DAR URGES ARAB-ISL AMIC TASK FORCE, CALLING ISRAEL PERSISTENT ‘DANGER TO WORLD PEACE’
g
Pakistan, China to deepen defence and aviation collaboration: President
ISLAMABAD/SHANGHAI
s ta f f r e p o r t President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday reaffirmed that Pakistan and China would continue to expand cooperation in defence production and aviation, further strengthening their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership
The president said the induction of J10 and JF-17 fighter aircraft had significantly enhanced the combat capabilities of the Pakistan Air Force, a fact clearly demonstrated during May 2025 s “Maraka-e-Haq” and “Operation Bun-
yanum Marsoos On the 128th day since the ceasefire with India, President Zardari who is constitutionally the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces visited the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) China s flagship aerospace and defence conglomerate engaged in designing and producing a wide range of military and civilian aircraft the President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release Accompanied by Chairman Pakistan People s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Senator
Saleem Mandviwalla, Pakistan s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi, and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong the president toured the sprawling AVIC complex which manufactures the J-10C fighter jet that played a crucial role in the recent conflict During the visit, President Zardari interacted with AVIC engineers and scientists, commending their contributions in innovation production and emerging technologies He was briefed on AVIC’s cuttinge
fighter jet co-production of the JF-17
operations
The president lauded AVIC as a symbol of China s technological progress and a testament to the enduring strategic partnership between Pakistan and China His visit marked a historic first,
” said Bilal bin Saqib PVARA chairman and Minister of State for Crypto and
Blockchain He emphasized that the initiative aligns with international standards set by the FATF, IMF, and World Bank The authority s first board meeting last month also deliberated on withdrawing the State Bank of Pakistan’s 2018 ban on virtual currencies while setting out a roadmap for AI-driven risk management licensing protocols and compliance structures Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has argued that Pakistan must embrace blockchain and digital assets to deepen financial inclusion and modernize its economy Under the EoI eligibility is limited to VASPs and exchanges licensed in at least one global jurisdiction including the US SEC/MSB, UK FCA, EU VASP, UAE VARA, or Singapore MAS with proven AML/CFT/KYC-compliant operations Applicants must
18 Nepalese died in the protests, which was too much for the Army chief who got the PM to resign/ There has been a takeover by an interim PM Sushile Karki who has followed her pioneering role as the country s first woman Chief Justice by becoming its first female PM Elections are on March 5 It’s funny but that’s what happened in Bangladesh too The government tried to stay in Hamas leaders You would have thought that if you were taking part in peace negotiations, you would be safe I mean, I wonder what would have happened if the German delegation which had gone to the meeting in the railway wagon in Compiegne to negotiate the armistice in November 1918
remains rolling, with documents also accepted at PVARA headquarters in Islamabad The PVARA an autonomous federal body has been tasked with combating illicit finance protecting consumers and unlocking opportunities in fintech remittances, and tokenised assets as Pakistan formalises its virtual asset landscape
had been killed by the French? Would World War I have ended just then? Or would it have staggered into 1919?
Or imagine if the Japanese delegation which came to surrender in August 1945 on board the USS Missouri had been killed, would World War II have lasted a while longer?
I suppose the problem has been that the Hamas people are on neutral territory not Israeli soil which would indicate their surrender Or is Israel acting on the principle that the only good Palestinian is a dead Palestinian?
