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Friday, 18 September, 2026 | 5 Rabius Sani, 1448
Rs 20.00 | Vol XVII No 174 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
‘GOVT, ELITE SACRIFICE FIRST’: PM APPROVES AUSTERITY DRIVE AS GLOBAL OIL PRICES SURGE g
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PM SHEHBAZ SAYS FUEL SUBSIDY ALREADY INITIATED FOR ECONOMICALLY VULNERABLE AND MIDDLE-INCOME SEGMENTS GOVT VEHICLE FUEL ALLOCATIONS CUT BY 50PC FOR THREE MONTHS AMID OIL PRICE SURGE
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ISLAMABAD
DIRECTS EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF MEASURES TO REDUCE UNNECESSARY EXPENDITURE, ENSURING PRUDENT USE OF NATIONAL RESOURCES NEW GOVERNMENT VEHICLE PURCHASES AND DURABLE GOODS PROCUREMENT BANNED, EXCEPT IT EQUIPMENT
SALEEM JADOON
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday approved a nationwide austerity and energy conservation campaign in view of rising global petroleum prices amid tensions in the Middle East, stressing that sacrifices should first be made by the government and the elite. The decision was taken at a highlevel meeting chaired by the prime minister to review austerity and energy conservation measures, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The prime minister said the rise in petroleum prices in the international
market had triggered inflationary pressures across the world, stressing that sacrifices should first be made by the
Petroleum dealers assure full cooperation for PM’s Fuel Relief Scheme ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik on Thursday held a meeting with representatives of petroleum pump and dealers associations to brief them on the mechanism for implementation of the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme. The representatives were given a detailed briefing on the operational mechanism of the relief scheme, including the process for pro-
viding relief to eligible consumers. Queries and concerns raised by representatives of the petroleum pump and dealers associations were also addressed during the meeting. The State Bank of Pakistan briefed the participants on the reimbursement mechanism and assured that claims submitted under the scheme would be processed within 48 hours, ensuring timely reimbursement to participating petroleum dealers.
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Pakistan warns attack on stranded oil tanker would be treated as ‘act of war’ ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan has warned that any attack on an empty oil tanker stranded in the Red Sea near Saudi Arabia’s east-west pipeline would be regarded as an act of war. Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said the vessel would have to be moved, although Saudi authorities had asked Pakistan to keep it on standby for the time being. The Saudi east-west pipeline, which provides an alternative route for oil exports when the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted, was shut last week following Houthi attacks and could remain closed for up to six weeks. Malik said Pakistan was considering several options, including waiting for the pipeline to resume operations, rerouting the tanker through Oman or the United Arab Emirates, or sourcing crude from Libya. He also warned that prolonged disruption to crude supplies could create pressure on diesel availability in Pakistan. According to the minister, the country currently has diesel stocks sufficient for this month and the next. The warning comes as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia continue and tensions around Red Sea shipping routes remain elevated. Pakistani-flagged vessels have continued transiting the Strait of Hormuz despite the wider regional conflict. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also reiterated Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia amid recent attacks on the kingdom. Pakistan has said that any armed attack on Saudi Arabia could also have implications under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.
government and the elite. He said a fuel subsidy had already been initiated for economically vulnera-
ble and middle-income segments, under which motorcycles, rickshaws and vehicles up to 800cc were being provided a subsidy of Rs100 per litre. The prime minister directed the authorities to ensure immediate and effective implementation of measures aimed at reducing unnecessary government expenditure and ensuring prudent use of national resources. The meeting approved a 50 per cent reduction in fuel allocations for government vehicles for three months. Ambulances, fire brigades, law enforcement agencies and essential service vehicles were exempted from the measure, while administrative and non-operational vehicles would receive no exemption.
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Govt announces fresh set of austerity, fuel conservation measures ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The federal government on Thursday announced a fresh set of austerity and fuel conservation measures with immediate effect, including a 50 per cent cut in fuel provision for official vehicles, a five per cent reduction in the non-ERE budget and a three-month ban on foreign visits and travel. According to a notification issued
by the Cabinet Division, the measures were approved on the recommendations of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Fuel Conservation and Additional Austerity Measures. Under the measures, the government will reduce fuel provision for official vehicles by 50 per cent for three months.
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‘100pc eyed’: Pakistan cuts illegal migration to Europe by 64pc: Naqvi ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday said Pakistan had achieved a 64 percent reduction in illegal migration towards Europe, stressing the need to expand legal migration pathways alongside continued efforts to curb human smuggling and unlawful migration. “The next target is to bring illegal migration down by 100 percent and all efforts would be directed towards achieving this objective,” Naqvi said, emphasising that opening new avenues for legal migration was necessary to further reduce illegal migration. The interior minister was talking to Director General of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) Susanne Raab and Executive Director of the European Union Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) Hans Leijtens during separate meetings here, according to a statement issued by the Interior Ministry. The meetings focused on enhancing cooperation to prevent illegal migration, improving border management and strengthening joint efforts in the field. Pakistan, ICMPD and Frontex agreed to expand mutual cooperation to curb illegal migration and
improve border security mechanisms, while reaffirming their commitment to coordinated measures for migration management and border control. Naqvi said achieving a 64 percent reduction in illegal migration despite limited resources had been a challenging task. “The government accepted the prevention of illegal migration as a major challenge and the entire team worked continuously to achieve the result,” he said, stressing that legal pathways could help address migration challenges while ensuring safe and regulated movement of people. The minister underscored the need for modern technology and professional training of officers to further strengthen efforts against illegal migration. He said the government was focus-
ing on enhancing the capacity of relevant institutions in line with modern requirements to make border management more effective. He added that practical measures and coordinated cooperation were required to completely eliminate illegal migration, noting that cooperation with ICMPD and Frontex held significant importance for Pakistan’s migration management efforts. Highlighting future measures, Naqvi said Pakistan aimed to install technologically advanced cameras at 500 immigration counters across all airports in the country. He explained that the modern surveillance system would help authorities identify individuals involved in illegal migration and human smuggling and take immediate action against them.
