GANDAPUR WARNS GOVT AGAINST CONSEQUENCES IF PROTESTERS RESORT TO ‘ARMED RESISTANCE’
g KP CM HIGHLIGHTS BRUTALITY DURING PROTESTS AT D-CHOWK, PROMISING THOSE RESPONSIBLE WOULD FACE CONSEQUENCES
g ALLEGED THERE HAD BEEN A DELIBERATE ATTEMPT TO DISRUPT HIS SPEECH WHEN MICROPHONE MALFUNCTIONED
directing them to provide details of cases filed against Marwat in connection with the D-Chowk protest The court ordered that a comprehensive report be submitted by next Friday while Marwat accompanied by his legal team led by Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) President Riyasat Ali Azad and lawyer Osama Tariq who filed a petition seeking clarity on the cases registered against him The hearing has been adjourned until next Friday The PTI staged its “do-or-die” protest demonstration on November 24 which concluded abruptly on November 26 following a government crackdown on protesters Later speaking on the matter, Sher Afzal Marwat acknowledged internal disagreements over the protest’s venue, highlighting that PTI founder Imran Khan opposed a demonstration at Sangjani preferring D-Chowk despite reservations from key party leaders According to Marwat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur opposed advancing beyond Chungi Number 26 in Islamabad and expressed concerns about heading toward D-Chowk Gandapur reportedly voiced his objections multiple times during the protest even visiting Bushra Bibi’s vehicle to discuss the matter Marwat clarified that while some accused Bushra Bibi of insisting on the march toward D-Chowk Imran Khan had earlier made the decision to proceed Marwat also noted logistical mismanagement during the protest, such as a lack of coordination and technical issues including a power outage on the leaders’ container These developments come despite Marwat sharing his ongoing health challenges explaining his recent absence from protests in Islamabad In a candid message circulated on social media, Marwat revealed that he has experienced a significant weight loss of approximately 10 kilograms and that his liver function tests have not returned positive results
P
Death toll in Kur ram tribal clashes rises to 122 as violence persists
and injured 17 others, police reported on Friday marking the ninth day of ongoing tribal clashes Despite a recently brokered ceasefire violence persists raising the death toll to 122 and the number of injured to 168
The district administration confirmed that the main PeshawarParachinar highway remains closed for the eighth consecutive day disrupting daily life and halting trade activities Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud noted that the highway s closure has also stalled trade at the Kharlachi border with Afghanistan deepening the region’s economic crisis Adding to residents woes internet and mobile phone services have been suspended due to the tense situation, severely limiting communication and access to essential services
The clashes began on November 21 with ambushes on two police-escorted convoys that left 52 dead Since then violence has escalated, despite a 10-day truce bro-
kered earlier this week Intermittent clashes have rendered the ceasefire ineffective with police struggling to maintain order
On Thursday, five more fatalities and nine injuries were reported, raising the toll to 107 at the time The ongoing unrest has paralyzed local transportation and completely suspended trade at the Kharlachi border Efforts to restore peace are underway, with a jirga of elders from Hangu, Orakzai, and Kohat engaging both factions to enforce the
General Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), visited National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), Pabbi on Friday and interacted with the participating troops of Pak – China Joint Exercise Warrior-VIII between Pakistan Army and Peoples Liberation Army of China
According to the military s media wing – the ISPR, the COAS was briefed on the scope
ceasefire “The parties have agreed to the ceasefire and steps are being taken to stop clashes said Deputy Commissioner Mehsud The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has documented 79 deaths in the region between July and October this year, underscoring the area’s persistent instability Earlier attempts to mediate peace including a seven-day truce and negotiations by a high-powered delegation led by KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, have failed to end the violence
