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ECC DEFERS RS455M ELECTION FUNDING REQUEST, CLEARS MULTIPLE SUPPLEMENTARY GRANTS

Countries keen to deepen trade, diplomatic ties with Pakistan: Dar

of countries were keen to expand trade and diplomatic engagement with Pakistan citing improved international standing and renewed global interest Speaking to office-bearers of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) from the United Arab Emirates and Canada Dar described overseas Pakistanis as a key national asset and said the government was actively

working to address their concerns and facilitate them Referring to what he termed the historic victory of May 9 the deputy prime minister said it was a special blessing of Almighty Allah for the nation, adding that Pakistan had gained significant respect internationally following the event, for which gratitude alone was insufficient The interaction was attended by senior overseas party leaders including PML-N UAE Chairman Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, PML-N Canada

Media Head Pir Adnan Bodla, Vice President PML-N Canada Raja Muhammad Shafiq and other office-bearers

Additional Secretary General of PML-N Anusha Rehman was also present During the meeting participants congratulated Ishaq Dar on the success of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos and expressed appreciation for the role of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the deputy prime minister in restoring what they described as the dignity and international standing of the Pakistani passport The overseas leaders also praised recent economic and diplomatic initiatives undertaken by the government, saying these measures had strengthened Pakistan’s security and global profile On the occasion Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader and MLA candidate Raja Muhammad Shafiq presented a book highlighting development projects carried out in Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Surge in foreign interest puts Pakistan’s

JF-17 fighter jet produc tion under strain: repor t

20 aircraft annually with most units allocated to the Pakistan Air Force limiting availability for export orders Pakistan is seeking to expand its footprint as a defence exporter to developing countries, while also supporting China’s broader push in the global arms market However officials and analysts say manufacturing constraints could become a challenge if multiple orders materialise simultaneously

Interest has increased following

s assessment of the jet s performance during the May 2025 conflict with India The JF-17 is jointly developed by Pakistan and China and manufactured at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Current production stands at fewer than

Analysts note that the aircraft s lower cost compared to Western alternatives has strengthened its appeal The JF-17 is priced between $40 million and $50 million per unit depending on the variant and specifications significantly lower than many Western fighter jets that can exceed $100 million Indonesia and Saudi Arabia s potential interest would mark a shift from their traditional reliance on Western companies Indonesia has recently in-

ducted Rafale jets from France and agreed to purchase F-15 aircraft from the United States while Saudi Arabia operates a fleet dominated by US and European fighters Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have also discussed converting around $2 billion in Saudi loans into a possible JF17 deal following the signing of a mutual defence agreement last year Separately Pakistan has held talks with Bangladesh on the procurement of JF-17 jets and Super Mushshak training aircraft Libya has entered into a $4 billion weapons agreement with Pakistan, and an Indonesian defence delegation has held discussions with Pakistan s air leadership on aviation cooperation including the JF-17 Developed under a 1999 agreement between Pakistan and China, the JF-17 Thunder is a lightweight, multi-role combat aircraft designed for all-weather operations

Sindh governor sets aside Provincial Ombudsman order against K-Electric CEO

be conducted exclusively through registered government email addresses Administrative secretaries and heads of departments have been instructed to ensure compliance and circulate the instructions to all subordinate offices without delay The government has also made it clear that any security breach arising from the use of unauthorised or private email platforms will be the responsibility of the concerned officer or institution

Pakistan and Uzbekistan reaffirmed their commitment to deepen economic cooperation and accelerate efforts to raise bilateral trade to $2 billion during the 10th session of the PakistanUzbekistan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation

The session was co-chaired by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan and Uzbekistan s Minister of Investment Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov Officials reviewed progress since the previous IGC meeting in 2025 and agreed on a roadmap to strengthen collaboration across key sectors

Both sides stressed the importance of the Preferential Trade Agreement welcomed progress under Phase II concessions, and agreed to expedite institutional mechanisms to meet the agreed trade target Discussions also focused on trade facilitation logistics customs digitalisation transit trade

regional trade corridors and enhanced business-to-business engagement supported by improved visa facilitation for business communities

The Commission agreed to establish a Joint Working Group on labour relations to address labour mobility, skills development workplace safety and employment visa-related issues

