Senator Sherry Rehman paid heartfelt tribute to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on his birth anniversary, honoring his historic leadership, constitutional vision, and steadfast commitment to democratic values, equality, and the rights of all citizens.
“Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah envisioned Pakistan as a democratic state governed by the rule of law, where every citizen, regardless of faith, ethnicity, or background, would enjoy equal rights and protection,” Senator Rehman said. “On his birthday, December 25, we are reminded that his message of unity, faith, and discipline was inseparable from his firm belief in religious freedom and respect for minorities.”

She recalled Quaid-e-Azam’s clear and enduring commitment to minority rights, noting that his speeches and actions emphasized inclusion, tolerance, and coexistence as the foundation of a strong and progressive Pakistan. “Jinnah believed that minorities were not only protected citizens but equal partners in the nation’s future. Upholding this vision remains a collective responsibility,” she added.

Senator Rehman also extended warm greetings to the Christian community in Pakistan and across the world on the occasion of Christmas, which is celebrated on the same day.
“Christmas is a time of peace, compassion, and goodwill. Pakistan’s Christian community has made invaluable contributions to education, healthcare, public service, and nation-building,” she said.

“Their role in strengthening our society reflects the inclusive Pakistan that Quaid-e-Azam imagined.”

She emphasized that observing Quaid-e-Azam’s birthday alongside Christmas is a powerful reminder of Pakistan’s pluralistic foundations. “These occasions together highlight the importance of mutual respect, interfaith harmony, and the protection of minority rights. A Pakistan that safeguards its diversity is a Pakistan that honors Jinnah’s legacy,” Senator Rehman stated.

Calling for renewed commitment to constitutional values, Senator Rehman stressed the need to translate Quaid-e-Azam’s ideals into policy and practice. “Respect for minorities, social justice, and democratic governance are not optional—they are central to the promise of Pakistan,” she concluded.

Discussions focused on areas of mutual interest including cultural exchange, tourism, and the protection of historical sites.

The President expressed appreciation for the warm reception and emphasised the importance of sustained collaboration between the two countries.

President Zardari noted that it was a matter of great honour to be in a city that hosts some of the most revered places in Islam.

The Iraq visit is part of President Zardari’s broader efforts to strengthen diplomatic, cultural, and people-to-people ties in the region.

Senator Sherry Rehman; Senator Saleem Mandviwala; Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, Governor Punjab, Senior Minister Sindh Sharjeel Memon, Sindh Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iraq accompanied the President.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while addressing the 63rd Annual Parents’ Day ceremony at Cadet College Petaro, paid rich tribute to the enduring legacy of the prestigious institution, stating that Cadet College Petaro has played an unforgettable and defining role in shaping the character, discipline and leadership qualities of its students.

According to the press release issued by the Media Cell Bilawal House, Chairman PPP said that Cadet College Petaro was not merely an educational institution but a place where discipline becomes identity and responsibility becomes instinct. He congratulated the cadets on completing a demanding journey, noting that perseverance, self-control and commitment had set them apart. Recalling the personal connection of his family with Cadet College Petaro, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the education and fortitude gained at the institution enabled his father, President Asif Ali Zardari, to endure the highest offices of the state as well as the most testing periods of political imprisonment.

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stressed that a nation’s true strength lay not only in its arms but in its character, urging cadets to choose integrity over shortcuts, service over self-interest and courage over convenience. He said whether in uniform or civilian life, service to Pakistan must remain a lifelong commitment.

Referring to national challenges, Chairman PPP said that Pakistan had repeatedly proven its resilience and unity, including through the recent professional and resolute response of the armed forces in defending the country’s sovereignty, which he termed a moral as well as military success. “Recently, our armed forces once again demonstrated this truth. Through professionalism, preparedness, and unity of command, Pakistan defended its sovereignty and secured a clear military success. This victory was not merely tactical, it was moral. It reminded the world that Pakistan stands firm, disciplined, and resolute when teste,” he added.

Highlighting Sindh’s historic role in Pakistan’s journey, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said institutions like Cadet College Petaro continued to produce leaders guided by principle and discipline. He congratulated the cadets and called upon them to serve Pakistan with honour, humility and unwavering resolve.

