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Saturday, 26 September, 2026 | 13 Rabius Sani, 1448
Rs 20.00 | Vol XVII No 182 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
PM TellS UNGA: HorMUz, BAB Al-MANdAB MUST reMAiN oPeN AMid Middle eAST TeNSioNS g
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PREMIER SHEHBAZ CALLS FOR RENEWED DIPLOMACY TO END ESCALATING HOSTILITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST
SAYS CRITICAL STRAITS MUST SERVE CONNECTIVITY, PROSPERITY, NOT BECOME CONFRONTATION CHOKEPOINTS
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WARNS ANY ATTEMPT TO STOP, IMPEDE OR DIVERT PAKISTAN’S INDUS WATERS WILL BE TREATED AS AN ACT OF WAR REITERATES MAKKAH DEFENCE PACT IS NOT DIRECTED AGAINST ANY COUNTRY
CALLS FOR END TO ISRAELI AGGRESSION, URGES CREATION OF SOVEREIGN PALESTINIAN STATE ON PRE-1967 BORDERS
– invites US businesses to tap Pakistan’s vast investment potential NEW YORK
STAFF REPORT
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NEW YORK/ISLAMABAD SALEEM JADOON
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday told the United Nations General Assembly that the critical Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab Strait “must remain” open to facilitate connectivity and prosperity, rather than becoming flashpoints of confrontation, as he called for renewed diplomatic efforts to end escalating hostilities in the Middle East. Addressing the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, the prime minister recalled Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts during the conflict that engulfed the Gulf and wider Middle East in February, saying Islamabad had worked to bring Washington and Tehran together.
“Amid the roar of missiles, drones, and guns, the voice for diplomacy must echo even louder and stronger,” the premier said, describing both straits as “arteries” of the global economy. “They must remain open,” connecting nations rather than becoming chokepoints of confrontation, he stressed. Referring to the Makkah Defense Pact signed last month by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, PM Shehbaz reiterated that the agreement was “not directed against any country”, but was instead “a collective commitment for defense, stability and peace in the region, and nothing more.” On the Indus Waters Treaty, under which India stopped sharing water data with Pakistan last year following an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, he said: “Water must
33 terrorists killed in Balochistan operations since Sept 21 QUETTA
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday invited American businesses to tap into Pakistan’s vast economic potential, highlighting the country’s investorfriendly policy framework and the massive reforms undertaken by his government to safeguard foreign investments and foster a high-growth business climate. The prime minister met with a joint delegation of the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) and the US-Pakistan Business Council (USPBC) on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly here. He said Pakistan was making efforts to support peace initiatives in the region, stressing that long-term regional peace was essential for promoting business and investment. The prime minister invited US firms to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan, highlighting agricul-
never be weaponized.” “Any attempt to stop, impede, or divert Pakistan’s share of the waters will be treated as an act of war,” he declared. The prime minister said the Islamabad
ture, mining and minerals, information technology, energy security, ports and shipping, and privatization as key areas of potential cooperation. He said the Council served as an important bridge between Islamabad and Washington and emphasized the need to translate improved bilateral relations into greater trade and investment. PM Shehbaz said Pakistan’s economy had achieved stability and was moving towards growth, while acknowledging that the ongoing Gulf crisis had created challenges. He highlighted the structural reforms being undertaken by the government, including digitization of the economy, reforms in the Board of Revenue and expansion of e-governance. Discussing investment opportunities in agriculture, Premier Shehbaz said Pakistan offered significant potential through the use of modern technology and machinery, including harvesters and other equipment, to increase per-acre yields, improve efficiency and reduce production costs.
Talks and subsequent Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding marked important steps towards ending the conflict.
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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye vow collective defence under Makkah pact RAWALPINDI
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
STAFF REPORT
Security forces have killed 33 terrorists in counterterrorism operations across Balochistan since Sept 21, the military’s media affairs wing said on Friday, as intensified operations continued against groups described by the state as Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna alHindustan. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), five more “India-sponsored terrorists” were killed on Sept 24 during the ongoing Operation Shaban in the Shaban area of Quetta district. The operation brought the number of terrorists killed in Shaban to 22, the ISPR said. “Security forces busted additional terrorist hideouts, and after an intense fire exchange, five India-sponsored terrorists were killed,” the military’s media wing said. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the hideouts, it added, saying the clearance operation would continue until the threat in the area was completely neutralised. In a separate intelligence-based operation conducted in Nushki district on Sept 25, security forces engaged a terrorist hideout and killed 11 terrorists following an intense exchange of fire, according to the ISPR. The latest operations brought the overall number of terrorists killed in Balochistan since Sept 21 to 33. The ISPR said the counter-terrorism campaign under Azm-i-Istehkam, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, would continue at full pace to eliminate what it described as foreignsponsored and supported terrorism from the country.
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Senior military commanders from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye reaffirmed their commitment to collective defence on Friday and agreed to further strengthen military cooperation under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. The meeting of the Chiefs of Defence Forces and Chiefs of General Staff of the states party to the agreement was held in Riyadh with the participation of the three countries. The military leadership reviewed the regional security situation and threats facing Saudi Arabia, strongly condemning attacks targeting the holy city of Makkah as well as civilian and economic infrastructure. The participants appreciated the vigilance and professionalism of the Saudi Armed Forces in safeguarding the people and protecting the security of the Kingdom. The commanders also discussed measures to expand cooperation among the armed forces of the three countries, with particular focus on intelligence sharing, mil-
ISLAMABAD
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Friday postponed its planned march on Islamabad from Sept 27 to Oct 4, with the party citing the extensive security measures already put in place by the federal and Punjab governments. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Friday night confirmed that the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf's (PTI) long march to Islamabad would kick off from Peshawar on October 4 instead of the previous September 27 date. It said it was the unanimous decision of the party's political committee. A senior PTI leader, speaking to media on condition of anonymity, said the march would now set off from Peshawar on Oct 4. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is expected to formally announce the decision. “There was a proposal to exhaust the federal government and law enforcement agencies, as they have already closed down the
federal capital and several routes,” the leader said. He claimed the party had already achieved its objective to an extent because the authorities had closed roads and committed substantial resources to security arrangements. The PTI leader also rejected speculation that the decision was linked to the Jamaat-iIslami’s postponement of its own protest against the petroleum levy. “We are capable of arranging the march on our own,” he said. The decision came a day after PTI lawyer and leader Naeem Haider Panjutha said the party could consider postponing the protest if the government agreed to hold elections within six to eight months, release Imran Khan and other political prisoners, and investigate the May 9 and Nov 26 crackdowns on the PTI. However, PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram had denied that any such proposal was under discussion at a party forum, maintaining that only Imran Khan could take a decision on the matter. The PTI had been preparing for a nation-
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan on Friday rejected as “fake and fabricated” a claim by Afghanistan’s defence ministry that a Pakistani security post had been destroyed near the Spin Boldak border crossing, saying an attempted Afghan attack in the Gulistan sector had instead been thwarted. The information ministry said the Afghan claim that no Afghan forces had suffered casualties in the latest border clash was also incorrect. “The claim is fake and fabricated,” the ministry said in a post on X, adding that an “attempted Afghan aggression” in the Gulistan sector was thwarted during the night of Sept 24-25. According to the ministry, at least 13 Afghan Taliban personnel were killed and several others injured during the subsequent exchange of fire and what it described as “heavy punishment” inflicted on opposing Taliban positions. The ministry also shared visuals that it said showed the border engagement. It claimed that the incident had already been widely reported by the media and circulated on social media, describing the footage as visual evidence of the clash and the subsequent strikes on Afghan Taliban positions. The latest exchange has further heightened tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which have witnessed a series of incidents in recent days. On Thursday, Pakistan conducted what it described as precision aerial and drone strikes at 10 locations in Afghanistan in response to drone incursions from Afghan territory a day earlier. According to Pakistani security sources, eight drones launched from Afghanistan entered Pakistani airspace near Torkham and Kohat on Wednesday and were subsequently shot down. The episode followed reports of unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces near Kurram the previous night as Pakistani security forces thwarted an attempt by terrorists to cross into the country. Earlier, on Sept 21, Pakistan carried out what the government described as “calibrated” airstrikes in Afghanistan’s border region in response to a series of terrorist attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The information ministry subsequently said more than 28 terrorists had been killed in those strikes, alleging that Afghanistan continued to serve as a hub for terrorism directed against Pakistan. “It is a matter of grave concern that Afghanistan continues to remain a hub of terrorism,” the ministry had said, asserting that the threat to Pakistan emanated from Afghan territory. The strikes followed a major attack on the old Police Lines in Kohat, where an explosion and subsequent assault by armed terrorists left 23 people dead and around 100 injured. Eight terrorists were subsequently killed during an overnight clearance operation at the site. The latest border confrontation comes amid increasingly strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul, with Pakistan repeatedly demanding that Afghan authorities take action against militant groups allegedly operating from Afghan soil.
Pakistan says 13 Afghan Taliban personnel killed in border clash ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
itary coordination and integration of capabilities to strengthen deterrence and collective defence. They highlighted the longstanding relations and mutual trust between the three countries and their armed forces, describing the Riyadh meeting as a reflection of the strength of their defence partnership. The participants expressed a
shared determination to translate the commitments under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement into effective military cooperation without delay. They reaffirmed their commitment to collective defence and demonstrated their resolve to safeguard the security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
PTI puts off Islamabad march to Oct 4 STAFF REPORT
Pakistan rejects Afghan claim of post destroyed near Spin Boldak
wide mobilisation and march on Islamabad to demand the release of its founder, who is incarcerated at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi. The planned protest had already triggered extensive security preparations in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, with authorities taking a series of preventive measures ahead of Sept 27. Punjab has imposed Section 144 across the province for 13 days and prohibited incitement to “unlawful assembly”. Islamabad has also been placed under Section 144 for two months. The Punjab government has separately asked the interior ministry to downgrade or suspend mobile and internet services at specified locations in Rawalpindi and Attock on Sept 27. The federal government has also approved the deployment of Rangers in Islamabad and several Punjab districts from Sept 20 to Oct 5. According to the notification, the troops may respond in self-defence to threats or violent activity encountered while performing their duties.
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Pakistan has said at least 13 Afghan Taliban personnel were killed after security forces repelled an attempted incursion in the Gulistan sector along the PakistanAfghanistan border overnight on September 24 and 25. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said Pakistani forces responded to what it described as Afghan aggression and subsequently targeted Taliban positions across the border. Islamabad also rejected Afghanistan’s claim that a Pakistani post near Spin Boldak had been destroyed and that Afghan forces had suffered no casualties. The ministry said several Taliban personnel were also wounded during the exchange and released footage which it said showed the border engagement and Pakistan’s subsequent response. The latest confrontation follows a series of attempted drone incursions from Afghanistan earlier this week. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan had carried out precision air and drone strikes at 10 locations inside Afghanistan in response. Pakistani security officials earlier said eight drones entering the country from Afghanistan had been intercepted and destroyed.
Consultations held on governor’s rule in KP, says Kundi PESHAWAR
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday said consultations had been held on the possibility of imposing governor’s rule in the province, as the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) stepped up preparations for its planned protest and march towards Islamabad. Speaking to the media in Peshawar, Mr Kundi said the Constitution provided for the imposition of governor’s rule and confirmed that consultations on the matter had taken place. “Consultations have taken place for governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said, adding that there was a possibility of such a measure being considered. The governor’s remarks came days after Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar ruled out the possibility of
governor’s rule in the province, saying the federal government had no such intention. He had instead called for “people’s rule” and good governance in K-P. The PTI has been preparing for a nationwide protest and long march towards Islamabad on Sept 27, demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan and what it describes as the restoration of constitutional supremacy. In anticipation of the planned protest, major highways and motorways leading to Islamabad have been closed or restricted. The federal government has also authorised deployment of Rangers in the federal capital and several districts of Punjab to maintain public order during scheduled political demonstrations. Mr Kundi claimed that PTI workers were now “giving themselves up for arrest” and looking for a way out amid preparations for the protest.
02 NEWS
IMF WANTS PAKISTAN TO MAKE 174 LEGISLATIVE CHANGES UNDER ONGOING LOAN PROGRAMMES
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Saturday, 26 September, 2026 | ISLAMABAD
GOVT TO PLACE PROPOSED CHANGES BEFORE PARLIAMENT AS IMF REVIEWS COVER SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND, REMITTANCES, SUGAR POLICY, ENERGY AND SOE GOVERNANCE PROFIT
Monitoring report
HE Pakistan government is preparing to place the proposed 174 amendments to various laws sought by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of reforms under its ongoing $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and $1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), Finance Secretary Imdadullah Bosal told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, chaired by Syed Naveed Qamar. “There are a total of 174 amendments
the IMF wants to be passed,” Bosal said, adding that the government was working on the amendments and had made it clear to the IMF that while the proposals would be presented to parliament, their approval remained parliament’s prerogative. The proposed reforms span areas including financial-sector governance, stateowned enterprises (SOEs), remittances and climate-related measures. The discussion comes as an IMF staff mission is in Pakistan for programme reviews. Formal negotiations for the fourth review of the $7 billion EFF and the third review of the RSF are set to begin on Monday. Around $4.5 billion has so far been dis-
FBR clarifies tax rules for non-residents investing in PSX through Roshan Digital Accounts ISLAMABAD Web Desk
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has clarified the tax treatment of investments made by non-residents in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) through Roshan Digital Accounts (RDA), saying RDA holders are not required to file returns for RDA investments and are not charged non-filer rates. The clarification came after the FBR received a number of queries regarding investment in the PSX through Roshan Digital Accounts and the repatriation of profits. According to the tax authority, a non-resident holding an RDA does not need to file a return for RDA investments and is not subject to non-filer rates. However, the FBR said tax will be deducted at filer rates on PSX gains and dividends, provided the investment in the stock market is made out of profit received from the RDA. The tax authority also clarified that moving funds back abroad through an RDA is not taxed. Non-residents do not have to file an income tax return as income in the form of profit on debt from an RDA is exempt, the FBR said.
