ISLAMABAD: Pakistan welcomed the decision by Kashmir’s All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) to appoint Masrat Alam Bhat as its new chairman, its foreign office said on Wednesday, a week after the death of iconic pro-independence Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani.
Geelani, who died on Wednesday at the age of 92, had been a thorn in India’s side since the early 1960s when he began campaigning for the merger with Pakistan of the part of Kashmiri territory administered by India.
The veteran politician was an icon of Kashmiri resistance and undisputed leader of the APHC, which is the umbrella organization of most pro-independence Kashmiri groups.
The APHC’s move to appoint Bhat its chief, and Shabbir Ahmad Shah and Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar vice-chairmen, appears to be aimed at filling the void left after Geelani’s death.
“As the true representatives of the Kashmiris in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), APHC leadership is the real voice of their aspirations,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.
It said that APHC leaders had for years been at the forefront of the struggle for the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people and they would undoubtedly receive the support of the masses as torchbearers of the Kashmiris’ struggle against “illegal Indian occupation.”
Islamabad would continue to provide all possible assistance to the Kashmiri people in their legitimate struggle, the statement reiterated, as enshrined in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Tensions spiked in Kashmir after Geelani’s death last week, with thousands of Indian security forces patrolling the streets to keep people indoors following clashes between residents and government forces in the main city of Srinagar late Thursday, the AFP reported.
Dozens of citizens, angry at the refusal to let them pay a public tribute to Geelani, clashed with government forces and hurled stones at paramilitaries who chased them with batons.
Geelani’s son accused police of taking his father’s body away to be buried in the middle of the night, hours after his death.
The veteran politician, who had spent much of the past five decades in jail or under house arrest, had infuriated successive Indian governments with his pro-Pakistan stance and demands for a self-determination vote.
The nuclear-armed neighbors have disputed the region since their independence in 1947 and have fought two wars over Kashmir.
Pakistan welcomes decision to appoint new chairman of Kashmir’s Hurriyat Conference
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Pakistan welcomes decision to appoint new chairman of Kashmir’s Hurriyat Conference
- The All Parties Hurriyat Conference appointed Masrat Alam Bhat its chief
- APHC leadership is the “real voice” of Kashmiris, Islamabad says
Pakistan regulator says over 21,600 new companies registered in first half of FY26
- This reflects a 29 percent increase compared to the 16,839 companies that were registered during same period last year, says regulator
- These incorporations contributed $109.5 billion in paid-up capital, says Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan report
ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) said this week it registered over 21,600 new companies in the first half of the current fiscal year, reflecting rising investor confidence and positive economic outlook in the country.
In a report issued on Jan. 6, the SECP said it registered 21,668 companies in the first six months of the current fiscal year, adding that these incorporations contributed Rs30.7 billion [$109.5 million] in paid-up capital.
The report said this represented a 29 percent increase compared to the 16,839 companies registered during the same period last year.
“Pakistan’s business landscape continues to demonstrate strong momentum, reflecting rising investor confidence and a positive economic outlook,” the SECP report said.
The SECP said the latest increase has brought the total number of registered companies in Pakistan to 279,724. It said the top ten sectors by incorporations were led by the IT & e-commerce, with 4,277 companies, followed by trading (2,997 companies), services (2,686 companies) and real estate (2,031 companies).
“This sectoral diversity highlights expanding entrepreneurial activity, particularly in technology-driven and service-oriented industries,” the report said.
The SECP said foreign investment also remained “robust” during the period, adding that 524 newly incorporated companies received foreign investment amounting to Rs1.26 billion [$4.5 million] with the participation from 731 foreign investors.
“China emerged as the leading source, accounting for 71 percent of total inflows,” the SECP said. “It was followed by Afghanistan (8 percent), the United States (2 percent), and the United Kingdom, Germany, South
Africa, South Korea, Norway, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Bangladesh, each contributing 1 percent,” it added.
The SECP said an additional 11 percent of the investment originated from other countries.