Secretary General of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Humayun Khan, has directed all party supporters, workers and office-bearers to reach Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on December 27 with traditional devotion and respect to observe the martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

In his statement, Humayun Khan said that a historic public gathering will be held at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on the martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, which will be addressed by Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

He stated that special prayers will be offered at the exact time of the martyrdom of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto on December 27, while poets will also present poetic tributes to the martyrs of democracy on the occasion.

The PPP Secretary General further clarified that commemorative events will be organized at divisional and district levels across the country on the death anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. These events will include Quran Khwani, prayer ceremonies, seminars and condolence gatherings.

Humayun Khan added that caravans of party workers and supporters from all provinces, cities, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir will reach Garhi Khuda Bakhsh to pay rich tributes to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

He emphasized that the sacrifices, struggle and services of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for democracy will always be remembered, and Pakistan Peoples Party will continue to carry forward her mission under the leadership of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

First Lady, Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, graced the 5th Passing Out Parade and Annual Parents’ Day at Bakhtawar Cadet College for Girls (BCCG) as the chief guest today.

The First Lady inaugurated the college’s newly completed gymnasium and swimming pool, participated in a tree plantation ceremony, and officially opened the “Art & Science Exhibition 2025-26”. She later inspected the guard of honour and met the college faculty before addressing the cadets and parents.

In her address, Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari highlighted the college’s historic role as Pakistan’s first girls’ cadet college, established to empower young women through education, discipline, and leadership training. She praised the cadets’ dedication, the faculty’s guidance and the Sindh Government’s support, noting that these combined efforts have transformed BCCG into an institution producing confident, disciplined and globally competitive young leaders.

Reflecting on the legacy of prominent women leaders, she reminded the cadets of the example set by Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, emphasising that education and leadership of girls is essential for Pakistan’s future. She encouraged the cadets to carry the values of discipline, respect and resilience into every endeavour, and to always uphold the honour of their families and their country.

The First Lady also presented college crests and prizes to the cadets, witnessed march pasts, PT and gymnastic displays and a karate show.

Established in 2017 and managed by the Pakistan Air Force, with the support of Government of Sindh, BCCG currently enrolls 423 cadets from across the country. The college provides modern facilities, including smart classrooms, science and computer labs, a digital library, gymnasium, swimming pool, sports grounds and comprehensive residential amenities. Its cadets have earned recognition in academics, sports, and co-curricular activities at provincial, national and international levels, reflecting the institution’s vision of nurturing future leaders.

In the college visitors’ book, Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari wrote, “Honoured to visit Bakhtawar Cadet College. We must appreciate President Asif Ali Zardari for his vision in creating this institute. May these bright cadets continue to succeed in all walks of life. May they serve Pakistan and make their country proud.”

Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari’s participation underscored the continuing commitment to empowering young women and highlighted the critical role of education, discipline, and leadership in shaping Pakistan’s future.

Vice President of the Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Sherry Rehman called for urgent, coordinated action to ensure effective implementation of Pakistan’s gender-based violence (GBV) laws, while pursuing the notice she has submitted in the Senate for further action in the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights.

The meeting was convened on Senator Rehman’s notice and pursuant to a motion she tabled in the Senate to review the state of GBV legislation, enforcement, and outcomes.

Senator Rehman noted that Pakistan has enacted a significant number of laws at both federal and provincial levels to address violence against women, with additional legislation currently under consideration. However, she stressed that the persistent gap between lawmaking and enforcement continues to undermine justice. “The media and the public repeatedly ask us: you make laws, but where is the implementation?” she said, adding that this question must be answered with concrete action rather than assurances.

Senator Rehman said that it has become a source of disquiet for lawmakers like her who have been pushing GBV laws in different iterations since 2002, there is a still a huge gap in their implementation. “Ensuring the safety, dignity, and rights of women is a constitutional responsibility of the state and a core priority of the Pakistan Peoples Party,” she emphasized.

Some alarming numbers were highlighted for sexual abuse, murder, rape acid attack and domestic violence during the meeting: a total of 28059 cases were decided by the trial courts, out of which 26842 cases resulted in acquittal. Out of which 21877 were acquitted due to resiling of witnesses e.g. complainant/victim/star witnesses.In compoundable offences like murder and hurt cases, 1299 were acquitted on compromise.3171 cases have resulted in acquittal on merit. 1217 cases were convicted on merit.

