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PM SHEHBAZ SEEKS REGIONAL PEACE, DEEPER ECONOMIC TIES WITH IRAN AND UZBEKISTAN Tuesday, 1 September, 2026 | 18 Rabiul Awwal, 1448
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PM SHEHBAZ, PRESIDENT PEZESHKIAN REAFFIRM RESOLVE TO PROMOTE PEACE AND DE-ESCALATE REGIONAL TENSIONS
PM SEEKS GREATER BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS TIES, JOINT VENTURES AND DIRECT AIR CONNECTIVITY
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SHEHBAZ STRESSES EARLY PROGRESS ON UZBEKISTAN-AFGHANISTANPAKISTAN RAILWAY PROJECT
PAKISTAN TO WORK CLOSELY WITH UZBEKISTAN DURING UPCOMING SCO CHAIRMANSHIP
PAKISTAN, UZBEKISTAN TARGET $2BN BILATERAL TRADE BY 2029 BISHKEK
MIAN ABRAR
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said Pakistan and Iran, as brotherly and neighbouring countries, would continue working together to promote peace and help de-escalate tensions in the region. Talking to Iranian media after his meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek, the prime minister said interactions between the leaderships of the two countries were always a source of “great happiness and satisfaction”. “Pakistan and Iran are brotherly countries. We are neighbouring countries and whenever we meet, it is a matter of great happiness and satisfaction,” he said. Describing Pakistan and Iran as two brothers, Prime Minister Shehbaz said the two sides exchanged views on important regional and bilateral matters during their meeting. He expressed the hope that Islamabad and Tehran would continue working together to promote peace in the region and contribute towards de-escalating the prevailing situation. The prime minister reiterated Pak-
istan’s desire to further strengthen cooperation with Iran, saying the two neighbouring countries could play an important role in promoting peace, stability and greater understanding in the region. The meeting with President Pezeshkian came as the two leaders attended the SCO summit in Bishkek, providing an opportunity for the neighbouring countries to maintain high-level engagement and exchange views on regional de-
SC rejects second plea for early hearing of Imran’s hospital transfer contempt case ISLAMABAD:
STAFF REPORT
The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday rejected a second application seeking an early hearing of a contempt of court petition filed by Dr Uzma Khanum, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, over the alleged non-implementation of an order directing his transfer to Shifa International Hospital. According to official sources, the second application was rejected, while the contempt petition remains fixed for hearing on September 16. The sources said cases were fixed for hearing according to their turn under the court’s policy, with 94 contempt petitions already pending. They added that Uzma’s request for an immediate hearing could therefore not be accepted. A previous miscellaneous application seeking an early hearing of the case had also been rejected, according to the sources. Dr Uzma filed the second application before the SC on August 27, seeking an urgent hearing of her contempt petition against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other respondents over the alleged failure to implement the court’s August 18 order. The order had directed that Imran undergo medical examination and receive treatment at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. In her application seeking an early fixation of the contempt matter, Uzma urged the SC to schedule the case during the week or at the earliest possible date the following week, rather than September 16. She warned that further delay could cause “serious and irreparable harm” to Imran. “The subject matter of the petition concerns the life, health, dignity and physical well-being of Mr Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi, a national hero and a former prime minister, whose health is deteriorating and whose life is stated to be in jeopardy,” the application stated.
Rs 50.00 | Vol XVII No 157 | 52 Pages | Karachi Edition
velopments and bilateral relations. PM, Uzbek president discuss economic cooperation Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz met Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting and discussed measures to further strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and Uzbekistan in a range of sectors. The discussions covered industry,
agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, mining, digital technologies, education, culture, defence and security. Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar were also present at the meeting. Prime Minister Shehbaz conveyed warm felicitations to President Mirziyoyev and the people of Uzbekistan on the 35th anniversary of the country’s independence. Recalling President Mirziyoyev’s state visit to Pakistan in February 2026, the prime minister said the visit and the inaugural meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council had given fresh momentum to the Pakistan-Uzbekistan strategic partnership. He stressed the need for timely implementation of decisions taken at the leadership level, particularly those relating to trade, investment, connectivity and economic cooperation. The prime minister reiterated the shared objective of increasing bilateral trade to $2 billion by 2029. He called for effective implementation of the expanded Preferential Trade Agreement, greater business-to-business engagement and promotion of mutually beneficial joint ventures.
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NA, Senate committees question probe into deadly PimS fire ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Standing committees of both houses of parliament on Monday questioned the probe into the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) fire that killed 14 infants, raising concerns over incomplete CCTV footage and the disputed number of infants present in the nursery. The inquiry committee established to investigate the deadly hospital fire had submitted its interim report to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday, after which the premier ordered the suspension of and criminal action against eight officials. Furthermore, the health ministry accepted the resignation of Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) Chairman Dr Riaz Shahbaz Janjua. In his resignation, Dr Janjua said that some developments and circumstances had affected the autonomy of the authority. He said that, under the prevailing circumstances, it was not possible for him to perform his responsibilities independently and effectively. Dr Janjua was appointed as a member of the IHRA board in October 2024. He was then unanimously elected as its chairman. In his resignation letter, he said he had worked hard despite having limited human resources. NA committee questions executive director appointment The National Assembly Standing Committee on Health, chaired
by MNA Mahesh Kumar Malani, was not satisfied with the report prepared by the inquiry committee. “We have called this meeting regarding the Pims tragedy because we are not satisfied with the report of the committee constituted by the prime minister,” Malani said. He also directed the media not to record videos of the committee proceedings. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, however, defended the inquiry and invited members to raise their objections. Shazia Soomro questioned why the NA’s standing committee had not been properly briefed about the circumstances of the incident. “We visited the site but proper briefing was not given, due to which we don’t have a clear picture,” she said. Malani pointed out that the CCTV footage was incomplete and called for the complete footage to
be presented. He said the missing footage from inside the nursery was very important, adding that, in the available footage, a nurse could be seen entering the nursery, but it did not show what happened inside. Malani also questioned the responses given by the former executive director (ED) of Pims, saying that the officer had failed to provide satisfactory answers. The committee was told that nurses said they were looking after the babies and had not noticed the source of the spark. The members also raised questions about the possible role of oxygen in the incident. Committee Chairman Malani sought technical evidence regarding the fire and blast. Malani demanded a report from the biomedical engineering department and asked when the nursery’s last inspection had been conducted.
IN TODAY’S ISSUE
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CDF Asim Munir holds high-level meetings in Türkiye to bolster trilateral defence cooperation irfan.farooq@pakistantoday.com.pk
RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT
Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces (COAS & CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir held a series of high-level meetings with senior Saudi and Turkish officials in Istanbul during his official visit to Türkiye, with discussions focusing on bilateral defence cooperation, strategic coordination and the evolving regional security environment. Field Marshal Munir separately met Saudi Defence Minister H.R.H. Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defence of Türkiye Yaşar Güler and Chief of the Turkish General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu. During the meetings, the officials exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, bilateral defence cooperation and the regional security situation. The engagements provided an opportunity to review existing defence ties and discuss avenues for further strengthening cooperation between Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia. The meetings assumed particular significance in the context of the growing strategic coordination among the three countries following the signing of the Makkah Agreement for Joint Defence. Field Marshal Munir also attended a meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee established under the Makkah Agreement, bringing together senior representatives from Pakistan, Türkiye and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The trilateral committee reviewed avenues for enhancing strategic coordination and defence cooperation among the three countries and discussed ways to further strengthen their collective partnership. The participation of senior defence and diplomatic officials from the three countries reflected the importance attached by Islamabad, Ankara and Riyadh to closer coordination on matters relating to defence and regional security. The Makkah Agreement has provided a framework for expanding cooperation among Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, with the three sides seeking to build upon their longstanding relations and deepen strategic engagement. Field Marshal Munir’s meetings with the Saudi and Turkish leadership also underscored Pakistan’s close defence relations with both countries. Pakistan and Türkiye have maintained longstanding military-tomilitary ties, while Islamabad and Riyadh have also enjoyed decades-old defence and strategic cooperation. The latest engagements in Istanbul further reinforced the emphasis on closer consultations among the three countries and on maintaining coordination on issues of mutual interest. The visit also provided an opportunity for the Pakistani and Turkish military leaderships to discuss the broader regional security environment and bilateral defence cooperation at a time when developments in the region have increased the importance of strategic coordination among friendly countries. The meetings with the Turkish foreign and defence ministers, as well as the Chief of the Turkish General Staff, reflected the broad-based nature of PakistanTürkiye engagement, extending beyond military-to-military relations to wider strategic and diplomatic coordination.
India must uphold water-sharing treaty with Pakistan, international court says AMSTERDAM
STAFF REPORT
India must uphold a water-sharing treaty with Pakistan it suspended amid bilateral tensions and must limit work on an hydroelectric plant it is building in the Kashmir region, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague said on Monday. India in April last year suspended the treaty that ensures water supply to 80% of Pakistani farms after India identified as Pakistani two of three assailants in an attack that killed 26 people at a tourist destination in Kashmir that month. Islamabad denied any role in the attack and took legal action after India last year also began work to boost reservoir holding capacity at two hydroelectric projects in the
Kashmir region. This was seen as the first tangible step by India to operate outside agreements covered by the Indus Waters Treaty between the two countries, which both have honoured since 1960 despite three wars and several other conflicts between them. The Permanent Court of Arbitration said the Indus Water Treaty remained fully in force, as India had no justification for ending or suspending the agreement. "India must observe its obligations under the Treaty, including those relating to the design and operation of its hydro-electric projects on the Western Rivers," the intergovernmental court said. India, which is officially a member of the court, said it did not recognise the court and "categorically" rejected the verdict.
"This so-called Court of Arbitration has no jurisdiction whatsoever to pronounce on India's sovereign decisions," India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. "Its pronouncements, now or in the future, will have no effect on India's actions in connection with the projects being undertaken by India." The court said a neutral expert, appointed by the World Bank, would judge by July 2027 whether the construction of hydroelectric plants in the Himalayan region was in line with the treaty. Agreeing with a demand by Pakistan, the court said India was not allowed to build the dam wall and power intake structure at the Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant above certain levels until 90 days after the neutral expert's decision.
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ECC LIKELY TO REVISIT VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS REGIME
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PROFIT
GHULAM ABBAS
HE government is likely to revisit its decision of assigning the Engineering Development Board (EDB) the authority to prescribe safety, environmental and quality standards and certification requirements for vehicles, amid concerns over duplication of functions with the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), the country’s national standards body. According to sources the issue is expected to come before the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) shortly, with a proposal to restore PSQCA’s central role in formulation of automobile standards and registration of inspection agencies. The development comes nearly a year after the government, while liberalising commercial imports of used vehicles, assigned EDB responsibility for prescribing standards, testing and certification requirements for such vehicles. The arrangement subsequently raised questions over the legal status of standards being prescribed by EDB while PSQCA, operating under the Ministry of Science and Technology, is the statutory national standards body. The controversy is particularly significant because the government has simultaneously been developing a regulatory framework for both locally manufactured and assembled vehicles and imported used vehicles. Overlapping mandates: Under the federal Rules of Business, PSQCA has been assigned responsibility
Petrol price rises Rs0.77, HSD falls Rs1.03 per litre for September 1
for formulation of standards and measures for quality control of manufactured goods. The PSQCA Act, 1996 also provides the authority with functions relating to standards, conformity assessment and registration of inspection bodies. The dispute centres on whether another government institution can independently prescribe standards and certification requirements for the same products without going through the national standards framework. As per details the matter became prominent after the ECC, in September 2025, approved proposals concerning removal of quantitative restrictions on commercial imports of used vehicles. The decision provided that commercial imports would be subject to environmental, safety and quality standards, testing and certification requirements prescribed by EDB under the Ministry of Industries
OGRA raises LPG price by Rs4.33 per Kg for September, 11.8kg cylinder up Rs51 PROFIT AHMAD AHMADANI
PROFIT
AHMAD AHMADANI
Petrol price has been increased by Rs0.77 per litre while High Speed Diesel (HSD) price has been reduced by Rs1.03 per litre under the revised petroleum pricing mechanism for September 1. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has revised the ex-depot prices of petroleum products with effect from September 1, according to a press release issued by the Petroleum Division on Monday. Following the revision, the price of Motor Spirit (MS), commonly known as petrol, has risen from Rs342.02 to Rs342.79 per litre, showing an increase of Rs0.77 per litre. In contrast, the price of High Speed Diesel has been reduced from Rs371.44 to Rs370.41 per litre, registering a decrease of Rs1.03 per litre. The latest revision means that petrol consumers will face a modest increase in the price of the fuel, while diesel consumers will receive a comparatively larger reduction. According to the Petroleum Division, the revised prices have been determined on the basis of the revised petroleum pricing mechanism issued by the Federal Government. The new prices will remain applicable from September 1, with petrol priced at Rs342.79 per litre and HSD at Rs370.41 per litre. The revision marks a mixed movement in petroleum prices, with the two major fuels moving in opposite directions at the start of September.
Irbanah Ventures picks up 4m Clover Pakistan shares in two sessions
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has increased the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by Rs4.33 per kilogram for September, pushing the price of an 11.8kg domestic cylinder up by Rs51.17 to Rs3,052. According to the new LPG price notification, the price of LPG has been fixed at Rs258.65 per kilogram for September, compared with the previous rate, marking an increase of Rs4.33 per kilogram. The increase means consumers purchasing a standard 11.8kg domestic cylinder will now pay Rs3,052, which is Rs51.17 more than the previous notified price. The latest revision comes after OGRA had already raised the LPG price by Rs12.89 per kilogram for August, when the notified price was fixed at Rs254.315 per kilogram and an 11.8kg cylinder at
PROFIT
Irbanah Ventures International LLC-FZ has bought 4 million shares of Clover Pakistan Limited through market purchases over two days, paying Rs 6.85 a share on 27 August 2026 and Rs 6.83 on 28 August 2026. Clover Pakistan disclosed the transactions to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on August 31, 2026. The company said it had been informed of the purchases by Irbanah Ventures. The acquisition does not presently result in any change in the management, Board composition or operational control of the company, Clover said, as informed to it to date.
