BoUNdeN dUT y oF STATe To ProTecT PUBlIc
effor ts, youth empower ment, imperative for countr y ’s progress: PM
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that youth empowerment and the united efforts by the politicians and the national institutions were inevitable to put the country on the course to progress “If we resolve to change Pakistan it will not be too far when the country will emerge as a great nation Today s Pakistan and its prevailing circumstances necessitate politicians and national institutions to serve the country unitedly while observing their constitutional limits If we
so, history will remember us forever otherwise the future generations will never forgive us he said addressing the National Youth Convention
The Convention was attended by federal ministers, Chief of the Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission teachers vice-chancellors and students from across the country He said it was the government s responsibility to equip the youth with modern education, technology and skills to
and speaking slots of leaders, ministers and ambassadors The Assembly’s 79th session which actually opens on September 10 will be meeting amid heightening tensions in the world with several active conflicts including in Palestine Ukraine and the Sudan But the Assembly s heavy agenda also aims to set the stage for building a new global development framework which both protects the planet and promotes equity, justice and prosperity for all people Brazil which traditionally opens the debate will commence the high-level session on September 24
the notion that he maintains contact with the former DG ISI Imran Khan reiterated his demand for a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 incident O
Minister for Defence Minister Khawaja
Muhammad Asif on Wednesday backed the PTI founder s demand for open trial of Faiz Hameed, saying that open trial is vital to expose negative designs of PTI’s founder against the State PTI had found involved in the attacking on national institutions on May 9 he said while talking to a private television channel The nation must know about the sinister designs of PTI against the security institutions, he said If Imran s case refers to military courts then open trial is necessary to tell the public
FEDERAL OMBUDSMAN FLOODED WITH OVERBILLING COMPL AINTS: THOUSANDS SEEK JUSTICE AGAINST ELECTRICIT Y AND GAS DEPTS
Toperators in Pakistan from four to three which could alter the competition landscape it added further
Moreover, concerns were also voiced regarding the possible ‘disproportionate’ share of capacity and spectrum that could harm the competitor ’s business
The Commission presently is analysing the Retail LDI Fixed-line Telecommunication Market, Retail
to
competition concerns CCP is closely examining these issues particularly the market share dynamics of Pakistan’s
in the relevant market PTCL filed a pre-merger application on 6th March 2024 CCP had 30 days to review the application and issue a Phase I order, according to its law Phase 1 order was
Measures adopted to promote Pakistani farm product pour into China
All Pakistan Fruit & Vegetable Exporters Importers and Merchants Association At present China and Pakistan have signed a protocol on the export of highclass agricultural products such as onions cherries and dried peppers to China And in December 2023, the first batch of Pakistani dried chili peppers were ex-
ported to China; at the beginning of this year the first batch of 500 kilograms of Pakistani frozen boiled beef entered the Chinese market after passing the inspection of Tianjin Customs; in June this year, the first batch of Pakistani cherries transported by cold chain entered the Chinese market In recent few years Pakistan’s agricultural product exports to China have showed a sustainable growth especially high-quality agricultural products such as rice sesame, mango and nuts, which are extremely favored by consumers in the largest market of the globe More than that, Pakistani agricultural product exporters have continually promoted high-quality products through platforms including the China International Import Expo the China-South Asia Expo and the China-ASEAN Expo Whether it is hybrid rice or cash crops such as cauliflower, radish, pepper, and tomato that Pakistanis love, through the empowerment of China’s agricultural technology and development experience as the scale of exports expands the local agricultural economic benefits are constantly improving, said Zhou Xusheng, Director of Pakistan Business Department, Wuhan Qingfa Hesheng Seed Co , Ltd Zhou Xusheng has been deeply engaged in agriculture in Pakistan for more than a decade the report added
P G O V T D E V E LO P I N G S T R AT E G I E S T O
P L I F T H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N S E C T O R
universities focusing on modern sources of knowledge and research rather than relying on traditional methods Our universities must prioritize the needs of society and the market, he said, adding that universities should explore public-private partnership models, research, innovation, and commercialization approaches to address their financial challenges