In transport and communications both sides reviewed progress on regional railway and connectivity projects, discussed launching direct air services, and agreed to advance alternative transport corridors to improve regional trade and transit connectivity Cooperation in agriculture and food security was reviewed including progress on phytosanitary protocols enabling the export of Uzbek fruits to Pakistan The two countries agreed to expand collaboration through additional protocols and technical cooperation in plant protection livestock development and agricultural research

In higher education science and technology, the Commission noted progress in academic and research partnerships and agreed to promote

joint research student and faculty exchanges vocational training innovation and capacity building under newly signed agreements

The two sides also agreed to collaborate on climate resilience, protection of glacial ecosystems, sustainable water management environmental governance and gender-inclusive climate action In pharmaceuticals they agreed to strengthen regulatory cooperation, promote joint ventures, and enhance capacity building to ensure quality and safety of medical products

Further cooperation was discussed in energy and minerals information technology telecommunications small and medium enterprises industry, banking, and finance, with agreements to strengthen joint working groups, promote digitalisation, and enhance institutional capacity

Both co-chairs underscored the need to translate political goodwill into tangible economic outcomes and expressed confidence that the decisions taken would deepen institutional linkages and encourage private sector participation

CONTNUED FROM PAGE 01

The Libyan leadership appreciated Pakistan s role and expressed interest in expanding collaboration between the two countries

“The meeting concluded with an understanding to maintain close contact and explore avenues for future cooperation ” PTV reported A day earlier weeks after the signing of a more than $4 billion arms deal Pakistan s armed forces and Libya s eastern military had pledged to continue their engagement and collaboration

The affirmation came during a meeting between Field Marshal Khalifa Abu-al-Qasim Haftar, along with Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar, and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir NI (M) HJ COAS & CDF at the General Headquarters (GHQ) on Monday according to the military s media wing During the meeting both sides exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, with particular focus on security dynamics in their respective regions and professional cooperation

The discussion underscored the importance of continued engagement and collaboration between the Armed Forces of Pakistan and Libya Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir welcomed the distinguished guests and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Libya, emphasising Pakistan’s support for peace stability and institutional development in the country The meeting was held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere reflecting the longstanding friendly relations between Pakistan and Libya Earlier, upon arrival at Noor Khan Airbase, Field Marshal Khalifa Abu-al-Qasim Haftar was received by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir NI (M) HJ COAS & CDF The visiting dignitary also paid homage to the Shuhada and laid a wreath at the martyrs memorial at GHQ

TH o U G H steel production is an important sign of industrialization and was first envisaged by the first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, it has been something of an unattainable goal for Pakistan This is despite the fact that a steel mill was set up after the Bhutto government agreed with the USSR to set one up That establishment was explored in the latest issue of this newspaper ’s Profit magazine

The steel mill was established on a grand scale but was not able to establish a foothold one of the solutions was its privatisation, but that was carried out, and then cancelled when the Supreme Court intervened Since that attempt at the turn of the century, the mill has ceased operations, but has still attracted some recent interest with another attempt to revive the mill Apart from preparing it for privatization the mill would help substitute the import of steel products An integral part of the vision of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto were the Heavy Mechanical Complex and the Heavy Foundry and Forge (which was merged into the HMC in 1990), through which Pakistan was to be propelled into possessing heavy industry

That vision may not be as vital in this age of artificial intelligence as it once was but the alternatives offered by Russia show that Pakistan has both iron ore and coal that will go unused unless incorporated into the modernization plans for the mill There is one proposal for building a blast furnace at a cost of $1 91 billion, which would use local ore, and another for an electric arc furnace at a cost of $1 05 billion Though much cheaper it would use imported ore making the industry vulnerable to external price shock and foreign exchange pressure It is best to remember that the Industrial Revolution focused on iron and steel manufacture both in England and in Germany s Ruhr, accompanied by coal-mining Countries like Japan have shown that industry can be established without significant ore deposits but no one has shown that industrialization can be accomplished without steel manufacture It may be old-fashioned

