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PakIsTan Pushes fragIle us–Iran PeaCe TraCk as CeasefIre holds

g IRAN REFUSES CONFIRMATION FOR SECOND ROUND OF TALKS

ISLAMABAD

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on

Wednesday discussed the evolving regional situation with Iranian Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam in the backdrop of the extension of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran reaffirming Pakistan s continued commitment to earnest efforts for a negotiated settlement of the conflict, according to state-run Radio Pakistan In a statement the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Iranian Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam called on PM Shehbaz Sharif and exchanged views on the prevailing regional situation following the ceasefire extension between Washington and Tehran “They discussed the ongoing regional situation and peace efforts during the meeting the PMO said The meeting comes a day after US President Donald Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire with Iran, reportedly at the request of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir In a post on Truth Social Trump said the truce set to expire within hours would remain in ef-

High Commissioner of United Kingdom Ms Jane Marriott on Wednesday commended Pakistan s role in facilitating dialogue between the United States and Iran during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan the two sides discussed evolving regional dynamics with Dar reiterating Pakistan s continued efforts to promote dialogue and diplomacy as the primary means for peaceful conflict resolution The British envoy acknowledged and supported Pakistan’s facilitative role in bringing Washington and Tehran to the negotiating table the statement added Separately Dar also held a conversation with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan during which both leaders exchanged views on regional developments and reaffirmed the importance of diplomatic engagement in resolving disputes

Pakistan s diplomatic outreach has drawn significant international recognition in recent days, as the country positioned itself at the centre of mediation efforts during the escalating US-Iran-Israel tensions Senior officials and influential voices from more than ten countries including Saudi Arabia China Turkey Azerbaijan Bahrain and Uzbekistan have publicly acknowledged Islamabad s role Pakistan has emerged as a key facilitator, positioning itself as an “honest broker” amid sharply polarised positions between Washington and Tehran Following 40 days of airstrikes US and Iranian negotiators initiated talks in Islamabad earlier this month after a two-week ceasefire brokered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif The ceasefire was later extended after US President Donald Trump announced its continuation at the request of the Pakistani leadership, including Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir During the latest round of talks in Islamabad the US reportedly proposed a 20-year suspension of Iran s nuclear activities while Iran suggested a shorter pause of three to five years according to sources familiar with the discussions

Pakistan pushes fragile US –Iran peace track as ceasefire holds

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TRUMP SIGNALS POSSIBLE FRIDAY TALKS AMID SHIFTING

TIMELINES:

In a fresh development, Trump said the second round of peace talks in Islamabad could take place as soon as Friday, according to The New York Post The remarks added to uncertainty surrounding the timeline of negotiations which have repeatedly shifted in recent days A Pakistani official familiar with mediation efforts told Arab News that Islamabad remained hopeful of facilitating a breakthrough between the two sides despite growing complexity We remain cautiously optimistic for

prospects of peace, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak publicly “In coordination with our partners, Pakistan’s sincere capable and tireless efforts at this critical moment reflect a strong national spirit and confidence laying the foundation for a more secure and prosperous future for humanity The official further stressed that Pakistan’s diplomatic intervention may have helped prevent further escalation “Had the ceasefire not been secured last night through Pakistan s intervention tireless diplomacy and persistent efforts the situation today could have been far worse, he added However, sources involved in the process cautioned that there was still no

Iran lauds Pakistan’s mediation but keeps firm stance as ceasefire talks face uncer tainty

CONTINUED FROM PAGE

Whenever we conclude that the necessary and logical groundwork is in place to use this tool for realising national interests and consolidating the Iranian nation’s achievements in frustrating enemies from achieving their sinister goals we will take action he said He reiterated that Iran had not initiated the conflict and said all actions by Tehran were in line with its “inherent right to legitimate self-defence against military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime Baqaei further said Iran would use every opportunity and capacity to hold aggressors accountable, secure its rights, ensure justice for perpetrators and instigators of war crimes, and seek compensation The statement came after US President Donald Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire early Wednesday In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal “I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and in

all other respects, remain ready and able and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted and discussions are concluded one way or the other Trump s statement came as the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire agreed on April 8 neared its deadline The original expiry was set for April 21 at 8pm ET though Trump later said it would continue until Wednesday evening Washington time He had earlier indicated he would not extend the truce but later reversed that decision on Wednesday Separately, Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesday that the ceasefire was set to end at 4:50am PST on April 22