Rs3,000.92. For households regularly dependent on LPG, the September increase will translate into higher recurring cooking-fuel expenses. A consumer buying one 11.8kg cylinder during the month will face an additional cost of Rs51.17 under the revised notified rate. The financial impact will be greater for households that consume more than one cylinder a month, while commercial users such as restaurants, hotels, tea shops and other small businesses may also face higher operating costs. LPG is particularly important for consumers who do not have access to piped natural gas and for households that turn to cylinder-based fuel when conventional gas supplies are unavailable or inadequate. The notified rate, however, does not necessarily represent the price paid by every consumer in the retail market, as actual LPG prices can vary by location and distribu-
tion costs. The latest increase therefore adds to the cost pressures faced by LPGdependent consumers, particularly low- and middle-income households for whom cooking fuel represents a recurring household expense. For consumers, LPG is particularly important for households without access to piped natural gas and those that rely on cylinderbased fuel when conventional gas supplies are unavailable or insufficient. It is widely used for cooking in homes, restaurants, hotels, tea shops and other small businesses, while also serving commercial and industrial users. Since LPG can be easily stored and transported in cylinders, it provides a practical alternative where gas infrastructure is unavailable or supply is inadequate. Consequently, any increase in LPG prices directly raises household cooking expenses and operating costs for businesses that depend on the fuel.
Pakistan exporters face $5,000 freight disadvantage as Iran war disrupts shipping WEB DESK
PROFIT
NEWS DESK
and Production. The Ministry of Commerce subsequently issued the relevant notification, while EDB issued its own notification concerning automobile standards. The government also moved ahead with a proposed Motor Vehicles Industry Development Act, 2025, envisaging a new regulatory framework for the automobile sector. The proposed legislation has further complicated the institutional question by assigning the EDB a significant role in the automobile regulatory structure, including matters relating to conformity and type approval. Parliament raises objection: The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, while considering the Finance Bill 2026, recommended withdrawal of notifications empowering EDB to issue fitness-standard certificates
for commercially imported used cars and called for PSQCA to be notified as the principal authority for such certification. The recommendation strengthened the argument that automobile standards and conformity assessment should remain within a clearly defined national standards framework rather than being divided between different institutions. The Ministry of Commerce subsequently indicated that the matter could be taken up before the competent forum, paving the way for its consideration by the ECC. Implications for imported and locally assembled vehicles: The issue has implications beyond an inter-ministerial dispute. Pakistan is moving towards greater availability of commercially imported used vehicles while seeking to strengthen safety and environmental requirements for the automobile market. At the same time, standards and testing requirements are being developed for locally manufactured and assembled vehicles. Industry and consumer concerns therefore centre on whether Pakistan should have a single, transparent and legally grounded system under which all vehicles—whether locally produced or imported—are assessed against clearly notified standards. A fragmented system could result in overlapping certification requirements, uncertainty for importers and manufacturers, and difficulties in enforcement. It could also create confusion over which institution is ultimately responsible for ensuring that vehicles entering the Pakistani market meet prescribed safety and environmental requirements.
Pakistani exporters are facing a growing freight-cost disadvantage in international markets, with shipping charges on key routes rising sharply amid disruptions linked to the Iran war, Ismail Suttar, founding chairman of the Salt Manufacturers Association of Pakistan (SMAP), said on Monday. The disparity is particularly pronounced on the Karachi-New York route, where the cost of moving a container has risen to around $8,000-9,000 from approximately $2,000 previously. By comparison, exporters shipping a container from Vietnam to New York are paying around $3,000-4,000, leaving Pakistani exporters with a freight disadvantage of roughly $5,000 per container.
Suttar said the cost differential was threatening the ability of Pakistani exporters to compete for international orders, as businesses were being forced to absorb a substantial portion of the additional freight expense. “Shipping rates have increased globally, but the increase on some routes from Pakistan is disproportionately high,” he said. The disruption has also produced a steep increase in freight charges between Karachi and Jebel Ali. Rates that had previously ranged from $100 to $200 have climbed to around $4,000-5,000, according to Suttar. At the same time, vessel availability on the route has declined considerably, creating a supply-demand imbalance that has contributed further to the increase in freight rates. Suttar attributed the broader dis-
ruption to rising fuel costs, war-risk insurance and changes to shipping lanes following the Iran war, saying the resulting increase in global shipping costs had affected Pakistan disproportionately on certain routes. He said Pakistan’s exposure to such disruptions was compounded by structural weaknesses in its maritime transport capacity. The country, he noted, lacks an effective national shipping carrier as well as an adequate containerised cargo fleet. Countries including China and Korea, he said, have national carriers that can provide greater support to their respective trade sectors during periods of disruption in international shipping. Suttar called on the government to respond by establishing an interministerial committee comprising exporters, shipping companies and relevant government agencies.
Tuesday, 1 september, 2026 | kArAChi
PSX loses 721 points as Iran tensions, oil prices weigh on equities PROFIT
WEB DESK
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) came under renewed selling pressure on Monday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding 720.83 points as escalating US-Iran tensions, higher international oil prices and cautious investor sentiment weighed on equities. The benchmark closed at 176,975.68 points, down 0.41% day-on-day, after trading between an intraday high of 178,138.69 and a low of 176,944.91. Selling remained concentrated in several heavyweight sectors, including commercial banks, cement, automobile assemblers, oil marketing companies, oil and gas exploration companies and power generation. The weakness emerged soon after the opening bell, with the KSE-100 falling 569.66 points, or 0.32%, to 177,126.84 by 9:34am. According to Ahmed Sheraz of KTrade Securities, the index remained under pressure throughout the session as selling in commercial banks, cement and technology stocks dragged the benchmark lower. United Bank, Systems, Habib Bank and Lucky Cement were among the major negative contributors, he said. The broader market was also affected by developments in the Middle East, as international oil prices rose nearly 3% following a US attack on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s retaliatory response. The escalation, which has extended the conflict into its sixth month, also put pressure on major Asian equity markets. Oil prices remained a key concern for investors, with Brent crude trading near $91 per barrel and gaining nearly 6% day-on-day, Sheraz said. Despite the broad-based weakness, refineries emerged as a notable exception. Pakistan Refinery, National Refinery and Attock Refinery posted gains on expectations that the refinery upgrade policy could be signed and implemented in the coming month. The strength in refinery stocks provided some support to the market but was insufficient to counter losses across other major sectors. Sheraz expects sentiment to remain cautious amid renewed US-Iran tensions and the sharp increase in crude prices. “With the results season and August now behind us, September's market direction may largely hinge on developments in regional tensions, crude oil prices, inflation expectations and the broader macroeconomic outlook,” he said. Trading activity increased significantly during the session. Total volume rose to 937.2 million shares from 658.3 million on Friday, while the value of traded shares reached Rs39.1 billion. Shares of 503 companies changed hands in the ready market. Of these, 169 stocks closed higher, 302 declined and 32 remained unchanged. Cnergyico PK emerged as the volume leader, with 293.2 million shares changing hands. Its stock gained Rs1.05 to close at Rs15.46. The session reflected continued investor caution as geopolitical risks and elevated crude prices added to uncertainty over the market’s near-term direction.
Afghanistan border closure pushes Pakistan’s poultry industry into deepening crisis PROFIT
MONITORING REPORT
Pakistan’s poultry sector is facing a prolonged supply glut and mounting financial losses as exports to Afghanistan have remained suspended since October last year following the closure of the border. Around 20% of Pakistan’s poultry production was previously exported to Afghanistan. With that market remaining closed, producers have been left with surplus supply that domestic demand has been unable to absorb. Industry representatives said the border closure was a major factor behind the decline in poultry prices, while high diesel prices and rising transportation costs had added to the pressure on farmers and producers. Supplies to Kashmir and Balochistan have also been disrupted, further complicating the distribution of poultry products, while domestic demand remains insufficient to absorb the additional production. The production cost of chicken is currently around Rs290 per kilogram, while producers are selling it for approximately Rs250 per kilogram, resulting in a loss of around Rs40 per kilogram. The situation is even more difficult in the chick market. A chick costing around Rs70 is being sold for as little as Rs5, causing a loss of approximately Rs65 per chick. Producers are also paying around Rs10 per chick in Federal Excise Duty (FED), despite operating at a loss. Industry representatives said the sector currently has around 20% surplus supply and called for the resumption of poultry exports to Afghanistan to help absorb excess production and provide relief to farmers.
Conflict threatens Pakistan’s growth, inflation outlook, says Aurangzeb PROFIT
WEB DESK
Pakistan’s transition from economic stabilisation to growth could face fresh challenges from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb warning that the escalation could have implications for both inflation and gross domestic product. Speaking at the “Partnerships That Power Progress” event organised by EXIM Bank in Islamabad on Monday, Aurangzeb said the government expected economic growth to exceed 4% during the ongoing fiscal year. “We are on our way from stabilisation
to growth,” he said. However, the minister said the outlook remained dependent on developments in the conflict, which has already disrupted regional trade and energy flows. “It’s obviously a function of the ongoing conflict, which has implications for inflation and GDP, but our leadership is at it, so hopefully sooner than later we will get a more permanent solution to the conflict that we see at this point,” he said. The remarks came as tensions in the region intensified after US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Iran’s Larak Island on Sunday, according to a US official. The strikes were the first known American attacks on Iran since late July.
The conflict has also resulted in the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a major global energy route that handled about onefifth of the world’s oil supply before the war. Despite the external risks, Aurangzeb said Pakistan’s immediate economic challenge was no longer simply achieving growth, but ensuring that growth could be sustained. “The current challenge is not growth but achieving sustainability,” he said. According to the minister, sustainable expansion would have to be driven primarily by exports and private-sector activity. “That sustainability, what we have been saying all along, is going to be export-led and private sector-led,” he said.
Aurangzeb pointed to measures introduced in the latest budget as part of the government’s strategy to use available fiscal space to support export-oriented growth. “In the last budget, we have provided a very clear direction of travel in terms of how we wish to support the export-led growth, reducing the super tax, doing away with the advance tax,” he said. The government has also sought to improve the cost and availability of financing for exporters. Aurangzeb said exporters were currently able to access financing at 4.5% despite the policy rate standing at 11.5%. “So that entire discussion, whether we have competitive financing across the re-
gion, I think that is now history, because irrespective of where the policy rate is, the financing is now being made available at 4.5%,” he said. He also highlighted the role of Pakistan EXIM Bank in supporting exporters by channelling export refinance and the Long Term Financing Facility (LTFF), which he said had been enabled through the latest budget. Looking ahead, Aurangzeb said Pakistan would need to broaden its export base rather than relying on a limited range of products, services or market segments. The country, he said, needs to diversify its exports across both products and services as well as different segments.
NEWS 03
Tuesday, 1 September, 2026 | KARACHI
TELECOM OPERATORS DEMAND END TO G2G CONTRACTING, WARN OF ‘CROWDING OUT’ PRIVATE SECTOR
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telecom operators assocIatIon calls for repeal of ppra rule that let Govt dIrectly award It, telecom contracts to state fIrms sInce 2021 ISLAMABAD
AhmAD AhmADANi
HE Telecom Operators Association (TOA) has urged the federal government to abolish government-togovernment (G2G) direct contracting under the Public Procurement Rules, 2004, arguing that the mechanism is undermining competition and squeezing out private businesses. In a letter dated August 31, 2026, addressed to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and IT and Telecommunication Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, TOA Secretary General Kamal Ahmed called for the repeal of clause 42(f) of the PPRA Rules. The association said the federal government introduced clause 42(f) through S.R.O. No. 834(I)/2021 dated June 28, 2021, allowing procuring agencies to directly contract stateowned entities for works and services, including consultancy services, that are considered time-sensitive and in the public interest. Under the provision, the association noted, state-owned entities must be eligible to perform the required work, use their own resources without involving private-sector partners or subcontractors, and, where more than one eligible state entity exists, compete through limited tendering without advertisement. The letter also pointed to the requirement that procuring agencies establish a mechanism to determine price reasonability before awarding contracts to state-owned entities. However, TOA argued that the provision
Hubco-led consortium pre-qualified in race for Faisalabad power utility four-member group has sought a 51% to 100% stake with management control in the faisalabad electric supply company, but no binding commitment has been made yet PROFIT
News Desk
A consortium made up of Hub Power Holdings Limited, Lucky Cement Limited, Kohat Cement Company Limited and Metro Ventures (Private) Limited has been prequalified by the Privatisation Commission and shortlisted to carry out financial, technical and legal due diligence on Faisalabad Electric Supply Company Limited (Fesco), after lodging an Expression of Interest and Statement of Qualification for a proposed 51% to 100% equity stake carrying management control in the utility the Government of Pakistan is divesting. Kohat Cement Company Limited and The Hub Power Company Limited each disclosed the move to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Monday, under Sections 96 and 131 of the Securities Act, 2015 and Regulation 5.6.1 of the PSX Regulations. Hub Power Holdings Limited, the consortium member, is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hub Power Company Limited. Other interested parties have been pre-qualified alongside the group. Under applicable privatisation laws, the stake will eventually go to a competitive bidding process. Neither company nor the consortium has signed any binding commitment with any party over the purchase of equity in FESCO, both disclosures said. Any such commitment would follow only after due diligence is satisfactorily completed, every applicable corporate and regulatory approval is obtained and the transaction is judged commercially viable. At this stage, the members intend, through the consortium, to run a comprehensive due diligence exercise and weigh whether the potential acquisition is viable. Both companies asked the exchange to inform TREC holders.