M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit

FR o M Venezuela to Iran, the rules of international law appear to bend for some and break for others The US capture of President Nicolás Maduro is the latest in a long line of interventions that treat sovereignty and norms as negotiable This episode as noted by Maleeha Lodhi in Donroe doctrine in action , fits squarely into a structural pattern: one in which might dictates legitimacy, law is selectively applied, and global norms are instruments of convenience rather than principle While Lodhi highlights Venezuela s immediate context

Attack and never admit defeat

To understand how President Donald Trump promotes his presidency and policies, especially when they are being challenged it is necessary to understand the impact that New York attorney the late Roy Cohn had on his approach to politics and power

For most of his career, Cohn was a behind-thescenes player, a ruthless practitioner of dirty tricks and power politics who attached himself to powerful men to assist their careers while advancing his own He rose to prominence as a prosecutor in the case against the Rosenbergs (a couple charged convicted and executed as Soviet spies) He went on to serve as a key strategist working with Senator Joseph McCarthy s congressional hearings which, while designed to expose Communist infiltration in the USA, ended up destroying more lives than uncovering Communists Cohn went on to advise Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan before hitching his star to a young Donald Trump as he was beginning his career in the world of New York City real estate and politics Cohn s advice to those for whom he work has been distilled into three rules:

1 Attack, attack, attack

2 Admit nothing deny everything

3 No matter what happens always claim victory and never admit defeat The logic behind these rules was simple Cohn always wanted his clients or mentees to be on the offensive, project an image of power showing no weakness, and appear to be ruthless and in control These traits are daily on display in the Trump White House in for example (1) his ridicule of and relentless attacks on President Biden other Democrats the courts mainstream media and those who dare to challenge him, and (2) his boastful claims of success, even when reality says otherwise (for example, that his crowds were larger than President obama’s, that consumer prices are going down, or that he’s brought peace to eight world conflicts)

The past week provided two clear examples of Roy Cohn s lessons at work beginning with President Trump s performance at Davos In his speech before the assembled world political and business

leaders, while making the case for why the USA had the right to take control of Greenland and would not be deterred from making its claim he insulted Europeans pointing out their weaknesses in comparison with the USA s strength He also threatened them with more punitive sanctions if he didn t get his way Following the speech, during negotiations with the same European leaders, Trump folded Nevertheless, emerging from their negotiations with a deal that pretty much leaves the situation as it is, Mr Trump declared victory A similar situation is now unfolding with regard to the real problems White House is experiencing in their campaign to detain and deport millions of undocumented immigrants from the USA During his campaign for the presidency, Trump was on the offensive, attacking Democrats for being weak, and accusing Latin American countries of opening their prisons and mental hospitals to flood the USA with dangerous people The immigrants themselves bore the brunt of his attacks The results were fear and panic After his party in Congress appropriated tens of millions of dollars enabling the White House to hire an expanded immigration enforcement agency to carry out the deportations, the president was riding high Early on it became clear that Mr Trump may have had a broader agenda in mind than the removal of dangerous illegals The states he chose to flood with armed enforcement agents were jurisdictions led by Democrats This was to be an exercise in intimidation and humiliation True to form, despite the fact that these immigration enforcement exercises in Washington Los Angeles Chicago cities in oregon and now Minneapolis have been more problematic than successful President Trump always declares victory and never admits defeat of all of these initial forays of demonstrating power, the one that may prove the most difficult for the president is Minneapolis He began the campaign by attacking and insulting the governor

compliance over morality or legality This approach does not depend on ideology: whether during the Cold War, the unipolar moment after the Soviet collapse, or the present multipolar rhetoric the logic remains consistent Power not principle defines legitimacy The Monroe Doctrine repeatedly invoked and adapted is not a defensive policy but a declaration of entitlement Latin America has long been the testing ground for this entitlement from Guatemala and Chile to Panama and now Venezuela Each episode may differ in form or justification but the underlying intent regime change coercion and resource control remains unbroken The Venezuelan operation illustrates this vividly US authorities have justified Maduro s capture as a law enforcement action to enforce criminal indictments, framing it domestically as a technical matter of justice International law, however tells a different story The UN Charter prohibits the use of force against a sovereign state absent Security Council authorisation or self-defence justification Experts have widely regarded the operation as a violation of sover-