The developments come amid expectations of a second round of USIran talks in Islamabad aimed at ending hostilities that began with USIsraeli strikes on Iran on February 28 However uncertainty persists as the arrival of US negotiators has been postponed and Tehran has not confirmed participation

The first round of direct US-Iran talks, held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, ended without agreement but also without breakdown, with the Pakistanbrokered ceasefire remaining intact Following those talks Pakistan s civil and military leadership engaged in intensive diplomacy to bring both sides back to negotiations Pakistan initially acted as

facilitator but was later acknowledged by both Washington and Tehran as the “sole mediator” in the process

In the run-up to the ceasefire extension Pakistan continued diplomatic outreach to both parties, though an impasse remains At the centre of the deadlock is the US maritime blockade of Iranian ports and interdictions targeting vessels linked to Iran which Tehran views as a violation of the ceasefire spirit and an attempt to force negotiations under pressure Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a post on X that a “complete ceasefire only makes sense if it is not violated by the maritime blockade and the hostage-taking of the world s economy and if the zionist warmongering across all fronts is halted, adding that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was “impossible with such a flagrant breach of the ceasefire

The only way forward is to recognise the rights of the Iranian nation Unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains a key sticking point along with US demands for long-term commitments on Iran s nuclear programme including limits on enrichment and safeguards against weaponisation

President Zardari's China visit signals strategic reset in strategic ties

CONTINUED

cooperative partnership,” with officials expressing confidence that the upcoming visit will further deepen mutual trust and institutionalise long-term cooperation frameworks As President Zardari prepares for the visit, analysts view it as a continuation of sustained high-level engagement between the two countries reflecting a shared intent to convert political goodwill into concrete economic and strategic outcomes

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

In a post on X the prime minister speaking on his personal behalf and on behalf of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, thanked President Trump for agreeing to extend the ceasefire to allow diplomatic efforts to proceed PM Shehbaz said that with the trust and confidence placed in Pakistan the country would continue its earnest efforts for a negotiated settlement of the conflict He expressed hope that both sides would continue observing the

FO R extremist Zionist settlers to invade the Masjid Al-Aqsa at this particular juncture stinks to high heaven for several reasons First of all, it shows which elements in the Zionist state are most present in the so-called Temple Movement The invasion was led by Israeli settlers, who have been on the rampage for the last several weeks across the whole West Bank, not just East Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Importantly, it seems a gesture by the settlers to attempt to sabotage the USA-Iran talks, backed by the Israeli government, which had the marauders accompanied by police As one of the reasons Iran is under attack is because of its support for Palestine, and as the basis of that support is religious, an attack on Al-Aqsa is probably one of the best ways to sabotage talks possible The problem is religious; there should be no confusion about that The Al-Aqsa Mosque is sacred to Muslims, not just as the site of the Ascent of the Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) to Heaven on his Night Journey, and is a Haram, along with Makkah and Madinah Until the establishment of Israel in 1948, it used to be part of the usual Haj pilgrim s itinerary At the same time, it is also the focus of the Temple Movement, a Jewish organisation dedicated to building the Third Temple, in succession to the Second, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD (The First was destroyed in 587 BC, when Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians) Al-Aqsa has been subject to the unwelcome attentions of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who heads a small party with extreme far-right Zionist support, who has visited it a number of times since taking office in 2023, the last time on April13, at all times under ministerial police protection However, for the first time, invaders have actually performed religious rituals inside the compound