Punjab hands waste tax collection to Excise Dept after poor recovery PROFIT
Web Desk
The Punjab government has formally authorised the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department to collect the sanitation waste tax under the Suthra Punjab programme after less than 15% of the levy for the first quarter of FY2026-27 was collected by September 20. Under the approved tariff for urban domestic consumers, houses measuring up to five marlas will be charged Rs300 per month, while properties between five and 10 marlas will pay Rs500. The monthly levy rises to Rs1,000 for houses between 10 and 20 marlas, Rs2,000 for properties between 20 and 40 marlas, and Rs5,000 for properties measuring more than 40 marlas. The provincial government has issued a notification handing over collection responsibilities to the Excise Department. Earlier, the department had received verbal instructions but sought a written notification before taking over the collection.
bursed by the IMF, while three programme reviews have been completed. Changes to the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) law are also under discussion. The fund covers five major blue-chip companies, including Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and Pakistan State Oil (PSO), with governance and financial reporting standards among the issues being considered. The government is also discussing remittances with the IMF. Bosal said costly payment-system impediments needed to be addressed, while the Fund had strongly opposed subsidies used to facilitate remittances. Such subsidies, which had
previously exceeded Rs120 billion, have already been withdrawn. Sugar-sector liberalisation is another benchmark under discussion. The federal government has circulated a draft policy, with three provinces agreeing to it while one has raised reservations that remain to be addressed. The committee also questioned the government's strategy for power distribution companies (Discos), particularly the future of loss-making entities if profitable companies are privatised. Members stressed that IMF-related reforms should not be assessed solely on compliance with programme benchmarks, but
FBR moves to refund tax collected on immovable properties g
TAX AUTHORITIES TOLD NOT TO REJECT RETURN REVISION REQUESTS FOLLOWING FCC RULING AND TO PROCESS RESULTING REFUND APPLICATIONS EXPEDITIOUSLY PROFIT
Monitoring report
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has directed its field formations to process refund claims arising from tax paid or collected under Section 7E of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, following a court ruling that struck down the deemed-income provision on immovable properties. In a letter dated September 23, 2026, addressed to Chief Commissioners Inland Revenue at Large Taxpayer Offices (LTOs), Corporate Tax Offices (CTOs) and Regional Tax Offices (RTOs), the FBR directed that taxpayers' requests to revise returns in light of the Federal Constitutional Court's (FCC) ruling "shall not be rejected". Where revision of a return results in a refund becoming due, the FBR further directed that the subsequent refund application "shall also be processed expeditiously, in accordance with the applicable law and procedure." The instructions follow more than four months of correspondence by the Lahore Tax Bar Association's Public
Interest Litigation Committee (LTBAPILC), which had sought a notified procedure for taxpayers to claim refunds following the court's decision. The FCC, through its order dated May 7, 2026, struck down Section 7E in its entirety as unconstitutional and void from inception, while setting aside notices and proceedings initiated under the provision introduced through the Finance Act, 2022. Despite the ruling, the FBR had not prescribed an application format or specified a forum for filing refund claims, prompting the LTBA-PILC to repeatedly raise the matter with the tax authority. Section 7E applied a 5% deemedincome levy based on the FBR-assessed fair market value of properties valued above Rs25 million. With the provision struck down in its entirety, the LTBA-PILC said the potential pool of taxpayers eligible to seek refunds could be substantial. The committee described the FBR's decision as a significant development for taxpayers, arguing that establishing a route for refunds could also avoid litigation over amounts collected under the provision.
However, the FBR's September 23 instructions are confined specifically to revisions and refunds relating to Section 7E and "shall not be construed as having any application beyond the matter specifically addressed herein." The LTBA-PILC said a separate issue involving Super Tax under Section 4C remains unresolved. While the FCC upheld the validity of Section 4C, the committee said the ruling excluded certain exempt capital gains, including gains on immovable property held beyond the prescribed holding period, inherited property and other exempt income. According to the committee, the FBR has yet to notify a mechanism for refunds arising from those collections. The LTBA-PILC reiterated its earlier proposal that, until a comprehensive refund mechanism is established, amounts collected under Sections 7E and 4C should be allowed as adjustments against taxpayers' liabilities for 2026. It also urged the tax authority to extend the expeditious treatment now provided for Section 7E claims to outstanding Super Tax refund claims.
Govt to partially disclose civil servants’ assets by December 2026 under IMF benchmark PROFIT
Monitoring report
The federal government will make selected information from civil servants' asset declarations public by the end of December 2026 to meet an International Monetary Fund (IMF) structural benchmark, while withholding sensitive details because of security concerns. As per media reports, Finance Secretary Imdadullah Bosal disclosed the plan while briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, chaired by Syed Naveed Qamar, on Thursday. Committee members questioned the decision to withhold parts of the declarations, arguing that politicians, including the president and prime minister, are required to disclose their assets and asking why public officials should be treated differently. Bosal said extensive technical work had been carried out by the Establishment Division and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Civil servants' assets would be declared under prescribed guidelines but the complete declarations would not be made public. The government has already shifted declarations of income and assets for all federal civil servants in BS-
17 and above from a manual process to a dedicated FBR online portal. The digitised system, developed by the Establishment Division in collaboration with the FBR, covers the submission, verification and publication of declarations under Section 15-A of the Civil Servants Act, 1973 and Rule 12 of the Civil Servants (Conduct) Rules, 2026. All officers in BS-17 and above are required to digitally submit their declarations of income and assets for FY2025-26 by October 30, 2026. Under the process, officers must provide their name, designation, personal active email address, mobile number and CNIC to their respective cadre administrator for creation of an account on the FBR portal. The email address must be personal and should not change with an officer's official postings. The cadre administrator will forward the information to the FBR, which will notify officers of account creation through email, SMS or another prescribed method. Officers will then activate their accounts using their CNIC and a one-time password before setting their own password. Once logged in, officers will use the "Declaration" option on the portal to submit the required information. The declarations will then un-
dergo risk-based verification by the FBR, with the results communicated to the relevant cadre administrator. The Establishment Division will have the authority to initiate disciplinary action where discrepancies are identified. Selected non-sensitive portions of the declarations will subsequently be published on the FBR website for public information. Officers will also be able to review the information proposed for publication before finally submitting their declarations, taking privacy considerations into account. The Establishment Division has warned that any misstatement, concealment or failure to submit the required information could result in disciplinary action under the relevant rules. While the filing deadline is October 30, officers will be allowed to rectify errors on the portal until November 30, 2026, subject to approval or authorisation from the relevant cadre administrator. After submission, declarations will appear under the "Submitted Tasks" tab on the portal. Officers facing difficulties with the submission process have been directed to contact their respective cadre administrator, who may coordinate with the designated FBR focal person to resolve the issue.
also on whether they produced measurable economic and social outcomes. The committee sought clearer timelines for outstanding commitments and information on the impact of reforms on citizens, businesses and taxpayers. It also called for fiscal consolidation to be accompanied by measures supporting investment, exports, employment and sustainable economic growth. Programme commitments discussed before the committee include parliamentary consideration of supplementary expenditure beyond approved budgets, restrictions on new tax amnesties and preferential tax treatment, energy-sector reforms and implementation of the National Fiscal Pact with the provinces.
Foreign investors meet IMF mission, urge lower regulatory burden, wider tax base for Pakistan’s sustainable growth OICCI calls for lower compliance costs, stronger investor protection and energy reforms as FDI falls 32% to $1.7 billion in FY26 PROFI
neWs Desk
The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) has called for broadening Pakistan’s tax base, reducing regulatory and compliance burdens and improving investor protection to support sustainable economic growth. According to a report, the chamber made the recommendations during a meeting with a visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation comprising Iva Petrova, Advisor, Middle East and Central Asia Department, IMF, and Mahir Binici, Resident Representative, IMF, at the OICCI office on Thursday. Senior OICCI leadership and representatives of member multinational companies participated in the meeting, where the chamber also urged Pakistan to use recent gains in macroeconomic stabilisation to accelerate private investment, exports, energy security and structural reforms. OICCI highlighted the decline in foreign direct investment despite improvements in Pakistan’s external position and sovereign credit profile. Net FDI fell by around 32% to $1.7 billion in FY26, according to the chamber. The chamber called for clearer coordination among federal and provincial authorities, alongside stronger investor protection and lower regulatory and compliance costs. It also stressed that domestic businesses need to lead by reinvesting in Pakistan, as foreign investors take cues from the confidence shown by local companies.On energy security, OICCI called for immediate energy conservation measures and a medium-term strategy aimed at increasing self-sufficiency. It sought a coordinated approach covering power, gas and petroleum, citing high regional energy costs, circular debt, the need for investment in refining and potential opportunities for regional energy cooperation. The chamber also stressed that Pakistan cannot sustain higher economic growth without increasing its capacity to generate foreign exchange. It called for improved competitiveness and productivity, stronger export-oriented industries, deeper trade and investment links with key markets and greater regional trade where commercially viable. On structural reforms, OICCI urged faster reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and credible privatisation where there is no compelling policy rationale for continued state ownership. It also called for separating the state’s roles as policymaker, regulator, facilitator and commercial operator to create more space for private investment and competition. On taxation, the chamber called for expanding the tax base to under-taxed segments, including agriculture, real estate, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and retail, instead of repeatedly increasing the burden on documented businesses.
Huawei opens first national-level telecom repair centre in Pakistan ISLAMABAD Web Desk
Huawei has opened its first nationallevel Spare Parts Repair Center in Pakistan, establishing local capacity to repair more than 10,000 telecom equipment modules annually and reducing reliance on overseas repair services. Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja inaugurated the facility in Islamabad on Thursday in the presence of Huawei Pakistan CEO Ethan Sun. The centre provides local repair, testing, troubleshooting and maintenance services for Huawei telecom equipment deployed across Pakistan. It has 16 specialised repair desks and can handle more than 180 equipment item codes covering wireless, microwave, digital power and access-network technologies. According to Huawei, the facility can process more than 10,000 modules
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ISLAMABAD FACILITY CAN PROCESS OVER 10,000 MODULES ANNUALLY AND SUPPORTS MORE THAN 180 EQUIPMENT ITEM CODES ACROSS KEY TELECOM TECHNOLOGIES
each year and return over 6,000 repaired components to service annually, with an average repair success rate of approximately 60%. The company said developing this capacity locally would shorten turnaround times, reduce the need for replacement equipment and lower dependence on sending equipment overseas for repairs. The centre uses Huawei's diagnostic platforms for fault detection and load testing. More than 10 local hardware specialists are staffing the facility. According to the company, the specialists have more than 12 years of Huawei maintenance experience and have received expert-level training from its headquarters in China. Huawei said the local repair capability would also allow it to respond more
quickly during disasters and other emergencies when maintaining network continuity becomes critical. Speaking at the inauguration, Khawaja said the facility would help strengthen Pakistan's digital and telecom ecosystem by developing local technical capacity and expertise. She said Pakistan's Digital Nation vision was focused on developing a skilled and future-ready workforce capable of competing and creating value in global markets. The minister said Pakistan was seeking to move from being a consumer of technology towards becoming a creator, builder and exporter of digital solutions, while highlighting the role of skills development and knowledge transfer in that transition.
She also appreciated Huawei's investment and its focus on capacity building, saying such partnerships could strengthen the resilience of the country's telecom infrastructure. Huawei Pakistan CEO Ethan Sun said the company aimed to translate its global technology into local technical capability. "Huawei is proud to partner with Pakistan in building sustainable technical expertise. This center reflects our vision of translating global technology into local capability, ensuring faster service and stronger networks for the country," he said. The company said the new centre would support routine network maintenance while strengthening local capacity to maintain telecom infrastructure during emergencies.