Let s move
Pakistan launches first- ever trade dispute resolution commission
Another US consignment arrives carr ying food, shelter, and emergenc
y
supplies
Washington stands with the people of Pakistan whose lives have been uprooted by widespread,
flooding The
consignments arrived at Nur
Air Base via C-17 and C-130 aircraft
and emergency supplies US
to
Chargé d Affaires Natalie A Baker was present
S tA f f r E p o r t Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Sunday said Pakistan remains in close contact with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which has shown understanding of the crisis triggered by the recent devastating floods During a visit to Kamalia tehsil in Toba Tek Singh one of the worst-hit districts the minister emphasized that the government is prioritising the use of domestic resources before seeking additional external support The whole world is watching the difficulties being faced by
the Pakistani people ” he remarked Aurangzeb said the government had learnt several lessons from the disaster cautioning against what he termed selfinflicted damage We must keep a check on the kind of areas we are populating and the places where we are building societies, or consider zoning laws It is about time that we think through this self-inflicted pain he noted The minister confirmed that a full assessment of agricultural damages is still underway Local, provincial, and federal governments along with the State Bank of Pakistan are working together to determine the next steps Referring to the
2022 floods he said “We already have a formula What we need to do now is to assess the damages in the next 12–15 days as the water starts to recede Aurangzeb said roads, bridges, and houses had been badly damaged and acknowledged that it would be inappropriate to issue electricity bills in disaster-hit zones at this stage Expressing relief that loss of life in Toba Tek Singh remained
04
COMMENT
Summit on Qatar
PR I M E Minister Shehbaz Sharif is heading for Doha to attend an extraordinary emergency Islamic-Artabic Summit there today with the recent Israeli attack on Qatar on the agenda but with the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the expansion of Isareli settlements in the West Bank in the background
The Summit is expected to produce a resolution of condemnation, but Israel has shown that that is not something that bothers it The presence of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected, as is that of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Perhaps more important will be the presence of those countries which have recognized Israel, either in the Abraham Accords or earlier, and of those countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, which were expected to recognize it, but were stopped by the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip
The Summit is unlikely to take any firm steps against Israel because of the presence of so many allies of the USA Israel’s principal and most committed backer Indeed Qatar itself is one of those allies and the attack only took place because it was hosting ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas It is noteworthy that the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, was in the White House on Saturday, where he had meetings with US VicePresident J D Vance and Secretary of State Mark Rubio, before dinner with President Donald Trump himself Clearly, the USA is doing what it has done before, especially at the UN, which is cover for Israel However, it should realize that there is a limit beyond which the most friendly regimes in the Arab world cannot be pushed It should not be forgotten that Qatar is one of the best friends in Gulf the USA has Its position has led to the USA choosing Al-Udeid Airbase, Doha, as the headquarters of the USAF Central Command while the US 7th Fleet is also headquartered in Doha so that it can control the nearby Straits of Hormuz which are so crucial for global energy security
While Qatar has been cooperating with the USA it now has to consider whether that cooperation is worth it if Israel can attack anyone it wants to Iran has shown that being Israel’s enemy leaves one open to attack Now, it seems, so does being a friend of its friend The freinds of the friend, as well as an enemy or two, are gathering in Doha in the hope that their expression of displeasure will have some effect on that friend
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
OV E R the past several
S t u d y i n g i n P a k i s t a n
Pparticularly from member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) With a large network of universities, world-class faculty, and affordable educational opportunities, Pakistan is positioning itself as a hub for higher learning in Asia Pakistan today boasts 274 Higher Education Commission (HEC)-recognized universities and degree-awarding institutes Among these, more than 140 universities belong to the public sector, while the rest are part of the dynamic and expanding private sector Collectively, these institutions cater to millions of students in disciplines ranging from medicine engineering natural sciences and social sciences to emerging fields such as artificial intelligence data science and biotechnology What makes Pakistan s higher education sector more prominent globally is the recognition of several of its universities in leading international ranking systems such as QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings Some of Pakistan s topranked universities are now on par with respected institutions across Asia and beyond Importantly, many of these universities are welcoming international students, offering degree programmes as well as short-term research and training opportunities