excellence required in today s world Kamran Afridi reiterated the government’s awareness of these issues and affirmed that necessary practical steps are being taken to address them He further stressed the importance of
As part of his visit Secretary HED Kamran Afridi launched the Monsoon Plantation Campaign by planting saplings in the university’s lawn He also visited the university’s modern state-of-the-art E-Examination Center commending the advancements made in the institution
ISLAMABAD S ta f f R
Federal Minister for Law Justice and Human Rights Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar has commended Meta (Facebook) for its proactive role in ensuring safe digital spaces and effectively utilizing its platform to support the Ministry’s initiatives on child protection, privacy and related human rights concerns
Speaking during meeting with a delegation headed by Vice President Public Policy APAC Meta Simon Milner which called on him here on Wednesday, the minister also recognized the Public Service Video (PSM) developed by Meta as a significant contribution to advancing the ministry’s mission
The PSM highlights the collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Human Rights and Meta to promote the right to privacy and child protection in digital spaces The content is designed
to educate the public about their digital rights and responsibilities, reflecting the Ministry’s broader human rights agenda
A central aspect of this initiative is the promotion of the TakeItDown platform developed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
The platform allows individuals to anonymously report explicit images or videos of minors shared online Through this tool, families and young people can take proactive measures to remove harmful content from the internet addressing online harassment exploitation and cyberbullying Senator Azam
United efforts, youth empowerment, imperative for country ’s progress: PM
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
He told the gathering that Pakistan had sacrificed thousands of lives in its fight against terrorism besides suffering an economic loss of $150 billion Not just Pakistan, the whole world has benefited from the elimination of terrorism by Pakistan he added He said that
distribute scholarships worth Rs22 billion, and numerous schemes for skill development Urging the youth to go into the SME sector he said the State Bank of
Pakistan has been asked to instruct the commercial banks to allocate 40% of their loans for the SME sector About Bangladesh, he referred to the demolition of Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman’s statue during the recent political unrest and said the one who spearheaded an antiPakistan movement met his fate Prime Minister Shehbaz said that the federal government had announced Rs50 billion relief package for electricity consumers using up to 200 units for a three-month period He said the Punjab government has also announced a Rs45 billion package to give Rs14 per unit subsidy to the consumers using 200-500 units which should also be replicated by other provinces, instead of politicking on the issue
Terrorists attack police station in Takht- e -B ahi, constable injured
TAKHT-E-BAHI
S ta f f R e p o R t
The minister said the PTI founder was reluctant to accept that the
of Faiz Hameed was internal matter of the Army, which proved that the ex-spy
“asset” He said it seemed that the PTI chief was in mental disarray as sometime he called Faiz Hameed an asset or a hero while on some occasion took completely an otherwise stance In the Faiz Hameed case, he said it appeared that the PTI founder had no qualms about using people for his own personal interests The minister said the PTI founder was expert in ditching his own well-wishers
Terrorists launched an attack on the local police station in Takht-e-Bhai resulting in the injury of a constable on Wednesday According to initial reports, unknown terrorists threw a hand grenade at the station before fleeing the scene The channel reported that the hand grenade explosion caused damage to a police van parked at the police station A month ago on July 19, a policeman was also killed and two others were seriously injured in an attack by terrorists on a police checkpost Miscreants attacked the police checkpost at the archaeological site
Rawal” project emphasizing that all drainage channels carrying toxic waste into the dam must be stopped immediately Moreover Senator Rehman directed the Ministry of Climate Change to provide a comprehensive report on the progress in renewable energy and fossil fuel sectors
located at the Malakand Road
The dead body of a policeman and two injured policemen were shifted to the hospital while the local police started search operations against the terrorists in the area
Takht-e-Bahi is an IndoParthian archaeological site of an ancient Buddhist monastery in Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The archaeological site is considered among the most important relics of Buddhism in all of what was once Gandhara and has been exceptionally well-preserved