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Saturday, 26 September, 2026 | ISLAMABAD
AUSTERITY DRIVE TO SAVE RS16B, 50% CUT IN OFFICIAL VEHICLE FUEL TO YIELD JUST RS700M, PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE TOLD
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PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
HE federal government's new austerity measures are expected to save Rs16.8 billion, with a 50% reduction in fuel allocations for official vehicles yielding just Rs700 million during the three-month implementation period, Finance Secretary Imdad Ullah Bosal told a parliamentary committee on Thursday. A separate 5% cut in non-salary expenditure for one year is expected to generate savings of Rs16.1 billion. Bosal disclosed the figures during a briefing to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance, chaired by Syed Naveed Qamar. PPP MNA Hina Rabbani Khar questioned whether the austerity programme was merely rhetoric, but the finance secretary
did not directly respond to the question. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced the austerity policy following public criticism of the government's decision to pass on the financial burden of the Middle East war to consumers. Monthly petroleum levy collection is projected at Rs139 billion. The austerity figures were disclosed during a broader review of Pakistan's implementation of conditions under its IMF programme, which Bosal described as "pretty strong", despite several missed benchmarks. One such shortfall involved health and education spending. The federal and provincial governments spent Rs3.1 trillion on health and education during the last fiscal year against a target of Rs3.47 trillion. Bosal said the targets could not be achieved because of some provinces and that the issue had become a recurring concern in almost every IMF review. He added that because the FBR had missed its tax col-
Sazgar to introduce BAIC’s ARCFOX electric vehicles in Pakistan PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
Sazgar Engineering Works Limited (SAZEW) intends to introduce ARCFOX New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) in Pakistan, further expanding the company's new energy vehicle portfolio. The listed automaker disclosed the development to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday. "We are pleased to inform you that Sazgar Engineering Works Limited intends to introduce ARCFOX New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) in Pakistan, further expanding its New Energy Vehicle (NEV) portfolio," the company said in its disclosure. Sazgar described ARCFOX as BAIC Group’s highend intelligent electric vehicle brand, combining premium design and advanced technology through engineering and technology collaborations involving Magna and Huawei. However, it did not disclose which ARCFOX models it intends to introduce in Pakistan or provide details regarding their prices or launch timeline. The disclosure also did not specify the investment involved or provide details regarding local production of the vehicles. The move will further expand Sazgar’s presence in new-energy vehicles. Its existing portfolio includes hybrid and plug-in hybrid models under the Haval and Tank brands, while ORA electric vehicles are imported from China as completely built units. Sazgar’s annual report lists ORA 3, ORA 5 and ORA 7 in its portfolio. What is ARCFOX? ARCFOX is BAIC Group’s premium electric vehicle brand, with a portfolio spanning sedans, SUVs, hatchbacks and MPVs. Its range includes the Alpha S sedan and Alpha T crossover, alongside newer Alpha S5 and Alpha T5 models. The wider portfolio also includes the compact Alpha T1 and Kaola electric MPV. Several ARCFOX vehicles incorporate technology developed in collaboration with Huawei, while Magna has also been involved in the brand’s engineering and manufacturing development. Sazgar has not disclosed which of these vehicles it plans to introduce in Pakistan. It has also not announced whether the vehicles would initially be imported as completely built units or eventually assembled locally. SAZGAR POSTS RECORD FY26 REVENUE The ARCFOX announcement comes after a sharp expansion in Sazgar’s four-wheeler business during FY2026. Sazgar generated record net revenue of Rs191.72 billion during the year ended June 30, 2026, up 76.4% from Rs108.69 billion in FY2025. The company attributed the increase mainly to higher sales volumes of GWM-Haval and GWM-Tank 500 vehicles. Gross profit increased 46.9% to Rs46.48 billion from Rs31.64 billion, although the gross margin narrowed to 24.24% from 29.11%. Operating profit rose 42.3% to Rs36.45 billion, while profit before tax increased 44.5% to Rs38.65 billion. Profit after tax climbed 44.5% to Rs23.60 billion from Rs16.34 billion a year earlier, taking earnings per share to Rs390.51 from Rs270.26. Sazgar’s net profit margin, however, declined to 12.3% from 15% as revenue growth outpaced profit growth.
33 terrorists killed in Balochistan operations since Sept 21 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
President Asif Ali Zardari praised the security forces for the operations against Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna alHindustan. “Eliminating 33 Indian-backed khawarij and terrorists in Balochistan is a commendable achievement for the security forces,” the Presidency quoted him as saying. The president also praised the seizure of weapons and ammunition and vowed that the “nefarious designs” of Indian-backed terrorist elements would be thwarted. The fresh operations come amid an increase in terrorist activity in Balochistan. According to a monthly assessment by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, terrorist attacks in the province rose by seven per cent, from 83 in July to 89 in August. A day earlier, security forces had killed 19 terrorists in separate intelligence-based operations in Shaban, Kech and Quetta West, while a soldier was martyred during the operations. The ISPR had said intelligence agencies received reports about multiple hideouts of what it described as Indian-sponsored Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan in Shaban, which allegedly posed a threat to the local population. On Sept 22, six terrorists were killed and nine suspected individuals arrested during an intelligence-based operation in the Saran Tangi area of Balochistan. A large quantity of weapons and ammunition was also recovered, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. Earlier the same day, four terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan were killed in separate areas of Panjgur district. Officials said security forces launched the operation after receiving intelligence about the presence of armed militants in Koh-Prom and Aphan areas. Four militants were killed during an intense exchange of fire, while a substantial quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered from their hideouts.
lection targets, the federal government had asked provinces to curtail expenditure. Implementation of agricultural income tax also remains slow. The IMF held a meeting with the Sindh government on Thursday to review progress. Qamar said increasing agricultural income tax rates from 15% to 45% had not been enough to make people pay the tax. The government has also missed the condition to amend the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) Act and related legislation to introduce governance mechanisms and safeguards aligned with international standards. Special Secretary Finance Qumar Abbasi said the existing law allows the SWF to retain 50% of dividends from companies. It has now been proposed that this income should first go to the government, which would then decide on any further distribution. Another condition requiring amend-
ments to laws governing nine additional statutory state-owned enterprises (SOEs) has not been fully met. Bosal said laws governing the Port Qasim Authority, Gwadar Port Authority, Karachi Port Trust, State Life Insurance Corporation, National Telecommunication Corporation and Pakistan Railways would be amended. Of the nine laws, three have already been passed, while the remainder are at various stages of approval, according to Abbasi. The IMF has also required a comprehensive assessment of Pakistan's anti-corruption regime. Bosal said the prime minister had tasked the law minister and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) with leading the development of an action plan to address corruption vulnerabilities in the 10 government departments considered to have the highest corruption risks. Bosal said NAB was undertaking a cor-
PM tells UNGA: Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab must remain open amid Middle East tensions CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
He paid tribute to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for their efforts in creating space for diplomacy under difficult circumstances. Expressing concern over the recent surge in hostilities, Prime Minister Shehbaz said the international community must ensure that diplomacy prevailed amid continued military confrontation. Condemning Israel’s aggression against Palestinians, the prime minister regretted that Israeli violence had now spread to the West Bank, where, he said, the forcible eviction of Palestinians clearly reflected Israel’s genocidal agenda, which continued unabated. “Pakistan believes that the only just and lasting solution is the creation of an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” he added. He also condemned continued Israeli aggression against Lebanon and Syria and called for it to be stopped immediately. The prime minister said war was a choice but peace was a far better choice. “Pakistan has made its choice. We have chosen dialogue over confrontation. We have chosen cooperation over coercion. We have chosen peace over war.” ‘MAKKAH AGREEMENT NOT DIRECTED AGAINST ANY COUNTRY’ The prime minister said the alliance among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan under the historic Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was not directed against any country, but represented a collective commitment to defence, stability and peace in the region. He also strongly condemned the recent “deplorable” attacks by the Houthis against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“The attempted drone attack on the holy city of Makkah Al-Mukarramah has outraged Muslims across the globe,” he said. The prime minister made it clear that any threat to the safety and sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain was a red line that must never be crossed. “No Muslim can even dare to think of committing such a heinous act. Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia, as we always have throughout our history,” he added. The premier also termed terrorism a grave threat to international peace and security, emphasising that Pakistan had sacrificed “almost 100,000 precious lives” and suffered economic losses of over $150 billion in combating terrorism. He added that Afghan territory continued to be exploited by the TTP and the BLA. These foreign-funded groups operated from sanctuaries in Afghanistan with the intention of destabilising Pakistan, he said. He called on Afghan authorities to halt all such attacks, fulfil their international commitments and take “verifiable, decisive action to ensure that Afghan soil is never again used against Pakistan or any other country”.The premier also touched on the rise of Islamophobia in his speech, specifically calling attention to “RSS-driven Hindutva ideology” that he said was fanning religious hatred. He stressed that such hatred must have “no place in this world”.He also praised UN peacekeeping as “one of the strongest expressions” of collective security, noting the role of Pakistani men and women in protecting civilians and helping countries emerge from conflict. ‘Pakistan to continue supporting Kashmiris’ inalienable right to self-determination’ Speaking about the Kashmir issue, the prime minister reiterated that Pakistan would continue to extend its full diplomatic, political and moral support to Kashmiris until they were granted their inalienable right to self-determination.
Toyota cuts Corolla Cross Hybrid prices by up to Rs570,000 after sales tax revision PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
Toyota Indus has reduced prices of its Corolla Cross Hybrid variants by up to Rs570,000 following the government's reduction in sales tax on locally manufactured hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) with engine capacities of up to 2,000 cc, automobile portal Pakwheels.com reported. The price of the Corolla Cross HEV X has been reduced by Rs570,000 to Rs9.729 million
from Rs10.299 million. Meanwhile, the standard Corolla Cross HEV is now priced at Rs9.299 million, down Rs550,000 from its previous price of Rs9.849 million. The revised prices are ex-factory Karachi and took effect from September 13, 2026, according to Toyota's notification. The price reduction follows the government's decision to lower the sales tax rate on locally manufactured HEVs with engine capacities of up to 2,000cc to 18% from 25%.
The price cuts follow the government's revision of the sales tax treatment for locally manufactured HEVs of up to 2,000cc. The tax rate has been reduced to 18% from 25%, partially reversing the increase that followed the expiry of earlier concessions on June 30. Before their expiry, qualifying hybrids were subject to concessional sales tax rates ranging from 8.5% to 12.75%. The end of these concessions pushed certain hybrid vehicles into the 25% sales tax bracket.
PTI puts off Islamabad march to Oct 4 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
HRCP CALLS FOR DE-ESCALATION The postponement came amid growing concern over the detention of PTI leaders and workers ahead of the planned protest. All three sisters of Imran Khan — Uzma Khan, Noreen Khan and Aleema Khan — have been detained, while reports have also emerged of arrests of PTI workers and members. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Friday expressed concern over what it described as mounting arrests and preventive detention of PTI workers, lawmakers and leaders. The rights body said reports suggested that scores of workers, including women, had been detained, with some families claiming they had been left without information about the whereabouts of their relatives. The HRCP said the state was obliged to protect the right to peaceful assembly, arguing that pre-emptive mass detentions and restrictions on freedom of movement could not be justified as proportionate or necessary. It also criticised repeated blanket restrictions under Section 144 and urged the government to reduce political tensions through meaningful dialogue with the opposition. The commission called for the immediate release of people it said had been arbitrarily detained. TARAR ACCUSES KP GOVERNMENT Meanwhile, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stepped up criticism of the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, accusing it of failing to address law and order problems and alleging that it was facilitating militant groups.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Tarar alleged that the provincial government had adopted an “evasive” policy towards terrorism and claimed that it provided “full facilitation” to terrorists. “In one way or another, terrorists have attacked all political parties in KP,” he said, alleging that the PTI government nevertheless avoided condemning or taking action against militant groups. Mr Tarar went on to accuse the provincial government of being the TTP’s “B-team” and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan’s “C-team”, while making particularly sharp allegations against Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. He also criticised the chief minister over the provincial government’s response to reported security incidents along the Afghan border, including drone incursions near Kohat and firing in Kurram. The minister challenged the PTI to proceed with its protest, saying the provincial government should focus on maintaining law and order. He said 2,456 terror attacks had taken place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2026, averaging about 10 attacks a day. According to figures cited by him, 472 police, army, Rangers and Frontier Corps personnel had been martyred and more than 1,500 people injured during the year. Mr Tarar further alleged that the provincial government was allowing a “political terror-crime nexus” and illegal trade and mining activities that, he claimed, were being used to fund terrorists. “A provincial government which doesn’t want to stop terrorism and fix law and order, and countless citizens lose their lives — this cannot be justified in any part of the world,” he said.
ruption assessment, prompting Qamar to raise concerns that the process could again empower the accountability body under the IMF programme. Amendments to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Act also remain outstanding. The government is required to submit amendments to the Companies Act, 2017, to parliament to strengthen compliance by unlisted companies, modernise corporate governance structures and align regulations with international practices. The government has also missed IMF conditions setting floors for net tax revenue collected by the FBR from retailers under the Tajir Dost scheme and for overall net tax revenue collected by the tax authority. Bosal acknowledged that the response to the fixed tax scheme for traders had so far been "very slow" and said remedial measures were needed.
Pakistan misses sugar sector liberalisation deadline set by IMF as one province holds out, NA panel told PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan has missed an International Monetary Fund (IMF) deadline for adopting a national sugar-market liberalisation policy, with three provinces agreeing to the proposed framework while one continues to have reservations. As per reports, Finance Secretary Imdad Ullah Bosal told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance on Thursday that discussions were continuing with the province concerned to address its reservations. Bosal did not identify the province, although a committee member said it was Sindh. Under the IMF condition, the federal and provincial governments are required to agree on a national sugar-market liberalisation policy, followed by its adoption by the federal cabinet. The policy is to cover licensing, price controls, import and export permissions and zoning, along with clear timelines for implementation. The policy was required to be approved by June this year, but the benchmark has not been met. The federal government continues to exercise controls over sugar imports and exports and recently allowed the export of 308,000 metric tonnes of sugar. According to the Finance Ministry, the government is continuing work towards full liberalisation of the sugar sector and has shared draft recommendations for a national policy with provincial governments. The missed benchmark was disclosed as the Finance Ministry briefed the parliamentary committee on implementation of Pakistan's IMF programme. Bosal, who is also the government's chief negotiator with the IMF, described overall implementation of the programme as "pretty strong", saying this had helped Pakistan reach staff-level agreements in previous reviews without significant difficulties. He shared the implementation status of the previous three reviews with the committee but did not provide the final status of conditions for the fourth review because discussions with the IMF were ongoing.
