Police break up Muslim gatherings in Indian-held Kashmir

Kashmiri Shiite Muslims shout religious slogans amid tear smoke as devotees defied restrictions imposed on a Muharram procession in Srinagar on Sept. 19, 2018. (AFP)
Updated 19 September 2018
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Police break up Muslim gatherings in Indian-held Kashmir

  • Clashes erupted when police attempted to stop groups of Muslims who were trying to break the curfew
  • Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim it in its entirety

SRINAGAR: Police in Indian-controlled Kashmir fired tear gas and used batons on Wednesday to break up religious processions marking the Muslim month of Muharram.

Authorities imposed a curfew in Lalchowk, the commercial hub of disputed Kashmir's main city of Srinagar, fearing that the religious processions could morph into anti-India protests.

Clashes erupted when police attempted to stop groups of Muslims who were trying to break the curfew and hold processions at several places in the city.

Muharram, a month of the most important holy days for Shiite Muslims, marks the death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson in the battle of Karbala.

Police detained over a hundred mourners, who were expected to be released later in the day.

Indian authorities "provide state facilities and protection to facilitate the annual Hindu pilgrimage in Kashmir but ban our traditional religious processions," said Hakim Adil, a participant in Wednesday's processions.

Officials say the processions are only banned in Srinagar's main commercial hub to avoid a "law and order situation," a euphemism for anti-India protests.

Residents of Indian-controlled Kashmir have often defied bans on large public gatherings since the outbreak of an armed insurgency in 1989 demanding the Himalayan region's independence from India, or its merger with neighboring Pakistan.

Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim it in its entirety. Most Kashmiris support the rebel cause.

Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown.


Systems Limited to acquire Confiz in one of Pakistan’s biggest tech mergers

Updated 6 sec ago
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Systems Limited to acquire Confiz in one of Pakistan’s biggest tech mergers

  • Pakistan’s largest listed IT firm to absorb Confiz through court-sanctioned merger, PSX told in disclosure
  • Deal expands Systems’ footprint in North America, Europe amid rising global demand for AI, cloud services

ISLAMABAD: Systems Limited, Pakistan’s largest listed IT services company, said on Thursday it will acquire Confiz, a global technology firm with strong operations in North America and Europe, in a merger that industry analysts describe as one of the biggest IT consolidation deals in Pakistan’s recent history.

In a disclosure to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), Systems Limited said its board had approved a plan to merge Confiz with the company. Under Pakistani company law, such mergers require a court-approved process in which one company is legally absorbed into another. Instead of paying cash, Systems will issue new shares to Confiz’s owners, effectively exchanging ownership in Confiz for ownership in Systems Limited. The merger still needs formal approval from shareholders, creditors, regulators and the Lahore High Court before it can take effect.

Announcing the deal, Systems Limited said the acquisition would significantly expand its global delivery capacity and strengthen domain expertise in high-value markets.

"This high-powered acquisition marks the beginning of a new era in how we deliver innovation, create value, and empower enterprises globally,” Systems Limited Group CEO and Managing Director Asif Peer said in a company statement.

“By integrating Confiz’s expertise with Systems Limited’s global platform, we are positioned to drive deeper innovation, further expand our footprint in North America and Europe, and deliver transformative outcomes for clients worldwide,” he added. 

“This acquisition strengthens our position as a leading technology organization and contributes to the ongoing evolution of Pakistan’s IT landscape."

The draft merger scheme will be circulated to shareholders following directions from the Lahore High Court, Systems Limited said.

According to the PSX filing, the merged entity will issue new Systems Limited shares to Confiz shareholders once the amalgamation is cleared by regulators and the court. The company’s CEO, CFO and company secretary have been authorized to finalize the Scheme of Arrangement and all associated transaction documents.

Systems Limited, founded in 1977 and widely regarded as the pioneer of Pakistan’s IT industry, has grown into a global systems integrator with operations across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The company provides large-scale digital transformation, cloud, AI engineering and managed services to Fortune 500 and major public-sector clients.

Confiz, established in 2005, has built a strong presence in the United States, Canada and Europe, specializing in retail and consumer-goods (CPG) digital transformation, advanced data engineering, AI-driven modernization and cloud solutions. The company serves several Fortune 100 enterprises and operates talent hubs across North America, EMEA, South Asia and Latin America.

A cornerstone of the merger is Confiz’s longstanding strength in retail digital transformation, a sector where demand for AI-enabled forecasting, supply-chain modernization and omnichannel commerce is accelerating. Systems said combining its scale with Confiz’s accelerators and technical depth would allow it to compete more aggressively in the US and European enterprise markets.

Pakistan’s IT exports have risen sharply in recent years as global companies expand outsourcing and cloud engineering partnerships. Analysts say the merger signals the increasing international ambition of Pakistani IT firms as they look to scale into full-service digital transformation providers competing for global enterprise contracts.