JUI-F, PPP agree on JoInt ProPosals For constItUtIonal amendments
ISLAMABAD: Amid the prevailing ambiguity surrounding the narrative of the prospective constitutional amendments being pushed by the ruling coalition, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has ruled out any tweaks to the Constitution without the Pakistan Tehkree-e-Insaf (PTI) Speaking to a private TV channel, JUI-F s Senator Kamran Murtaza said that they cannot ignore the PTI and that the Constitution cannot be called a con-
sensus-oriented one if the Imran Khan-founded party is not on board The lawmaker s remarks come amid strenuous efforts by the incumbent government to woo the JUI-F in its bid to secure relevant numbers in the parliament to successfully pass the constitutional package provisioning a three-year fixed tenure for the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) as well as the establishment of a constitutional court S TA F F R E P O R T
IMF SAYS GLOBAL PUBLIC DEBT TO TOP $100 TRILLION, GROWTH MAY ACCELERATE
Protests over disputed rape claims intensify in L ahore and spread across Punjab
challenging the validity of the rape allegations Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Defence, Shehrbano Naqvi provided additional context in an interview with Geo Pakistan explaining that the supposed victim had been hospitalized for unrelated medical issues ten days before the alleged incident occurred
According to ASP Naqvi, there was confusion among the students due to two individuals having the same name one of whom was in good health while the other was hospitalized following an accident at home
a sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly on Charing Cross Mall Road, surrounded by a significant police presence This followed a violent clash on Monday that resulted in injuries to 28 people including four police officers Adding to the complexity, Punjab police issued a statement earlier today
The student unrest has spread beyond Lahore, with incidents of vandalism at a college building in Multan and disruptive protests in Jahanian and Zafarwal where students conducted a motorcycle rally and blocked traffic by setting tires on fire These actions prompted a police response that included arrests and the use of batons to disperse protesters
In response to the escalating situation, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has established a six-member committee to investigate the allegations thoroughly Lahore police are also seeking additional information from the public through the Virtual Women Police Station
Meanwhile, the family of the girl at the center of the allegations has come forward to deny the claims of sexual assault
In a video message flanked by ASP Naqvi the girl s father and uncle both wearing masks expressed their astonishment at the protests and confirmed that the girl was currently in intensive care following a fall at their home
The police have urged the public to refrain from spreading misinformation and assured that they are committed to registering cases and pursuing investigations in all alleged offenses of this nature
c uts demand growth forec ast again
GREATER INVESTMENT CRITICAL FOR PACIFIC’S ECONOMIC FUTURE AS GROWTH SLOWS: WB
TFBR cracks down on sales tax fraud, detains five in nationwide operation
Meanwhile
torate
of two related textile companies involved in fraudulent claims of input tax on coal The fraudulent activities, involving a network of criminals, have resulted in hundreds of millions of rupees in losses to the treasury Additionally the court denied pre-ar-
rest bail to a key suspect, Taswar Shahid, named in several FIRs Shahid, a prominent member of the fraud network, was arrested outside the courtroom He has been accused of running fake companies to generate fraudulent sales tax input benefiting end users and causing significant financial damage to the government The FBR s crackdown on sales tax fraud is part of its broader efforts to improve tax compliance and address large-scale financial crimes
FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial recently disclosed that over Rs3 trillion in sales tax fraud occurs annually, with chief financial officers (CFOs) of large corporations often playing a key role in the
phabet, Microsoft, Amazon and other major tech companies to dominate emerging AI technology “We believe the major companies in AI face an investment environment characterized by a Prisoner s Dilemma each is individually incentivized to continue spending, as the costs of not
between Al-
JUI-F, PPP agree on joint proposals for constitutional amendments
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
Fazl said he still needed to meet PMLN President Nawaz Sharif today and desired his agreement adding that he also had to meet the PTI leadership It will be our effort to create such a consensus in this bill that it is unanimously considered a constitutional amendment ” He said “serious” talks were held with the PPP and lauded Bilawal for playing a big role in achieving the consensus Bilawal said there was a further need to build upon the consensus achieved today between the two parties, adding that the PPP was also invited to the Nawaz-Fazl meeting He hoped that the PPP-JUI-F consensus would convert into one with the PML-N as well Bilawal said Fazl was