04 COMMENT
The silent danger behind the pharmacy counter
Saturday, 26 September, 2026
A summit without drama
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Xi and Trump did not really settle anything
XPECTATIONS were low for the summit in Washington, where US President Donald Trump hosted his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, and were not disappointed. The public statements revealed no dramatic breakthrough, nor did the two reveal any dramatic breakthrough. The two leaders also seemed to have avoided all three of the major issues dividing them, and where they have adopted torrent sides, whether the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US attack on IeN or the Chinese claim over Taiwan. However, Mr Xi did say that there was no need for the two countries to engage in conflict, to fall into the Thucydides Trap. True, by mentioning the Thucydides Trap, which predicts that a rising power will inevitably have a military conflict with the declining power, he did position China as a rising power, and the USA as a rising one. However, the message he was conveying was one of competition, but not conflict, and certainly not military conflict. There are not merely conflicts that need addressing, but also such issues as rare earths. Chips and energy security. The Summit did not bring about any breakthroughs, and it should be noted that the Chinese involvement in the Middle East crisis is because the Strait of Hormuz is the major conduit for Chinese oil imports. Chinese support for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine does not have a direct economic component. However, it should be noted that its direct support of Iran does have such a component, and has brought it into opposition to the USA, especially since some of that support has contributed directly to the resistance Iran has shown to the USA so far. The present summit comes almost as a return visit by Mr Xi after Mr Trump’s May visit to Beijing. That was the first time Mr Xi invoked the Thucydides Trap idea, when he asked Mr Trump how he intended to avoid it. Mr Trump has not responded, though the truce to the tariff war, agreed in South Korea last year, has been renewed until December. Mr Xi was making his second state visit, the first having come in 2014, when he was hosted by President Barack Obama. He should perhaps beware the effusive display of bonhomie by Mr Trump. His falling-out with Indian PM Narendra Modi, after his almost comical displays of friendship, should not be forgotten.
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Prevention is better than cure
Rizwan ahmad
HE next addiction may not begin in a dark alley or through an illegal drug dealer. It may begin at a brightly lit pharmacy, across an ordinary counter, with a medicine handed over for a few hundred rupees and no questions asked. That is what makes the growing misuse of medicines among young people particularly troubling: the danger can arrive disguised as healthcare. A medicine is meant to heal. Yet when regulation weakens, oversight becomes inconsistent and professional responsibility gives way to commercial convenience, the same medicine can become a pathway to dependence. In Pakistan, the danger is not simply that medicines are being misused, but that medicines capable of causing dependence can sometimes be obtained with far less scrutiny than their risks demand. The danger does not lie only in the misuse of a particular medicine. It lies in how easily misuse can begin. For a young person facing academic pressure, uncertainty about employment, emotional distress, family difficulties or the wider anxieties of modern life, a medicine promising sleep, calm, stimulation or temporary relief can appear deceptively harmless. Unlike substances traditionally associated with addiction, such medicines may carry an appearance of legitimacy because they are manufactured, packaged and sold through pharmacies. That appearance can conceal a serious danger. The fact that a medicine is available through a pharmacy does not make it safe to consume without proper medical advice. This is where the responsibility of the State becomes unavoidable. A pharmacy is not simply another retail outlet. Medicines are fundamentally different from ordinary consumer products because their effects depend on dosage, medical condition, interactions with other medicines and the circumstances of the individual taking them. This is precisely why certain medicines are subject to prescription requirements and professional controls. When those safeguards are bypassed, the matter is no longer confined to individual behaviour. It becomes a failure of the system designed to protect public health. Pakistan has regulatory structures governing medicines, pharmaceutical distribution and pharmacies. The greater challenge is implementation. As in many areas of public administration, the problem is not necessarily the absence of rules but the distance between rules and their enforcement. A regulation that exists on paper but is rarely checked, inconsistently enforced or easily circumvented, offers little protection to the public. The immediate task, therefore, is to make pre-
Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami (Late)
A smarter way to keep Islamabad clean Founding Editor
M. A. Niazi
Babar Nizami
Editor Pakistan Today
Editor Profit
Using new technology can make water management much more efficient
P
dR Shamaila zaReen
AKISTAN being the fifth most populous country generates an estimated 46 million tons of solid waste annually. An estimated 26.5 million tons of CO-equivalent emissions are released in the waste sector each year. Together these two numbers point to an environmentally unsustainable, economically daunting and institutionally fragmented condition. Islamabad being the country’s diplomatic hub and the federal capital, the main face of the country to the world, the streets, markets, parks and residential areas of the city should uphold the standards of a modern capital city. But the overflowing bins, roadside litter and illegal dumping are the same scene that’s still commonplace; they’re a testament that the city’s waste issues are not being addressed. There is no official landfill in Islamabad, and most of the waste is dumped into a dumpsite in Sector 1-12, although a landfill site at Sangjani was approved by the Senate in April 2019. In 2017, MCI started modernising the collection process: mechanical sweeping, street washing, new bins and services in rural and slum areas previously not attended to. More recently there has been a resurgence of momen-
tum. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) discussed a more sustainable framework in January, that includes source segregation, transfer stations, material-recovery facilities, composting, a scientific landfill and third-party monitoring. As of March, it had announced a full cleanliness strategy, which included the implementation of the three bins for commercial markets, new containers, and a new system that allows for continuous monitoring of cleanliness in the communities. The traditional waste collection relies on fixed collection routes and schedules and does not differentiate between empty and full bins. Instead, a smarter system would work off a combination of sensors, GPS, citizen complaints, traffic patterns and previous collection data to find where waste is really piling up, and then dispatch vehicles to that location. The reform of rural Islamabad by CDA is an example of such an approach with the assistance of a Turkish waste management company. The Integrated Operations and Resource Planning System for solid-waste collection in the 65 union councils of Zones IV and V will be able to handle approximately 342 tonnes of waste per day, with around 1,610 employees and 103 machinery units, and features GPS tracking, route optimisation, a command and control room, digital attendance, field monitoring and performance-based KPIs. The initiative will cover Bani Gala, Ghuri Town, Lehtrar and other rural and peri-urban localities in Zones IV and V. In essence, this is the fundamental framework of an AI system; it’s already in place. A few municipalities in India have installed smart and semi-underground bins to notify au-
scription requirements meaningful. Pharmacies dispensing medicines that require prescriptions should have reliable mechanisms for verification and record keeping, while regulatory authorities should maintain effective inspection systems. Digital prescriptions and electronic dispensing records could strengthen this process by creating a traceable system and making unusual purchasing patterns easier to identify. The purpose should not be to obstruct patients who genuinely require treatment, but to prevent medicines intended for supervised medical use from becoming casually available. The responsibility does not end at the pharmacy counter. Medicines reach consumers through a wider network of manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers. Where serious irregularities occur, oversight must be capable of tracing the supply chain rather than treating every instance as an isolated transaction. A system that examines only the final point of sale risks overlooking the channels through which misuse becomes possible. Pharmacists occupy an important position within this system. Dispensing medicine is not merely a commercial transaction; it is part of a chain of healthcare responsibility. Professional training and ethical judgment should therefore play a meaningful role in determining whether a medicine is dispensed. The same principle applies to doctors, whose prescribing decisions can influence whether a medicine remains a legitimate treatment or becomes vulnerable to misuse. Responsible prescribing, appropriate quantities and proper follow up are essential safeguards. But the problem cannot be understood entirely through the supply of medicines. It is equally important to ask why some young people are seeking them in the first place. Academic competition, uncertainty about the future, unemployment, family pressures, loneliness and the psychological demands of contemporary life can create vulnerabilities that make an easy chemical escape appear attractive. A young person looking for temporary relief may not recognize the difference between relief and dependence until that distinction becomes painfully clear. Prevention must therefore extend beyond regulation. Schools, colleges and universities should give young people credible information about medicine misuse and the dangers of self medication. Families should also be encouraged to recognise significant changes in behaviour without responding through immediate accusation or stigma. Awareness alone cannot solve the problem, but ignorance can make it considerably worse. For those who are already dependent, the response must include treatment. A young person struggling with dependency should not encounter condemnation where healthcare is required. Accessible counselling, medical assistance and rehabilitation are necessary if the State is serious about addressing
The writer is a legal researcher on law, public policy, and politics, with a focus on governance, institutional reform, and accountability.
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thorities when they reach full capacity. One specific case is of Visakhapatnam as part of the NITI Aayog’s Frontier Technology programme, where the city has adopted semi-underground bins with fill-level sensors, asset tracking using RFID, route optimisation through GPS and a dashboard provided by the city to alert drivers at the time of bin fill, thereby ensuring that bins are collected when they are actually needed, not on a fixed schedule. Waste management is not just an economic problem, but also a behavioural one, PIDE evidence indicates. Islamabad’s waste policy should be accompanied by behavioural incentives and credible and consistent enforcement, and better delivery. Along with enforcement, recognition should go both ways: schools, markets, businesses and residential sectors should compete for “Clean Sector” designation, and incentives for recycling and source segregation should be provided. Another aspect of this issue is flooding. Dumping of plastic and solid waste into drains and waterways causes blockage and increases the flood risk in the urban environment. A smart municipal system would integrate all of the waste data with rainfall prediction, drainage maps, and historical flood data, and use this information to prioritize places for cleaning before a heavy rain can occur. A Clean Capital should begin with intelligent waste management because without deliberate policy, the drift toward open dumping will only deepen Pakistan’s exposure to climate risk, public health costs and fiscal strain.
The writer is a Staff Economist at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). She can be reached at: shamaila@pide.org.pk
Bombs first
TULSI Gabbard, who heads the United States National Intelligence, had testified to Congress earlier this year that there was no evidence that Iran was seeking to develop a nuclear bomb. It was, indeed, a bold statement. One does wonder, then, what the US attack on Iran was all about. Understandably, Gabbard is now out of favour with President Donald Trump, who recently remarked: “I don’t care what she [Gabbard] said. I think they [Iranians] were very close to having it.” The attack on Iran, initiated by Zionist Israel, was based on a lie that has been propagated by mass murderer Benjamin Netanyahu for years. Trump, who now faces opposition on foreign policy from some of his own trusted lieutenants, should ask himself a critical question. How many American soldiers have to die for the occupation that has no right to be in Palestine? Let us just put aside the fact that without American and European backing, the genocide in Gaza would not have taken place. Let us just focus on how peace-loving Americans and Europeans are treated for simply calling for an end to the atrocities. When people who love democracy voice their opposition to war, as can be seen in the accompanying image showing a recent anti-war rally in New York, and call on their governments to immediately end their support of the apartheid regime, they are gagged and punished by their own governments. Let us focus on American soldiers who deserve more and better. They deserve to be with their families rather than be in wars around the world. The money that America continues to pump into the occupation belongs to the Americans. Let them enjoy the fruits of their hard labour. It saddens me to know that many Americans do two to three jobs just to make ends meet. This is not what the American Dream was about. Interestingly, as the occupiers launched the attack on Iran, their Western backers chanted against Iran, accusing it of developing nuclear weapons. But when Iran launched its own response causing great harm to the genocidal regime, these very nations talked of diplomacy and called for ‘restraint’ simply because the Zionist regime was in trouble and needed to be protected. Is this not appalling? Not in the modern world, it seems. The occupation, regardless of who is at the helm, has to end. Germany recently announced that it would evacuate its citizens via Jordan from occupied Palestine. This is exactly what is needed to be done by France, the United Kingdom, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Spain and Italy. The occupation has to come to an end. Palestine is for the Palestinians. Period. It is time American people exerted pressure and told their president that wars, be they overt, covert or proxy, would harm the American people who need to see their tax money being spent on education, health and welfare; not warfare. Americans have already squandered trillions of dollars by invading Afghanistan, Iraq and attacking several other Muslim countries. They cannot afford more wars. ANGABEEN AHMAD KARACHI
Feasts and famine
A Clean Capital should begin with intelligent waste management because without deliberate policy, the drift toward open dumping will only deepen Pakistan’s exposure to climate risk, public health costs and fiscal strain. Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965
the problem rather than merely controlling its symptoms. Preventing irresponsible access is important, but helping those already affected is equally part of public responsibility. The institutional response must also be better coordinated. Drug regulators, health departments, medical and pharmacy bodies, educational institutions and law enforcement agencies often operate within separate administrative structures, while the problem itself crosses all of them. Greater coordination is necessary where patterns of misuse or repeated violations become visible. Citizens should also have a credible mechanism through which suspected illegal dispensing can be reported and investigated. The regulatory framework must evolve with the nature of the problem. Patterns of misuse change, pharmaceutical products change and young people increasingly live in an environment where information about medicines is only a few clicks away. Effective regulation therefore cannot depend entirely on procedures designed for another era. It must identify emerging risks while ensuring that legitimate healthcare does not become an administrative obstacle course. The real measure of regulation is whether it protects people in their everyday lives. If a medicine requires a prescription, that requirement must mean something at the pharmacy counter. If a pharmacy is licensed, that licence must carry responsibility. If a complaint is made, it should lead to scrutiny. And if a young person seeks help, the health system must have somewhere to take them. Pakistan does not need panic or indiscriminate restrictions. Nor should legitimate patients face unnecessary barriers because certain medicines are misused. What is required is responsible access, supported by credible enforcement and a healthcare system capable of responding when dependency occurs. The issue is ultimately larger than medicines. It is about whether a society recognises a danger while it is still manageable or waits until it becomes a crisis. A generation should not have to experience the consequences of regulatory weakness before institutions decide that stronger oversight is necessary. Medicines belong within healthcare, not within an informal culture of experimentation. Protecting young people will require effective regulation, professional responsibility, awareness and treatment, but none of these will matter if the rules remain confined to official documents and fail to reach the pharmacy counter. Behind every pharmacy counter is more than a commercial transaction. It is a point at which regulation, professional responsibility and public trust meet. How seriously that responsibility is taken may determine whether a young person receives a medicine for the right reason, or takes the first step towards a dependency that could shape the rest of their life.
