PM reaffirMs resolve to further strengthen sino-Pak ‘all weather strategic cooPerative PartnershiP’
g CHINESE AMBA SSADOR CALLS ON PM, DISCUSSES MUTUAL TIES, PROGRESS ON SECURITY AND COUNTER-TERRORISM COOPERATION
g JIANG ZAIDONG BRIEFS PM ON LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON PAKISTAN-CHINA BILATERAL COOPERATION
PDuring
upon the need for both sides to continue working together closely to ensure timely implementation and completion of various initiatives and projects under CPEC
The Chinese ambassador thanked the Prime Minister for his kind words and good wishes for the Chinese leadership He briefed the Prime Minister on the
PM greets Chinese president on successful convening of ‘Two Sessions’
g PM SHEHBAZ EXPRESSES SATISFACTION OVER POSITIVE TRAJECTORY OF BILATERAL STRATEGIC RELATIONS ISLAMABAD S TA F
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday extended his warm congratulations to Chinese President Xi Jinping Premier Li QIang and the Chinese people on the successful convening of the Two Sessions in Beijing China is making remarkable progress in achieving its national development goals We are particularly impressed by China s modernization under President Xi’s visionary leadership,” the prime minister said in his social media post on X He emphasized that as “iron brothers” and all weather strategic cooperative partners Pakistan and China will continue to work together closely to further strengthen bilateral cooperation to realize the shared objectives of peace and development PM condoles demise of Dr Riffat Hussain Meanwhile Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Friday expressed deep grief and sorrow over the sad demise of prominent researcher and senior analyst Dr Syed Riffat Hussain He prayed for the elevation of ranks of the deceased in Jannah and for the grant of patience to the bereaved family He said the demise of Dr Riffat Hussain deprived Pakistan of one of the best journalists and researchers
FINANCE MINISTRY TAKES CHARGE OF CRYPTO REGUL ATIONS, SIDELINING SCIENCE MINISTRY: REPORT
agement for thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) The acquisition will be executed either directly by Bazaar Technologies or through its subsidiary, Beta Holding Private Limited (BHPL) The relevant product market for this transaction includes Electronic Money Institution (EMI) services Point of Sale (POS) terminals and related financial services, with Pakistan as the geographic scope Wemsol, founded by Nadeem Hussain is a key player in Pakistan’s digital payments landscape The company operates the brand Keenu offering POS solutions digital wallets and payment gateway services for merchants With a network of merchants and businesses relying on its financial technology solutions, Wemsol has been instrumental in advancing cashless transactions in Pakistan By acquiring Wemsol, Bazaar Technologies is positioning itself to integrate fintech services into its ecosystem enhancing payment solutions for SMEs
According to CCP s review the merger represents a conglomerate transaction, as there are no direct horizontal or vertical overlaps between the two businesses Bazaar Technologies’ focus on B2B e-commerce complements Wemsol s expertise in fintech and payments reducing concerns regarding market concentration or anticompetitive behavior This approval underscores Bazaar Technologies’ ambition to create an end-to-end digital ecosystem for Pakistan s retailers and businesses providing seamless procurement inventory financing, and digital payment solutions The CCP continues to encourage businesses to seek pre-merger approvals, ensuring market transparency and competition in Pakistan’s evolving digital economy
TPakistan prioritizes recognition of cr ypto as a strategic asset, says chief advisor
a l f i n a n c e L a s t m o n t h P a k i s t a n s F i n a n c e M i n i s t e r M u h a m m a d A u r a n g z e b c h a i r e d a m e e t i n g w i t h k e y a d v i s o r s o n d i g i t a l a s s e t s , i n c l u d i n g r e p r e s e n t a
COMMENT
Power problems
