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PM PUSHES TRADE REFORMS, VOWS TO MAKE PAKISTAN KEY PART OF GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS Friday, 11 September, 2026 | 28 Rabiul Awwal, 1448
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PM SHEHBAZ ORDERS SWEEPING MEASURES TO CUT TRADE DELAYS, BOOST EXPORTS
AI-BASED RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PROPOSED TO SPEED UP CARGO CLEARANCE
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NATIONAL TRADE PERFORMANCE INDEX PLANNED TO TRACK PORT, CUSTOMS EFFICIENCY g
ISLAMABAD
GOVT SETS AMBITIOUS TARGETS FOR PRE-ARRIVAL, GREEN CHANNEL CLEARANCES
Mian abrar
RIME MINISTER Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the government was taking comprehensive measures to make Pakistan an effective part of regional and global supply chains by facilitating trade, reducing business costs and removing unnecessary regulatory hurdles. Chairing the first meeting of the Trade Facilitation Board, the prime minister said facilitating business and promoting trade remained among the government’s top priorities, directing relevant institutions to take practical measures to eliminate delays in trade procedures and boost exports. He said the government was committed to providing maximum facilities to the business community and improving the overall trade environment. “The main objective of the Trade Facilitation Board is to remove obstacles in all trade-related procedures,” the prime minister said, stressing that relevant institutions operating at high-volume ports should provide services to traders under a one-window arrangement. He also called for greater use of joint inspections and joint profiling by different government institutions to avoid duplication and unnecessary delays. The prime minister directed authorities to conduct a comprehensive review of all non-tariff measures and eliminate regulations that unnecessarily hindered trade. He also ordered effective steps to attract direct shipping lines to Pakistani
ports, saying improved connectivity would enable products manufactured in Pakistan to reach international buyers more quickly and efficiently. Prime Minister Shehbaz directed the development of a National Trade Performance Index to measure key indicators, including cargo dwell time, customs clearance, logistics efficiency, ship clearance time, post-clearance audits and preclearance procedures. He said the index would help identify bottlenecks and improve the efficiency of Pakistan’s trade infrastructure. The prime minister also called for special measures to increase the participation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in international trade. He directed authorities to map the various stages of the trade journey of SMEs and identify the hurdles they face so that targeted measures could be introduced to address them. The prime minister stressed the need to make the risk management system
Parliament set to debate creation of new provinces next month, says Tariq Fazal ISLAMABAD
more effective to accelerate cargo clearance. He directed authorities to shift controls from the pre-arrival stage towards the post-release stage, allowing customs and other agencies to focus detailed inspections on high-risk consignments. “Use of artificial intelligence should be initiated to make risk management more effective and to speed up the trade process,” he said. The meeting was briefed on targets under the Time Release Automated System for ports. A target of achieving 30 per cent prearrival clearance by the end of the current financial year has been set, while the share of cargo processed through the Green Channel is to be increased to 65pc. The government also aims to increase the number of Authorized Economic Operators to more than 50 during the current financial year. The prime minister approved the targets and also approved the formation of a working group to review non-tariff measures.
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He directed the group to submit within one month a roadmap for eliminating unnecessary regulations and further facilitating trade. Federal ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain, Azam Nazir Tarar and Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Adviser to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar Khan, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani and members of the Trade Facilitation Board attended the meeting. Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated the government’s commitment to completely eradicate polio from Pakistan during a meeting with a delegation from the Gates Foundation. The delegation, comprising Gates Foundation representatives Kalpana Kochhar and Anita Zaidi, called on the prime minister and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and the foundation. The prime minister appreciated the Gates Foundation’s continued support for Pakistan, particularly in the areas of polio eradication, health, nutrition, financial inclusion and the welfare of vulnerable sections of society. He said the National Polio Eradication Programme had the government’s highest-level patronage and reiterated the administration’s resolve to eliminate the crippling disease. Prime Minister Shehbaz said digital payments, food security, maternal and newborn health, poverty alleviation and climate change were among the key priorities of the government’s broader governance reform agenda.