desirous that this consensus included not only the government s allied parties but also the PTI and other opposition parties “If this [consensus] is possible and happens then it will lend great strength to our constitutional process and it will bring improvement
The goal of every one of us is not person-specific or a limitation by the time Our emphasis is only on finding solutions to the nation’s problems ”
Bilawal said he hoped that the final bill passed by the National Assembly would be based on the consensus achieved between the two parties
He added that the prevalent environment in the country made it seem unlikely that political parties would talk with one another and agree further saying that he hoped all issues in the country would be solved by political parties
by achieving consensus with one another for the sake of the nation
To a question, Bilawal said the PML-N was “active in its own way” regarding the constitutional amendment adding that we have our own ways and they have another way Meanwhile, Fazl said his party still rejected the first draft whose details were revealed
Prodded for details and confirmation about the points of the shared draft
Bilawal said further time was required to tell more about its final shape and what it would look like since the agreement of other parties was needed as well and then the final version could be passed through parliament
He also said he would “welcome” Fazl taking input from the PTI on the draft
COMMENT
Chinese PM visits
The second phase of CPEC is now moving
CH I N E S E Prime Minister Li Qiang came two days before the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit so that he could devote them to bilateral issues In a way, this is sidelinesummitteering carried to a whole The bulk of his programme seems to have been frontloaded for Monday with the highlight being the virtual ceremony for the inauguration of the Gwadar International Airport, built at a cost of $230 million provided by the Chinese government as a grant, symbolised a lot of things about the relationship The centrality of Gwadar port to CPEC was highlighted China also gave the Airport to Pakistan thereby showing how much it valued the relationship It also showed the high value China places on infrastructure as a driver of development It was thus in the fitness of things that future developments at Gwadar figured prominently on the talks of Mr Li and his delegation with his Pakistani counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif
One of the obstacles in the building of the Airport was security Indeed, the only attack on the Chinese Ambassador himself was carried out at the Gwadar hotel he was staying at ans there have been other attacks killing Chinese nationals, all the way from Gwadar to Dasu, where a hydroelectricity project has been afflicted by attacks at different times This is probably why Mr Li also met the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Shamshad Mirza and Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir It might be noticed that Mr Sharif has also taken a serious view of the issue of security, understanding that this is a potential deal-breaker and as the recipient of the expertise of Chinese workers Pakistan is the one really benefiting from their presence Unfortunately, this has also been understood by Baloch separatists as well as sectarian terrorists, as well as those international forces inimical to Pakistan India has a visceral dislike of both Pakistan and China and has become increasingly close to the USA The USA has been developing differences with China, and is not pleased that Pakistan has not served as its tool in opposing China
This is the real reason why CPEC is so important to both China and Pakistan It represents the transformation of the relationship from one based on security to one based on economics, in way that the US-Pak relationship has not really evolved The Pakistan government needs to single-minded in its approach towards this relationship and show as much commitment in future as it is doing at present
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
WH Y in Pakistan we never ever realized the significance of justice even though justice is always crucial for our society as it is the main source of ensuring the significance of equality, all time fairness, and last but not least protection of individual rights It is a bridge to promote social harmony by addressing our grievances resolving social conflicts and maintaining a good balance that is a blessing to a stable society Without having justice, there s a high risk of inequality, mistrust and social unrest, hindering and killing the overall well-being and progress of our society and this alarming situation is persistently prevailing in our society The Lahore High Court was a symbol of justice and still holds a significant importance in our judicial system, which covers more than 50 percent of the population of Pakistan As one of the country s oldest courts, it plays a crucial role in upholding justice, interpreting laws and ensuring the protection of fundamental rights The Court’s decisions set legal precedents a source of guidance for lower Courts and contribute to the development of a fair and equitable and transparent legal system The Lahore High Court s jurisdiction extends to a populous and influential region, making its rulings influential in shaping legal standards and contributing to the overall stability and governance of Pakistan