has resulted in a major shift of governmentfunded IT and telecom projects towards state-owned enterprises at the expense of private-sector companies. "After these 2021 amendments to Public Procurement Rules 2004, the Federal and Provincial Governments have strengthened existing SOEs and also set up dozens of new SOEs which have awarded numerous IT and telecom-related projects by the federal and provincial governments in the last five years through direct G2G contracting without competitive bidding," the association said. The letter described the resulting situation as one that has "severely crowded out the private sector", despite private companies having invested billions of rupees in infrastructure and services over the past couple of decades and contributing substantially to the national tax exchequer. TOA said Pakistan's telecom industry is rapidly transforming from traditional infrastructure providers into global digital services companies, with operators investing heavily in data centres, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other digital services. "All operators have massively invested in data centres, clouds, AI and digital services and many of them are aiming to tap into the export market, which cannot grow without a strong local technology ecosystem," the association said. It further argued that the government, being a major purchaser of IT, telecom and digital services, plays a critical role in creating a domestic market for local technology companies. According to the association, a signifi-
cant portion of government spending continues to go to international vendors for hardware and software, while a smaller portion previously spent on local IT, telecom and digital services has increasingly been shifted to government-owned companies. TOA said the impact of G2G contracting and the growing dominance of state entities was being felt across the private technology sector. "Pakistani digital products and services businesses need a space in the home market to deploy their products and services before they're able to compete in the global market," the letter said, warning that the shrinking domestic market was hampering the ability of Pakistani companies to develop products capable of competing internationally. The association also alleged that G2G arrangements were creating an uneven playing field for private businesses. "State-linked entities or preferred G2G contractors frequently receive regulatory exemptions, preferential licensing, or implicit government guarantees that private companies cannot match," it said. TOA further warned that state dominance could suppress innovation by raising barriers for independent businesses. "When the state acts as both regulator and dominant market operator, private businesses face high entry barriers, reducing the incentive for independent commercial R&D and entrepreneurship," the association said. The telecom operators also questioned the efficiency of projects awarded without open competition, arguing that the absence of competitive pressure can reduce incen-
tives for state-backed entities to improve performance. "State-backed or G2G contractors often underperform compared to competitive private peers due to no competition and no incentive to improve because they are insulated from market failure," the association said. The letter went on to claim that, over the long term, many such state enterprises eventually become a burden on the economy, citing PIA, Steel Mills and DISCOs as examples. TOA also warned that G2G contracting could have implications for employment, particularly for educated young people, because small and medium-sized private enterprises are major sources of job creation. "Because small and medium private enterprises drive the majority of job creation, particularly for educated youth, starving them of business inhibits their growth," the association said. The association also linked government financing requirements and domestic borrowing to constraints on private-sector access to credit, arguing that when governments fund large projects or finance deficits through domestic borrowing, banks tend to prefer sovereign debt over lending to private businesses. It said this could push up interest rates and restrict affordable financing for small and medium-sized enterprises. Another major concern raised by TOA was subcontracting by state-owned enterprises after G2G contracts are awarded. "After the award of G2G projects, many SOEs subcontract the work to their preferred private subcontractors without due process of competitive bidding," the association al-
Oil jumps more than 2% after US attack on Iran's Larak Island
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us forces struck two IranIan launchers on larak Island; IrGc says It attacked two us aIr bases In jordan, medIa reports SINGAPORE ReuteRs
Oil prices were trading more than 2% higher on Monday after the U.S. attacked an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz and drew retaliation from Tehran, as conflict in the Middle East extended into its sixth month. Brent crude futures climbed $2.51, or 2.85%, to $90.61 a barrel as of 0241 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $85.53, up $2.13, or 2.55%. U.S. forces struck two launchers on Iran's Larak island in the Hormuz Strait on Sunday, the first known American strikes on the Gulf nation since late July. In response, Iran attacked two U.S. air bases in Jordan, Iranian media reported on Monday, citing Iran's Revolutionary Guards. "Looks like we are in another escalation phase. How long that lasts is impossible to determine.
Could be days, could be weeks," IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said. Technical charts showed that if the conflict escalated and pushed WTI above resistance at $85.80 to $85.90 a barrel, it would open the way for further gains, initially to last week's $87.69 high followed by July's $93.50 high, Sycamore said. Negotiations to end the conflict are at an impasse while mediators work to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil flowed before the war began at the end of February. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters on Sunday that the U.S. is likely to issue new secondary sanctions weekly on Iran, with the aim of cutting the Islamic Republic off entirely from the dollar-based financial system. Brent and WTI are set to post small declines in August after falling more than 4% last week, in what
was their first weekly decline in three. While the path to a deal to reopen the strait is elusive, increases in oil flows through the Hormuz strait kept concern over supply disruption in check, ANZ analysts said in a client note. The number of visible commodity vessels that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend dropped to five a day, shipping data showed on Monday, reflecting caution among companies wary of attacks on ships. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported on Sunday that a tanker was struck by a projectile while sailing inbound through the strait on Saturday. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that oil from a recently struck deal with Venezuela will be used to replenish the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which has dropped near its lowest level in 44 years.
PM Shehbaz seeks regional peace, deeper economic ties with Iran and Uzbekistan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
Highlighting regional connectivity as a shared strategic priority, Prime Minister Shehbaz underscored the transformative potential of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway for linking Central and South Asia and facilitating Uzbekistan’s access to Pakistan’s seaports. He stressed the need for early progress on the joint feasibility study and greater utilisation of existing multimodal transport corridors. The prime minister also reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to facilitate Uzbek trade through its ports and transport infrastructure, while supporting enhanced air connectivity between the two countries, including
progress towards direct Tashkent-Karachi flights. Prime Minister Shehbaz appreciated Uzbekistan’s support for Pakistan’s forthcoming chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State and expressed Islamabad’s desire to work closely with Tashkent on regional security, connectivity, trade and sustainable development. He also emphasised continued cooperation within the Economic Cooperation Organisation and other multilateral forums. The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening its strategic partnership with Uzbekistan and translating the strong political relationship between the two countries into tangible economic benefits for their peoples.
CDWP approves Rs60.26b worth of development projects, refers two major schemes to ECNEC g
Gwadar water supply scheme worth rs29bn amonG projects sent for further approval PROFIT
News Desk
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved five development projects worth Rs60.259 billion on Sunday, clearing three schemes valued at Rs11.714 billion outright while recommending two larger projects worth Rs48.545 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration. Among the approved schemes was a revised project to establish a Medical & Nursing College in Gilgit, worth Rs4.924 billion, originally initiated in 2017 but delayed due to inadequate funding. The CDWP also cleared the establishment of a National Defence University FCS Campus at Defence Complex Islamabad, costing Rs2.753 billion, along with the construction of a 53.4kilometre road from Zera to Daboori in Orakzai district, costing Rs4.037 billion, a project pending since 2016.
Two larger schemes were referred to ECNEC for further review. The revised Karachi Neighborhood Improvement Project, worth Rs19.545 billion, is proposed to be financed through foreign funding, with Sindh's local share coming from its Annual Development Programme. The CDWP also referred the Rs29 billion Gwadar Town water supply scheme from Mirani Dam, part of the Balochistan Socio-Economic Development Projects Phase-III, aimed at building sustainable water supply infrastructure for the city. Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal chaired the CDWP meeting and issued directives on several of the approved projects. He stressed the need to expand medical and nursing education in remote and underserved areas to build a skilled local healthcare workforce, directing that the Gilgit college project be completed at the earliest. On the NDU campus project, Iqbal
directed relevant authorities to collaborate with the Planning Commission on research aligned with national development goals, including achieving a $1 trillion economy and $100 billion in exports by 2035, and to sign a memorandum of understanding to that effect. He also called for including Planning Ministry staff in relevant training programmes and stressed that universities should provide evidence-based solutions to national challenges through quality research. On the Orakzai road project, Iqbal directed that remaining funds be released before winter to enable timely completion, noting it would improve connectivity in the merged district. Regarding the Karachi Neighborhood Improvement Project, Iqbal directed the formation of a committee — comprising the Member (Population), Member (Infrastructure) and a representative from the Economic Affairs Division — to develop a framework ensuring effective monitoring, transparency and
accountability for foreign-funded projects, stressing that borrowed funds must be used efficiently and strictly for their intended purposes. On the Gwadar water supply scheme, Iqbal directed the provincial government to initiate a study on wastewater treatment for the city, warning against allowing untreated sewage to pollute the sea, while permitting the project to proceed to the bidding stage to save time — though no contract can be awarded until ECNEC grants formal approval. The projects fall under the government's Uraan Pakistan development and reform agenda, aimed at strengthening human capital, modernising infrastructure and governance, and promoting sustainable, inclusive economic growth. The meeting was attended by the Additional Secretary Planning, the Chief Economist, the Vice Chancellor of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, members of the Planning Commission, federal secretaries, heads of provincial planning departments.
leged, adding that this "effectively bypasses the whole process of transparency and accountability in public procurement." The association also invoked a publicly stated position of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the role of the state in business. "The honourable Prime Minister has publicly stated that 'there's no business of government in running a business'," the letter said. TOA argued that state-owned enterprises were largely established through public resources, including taxes contributed by private-sector businesses, and that the government was subsequently using those resources to finance entities competing directly with the private sector while giving them access to direct government contracts. "Government then diverts this tax money into funding businesses that compete with the private sector and then gives them the privilege of direct contracting," the association said. "By doing so, the government is effectively dismantling the private sector that contributes to the national economy with taxes, job creation and innovation," it added. In its concluding demand, TOA asked the government to repeal clause 42(f) of the PPRA Rules and end what it termed discrimination against private businesses. "In view of the foregoing, it is humbly requested that clause 42(f) of PPRA Rules be repealed to end this discrimination and in the best national interest, and SOEs should compete in government-funded projects just like any private-sector entity," the association said.
Suzuki exports Pakistan-built Alto, Every to Brunei
brunei-based distributor boustead sdn. bhd also to begin selling suzuki motorcycles from autumn 2026 in suzuki's first overseas mini-vehicle export PROFIT
News Desk
Pakistan's auto industry notched an export milestone as Suzuki rolled out the Alto and Every, both built by its Pakistani subsidiary Pak Suzuki Motor Company (PSMC), in Brunei through local distributor Boustead Sdn. Bhd, marking the first time Suzuki has exported mini-vehicle-spec models from an overseas production base. The launch was announced on August 27 at a ceremony held at the Airport Mall Atrium in Bandar Seri Begawan, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Boustead's appointment as a Suzuki distributor. With the Alto and Every, Suzuki is expanding its automobile lineup in Brunei, while Boustead also announced it will begin handling Suzuki motorcycles, with sales set to start around autumn 2026. Brunei has a high per-capita vehicle ownership rate, with automobiles widely used for daily transportation, including commuting to work and school. Boustead currently imports and sells a range of compact, easy-to-drive models centred on SUVs, including the Jimny 3-Door/5-Door, Ertiga and Fronx. On the motorcycle side, Suzuki plans to introduce popular large-displacement models aimed primarily at touring and leisure riding, including the Hayabusa, GSX-S1000GX and GSX-8R. Masafumi Harano, Managing Officer and Executive General Manager, Automobile Marketing-Asia, Latin America and Oceania, Suzuki, said that the company aims to be "infrastructure mobility closely connected to people's lives," calling Brunei a market well aligned with that philosophy given how central automobiles are to daily life there. PSMC was incorporated in August 1983 as a joint venture between Pakistan Automobile Corporation Limited and Japan's Suzuki Motor Corporation, the majority shareholder. It assembles and markets Suzuki cars, pickups, vans, 4x4s and motorcycles, has long led the passenger car segment with a share often above 50%, and runs 175 dealerships in more than 100 cities. In 2023, SBP’s curbs on letters of credit caused inventory shortages and repeated plant shutdowns, and the board voted to delist voluntarily from the Pakistan Stock Exchange, citing losses in 2019, 2020 and 2022, a dividend drought since 2019 apart from 2021, and a low share price. Suzuki has since called Pakistan one of its most important markets and pledged continued investment. In February 2026, PSMC exported its first shipment of Ecstar engine oil to Oman, becoming the first original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in Pakistan to export locally marketed lubricants abroad.
04 COMMENT
Breaking the US dependence: India’s FTA strategy
Beyond the suspensions
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OURTEEN newborns perished in a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad on 26 August. The blaze engulfed the neonatal nursery within minutes, fed by oxygen supplies that should have sustained fragile lives. Only one infant survived. The scale of the loss is almost beyond comprehension; the failures that allowed it are not. An interim inquiry has catalogued the deficiencies with clinical precision: no fire alarms or sprinklers in the ward, inadequate emergency protocols, delayed calls for help, absent supervisory staff, and a facility operating in clear breach of basic safety standards. The precise ignition source remains unresolved, yet the systemic collapse is plain. Oxygen lines became accelerants. Locked or restricted access, intended to prevent theft, hindered escape. Rescue efforts arrived too late for most. The government’s response followed a familiar script. The federal health secretary was suspended within hours. An inquiry committee was formed. After its interim findings, eight officials—including the hospital’s executive director and senior clinical and administrative staff—were suspended and face departmental and criminal proceedings. The prime minister vowed that those guilty of negligence would receive no leniency. New appointments were ordered to restore management. These measures are necessary. They are also insufficient. Transfers and suspensions offer the appearance of accountability while leaving the underlying culture untouched. Pakistan’s public hospitals—and many private ones—have long operated under chronic under-resourcing, weak oversight and a tolerance for corner-cutting that turns routine hazards into catastrophes. Fire-safety audits, functional equipment, regular drills and enforceable standards remain the exception rather than the rule. This was no sprawling provincial network overwhelmed by scale. PIMS is a federal hospital in the capital, the smallest and most tightly administered unit of governance. Responsibility cannot be deflected to distant provinces or claims of unmanageable size. The tragedy points instead to a deeper malaise: a culture in which corruption, negligence and administrative indifference flourish even under the closest federal gaze. Shoot-fromthe-hip suspensions substitute for the patient, unglamorous work of institutional reform. Until fire-safety systems are installed and maintained, until staff are trained and held continuously accountable, and until both public and private facilities are subjected to rigorous, independent inspection, the next preventable disaster remains only a matter of time. Grief demands more than personnel changes. It demands a genuine overhaul of how hospitals are run.