It should not be forgotten that while Palestinians obtain sympathy in the non-Muslim world because of their being a stateless people, in the Muslim world, the sanctity attaches to the land itself It should also not be forgotten that the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which is now the Organization of Islamic Countries, was founded in 1969, in response to the setting on fire of Al-Aqsa by a Zionist extremist settler It is perhaps one of the consequences of having a Zionist state that such attacks occur, to convulse the Muslim peoples, if not necessarily their governments, which might feel that a statement of condemnation is enough

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late)

Founding Editor

M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit

EC O N O M I C stability is often discussed in terms of inflation rates, foreign exchange reserves, and fiscal balances Yet beneath these indicators lies a more difficult variable to quantify: uncertainty For economies like Pakistan uncertainty is not an abstract concept It translates directly into price volatility constrained planning and diminished economic confidence In recent months, tensions involving Iran, the USA, and Israel have once again demonstrated how external shocks can quickly filter into Pakistan’s domestic economy Pakistan’s economic structure makes it particularly sensitive to global disruptions The country relies heavily on imported energy with petroleum products forming a significant share of its import bill

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, petroleum group imports accounted for over $17 billion in fiscal year 2023, making it one of the largest components of external expenditure This dependence means that fluctuations in global oil prices often driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have immediate domestic consequences The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of the world s oil supply passes, remains central to this vulnerability Any escalation involving Iran risks disrupting this critical supply route leading to price spikes in international markets For Pakistan such increases are not absorbed gradually They translate into near-immediate adjustments in domestic fuel prices Petrol,

tion under an International Monetary Fund programme with efforts focused on rebuilding foreign exchange reserves and maintaining fiscal discipline As of early 2026, Pakistan faces significant external repayment obligations, including the rollover and servicing of bilateral and multilateral loans According to State Bank of Pakistan data external debt repayments over the next two years are projected to exceed $20 billion annually placing continued pressure on reserves and exchange rate stability In this context, external shocks take on added significance A sustained increase in oil prices not only raises the import bill but also widens the current account deficit This in turn exerts pressure on the Pakistani rupee increasing the cost of imports further and reinforcing inflationary cycles The relationship between global uncertainty and domestic instability becomes circular External volatility feeds into macroeconomic indicators, which then translate into on-the-ground economic stress This is why diplomatic developments often viewed through a geopolitical lens carry direct economic implications for Pakistan The recent emphasis on dialogue and de-escalation including multilateral engagement in forums such as the United Nations, is not solely about preventing conflict It is also about maintaining stability in global markets that Pakistan depends on Efforts to reduce tensions with Iran and prevent broader regional escalation have a direct bearing on Pakistan s economic outlook Islamabad s position therefore reflects both principle and pragmatism Calls for restraint respect for sovereignty, and negotiated

planning At the same time Pakistan is operating within a constrained fiscal and external environment The country has recently navigated a period of stabilisa-

n t h e s h a d o w o f s a c r i f i c e

welfare gesture, it is a security imperative

Hmilitary units deployed for specific operations, the police function as permanent guardians within communities They man checkpoints, patrol markets, escort public gatherings, and respond to intelligence alerts at the most localised level Their duties demand both vigilance and visibility a combination that unfortunately makes them vulnerable The high casualty rate among law enforcers in recent incidents illustrates that militant networks deliberately target those symbols of state presence that are most accessible In this evolving environment the conversation must move beyond immediate condemnation toward structural reform The sacrifices of security personnel demand not only homage but also introspection Are

and

where traditional crime-fighting overlaps with ideological militancy? Are intelligence units seamlessly integrated across provincial and federal lines? Pakistan s counterterrorism architecture has undergone transformation since the launch of the National Action Plan in 2014 Significant gains were made in dismantling organised militant infrastructure However the resurgence of violence suggests that the ecosystem of extremism has not been entirely neutralised Militancy has mutated relying on smaller cells cross-border sanctuaries, digital propaganda, and sporadic high-impact attacks designed to generate fear disproportionate to their numerical strength

