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Situationer: Continuation of ‘Urumqi process’ raises hopes for Pak-Afghan patch-up

• Beijing’s envoy already laying groundwork to continue Islamabad-Kabul mediation efforts • Pakistani circles ‘fed up’ by failure of bilateral efforts, pin their hopes on Chinese shepherding the process CHINA’S diplomatic mediation between Pak­istan and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan is keeping hopes alive for a possible rapprochement. After hosting their first meeting in Urumqi, Xinjiang, in April — aimed at bringing an end to the Islamabad-Kabul animosity — Beijing now intends to hold a second meeting to keep the process on track, according to people familiar with discussions. For the better part of the year, conflict between the two neighbours has badly affected trade, transit, cross-border movement of common people, and those living in the border regions. Both sides seem to be inflexible on core issues, such as opening bilateral government channels, trade and movement of people. While the signals from Kabul regarding the ‘Urumqi process’ have been ...
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Iran vows not to let aggression go unanswered after US violates truce

• Washington says strikes targeted Iranian missile sites, mine-laying boats • Rubio says Iran deal may take ‘a few days’; insists Hormuz will reopen ‘one way or the other’ • Iran says US drone downed, F-35 fired at; tanker damaged by external explosion off Oman • Trump to hold Camp David cabinet meeting on Iran crisis TEHRAN: Iran accused the United States of breaching their ceasefire on Tuesday and warned it was ready to retaliate and “will not leave any evil unanswered” after overnight US strikes targeting Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats threatened a deal to end the war. The Brent benchmark oil price jumped up by more than four per cent after US Central Comm­and announced the new wave of bombings, and China urged both sides to respect the truce and to resolve their dispute peacefully. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, said negotiating a deal to halt the conflict could “take a few days”. According to Iranian media, Iran’s negotiators had been pushing for t...
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Punjab Home Department lists organisations barred from collecting animal hides on Eidul Azha

The Punjab Home Department on Tuesday issued a list of banned and monitored organisations ahead of Eidul Azha, urging citizens not to donate sacrificial animal hides to such groups or their affiliated organisations. According to a spokesperson for the department, “Providing any kind of assistance to banned organisations is a punishable offence under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.” He further warned that individuals found supporting organisations involved in terrorism or anti-state activities would face legal action. According to the list issued by the Home Department, the banned organisations included Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Jaish-i-Mohammed, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Al Qaeda, Daesh, Jamaatud Dawa, Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation and several other proscribed or monitored entities. “Citizens are advised to donate sacrificial hides only to organisations registered with the Punjab Charity Commission (PCC),” he said, adding that the authenticity of registered organisations cou...
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Balochistan tragedy

A PALL has descended on Eid festivities. The Sunday suicide bombing in Quetta has left many grieving their loved ones at a time when others will be celebrating the bonds of faith and family. According to the official count, more than a dozen lives were snuffed out, and at least 20 people were left injured; later reports put the toll much higher. Maimed bodies of women and children were seen being carted from the site on stretchers. One wonders what monstrous instinct compelled the perpetrators to commit such senseless violence. Officials and hospital sources later noted that the victims were mainly passengers of the ill-fated shuttle train, on their way to board the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express, as well as pedestrians and residents living along the railway track where the bombing occurred. The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed the attack, cementing its credentials as a terrorist outfit that resorts to violence against defenceless victims. The fact ...
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NA panel takes govt to task over budget preparation, reforms

• Naveed Qamar criticises continued reliance on indirect taxes, petroleum levy • UNDP consultants warn Pakistan remains on a ‘fragile stabilisation path’ • Inflation projected to exceed 12pc despite gradual economic recovery ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Monday accused the government of persistently violating its own laws by failing to circulate and publish the Budget Strategy Paper (BSP) by May 10, besides doing little on economic reforms. A meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Comm­ittee on Finance and Revenue, presided over by former finance minister Syed Naveed Qamar of the PPP, also expressed serious concern over the continued heavy reliance on indirect taxes and petroleum levy instead of sustainable expansion of the tax base. The panel was equally worried over sluggish progress on critical structural reforms when briefed by private economic analysts representing the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Qamar voiced concern over the growing burden of ci...
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'Mini version of hell': Heat dome over Europe scorches UK, France, Spain

Temperatures hit record highs for May in the United Kingdom and France on Monday, as forecasters warned of a prolonged period of extreme heat across Europe throughout the week. A so-called “heat dome” of warm air from northern Africa trapped under a high-pressure system over western Europe is behind the high temperatures not usually seen until high summer. Temperatures in Spain were expected to peak later this week at 38°C, while parts of Italy imposed restrictions on working outdoors. In the UK, the Met Office weather agency said it was the hottest May day on record, with temperatures hitting 34.8°C at Kew Gardens, southwest London – a full two degrees above the previous high. “This heat would be exceptional in the UK even in mid-summer, let alone May,” it said on X. “The weather here, it’s like a mini version of hell. It’s boiling. It’s like really hot,” said 10-year-old Liza Nizari on a visit to London, where temperatures normally average about 17°C or 18C at this time of year....
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Bonds behind financial assistance

Pakistan and China celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations on May 21. The events held around these celebrations underscore that the relationship between the two countries is entering a new phase characterised by greater financial integration, expanding sub-national cooperation and renewed geopolitical cooperation. What began as a strategic and political partnership has gradually evolved into one of Pakistan’s most critical economic relationships. Today, China is one of Pakistan’s largest bilateral creditors, a major investor in infrastructure and energy, and an increasingly important source of financial stability for Islamabad during periods of economic stress. Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is visiting China these days in a trip that focuses heavily on trade, industrial cooperation, financial connectivity and the future direction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “The visit is expected to further strengthen...
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