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amna naz
OR years, the United States has been one of the most important destinations for Indian exports. That relationship has generated enormous opportunities for Indian businesses, but it has also created a vulnerability: when Washington changes its trade policy, Indian exporters feel the shock. Donald Trump’s return to tariff-driven trade policy has exposed this vulnerability more clearly than ever. India’s growing push for free-trade agreements (FTAs) with the United Kingdom and European Union should therefore be seen not simply as an exercise in expanding trade. However as part of a larger strategy to diversify markets and reduce excessive dependence on the American economy. The logic is straightforward. A country becomes vulnerable when too much of its export success depends on a single market. The United States has remained India’s largest export destination, accounting for roughly one-fifth of India’s exports even after the recent tariff disruptions. For Indian exporters, particularly in sectors such as textiles, apparel and other labour-intensive industries, tariffs can quickly erode price competitiveness. Recent US tariff measures have continued to create uncertainty for Indian exporters, with around 55% of Indian exports reportedly subject to a new 10% US tariff announced in July 2026. Trump’s tariff policy has therefore delivered an important lesson to New Delhi: market access cannot be treated as a permanent guarantee. Political changes in Washington can translate into higher costs for Indian companies almost overnight. This makes India’s European outreach particularly significant. The India-UK trade agreement entered into force in July 2026. Under the agreement, Indian exporters receive duty-free access for 99% of Indian exports to the UK, while India has also committed to substantial tariff reductions on British products. Meanwhile, India and the European Union concluded their long-running FTA negotiations in January 2026, following negotiations that had originally begun in 2007 and were relaunched in 2022. These agreements are important because Europe offers India something that Washington increasingly cannot guarantee: another large and relatively stable market for Indian goods and services. But it would be wrong to argue that India negotiated these agreements solely because Trump imposed tariffs. The UK and EU negotiations began years before the latest phase of Trump’s tariff policies. The more accurate argument is that Trump has increased the strategic value of agreements that India was already pursuing. What was previously a long-term tradediversification strategy has now acquired a much greater sense of urgency. If an Indian textile manufacturer loses compet-
Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
itiveness in the United States because of tariffs, access to European and British consumers can provide an alternative market. If an engineering company faces higher costs in America, preferential access to Europe can partially compensate for the loss. The same logic applies across pharmaceuticals, automobiles, chemicals, agricultural products and services. India has already moved in this direction through its agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Which entered into force in 2025, and now through its deeper trade arrangements with the UK and EU. The emerging pattern suggests that New Delhi understands the importance of building a broader network of economic partnerships. Yet diversification will not be easy. Signing an FTA does not automatically make Indian companies globally competitive. India must address problems at home: high logistics costs, infrastructure gaps, regulatory complexity, skill shortages and the limited scale of many manufacturing firms. An FTA can open a door, but Indian businesses still have to walk through it. India’s FTAs with the UK and EU are therefore more than trade agreements. They represent an attempt to give Indian exporters more choices, reduce the vulnerability created by excessive dependence on one market and build an economy that is less exposed to the policy decisions of any single foreign government. India’s recent push for free-trade agreements with
Babar Nizami Editor Profit
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Editor’s mail
Neglecting our pride
Hamza Tareen
of thought. That said, the principal case put forward against the philosopher’s framework is that it argues from a Western lens, and hence is a foreign export not universally applicable. However, Leopold did not form the basis of this line of thought; he coherently systematised it.\ The Quran, for instance, specifically describes mankind as vicegerents of God on Earth (Qur’an 6:165). This verse carries significant theological import, as humans are not defined as owners; hence, their relationship with the natural world is subject to moral scrutiny and they would be held accountable for the trusteeship bestowed upon them. Moreover, the Quranic injunction against fasad fi’l ard— corruption and disorder— has been elaborated by some modern Muslim scholars as a warning against destabilising the ecological balance. Another proposition furthered against Leopold’s argumentative thread is that it risks advocating for ecological mysticism and renunciation of human primacy. For example, the significance accorded to the biotic community could override the primacy of individual creatures.
This, however, is a distorted understanding of the land ethic. Leopold himself was a forester who understood the codependency of humans and the environment. His land ethic is best interpreted as a supplement to individual-regarding ethics, not as an utter replacement for them. After almost 80 years of A Sand County Almanac, the land ethic is ever more relevant. Despite having witnessed the dire implications of the ‘conqueror’ role, humanity persists in refusing to relinquish its position. Even in the presence of the tremendous evidence of human-induced climate change, which is progressing at a staggering rate, adequate measures are still missing to mitigate the cataclysm that could wipe out entire species and wreak unprecedented havoc on humanity. If we desire to thwart it to some extent, we have to embrace the land ethic and realise the consequences of not doing so. The missing piece in the discourse around the environment and climate is a reassessment of roles; it is, finally, taking up the responsibility of the steward. The writer is a freelance columnist
After almost 80 years of A Sand County Almanac, the land ethic is ever more relevant. Despite having witnessed the dire implications of the ‘conqueror’ role, humanity persists in refusing to relinquish its position. Even in the presence of the tremendous evidence of human-induced climate change, which is progressing at a staggering rate, adequate measures are still missing to mitigate the cataclysm that could wipe out entire species and wreak unprecedented havoc on humanity.
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Amna Naz is a Research Intern at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), working on South Asian politics, security, and regional stability. She can be reached at amnanaz03846@gmail.com.
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Embracing the Land Ethic
INCE industrialization and the ‘great acceleration’ of the Anthropocene, Homo sapiens relentlessly advanced in their inexorable march of domination over the environment. From saturating the atmosphere with toxic emissions to despoiling the most far-flung of landscapes, the ecological realm was profoundly altered— irrevocably. Humanity’s tyrannical hegemony continued unabated. Yet nature had the final laugh; it exacted revenge with unparalleled ferocity, presenting before us the ramifications of the devastation we had wrought ourselves. The central principle underpinning the degradation of environmental architecture was a worldview which drove this calamity in the first place: a rationale rooted in a proprietorial worldview. Aldo Leopold, in his magnum opus, A Sand County Almanac, trenchantly exposes this outlook and proposes a decisively effective framework; one that would go on to become the guiding force of environmental ethics. Leopold simply argues for ‘enlarging the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land.’ The crux of his contention was that ethical criteria, throughout human history, underwent changes and were expanded from owners to slaves, men to women, humans to animals. And what was needed at this critical juncture was stretching the moral perimeters to include the environment. This perspective, undoubtedly, is a radical one since it alters the role of humans from ‘conqueror of the land-community to a plain member and citizen of it’. No wonder it has been challenged with such vehement fervour. Leopold’s genius lay in incisively pointing out the root of the problem. Humans never harboured ethical sentiments towards the biotic community because it was seen as a collection of resources, to be exploited for the material prosperity of the civilisation: swathes of forests were cleared for urban development and meeting the demand for timber; fossil fuels were incessantly extracted for establishing the modern industrialised apparatus; marine ecosystems were destroyed for commercial profit; and species were hunted into extinction for economic gains. Pecuniary considerations preceded ethical ones— always. Leopold’s conception argues for a stewardship role. His seminal principle— that ‘a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community; it is wrong when it tends otherwise’— entails and imposes upon us certain responsibilities towards the natural world. Considered in that light, it is tempting to wonder about the multitude of ecological catastrophes that could have been prevented had we adopted this lens
major economies such as the UK and EU is not merely about increasing trade; it is also about reducing India’s vulnerability to an increasingly unpredictable American market. Trump’s tariff policies have exposed the risks of excessive dependence on the US as an export destination, prompting India to diversify its markets and build alternative economic partnerships. India’s experience offers a broader lesson that goes beyond trade figures and tariff schedules. In an increasingly uncertain global economy, economic security cannot rest on access to a single market, however important that market may be. Partnerships must remain flexible, and national interests must remain at the centre of foreign policy. For Pakistan, this is a lesson worth considering. Islamabad does not need to choose permanently between one camp and another, nor should its economic and foreign-policy options be defined by dependence on any single partner. Pakistan’s interests may sometimes converge with those of the United States, China, the Gulf states, Europe or its neighbours and sometimes they may not. A mature foreign policy should have the confidence to engage with all of them where Pakistani interests are best served.
India’s recent push for free-trade agreements with major economies such as the UK and EU is not merely about increasing trade; it is also about reducing India’s vulnerability to an increasingly unpredictable American market.
From dominators to stewards M. A. Niazi
Editor Pakistan Today
Tuesday, 1 September, 2026
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
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HOCKEY, once the pride of Pakistan, is now facing serious challenges. If we look at the records, the downfall of Pakistan’s hockey team began after 1994. Since then, the team has failed to reach the final stages of major tournaments like the World Cup. Most of the time, our team does not even qualify for the finals. This decline is largely due to a lack of proper support, funding and facilities. There are not enough hockey grounds, especially in cities like Chaman. In addition, public interest has shifted towards cricket, and unfortunately, so has government focus and investment. Our hockey players are not being provided with adequate salaries or quality equipment which affects their performance and morale. It is the government’s responsibility to revive this sport by addressing these issues and investing in its development. The national game of any country deserves respect and attention. Pakistan must take immediate steps to bring back the glory of hockey by motivating players and providing the necessary resources. SHAHID ISMAIL HOPELA
Digital dining crisis
IT is unfortunate that in today’s homes, the dining table has been replaced by a play station, and spoons work only if a mobile screen is playing cartoons. Children no longer eat food but rather consume Wi-Fi signals. Parents hand over phones not as a treat but as a feeding spoon, and this has quietly become the new parenting style. The results are plain to see; children are growing more irritable, stubborn and detached from reality. Their social lives are vanishing, replaced by a lonely digital bubble. Worse still, their mental and physical health is being sacrificed at the altar of convenience. The solution requires more than complaints. Parents must set boundaries and model discipline by keeping their own phones aside during meals. Schools should launch awareness campaigns, encouraging physical play and face-to-face interaction. And above all, we must collectively reject the dangerous idea that gadgets are babysitters. If we continue to feed children with screens instead of values, we will raise a generation that is full but never nourished. True nourishment does not come from faces on a screen but rather through presence, connection and shared human experiences. AHSAN UL HAQUE KARACHI
Real estate ruined
THE housing sector plays a central role in shaping cities, improving quality of life and driving economic growth. Around the world, successful real estate developments are led by professionals with proven experience, technical expertise and a vision for sustainable urban planning. Such leadership ensures projects are not only profitable but also resilient, environmentally responsible and free of the mismanagement that erodes public trust. In Pakistan, however, the reality is often the opposite. Multi-billionrupee housing projects are frequently spearheaded by individuals with no relevant qualifications or experience — sometimes even those with questionable or criminal backgrounds. This results in projects plagued by poor planning, lack of climate-resilient infrastructure, insufficient green spaces and recurring legal complications. The absence of professional standards in leadership is one of the key reasons our housing sector struggles to meet international benchmarks. To uplift the sector, the government and regulators must establish clear standards for the qualifications and credentials of those who lead housing societies. By doing so, Pakistan can build more resilient, sustainable, and exemplary projects that reflect global best practices and restore public confidence in real estate development. AHSEN KALEEM ISLAMABAD
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COMMENT 05
The cops and the committee
Tuesday, 1 September, 2026
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Therefore, police officers should cerwith accessible mechanisms for lodgPolice must be accountable, but also given necessary resources vided ing complaints against police officials, while tainly be questioned in Privileges Commit-
Syed ZeeShan haider
T is a bitter but undeniable reality that public confidence in the police in Pakistan remains far from satisfactory. Complaints about police performance, the traditional “thana culture,” alleged misuse of authority, delays in the registration and investigation of cases, and inappropriate behaviour by some personnel frequently make headlines. Yet, while discussing these shortcomings, we must not overlook another important reality: thousands of police officers and personnel continue to perform their duties under extremely difficult circumstances, often putting their lives at risk to protect citizens and maintain law and order. Recently, a video of a meeting of the Privileges Committee of the Punjab Assembly circulated widely on social media. During the proceedings, the Regional Police Officer Faisalabad and the DIG Operations Lahore were summoned before the committee and faced questions from its members. There is certainly nothing wrong with holding public officials accountable. In fact, accountability is an essential feature of a democratic system. Elected representatives have every right to raise the problems of their constituents and demand answers from government departments. However, while exercising this right, a distinction must be maintained between legitimate accountability and public humiliation. The police must be answerable for their actions, but accountability should be institutional, evidence-based and aimed at correcting shortcomings rather than merely reprimanding individuals. During the committee proceedings, a Member from Khushab also raised concerns regarding certain practices allegedly prevalent at police checkpoints and the treatment of citizens, including those who possess complete documentation. Such complaints deserve serious attention. If a citizen with valid documents is unnecessarily stopped, harassed or asked for money, it is not merely an individual inconvenience; it damages public trust in the entire institution. But this raises a larger question: Can the problems of policing be solved simply by holding individual police officers responsible? The answer, in my view, is no. Some time ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a discussion with police officers and personnel in Sargodha on the sub-
ject of “Changing the Thana Culture.” The gathering included DSPs, Inspectors, SubInspectors, ASIs, Head Constables and Constables. The discussion continued for almost three hours. Public complaints about the police were discussed openly, but, importantly, police personnel were also given an opportunity to speak about the difficulties they face in performing their duties. That discussion left a lasting impression. It became clear that the problems of policing cannot simply be attributed to the intentions or attitudes of individual officers. A significant part of the problem lies in the institutional and administrative environment in which the police are expected to function. A police station requires basic resources to perform even its most routine responsibilities. It needs stationery, fuel, vehicles, communication facilities and funds for official travel. An investigating officer may have to travel hundreds of kilometres to arrest a suspect, record the statement of a witness, collect evidence or otherwise pursue an investigation. Police personnel may also have to appear before courts and undertake numerous other official assignments. The question is simple: are sufficient and timely official resources available for all these responsibilities? If a police station does not receive adequate funds for its legitimate operational requirements, informal arrangements inevitably become more likely. This does not justify corruption or bribery— far from it. Any police official who demands or accepts illegal gratification must be held accountable according to law. But if we genuinely want to eliminate corruption, we must address both the individual wrongdoing and the institutional weaknesses that allow such practices to develop. For example, if a police vehicle has no fuel and an officer asks a citizen to provide money for its operation, the officer cannot be excused for demanding money. At the same time, the administration must also be asked why an official vehicle was left without the resources necessary for the performance of an official duty. Similarly, if an investigating officer is required to travel a long distance but does not receive legitimate travelling expenses in time, the problem cannot be viewed solely as an individual matter. It is also an administrative issue that requires institutional attention. Another major challenge is political interference. A police officer who has to make professional decisions while facing political pressure, the threat of transfer or the displeasure of an influential person cannot al-
ways be expected to perform his duties with complete independence. If we want impartial policing, police officers must be given sufficient professional space to enforce the law without fear or favour. This does not mean that police officers should be above accountability. On the contrary, an empowered police force must also be a highly accountable police force. Unfortunately, public debate on police reform often focuses only on the behaviour of lower-ranking personnel. We tell police officers to improve their attitude towards citizens— and rightly so. But institutional reform cannot end there. Police reform must also address training, working conditions, welfare, technology, investigation, accountability mechanisms, financial resources, merit-based promotions and administrative independence. The lower ranks of the police force deserve particular attention. Constables, Head Constables, ASIs and other field personnel frequently perform long and difficult duties under considerable pressure. They may spend hours on roads, at checkpoints, in courts, during investigations and at crime scenes. Their responsibilities are enormous, yet their professional and welfare needs do not always receive adequate attention. A police officer who is exhausted, poorly equipped and working under constant pressure is not in the best position to provide the quality of public service that society expects. Therefore, improving police performance also requires improving the working conditions of police personnel. The Police Order 2002 generated considerable debate about police reform and introduced important principles concerning the organization and functioning of the police. However, the country has struggled to maintain the continuity and consistency required for comprehensive police reform. Various governments have announced measures and initiatives, but lasting institutional transformation requires sustained political and administrative commitment. We must now move beyond temporary campaigns and cosmetic changes. A genuine reform agenda should ensure that police stations have transparent operational budgets; investigating officers receive legitimate travelling and investigation expenses on time; vehicles and communication equipment are properly maintained; modern technology is used in investigation and crime prevention; recruitment and promotions are based on merit; police personnel receive appropriate training; and effective mechanisms exist for dealing with misconduct. At the same time, citizens must be pro-
police officers must also be protected from false accusations and undue pressure. This is where the role of parliamentary and assembly committees becomes particularly important. A Privileges Committee or any other competent forum should certainly question police officers where there are credible complaints or allegations of negligence. But such proceedings should also examine the institutional circumstances behind the problem. If a police station is accused of poor performance, the committee should ask not only, “Who is responsible?” but also, “What resources were available?” If an investigating officer failed to pursue a case effectively, the inquiry should determine not only whether there was negligence but also whether the officer had the necessary manpower, transport, funds, training and technical support. If complaints of corruption arise at a checkpoint, action should certainly be taken against those found responsible. But the broader policing system should also be examined to determine whether proper supervision, transparent procedures and effective monitoring mechanisms are in place. Accountability should therefore lead to reform—not merely punishment. We must also remember that the police are not a homogeneous institution. There are certainly individuals within the department whose conduct deserves criticism and, where necessary, disciplinary or legal action. But there are also officers and personnel who demonstrate exceptional courage, honesty and dedication. Many police officers have lost their lives while protecting the public. Their sacrifices should not be forgotten merely because the department as a whole faces criticism. The dignity of a police officer and the rights of a citizen are not contradictory. In fact, they are complementary. A citizen needs protection from police misconduct, while a police officer needs protection from political interference, inadequate resources, unfair treatment and unjustified public humiliation. A modern system of policing must protect both. The ultimate objective should be to create a police station where a citizen can walk in without fear, register a complaint without paying a bribe, receive respectful treatment and expect action according to law. At the same time, the police officer working inside that station should have the resources, training, authority and professional independence required to perform his duties effectively. This is what genuine police reform should mean.