What is particularly striking is the selective enforcement of law and morality Powerful states are often exempt from standards imposed on others Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank widely cited by international legal scholars as violations of humanitarian law receives muted criticism from the USA and its allies Similarly, India s treatment of minorities under the BJP government has drawn limited and inconsistent scrutiny By contrast, the USA issues relentless threats against Iran’s government and ruling establishment while Iranian citizens’ domestic protests against inflation and economic hardship remain internal matters largely unthreatened This glaring asymmetry demonstrates that law and rights are often instruments of power, applied strategically rather than universally Global norms bend to the convenience of the powerful while obedience is enforced selectively This selective application is the modern embodiment of the Donroe doctrine: might determines legitimacy and law is shaped by power Economic motives further underscore the structural logic Access to natural resources, control over markets and protection of strategic supply chains have consistently influenced US interventions While security narratives often accompany these actions framed as counternarcotics anti-terrorism or humanitarian enforcement the economic and geopolitical incentives are rarely incidental Chomsky and other critics have long highlighted how interventions claiming moral or security justification frequently serve underlying strategic interests often to the detriment of the populations purportedly protected The implications of this structural imbalance are profound Interventions rarely produce lasting stability, democracy, or prosperity Instead they deepen resentment trigger humanitarian crises and erode the legitimacy of international institutions What appears as a temporary crisis a single operation a unilateral threat, a sanction regime is, in fact, the predictable outcome of a global architecture in which one power can act with impunity Each episode, whether Maduro’s capture, Iran’s targeted economic coercion or selective toleration of allied violations reinforces the rule that might not law defines legitimacy

Most likely this is being done to calm troubled waters especially with members of his par ty worried about elections in November The White House moves may be a chang e in optics and not a chang e in tactics But this and the Greenland step down are early indications that there are limits to Roy CohnÊs advice when it runs smack into persistent realities that wonÊt give way

The contemporary Donroe doctrine is more than a historical echo It is alive in the selective application of norms, in the calculated toleration of ally transgressions and in the uncompromising coercion of adversaries From Latin America to the Middle East the same logic governs: sovereign rights are conditional law is flexible for the strong, and interventionist power is routinely justified under the guise of principle Unless this reality is named for what it is a structural and enduring pattern commentary risks underestimating its depth and consequences History teaches that unchecked power invites resistance and instability not genuine order The cycle repeats: interventions selective enforcement, global condemnation, and eventual adjustment Yet the underlying structural asymmetry remains, reproducing itself across administrations and global shifts

Recognition of this pattern is the first step toward confronting it As Chomsky reminds us understanding the systemic roots of interventionism rather than treating each case as an anomaly is essential if global norms are to mean more than rhetoric

The lesson is clear: from Maduro to Iran, from Gaza to other theaters of selective enforcement these are not exceptions but the rule The modern Donroe doctrine might law and hypocrisy continues to shape the international order The challenge for policymakers, scholars, and civil society alike is to name it, confront it, and demand accountability, lest history continue to witness the repetition of the same cycles of power unchecked

The writer is a freelance columnist

Dying for justice

Tensions over Venezuela

A Decade after Paris: COP30, Heat and Pakistan

Cweeks earlier than what was historically typical Jacobabad, often described as one of the hottest places on earth is a wet-bulb temperature hotspot that has already breached human survivability thresholds multiple times where heat and humidity combine to overwhelm the body s ability to regulate its temperature heat is not new to Pakistan What is new is the speed and intensity of change rapid warming is overwhelming the ability of people cities and institutions to adapt Densely populated urban areas where Pakistan is urbanising faster than any other South asian country, are particularly exposed extreme heat combines with inadequate housing, unreliable electricity, and limited access to cooling Between 2012 and 2021 an estimated 25 000 deaths per year in Pakistan were attributable to heat around 40 percent higher than in the 1990s These figures are widely considered underestimates, reflecting the absence of robust systems for recording heatrelated illness and mortality The economic toll is equally severe Billions of working hours are lost each year particularly in agriculture and construction translating into large sums of foregone income In short, lethal heat in Pakistan is not a projection for 2050 or 2100 It is a present condition

