi Jinping at a massive parade of military might in Beijing on Wednesday, capping a week of diplomatic grandstanding by the Chinese president and his allies against the West. The event, ostensibly to mark 80 years since the end of World War II, was a chance for Xi to put on an extravaganza to showcase China’s military prowess and bring together friendly leaders to send a message to the rest of the world. Kicking off the parade, President Xi warned the world was still “faced with a choice of peace or war” but said China was “unstoppable.” China’s enormous new intercontinental ballistic missile DF-5C, with a range of 20,000 kilometres, counted prominently among the tonnes of hardware on display. State-run Radio Pakistan reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “not invited to the parade” and that PM Shehbaz’s presence alongside
Xi, Putin, and Kim highlighted Pakistan’s growing significance in the region. The heavily choreographed event drew an acidic response from United States President Donald Trump, who accused the three leaders of plotting against the US. “Give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against the United States of America,” he wrote on Truth Social. MILITARY HARDWARE ON SHOW: During the 90-minute parade,
Xi inspected the massed troops and weaponry from an open-topped limousine down Beijing’s vast Chang’an Avenue before turning back to join his guests in a seating area above the iconic portrait of Mao Zedong on Tiananmen, the entrance gate of the historic Forbidden City. China’s huge collection of military vehicles and heavy weapons rolled past the dignitaries, while images of thousands of servicemen and women in immaculate uniforms marching in tight ranks and soldiers jumping in and out of vehicles were shown in a slick state
media broadcast. Besides the intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), new underwater drones and supersonic missiles were among the latest gear on display. Beijing residents went out into the streets to catch a glimpse of a spectacular flypast involving scores of warplanes and helicopters, some making an “80” formation. Millions of Chinese people were killed during a prolonged war with imperial Japan in the 1930s and 40s, which became part of a global conflict following Tokyo’s attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941.
WHIRLWIND WEEK: All eyes were on how the trio of Xi, Putin and Kim — who rarely leaves secretive North Korea — interacted with each other, but the state media broadcast only offered rare snatches of the three together and foreign journalists were kept at a distance and told not to film or photograph the leaders. The event was the climax of a whirlwind week for Xi, who hosted a slew of Eurasian leaders for a summit aimed at putting China front and centre of regional relations.
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Imran Khan’s nephew gets bail in Jinnah House attack case LAHORE
Staff RepoRt
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore on Wednesday granted bail to PTI founder Imran Khan’s nephew Shahrez Khan in a case pertaining to the Jinnah House attack during the May 9, 2023, riots. ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill announced the verdict that was reserved earlier in the day on today on Shahrez’s bail petition and ordered his release subject to paying a surety bond set at Rs100,000. Shahrez’s lawyer, Advocate Rana Mudassar and PTI lawyer Taimur Malik confirmed the development, saying the ATC granted post-arrest bail to their client. Lahore Police had arrested Shahrez, son of Imran’s sister Aleema Khan, from his mother’s Zaman Park residence on August 21. His brother Shershah Khan was also arrested the next day over similar allegations, and sent on physical remand and then to jail. Shahrez was sent on 14-day judicial remand by the Lahore ATC on August 30. During today’s hearing on Shahrez’s bail petition, Advocate Mudassar argued that the athlete was accused of inciting party workers, adding that the investigation was approached from multiple angles, with geo-fencing carried out as well, and yet no evidence was found against Imran’s nephew. “Everything is clear in the challan, it mentions named and unnamed suspects but Shahrez is not mentioned at all, no investigator gave any statement. He was arrested after 28 months, and his mother—the PTI founder’s sister—is raising her voice for his release. This arrest was made to suppress their voice,” he said. The lawyer argued that Shahrez was in Chitral during the riots and several people had submitted affidavits in this regard. He said the athlete was also due to go abroad to compete in a sporting event. Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had expressed their concerns over the arrests, with the former terming them a “political witch-hunt.” Shahrez’s wife has said her husband was in Chitral with her family on May 9, 2023, sharing purported pictures from the trip. At the same time, the PTI had challenged a video being shared of Shahrez, stating it was from the party’s public meeting in Kahna held on Sept 21, 2024, not from the 2023 riots.