representation of the entire nation, and by firing bullets at unarmed protesters, the fascist government had effectively pierced the hearts of 240 million Pakistanis
PTI Spokesperson alleged that the government had orchestrated a sinister plan to brutally suppress peaceful citizens using state force However he added that PTI
S T E P S I N
resource optimisation, training initiatives, and mechanisms for public feedback The chief justice and participating judges acknowledged progress in these areas and offered recommendations to further strengthen ongoing reform efforts In a separate session focused on tax-related litigation representatives from the tax bar and the Federal Board of
to streamline proceedings Representatives from the tax bar welcomed the initiative and pledged their full cooperation to facilitate swift resolutions These meetings reflect the Supreme Court s resolve to enhance judicial processes promote transparency and ensure timely justice, particularly in tax-related matters, for the benefit of citizens and the economy
Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif announced on Friday that the European Commission and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have lifted the suspension on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to Europe, marking a significant milestone for the struggling national carrier The ban imposed in 2020 followed a devastating PIA plane crash in Karachi that killed nearly 100 people and exposed a scandal involving fake pilot licenses As a result, EASA barred PIA from operating on its most lucrative routes in Europe and the UK, costing the airline an estimated annual revenue of Rs40 billion In March 2024 the minister had expressed optimism that flights to Europe would resume following EASA s review process His prediction came true as today, he shared on X (formerly Twitter): It is a momentous day to announce that the European Commission and EASA
have lifted the suspension on PIA flights to Europe
Additionally the minister revealed that Airblue, a private Pakistani airline, has also been granted Third Country Operator authorization by EASA
Asif credited the aviation ministry’s dedication to strengthening the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) for the success We focused on aligning with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards, he said, citing reforms like enacting the PCAA Act, separating regulatory and service provider roles, appointing professional leadership and improving training programs The PCAA had submitted a corrective action plan in May 2023 addressing deficiencies noted during a comprehensive onsite review conducted in November This effort played a key role in regaining trust Asif hailed the development as a great success and
g SUPREME COURT FOCUSES ON JUDICIAL REFORMS AND EFFICIENT CASE MANAGEMENT
LO B A L L N G : A S I A N S P O T L N G G A I N S A S
Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Friday emphasized the importance of establishing a balance between available resources and emerging needs to ensure sustainable economic growth and social prosperity in the country
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Poverty Estimation Training Series, the minister highlighted that access to scientifically based data is essential for the effective and fair allocation of dwindling resources, which is crucial for achieving equitable socio-economic development and progress
The minister emphasized that the rapidly growing population and rapidly decreasing resources were key drivers of poverty, illiteracy and major obstacles to economic growth and social prosperity He further pointed out that between 2017 and 2023 in addition to economic setbacks the population growth rate also experienced a
COMMENT
Six-figure index
Th e KSe100 Index on Thursday closed for the first time above 100,000- points This is a new high, and it has more than simply symbolic significance It indicates that the investors’ confidence is in the Shehbaz government Since the beginning of the year, the index has increased 60 percent, and 141 percent since last June It has repeatedly set new records in this period, and is the most visible signpost for the direction the economy is taking At the same time not too much should be read into it for large swathes of the economy remain outside the stock market Still the landmark cannot be ignored considering how it was linked to the search for political stability Is it entirely a coincidence that the market experienced a rare dip when the PTI protest began but recovered handsomely when the gathering was broken up?
