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ISLAMABAD: Secretary Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Shahryar Khan Tuesday announced that an agricultural exhibition will be organized in Balochistan in August or September to create awareness about fruits and vegetables grown in the province. He said that value addition of Balochistan’s olives, apples, onions, tomatoes and other agricultural produce will be carried out, while required certification and food safety standards will be ensured to facilitate their access to European and Central Asian markets. He expressed these views while addressing a session with office-bearers and members of the Quetta Balochistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday. Shahryar Khan…

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) on Tuesday formally launched three landmark national codes aimed at transforming Pakistan’s built environment and construction sector in line with global best practices here on Tuesday. The newly launched codes include the Green Building Code of Pakistan, Rainwater Harvesting Code, and Occupational Safety and Health Code for the construction sector. The launching ceremony was attended by the international development partners, diplomats, senior government officials, engineering professionals, academia, representatives of the construction industry, and other stakeholders, reflecting broad national and international support for Pakistan’s sustainability and safety agenda. Dr Sarosh Hashmat Lodhi, Senior Vice Chairman/…

ISLAMABAD: Public Accounts Committee Chairman Syed Naveed Qamar on Tuesday urged the government to reform and empower the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), enabling the regulatory body to recover penalties directly from companies through attachment of bank accounts instead of filing references in courts. The SECP-related issues were examined by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Naveed Qamar, during a session focused on the Audit Report for the Finance Division for the fiscal year 2020-21. The PAC committee Chairman stated that the time has come to amend the SECP laws. There is a need to reform the…

KARACHI: Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Saleem Ullah has said that Islamic banking must not remain limited to nomenclature but should be clearly reflected in practice. He said Islamic banking represents a transparent financial system whose practical demonstration was set 1,400 years ago by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through his trade practices. He urged all banks and experts moving towards Islamic banking to become role models by upholding ethical values and ensuring that customers are fully aware that their transactions are free from hidden conditions. He was addressing the certificate distribution ceremony of Saylani School of Business…

ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Maj General Hafeez Ur Rehman (retd) has said that during the current year, more than 1.5 million URLs had been blocked, including 6,042 related to defamation and impersonation and 13,780 pertaining to immoral content across various online platforms. He stated this In a meeting of the Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming held under the chairpersonship of MNA Dr. Nafisa Shah. The PTA chairman disclosed that 5,000 unauthorized SIMs had been identified and blocked. The panel underscored the need for enhanced coordination with international digital platforms and the development of stronger policies to…

China should establish an “original” knowledge system regarding the history of its border regions to mitigate security risks from “hostile forces in the West”, according to a senior scholar at a prominent state-run think tank.Fan Enshi of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) also warned about the threat of “de-Sinicisation” in US-led historical perspectives, calling for a shift from “fragmented research” towards systematic domestic theories that could better project Chinese influence internationally.“The world today is undergoing great changes unseen in a century, with hostile forces in the West in particular attempting to use borderland issues to contain China,” Fan,…

China-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) targeting US stocks are capping new subscriptions, as strong demand from investors seeking diversification puts these products within striking distance of using up quotas granted by the regulators.The nation’s biggest mutual fund firms that manage ETFs tracking the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 index have imposed the restrictions, with these funds’ sizes approaching their respective quotas on overseas investments approved by the government. GF Fund Management is limiting subscriptions by an individual investor to 10 yuan (US$1.42) a day for its Nasdaq 100 ETF, with E Fund Management implementing the same curbs. China Asset Management…

China-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) targeting US stocks are capping new subscriptions, as strong demand from investors seeking diversification puts these products within striking distance of using up quotas granted by the regulators.The nation’s biggest mutual fund firms that manage ETFs tracking the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 index have imposed the restrictions, with these funds’ sizes approaching their respective quotas on overseas investments approved by the government. GF Fund Management is limiting subscriptions by an individual investor to 10 yuan (US$1.42) a day for its Nasdaq 100 ETF, with E Fund Management implementing the same curbs. China Asset Management…

Two former senior aides to South Korea’s ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol have testified in court that Yoon pressed ahead with a plan to impose martial law despite objections from cabinet members and top officials, with their statements offering a rare insight into the events that led to the short-lived decree.Testimony by former National Security Office chief Shin Won-sik and former presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk on Monday shed new light on Yoon’s thinking behind his martial law declaration on the night of December 3 last year, which was swiftly overturned after lawmakers and protesters mobilised against it.“The statements by Shin…

China accused the United States at the United Nations on Tuesday of violating international law and destabilising the Caribbean region, as Washington defended its seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers and vowed to intensify pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government.Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council requested by Venezuela and backed by China and Russia, Beijing said US actions carried out under the banner of counter-narcotics enforcement amounted to unilateral coercion and a direct challenge to the principles of sovereignty and freedom of navigation.“The US actions and the rhetoric have led to continued tensions in the region, raising…