The total strength of judges in Lahore High Court is 60 fixed by the government which is already a lesser capacity to meet the demand of Punjab s population and, due to bad governance, with the trend of litigation rising in our society These days when we are facing multiple crises, Lahore High Court overburdened, as it is working with 36 judges, over a third less its strength lacking 24 judges This huge deficiency of judges can have substantial repercussions for the judicial system This deficiency is creating a number of problems which may
M y a n m a r h o l d s t h e k e y
lead to delays in the hearing of cases a rising backlog of pending matters and an increased burden on the existing judges Such shortcomings could hinder the timely delivery of justice affecting the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the legal process In order to maintain a robust judicial system, addressing the shortage of judges is necessary to ensure that pending cases are heard promptly and justly to ensure the rule of law Chief Justice Lahore High Court Justice Alia Neelam who created a history as the first female Chief Justice of Lahore High Court must take serious notice of this default to accelerate the process of new appointment of judges on these vacant seats
This grave situation in the Lahore High Court seeks the indulgence of the Chief Justice of Pakistan the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Governor of Punjab The Chief Justice of Pakistan has the full authority to address systemic issues within the judiciary and can play a vital role to initiate instant measures for immediate appointment of these 24 judges To focus and draw the attention to this grave matter could lead to effective actions that help and strengthen the judicial system to ensure its smooth functioning
Ugly crises of justice including the shortage of 24 judges in the Lahore High Court is a matter that warrants immediate attention of the government The judiciary is a key component of a functional democracy and a shortfall in judicial resources can impact and disturb the timely delivery of justice By engaging with the government there is an urgent need to address this important issue collaboratively Advocating for the allocation of resources funding and appointment of additional judges can contribute to enhancing the Court s capacity and consequently the overall efficiency of the judicial system Justice is a rare phenomena in Pakistan and everybody is seeking justice due to his hardship, and thus the absence of justice in a society can lead to its deterioration Justice serves as a fundamental pillar that upholds fairness equality and rule of law Without it there s a risk of social unrest inequality and a breakdown of trust in institutions Injustice can breed resentment, erode social cohesion and create an environment where conflicts escalate Thus the presence of a just legal system is crucial for the stability prosperity and well-being of any society particularly the country like Pakistan Pakistan faces various challenges encompassing economic, social and political issues These challenges include economic disparities, security concerns and governance issues It’s crucial for the government, institutions and society to work collaboratively to address these challenges and implement effective solutions Prioritizing justice good governance and inclusive policies can contribute to stability and progress fostering a more resilient and
forts of the people s resistance movement to build a new federal democratic in Myanmar
under the control of armed groups Even though the junta has gradually lost control over the entire land and its people it plans for a national election by next year The junta-controlled Union Election Commission also already started preliminary preparations for the polls including a countrywide census However, the electoral process in the ethnically-diverged country has remained doubtful since its independence in 1948 The powerful armed forces often dictate the political leadership where the military-drafted 2008 Constitution made the situation more critical for the pro-democracy activists as it reserved a sizable number of seats in the Parliament and regional assemblies for the military persons and their associates
Amending the Constitution still becomes difficult as the country continues to be ruled by the junta by different batches from time to time Unless there is a crack in the military fraternity and their political standing, Myanmar will not be able to modify the Constitution and hence it may not be possible to conduct a free, fair and participatory election both at national and regional levels So a free fair and participatory election to form a stable and progressive regime in the poverty-stricken country under the ill-designed Constitution cannot be expected at this moment