One of the strongest incentives for international students to choose Pakistan is the availability of scholarships and affordability The federal government , individual universities, and bilateral programmes offer a range of scholarships for students from abroad In particular the OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) has played a vital role in promoting student mobility within the Muslim world Through its initiatives, COMSTECH has facilitated the placement of students, especially from OIC member countries, into Pakistan’s top universities These students are enrolled in both short-term training programmes and full-fledged degree programmes providing them access to quality education while also strengthening academic cooperation among Muslim nations This approach reflects Pakistan’s broader vision of contributing to the knowledge economy of the Islamic world by sharing its expertise and educational infrastructure The momentum to make Pakistan a more welcoming destination for international students received a significant push during the 4th Rectors Conference, organized by the Associ-
ation of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) in collaboration with OIC-COMSTECH The conference brought together university leaders policymakers and stakeholders from across Pakistan and abroad One of the most important recommendations of this gathering was the introduction of a one-window operation to facilitate international students
The idea is to streamline the admission process visa facilitation scholarships and student services under a single platform This would reduce bureaucratic hurdles and make it easier for students from other countries to pursue higher education in Pakistan with confidence and convenience As a follow-up to the conference, Pakistan Education Portal has been recently introduced as a major step towards realizing the vision of a onewindow operation for international students This digital platform has already been joined by 50 leading Pakistani universities with many more in the process of integration The portal serves as a comprehensive gateway for prospective students, providing information about academic programs admission procedures scholarships and student life in Pakistan Consolidating resources it makes it easier for students and parents worldwide to explore opportunities in Pakistan s universities Moreover, the portal enhances transparency and ensures accessibility, which are essential factors for building trust among international applicants The establishment of the Pakistan Education Portal is not just a technological upgrade but a strategic milestone in positioning Pakistan as a serious contender in the global education market The importance of attracting international students to Pakistan goes beyond filling classroom seats It has broader economic, cultural, and academic implications International students contribute significantly to the economy through tuition fees accommodation travel and other expenditures Countries like the USA the United Kingdom, and Australia generate billions of dollars annually from international education Pakistan, with its affordable education and cost of living can tap into this global stu-
Trump s economic team argues that high growth, potentially fueled by artificial intelligence (AI), will generate sufficient tax revenue to offset rising debt The administration assumes a long term growth rate of 2 8 percent compared to the CBO s 1 8 percent Yet such optimism may be misplaced given structural bottlenecks
Unchecked debt growth poses grave risks to US global power. Historically, dominant currencies were sustained by dominant powers: Spain in the 16th centur y, the Netherlands in the 17th and Britain in the 19th If US debt erodes confidence in the dollar, the USA could lose its privileg ed position in global finance , constraining militar y power, diplomatic leverag e and economic influence Rising debt ser vice costs already compete with defence spending, raising concerns about the sustainability of US global commitments
dent mobility market to strengthen its economy
Hosting students from diverse backgrounds also creates cultural bridges International students in Pakistan become ambassadors of Pakistani culture and hospitality when they return home This people-to-people connection enhances Pakistan s soft power and fosters goodwill across borders At the same time, a key metric in global university rankings is internationalization which includes the number of foreign students and faculty By increasing international enrollments Pakistani universities can improve their global standing attracting even more talent and resources in the long run It is worth noting that Pakistan already has a tradition of welcoming foreign students In the past, many students from countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East came to study in Pakistan s leading universities particularly in fields like medicine and engineering Today those alumni occupy prominent positions in their respective countries, serving as doctors, engineers, researchers, diplomats, and policymakers Their success stories stand as a testament to the quality of education offered in Pakistan By revitalizing this tradition and scaling it up with modern tools like the Pakistan Education Portal the country can re-establish itself as a preferred destination for international students Pakistan’s higher education sector is at a turning point With 274 HEC-recognized universities an increasing number of institutions listed among globally ranked universities and a growing ecosystem of scholarships and international collaboration the foundations are strong Initiatives like COMSTECH s student placement programmes and the Pakistan Education Portal are crucial steps in making higher education in Pakistan more accessible and globally competitive By attracting international students Pakistan will not only gain economically but also enhance cultural exchanges academic excellence, and its global reputation The vision is clear: Pakistan is not just educating its youth but also opening its doors to the world, building a future where education serves as a bridge for unity progress and development