Actually that was not the real underlying factor
The rise in the market must be seen in the context of inflation coming down and the consequent cut in interest rates As interest rates come down returns on capital from bonds (mostly Treasury bills) become less attractive while the returns on stocks become more attractive Inflation has not yet bottomed out with the Finance Ministry predicting declines in inflation in November and December and the interest rate may thus be heading for further decline going by the most recent Treasury bill auction Indeed industrialists feel that even without any further decline in inflation interest rates should be
A gamble for peace
Th e prospect of Donald Trump s return to the White house has generated significant discourse in Tehran, where the primary concern is not what policy trajectory the incoming administration might adopt toward Iran but whether the Islamic Republic should engage in negotiations with the former president Prominent Iranian officials including experienced diplomats argue that Tehran must exercise its agency and signal a willingness to negotiate This perspective posits that Trump s strong mandate, as evidenced by the electoral outcome, provides him with the political latitude to broker a mutually beneficial agreement with Iran however whether such calls will influence Tehran s posture in the wake of Trump s inauguration remains uncertain In 2018 during Trump s first term his administration s withdrawal from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the subsequent imposition of a “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign devastated Iran’s economy Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei categorically dismissed the possibility of negotiations with Trump labeling the US President as unworthy of engagement Khamenei s assessment relied on the belief that Trump s presidency represented an anomaly in US politics This gamble, however, backfired as U Sled sanctions decimated Iran’s oil revenue and international trade while escalating tensions culminated in the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani in January 2020 Today, the geopolitical landscape has shifted markedly Trump s political position appears stronger, and Iran faces increasingly severe domestic and international challenges The prevailing sentiment in the Iranian media underscores an urgent need for recalibration As one commentator observed The era of no war no peace is over It s now the era of either war or peace With the Republican Party controlling all three branches of the US government, proponents of negotiation assert that a potential agreement with Trump would carry more durability than the JCPOA which faced resistance from congressional Republicans Iranian commentators also highlight Trump s unpredictability While his rhetoric often aligns with anti-war sentiments, his unconventional governance style leaves the possibility of military confrontation open A Republican-controlled Congress affords Trump significant latitude in foreign policy, potentially allowing him to initiate military action without the constraints faced by previous administrations This dynamic poses a significant risk to Iranian
strategic assets including its nuclear facilities should Tehran resist engagement At the same time the possibility of a negotiated settlement remains on the table Figures close to Khamenei suggest a cautious approach advocating for a wait-and-see strategy to evaluate Trump’s intentions For instance Ali Larijani a moderate advisor to Khamenei has suggested that Trump may adopt a more constructive approach in his second term Similarly, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has encouraged Trump to abandon his “maximum pressure” campaign in favor of “maximum wisdom,” signaling that Tehran could reciprocate constructively to avoid conflict
The Iranian government harbors deep-seated grievances from Trump s first term which saw measures such as the Muslim ban the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, and the targeted killing of Soleimani Despite these hostilities, Trump consistently expressed willingness to negotiate with Iran albeit on terms perceived as highly unfavorable by Tehran Iranian officials as tantamount to a call for capitulation dismissed his administration s infamous 12-point demand list Nonetheless, there are signs that Trump s second administration might adopt a different approach his decision to exclude former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a staunch Iran hawk from his new team has been interpreted in Tehran as a potential olive branch however the composition of Trump s national security team remains fluid leaving uncertainty about the influence of hawkish versus isolationist elements within his administration
A straightforward compromise between Trump and Khamenei could centre on Iran’s nuclear programme Trump’s primary demand is the prevention of Iranian nuclear weaponization a position ostensibly aligned with Khamenei s 2012 fatwa declaring nuclear weapons un-Islamic however, tensions extend beyond nuclear issues, encompassing Iran s regional activities and its role in supporting allied groups across the Middle east
Addressing these broader concerns will likely require concessions from both sides In this context regional developments could play a pivotal role Tehran is reportedly optimistic that Trump might pressure Israel into accepting a
China and the EU’s strategic collaboration in the EV revolution
