News & Updates

ISLAMABAD: Despite the ongoing political crisis and flash floods in Punjab, the government has facilitated 150 exhibitors to showcase their products in New Delhi to access India’s middle-class market of 600 million people. The four-day exhibition named ‘Aalishan Pakistan’, starting from today (Thursday), would allow exhibitors to showcase their products in 320 stalls ranging from garments to textiles, Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir told a news conference here on Wednesday. An art exhibition for young artists, a fashion show, business-to-business meeting of Pakistani exporters with Indian firms, and a business seminar will also be held at the sidelines of the event. A high-profile delegation of leading businessmen will also attend Aalishan Pakistan, he added. The government was under pressure from certain quarters to cancel the exhibition, especially after India called off foreign secretary level talks with Pakistan, the minister said. “However, the government values tr

At the beginning of the week, when we scan the news media around the globe to decide what media story to go with, wires started dropping about protesters occupying Pakistan’s state broadcaster PTV. The story is part of a new political power struggle in which the country’s top news channels are fighting a proxy war of their own. For three weeks now, street demonstrators led by cricket-player-turned politician, Imran Khan, have been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose election last year the protestors insist was rigged. Sharif says he is not going anywhere. The way the unrest is being reported in Pakistan’s media lays bare the political divisions in the country and exacerbates them. Backing the government are Geo TV, the most watched network in Pakistan and the state-owned broadcaster, PTV. Both had their offices targeted by protestors, and, in PTV’s case, occupied. ARY, the number two news channel, backs the protest movement, and has been going at i

ISLAMABAD:  China’s foreign ministry on Saturday denied releasing any information regarding President Xi Jingping’s visit to Pakistan. “China and Pakistan have maintained close high-level exchanges… [and] are in close communication regarding the next step of such exchanges,” China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Qin Gang told reporters at a news conference in Beijing. “It is worth pointing out [however] that we never released any information about President Xi’s visit to Pakistan officially,” he said. “So, there is no basis to say we are about to cancel anything.” At the same time, the spokesperson expressed hope that all major political stakeholders in Pakistan would be able to ‘resolve their differences and restore national security’. “As for the current situation in Pakistan, we hope relevant parties in Pakistan can work together while bearing in mind the fundamental interests of the state and the people, and jointly safeguard national security,” he said. The P