The writer is a freelance columnist
PakistanÊs higher education sector is at a turning point. With 274 HEC-recognized universities, an increasing number of institutions listed among globally ranked universities, and a growing ecosystem of scholarships and international collaboration, the foundations are strong. Initiatives like COMSTECHÊs student placement programmes and the Pakistan Education Portal are crucial steps in making higher education in Pakistan more accessible and globally competitive
Crocodile threat
Arab -Islamic Summit to secure region
TH
A turning-point for Pakistan
search for face-saving, asylum, and rescue from the diplomatic isolation it has created for itself The truth is unmistakable: India is not dictating terms to Washington nor can it The USA has already imposed hefty 50-percent tariffs on a wide span of Indian exports, and the Indian rupee has slumped to record lows This is not “strategic autonomy” at work it is the unmistakable sting of economic defeat The defiant statements from New Delhi s commerce minister sound less like strength and more like hollow defiance from a cornered player
feats whether in economic confrontation with the U S diplomatic marginalisation at global fora or its inability to dictate terms even within South Asia Beggars are not choosers; and India, despite its loud proclamations, is begging for relevance, scrambling for attention and craving the restoration of ties with the very West it pretends to challenge In reality the SCO summit may well yield progress but on agendas set by China, Russia, and the collective priorities of Central Asia, not on India’s jingoistic fantasies The world sees through the hollow façade India’s loudspeakers may blare slogans of regained stature but its actual standing remains precarious exposed and diminished
While it publicly champions the Western camp it simultaneously parades through forums like SCO and BRICS, where anti-US sentiment is a binding glue This is not diplomacy; it is hypocrisy New Delhi longs for Western applause but cannot resist courting Beijing whenever its interests falter When opportunity arises India would not hesitate to leap back into Washington s lap claiming fidelity This erratic behaviour underscores what many in South Asia already know: India is not a stabilizer but a spoiler, not a visionary but a reckless opportunist The Indian media’s chest-thumping over Tianjin adds another layer of farce Wrapped in loud rhetoric and hollow claims their narrative that India is regaining strategic gains is neither rooted in reality nor substantiated by facts What we are witnessing is not the rise of Indian leverage, but rather a desperate
The SCO, for its part, is not designed to recalibrate Indian jingoism or indulge hegemonic delusions Its agenda remains rooted in regional security connectivity energy and counterterrorism India s dubious record of transnational terrorism sponsorship hegemonic designs over neighbours and constant border frictions render it an unreliable participant rather than a powerbroker The very idea that India can “pressure” the USA via SCO meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping or Russian President Vladmir Putin is laughable Washington is far ahead of all except China in shaping global order US tariff policy is dictated by cold national interests, not by Modi s photo-ops or speeches in Tianjin No amount of rhetorical drumming on Indian TV will undo the fact that New Delhi’s bargaining chips are weak its economy vulnerable and its foreign policy increasingly reactive rather than proactive What is unfolding is not the demonstration of power, but the display of weakness India’s overhyped strategic gains narrative is nothing but a mask to cover its glaring de-
Even within South Asia India s ambitions to hegemonize have bitterly failed Its neighbors reject its arrogance, from Nepal to Sri Lanka, from Maldives to Bangladesh Its refusal to engage in good faith with Pakistan has isolated it further Now even Washington finds it difficult to trust New Delhi s word What remains is an exposed power unable to command loyalty abroad or respect at home Meanwhile, the SCO summit in Tianjin highlights an opposite trajectory More than 20 heads of states and several chiefs of international organizations including the United Nations converged under China s stewardship This breadth of participation underscores how wisely Beijing has recalibrated its leverage: not through loud rhetoric, but through patient diplomacy The summit is not just a regional gathering; it is a global signal that the multipolar order is no longer theory but practice Where India appears fickle China appears steady Where Delhi scrambles Beijing orchestrates Central to this summit is the Tianjin Dec-