pragmatic, if not reluctant, acknowledgment of China s pivotal role in the future of car manufacturing having fallen behind in the electrification and smart car race the eU now finds itself leaning heavily on Chinese technology to stay competitive A recent The Financial Times report revealed that Brussels is inviting Chinese companies
on a
battery project, offering a
but with the stipulation that
brings its
technology and shares it with the local market If successful this model
to other eU initiatives The eU s
imposing
on
is not merely about market access- it is about learning China s manufacturing expertise, particularly in the electric vehicle sector, is something european companies now recognize they cannot replicate independently Beyond attracting greenfield investment from Chinese firms europe is keen to integrate further into China s supply chain By collaborating- sometimes competitively- it hopes to foster the next generation of industrial workers and innovation In this delicate balance of cooperation and competition europe’s survival hinges on its ability to learn from the very force it once sought to rival Since China s emergence from the pandemic the eU has sharply increased its greenfield investments in the country, reaching €3 6 billion in the second quarter of this year the highest quarterly figure in nearly a decade This surge is not driven by a single large-scale deal; rather it reflects a broader trend Compared to 2019-2022 both the number and average size of eU s greenfield investments in China have grown significantly in the first half of 2022-2024 Some experts believe that the level of eU investment in China may have been underestimated because many companies now choose not to disclose their investments publicly to avoid drawing political attention or
media scrutiny particularly in light of the rising geopolitical tensions The eU s investment in China is often attributed to the In China for China strategy focused on maintaining market share While this rationale is widely accepted, the rise in eU investments seems counterintuitive given the sluggish demand within China’s domestic market Unlike the eU other global players such as the USA and Japan are scaling back their investments In contrast eU companies remain deeply committed to integrating into China s growth, even as foreign capital flows into China have dropped overall falling by 13 7 percent last year and an even steeper 29 1 percent in the first half of 2024
A more compelling explanation for the eU s ongoing investment in China lies not just in the market s size but in its increasingly pivotal role as an innovation hub and a source of exports for european companies While US policies, including hefty tariffs and the “connected
where China isnÊt just a market, but a critical centre of innovation driving global competitiveness
Fair tariffs, fair future
Dr IMraN khaLID
The looming challenge to dollar dominance
R I C S i s l e a d i n g t h e e f f o r t
tions,
increasingly utilized local currencies in their intra-group trade In 2012, BRICS countries signed agreements to promote trade in local currencies aiming to replace the dollar as the primary unit of trade among them Between 2017 and 2022 intraBRICS trade increased by 56 percent reaching $614 8 billion in 2022 At the 2023
BRICS Summit, member countries agreed to promote the accelerated use of local currencies in cross-border payments Institutional mechanisms like the BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism and BRICS Pay have been developed to facilitate these transactions The trade among BRICS nations and local currency settlements rose to 85 percent, up from 26 percent two years prior The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has been actively promoting the use of national currencies in trade and investment among its member states In September 2022 during the Samarkand Summit the SCO Heads of State Council approved a roadmap aimed at gradually increasing the share of national currencies in mutual settlements For instance, on 21 February 2023, representatives from finance ministries central banks and financial organizations of member states met to share experiences and discuss the development of payment and clearing systems for mutual trade in national currencies For example, over 70 percent of commercial transactions between China and Russia are conducted in the Russian ruble and the Chinese yuan In the European Union trade and investment are dominated by the euro followed by the dollar, with the euro being the primary currency for exports (49 percent) and the dollar leading in imports (50 percent) as of 2022 The EU’s foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows
with
mately $3
by $12 3
FDI
and
trillion in 2022 Additionally
investments rose by $281
t s d e m a n d a n d i t s d eva l u a t i o n . T h i s wo u l d r e s u l t i n i n f l a t i o n , h i g h e r b o r row i n g c o s t s fo r t h e U S g ov e r n m e n t , a n d r e d u c e d p u rc h a s i n g p ow e r fo r A m e r i c a n c o n s u m e rs . T h e
U S A Ês a b i l i t y t o i m p o s e f i n a n c i a l s a n c t i o n s a n d i n f l u e n c e g l o b a l f i n a n c i a l i n s t i t u t i o n s wo u l d d i m i n i s h , e ro d i n g i t s s o f t p ow e r a n d s t r a t e g i c l ev e r a g e .
E l i z a b e t h Ta y l o r w a s f e d
u p w i t h h e r o w n b e a u t y
I s A m e r i c a t h e n e x t
S o v i e t U n i o n ?