Progressive Voice, an umbrella organization of pro-democracy civil society groups, recently claimed that the military junta is teetering on the brink of collapse and the ‘sham election is nothing more than its desperate ploy for false legitimacy and hoax democracy It expressed anger that certain international actors like China, Thailand, Russia, Laos and India are backing the junta’s hoax election plan, which is like insulting the unprecedented sacrifices and tireless ef-
This problematic approach will only allow the junta to continue to terrorize the people and bring the country back under military tyranny asserted the organization
In reality it is not remotely possible for the junta to hold a vote, given the lack of control it has in large parts of the country Any sustainable solution for Myanmar ’s crisis and for the achievement of sustainable peace must be identified agreed on and led by the people of Myanmar while international actors must rally all its support behind the Myanmar people
They are committed to break the vicious cycle of violence and impunity and no longer seek to resume the pre-2021 democratic transition façade Instead the people are pursuing a genuine change to form a federal democratic regime which is equal sustainable and inclusive in nature said Khin Ohmar founder and chairperson of Progressive Voice However, India has to deal with the situation carefully as the country s north-eastern region shares a land border of over 1,600 km with Myanmar along with a 700 km maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal New Delhi has also invested in the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project which is identified as a major development initiative inside Myanmar with an aim to connect the land-locked northeast India with the port in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State Moreover, New Delhi is also looking for the India-Myanmar-Thailand highway for connectivity and business
It s widely assumed that a pro-people democratic regime will be installed in the land of Golden Pagodas soon for their own interest as well as the entire western part of the south Asian region
Nava Thakuria is an independent Indian journalist based in Kamrup Assam
Tribal violence and crime
groups Many bases were even abandoned by the soldiers and some soldiers even joined the anti-junta forces A number of towns precisely bordering India had gone
ItÊs
A plea
NAvA thAkuriA
AkhtAr Aly kureshy
The civilian-militar y tug- of-war needs to be resolved
The regional fallout of Israel-Hezbollah clashes
TH E escalation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken s 10th visit to the region underscores the challenges the USA faces in influencing outcomes in the Middle East This situation highlights the limitations of US diplomacy which has become largely reactive focusing on crisis management rather than shaping events The USA finds itself in this position due to its unwillingness to exert the necessary force and leverage to achieve the diplomatic goals it professes to seek This scenario reveals broader strategic limitations reflecting not only the complexity of the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict but also the constraints on US power in the region
The Israel-Hezbollah conflict has deep roots that trace back to the early 1980s, when Hezbollah emerged as a resistance movement following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 Over time Hezbollah backed by Iran and supported by Syria has developed into a formidable military and political force in Lebanon frequently clashing with Israel The conflict reached a significant point during the 2006 Lebanon War, where Israel faced substantial military challenges in containing Hezbollah’s guerrilla tactics and rocket attacks The aftermath of this war created a delicate balance of power in the region where periodic skirmishes and tensions persisted often threatening to reignite a full-scale conflict
The USA has been deeply involved in the region, both in its support for Israel and its broader geopolitical interests, particularly in countering Iran’s influence US administrations have repeatedly emphasized the need for stability in the Middle East sup-
porting diplomatic efforts and at times military interventions to shape regional dynamics However as the situation between Israel and Hezbollah escalates once again it becomes evident that US influence, especially under the Biden Administration, has faced significant limitations
The timing of the escalation during Secretary Blinken’s 10th trip to the region since the outbreak of renewed violence highlights the marginal impact US diplomacy has had on quelling tensions This marginalization of US influence in managing the Israel-Hezbollah conflict is emblematic of broader issues in US Middle Eastern policy One significant factor contributing to this is the reactive nature of US engagement in the region Instead of proactively shaping diplomatic outcomes or conflict resolutions the U S is often forced to respond to crises as they unfold, limiting its ability to effect long-term solutions The Biden Administration, much like its predecessors has found itself in a difficult position when dealing with the complex dynamics of the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict
On the one hand the USA has long been Israel s strongest ally, providing military aid and diplomatic backing in international forums On the other hand, the USA seeks to avoid further escalation that could destabilize Lebanon and the broader Middle East This balancing act limits the leverage that Washington can exert on either party leaving its diplomacy constrained by conflicting interests
Despite Secretary Blinken s numerous diplomatic trips and meetings with regional leaders the situation has largely deteriorated This suggests that the Administration’s efforts have been insufficient in addressing the root causes of the conflict Hezbollah s actions, which are often influenced by Iran s strategic interests, complicate any US attempt at mediation The group’s military capability, combined with its deep entrenchment in Lebanese politics makes it a difficult actor to pressure through conventional diplomatic channels Furthermore Israel s security concerns and its readiness to respond with force to Hezbollah provocations further limits diplomatic options
The USA’s reactive posture has become one of the central weaknesses in its Middle Eastern policy Rather than setting the agenda or advancing a comprehensive peace initiative the USA is frequently responding to im-
mediate crises without addressing the underlying issues that perpetuate violence This reactive approach stems from several factors, including domestic political considerations, the complexity of the regional power balance and the USA’s reluctance to become embroiled in another protracted conflict in the Middle East One of the main reasons the USA remains in a crisis-management mode is its unwillingness to use the level of force or leverage that would be required to shape outcomes decisively The Biden Administration much like its predecessors has prioritized diplomatic efforts and multilateralism avoiding the kind of military interventions that characterized US policy in the early 2000s While this reflects a broader shift in US foreign policy towards disengagement from prolonged conflicts, it also limits Washington’s ability to impose its will on actors like Hezbollah which are supported by external powers like Iran
The reluctance to use force does not only apply to military intervention but also to the economic and diplomatic leverage that the USA holds Washington has significant tools at its disposal, including sanctions, economic aid and diplomatic pressure that could be used to influence regional actors However these tools have been deployed cautiously with the Administration fearing that too much pressure could backfire, exacerbating instability or pushing actors like Hezbollah closer to Iran
Another key issue is the erosion of US leverage in the Middle
However, given the broader geopolitical shifts and the rising influence of other regional powers, the USA may find it increasingly difficult to achieve its desired outcomes without recalibrating its strategy. The escalation serves as a reminder of the persistent challenges the USA faces in a region where its influence, while still significant, is no longer as decisive as it once was
Scent of a man T h e w i l d W e s t o f p a p a l c o n c l a v e s
seaside house in Montauk two men staring at the ocean Serpico is the whistleblower cop refuser of bribes and kickbacks, whose testimony before the Knapp Commission helped expose systemic graft in the nYPD He has paid a high price for his rectitude: Isolated and vilified by his fellow officers, he’d been shot in the face during a suspiciously botched arrest in 1971 now Pacino is preparing to play him in Sidney Lumet s grimy funky biopic Serpico and the actor has a question Frank he says why didn t you take those payoffs? Just take that money and give your share away if you didn t want to keep it? Al, if I did that, Serpico answers, who would I be when I listen to Beethoven?
That’s a story from Sonny Boy, Pacino’s new memoir It’s more than a story actually It’s a teaching Who you are when you listen to Beethoven (or Miles Davis or AC/DC) isn’t that what every actor every artist is trying to get at? It s the essence It s your exposed and purely emotive being and with it your availability to the divine Compromise that, and you re screwed So Pacino plays Serpico as a man of sudden moods and movements, abrupt jokes, changes of key, switching through ever more improbable costumes shaggy hippie, meat-packer, ultra-Orthodox Jew as he goes undercover a trickster whose wild whimsicality connects somehow to what is vivid and incorruptible in his nature even as the department the city the whole world congeals in venality around him Can I say that I ve long loved Al Pacino? But until Sonny Boy I knew almost nothing about Pacino himself or rather, I was content to know him glancingly and prismatically, via the apparitions of Michael Corleone and Ricky Roma and Tony Montana and Carlito Brigante Is he ever not Al Pacino in any of his roles?
