Day: July 10, 2026

Islamabad: As the nation observes the 59th death anniversary of Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah today, people from all walks of life have shared heartfelt tributes through the media, remembering her invaluable contributions to Pakistan and her enduring legacy as a champion of women’ s empowerment.

According to media reports, political figures and citizens across the country paid rich tributes to Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, remembering her invaluable contributions, unwavering dedication to Pakistan and her efforts for women’s equal participation in national life.

According to reports, the story of Pakistan’s creation is incomplete without remembering the remarkable journey of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah.

Born in Karachi on July 31, 1893, she emerged as a symbol of strength and sacrifice, playing a vital role in the Freedom Movement and supporting the struggle for an independent homeland.

The nation continues to honor her as Madar-e-Millat, or Mother of the Nation for her historic services.

She breathed her last on this day in 1967 at the age of 73 and was laid to eternal rest beside her brother at Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi.

Political figures appearing on electronic media and shared special messages with paying homage to Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, describing her as a symbol of courage, dedication and national service.

They emphasized her remarkable contribution to the struggle for independence and her efforts to encourage women’s participation in public and national affairs.

Citizens also expressed their admiration through social media posts, remembering Madar-e-Millat as an inspiring personality whose determination, sacrifices and commitment continue to guide generations. Many users highlighted her role as a strong advocate for women’s empowerment and equal opportunities.

Several social media users shared messages of respect and gratitude, stating that her legacy remains a source of inspiration for the nation. They paid tribute to her vision, resilience and the values she represented throughout her life.

The tributes reflected the nation’s continued respect and reverence for Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah and her unforgettable contributions to Pakistan’s history.

Women leaders from the political sphere and representatives in the Senate also paid homage to Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, highlighting her remarkable services and her lasting influence on women’s role in public life. Admirers on social media platforms remembered her legacy with respect and shared messages celebrating her courage, vision, and dedication to Pakistan.

People sharing their views on social media said that Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah’s message of dedication and national unity remains relevant even today.

They emphasized that her struggle and sacrifices represent a lasting example of commitment, resilience and service to Pakistan.

Islamabad: The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and Bedari, with the support of Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Thursday concluded the three-year Empowering Women and Girls (EWG) Project, which reached more than one million women and girls through education, vocational training, awareness campaigns and community engagement initiatives across Pakistan.

The project completion ceremony brought together policymakers, government officials, development partners, civil society organizations, academia, journalists, community leaders and project beneficiaries to celebrate the project’s achievements, reflect on key lessons learned and reaffirm a shared commitment to advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls across the country.

Parliamentary Secretary for Communications Engineer Gul Asghar Khan Baghoor commended the project’s significant achievements, highlighting its tangible and lasting impact in the districts where it was implemented.

He praised the collaborative efforts of the project partners in expanding access to education, strengthening livelihoods and advancing gender equality at the community level.

Reaffirming his support for women’s empowerment, he stressed the importance of sustaining such initiatives to promote inclusive development and create greater opportunities for women and girls across Pakistan.

Member of the National Assembly Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro appreciated the creativity, resilience and entrepreneurial potential demonstrated by women beneficiaries during the exhibition showcase. She expressed her commitment to facilitating a similar exhibition at Parliament House to provide women entrepreneurs with a broader platform to showcase their products, connect with wider audiences and expand their businesses.

She also reaffirmed her support for initiatives promoting women’s economic empowerment and creating sustainable opportunities for their growth and development.

Chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), Ms. Noureen Bano Lehri, appreciated the EWG Project for its holistic and community-driven approach to advancing the rights and empowerment of women and girls.

She emphasized the importance of integrating the project’s successful models and best practices into national policies and institutional frameworks to ensure their sustainability and expand their impact across Pakistan. She also reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Representing Global Affairs Canada, Ms. Sasha Oliveira commended the achievements of the project over the past three years, saying the partnership between Global Affairs Canada, the Commonwealth of Learning, SPARC and Bedari had expanded educational opportunities, strengthened livelihoods, promoted gender equality and advanced the rights of women and girls in Pakistan. She said sustainable development is driven by empowering local organizations to lead community-based solutions and reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to supporting initiatives that create lasting opportunities for women and girls.