The monastery was founded in the 1st century CE and was in use until the 7th century The most historical location in the era is Sehri Bahlol The monastery is situated on Malakand Road
TH E subsidy of Rs 13 per unit being given by the Punjab government to electricity consumers using between 200 and 500 units has provoked the Sindh government especially, and left the PTI KP government fuming in silence, making it even more urgent for the federal government to come out with its planned relief for electricity consumers Power Minister Awais Leghari needs to get beyond the dark hints he dropped on Tuesday during his address to the National Youth Convention in Islamabad, and make actual cuts The sniping by the Sindh government led Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to tell the Cabinet Tuesday that the Punjab government was funding the initiative from its development budget and counter-attacked asking Sindh and KP to offer similar programmes His saying that the federal government provided them vast sums through the National Finance Commission mechanism showed a certain kind of resentment that might reflect a federal bureaucratic mindset With Mr Leghari now asking for a couple of months for resolving issues with the Independent Power Producers, the criticism voiced by many, including Sindh CM Abdullah Shah, of what would happen after a couple of months, when the Rs 45 billion carved by the Punjab government from its development budget ran out Unless something turns up memories might be revived to the Punjab government s Sasti Roti scheme which proved too expensive for it to manage and which had to be abandoned in some disorder Of course if the Punjab CM has prior knowledge that the federal government is about to offer equivalent relief it makes a certain sense to spend all that money so as to claim bragging rights It should be remembered that the power tariff deeply concerns all political parties, because it affects their chances of being elected The Punjab is the battleground for the PML(N), the PPP and the PTI, which adds trenchancy to their criticisms The latter two do not want the PML(N) to do well, particularly as they each have a province they control, where they do not seem to be able to offer a similar scheme Therefore, it is not just the Punjab voter who will be grateful but voters in other provinces will be envious and resentful of the party that rules them Any relief by the federal government will be to the PML(N)’s credit as much as the PPP might then like to point out it supported the PML(N) the latter will not let forget that it was out of the government
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
‘
H AT will people say?’ is arguably the most common rhetorical question heard in our part of the world The short brutal answer to the question is Probably what you would say about them were they in your situation Of course, this answer, if one is blunt enough to express it in words, is unlikely to be received in anything remotely resembling the right spirit Which is unfortunate because it happens to be spot on Those who do not find it impossible to resist commenting negatively on other people s affairs typically do not need to worry about what those folks think and say of them Those, on the other hand, who are always making fun of their acquaintances, friends and relatives behind their backs are the ones who are perpetually worried about the prospect of the boot being on the other foot Hence the How would I face the world? What will the office folks say? and How can I hide my predicament from those I have been ridiculing? problems While human beings showcase their irrational sides right, left, and centre; nowhere is their irrationality as unmasked as in their attitude towards gossip They love it when some individual indulges or encourages them while they badmouth somebody but are horrified if they learn that someone else has been guilty of articulating or allowing unflattering comments about them behind their backs The author recently had the misfortune of hearing a woman (let us call her A) complaining in an extremely agitated manner that lady B was up
have been bad enough What made it worse was that she seemingly had no idea just how hypocritical and entitled her behaviour was Things like this are
V i o l e n c e t o s i l e n c e
The state society media and institutions all have to make concerted efforts to end violence against women for good By promoting awareness and education, we can transform the obstacles that hinder women’s
progress into opportunities We should bolster the capacity of justice-provider institutions to protect women against violence We should express our gratitude to the survivors of violence for reporting incidents and educating police officials about the plight of victims Establishing a conducive environment in police stations is necessary to handle victims with care and affection The police are the first responders and the last resort for women who face violence Punjab Police has set an example by maximizing the number of female police officials The inclusion of female officials would act as a bridge between women and police stations Female officials can use community policing to restore lost trust in the police Former PM Benazir Bhutto took a progressive step in 1994 by establishing the first women s police station in Rawalpindi Now, the current Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, is also taking unconventional steps to include female staff in the police She has included lady traffic wardens in her personal squad which is a positive indication of the deradicalisation of violence against women
