Day: July 10, 2026

Islamabad: A three-day workshop on capacity-building titiled “Assessment of Special Needs” focused on strengthening the professional competencies of teachers and practitioners by introducing modern assessment approaches and evidence-based practices in special education concluded here on Thursday.

The workshop was organized by Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in collaboration with EPIC Trainings. The workshop was designed to enhance participants’ knowledge and practical skills in the timely and accurate assessment of children with special needs.

Addressing the concluding ceremony, as chief guest, Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Nasir Mahmood said that timely and accurate assessment of children with special needs was fundamental to providing quality education and appropriate educational support. He emphasized that continuous professional development of teachers and specialists was essential for improving educational outcomes and promoting inclusive education.

He reaffirmed AIOU’s commitment to advancing special education through quality training, research and academic collaborations. He also appreciated the efforts of the Department of Special Education and EPIC Trainings for successfully organizing the workshop and expressed hope that the knowledge and skills gained by the participants would contribute to strengthening special education services across the country.

A total of 43 teachers, specialists and professionals from Islamabad and Rawalpindi participated in the training programme.

Participants represented the Autism Resource Centre, Directorate of Special Education Punjab, Directorate General of Special Education Islamabad, Bahria Special Education School and College, Fauji Foundation Institute of Special Education, Umeed-e-Noor Special Education School and several other institutions working in the field of special education.

Islamabad: Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia Dr. Gordan Grlic Radman arrived here on Thursday for a one-day visit.

On his arrival at the airport, he was received by Director General Europe-I Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This is the first-ever visit by a Croatian foreign minister to Pakistan.

During the visit, Dr. Gordan Grlic Radman will hold delegation-level talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and call on the leadership including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Pakistan looks forward to further strengthening bilateral cooperation with Croatia in areas of mutual interest.

This high-level visit from Croatia to Pakistan will help boost bilateral relations and strengthen cooperation in the fields of mutual benefit.

Islamabad: Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday invited Croatian businesses to explore opportunities in information technology, renewable energy, agriculture, livestock, food processing, tourism and hospitality, urban development and water and waste management.

He said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) offers a streamlined mechanism to facilitate and support foreign investment.

He was talking to Dr. Gordan Grlic Radman, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, who called on him at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

Welcoming the Croatian Foreign Minister and his delegation, Mr Gilani described the first-ever visit of a Croatian Foreign Minister to Pakistan as a historic milestone in bilateral relations.

He said Pakistan greatly values its longstanding friendship with Croatia, founded on mutual respect and goodwill and expressed confidence that the visit would provide fresh impetus to bilateral cooperation.

The acting president commended Croatia’s remarkable progress over the past three decades and appreciated its important role in Europe and beyond, including as a member of the European Union and NATO. He noted that Pakistan remains committed to strengthening its engagement with Croatia, both bilaterally and within the broader framework of Pakistan’s partnership with the European Union.

Recalling that diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Croatia were established more than three decades ago, the Acting President underscored the importance of regular high-level exchanges and parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening bilateral relations.

He encouraged the establishment of Pakistan-Croatia Parliamentary Friendship Groups to promote sustained interaction between the elected representatives of the two countries.

He also extended a cordial invitation to the President of the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Zoran Milanovic, to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at mutually convenient dates.

Mr Gilani stressed the need to substantially expand bilateral trade and investment, observing that the existing trade volume remained well below the potential of the two economies.

He welcomed the growing presence of Croatian companies in Pakistan, including Infobip’s partnerships with leading Pakistani businesses and KONCAR’s contribution to the Chashma Hydropower Project, expressing the hope that these would pave the way for more Croatian investments in Pakistan.

He also emphasised the importance of facilitating the mobility of skilled Pakistani professionals, particularly in the construction, transport and hospitality sectors, noting that Pakistani manpower has made valuable contributions to the development of many countries across the Middle East, Europe and North America. He said closer cooperation in this area would serve the mutual interests of both countries.

Referring to regional connectivity, Mr Gilani proposed enhanced cooperation between Karachi Port and Croatia’s ports to facilitate greater trade with European markets. He also highlighted the potential for expanding collaboration in education, sports and information technology, noting Pakistan’s rapidly growing IT sector and expressing the hope that Croatia would benefit from Pakistan’s skilled and competitive digital workforce.

The Croatian foreign minister thanked the acting president for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him and his delegation.

He reaffirmed Croatia’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Pakistan and expressed confidence that enhanced political dialogue, parliamentary exchanges and economic cooperation would further deepen the friendly relations between the two countries.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining regular high-level contacts and working together to realise the full potential of Pakistan-Croatia relations across areas of mutual interest.

Secretary Foreign Affairs also attended the meeting.

Islamabad: A National Assembly (NA) committee reviewing women’s participation in the workforce has rejected two official presentations, raised concerns over a 30 percentage gender pay gap, and called for a comprehensive national policy on the care economy.

The committee also reviewed measures aimed at increasing women’s employment, including the reduction of the minimum age for female overseas workers from 35 years to 25 years.

The Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming met at Parliament House here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Member National Assembly (MNA) Dr. Nafisa Shah. The meeting focused on female labour force participation, unpaid care work, domestic work, and policy reforms needed to improve women’s economic participation.

Committee members discussed the role of paid and unpaid care work in the economy and examined existing support systems and policy measures. Members stressed that Pakistan should develop its own national framework for the care economy instead of relying heavily on international organizations for policy direction.

The committee expressed concern over the absence of federal secretaries from the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, the Ministry of Human Rights, and the Ministry of Planning and Development. Members said representation by junior officials weakened parliamentary oversight and accountability. The chairperson stated that senior officials must personally attend meetings dealing with national policy issues.

During the session, presentations were delivered by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, and development partners. Members questioned inconsistencies in female labour force participation data and sought explanations regarding survey methods, unpaid care work, domestic work, and women working in informal agriculture, including those engaged under the sharecropping system.

The committee was informed that investment in the care economy could create jobs, increase labour force participation, and contribute to economic growth. Members also reviewed the implementation of the Protection of Domestic Workers Act, 2022, and voiced concern over weak enforcement despite the notification of rules.

Discussions also covered the lack of legal recognition for care workers, insufficient registration systems for domestic workers, limited childcare facilities, and risks linked to unregulated domestic work.

Following deliberations, the committee recommended amendments to the Industrial Relations Act, 2012, to adopt gender-neutral language and formally recognize care workers. It also proposed a Care Worker Scorecard to monitor integration into the formal economy, a registration system for domestic workers, and expansion of daycare services.

The Ministry of Human Rights was directed to coordinate a joint policy briefing involving relevant ministries. PBS was instructed to clarify its statistical methodology and provide distinctions between unpaid work, domestic work, and care work.

The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development was asked to prepare policy proposals for training and overseas placement of female care workers, while the Planning Commission was tasked with developing a national policy framework for the care economy.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the quality of information provided, the committee formally rejected the presentations by PBS and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development. Further discussion on the agenda was postponed until the next meeting, and the committee directed the concerned federal secretaries to attend personally with complete policy proposals.

The committee was also informed that the Pakistan Gender Pay Gap Report 2025 found women earn 30 percent less in monthly wages and 25 percent less in hourly wages than men. Officials highlighted ongoing initiatives under national and international labour programmes aimed at improving social protection, skills development, and formal employment opportunities.

Members were further briefed on overseas employment opportunities for women. Officials stated that reducing the minimum age requirement for female domestic workers seeking overseas jobs from 35 to 25 years is intended to expand regulated employment opportunities and increase women’s participation in the workforce.

The committee approved the minutes of its previous meetings before concluding the session. The meeting was

attended by senators, members of the National Assembly, and representatives from relevant ministries and government departments.

Islamabad: Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court has approved the summer vacation schedule for the court’s officers and staff, allowing leave in two separate phases of three weeks each while directing that judicial and administrative functions continue without interruption.

According to the schedule, the first phase of summer vacations will run from July 13 to August 2, while the second phase will be observed from August 4 to August 24.

Under the order, heads of all departments have been directed to make the necessary arrangements to ensure the smooth continuation of the court’s administrative and judicial work during the vacation period so that no official business is disrupted.

The order further instructs all officers and staff to clear pending files, complete case-related office work and finalize other official assignments before proceeding on leave to ensure that the court’s functioning remains unaffected.

It also stipulates that throughout the summer vacations, all officers and employees must keep their registered mobile phone numbers active at all times so they can be contacted immediately if required.

Islamabad: Sheikh Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL), called on the Chief Justice of Pakistan at the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday.

He was accompanied by a high-level delegation of the Muslim World League and Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malkiy, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan. Senior representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also attended the meeting.

Welcoming the delegation, the Chief Justice acknowledged the Muslim World League’s global contributions in fostering dialogue, promoting the true values of Islam, combating extremism and Islamophobia, and advancing humanitarian initiatives across the Muslim world. He commended the visionary leadership of Dr. Al-Issa in strengthening international cooperation based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and shared human values.

The Chief Justice briefed the delegation on the Supreme Court’s ongoing reform agenda, highlighting initiatives aimed at improving access to justice, strengthening institutional transparency, embracing technology-driven judicial services, and enhancing public confidence in the justice system. He emphasized that an independent, efficient, and people-centric judiciary remains fundamental to the rule of law and sustainable development.

The Chief Justice also highlighted the importance of judicial institutions engaging with international partners to exchange knowledge and best practices on issues of common concern, including mediation, access to justice, judicial education, and the protection of fundamental rights.

The two sides also explored avenues for enhancing institutional cooperation through professional exchanges, including the possibility of exchange programmes for officers of the district judiciary and technical officers to facilitate mutual learning, capacity building, and the sharing of best practices in judicial administration and court management.

Dr. Al-Issa appreciated the reform initiatives being undertaken by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and reaffirmed the Muslim World League’s commitment to promoting justice, tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and humanitarian cooperation. Both sides exchanged views on strengthening collaboration in advancing the shared values of justice, human dignity, and social harmony.

The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the shared commitment to deepening institutional engagement in support of justice, rule of law and human dignity.