tees. They should be required to explain their decisions, and negligence or misconduct should be dealt with according to law. But committees should also ask some equally important questions: n. What resources were provided to the police station? n. Were the investigating officers given the necessary funds and transport? n. Are police personnel receiving appropriate training and welfare facilities? n. Are promotions based on merit? n. Are police officers able to perform their duties without political pressure? n. And perhaps the most important question: n. What institutional reforms are necessary to ensure that the same complaint does not arise again? If we begin looking for answers to these questions, we may discover that some problems cannot be solved merely by changing an officer. They require changes in the system itself. The rule of law is not the sole responsibility of the police. Politicians, the bureaucracy, the judiciary, the media, civil society and citizens all have a role to play in creating a lawful and orderly society. The police certainly need reform. But police reform should not be reduced to criticism of individual officers or occasional disciplinary proceedings. It must be a comprehensive effort to build a professional, adequately resourced, technologically equipped, politically neutral and accountable institution. In the end, the message is simple: Hold the police accountable—but give them the resources to perform. Demand that they obey the law—but protect them from political pressure. Question misconduct—but do not forget the sacrifices of those who have given their lives in the line of duty. A strong police force is not merely a government department. It is one of the most visible manifestations of the state’s authority, the rule of law and the protection of citizens. Pakistan does not need a police force that is merely powerful. It needs a police force that is professional, impartial, adequately resourced, publicly accountable and firmly bound by the law. Because policing will not improve merely by reprimanding police officers. It will improve when we reform the system in which those officers are required to work. The writer is CEO and Chairman of Haider Group of Companies and hosts a current affairs talk show on PTV News. him on Facebook at: Follow www.facebook.com/syedzishanhyder
What will Sonia Gandhi’s memoir reveal? The memoir has already become the subject of a publishing dispute in India
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BBC
Soutik BiSwaS
HEN Sonia Gandhi became president of India’s main opposition Congress party in 1998, she was an unlikely and largely enigmatic political leader. Italian-born and the widow of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, she had spent years avoiding the political spotlight before taking charge of a party that had dominated much of independent India’s history. In her early months, India Today magazine described Sonia as “quite an enigma to her partymen” - “inscrutable”, shielded from the world by a security cordon and known for her “laconic one-liners in an alien accent”. Yet beneath the reticence, the magazine detected a politician already learning how to exercise power. She listened to competing arguments, gathered information and then made up her own mind. “Nobody is left out of the decision-making process and no voice is gagged. But it is her word that prevails,” it reported. Nearly three decades later, after a political journey that took her from reluctant outsider to the most powerful figure in Congress, India’s oldest political party, Sonia Gandhi is offering her own account. The 79-year-old’s story is marked by extraordinary personal loss: she rushed her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi, to hospital after her bodyguards shot her, and brought her husband, Rajiv Gandhi, home after a suicide bomber killed him seven years later. Her autobiography, Belonging: A Journey of Love, which will be published in November by Alfred A Knopf in the US and William Collins in the UK, is likely to be one of the most closely watched political books in India. In a statement issued through Alfred A Knopf, Gandhi says she wants this memoir “to be a testament of my heart’s journey through the tender joys and dark despair that have marked my life”. According to William Collins, the book opens in Cambridge in 1965, where 19-yearold Italian student Sonia Maino falls in love with Rajiv Gandhi, grandson of India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. In this “revelatory” account, the publishers say, the famously reticent Sonia looks back with “warmth and candour” on a life shaped by
In her 1994 book called Rajiv, Sonia wrote that she had “fought like a tiger” to prevent Rajiv from entering politics
love, exile, political power and devastating loss - from her childhood in small-town Italy to her unexpected journey into the heart of Indian politics. The memoir has already become the subject of a publishing dispute in India. Reports that Penguin Random House India had sought changes to parts of the manuscript were followed by allegations from Congress leaders that the publisher had come under political pressure to alter passages critical of the government. Penguin has disputed that account, saying it “remained keen and willing to publish the book” while the “relevant discussions” were going on. Yet readers will be looking for more than the story of how a young, foreign woman married into India’s most powerful political family. They will want answers to some of modern Indian politics’ biggest unresolved questions: what drew her into politics, and what happened behind the scenes when the Congress returned to power in 2004 after eight years out of office? The biggest mystery may be why Sonia, despite having the backing of her party and allies, declined the prime ministership and chose Manmohan Singh, the architect of India’s economic liberalisation, instead. Did she fear that her foreign origins would permanently undermine her government? “I think that is really the biggest unanswered question. She could easily have become prime minister - she had the full backing of her party and allies, and the president’s office had a letter ready inviting her to form the government,” says journalist and author Neerja Chowdhury. In his memoirs, former Congress leader and foreign minister Natwar Singh wrote that Sonia’s son Rahul Gandhi was “vehemently” opposed to his mother becoming prime minister, fearing she would meet the fate of his grandmother and father. Matters reached a “climax”, Singh wrote, when Rahul said he was prepared to take “any possible step” to stop her. Will Sonia’s memoir shed new light on that extraordinary decision - or offer a very different account of what really happened behind the scenes? Whatever the reason, her decision transformed Indian politics. But that decision is only one part of a larger mystery: why did Sonia Gandhi enter politics in the first place? She had spent years resisting a political career. After the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, she remained largely outside public life. But as the Congress declined through the 1990s, she joined the party in 1997 and became its president less than a year later. At the time, she was widely dismissed by her rivals. In December 1998, India Today reported that, initially, leading opposition politicians called her little more than a “housewife” or an “Italian wonder”. Yet, within months, she had begun transforming her party. One Congress veteran admitted: “I never thought that the
In his memoirs, former Congress leader and foreign minister Natwar Singh wrote that Sonia’s son Rahul Gandhi was “vehemently” opposed to his mother becoming prime minister, fearing she would meet the fate of his grandmother and father
lady could spring such a surprise.” The magazine was already detecting a formidable political operator. It described her as having an “iron fist under the velvet glove”, and observed that she knew how to “cut down Himalayan egos to the height of foothills”. Then there are the tragedies that made her political career possible. Sonia witnessed the transformation of her family after Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984. Seven years later, she lost Rajiv to a suicide bomber. The deaths changed the course of Indian politics and her own life. What will she say about those years? About Rajiv’s political career, which she had strongly resisted? About the security fears surrounding her children? And about the moment she decided that the Gandhi family’s political inheritance could not simply be abandoned? There are also uncomfortable questions. Will she discuss Bofors, the scandal that badly damaged Rajiv Gandhi’s government and generated decades of controversy around the family’s links to Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi? Will she revisit the allegations and explain what she knew? And what about the furore over her Italian origins? For years, Sonia was criticised as a foreigner who could not legitimately lead India. In Delhi’s social circles, she was sometimes derided as “the Italian au pair”. A person of foreign origin becoming prime minister, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj declared in 2004, “would be an insult to the nation”- she vowed to resign, tonsure her head, wear white and live as an ascetic if Sonia took the job. “As early as in 1999, even a group of Congress leaders had raised questions about her foreign origins. Did she ever think of leaving the country?” says journalist and author Rasheed Kidwai. Political observers also wonder whether the book could shed light on the paradoxes of the Congress-led government between 2004 and 2014. Under Sonia’s leadership, Congress won two successive national elections and backed landmark measures including the right to information law and the rural employment guarantee programme. Yet its second term was overwhelmed by corruption allegations, policy paralysis and a growing sense that the party had become captive to its own leadership. Sonia’s critics called her the government’s “remote control” - they wondered how much power she wielded over Singh. Her defenders saw her as the political force holding together a notoriously difficult coalition. And then there is Rahul Gandhi. Sonia ultimately handed the Congress leadership to her son in 2017. Many believe his failure to revive the party is central to the story of the Gandhi family’s decline. In her 1994 book called Rajiv, Sonia wrote that she had “fought like a tiger” to prevent Rajiv from entering politics. Yet she eventually passed that inheritance to Rahul.
Rahul’s political journey has hardly been smooth: he was once dismissed as a reluctant politician and often lampooned by rivals as an absentee leader. “How does Sonia see her son’s very different political style and worldview? And how much does she endorse his politics? I hope the book answers these questions,” says Kidwai. Another question is why Sonia chose Rahul, rather than his more naturally charismatic sister Priyanka, to carry the family’s political legacy - and why Priyanka, despite years of speculation about a political role, only formally entered electoral politics in 2019. “Sonia’s stock answer would be that it would be up to my children to decide whether to join politics,” says Kidwai. There is a larger question, too: what does Sonia Gandhi think of the India she helped shape? She led Congress during a period when Indian politics moved from coalition governments and economic liberalisation towards the much more dominant politics of Narendra Modi’s BJP and Hindu nationalism. But perhaps the most revealing question is what Sonia’s memoir will choose to say - and what it will leave unsaid. Neerja Chowdhury suspects the answer may lie in the book’s title, Belonging. “She has been conscious of being an inheritor of the legacy of the Nehru-
Gandhi family - that legacy has to be kept alive,” Chowdhury says. She expects the memoir to return to family, its history, but above all to Sonia’s own sense of belonging to the dynasty and of assuming its political mantle as Congress president. That legacy, of course, is now under sustained attack. The ruling BJP has campaigned for a “Congress-mukt Bharat” (Congress-free India), while critics of the party increasingly frame its challenge as a fight against dynastic politics. As the Congress has suffered repeated electoral setbacks and watched many of its leaders defect to rivals, the question has become not just whether the Gandhi family can revive the party, but whether it can hold it together. It is a question that goes to the heart of what Sonia says she is trying to examine in her memoir. “Much has been written about my family, but few narratives were able to reach into the truth of their motivations, their actions and even their very human failings. In many ways, this book is a homage to their humanness,” Sonia was quoted as saying on the book. Her memoir may therefore be less a political reckoning than a defence of belonging - an attempt to explain what the Nehru-Gandhi inheritance has meant to her, and why she believes it still matters.
