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MAKKAH PACT HAS 'NO REGIONAL ASPIRATIONS', INTENDED FOR COLLECTIVE DETERRENCE: DG ISPR Thursday, 17 September, 2026 | 4 Rabius Sani, 1448
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LT GEN CHAUDHRY SAYS PACT FORMALISES PAKISTAN’S DECADES-OLD TIES WITH SAUDI ARABIA AND BROTHERLY COUNTRY TÜRKIYE
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MAKKAH DEFENCE PACT TO SERVE DEFENSIVE PURPOSES ONLY, SAYS DG ISPR ISLAMABAD
monitoRing RepoRt
NTER-SERVICES Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said that the Makkah Defence Alliance—a tripartite agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye—has no "regional aspirations" and is intended for collective deterrence. The military spokesperson made the remarks during an interview on Al Arabiya English’s programme ‘Global News Today’, during a conversation with the host, Tom Burges Watson. During the show, aired during the early hours of Wednesday, Lt Gen Chaudhry was asked about Pakistan’s commitments under the agreement. “It formalises Pakistan’s decades-old relationship with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the brotherly country of Türkiye in the domains of collective deterrence and defence,” he said. Watson then asked whether the pact was primarily a defensive cooperation or the beginning of a broader strategic alliance. To that, Lt Gen Chaudhry asserted that the pact was defensive, as its name implied. “It is defensive. There’s nothing aggressive. There are no regional aspirations. It is collective deterrence,” he said, adding that the agreement was also “complementary”. Elaborating further, he said the countries part of the alliance had independent relationships with other nations, blocs
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EMPHASIZES COUNTRIES PART OF ALLIANCE HAD INDEPENDENT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER NATIONS, BLOCS AND ALLIANCES LT GEN CHAUDHRY ASSERTES MAKKAH PACT COMPLEMENTS ISLAMABAD-BEIJING TIES
CDF MUNIR, US DEFENCE FIRM DELEGATION DISCUSS COOPERATION RAWALPINDI
Staff RepoRt
and alliances. “So this mutual defence agreement is complementary in nature. It is not competing with any other relationship of these countries,” he added. At that, Watson asked, “But does it contain any mutual defence obligation?” In his short reply to the question, Lt Gen Chaudhry remarked, “The text that has been made public by the leadership of the three countries enunciates that very clearly, and its interpretation is quite clear.” Asked how Pakistan would respond if one of the countries in the alliance came under attack, he said that the operationalisation of defensive commitments was never made public in any discourse. “You see, you have multiple other agreements which are defensive in na-
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A delegation of POWERUS, a USbased company specialising in defence and critical infrastructure solutions, called on Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces (COAS & CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at General Headquarters on Tuesday. The delegation was led by Robert Bret Velicovich. During the meeting, the two sides discussed matters of mutual interest, emerging trends in defence technology and potential avenues for
ture, which are committal in nature. But no country comes out and starts sharing its operational details […] What you’re asking is the 'how' part — that is, how we will defend Pakistan against any aggression. “That is always part of the operational classification and security […] What you’re asking is how it will be done. It is for the three countries to decide, and it is for them to know and for them to actualise it,” he said. Specifically asked whether the military spokesperson saw the alliance “complementing or competing” with Pakistan’s relationship with China, Lt Gen Chaudhry asserted that it complemented Islamabad-Beijing ties. “We need to understand that the Pak-
cooperation in defence procurement, production and capacity building. Field Marshal Asim Munir pointed out the importance of technological innovation and advanced solutions in strengthening national security and enhancing resilience. Both sides expressed interest in further expanding their engagement in areas of mutual interest. The meeting reflected growing interest in exploring opportunities for cooperation in defence technology and related fields between Pakistan and USbased industry.
Saudi and the Pak-Turkiye relationship has not come out of the blue. The Chinese understand it. The world at large understands it. That’s how historic these relationships are. We have formalised that. “Nobody has any problem with that. Everyone understands that this is defensive. Everyone understands it is for maintaining stability and peace in the region. And all the three countries that are part of it, they have a wonderful relationship with China,” he said. During the interview, Lt Gen Chaudhry was also asked whether he saw the defence agreement becoming a part of the wider, Muslim-world security architecture.
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Pakistan, China agree to expand security cooperation, establish law enforcement centre ISLAMABAD
Saleem Jadoon
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday met Chinese Vice Minister of Public Security Gao Qi and discussed Pakistan-China bilateral relations, joint measures against terrorism and narcotics, and cooperation in internal security, with both sides agreeing to enhance collaboration in police training, technology exchange and modern law enforcement systems. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed ongoing cooperation in security-related fields and explored ways to further strengthen coordination in addressing common challenges. According to the Interior Ministry, they agreed to expand cooperation in police training exchange programmes and promote the use of modern technology and equipment in law enforcement. The two sides also agreed that China would support the establishment of a modern law enforcement centre in Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the law enforcement centre would become another symbol of Pakistan-China friendship. He said Pakistan wanted to further expand cooperation with China in matters related to internal security, according to a statement issued by the ministry. The minister said Chinese artificial intelligence-based technology and equipment could provide significant support in addressing security challenges. He noted that enhanced cooperation in technology and training would help strengthen institutional capacity and improve coordination among relevant agencies. Chinese Vice Minister Gao Qi appreciated Pakistan’s sacrifices and commitment in the fight against terrorism.He acknowledged the efforts made by Pakistan to counter security threats and maintain stability.
02 NEWS
Thursday, 17 September, 2026 | LAHORE
PAC HAltS 0.2 milliON-tONNe SugAR exPORt, bARS wHeAt imPORtS witHOut itS Review
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PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
HE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has barred the government from exporting sugar without its recommendations, putting on hold the recently approved export of 200,000 tonnes, while also blocking wheat imports pending its review. The directives came after the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on September 14 approved the export of 200,000 tonnes of surplus sugar with safeguards aimed at maintaining domestic price stability. The Sugar Advisory Board had earlier cleared the export after reviewing domestic consumption, requirements and available stocks. The government had said supplies and prices in major cities would be monitored to prevent price shocks.
The sugar industry, however, rejected the 200,000-tonne quota as insufficient and demanded permission to export at least one million tonnes. The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) said stocks exceeded approximately 2.6 million tonnes as of August 31, 2026, against average monthly consumption of 560,096 tonnes. It estimated that around 1.4 million tonnes would be needed until November 15, leaving the country with a surplus of approximately 1.25 million tonnes at the start of the 2026-27 crushing season. The association estimated the potential export value of the surplus at $600-700 million at current international market rates. The industry also expects sugar production to exceed 8 million tonnes during the upcoming crushing season and has reiterated its demand for complete deregulation of the sector.vSeparately, the PAC stopped the
government from importing wheat until the parliamentary committee submits its recom-
mendations, which are expected to be forwarded to the prime minister later this
Govt orders sugar mills to ensure timely payments to cane growers PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
The government has directed sugar mill owners to ensure timely payments to sugarcane growers and adequately protect farmers’ interests, as the Sugar Advisory Board decided to allow the export of 200,000 tonnes of sugar. Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain issued the directive while chairing a high-level meeting of the board to review sugar supplies, available stocks and domestic requirements. “Protection of farmers’ interests is the government’s foremost priority. At the same time, it is essential to maintain a healthy balance between the interests of farmers and the sugar industry,” Hussain said. He described farmers as a key pillar of the agricultural economy and
said protecting their legitimate interests would remain a government priority. The meeting, attended by representatives of the provinces, farmers and the
Pakistan moves to sign oil deal with Oman as Hormuz disruption strains supplies PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan has approved an oil supply agreement with Oman to diversify petroleum sources and supply routes as continued disruption through the Strait of Hormuz strains supplies and pushes domestic fuel prices higher. According to a report by The Express Tribune, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approved the proposal for Pakistan State Oil (PSO) to sign a sale-purchase agreement with Oman’s OQ Trading Limited for the supply of petroleum products. The arrangement traces back to an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) signed between Pakistan and Oman on May 14, 2018. Under the agreement, OQ Trading, formerly Oman Trading International, was nominated on behalf of Oman, while PSO represented Pakistan. Discussions on a sale-purchase agreement for petroleum products subsequently took place in 2021, but the deal could not be finalised because of disagreements over certain terms. The process was revived after OQ Trading expressed interest in entering into long-term supply contracts with Pakistan under the government-to-government arrangement during a meeting with Pakistani officials and PSO in November 2023. Following renewed engagement, PSO and OQ Trading gradually developed a draft agreement through multiple rounds of review. The Omani side then shared the draft covering petroleum product supplies to Pakistan for the government’s endorsement. The Petroleum Division sent the proposed agreement to the Law and Justice Division for legal vetting and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for examination from a political perspective. The draft was subsequently sent to Oman through the Foreign Affairs Ministry, with the Omani side agreeing to its contents. The Finance Division’s comments and PSO’s response were also obtained as part of the process. The Petroleum Division informed the ECC that all formalities required for signing the agreement had been completed and sought approval for its final version under the relevant Rules of Business. The ECC subsequently cleared the proposal for signing the petroleum products salepurchase agreement between PSO and OQ Trading.
Sugar Mills Association, reviewed available data and assessed the sugar situation from the perspectives of consumers, growers and the industry.
Following the assessment of domestic requirements and available stocks, the board decided to allow the export of 200,000 tonnes of sugar. Hussain said the export decision had been taken after carefully assessing domestic requirements and sugar stocks, adding that the government would continue monitoring the situation to ensure adequate availability in the domestic market. He also called for coordination among the federal and provincial governments, farmers and the sugar industry to maintain stability in the sector. The minister said future decisions would continue to be based on available data and the broader interests of the agricultural economy, reiterating the government’s commitment to protecting farmers, maintaining food security and pursuing a balanced approach towards the sugar sector.
Supernet Technologies’ Rs914.77 million right issue fully subscribed PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
Supernet Technologies Limited’s Rs914.77 million right issue has been fully subscribed, with investors taking up all 91.48 million shares offered by the company, according to a notice submitted to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). The company confirmed that all 91,476,554 right shares had been subscribed, generating total subscription proceeds of Rs914,765,540. Its statutory audi-
tors also certified receipt of the full amount. The shares were issued at Rs10 each following a decision by the company’s board on July 15, 2026. The offer was made to existing shareholders in proportion to their respective holdings. Of the total subscription, 35.27 million shares worth Rs352.75 million represented entitlements of directors, substantial shareholders and sponsors. Another 50.70 million shares worth Rs506.99 million were sub-
scribed by the general public and underwriters through the designated bank account, while general shareholders subscribed to 5.50 million shares worth Rs55.03 million through CDC's online payment facility. Following the full subscription, Supernet Technologies has asked the PSX to issue a No Objection Certificate to Meezan Bank Limited and the Central Depository Company of Pakistan Limited for the release of the right-share subscription money.
Punjab brings home tuition centres, academies under tax net PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
The Punjab government has amended the Punjab Private Educational Institutions Act to bring home-based tuition centres, coaching centres and academies operating in residential areas within the definition of private educational institutions and under the tax net. According to a news report, the amendment, to be known as the Punjab Private Educational Institutions Act 2026, formally recognises tuition centres run from homes, including those operated by women and girls, as well as small coaching centres and neighbourhood academies, as private educational institutions. Under the amended law, their buildings and properties will fall within the property tax regime, while electricity and water connections will be treated as commercial. Small private schools operating in residential areas will also come under the tax net, regardless of whether they are registered or unregistered.