The writer is a Sub-inspector of the Punjab Police and can be reached at Ammarsaleem797@gmail com
Quota Conundrum
balanced approach one that considers both merit and the need to support disadvantaged communities is essential
Moreover we should aim at creating a system that should foster inclusivity and fairness, ensuring that all citizens, regardless of their urban or rural background, have equal opportunities to succeed, contributing to the province’s overall economic and
A closer look
MuHAMMAD AMMAr SAlEEM
The ‘rational animal’ series (continued)
Tmore preference to Pakistani freelancers To magnify the output of the IT sector, the governments has introduced various training programmes The programmes initiated by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) are PlanX e-Rozgar herself and Plan9 According to the Freelancer Income Report 2020, the majority of citizens under the age of 35 are choosing to work as freelancers as compared to the global average They prefer web and graphic design Despite the existence of co-working spaces freelancers in Pakistan find it more convenient to work from home The report has collected data
FU e L e D by intelligence reports from American and Israeli agencies West-
ern and Israeli media outlets initially predicted that Iran would strike back against Israel within 24 to 72 hours following the assassination of hamas political leader Ismail haniyeh on July 31
Three weeks after the terrorist attack nobody yet knows when and how Iran will be responding to Israel Some are wondering whether Iran will be responding at all
If we take a look at what Iranians have been saying to the media or their counterparts, the answer is yes Multiple high-ranking Iranian officials have repeated the Leader of the Islamic Revolution’s vow to avenge haniyeh s blood who was assassinated in Tehran hours after attending the inauguration ceremony of President Masoud Pezeshkian I don t think 20 days is enough to say Iran has abandoned retaliation I believe there is no doubt that the response will be carried out What we don’t know yet is how and when it will come said Mehdi Bakhtiari a war reporter and expert on West Asia Arabaeen a major factor that may have postponed Iran s retaliation There are numerous international, political, and military issues Iranians must ponder before punishing Israel In our current situation the most important one is perhaps the Arbaeen pilgrimage Bakhtiari explained The Arabaeen pilgrimage which marks 40 days after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam hussein (AS), draws millions of Iranians to neighboring Iraq each year The event necessitates a major mobilization of Iranian military and intelligence forces to safeguard pilgrims in a region vulnerable to terrorist attacks Millions of Pakistani and Afghan pilgrims also enter Iraq through Iran traveling a distance of over 2,400 kilometers to reach the city of Karbala where Imam hussein s holy shrine is located Following three terrorist attacks in Iran over the past two years analysts warn that the Arbaeen pilgrimage presents a prime target for terrorists The high concentration of pilgrims traveling between Iran and Iraq, combined with the religious significance of Arabeen for Shia Muslims, makes it a vulnerable event “In addition to diverting attention from Iran’s military capabilities decision-makers are facing more limitations Conducting military operations could significantly disrupt flight operations Millions of Iranians have traveled to Iraq and many of them rely on air travel Carrying out military action at this time could leave these individuals stranded in
from 150 countries and it identified that female participation in freelancing was leaps and bounds ahead of the males and their earning is also more than that of males The average working hours of freelancers in Pakistan are 34 hours per week as compared to the world where it was 36 hours per week Due to the option of flexible working hours females are participating more as compared to males The task completed by Pakistani freelancers is equivalent to workers belonging to developed countries Freelancing is an emerging field in Pakistan because of cheap labour and foreign companies are opening their branches in Pakistan and the ratio of freelancers is more as compared to the rest of the world The online platform workers in Pakistan are getting more salaries relative to other countries in the world according to the State of Global hiring Report 2021 The salaries jacked up for online workers who are living in Mexico (57 percent) subsequently in Canada (38 percent) Pakistan (27 percent) etc After the pandemic (due to the massive layoff), freelancers are facing enormous challenges to get continuous work because of high competition Though the freelancing industry is booming persistently the country could not obtain the full benefit because it is facing various challenges such as it being difficult for freelancers to transfer money due to the unavailability of proper money transfer channels PayPal is reluctant to enter Pakistan due to the strict regulatory framework The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is mandating that electronic Money Institutions hold at least