Senior Adviser of the Empowering Women and Girls Project at the Commonwealth of Learning, Ms. Frances Ferreira, said the initiative was driven by a shared commitment to advancing the rights, education and economic empowerment of women and girls.

She appreciated the collaboration among the Commonwealth of Learning, Global Affairs Canada, SPARC, Bedari and local stakeholders, noting that the project’s community-centred approach had empowered women and girls while generating lasting positive impacts for families, communities and society.

SPARC Executive Director Ms. Asiya Arif Khan highlighted the transformative impact of the project in creating opportunities for women and girls through education, skills development and community engagement.

She said the project’s success reflected the power of strong partnerships and collective action in addressing barriers to equality and creating sustainable pathways for empowerment.

Bedari Executive Director Ms. Anbreen Ajaib commended the collaboration among the project partners, saying the success of the initiative reflected their shared commitment to advancing opportunities for women and girls. She emphasized that strong community partnerships and locally driven interventions had established a solid foundation for sustainable and long-term change.

SPARC Programme Manager Ms. Sabeen Almas shared that more than 10,000 girls and boys were reintegrated into formal education and open schooling pathways, while over 77,000 women and girls received vocational and labour market skills training to strengthen their economic independence.

She said the project also engaged more than 465,000 women and girls through awareness sessions on human rights and gender equality and reached over one million people through public campaigns promoting women’s rights, education and social inclusion.

Member of the National Assembly Ms. Huma Akhtar Chughtai, District Task Force members, Dr. Zahid Majeed, Director International Collaboration and Academic Planning at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), and Ms. Komal Ijaz, Assistant Director of Shelter Home, Multan, also addressed the ceremony. They highlighted the positive changes witnessed at the grassroots level, particularly in raising awareness, promoting girls’ education and enhancing women’s participation in community development through sustained engagement with local stakeholders.

Islamabad: The government is seeking to deepen Pakistan’s economic and financial engagement with the United Kingdom by promoting investment, expanding cooperation in capital markets and financial services, boosting remittances and advancing the country’s economic diplomacy agenda, Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Wednesday.

The minister was talking to Pakistan’s newly appointed High Commissioner to UK, Tipu Usman, who called on him here Thursday.

According to press release issued by finance ministry, they discussed matters of exploring avenues for further strengthening Pakistan-UK economic and financial cooperation.

Aurangzeb welcomed the High Commissioner on his new assignment and expressed confidence that his experience and diplomatic acumen would contribute to further enhancing bilateral economic engagement and advancing Pakistan’s economic diplomacy objectives in the United Kingdom.

Discussions also focused on strengthening Pakistan’s engagement with international investors and financial institutions, while leveraging London’s position as a leading global financial centre to support Pakistan’s financing and capital market objectives.

Aurangzeb highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to diversify financing sources, deepen Pakistan’s access to international capital markets, and strengthen the country’s financial architecture.

They also exchanged views on developments in digital finance, blockchain-based financial solutions, virtual assets, and emerging instruments such as the tokenization as part of Pakistan’s broader digital transformation agenda.

Avenues for enhancing cooperation in debt management and capital market development, including continued engagement with the United Kingdom Debt Management Office also came under discussion.

The High Commissioner briefed the minister on prospects for engaging institutional investors and facilitating future investment roadshows in coordination with leading financial institutions.

Aurangzeb underscored the important role of the Pakistani diaspora in the United Kingdom in strengthening economic linkages between the two countries, particularly through remittances and the Roshan Digital Account, investment, and commercial engagements.

He also emphasized the importance of continued collaboration with UK-based financial institutions and the private sector to further promote bilateral economic and financial ties.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining macroeconomic stability, strengthening fiscal discipline, improving the ease of doing business, and creating an enabling environment for investment and private sector-led growth.