laration 2025 a document that will resonate well beyond the region Building upon Astana s earlier vision Tianjin charted frameworks for digital economy, renewable energy cooperation, counterterrorism coordination, and enhanced connectivity across Eurasia Far more than ink on paper it will shape trajectories of global politics as the world moves toward 2035 The Declaration will underscore that the age of Western monopoly is ending and the future belongs to cooperative multipolar platforms For Pakistan, its clauses on energy corridors, trade facilitation, and technological partnerships provide a roadmap to embed itself deeply in the new order Yet Tianjin cannot be only about economics and power It must also be about justice With almost all important Muslim leaders and the UN Secretary-General gathered under one roof, the SCO has the moral duty to deliberate on Israel’s impunity and genocidal aggression in Gaza The strip has been turned into a graveyard where famine drought and man-made starvation already declared by the UN as the worst humanitarian catastrophe of our era are killing the innocent If the summit is to carry weight in the eyes of the Global South, it must voice an
s , bu t
t o s t e p fo r w a rd a s a s t a b i l i z i n g p i vo t o f S o u t h A s i a a n d a c r e d i bl e vo i c e i n mu l t i p o l a r g e o p o l i t i c s . I f I s l a m a b a d s e i z e s t h i s m o m e n t w i t h w i s d o m a n d b
II t s g o ve
T S the moderates you need to watch out for When they turn the effect can be much more devastating than anything done by the shouters and flag-wavers That was my reaction to a column about Israel that Matthew Parris recently wrote for the Times in which he called for meaningful sanctions to be applied by the international community with the explicit aim of getting rid of Benjamin Netanyahu and his rotten government
Parris embodies for me an almost Orwellian notion of Britishness that s Orwellian in the sense of his essay The Lion and the Unicorn, rather than the dystopian nightmare of 1984, (and, to be precise, he was writing there about Englishness rather than Britishness, but still ) For decades since quitting as a Tory MP in 1986 Parris has written columns that stand for decency fair play moderation individualism; humour and restraint; as well as liberty in thought deed and expression and an attachment to the past and tradition, tempered by tolerance and pragmatism He voted Lib Dem in 2019, unable to stomach the unprincipled populism of Boris Johnson, but considers himself a lifelong conservative
So, consider this reasonable man and ponder his sober call for sanctions against Israel born he says out of his personal experience of how sanctions worked against apartheid South Africa a country in which he was born and raised
He admits that he had initially been opposed to sanctions in the latter case, but ended up convinced of their necessity And he adds: Even that wicked regime did not try to extinguish the identity, or slaughter in their tens of thousands, the black race or raze their homelands to the ground ” If that came from the pen of Owen Jones Ken Loach or Jeremy Corbyn Israel s defenders would shrug They would say that wouldn t they? And indeed the very next day s Times Letters page included the now-routine denunciation of any forthright critic of Israel as parroting antisemitic propaganda But shrugging off rational, moderate voices seems to me a mistake The lines of Robbie Burns come to mind: “O wad
Gaza I reflected on the gulf between the powerful and the powerless; the comfortable and the comfortless It s not a long drive not much more than the journey from Soweto to the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, a journey I had taken in the dark days of apartheid and I’m afraid the parallels were too pointed to ignore That night I dined with David Grossman probably Israel’s leading novelist whose own son would later be killed in southern Lebanon He began the meal by saying: You have been in Gaza today
Then I m afraid you will be very angry Five years later, the Guardian s Jerusalem correspondent, Chris McGreal also a former South Africa correspondent wrote a two-part, 15,000-word series carefully examining the parallels between the apartheid system he had experienced up close in South Africa and Israel where he had reported with some distinction for four years McGreal had said what was then unsayable and all hell broke loose in the form of an organised and ferocious backlash Despite a 38,000-word complaint to the then regulator, the Press Complaints Commission, no factual fault could be found with the piece, except for a minor correction to a politician’s title More wounding was a rebuttal from Benjamin Pogrund the distinguished former deputy editor of the Rand Daily Mail a paper with a notable track record of fighting apartheid By then having lived in Jerusalem for 26 years Pogrund was unequivocal: No equation is possible
But the wheel turns and just over two years ago Pogrund ate his words Having, as he put it, “argued with all my might” against the accusation that Israel was an apartheid state he now had to bluntly acknowledge: “We are at the mercy of fascists and racists (both carefully chosen words) who cannot and will not stop the right-wing government is taking the country into institutionalised discrimination and racism This is apartheid “Israel 2023, South Africa 1948 I’ve lived through it before: power-grabbing, fascism and racism the destruction of democracy Israel is going where South Africa was 75 years ago It s like watching the replay of a horror movie I doubt Pogrund s heartfelt words cut much ice even though they came from the most loyal possible friend of Israel This was two months before Hamas s heinous attack of 7th October but even then, mere words had lost much of their power to slice through the hardened polarised battlelines of Israeli society But people should have listened because Pogrund ended with this warning: Israel is giving a gift to its enemies in the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and its allies They have long distorted what is already bad into grotesqueness, but will now claim vindication