UIR A I N E unwarrantedly provoked Russia into an armed conflict at the behest of the USA and Europe For almost three years Ukraine kept challenging Russia militarily It became a symbol of manifestation of hatred towards Russia However, due to significant military superiority, Russia succeeded in occupying several Ukrainian regions Meanwhile the USA and the European Union kept weaponizing Kyiv to entangle Russia in a regional war Russia on the other hand carried on an inclusive foreign policy by advocating for the rights of Third-World countries, especially Palestine Since Donald Trump returned to office as the 47th president of the country global geopolitics have observed a significant change Trump has always been hostile to the idea of provoking Russia and Ukraine s membership in NATO He also criticized Volodymyr Zelensky during his electoral campaign The reason behind Trump s disdain towards Zelensky was not merely his personal dislike but it was a result of Russia’s expanding influence and rise as the new superpower of the world The Biden Administration used the American taxpayers money to fuel conflict between Russia and Ukraine leading to the deaths of thousands of Ukrainian citizens and rising unemployment in the USA Trump pledged to end this conflict during his electoral campaign Soon after taking office as President, Trump began his efforts to end the conflict peacefully He even admired Russian President Vladimir Putin’s readiness to end this conflict peacefully However being an American leader Trump s approach corroborated the statement of Henry Kissinger, a former Secretary of State, that To be an enemy of the United States is dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal ” Trump’s demand for a US share in Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for security guarantees demonstrates that establishing peace was never his actual ambition What he really sought was a financial profit for the USA According to some reports Zelensky and Trump made a secret agreement about Ukrainian natural resources President Trump invited the Ukrainian President on February 28 to the Oval Office to sign
this agreement However it appears that the two sides disagreed on the terms of the minerals deal This enraged the Trump Administration President Trump and Vice-President J D Vance had a heated debate with Zelensky during a press conference The spectacle of this spat between the USA and its ally exposed the fissures within the anti-Russia Western alliance Indeed it was the first time that the world saw a leader of a sovereign country being ruthlessly humiliated by his ally This spat has stunned the European and NATO leaders Previously, Trump has also criticized Europe, accusing it of being designed
Boosting Pakistan-A zerbaijan relations
enues for further promoting and broadening this quite appreciable mutually beneficial cooperative partnership which will be taking concrete shape in the coming years
extensive discussions regarding finalizing the portfolio of Azerbaijan investments worth about $ 2 billion investment in mutually beneficial projects and that he was looking forward to the upcoming visit to Pakistan of brother President Aliyev, hoping that the Azeri investment in different sectors will bring rich dividends to both countries Pakistan and Azerbaijan have always enjoyed strong political ties and the PM s visit to the brotherly country and deliberations with the Azeri President has surely and certainly given new dimensions to the bilateral relations The top leadership of both the countries in their fruitful talks in Baku have quite appreciably given a somewhat unparalleled commitment to develop and promote economic economic links with the desired focus on trade and investment It was also a welcome assurance from the Azeri President that his country s $ 2 billion will be formalized and formal agreements signed during his upcoming visit to Pakistan next month The Azeri President’s visit programme was now being mutually discussed and finalized at the appropriate high level of officials concerned in Baku and Islamabad finalization of mutual agreements and subsequently their speedy implementation will hopefully go a long way in promoting economic relations between the two brotherly countries, and will hopefully be tantamount to opening of more av-
Needless to mention here that Pakistan direly needed foreign investment and collaborative ventures with friendly countries for stabilizing the struggling economy and maintaining its upward trajectory gradually overcoming its host of problems such as inflation debt and external pressures The commitment from Azerbaijan leadership during the PM s visit for investment of $2 billion in mutually beneficial projects, particularly in the energy defence and trade was indeed quite a welcome development As briefly mentioned above the extension of the LNG framework agreement between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan and its Pakistani counterpart and also the establishment of a trading relationship duly signalled progress However, it is desirable that these welcome initiatives should not be allowed to remain confined to the initial paperwork and all possible steps taken for their implementation for realizing the desirable economic results at the earliest possible