PKR 200 million as initial/start-up capital to operate in Pakistan It is misperceived that PayPal s reluctance to join hands with Pakistan is because of FATF, money laundering, and the exchange control regime Rather, its major concerns are overly regulated eMI, poor e-knowledge base government and market and an unfriendly business environment The insufficiency of infrastructure is increasing the gap to achieving a thriving industry One of the main sources of boosting the freelancing industry is having high-speed internet with the minimum digital divide The term digital divide does not
t c o n d u c i v e t o s e l f - e m p l oy e d o r s m a l l s t a r t - u p bu s i n e s s e s b e c a u s e t h ey h av e t o p ay 3 5 p e rc e n t t a x fo r i n c o m e a b ov e R s 6 m i l l i o n I t w i l l b e b e n e f i c i a l fo r t h e s t a
a foreign country ” What is more effective: a quick response or a deliberate one? International observers recognize Iran for being a strategic and deliberate player in the field of politics and diplomacy Iranians view the world as a complicated chess game In playing it, they don’t just move pieces; they orchestrate a symphony of strategy and make the right decision at the right time Iran s deliberate and measured approach while offering strategic benefits also carries inherent risks The time Tehran is taking to respond to Israel has inadvertently given its Western allies the opportunity to assemble a military coalition in Israel’s defense This mirrors a previous scenario on April 14 where a coalition of the U S UK Germany France and certain Arab nations intervened to protect Israel against Iran s Operation True Promise The Western and Arab bedfellows ultimately claimed credit for the majority of Iranian drones and missiles that were shot down history appears to be repeating itself with even greater efforts being deployed this time around When you deliver a quick response the enemy also gets less time to attempt to sway your decision through mind games strategists believe In recent weeks, Western powers have actively sought to dissuade Iran from retaliating against Israel, engaging with various regional and international actors This includes the Jordanian Foreign Minister s unprecedented visit to Iran this month his first in nearly two decades Washington also managed to mock the world by orchestrating a new round of ceasefire talks between Israel and hamas and linking its outcome to Iran’s potential response The initiative of course yielded no results and only laid bare Israel’s unwillingness to pursue peace But analysts argue that at least when it comes to Israel in 2024, the longer Iran takes, the more it can harvest favorable outcomes
“Israel is already in a dire economic situation after 10 months of fruitless war in Gaza having to stay on high alert out of fear for Iran s response significantly exacerbates those economic woes Bakhtiari stated Israelis have also lived with constant and debilitating anxiety in the past 20 days Reports show that people in the occupied territories are spending their nights in shelters and bunkers
“Fear grips us all The streets are deserted the shops are empty We live in constant dread waiting for Iran to strike even leaders who have vowed to retaliate threaten Iran with trembling voices, said a Rabbi while addressing a crowd of Jews in Tel Aviv earlier this week
“Like I said no one knows how and when Iran will retaliate But what I can predict is that whatever that response is it is going to be harsher than Operation True Promise
Bakhtiari said
Th e nerve clenching, sweat soaked, heart racing taste of fear is familiar to all Indian women Coiled inside every lesser assault lies fear of dismemberment and violation This fear controls us all A woman here can invite rape by being from the wrong religion, caste or class, but the citified urban women with the right religious caste and class credentials live the lie that they can avert rape by playing it safe I first tasted this fear at age 15 during a school trip to Delhi when the thrill of watching our breath turn to smoke in the thick winter fog that bit us on ears and nose turned sinister when a cyclist zoomed by groping chests in a row , and disappeared even before we could shriek Lost in fog within yards The teacher said we probably imagined it We were taught again and again to make light of such things We learned to unhear catcalls and slurs We laughed at the uncles flashing near the girl’s hostel wall We giggled while being hyper-alert in face of oncoming two wheelers who could suddenly throw out an arm at our chests before speeding away We knew we would be blamed if we took off anywhere by ourselves without waiting for a group to form Yet the taste for freedom felt so enticing that all fear was worth tamping down denying ignoring We knew that each time anything in us attracted the gaze of men we were at risk That they might get compelled to teach us lessons
