PAKISTAN, UAE INK FIVE ACCORDS AS CROWN PRINCE VISIT DEEPENS BILETERAL TIES
Abu Dhabi crown prince reaffir ms UAE’s suppor t for Pakistan’s economy
OFIT A P P Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed has reiterated the UAE’s support for Pakistan’s economic development and prosperity as the two countries inked deals to boost bilateral ties
The statement came as the crown prince undertook a day-long visit to Pakistan on Thursday, during which he held a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed matters of bilateral interest This was the first official visit of Sheikh Khalid to Pakistan in his capacity as crown prince PM Shehbaz warmly welcomed
residents in securing jobs People from rural Sindh are being given jobs in urban areas under fraudulent domiciles which is completely unfair he stated He emphasized the need for a uniform law, calling on the Chief Minister of Sindh to ensure justice for the youth of Karachi and Hyderabad The MQM leader also raised concerns about the treatment of retired civic body employees highlighting the non-payment of dues "The Sindh government is responsible for paying the dues of KMC employees since the 18th Amendment but they have failed to do so, resulting in the economic hardship of retired employees," said Sattar
He further said that the project will benefit the ports of Gwadar and Abu Dhabi and would prove to be a game changer for the whole region
The PM lauded the UAE s consistent and strong support for Pakistan in various fields, including at difficult times
He deeply appreciated the keen interest shown by the UAE in expanding its investment portfolio in Pakistan and remarked that the recent successful investment initiatives between various Pakistani entities and Abu Dhabi Ports were a shining example of this robust and ever-expanding cooperation
Abu Dhabi s crown prince while reaffirming Pakistan s resolve to further strengthen the historic and fraternal bonds between Pakistan and the UAE The one-on-one meeting between the two leaders was followed by the delegation level talks Recalling his most productive meeting with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, the premier said that it was a matter of huge satisfaction that the two countries were now working more closely than ever before to transform their excellent political ties into a mutually beneficial economic partnership PM Shehbaz said that during his recent visit to Uzbekistan, the project of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway Line was discussed, and Uzbekistan showed keen interest in the project
Coalition cabinet expands as new ministers, advisors sworn in
ISLAMABAD S
The PML-N-led coalition government expanded its federal cabinet to 46 members with 27 new federal ministers state ministers and advisors took oath at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath to the new federal cabinet members at a prestigious ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr wherein Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani were also in attendance A total of 12 federal ministers, 9 ministers of state and 3 advisers were inducted into the cabinet
The induction of 13 federal ministers 11 state ministers and three advisors to the federal cabinet saw the inclusion of the coalition parties in the PM Shehbaz-led government
Those sworn in as federal ministers include: Hanif Abbasi Moeen Watto Mustafa Kamal Sardar Yousuf, Aurangzeb Katchi, Rana Mubashir, Raza Hayat Hiraj, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Ali Pervaiz Malik Shaza Fatima Junaid Anwar and Khalid Magsi
Among the new ministers of state are: Talal Chaudhry Barrister Aqeel Malik Malik Rasheed Kheal Das Kohistani, Abdul Rehman Kanju, Bilal Azhar Kayani, Mukhtar Bharath, Aun Chaudhry and Wajiha Qamar
The newly appointed advisers include Pervez Khattak Tauqir Shah and Muhammad Ali The
and close rela-
Haideri and Senator Kamran Murtaza In a post on X the PTI s UK chapter shared clips of security personnel, alleging: Entrance to Legend Hotel blocked by troops this morning Participants prevented from entering “National conference for the restoration of constitutional democracy again interrupted ” it added Incarcerated
BAT WARNS OF RS34 BILLION TA X REVENUE LOSS DUE TO ILLICIT CIGARETTE TRADE