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Karachi – Ph: 021-32640318 I
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
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DURING his recent tour to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, United States President Donald Trump was accorded receptions and given gifts that were outlandish even by the standards of oil-rich Gulf states. Everything during the entire tour was marked by pomp and glitter. Yet, these countries, and, indeed, others in the Islamic world, have not been able to feed their brethren undergoing un-precedented sufferings in Gaza for the last more than 20 months. This is as embarrassing as it is criminal. During the trip, even Trump was quoted in international media as having noted that the people in Gaza were starving amid critically serious shortage of food and healthcare supplies. But the gracious — unnecessarily gracious — hosts could not take up the matter with their mighty guest. MANSOOR UL HAQUE SOLANGI KARACHI
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COMMENT 05
Trump, Xi and the World at stake
Saturday, 26 September, 2026
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A summit the world is watching
Qamar Bashir
HE red carpet at Joint Base Andrews was one hundred feet long. The questions awaiting Donald Trump and Xi Jinping stretch across the planet. A flyover and handshake made powerful photographs, but neither will protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz, factories waiting for rare earth magnets, or the people of Taiwan. The visit will be measured by what follows. Trade comes first because the two countries cannot wound each other without wounding the world. They exchanged roughly $415 billion in goods in 2025 despite tariffs and retaliation. Trump wants China to buy more US farm products and loosen its grip on critical minerals. Xi wants the tariffs and restrictions on advanced technology removed. Their trade truce now runs to January 10. Another deadline may calm markets for a few months, but it cannot repair a relationship governed by threats. Rare earths show why Washington cannot dictate the terms. China refines 91 percent of the world’s magnet rare earths and makes 94 percent of the finished magnets. They power vehicles, industrial motors, data centers and weapons. When Beijing restricted exports in 2025, some automakers cut production. The International Energy Agency estimates that full controls could put $6.5 trillion in annual production outside China at risk. That is a measure of exposure, not an actual loss, but it explains why US demands for secure supplies sound less commanding than the tariff threats that preceded them. Washington cannot demand respect for its own economic security while dismissing China’s. Nor can it expect Beijing to obey every American instruction merely because the USA believes its aims are legitimate. Sovereign countries negotiate; they do not surrender their judgment at an airport welcome ceremony. If US President Donald Trump wants a durable bargain, he must treat Chinese President Xi Jinping as the leader of a major power, not a subordinate summoned to receive orders. Taiwan brings the danger of war into the room. Beijing regards the island as part of China and US arms sales as interference. Taiwan rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claim and governs itself through democratic institutions. A proposed $14 billion US arms package is
stalled. Trump has called it a negotiating chip. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says sales also depend on the USA’s own military needs and the capacity of its defence factories. Republican senators have demanded that the stalled assistance move forward. The USA cannot promise deterrence without deciding whether it will supply the weapons. The stakes extend far beyond the package. Taiwan has about 23 million people and produces more than 90 percent of the world’s most advanced chips. A confrontation around the island would strike a central artery of the global technology economy. So would a clash in the South China Sea, a route that carries a substantial share of world shipping. Trump and Xi need direct military communication and restraint at sea and in the air. Taiwan’s future cannot be traded for aircraft orders or agricultural purchases. Iran tests whether Washington can distinguish diplomacy from demands for obedience. A US congressional commission estimates that China bought more than 90 percent of Iran’s exported oil in 2025, earning Tehran roughly $31 billion. Yet Iranian oil represented only about 12 percent of China’s crude imports. Xi therefore has influence, but Beijing has no formal defence obligation to Tehran. Washington has grounds to challenge sanctions evasion and military-use transfers; it cannot command China to sever a sovereign relationship wholesale. Xi also has reason to fear an expanding war. In the first quarter of 2025, before this conflict disrupted shipping, China received 37.7 percent of the crude oil and condensate moving through the Strait of Hormuz; Asian countries together received 89.2 percent. A closure threatens Chinese industry, neighbouring economies and household budgets across the world. Trump and Xi should seek safe commercial passage and a political route out of the
Iran war, instead of turning a vital waterway into another test of power. China’s ties with Russia give Ukraine a place in their discussion too, though neither leader can impose peace on Ukraine. Artificial intelligence may be the most immediate test of their judgment. In June, an OpenAI agent researching health spending bypassed controls on an Australian government Medicare statistics portal and accessed non-public aggregate data and internal files. The government learned of the breach nearly three months later. An agent pursuing an ordinary task crossed a boundary its operators did not intend it to cross. That incident gives the AI discussion a purpose beyond competition for chips and superior machines. The USA and China are racing to build autonomous systems and robots, but an AI agent that penetrates a government database does not care which country wins. Both leaders should demand independent test-
ing, limits on access to sensitive systems, immediate reporting of breaches and human control over military uses. Competition cannot be allowed to outrun accountability. The same principle applies in space. The global space economy reached about $626 billion in 2025 and is projected by one forecaster to exceed $1 trillion by 2034. Most of it is commercial: satellites support broadband, navigation, weather forecasting, aviation and shipping. An attack on one nation’s satellites could cripple civilian services and scatter debris across shared orbits. Space may not be a formal summit item, but two powers building military capabilities there should agree on limits before their rivalry puts this common infrastructure at risk. The Arctic adds a different warning. It is warming about three times faster than the global average, opening routes and intensifying competition over resources. China seeks a role in research and shipping; Washington
This summit is important because the two leaders can damage or strengthen the international system on a scale few others can. Their rivalry runs through trade, war, energy, AI, space and climate. They will not settle every dispute in three days. But they can replace a fragile tariff pause with serious bargaining, keep military encounters from becoming war, protect vital waterways and set boundaries for technologies advancing faster than oversight. The red carpet showed that each recognizes the other’s power. The test is whether they recognize the rights and interests of everyone living beyond it
sees Greenland as strategically important for minerals and missile defense. But Greenland is not a prize for outsiders to divide. Its people must decide their future, with Denmark’s constitutional role respected. Any bargain that ignores them would reproduce the very hubris that makes great-power politics dangerous. Climate makes the imbalance of power and responsibility impossible to ignore. In 2024, China and the USA accounted for roughly 45 percent of global fossil carbon dioxide emissions. China also holds about 80 to 90 percent of solar manufacturing capacity, while Trump has pulled US policy away from international climate commitments. They may disagree on policy, but their choices will set the price of clean technology and the pace of emissions far beyond their borders. Neither can credibly claim that its decisions are its concern alone. This summit is important because the two leaders can damage or strengthen the international system on a scale few others can. Their rivalry runs through trade, war, energy, AI, space and climate. They will not settle every dispute in three days. But they can replace a fragile tariff pause with serious bargaining, keep military encounters from becoming war, protect vital waterways and set boundaries for technologies advancing faster than oversight. The red carpet showed that each recognizes the other’s power. The test is whether they recognize the rights and interests of everyone living beyond it.
The writer retired as Press Secretary the President, and is former Press Minister at Embassy of Pakistan to France and former MD, Shalimar Recording & Broadcasting Company Limited
Intelligence from Chinese groups aiding in Iran’s increasingly effective targeting of US sites “Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan”
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CNN
Katie Bo LiLLis, Zachary cohen, KyLie atwood and haLey BritZKy
ATELLITE imagery and intelligence support provided by Chinese groups have helped Iran threaten ships in the Strait of Hormuz and launch precision strikes on US military bases in the Middle East, part of a dramatic improvement in Iranian targeting capabilities over the past several months, according to a series of recent American intelligence assessments described to CNN by four sources. The imagery allowed Iran to strike a US base in Jordan in July, a strike that killed three American service members, with a level of precision US officials believe was otherwise beyond Iran’s capabilities, the sources said. Chinese geospatial data has also enhanced Iran’s ability to track ships through the strait, giving Iranian drones and missiles a higher chance of successfully hitting targets, according to one of the officials. Two other sources said the data has allowed Iran to use otherwise unsophisticated heatseeking drones that cannot be maneuvered in midair to threaten ships by helping time launches. The Chinese support helps explain how Iran has steadily become more accurate as sporadic waves of strikes have been launched in recent months, though sources indicated it’s one of several factors increasing Iranian military effectiveness. Russia has also been providing Tehran with support, and some officials have pointed to Iranian forces’ mounting combat experience during the conflict as key factors. US officials say that it’s difficult to precisely quantify the scope of China’s assistance, in part because it’s not clear whether the Chinese government has ordered it or is merely tacitly allowing the support, and some officials disagree about how much Beijing is helping. A fifth source familiar with US intelligence noted that recent reporting has suggested China would prefer that the disruptions in the strait, which have ratcheted up global oil prices, cease. But the intelligence support has shaped new tactics for Iran. In the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran sees as its greatest point of leverage according to US officials and outside analysts, Tehran has continued to launch attacks against US military escorts and commercial vessels by firing a large number of heatseeking drones towards ships once they reach a particular
geographic landmark in the waterway, described by one US official as a “knuckle.” The heatseeking nature of the Iranian drones is not considered overly sophisticated technology, but Iranian forces have shown they can effectively track US escort operations — with help from Chinese satellite imagery — and launch attacks at the most opportune moment, the sources said. The tactic amounts to firing a large number of drones and hoping they latch onto the heat signature in ships’ hulls, two US officials said. And the pace of operations can be intense: During one recent escort operation, US forces intercepted over a dozen Iranian missiles and shot down nearly 20 drones, while also conducting offensive operations against roughly 60 targets around the strait, one of the officials said. The intelligence support comes on top of technical assistance from both China and Russia that has helped Iran make improvements to the guidance systems on its missiles and drones. But at least in some areas — like in the July attack on the base in Jordan — officials agree that Chinese-provided intelligence data has proved decisive. “There’s a reason that their targeting has improved, and it is due to some assistance,” according to one of the sources. “Getting reps on the battlefield helps, but getting a helping hand helps a lot too.” The Chinese embassy in Washington and Iranian diplomatic officials did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication. The Defense Department declined to comment. The White House did not reply to a query ahead of publication. The Wall Street Journal first reported that Iran used Chinese satellite data in its July attack on the base in Jordan. At the time of that reporting Guo Jiakun, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, was asked for comment. “China always strictly fulfills its due international obligations. We oppose exploiting the conflict to throw mud at China,” he said. Chinese leader Xi Jinping is in Washington for meetings with President Donald Trump on Thursday and Friday. Despite Trump’s desire to maintain positive relations with Xi, one of the US officials said that this was likely to be a topic of discussion during the state visit. US Ambassador to China David Perdue said Friday that the Trump administration has made it clear to China that providing
any support to Iran – whether it be direct or indirect – is “totally unacceptable.” “President Trump made that very clear again yesterday,” Perdue added during an appearance on CNBC. Asked in the days after the Jordan attack if China was providing targeting assistance to Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to discuss the matter. “Nothing that China has done has in any way changed the trajectory of … the conflicts we’re having with Iran,” Rubio told reporters. “In fact, in some cases, they’ve actually been quite cooperative,” he added, citing China’s public opposition to Iranian efforts to toll the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration has sought to crack down on Chinese commercial satellite imagery of the region during the conflict, which officials have warned has endangered American troops. In May, the
administration sanctioned three Chinese satellite companies that it said had provided imagery that “enables Iran’s military strikes against US forces in the Middle East.” As the US war drags into its seventh month, officials say Iran has adapted its battlefield tactics to continue to threaten US assets in the region and keep pressure on the United States and its allies to surrender to Tehran’s demands. Iran is shooting down MQ-9 Reaper drones “left and right,” one of the sources familiar with recent intelligence assessments said, and there are still regular alerts about drone activity. “They’re getting better because we’ve essentially given them more time to train,” another source familiar with recent assessments said. The same source noted that China has also sent assistance to Iran in the form of air defense systems.
