Day: July 14, 2026

Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, on Monday, strongly condemned a terrorist attack targeting police personnel in District Tank, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The president expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of police personnel and prayed for the high ranks of Shuhada in Jannah, President Secretariat Media Wing said in a press release.

The president and the prime minister also expressed sympathies with the bereaved families and prayed for them to bear the losses with fortitude. The president said the police force and law enforcement agencies were offering unforgettable sacrifices for securing peace in the country and the entire nation saluted them for their unprecedented sacrifices.

He also reaffirmed that nefarious designs of the terrorists elements, working under the foreign patronage, would be foiled at all costs.

The prime minister while strongly condemning the bomb blast targeting a police van on Tank-Waziristan road, expressed his deep grief over the shahadat of an Assistant Sub-Inspector and two other police personnel. He also lauded the security forces for eliminating several other terrorists in Balochistan province under Operation Shaban, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

The prime minister reiterated that anti-terror operations in the country would continue till complete eradication of terrorist groups. The nation would always remember the sacrifices given by police and the security forces, he said, expressing the resolve that those shedding blood of innocent citizens would be held accountable.

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Syed Imran Ahmad Shah Monday reiterated the government commitment to expand Pakistan’s social protection system and empower vulnerable communities through market-oriented skills development, women’s economic empowerment and sustainable livelihood opportunities.

He expressed these views while talking to a high-level delegation of the New York Chamber of Small Business Corporation, USA, and members of the Sahiwal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who called on him to discuss Pakistan’s social protection initiatives, poverty alleviation, humanitarian work, skills development and avenues for future collaboration.

The delegation was led by Bishop Abraham Nazir Daniel and Founder of the New York Chamber of Small Business Corporation Alamdar Hussain Shah. It comprised professionals from journalism, pharmacy, law, education, business and social development, along with representatives of the Chamber’s chapters in New York, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Welcoming the delegation, the minister said the government, under the vision of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, is working to build an inclusive and sustainable social protection system. He said the ministry is considering changing its name to the “Ministry of Social Security” in line with internationally accepted terminology to better reflect its mandate.

Additional Secretary Sumaira Samad briefed the delegation on the ministry’s mandate since its establishment in 2019. She said the ministry was created to bring Pakistan’s social protection and social safety programmes under one umbrella, ensure effective coordination with the provinces, avoid duplication of efforts and create greater synergy in service delivery.

She informed the delegation that the ministry oversees four key organisations: the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) and the Trust for Voluntary Organizations (TVO).

The delegation was informed that BISP’s evidence-based National Socio-Economic Registry underpins the government’s unconditional cash transfer, nutrition and social welfare programmes.

The minister said the government is committed to expanding the Unconditional Cash Transfer programme beyond its existing coverage of 10.2 million beneficiary families, adding that its allocation has been increased to Rs838 billion in the current financial year to extend support to more deserving households.

Emphasising sustainable poverty reduction, the minister said the government’s vision is not merely to provide financial assistance but to empower people with the skills to become self-reliant. He said 165 Women Empowerment Centres are being modernised to align their training with market needs and memorandums of understanding will be signed with relevant institutions to strengthen market-driven skills development.

He also stressed the importance of mainstreaming women into the national economy through enhanced employment, entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities.

The delegation was also briefed on PPAF’s initiatives in adaptive climate resilience and interest-free lending, Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal’s welfare programmes, including Women Empowerment Centres, orphanages, Senior Citizens’ Recreation Centres, financial assistance for deserving families and food kitchens, as well as TVO’s role in strengthening civil society organisations.

The meeting was informed that the IFAD-supported National Poverty Graduation Programme has been completed and succeeded by the World Bank-supported Pakistan Graduation of Extremely Poor (PGEP), which focuses on sustainable livelihoods through interest-free loans and targets the poorest and climate-vulnerable districts, particularly 12 districts of Balochistan, five districts in Sindh and three districts of the merged areas, in line with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision of “Khushal Balochistan, Mazboot Pakistan.”

Speaking about the education sector, the minister said Pakistan continues to face the challenge of around 28 million out-of-school children.