The High Commissioner reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its economic partnership with the United Kingdom across all domains, describing the relationship as one of long-standing importance that continues to hold significant potential for further growth.

Islamabad: Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Thursday held a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong and discussed ways to further strengthen the longstanding Pakistan-China friendship, bilateral cooperation and development partnership.

The meeting was attended by Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Babar Saleem Swati, President of Pak-China Friendship in the KP Assembly Akbar Ayub Khan, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Finance Muzammil Aslam, PPP Parliamentary Leader Ahmad Kundi, JUI-F Parliamentary Leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman, ANP Parliamentary Leader Arbab Usman, PMLN Deputy Parliamentary Leader Jalal Khan, NDM leader Afrasiab Khattak, Provincial Adviser on Minerals Arif Ahmadzai and members of the provincial assembly.

The two sides exchanged views on enhancing cooperation in economic, trade and development sectors, besides discussing matters of mutual interest.

Governor Kundi said the Pakistan-China friendship was based on mutual trust, respect and shared interests, adding that the time-tested relationship continued to grow stronger with the passage of time.

He said Chinese investment and development projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan and other parts of the country reflected the enduring partnership between the two countries.

The Governor stressed the need to pay special attention to the timely implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects so that both countries could fully benefit from the initiative.

Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong reaffirmed China’s commitment to further expanding cooperation with Pakistan in diverse sectors and strengthening the longstanding bilateral ties.

Islamabad: The Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), Islamabad, in collaboration with the University of World Civilizations (UWCM), Moscow, on Thursday convened the second event in the Pakistan-Russia Webinar Series, titled “Pakistan-Russia: Strengthening Trade, Education and Energy Collaboration.”

The webinar brought together senior policymakers, diplomats, business leaders and academics from both countries to examine practical opportunities for expanding bilateral engagement in trade, industrial development, energy, education and regional connectivity.

Building upon the success of the first webinar in the series in June 2026, the second dialogue advanced discussions from geopolitical perspectives toward concrete geoeconomic initiatives.

Participants emphasized that sustained interaction between governments, academic institutions, businesses and policy communities is essential to unlocking the considerable potential of Pakistan-Russia relations in an evolving Eurasian landscape.

Opening the webinar, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, President of the Institute of Regional Studies, observed that Pakistan and Russia are entering a new phase of bilateral engagement in which economic cooperation, institutional partnerships and people-to-people exchanges can complement steadily expanding diplomatic relations.

He stressed that policy dialogue must increasingly be accompanied by practical initiatives capable of generating long-term economic and strategic benefits for both countries.

Delivering the keynote address, Federal Minister for Energy Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to diversifying its international energy partnerships and identified Russia as an important partner in energy security, infrastructure development, technological cooperation and long-term investment.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Alexey V. Gruzdev reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to expanding industrial and commercial engagement with Pakistan and emphasized new opportunities emerging across Eurasia.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, highlighted the importance of translating the positive trajectory of bilateral political relations into greater trade, investment, connectivity and private-sector cooperation. Boris Burmistrov of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Pakistan through intergovernmental collaboration, deepening multisectorial linkages, and working together in regional and international fora to advance shared interests.

Moderating the first session, Dr. Roxolana Zigon guided discussions on trade, transport connectivity and energy collaboration. Mohsin Sheikh, Chairman Pakistan-Russia Business Council provided a historical overview of trade dimensions between both countries, and then outlined practical approaches to expanding bilateral commerce through improved logistics, economic corridor development, and stronger business-to-business engagement in Eurasia. Ambassador Qazi M. Khalilullah, Executive Director of CISSS Karachi, emphasized the importance of resilient long-term energy partnerships and greater collaboration in energy infrastructure and strategic planning through measures such as advanced Eurasian cargo services and special representatives on Eurasian trade in the respective countries. Dr. Prokhor Tebin, examined the changing dynamics of globalization and argued that emerging geoeconomic realities provide Pakistan and Russia with fresh opportunities to deepen cooperation. Summarizing the session, Dr. Zigon emphasiz
ed the importance of sustained institutional dialogue focused on practical implementation

