Pakistani musician Haniya Aslam dies, cousin Zeb Bangash confirms the news
Mumbai (PTI): Popular Pakistani singer Haniya Aslam, known for her Coke Studio hits "Laili Jaan", "Bibi Sanam", "Paimona", and "Chup", has died, her cousin and musical collaborator Zeb Bangash confirmed on social media.
Bangash paid tribute to Haniya by sharing pictures of her late cousin on Instagram. Shecaptioned the post, "Hanini", confirming Aslam's death on Sunday.
Local media reports said Aslam died of cardiac arrest and was in her late 30s.
Fans and well wishers mourned the singer's death on social media.
One user commented, "What!? This is a shock". Another said, "I am so so sorry to hear this!"
Indian musical artist Anirudh Varma wrote, "I'm so sorry to hear about this. May her soul rest in peace. Her music will be celebrated forever."
Indo-Pakistani duo comprised of Rup Magon and Qurram Hussain, known by their band "JoSH the Band" shared a story with the Aslam's picture captioning it, "Today, our music fraternity lost an incredible artist and soul. You will never be forgotten Haniya. R.I.P."
Pakistani cricketer Syeda Nain Fatima Abidi wrote, "Aas wohi dil mai leye, iss aarzoo mai hum jiyen, tera haath thaam k, lo ham bhi chal diye… Rest in peace."
Lyricist-singer Swanand Kirkire wrote on X, "My dear friend Haniya Aslam ( from Zeb and Haniya ) has left us. She had a cardiac arrest. Rest in peace dear Haniya."
Aslam, who was one of the popular singers in the Pakistani music industry over the years, began her career in 2007 after forming a band "Zeb-Haniya" alongside Bangash. They worked together on several hits before she moved away to Canada in 2014 to study further.
Aslam and Bangash have worked on several compositions for Coke Studio Pakistan a Some of her other songs include "Tann Dolay", "Dosti", "Dil Pagla", "Ahaan" and "Seh Na Sakay" to name a few.
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India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
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Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