National Savings announces results of Rs200 prize bond draw PROFIT
PROFIT
The Gilgit-Baltistan government has presented a Rs218.845 billion budget for FY2026-27 with a deficit of Rs52.65 billion, seeking additional funds from the federal government to meet its liabilities. The full-year budget was presented three months into the fiscal year after the government introduced a Rs20.478 billion interim budget in July to cover the first quarter. Of the total budget, Rs43.97
billion has been allocated for development and Rs149.87 billion for non-development expenditure. Tax revenue has been targeted at Rs16.98 billion. The government has also requested a special stabilisation package of around Rs153.30 billion from the federal government for economic and administrative needs, including local governments, law and order, education, health, tourism, flood compensation, municipal services, food supply and clearing liabilities. The Annual Development Pro-
STAFF REPORT
The National Savings has announced the winners of Rs 200 Prize Bond Draw held in Muzaffarabad on September 15, with one bondholder securing the first prize of Rs750,000. As per the details, bond number 516806 won the first prize of Rs750,000. Five bondholders secured the second prize of Rs 250,000 each. The winning numbers are 796229, 844138, 425087, 381066 and 799273. The third prize is worth Rs 1,250 for each winner. The winning numbers in this category are yet to be announced. The draw is part of the regular prize bond series issued by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), offering cash prizes to bondholders through periodic draws. Under Federal Board of Revenue regulations, withholding tax applies to prize winnings. Filers are subject to a 15% deduction, while non-filers face a 30% deduction.
Gilgit-Baltistan unveils Rs218.8b FY27 budget with Rs52.65b deficit STAFF REPORT
month. The committee gave the Ministry of National Food Security and Research one week to provide a comprehensive briefing on the wheat crisis as it examined the impact of wheat procurement policy on farmers. According to a report presented by the Auditor General of Pakistan, farmers’ confidence was shaken after the Punjab government, which had previously procured around 4 million metric tonnes of wheat at the fixed support price, did not procure wheat. The audit recommended a detailed investigation into the large closing wheat stock recorded in April 2024 and Punjab’s subsequent decision not to procure the crop. The committee was also informed that the federal government had announced a minimum support price of Rs3,900 per 40kg for the food year from May 2023 to April 2024, but the procurement plan had failed to deliver for farmers.
gramme (ADP) has been increased from Rs22 billion to Rs23 billion, while funding under the federal Public Sector Development Programme has risen from Rs15 billion to Rs20.973 billion, including Rs4 billion under the prime minister’s package. The wheat subsidy allocation, previously reduced to Rs15 billion, has been raised to Rs22 billion, while revenue from wheat sales is estimated at Rs3 billion. The government also raised the min-
imum wage for employees of government and non-government institutions from Rs40,000 to Rs44,000 and allocated Rs63.57 billion for salaries. Rs1 billion has been earmarked for social protection, alongside a proposal to establish a Rs4 billion social-sector endowment fund. The government will also divert 1% of development funds to a consolidated climate account and reduce the non-development budgets of all departments by 30%. Other allocations include Rs5.034 billion for development projects across 10 districts, an additional Rs170 million for medicines and Rs50 million each for water management, agricultural reforms, youth loans and local government elections.
PIA Holding Company posts Rs21.6b loss in H1 FY26, cumulative losses reach Rs740.6b PROFIT STAFF REPORT
Pakistan International Airlines Holding Company Limited (PIAHCL), established to retain loans and certain assets ahead of the airline’s privatisation, incurred Rs21.6 billion in losses during July-December 2025, taking its cumulative losses to Rs740.6 billion, official data showed. According to the biannual State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) report for July-December 2025, PIAHCL was the sixth-largest loss-making entity during the period and had the fourth-highest cumulative losses among state-controlled entities in the civilian setup. The government has allocated at least Rs30 billion in the
current fiscal year’s budget to service old debts held by the company. The interest cost for the current fiscal year is three times the Rs10 billion the government received against the sale of a 75% stake in PIA. Of the Rs135 billion total bid amount, Rs10 billion went to the government while the remaining amount was to be invested in PIA by the successful bidder. The remaining 25% stake would also go to the same bidders for Rs45 billion in cash. The financial performance of PIAHCL comes as the government plans to use a similar structure for the privatisation of three profitable power distribution companies. Under the approved transaction structure, most liabilities and pensioners
would be retained by the government through two new entities. The Central Monitoring Unit (CMU) of the Finance Ministry reported that the net fiscal flow from SOEs to the government plunged 91% to Rs35 billion during July-December 2025 from Rs427 billion in the corresponding period, reflecting higher cash support and lower contributions. Overall SOE losses remained at Rs343 billion during the sixmonth period. The National Highway Authority (NHA) recorded the largest loss at Rs124.6 billion, taking its cumulative losses to Rs2.17 trillion. However, the report’s treatment of NHA losses is affected by the government’s practice of providing develop-
ment funding to the authority as loans rather than grants. During the period, Rs113 billion in loans were booked against NHA. Power distribution companies also remained among the biggest loss-makers. Quetta Electric Supply Company recorded Rs35.3 billion in losses, taking its cumulative losses to Rs844 billion, while Sukkur Electric Power Company lost Rs34.8 billion, raising its accumulated losses to Rs554 billion. Pakistan Railways posted Rs29.4 billion in losses, while Peshawar Electric Supply Company recorded Rs23.7 billion, taking its cumulative losses to Rs770 billion. Hyderabad Electric Supply Company lost another Rs18 billion, with accumulated losses
reaching Rs582 billion. The Neelum Jhelum hydropower project posted Rs14.5 billion in losses, taking its total to Rs100 billion, while the closed Pakistan Steel Mills incurred Rs13 billion in losses during the period, pushing cumulative losses to Rs275 billion. The CMU attributed the continued financial stress at power distribution companies to weak recoveries, technical losses, governance failures and tariff under-recoveries, which feed into the power sector’s circular debt chain. It also warned that delayed recoveries from DISCOs, the Central Power Purchasing Agency-Guaranteed and public entities were creating fiscal risks and affecting the liquidity of major energy companies.
NEWS 03
Thursday, 17 September, 2026 | LAHORE
CHiNeSe DemAND DRiveS PAkiStAN’S emeRgiNg DONkey meAt, HiDe exPORt iNDuStRy
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STAFF REPORT
ROWING Chinese demand for donkey meat and hides is driving an emerging export industry in Pakistan, with a processing facility near Gwadar planning to quadruple its daily slaughter capacity to 800 animals within months, Bloomberg reported. Hangeng Group, which operates a slaughterhouse and processing plants in Balochistan, is processing hundreds of donkeys for export to China. While donkey meat is not consumed locally because of religious beliefs, it is considered a delicacy in parts of China, while the hides are used to produce ejiao, a prized ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. The company expects the business to generate about $5 million a month in foreign-exchange earnings within six months, potentially rising to $7 million a month within two years. Pakistan is also looking to expand the
industry, with permission granted to another two to three Chinese companies to establish breeding farms and slaughterhouses in Gwadar. The opportunity is being driven largely by demand for ejiao, which is produced from collagen extracted by boiling donkey skins. The compound is commonly used in China as a blood tonic to treat anaemia and is also used for immunity, sleep and cosmetic purposes. An estimated 2.3 million to 4.8 million donkeys are slaughtered annually for their hides to produce ejiao, according to a 2023 US Congressional Research Service report cited by Bloomberg. The report estimated the Chinese market for the traditional medicine at around $7.8 billion in 2021. However, China's own donkey population has fallen as millions of animals are slaughtered each year, pushing buyers to seek alternative supplies from overseas markets. Africa had emerged as a major source, but the African Union endorsed a continentwide moratorium on donkey slaughter for skins and related exports in 2024 amid con-
cerns over declining populations. A June 2025 report by animal welfare organisation Brooke estimated Africa's donkey population could halve to around 14 million by 2040 if the ban on the skin trade is not enforced. Chinese buyers are consequently exploring supplies from countries including Pakistan, Brazil and Australia. Pakistan had previously restricted donkey hide exports after authorities discovered cases in which donkey meat was being passed off as beef and mutton in some cities. The restriction was lifted a decade later through a commerce ministry notification, paving the way for exports to China. Pakistan's donkey population exceeded 6 million in 2025, according to the Pakistan Economic Survey, providing a potential supply base for an industry centred on an animal traditionally used for transport and agricultural work. Hangeng began developing its Pakistan facility six years ago and has invested about $50 million so far. Its operations employ nine Chinese managers and around 500
local workers across slaughtering, packaging and transportation. Operations were briefly suspended in May because of bureaucratic hurdles before resuming following government approvals. The company currently sources donkeys from 11 suppliers, with individual animals tagged for traceability, and eventually plans
FBR teams to visit markets nationwide to register traders under Asaan Tax Scheme PROFIT STAFF REPORT
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials and representatives of trade organisations will jointly visit markets across all four provinces to facilitate and register shopkeepers under the Asaan Tax Scheme. The strategy was agreed during a review meeting on the scheme chaired by Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, as the government seeks to accelerate its
implementation and broaden trader participation. Under the plan, local trader representatives and FBR field officers will coordinate schedules for visits to designated markets, where shopkeepers will be provided on-site registration facilities. Trader representatives and tax officials will also jointly formulate strategies for providing registration facilities in markets falling within their respective areas. The meeting reviewed the performance of Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) and Corporate Tax Offices
(CTOs) in implementing the scheme. Senior officials from RTOs and CTOs across the country participated through video link and briefed the meeting on progress in their jurisdictions. Feedback received from traders regarding the scheme was also reviewed. Kayani said implementation would be continuously monitored and announced another review meeting for next week to assess progress. He said the first official registration plate under the Asaan Tax Scheme had been installed in Islamabad, while plates
would be installed at the shops of registered traders across the country from Thursday. The minister said the scheme had been introduced in response to demands from the business community and was intended to make tax compliance easier for traders while broadening the country’s tax base. The meeting was attended by trade leaders Ajmal Baloch and Kashif Chaudhry, FBR Member Inland Revenue Operations Zubair Bilal, senior tax officials, chief commissioners and officials from the Islamabad and Rawalpindi RTOs.
