PM REAFFIRMS PAKISTAN–LIBYA TIES AS TOP LIBYAN LEADERSHIP HOLDS HIGH-LEVEL TALKS
hbaz Sharif and address the PakistanKazakhstan Business Forum focusing on trade logistics regional connectivity and people-to-people contacts On his arrival, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to X, posting that he was “delighted” to welcome the Kazakh President “I look forward to our meaningful and productive engagements tomorrow The Pakistan-Kazakhstan friendship is a time-tested partnership that continues to bring our peoples closer together This visit marks a new milestone in our glorious journey ” he said
China denounces Balochistan terror attacks, reaffirms
with provinces noting that effective coordination and timely reconciliation of accounts are essential for transparent releases Both sides agreed to continue close coordination through relevant forums and technical channels to address outstanding matters on priority and to ensure that fiscal arrangements and releases support development objectives service delivery and stability ISLAMABAD s
o r t
Pakistan has been invited to participate in the talks between Iran and the US, likely to be held in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul later this week an official of the South Asian nation has said Pakistan has received the invitation for the upcoming talks between Iran and the United States, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said, according to Dawn News
The report claimed that Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is expected to participate in the meeting Earlier, US media reports said senior officials from Washington and Tehran are preparing for rare face-to-face talks in Istanbul on Friday The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reported on Monday that the planned meeting would bring together US special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi with Türkiye hosting and officials from Qatar, Egypt and other regional states expected to attend There has been no official confirmation of the venue for the talks The talks are expected to explore parallel tracks including Iran s nu-
clear program and broader US demands related to missiles and regional militias, even as both sides remain far apart US strike on Iran would export chaos President Trump underscored the stakes as US forces massed in the region, saying Sunday, “We have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there very close couple of days Hopefully we make a deal Iran s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei struck a defiant note, warning, “The Americans should know if they start a war this time it will be a regional war Behind the scenes mediators from Türkiye Qatar Egypt Oman and Iraq have been shuttling messages, while Araghchi and Witkoff have resumed direct contact via text messages officials told The New York Times Iran has signaled readiness to curb or suspend its nuclear activities under certain frameworks and has revisited options from the 2015 nuclear deal, including transferring enriched uranium to Russia Iranian officials said Analysts say the coordinated
ECC DEFERS RS455M ELECTION FUNDING REQUEST, CLEARS MULTIPLE SUPPLEMENTARY GRANTS
Countries keen to deepen trade, diplomatic ties with Pakistan: Dar
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
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
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
Majid Nabi burfat
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
an
that
Trump s
military threats
to
The US
for protests in
to
and
Protecting the
This is
of
of
was
for
in the
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
Musa saeed and MariaM saleH kHan
UAE urges politic al solutions for G aza and Iran, warns against new wars
Lahore Police lassoes
PUNJAB CM URGES PUBLIC TO ENSURE SAFET Y DURING BASANT CELEBRATIONS
This Basant , Yango Pakistan paints Lahore in colour with
3,223
ISLAMABAD 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
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
Staff RepoRt The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) in collaboration with KnK Japan–Pakistan the National Disaster Risk Management Fund
FCC DISPOSES OF ARSHAD SHARIF KILLING CASE, CITES ONGOING DIPLOMATIC AND LEGAL CHANNELS
H
TIn 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
Pakistan, A zerbaijan
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
and indicated interest in broadening cooperation into services and
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
plea also referred to the Punjab Prison Rules 1978 and international custodial standards urging the court to allow interim family meetings and legal consultations pending a final decision The respondents named in the petition include the federation through the interior secretary, the inspector general of Islamabad police and the superintendent of Adiala jail
izens’ 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
