Daily Balochistan Times

Islamabad:The 100-Index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued with bearish trend on Wednesday, losing 1,598.82 more points, a negative change of 1.39 percent, closing at 113,443.43 points as compared to 115,042.25 points on the last trading day.

A total of 743,632,966 shares were traded during the day as compared to 767,270,814 shares the previous trading day, whereas the price of shares stood at Rs35.245 billion against Rs.31.825 billion on the last trading day.

As many as 454 companies transacted their shares in the stock market,93 of them recorded gains and 307 sustained losses, whereas the share price of 54 companies remained unchanged.

The three top trading companies were WorldCall Telecom with 100,218,430 shares at Rs 1.7 per share, Cnergyico PK with 96,976,679 shares at Rs.7.36 per share and Fauji Cement with 83,552,040 shares at Rs.38.58 per share.

Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited witnessed a maximum increase of Rs349.99 per share closing at Rs 21,900.00 whereas runner-up was Hoechst Pakistan Limited with Rs 183.27 rise in its share price to close at Rs.3,291.79.

Ismail Industries Limited witnessed a maximum decrease of Rs.107.96 per share price, closing at Rs 1,857.50, whereas the runner-up was Mari Energies Limited with Rs 64.55 rise in its per share price to Rs.594.98.

Islamabad:Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar on Wednesday expressed grief over the deaths and destruction caused by the landslides and flash floods in Central Java, Indonesia.

"Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives and destruction caused by landslides and flash floods in Central Java, Indonesia. I extend heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for those missing," Dar wrote on his X timeline.

He said that Pakistan stood in solidarity with the government and people of Indonesia in this difficult time.

Islamabad:The additional attorney general on Wednesday informed the Supreme Court of Pakistan that the government wanted to set up tribunal through legislation to address the issue of missing persons.

He informed the top court that the government has appointed Justice (reted) Faqir Muhammad Khokhar as Chairman Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (CoIED) in replacement of Justice (reted) Javed Iqbal.

The additional attorney general said that a cabinet committee was working on draft for the legislation on the matter to which Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar questioned that much time it would take for legislation.

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail said that the law is already exist according to which enforced disappearance was a crime. He said that we could expect that the government would address the matter soon, adding that we can't direct the Parliament for legislation.

Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi questioned that the how many recoveries the commission has made, whether the recovered missing person told that where they have been, he asked.

The Registrar CoIED adopted the stance that the recovered missing person don't disclose that where they were kept or had been.

Later, the court adjourned hearing for indefinite time.

Beijing:Pakistan's Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi said that the New Gwadar International Airport represents yet another chapter of Pak-China friendship, trade, tourism, and regional prosperity.

"A historic moment indeed as the first commercial flight lands at Gwadar International Airport. This milestone is a testament to Pakistan's growing connectivity; it marks completion of another CPEC infrastructure project and represents yet another chapter of Pak-China friendship, trade, tourism, and regional prosperity," he commented on social media platform X.

The New Gwadar International Airport, funded and built by China as a grant, officially commenced operations on January 20. The first flight, PIA503 operated by Pakistan International Airlines, arrived at the newly inaugurated airport from Karachi.

The airport is a 4F-grade state-of-the-art facility built to handle the largest civil aircraft. Its 3,658-meter-long, 75-meter-wide runway, with a specialized foundation, sets a benchmark in engineering standards.

The new airport is located in a coastal area and faces a harsh salt spray environment that may potentially cause corrosion. According to a Chinese construction technician, the construction team took anti-corrosion measures in many aspects, such as the foundations, steel structures and decoration, with the aim of ensuring the durability of the terminal building.

The manager of the new airport told Chinese media that the facility will greatly improve Pakistan's air connectivity with other countries and provide easy access for international cargo and tourists. The airport will also be equipped with a refrigerated cargo storage system to facilitate exports of local seafood and further integrate Gwadar's economy into the global market.

Addressing previous connectivity challenges, the airport will enable modern airlines to serve Gwadar, enhancing regional economic growth and positioning Gwadar as a transshipment hub linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Launched in 2013, the CPEC, a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is a corridor linking the Gwadar Port in Southwest Pakistan's Balochistan province with Kashgar in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It highlighted energy, transport and industrial cooperation in the first phase, while the new phase expands into the fields of agriculture and livelihoods, among others.

A Chinese staff member at the new airport explained that the design standards, main materials and equipment used in the construction were all sourced from China, helping to promote China's civil aviation technology standards and materials abroad.

A Pakistani representative of the airport stated that the new facility will play a key role in the development of Gwadar and Pakistan's overall economy. With significant cargo potential, the airport is expected to handle not only a high volume of passenger traffic but also a large number of freight flights.

On October 14, 2024 Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif jointly attended the completion ceremony of the new Gwadar International Airport Project at the Prime Minister's Office, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.