Govt orders fuel stations to be paid within 24 hours as nationwide relief rollout begins PROFIT STAFF REPORT
The federal government has directed that payments to fuel stations under the Prime Minister’s Special Relief Scheme be settled within 24 hours through the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), while provinces have been instructed to complete districtlevel outreach as the subsidised fuel programme rolls out nationwide from midnight Wednesday to Thursday. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign
Minister Ishaq Dar issued the directions while chairing the ninth meeting of the National Steering Committee on Fuel Subsidy, which reviewed preparations for the nationwide launch following a pilot in Islamabad. The scheme covers motorcycles, three-wheelers and vehicles of up to 800cc, including loaders and pick-ups, with the federal government bearing the entire cost. Registration has opened nationwide through SMS to 9771, while redemption of fuel tokens will begin at midnight be-
tween Wednesday and Thursday. Dar directed that payments owed to fuel stations be settled within 24 hours through the SBP to support smooth implementation of the scheme. Provinces were also asked to complete outreach at the district level to ensure relief reaches the intended beneficiaries without disruption. In a separate meeting on the scheme’s administrative follow-up, Dar stressed that the registration process should remain simple and accessible and directed authorities to ensure effective
public outreach and smooth implementation at petrol stations. Elected representatives were asked to disseminate information about the programme and assist with registration, while volunteers from the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme are also to be engaged for outreach and registration. Officials informed the meeting that the scheme was already operational in Islamabad and would be extended across Pakistan at 11:59 pm on September 16, 2026.
to expand its supply network to 50 farms. It has exported five containers of donkey meat and hides so far, with its first shipment reaching China's Tianjin port in June after Pakistan approved exports. Hangeng also plans to move into donkey breeding and establish a laboratory before eventually expanding into seafood exports.
Qatar visa-on-arrival facility for Pakistanis halted, Hayya applications face months-long delays PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
Pakistani nationals are reporting that Qatar has stopped issuing visas on arrival and that applications submitted through the Hayya portal have remained pending for months, although Pakistan’s Foreign Office says it has received no formal notification of any restrictions from Doha, Business Recorder reported. Numerous applicants have complained about delays and said they approached the Foreign Office but did not receive a satisfactory response. The reported restrictions are also affecting Pakistanis seeking Finnish residence permits, as applicants are required to undergo in-person identity and biometric verification at the VFS Global Visa Application Centre in Doha. Foreign Office sources said Pakistan had not received any formal communication from the Qatari government and that the reported restrictions could therefore not yet be officially described by Islamabad as a notified visa ban Senior officials, however, said the matter would be taken up with Qatari authorities through diplomatic channels to determine the nature of the reported restrictions and whether any temporary changes had been made to visa processing During the Foreign Office’s last briefing, the spokesperson denied that Qatar had imposed a visa ban on Pakistani nationals, noting that countries determine their visa policies according to their national interests.
ADb urges Pakistan to cut guarantee reliance in future Panda bonds, link issuances to reforms PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
Makkah pact has 'no regional aspirations', intended for collective deterrence: DG ISPR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
He replied that there was nothing in the pact that stated that it was a Muslim alliance, adding that it was an alliance for regional stability. “It is not a club that is being made for only Muslim countries,” he said, adding that decisions on its expansion would be taken by the leadership of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. “This agreement, this alliance, can always encompass new, willing partners who also believe in regional peace, stability and security, [and] who have a shared vision of non-aggression, non-interference and collective deterrence. “But that’s for the leadership of these three countries to decide; the how and when part,” he elaborated. The joint defence pact was signed on Aug 7 and provides that an attack on one member state would be treated as an attack on all. Its inaugural meeting was held in Istanbul on Aug 31, where it was decided that Pakistan would initially head the alliance’s secretariat for three years. Since its signing, there has been conversation about the possibility of its expansion, with Türkiye initially suggesting the possibility of Egypt’s inclusion. Though there has been no confirmation from Cairo. From Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar clarified soon after the signing that the pact was defensive in nature, with the latter saying that it was also “open to any country in the region” willing to uphold its fundamental principles. However, when Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjah Haider Khan was asked about the possibility of the pact’s expansion during a weekly media briefing last week, he said that an expansion was
not on the cards at that point. The three countries first needed to solidify the new organisation before considering opening it to other states with similar threat perceptions and requirements, he explained. US-IRAN MEDIATION AND PAKISTAN'S ‘UNIQUE POSITION’” During the interview, Lt Gen Chaudhry was also asked about Pakistan’s efforts to mediate between the United States and Iran and whether the Makkah Defence Alliance complicated Islamabad’s position towards Tehran. Lt Gen Chaudhry replied such was not the case, adding that the alliance was based on decades-old strategic ties. “This alliance is a formalisation of that strategic relationship in a peculiar environment,” he said, reiterating that the pact was based on collective deterrence. The defence pact, he said, had no offensive or aggressive element and was purely defensive in nature. Asked why Pakistan had opted to play the role of a mediator in the ongoing Middle East conflict that began with USIsraeli strikes on Iran in February, he succinctly stated, “For regional peace.” Lt Gen Chaudhry then added that stability stemmed from peace and Pakistan was a proponent of peace in the region. Moreover, he continued, Pakistan had a “unique position” in this case because of its policy of alignment and engagement with countries across the world. Hence, it could play the role of an “objective arbiter of peace and an honest broker of peace”. To a question about progress on the mediation front and towards a settlement, Lt Gen Chaudhry explained that one of the prerequisites of good mediation was remaining objective and neutral. “So it’s not for us as a mediator to start commenting on things that are hap-
pening or that are bound to happen,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s political and military leadership had been reaching out to all the parties so that “better sense prevails and, instead of a military solution, we come to a negotiated outcome of this very complex situation”. Watson then pointed to the possibility of the US and Iran rejecting Pakistan’s proposal and asked whether Islamabad was prepared to continue its mediation in that case. Lt Gen Chaudhry replied, “Is there any other way of resolving this conflict other than [through] mediation? Is there any other desirable way of doing that?” He stressed the need for a “negotiated, peaceful outcome”, adding that those who could mediate objectively and sincerely between the two sides must continue their efforts. Asked whether Pakistan was concerned about the conflict spilling over towards its western frontiers, Lt Gen Chaudhry answered that as far as Pakistan’s borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty were concerned, “we are very confident and very self-reliant on our security”. There were always concerns of any conflict spiralling horizontally or vertically, he said, adding that not just Pakistan, but the entire world at large was feeling the impact of the conflict. He said, “So, there are [always] concerns in multiple domains, but Pakistan is fully confident in its ability to address any nefarious designs that may arise from this situation.” Asked whether Pakistan aimed to become a regional mediator or was simply trying to prevent a regional war from reaching its own doorstep, Lt Gen Chaudhry said, “Pakistan is interested in regional peace and stability, because peace and stability are essential for development, for human development, for
prosperity and for the citizens of Pakistan and the region.” And if the “mediation is for peace, […] and we’ll always be there”. Prospects of dialogue with India: Watson then came to the brief military conflict between Pakistan and India in May last year and asked what lessons Pakistan’s military had learned from the episode. Lt Gen Chaudhry replied that what was more important were the lessons Pakistan and its military taught during that conflict. He said that a military conflict between two nuclear countries, especially neighbours, was “out of question”. “It’s a sheer, I would say, a sort of mad idea,” he said, adding that Pakistan also showed that India made a “strategic folly” in May last year. Asked whether he believed India had learned that lesson, Lt Gen Chaudhry replied it was for the Indian side to answer. “Our job in Pakistan is to keep on reminding them of that lesson,” he said, adding that the other side had a “hubristic mindset” and the Indian military was “deeply politicised”. In India, he continued, there was a propensity of externalising their internal problems, giving the example of minorities facing oppression. On the other hand, he said, there was the Kashmir issue, which was an “external problem” that New Delhi wanted to “internalise through repression”. The military’s spokesperson added that Pakistan continued to give out the message to India that it believed in “peace on equal terms” and that it was a rational and objective player. Pakistan believes in regional peace, but if India has any “misconceptions about [imposing] regional hegemony through military aggression, results of that would be beyond their imagination," he warned.
Pakistan should embed its Sustainable Financing Framework (SFF) into the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), gradually reduce reliance on multilateral guarantees and tie future Panda Bond issuances to verifiable sector reforms, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has recommended. The recommendations follow Pakistan’s inaugural CNY 1.75 billion ($258 million) Panda Bond, which attracted CNY 8.8 billion in investor orders — more than five times the issue size — after its issuance on May 15, 2026. In its brief, “Financing Sustainable Infrastructure in Pakistan: Leveraging Panda Bond, Partial Credit Guarantees, and Sector Reforms”, the ADB said the transaction had opened another financing channel for Pakistan and could provide a foundation for subsequent issuances linked to reforms The three-year bond carried a 2.5% coupon and an estimated all-in funding cost of 3.22%. It was backed by guarantees from the ADB and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), covering up to 95% of the bond amount and enabling it to secure a domestic AAA rating in China. The ADB guarantees approximately $140 million equivalent of principal plus its share of accrued interest, while AIIB covers up to $110 million of principal and its corresponding share of interest. According to the ADB, Pakistan’s standalone sovereign credit profile was insufficient to reach the targeted institutional investor base in China’s onshore market, making the credit enhancement necessary for the AAA rating.
04 COMMENT
From diplomatic solidarity to practical connectivity
Thursday, 17 September, 2026
Austerity measures
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The oil shock has become too great to be dealt with by a daily price change
HE daily fixing of fuel prices does not seem to have had any impact on consumption, However, it has meant the government has been able to sugarcoat an unfortunate reality: that the price of fuel is going through the roof. This is not because of any fault of the government, but is the result of the increasing global price, which is bad enough because of the closure of the Hormuz Strait, but now because the Houthis in Yemen have control of the Bab alMandab strait where the Red Sea debouches into the Arabian Sea. Because of that, Saudi Arabian crude has become unavailable, in particular to Pakistan, which had regarded this route as a lifeline saving it from the sort of shortages that were feared in March, when the Hormuz Strait was closed. Now the prospect of shortages has once again emerged. The daily fix will not matter if there is no fuel at the pump. That the government is unsure seems to be shown by the apparently contradictory statements of Information Minister Ataullah Tarar, who said on Monday that the austerity measures lifted in June, except for market timings, could be revived. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary said on Tuesday that there was no plan for a lockdown. There is no smoke without fire, but it is clear that the government needs to do something. There seem to be two aspects to the problem. One is the price of fuel, and the other is consumption. The government has started to tackle the price of fuel by subsidizing the price. All that can be done is to increase the subsidy. The subsidy has to remain within the bounds prescribed by the IMF. Such measures as reduction of fuel allowances for official vehicles and cuts in salary lead to savings which are used for the subsidy. As for consumption, such steps as switching to online teaching so that schools can be closed, workfrom-home for both public and private sectors and market timings may need to be brought back. The problem is that most of the necessary measures have too long a lead time to be effective. To take just one example, there cannot be an immediate switch to ebikes, though it would make a major difference. Even solarization can be speeded up, but probably not faster than at present. The future may be bleak, but it has to be faced.