SH E was one of the most beautiful living beings ever to appear on the big screen, but she spoke of it as if it were a curse Elizabeth Taylor could not imagine herself not being famous, because she had been a celebrity since the age of 10 She was the first star to suffer from the paparazzi phenomenon: journalists would try to sneak into her house by any means even posing as plumbers And her stormy private life she was married eight times to seven men made her fodder for the tabloid press What she really wanted was to be recognized for her talent as an actress, which is not the same as being a movie star, and she regretted that she only achieved this on rare occasions The confessions of the diva par excellence can be heard in her own voice in Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes available on Max In 1964 when she was 32 Taylor had a series of recorded conversations, totaling around 40 hours, with Richard Meryman, a journalist for Life magazine and author of biographies of Hollywood figures (some of which were presented as autobiographies) The conversation gave rise to the book Elizabeth Taylor: An Informal Memoir which did not show the journalist s signature It was not until after the writer s death in 2015 that these tapes were discovered in which the actress expressed herself with enormous frankness trusting that they would never be reproduced Film director Nanette Burstein has given shape to the HBO documentary, produced by J J Abrams, which revolves around Taylor talking about herself accompanied by archival footage and interviews with some of her Hollywood colleagues
At one point Taylor gets desperate with Maryman who insists on asking her about her beauty The journalist asks her if she realizes that she is a sex symbol, a sexual goddess You ve asked me that 19 times! the actress protests And she answers: “I’m a girl, I’m a woman I don’t feel special ” She also mentions some of the times she felt discriminated against harassed or threatened precisely because she was attractive The most disturbing: one of her husbands the sinister Eddie Fisher pointed his gun at her head and said: Don t worry I won t kill you because you re too pretty She goes so far as to confess to the interviewer: I m looking forward
The documentar y ‘The Lost Tapes’ contains the confessions of the actress at the moment of her greatest global fame
Burton (and it is said the sexual tension between them went beyond the screen) One is the super-production Cleopatra the first time that an actress was paid a million dollars The job took much longer than expected because, halfway through the shoot, Taylor came down with a serious case of pneumonia and was unable to return to the set until two years later When she did, for the scene of Cleopatra’s triumphal parade before the masses in Rome the extras really cheered her And the other is Who s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? a complex drama in which she finally achieved her goal of looking ugly (well not exactly, but she was made up to look older and heavier), which earned her a second Oscar and was a great source of pride for her Hidden behind Martha, she explained, she felt free and could be rude However she had very bad memories (“embarrassing ” “horrible”) of Butterfield 8 the film with which she had won her first Oscar after three nominations without a prize She believes that they gave it to her out of pity for her health problems: It was because of the tracheotomy
At the end of the documentary, there is a hurried account of what happened to Taylor after the 1960s, before dying in 2011 at the age of 79 It briefly touches on her lowest moments her addictions to alcohol and other drugs her inevitable physical decline her time in a rehabilitation clinic (where she met her last husband Larry Fortensky) Her involvement in the cause of AIDS gets more coverage starting with the death of her friend Rock Hudson in 1985, which was praiseworthy at a time when the disease carried a terrible stigma She says that many of her friends belonged to the LGBTQ+ community at a time when it was not possible to come out of the closet There would be no Hollywood she says in the tapes without the homosexual community
(MAGA) prevailed by building a coalition Working-class Americans (including higher numbers of Asian, Hispanic, and Black voters) who liked Trump’s anti-system message
IN 1987 the historian Paul Kennedy pub-
lished his influential bestseller The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, which dwelled on the theme of imperial overreach and concluded with a look at the Soviet Union and the United States – the two great powers of the time Within just a few years the Soviet Union collapsed opening the door for the US to emerge as the world s only fully dominant power Given recent events however it may be time to dust off Kennedy s book and consider its lessons anew
In July 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, I wrote a worried commentary titled “Late Soviet America ” We were nearing the end of President Donald Trump’s first term and I feared that the US was stuck in a hopeless rut Though the country had an enormous pool of talent and energy the political system was dysfunctional The two main parties selected their candidates undemocratically (since the primary process had mostly atrophied), and largescale stimulus checks appeared to have become the preferred method of gaining political popularity
In this context the change from Trump to President Joe Biden made little difference America did not have a Soviet-style one-party state but nor did it have much inter- or intra-party democracy Voters still felt shortchanged, and big spending was still seen as the key to electoral success and social stability America seemed destined to remain in its late-Soviet stage
