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The Ministry of Religious Affairs revealed that Pakistani pilgrims were expected to spend Rs9.94billion on sacrificial rites during Hajj 2025. Officials disclosed that this year’s sacrificial fee was set at Rs55,500 per individual. Sources within the ministry indicated that more than Rs1.94billion had already been deposited by over 35,000 pilgrims under the government’s Hajj scheme for the sacrificial arrangements. In total, 179,210 pilgrims from Pakistan were scheduled to perform Hajj this year. This figure included 89,605 pilgrims under the government scheme, with an equal number travelling through private arrangements.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb highlighted the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), termed “CPEC 2.0,” as a transformative initiative to attract increased Chinese investment and companies. With a focus on industrialization, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), clean energy, agriculture, and socio-economic projects, this phase aims to deepen collaboration and enable advanced technology transfer. Speaking at the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong, Aurangzeb invited delegations to explore joint ventures and financial opportunities, emphasizing Hong Kong’s potential as a hub for partnerships. Despite its ambitious goals, the project faces challenges, including Pakistan’s financial constraints and security concerns.

The New Gwadar International Airport, a flagship CPEC project and Pakistan’s largest airport by area, is being inaugurated today. Located 26 km from Gwadar city, the airport boasts a 3,658-meter-long runway capable of handling large aircraft like the Airbus A380. The inaugural PIA flight from Karachi was delayed but departed at 10 am, set to receive a water salute upon landing. Dignitaries, including Balochistan’s Governor, Chief Minister, and officials from Pakistan and China, will welcome passengers. Constructed at a cost of Rs50 billion, the airport replaces the old Gwadar airport and begins regular flight operations today.

Pakistan and China have signed MoUs worth $250 million to enhance cooperation in the medical equipment and surgical instrument sector during a B2B matchmaking conference in Beijing. Agreements were inked between Pakistan’s Sawuat and Chinese UPH Biopharma, facilitated by the Silk Road Assistance Industrial Internet Platform, to boost trade and joint ventures. Highlighting Pakistan’s strategic advantages, such as low production costs and compliance with European standards, experts emphasized the potential for collaboration to advance Pakistan’s medical industry and global competitiveness. The conference, hosted by the Pakistani Embassy, attracted 120 companies and concluded the first series of B2B events initiated after…

The Sindh government has signed an agreement with Chinese and local investors to develop the Dhabeji Special Economic Zone (SEZ) under CPEC Phase II, aiming to attract $3 billion in investment and create over 100,000 jobs. The agreement, supported by China’s National Development and Reform Commission, marks a milestone in industrial cooperation. Strategically located near Karachi’s ports, the SEZ offers connectivity to regional trade routes, enhancing its appeal for domestic and foreign investors, particularly Chinese firms. Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah hailed the project as a transformative step towards industrial growth, reduced import reliance, and a sustainable economy.

China Media Group (CMG) held a press conference on 2025 Spring Festival Gala on Sunday to introduce the highlights of the program and technological innovations, as well as the official announcement of the host lineup. As the first CMG Spring Festival Gala since the festival’s inscription on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, this year’s gala integrates more elements of intangible cultural heritage to create a cultural feast full of new ideas for the global audience. The upcoming gala invites ordinary people from all walks of life to become protagonists and accompany Chinese people in their celebrations of the Chinese Lunar…

The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has unveiled mission logos for three major spaceflights planned for 2025, including the Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 crewed missions and the Tianzhou-9 cargo mission. The announcement comes after the successful completion of a nationwide design solicitation campaign. The logo for China’s Shenzhou-21 crewed mission. The logo for China’s Tianzhou-9 cargo mission.

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said on Sunday that China is ready to work with the United States to push for the steady, sound and sustainable development of bilateral ties. Han made the remarks during a meeting with U.S. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. Han is in Washington, D.C. to attend the inauguration ceremony of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special representative at the invitation of the U.S. side. During the meeting, Han first conveyed President Xi’s greetings to Trump and extended congratulations to Vance on his election. Han said that during a recent important…

China on Sunday unveiled a new educational blueprint, vowing to build a strong education system by 2035 to support its modernization drive and national rejuvenation. The 2024-2035 master plan on building China into a leading country in education was jointly issued by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council. The strong education system, rooted in socialism with Chinese characteristics, will feature powerful ideological and political leadership, talent competitiveness, scientific and technological support, livelihood security, social synergy, and international influence, according to the document. Building a leading country in education has been an aspiration of the…

Today, we are commemorating 35 years of the military assault against the people of Azerbaijan and an unprecedented massacre targeting civilians by the former Soviet regime in breach of international law. Towards the end of the 1980s, the former Soviet Union’s disregard for Armenia’s illegal territorial claims against Azerbaijan, deportation of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis from their ancestral lands in present-day Armenia, and inciting ethnic riots for backing separatist activities in Azerbaijan’s Garabagh region, further stimulated the rise of the national independence movement against the Soviet regime in Azerbaijan. On the night of 19-20 January 1990 as a result of…