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Pakistan-Malaysia relations
Yusra sarwar
AKISTAN and Malaysia have enjoyed strong diplomatic relations throughout history. But this diplomatic solidarity is translating into strong people-to-people connectivity. Despite the regime changes, a tilt towards Pakistan is witnessed in the foreign policy of Malaysia. From taking the side of Pakistan on the Kashmir issue in the United Nations General Assembly in 2019, to forming a joint working group on the recent visit of Malaysian Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to Islamabad in August 2026, the bond can be seen clearly. While meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and later on with President Asif Ali Zardari, the Malaysian Home Affairs Minister agreed to jointly work on security, pledged to deepen intelligence-sharing against terrorist and narcotics networks, committed to joint action against human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and agreed to expand cooperation between Pakistan’s National Police Academy and the Royal Malaysia Police College. Coast guard cooperation, cybercrime prevention, and immigration management all found their way onto the agenda. The cooperation witnessed at the diplomatic level is turning towards technical domains including trafficking, narcotics control, cybercrime, and coast guard training. While discussing terrorism and trafficking, both ministers turned to tourism and visa facilitation during their visit, a sign that Islamabad and Kuala Lumpur see people-to-people movement as inseparable from security cooperation, not a distraction from it. Malaysia’s engagement with Pakistan reflects a combination of shared Islamic identity, historical goodwill, and pragmatic diplomatic interests. Moreover, when India reduced its palm oil purchases from Malaysia, Pakistan stepped up and increased its palm oil imports. A small gesture, yet a loaded one. Although Malaysia also maintains good relations with India, a tilt towards its Muslim brotherhood is clearly visible in Malaysia’s foreign policy. In October 2024, as well when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited Pakistan, he reaffirmed Malaysia’s support for the relevant UN resolutions on Kashmir even as the two countries expanded cooperation across trade, agriculture, education, defence and tourism. Moreover, both leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to the formation of the Malaysia-Pakistan Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (MPCEPA). This was the first free trade agreement between Malaysia and a South Asian country and remains one of the most comprehensive agreements Pakistan has signed. Under this agreement, both countries agreed to promote their trade and invest-
Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
Are we at the mercy of digital media? M. A. Niazi
Babar Nizami
Editor Pakistan Today
Editor Profit
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Coming to grips with a new responsibility Nishwa Tasavvar
N Pakistan today, a rumour does not need a news room, a microphone or even a credible source. It needs a cell phone, a provocative caption and a few thousand willing forwards. A shaky clip from a market, a school, a hospital corridor or a traffic dispute can get a verdict before it gets context. WhatsApp groups are buzzing, Facebook pages are passing judgment and X is providing outrage by the bucketload within minutes. Before the facts have had a chance to put their shoes on, the story has already crossed cities, languages and even countries. That’s the bigger problem. Digital media democratized information but collapsed the distance between witnessing and understanding something. In a context where speed beats verification, Pakistan is not merely consuming news differently; it is increasingly allowing fragments, captions and algorithms to decide what counts as truth.We have handed ourselves the most powerful broadcasting system in human history without teaching ourselves how to use it. The commercial launch of the internet in Pakistan occurred in the mid-1990s. In August 1995, Digicom began providing online internet services from Karachi, touted as the first commercial online internet link in Pakistan. The social-web age was turbocharged worldwide by the introduction of Facebook in 2004, YouTube in 2005, and Twitter in 2006. Three decades later, Pakistan with a population of around 256 million has about 117 million internet users and nearly 80 million social media user identities. Access shot in advance. Literacy has not kept up. It is an apt, if uncomfortable, analogy, like giving a child a knife to play with while the adults are busy elsewhere. In this digital household, the “parents” are not the biological parents. That includes the state and regulators, schools and universities, newsrooms and platforms and eventually every citizen with a smartphone. Other societies have started to treat online harm as a public policy, rather than just a policing, problem. Under the European Union’s Digital Services Act, platforms are liable for systemic risks and minors benefit from special protection. Britain’s Online Safety Act places child-risk assessments and safety duties on platforms Australia is now forcing the major social-media sites to prevent under-16s from having accounts. The models are debatable, but they represent an important principle: digital access needs to be accompanied by digital responsibility.
Pakistan has also legislated. PECA, including its amendments of 2025, and it contains provisions on unlawful and false online content and online safety. But regulation alone cannot make judgment. Rights groups have also expressed serious concern that vague “fake news” provisions can put legitimate expression at risk. A democracy cannot choose between misinformation and censorship. It must learn to fight the former without normalising the latter. The missing bridge is media and information literacy. UNESCO and Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission have collaborated on a draft Media and Information Literacy course for university media programs, while a national dialog in 2025 proposed the integration of such education from primary through tertiary level. This needs to move from workshop discussion to classroom reality. Every university student, not just a journalism major, should learn how to verify sources, how to reverse-image and video
A smartphone has made each of us a publisher. It is time we acquired the ethics of one. Pakistan’s digital reputation will not be protected by silence. It will be protected by citizens who know the difference between seeing something and knowing what happened.
Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965
ment in education, tourism, palm oil, agriculture, and defence cooperation. Malaysia and Pakistan enjoy a moderate level of tourism. Despite having a history of diplomatic relations, this area remains underexplored. Although Malaysia received over 25 million international tourists in 2024 and is chasing 47 million for its “Visit Malaysia 2026” campaign, Pakistan barely registers as a source market in its published breakdowns, which are dominated by Singapore, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Brunei and increasingly India. Pakistan does not appear among Malaysia’s top ten source markets in any recent official release. Pakistani travel to Malaysia has grown steadily; arrivals rose 45 percent in 2019 to cross 97,000 in just eleven months, and Malaysian officials have since flagged Pakistan as a market they want to cultivate for family and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) travel. Malaysian Consul General Harun Hadiyanata has assumed that around 150,000 Pakistani tourists are expected to visit Malaysia in 2026. Among the top tourist destinations in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Genting Highlands, Putrajaya and Langkawi top the chart. But Malaysia rarely stands alone on the Pakistani traveller’s map. Due to regional pricing, visa ease, and flight connectivity, Pakistanis also travel to neighboring Southeast Asian nations like Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia. On the contrary, the flow is moderate as well. Pakistan’s own inbound tourism is minimal. Foreign tourist arrivals collapsed after 2013 and have never fully recovered. Afghanistan and the United Kingdom are among the top countries coming to Pakistan rather than any ASEAN state, particularly Malaysia. The numbers that show up from Malaysians are the trekking groups travelling to Gilgit-Baltistan’s Hunza and Skardu valleys, Naran-Kaghan, and Swat. The reason Pakistan is not among the top 10 tourist destinations in Malaysia is terrorism and security threats, especially after 2014. Moreover, the attacks on Chinese labourers in the Balochistan belt also reduced the chances of Gwadar Port and the province of Balochistan becoming a top tourist des-
tination. Moreover, there are no direct low-cost flight routes between the two countries, which reduces the selection of either country as a tourist spot. Pakistan’s hospitality infrastructure remains weak, with no properly developed hotels, roads, or safety measures. Lastly, the projection of Pakistani tourism is also very low on social media, giving a lesser fraction of people knowledge regarding Pakistan’s culture, traditions, and rich history that can attract them. Pakistan also doesn’t offer e-Visa or visa-on-arrival services to Malaysians, which cuts the ties between the people. A solution to this bilateral tourism issue can be found if ASEAN member states, including Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia, advance to a “one-visa-fits-all” scheme. This scheme will be modelled on Europe’s Schengen system, which would let outside visitors move across the bloc on a single travel document. If this scheme materialises, it will make Southeast Asia dramatically more attractive to Pakistani travellers who already tend to combine Malaysia with Thailand and Singapore in one trip. It also hands Islamabad a natural diplomatic opening. Pakistan should be lobbying now, through its warm relationship with Kuala Lumpur, for early inclusion of Pakistani travellers as an eligible or fast-tracked nationality once the scheme launches, rather than waiting to apply for access after the fact. Additionally, the two countries can offer each other a multiple-entry visa system which can further attract both communities to explore each other’s land. Given how much political capital both capitals have already invested in framing this as a “fraternal” relationship rooted in “shared faith and mutual respect,” it would be a modest but overdue step to match the rhetoric with something a Malaysian backpacker or a Pakistani family can actually use at an airport counter. Pakistan and Malaysia do not lack goodwill. What they lack is the unglamorous connective tissue: a system of direct flights, marketing budgets, and above all, easier visas that turns diplomatic solidarity into the kind of everyday movement of people that makes a relationship durable rather than merely symbolic.
The author is a Researcher at the Consortium for Asia Pacific and Eurasian Studies (CAPES).
Pakistan and Malaysia do not lack goodwill. What they lack is the unglamorous connective tissue: a system of direct flights, marketing budgets, and above all, easier visas that turns diplomatic solidarity into the kind of everyday movement of people that makes a relationship durable rather than merely symbolic.