Further, sharing recent statistics, Senator Rehman stated that during 2024 alone, 32,617 cases of gender-based violence were reported across Pakistan, including rape, abduction, domestic violence, and killings in the name of so-called honour. Despite the establishment of 480 GBV courts nationwide, she noted that the backlog of cases continues to grow at an alarming rate, further delaying justice for survivors.

Citing findings from the report of the Law Commission of Pakistan and the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), Senator Rehman described the available data on gender-based violence as deeply troubling. She pointed out that the conviction rate in GBV cases remains extremely low at just 5 percent, while 64 percent of cases result in acquittals, raising serious questions about investigation standards, prosecution, and judicial processes.

“This issue is like an iceberg,” Senator Rehman said. “A large number of cases are never reported, never registered, and never documented. What we see in official figures is only a fraction of the actual scale of violence faced by women.

According to Human Rights Watch, 70% of GBV incidents go unreported due to survivors’ fear of retaliation and societal victim-blaming.”

She further emphasized that low conviction rates are exacerbated by systemic pressures placed on survivors, police officials, prosecutors, and judicial officers, often allowing powerful interests to influence outcomes. “We must ask ourselves how we can ensure that justice is not subordinated to private pressures and vested interests,” she said.

Senator Rehman asserted, “Through the committee and the cooperation of the committee Chairperson Senator Samina Mumtaz, we had asked for police departments, prosecutorial officials, advocate generals, NCHR, NCSW, and all federal, provincial departments to be here at an intersection where we can find ways to plug the loopholes in laws which are allowing such low conviction rates. This is key to implementation of these laws , and officials brought very clear and important recommendations which are now being collated by the Secretary of the committee for further action and reforms in the each of the provinces as needed.”

She further added “The task should be to break the cycle of impunity that enables victim shaming and adversarial social and police as well as prosecutorial environments in such cases.”

Senator Rehman also raised concerns about social attitudes that perpetuate impunity. She criticized the widespread culture of victim-blaming, where the focus shifts from the crime to the character of the survivor. Referring to Geo tv drama serial “Case No. 9”, based on GBV courts, she acknowledged its role in raising awareness but cautioned that even such narratives sometimes reinforce harmful stereotypes by placing implicit blame on victims.

Shedding light on the gravity of societal normalization of violence, Senator Rehman cited a disturbing incident in which a perpetrator of an honour killing was publicly welcomed with drum-beating and congratulated. “This reflects a dangerous mindset that glorifies violence and must be confronted head-on,” she said.

Concluding her remarks, Senator Rehman stated, “We have made the laws. Now the real challenge is ensuring their effective and uniform implementation.”

Acknowledging that transformative change cannot happen overnight, she called for practical, time-bound measures to strengthen investigations, protect survivors, improve prosecution, and address institutional weaknesses. “If we cannot bring a revolution in one night, we must at least break this stagnation through sustained reform and accountability,” she said.

A PPP delegation from Gilgit-Baltistan, led by former Chairman Senate, Syed Nayyar Bokhari, called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr today.

The delegation briefed the President on political and developmental matters concerning Gilgit-Baltistan.

The President emphasised the importance of dialogue, consensus and inclusive governance in addressing regional issues and strengthening democratic institutions.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has paid profound tribute to the martyrs of the Army Public School, Peshawar, on the anniversary of the tragic attack, remembering the innocent children and teachers whose lives were brutally taken on December 16.

According to the press release issued by the Media Cell Bilawal House, the PPP Chairman said in his mesage that the APS tragedy remains a permanent scar on the nation’s conscience and a moment of collective grief that reshaped Pakistan’s resolve against terrorism. “December 16 reminds us that terrorism has no religion, no humanity and no justification. Our response must always be unity, justice and an unshakeable commitment to protect our children,” he said.

Reaffirming the PPP’s commitment to peace, education and the rule of law, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the Party stands with the families of the martyrs and will continue striving for a Pakistan where every child can learn, grow and dream without fear. He concluded by saying, “We bow our heads in reverence to the APS martyrs. Their sacrifice will forever guide us towards a safer and stronger Pakistan.”