The Privatisation Commission has paid $4 3 million to its financial advisor, Ernst & Young, for expenses related to the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) during 2023-24 with the remaining $2 5 million to be disbursed later as the government prepares to invite expressions of interest (EoIs) for PIA s privatisation in early March, aiming to complete the transfer to private ownership before the fiscal year ends During a meeting of the Standing Committee on Privatisation chaired by MNA Muhammad Farooq Sattar the Privatisation Commission Secretary provided an update on the financial expenditures related to PIACL s sell-off
The process, which previously stalled gained momentum after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) granted a waiver on the 18% general sales tax for new aircraft acquisitions and permitted the government to absorb PIA s Rs45 billion negative equity
The committee was also updated on
PIA s real estate assets, which include 26 properties under PIA Holdings and five owned directly by the airline Among these is a prime plot in Islamabad s Blue Area valued between Rs10-12 billion currently under review Additionally PIA Holdings owns seven overseas properties, including the Roosevelt Hotel in New York and the Scribe Hotel in Paris The Roosevelt Hotel’s lease is set to expire in May and steps to vacate the property will begin with a three-month notice period
The committee instructed the commission to provide a detailed breakdown of properties transferred to holding companies
The committee also reviewed the Privatisation Commission (Amendment) Bill 2024 and raised concerns over Clause 4 Section 7(4) questioning whether the prime minister could be granted exclusive decision-making authority in the privatisation process instead of the federal cabinet The Ministry of Law was directed to submit a written clarification in the next meeting
Discussions also focused on the privatisation of Pakistan Engineering Com-
pany (PECO), which was added to the privatisation list in August 2024 The secretary informed the committee that PECO currently has no active production line and employs only 32 staff members While the National Investment Trust (NIT) holds a 23% stake in PECO concerns were raised over unclear share transactions on the stock exchange Private sector representatives highlighted that PECO once produced aircraft parts in the 1960s and that under private management its losses had reduced from Rs2 billion to Rs700 million The committee instructed the Privatisation Commission Secretary to consult with the Secretaries of Industries and Law and submit a detailed report on PECO’s situation within 40 days Additionally the Ministry of Industries was directed to ensure that PECO employees receive their salaries before Eid The meeting was attended by MNAs Anwar ul Haq Chaudhry, Abdul Qadir Khan Asiya Naz Tanoli Nazir Ahmed Bhugio Mubarak Zeb Sehar Kamran and Mehboob Shah along with senior officials from the ministry
FBR revokes export facilitation scheme for steel scrap importers
between both the countries and their peoples the FO said yesterday This visit underscores the deep-rooted fraternal ties between Pakistan and the UAE and reflects the shared commitment to further strengthen bilateral economic partnership,” the FO highlighted “Pakistan and the UAE have always enjoyed a relationship characterised by mutual respect trust and shared aspirations it said The FO noted that the crown prince s visit demonstrated both countries commitment to elevate the mutual cooperation, reflective of growing partnership and robust people-to-people linkages” Pakistan and the UAE witnessed a high-level interaction on February 11, when PM Shehbaz met with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi The premier was visiting the Gulf country to present Pakistan s case for climate finance at the World Governments Summit
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs has approved Rs3 046 billion for development projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the financial year 2025-26 The decision was made during a committee meeting chaired by MNA Abdul Qadir Patel, where members unanimously backed the Ministry of Maritime Affairs’ budgetary proposals Addressing key concerns in the maritime sector the committee formed a sub-committee to tackle severe traffic congestion around Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and address poor road conditions affecting commuters The sub-committee, led by Sardar Nabil Ahmed Gabol with members Kesoo Mal Kheal Das and Hassaan Sabir, has been tasked with resolving these
Pak-Uzbek trade