A revised national counterterrorism framework is therefore imperative Such a strategy must be intelligence-led technologically supported and politically insulated Intelligence fusion centres connecting KP Punjab Balochistan and federal agencies should operate in real time, not through bureaucratic relay Data analytics, financial tracking, and cyber-monitoring capabilities need sustained investment The police often operating with limited budgets compared to military formations require priority allocation for training in urban warfare explosive ordnance recognition, and crisis response

Equally important is inter-provincial political maturity Strained relations between administrations create operational silos Militants thrive in these gaps Joint task forces coordinated patrol grids in bordering districts and synchronised intelligence operations can deny violent actors the room to exploit jurisdictional divides Security cannot be held hostage to political rivalries The threat is shared; the response must be collective

Yet the battle is not solely kinetic Militancy feeds on narratives of alienation grievance and ideological distortion Counterterrorism policy must therefore integrate community engagement, deradicalisation initiatives, and local development Regions most affected by violence often suffer from economic marginalisation Investment in infrastructure education and employment in vulnerable districts is not merely a

The families of fallen officers remind us that the cost of inaction is borne by ordinary citizens Every funeral procession signals both loss and resolve However resolve must be institutionalised Martyrdom cannot substitute for modernization Valour cannot compensate for outdated equipment Commitment cannot replace coordination There is also a psychological dimension Frequent attacks aim to erode public confidence in the state’s capacity to protect Transparent communication swift investigation outcomes and visible accountability reinforce trust When citizens perceive coherence in response, fear diminishes When confusion prevails, anxiety multiplies Pakistan has confronted militancy before and prevailed through collective determination The reduction in large-scale organised attacks in previous years was not accidental it resulted from sustained operations intelligence refinement and political consensus That spirit must be revived, not as a reactionary surge but as a strategic recalibration At its core, the struggle against violent extremism is about safeguarding the social contract The police officer standing at a checkpoint in Kohat the constable patrolling a rural road in Wana the security detail in Bhakkar each embodies the state s promise of order When they fall, the promise trembles, when the system strengthens them, the promise endures

The men and women who guard our streets cannot fight a 21st-century insurgency with 20thcentury tools Nor can fragmented administrations defeat a networked threat The answer lies not in despair but in disciplined reform If the state responds with unity, foresight, and technological sophistication, the sacrifices of its defenders will not be a ledger of loss but a foundation for stability In the long arc of history, nations that adapt endure Those that hesitate invite repetition of tragedy The choice is not whether challenges exist but whether strategy evolves faster than those who seek to destabilise it

The writer has a PhD in Political Science, and is a visiting faculty member at QAU Islamabad He can be reached at zafarkhansafdar@yahoo com and tweets @zafarkhansafdar

The men and women who guard our streets cannot fight a 21st-centur y insurg ency with 20th-centur y tools Nor can fragmented administrations defeat a networked threat. The answer lies not in despair but in disciplined reform. If the state responds with unity, foresight, and technological sophistication, the sacrifices of its defenders will not be a ledg er of loss but a foundation for stability. In the long arc of histor y, nations that adapt endure .

System fails, AI helps

Reciting Pakistan proud

Fear grips Universit y of Sindh

IN the modern knowledge economy, the real strength of organizations no longer lies merely in capital or technology but in how effectively they manage their people Around the world management thinking has evolved from rigid control systems to human-centred leadership models that emphasize collaboration, motivation, and innovation Yet in Pakistan many organizations remain trapped in outdated management practices that prioritize authority over engagement and control over creativity

This gap between modern management theory and organizational practice is not merely an academic concern It has real consequences for productivity, employee retention innovation and ultimately national competitiveness

THE EVOLUTION FROM CONTROL TO HUMAN-CENTRED MANAGEMENT: Management thought did not always value the human side of organizations Early classical management approaches developed during the industrial revolution focused primarily on efficiency supervision and productivity Workers were often viewed as extensions of machines whose primary purpose was to maximize output

However, this perspective began to change in the early 20th century with the emergence of the human relations movement Scholars such as Elton Mayo demonstrated through the famous Hawthorne Studies that employee performance is not determined solely by financial incentives or strict supervision Social relationships, recognition, and a sense of belonging also play critical roles