And multiple officials expressed deep frustration at the obvious American vulnerability to missiles and drones that operate at low to medium altitude — as opposed to higher-altitude projectiles that the US has developed expensive, highly-sophisticated air defense systems to counter. It is forcing the US to put further defenses in place at some US military and diplomatic locations in the Middle East, said a source familiar with the matter. Iran demonstrated that it was capable of striking American bases in the Middle East in 2020, after President Trump ordered the killing of a top Iranian general during his first term. But its technical ability to strike a precise target has improved drastically since then, multiple officials said. “Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan” during the war’s first months, according to a recent report from the Pentagon’s inspector general. Those Iranian strikes contributed to significant changes in how US troops have traditionally operated in the region, the report said. CENTCOM “shifted personnel, assets and storage facilities” as they came under attack from Iran and its proxy forces. Iran’s import of dual-use components is also a major concern for US officials given Iran’s recent ability to reconstitute its military capabilities and industrial base. “Without the Chinese parts they wouldn’t be as likely to keep fighting, it is as basic as that,” a US official said. Still, the trend of Iran rebuilding its military inventory is consistent with previous assessments from US intelligence agencies and also a consequence of Trump’s decision to halt full combat operations before the US military completed its entire target list, another official added.
SATIRE across his shop floor, “and it’s been doing orange hide but it seems to have a demonic “TRUMP STILL HAS TWO MORE ability to dodge bullets, spears, tax dea demolition job onYEARS the place everIN since. “The first thing the monster laid its mands, impeachments or anything else hate-filled eyes on was a finely-crafted hurled its way. HERE,” SAYS RUINED CHINA SHOP OWNER We still have 28 months of this bonepiece called ‘Free Trade’, and it instantly
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NEWS BISCUIT Jeremynh
T’S been 20 months since that mad sod of a bull came back in here,” lamented the owner of White House Fine Ceramics to reporters from amidst the piles of broken porcelain strewn
started destroying it with a series of wild and reckless tariff charges. “Then it spied an incredibly fragile item called “the Middle East”, which was always teetering on the brink, and set about ruining it beyond repair with its cackling little helper Benjamin ‘Golem’ Netanyahu. “A couple of amateur toreadors tried to pop a cap in the Trumpotaur’s hideous
head china-wrecker rampaging around here,” said the store owner, looking for safe place to hide a priceless objet d’art called “World Peace”. “The best we can hope for is that it will eventually get bored and wander off to mate with its favourite heifers, Stormy Daniels and Gianni Infantino.” At press time, the White House was reporting it had gone morally bankrupt.
06 NEWS
Xi callS for new chaPter in china-US tieS at white hoUSe dinner
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WASHINGTON AGENCIES
HINESE President Xi Jinping has called for a new chapter in China-US relations, urging Beijing and Washington to act as "responsible major countries", manage their differences and build a constructive relationship of strategic stability. Speaking at a state dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, Xi said his talks with Trump had produced “sincere and in-depth exchanges” and a common understanding on a number of issues, providing fresh strategic guidance for the relationship between the world’s two largest economies. The Chinese leader said the two countries should strengthen communication, cooperate with sincerity and coexist peacefully rather than allow competition to spiral into confrontation. “China and the United States must act as responsible major countries, meet the expectations of our peoples, keep pace with the trend of our times, and explore a new approach for major countries to get along with
each other,” Xi said according to a text of the Chinese president’s speech released by Xinhua news agency. The White House state visit, which began with an unusually high-profile welcome by Trump, marked a significant moment in engagement between Beijing and Washington. The US president personally received Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews before hosting a formal arrival ceremony at the White House. The visit is Xi’s first to the White House in more than a decade. Xi recalled that he and Trump had agreed during Trump’s May visit to China to work towards a “constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability”. He described the reciprocal visits by the two presidents within less than six months as unprecedented in the history of bilateral ties and said the two leaders had maintained communication through multiple channels while working to steer the relationship towards a more stable course. At the White House arrival ceremony earlier on Thursday, Xi said he was ready to work with Trump to “steer the giant ship” of China-US relations towards the future.
He said cooperation between Beijing and Washington could not resolve every problem facing the world, but without cooperation between the two countries, many global problems would be difficult to solve. Xi also called for closer coordination among government departments dealing with foreign affairs, economic affairs, financial cooperation, law enforcement and people-to-people exchanges.
COMPETITION WITHOUT CONFRONTATION One of the central themes of Xi’s remarks was the need to manage strategic competition without allowing it to turn into conflict. China and the United States, he said, did not need to avoid discussing competition, but competition should be “healthy” and remain within bounds. “It should be a race of
Mamdani slams 'lies' in Netanyahu's UN speech, cites ICC warrant for his arrest NEW YORK
AGENCIES
Netanyahu’s “lies” in his UN address cannot erase the warrant for genocidal war crimes issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), said the mayor. “As he has done time and again, Prime Minister Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitise his genocide of Palestinians," Mamdani said in a statement, local media reported. "Yet no lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity.” In November 2024 the ICC, based in The Hague, issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip. This July, Mamdani urged United States federal authorities to enforce the ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu, acknowledging that New York City authorities lack the legal power to carry it out. Read: UN chief says Israeli actions in occupied West Bank raising ‘spectre of ethnic cleansing' Netanyahu mounted a forceful defence of Israel's actions in the region at the UN, seeking to counter growing inter-
national isolation ahead of elections he could lose, as dozens of delegates streamed out. The walkout underscored the competing pressures facing Netanyahu, who is battling mounting criticism abroad over the Gaza war while campaigning for reelection at home ahead of an October 27 vote. The divisions over Israel's conduct were on display as Netanyahu began speaking, with dozens of delegates walking out in protest. He called them "moral cowards," while supporters in the gallery chanted in Hebrew: "The people of Israel live." Netanyahu used his address to berate Mamdani for calling him a war criminal, Western European leaders for what he called succumbing to "antisemitic mobs," and to accuse both Qatar and Turkiye of spreading lies about Israel. "You tried to stop me from coming here. You tried. You tried to silence me. Well, you can't silence me. You can't silence the truth," Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, said of Mamdani. He accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas militants, something Mamdani has denied. "To all those spreading these lies about my country and about our brave soldiers, whether they sit in this hall or in the office of the antisemitic mayor of
New York, I say this: Shame on you!" Netanyahu said. Qatar rejected Netanyahu’s accusation that it is conducting a campaign aimed at influencing public opinion against Israel, calling the allegation an attempt to divert attention from Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories. "We categorically reject Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusation, made in his address to the UN General Assembly, that the State of Qatar is conducting a campaign to influence public opinion against Israel." "This continuing rhetoric against
Qatar is nothing more than an attempt to divert attention from the attrocities committed by his government in the occupied Palestinian territories and their grave humanitarian consequence," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majed al-Ansari said in a statement. He pushed back against claims that the growing criticism of Israel around the world, particularly among younger people, is the result of organised influence campaigns. Read More: Macron denounces Trump's Gaza diplomacy as spectacle of shame “Reducing the growing shift in global public opinion, particularly among young people, to allegations of ‘influence campaigns’ is an insult to the awareness and judgment of a generation that is witnessing, in real time and before the entire world, what is taking place on the ground and forming its views accordingly,” alAnsari said. He said if Netanyahu and other Israeli politicians want to change how Israel is viewed internationally, they should focus on government policies rather than blaming Qatar or other outside actors. "Attempts to hold Qatar, or anyone else, responsible for a global shift in public opinion shaped by what people themselves are witnessing are no longer persuasive," the spokesman said.
UN Security Council condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia NEW YORK
AGENCIES
The United Nations Security Council on Friday condemned escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia by Houthis in a rare show of unity from the UN's top body. "The members of the Security Council condemned, in the strongest terms, continued Houthi attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including attacks impacting civilian and energy infrastructure, which have resulted in the injury of civilians, including women and children," said the rotating president of the Council, French UN envoy Jerome Bonnafont, delivering a joint statement.
Meanwhile, Yemeni government forces said that they seized control of the strategic Numan mountain range in the southern province of Lahj following clashes with the Houthis. The Yemeni army’s media centre said government forces, backed by the Popular Resistance, had taken control of the mountain range overlooking the AlWazi’iyah and Al-Mudarabah districts. Houthi fighters withdrew from the area and suffered heavy losses in personnel and military equipment, it added. The Nation’s Shield Forces said its units, backed by the Giants Brigades and local tribesmen, seized the summit of Jabal Numan and the nearby Dar al-Kafir
position in a rapid military operation. According to the force, the operation began with an overnight infiltration followed by the encirclement of the position and an assault at dawn, forcing Houthi fighters to flee and leave behind weapons and ammunition. It described Jabal Numan as a commanding strategic position overlooking supply routes between Al-Wazi’iyah and Al-Mudarabah, saying the Houthis had used it to monitor the area and shell nearby villages and military positions. The force said control of the summit would help secure villages in Wadi AlMudarabah and the outskirts of Al-Wazi’iyah, reduce the threat of Houthi shelling and cut off a key infiltration route. The Houthis made no immediate comment on the statements. Fighting has intensified in recent weeks along fronts between Taiz and Lahj provinces. Iran's Araghchi appreciates Pakistan's 'constructive' mediation efforts in US talks Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has expressed appreciation
for Pakistan’s “constructive efforts as a mediator in the negotiations with the United States”, according to a statement from Iran’s foreign ministry on Friday. During a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Iran’s top diplomat said breaches of commitments by the United States undermined the position of the mediating institution. Araghchi specifically referred to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, saying the US violation of the MoU had heightened insecurity and tensions in the region. He held Washington responsible for the continuation of the consequences arising from the situation. Araghchi also briefed Dar on the latest status of negotiations and an understanding between Iran and Oman on determining an appropriate route for the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Dar was also briefed on Iran’s interactions with the United States through Qatar.
Iran ready for US deal, rejects war option: Pezeshkian TEHRAN
AGENCIES
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran does not seek war with the United States and remains prepared to pursue a negotiated agreement, amid continued tensions between the two countries. In an interview with Fox News, Pezeshkian said Iran had not chosen war and maintained that the conflict had been imposed on his country. “We do not choose war. The war was imposed on us. We do not seek war,” he said. Asked whether Iran was prepared to pursue a deal with Washington, the Iranian president referred to a memorandum reached in June that envisaged a final agreement within 60 days but subsequently collapsed over differences concerning navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. “We did reach an agreement with your president (Donald Trump),” Pezeshkian said. “Based on that, we are
willing and still wish to move forward.” He said it was now up to Washington to decide whether it wanted to bring the conflict to an end. Asked whether Iran would surrender its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 per cent, Pezeshkian said Tehran would fulfil its obligations under international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. “Yes,” he said. “Within the framework of international law, based on the Non-Proliferation Treaty, whatever we are supposed to adhere to, we will.” Pezeshkian also rejected the suggestion that Iran had closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway through which a significant share of global oil supplies passed before the war. The Iranian president was also questioned about Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes in late February.
Saturday, 26 September 2026 | ISLAMABAD
catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses,” Xi said. He urged both countries to maintain a firm commitment to avoiding conflict and confrontation and said the two militaries should maintain regular dialogue and improve mechanisms for crisis communication and prevention. Xi also argued that the so-called Thucydides Trap — the historical tendency for rivalry between an established power and a rising power to lead to conflict — could be overcome. “We can certainly find the right path for our two great countries to get along on this planet we both call home,” he said. The emphasis on military communication comes as Beijing and Washington continue to navigate disagreements over security, technology, trade and other strategic issues. Xi’s remarks placed crisis management alongside economic and diplomatic engagement as key components of the relationship. TRADE AND BUSINESS TIES Xi also highlighted the economic interdependence between the two countries and called for expanding the areas in which they can cooperate.
Security Papers holds 61st annual general meeting KARACHI
STAFF REPORT
Security Papers Limited (SPL) held its 61st Annual General Meeting (AGM) at its Registered Office in Karachi. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Mohammad Aftab Manzoor, Chairman of the Board, and was attended by members of the Board of Directors, Senior Management and shareholders of the Company. The shareholders reviewed and approved the audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended June 30, 2026, reporting a gross profit of PKR 1,585 million, profit before tax of PKR 1,598 million and a net profit of PKR 907 million, resulting in earnings per share of PKR 15.31. The shareholders also approved a final cash dividend of PKR 9.00 per share, representing 90%, for the financial year 2025-26, as recommended by the Board of Directors.
3rd Solar Power conclave and technology excellence awards 2026 LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has called for a policy framework to promote domestic manufacturing of solar systems, saying Pakistan could create millions of jobs, generate clean and affordable energy and earn valuable foreign exchange by developing a local solar industry. “It is unfortunate that solar system manufacturing is not being done due to lack of a government policy,” the governor said while addressing the 3rd International Solar Power Conclave & Solar Technology Excellence Awards 2026, organised by Energy Update in collaboration with the Pakistan Solar Association (PSA), Renewable Energy Association of Pakistan (REAP) and Pakistan Alternative Energy Association (PAEA), here at a local hotel on Friday.
