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PAKISTAN, US AGREE TO STRENGTHEN TIES THROUGH ENHANCED TRADE
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Friday, 27 June, 2025 | 1 Muharram, 1447
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PM SHEHBAZ LAUDS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S BOLD AND DECISIVE LEADERSHIP DURING TELEPHONE FROM US SECRETARY OF STATE
Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 349 | 8 Pages | Karachi Edition
SECRETARY RUBIO SAYS US WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH PAKISTAN TO PROMOTE PEACE AND STABILITY TO THE REGION
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PREMIER THANKS MARCO RUBIO FOR KEY ROLE PLAYED BY THE UNITED STATES IN PAKISTAN-INDIA CEASEFIRE
PM highlights Pakistan’s role in Iran-Israel ceasefire Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif lauded the entire economic team, particularly Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, for their hard work and dedication in preparing the federal budget for the fiscal year 2025-26. He also expressed gratitude to the federal cabinet and the allied political parties for their support in finalizing the budget. Chairing the Cabinet meeting here, the prime minister also spoke on the recent regional developments and welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, terming it a crucial step in avoiding further escalation and loss.
He thanked God for the peaceful resolution and acknowledged the important role played by various countries, including Saudi Arabia, in ensuring the ceasefire. He said Iran openly thanked the people of Pakistan, its political parties, military, and political leadership for their role in ensuring a ceasefire between the two countries. The Iranian leadership specifically named the president of Pakistan—himself—and the field marshal for their contribution to the ceasefire efforts, the prime minister said. As regards the attack by Iran on Qatar, the prime minister said Pakistan had also issued a condemnation statement, reiterating Pakistan’s strong ties with the brotherly nation.
vice issued by the US Embassy in New Delhi earlier this week. The move came after President Donald Trump’s administration ordered the resumption of student visa appointments, accompanied by significantly stricter social media vetting of applicants. “Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate
vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States,” the consulates said in an Instagram post. The post stated that since 2019, the US has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and non-immigrant visa application forms. It added that applicants must fill out social media identifiers and account handles for each platform on the application form.
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AKISTAN and the United States on Thursday agreed to continue working closely to strengthen bilateral relations, particularly through enhanced trade, according to Radio Pakistan The understanding came as Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif received a telephone call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, state broadcaster PTV News reported. During their warm and cordial conversation, the Prime Minister appreciated President Trump’s bold and decisive leadership that led to the ceasefire between Iran and Israel. He also thanked US Secretary of State
Rubio for the key role played by the United States in the Pakistan-India ceasefire. While exchanging views on the current situation in the Middle East, the Prime Minister stated that Pakistan would continue to play a constructive role in bringing peace to the Middle East. While appreciating these efforts, Secretary Rubio said the US would like to work with Pakistan to promote peace and stability in the region. US tightens visa rules for Pakistanis In related development on Thursday, Pakistani applicants for the F, M, or J categories of non-immigrant visas were advised by the United States consulates in Karachi and Lahore to make their social media accounts public for vetting, according to a report. The instructions followed similar ad-
‘Not minused but multiplied,’ PTI says no one can undermine Imran Khan’s role ISLAMABAD/LAHORE staff report
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday categorically rejected “what it described as a concerted campaign” to politically sideline its founder amid renewed murmurs of a “minus Imran” formula, saying that Imran Khan is the party itself and “he is not minused but multiplied.” Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur rebuffed speculations that Imran had become politically irrelevant. “Minus Imran?…..the PTI founder is the party and no one can hold a position higher than him,” he declared. Stressing Imran’s continuing authority, he reiterated, “If the founder wants to end the government, I can do it in a minute. This government belongs to him.” While party spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram accused PML-N’s Azma Bokhari and her allies of running a “palace-backed agenda to fracture PTI from within.” In a statement, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said that Imran Khan had been “sidelined by his own sister and party”. “Look at fate’s irony. The one who sought to sideline Nawaz Sharif has himself been pushed aside at home and within his party.” Azma alleged that Aleema Khan, Imran’s sister, is continuously plotting against K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and that Gandapur himself had recently acknowledged conspiracies against him. “If Ali Amin had not managed to get the provincial budget approved in time, he would have been constitutionally forced to step down,” she stated. Azma noted that PTI is split into three factions at the Centre and three separate groups in KP.
SCO decides against issuing joint statement following India’s refusal QINGDAO, CHINA agencies
India on Thursday, as reported by local media, refused to sign a joint document during a high-level Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) huddle being held in China due to it mentioning terrorist activities in Pakistan’s Balochistan and lack of reference to the Pahalgam incident—which saw several tourists being killed in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). According to the Times of India, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting held in Qingdao which brought together 10 member states’ ministers—including those from Russia, China, India and Pakistan. The huddle decided to not issue a joint statement over lack of consensus on the terrorism issue. The development comes a day after Pakistan’s Foreign Office clarified that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif will be representing Islamabad at the SCO moot, however, there was no scheduled meeting between him and his Indian counterpart, Singh. The clarification followed claims by Turkish media that there was a possibility of a meeting be-
Kh Asif commends China’s efforts to reduce regional tensions BEIJING
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Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif lauded China’s efforts in preventing the escalation of regional tensions during his participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defense Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, East China’s Shandong Province. In a meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun, Asif praised China’s proactive stance in addressing rising instability and conflict in the region over recent months. He expressed Pakistan’s deep appreciation for the strong and enduring friendship with China, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration on global initiatives and defense cooperation. Asif stated, “We are friends, we are brothers. We discussed matters of mutual interest,” describing the meeting as “very fruitful.” He also highlighted the SCO as a vital platform for cooperation in combating regional terrorism and ensuring the stability of member states. The minister noted that the SCO could be an essential vehicle for promoting peace in the region, protecting the interests of its member states, and fostering economic development for the benefit of their citizens. He further stressed that SCO members would unite to confront the challenge of regional terrorism and strengthen collective efforts for regional stability. Pakistan, he said, is committed to working closely with China and other SCO members to implement the organization’s major global initiatives. He called for further efforts to combat terrorism and ensure peace, harmony, and economic growth across the region. Asif’s remarks came during a press interaction with the media, where he underlined the importance of the SCO in contributing to the broader stability of the region and fostering economic cooperation among its diverse member states.