06 NEWS
CHINA-KYRGYZSTAN TIES ENTER 'GOLDEN' PERIOD AS RAILWAY PROJECT GAINS PACE
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ONSTRUCTION of the ChinaKyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is gathering pace, with work on the Kyrgyz section — accounting for nearly 60 per cent of the route — advancing rapidly as the flagship Belt and Road Initiative project takes shape in Central Asia. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday highlighted the railway’s broader significance, saying major China-Kyrgyzstan cooperation projects had progressed steadily in recent years, supporting the development of both countries, benefiting their people and contributing to regional peace, stability and prosperity. During talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Xi said China was ready to better align its development strategies with Kyrgyzstan, deepen governance exchanges and ensure more tangible outcomes from bilateral cooperation. He said the two sides should make substantive progress in building a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future. Xi, who arrived in Bishkek on Sunday
China-Russia relations to grow stronger, progress ever steadier: Xi
BISHKEK
Staff coRReSpondent
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that, under his and Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategic guidance and through the joint efforts of both sides, the foundation of China-Russia relations will become ever stronger, their progress ever steadier, and their future ever brighter. Xi made the remarks in a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2026 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Xi said that during the successful state visit of Putin to China in May, he and Putin made arrangements to steer bilateral relations toward higher-quality and higherlevel development from a strategic and long-term perspective, and reached consensus on deepening cooperation between China and Russia across various sectors under the new circumstances. The competent authorities of the two countries are actively implementing the consensus, with substantial results already made, Xi said, adding that exchanges and cooperation between the two sides have maintained a strong momentum. Xi noted that the international landscape is witnessing a notable increase in uncertain and unpredictable factors, against the backdrop of accelerating profound changes unseen in a century. But the pursuit of people across the world of peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes remains unchanged, he added. The SCO shoulders the important responsibility for safeguarding regional stability and promoting regional development, he said. China, he said, stands ready to work with Russia and other parties to jointly chart the course for the development of the SCO, help ensure its steady and sustained progress, and strengthen the driving force for reform of global governance and the advancement of an equal and orderly multipolar world.
for a state visit, said in a written statement that bilateral cooperation had entered a “golden” period of rapid development. Japarov echoed the assessment during Monday’s talks, saying relations between the two countries were at their highest level in history and describing China as Kyrgyzstan’s “closest friend and most reliable partner”. Xi said that under the leadership of the two countries, bilateral ties had made a major leap forward, with cooperation ex-
and high-level political trust between the two countries and represented an important milestone in bilateral relations. The two leaders also discussed coordination through multilateral organisations and mechanisms. As founding members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and fellow members of the Global South, China and Kyrgyzstan share positions on promoting open and inclusive development and upholding international fairness and justice. The two countries coordinate closely through the United Nations, the SCO and the China-Central Asia mechanism. China welcomed Kyrgyzstan’s election in June as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Kyrgyzstan, meanwhile, has joined the China-proposed World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, headquartered in Shanghai, and the International Organization for Mediation based in Hong Kong. Xi said China supported Kyrgyzstan in playing a greater role in regional and international affairs and was ready to strengthen coordination with Bishkek within the UN framework.
ucts, alongside machinery and electrical equipment. Chinese direct investment in Kyrgyzstan also surpassed $2bn on a cumulative basis by the end of July, according to Chinese Commerce Ministry data. The two countries signed more than 20 cooperation agreements on Monday covering science and technology, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges and media. They also exchanged documents relating to investment, transport, customs and sister-city cooperation. Xi and Japarov signed a joint declaration on the high-quality development of the China-Kyrgyzstan comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era, as well as a bilateral treaty on permanent good-neighbourliness, friendship and cooperation. Xi said the treaty would provide an important legal foundation for preserving the longstanding friendship between the two countries and strengthening mutual support. Japarov said the agreement would open broader prospects for bilateral relations. The visit coincides with Kyrgyzstan’s 35th Independence Day. Japarov said Xi’s visit demonstrated the depth of friendship
BISHKEK
Mian abRaR
panding across a wide range of sectors. China has remained Kyrgyzstan’s largest trading partner and biggest source of foreign direct investment. Bilateral trade reached a record $27.2 billion in 2025, an annual increase of 19.8 per cent. The momentum continued in 2026, with trade reaching $11.7bn during the first seven months of the year. Growth was driven in part by Chinese exports of electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic prod-
Tuesday, 1 September, 2026 | KARACHI
US to respond to Iranian attacks on forces in Middle East: Trump WASHINGTON agencieS
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the US would retaliate against Iran following missile and drone attacks on American forces in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “We're going to hit them hard. There will be a response,” Trump told Fox News. He noted that US air defence systems intercepted most of the incoming fire. One missile was identified as "not going to hit anything significant," and US forces allowed it to pass through the airspace, Trump said. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early Monday it had struck the King Hussein and Azraq airbases in Jordan with ballistic missiles while also targeting Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE with explosive drones. The IRGC said the operation was retaliation for a US strike on Larak Island on Sunday, which reportedly aimed to stop the placement of sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit point. Trump also expressed scepticism regarding a diplomatic breakthrough, noting that while Tehran sought a meeting, current US sanctions were "kicking in strongly."
TRUMP CALLS FOR WAR CRIMES TRIAL OF IRANIAN LEADERSHIP OVER ALLEGED PROTESTERS' DEATHS: US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the Iranian leadership should face trial for crimes against humanity following allegations that it had killed over 100,000 protesters. “They must be tried for war crimes against humanity,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. He characterised Iran as "officially a failed nation" with a leadership in "total disarray." “They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, they have no currency,” the US president claimed. "It is dead," he said, noting that the only assets remaining for Tehran were “fake news” from the US and a “willingness to kill their protesters,” alleging a death toll of 100,000 demonstrators. There had been no independent confirmation of the alleged 100,000 deaths. UAE RESERVES 'RIGHT TO RESPOND' TO IRANIAN DRONE ATTACK, CALLS IT A 'DANGEROUS ESCALATION': The United Arab Emirates condemned an Iranian drone attack on Monday as a "dangerous escalation" and a flagrant violation of its sovereignty. The UAE reserves the right to respond,
its foreign ministry said on Monday. The military's air defences intercepted the Iranian drone over UAE territorial waters, the foreign ministry added. Earlier, the UAE defence ministry said its air force engaged a drone over its territorial waters that had come from Iran It did not provide further details on the drone, including whether it was shot down or its intended target. Iranian state TV reported that its army had attacked the United Arab Emirates' Al Minhad Air Base in response to US strikes on Larak Island. “Since early this morning, the Islamic Republic of Iran Army has targeted locations housing US military helicopters and personnel at Al Minhad base in the UAE with dozens of explosive drones,” the army said, according to Iranian news agencies.
Nepal teams seek hundreds trapped in hydropower tunnels after deadly floods; death toll crosses 900 KATHMANDU/BEIJING ReuteRS
Nepal's rescue teams, helped by Chinese and Indian experts, worked overnight to reach hundreds of people believed to be stuck inside blocked hydropower project tunnels in the aftermath of last week's Himalayan flood that carved a trail of destruction in the country's valley towns and villages as well as across the border in China. The unprecedented deluge of ice, rock, mud and debris on the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday – blamed on a glacier collapse – killed more than 900 people and nearly 5,000 are still missing. Hundreds of bodies, many unidentified, have been buried in shallow graves as they began decomposing in the humid weather in the plains of the Himalayan country after being swept down the mountains by the torrent. Nepali officials said that the focus was on reaching the hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside about half a dozen hydropower project tunnels that had been blocked by mud and rock debris. Pictures and videos shared by rescue teams showed earth-moving equipment digging and shovelling mud and rocks under lights in the dark of the
night as workers watched. Soldiers used torchlight in a big pit they had created to look for space to get into one tunnel. Nepal’s disaster management authority said that 933 people were missing from hydropower projects in the flood-hit region. The Red Cross has estimated that more than 90,000 people are likely to have been affected by the disaster, which China has linked to the effects of climate change. On Monday, Nepali authorities said 903 people had died, with 4,247 missing, including the 933 at hydropower projects. On the Chinese side, authorities said 16 people were killed in Gyirong County and 546 were missing.
COMPLETE ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGE CHALLENGING, SAYS NEPAL PM: “A large amount of debris has been deposited and that is posing us a big challenge to open the tunnels,” Nepal army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet told Reuters. “Our main focus is on opening the tunnels.” Prime Minister Balendra Shah said the flood was an “unprecedented and devastating natural disaster” and it remained challenging to compile a complete assessment of the damage. “Despite the adverse weather, diffi-
cult terrain and continuing risks, we are moving forward with determination to save the lives of our citizens,” he said in a Facebook post late on Sunday, adding that nearly 21,000 security personnel were involved in the rescue operations, besides civilian workers and volunteers. Chinese President Xi Jinping, on a visit to Kyrgyzstan, said Beijing is making every effort to search for missing people following the disaster, Xinhua reported on Monday. Beijing has said 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries were unaccounted for in Tibet, near a key border crossing with Nepal.
RISK FROM LAKES AND LANDSLIDES: Although Nepal has said that it does not need foreign help in general rescue and search, it has leaned on giant neighbours India and China for their expertise in tunnel rescue. Rescue operations have been suspended several times since Friday because of bad weather and concerns that a lake formed across the Nepal-China border by the disaster could trigger fresh flooding after it began overflowing into Nepal's rivers. China’s state television CCTV said that another lake formed upstream by a landslide had largely drained as water flowed out naturally.
It described Al Minhad as an important logistics and air transport hub for foreign forces and vowed further retaliation against US troops. The army said the attack was carried out in retaliation for the killing of members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and civilians in Sunday’s US strike on Iran’s Larak Island. Jordan says it intercepted 8 missiles that breached its airspace as IRGC says it struck US bases Jordan’s army said early on Monday that it had intercepted eight missiles that breached the country’s airspace. The missiles were destroyed before posing any threat to civilians or property, the army said in a statement.
IRAN FM ACCUSES 'SERPENT' NETANYAHU OF TRICKING US INTO WAR: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “serpent”, accusing him of tricking Washington into going to war with the Islamic republic, AFP reported. “In Hebrew, Netanyahu openly crows that he suckered the US Administration into a war on Iran on behalf of Israel. Netanyahu explicitly laughs about how he ‘influenced’ America through 1,000 hours of airtime on US networks,” Araghchi said in a post on X.
Tributes paid to martyr Syed Ali Geelani on eve of martyrdom anniversary SRINAGAR
Staff RepoRt
All Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders and organizations, while paying rich tribute to martyred veteran Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, have reiterated the Kashmiris’ resolve to continue his mission till it reaches its logical conclusion. According to Kashmir Media Service, Syed Ali Geelani throughout his life championed the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and advocated the settlement of the Kashmir dispute in line with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party spokesperson Advocate Arshad Iqbal, while paying tribute to the veteran Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani ahead of his fifth martyrdom anniversary, called the martyred leader’s lifelong struggle, steadfastness and unwavering commitment to the Kashmir cause a guiding light for freedomloving Kashmiris. Advocate Arshad Iqbal described Syed Ali Geelani as an ideological and principled leader who devoted his entire life to the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. He said Geelani demonstrated “unparalleled perseverance, courage and steadfastness” in his struggle against Indian occupation and, despite prolonged imprisonment, house arrest and state repression, never compromised on his stance.
Iran still wants negotiated end to war, president says after exchanges of fire TEHRAN
agencieS
Iran is still seeking a negotiated solution to its conflict with the US, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday, a day after the two countries resumed hostilities for the first time since late July, driving oil prices up more than 3.5%. Pezeshkian's comments also came after US President Donald Trump posted an AIgenerated video clip that he said showed Iran's oil hub Kharg Island being destroyed. There was no evidence of any such attack, and a US official said on Monday the military had not targeted Kharg Island in overnight strikes. An Iranian official dismissed Trump's post as "laughable". US forces on Sunday struck two Iranian launchers on Iran's Larak Island, some 660 km (410 miles) east of Kharg, a US official said, prompting Iran to strike two US bases in Jordan, according to Iranian media. Two people were killed, and others were injured in the attack on Larak Island, Iran's IRNA News Agency quoted the local gover-
nor as saying on Monday. The return to hostilities followed weeks in which Trump's administration has stepped up efforts to punish Tehran and its business partners with costly economic sanctions, shifting away from military options. Diplomacy remains in stalemate. Pezeshkian, speaking to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Kyrgyzstan, accused the US of failing to fulfil its commitments under past agreements. "Nevertheless, we are still trying to achieve an agreement and understanding, and we believe that continuing the war is in no one's interest, neither ours, nor the region's, nor humanity's," Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency quoted him as saying. "We believe the solution to the existing issues is dialogue and cooperation and that every capacity must be used to prevent the spread of insecurity and conflict." Reuters confirmed that the video clip showing dramatic explosions was most likely synthetically generated, using software that detects AI-manipulated imagery.
would severely disrupt energy trade and put huge pressure on the economy. "Trump’s tweets are laughable, and conditions in Kharg are calm and appropriate," Hamid Bovard, chief executive of government-run National Iranian Oil Co, said on Monday. Oil operations have not stopped, and workers were busy repairing previous damage and modernising facilities, Bovard said in comments cited by Nournews, a semi-official outlet close to Iran's top security body.
The White House and the US Defence Department did not respond to Reuters requests for comment outside regular business hours. Kharg handled 90% of Iran's oil exports before the war launched by US and Israeli attacks on February 28, and attacking it
MINES IN THE STRAIT: A US official said forces had attacked the Iranian launchers on Larak Island on Sunday after "Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz". Larak is a small island in the strait near the strategic Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. The Strait of Hormuz, which normally handles a fifth of global crude oil shipments, has been effectively blocked since the start of the war. In a statement, the US Central Command said it took "limited, precise" action
against minelaying forces of Iran's Revolutionary Guards that posed an "imminent threat" in the strait. It gave no details. As well as attacking the US bases in Jordan, Iran's army said it had also struck the Al Minhad air base in the United Arab Emirates early on Monday. However, the UAE's defence ministry dismissed that report as false. The UAE defence ministry later said its air force engaged a drone that had come from Iran over its territorial waters. It provided no further details, including whether it was shot down. The Jordan strikes targeted US bases used to launch and support the attack on Larak, Iran's foreign ministry said. The Revolutionary Guards used air defence missiles to shoot down a US drone that crashed in Gulf waters, the Mehr News Agency said on Monday, citing a statement from the elite force. A supertanker caught fire and was brought to a complete halt after being struck by two naval mines in the southern Strait of Hormuz, Iran state TV said, citing a Guards' statement.
