Latest News from Balochistan
Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has expressed a deep sense of sorrow and grief over the loss of precious human lives in a collision between a truck and motorcycles in Nowshera Virkan. The chief minister also extended her heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families.
Lahore: Punjab Minister for Minorities Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora has said that overseas Pakistanis are the country’s true ambassadors, playing a pivotal role in projecting Pakistan’s positive image, strengthening its international goodwill and fostering stronger people-to-people relations across the world.
Speaking as the chief guest at the Third Mango and Multicultural Event in Sydney, Australia, the minister said overseas Pakistanis had always represented the country’s values, culture and traditions with dignity and had made valuable contributions to enhancing Pakistan’s global reputation. He also highlighted the importance of interfaith harmony, cultural diversity and peaceful coexistence in building stronger societies.
According to a handout issued here on Saturday, Arora arrived in Sydney to a warm and enthusiastic welcome by members of the Pakistani community. The event, organised by the Australian Pakistani Overseas Community, drew a large gathering of people from different religions, cultures and nationalities, reflecting Australia’s multicultural character.
Addressing the participants, the minister said the Mango and Multicultural Event was a remarkable example of interfaith harmony, cultural diversity and mutual respect. He said such events not only celebrated Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage but also strengthened friendship and understanding among people belonging to different faiths and ethnic backgrounds.
Referring to the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Arora said he had travelled to Australia to convey Pakistan’s message of love, tolerance, peace and interfaith harmony to the international community. He added that the Punjab government remained committed to promoting inclusivity, religious freedom and mutual respect at every level.
The minister said the primary objective of the event was to bring people from diverse communities onto a common platform where they could interact, appreciate each other’s cultures and reinforce the values of harmony and peaceful coexistence. He remarked that the sweetness of Pakistani mangoes symbolised the warmth, affection and goodwill shared between the Pakistani and Sikh communities in Australia.
Arora said Pakistan’s soil was enriched with the values of peace, love and brotherhood, adding that the Pakistani diaspora in Australia had successfully projected the country’s culture, traditions and spirit of religious harmony, bringing pride and honour to the nation through their achievements and positive engagement.
Islamabad: Delegations from the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have begun arriving in Islamabad to participate in the 9th OIC Ministerial Conference on Women, being hosted by the Government of Pakistan on 12-13 July 2026 under the auspices of the Ministry of Human Rights.
The Conference, being held under the theme “Socio-Economic and Political Empowerment of Women in the OIC Countries: Challenges and Way Forward,” will bring together Ministers responsible for women and family affairs, senior government officials, representatives of OIC institutions, international organizations and development partners to deliberate on advancing the socio-economic and political empowerment of women across the OIC Member States.
The visiting delegations were warmly received at Islamabad International Airport by Barrister Aqeel Malik, Minister of State for Law and Justice, Ms. Saba Sadiq, Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights, and Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justi
ce, along with senior officials of the Ministry of Human Rights, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government representatives.
Pakistan is honoured to host this important Ministerial Conference, reflecting its steadfast commitment to the objectives of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and to strengthening cooperation among Member States in advancing the rights, dignity and empowerment of women. During the Conference, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights, will assume the Chair of the 9th OIC Ministerial Conference on Women on behalf of Pakistan. As Chair, Pakistan will lead the Conference proceedings and work closely with OIC Member States to foster dialogue, build consensus and advance collective efforts towards the empowerment of women across the Muslim world.
Over the next two days, participating delegations will engage in high-level discussions to review progress, exchange experiences and best practices, and identify practical pathways for enhancing
the socio-economic and political empowerment of women across the OIC Member States.
The Government and the people of Pakistan extend a warm welcome to all distinguished delegates and wish them a productive Conference and a pleasant stay in Islamabad.
Islamabad: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Saturday, reaffirming the importance of Pakistan’s enduring partnership with the World Bank, stressed that sustained collaboration on ongoing and future projects would be key to delivering meaningful development outcomes.
The ambassador met with World Bank President Ajay Banga. During the meeting, Ambassador Sheikh presented President Banga with ‘Triunda’ the official football produced in Pakistan for the FIFA World Cup 2026, as a commemorative gift, a press release, Saturday, said.
President Banga commended the quality of Pakistan’s sporting goods, particularly the ‘Triunda’ football.
Ambassador Sheikh said Pakistan continued to promote global unity through sports and described the selection of a Pakistan-made football as the official match ball for the FIFA World Cup 2026 as a landmark achievement and a source of national pride.
He noted that Sialkot, the country’s hub for sporting goods manufacturing, enjoys a global reputation for producing premium-quality sports goods.
The ambassador said the international community’s confidence in Pakistan’s sports manufacturing sector is a significant encouragement for the industry and reflects its commitment to maintaining world-class quality standards.
Islamabad: National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) has officially launched the NTC Solar Infrastructure Deployment Program (SIDP), a landmark initiative that marks a significant milestone in the Corporation’s commitment to energy efficiency, operational resilience, and environmental sustainability.
The SIDP aims to harness renewable solar energy to power NTC’s offices, telecommunications exchanges, data centres, and operational facilities across Pakistan. By transitioning to clean energy, NTC seeks to substantially reduce electricity costs, enhance energy reliability, and support the Government of Pakistan’s national renewable energy objectives, said a press release issued here.
To formalize the initiative, an official Contract Signing Ceremony was held in Islamabad between NTC and a consortium comprising Kasib Builders and Developers (Pvt.) Ltd., Zeeruk International (Pvt.) Ltd., and Zeeruk Energy Development (Pvt.) Ltd.
The SIDP will be implemented under the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) framework. Under this model, the Joint Venture will fully finance, design, install, operate, and maintain advanced solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at designated NTC sites. Upon completion of the concession period, ownership of the entire solar infrastructure will be transferred to NTC.
Beyond reducing recurring operational expenditures, the transition to solar energy will significantly lower NTC’s carbon footprint while reinforcing the Corporation’s commitment to environmentally responsible and sustainable operations.
Speaking at the ceremony, NTC Management emphasized the strategic importance of the project:
‘The SIDP represents a transformative step towards reducing our dependence on conventional energy sources while delivering long-term financial and operational benefits. By investing in innovative and sustainable technologies, NTC is strengthening a modern, resilient, and energy-efficient telecommunications infrastructure that supports Pakistan’s transition towards a greener and more sustainable future.’
Islamabad: Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) launched a crackdown against illegal and double parking in I-8 Markaz under the supervision of Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Kainat Azhar Khan to ensure smooth traffic flow in the busy commercial area.
An official told reporter on Saturday that traffic officers carried out an enforcement campaign against traffic violations, issuing challans to a number of illegally parked vehicles.
The official said vehicles causing obstruction to the smooth flow of traffic were removed from the spot to ease congestion and improve traffic movement.
CTO Kainat directed traffic officers to continue strict enforcement against illegal parking and ensure uninterrupted traffic flow in commercial centres across the federal capital.
She urged citizens to park their vehicles only at designated parking areas and strictly follow traffic laws to help maintain smooth traffic flow and improve road discipline in the city, the official added.