SC suspends sentences of Imaan, Hadi; ATC sends couple to jail on judicial remand ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Hours after the Supreme Court suspended the sentences of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday rejected police’s request for their 30-day physical remand and sent the couple to jail on judicial remand. Islamabad ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain passed the order after the two accused were produced before the court late at night in connection with a case registered against them at Kohsar police station. The development came shortly after the couple’s release from Adiala jail following the Supreme Court’s decision to suspend their sentences. Soon after their release, a contingent of Islamabad police led by the SSP Operations reached Adiala jail and arrested Imaan and Hadi again in connection with the Kohsar police station case. The two were subsequently taken to the police station and later produced before the ATC. Former federal minister Shireen Mazari confirmed the arrests, saying that attempts were being made to keep the couple in jail. Imaan’s counsel, Riasat Ali Azad, also confirmed the development, telling Dawn that a large contingent of Islamabad police had shifted the couple to Kohsar police station. The case was registered at Kohsar police station on March 22, 2025, on the complaint of City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio. According to the case, Imaan and Hadi were accused of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads. Both were nominated by name in the first information report (FIR). However, no provision of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) was included in the FIR when the case was initially registered. The FIR invoked Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code (disobedience of an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant), Section 341 (wrongful restraint), Section 506 (criminal intimidation), Section 353 (assault or use of criminal force against a public servant) and Section 186 (obstructing a public servant in the discharge of official duties). SC suspends sentences The Supreme Court suspended the sentences of prominent lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, and ordered their immediate release. The court granted bail to both lawyers against surety bonds of Rs100,000 each. The apex court accepted their applications for suspension of sentence and expressed concern and displeasure at the repeated adjournments of the case in the Islamabad High Court. Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan remarked that both were lawyers and that the court was respecting their dignity, adding that they should also be told to observe courtroom decorum. “There is a difference between a lawyer and an ordinary person,” he said. According to reports, an unusual situation arose at the beginning of the hearing when the case was listed before a threemember bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed. Justice Shahid Waheed pointed out that a fire had broken out in the Supreme Court’s IT section the previous day, and the case had been mistakenly listed before their bench due to a technical error. The case was later corrected and scheduled for hearing at 11:30am before a two-member bench headed by Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, which also included Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim. During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel, Faisal Siddiqui, read out various orders and order sheets from hearings in the Islamabad High Court. Faisal Siddiqui told the court that the Supreme Court had issued its first order on May 12, directing the High Court to decide the case within two weeks, but the High Court had not complied. He said former Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa used to say that a case could only be adjourned if the judge or lawyer died, but the Islamabad High Court had adjourned this case repeatedly without justification. He added that the High Court registrar’s office had rejected their request for an early hearing, saying that what happened there was extremely surprising.
Pakistan will go ‘to any extent’ to defend Saudi Arabia: DG ISPR ISLAMABAD
MONITORING REPORT
Pakistan will go “to any extent” to defend Saudi Arabia against attack, its military spokesperson told Arab News on Thursday, as escalating Houthi strikes test new collective-defense agreements linking the nucleararmed South Asian state to the Kingdom. The pledge follows a wave of recent missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Iranaligned Houthi militia on Saudi cities. Falling debris from an intercepted drone killed one person and injured two in Taif on Thursday, while more than 80 people have been wounded in recent attacks. The Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen also said this week it had intercepted a Houthi drone heading toward restricted airspace around Makkah, Islam’s holiest city. Separately, drones originating in Iraq damaged three pumping stations on Saudi
Arabia’s East-West Pipeline, forcing the critical oil-export route to close temporarily. “Pakistan fully stands with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, both diplomatically and physically,” Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of Inter-Services Public Relations — the military’s media wing — told Arab News. “And I would like to underscore here the word physically ... We will go to any extent.” Chaudhry said Pakistan’s commitment extends to the protection of Islam’s two holiest sites in Makkah and Madinah. “There should be no doubt on that,” he added. “We will continue to defend Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against any aggression.” Chaudhry’s language was more forceful than Islamabad’s public formulation last week, when the Foreign Office said no Pakistani military response was being discussed under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement — a pact under which an armed attack on Pakistan, Saudi Arabia or Turkiye is consid-
ered an attack on all — while adding that Islamabad would act “when the time comes.” The pact, signed on Aug. 7, is intended to strengthen collective deterrence among the three countries, and built on a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025, which similarly treats aggression against either country as an attack on both. Neither agreement’s full operational provisions have been made public, leaving unanswered questions about what kind of military response they require. Pakistan already has a substantial military presence in Saudi Arabia. In May, Islamabad deployed around 8,000 troops, a squadron of JF-17 fighter jets, drones, and an HQ-9 air-defense system to the Kingdom, Reuters reported at the time. “Our commitment to Saudi security is unconditional,” Chaudhry said, adding that “it stems from an emotive, deep-rooted, historical and unbreakable bond” between the
two countries’ peoples, militaries and political leaderships. Saudi Arabia has approached several allies — including Pakistan, Britain, France
and Egypt — for support as repeated Houthi attacks put pressure on the Kingdom’s missile-defense supplies, the Associated Press reported this week.