The Soviet collapse transpired in two stages with an immobile gerontocracy giving way to a misconceived attempt at radical, disruptive reform When Konstantin Chernenko became General Secretary of the Communist Party in 1984, he was already 72 He had succeeded a senile Leonid Brezhnev and an ailing Yuri Andropov but he himself was so decrepit that he struggled to read the eulogy at Andropov s funeral Then came Mikhail Gorbachev who promised to rejuvenate the USSR by breaking the chains of the old bureaucracy with perestroika (economic reform) and glasnost (openness and transparency) But the effort to sweep away old thinking unleashed centrifugal forces especially suppressed nationalisms which soon swept away the Soviet Union itself
Today especially in Russia many analysts are applying this analysis of Soviet decay to the US Prominent figures compare Trump to Gorbachev, whose reforms shattered the USSR While Trump is much older than Gorbachev was, he too is an insider who casts himself as an outsider as someone who will break the system After camouflaging his revolutionary project during the campaign Trump is
his intentions
Like
ment,
Qamar Bashir
B
I O L E N C E D E S P I T E C E A S E F I R E D E A L
Macron inspec ts ‘sublime’ Notre Dame af ter reconstruc tion
ing restoration to return the imposing Paris cathedral to its former glory after it was badly damaged by fire on April 19, 2019 Macron at the time set the ambi-
tious goal to rebuild the masterpiece of Gothic architecture within five years and make it “even more beautiful” than before, a target that the French authorities say has been met The “building site of the century was a challenge that many considered insane Macron said on the eve of his visit on Friday The French president is hoping the reopening of Notre Dame will be a major feather in his cap amid the current political deadlock following early parliamentary elections this summer World leaders are expected to attend but the guest list has yet to be unveiled Some 250 companies and hundreds of experts were brought it for restoration work costing hundreds of millions of euros All 2,000 people who contributed to the effort have been invited to Friday’s
event, of whom at least 1,300 are expected to attend “This final site visit is an opportunity to thank them in particular from wood craftsmen to those of metal and stone from scaffolders to roofers from bell makers to art restorers from gilders to masons and sculptors from carpenters to organ builders, from architects, archaeologists, engineers and planners to logistical and administrative functions,” Macron said The restoration cost a total of nearly €700 million (more than $750m at today s rate) It was financed from the €846m in donations that poured in from 150 countries in an unprecedented surge of solidarity The 19th-century gothic spire has now been resurrected with an exact copy of the original the stained windows have regained their colour the walls shining after fire stains cleaned and a restored
Iran, Europeans meet to test diplomac y with Trump term looming
CORPORATE CORNER
g PUNJAB CHIEF MINISTER REVIEWS MEA SURES TO DEAL WITH URBAN FLOODING, SEEKS PLAN TO TO PROTECT
The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) stands as a powerful testament to Pakistan s commitment to social justice and social protection The very idea of social safety programme was conceived by the ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan Mohtarma Shaheed Benazir Bhutto during her time in exile, the idea aimed to provide economic relief to the country’s most vulnerable population, particularly women who often bore the brunt of socio-economic inequities After her unfortunate assassination Peoples Party led Federal Government launched BISP in 2008 and her vision was transformed into reality under the leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari Today BISP through quarterly cash grant supports 9 6 million households a number set to increase to 10 million by June 2025, becoming Pakistan s largest and most influential social protection program This ambitious program, designed to offer direct financial assistance to the poorest families through Benazir Kafalat programme has been particularly transformative for women, positioning them as heads of their households in a country where women have historically been sidelined in economic social and political de-
cision-making From providing cash transfers and promoting maternal and child health through programs like Benazir Nashonuma, to investing in education with the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif initiative and now implementing a skill development program to ensure poverty graduation through global employability of beneficiaries & their families, BISP continues to break barriers, offering financial inclusion and social empowerment to millions across Pakistan A Journey of Learning and Leading Once a learner BISP now stands as a leader in global social protection, setting an example for developing countries to follow For years, BISP has looked beyond its borders to draw lessons from international models of social protection adapting and refining its own initiatives But in a remarkable turn of events, developing countries from across the globe are now visiting Pakistan to study BISP’s practices, which have gained recognition worldwide for their success in empowering marginalized populations Recently in October 2024 a 21-member Ugandan delegation, led by Ms Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye, Secretary of Public Service, paid four-day study visit to the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) While briefing the