WHY THE PARIS AGREEMENT STILL

MATTERS: This is where COP30 and the Paris agreement it marks ten years of becomes critical When the Paris agreement was adopted in 2015, the world had already warmed by about one degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels and was heading toward catastrophic warming of more than 3 5 C by the end of the century Paris established 1 5 C as both a scientific and moral benchmark, aligned countries around net-zero emissions, redirected global finance, and laid the groundwork for adaptation and loss-anddamage mechanisms

the country recorded temperatures as high as 45°C,

Why gold and silver prices suddenly collapsed

War clouds in the Gulf

cuts demands that Trump has repeatedly directed at Powell Warsh s nomination sent the US dollar higher in contrast to investors bets that the Trump administration would tolerate a weaker currency among the shortlist of Fed chair candidates, traders view Warsh as the most hawkish on inflation, lifting expectations of tighter monetary policy that would bolster the dollar and pressure gold which is traded in dollars

Over the weekend the Chicago Mercantile exchange, where gold and silver futures trade heavily via COMeX (Commodity exchange, Inc ), raised margin requirements This is the minimum collateral that traders must maintain for their leveraged or debt-funded positions The announcement was an attempt to curb excessive risk-taking and ensure market stability The changes are expected to take effect after the markets close on Monday

HOW HAVE TRADERS REACTED TO THE PRICE DROPS? The speed and scale of the sell-off in precious metals rattled traders and prompted a rapid unwinding of leveraged positions and a sharp pullback in risk appetite The scale of the unwind unfolding in gold today is something I haven’t witnessed since the dark days of the 2008 global financial crisis ” IG market analyst Tony Sycamore told reuters news agency Following the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, gold initially plunged by more than a quarter from its peak near $1,000 to a low of around $700 per ounce

The metal later recovered strongly as it was seen as a safe-haven asset as global central banks launched massive economic stimulus measures including quantitative easing (Qe), and slashed interest rates to near zero During the current rout, several traders said liquidity evaporated during the heaviest selling on Friday magnifying price swings and making it harder to exit positions without moving the market Other analysts

Bloomberg cited former JPMorgan precious metals trader robert Gottlieb as saying that The bottom line is that the trade was way too crowded adding that the fallout could keep prices in check as traders grow more reluctant to take on fresh exposure

IS THIS THE END OF THE GOLD AND SILVER RALLY? The dramatic price swing has left traders debating whether the boom is truly over or simply pausing after an overheated run-up The question everyone is now asking is what happens next?” Michael Brown, senior research strategist at australian financial broker Pepperstone was cited by the aFP news agency as saying I would flag that in a similar manner to the rally seen in recent weeks there is now a solid argument that the pullback has also run too far, too

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forces to Iran’s periphery coupled with the already strong US military presence in the Middle east clearly demonstrating Trump s determination Judging from its recent hardline stance toward Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, Denmark and Canada, the US is becoming the world’s leading destabilizing factor as for Iran

emerging areas such as green development, digital economy, artificial intelligence and clean energy Xi also highlighted the natural affinity beteen the peoples of China and Uruguay calling for stronger exchanges in culture education, sports, media and subnational cooperation, alongside greater facilitation of people-to-people contacts President Orsi echoed these sentiments expressing Uruguay’s desire to elevate bilat-

Committee Xi said China s development blueprint would create broad opportunities for countries worldwide including Uruguay He urged deeper cooperation in trade, finance, agriculture, infrastructure and information technology, while encouraging exploration of

Erdogan arrives in Riyadh as Turkiye –S audi ties continue to thaw

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday for his first visit to Saudi Arabia in more than two years underscoring the continued rapprochement between the two regional powers after years of strained relations Saudi media reported that Erdogan is scheduled to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the visit It marks Erdogan’s first trip to the kingdom since July 2023 when he toured the Gulf region in a bid to attract foreign investment Although no official agenda was

released, Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu said the talks would focus on deepening bilateral cooperation as well as key regional and global developments Erdogan is also expected to travel to Cairo on Wednesday as part of his regional tour Relations between Turkiye and Saudi Arabia have steadily improved in recent years with both countries cooperating on diplomatic initiatives including support for Gaza and backing Syria s new government following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in 2024 The visit comes amid shifting regional dynamics and days after two sources told AFP that Turkiye

