ISLAMABAD: In a ‘World Press Freedom Day Roundtable,’ Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States was ‘concerned’ by restrictions on media and civil society in Pakistan, saying they were a threat to exercising the right to freedom of expression and association in Pakistan.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has ranked Pakistan number nine on its annual Global Impunity Index, which spotlights countries where journalists are slain and their killers go free. A total of 65 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2020, including nine in Pakistan, while doing their jobs, according to the International Federation of Journalists.
“Look, with regard to freedom of the press in Pakistan, we are concerned by significant restrictions on media outlets, on civil society more broadly, and these are not – these are not new concerns,” Blinken said. “But media and content restrictions as well as a lack of accountability for attacks, disappearances against journalists clearly are a threat to the ability to exercise the right to freedom of expression and association in Pakistan.”
The secretary of state said the United States had documented some of these violations in its Country Reports on Human Rights practices, and “we see media outlets, journalists, their families in Pakistan often subject to threats, harassment at the hands of security forces, political parties, militants, other groups, all of which you’re well familiar with.”
He added: “We of course regularly raise these issues and concerns in our conversations and in our meetings with our counterparts in Pakistan. And we also make them public. We’ve publicly noted our concern over the arrest of prominent media figures, for example, for their work. Sometimes the most effective thing we can do, over time at least, is to shine a light on practices that we find objectionable and also have others do the same, and hopefully that has an impact. But our open and honest engagement with Pakistan enables us, I think, to have an ongoing, sustained dialogue on human rights issues more broadly, and more specifically when it comes to press freedom, the rule of law, religious freedom, even as we collaborate in a number of areas where we have very clear mutual interests.”
The Pakistan government denies it censors the press.
In an interview to Arab News last month, then information minister Shibli Faraz said: “There is no concept of media censorship in the country, whatsoever ... Media in Pakistan enjoys complete independence and freedom to report, be it politics, economy or any other sphere.”
‘Concerned’ by restrictions on media outlets in Pakistan — US secretary of state
https://arab.news/9bcjx
‘Concerned’ by restrictions on media outlets in Pakistan — US secretary of state
- Blinken says the US “regularly” raise concerns about press censorship in meetings with Pakistani counterparts
- A total of 65 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2020, including nine in Pakistan
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.