PR I M E M I N I S T E R followed up his hosting of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan with a visit to Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan While he oversaw many MoUs between Pakistan and Turkiye he also agreed with President Erdogan to boost bilateral trade to $2 billion In Azerbaijan, he agreed to $2 billion investment in Pakistan while in Uzbekistan he agreed to increase bilateral trade in four years to $2 billion which would be a quintupling from the present $400 million Uzbekistan is important as the most populous Central Asian republic while Azerbaijan has its own importance as an oil-rich state with capital it wants to invest At the same time, it is possible to discern the common thread of Pakistan s being drawn into the neo-Otomanism President Erdogan is supposed to propagate It should be noted that Pakistan was never part of the Ottoman state, but then neither were Uzbekistan or Azerbaijan, or any other of the ex-Soviet Central Asian Republics However especially under Erdogan but even earlier Trurkiye has taken an abiding interest in the Central Asian republics (even when they were part of the USSR) as the cradle of the Turkish people Pakistan may never have formed part of this ‘Turcosphere’ but now it can claim it is joining There is a certain logic to this for the cultural and religious ties between Pakistan and Turkiye are
The
between
and Pakistan but the means of
will have
created by
and
by
will be
Compounding confusion
of
The
Another aspect is the
by
benefit to the Economic Cooperation Organisation which can be seen as that Turcosphere plus Iran and Pakistan ECO is the old RCD plus Afghanistan and the Central Asian republics Turkiye should be part of the European Union and Pakistan of SAARC However, while Europe is dragging its feet over admitting a Muslim country, India is stubbornly trying to sabotage the trade potential of another Whereas Turkiye should allow Pakistani goods a route to Europe, Pakistan should provide Turkiye s path to India However, if instead of trying to solve the political issues increased bilateral trade would lead to greater connectivity with Europe and India Increased trade with Central Asia would also mean that its transit trade through Gwadar would get a boost, which must count as one of the benefits of enhancing trade
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
toward every Punjabi makes them the very oppressors they claim to resist The systematic targeting of innocent civilians is not a rebellion against injustice it is an injustice in itself
Even if these militants reject Pakistani laws, they cannot be oblivious to international law, which holds them accountable for their actions Dehumanizing individuals based on ethnicity is not just a violation of international humanitarian law but also an act of terrorism punishable under global legal frameworks Several key provisions underscore this: Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees every individual’s right to life, liberty, and security Article
are put through severe security checks, which is seen as an ordeal by them and the security lapses, after such ordeals become more frustrating for them As one disillusioned resident of Balochistan vented on social media: One side doesn t allow us to travel without ID cards while the other side doesn t allow us to travel with them We are crushed between both The February 19 target killing of Punjabi travellers occurred just hundreds of metres from a Levies check post on N-70 National Highway Shockingly this was the second such attack on the same highway and in the same vicinity within a few months The masses hardly see any hope A worker in Quetta confided to me: Will it be safe to travel in a private car? I brought my family here, and now I worry how to send them back We all have Punjab addresses on our CNICs ” This isn’t just one man’s fear– it is the silent terror gripping thousands of labourers in Balochistan They have committed no crime yet they pay the ultimate price The ruling elite apparently disconnected from these realities, offers nothing beyond hollow condemnations What is even more disturbing than the lack of the writ of the government is the silence of
Balochistan s civil society While many voices are quick to highlight injustices against the Baloch, Pashtun or Hazara, and rightly so, there is no outcry against the ethnic cleansing of Punjabis Most of these Punjabis belong to the same province face all the hardships equally as the other communities yet they find no sympathizers for them when they get attacked No protests against their killings, no road blocks, no strikes and no social media outcry The attacks of 36-27 August 2024 when the militants launched coordinated assaults on multiple towns and highways should have been a wake-up call But instead of strengthening security, the situation has continued to deteriorate Passengers are dragged from buses and executed Even the military convoys are tracked and ambushed with impunity and the pattern is chillingly repetitive The Pakistan Security Report 2024 docu-
Polio persists
Lawless wheels
Unsafe halls
AAdersh hAMZA
A geopolitical play to counter China’s resource dominance
lithium,
Dstance on green energy has been contradictory On one hand he has consistently opposed environmental initiatives such as the Biden Administration s push for electric vehicles which he claims threaten US jobs in the auto industry On the other hand, he has shown a keen interest in securing the critical minerals needed for these very technologies This paradox highlights Trump’s pragmatic approach to resource acquisition driven by the need to reduce USA dependence on China which currently dominates the global supply chain for critical minerals China controls approximately 60 percent of the world’s supply of rare earth elements and other critical minerals giving it significant leverage in the global market Trump s tariffs on Chinese imports including graphite a key component of lithium-ion batteries have disrupted supply chains and raised concerns among US manufacturers, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk By targeting Greenland’s mineral wealth Trump aims to create an alternative supply chain that bypasses China thereby strengthening US economic and technological independence Greenland s mineral deposits are staggering The island is estimated to hold six million tons of graphite, 106 kilotons of copper, and 235 kilotons of lithium, among other resources These minerals are crucial for producing batteries renewable energy technologies and advanced electronics The Amitsoq graphite project in southern Greenland, for instance, is considered one of the purest
interest in Greenland s resources investing in mining projects and seeking
alarms in Washington, where policymakers view China’s growing influence in the Arctic as a threat to US national security Trump s desire to acquire Greenland can
China s access to these resources and ensure that the USA maintains control over the critical minerals needed for its technological and military dominance
While the geopolitical and economic motivations behind Trump’s interest in Greenland are clear the human cost of this imperialist ambition cannot be ignored Greenland s Indigenous Inuit population the Kalaallit, have endured centuries of colonization and systemic oppression From forced assimilation programmes in the 1950s to the recent revelations of involuntary sterilizations in the 1960s the Kalaallit have suffered immensely under foreign rule
Today Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, and the majority of its population opposes Trump’s neocolonial efforts In a 2016 referendum 68 percent of Greenlanders supported independence from Denmark and 85 percent are against the idea of the USA acquiring the island Greenland s Prime Minister Múte Egede has made it clear that the island is not for sale and that its people have no interest in becoming part of the USA Trump’s disregard for the aspirations of the Kalaallit reflects a broader pattern of eco-colonialism where powerful nations exploit the resources of weaker territories without regard for the rights and well-being of
their inhabitants This approach not only un-
dermines the principles of self-determination and sovereignty but also perpetuates the cycle of exploitation and inequality that has characterized colonial history Trump s push to acquire Greenland is not just a government initiative; it is also driven by the interests of powerful billionaires and corporations Elon Musk a close ally of Trump has a vested interest in securing a steady supply of critical minerals for Tesla s electric vehicles Musk s public endorsement of Trump s Greenland ambitions, coupled with
As the world transitions to a green energy future , the competition for critical minerals will only intensify, making it imperative to address these issues in a way that respects human rights, promotes sustainability, and fosters international cooperation. TrumpÊs approach, driven by ego and corporate interests, falls shor t of these ideals and underscores the need for a more ethical and inclusive vision of global leadership.
know it I was almost at the end of the course!
WI L L I A M Shakespeare once said What s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet Unlike this famous line from Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet, if anyone asks me what’s in a name, I will say – Everything!
It’s my name which decides whether I will return home or not if I will meet a similar fate as Akhlaq or Junaid if I will receive free ration and whether or not I will be asked if I am a Bangladeshi in a passport verification office I was born in 1987 and was named Moumita – a typical Bengali Hindu name Many of my cousin brothers and sisters of that time have names like Toni, Jimi, Swapan, Bablu, Mita and so on, all being common Bengali names It was the pre Babri masjid demolition and pre liberalisation era Our parents who lived in West Bengal – then ruled by a Left government – had a secular perspective I had never seen any Maulavi deciding the names of newborns The post Babri trauma left a dent of fear in the mind of the Muslim community Even in my parents’ generation, my aunts had names such as Mira, Mina, Rina and Hina, etc But things started to change by the mid-nineties I heard people inside my community say that a Muslim should have a proper Muslim name to get a place in jannat (heaven) It s also the time when the villages of Bengal saw the rise of the Tablighi Jamaat Around the time of 9/11, we got acquainted with the word Taliban The post Babri trauma left a dent of fear in the mind of the Muslim community Even though there was no significant rioting in Bengal during and after the Babri masjid demolition the impact the event created pushed the Muslims to find a place where they could feel secure Conservative sects like the Tablighi Jamaat gave the Muslims that comfort of brotherhood and security The Bengali Muslims who were always believers of the Pir sect –which is more diverse and plural – started leaning towards relatively more conservative sects like the Jamaat Name is like the cover of a book that often becomes the determinant for many to judge the content So my name has always brought its advantages and disadvantages for me When I was in college, it helped me get accommodation Much like other cities in India, it s always difficult for a Muslim to find accommodation
It s my name which brought a lot of nagging questions in my in-laws mind too They asked me many questions about why I don t have an Arabic, Persian or Urdu name They wondered that my family must not be “Muslim” enough Thankfully, Shakespeare wasn’t born in the Modi era In the post 2014 Modi era, the focus has shifted It has shifted from my first name to the title – Alam Now I m just a Muslim who can be lynched over any pretext Thankfully Shakespeare wasn t born in the Modi era Had that been the case he would have surely not written what s in a name? In this age, an Aadhar card is akin to the Jewish identification card in the Third Reich If you don’t possess it or if there are any mistakes in it you are at the receiving end of every harassment and may also cease to exist digitally
As a teacher working in a government-run madrassa where all of my students are first generation learners coming from the marginalised class, mistakes in names are very common Is there any relationship between mistakes in names and the class, caste and gender identity of a person? Yes it surely has Most of my students live with their grandparents and their parents either leave them behind to work in cities as migrant workers Sometimes they take their children with them for a few months and before long the kids are again sent back to live with their grandparents In this process, some parents lose their papers in transit
When people don’t have any guarantee of their next meal maintaining papers and keeping them safe become a travesty The grandparents take the kids for Aadhaar enrolment to school admission and often pronounce their names with a strong influence of local dialects in the accent The officials fail to understand the names, and as a result, their names remain misspelt No wonder I often find students who have three different names in different papers So Sumaiya becomes Chhumaiya or Chumaiya depending on the officials and whether they paid attention In my first workplace in Murshidabad which has a majority of Muslim population most of my colleagues used to think that I converted after marriage because they didn t know that a Muslim woman s name can be Moumita During the NRC-CAA protests in 2019-20, I wanted to update my address right after my divorce I was traumatised to see the long queue before the Aadhar correction centres and the fact that most of the married women s names needed to be corrected as either the family or the officials changed their titles to Bibi from whatever titles they used to have before marriage This is also a violence, killing one s name by putting a stamp that the women are property of their husbands In February 2021 I was traveling to Murshidabad by train The fellow passengers started their discussions with usual stereotypical narratives of Muslim vilification I was hoping in bated breath that they wouldn t know my identity I was scared Just then the ticket checker arrived Shivers ran down through my spine! Will I face the same fate as Akhlaq or Junaid and all those who were lynched to death? I somehow managed to say my first name and showed him my ticket on my mobile so that he won’t utter my name!