Wateen to provide 24x7 securit y operations center ser vices to Zarai Taraqiati Bank
S TA F F R E P O R T Pakistan s premier agriculture financing bank Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) and Wateen, a pioneer in Pakistan’s ICT sector and a recognized leader in managed cybersecurity services, entered into a strategic partnership by establishing state-ofthe-art security operations center (SOC) aimed at safeguarding critical digital infrastructure and protecting data of over half a million ZTBL s customers The partnership was signed between Mr Tahir Yaqoob Bhatti, President/CEO of ZTBL, and Mr Adil Rashid, CEO of Wateen Senior representatives from both organizations were also present at the ceremony ZTBL has been at the forefront of digital innovation launching a wide array of modern banking services including internet banking, WhatsApp banking, mobile banking, ATM-based financial services, on-door digital services through MCO
delegates Dr Tahir Noor Additional Secretary BISP attributed BISP s success to its scientific, and objective targeting, technology based payment mechanisms the trust of international development partners and independent third-party monitoring Ms Coco Ushiyama Country Director of the World Food Program, also commended BISP's evidencebased database and its role in providing timely assistance during natural disasters
This shift represents a significant milestone not only for BISP but also for Pakistan s growing influence in the global development sector At the South-South Cooperation Forum held in Islamabad on November 14, 2024 Pakistan’s success story was showcased as a model for social protection systems across the globe Representatives from West African nations, including Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Senegal, gathered in Islamabad to learn firsthand from Pakistan’s pioneering work in social welfare Delegates were particularly impressed by BISP s ability to integrate women into the economic mainstream a critical step toward achieving long-term social and economic stability Qurat ul Ain Fatima Director Media Communication & Outreach
Innovation, financial inclusion, SME lending and forward-thinking banking regulations are key to boosting the efficiency of Pakistan’s banks, according to a new analysis by CERP and Alchemy Technologies supported by the Pakistan Banks Association (PBA) At the launch of Banking on our Banks: Aligning Growth with Development held in Karachi today industry stakeholders highlighted the vital role of the banking sector in driving growth and development While the sector has shown great improvements it is important to move beyond measuring profitability and growth as the only relevant performance indicators for evaluating the competitiveness of our banks The growing performance disparity with regional counterparts, overdependence on specific economic sectors, regulatory constraints, and limited incentives for people to use formal banking channels create an environment that hinders innovation limiting the growth potential of Pakistan s banks
grants, ranking highly in the Times Higher Education The Impact Rankings and winning two consecutive Academic Excellence Awards In response to worldwide demands UoW has expanded its offerings and is now qualified to apply for prominent international rankings, such as the QS Asia University Rankings The X' category on the HEC Self-Assessment Scorecard, which reflects UOW's enhanced research
ISLAMABAD
‘CONSIDER JUDICIAL CUSTODY’: IHC SUSPENDS
MATIULL AH JAN’S PHYSICAL REMAND
Imran, Bushra’s indictment deferred as Toshakhana-II case put off till
JIT formed to probe suspects involved in Karachi airport blast targeting Chinese nationals
The Interior Ministry on Friday formed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to investigate the suspects involved in the Karachi airport blast that targeted Chinese nationals
At least three, including two Chinese nationals were killed and dozen others injured in the blasts that took place took place on October 6 near Jinnah Airport in Karachi
The eight-member JIT will interrogate the arrested suspects –Muhammad Javed and Gul Nisa, and submit a report to the Interior Ministry within 15 days
The JIT headed by Deputy In-
spector General of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) comprises officials from security agencies Rangers Special Branch Karachi Police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) The JIT is authorized to seek assistance from any investigative agency
The formation of the JIT comes after the arrest of Javed and Gul Nisa from Sindh and Balochistan respectively Earlier an anti-terrorism court in Karachi sent two suspects on a 10day physical remand in connection with the recent blast near Karachi Airport As per details, the two suspects Javed and Gul Nisa were produced in court after their initial remand expired The investigation
officer informed the court that Javed had been identified by eyewitnesses According to the police the suspects provided assistance to the suicide bomber who targeted a convoy of Chinese nationals near the airport The police claimed that the suspects are linked with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army The Chinese Embassy in Islamabad condemned the attack and offered assistance to Pakistan to tackle the growing terrorist attacks As per Xinhua news outlet the banned outfit Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack through a statement on a social media platform while the Pakistani authorities have not confirmed it