IHC CJ admonishes KP AG over PTI protest 'support' for judiciary
Staff report
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Thursday said the debate over the creation of new provinces would formally be taken up by the National Assembly and Senate in their October sessions, stressing that Parliament was the appropriate forum for deliberating the politically sensitive issue. Talking to journalists, the minister said the growing debate over new provinces had moved beyond political circles and was being discussed by people from different sections of society, making it necessary to bring the matter to Parliament. “If this debate about new provinces is happening in the streets and in every media house, and is being discussed by scholars and traders and chambers of commerce, then the proper forum for this discussion is Parliament,” he said. Mr Chaudhry said debate on the establishment of new provinces would begin once the National Assembly and Senate convened in October. He, however, categorically rejected any impression that Islamabad was being considered for provincial status. “Islamabad cannot become a province and is not going to become one,” he said, adding that the federal capital was and would remain a “federal territory”. The minister said the government instead intended to improve Islamabad’s governance model while retaining its constitutional status as the federal territory. He said a five-member committee of federal ministers had been constituted on the prime minister’s directions to examine ways of improving governance in the capital. According to Mr Chaudhry, the committee had proposed the creation of a legislative assembly for Islamabad through which administrative affairs, including health and education, could be managed under a chief executive described as the “mayor of the assembly”.
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Staff report
Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar on Thursday admonished Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel after he described the PTI’s planned September 27 protest as an effort to support the judiciary. The PTI has announced a nationwide protest on Sept 27, seeking the release of party founder Imran Khan and calling for the supremacy of the Constitution. The proposed protest is being challenged before the IHC by citizen Waqas Ahmed, who has argued that the demonstration could disrupt routine life, traffic and business activities in the federal capital. CJ Dogar had earlier constituted a larger bench to hear the petition, citing the sensitive nature of the matter. When the KP AG appeared before the court on Thursday, he said the PTI’s planned long march was also being organised in support of the judiciary. “Thank you very much for wanting to strengthen the judiciary,” the chief justice remarked sarcastically before asking, “Is the judiciary so weak that you wish to strengthen it?” Justice Dogar observed that the judiciary was not so weak that it needed the backing of a political party. At the outset, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan told the court that government ma-
IAEA reports Iran to UN Security Council over nuclear obligations ISLAMABAD
Staff report
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35member Board of Governors has voted to report Iran to the United Nations Security Council for breaching its non-proliferation obligations, marking the first such referral in 20 years. The resolution follows an earlier finding from June 2025 that Iran was in noncompliance with its safeguards obligations. A separate resolution was required to formally refer the matter to the Security Council. Diplomats said the latest resolution, proposed by the United States, Britain, France and Germany, passed with 23 votes in favour, three against and eight abstentions. Russia, China and Niger voted against the measure. The referral represents a further escalation in the diplomatic standoff between Tehran and Western powers, although significant action by the Security Council appears unlikely because Russia and China are permanent members with veto powers. Iran had warned before the vote that it could retaliate if the resolution was adopted. Its mission to the IAEA later criticised the decision as politically motivated and blamed the current dispute on US and Israeli military action against Iranian nuclear facilities. The original non-compliance finding relates to Iran’s failure to satisfactorily explain uranium traces discovered at undeclared sites that had been under investigation by the agency for years. A separate dispute has since emerged over access to nuclear facilities damaged in US and Israeli strikes. Iran has not allowed IAEA inspectors to return to several bombed sites, including three uranium enrichment facilities that were destroyed or heavily damaged. Tehran has also not fully accounted for its stockpile of enriched uranium, some of which had been enriched to 60% purity before the attacks. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has warned that the agency’s inability to verify the status of the facilities and nuclear material has become a serious proliferation concern. Before the strikes, the IAEA estimated that Iran possessed 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to as much as 60%. The agency has said it believes more than 200 kilograms may still remain at one site, although the exact amount that survived the attacks remains unclear. The latest resolution also refers to a June 2026 measure that called on Iran to declare its remaining enriched uranium stocks and allow inspectors to verify them.