check, how to spot manipulated media, how to understand algorithmic amplification, how to distinguish between misinformation and disinformation, how to ethically share, how to understand privacy, and how to understand the difference between an allegation and an established fact. Then the “society of the spectacle” of Guy Debord: public life more and more consumed through images and dramatic representations. Add to that what psychologists call morbid curiosity, our evident willingness to seek out information that involves violence, death and harm. and we have a potent form of drama-driven news consumption. Worse, repetition is capable of substituting for proof. In a 2023 study in the journal Cognition, Valentina Vellani and colleagues found that repeated misinformation was rated as more accurate and more likely to be shared, the illusory truth effect. Sometimes a claim doesn’t need better evidence to be believable, it just needs to be heard enough times. Kuran and Sunstein’s idea of an ‘availability cascade’ explains how a perception can become more and more credible by being repeated and appearing to be widely believed. The more people hear and repeat the claim, the more its exposure can begin to replace evidence. In the digital-diplomacy age, a domestic clip can be turned into an international narrative within minutes.Hostile information actors can benefit a lot from selective amplification, missing context and emotionally charged framing, and they do not even need to invent every story.This does not mean hiding embarrassing incidents so as to “protect Pakistan’s image”. That would be propaganda not love of country. Accountability enhances credibility. It is our job to separate accountability from theatrics. So set aside for a moment party loyalties and institutional reflexes. Before you post that next explosive clip, ask yourself: Who recorded it? What had happened before? Do you have a longer version? Has a reputable newsroom vetted it? Are we sharing evidence or just our anger? A smartphone has made each of us a publisher. It is time we acquired the ethics of one. Pakistan’s digital reputation will not be protected by silence. It will be protected by citizens who know the difference between seeing something and knowing what happened. The writer is a freelance columnist
Editor’s mail
Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively
Tax evasion by design
FOR decades, successive federal governments have failed to meet revenue targets. It is the failure of the paid bureaucracy that has facilitated tax evasion by retailers, wholesalers, real estate investors and large-scale manufacturers, among others. The resultant burden is passed on to the people. A state that cannot enforce financial and administrative discipline within its paid or elected public office-holders is bound to suffer from within. We must remember the admission by a former federal finance minister that he was prevailed upon by a powerful politician from Punjab to go lenient on retailers, which basically meant facilitating tax evasion. The conflict of interest prevailing behind the powerful real estate mafia has held the country hostage. As for the annual foreign remittances valued at over $40 billion, this cannot be claimed by the federal government as an achievement. It represents the commitment of overseas Pakistanis to their families living here, and their love and devotion to them. In effect, there is no semblance of austerity visible at all in the working of either federal or provincial governments. MALIK TARIQ ALI LAHORE
Gas crisis grips Balochistan, again
THE shortage of gas has disrupted daily life across Balochistan. Families struggle to cook meals, heat their homes, and have access to hot water during freezing temperatures. The situation is particularly serious for farmers and rural communities that depend on gas for both domestic use and agricultural activities. Many households are forced to turn to costly alternatives. Local businesses and small industries suffer from irregular gas supply, leading to reduced productivity, closures and rising unemployment. Moreover, the widespread use of unsafe heating and cooking methods has increased the risk of fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. This crisis underscores the urgent need for improved infrastructure, fair distribution policies and transparent resource management. FATIMA IMAM SINGANISAR
Noise choking city streets
THE blaring of loudspeakers and illegally modified silencers of motorcycles and rickshaws really make life unbearable. For residents living along main roads, this has become a curse. Children struggle to study, patients cannot rest, and ordinary people are denied even the most basic right to peace. I have tried to raise this issue more than a few times through the Chief Minister Punjab Complaint Portal, but all these complaints have yielded no tangible results. The silence of the authorities stands in sharp contrast to the deafening noise we are forced to endure daily. DURRESHEHWAR DERA GHAZI KHAN
Music for unity
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Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
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THE youth of Parachinar have recently produced a song promoting peace, love and harmony in their region. These young people have chosen music as a way to send a message of unity and hope. Such initiatives show the peace-loving nature of our youth. This way, young people are not only serving their native place and thus the country. Sadly, efforts like these often go unnoticed and unsupported. The government should encourage these youths and provide them a proper platform to exhibit their talent. Supporting positive voices is one of the strongest ways to promote long-term peace and stability. SIBT-E-ALI TURI PARACHINAR
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COMMENT 05
Is signing of RELOS superannuation of LEMOA? Thursday, 17 September, 2026
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Russian-origin equipment that forms a large Changing the regional dynamic part of India’s arsenal; (iii) Infrastructure
AzfAr BilAl Qureshi
N April India announced that, in January 2025 it had signed the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support (RELOS) military agreement with Russia. RELOS, which, amongst other provisions, allows the two countries to station 3,000 ground troops, naval warships, and military aircraft on each other’s territory. This unprecedented agreement is not just a competitor of the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) that India signed with the US in August 2016; it is more potent, as it gives Russia a military foothold in the Indian Ocean Region. Similarly, it provides India access along the coastal, East European and Southern regions of Russia. RELOS was kept under wraps. It remained under negotiations for eight years, as reported by Aljazeera on April 24. According to the Kremlin’s Presidential website, the agreement was ratified by Russia in December 2025 and came into force in January 2026. India found it opportune to announce the agreement and its details while the USA was preoccupied in war with Iran. Due to the timing of the release of the news, it is being seen as India’s attempt to settle scores with the USA, for the treatment meted out to it. Measures against India by Trump 2.0 included curb on purchase of oil from Russia and the imposition of heavy trade tariffs (25%+25%) that were later reduced. President Trump also dubbed India as a “HELLHOLE” and labelled Indian diaspora in the US as “gangsters with laptops.” India has also been described as a “good actor” for refraining from purchase of Russian oil when ordered to do so. According to the Kremlin, the purpose of the agreement is to “define the procedure for the deployment of military formations, port calls by warships, and the use of airspace and airfield infrastructure by military aircraft of both parties.” The Presidential website elaborated that the “RELOS establishes a framework for logistical cooperation between the two militaries, marking a notable development in their longstanding defence relationship.” This agreement primarily focuses on four specific areas: (i) Personnel and Hardware, allowing each country to station up to 3,000 troops, along with five warships and 10 military aircraft, on the other’s territory; (ii) Technical Services that allow for refuelling, repairs and maintenance. It could facilitate support for
Support which includes naval access, port facilities and basic supplies such as food and water, while air operations are supported by air traffic control, navigation assistance and aircraft security; and (iv) Joint Operations, which will enable cross-training as well as cooperation on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions. Andrey Kortunov, Director General of Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), talking about RELOS in Moscow on April 23, underscored that “it gives both sides unrestricted access to the partner’s infrastructure and provides for reciprocal limited military presence on each other’s territory.” He added that the agreement “enhances power projection and military outreach capabilities for the two sides.” The pact marks a historic shift for India, as it is the first time that New Delhi has allowed a foreign military to station personnel on its soil. When India signed four Foundational Agreements with the USA, it was viewed as a historic shift in India’s stance towards global power politics and its relationship with the USA. These include General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) signed in 2002; Logistic Exchange Memorandum Agreement (LEMOA) signed in 2016; Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) signed in 2018; and the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Intelligence (BECA) signed in 2020. The signing of these agreements was considered as bringing India and the USA closer, giving India technological, real time digital data and informational edge over its neighbours in the region. For the USA these agreements provided greater inroads into the Indian defence establishment. At the same time these agreements opened up India’s defence market for the sale of US weapons. The USA also granted India Strategic Trade Authorization Tier 1 (STA-1) status in July 2018, which gave India licence-free access
to sensitive US military technologies. Under its “Indo-Pacific Strategy” the USA projected India as the “net security provider” in the region and a counterweight to China. While GSOMIA, COMCASA and BECA agreements are technical and informational in nature, LEMOA covers physical aspects of cooperation related to joint exercises along with related financial settlement and logistic support. It however does not include stationing of military forces and offensive weapons in each other’s territory. Thus, it is exclusively logistical in nature. Unlike LEMOA, RELOS is not constrained to provide exclusively logistical support. It includes deployment of potent tri-service combined armed forces in each other’s territory, with no restrictions on stationing offensive military assets. RELOS carries global implications for the USA as the agreement provides Russia a significant long-term military presence in the IOR, including naval and air assets. It is an
unprecedented development in the IOR’s power matrix. Through RELOS, Russia can directly project power in a geopolitically and geoeconomically significant area dominated by the US and other Western and regional naval powers. The presence of Russian forces and its strategic assets in the IOR will create a dilemma for the USA, NATO and allied states in the region, when seen in the backdrop of the Russo-US rivalry, developments in the Middle East and Western support for Ukraine. The agreement is equally significant for India, as it offers an opportunity for New Delhi to establish military presence beyond the IOR. Under the agreement, scope of reciprocal deployment for Indian forces extends from the Arctic Ocean and Northwestern Europe to Bering Strait and Pacific Ocean. It can also establish military presence along the northern periphery of Central Asian states and thus compensate for the loss of Ayni Air Force base in Tajikistan, where India stationed its forces from 2002 to
The introduction of the Russian factor to the IOR, a region already in the grip of global geopolitical and geo-economic contestation, will render a new dimension to the IOR and South Asian region. Regional countries, including Pakistan, must therefore microscopically monitor further developments as RELOS is implemented and its implications begin to unfold for the region and beyond.
2022. More importantly, it will act as a symbolic display of India’s “Strategic Autonomy” and keep India’s geopolitical and geostrategic options open for accruing maximum benefits by pitting global powers against each other. RELOS agreement is a clear indication of India’s decision to remain aligned with Russia. The decision is already having a serious impact on bilateral strategic relations between the USA and India and the US IndoPacific Strategy. In June 2026 the USA announced redesignation of US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) to US Pacific Command (USPACOM). Secondly, on the sidelines of Shangri-La Dialogue on May 31, the US Secretary of War, Pete Hagseth met with the Defence Ministers of QUAD member states (US, Australia, Japan and Philippines). However, no Quad meeting was planned in spite of the fact that Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was also attending the event, nor any bilateral ministerial level meeting was held between the USA and India. The introduction of the Russian factor to the IOR, a region already in the grip of global geopolitical and geo-economic contestation, will render a new dimension to the IOR and South Asian region. Regional countries, including Pakistan, must therefore microscopically monitor further developments as RELOS is implemented and its implications begin to unfold for the region and beyond.
must escape its Who will stop the Houthis? America humiliation in the Middle Iran’s proxy militia is threatening to block Saudi oil exports from the Red Sea
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There are now risks all around, but the biggest is if the world concludes that Iran and the Houthis are defeating Mr. Trump, the US and its Middle Eastern allies
WALL STREET JOURNAL
RESIDENT Trump may want to forget about the war in the Middle East before the midterm elections, but the war hasn’t forgotten about him. The advances by Iran’s Houthi proxies in Yemen and the Red Sea region are raising the stakes of the Iran war beyond the Strait of Hormuz. Will anyone stop them? The militant group, apparently mobilized by its patrons in Tehran, has moved swiftly in recent days to take territory along the Red Sea coast in Yemen. On Tuesday the Houthis captured a pair of islands near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a Red Sea chokepoint into the Gulf of Aden. That followed their seizure of Perim Island and the port of Mokha. This threatens Saudi Arabia’s strategy of dodging the risks of passage in the Strait of Hormuz by exporting its oil via its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The Houthis say they want to block Saudi-linked ships in the Red Sea. The East-West pipeline last week was closed for repairs after a drone attack by Iraqi militia allied with Iran. That has caused oil prices to spike in recent days, with Brent crude exceeding $108 a barrel on Tuesday. Chevron CEO Mike Wirth foresees months of declining oil reserves and depleting global stocks. The point is that what happens in the Red Sea affects the rest of the world. The U.S. has blockaded Iran’s ports. And Iran hasn’t been able to stop the U.S. Navy from safely escorting some oil tankers through Hormuz, so it has tasked the Houthis to expand the war. Most threatened are the Saudis, who support the government in Yemen against the Houthis. If it can’t export oil, the Kingdom will have to shut in wells that can take a long time to restart. Houthi Red Sea dominance also poses major risks to Israel, which has had to defend its cities against Houthi missiles. With Hamas to the west, Hezbollah to the north, and Iran to the east, Israel doesn’t want an expanded threat to the south. Houthi control over Bab al-Mandab is also a threat to Egypt, which earns as much as 2% of its GDP from Red Sea transit fees. Those fees have fallen as security risks have increased, and that has hurt an already strained government fisc. The Middle East doesn’t need political unrest caused by economic hardship in Cairo. All of this argues for a regional military response to the Houthis, but who will lead it? Saudi Arabia spends $70 billion a year
East before it is too late
As oil prices skyrocket, the world’s greatest superpower must see it has been bullied and banjaxed by a badly mauled Iran and a few Houthi fighters – staying in this fight will only bring disaster
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editoriAl BoArd
on defense and has a capable air force. But it can’t defeat the Houthis alone or merely from the air. Retaking the strategic islands and ports will require ground troops. A combined Israel-Saudi operation would be more formidable, and such cooperation might further Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s longtime goal of having Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords. It also might help his chances in Israel’s late-October elections. The coalition would be even stronger if skittish Egypt lent its manpower to the fight. This carries risk of an expanded war, but then Iran and the Houthis are already expanding it. The question is whether the Houthis will be allowed to get away with it. Such a coalition is more likely if the U.S. signals its diplomatic and military support. Mr. Trump wants to downplay the
war’s impact in the runup to the U.S. election. But Americans can see the impact in gasoline and energy prices every day. A Houthi blockade of Saudi oil could cause further price spikes, and even more election harm for Republicans. Wars are unpredictable, and the enemy isn’t obliged to cooperate. With his concessions to win a ceasefire in April, Mr. Trump thought he could get Iranian acquiescence. Vice President JD Vance said Iran’s leaders are “a much different group of people” for whom “something has fundamentally transformed.” Instead the hard men of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its allies have escalated. There are now risks all around, but the biggest is if the world concludes that Iran and the Houthis are defeating Mr. Trump, the U.S. and its Middle Eastern allies. Someone needs to stop the Houthis.
