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PAKISTAN REJECTS 'GREATER ISRAEL' PLAN, TERMING IT THREAT TO REGIONAL SECURITY
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Tuesday, 26 August, 2025 | 1 Rabiul Awal, 1447
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ISHAQ DAR SAYS NETANYAHU’S HIGHLY PROVOCATIVE STATEMENTS ENCAPSULATING ITS ‘GROWING DISDAIN AND ABSOLUTE CONTEMPT’ FOR INTERNATIONAL ORDER
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CALLS GAZA A ‘GRAVEYARD FOR INNOCENT LIVES AS WELL AS FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW’
staff report
EPUTY Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks about a “Greater Israel” threatened regional peace and security. Addressing an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Council of Foreign Ministers (OIC-CFM) in Jeddah, Dar said that in recent days, Israel exhibited its “characteristic sordid insensitivity to international norms” with highly provocative and unwarranted statements encapsulating its “growing disdain and absolute contempt” for the international order. “The brazen audacity of the so-called Israeli cabinet, in unveiling its ominous plan to extend Israel’s full military control over Gaza, as well as the Israeli
prime minister’s recent allusion to the creation of a ‘Greater Israel’, provides an insight into Israel’s annexationist and rogue mindset.” Pakistan strongly condemned Netanyahu’s remarks, stating that they call for action that would aggravate the already dire humanitarian situation and undermine efforts for peace in the Gaza Strip. “We joined the statement issued by the
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Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee, along with other countries, in expressing strong condemnation and categorical rejection of the Israeli announcement, denouncing it as an unacceptable escalation and a brazen attempt to entrench illegal occupation by coercion,” he said. Pakistan also fully endorsed and joined the statement issued by 31 Arab-
Islamic countries and the secretaries general of the OIC, the League of Arab States and the Gulf Cooperation Council, condemning Netanyahu’s comments about “Greater Israel”. “His (Netanyahu’s) statement constitutes a direct threat to Arab national security, to the sovereignty of states, and to regional and international peace and security,” Dar stated. “The root cause of this ongoing tragedy is Israel’s prolonged, illegal occupation of Palestinian territory. As long as this occupation endures, peace will remain elusive,” Dar said, quoting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “We fully stand by our brotherly Arab states in safeguarding their sovereignty against threats to their independence and territorial integrity.” Dar called Gaza “a graveyard for innocent lives as well as for international law”, lamenting the deaths of over 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
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Pakistan army a pillar of national stability, strong guardian of Pakistan–China friendship: Wang Yi BEIJING
staff Correspondent
Chinese Foreign Ministry has issued a statement quoting Foreign Minister Wang Yi as saying that the Pakistani army is a pillar of national stability and a strong guardian of Pakistan–China friendship and cooperation. “The Pakistani army has always strongly supported the implementation of key consensuses reached between the leaderships of both countries,” Wang Yi said, adding, “In the face of growing global uncertainties, promoting strong Pakistan–China relations is highly beneficial for regional peace and stability.” Wang Yi said China has always given top priority to Pakistan in its neighborhood diplomacy. He said that despite tough times, Pakistan–China relations have grown even stronger. He said the two countries have established a strong traditional friendship.
Wang Yi said China will continue to fully support Pakistan in safeguarding its regional integrity and national security. China welcomes Pakistan’s growing role in global affairs, he added. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said during his meeting with Wang Yi that China is Pakistan’s “iron brother”, and both countries have always shared each other’s joys and sorrows. Pakistan–China strategic partnership is as solid as a rock, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said and added that maintaining friendly relations with China is the unanimous stance of the entire Pakistani nation. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir expressed gratitude to the Chinese leadership for its valuable contribution to Pakistan’s economic and social development. He said that the Pakistani army is ready to actively enhance counter-terrorism and security cooperation. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said
that efforts will continue to ensure the protection of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan. He said
steps will be taken to further strengthen Pakistan–China friendship and continue progress on the path of development.
Government to provide up to Rs 10 lakhs for AI projects reaching prototype stage g
INITIATIVE AIMS TO PROMOTE INDIGENOUS INNOVATION, MENTORSHIP, AND MARKET-READY AI SOLUTIONS PROFIT
staff report
The government has approved financial support of up to Rs1 million for each Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiative that reaches the prototype stage, according to official documents released by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT) on Monday. The program will be executed through the proposed Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence, tasked with bridging academic research and industrial applications. The initiative targets around 400 AI projects annually from universities and the private sector, with priority for projects addressing socio-economic challenges and the focus areas identified in the National AI Policy. Selected projects will also receive mentorship, incubation facilities, and regulatory guidance to align with international standards. The Centre will connect innovators with potential investors, increasing the likelihood of prototypes evolving into commercial products. Additionally, grants of up to Rs200,000 will be awarded for at least 200 AI research undertakings each year, particularly academic theses and scholarly studies. These projects are required to publish their findings in internationally recognized journals to enhance Pakistan’s global AI footprint. A monitoring and evaluation system will assess project outcomes, focusing on commercial feasibility, societal impact, and contribution to the AI economy. Commenting on the program, Zakir Syed, Director of Internet Governance at MoIT, described it as a step toward reducing dependency on imported technologies and promoting indigenous innovation. He added that the initiative aims to foster applied research and nurture emerging talent in academia and industry, with the goal of positioning Pakistan as a regional hub for AI-led innovation by 2035.
ATC sentences 59 PTI leaders, supporters to 10-year jail in May 9 case FAISALABAD
staff report
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad sentenced on Monday senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz and 57 others each to 10 years in prison in the May 9 case about an attack on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader Rana Sanaullah’s residence. Of the 59 persons convicted in the case, 17 were PTI leaders. Sixteen other accused were also convicted and sentenced to three
years in prison each. The latter group included MPA Sheikh Shahid Javed of PP-115. Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry and PTI lawmaker Zain Qureshi were acquitted. The case was part of a series of trials relating to the violent unrest that erupted during protests against the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan from Islamabad High Court premises on May 9, 2023. On July 31, ATC in Faislabad sentenced top Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders to up to 10 years in prison in cases on the May
9 protests Opposition leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub, opposition leader in Senate Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Gul, MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza and former MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafiq were among the 108 PTI leaders convicted out of the 185 implicated in the cases while 77 others were acquitted. Around 60 of those convicted, including Faraz, Ayub, Gul and Raza were sentenced to 10 years in prison each while other convicts were each handed prison terms of three years. Meanwhile, Fawad Chaudhry was ac-
quitted along with Zain Qureshi, Khayal Kastro, Faizullah Kamoka, Rana Asad Mehmood Khan, Bilal Ashraf Basra, Haroon Rasheed, Amara Rasheed, Sahibzada Hassan Raza, and Kamran Warraich. Shafiq was absent from court during the hearing and did not appear. He has reportedly gone into hiding to avoid arrest. Earlier, the Supreme Court granted bail to former prime minister Imran Khan on the principle of consistency in eight cases linked to the May 9 riots, overturning an earlier Lahore High Court ruling that had
refused him bail. “The case of the petitioner has to be positively considered in view of the principle of consistency, as others similarly placed have been granted bail by this Court,” said the four-page order authored by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi. The three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Afridi, allowed Khan’s petitions against the June 24 decision of the Lahore High Court. The cases stemmed from multiple FIRs registered in Lahore after violent protests that followed Khan’s arrest.