The second session, moderated by Dr. Usman W. Chohan, examined industrial development, education, human capital and financial cooperation as key pillars of long-term bilateral engagement. Dr. Asma Naveed of the National University of Modern Languages provided concrete recommendations on bilateral human capital development, including language training in specialist economic sectors, joint and lasting institutional engagement, and establishing Russian language centres in the Pakistani education system. Dr. Svetlana Minyurova of the Russian Academy of Education outlined prospects for closer collaboration between Pakistani and Russian universities through joint research, technology transfer, academic exchanges and institutional partnerships. Mr. Dmitry Antonov of the Business Council of Cooperation with Pakistan (Russia), offered concrete recommendations regarding the facilitation of business to business (B2B) ties between both countries, including banking channels, inland route development, and use of Eurasian m
ultilateral fora.

Across both sessions, participants agreed that the changing global political economy presents Pakistan and Russia with significant opportunities to diversify economic partnerships, strengthen regional connectivity and expand cooperation in trade, industry, energy, education, science and technology. Speakers stressed the importance of building stronger linkages among governments, universities, businesses and research institutions to translate shared strategic interests into tangible outcomes.

In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem observed that the discussions reflected a broad convergence of views on the need to move beyond dialogue toward implementation. He noted that sustained engagement would be essential for developing durable, multidimensional partnerships.

Participants agreed that the Pakistan-Russia Webinar Series has become an important platform for advancing strategic dialogue and strengthening mutual understanding between the two countries. They welcomed plans to continue the series in order to examine and delineate paths to reinforce Pakistan and Russia’s growing partnership in an increasingly interconnected Eurasian region.

Islamabad: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the well-known strategic think tank ‘Center of Pakistan and International Relations’ (COPAIR) and the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST), Islamabad to promote youth and women empowerment on Thursday.

The MoU was signed during the visit of COPIAR President, corporate leader and strategic thinker Amina Munawar visited the university and met Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Zabta Khan Shinwari.

The MoU was executed by Amina Munawar on behalf of COPAIR and by Dr Faisal Javaid, Deputy Director ORIC and Head of Department, International Relations and Mass Communication, on behalf of the university.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor Dr Zabta Khan Shinwari said that Federal Urdu University was giving special attention to global connections, environmental issues, artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship. He said this partnership with COPIAR will especially benefit the students. Providing students with entrepreneurship opportunities, scholarships, internships and career opportunities is one of the university’s top priorities.

Dr Shinwari said that Federal Urdu University was a national asset with great historical importance. He added that by promoting research and strengthening collaboration with different institutions, the university will further improve its image and soon become one of the country’s leading universities. He said the university ensures complete transparency in academic, administrative and financial matters and regularly organizes national and international research programs, giving young people opportunities to show their talent.

Corporate leader and strategic thinker Amina Munawar said she was impressed by the academic and research environment of the university. She appreciated the vision of Vice Chancellor Dr Zabta Khan Shinwari and said COPIAR was pleased to work with the university in different areas of research. She said the organization would provide internship opportunities to students and help connect academia with industry to create employment opportunities for young people.

She added that space studies would also be one of the focus areas, and a Canadian space institution would support this initiative.

According to the MoU, COPIAR and Federal Urdu University would jointly organize research conferences, promote research activities and help students access scholarships and employment opportunities while reducing the gap between academia and the job market.

Dr Sikander Zarren, Coordinator of the Department of Mass Communication, Saima Azhar, Coordinator of the Department of International Relations, Sadia Safdar Manager ORIC and Zain Tawan from a Space Institution of Canada were also present at the signing ceremony. Dr Faisal Javaid thanked Amina Munawar and her team and expressed the commitment to organize research and intellectual programs together in the near future.