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PM COURTS BAHRAINI INVESTORS WITH PAKISTAN’S SWEEPING ECONOMIC OVERHAUL BLUEPRINT Friday, 28 November, 2025 | 6 Jamadiul Sani, 1447
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PREMIER SHEHBAZ URGES BAHRAIN’S BUSINESS ELITE TO TAP PAKISTAN’S ‘IMMENSE INVESTMENT POTENTIAL’
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SAYS STRUCTURAL REFORMS, DIGITAL MODERNISATION DRIVING PRIVATE-SECTOR-LED GROWTH, OFFERING LONG-TERM JVS IN AGRIBUSINESS, IT, MINERALS, ENERGY AND TOURISM
SAYS FTA WITH GCC EXPECTED TO BE SIGNED ‘SOON,’ POSITIONING HIMSELF AS ‘CEO OF PAKISTAN’
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BAHRAIN LAUDS PAKISTANIS’ CONTRIBUTION TO ITS FINANCIAL SECTOR FOR OVER 50 YEARS
Staff RepoRt
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday urged Bahraini investors to capitalise on Pakistan’s “immense and unfolding” investment opportunities, as he highlighted his government’s structural transformation agenda, sweeping regulatory reforms and a decisive shift toward private sector-led growth. Stressing that Pakistan had opened new avenues in agribusiness, IT, minerals, energy and tourism, he called on Bahrain’s business community to become long-term partners in a reoriented economy positioned for expansion. Addressing Bahraini business leaders during his two-day official visit, the prime minister said Pakistan was undergoing a far-reaching transformation anchored in economic reforms, digital modernisation and dismantling of bureaucratic hurdles. “We have cut red tape forever, strengthened our regulations and opened new sectors such as agribusiness, IT, minerals, energy and tourism for long-term partnership,” he said. The event was attended by Bahrain’s deputy prime minister and ministers for foreign affairs, finance and national economy, and industries and commerce. The prime minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and other senior officials. PM Shehbaz said Pakistan offered a
unique mix of talent, resources and a rapidly expanding consumer market—attributes that, paired with Bahrain’s financial expertise and business leadership, could unlock mutually transformative gains. Pakistan, he noted, stood ready to deepen cooperation in agriculture, IT, AI, FinTech and other areas where joint ventures, shared knowledge and cross-sector synergy could deliver tangible results. He told a gathering of Bahraini and Pakistani entrepreneurs, as well as overseas Pakistanis, that the long-awaited Free Trade Agreement between Pakistan and the GCC was expected to be signed soon, marking a major milestone in strengthening regional trade integration. “I address you not just as the Prime
Minister of Pakistan but as the CEO of a nation eager to partner with Bahraini entrepreneurs—ready to support joint ventures, facilitate your investment plans and assist in the mutually-rewarding journey ahead of us,” he said. “Whether you are a Bahraini investor exploring Pakistan or a Pakistani entrepreneur contributing to Bahrain’s great progress, let this moment be your launching pad for a bold and meaningful collaboration.” Expressing gratitude to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, he said Pakistan and Bahrain enjoyed a relationship rooted in cultural affinity, shared faith, mutual respect and decades of strategic cooperation. “Now we
Post of CJCSC stands abolished as Chief of Defence Forces era begins under 27th Amend ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
Pakistan’s higher defence architecture underwent its most sweeping transformation late Thursday as the post of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) was officially abolished under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, marking the end of nearly five decades of tri-service representation at the apex of military decision-making. The historic change coincided with the retirement of the 18th and final CJCSC, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, even as the government had yet to formally notify the appointment of the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) under the new structure. The operationalisation of the amendment to Article 243, passed by parliament on November 13 and
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signed into law by President Asif Ali Zardari, dissolves the coordinating post created in 1976, which critics had long argued never fully realised its intended role of ensuring robust synergy among the army, navy, and air force. Gen Mirza bid farewell to the services during a ceremony at Joint Staff Headquarters on November 26, reflecting on the evolving responsibilities of the tri-services. Under the restructured command hierarchy, oversight of joint operations, multi-domain planning, and inter-service integration is now consolidated in the newly created CDF, who will concurrently serve as Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). This dual-hatted role merges operational, administrative, and strategic authority into a single office. Although no official notification had been issued by Thursday evening, Field Marshal Asim Munir is widely
expected to assume the position, resetting his tenure to a fresh five-year term with the potential for a fiveyear extension, keeping him in command through at least 2030 and possibly 2035. The CDF-cum-COAS will exercise expanded influence, including over the nuclear command via a newly created four-star post, the Commander of National Strategic Command (CNSC). Appointment and extension of the CNSC will be tied exclusively to the CDF’s recommendation, shielded from judicial review, a move experts describe as unprecedented. Parallel revisions to the Army, Navy, and Air Force Acts eliminate the CJCSC office, redefine service hierarchies, and strengthen the CDF’s role across joint and strategic domains, though the National Command Authority Act has not yet been amended.