He said the government is promoting school enrolment through initiatives such as Taleemi Wazaif and Schools for Rehabilitation of Child Labour (SRCLs), adding that 12.8 million out-of-school children have been enrolled under the Taleemi Wazaif programme.

He emphasised that beneficiary families are encouraged to ensure regular school attendance of their children to secure a better future.

The delegation appreciated the Government of Pakistan’s efforts in poverty alleviation, humanitarian assistance and social welfare and presented souvenirs to the minister on behalf of different chapters of the Chamber.

Both sides agreed to explore collaboration in skills development, vocational training, women’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, social enterprise, private sector partnerships, investment promotion, market linkages and capacity building.

The delegation also expressed its willingness to facilitate international business connections, knowledge exchange and investment opportunities through its global network to support Pakistan’s socio-economic development.

Islamabad: Pak Sporting Football Club Islamabad will conduct open trials for Under-17 football players from July 16 to 18 at Rovers Park Stadium, G-9/3, Islamabad.

The trials will be held daily at 5:00 p.m. to identify promising young talent for the club. Thirty outstanding players will be selected to join the club’s training programme in preparation for future football competitions across the country.

The club said special preference would be given to goalkeepers during the selection process to help develop quality talent in a position where Pakistan has long faced a shortage.

A selection committee will supervise the trials, while the names of its members will be announced before the event.

The trials are open to all eligible U-17 football players, and football enthusiasts from Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been invited to attend and encourage the young participants.

Islamabad: The participants of the 16th National Media Workshop (NMW), organised by the Institute for Strategic Studies, Research and Analysis (ISSRA), and National Defence University (NDU), visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Monday as part of the workshop programme.

Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi briefed the participants on Pakistan’s foreign policy priorities, the evolving regional and global landscape, and the Ministry’s role in advancing and safeguarding Pakistan’s national interests through diplomacy.

The briefing was followed by an interactive QandA session. The 85-member delegation comprised representatives from the media, civil society, and political parties.

Islamabad: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), on the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on Monday reviewed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s preparedness for the ongoing Monsoon 2026 during a high level virtual meeting, assessing contingency plans, resource deployment, emergency coordination and district level response measures to strengthen readiness against floods, landslides, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and other weather related emergencies.

The meeting was convened via video link by Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Musadik Malik and attended by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Aqibullah Khan, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, Director General PDMA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, provincial administrative secretaries, commissioners, deputy commissioners and representatives of relevant departments.

Officials reviewed district wise preparedness across vulnerable areas, with detailed discussions on contingency planning, emergency resource deployment, institutional coordination and response mechanisms to tackle potential monsoon related disasters across the province.

Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa presented a comprehensive briefing on preparedness measures, highlighting the readiness of district administrations, rescue services, emergency communication systems, relief stockpiles and evacuation plans for high risk locations.

Special focus remained on districts vulnerable to flash floods, riverine flooding, urban flooding, landslides, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods and other hydro meteorological hazards that typically intensify during the monsoon season.

Addressing the meeting, Federal Minister Musadik Malik appreciated the preparedness measures undertaken by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and directed all concerned authorities to remain on high alert in view of evolving weather conditions.

He stressed that proactive planning, swift emergency response, close coordination among institutions and effective public awareness were essential to reducing the impact of monsoon related disasters and safeguarding lives and property.

The meeting concluded with directives to hold coordination meetings at the district and Union Council levels to further assess preparedness, strengthen local coordination mechanisms and ensure a rapid and effective response to any emergency during Monsoon 2026.

Islamabad: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday called for collective efforts across the Muslim world to ensure women have equal access to education, economic opportunities, healthcare and leadership, saying women’s empowerment was the key to sustainable development and stronger societies.

Addressing the 9th Ministerial Conference on Women of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said, ‘If circumstances can empower one woman, opportunity can empower millions. Let us work together through the platform of OIC to ensure that every girl in the Muslim world has access to education. Every girl across the Muslim world has access to opportunity.”

“Our commitment to women’s empowerment is deeply rooted in our faith and values. Islam honours women with dignity, rights and respect. In empowering women, we are not departing from our traditions; we are returning to them,” she said

She said the OIC represented the collective aspirations, shared values and common future of Muslim nations, emphasizing that women must not merely benefit from development but actively shape it as leaders, entrepreneurs and decision-makers.