This marked the beginning of the neoclassical management era which recognized that organizations are social systems not just technical ones

Subsequent contributions further strengthened this human-centred perspective Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs explained how human motivation progresses from basic survival needs toward higher aspirations such as recognition and self-actualization Douglas McGregor s Theory X and Theory Y highlighted how managerial assumptions about workers shape leadership styles Frederick Herzberg’s motivation theory emphasized the importance of meaningful work achievement and responsibility

Together these ideas transformed management thinking by emphasizing that employees are not just resources to be

controlled but partners to be developed

WHY MODERN MANAGEMENT REMAINS A CHALLENGE IN PAKISTAN:

Despite widespread awareness of these ideas in academic institutions their practical application within Pakistani organizations remains uneven Several structural and cultural factors explain this slow transition

One of the most significant barriers is the persistence of authoritarian leadership styles Many organizations continue to operate through centralized decision making where authority is concentrated at the top and employee participation remains limited Such approaches reflect McGregor s Theory X assumptions that employees must be closely supervised to perform effectively

This mindset discourages initiative and limits creativity When employees feel their ideas are neither welcomed nor valued, they naturally become passive participants rather than active contributors

Closely related to this issue is the limited culture of employee empowerment Modern management emphasizes teamwork communication and shared problem solving Yet in many workplaces employees are expected to simply follow instructions rather than contribute ideas

Managers often hesitate to delegate authority, fearing loss of control Ironically, this reluctance to share authority often reduces organizational effectiveness rather than strengthening it THE UNDERDEVELOPED ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: Another challenge lies in the limited strategic role of human resource management In many Pakistani organizations HR departments remain largely administrative focusing on attendance records recruitment formalities and enforcement of rules

Less attention is given to employee de-

velopment, leadership training, career planning, and recognition systems Performance evaluation often rewards compliance rather than creativity which discourages innovation Modern organizations increasingly recognize that human resource management should function as a strategic partner rather than merely an administrative unit Without this shift, organizations struggle to unlock the full potential of their workforce

: The gap between education

Dimona was hit later the same day Even without an exact hour-by-hour timeline, the proximity establishes a clear operational logic: a nuclear facility in Iran is answered with a nuclear-adjacent site in Israel within hours Since the beginning of the war on February 28 2026 Iran has

recalibrated, and survived Iran has challenged that model by redistributing vulnerability across the battlefield expanding the geography of confrontation and refusing to remain within predefined limits Today’s events illustrate this shift with unusual clarity The targeting of Natanz and the subsequent strike on Dimona form part of a single chain of escalation not separate incidents The battlefield is no longer fragmented; it is structurally connected

The intellectual roots of this approach, however, lie partly in Israeli military doctrine itself During the 2008–2009 war on Gaza, then-foreign minister Tzipi Livni articulated this logic in unmistakable terms “Israel is not a country upon which you fire missiles and it does not respond It is a country that when you fire on its citizens it responds by going wild – and this is a good thing She was even more explicit in a separate statement: Israel demonstrated real hooliganism during

saries by making the cost of confrontation unbearable Israel would not merely respond; it would escalate beyond predictability For years, that doctrine functioned largely in one direction Israel could escalate with overwhelming and unpredictable force while others were expected to absorb the consequences and recalibrate The logic was not simply military but psychological deterrence through excess, through the projection of a state willing to go beyond conventional limits A similar logic had already been articulated decades earlier in the United States through what became known as the “madman theory,” associated with Richard Nixon The idea was that a leader s unpredictability even the perception of irrationality could itself function as a tool of coercion

Under Donald Trump that posture did not emerge for the first time but reappeared in a more overt and performative form, where unpredictability was framed not as risk, but as leverage, and at times deliberately amplified

But Iran appears to have internalized this logic and turned it outward The strike on Dimona is not only retaliation It is replication Tehran is applying the same doctrine back onto its originators transforming deterrence into a shared and unstable framework