UAE urges politic al solutions for Gaza and

would not be joining a proposed mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan despite earlier remarks by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan indicating that talks on the matter had taken place Ties between Riyadh and Ankara were severely strained after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 Turkiye had angered Saudi Arabia at the time by aggressively pursuing the case, launching an investigation and publicly sharing details of the killing Erdogan’s Riyadh visit also coincides with heightened diplomatic activity in the region It comes just days ahead of a potential round of talks in Turkiye between the United States and Iran on February 6, after Tehran called for the resumption of nuclear negotiations and Washington warned of consequences if a deal was not reached Erdogan has recently emerged as

PUNJAB CM URGES PUBLIC TO ENSURE SAFET Y DURING BASANT CELEBRATIONS

facilities are being provided for citizens across Lahore during Basant including special free transport arrangements to facilitate the public The Chief Minister also gave a detailed briefing on the SOPs finalized for Basant celebrations to ensure that citizens can enjoy the festival in a safe environment

Staff RepoRt The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), in collaboration with Ipsos, today officially launched Pakistan’s first homegrown survey, the Index of Transparency and Accountability in Pakistan (iTAP) during a launch ceremony held at the FPCCI Capital House Islamabad at 11:00 AM The ceremony was graced by Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Mr Ahsan Iqbal, as the Chief Guest The event was also addressed by Mr Atif Ikram Sheikh, President FPCCI, and Mr Mian Zahid Hussain SI Chairman Policy Advisory Board FPCCI and was attended by representatives from the public and private sectors civil society academia and the media The iTAP initiative was conceived in May 2025 as a strategic effort by FPCCI to develop an indigenous, recurring benchmark for measuring transparency and accountability in Pakistan The survey aims to provide an objective assessment of public trust in government and institutions The field survey was conducted during Dec 25 and Jan 26 ensuring contemporary and nationally representative insights

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The Farabi Center established in collaboration with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University was formally inaugurated at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) The center represents a long-term strategic initiative aimed to promote the intellectual and philosophical heritage of Al-Farabi through academic research and scholarly activities The center was inaugurated by Mr Nurbek Saysat Minister of Science and Higher Education Kazakhstan Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, H E Mr Yerzhan Kistafin, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Pakistan and the Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University Kazakhstan While addressing the ceremony Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui Federal Minister of Education and Professional Training stated that the establishment of the Farabi Center would strengthen intercultural ties between Pakistan and Kazakhstan He congratulated the heads of both institutions on the establishment of the Farabi Center

PEC Launches Pioneering Structural Health Assessment System to Strengthen Climate Resilient Infrastructure ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) in collaboration with KnK Japan–Pakistan the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF), and GIZ Pakistan, has launched a

FCC DISPOSES OF ARSHAD SHARIF KILLING CASE, CITES ONGOING DIPLOMATIC AND LEGAL CHANNELS

Tsuo motu case regarding the killing of prominent journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya ruling that judicial supervision of the investigation was not permissible under Pakistani law

In a 14-page judgment authored by Justice Aamer Farooq, the court noted that the matter was being addressed through diplomatic channels and a mutual legal assistance (MLA) agreement between Pakistan and Kenya had already been implemented The court disposed of all pending applications related to the case We acknowledge and share the grief felt by our nation and the journalist community over the death of our citizen,” the judgment stated It added that Sharif ’s legal heirs could approach courts of competent jurisdiction if they had specific grievances

The FCC emphasized that issuing judicial orders directing the federal government to act internationally would constitute interference in an ongoing investigation and encroach upon the domain of foreign policy,

Pakistan, A zerbaijan naval leadership discuss expanding defence ties:

ISPR

t The naval leadership of

affecting their ability to file an appeal against the conviction It described the situation as a denial of due process and cited constitutional protections related to fair trial, dignity and humane treatment Mazari’s plea also referred to the Punjab Prison Rules 1978 and international custodial standards urging the court to allow interim family meetings and legal

ISLAMABAD

Jam Kamal Khan, Federal Minister for Commerce, held a detailed meeting in Islamabad with Laziz Kudratov, Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan to review progress in bilateral economic cooperation and agree on practical steps to accelerate trade investment connectivity and sectoral partnerships