The chief minister said the story of women in the Muslim world had always been one of resilience, courage, perseverance and leadership, adding that empowerment was often forged through challenges rather than bestowed by others.

She said her own political journey had taught her that true empowerment was often shaped by challenging circumstances.

Recalling her experience of standing alongside former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif during periods of political adversity, she said those experiences had strengthened her resolve, taught her patience and deepened her understanding of the struggles faced by ordinary women.

CM paid tribute to Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, Begum Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, saying these women had demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership while paving the way for future generations.

She said Pakistan had achieved important milestones in women’s political representation by electing the Muslim world’s first woman prime minister, the country’s first woman speaker of the National Assembly and Punjab’s first woman chief minister, while the Lahore High Court was now headed by its first woman chief justice.

Maryam Nawaz said these achievements represented progress not only for individual women but also for millions of girls aspiring to leadership roles.

She said women’s empowerment should not remain a symbolic slogan but must translate into practical improvements in people’s lives.

“Women’s empowerment is the distance between rights written on paper and rights implemented on the ground,” she said, adding that governments must ensure policies reached the women for whom they were intended.

Highlighting the Punjab government’s initiatives, Maryam Nawaz said her administration had launched a wide range of programmes aimed at improving women’s economic empowerment, education, healthcare, housing, entrepreneurship and public safety.

She said 60 percent of the beneficiaries under the ‘Honhaar Scholarship Programme’ were female students, reflecting the government’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities for young women.

She said the “Apni Chhat Apna Ghar” housing programme was providing security and dignity to low-income families.

Recalling her meeting with the programme’s first beneficiary, a widow raising three daughters, she said the woman had struggled for years to pay rent and had even withdrawn her daughters from school because of financial hardship.

“Today, she has a home of her own and her daughters have returned to school. A house provides not only shelter but also security and hope for the future,” she said.

The chief minister said around 200,000 families had benefited from the housing initiative, enabling them to move from rented accommodation to permanent home ownership.

She said the “Apna Khet Apna Rozgar” initiative aimed to provide land ownership and sustainable livelihoods to women, particularly widows and landless families.

Highlighting the ‘Honhaar Scholarship Programme’, Maryam Nawaz shared the story of a female student who was forced to leave university after her family could only afford to educate her brother.

She said government financial support enabled the student to resume her education and pursue her dreams. “The scholarship is not merely financial assistance; it is permission to dream and an investment in future generations,” she remarked.

The chief minister said the Punjab government’s laptop distribution programme was equipping young women with digital tools to access education, knowledge and employment opportunities, while internship, tourism and IT skills programmes were helping graduates become financially independent.

Maryam Nawaz said women entrepreneurs were also benefiting from interest-free “Asaan Karobar Finance” loans, IT and freelancing training programmes, livestock distribution schemes and support for cottage industries and e-commerce platforms.

The chief minister said the government was extending financial assistance to women with disabilities through the ‘Himmat Card’ programme, enabling them to live with dignity and independence.

She said the ‘Dhee Rani Programme’ was supporting underprivileged families by assisting young women with marriage-related expenses, helping thousands of daughters begin a new chapter of their lives with dignity and confidence.

Maryam Nawaz said the Punjab government was also strengthening women’s participation in the justice sector by improving professional facilities for female legal practitioners and promoting their representation in leadership positions.

Highlighting healthcare initiatives, she said more than 1,000 field hospitals and mobile health units had been established to deliver medical services to remote communities, while expanded maternal healthcare programmes and over 60,000 female health inspectors were ensuring healthcare reached women and children at their doorsteps.

She said Punjab’s newly launched electric mass transit system included dedicated facilities for women, while the ‘Pink Taxi’ initiative was creating safe transportation and new employment opportunities for women.

The chief minister said Punjab had also prioritized women’s safety through the expansion of Safe City projects, Violence Against Women Centres, Women Protection Centres, virtual women police stations, mobile police stations, women’s safety applications and dedicated safety zones equipped with modern facilities.

She said the provincial government had introduced women-friendly transport initiatives, including dedicated spaces in public transport and the Pink Taxi project, aimed at creating employment opportunities and ensuring safe mobility for women.