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PM REAFFIRMS ‘IRON-CLAD’ PAKISTAN-CHINA TIES AT MEETING WITH IDCPC VICE MINISTER
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Friday, 16 January, 2026 | 26 Rajabul Murajjab, 1447
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PREMIER CONVEYS WARM GREETINGS TO PRESIDENT XI, REITERATES ONE-CHINA POLICY
EMPHASIZES TIMELY AND EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF CPEC’S NEXT PHASE, LAUDING GENEROUS CHINESE SUPPORT
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XVI No 192 | 8 Pages | Lahore Edition
SUN HAIYAN’S VISIT COINCIDES WITH 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF PAKISTAN-CHINA DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS IDCPC VICE MINISTER LAUDS PAKISTAN’S ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL STABILITY, HIGHLIGHTING PARTY-TO-PARTY TIES AS PILLAR OF BILATERAL COOPERATION
Governance, service delivery being overhauled to make it efficient, transparent and citizen-friendly: PM ISLAMABAD
staff report
P
ISLAMABAD
staff report
RIME Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday lauded China’s generous and consistent support to Pakistan, particularly under the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), emphasizing the need for timely and effective implementation of the next phase of CPEC projects to further strengthen economic cooperation. Premier Shehbaz Sharif was talking to Vice Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC)
Sun Haiyan, who called on him at the Prime Minister’s House, according to a statement issued from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Thursday. Welcoming the Chinese dignitary and her delegation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said it was particularly auspicious that the visit was taking place during the celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China. The prime minister was assisted by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Tariq Fatemi, the prime minister’s Special Representative on China Ambassador Zafar Uddin Mahmood, and Foreign Secretary Ambassador
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the federal government was committed to transforming Pakistan’s public service delivery ecosystem by providing government services under one roof through a network of Asan Khidmat Markaz across the country. The prime minister made these remarks during a meeting with an Azerbaijani delegation that visited Islamabad to attend the inauguration
Amna Baloch, according to a Prime Minister’s Office news release. He noted that the year had begun on a positive note with the successful visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to Beijing, followed by the visit of the Interior Minister to Shanghai. He added that the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan was also expected to visit China in the coming days, reflecting the growing momen-
Zardari pitches Pakistan as regional economic bridge, seeks deeper investment ties with Bahrain
MANAMA
staff report
President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday presented Pakistan as a strategic economic gateway connecting South Asia, Central Asia, China and the Middle East, saying this natural geographic advantage,
combined with Bahrain’s financial expertise and strong regulatory framework, could unlock a new phase of mutually beneficial investment and economic cooperation between the two countries. Addressing a reception at the headquarters of Bahrain’s Economic Development Board (EDB), the president
underscored Pakistan’s commitment to expanding economic cooperation, investment partnerships and institutional linkages with Bahrain. He said Pakistan was actively pursuing economic stability, digital modernisation and investment-led growth, supported by ongoing structural reforms aimed at creating a predictable and investor-friendly environment. Highlighting the role of the EDB, President Zardari noted that the board played a central part in shaping Bahrain’s economic strategy, attracting foreign investment and supporting diversification across key sectors. He observed that the EDB’s close coordination with government institutions and the private sector had strengthened Bahrain’s competitiveness, promoted innovation and helped create an enabling climate for investors. The president said the EDB’s model of policy coherence and investor facilitation offered a valuable reference point for countries seeking sustainable and inclusive growth.
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ceremony of the capital’s first Asan Khidmat Markaz. The delegation was led by Chairman of Azerbaijan’s Public Service and Social Innovations Agency, Alvi Mehdiyev, and included Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Khazar Farhadov, a Prime Minister’s Office news release said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and the Azerbaijani government for their full support in establishing Pakistan’s first Asan Khidmat Markaz in Islamabad and termed it a milestone in public sector reform. tum of high-level bilateral exchanges. The prime minister conveyed his warm greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese leadership, and reaffirmed Pakistan’s iron-clad All Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with China, stressing that the relationship would remain unshakeable at all times. He also reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the One China Policy.
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Security forces eliminate 13 Khawarij in Bannu, Kurram operations: ISPR RAWALPINDI
staff report
Security forces killed 13 Indian proxy terrorists in two separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media affairs wing said on Thursday. In a statement the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the operations were conducted on January 13-14, during which “Indian Proxy Fitna alKhawarij” were killed. “One of the intelligence-based operations was carried out in KP’s Bannu district on the reported presence of terrorists. During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij location and after an intense fire exchange, eight khawarij were sent to hell,” The ISPR statement said. The state has designated the term Fitna al-Khawarij for the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The statement further stated that the security forces conducted another intelligence-based operation in KP’s Kurram district. “In the ensuing fire exchange, five khawarij were effectively neutralised,” it added. ISPR further stated that sanitisation operations were being conducted to “eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji found in the area as relentless counter-terrorism campaign under the vision of “Azm-i-Istehkam” (as approved by 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”. Earlier this week, four terrorists were killed by security forces during an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan‘s Kalat district, according to the ISPR.
Pakistan vows not to allow its airspace use against Iran, says FO ISLAMABAD
staff report
Pakistan will not allow its airspace, land, or territorial waters to be used against Iran in any attack by the United States, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday. Addressing his weekly press briefing, Andrabi reiterated Pakistan’s long-standing position of not permitting its territory or airspace to be used against Iran, stressing that Islamabad remains committed to regional peace and stability. The spokesperson also informed the media that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif received a telephone call from the Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. During their warm and cordial conversation, the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the current trajectory of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Qatar and reaffirmed their shared resolve to further strengthen their time-tested fraternal ties. Recent developments in the Middle East were also discussed, he added. Andrabi said the prime minister appreciated Qatar’s constructive and proactive role in pro-
moting peace, dialogue, and mediation across the region, and acknowledged Doha’s efforts to defuse tensions through diplomatic means. Both leaders agreed to remain in close contact in the coming days. Responding to a question regarding rising tensions between the United States and Iran, the Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan has previously played a role in facilitating dialogue on Iran’s nuclear negotiations. The Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi acknowledged coming across the “reports”. “Basically, it was a brief statement by the US State Department on their social media account about the internal review of processing immigrant visas that they are in the process of,” he said. “We are in touch with the US authorities to ascertain further details. This is an evolving news that we are following. “We understand that this is an internal ongoing process of review of US immigration policies and system, and hope that the routine processing of immigrant visas will resume soon,” the FO spokesperson added.