Welcoming the Uzbek delegation, the Federal Minister noted that Pakistan–Uzbekistan engagement has intensified significantly over the past two years through frequent high-level contacts and institutional follow-up and stressed that the priority now is to materialize opportunities by closing gaps in logistics business linkages and implementation

He also pointed to the importance of keeping trade and investment coordination streamlined while reaffirming Pakistan’s full support for Uzbekistan across trade development initiatives

The Uzbek Minister thanking Pakistan for the hospitality and arrangements for the delegation s visit said both sides were preparing for an important upcoming high-level visit from Uzbekistan which he expressed confidence, would mark another milestone

in bilateral partnership He highlighted improving trade indicators sharing that bilateral trade had increased by around 10 percent last year with Uzbekistan s imports from Pakistan rising by about 12 percent while Uzbek exports to Pakistan grew by around 8 percent He underlined the need to balance and scale trade, setting an ambitious target of $2 billion in bilateral trade through deeper industrial cooperation and new sectoral collaboration

A major focus of the meeting was progress on trade facilitation and market access The Uzbek side appreciated the constructive negotiations on the preferential

The Federal Minister in turn welcomed the forward movement on trade arrangements and emphasized that sustained implementation

CDA defends tree - c utting drive in Islamabad, saying PMO direc ted operation

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday that its recent tree-cutting drive in the capital was conducted under direct instructions from the Prime Minister s Office (PMO) The statement was part of a written report submitted in response to a petition challenging the drive which had drawn significant public criticism Recently, large-scale tree removal took place in at least three locations in Islamabad, including acres of tree cover around Shakarparian triggering concerns about environmental damage Authorities however maintained that only Paper Mulberry trees were removed, citing them as a major cause of pollen allergies In its submission, the CDA

defended the operation as a wellplanned campaign aimed specifically at eliminating Paper Mulberry trees, which it described as a significant source of pollen allergies and asthma in the capital The authority cited scientific research including a study published in the Journal of Global Health linking Paper Mulberry pollen to increased asthma attacks and hospital visits

The CDA also stated that the tree species deteriorated air quality and soil health The authority emphasized that the decision followed a multi-step process:

A 2022 order from the IHC led to the formation of an Environment Committee, which recommended the trees’ removal in May 2023 A public hearing was held in July 2023

The issue gained renewed attention following a journalist s column in November 2024,

prompting the PMO to direct the Ministry of Health and CDA to act

Subsequent meetings led the PMO to issue formal directions for implementing a pollen allergy management plan

The CDA rejected allegations that trees other than Paper Mulberry were cut or that the operation served as a cover for development projects Trees for projects like the Marka-i-Haq Monument were reportedly transplanted to other locations The authority also argued that no separate environmental approval was required because PAK-EPA was part of the recommending committee The CDA has requested the court to dismiss the petition as “without merit ” Meanwhile WWF-Pakistan has disputed the authorities’ claims stating that the tree removal was not solely related to pollen allergies

Pakistan, Kazakhstan vow to deepen defence ties, expand military cooperation

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

Kazakhstan s Minister of Defence, Lieutenant General Dauren Kosanov, called on Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Tuesday with both sides reaffirming strong bilateral relations and expressing satisfaction over the steady growth of defence cooperation between the two countries According to a press release, the meeting focused on matters of mutual interest evolving regional security dynamics and ways to further enhance defence and military-to-military collaboration The two leaders discussed expanding cooperation through dialogue, training programmes and stronger institutional linkages Khawaja Asif underscored Pakistan s commitment to deepen-

ing defence and security ties with Kazakhstan, stressing the importance of sustained engagement to strengthen cooperation between the armed forces of both countries Lieutenant General Kosanov appreciated Pakistan s role in promoting regional peace and stability and conveyed Kazakhstan’s keen interest in broadening defence collaboration including closer interaction between the two militaries

rative He accused authorities of creating fear among the public, undermining democratic norms, and sending a message that citizens’ votes and voices hold no value

“The founder of PTI is the biggest leader in the country and today they are scared and terrified Their aim is to silence the voice of the founder of PTI Raja said The sit-in ended with Aleema signing anti-terrorism court warrants issued against her, while PTI vowed to continue legal and political pressure to ensure Imran’s rights and access to medical care