NEWS 07
Tuesday, 1 September 2026 | KARACHI
CORPORATE CORNER
BoK, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce & Industry Discuss SME Financing and Business Support
KARACHI STAFF REPORT
Bank of Khyber (BoK) held a meeting with President Sarhad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI), Junaid Altaf, to discuss financial challenges facing the business, industrial, SME and agricultural sectors. The BoK delegation was led by Abdullah Ghaffar, Group Head Commercial, SME & Agricultural Finance Group, and Gul Buhar Khan, Group Head Retail Banking. Discussions focused on access to credit, financing terms, interest rates, collateral requirements and documentation procedures.Both sides agreed to facilitate SME financing for SCCI employees and to organize a joint session with SCCI’s SME members to brief them on available financing facilities, terms and procedures, while providing an opportunity to raise their concerns directly with BoK officials. The meeting also included discussions on BoK’s Housing Finance Scheme for 5- to 10-marla homes and potential financing options for the business community.The BoK delegation also met with Businessmen’s Forum Group Leader Ghazanfar Bilour and other representatives, where discussions focused on SME financing, banking facilities and the broader financial and economic challenges faced by the business community.
PSW and TDAP jointly advance Khadijah Program to empower women entrepreneurs in global trade
KARACHI STAFF REPORT
Continuing efforts to increase female participation in international trade, the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) jointly hosted two specialized sessions in Sialkot and Gujranwala under the Khadijah Women Entrepreneurship Program. The sessions were designed to equip regional women entrepreneurs with digital trade tools, export compliance knowledge, and sustainable business practices to help them scale into global markets.TDAP, through its Women Entrepreneurship Division, and PSW, through its digital trade facilitation platform, jointly connect female-led businesses with international trade opportunities. Through their ongoing partnership, the two organizations provide structured training, mentorship, and market linkage tools that enable women entrepreneurs to handle global trade regulations, leverage digital platforms, and meet evolving international sustainability criteria.In Sialkot, PSW and TDAP conducted an interactive Focus Group Discussion (FGD) under Phase 2 of the Khadijah Program.
Siemens Healthineers strengthens leadership in Pakistan with appointment of Evelyn Gunnewig as Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
Siemens Healthineers has appointed Evelyn Gunnewig as Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan, reinforcing the company’s more than 100-year commitment to advancing healthcare in Pakistan through innovation, digitalization and AIenabled technologies. In her new role, Gunnewig will lead the company’s strategic priorities in Pakistan, with a focus on healthcare innovation, digital transformation and the adoption of AI-enabled technologies to support better clinical and operational outcomes. Building on a legacy that began in Lahore in 1922, Siemens Healthineers has partnered with healthcare providers in Pakistan for more than a century. The company continues to support the country’s healthcare ecosystem through innovation, clinical excellence and advanced technologies designed to improve access to quality care. With a comprehensive portfolio spanning medical imaging, diagnostics, cancer care, minimally invasive therapies, digital health and artificial intelligence, Siemens Healthineers is positioned to support healthcare providers in addressing critical health priorities, particularly in Cardiology.
AJK PM LAUDS PUNJAB CM MARYAM NAWAZ FOR LAUNCHING LANDMARK PROJECTS
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LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
HIEF Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had a meeting with newly elected Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Barrister Iftikhar Gilani. The chief minister congratulated Barrister Iftikhar Gilani on his election as the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani thanked Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and reaffirmed his resolve to implement the 100-day reform agenda for the development of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The AJK premier also paid tribute to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for launching landmark projects in Punjab. Barrister Iftikhar Gilani said Punjab’s projects were a beacon of guidance for the development of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. “We want to make Azad Kashmir a model of development under the guidance of Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif,” he added. CM orders dedicated bike lanes on major Lahore roads Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday ordered the designation of dedicated bike lanes on
major roads in Lahore and directed authorities to ensure strict compliance with traffic rules by vehicles operating under the Suthra Punjab programme. Presiding over a special meeting on traffic management, the chief minister expressed concern over violations of traffic laws by Suthra Punjab vehicles and directed that the vehicles be made to comply with traffic regulations without exception. She also expressed grief over the death of a minor girl after being run over by a Suthra Punjab vehicle. The meeting reviewed measures to improve traffic flow, pedestrian safety and traffic management in Lahore. The chief minister directed that zebra
crossings be strictly enforced for pedestrians and agreed to introduce camerabased digital monitoring to ensure compliance. A proposal to install alert buttons for pedestrians crossing roads was also reviewed. She ordered the launch of a pilot project on The Mall to enforce zebra crossing rules and directed that Ferozepur Road also be developed as a model road for Lahore. The chief minister directed the authorities to ensure that cargo tractor-trolleys did not ply roads without proper covering. She specifically ordered strict implementation of the covering requirement for Suthra Punjab tractor-trolleys as well.
Indus Motor Company Reports Strong FY 2025–26 Performance with 33% Growth in Unit Sales KARACHI
STAFF REPORT
Indus Motor Company Limited (IMC) announced its financial results for the year ended June 30, 2026, reporting strong growth in unit sales, revenue, and profitability amid continued economic stabilization and recovery in Pakistan. IMC sold 45,035 units, a 33% increase over the previous year, reflecting recovering market demand and the strength of its brands. Net sales revenue rose to PKR 258.75 billion, from PKR 215.14 billion in FY2024– 25. Profit before taxation and levy increased to PKR 42.82 billion, compared with PKR 37.67 billion, supported by prudent cost management, increased localization, and favorable exchange rate fluctuations. Earnings per share rose to PKR 324.50, from PKR 292.74, while net profit after tax increased to PKR 25.51 billion, from PKR 23.01 billion. Commenting on the results, Chairman Mohamedali R. Habib
said: "FY2025–26 marked an important year of economic stabilization and gradual recovery for Pakistan. Against this backdrop, IMC delivered a stronger performance, demonstrating the resilience of our business and the strength of our teams, brands, and stakeholder relationships. As the automotive industry enters a period of policy transition, a stable and predictable policy environment will remain essential to support localization, innovation, technology transfer, and sustainable industrial investment." Ali Asghar Jamali, CEO IMC, said: "Our 33% growth in unit sales and stronger financial performance reflect the recovery in market demand and the continued strength of our brands. We remain focused on operational excellence, innovation, localization, and disciplined capital allocation to strengthen our competitiveness and deliver sustainable long-term value to our customers and shareholders." Pakistan’s automotive industry recorded a strong recovery during
the year, with PAMA-reported passenger car and light commercial vehicle sales increasing 39% to over 206,000 units. Improving consumer sentiment, easing financing conditions, product innovation, and measures to rationalize used-vehicle imports supported the recovery. However, used-vehicle imports continued to account for approximately 19% of the PAMA market, highlighting the need for consistent policies that strengthen local manufacturing and localization. IMC also advanced its sustainability agenda, becoming the first automotive company in Pakistan to complete the plantation of one million trees nationwide, while planting 16,000 mangroves along the Sindh coastline. 85% of its dealerships now operate on solar energy, while more than 13% of local suppliers have transitioned to solar power. Various carbon reduction projects at the manufacturing facility helped the company to reduce carbon footprint during the year.
MQM’s politics of hatred and division-based ideology rejected by people: Memon
Reliable Global Payouts Strengthen Pakistan’s SMB Competitiveness & Forex Inflows: Payoneer
STAFF REPORT
STAFF REPORT
KARACHI
Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon, while reacting to the statement of MQM leader Mustafa Kamal, has said that Mustafa Kamal also wants to become the “Londoners” successor by inciting hatred. He said that the MQM’s politics of hatred and division-based ideology has now been rejected by the people. Those who attempted to create urban-rural differences have been politically buried by the people in the past and will face the same fate again.In a statement, he said that reality cannot be changed through a few negative examples and false claims. The Pakistan Peoples Party has always worked to remove the walls of hatred, while its opponents have consistently attempted to promote politics based on division.Sharjeel Inam Memon said that Karachi is the heart of Sindh and the jugular vein of Pakistan’s economy. Those who defamed Karachi before the world through violence and terrorism are now in the hunt of the federation.He said that MQM’s politics has always revolved around division, hatred and linguistic discrimination. The people have fully understood their false narratives and political tactics. Giving a linguistic colour to administrative decisions is merely an attempt to keep failed politics alive.Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the people rejected those who continuously propagated negative campaigns against the Pakistan Peoples Party for eighteen years.
KARACHI
Pakistan’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector maintained strong growth momentum during 2025–26, with export remittances rising 19.7 percent year-on-year and generating a $2.91 billion trade surplus, according to the Pakistan Economic Survey. Moreover, the number of IT and IT-enabled services companies registered with the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) also increased significantly. As more Pakistani technology firms, digital agencies, e-commerce sellers and SaaS exporters expand globally, reliable cross-border payment infrastructure is becoming essential for managing currencies, controlling costs and funding growth.Through its global financial infrastructure, Payoneer enables eligible Pakistani businesses to receive payments in major currencies, issue payment requests, manage funds and pay international suppliers and contractors. Its integrations with local banks and financial institutions further connect global earnings with Pakistan’s banking ecosystem through real-time local withdrawals. “Pakistan’s businesses have the capabilities, ambition and talent to compete globally. However, international growth also requires financial infrastructure that can move at the speed of their business,” Nagesh Devata, SVP and Head of APAC at Payoneer. “By simplifying how SMBs receive, manage and use international payments, we are helping transform global sales into predictable working capital and long-term business growth.”
PACRA and Lianhe Global Sign MoU to Explore Cooperation in Sustainable Finance, Panda Bonds and Credit Research LAHORE / HONG KONG STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Credit Rating Agency Limited (“PACRA”) and Lianhe Ratings Global Limited (“Lianhe Global”), the international arm of one of China’s largest credit rating groups, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) to establish a framework for cooperation. The MoU brings together PACRA’s established presence and understanding of Pakistan’s credit markets with Lianhe Global’s inter-
national credit rating capabilities and the Lianhe Group’s significant presence and experience in China’s domestic and cross-border debt markets. Under the MoU, PACRA and Lianhe Global intend to explore potential areas of cooperation including ESG-related rating products, assessments and methodologies; independent evaluations of green, social and sustainability-linked bonds and other instruments; joint research, thought leadership and knowledgesharing in sustainable finance; and credit rating and related research
services in connection with potential Panda Bond issuances by Pakistani sovereign and corporate issuers will also be considered. The cooperation is expected to facilitate greater exchange of knowledge and technical expertise between the two institutions and support the development of capabilities relevant to Pakistan’s evolving debt and sustainable finance markets. In particular, the initiative provides a platform for exploring how Pakistani issuers may better understand and access emerging.
She also ordered action across the province to prevent overloading of tractor-trolleys ahead of the sugarcane season. The chief minister directed the authorities to take immediate measures to ease traffic congestion at Shahdara and Thokar Niaz Baig, stressing that traffic movement at Lahore’s entry and exit points should not face any obstruction. She also directed the installation of traffic signals at Pine Avenue and Jati Umra Chowk as part of traffic management measures. The chief minister expressed satisfaction over the improvement in Lahore’s traffic ranking in South Asia. Chief Traffic Officer Lahore Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi told the meeting that Lahore had improved its position in the Numbeo Global Traffic Ranking Index and was now ranked better than 149 cities globally. He said traffic congestion had declined by up to 70 per cent at several locations, including Jati Umra Chowk, Pine Avenue, Defence Mor, Karim Block, Akbar Flyover, Kahna and Main Boulevard. The meeting was informed that 4,096 traffic permits/licences had been issued to children aged between 16 and 18 years. As many as 65,000 panic buttons had also been installed for women at various locations across Lahore.
MG HS Hybrid+ and Super Hybrid Hit Pakistani Roads, Bringing Global Hybrid Technology Closer to Customers!
LAHORE STAFF REPORT
The recently launched All-New MG HS Hybrid+ and All New MG HS Super Hybrid have now started hitting roads across Pakistan, with customers beginning to experience and share positive feedback on the vehicles’ performance, comfort, technology, efficiency, and overall driving experience. The All-New MG HS range reflects one of MG’s seven core promises to Pakistan: to offer the latest global specifications to Pakistani customers. With the All-New MG HS Hybrid+ and Super Hybrid now on the road, MG Pakistan continues to deliver on this commitment by bringing advanced hybrid mobility, premium design, intelligent safety, and everyday practicality to the local market. The All-New MG HS Hybrid+ offers a refined selfcharging hybrid experience for customers seeking responsive performance, fuel efficiency, and convenience in daily driving. The All-New MG HS Super Hybrid further elevates the experience with next-generation plug-in hybrid technology, combining electric driving capability with the flexibility of a hybrid SUV. As more customers begin driving the All-New MG HS variants, early response has highlighted the vehicles’ smooth acceleration, refined cabin comfort, advanced features, modern design, and efficient hybrid performance. This reflects MG’s focus on offering products that are globally competitive and relevant to the evolving expectations of Pakistani drivers. Beyond the vehicle itself, MG Pakistan remains focused on delivering a complete ownership experience.
PSO Honours Dealer Network as the Frontline of Pakistan's Energy Security and delivering Customer Needs KARACHI
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Pakistan's national energy company, hosted the PSO Excellence Awards 2026 in Karachi, bringing together dealer partners from across the country to recognise outstanding retail performance and to reaffirm a shared national responsibility: keeping fuel flowing to every corner of Pakistan, in all conditions, without interruption.The ceremony was attended by PSO's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Jawwad Ahmed Cheema, Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Amir Zaib Khan, senior management, dealer partners and employees.Speaking at the event, Mr. Jawwad Ahmed Cheema, CEO – PSO, said, “PSO is not simply the largest fuel retailer in this country. We are the national oil company, and that carries an obligation we do not take lightly. When supply is tight, when demand surges, when a route is difficult or a region is remote, the country looks to PSO. Our commitment is simple and absolute: fuelling Pakistan, every day, no exceptions. That commitment is not delivered from a head office. It is delivered at the forecourt, by our dealers, one customer at a time. Our dealers are the cornerstone of Pakistan's energy security.”He said PSO’s dealer network was the “cornerstone of Pakistan’s energy security,” emphasising that the company’s national.