At age 20, my joy in early morning cycling – the sudden spurt of speed as my legs pumped the pedals, the exhilaration of wind in my face – soured when I was ambushed and groped by a scooter borne man in an unlit lane near my house I changed timings never telling my parents
At 25, I reported a colleague who had embarked on an ogling and molestation spree during Bharat Darshan inn Goa, I was advised to be mindful of his career Nothing happened to the man but I got a label for overreacting
At 26 I would walk up three flights of an unlit stairwell in a guest house I was putting up, feeling stupid to be so afraid yet unable to quell the fear It was important to convince myself that it was ok So I would tell my parents that I was absolutely fine In mid 30s I made panicked calls to a female colleague in the
I
How women live in the republic of fear
The intensit y of grief and outrage when a horrific rape happens ‘even here’ ‘even to someone like her ’ as in RG Kar case, is stark because – unlike Soni Sori, Ankita Bhandari and Bilkis Bano whom we could swiftly other – we must now grieve for our own selves, for all the silences, discountings, denials we took in stride, to keep the illusion of safet y intac t
to be, because I cannot afford to let go of opportunities and financial agency At a more sinister level taking cognisance of every threat would mean not being able to function at all let alone finish school go to college take up work live alone in a city every middle-class woman in India is well-schooled
we are safe and un-distressed We know that the burden of our safety would be too much for the patriarch so we offer denial to mitigate it So adept are we in offering this denial that we start believing in it The intensity of grief and outrage when a horrific rape happens even here ‘even to someone like her ’ as in RG Kar case, is stark because – unlike Soni Sori, Ankita Bhandari and Bilkis Bano whom we could swiftly other – we must now grieve for our own selves for all the silences discountings denials we took in stride, to keep the illusion of safety intact Our organisations and workplaces collude in creating this illusion alive, by putting token mechanisms in place like a forty-watt bulb in a dark corridor Like the metal detectors at railway stations these mechanisms are purely symbolic Meant only to signal that what happens to the bodies of Dalit and Adivasi women; to the women and little girls in the villages, bastis and slums, cannot happen to the middle-class educated city women –that haisiyat education caste social capital will cocoon us from the worst This illusion works only until till the woman does not call out the powers that be and does not upset the hierarchy This logic insists that the city women are insulated from horrors of Kunan Poshpora hathras Unnao This unspoken categorisation and hierarchy of rapes also means that the Bilkis Bano s rapists can be feted and garlanded, and a rally in support of Asifa s rapists can be taken out This means that even ‘the right to protest’ against the rape in RG Kar hospital is not available to Dalit women As demonstrated by hirnandani Complex residents barring the women from the demolished Jai Bhim nagar from joining them The thing is everything is connected
The people who molest and assault women in the cities are the people who do it and have done it to the Dalit and minority women in villages and bastis to assert power over
Arabaeen, a major fac tor that may have postponed Iran’s retaliation
sehrish irfan
WIRE
Video
of Putin
kissing
Quran
during surprise visit to Chechnya goes viral
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin made an unexpected visit to the Muslim-majority region of Chechnya on Wednesday marking his first trip to the area in 13 years The visit has sparked widespread attention particularly after a video surfaced showing Putin respectfully kissing a gifted Quran and holding it close to his heart According to international news agencies, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov gave Putin a warm welcome upon his arrival The two leaders discussed bilateral relations emphasising the strengthening of military trade and economic ties This visit is Putin s first to Chechnya since 2011 Relations between the two regions are notably strong, with Kadyrov frequently referring to Putin as a close friend in media interactions During the visit, Putin, accompanied by Kadyrov and the Grand Mufti of Chechnya spent time at the Isa Prophet Mosque in the capital Grozny
South Korea warns Nor th Korea of regime’s end if invasion attempted
NA speaker, Belarus President agree to fur ther bilateral cooperation
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq the Honorable Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, called on His Excellency Aleksandr Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus, during his official visit to Minsk from August 19-22 2024