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chinery could not be used for political protests. He said government officials were not required to comply with any directive contrary to the Constitution or law. However, he acknowledged that it could be difficult for an officer to refuse an order issued by a provincial chief executive, referring to KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who belongs to the PTI. “If this court issues an order, it will be binding on anyone holding an executive position,” the AGP said, adding that clear judicial directives would make it easier for civil servants to implement them. The chief justice asked whether the KP chief secretary and inspector general of police were bound by an IHC order issued in 2024. “Yes, absolutely; they are bound to implement that order,” Mr Awan replied. The AGP maintained that state resources could not be deployed for political activities even if a protest was peaceful. He cited the PTI’s 2024 demonstration, when the then-KP chief minister personally led the protest. An IHC order issued ahead of the PTI’s planned November 2024 power show had barred the party from holding protests or rallies. Despite the directive, the demonstration went ahead and culminated in clashes between protesters and security forces in Islamabad’s Red Zone before the PTI leadership withdrew from the capital. The bench subsequently called the KP advocate general to the rostrum and sought the provincial government’s position. Mr Utmankhel said he had received the court notice only a day earlier and was unaware of the petition’s contents. He also questioned the maintainability of the petition, arguing that the matter was premature. The chief justice, however, asked him to respond after hearing the AGP’s submissions. The KP law officer argued that orders of superior courts had not always been implemented in the past and objected to remarks concerning the provincial chief executive, pointing out that the chief minister was not a party to the case.
Makkah Defence Alliance not being expanded for now: FO ISLAMABAD
Staff CorreSpondent
The Foreign Office on Thursday said the Makkah Defence Alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye was primarily defensive in nature and aimed at strengthening regional security through deterrence, ruling out any immediate expansion of the threemember pact. Speaking at the weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said the alliance was still in its formative stage and the three countries were focused on consolidating their cooperation before considering the inclusion of other states. “The Makkah agreement is primarily a defensive alliance to ensure regional security primarily through deterrence,” he said. Asked about reports regarding the possible expansion of the alliance, the spokesperson said it was “not on the cards” at present. “Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye must first further consolidate their organisation and cooperation,” he said, adding that the agreement could subsequently be opened to countries sharing similar “stances and perspectives”. He said consultations among the three member states were continuing at various levels under the framework of the agreement. Any decision regarding expansion, he added, would be taken at a later stage. “At this stage, there are no discussions regarding the expansion of the Makkah agreement,” Khan said. The spokesperson said the timing of future meetings had not yet been finalised, although details would be shared as consultations progressed. He added that significant work remained to finalise the alliance’s organisational structure, mechanisms and procedures.
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Araghchi stresses continued Iran-Pakistan consultations for regional stability, security ISLAMABAD
Staff report
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has stressed the importance of continued consultations between Tehran and Islamabad for promoting regional peace and security, Iranian state media reported on Wednesday. Foreign Minister Araghchi remarked on Wednesday during a meeting with Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Reza Amiri Moghadam, who briefed him on the latest status of bilateral relations and the embassy’s plans and initiatives to further strengthen and develop ties between the two neighbouring countries, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
“Dr Araghchi also appreciated the constructive role of the Pakistani leadership in facilitating the path of diplomacy and considered the continuation of consultations between the two countries essential to ensure mutual benefits and help ensure regional security and stability,” the news agency reported. The statement came amid renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran in the Middle East. Iran said on Wednesday that it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the United States sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the biggest declared wave of titfor-tat attacks on shipping by the two sides since the start of the six-month-old war. Pakistan, a key mediator in talks be-
tween the United States and Iran, led a diplomatic push along with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Türkiye to end the conflict that broke out on February 28. The efforts resulted in an interim peace deal in June; however, the understanding unravelled shortly afterwards, with both sides resuming attacks. DPM DAR, EGYPTIAN FM DISCUSS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS: In a related development, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty on Wednesday, during which they reviewed bilateral relations and reaffirmed the close and fraternal ties
between the two countries. During the telephonic discussion late Tuesday, the two foreign ministers also reviewed regional developments and stressed the need for close consultations on regional matters, including through the Regional Four (R4) Foreign Ministers’ mechanism with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Both foreign ministers also agreed to meet on the sidelines of the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
RESTRICTED TRAFFIC THROUGH HORMUZ: Iranian forces have restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy conduit, since the start of the war
with the United States on February 28. The United States has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports. The renewed attacks have sent oil prices surging, with benchmark Brent crude futures breaching $100 a barrel for the first time since July. At least one seafarer aboard a tanker was reported killed, while another was listed as missing. In recent weeks, Washington had touted increasing success in guiding tankers through the strait, which carried a fifth of global oil supplies before the war. However, any gradual reopening appears to have been set back by the resumption of fighting this month.