The author retired from the Pakistan Army as a lieutenant colonel
INDEPENDENT, UK editoriAl
ONALD Trump has again claimed that an end to his war with Iran is within reach. But, not for the first time, the notion has been rapidly debunked. Indeed, the rapid advance of Houthi rebel forces, so that they can tighten their grip on oil supplies moving through the Red Sea, is evidence that the conflict is spreading and intensifying. The group, closely linked to Tehran, has swept through southern Yemen. This is drawing Saudi Arabia into renewing its long and merciless battle with the Houthis that ended, uneasily, in stalemate a few years ago. The possibility of all-out direct war between Iran and Saudi Arabia, turning the regional Shia-Sunni schism into one of geopolitical consequence, is one of the many “nightmare scenarios” that are now perilously close to coming to pass. Others include clashes between European powers and Russia, simmering Sino-American tensions and the rivalry between Israel and Iran, which has already erupted. AI and climate change only add an additional terrifying backdrop to the bleak picture. The upshot is the price of a barrel of oil is back up above the $100 mark, a gallon of diesel in the US has hit an all-time high of $6 a gallon, the world economy teeters on the brink of recession, and the president himself is staring defeat in the mid-term elections in the face. According to Mr Trump, though, things could hardly be going more to his non-existent plan. His latest social media post on the immediate prospects declares in his usual bombastic style: “The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage – The concept of which we are open to. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” A deal would of course be very welcome for a world economy on the edge of recession. Yet, within a matter of hours, Tehran dismissed his claims. So, far from the government of the Islamic Republic being cowed and disabled by President Trump’s “victory” in a war so obviously not yet over, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, was actually impertinent enough to counter: “The stakes around oil and the straits have changed. Damage control won’t stop what’s coming. No talks until Iran’s conditions are met. Period!”
Mr Rezaei is unfortunately more right than Mr Trump in his assessment of the situation. Talks to open up the Strait of Hormuz have stalled ever since the US-Iran “Memorandum of Understanding” collapsed in July, after less than a month in operation. There have no doubt been many conversations via semi-secret back-channels facilitated by the likes of Oman, but there are as yet no visible signs of progress. Contrary to equally exaggerated claims by Mr Trump, traffic through the Strait is not back to normal. In short, things are getting worse for America, and rather better for Iran and its increasingly active allies in the Houthi rebel movement. The principal routes for the supply of much of the world’s oil, natural gas, and related commodities such as fertilisers and pharmaceutical precursors are more or less firmly under the control of Iran and its proxies – the Strait of Hormuz, the East-West pipeline used by Saudi Arabia as an alternative route to the Red Sea, is being bombed at will, and the shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait is being disrupted. This is the western counterpart to the Strait of Hormuz on the other side of the Arabian peninsula, and it is the gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. This is now being menaced ever more by the Houthis, who’ve made startling advances against their enemies – Yemen and Saudi Arabia, which are occasionally humiliated by these guerrillas. For the first time in this phase of their long-running battles, the Saudi civil defence has had to issue an alert of potential danger to Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest site and a place of huge symbolic significance. That the world’s greatest superpower still finds itself bullied and banjaxed by a badly mauled Iran and a few Houthi fighters armed with pick-up trucks and drones may dismay observers, but it is really no great surprise. It also has many precedents. The Americans are being systematically beaten in an “asymmetrical” never-ending war they cannot win. The same was true in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam. It was during that earlier disaster that the then president Richard Nixon bemoaned such a plight in these terms: “If, when the chips are down, the world’s most powerful nation, the United States of America, acts like a pitiful, helpless giant, the forces of totalitarianism and anarchy will threaten free nations and free institutions throughout the world.” He eventually found, just as Mr Trump is doing now, that the only escape from such a trap is to accept reality, declare “peace with honour”, move on with as much dignity as possible, and try to learn the lessons.
06 NEWS
HOUTHIS CLAIM ATTACK ON ARAMCO FACILITIES IN YANBU, AIRBASE IN KHAMIS MUSHAIT
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SANA'A
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OUTHI military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed on Wednesday that the group had attacked Aramco facilities in Yanbu, as well as an airbase in Khamis Mushait. Earlier, the Houthis said they shot down a Saudi fighter jet, claiming a locally made munition was used to target the warplane, AFP reported. “The Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah’s aid and grace, succeeded in shooting down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet while it was carrying out hostile operations in support of its military mobilisations in the airspace of Marib province, using a locally made air-toair missile,” a spokesman for the Houthis said on social media, while accusing Saudi Arabia of launching 450 strikes. IRAN SAYS IT SHOT DOWN US MQ-9 DRONE OVER QESHM ISLAND Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Wednesday that it shot down an American MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz during the early hours of the morning. In a statement, the IRGC said Iranian air defence systems detected an MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island at 2:29am local time on Tuesday and managed to shoot it down.
Thursday, 17 September 2026 | LAHORE
The statement said the downed aircraft was the 52nd drone of the same type to have been shot down. The US military did not immediately comment on the IRGC’s claim. Houthi drone destroyed near Makkah as Saudi-led coalition warns threats to holy sites are 'red line' Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone said to be launched by Yemen’s Houthi group near Makkah early on Wednesday, according to the Saudi-led coalition. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said the drone was intercepted around 6:50pm local time (2050 PKT) Tuesday before entering restricted airspace, with its wreckage falling south of the city. Al-Malki described the incident as the Houthis’ second attempt to target Mecca, citing a ballistic missile launched toward the city on July 27, 2017. He said the security of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims was a “red line,” vowing that the coalition would take measures to deter further attacks. The incident came a day after the coalition said 13 civilians were injured in missile and drone attacks by the Houthis on Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif, with seven homes and two vehicles damaged. HOUTHI REBELS DENY SAUDI CLAIM OF DRONE ATTACK ON MAKKAH A Houthi official rejected the Saudi-led coalition's report that it had shot down a
drone from the rebels heading towards Makkah, the holiest city in Islam. "The claims about targeting Makkah are a wornout lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone. OIC CONDEMNS 'HEINOUS ATTACKS' ON MAKKAH, MADINAH REGION The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned what it called Houthi attacks on Makkah and the Madinah region, calling them “heinous attacks” intended to “terrorise civilians” and violate the sanctity of holy sites and mosques, according to Al Jazeera. Confrontations between Yemen's internationally recognised government's forces and the Houthis have escalated since early July following years of relative calm. The country has been engulfed in war since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several provinces in 2014 before a Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the government. VANCE SAYS US MIDEAST POLICY CANNOT BE 'SUBSERVIENT' TO ISRAEL US Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that the US does not always agree with Israel, stressing that Washington cannot allow its Middle East foreign policy to be "subservient to the state of Israel." Speaking on the All-In Podcast on YouTube, Vance said that President Donald
Trump acknowledged Israel’s importance as a partner in military technology and intelligence sharing, but he said Washington sometimes disagrees with Israel. Vance said Trump, "more than, frankly, any president in the last 40 years," has shown "a willingness to actually part ways with Bibi Netanyahu when he feels like the interests of the American people are different than the interests of the government of Israel." Pointing to Washington's relationships with NATO members, Vance said the US has
China urges EU to reconsider telecom restrictions BEIJING
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
China on Wednesday urged the European Union to heed calls from within Europe against discriminatory restrictions, warning that proposed changes to the bloc’s Cybersecurity Act could impose heavy costs on its telecommunications industry and undermine digital infrastructure development. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks after 17 senior European telecom executives signed an open letter cautioning that the proposed cybersecurity rules could force companies to replace equipment at a cost of up to €40 billion ($46.1 billion). At a regular press briefing, Guo said the latest appeal from European telecom companies once again demonstrated that the EU’s approach could prove “harmful to others and costly to itself.” The open letter, released on Tuesday by European telecommunications industry group Connect Europe said the proposed revision could compel telecom
operators to replace existing equipment, diverting capital that would otherwise be invested in fibre networks as well as 5G and 6G infrastructure. The signatories included senior executives from some of Europe’s largest telecom companies, including Orange Group of France, Deutsche Telekom of Germany and Telefónica of Spain. Guo said earlier assessments had indicated that the Cybersecurity Act could result in losses of more than €360 billion for the EU over the next five years. “Protectionism will not bring competitiveness,” he said, warning that discriminatory measures could cause Europe to miss opportunities arising from digital transformation, undermine economic and social development, damage its reputation as an open market and weaken foreign investors’ confidence. China hoped the EU would listen to voices of reason from different sectors and refrain from imposing discriminatory restrictions, Guo said. The concerns raised by telecom executives reflect growing unease in European industry cir-
cles over the economic implications of restricting suppliers on security grounds. Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University’s Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times that broad restrictions on telecom suppliers could increase costs, delay network expansion and affect Europe’s technological competitiveness as the bloc seeks to accelerate digital infrastructure development. The proposed revision to the Cybersecurity Act is still being negotiated between the European Parliament and the governments of the EU’s 27 member states. It follows a 2023 initiative by the European Commission urging member states to remove Huawei and ZTE equipment from their mobile networks over security concerns. According to an AFP report, implementation of that push has produced uneven results across the bloc. Jian said the latest intervention by telecom executives indicated that European companies were becoming increasingly con-
cerned about the economic consequences of politicising supplychain decisions in the telecommunications sector. He said the issue also had implications for broader China-EU economic relations, noting that China has repeatedly called for cooperation with Europe based on fairness, openness and mutual benefit. Jian urged the EU to expand practical cooperation with China in telecommunications and digital technology while avoiding the politicisation of supply-chain issues. Such cooperation, he said, could help maintain open markets, contain costs and accelerate digital infrastructure development, benefiting companies and consumers on both sides. The dispute comes against the backdrop of increasingly complex economic and trade relations between China and Europe. Reuters reported on Wednesday that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would use “every possible means” to reduce its trade deficit with China.
South Africa pushes back on US visa curbs PRETORIA
AGENCIES
South Africa on Wednesday hit back at new US visa restrictions over its racial equity policies, accusing the Trump administration of distorting its laws and further straining ties between Washington and one of Africa’s most influential powers. The dispute is the latest front in a broader clash over race, trade and diplomacy that has seen Washington cut aid, impose tariffs, expel South Africa’s ambassador and boycott a G20 summit in Johannesburg, all against the unresolved legacy of white minority rule. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the new visa restrictions would target those who promote “racebased discrimination, incite violence.
"a lot of important relationships, a lot of important partnerships in NATO, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to completely make our European foreign policy subservient to NATO, in the same way that we cannot let our Middle Eastern foreign policy be subservient to the State of Israel.” “We’re going to work with people when we work with them; we’re going to disagree when we disagree. And we’re going to pursue America’s interests. That’s the only way to have a rational foreign policy,” he added.
Saudis pound Yemen as Houthis solidify gains in new theatre of Middle East war RIYADH (AGENCIES): Saudi warplanes pounded Yemen, the Houthis said on Wednesday, as the Iran-backed fighters solidified their gains after a lightning advance that has extended Tehran's reach in the Middle East war and further disrupted global oil supplies. In a sign of the worsening conflict in a new theatre, the United States tightened its travel warning for
Saudi Arabia, banning government employees from travelling within 20 miles of the Yemen border. The Houthis, who since last week have swept through Yemeni towns along the Red Sea coast and seized islands in the Bab el-Mandeb strait at its mouth, released battlefield video overnight of fighters seizing armoured vehicles from Saudi-backed forces.
