Army chief visits suicide blast site in Peshawar, praises police as ‘frontline force’

A man walks amid the rubble, days after a suicide blast in a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan on February 2, 2023. (REUTERS)
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Updated 03 February 2023
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Army chief visits suicide blast site in Peshawar, praises police as ‘frontline force’

  • Gen. Munir’s visit comes at a time when PM Shehbaz Sharif announced ‘zero-tolerance policy against terrorism’
  • The prime minister expressed his resolve not to let armed groups reverse the country’s recent ‘anti-terror gains’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir praised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police for playing a critical role in fighting extremist violence on Friday while visiting the site of a deadly suicide blast in Peshawar where over a hundred people were killed during a prayer congregation.
The incident took place when an explosion ripped through a crowded mosque in Peshawar’s police headquarters on Monday after a suicide bomber managed to enter the facility in police uniform.




Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir, third left, visits the site of Monday's suicide bombing in Peshawar, Pakistan, on February 3, 2023. (Photo courtesy: social media)

According to a statement released by the military’s media wing, ISPR, the army chief met with police personnel and praised their bravery in the “war against terrorism.”
“The [chief of army staff] said that KP police is one of the most brave and has fought as a Frontline force against terrorism,” the statement added.
He appreciated the morale of police personnel and paid tribute to the martyrs who “laid down their lives for the defence of motherland.”
“We as a nation together will root out this menace of terrorism till enduring peace and InSha Allah we shall achieve this,” General Munir was quoted as saying.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation of the country which agreed to adopt “a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism.”
“Those who attacked innocent citizens will be brought to justice,” he said in a Twitter post. “We will not allow anti-terror gains to be reversed.”

The prime minister said the participants of the meeting also considered proposals to revise the National Action Plan, announced in December 2014 to crack down on militant networks, and approved “a slew of measures to improve investigation, forensic & working of [counterterrorism departments].”
“The meeting agreed to institute implementation mechanism for the decisions,” he added.


Pakistan regulator amends law to facilitate capital raising by listed companies

Updated 19 January 2026
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Pakistan regulator amends law to facilitate capital raising by listed companies

  • The amendments address challenges faced by listed companies when raising further capital from existing shareholders through a rights issue
  • Previously, listed companies were prohibited from announcing a rights issue if the company, officials or shareholders had any overdue amounts

KARACHI: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has notified amendments to the Companies (Further Issue of Shares) Regulations 2020 to facilitate capital raising by listed companies while maintaining adequate disclosure requirements for investors, it announced on Monday,

The amendments address challenges faced by listed companies when raising further capital from existing shareholders through a rights issue. Previously, listed companies were prohibited from announcing a rights issue if the company, its sponsors, promoters, substantial shareholders, or directors had any overdue amounts or defaults appearing in their Credit Information Bureau (CIB) report.

This restriction constrained financially stressed yet viable companies from raising capital, even in circumstances where existing shareholders were willing to support revival, restructuring, or continuation of operations, according to the SECP.

“Under the amended framework, the requirement for a clean CIB report will not apply if the relevant persons provide a No Objection Certificate (NOC) regarding the proposed rights issue from the concerned financial institution(s),” the regulator said.

The notification of the amendments follows a consultative process in which the SECP sought feedback from market stakeholders, including listed companies, issue consultants, professional bodies, industry associations, law firms, and capital market institutions.

The amendments are expected to enhance market confidence, improve access to capital for listed companies, and strengthen transparency within the rights issue framework, according to the SECP.

“To ensure transparency and protect investors’ interests, companies in such cases must make comprehensive disclosures in the rights offer document,” the regulator said.

“These disclosures must include details of any defaults or overdue amounts, ongoing recovery proceedings, and the status of any debt restructuring.”

The revised regulations strike an “appropriate balance” between facilitating corporate rehabilitation and enabling investors to make informed investment decisions, the SECP added.