Saturday, 26 September 2026 | ISLAMABAD
CORPORATE CORNER
BYD-MMC Hits Major Milestone with 10,000 Vehicles on Pakistani Roads
KARACHI STAFF REPORT
Mega Motor Company (MMC), the official partner of BYD in Pakistan, announced that BYD has reached a major milestone of 10,000 vehicles on Pakistani roads, marking the fastest ramp-up by a new-entrant New Energy Vehicle (NEV) brand in the country’s automotive history. The achievement reflects strong consumer demand, growing confidence in new energy mobility and the momentum BYD-MMC has built in the Pakistani market ahead of the commencement of local assembly.BYD entered Pakistan with the BYD Atto 3 and BYD Seal and has since expanded its portfolio to five models. The lineup now also includes the Atto 2, Pakistan’s top-selling EV, the Sealion 7, and the Shark 6, the country’s first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) pickup, extending new energy mobility across a wider range of consumer needs and lifestyles.“The significance of 10,000 vehicles goes well beyond the number itself. It reflects the progress MMC has made in building the foundations for new energy mobility in Pakistan,” said Aly Khan, CEO of Mega Motor Company. “From the outset, our focus has been on building for the long term, establishing the capabilities, infrastructure and market presence needed to support this transition at scale. We are pleased to have BYD as our partner and to have worked closely together at every step to bring this vision to life.
PEC Launches 2nd Young Engineers Personality Development Programme at NDU ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), in collaboration with the National Defence University (NDU), held the inaugural session of its second Young Engineers Personality Development Programme (YEPDP) at NDU. The one-week programme is being conducted for Phase 2, Batch I of PEC’s Graduate Engineers Training (GET) Placement Programme.The batch comprises 700 engineering graduates who have completed five months of field placement across more than 60 leading public and private organisations. At NDU, they will take part in training organised through the Institute for Professional Leadership Development Centre (IPLDC), covering communication, leadership, teamwork, emotional intelligence, conflict management and professional ethics.Chairman PEC Engr. Waseem Nazir said the training would help young engineers build on their field experience and prepare for professional responsibilities. He congratulated the participants on the opportunity to become NDU alumni at an early stage of their careers and encouraged them to make full use of the programme.PEC selected a total of 2,300 engineers for the first and second GET cohorts through digital balloting, with each trainee receiving Rs. 50,000 throughout their placement. The first cohort of 600 graduates completed its training at NDU in July 2026.
AAS-in-Asia conference kicks off at LUMS
LAHORE The Association for Asian Studies (AAS)-in-Asia conference kicked off at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) on Friday, bringing together more than 1,000 participants and over 1,200 speakers from 37 countries.The three-day conference, being held from September 25 to 27, features around 323 panels addressing a wide range of issues concerning Asia, including culture, society, politics, development, history and regional connections.Organised under the theme “Centering Asia: Refiguring Connections, Recharting Futures,” the conference provides a platform for scholars, researchers and academics to exchange perspectives on the region’s evolving social, political, economic and cultural landscape.The opening ceremony featured welcome addresses by LUMS Vice Chancellor Prof Ali Cheema and AAS President Prof Elora Shehabuddin, followed by remarks from US Consul General Stetson Sanders.Prof Adil Najam delivered the keynote address, focusing on climate change and its implications for water, food, security, development, governance and social justice . STAFF REPORT
NEWS 07 PUNJAB TO TURN 300 RHCS INTO FULL-FLEDGED HOSPITALS, RECRUIT 40,000 HEALTH PROFESSIONALS CM MARYAM ANNOUNCES MONTHLY ‘HOSPITAL OF THE MONTH’ AWARD FOR TOP-PERFORMING FACILITIES
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SALEEM JADOON
UNJAB Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced a monthly “Hospital of the Month” award for hospitals demonstrating outstanding performance across the province. Presiding over a video-link meeting, the chief minister decided to transform 300 Maryam Nawaz Hospitals (Rural Health Centres) into fully-fledged hospitals and noted that the 911 Clinics on Wheels had provided medical care to 30 million patients within a short period. The meeting also decided to introduce digital medical boxes for Clinics on Wheels for the first time in Punjab. The boxes will facilitate ultrasound, blood sugar, CBC and ECG tests through a single system. A camera can also be connected to the digital medical box for teleconferencing, while a mobile-linked smart ultrasound device will also be introduced.
Maryam Nawaz directed the recruitment of 40,000 doctors and allied health professionals for hospitals across Punjab. The meeting was informed that 2,524 doctors, 2,482 women medical officers, 408 consultants and 32 cardiologists had
already been recruited. In addition, 7,572 lady health visitors (LHVs) and 5,048 support staff had been posted in hospitals across the province. The chief minister ordered the provision of a new CT scan machine in every
Azma takes ‘satirical swipe’ at PTI over Islamabad march postponement LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
Provincial Minister for Information and Culture Punjab Azma Bokhari on Thursday took a sarcastic swipe at the PTI after the party postponed its Islamabad march, sharing three humorous posters on the development. The first poster shared by Azma Bokhari read: “Intishar March Postponed, Islamabad Breathes a Sigh of Relief,” followed by the caption: “And the march also breathed a sigh of relief until the next date.” The second poster featured Islamabad asking: “Are you coming to Islamabad?” to which the “Intishar March” replied: “No, not yet.” Islamabad then responded: “Alright, I’ll get some rest too.” In the third poster, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail
Afridi is shown asking party workers: “Freedom or Death?” The workers respond: “Let it go, brother.” All three posters depict Sohail Afridi with a dejected expression, using satire to comment on the postponement of the PTI’s Islamabad march. ‘KP CM touring country while his own province suffers from zero performance’ In an earlier statement, Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari said serious incidents of terrorism were taking place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the KP chief minister’s attention remained focused on political activities instead of law and order. She said it was highly regrettable that no provincial government official attended the funeral prayers
No Compromise On Power Theft In IESCO Region ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), following the directives of the Government of Pakistan and the Ministry of Energy (Power Division), has intensified its crackdown against power theft across its service territory. IESCO teams, in coordination with police, are conducting extensive inspections against illegal connections, direct supply, meter bypassing and tampering.IESCO Chief Executive Engineer Chaudhry Khalid Mahmood said that the company is using modern technology alongside conventional checking to curb power theft and reduce line losses. He said the installation of AMI meters on industrial-tariff connections and across Rawalpindi City and Rawalpindi Cantt, along with scanning meters on transformers and high-loss feeders, is yielding positive
LFW Presents Returns for 2nd Edition with Kaleidoscopic Karachi KARACHI
STAFF REPORT
LAAM Fashion Week (LFW) will bring LFW Presents to Karachi for the first time this Saturday, 26 September, with Kaleidoscopic Karachi: a five-designer showcase set within the historic Nusserwanjee Building at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS). Marking the format’s second edition and its first outside Lahore, the evening will feature Deepak Perwani, Khaadi, The Pink Tree Company, Wardha Saleem and Sana Safinaz, opening with an immersive archival exhibition by photographer Tapu Javeri. Karachi has never had a single language. Its identity shifts like a kaleidoscope, where every turn unveils another composition of colour, culture and character.
of the victims of the terrorist incident in Kohat. Azma Bokhari said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was far away, which might be why news from there sometimes arrived late, but terrorist incidents were taking place in plain sight. She said the chief minister should focus on maintaining law and order and strengthening institutions such as the Counter Terrorism Department. The Punjab Information Minister said that “Afridi Sahib” was travelling across Pakistan, but his performance remained zero. She said that when NAB identified billions of rupees in financial irregularities, everyone fell silent. She said the entire focus appeared to be on securing the release of a major corruption accused.
CAP Calls for Nationwide Action to Ensure Qualified Pharmacists at Medical Stores KARACHI
STAFF REPORT
The Consumers Association of Pakistan (CAP) has urged the federal government, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), Pharmacy Council of Pakistan and provincial health and drug-control authorities to launch a nationwide survey and inspection campaign to ensure that medical stores and pharmacies operate under the supervision of qualified and registered pharmacists or other legally recognised qualified persons.In a letter addressed to Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Mustafa Kamal, CAP Founder and Chairman Kaukab Iqbal described the issue as an important matter of consumer protection, patient safety.
JGI unveils resilience rewards program to advance risk prevention, business resilience
KARACHI
With tobacco use continuing to claim an estimated 164,000 lives annually in Pakistan, health and policy experts have called for urgent action to strengthen the country’s tobacco control strategy by introducing a regulated, evidencebased framework for Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR). While Pakistan has recorded a 15.7% decline in tobacco consumption between 2014 and 2024,
Nestlé Pakistan, UAF strengthen partnership to advance regenerative agriculture and sustainable food systems
FAISALABAD STAFF REPORT
Nestlé Pakistan and the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in sustainable agriculture, food science, nutrition, applied research, and workforce development. The collaboration supports Nestlé’s efforts to advance regenerative agriculture across its value chain as part of its global ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.The MoU was signed during a visit by Jason Avanceña, CEO and Managing Director, Nestlé Pakistan, and the company’s senior leadership to UAF. The occasion also formalized the establishment of the Nestlé Learning Resource Center (NLRC) at the National Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFSAT), UAF.Speaking on the occasion, Jason Avanceña, CEO and MD, Nestlé Pakistan, said, “Through the Nestlé Learning Resource Center and our continued partnership with UAF, we aim to create opportunities for knowledge sharing, research collaboration, and leadership development. It further strengthens our work in regenerative agriculture, and food science, and enables creating shared value by bringing together knowledge, industry expertise and young talent.
Sindh, LUMS and AKU sign agreement to bring national AI Hub for maternal and child health to primary healthcare
KARACHI
STAFF REPORT
Jubilee General Insurance Co. Ltd. (JGI) has launched the Resilience Rewards Program, a pioneering initiative designed to recognize longstanding, risk-resilient clients for their continued commitment to safety, risk mitigation and business resilience. The program reflects Jubilee General’s role as a trusted risk partner— working with businesses not only when a loss occurs, but also supporting them engineer safety, prevent losses and reduce the impact of potential disruptions. Through the initiative, clients qualifying for the reward will be recognized for maintaining strong risk standards.
Experts Call for Regulated Tobacco Harm Reduction Framework in Pakistan STAFF REPORT
district and directed the establishment of telemedicine centres for seasonal and common diseases. Patients will be able to consult doctors through video calls at the centres and, where necessary, be referred to the relevant hospital and ward. The telemedicine centres will also facilitate appointments with the relevant ward, laboratory or other facility. Maryam Nawaz ordered the immediate replacement of the medical superintendents of four hospitals over poor performance and negligence of duties. She also directed the formation of a pool of doctors and MSs to deal with emergency situations. She directed that cleanliness and parking facilities at district and tehsil headquarters hospitals be improved. For the first time in Punjab, Clinic Quality Control Officers will be appointed to assess the quality of treatment being provided to patients. A Directorate of Monitoring and Surveillance has also been established in Primary Healthcare to ensure 24-hour digital monitoring of every hospital. The digital monitoring system will cover DHQ and THQ hospitals, Maryam Nawaz Hospitals, Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics, Field Hospitals and Clinics on Wheels.
experts caution that the pace of decline remains inadequate against the scale of tobacco-related mortality. They stressed that alongside prevention and cessation efforts, adult smokers who are unable to quit should have access to scientifically evaluated, regulated alternatives to combustible cigarettes, supported by accurate information and appropriate medical guidance. Mirza M. Abeer, Founder of the Association for Smoking Alternatives in Pakistan (ASAP),
said, “A decline in tobacco consumption is encouraging, but when approximately 164,000 lives are still being lost every year, progress cannot be measured by prevalence alone. Pakistan needs a regulatory framework that gives adult smokers access to credible information and scientifically evaluated alternatives while enforcing strict standards for quality, marketing and age restrictions. Regulation is essential to ensure harm reduction is responsible, informed and accessible.”
KARACHI STAFF REPORT
The Health Department of the Government of Sindh, the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and the Aga Khan University (AKU) have signed a three-year Letter of Collaboration to integrate a National AI Hub for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health into the public health system. This will bring artificial intelligence to frontline care to improve health indicators for the most vulnerable women and children.The agreement was signed at the office of Sindh Minister for Health and Population Welfare Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, by Health Secretary Tahir Hussain, Associate Professor Dr Maryam Mustafa, Hub Director and Principal Investigator at LUMS, and Dr Karim Damji, the Dean of the Medical College at AKU. Dr Anita Zaidi, President of Gender Equality at the Gates Foundation, was present at the signing. The Gates Foundation is supporting the Hub through a multi-year grant. Also, present was AKU Paediatrics & Child Health Associate Professor Dr Zahra Hoodbhoy who has been working on point-of-care ultrasound AI models. The three institutions will jointly roll out riskstratification models, clinical decision-support systems, and voice-assisted tools for frontline care frontline care providers delivering maternal and child health servicesDr Azra Pechuho.
price raised by LawyeR ChaLLenGeS M-1 CLoSURe in ihC Petrol Rs2.02, diesel cut by
Saturday, 26 September, 2026
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ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Supreme Court lawyer on Friday moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the closure of the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1), seeking the reopening of blocked routes for lawyers, litigants, emergency services and other citizens. Advocate Mian Shafqat Jan filed the petition after he was unable to reach the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to appear in a case due to the closure of the motorway. The government had shut the M-1 earlier this week as part of heightened security measures to prevent the Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) from marching on Islamabad. The party’s protest, originally scheduled for Sept 27 to demand the release of its incarcerated founder Imran Khan and press for constitutional supremacy, has since reportedly been postponed. According to the petition, Mr Jan was scheduled to appear before the PHC on Sept 24. He entered the motorway from the Islamabad Toll Plaza at around 7am after facing difficulties but found the route blocked at the M-1 Attock Bridge. The lawyer said he approached offi-
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cials deployed at the site and sought information about any written order authorising the closure but was unable to obtain one. He argued that blocking public routes without a notification, written order or disclosed reasons violated citizens’ fundamental rights and warranted judicial intervention. The petition names the federation through the interior and information secretaries, inspectors general of the National Highways and Motorway Police
Cabinet Committee reviews key legal, regulatory amendments ISLAMABAD APP
Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar here on Friday chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Disposal of Legislative Business, which reviewed legal and regulatory amendments and rules submitted by various ministries and divisions. The committee approved the draft OGRA Fees and Charges Rules, aimed at aligning the fee and charges framework for regulatory and licensing services administered by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) with current requirements. The committee also accorded conditional approval to proposed amendments to the Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act, 1997, subject to incorporation of its recommendations and suggestions in the draft. An amendment to the Pakistan Coast Guards Act, 1973, was also approved to provide a formal legal framework for rules and regulations governing the Regimental Fund, including its administration and operation. The committee further approved a proposed amendment to the Drugs (Research) Rules, 1978, providing the necessary legal scope for establishing, improving and upgrading research and laboratory facilities through the Central Research Fund. Consideration of proposed amendments to the FIA Act, 1974, and the Immigration Rules, 1979, was deferred, while the agenda relating to the Draft PEMRA Rules, 2025, was withdrawn from the committee. Senior officials from the relevant ministries, divisions and government departments attended the meeting.