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressed a meeting of industrialists and business community of Punjab in Lahore on Tuesday Afternoon.
Chairman Bilawal said that he wants to speak about future of business community and how the Pakistan Peoples Party can help. He appreciated the efforts and research in the 165 districts in Pakistan of the business community to increase the opportunities of exports. He said that we also want to give our input and to implement your efforts. The PPP laid the foundation of China Pakistan Economic Corridor as its aim was to benefit Pakistan and its people. He said “It was a matter of pride for me to find out as the foreign minister that China specially accommodates Pakistan and wants to give preference to Pakistani goods for export but we are not taking the full advantage of that Chinese preference for Pakistani goods.” We need to get benefit of this favorable status and then we can ask them for more. China has provided this opportunity in every sector but we are not taking full benefit of these opportunities. We have to look for opportunities with this new tariff situation. We hope that the federal government must be working on those lines. We have GSP Plus with Europe and we have increased 80% export with this GSP Plus. Europe has also benefitted 60% in export to Pakistan with this GSP Plus. We can find economic opportunities district-wise, specially in value added goods.
He said that we can look for increase export in foreign market. We can also find Public-Private partnership district-wise. This will be an achievement for Pakistan if we work district-wise. As far as the President, Governor Punjab, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh government and Balochistan government and the Prime Minister are concerned, they all wants to work with you. There is a difference between Prime Minister’s and our teams is that they believes in centralization whereas we believe in de-centralization. Your district-wise plan will strengthen our argument. I want to strongly appreciate your district-wise research. Chairman PPP said that he is ready to consider the recommendations for economy of the business community.
Regarding the issue of taxes, he said that business community’s point of view is very valid. We all want to increase revenue of Pakistan, tax collection and tax net. We all have the same goal for economic progress and human development. We have different perspective regarding how to reach that goal. This and the previous government wanted to run the economy by force but I do not think that country’s economy can be run by force. We should run the economy with understanding. There is an English proverb that you can catch more with honey than vinegar. If we respect the tax contributing citizens instead of brow beat them to pay tax then we can get far better results. There is an example that before 18th amendment the collection of sales tax on services for federation was collected by the FBR and the record is for everyone to see that how much the FBR used to collect. After 18th amendment Sindh and other provinces started collecting these taxes for federation and we have broken the record for collecting these taxes. Every province has collected more than previously collected by the federation. This is an evidence of the benefit of de-centralization. The performance of Sindh province in collecting these taxes has been better than other provinces. The secret of this better performance is that Sindh has less sales tax on services in Sindh than other provinces so that business community desires to do business in our province. Our approach is to encourage the business community. We should make FBR an institution in which every province should have representation. People and business community should have confidence of FBR so that we can achieve our targets of tax collection. Tax should be a responsibility not a burden.
We request the federal government that if it needs to overcome economic difficulties then the solution is there. At the moment, the FBR also collects sales tax on goods for the federation. This responsibility may also be given to the provinces. If the provinces meet your target then we are ready to give all these collections to the federation. If the provinces do not meet the targets then the federation may deduct that amount from our share in the kitty on a condition that if we collect more than the target then that money is given to the province which collects that extra amount. In this way the provinces will have an incentive.
The power issue has been a chronic problem in Pakistan. We can look for solutions to overcome this issue. We need to study the proposal presented by the business community of Punjab in this regard. The manifesto of the PPP for the last elections wanted to give relief to the people using up to 200 units. We can still subsidize the people using less than 200 units. We need to change our concept of relief. Instead of cross-subsidizing the rest of the population, in the short term we seek to provide through green energy to people using less than 200 units. We have tried our best and the PPP has provided power through Thar Coal Project of the Sindh government which is the cheapest energy generation project. Thar Coal Project is a Public Private Partnership project, provided energy to Faisalabad. This project was initially not for Karachi. The provincial governments can stablish energy generation plants for 50 megawatts. We had two plants of 50 megawatts which is supplying the cheapest electricity to K-Electric through our own built transmission line. Chairman Bilawal offered business community of Punjab to get coal from Sindh.
One of notable achievement of the Sindh government has been the Public Private Partnership which is performing great in sectors like infrastructure, education, health and energy. This improves service delivery of Sindh government. We hope that as a result of your district-wise research we can take this Public Private Partnership to district level. We can get great results by this Public Private Partnership. Special Economic Zone of Khairpur in Sindh has been recognized by a magazine of Financial Times. We have other Economic Zones as well in Larkana, Dhabeji and others. We need to de-centralize these economic zones, he concluded.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressed a meeting of industrialists and business community of Punjab in Lahore on Tuesday Afternoon.