Strike Natanz, and Dimona is no longer untouchable

Expand the battlefield, and the battlefield expands further What was once a one-sided doctrine of domination becomes a two-sided mechanism of escalation

This dynamic has unsettled Washington US media citing intelligence assessments reported in mid-March that the Trump administration had been warned of Iranian retaliation, yet the scale and coordination of the response exceeded expectations On March 21, even as military operations continued, Trump indicated that Washington was considering options to “wind down” the war even as additional forces were deployed Retreat would signal a geopolitical defeat; escalation risks a deeper one Israel faces a different but equally dangerous reality

For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, escalation has often functioned as a strategy, prolonging conflict and delaying internal crises But Iran’s adoption of the same escalation logic complicates that approach When both sides embrace escalation as a principle deterrence begins to erode Iran however appears to be operating with a longer horizon Its capabilities extend beyond missile exchanges to include influence over maritime chokepoints regional alliances, and actors capable of exerting pressure across multiple fronts Among these is the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, where Ansarallah maintains the ability to disrupt global shipping This adds another layer to a conflict already expanding beyond conventional battlefields

Some of Iran s capabilities are visible Others remain deliberately undefined This allows Tehran to escalate while preserving strategic depth, maintaining pressure without exhausting its options Ironically, the doctrine now shaping the war is one Israel helped normalize On March 21 with Natanz and Dimona linked within the same day of strikes that transformation became unmistakable The war is no longer defined by who escalates but by what happens when both sides choose deliberately, to go wild

Dr Ramzy Baroud is the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle Romana Rubeo is an Italian writer and the managing editor of The Palestine Chronicle

FO R decades, the world has treated Israel’s nuclear arsenal as an awkward secret something everyone knows exists but few are willing to discuss openly Israel has never officially acknowledged possessing nuclear weapons, yet it is widely understood among security experts that the country maintains a significant nuclear capability Estimates from institutions such as the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute suggest Israel possesses roughly around 80 nuclear warheads along with delivery systems that could include aircraft and ballistic missiles The policy governing this arsenal is known as nuclear opacity Israel neither confirms nor denies the existence of its weapons In practice, this ambiguity has allowed the international community to avoid confronting a difficult question: under what circumstances would Israel actually use them? That question matters more today than at any point in recent decades, as the United States and Israel wage a dangerous war on Iran On Saturday, Iran struck the Israeli city of Dimona which houses a key nuclear facility demonstrating that it can retaliate for attacks on its own nuclear sites Israeli strategic thinking has long been shaped by the fear of an existential threat Unlike most nuclear states, whose doctrines revolve around deterrence or competition with other nuclear powers, Israel s security narrative is rooted in the belief that the country could face destruction if a war turns decisively against it Israeli leaders have repeatedly framed regional conflicts from the wars of 1967 and 1973 to present confrontations with Iran and armed groups in Gaza and Lebanon as struggles for national survival That mindset matters enormously when nuclear weapons are involved In most nuclear doctrines, the threshold for nuclear use is deliberately set extraordinarily high Nuclear weapons exist primarily to deter other nuclear powers Israel s strategic thinking introduces a different variable: the possibility that nuclear weapons could be considered if the state believes its survival is in jeopardy due a threat from a nonnuclear state Strategic literature has long discussed what is sometimes referred to as the “Samson Option” the idea that Israel could resort to nuclear weapons if faced with defeat Whether or not such a doctrine formally exists the logic behind it is clear If a state genuinely believes its existence is threatened, the pressure to escalate dramatically becomes far greater That concern becomes even more significant when viewed against Israel’s current regional pos-

S outh Korean fighter pilot fined over 2021 midair collision during photo attempt