The PM s visit to Azerbaijan has been quite productive and the visit of the Azeri President to Islamabad next month will certainly go a long way to further promote strengthen and deepen the mutually beneficial ties between the fast emerging regional partners Pakistan and Azerbaijan Hopefully everyone should honestly dedicatedly and determinedly be working for achieving these desirable goals
The writer is Lahore-based Freelance Journalist Columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News) Radio Pakistan Islamabad and can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail com
Green revival
MuHaMMad zaHid rifaT
ties Trump’s decision marks a significant departure from traditional US financial policy and could be driven by multiple factors One key motivation is hedging against inflation; unlike fiat currencies, cryptocurrencies have a limited supply, making them an attractive safeguard against inflationary pressures Another major factor is competition with China which has aggressively promoted its own digital currency the digital yuan to gain dominance in global trade The USA may be looking to counter this by integrating cryptocurrencies into its financial strategy Additionally, blockchain technology has the potential to modernize financial systems and Trump’s move could position the USA as a global leader in digital finance While crypto enthusiasts have welcomed this development the move presents significant risks and challenges Regulatory uncertainty looms large, as the US government has struggled to regulate cryptocurrencies The Securities and Exchange Commission has frequently cracked down on crypto firms leading to legal battles and market instability Cybersecurity threats also pose a major concern with cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets being prime targets for hackers over $3 8 billion was stolen from crypto platforms in 2022 alone Furthermore, the inherent volatility of cryptocurrencies
makes them riskier than traditional reserve assets such as gold or foreign currencies Trump s decision has sparked diverse reactions worldwide El Salvador, which previously made Bitcoin legal tender, has welcomed the US decision seeing it as validation of its own crypto-friendly policies The European Union however has expressed concerns warning that adding crypto to national reserves could destabilize the economy and lead to financial uncertainties Meanwhile, China has harshly criticized the move calling it “reckless” and accusing the USA of attempting to undermine the digital yuan s influence in global markets For Pakistan this policy shift could have significant implications for cryptocurrency regulation and adoption Currently, the State Bank of Pakistan prohibits banks and financial institutions from dealing in cryptocurrencies due to concerns over fraud money laundering and the lack of regulatory oversight However as major economies like the USA integrate digital assets into their national reserves, Pakistan may find itself under increasing pressure to reassess its stance A global shift toward cryptocurrency adoption could challenge Pakistan’s restrictive policies forcing policymakers to strike a balance between mitigating risks and fostering financial innovation Despite the ban, a growing number of Pakistanis actively trade cryptocurrencies through peer-to-peer (P2P)
If major economies continue to embrace cr yptocurrencies, Pakistan must decide whether to regulate and integrate digital assets into its financial system or risk lagging behind in the evolving global financial landscape Regardless of whether TrumpÊs initiative proves to be a brilliant financial maneuver or a risky experiment, one thing is clear cr yptocurrencies are no long er a niche asset; they are becoming an integral par t of mainstream finance
S e x u a l v i o l e n c e i n S o u t h A f r i c a
so forth that is that she somehow presented herself as a sexual being This is the more classic case of slutshaming and victim-blaming, that has been written about extensively by feminists
Susan Brison proposes that as a society we perhaps blame the victim to assure ourselves that we would never become victims ourselves She further writes: How many of us have swallowed the potentially lethal lie that if you don t do anything wrong if you re just careful enough, you ll be safe? How many of us have believed its damaging victim-blaming corollary: if you are attacked, it’s because you did something wrong?”