Chairman Bilawal said that he wants to speak about future of business community and how the Pakistan Peoples Party can help. He appreciated the efforts and research in the 165 districts in Pakistan of the business community to increase the opportunities of exports. He said that we also want to give our input and to implement your efforts. The PPP laid the foundation of China Pakistan Economic Corridor as its aim was to benefit Pakistan and its people. He said “It was a matter of pride for me to find out as the foreign minister that China specially accommodates Pakistan and wants to give preference to Pakistani goods for export but we are not taking the full advantage of that Chinese preference for Pakistani goods.” We need to get benefit of this favorable status and then we can ask them for more. China has provided this opportunity in every sector but we are not taking full benefit of these opportunities. We have to look for opportunities with this new tariff situation. We hope that the federal government must be working on those lines. We have GSP Plus with Europe and we have increased 80% export with this GSP Plus. Europe has also benefitted 60% in export to Pakistan with this GSP Plus. We can find economic opportunities district-wise, specially in value added goods.
He said that we can look for increase export in foreign market. We can also find Public-Private partnership district-wise. This will be an achievement for Pakistan if we work district-wise. As far as the President, Governor Punjab, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh government and Balochistan government and the Prime Minister are concerned, they all wants to work with you. There is a difference between Prime Minister’s and our teams is that they believes in centralization whereas we believe in de-centralization. Your district-wise plan will strengthen our argument. I want to strongly appreciate your district-wise research. Chairman PPP said that he is ready to consider the recommendations for economy of the business community.
Regarding the issue of taxes, he said that business community’s point of view is very valid. We all want to increase revenue of Pakistan, tax collection and tax net. We all have the same goal for economic progress and human development. We have different perspective regarding how to reach that goal. This and the previous government wanted to run the economy by force but I do not think that country’s economy can be run by force. We should run the economy with understanding. There is an English proverb that you can catch more with honey than vinegar. If we respect the tax contributing citizens instead of brow beat them to pay tax then we can get far better results. There is an example that before 18th amendment the collection of sales tax on services for federation was collected by the FBR and the record is for everyone to see that how much the FBR used to collect. After 18th amendment Sindh and other provinces started collecting these taxes for federation and we have broken the record for collecting these taxes. Every province has collected more than previously collected by the federation. This is an evidence of the benefit of de-centralization. The performance of Sindh province in collecting these taxes has been better than other provinces. The secret of this better performance is that Sindh has less sales tax on services in Sindh than other provinces so that business community desires to do business in our province. Our approach is to encourage the business community. We should make FBR an institution in which every province should have representation. People and business community should have confidence of FBR so that we can achieve our targets of tax collection. Tax should be a responsibility not a burden.
We request the federal government that if it needs to overcome economic difficulties then the solution is there. At the moment, the FBR also collects sales tax on goods for the federation. This responsibility may also be given to the provinces. If the provinces meet your target then we are ready to give all these collections to the federation. If the provinces do not meet the targets then the federation may deduct that amount from our share in the kitty on a condition that if we collect more than the target then that money is given to the province which collects that extra amount. In this way the provinces will have an incentive.
The power issue has been a chronic problem in Pakistan. We can look for solutions to overcome this issue. We need to study the proposal presented by the business community of Punjab in this regard. The manifesto of the PPP for the last elections wanted to give relief to the people using up to 200 units. We can still subsidize the people using less than 200 units. We need to change our concept of relief. Instead of cross-subsidizing the rest of the population, in the short term we seek to provide through green energy to people using less than 200 units. We have tried our best and the PPP has provided power through Thar Coal Project of the Sindh government which is the cheapest energy generation project. Thar Coal Project is a Public Private Partnership project, provided energy to Faisalabad. This project was initially not for Karachi. The provincial governments can stablish energy generation plants for 50 megawatts. We had two plants of 50 megawatts which is supplying the cheapest electricity to K-Electric through our own built transmission line. Chairman Bilawal offered business community of Punjab to get coal from Sindh.
One of notable achievement of the Sindh government has been the Public Private Partnership which is performing great in sectors like infrastructure, education, health and energy. This improves service delivery of Sindh government. We hope that as a result of your district-wise research we can take this Public Private Partnership to district level. We can get great results by this Public Private Partnership. Special Economic Zone of Khairpur in Sindh has been recognized by a magazine of Financial Times. We have other Economic Zones as well in Larkana, Dhabeji and others. We need to de-centralize these economic zones, he concluded.