KARACHI: Under the theme of “Stop killing children in Gaza,” over 50 young artists and students on Saturday exhibited their work at the Arts Council of Pakistan, urging the international community to immediately stop the Palestinian “genocide.”
Israeli forces have killed thousands of Palestinians, including more than 8,000 children, since Oct. 7 when it was targeted by Hamas in an attack which the group said was launched in response to the deteriorating condition of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.
Millions of people across the world have protested against Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, despite calls for an immediate cease-fire from the United Nations and the rest of the international community.
The art exhibition, organized by the Palestine Foundation Pakistan (PFP) in collaboration with the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP), aimed to raise awareness about the conflict and urge the international community to do its best to end the conflict.
“More than 8,000 children have been killed by the Zionist regime in Gaza,” Dr. Sabir Abu Mariam, the PFP general secretary, told Arab News.
“We are demanding of the international community, international powers, especially the United Nations, to stop the killing of children in Gaza immediately,” he added.
Wajid Ali, an assistant professor in Gujrat said he had come to Karachi to curate the exhibition. He noted that over the last 77 days, Israel had been continuously attacking Palestinians, including children.
“It’s an awareness campaign among the young generation to understand how they think about this grand massacre,” Ali continued. “They [the young artists] depicted their ideas and thoughts in different art forms.”
Umaima Masood, a student at the council’s School of Arts, said she was crying while making the abstract painting of a Palestinian girl in tears.
“She is crying and asking to fix the situation,” she said while pointing toward the painting, adding: “We will have to stop Israel.”
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution to send more aid to help the residents of the Gaza Strip on Friday, though it did not call for an immediate cease-fire.
The resolution was described as insufficient under the circumstances by a number of world players, with the UN chief saying humanitarian cease-fire was the only way to help the people of Gaza and “end their ongoing nightmare.”
‘Grand massacre’: Young artists in Karachi exhibition seek end to Israel’s killing of Palestinian children
https://arab.news/cw5mx
‘Grand massacre’: Young artists in Karachi exhibition seek end to Israel’s killing of Palestinian children
- Over 50 young artists displayed their work at the exhibition organized by the Pakistan Palestine Foundation
- The organizers said the exhibition was to urge the international community to bring the conflict to an end
Pakistan business group presses for corporate tax rationalization in IMF talks
- Pakistan Business Council calls for abolition of super tax, phased corporate rate cut to 25%
- PM Sharif has said government is considering reduction in direct taxes in upcoming budget
KARACHI: Pakistan’s business policy advocacy group urged the government to rationalize corporate tax rates during talks with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation on Saturday, arguing such a step would be critical to shifting the economy from stabilization to export-led growth.
The Pakistan Business Council (PBC), which represents many of the country’s largest private-sector companies, said the current tax structure places a disproportionate burden on documented and compliant enterprises.
The engagement follows the arrival of an IMF staff mission in Pakistan earlier this week to begin review talks that will determine the release of the next tranche under the country’s $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the $1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).
The team is expected to start formal negotiations next week, discussions seen as critical to sustaining Pakistan’s fragile economic recovery and maintaining external financing stability.
“Stabilization has provided breathing space,” PBC Chairperson Dr. Zeelaf Munir said according to a statement after the meeting with the IMF delegation headed by mission chief Iva Petrova. “The priority now is institutionalizing growth.”
“A competitive and equitable tax framework, predictable energy pricing and policy consistency are essential to expand exports, attract investment and generate employment at scale,” she continued. “The private sector stands ready to deploy capital where reform signals remain clear and credible.”
In its presentation to the Fund team, the PBC called for the abolition of the super tax, an additional levy imposed in recent years on high-earning companies and individuals to shore up revenues, in all its forms. It also demanded a phased reduction of the corporate tax rate to 25%, and rationalization of advance and withholding tax regimes that businesses say function as de facto minimum taxes.
The PBC urged the broadening of the tax base through stronger enforcement to bring untaxed sectors into the net, rather than increasing the burden on existing taxpayers.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said earlier this week on Wednesday the government was considering reducing direct taxes in the upcoming federal budget to support businesses, while maintaining that indirect taxes collected from consumers must be properly deposited into the national exchequer.
The IMF review discussions with the Pakistani authorities are expected to focus on fiscal consolidation, monetary policy, structural reforms and climate-related benchmarks tied to the RSF program, as Islamabad seeks to secure continued external financing and strengthen macroeconomic stability.