‘DAMAGED GOODS’: For the victim-survivor of rape, there is often the unspoken assumption that s/he will (even must) feel psychologically broken and ashamed to the extent that s/he feels “damaged dishonoured less than as Thordis Elva remarked in her conversation with Tom Stranger at TEDWomen in 2016 There are at least two elements to this notion of damaged goods that are potentially detrimental to survivors’ healing and the reparation of their sense of agency They are the intertwined elements of shame and victim blaming In Rape: A South African Nightmare author and academic Pumla Dineo Gqola quotes Kenyan feminist activist Shailja Patel who writes that if you want to understand how power works in any society, watch who is carrying the shame and who is doing the shaming Gqola concludes from this that shame acts as a tool of oppression by showing who is valued and who is invisibilised in society Moreover she argues that shame is the product of dehumanisation and all systems of violent oppressive power produce shame in those they brutalise Given the oppressiveness of a patriarchal society that brutalises women routinely, it is no wonder many victims feel ashamed Philosopher and survivor Susan Brison explains in Aftermath: Violence and the Remaking of a Self that she did not want anyone to know she had been sexually assaulted and in spite of my conviction that I had done nothing wrong I felt ashamed Similarly in I m the Girl Who Was Raped, Michelle Hattingh writes after being raped: Even though the feminist inside of me screamed against it, I felt defiled I felt dirty, unclean and unwanted” Given the ubiquity of shame-filled responses by survivors of sexual assault German academic Mithu Sanyal worries about the dominant discourse on rape She argues in Rape: From Lucretia to #MeToo that it risks presenting shame as a type of automatic body reflex, like an itch or a sneeze, rather than a culturally learned and highly complex emotion” Patriarchal meanings again and again return the
Similarly Hattingh writes that in the immediate aftermath of her rape she wanted her mother to tell her that it is not her fault that she was raped At both the police and the hospital she and her friend were treated as blameworthy: We were the girls who were stupid enough to get raped And we were treated as such But how can we practically shift the shame/blame for rape from the victim to the perpetrator? We argue that the public discourse must be changed so that the shame caused by rape shifts from the victim to the perpetrator
Note the stark contrast between the internalised shame above and the collective public activism that Igbo women of West Africa call sitting on a man
‘MONSTROUS PERPETRATORS’ The “monstrous perpetrator” narrative vilifies the rapist as “a monster inhuman” to the extent that he is cast as an anomaly banished from society and viewed as beyond social redemption into perpetuity
Mithu Sanyal comments that dealing with perpetrators seems to be an even bigger taboo than all the other loaded questions around the minefield that is rape” If the message is that only evil men rape, then men who do rape but do not regard themselves as evil might literally be unable to identify themselves as rapists A full 20 years after Tom Stranger had raped Thordis Elva they co-authored South of Forgiveness: A True Story of Rape and Responsibility after appearing at TED Women in 2016 Controversy immediately surrounded the book and the talk, with opposition coming mostly from feminist groups accusing Elva of being a rape apologist
Speaking at the event Stranger describes how when he was trying to make sense of what he had done and prior to Elva contacting him he drew heavily on elements of his life as a surfer, a social science student, a friend to good people, a loved brother and son to construct his concept of himself as a good person, who could not have raped Elva Yet, he knew deep down that he had done something immeasurably wrong He says: I gripped tight to the simple notion that I wasn t a bad person It took me a long time to stare down this dark corner of myself and to ask it questions In his internal struggle, we see the disbelief that he could be a rapist Rapists are monsters and he is not a monster and so what he had done, could not be rape If we “rehumanise” rapists as ordinary “good” (in other aspects of their lives) guys who are (also) loved members of families and friendship groups perhaps more men would be willing to stare down the dark corner of themselves and to ask it questions Such a willingness to question oneself is a first step towards taking greater responsibility for one’s sexual activities
Louise du Toit is a professor of philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at Stellenbosch
SH O RT LY after Donald Trump was first elected president in 2016 The Washington Post unveiled this pompous and by now obsolete slogan: Democracy Dies in Darkness The ominous-sounding motto was meant, I expect, to convey, at once, the brewing threat that a Trump presidency posed to America’s decaying republic, and the Post’s solemn, cross-our-hearts commitment to keep the flickering lights on Well it turns out that Jeff Bezos the Post s billionaire proprietor who was instrumental in having the newspaper adopt the alliterative catchphrase is the darkness that causes an on-life-support democracy to declare a code blue In late February, Bezos gutted the so-called editorial “independence” of the Post’s Beltway-cushy monochromatic opinion pages by ordering editors to publish free-market-loving tracts about the inherent greatness of America s freedoms and liberties I m sorry but wasn t the Post typically doing that already?