Reading Sonny Boy you get the feel of something restless and almost nameless until it coheres white-hot at the moment of dramatic expression The moment of ignition What actors call their instrument Pacino writes, is their entire being: your whole person, your body, your soul It s what you play on, it absorbs things and lets them out He is paraphrasing his Method teacher, Lee Strasberg “The actor’s instrument,” Strasberg wrote in A Dream of Passion, “is himself; he works with the same emotional areas which he actually uses in real life ” The real life then Let s have it From Sonny Boy we learn that Pacino s material his toolbox his emotional inheritance was his childhood in the tenements of the South Bronx: an absent father and a delicate troubled mother, a wild life on the streets His teens were delinquent His 20s were a blur of drinking,
one s pushing it In 1967 he sees Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate : I said this is it man it s over He s broken the sound barrier Pacino s own breakout role Michael Corleone in 1972 s The Godfather and then, two years later, The Godfather Part II was a huge challenge A nonperson, almost Formless at first, and then extremely dangerous “Before filming started, I would take long walks up and down Manhattan from ninety-First Street to the Village and back just thinking about how I was going to play him He’s there and not there at the same time So Pacino made him at once blank and coiled Cadaverous with power and repression Given to lethal understatement, and with a strange, perfumed economy of gesture Playing Sonny Wortzik, the flailing, wired bank robber/accidental hostage-taker of Dog Day Afternoon (1975), was paradoxically more straightforward Here Lumet set him in his element: overheated Brooklyn on the verge of Babylonian breakdown a whole society doing the Method as it were triggering and retriggering itself The mob is aroused and labile; the lumpy cops have no control over the situation or over themselves Trapped and pop-eyed strutting around wildly under the terrible fluorescent tubes of the bank interior, Sonny channels it all, sweating through his off-white shirt, flapping his soiled handkerchief He goes into the street screaming “Attica! Atti-ca!” an improvisation and the crowd of extras to quote Sonny Boy goes “f****** crazy ” Does he harden into caricature in his later roles? In some of those films (Sea of Love Carlito s Way) I see him operating on a kind of scorching autopilot Then there s Scent of a Woman I could watch this movie all day, and sometimes do In it, the late-Pacino manner, the bark and the bluster, transcends itself, because here he’s playing a man who is all manner, all bark and bluster, a husk of a man, a hollowly booming mirthlessly laughing man: Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade blind man in despair I m in the DARK HERE! whose communication style is basically cranked-up Al Pacino The profession of acting Strasberg said the basic art of acting is a monstrous thing because it is done with the same flesh-and-blood muscles with which you perform ordinary deeds, real deeds Sonny Boy gives us the Pacino of ordinary deeds, bumbling around and having his experiences and we see that he is in service in thrall to Pacino the actor And if a certain fuzziness or impressionism attends his memories well we get it: He doesn t want to violate with too much insight the precious mystery at the core of his craft Doesn t want to compromise who he is when he s listening to Beethoven
In 1549, the great cook Bartolomeo Scappi was presented with a challenge: cooking for a papal conclave in Rome The cardinals were supposed to be kept in strict seclusion throughout, so each delivery was carefully inspected for secret messages and then passed through a revolving door to the inner sanctum Pies were forbidden as were whole chickens it would be too easy to hide a note inside As the conclave dragged on writes historian Frederic J Baumgartner, the cardinals comforts were reduced in order to push them toward a decision meals were pared down, servants sent home, and the windows in the chapel were blocked off making the air stuffy and stale Crammed in tiny wooden bunks in the Cappella Paolina and the Sistine Chapel the cardinals grew more and more tense When a leading candidate took ill and died, they immediately began to sling around accusations of poisoning Outside European monarchs did their level best to meddle continuously in the process while handwritten newsletters called avvisi flew around the city, spreading the latest rumors The Roman bankers had their own interest in the outcome, in the form of a lively betting pool; as the conclave continued they stopped taking bets on which cardinal would be chosen and started taking bets on when it would finally end (including 1 to 10 odds for never ) The conclave finally concluded on February 7, putting an end to more than two
Dr muhammaD akram Zaheer
Losing the power to influence Israel
CANADA ACCUSES INDIA OF USING
noted, “Of course, it’s photoshopped Even made her more black ” while @KingsleyCortes pointed out The airbrushing on Kamala s Vogue cover is HEAVY A number of Harris supporters however, were quick to defend her One Twitter user, @MitchellAdams90, fired back at critics by comparing Harris to Donald Trump claiming “Donald Trump literally has his face painted orange and his hair dyed Please sit down and shut up Plus since you aren’t aware it s a magazine That s literally what they do with all their covers The magazine s accompanying caption described Harris sudden elevation to presidential candidate after President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 race Vogue lauded Harris for stepping into the spotlight saying Only rarely are individuals summoned overnight for acts of national rescue Harris was expected to do something unprecedented in American history: to mount, and win, a presidential race in three months ” Despite the glowing words many social media users continued to mock the visual representation @ADillon73 sarcastically remarked They cleaned up the turkey neck real good, while @2again-