NEWS 07
Thursday, 17 September, 2026 | LAHORE
CORPORATE CORNER
‘APNI CHHAT, APNA GHAR’ WINS UN HONOUR AMONG WORLD’S TOP FIVE HOUSING PROGRAMMES
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Mastercard and BoK partner to accelerate digital payments PESHAWAR
STAFF REPORT
Mastercard and the Bank of Khyber (BoK) have entered into a strategic alliance to expand the bank’s digital payments portfolio, giving customers greater access to secure, convenient and modern payment solutions. The collaboration will support the digitization of personal, commercial and government transactions, contributing to Pakistan’s broader transition towards a more inclusive, cashless economy. “Bank of Khyber is our strategic partner as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leads Pakistan’s transition towards a cashless economy. The province has expanded from three digitized services two years ago to 170 today, covering person-to-government, person-to-merchant and government-to-person payments, including pension and salary disbursements through Raast. With a population of 45 million and significant untapped potential in remittances, e-commerce and merchant digitization, we, as the bank’s major shareholder, remain committed to supporting BoK’s growth,” said Muzzammil Aslam, Minister for Finance, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
CCP and NAB sign Addendum to Strengthen Institutional Cooperation and Capacity Building ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) have signed an Addendum to their foundational Memorandum of Understanding originally established on May 14, 2025, to combat collusive tendering, anti-competitive practices, and corruption, today at NAB (HQ), Islamabad. The addendum was signed by Ms. Marryum Pervaiz, Secretary to the Commission CCP, and Mr. Muhammad Tahir, Director General (SID) NAB, in the presence of Chairman NAB Lt Gen (R) Nazir Ahmed, CCP Chairman Mr. Farid Ahmed Tarar, and senior officers from both organizations. This supplementary agreement deepens inter-institutional collaboration by focusing on comprehensive capacity-building initiatives, specialized training, and technical cooperation under the banner of PACA.
OxfordAQA Manager to Deliver Teacher Training Across Pakistan ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
OxfordAQA is pleased to announce a series of professional development engagements across Pakistan led by Penny Butterworth, Regional Professional Development Manager, from 14 to 18 September 2026. During her visit, Penny will work closely with leading schools in Islamabad and deliver professional development sessions in Karachi and Lahore focused on "Maximising Learning and Exam Performance with OxfordAQA." Designed for teachers and school leaders, the sessions will focus on enhancing classroom practice, improving student outcomes, and maximising performance in OxfordAQA assessments. Drawing on her extensive experience in curriculum delivery and assessment, Penny will share practical strategies, evidence-based approaches, and insights to help schools make the most of OxfordAQA qualifications. Speaking about the sessions, Penny Butterworth said: "Maximising learning and exam performance starts with effective classroom practice.
UN-HABITAT SELECTS PUNJAB HOUSING SCHEME FOR PRESTIGIOUS UN SCROLL OF HONOUR AWARD LAHORE
SALEEM JADOON
UNJAB Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s flagship housing project, ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’, has been selected for the United Nations Scroll of Honour Award and recognised among the five housing programmes selected globally for the prestigious honour. UN-Habitat announced the conferment of the award in recognition of the programme’s efforts to provide safe and adequate housing opportunities to low-income families. The programme was selected following a competitive and comprehensive review of housing projects being implemented across the world. The award will be presented to ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ at the global World
Habitat Day event on October 5. The UN Scroll of Honour Award ceremony will be held next month in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, while special seminars and workshops on housing and urban development will be held in Muscat from October 6 to 8. Under the ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ programme, loans worth Rs260 billion have been disbursed for the construction of more than 200,000 houses. The programme also has the distinction of being Pakistan’s largest and first fully digital housing finance scheme. In the first phase, loans exceeding Rs196 billion were disbursed for 134,439 houses, while in the second phase, loans of more than Rs62 billion were provided for 65,000 houses. Around 125,000 families have already moved into houses constructed under the ‘Apni Chhat, Apna
Ghar’ programme. CM’S MESSAGE ON INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR PRESERVATION OF OZONE LAYER Meanwhile, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said the provincial government was taking practical steps to protect the environment and move the province towards a greener and more sustainable future. In a message on the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, the chief minister said the ozone layer served as a natural shield against the sun’s harmful rays, making its protection essential to safeguarding future generations from environmental changes. She said Punjab had, for the first time, introduced a comprehensive environmental policy for a “green future”, while tree plantation, efforts to curb
Safe city footage exposes Afridi’s ‘street movement’ in Wazirabad: Azma LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari has said the extent of their “madness” could be judged from the fact that Constable Muqaddas Ali, who was on duty, was being accused of having come to attack her. She said the SHO was also visible in the picture, and the constable was being beaten in his presence. The constable also had his police duty card with him, so how could he be called an attacker? Azma Bokhari said she had also shared the Safe City camera footage of Sohail Afridi’s arrival in Wazirabad. Only a few security guards could be seen accompanying Sohail Afridi in the Safe City footage. Safe City cameras are also installed in Wazirabad. “Alhamdulillah, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has made the entire Punjab a Safe City, which is why everything is visible across the province,” she said. The footage also showed their socalled “street movement” in the main market of Wazirabad. Azma Bokhari said, “Now even sunlight has become their enemy.” She said, “God knows why they get fits of madness the
LAHORE: Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) Chairman Zaka Ashraf addresses a press conference at a local hotel. PSMA Punjab Chief Ch Muhammad Aslam, senior members – Ch Waheed, Asim Ghani and Awaise are also seen in the picture.
moment they reach Wazirabad. You must remember the Panadol tablets, right? Just as their guru is mad, so are the disciples.” ‘No Room for Corruption or Corrupt Elements in Punjab’ Meanwhile, Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari said that action against corruption and corrupt government employees was continuing on the directions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. She said that action against corrupt officials was being taken across Punjab’s government institutions and the Punjab Police. In the last 13 days, strict action had been taken against 791 Punjab Police officers and personnel over corruption. 78 police personnel had
been dismissed from service, while 60 had been suspended over corruption. Another 230 personnel had been sent to the line, while 79 Punjab Police personnel had been demoted and arrested. Inquiries were underway against 274 personnel, while criminal cases had been registered against 70 personnel. Azma Bokhari said the Chief Minister had adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. There was no room for corruption or corrupt elements in Punjab, she added. She thanked citizens who had reported complaints against corrupt government personnel. Eliminating corruption from Punjab completely is the mission of Maryam Nawaz, she said.
Sharjeel Memon directs faster work on Yellow Line Depot, Jam Sadiq Bridge KARACHI STAFF REPORT
Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has once again issued directives to accelerate the construction of the Yellow Line depot and swiftly complete work on the second portion of the Jam Sadiq Bridge. An important meeting of the Transport Department was held under the chairmanship of Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit, Sharjeel Inam Memon. Meeting conducted a detailed review of the pace and progress of ongoing construction work on various sections of the Yellow Line BRT project. Secretary TMTD Asad Zamin, Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) MD Behzad
Memon, World Bank representatives, consultants, and relevant officials attended the meeting. Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon directed officials to speed up the pace of construction on the Yellow Line BRT project, said that all available resources must be utilized for its completion. He also instructed that construction of the Yellow Line BRT depot and other related works be expedited, stating that completing all foundational infrastructure, including the project's depot, on time is crucial.
Sharjeel Inam Memon stated that the Yellow Line BRT is a vital mass transit project for the citizens of Karachi. He further ordered the quick completion of the second section of the Jam Sadiq Bridge. Directing that the capacity of the team working on the project be enhanced, the Senior Minister stressed ensuring effective communication and coordination among all relevant departments, consultants, and experts so that construction progresses according to schedule.
Provinces, varsities responsible for transparent MDCAT 2026: Kamal ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday said the respective provincial authorities and nominated universities would be responsible for ensuring the smooth, transparent and fair conduct of the Medical & Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026, including necessary security and examination arrangements. Addressing a press conference at the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC), the federal minister outlined the regulatory framework and guidelines provided by the council for MDCAT 2026 and emphasised the responsibility of provincial authorities and universities to ensure the integrity of the examination process. The minister appreciated PM&DC’s contribution towards MDCAT and said a question bank comprising approximately 8,000 questions had been developed for the examination. Around 80 subject experts from across the country, including those from the Cambridge stream, were engaged in preparing the question bank and kept in a secure, isolated environment for approximately two
smog and promotion of clean energy had been made key priorities of the provincial government. The Punjab CM said plantation had been carried out over 50,000 acres in the province, with 50 million trees planted.
months under strict security arrangements to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the process. He said separate question papers had been prepared for each province. Each province had been provided with at least two separate papers comprising 180 questions each, enabling the respective province to select the examination paper according to the prescribed procedure. The MDCAT will be held on September 20, 2026, in 34 cities and towns across Pakistan and at one international venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a total of 138,160 candidates registered to appear in the examination. The examination will be conducted by universities nominated by the federal and provincial authorities. These include the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, for Punjab; Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur, for Sindh; Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Bolan University of Medical & Health Sciences, Quetta, for Balochistan; and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, for the Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The minister further said PM&DC had fulfilled its
obligations for the examination, including registration of candidates, sharing candidates’ data with provinces and universities, provision of a uniform common syllabus, and a uniform common question bank for papersetting by the universities. The council had also held regular meetings with vice chancellors and relevant provincial health authorities, including the Secretary Health of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, to review arrangements and ensure the transparent and fair conduct of MDCAT. These measures, he said, would enable the admission process for MBBS and BDS programmes to be initiated and concluded on time. The federal minister made it clear that the respective provinces and universities, rather than PM&DC, were now responsible for ensuring the integrity of the examination process, including the printing, storage and transportation of examination papers and declaration of results, in accordance with the prescribed standards and procedures. He said in case of any paper leakage or failure to ensure transparency, the concerned university would be responsible and accountable for the integrity of the examination process.
PTCL to Install Connect Hear’s AI Sign Language solution at customer centers ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The country’s leading telecommunications and ICT services provider, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has partnered with ConnectHear, a pioneering Pakistani accessibility technology company, to install SILA, ConnectHear’s AI-powered sign language agent across PTCL’s customer care centers starting from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The initiative furthers PTCL’s commitment to creating a more inclusive and accessible customer experience by making its services more accessible to customers of diverse abilities. Through SILA, Deaf customers can communicate their queries and requirements in sign language and engage directly with customer service representatives, without relying on a human interpreter. This builds on ConnectHear's ongoing work with PTCL to advance accessibility for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. Commenting on the partnership, Chief Marketing Officer PTCL, Amad Khan said, “Our partnership with ConnectHear has evolved meaningfully over the years, from sensitizing and training our customer-facing teams to leveraging technology to address some of the most important accessibility barriers faced by the Deaf community. We firmly believe that connectivity is meaningful only when it enables everyone to participate. By enhancing equitable accessibility through cutting edge technologies, we are working to ensure that every customer can engage with us with greater dignity and independence.”Azima Dhanjee, CEO and Co-founder, ConnectHear, said, “Our partnership with PTCL shows what is possible when organizations opt for sustained technology-driven action. With ConnectHear’s AI-powered sign language agent, we are taking another important step by bringing sign language accessibility directly into the customer service environment. We are proud to work together and contribute towards a Pakistan where accessibility is built into everyday services.”
