BHC allows MaHrang to Meet
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titioner’s counsel filed an application with a request therein that the relatives of the detenue and her counsel may be allowed to meet her at District Jail Hudda Quetta It is worthwhile to mention here that it is the right of every prisoner to meet with his/her counsel or relatives Therefore, the application is accepted and the detenue’s counsel and her relatives are allowed to meet her,” it added BNP-M long march on March 28 Separately in a post on X BNP-M
KARACHI S TA F F R
president Sardar Akhtar Mengal announced leading a long march on March 28 against the arrest of BYC leaders Mengal said, I announce a long march from Wadh to Quetta, against the arrest of our daughters and the desecration of our mothers and sisters ” I will lead this march myself and invite all Baloch brothers and sisters
The Sindh government on Tuesday detained Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Sammi Deen Baloch along with four others for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) following their arrest a day earlier The Karachi s Artillery Maidan police booked Sammi and five other detained activists under Section 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant) for violating Section 144 On Monday, the Karachi police detained Sammi and several other BYC leaders for violating Section 144 and broke up the BYC s protest against the recent arrests of its leadership and a crackdown on its Quetta sit-in The BYC had announced a protest at Karachi Press Club (KPC) against the “illegal detention” of its key leaders, including Dr Mahrang Baloch who was arrested on Saturday along with 16 other activists from their protest camp in Quetta, a day after claiming that three protesters had died due to police action According to the Sindh Home Department s order the Sindh inspector general of police (IGP) had recommended a 30-day detention period for BYC s Sammi Deen Baloch, Razzak Ali, Abdul Wahab Baloch, Shehdad and Sultan S i n d h d e t a i n s B YC ’ s S
PM holds high-level talks on Bitcoin mining and asset tokenization
Tariq Fatemi,
and
Fatemi reminded
in Kashmir remains unresolved despite multiple UN resolutions He stated that it is the responsibility of the Security Council to ensure the realization of the Kashmiri people s right to self-determination and promote a just and lasting settlement He also highlighted that Pakistan continues to host the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which was established in 1949 to monitor the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed region During his address Fatemi reaffirmed Pakistan s longstanding role in UN peacekeeping operations He noted that Pakistan has been one of the leading contributors to UN missions, with over 235,000 Pakistani peacekeepers deployed across 48 missions worldwide He added that 181 Pakistani peacekeepers have sacrificed their lives in the service of international peace and security More than 3 267 Pakistani men and women are currently serving in blue helmets across seven UN missions Discussing the evolving challenges facing UN peacekeeping, Fatemi urged the Security Council to ensure that all peace operations receive unified and consistent support
A high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister of Pakistan convened in Islamabad deliberated on strategic investments in Bitcoin mining and the tokenization of real-world assets This groundbreaking meeting signals Pakistan s openness to embrace the digital economy and commitment to becoming a global hub for blockchain technology The assembly featured prominent participants including Muhammad Ishaq Dar Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister; Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Finance; Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister for IT; Jamil Ahmad Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan Bilal Bin Saqib CEO Pakistan s Crypto Council; Minister for Economic Affairs, Ahad Khan Cheema; Minister for Petroleum, Ali Pervez Malik; Minister for Power, Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari; Minister for Climate Change Dr Musadik Malik and Chairman FBR Rashid Mehmood Marco Streng, Founder & CEO, and Dr Marco Krohn, CoFounder & CEO of Genesis Group one of the world s largest Bitcoin mining firm responsible
for mining over $1 billion worth of Bitcoin and Vincent Kadar CEO of Polymath Canada a global leader in secure and compliant asset tokenization, that has tokenized commodities, real-estate and securities worth billions since 2017 also attended the meeting Representatives from these companies outlined actionable strategies for Pakistan to establish a robust $3 5 billion Bitcoin mining infrastructure and initiate comprehensive asset tokenization projects Discussions emphasized the immense potential of blockchain technology to enhance economic resilience, attract foreign direct investment, and modernize Pakistan’s financial infrastructure through sustainable and transparent practices
The Prime Minister of Pak-
istan instructed the Pakistan Crypto Council to immediately engage with the companies to come up with an actionable plan to immediately deploy mining and tokenize assets in different verticals Furthermore, the Prime Minister instructed the Council to immediately take steps towards formalising the legislation towards crypto regulations Bilal Bin Saqib, CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council highlighted the significance: “Pakistan is open for business We invite global companies to come and invest in Bitcoin mining data centers, and the tokenization of real-world assets This is a call to innovators, investors, and infrastructure builders Pakistan is ready to lead in the digital economy and become a regional hub for Web3 transformation
T O R
KP establishes SIFC cell to streamline business coordination
and ensure transparency
meeting also heard that the E-
Shah on Monday to
assess the progress of various initiatives aimed at enhancing governance During the meeting, officials also discussed plans for beautifying Peshawar, with a feasibility study set to be completed within three months
The meeting covered updates on 11 PPP-mode projects across various sectors The Performance Management and Reforms Unit (PMRU) was tasked with generating and tracking tasks, with weekly progress reports to be presented to the chief secretary Additionally the Tracking Sheet System in the Planning and Development Department was reinstated to monitor the
progress of development projects ensuring they are completed on time Chief Secretary Shah emphasized the need for strict adherence to project timelines and urged the expedited approval of pending development schemes A briefing on the restructuring of the Performance Management and Reforms Unit was also provided, alongside an update on the Paperless Government System, with MD KP ITB outlining the implementation plan Shah instructed all departments to be ready for the system’s operational launch by April 30 to enhance e-governance increase
Acquisition and Disposal System (E-PADS) has been introduced in eight provincial departments including Public Health Engineering, Irrigation, and Health A province-wide rollout is planned for the next phase with mandatory use of the system for all provincial procurement from July 1 aiming to reduce human intervention and errors Updates on various Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) projects were also reviewed, including progress on the Northern Section of the Ring Road the New General Bus Terminal and the ongoing work to clear bottlenecks at the Abdara
S enator Nasir Butt blames PTI for having a tradition of fabric ating lies
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T
Senator Nasir Mahmood Butt, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Housing and senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday challenged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa s Adviser on Information, Barrister Dr Muhammad Ali Saif, to answer tough questions regarding the PTI government’s economic policies Butt questioned when Nawaz Sharif left office in 2018 sugar was priced at Rs 50 per kg PTI s policies drove it up to Rs 200 Who should be held accountable?
He further criticized the PTI’s handling of essential commodities stating during Nawaz Sharif s tenure flour was sold at Rs 35 per kg Who is responsible for pushing prices to record highs? And who profited at the expense of the public?
The senator accused the previous PTI-led government of manipulating sugar and wheat markets for financial gain First they exported sugar to make profits then imported it at higher prices for another windfall The same exploitative tactics were used with wheat,”
gling
first meeting of its kind in five years According to Tuesday s
agreed
CM MARYAM CONDUCTS BALLOTING FOR FREE TRACTORS TO FARMERS UNDER WHEAT INITIATIVE PROGRAM
was led by Mr Zargham Eshaq Khan, Managing Director, NESPAK, and Ms Ambreen Sipra, CEO, Synergy Inc alongside senior officials from NESPAK Also present was Mr Jamshaid Faisal Janjua the strategic curator of Heal Pakistan and Project Manager of various mega initiatives across Pakistan His remarks emphasized the urgent need for collective action, stating, Green Yakeen is more than a plantation drive it is a movement Through strategic collaborations we are not just fighting environmental degradation; we are securing a sustainable legacy for future generations The event also saw a strong show of support from the private sector, with Mr Faraz, Head/Director PMO, Packages Group, attending as a Guest of Honor Reflecting on the importance of environmental responsibility, he shared, "I want to see the skies as clear as I remember them lying in the courtyards of my ancestral home And I believe that can only be achieved through these collaborative efforts
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has said that PTI members run away whenever they are asked to respond If he has the courage he should drag them back Speaking about water distribution she stated that Punjab has no claim over Sindh s water and that no one can interfere in Punjab s water management Regarding the healthcare sector she said it is under the influence of the mafia but no one will be allowed to deprive patients of medicines
Addressing government employees, she made it clear that those who do not align with the Chief Minister ’s vision have no place in the department Furthermore she announced that by Eid-ul-Fitr every employee would receive their salary Expressing condolences on the passing of the Army Chief's mother, she emphasized that mothers are a great blessing from Allah and assured that in this difficult time they stand with him Azma Bokhari made these re-
marks while speaking to the media at Alhamra She highlighted that the current government is taking significant steps to promote fine arts The Chief Minister of Punjab has given clear instructions to prioritize the development of arts and culture
She also mentioned that the Consul General of Turkiye visited Alhamra and highly praised Pakistani paintings Additionally, the Consul General assured that exhibitions of Pakistani young artists' paintings should be held in Turkiye Azma Bokhari stated that significant progress is being made in various fields of fine arts including music painting and drama Students who completed three-month courses showcased their artistic talents through remarkable paintings
The Minister of Information and Culture announced that the winner of the singing competition organized under the Punjab Arts Council would be launched on a government platform Moreover, a Cultural Day will be celebrated at Alhamra on April 14 to promote cultural activities Speaking about the government s education policy she stated
that under the laptop scheme, scholarships will be given not only to students in Punjab but also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan
Regarding ongoing welfare projects in Punjab she revealed that 3 million families are being provided with pay orders of 10,000 rupees each with dignity, which is a historic initiative
Discussing the cleanliness campaign she said that the "Clean Punjab project has been outsourced to various companies to ensure timely payment of salaries to employees Every employee will receive their rightful pay before Eid-ul-Fitr
Referring to reforms in the healthcare sector Azma Bokhari emphasized the need for a biometric system in hospitals and stated that government hospital doctors must fulfill their responsibilities She noted that Maryam Nawaz's hospital visits are part of this initiative making it clear that any officer failing to perform will be removed
Highlighting the water crisis she pointed out that the country is facing a severe water shortage, with Punjab s water reserves decreasing by 41% She urged Sindh and other provinces to focus on better water management
Speaking about national security she warned that the threat of terrorism remains but Punjab s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and law enforcement agencies have successfully foiled six attacks She praised the sacrifices of security personnel and affirmed that just as Pakistan has won the war against terrorism before it will do so again
PR OFIT
M O N I T O R I N G D E S K
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has set up a new Classification Centre to address and resolve all pending customs classification disputes between importers and the customs department by August 31, 2025 This move follows the FBR’s directive on Tuesday to amend Customs General Order No 12 of 2002 establishing a committee to oversee the settlement of such disputes Under the new procedure, all new classification disputes will be decided through classification rulings within 120 days from the date the dispute is received at the Classification Centre or Committee This period may be extended by an additional 30 days by the Chief Collector of Customs Appraisement-South, Karachi, with a justification
The FBR has also set a goal to resolve all previously pending classification cases by August 31 2025 with a focus on making timely decisions The Secretary of the Classification Committee will be responsible for ensuring the proper submission of pending cases for resolution Routine classification matters will continue to be handled by the relevant Collectorates, but disputes may be referred to the Classification Centre at the Collectorate of Customs Appraisement-East, Karachi upon the approval of the relevant Collector or Director
The Classification Centre is tasked with resolving disputes referred by Customs Collectorates/Directorates, traders, and
other Customs entities It will also be responsible for compiling and publishing classification rulings annually maintaining a database of rulings and collaborating with the World Customs Organization (WCO) on classification matters In addition, the Centre will assist in building capacity among Customs officers and staff through coordination with the Customs Academy of Pakistan
The Classification Committee which will manage the Classification Centre, will include three members: the Collectors of Customs Appraisement-East, Appraisement-West, and SAPT Karachi The Additional Collector (Hqrs) at the Collectorate of Customs Appraisement-East will serve as the secretary of the committee Representatives from the FPCCI and relevant trade associations will also participate in the proceedings The committee will hold regular meetings at least twice a month and can
US
g EXPORTS TO AFGHANISTAN, BANGLADESH, AND SRI LANKA GREW, BUT IMPORTS FROM CHINA, INDIA, AND BANGLADESH PUSHED TRADE GAP HIGHER
Pakistan s trade deficit with nine neighboring countries expanded by 36 09% to reach $7 36 billion in the first eight months of FY25 compared to $5 41 billion during the same period last year While recent political changes in the region have boosted exports to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, Pakistan’s overall trade with these countries has been hindered by unfavorable government policies in recent years
According to data compiled by the State Bank of Pakistan, the value of Pakistan’s exports to nine neighboring countries Afghanistan China Bangladesh Sri Lanka India Iran Nepal
Bhutan and the Maldives grew by 6 64%, totaling $3 1 billion in the first eight months of FY25, compared to $2 91 billion during the same period last year However Pakistan’s share in total exports to these countries remains low at around 14 04%
Despite a rise in exports to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, the widening trade gap was mainly driven by higher imports from China India and Bangladesh
Exports to Afghanistan Bangladesh and Sri Lanka surged between July and February FY25 However, exports to other countries, particularly China, saw a decline during this period
On the import side, Pakistan’s imports from these countries increased by 25 80% reaching $10 46 billion in FY25 up from
$8 32 billion in FY24 Imports from China, which make up a significant portion of the regional imports, grew by 25 87% to $10 18 billion in the eight months compared to $8 09 billion last year
Imports from India also rose by 13 63% totaling $157 73 million in FY25 compared to $138 62 million last year Exports to India remained stagnant at $0 41 million in FY25 up slightly from $0 23 million in the same period last year
Exports to Afghanistan saw a significant increase of 84 25%, reaching $592 84 million in FY25, compared to $321 75 million in FY24 Imports from Afghanistan also grew to $18 21 million up from $5 47 million last year
Pakistan, EU to launch historic business forum in May to boost economic ties
bridging Central and South Asia and its preferential trade access to the EU creating an abundance of business opportunities
Pakistan and the European Union are set to forge stronger economic ties with the launch of the inaugural EU-Pakistan Business Forum scheduled for May 14-15 in Islamabad This landmark event aims to enhance collaboration between both regions and was announced in a joint
the EU is also the leading foreign investor worldwide
Highlighting Pakistan s vast potential the statement noted the country s growing market of over 240 million people, its competitive labor costs, strategic location
The forum will see the participation of top policy makers, including the Prime Minister, ministers for finance and commerce alongside business leaders CEOs from both Europe and Pakistan financial institutions such as the European Investment Bank, investors, and other stakeholders Throughout the two-day event the forum will spotlight Pakistan s innovative sectors such as agribusiness energy and renewables, green logistics, pharmaceuticals, IT, and textiles It will also focus on fostering dialogue between the government and the private sector to improve regulatory frameworks and promote sustainable trade practices Additionally the EU s Global Gateway strategy will be introduced its largest investment initiative outside of the EU, aimed at leveraging €300 billion
in global investments by 2027 Dr Riina Kionka EU Ambassador to Pakistan emphasized, European companies are increasingly recognizing Pakistan as a promising business destination This forum provides a vital opportunity to enhance collaboration expand trade and explore new economic partnerships between Europe and Pakistan, while also helping Pakistan tap into the potential of the Global Gateway ” Along with business-to-business and business-to-government meetings the forum will feature engaging discussions exhibitions, and the launch of the EUPakistan Business Network