In any event, Bezos s oafish commands may be, as his detractors insist, another assault on America’s besieged “free press” but at least his blatant “attacks” are made openly and unapologetically Much of the Western media s stubborn contempt for candour is hidden behind a fraudulent tell-both-sides-of-the-story conceit and pretentious expressions that ought to be rewritten to read: Truth Dies in Darkness This entrenched, institutionwide deceit is more insidious since it relies on an explicit understanding always to opt for flaccid language that as George Orwell once explained is “designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable Consider for flagrant example Western press coverage of the inhumane modus operandi of the IsraeliAmerican axis towards Palestine Ages before Bezos bought the flailing Post, the English-speaking corporate outlets on both sides of the Atlantic have been faithful couriers to every foul aspect of the Israeli-American axis and its calamitous conduct throughout the Middle East and of course Gaza and the occupied West Bank These shining avatars of all the news that s fit to print have for generations refused to call Israel an apartheid state despite the exhaustive verdicts
AyAz HussAin AbbAsi
TRUMP PRESSES IRAN FOR NUCLEAR TALKS, WARNS OF POSSIBLE MILITARY ACTION
The
c C o o p e r a t i o n ( O I C ) w i l l m e e t a t i t s h e a d q u a r t e r s i n J e dd a h S a u d i A r a b i a t h r e e d a y s a f t e r t h e A r a b L e a g u e e n d o r s e d E g y p t s a lt e r n a t i v e p l a n f o r G a
by war between 2020 and 2022
EASTERN ROUTE
It is one of the world s most dangerous migrant routes, according to the IOM, which documented more than 60,000 migrant arrivals in Yemen in 2024
One or two migrants have reportedly lost their lives, but the rest of them were rescued, he told AFP, without giving more details He said that his IOM colleagues in Djibouti were assisting those who had been rescued
“The number of people arriving in Yemen from Ethiopia and Djibouti is unfortunately not decreasing Esoev said He added many migrants undertaking the route originated from Ethiopia s northern Tigray region, ravaged
An IOM report published on Thursday showed the number of those attempting the eastern route had risen 13 per cent in 2024 to 446 194 Women and girls represented a third of those embarking on the voyage an increase from 2023, with the number of boys taking the journey falling The majority of those undertaking the voyage did so for economic reasons, it said Last year saw six major shipwrecks the IOM said “cased by using unseaworthy boats overfilling of vessels travelling in poor maritime conditions and smugglers forcing people to disembark at sea Last month 20 Ethiopians were killed when their boat capsized off Yemen
CORPORATE
PUNJAB RELEASES RS340M FUNDS TO ADDRESS MEDICINES’ SHORTAGE AT MAYO HOSPITAL
CDA Chief reviews
program in April 2024 Nehaal Naseem another Fresh Finds alum went on to become an EQUAL Pakistan ambassador Her song Sadqay ranked among the top five Pakistani tracks on Spotify Wrapped 2024 LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T O N the directives of Punjab Chief Minister
specialized banking kiosks to allow paying electricity bills beyond normal banking hours In addition the night camps enable paying outstanding electricity dues on easy terms and avail new connections Imran Rana, Senior Director Corporate Communications at KElectric, shared: "Our goal is to transform every customer into a 'star customer' by offering proactive support and seamless service particularly during this sacred month KE s unique approach is to meet the customer where they are rather than waiting for them to come to us, ensuring we remain accessible through both physical and online channels "
LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T
Peshawar Zalmi, a premier franchise of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is proud to announce a new partnership with Newage Cables ahead of PSL 10 Under this collaboration, the Newage Cables logo will be placed prominently on the shirt of Peshawar Zalmi players' kits This alliance reflects both organizations' dedication to promoting cricket in Pakistan and their shared vision of positively impacting communities nationwide COO Peshawar Zalmi, Mr Abbas Layaq, and Director Newage Cables, Mr Alman Jalil Azam signed the contract in the presence of Zalmi star players Hussain Talat and Mehran Mumtaz marking the beginning of a promising partnership Beyond cricket, this collaboration emphasizes impactful Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives including youth development and environmental sustainability Mr Javed Afridi Chairman of Peshawar Zalmi, expressed his enthusiasm: "We are delighted to welcome Newage Cables into the Zalmi family Their commitment to excellence aligns perfectly with our values and together we aim to achieve remarkable success in PSL 10 and contribute meaningfully to our communities With this partnership, we hope to create lasting op-
portunities for young talent and inspire future generations Mr Alman Jalil Azam Director Sales and Finance of Newage Cables, shared his excitement: "Partnering with Peshawar Zalmi
Health authorities detec t two new monkeypox infec tions in Peshawar