Sindh Governor’s father-in-law laid to rest at Model Colony Cemetery KARACHI
STAFF REPORT
Syed Imam Raza Karim, father-in-law of Governor Sindh Syed Muhammad Nehal Hashmi, was laid to rest at the Model Colony Cemetery on Wednesday evening. Earlier, his funeral prayers were offered at Zulekha Mosque, located at Rufi Lake Drive in Gulistan-e-Johar. A large number of people from different walks of life attended the funeral, including PML-N Central Senior Vice President Syed Shah Muhammad Shah, PML-N Sindh President Bashir Memon, PML-N Central Leader Saleem Zia, PML-N Sindh Senior Vice President Ali Akbar Gujjar, Provincial Adviser Senator Waqar Mehdi, PML-N Central Spokesperson Raja Ansari, Ali Ashiq Gujjar, Zahid Shahmeer, Khalid Mumtaz Advocate, Zahid Shah, Khalid Sheikh, Khurram Abbas Bhatti, Ismat Anwar Mehsud, Fahad Shafiq, Waqar Gorchani, Kaukab Iqbal, Mudassir Alam and Javed Qureshi. The funeral was also attended by the deceased’s relatives, local residents and a large number of people associated with various walks of life. A Quran Khwani and Fateha for the departed soul will be held today (Thursday) at the Governor House from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. It may be recalled that Syed Imam Raza Karim passed away in Karachi on Tuesday.
PM ORDERS FACILITATION DESKS TO EASE ACCESS TO FUEL SUBSIDY
Thursday, 17 September, 2026
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Saleem Jadoon
RIME MINISTER Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the establishment of facilitation desks comprising administration officials, volunteers and petrol pump staff to help citizens easily obtain the fuel subsidy under the PM Special Relief Scheme. Chairing a meeting to review progress on the scheme, aimed at providing relief to low-income and middle-class citizens in view of the increase in petroleum product prices amid the situation in the Gulf region, the prime minister directed that the facilitation desks should assist eligible citizens with registration and other necessary procedures. He directed personnel deployed at the desks to guide eligible citizens and provide them with all possible assistance, while also asking the relevant
authorities to remain proactive in creating public awareness about the scheme. Under the scheme, fuel subsidies are being provided to owners of motorcycles, rickshaws and vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc, the PM Office Media
APTMA eyes control in cotton research committee as govt might raise cotton cess PROFIT
Shahzad paRacha
Against a sanctioned strength of 752 posts at the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee, the country's principal body for cotton research and development, only around 27% of employees are currently at work. This is a statistic that gloriously captures, better than any policy document, the condition of Pakistan's cotton research establishment. And the remaining employees aren’t exactly on a leave. Rather the posts sit vacant, frozen by recruitment restrictions, while several Grade-20 senior positions remain unfilled and the institution that was supposed to arrest Pakistan's cotton decline quietly has slowly hollowed out. The financial picture is, if anything, worse. Sources tell Profit that PCCC employees went without salaries for around ten months, from July 2025 to April 2026. The cause of the crisis, as explained by a PCCC employee, is that the cotton cess, the levy on each bale of cotton that funds the PCCC, has been frozen at Rs50 per bale since 2011, despite an Economic Coordination Committee decision mandating a 30% increase every three years. That decision was never effectively implemented. Prolonged litigation on PCCC, regarding the levy, from a large number of textile mills beginning in 2016 further eroded collections. No mill wants to pay a levy on each bale and the result is that the institution charged with improving the crop now has Rs2.5 billion in outstanding cess liabilities sitting unpaid in the accounts of textile mills that fought in court to avoid paying them. This is the institutional backdrop against which the government is now moving to offload a significant responsibility in running the PCCC to the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA). A move that, sources said, is likely to see APTMA secure majority representation on the institution's governing board. A crisis hiding in plain sight To understand what is at stake, it helps to grasp the scale of what has happened to Pakistan's cotton sector since the PCCC's finances began deteriorating. Pakistan was once capable of producing more than 14 million 170-kilogram bales of cotton a year. By the 2024-25 season, production had fallen to around 5.2 million bales, a figure the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service confirmed in its February 2025 Cotton Outlook. This represents a fall of roughly two-thirds over two decades.
Wing said in a press release. The meeting was briefed on progress regarding the fuel subsidy scheme. Following the launch of its pilot phase in Islamabad, the scheme has now been launched across the country, including Azad Jammu
ISLAMABAD
Pakistan has lodged a strong protest with India over what it described as an incursion by Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata into Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone during ongoing naval exercises. The Foreign Office said the Indian vessel carried out dangerous manoeuvres near Pakistan Navy ships participating in the Sea Spark-26 exercises. Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said the Pakistan Navy had been conducting the exercises in the country’s EEZ since September 1. He said Indian warships and helicopters had repeatedly attempted to enter the exercise area during the month. According to the Foreign Office, INS Kolkata continued its manoeuvres despite repeated warnings from Pakistani authorities. Pakistan said the vessel’s actions violated the 1991 bilateral agreement governing military activities between the two countries and could not be considered routine deployment.
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Govt raises petrol by Rs6.88, HSD by Rs5.62 per litre as international product prices remain elevated PROFIT
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Petrol prices in Pakistan climbed above Rs390 per litre while high-speed diesel (HSD) crossed Rs420 after the government announced another increase in domestic fuel rates. Petrol was raised by Rs6.88 to Rs391.22 per litre, while HSD increased by Rs5.62 to Rs421.45 per litre, according to an Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) notification. The revised prices will remain applicable until Thursday, September 17. The latest adjustment follows a Rs4.10 increase in petrol and Rs6.41 hike in diesel in the previous review, when their prices were raised to Rs384.34 and Rs415.83 per litre, respectively. OGRA attributed the latest revision primarily to higher international petrol and diesel prices amid continued uncertainty in global energy markets. Changes in Platts assessments, premiums and other components of the pricing mechanism were also incorporated into the revision, the regulator said. The domestic increase comes even as international oil prices retreated on Wednesday following reports that Saudi Arabia was making additional crude supplies available to Asian refiners through ship-to-ship transfers near Sohar, Oman. The additional Saudi cargoes eased some concerns over supply disruptions following attacks on the kingdom's EastWest pipeline. Brent crude futures were down $3.63, or 3.3%, at $105.12 a barrel by 11:23 a.m. EDT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude fell $4.11, or 3.9%, to $101.72. Oil prices also came under pressure after US crude inventories recorded a smaller-than-expected draw. Despite Wednesday's decline in crude benchmarks, domestic petroleum prices reflect international product prices, Platts assessments, premiums and other pricing components applicable to the government's latest review period.
BAN ON INDIAN AIRCRAFT USING PAKISTANI AIRSPACE EXTENDED UNTIL OCT 24 ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
Pakistan has extended its airspace ban for Indian aircraft until October 24, according to a Notice to Airmen (Notam) issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA). The previous extension of the ban was set to expire on September 24. “Pakistani airspace is not available for Indian-registered aircraft and aircraft operated/owned or leased by Indian airlines/operators, including military flights,” the Notam said. According to the notice, the extension came into effect at 10:45am on Wednesday and will remain until 04:59am on Oct 24, 2026. The country’s airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) Karachi and Lahore, according to a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022. Wednesday’s Notam applies to both the Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) FIRs.
The Foreign Office further said INS Kolkata changed course on September 15 and collided with Pakistan Navy vessel PNS Hunain. Islamabad described the incident as a serious breach of agreed procedures and urged India to respect bilateral arrangements designed to prevent mili-
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Petrol hits Rs391.22, diesel Rs421.45 after fresh price hike
and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The meeting was informed that the scheme had been designed in a simple and easy manner for the public to understand. Only four pieces of information were required for registration: the applicant’s CNIC number, vehicle number plate, province of registration and vehicle registration date. The meeting was further informed that the number of successful registrations was gradually increasing, while provincial governments were extending full cooperation for nationwide implementation of the scheme. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Ali Pervez Malik, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa and senior officers of relevant institutions attended the meeting.
Pakistan protests Indian warship’s entry into EEZ during naval drills Staff RepoRt
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tary incidents and escalation. The episode marks a fresh point of tension between Pakistan and India following their fourday military confrontation last year. Pakistan has called on India to avoid actions that could increase the risk of miscalculation, particularly during military exercises in sensitive maritime areas.
JI rejects fuel relief, warns talks may end over petroleum levy KARACHI
Staff RepoRt
Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Wednesday rejected the government’s fuel relief scheme and demanded abolition of the petroleum levy, warning that ongoing talks with the government could end if the levy was not withdrawn soon. “If the government continues delaying and doesn’t abolish the petroleum levy, today’s talks will be the last round,” Hafiz Naeem said in a statement issued by the party, reiterating that the JI would go ahead with its march to Islamabad on Sept 20. The JI emir said the government collected Rs1,567 billion annually through the petroleum levy but had announced only Rs25 billion in relief for the public. The government and JI began talks on September 7 after the two sides agreed to constitute committees comprising experts and leaders to discuss recommendations for reducing the petroleum levy and providing relief to the public.
So far, three rounds of talks have been held, with the fourth round scheduled for 6pm on Wednesday in Islamabad. Hafiz Naeem described the government’s relief package as inadequate and questioned its proposed implementation through weekly fuel distribution, while also criticising what he termed “lockdown measures”. He added that traders were “being pressured in the name of maintaining the system,” according to the statement. The JI emir also “called for an end to the practice of revising petroleum prices daily”, voicing concern over the “frequent revisions” that, he said, created difficulties for consumers and businesses. Speaking to the media, Rehman outlined plans to hold “public meetings”, saying a “large gathering” would be held in Karachi on Wednesday night, followed by rallies in Lahore on Thursday and Mardan and Peshawar on Friday. “The Islamabad march will not stop,” he was quoted as saying. Rehman urged the government not to disrupt the peaceful and democratic struggle, according to the statement.
PETROLEUM DEALERS REJECT FUEL RELIEF SCHEME, WARN OF IMPLEMENTATION HURDLES ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
Petroleum dealers have refused to participate in the government’s newly launched fuel relief scheme, raising doubts over its nationwide implementation. The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association said its members could not sell discounted petrol under the current mechanism because the government had not adequately addressed operational, financial and technical concerns. The scheme offers a Rs100-per-litre discount to eligible motorcyclists, rickshaw and chingchi users, as well as owners of vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc. Dealers said the programme would require additional systems at petrol stations to verify beneficiaries, process fuel tokens and maintain separate transaction records. They also raised concerns over reimbursement, saying retailers could not be expected to absorb the discount while waiting for payments from the government. The association said any delay in reimbursements could create serious cash-flow problems for fuel stations, particularly smaller outlets. Dealers also questioned how the system would handle internet failures, token verification problems and disputes with customers at filling stations. The government has said eligible users will register through SMS and obtain digital tokens before purchasing subsidised fuel. Under the scheme, motorcycles and other two- and three-wheelers can receive the Rs100-per-litre discount on up to 20 litres per month, while eligible car owners can receive relief on up to 30 litres.
Published by Asad Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk