AGREES TO 2% CUT IN WITHHOLDING TA X ON PROPERT Y PURCHASES
ESTABLISHED in 1994 Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) is an intergovernmental organization (IGO) of 27 member states Conceived by Nobel Laureate Prof Dr Abdus Salam a world renowned Pakistani Scientist and Theoretical Physicist, COMSATS is aimed at bridging technology and knowledge gap between the developed and developing countries to attain sustainable socio-economic development through promotion of science technology & Innovation and sharing of indigenous capacities
Membership from Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America, constitute COMSATS platform Chairperson of the Commission is the President of Republic of Ghana Hon John Dramani Mahama The functioning of COMSATS is mainly governed by the statutory bodies COMPOSITION OF THE STATUTORY BODIES
• General Meeting: comprises Heads of State/Government of the Member Countries Consultative Committee: consists of Ministers/ Ministerial representatives of the relevant focal ministries/ government departments of the Member States
• COMSATS Network: serves as technological resource base for the organization s S&T programs and initiatives The Network comprises 25 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) It consists of:
- Coordinating Council: comprising the Heads of Centres of Excellence - Technical Advisory Committee: Scientists & Experts recommended by The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Secretariat: Government of Pakistan hosts the Secretariat in Islamabad COMSATS is committed to fostering tech-based solutions through collaborative efforts of the Member States deriving strength from its CoEs including 7 universities Efforts are directed to keeping pace with technological development and adopting the Emerging Technologies Sharing of technological knowledge capacity building promoting innovations and assisting Member States in their efforts towards implementation of SDGs are COMSATS major pursuits Through various initiatives, COMSATS
aims to empower countries to exploit the full potential of science and technology for attaining sustainable development In line with organizational objectives COMSATS maintains cooperative arrangement with The Commonwealth various entities of UN and OIC and international organizations, including ANSO, TWAS, ICGEB, The South Centre, PIDF and INSME Fields of Expertise: Biotechnology Food Technology/Agriculture Health/Medical Sciences Information and Communication Technologies Clean Energy, Climate Change/Environment, Nanotechnology, Water Research, and Material Sciences COMSATS Flagship Programs: Pioneer in Internet Services & Data Centre services along with cloud computing website-hosting software solutions and video/web conferencing The COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), one of the CoEs, has campuses in seven cities of Pakistan, educating 34,000 students CUI offers significant number of scholarships for students from COMSATS Member States COMSATS Telehealth program provides cost-effective healthcare services to the people in remote areas by a team of dedicated doctors sitting in Resource Centre in Islamabad serving around 400 patients, every day TeleHealth is a glaring example of use of technology to serve people Successful ventures of COMSATS include COMSATS Joint Centre for Industrial Biotechnology (CCIB) and COMSATS Centre for Climate & Sustainability (CCCS) Established in April 2021 at the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology (TIB) China CCIB promotes meaningful cooperation among the Member States in industrial
biotechnology CCIB has initiated five high-level joint R&D projects involving over 10 research teams; supported 14 young visiting scholars; cultivated 6 postgraduates and PhD students; published over 25 SCI papers; as well as applied six patents Capacity-building through online workshops, training courses for researchers covering frontier technologies in synthetic biology and biomanufacturing are CCIB’s highlight features The COMSATS Centre for Climate & Sustainability (CCCS) established in 2018, has attracted 20 countries and over 24 institutes to collaborate for addressing the common challenges of climate change and environmental protection In the context CCCS collaborates with international organisations and institutions focusing on the nexus of agriculture food energy water biodiversity, climate-resilient infrastructure, and disaster risk reduction CCCS promotes capacity-building; R&D; exchange of tech knowledge expertise good practices and resources among member states CCCS has contributed in capacity building activities in the areas of emerging technologies, such as green Hydrogen, Remote Sensing, Modeling and Simulation on Climate Change and Environmental Pollution, solar and fuel cell technologies Industry 4 0 and advanced nanomaterials for environmentrelated applications
Grant of observer status to COMSATS by the UNFCCC in 2023, was a milestone and manifestation of COMSATS’ significance It entitled CCCS’ participation in the sessions and meetings of the Convention's governing and subsidiary bodies and contribute to the development of action plans mandated
by the COP and its subsidiary bodies
During COP29, CCCS, in collaboration with several partner organizations, organized 13 impactful sideline events
These events focused on critical themes such as climate finance adaptation strategies disaster risk management carbon markets renewable energy and the role of innovative technologies in fostering resilience and sustainability, particularly for developing countries
COMSATS is a proponent of driving eco-friendly innovations Development of indigenous technology by its partner AGECO to convert the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles to Electric Vehicles (EVs) through retrofitting is a groundbreaking achievement It is multi-dimensional initiative with economic, social, health and environmental aspects at its centre In the context of the country of its adaptation import substitution import bill reduction attainment of SDGs 7 & 13 cleaner environment, carbon credit, and innovation with grip on technology will be the hallmark In the context of SDG 3 of opening of avenues in Renewable Energy COMSATS initiative of development of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) has met with success
These efforts, coupled with the recent launch of COMSATS Cloud Computing Services, highlight COMSATS’ commitment to strengthening the technological infrastructure that is vital for development
COMSATS is executing a skill development program for Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, for youth in merged areas in Web Design and Development, Graphics Design, Mobile App Development Business Intelligence and e-Commerce to help enhance their employability
COMSATS has also ventured into a series of other initiatives in the fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, IT AI&SQA training courses, Precision Agriculture, Genomic Sequencing, Precision Medicine etc In this regard important agreements have been concluded in the domain of emerging technologies
PM orders probe into mass tampering of impor t declarations in c ustoms clearance system:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Prime Minister s Inspection Commission (PMIC) to submit a detailed report within three days on the large-scale tampering of Goods Declaration (GD) forms through a breach in the country’s customs clearance system according to a report published by The
The Pakistan Single Window (PSW) Company, which manages the WeBOC (Web-Based One Customs) platform, has denied any involvement in the manipulation The scam involved the alteration of more than 10 000 GD forms by modifying quantities and descriptions of imported goods, allegedly to evade billions of rupees in duties
The manipulations occurred at dry ports and exploited a previously undetected vulnerability in the WeBOC system In its statement PSW
acknowledged the existence of the vulnerability but asserted that it did not require assistance from PSW or IT personnel It said some importers and clearing agents modified browser scripts to change data such as HS codes and weights in declarations filed at dry ports
While PSW admitted that WeBOC has been under its management since 2022, it claimed the vulnerability predated its takeover and said manipulation of GDs had occurred even before the Single Window s involvement The company added that it had improved the system significantly since assuming control
clearance audit
The company said it had shared all relevant GD data, including those from before its management of WeBOC with customs authorities
Pakistan Railways revenue hits record Rs88b through outsourcing, reforms
COMMENT
Unilateral end to ceasefire
TH E resumption of Israeli military operations as soon as it announced that it was breaking the Gaza ceasefire showed that it had intended to do so even while negotiating As a matter of fact, the breaking of the ceasefire was an almost needless formality, for Israel had bombed Gaza already, killing several dozen Palestinians One reason for the Israeli intransigence is so that it can oil out of the peace negotiations because they had now reached a stage where Israel was going to have to talk about something the Netanyhu government had refused to: a two-state solution The Israeli government wished to keep the negotiations at the first stage where Israel stopped killing civilians including women and children in exchange for the release of those hostages Hamas had taken on 7 October 2023
Israel had actually over-reached itself by demanding the dismantlement of Hamas The problem is that Hamas derives support from two things: first its readiness to act; second, the presence of Israel as an occupier of Palestinian land Because of that it cannot fritter away its sole negotiating advantage, the hostages it holds Israel has also shown how little it values the hostages Even though it has put them at risk once again, it has broken the ceasefire Its initial response to the October 2023 attack was passed off by Israel as a defence of Israel, but s the slaughter continued, the entire world was disgusted to the extent that Israel’s support began to slip The ceasefire led to a stopping of the rise of that anti-Israel sentiment That violence is resuming, and it is likely that there will once again be more questioning of Israeli aggression
Another point with considering is what are the implications for the two proposals for the rehabilitation of Gaza There is the Trump proposal and the Arb proposal Is Israel trying to create circumstances so that the Trump proposal can be carried out? Israel wants a Gaza Strip and a West Bank empty of Palestinians One reason a one-state solution is not acceptable to Israel is because it would have to be an apartheid state, or concede the logic of the inevitable majority The Trump proposal would be very helpful to Israel, but the only problem is that the Palestinians for not agree and nor do those countries nominated so cavalierly by President Trump
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late)
Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
functions as the basic foundation which advances progress through economic expansion, social development and international marketplace success The educational problems that exist in Quetta and the rest of Balochistan intensify because of meagre government funding and weak policy execution together with inadequate facilities The coming years demand focused efforts on education and new awareness-driven policy strategies for providing comprehensive educational facilities to all people Underfunding education in Balochistan produces direct negative effects which I have experienced personally I knew one of my friends during his childhood years His ambition to study for higher education was blocked by tuition fees that he could not afford He stopped his education because no financial assistance or school scholarships existed and began doing manual work to keep his family afloat Similar to his situation many young people across Balochistan struggle because of Inadequate educational opportunities The Balochistan education sector suffers from chronic insufficient budget allocation even though the government has made multiple funding promises The 2024-25 budget from the province allocated Rs 146 9 billion to education which amounted to 15 37 percent of the total budget expenditure The current budget allocation fails to adequately solve institutional problems within the system The budget allocation for education from Punjab and Sindh surpasses the funding in Balochistan so the province finds it difficult to provide even minimal educational standards The UNESCO endorses the GDP proportion at 4-6 percent for education funding yet Pakistan devotes only 1 7 percent of its GDP resulting in heightened differences across regions The educational exclusion rate in Pakistan is highest in Balochistan province A miserable 22 1 percent of educational institutions in the province do not function whereas rural populations face severe educational access barriers The
Pak-UAE bilateral relations
schools located in urban Quetta provide better access to education, but the educational quality is compromised through outdated study programmes, scarce teaching facilities and crowded learning environments According to UNICEF the education crisis in rural Balochistan is massive since 70 percent of primary-age children do not attend school which requires immediate action One of the most glaring issues in Balochistan s education system is the pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) UNESCO recommends a PTR of 30:1 for primary schools but in Balochistan this figure often exceeds 50:1 The province faces an acute shortage of trained teachers particularly female educators which further restricts girls enrollment The Higher Education Commission s plan to certify 200,000 new teachers nationwide by 2030 is a step in the right direction but targeted efforts are required to recruit and train teachers specifically for Balochistan’s underserved areas The urban population growth in Pakistan has reached 55 percent and Quetta experiences a rising demand for superior educational opportunities Current literacy statistics reveal that Quetta measures at 64 percent literacy yet certain isolated districts
i o n c o u p l e d w i t h s k i l l e d t e a ch e rs a l o n g w i t h e q u a l o p p o r t u n i t i e s fo r s u c c e s
During the maiden official visit to Islamabad of the UAE Crown Prince, five accords were signed in different fields between the two brotherly countries for fur ther boosting and strengthening the bilateral cooperation
in Islamabad afterwards amply depicted the closeness of sincere and mutually beneficial relations between the brotherly countries The Crown Prince’s visit will positively contribute in taking the existing relations to new heights which will obviously be mutually beneficial for Pakistan and the Emirates In all fairness the credit for the closeness of relations between the two countries go to the top civil and military leadership who were maintaining close contacts with the UAE ‘s royal family by frequently visiting Abu Dhabi and Dubai Pakistan and the UAE were major trade partners also and large number of about 1 8mmillion Pakistanis settled and working in different fields in the Emirates They were not only making positive contributions to different fields in the UAE but also sending remittances back home to their families and contributing to their motherlands’ precious foreign exchange reserves and helping in stabilizing the staggering national economy Such continued high-level frequent contacts between the UAE royal family members and Pakistan s top civil and military leadership will surely and certainly go a long way in further promoting, cementing, strengthening as well deepening of the bilateral relations for the mutually benefits of the UAE and Pakistan and their people with the passage of time
The writer is Lahore-based Freelance Journalist Columnist
Such continued high-level frequent contacts between the UAE royal family members and PakistanÊs top civil and military leadership will surely and cer tainly go a long way in fur ther promoting, cementing, strengthening as well deepening of the bilateral relations for the mutually benefits of the UAE and Pakistan and their people with the passage of time
nomenclature sense of values and proportion legal laws and moral codes customs and calendar history and traditions It is only by framing our own constitution and laws that we can safeguard and protect our rights and interests
His words were a clarion call for a just and democratic Pakistan yet the reality that has unfolded starkly contradicts this vision
The ideals of autonomy and sovereignty have been repeatedly compromised by those who have held power, as successive leaderships have engaged in self-serving governance, stifling democratic processes and eroding the very institutions meant to uphold justice and fairness Today rather than being a beacon of progress Pakistan finds itself trapped in a cycle of political instability systemic corruption and an ever-tightening grip of authoritarianism an undeniable betrayal of the aspirations laid out on that fateful day in 1940
Pakistan’s political landscape has long been plagued by arrogance self-interest and institutional overreach For over seven decades individuals across various sectors politicians, military leaders, judiciary members, and bureaucrats have wielded power with arrogance rather than humility
This unchecked self-preservation has led to systemic decay weakening institutions fostering corruption and leaving the populace to suffer Such leadership failures have steered the nation away from the democratic principles and institutional accountability envisioned at its inception
come its current challenges and fulfill the vi-
sion of a just and prosperous society
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah envisioned a Pakistan where justice and fairness would be the bedrock of governance, firmly believing that only through self-rule could the people safeguard their rights and interests In his 23 March 1940 speech he declared: We are a nation with our distinctive culture and civilization language and literature art and architecture names and
Politicians have often risen to power under the guise of public service only to prioritize personal enrichment nepotism and cronyism over national welfare This selfserving governance has fostered a culture where personal and familial gains dictate policies, undermining democratic processes and eroding institutions meant to uphold justice and fairness Consequently Pakistan finds itself trapped in a cycle of political instability systemic corruption and an evertightening grip of authoritarianism an undeniable betrayal of the aspirations laid out during its founding To realign with the nation’s foundational ideals, it is imperative for those in power to embrace humility, prioritize national interests over personal ambitions and commit to strengthening democratic institutions Only through such a paradigm shift can Pakistan hope to over-
However, instead of fostering genuine democratic processes, Pakistan’s political system has been held hostage by a handful of elite families that have monopolized power for decades Dynastic politics has not only stifled fresh leadership but has also led to a governance model where merit and competency are replaced with cronyism The passage of draconian laws such as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and the 26th Constitutional Amendment alongside the crackdown on opposition leaders and social media censorship have further eroded democratic values While other countries have progressed by embracing political reforms and participatory democracy, Pakistan remains shackled by a feudal mindset that prioritizes loyalty over capability The result is a political system that fails to deliver on essential governance economic stability and public welfare Pakistan s military establishment has long been a dominant force in shaping the country s political and governance landscape, often stepping beyond its constitutional mandate Historically this overreach has contributed to a fragile democratic order where institutions have struggled to function independently The pattern of military interventions beginning with Ayub Khan s 1958 coup set in motion a legacy where civilian leadership frequently found itself subordinated to unelected power centres The ramifications of these interventions have been profound weakening democratic norms distorting governance structures and creating an environment where accountability remains selective While past miscalculations resulted in economic instability, diplomatic challenges, and internal strife Pakistan today finds itself at a crucial juncture The nation is confronting one of the gravest security threats in its history requiring a focused and strategic approach The current military leadership has demonstrated resolve in tackling these existential threats, ensuring that counterterrorism remains at the forefront of national priorities However to safeguard Pakistan’s stability it is imperative that lessons from the past are heeded military institutions must not entangle themselves in political manoeuvring but should instead direct their energies toward securing the nation against internal and external threats The fight against terrorism demands unwavering commitment and any diversion from this mission whether
through political entanglements or institu-
tional overreach risks undermining the country s security and progress
The judiciary, which ought to be the guardian of justice, has repeatedly played into the hands of power players From endorsing military takeovers under the pretext of the Doctrine of Necessity to disqualifying elected leaders on dubious legal grounds the judiciary has often acted as a tool of political manipulation rather than as an impartial arbiter of justice The consequences of this judicial complicity have been catastrophic diminishing public trust in legal institutions eroding the rule of law and enabling a governance culture where decisions are dictated by vested interests rather than by constitutional mandates
The failure of the judiciary to act as an independent institution has resulted in selective accountability where laws are weaponized against political opponents while real perpetrators of corruption and abuse of power remain untouched The Supreme Court s controversial decisions in recent years, including its silence on the abrogation of fundamental rights and politically motivated cases against opposition leaders have raised serious concerns In contrast nations with strong judicial systems such as Germany and Canada have ensured that justice remains blind to political influences, strengthening democratic institutions rather than undermining them
Compounding these institutional failures is a bureaucratic machinery that has remained stagnant in its colonial-era ethos
Rather than serving as a neutral administrative structure aimed at public welfare Pakistan s bureaucracy has become an extension of political patronage, corruption, and inefficiency The culture of favoritism, nepotism, and red tape has stifled governance rendering policy implementation ineffective and public service delivery abysmal
The cumulative impact of these failures has left Pakistan mired in economic paralysis, social polarization, and global isolation
The economy remains shackled by policy inconsistencies, a lack of institutional continuity and corruption-driven decision-making
The governance structure which favors a select elite over the broader masses has fueled social inequalities and disillusionment among the citizenry While nations that embraced governance reforms such as Malaysia and Vietnam have witnessed economic takeoff Pakistan continues to struggle under the weight of misgovernance
The contrast between the vision of 23 March 1940 and the current reality of Pakistan is stark and unsettling The resolution envisioned a nation built on democratic governance, social justice, and economic empowerment yet Pakistan’s trajectory has been marked by
More recently, The G uardian announced it would stop posting on X, concluding it is ‘a toxic media platform.’ Dagens Nyheter, the Swedish newspaper of record, Le Monde, the French newspaper of record, and La Vanguardia, the leading newspaper in B arcelona, quit X, too 2 3 March 1940 stands as a monumental day in the history of Pakistan a day when the Lahore Resolution set forth a vision of self-determination, justice, and equitable governance It was a promise to carve out a nation where democracy rule of law and economic prosperity would flourish The Resolution clearly articulated: That the areas in which the Muslims are numerically in a majority, as in the North-Western and Eastern zones of India, should be grouped to constitute ‘independent states’ in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign ” Yet more than eight decades later Pakistan s March 23 legacy remains overshadowed by a crisis of leadership where betrayal has replaced commitment, and ambition has supplanted service Instead of progressing towards an inclusive and just society Pakistan’s leadership has consistently strayed from its foundational aspirations steering the country into a perpetual state of crisis The political elite the military establishment, and the bureaucratic machinery each, in its own way have systematically undermined the very vision that March 23 sought to enshrine turning the promise of a just and prosperous Pakistan into an unfulfilled dream
G
f re s hwate r re s o u
of people who live downstream and depend on the release of water stored over past winters during the hottest and driest parts of the year Glacier melts also increase natural hazards like floods Preservation of glaciers is not just an environmental, economic, and societal necessity It s a matter of survival,
largest contributor to sea-level rise after the warming of the ocean According to research coordinated by the WGMS between 2000 and 2023 glaciers lost 5% of their remaining ice In this period, the global glacier mass loss totals 6,542 billion tons – or 273 billion tons of ice lost per year, according to the study This amounts to what the entire global population currently consumes in 30 years assuming three liters of water per person per day In the last two decades glacier melt contributed 18 mm to global sea-level rise This might not sound like much, but it has a big impact: every millimeter of sea-level rise exposes an additional 200,000 to 300,000 people to annual flooding ” said Zemp EXTRA BURDEN ON MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES: Melting and change in mountain glaciers and snowpack pose added threats to communities in the high mountain region, including Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) The UN Water report Mountains and glaciers: Water towers says that “the water resources we receive from mountains are literally melting away before our eyes It also confirms that the Hindu Kush Himalaya Region-which is also known as the Third pole, among the world’s highest and most extensive glacier systems is among the most vulnerable to ongoing changes and is disappearing at an alarming rate The study says reduced water flows and increased droughts are expected to jeopardize food, water, energy, and livelihood security in the HKH region as well as disrupt ecosystems and escalate risks of conflict and migration ” Pema Gyamtsho Director General of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) says that these reports are the latest wake-up call The studies rightly place the mountain cryosphere at the very top of the climate science agenda They confirm that the mountain cryosphere is one of the most sensitive components of the Earth system to global climate change he said Glaciers in the HKH region which stores more ice and snow than any region outside the poles are especially at risk
Nearly one-fourth of annual average runoff in the HKH’s major river basins comes from snowmelt with significantly higher contributions in the western region reaching 77% for Helmand 74% for Amu Darya and 40% for the Indus river system
The pattern of decreasing snowfall could be particularly alarming for mountain and downstream communities that are directly dependent on this snowmelt This also means that relevant agencies need to come up with proper management plans to offset water stress said Sher Muhammad Remote Sensing Specialist at ICIMOD T o d a y ’ s s o c i a l m e d i a a r e n o l o n g e r s a f e f o r
HA N N A H Arendt, the GermanAmerican political theorist who studied totalitarian regimes, noted in 1974 that “The moment we no longer have a free press anything can happen What makes it possible for a totalitarian or any other dictatorship to rule is that people are not informed; how can you have an opinion if you are not informed?
Fifty years later, we have nearly reached that moment This is existential for all independent (i e not allied with a political party or authoritarian regime) news organizations and their ability to reach audiences in the social media space Social media like Twitter (now X) and Facebook became important environments for the news media to enter two decades ago because they are where millions of people congregate online For journalism organizations the goal has been to post interesting stories and get referrals those users who click through to the news site and boost web page views
Yet, that relationship has fallen apart Ultimately, tech companies are not interested in helping journalism or aiding civil discourse The annual Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism digital news report for 2025 notes big falls in referral traffic to news sites from Facebook (67%) and Twitter (50%) over the last two years
The even bigger problem for independent news media is that most social media platforms are increasingly antithetical to freedom of the press
Since Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in 2022 and turned it into X it s become the disinformation-drenched social platform of the Donald Trump administration This year, genuflecting to Trump, Meta (corporate parent of Facebook Instagram Threads and WhatsApp) announced it would drop its independent fact-checking program in the U S in favor of an anemic crowd-sourced community notes system, which has already been a failure at X Another popular news platform, TikTok, has serious disinformation problems, security liabilities and an uncertain future Several news organizations around the globe decided they won t take it anymore NPR stopped posting on X in 2023 after the platform insisted on designating it as U S
state-affiliated media ” More recently, The Guardian announced it would stop posting on X concluding it is a toxic media platform Dagens Nyheter the Swedish newspaper of record Le Monde the French newspaper of record, and La Vanguardia, the leading newspaper in Barcelona, quit X, too The European Federation of Journalists, representing about 320 000 journalists did the same “We cannot continue to participate in feeding the social network of a man who proclaims the death of the media and therefore of journalists, EFJ president Maja Sever wrote But, simply quitting X only eliminates the worst option and settles for the slightly less bad options that remain It doesn’t have to be this way There are millions of people in the social media space and journalism shouldn t leave them behind For example 54% of Americans get their news often or sometimes from social media Adults 18-29 are the heaviest users of social media platforms They deserve a social media platform that respects and informs them That’s why legitimate news media should band together and regain the autonomy they ceded to third-party social media Independent news organizations–large and small–should cooperatively create and control their own social media platform that amplifies news and public information encourages links to member news organizations and excludes misinformation and disinformation The model for this is something almost as old as modern journalism, too: The Associated Press, an international cooperative nonprofit news agency As the AP tells its founding story “In 1846 five New York City newspapers funded a pony express route through Alabama to bring news of the Mexican War north faster than the U S Post Office could deliver it The problem with social media is similar–if it s not working, work collectively to build another
COMMON DREAMS
Majid Nabi burfat
C hina confident in C hina-Japan-ROK cooperation prospec ts: Wang Y i
a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee made the remarks while attending a meeting in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and the foreign ministers of Japan and the ROK Wang noted that China-Japan-ROK cooperation started early, has achieved many results and holds great potential It has played an important role in enhancing mutual understanding and fostering mutually beneficial cooperation among the three countries Wang quoted a saying shared by all three countries: “A nearby neighbor is better than a dis tant relative ” empha-
wisdom, underscores the importance of their cooperation As China-Japan-ROK relations develop further regional peace and stability will be better guaranteed As their cooperation deepens countries in the region will be better equipped to respond to various external challenges, Wang said Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the global war against fascism Wang stressed that only by holding a correct perception of history can the future
H C D I
Eid gif t drive launched for special children in Punjab
LAHORE S TA F F R E P
FOUR PUNJABI L ABOURERS SHOT DEAD BY UNKNOWN ASSAIL ANTS IN BALOCHISTAN’S K AL AT: OFFICIAL
group of 20 to 25 heavily armed
rorists, equipped with rocket launchers and advanced weapons, attempted to storm the police station However the police managed to prevent the attack forcing the assailants to retreat without causing any casualties This attack marks the second foiled assault in 24 hours and the third major attack in the region within the past week The police used thermal imaging cameras to detect the terrorists early allowing them to respond effectively Regional Police Officer (RPO) Capt (R) Sajjad Hassan Khan led the operation, with District Police Officer (DPO) Syed Ali overseeing the Quick Response Force (QRF) teams The attackers reportedly suffered significant casualties as they fled the scene