TH E United Nations Conferences on Financing for Development have been great occasions for building consensus on global financing issues
The next meeting, set for mid-2025 in Spain, will continue the progress made previously in Monterrey (2002), Doha (2008), and Addis Ababa (2015) and preparations are already underway with the launch of two major background documents While a Zero Draft will serve as the basis for the negotiations delegates also will consider a set of proposals from an international commission of experts that I had the honor of coordinating Both reflect the ambition to build on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda
The central objective of this process is to support developing countries’ growth strategies The commission of experts emphasized the need to restore and strengthen the transformative role of the state envisioning it as a key driver of development and structural transformation That means emphasizing the quality as well as the quantity of resources that are mobilized, and replacing a short-term project-focused agenda with one geared toward collectively defined longer-term goals
Each task calls for strengthening the currently weakened multilateral system and creating new regional platforms
A crucial issue is public-sector over-indebtedness which affects about one-third of developing countries, while several others face high debt levels and interest costs This problem stems from the large fiscal imbalances during the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in interest rates in recent years Managing it will require an ambitious short-term renegotiation instrument which can build on the G20 s 2020 Common Framework for Debt Treatments This time however the renegotiation process must be faster, and access should be extended to middle-income countries In the long term, we need a permanent mechanism for sovereign debt restructuring which could be housed either in the UN or the International Monetary Fund provided in the latter case that it remains independent of the IMF Board
Another urgent objective is to reinvigorate development financing An estimated $4 trillion more is needed annually to fund the UN Sustainable Development Goals Mobilizing these resources will require official development assistance on the scale that high-income countries committed to decades ago: 0 7% of gross national income to developing countries and 0 15-0 20% of GNI to least developed countries Most developed countries have failed to hit these targets, and the funds directed to low-income countries have actually decreased in recent years A second priority in this area is to increase the financing available from multilateral development banks (MDBs)
m A HossAin
ISRAEL FREES PALESTINIAN PRISONERS AFTER HAMAS RETURNS FOUR HOSTAGES’ BODIES
Strengthening maritime security:
nation s maritime borders continues to uphold its commitment to safeguarding Pakistan's maritime interests against any threat In pursuit of this mission, the Pakistan Navy established the Joint Maritime Information and Coordination Center (JMICC) in 2013 The JMICC provides a platform for all national stakeholders in the maritime domain, ensuring seamless information sharing and coordinated responses in case of any maritime incident Over the time the JMICC has evolved into a well-organized institution establishing links with 52 national and 11 international stakeholders Considering the challenges, resource constraints, and inherent complexities of maritime operations, a persistent presence at sea is not feasible for any single agency or organization Therefore continuous coordination and cooperation among stakeholders are essential In this regard, Pakistan Navy took the initiative of Exercise SEA GUARD in 2024 This year ’s exercise is the second edition and is being conducted from 24 to 28 February The primary aim of this exercise is to evaluate the JMICC s capability to ensure timely information exchange foster seamless coordination
among national stakeholders and generate appropriate responses to various maritime threats Through rigorous drills and real-time simulations, the exercise focuses on assessing the surveillance monitoring and response effectiveness of coastal security elements which are responsible for ensuring Pakistan s maritime security on a day-to-day basis It also seeks to enhance operational integration by coordinating surface platform operations across various branches of the armed forces and national maritime agencies This helped establish stronger relationships among national stakeholders and highlighted the importance of JMICC as an effective coordination center in the maritime domain Notably, JMICC has been approached 33 times for search and rescue operations since the last exercise in 2024 resulting in the successful rescue of over 60 precious lives with the support of Pakistan Maritime Security Agency and Pakistan Navy JMICC s international connections have also proven beneficial for maritime safety and security A recent example is the coordination with the Oman Maritime Security Center to facilitate the repair of a stranded Pakistani fishing vessel in Omani waters ensuring
the safety of
the
China
NESPAK Expands Role in Mining and Mineral Sector with Attock Placer Gold Project
CDA continues auction of commercial plots
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T
The auction of commercial plots under the administration of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) continued successfully on its third day So far, commercial plots across 18 different categories have been auctioned for a total exceeding Rs 21 84 billion On the third day of the auction a large number of investors participated and secured their preferred plots through competitive bidding Five commercial plots from various categories were auctioned for Rs 5 024 billion on the third day In the first two days of the auction, the CDA had already generated revenue exceeding Rs 16 82 billion The auction of commercial plots organized by the CDA will continue