have to convert these wonderful relations into economic cooperation,” he stressed. He vowed to transform Pakistan’s youth bulge into a national asset through training in IT, AI, vocational skills and emerging technologies. The prime minister also praised the Pakistani community of more than 100,000 in Bahrain for their invaluable contribution to the kingdom and for sending home $484 million in remittances last year. “Let me assure you that Pakistan’s doors and my own door will always remain open to all of you,” he said, commending Bahrain’s leadership for turning the country into a hub of economic growth, financial innovation and humancentred development—an example he said was inspiring for Pakistan. Earlier, Bahrain’s Finance Minister Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa lauded generations of Pakistanis who had played a vital role in Bahrain’s development, noting that many had made the kingdom their second home. He highlighted that Pakistani financial institutions had contributed significantly to Bahrain’s financial services sector for more than half a century. The minister said Bahrain itself was undergoing a generational transformation as the region evolved into a centre of innovation, sustainability and technological excellence. He said Bahrain’s forward-looking regulatory environment, skilled talent pool and fast-growing fintech ecosystem offered strong platforms for Pakistani banks and innovators seeking regional or global expansion.
KP CM stages sit-in after denied access to Imran Khan RAWALPINDI
Staff RepoRt
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi staged a sit-in near Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Thursday after being denied a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan for the eighth time, raising concerns over authorities’ non-compliance with Islamabad High Court (IHC) orders. The CM said he had also been denied access last Friday despite court directives, and his repeated attempts, including writing to the chief justice, have gone unanswered. Afridi and his supporters initially planned to march to the prison, where Imran Khan is incarcerated, but were stopped by a heavy police contingent at Factory Naka, the same location where a sit-in was held earlier this week. The CM offered prayers at the sit-in, led by Punjab lawmaker Hafiz Farhat Abbas. Speaking to reporters, CM Afridi described the situation as “worsening” and criticized the authorities for disregarding court orders. “A province is being treated like a stepmother. If the representative of 25 million people is being treated this way, it is not a good sign. Would you like it if it happened to someone else in another province tomorrow?” he questioned. He added that no one has been allowed to meet the PTI founder—not his sisters, lawyers, doctors, or party leadership. Afridi warned that the authorities must clarify where they stand, hinting that his party may consider a “final option” if the restrictions continue, without elaborating on the specifics. The PTI has also voiced concerns over Imran Khan’s health during his incarceration. Former Prime Minister’s aide Zulfi Bukhari stated that the former premier has been denied access to his family and lawyers for over three weeks, since November 4, without explanation. “His health is our concern. We are worried about his illegal isolation,” Bukhari told Reuters, urging the government to allow immediate family visits.
22 Indian proxy terrorists killed in DI Khan IBO: ISPR RAWALPINDI
Staff RepoRt
Security forces killed 22 Indian proxy terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, according to the military’s media affairs wing on Thursday. In a statement the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the operation was conducted on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to Indian Proxy Fitna al-Khawarij. Fitna al Khawarij is a term designated by the state for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij location and after an intense fire exchange, 22 khawarij were sent to hell,” the ISPR stated. “Sanitisation operation is being
conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji found in the area, as the relentless counter-terrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm-iIstehkam’ (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” the statement read. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the security forces for the successful operation. Earlier on Tuesday, 22 terrorists were killed during an IBO in Bannu, the ISPR said in a statement. “During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij location and after an intense fire exchange, 22 khawarij were sent to hell,” the statement said. 3 cops martyred in terrorist attack on Hangu police checkpost
Three police personnel were martyred during a terrorist attack on a checkpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu on Wednesday night, according to an official statement from the provincial Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). The statement, issued in wee hours of Thursday, said terrorists carried out a “cowardly attack on the Qazi Talab checkpost in the dark of the night.” Responding to the attack, Hangu District Police Officer (DPO) Khan Zeb Mohmand led the operation against the terrorists, the statement said. It added that while the operation was underway, police personnel “surrounded the area and stood firm against the enemy like a wall of lead”. “Eventually, police foiled the attack,” the statement added. However, three policemen, Head Constable Wahid Shah, Head Constable Hikmat Khan and Abdul Samad, embraced martyrdom while fighting gallantly during the operation.