The meeting was also attended by the Chairman of the House of Representatives of Belarus, the Foreign Minister of Belarus, and the Ambassador of Pakistan to Belarus
President Lukashenko extended a cordial welcome to the Pakistani delegation and fondly recalled his recent meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan in Astana He emphasized Belarus s readiness to expand multifaceted bilateral relations, including economic cooperation agriculture industry and educational and cultural exchanges
The Honorable Speaker conveyed warm greetings from Pakistan s leadership to President Lukashenko and highlighted the potential for further strengthening bilateral cooperation He stressed the
significance of locally manufacturing Belarusian agricultural machinery, including tractors, in Pakistan to meet the growing demands of the market Furthermore, the Speaker expressed Pakistan’s keen interest in learning from Belarus s expertise in industrial development and agricultural innovation and he expressed a desire for collaboration in research
Highlighting the importance of people to people contact, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq stressed the need to streamline the visa process for Pakistani students and businessmen for an efficient system to facilitate easier travel and exchange between the two countries
The discussion between the leaders also focused on enhancing agricultural cooperation Pakistan side expressed interest in importing high-quality Belarusian agricultural machinery known for its efficiency and reliability Sardar Ayaz Sadiq noted the importance of such initiatives in boosting Pakistan s industrial sector and improving bilateral trade
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the ties between Pakistan and Belarus recognizing the historical and cultural connections between the two nations and expressing a mutual desire to build on this foundation
Rindhawa
ISLAMABAD: CDA Chairman Ali Rindhawa met with Country Director Islamic Relief (IR) Asif Sherazi at the CDA Headquarters on Tuesday During the meeting Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Rindhawa praised Islamic Relief s efforts for Pakistan
Z indigi, The King’s Trust International, and PAGE Expand team up to empower girls
Zindigi - Powered by JS Bank, The King’s Trust International, and the Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education (PAGE) have extended their efforts to empower young girls in Pakistan by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch an expanded phase of The Achieve Programme Achieve is a social and emotional learning Programme that aims to provide young girls in Pakistan with core life skills such as confidence, communication, problem solving and emotional resilience Building on the success of its initial pilot in 2023 the Pakistan chapter of “The Achieve Programme” has already
of determining potential inheritance shares or amounts
Mobilink Bank revolutionizes financial independence for women with inheritance c alc ulator KARACHI S TA F F R E P O R T
empowered over 100 underserved girls from three schools in Islamabad and Swat This next phase aims to broaden its impact, reaching out to an additional 200 young girls Speaking at the event, Asma Anwar, Head of CE, People & Culture at Zindigi, stated, “We are delighted to strengthen our collaboration with The King’s Trust International and PAGE Pakistan This initiative aligns deeply with our mission to empower the youth of Pakistan and we believe it will create a sustainable model that equips young girls with the education and skills they need to succeed Fajer Rabia Pasha, CEO & MD of PAGE, added, We are excited to bring the Achieve Programme to even more adolescent girls from marginalized backgrounds
KE's FCA for May and June 2024 will be spread over 2 months
Raza
was also attended by FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial, Members and other senior officers of the Board along-with Task Force members including, among others, Mr Ghazi Akhtar from Lotte Akhtar Beverages Ltd Mr Javed Ashraf from NADRA and Mr Fareed Zafar from LUMS while Mr Asif Peer from Systems Ltd Mr Amir Malik CEO PRAL, Mr Waqas Ul Hasan and Ms Tania Aidrus joined virtually In his opening remarks, State Minister for Finance recapitulated that the Task Force is mandated to come up with practicable recommendations to transform FBR into a modern and digitalized organization to achieve sustained growth in national revenues He also welcomed Dr Javed Ashraf from NADRA as the newest member of the Task Force
On the occasion, Conveners of the Working Groups, designated in the previous meeting, gave separate presentations along-with their initial findings on their assigned area/TORs Starting off Asif Peer gave presentation on restructuring of PRAL focusing on its governance structure, talent & capabilities, working model and technology He also presented the analysis and initial findings to turn PRAL into a high performing organization Dr Javed Ashraf gave his Group s presentation on how to retrieve and integrate data from relevant organizations to develop a systematic and organized data profile to identify potential taxpayers His presentation also suggested short, medium and long term recommendations to achieve