The target company M/s Ranipur Sugar Mills (Private) Limited is engaged in the manufacturing and sale of sugar along with related by-products and power generation through an in-house facility The acquirers M/s Saakh Pharma Limited is a public listed company engaged in the manufacturing and sale of

and

while M/s United Ethanol

operates in the

and

within the

agribusiness sector During the proceedings it was noted that the transaction had been consummated prior to obtaining the Commission s approval The Commission emphasized that pre-merger approval is a mandatory statutory requirement for notifiable transactions and must be obtained before their execution The applicants have submitted an undertaking to ensure strict compliance with the law in future

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO)

Bilal Siddique Kamyana on Wednesday reaffirmed that Lahore Police was committed to ensuring the protection of the business community and maintaining a peaceful environment for commercial activities across the provincial capital The assurance came during a meeting with a 30-member delegation of traders, led by Mujahid Maqsood Butt, which called on the CCPO to discuss market security, traffic management and other policing concerns During the meeting the delegation apprised the police chief of key challenges faced by traders particularly security arrangements in markets and traffic-related issues Both sides also deliberated on enhancing coordination and strengthening communication between the police and the business community to ensure

and continues to evolve rapidly

Fatima Fer tilizer and Multan Sultans celebrate title sponsorship with a grand meet & greet KARACHI S TA F F R E P O R T

Fatima Fertilizer Company Limited Title Sponsor of the Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), hosted an exclusive Meet & Greet event at Mövenpick Hotel, Karachi, bringing together the entire Multan Sultans Team company dealers and the farming community in a memorable evening that celebrated cricket community and an eight-year partnership built on shared

ported this

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and 31 cases in 2025 reflecting a marked downward trend Officials further confirmed that no cases have so far been reported in 2026 from Punjab Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, GilgitBaltistan, or Azad Jammu and Kashmir The meeting was told that the number of polio-affected districts had declined from 67 in the first quarter of 2025 to 23 in the first quarter of 2026 while national household coverage during anti-polio campaigns remained consistently high at 98 percent Officials highlighted that improved access and strengthened vaccination efforts in southern districts of Khyber

environmental samples collected in March Similarly, no polio case has been reported in Dera Ismail Khan since September 2025, while the number of high-risk union councils in Bannu dropped sharply from 62 to just six The meeting was also informed that a strategy is

In a post on X on Tuesday, the

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The National Highway Authority and the Asian Development Bank signed an agree-

Taking stern notice of a sudden spike in crime across the province, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday convened an emergency meeting, set targets for proactive policing and reprimanded officials over their failure to control crime in Sheikhupura and Faisalabad according to a DGPR handout During the special session held to review the law and order situation and finalise a comprehensive strategy the chief minister personally played videos of recent criminal incidents expressing strong displeasure and demanding explanations from the concerned police officers, said a statement issued from the Chief Minister ’s Office (CMO) She again reprimanded officials over the deteriorating situation in Sheikhupura and Faisalabad directing Regional Police Officers (RPOs) and District Police Officers (DPOs) to ensure full coordination with the Crime Control Department (CCD) Addressing RPOs City Police Officers (CPOs) and DPOs via

video link CM Maryam Nawaz termed the rising crime trend shameful and alarming warning that there was no room for complacency despite sustained efforts to make Punjab safer The growing incidents of murder, robbery, kidnapping and disappearances are absolutely unacceptable ” she said stressing that even minor crimes must be prevented She emphasised that the police had been freed from all forms of interference and must now deliver results “We have faced criticism from all sides due to 100 per cent meritbased policing but no police officer should now fear political pressure she said adding that unlike the past appointments were no longer based on political affiliations

The chief minister said she personally conducts final interviews of police officers and has ensured the provision of ample resources including budget weapons equipment and vehicles Even my family expressed concern when I took ownership of CCD, but our goal is to ensure a sense of protection and peace for the public ” she added vowing strict action to restore law and order

Referring to specific incidents, she described a video showing a car battery theft in Gulberg as “shameful” and pointed to worsening conditions in Gujrat where passengers were robbed after a bus was intercepted Such incidents create fear; where robbery can occur murder can also happen, she warned

inclusion of small power producers and captive power plants so that electricity dispatch follows economic merit order principles and ensures the lowest possible cost for consumers according to the statement