Gilani calls for expansion of Pakistan-Belarus cooperation, signs parliamentary MoU ISLAMABAD APP
Chairman Senate of Pakistan Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani Friday said that Pakistan and Belarus have a strong foundation of friendly relations and should translate their longstanding ties into mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, industry, pharmaceuticals, technology and people-to-people contacts. Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani’s official visit to Belarus, undertaken at the invitation of Chairperson of the Council of the Republic of Belarus Natalya Kochanova, is marked by a series of high-level and substantive engagements aimed at translating longstanding Pakistan-Belarus friendship into practical parliamentary, economic, industrial and technological cooperation. Exchanging views with leadership of the Council of the Republic of Belarus, he expressed gratitude for the warm reception and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations. The Chairman Senate held detailed talks with Chairperson of the Council of the Republic Natalya Kochanova, beginning with a one-on-one meeting followed by expanded discussions with members of both delegations.
and Islamabad Police, the National Highway Authority through its chairman, the Islamabad Capital Territory administration through the chief commissioner, and the Punjab government through its home secretary and inspector general of police as respondents. The petitioner also cited a recent IHC judgement concerning the PTI’s planned protest, arguing that the court had recognised constitutional protections, including freedom of movement and access to courts.
In its 37-page judgement, a threemember bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan and Justice Muhammad Asif held that activities resulting in infringement of citizens’ fundamental rights could not be permitted. The court also observed that the right to peaceful assembly could not be exercised in a manner that infringed upon the rights of other citizens. The bench directed the authorities to ensure that no political party, leader or public office holder occupied roads, highways, interchanges or toll plazas in a manner that obstructed free movement or hindered access to medical and educational facilities. On these grounds, Advocate Jan asked the high court to declare the closure of roads and highways without a notification, written order or disclosed reasons illegal and unconstitutional. He further sought directions to the interior secretary, communications secretary and Islamabad chief commissioner to ensure that blocked routes were reopened for emergency traffic, lawyers, litigants, witnesses, sick persons, funeral processions and other emergency services.
ATC defers Aleema Khan protest case verdict to October 1 RAWALPINDI
STAFF REPORT
A special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi has deferred its verdict in a case registered against Aleema Khan and 10 other accused in connection with the November 26 protests. The verdict, which was to be announced today, will now be pronounced on October 1. The verdict was adjourned due to the absence of ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah. According to the prosecution, Aleema Khan was accused of planning the November 26 protest and allegedly conspiring with Imran Khan during a meeting at Adiala Jail on November 22, 2024. During the previous hearing, the prosecution team had com-
pleted its arguments. After the completion of arguments, the court reserved its verdict in the case. Aleema Khan’s lawyer, Muhammad Faisal Malik, had objected to the proceedings, describing the hearing as one-sided. The previous hearing was conducted by Special ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah. Special security and administrative arrangements had been made at the court during the last hearing. The case, involving allegations related to the November 26 protest, violence and an alleged conspiracy, was registered at Sadiqabad Police Station in Rawalpindi. Cross-examination of 19 prosecution witnesses has already been completed in the case. During the proceedings, the court also heard various miscellaneous
applications filed on behalf of Aleema Khan. The case relates to the November 26, 2024 protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), when thousands of party supporters travelled towards Islamabad despite restrictions on public gatherings. The ensuing clashes between protesters and security forces led to violence in parts of the capital, including the Red Zone. PTI subsequently called off its planned sit-in. Earlier, Aleema Khan was detained in Lahore on Sunday after the city’s deputy commissioner ordered her detention for 30 days under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. Police later confirmed that she was taken to Kot Lakhpat Jail.
ATC Islamabad orders Imaan Mazari, Hadi to appear through video link ISLAMABAD STAFF CORRESPONDENT
An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has ordered human rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to appear through video link at tomorrow's hearing in a case involving allegations of violating protocol and assaulting police officers. Anti-Terrorism Court judge Tahir Abbas Sipra heard the case on Friday. The court had directed the Adiala Jail authorities to produce Mazari and Chattha before it on Friday, but the two were not brought to the hearing. The judge expressed displeasure over their absence and ordered that the hearing be adjourned until tomorrow. He directed the jail authorities to produce both accused through video
link at the next hearing. A case against Mazari and Chattha has been registered at the Secretariat police station in Islamabad. Meanwhile, a report submitted by Adiala Jail officials to the antiterrorism court on Thursday stated that, according to the jail's registered and digital records, the authorities had not yet received the powers of attorney for Mazari and Chattha. The report from the jail officials was submitted during the hearing of a petition challenging the non-provision of the powers of attorney in the case. During the proceedings, Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra observed that Chattha's power of attorney had been presented before the court. However, the deputy superintendent of Adiala Jail told the court that the document did not
bear his signatures. Speaking on the occasion, Zainab Janjua, one of the counsels for the couple, said that she had a meeting with the deputy superintendent this Monday. “And he told me that the powers of attorney would be processed in a day or two.” Riasat Ali Azad, another lawyer, said that it was this court order that had sent the couple to jail. “If we have the power of attorney of Chattha, but not of Imaan, does this imply that she is absent from jail?” he questioned. He went on to say that this was a unique case in which powers of attorney had not been received despite the passage of one week. Azad said that if anything bad happened to either Imaan or Chattha, these would be the jail officials who would be held responsible.
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Rs3.59 for September 26 PROFIT
WEB DESK
The government has raised the price of petrol by Rs2.02 per litre while cutting high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs3.59 per litre for the three-day period beginning September 26. Petrol will now sell at Rs391.30 per litre, up from Rs389.28, while HSD has been reduced to Rs408.53 per litre from Rs412.12, according to the Petroleum Division. The revised ex-depot prices will remain in effect from September 26 through September 28, 2026. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) revised the prices under the federal government’s petroleum pricing mechanism, with the Petroleum Division attributing the changes to movements in international Platts rates, premiums and other incidentals. The latest adjustment follows reductions in both fuels during the previous review, when petrol was cut by Re0.84 per litre and HSD by Rs2.63 per litre. The domestic revision comes amid continued volatility in international oil markets. Global crude prices fell more than 1% on Friday as markets weighed prospects of a US-Iran truce against concerns over potential supply disruptions following increased Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Brent crude was down $1.34, or 1.3%, at $105.26 a barrel at 1215 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell $1.83, or 1.9%, to $92.78 a barrel. For the week so far, Brent was up 1.5%, while WTI had declined 7.4%.
KP govt ‘deliberately evading’ constitutional duty to maintain law & order: Tarar ISLAMABAD APP
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Friday said the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was “deliberately evading” its constitutional responsibility to maintain law and order in the province. Talking to media here, Tarar said KP government was “playing the role of a facilitator for terrorists” rather than confronting them. Terming law and order a provincial subject, he said it was incumbent upon the KP government to address the deteriorating security situation. The minister questioned why a provincial government, which had an absolute control over its territory, would choose not to act against militancy. In fact, there is a “political-terror and crime nexus” built around illegal mining and the timber trade, he said. Tarar pointed out that militancy prevailed in the province because in connivance between the politicians and terrorists, adding that the provincial politicians were “on the front” funding terrorist networks through illegal contracts and trade. He said PTI not only abstained from condemning terrorists operating in the province but avoided taking any action against them. The minister said when security forces came under attack from across the border in Kurram, PTI leaders did not visit the area to express solidarity with the armed forces, nor issued any statement of condemnation. “This is an indication of their cowardice,” Tarar said, adding that this tantamounted to facilitating terrorism. He also linked such cowardice to the PTI’s decision to call off its planned long march to Islamabad, and said the party lacked the preparation in this regard. He said 2,456 terrorist attacks had taken place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2026 alone, an average of roughly 10 attacks a day. He said 472 personnel of various law enforcement agencies were martyred in these attacks, while around 1,500 others had been injured. “If a provincial government does not want to curb terrorism, this cannot be justified,” he said, adding that in both the Kurram and Kohat incidents, only our forces stood while the provincial government “ran away.”
Bailable arrest warrants issued for CDA Chairman, Islamabad Commissioner ISLAMABAD APP
A civil court in Islamabad has issued bailable arrest warrants for the Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Commissioner Islamabad over non-implementation of a court decree issued in 2000. The warrants were
issued by Civil Judge Nasiruddin while hearing an application filed by Muhammad Rashid seeking implementation of the decree in his favour. The decree in the case was passed in favour of the petitioner in 2000. The matter subsequently reached the Supreme Court, which upheld the decision in his favour. According to the petitioner, despite
acquisition of his land, compensation had not yet been paid under the rehabilitation and resettlement policy. He approached the court seeking complete implementation of the decree. Barrister Hasnain Haider Thaheem appeared before the court on behalf of the petitioner and requested effective and complete implementation of the decree.
Taking note of the non-implementation of the court’s decision, Civil Judge Nasiruddin issued bailable arrest warrants for the CDA chairman and Islamabad commissioner. The court directed the relevant authorities to ensure implementation of the decree and warned that they would have to face legal proceedings in case of non-compliance.
5.8m people register under fuel relief scheme: Shaza Fatima ISLAMABAD APP
Federal Minister for Information Technology (IT) and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Friday said around 5.8 million people had registered under the Prime Minister’s fuel relief scheme, while around 6.1 million tokens had been generated and 4.7 million people had obtained fuel through the facility. Addressing a press conference along with State Minister for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, she said the government had removed the fivelitre limit for motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqi following public feedback. The ownership requirement had also been removed for motorcycle and rickshaw users who were using rented vehicles, she added. She said motorcycle and rickshaw users could register vehicles even if they were not the owners, adding that registration was required only once and a token had to be obtained before visiting a petrol pump. Shaza Fatima said motorcycles, rickshaws, Qingqi and cars with engine capacities of up to
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800cc were covered under the scheme. Motorcycle and rickshaw users could receive a Rs 500 token once a week, with no five-litre limit, while eligible vehicles up to 800cc could receive a discount of Rs 100 per litre for 10 litres on each token. She said around 4.7 million people had benefited from the scheme within eight days across all four provinces, Islamabad, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The minister thanked petrol pump dealers, oil marketing companies and OGRA for facilitating citizens under the scheme and urged petrol pump staff to assist eligible people with registration and provide information about the facility. She said the government was conducting awareness campaigns and would also use the media to reach more people, particularly those affected by higher petrol prices. Shaza Fatima said the government was carrying out live monitoring of the scheme through a dashboard. She said updates were being provided almost every four hours, while complaints and feedback were also
being monitored. She said the Petroleum Ministry, Finance Ministry, State Bank, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Information and other institutions had worked together to make the scheme operational from a technical and logistical perspective. The minister said the government had also addressed the issue of token validation at petrol pumps in areas facing internet connectivity problems. Responding to a question, she said around 23,000 people in Azad Kashmir and around 5,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan had redeemed their tokens, adding that the government expected the numbers to increase. Shaza Fatima said the scheme was aimed at providing relief to people during the difficult economic situation. She said the facility provided Rs 500 free petrol every week to motorcycle users, while monthly relief of Rs 2,000 had been made available for motorcycles and Rs 3,000 for small cars. She said the scheme provided relief of Rs 100 per litre to small-car users, which
was almost equal to the total taxes paid on petrol by such users. The minister said the scheme was operational at petrol pumps and was not merely a paper-based facility. She said registration could be completed within a few minutes, followed by token issuance and fuel provision.
Published by Asad Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk
Regarding eligibility, Shaza Fatima said a vehicle registered against an individual’s identity card and having an engine capacity of up to 800cc was eligible, regardless of whether it was being used for ride-hailing or another purpose. However, she said vehicles registered in the name of a company were not covered under the scheme.