and enhance the application of military theory, thus providing scientific support and guidance for elevating the country’s armed forces to world-class standards more quickly
Xi s important instruction was conveyed and studied at the meeting Zhang Youxia a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the CMC, attended the meeting and delivered a speech
A G E N C I E S Veteran politician Baba Siddiqui was killed last week in India s Mumbai and now sources are revealing that his son, Zeeshan Siddiqui, is also on the Bishnoi gang s hit-list According to police sources, the shooters confessed to receiving
CORPORATE CORNER
PBA Applauds SBP's Revised SME Financing
Limits as a Key D river of SME Growth in Pakistan
mendations
stakeholders to
500 million from a single bank or all banks and DFIs combined Similar to small enterprises banks and DFIs may deduct liquid assets held under their lien for the purpose of exposure limit calculation These changes are effective immediately and all banks and DFIs have been advised to ensure strict compliance SBP s revised
ABAD Nor th Chairman calls for improving LDA regulations
In a bid to accelerate Lahore s development Sheikh Muhammad Nabeel, newly-elected Chairman of Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) North Region urged the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to revamp its regulations
During a high-profile meeting with LDA Director
General Tahir Farooq on Monday, Nabeel stressed the need for streamlined processes citing the significant contributions of ABAD members to the city s growth He was accompanied by former ABAD Chairman Sultan Gohar Ijaz Irfan Ilahi
Usman Anwar, Sardar Adil Umar, Saad Nazir
Chauhan, Nazir Ahmad Chauhan, Waheed Ahmad Butt, Khalid Mahmood Sheikh, and Kamran Shuja
Nabeel highlighted the crippling impact of escalating taxes on the real estate industry seeking relief to stimulate economic activity
ABAD members presented comprehensive recommendations to simplify approval processes for housing societies, aiming to reduce bureaucratic hurdles DG Farooq assured ABAD Chairman that the LDA would consider ABAD s proposals, pledging to implement IT-driven reforms and establish a robust mechanism to address public grievances
the SBP and
an ecosystem that supports
expansion and
financing avenues Although the ecosystem’s full
terialize it
moting
growth
and
in
of the
going forward Commenting on the recent development Zafar Masud Chairman - PBA said “SBP’s enhanced SME financing limits will significantly improve access to funding opportunities, accelerating innovation, financial inclusion, and entrepreneurship PBA is committed to collaborating with the SBP to drive SME growth and foster economic progress across key sectors
SCO SUMMIT: PAKISTAN CEMENTS REGIONAL TIES
‘Ice Melting’: PM Shehbaz and India’s Jaishankar shake hands on SCO sidelines
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar clasped hands during a luncheon for Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) leaders, a rare encounter between the leaders of the bitterly opposed neighbors Jaishankar made his first trip to the neighboring country in almost ten years when he landed in Islamabad earlier today for the SCO meeting
The 23rd meeting of the SCO s Council of Heads of Government (CHG) is being held in Islamabad and strict security measures are in place to guarantee a peaceful occasion TV footage showed the Indian FM getting a bouquet of flowers from youngsters as his jet touched down at an airfield near the capital, Islamabad It has been nearly a decade since
a foreign minister from Pakistan s arch-rival India visited as relations remain frosty between the two nuclear powers Both sides have said no bilateral meeting is planned Relations between the two countries have gone through periods of thaw from time to time but have been largely frozen since Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties in 2019 following abrogation of Article 370 revoking special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)
The meeting of the SCO a Eurasian security and political group formed in 2001 by Russia and China, is the highest-profile event hosted by the troubled South Asian nation in years PM Shehbaz will preside over the high-level meeting which will see the participation of prime ministers and high-ranking officials from the SCO member states
The Foreign Office, in a statement said China Russia Belarus Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajik-
istan and Uzbekistan will be represented by their prime ministers while Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and India’s Foreign Minister will be attending the summit Prime Minister of Mongolia (Observer State) and Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan (Special Guest) will also participate in the meeting it added
As the delegates from participating countries arrived the federal capital received a facelift with colorful lights, floral decorations, and flags and banners from SCO member states to welcome the dignitaries
On Tuesday a red carpet was rolled out to welcome the guests underscoring the importance of the event and the cordial relations between the two nations Children dressed in traditional attire presented bouquets to the foreign dignitaries Jaishankar was the last one to arrive and receive a wel-