Pakistan concerned about ‘worst form of torture’ in Palestine, Indian-occupied Kashmir: FO ISLAMABAD
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tween Pakistani and Indian defense ministers—marking the first such incident after the recent armed conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, which saw both sides carrying out cross-border strikes. Earlier, National Security Advisor (NSA) Lt Gen Asim Malik attended the 20th meeting of the secretaries of the Security Council of SCO Member States on Tuesday in Beijing, China. In addition to interacting with Chinese leadership, during the visit, the NSA delivered an important speech reiterating Pakistan’s stance on the global, and regional situation and contributions to peace and security, besides meetings with key leadership of SCO countries to enhance bilateral and security cooperation.
Speaking at the SCO meeting, Singh accentuated New Delhi’s concerns regarding terrorism and urged the member countries to take a principled stance on the matter, reported NDTV. “The biggest challenges in our region are related to peace, security and trust deficit [….] India believes that reformed multilateralism can help build cooperation to prevent conflict between countries by creating mechanisms for dialogue and collaboration,” the Indian defence czar said. ‘Refrain from politicising antiterrorism efforts’ Attending the same huddle, Defence Minister Asif reaffirmed Islamabad’s unwavering commitment to SCO’s principles and objectives.
As the world observes the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on Thursday, Pakistan reiterated its solidarity with the victims of torture worldwide and reaffirmed its continued commitment to eradicating torture and upholding human dignity. “Islam upholds the sanctity and dignity of every human being. Any act of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment is incompatible with the values of justice, mercy, and compassion that are at the core of Islamic teachings,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a message on the Day. He said that, guided by these values and its international obligations, Pakistan remained committed to eradicating torture and strengthening protections for all individuals. “Legal reforms, institutional safeguards, and oversight mechanisms continue to be strengthened by Pakistan to ensure accountability and uphold the rule of law. Measures are also being taken to provide victims with medical, legal, and psychosocial support,” he remarked. The spokesperson said that Pakistan remained gravely concerned at the widespread and systematic use of torture as an instrument of oppression in situations of foreign occupation. He highlighted that the people of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) continued to be subjected to the worst forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the occupying powers to suppress their right to self-determination.
National Assembly approves Rs9.95tr in grants, including Rs3.55tr for Finance Division g
OTHER KEY GRANTS INCLUDE RS1 TRILLION FOR FEDERAL PSDP, AND RS4 TRILLION IN COMBINED PROVINCIAL ADPS; FINANCE MINISTER HIGHLIGHTS ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENTS AND TAX REFORMS PROFIT
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The National Assembly completed the approval process for demands for grants related to ministries, divisions, and federal departments on Wednesday, approving a total of Rs9,951.22 billion for 33 federal ministries and divisions. The session, chaired by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, saw the rejection of over 750 cut motions moved by the opposition. The assembly approved 14 demands for grants totaling Rs3.55 trillion for the Finance Division to meet various expenditures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. The House also approved Rs356.8 billion for the Interior Ministry, Rs34.05 billion for the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, and Rs1.74 billion for the Ministry of Human Rights.
In total, 14 grant demands were related to the Finance Ministry, six to the Interior Ministry, three to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, and five to the Ministry of Human Rights. Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, while concluding the debate, pointed to independent data validated by global rating agencies, showing a significant rise in consumer confidence, reaching its highest level since 2022. He stressed that Pakistan’s macroeconomic situation was improving, citing declining inflation, lower policy rates, increased foreign exchange reserves, and currency stability. Aurangzeb also projected that the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio would rise to 10.4% by the end of the fiscal year, up from 8.8% last year. Despite widespread speculation about a potential debt crisis, he said recent economic indicators demonstrated resilience.
Regarding federal expenditure, Aurangzeb noted an expected increase of less than 2%, a stark contrast to the previous years’ growth rates of 10-13%, due to lower debt servicing costs and reduced policy rates. On cost-cutting measures, the minister emphasized that the government is committed to reducing expenditures, stating, “Gone are the days when the prime minister used to come and go from the office in a helicopter.” He also outlined major reforms underway at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), aimed at improving transparency and minimising human intervention in tax collection. On the tax policy for the former FATA region, Aurangzeb clarified that income tax exemptions remain in place, while sales tax is being progressively implemented. He reassured that all relevant stakeholders were consulted in the decision-making process. Aurangzeb further emphasised the
alignment of development priorities under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), noting that the federal PSDP stands
at Rs1 trillion, with combined provincial Annual Development Plans (ADPs) exceeding Rs4 trillion.