are
Words
And here we are,
is
and it is not
and
from newspaper columnists humanitarian organisations or from world leaders There s no point in telling Israelis that their government is trashing their nation s good name or that Israel is becoming a pariah state No one in that country’s government cares That is why Parris and many other people who would previously
RI N G to Israel’s September 10 attack aimed at Hamas negotiators in Qatar all 12 members of the UN Security Council issued a toothless statement of condemnation that didn t even mention Israel by name This cowardly response underscores the pathetic international reaction to nearly two years of genocide Israel
Rubio says Hamas no longer a threat, can move to ‘next phase’ of Gaza rebuilding
DOHA/GAZA AG E N C E S Before Monday s summit of Arab and Islamic leaders in Doha a member of Hamas s political bureau, Basem Naim, stresses that Israel s attack on Qatar has “once again demonstrated the treacherous nature of the Zionist enemy which does not respect covenants or agreements Al Jazeera reports In a statement Naim said the region and the world
the unnamed official was quoted as saying in the wake of Israel’s attack on Qatar last week In 2010 Hamas s Mahmoud Mabhouh a co-founder of Hamas s military wing was found dead in a hotel room in Dubai The killing led to a crisis in the then-secret, but growing, ties between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi,” the report added
New
Nepal PM vows to follow protesters’ demands to ‘end corruption’
used the Discord app to name Karki as their choice of leader “The situation that I have come in I have not wished to come here My name was brought from the streets Karki said Parliament has been dissolved and elections are set for March 5, 2026
protests on Tuesday A
two days of protests and 191 were injured the government s chief secretary Eaknarayan Aryal said Sunday, increasi n
worst unrest since the end of a decadelong civil war and the abolition of the monarchy in 2008
The appointment of Karki known for her independence came after intense negotiations by Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel and President Ram Chandra Paudel, including with representatives of “Gen Z ” the loose umbrella title of the youth protest movement Thousands of young activists had
“We will not stay here more than six months in any situation; we will complete our responsibilities and pledge to hand over to the next parliament and ministers she added in a speech to the nation
Ordinary Nepalis said they were hopeful the government would bring change, but were aware the challenges were heavy “This government’s list of responsibilities and issues to address isn’t easy ” said grocery shopkeeper Satya Narayan 69 in Pharping village about an hour outside the capital It also needs to ensure unity and harmony in the country by taking all sections along ” ‘CHALLENGING TIMES’ President Paudel who swore Karki
into office, said late Saturday that “a peaceful solution has been found through a difficult process ” Soldiers have scaled back their presence on the streets where they had been deployed in large numbers after the protests But more than 12,500 prisoners who escaped from jails during the chaos are on the run and present a daunting security headache
Regional leaders have congratulated Karki including Nepal s two giant neighbours India and China
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said New Delhi supported peace, progress and prosperity” in Hindu-majority Nepal, while Beijing’s foreign ministry said it wanted to “push China-Nepal relations steadily forward
Buddhism is the country s secondlargest religion, and the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, wished Karki “every success in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of Nepal in these challenging times
in November
and reaffirming that licensing exams are mandatory to ensure patient safety A PM&DC statement said there are three categories of Pakistani nationals who obtained degrees abroad mainly from Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan Iran and other Central Asian states Many enrolled under the previous PMDC Ordinance
Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD), in collaboration with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) organized a mega entry test at ABAD House On this occasion Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui visited ABAD House Karachi, where he was warmly welcomed by the
Ahmed Owais Thanvi, Director General NAVTTC Sindh Dr Fida Hussain Buzai, ABAD Convener for Vocational Training Program Suleman Saleem, and other members were also present on the occasion Addressing the ceremony ABAD Chairman Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi said that in ABAD s 53-year history it was heartwarming to witness such a large number of students He paid tribute to Karachi s young professional, Suleman Saleem, for successfully organizing the program and announced that ABAD is launching its Industry-Led Program for skilled youth a three-year engineering program Under this program ABAD will fully cover accommodation tuition fees, and other expenses of the students in Islamabad He further said that this joint journey of NAVTTC and ABAD is a guarantee of a bright future for students With a large population of Pakistan consisting of youth ABAD considers serving them its mission He also announced that students who qualify on merit will not only be provided education but also employment opportunities
LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t
Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari reiterated the government s resolve to completely eliminate obscenity from theatre, stressing that no compromise will be made on this issue She expressed these views during a meeting on Sunday with renowned theatre personalities Qaiser Sanaullah and Naseem Vicky Secretary Information Tahir Raza Hamdani Executive Director PUCAR Athar Masood and distinguished writer Asghar Nadeem Syed also attended the meeting which primarily discussed the proposed new Drama Act Azma Bokhari said that the government intends to introduce legislation in consultation with stakeholders from the theatre industry adding that two proposals from the Theatre
IIUI hosts 4th Int’l Conference on Innovation in Teaching and Learning
g STRESS UNITY OF PEOPLE, PARLIAMENT, AND INSTITUTIONS TO PROTECT DEMOCRACY, A SSERTING DEMOCRACY GUARANTEES RIGHTS, EQUALITY AND JUSTICE
them 16 children, 6 men, and 4 women Gilgit-Baltistan has reported 41 deaths, including 6 children, 26 men, and 9 women while Azad Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 38 fatalities comprising 9 children 17 men and 12 women The Islamabad Capital Territory has so far reported nine deaths, including five children, three men, and one woman In addition to the death toll, flood-related incidents have left 1 062 people injured across the country Punjab once again recorded the highest number with 660 injured including 199 children 258 men, and 203 women In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 218 people sustained injuries, comprising 70 children, 99 men, and 49 women Sindh has reported 87 injuries including 39 children 29 men and 19 women while in Gilgit-Baltistan 52 people have been injured among them four children, 42 men, and six women Azad Jammu and Kashmir recorded 37 injuries, including four children, 20 men, and 13 women Balochistan reported five injuries affecting two children two men and one woman while the Islamabad Capital Territory reported three injuries including two children and one woman Rescue operations have been in full swing since June 26, with a total of 2,879,054 people evacuated in 5,400 coordinated missions Punjab led the nationwide operations with the rescue of
2,711,146 individuals in 4,508 efforts Sindh followed with 151,556 evacuations through 626 missions, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 14 317 rescues across 211 operations In the northern region of GilgitBaltistan 1 027 people were rescued in 25 operations, while Azad Jammu and Kashmir confirmed 940 rescues through 18 missions Smaller operations were carried out in Balochistan, where 19 people were rescued and in Islamabad where 49 individuals were evacuated in eight efforts To support the affected population the NDMA in collaboration with the Pakistan Army and other partners, has distributed more than 205,536 relief items The supplies include tents blankets hygiene kits ration bags food packs and safe drinking water along with solar panels de-watering pumps and generators to bolster recovery operations Alongside relief distribution, the authority has established 2,368 camps across flood-hit areas, of which 754 medical camps have treated 417 733 people while 1 614 relief camps have provided
OFIT S ta f f R e p o R t The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Senator Saif Ullah Abro, has declared the bids for the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) CAREC Tranche-III (Rajanpur–DG Khan–DI Khan) project valued at around Rs172 billion null and void The Committee ruled that the bidding process was marred by fraudulent documentation, unverified audit reports, and manipulation allegedly carried out by contractors in collusion with National Highway Authority (NHA) officials The disqualified bidders include M/s Ningxia Communications Construction Co Ltd (NXCC) M/s Dynamic Constructors and M/s Rustam Associates The joint venture failed to meet the mandatory average annual turnover requirement, while NXCC the lead partner had already been disqualified in earlier ADB-funded projects such as CAREC Tranche-II (Shikarpur–Rajanpur) in 2021 and the Yarik–Zhob Project in 2022 The company was also involved in litigation following
kilometers
Pakistan seeks $2b in
the termination of the Lodhran–Multan project in 2023 where NHA cited non-performance fake documents and forged stamps as grounds for cancellation
According to official minutes of the Committee, the audit firm A B M & Co submitted working papers without supporting documents, raising doubts about the authenticity of its findings Legal action was recommended against the firm for producing an unsubstantiated audit report Similar action was also proposed against arbitrator Zafar Hussain Siddiqui who was nominated by NHA despite having prior associations with NXCC s joint venture partners, Dynamic Constructors and Rustam Associates The Committee instructed the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) and NHA to formally notify ADB within two days that the bids were fraudulent technically invalid and manipulated It further directed that the three companies be considered for blacklisting due to their submission of fake documents and misinformation Copies of the official communication are to be sent to the Prime Minister and the Committee