A Collaborative Call to Action: Revitalizing Future of Pakistan's SME Auto Par ts Industr y
Mehran Commercial Enterprises today organized
comprehensive
challenges and opportunities
brought
stakeholders
forward-looking roadmap for
on
and
and sustainability Key Highlights of the Discussion: Industry Challenges & Opportunities:The session began with an acknowledgment of the severe challenges faced by SME auto parts manufacturers in Pakistan With many factories shutting down in recent years due to economic and political instability there is an urgent need to enhance the competitiveness of our local industries The discussion emphasized that while the global trend is toward technology and export orientation, our domestic market still struggles with fundamental issues such as financing, outdated infrastructure, and high operating costs • Insights from Special Guests:Mr Muskeh Provincial Chief from SMEDA Karachi and Mr Naeem National Project Coordinator for SMEs
DISRUPT.COM ANNOUNCES $100M INVESTMENT TO FUEL STARTUPS GLOBALLY
bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Islamabad early Thursday Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, and First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari welcomed the crown prince at the Noor Khan Airbase in Islamabad as he began his one-day
The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior has taken notice of the case of Mustafa Amir who was murdered last month in Karachi
The committee has issued a notice to the IG of Sindh asking him to appear before the committee on Friday, February 28, 2025
The notice states that the IG Sindh along with other relevant police officials should present details regarding the case including information about Armaghan and the drug trade
Earlier, the Sindh Home Department issued a notification in accordance with the directives of the Sindh High Court revoking the administrative powers of the judge at Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) 1 in the Mustafa Amir murder case
This move comes in light of the controversy surrounding the refusal to grant remand for Armaghan, the main accused in the Mustafa Amir murder case by ATC 1 In response the Sindh Interior Minister had formally written to the SHC addressing the issue As a result, the administrative
powers of the ATC 1 judge have now been transferred to the judge at ATC 3 following the high court s orders
Earlier Police produced two accused of Mustafa Amir murder case before a magisterial court Police presented Armaghan and Sheeraz in the court of Judicial Magistrate South “Did you issue notices to defence lawyers ” the court questioned the investigation officer
The magistrate expressed disappointment over the I/O s performance owing to which identification parade of accused could not be conducted The witnesses’ statements
could not be recorded under section 164
The court
Pakistan marks 6th anniversary of Operation Swift Retor t
Pakistan marked the sixth anniversary of Operation Swift Retort on Monday commemorating the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) decisive response to India s airspace violation on February 27 2019
The operation served as a significant moment in the country s military history, demonstrating its ability to defend its sovereignty
The events unfolded when Indian Air Force (IAF) jets crossed into Pakistani airspace on February 26 claiming to target militant camps In retaliation, the PAF launched airstrikes across the Line of Control (LoC) the following day, targeting military installations and reinforcing Pakistan’s defensive stance
During the aerial engagement the PAF shot down two Indian fighter jets, capturing Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman after his MiG-21 crashed in Azad Kashmir The incident also exposed operational lapses within the Indian forces as their own defense system mistakenly downed an Indian Mi17 helicopter killing six personnel
Operation Swift Retort not only reaffirmed Pakistan s military preparedness but also shattered India’s claims of air superiority in the region The response was a clear signal that any provocation would be met with
swift and decisive action As the nation observed this anniversary, the operation remained a symbol of Pakistan’s unwavering resolve to safeguard its borders and respond effectively to future threats
CJCSC, ser vices chiefs pay tribute to armed forces
RAWALPINDI: The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and the services chiefs have paid tribute to the professionalism bravery and sacrifices of Pakistan s armed forces on the sixth anniversary of Operation Swift Retort
In a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), military leaders commemorated the operation as a resolute response to India’s aggression on February 27 2019 The statement emphasized that the operation reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to defending its sovereignty while showcasing the operational excellence and preparedness of its forces
The operation, which saw Pakistan s military successfully deter aggression and re-establish strategic balance, remains a key moment in the country’s defense history On this occasion, the CJCSC and services chiefs reiterated their commitment to national security and regional stability vowing to remain vigilant against any threat Pakistan s military leadership also highlighted their dedication to fostering peace in the region while maintaining full operational readiness to safeguard national interests S TA F F R E P O R T