said that apart from five to six people who suffered minor injuries most of the passengers of the ill-fated bus were in critical condition and were being treated in a local government hospital When asked about what caused the fatal accident, Sharifi said he had heard people saying that the vehicle’s brakes had failed before the accident
PTI retains status in ECP updated list of political par ties
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has unveiled an updated list of registered political parties confirming Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as a recognized entity However, the party s leadership remains in limbo due to unresolved intra-party elections The newly issued list registers 166 political parties Notably, the ECP has reaffirmed Mian Nawaz Sharif as the unopposed president of Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) and acknowledged the intra-party elections of Jamaat-e-Islami with Naeemur Rehman Khan now listed as its Ameer While PTI remains on the list, it lacks an updated chairman s name due to ongoing disputes over its internal elections Consequently, the party is currently deprived of its traditional electoral symbol the bat In contrast Mahmood Khan is recognized as the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarian and Asif Ali Zardari retains his position as President of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian, with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the chairman of Pakistan People s Party Other parties like Awami National Party, led by Isfandiar Wali Khan, and Pak Sar Zameen Party also maintain their registered status in the ECP’s new list
ISLAMABAD
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday vowed to go ahead with its plan for a scheduled rally in Islamabad on Thursday following cancellation of the nonobjection certificate (NOC) granted to the party
Amir Mughal, President of PTI Islamabad, confirmed that though as usual the district administration revoked the permission the party is committed to holding the event
The protest will take place as scheduled Mughal asserted emphasizing that peaceful political protest is a constitutional right
The district administration’s decision to revoke the NOC was based on a report from the district intelligence committee
This move was finalized in a meeting chaired by Islamabad Chief Commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali Randhawa, with the NOC initially issued by Deputy Commissioner Islamabad under scrutiny Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ali Nasir Rizvi highlighted the heightened security risks during the meeting, noting that the Bangladesh cricket team is currently in the capital, which complicates crowd management
for the PTI gathering
The administration also cited recent incidents such as protesters approaching the Supreme Court building, as reasons for the heightened security concerns, ultimately leading to the withdrawal of permission for the rally
This development comes just a day before the protest as announced by Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on information PTI chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan had resolved to hold the rally in Islamabad on August 22 marking a significant event in the party s ongoing campaign Information Minister Attaullah Tarar expressed skepticism about
the opposition party being allowed to hold the rally citing their history He also referenced the peaceful sit-in recently conducted by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) against inflated electricity bills, which was not permitted to enter Islamabad suggesting that similar restrictions might apply to PTI In contrast PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat declared that the rally will proceed regardless of government opposition, stating that
at seven polling stations in the constituency of Mir Zia Langove citing irregularities in the electoral process Furthermore Mir Zia Langove is no longer the Home Minister of Balochistan, as declared by the Election Tribunal In a separate development, Jamhoori Watan Party’s Gohram Bugti challenged Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti’s election victory in tribunal Gohram Bugti in
could Sarfaraz Bugti
from Balochistan Assembly’s
PB-10 (Dera Bugti) “As a minister of the caretaker cabinet he could not contest the election petitioner argued According to the petition Sarfaraz Bugti got posting of his favorite polling staff resigned from cabinet and contested the election In papers he bagged votes with 80 to 99 percent ratio in the election and this ratio of vote casting is impossible in any election ” he petitioned Gohram Bugti pleaded to the tribunal for thumb verification of voters in the election How could Sarfaraz Bugti keeps the assembly s membership, when he was ineligible to contest the election, the rival candidate said Gohram Bugti