IHC SEEKS REPORT, ACTION DETAILS ON PIMS TRAGEDY NEWS
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ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
HE Islamabad High Court has sought details of the report submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the PIMS tragedy and the action taken on its findings, directing the federal government to submit a detailed response in the case. Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court Justice Sarfraz Dogar heard the petition filed by lawyer Qasim Iqbal Jalali. Additional Attorney General Rashid Hafeez, Deputy Attorney General Faisal Irfan and Assistant Attorney General Azmat Bashir Tarar appeared before the court during the hearing. Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar described the PIMS tragedy as an extremely horrific incident, saying that the deaths of 14 children made it a very serious and alarming event. The court asked what action had so far been taken in the matter and against whom responsibility had been fixed. Petitioner’s counsel Qasim Iqbal Jalali argued that both committees formed by the government comprised bureaucrats. He questioned how bureaucrats could investigate their own department
and how such an inquiry could be considered acceptable, adding that responsibility had not been fixed on anyone even in the inquiry report. The chief justice then asked under which law the court could direct a judicial inquiry and where the Inquiry Act stated that the court could issue such a direction. In response, the lawyer cited the example of a commission formed following an incident at the Punjab Institute of Car-
IED attack on police van leaves driver dead, six injured in Karak PESHAWAR
STAFF REPORT
A police mobile van was targeted in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack near Bahadur Khel in Ghol Banda mountainous area of Banda Daud Shah tehsil, Karak, leaving the driver, Wajid dead and six other police personnel injured. According to police on Monday, the mobile van was heading towards Sardargah when the IED planted along the route exploded. All seven personnel travelling in the vehicle sustained injuries in the blast. The injured policemen were identified as Syed Shah, Noorshali, Imran, Shamim, Gohar and Yaseen and Wahid, the driver. They were immediately shifted to a hospital for medical treatment. However, Wajid succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The martyred police driver, Wajid, was a resident of Guddikhel. The other six injured personnel are receiving medical treatment. Following the incident, police and security forces cordoned off the area and began collecting evidence. A search operation is also underway to trace those involved in the attack.
IHC rejects prisoners' pleas seeking facilities given to PTI founder ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday rejected pleas of three prisoners seeking treatment at private hospitals and permission to communicate with family members. Justice Muhammad Asif heard separate petitions filed by prisoners Ilyas Khan, Muhammad Ismail and Awais Altaf. The high court in view of the Supreme Court’s decision dismissed the prisoner’s plea to communicate with family members abroad. The court released its written verdict on petitions with regard to facilities to prisoners. The petitioners pleaded for treatment at private hospitals and formation of medical board. The court stated that the imprisonment means legal curb on freedom. “Every technical facility could not be declared as fundamental right. An inmate has no legal right to be shifted to a private hospital of choice,” according to the verdict. “The treatment of a prisoner is the basic responsibility of the state and the administrative structure of government hospitals,” court observed. “The jail rules provide a mechanism for shifting of a prisoner to an outside hospital, if required,” court said. “If a government hospital could not provide treatment then the authorities could consider private facility on the recommendation of a medical board,” according to the court.
diology. Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar remarked that the commission in that case had been formed by the government, not by the court. The chief justice said that if the court faced an issue in any matter, it could ask one of its judges to examine it. Qasim Iqbal Jalali maintained that no one could be made a judge of an inquiry into their own actions, adding that the inquiry report submitted regarding the tragedy had
failed to determine responsibility. At this point, Additional Attorney General Rashid Hafeez told the court that the health secretary had been suspended on the day of the incident, while some PIMS officials had also been suspended on the basis of the interim report. He said the existing report was interim in nature and that the complete report would be submitted within five days. The court also sought a report regarding the executive director of PIMS. The petitioner’s counsel requested that the executive director of PIMS be removed from the post, his services be withdrawn and responsibility against him be determined. The lawyer told the court that PIMS has an annual budget of around Rs20 billion to Rs22 billion, yet four children were being treated on a single bed. He questioned where the hospital’s budget was being spent. Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar remarked that, in his view, the executive director had already been removed from the post. The lawyer responded that although he had been removed from the position, responsibility had not been imposed on him and the inquiry report had also not held him responsible.
Govt to start criminal proceedings against those responsible for negligence in PIMS tragedy: Minister ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary on Monday said that those responsible for negligence in the PIMS tragedy would face criminal proceedings, as the government had adopted a zero-tolerance policy over the deaths of 14 newborn babies. Talking to the media at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), he said action had already been initiated against eight doctors and administrators in light of the initial inquiry report. He said officials and doctors found responsible for negligence, including the Executive Director, doctors who were on duty, heads of departments and other administrative officials, had been removed from their positions. The minister said the inquiry committee constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had not yet completed its proceedings. He said that following the initial
report, the committee was reviewing the entire PIMS hospital and all its departments instead of limiting its inquiry to the Gynaecology Department. Dr Tariq said the final inquiry report could identify more individuals responsible for negligence in the incident. “If further negligence is established against anyone, that person will also be dealt with strictly and awarded exemplary punishment,” he said. He said punishment could not bring back the precious lives lost in the tragedy, but such action was necessary to make those responsible realise their duties. The minister said holding those responsible accountable was aimed at ensuring that such tragic incidents did not occur again. He said the government wanted to ensure that no such incident occurred again, either in Islamabad or anywhere else, so that mothers would not lose their children and families would not have to bear such pain throughout their lives. Dr Tariq said Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif had made it clear that there would be zero tolerance for negligence in the PIMS tragedy. He said PIMS was established in 1985 and that this was the first such extremely tragic and heartbreaking incident to occur at the hospital. The minister said PIMS provided medical facilities to people from a wide area, stretching from Peshawar to Jhelum and beyond. It also served the Potohar region and Azad Kashmir. He said shortcomings identified in PIMS’s safety arrangements were being addressed. Dr Tariq said a new Executive Director of PIMS had already been appointed. He added that the Ministry of Health and the prime minister were directly monitoring the inquiry and safety measures being taken at the hospital. The minister said any shortcomings or lapses identified in other departments of PIMS would also be addressed. He said all necessary measures were being taken to ensure that such a tragic incident would not happen again.
Seven players, including Rizwan and Imam, dropped after second Test defeat in England: PCB ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced the release of seven Test squad members, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imamul Haq and Salman Ali Agha, during the ongoing series against England. The cricket board’s decision came after Pakistan suffered a thumping 194-run defeat to England in the second Test at Lord’s. With the victory, the hosts took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match Test series, after the visitors also suffered an innings-and-103-run thrashing in the first Test at Headingley. According to a press release, Rizwan, Imam, Agha, along with Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and
Khurram Shahzad, have been released from the squad. The PCB also named seven replacements, including “five uncapped players at Test level and two capped players”. Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who have played eight and two Tests, respectively, have been called up to the Test squad. Among the five uncapped players are left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas, who has represented Pakistan in three ODIs and four T20Is; left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jr.; wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig, who was named player of the tournament in the 2025-26 Quaid-i-Azam Trophy; and rightarm pace-bowling all-rounders Mohammad Imran (also known as Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah. “The players will join the
Pakistan squad ahead of the third Test against England,” the release said. The third and final match of the series is scheduled for September 9 in Birmingham. Additionally, Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have also been relieved of their duties, the release said, adding that white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke will replace them on the backroom staff. Updated Test squad for Birmingham Test: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper) Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah
Tuesday, 1 September, 2026
PRAYER TIMINGS FAJR SUNRISE
ZUHR
ASR MAGHRIB ISHA
6:07
1:30
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PPP chairman Bilawal refutes reports of his engagement, wedding 4:48
7:04
8:24
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
PPP Chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari, the man at the centre of engagement and wedding rumours, himself refuted the reports on Monday. “Social media has gotten my baat pakki, engagement and wedding done. I clarify that nothing as such has taken place; neither do I know any Princess Gloria,” the Bhutto scion said in a video statement. He added, “If any such decision about my life is made, the announcement will come from my family. Till then, focus on the real issues and ignore the social media fuss.” Bilawal contended that the social media ruckus was made to “distract the public’s attention from the real issues”. He then turned his attention towards the tragic fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad that claimed the lives of 14 infants. “A minister, who wants to become the Gorbachev of Pakistan and divide our country into 30 pieces, cannot manage one hospital himself,” he claimed, apparently comparing Health Minister Mustafa Kamal to the last leader of the Soviet Union until it dissolved in 1991. Kamal belongs to the Muttahida Qaumi MovementPakistan (MQM-P), which has been demanding that Karachi be designated a province separate from Sindh. The PPP, which rules the province, opposes this strongly. “At a time when a Lahore minister is telling the businessmen of Lahore, ‘Make provinces and govern them’, at a time when the Sindh Assembly has taken a courageous stance and asserted that such discussions cannot take place on the streets or at business forums,” Bilawal said. The PPP chief said that any such discussions and decisions must be taken in the Sindh Assembly, noting it was the first province to join Pakistan. Bilawal’s clarification video comes after reports circulated that the PPP chairman — the son of President Asif Ali Zardari and ex-premier Benazir Bhutto — was preparing to marry into a European family. The reports claimed that President Asif Ali Zardari had travelled to Liechtenstein — a small sovereign state between Switzerland and Austria — to discuss and set a date for his son’s wedding. There were also claims that Bilawal’s prospective bride was a former Austrian princess. On August 27, the Presidency posted on X that Zardari “has proceeded abroad on a private visit”, but did not share any further details.
Court hands Hindu woman to family after alleged forced conversion and marriage LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
A 21-year-old Hindu woman from Sanghar district in Sindh, who was allegedly lured into a relationship and persuaded to convert to Islam by a man from Gujranwala in Punjab, was handed back into her family’s custody after a judicial magistrate on Monday rejected a police request to shift her to a shelter home. The woman went missing from her hometown. Sanghar police registered an FIR on the complaint of her brother. The complainant alleged that CCTV footage from a camera installed at their residence showed some unidentified persons forcibly taking his sister, along with valuables and mobile phones, during the night between August 23 and 24. Her family alleged that she was lured away and taken to Gujranwala, where she was pressured to convert to Islam and marry a local man, who was already married. Officials from the Sindh Home Department informed their counterparts in Punjab about the FIR and sought assistance in recovering the woman. Acting on the information, Eminabad police in Gujranwala recovered the woman and produced her before a judicial magistrate on Monday. During the proceedings, the investigating officer also filed an application requesting the magistrate to send the woman to Darul Aman for “safe custody”, claiming that she was unwilling to go with her parents. However, her lawyers — Asad Jamal and Kheta Ram — opposed the police request, telling the court that she was, in fact, willing to return to her parents’ home with her real brother, who was present in court. They said the woman also wanted to record her statement. The magistrate ordered that the woman’s statement be recorded directly. In her statement, given on oath, she said she wished to go with her brother to her parents’ home in of her own free will and consent. She added that she faced no threat to her life and was under no pressure while recording her statement. In his order, the magistrate ruled that, in view of the woman’s recorded statement, the police request to send her to Darul Aman “is hereby turned down”.
Mir Raza murder case: Post-mortem report rules findings 'inconsistent' with suicide KARACHI
STAFF REPORT
The final report of the second post-mortem for the Mir Raza Ali murder case on Monday termed its findings “inconsistent” with suicide as the manner of his death. Ali, a 25-year-old Karachi-based businessman, was found dead with a gunshot wound in Gulistan-i-Jauhar last month, a day after he was reported missing on July 28. The case has been a controversial one, as police had initially built the case around the possibility that he died by suicide, but questions were later raised by post-mortem findings. The report, issued by the office of the police surgeon of Karachi, said that the Exhumation Board was of the unanimous opinion that the death was caused by a gunshot wound to the back. “Death occurred due to cardiac rupture consequent to perforating firearm injury of
the chest,” the report stated, adding that the entry wound was on the posterior thorax (back) and the exit wound on the anterior thorax (front of the chest). “The findings are inconsistent with suicide as the manner of death,” it confirmed. A meeting of the exhumation board on Monday was convened by Karachi’s Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed and comprised six other members: Prof. Dr. Naseem Ahmed of Dow Medical College; Dr. Farah Waseem of Jinnah Sindh Medical University; Additional Police Surgeon Dr. Sirichand; Aamir Hasan Khan of the Citizens Police Liaison Committee; Dr. Muhammad Yaseen from the administrative office of the police surgeon; and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre’s Medico-Legal Officers Dr. Daniyal Mirza and Dr. Kamran Khan. The post-mortem report provided a summary of the provisional exhumation report issued earlier this month. It also cited a
forensic report confirming Ali to be the biological son of Mir Hussain Ali and Marium Hussain, based on DNA analysis. Additionally, it detailed the findings of reports received from the Industrial Analytical Centre of the Husein Ebrahim Jamal Research Institute of Chemistry, a research institute managed by the University of Karachi, regarding the examination of several articles of evidence retrieved in the case. Tests performed included a Gas-Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for four articles submitted on Aug 6 and a Scanning Electron Microscopy with EnergyDispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) for the fifth article, a shirt. The shirt was also physically examined and Wet Chemistry applied for acid detection, the report said. The physical examination of the shirt found a “perforation” on the back of approximately 6.99mm in diameter, and a “corresponding larger defect” of approximately
35.37mm in diameter on the front. Traces of acid were also detected on the shirt, which were identified by the analytical centre as hydrochloric acid (HCl), while barium and lead were also detected around the defects — in higher relative concentration around the back defect than the front one. Additionally, the GC-MS analysis detected traces of bupivacaine — an “amide-type local anaesthetic” — in the victim’s blood. Thirteen articles were also submitted on Aug 10 for examination, with GC-MS analysis performed on nine. SEM-EDS analysis was performed on swabs taken from the victim’s chest wound, back wound and skin of both hands. This analysis found “no traces of sedative, psychotropic, narcotic or poisonous substances” in the other nine articles, but found traces of gunshot residue in the swabs, the report noted. An official statement issued by the office
of Sindh’s Inspector General of Police on Monday said that a high level inquiry team was continuing its inquiry into the case. The statement noted that the final report was being shared with the public keeping in view the requirements of public interest and furthering the probe in light of the final report. SHC reserves order on family’s plea seeking JIT Separately, the Sindh High Court (SHC) reserved its verdict on a plea seeking the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) in the case. Ali’s family, which has raised questions about the case’s investigation and accused authorities of trying to bury the facts, had moved the SHC last week against a decision of the provincial government to form a judicial commission and sought the formation of a JIT instead. However, authorities proceeded with the commission, with Justice Omar Sial appointed as its head.
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