Day: July 15, 2026

Sialkot: The Institute of Surgical Technology (IST), Centre of Excellence, Metal Industries Development Centre (MIDC) Sialkot, organized a certificate distribution ceremony to honor trainees who successfully completed their training programs.

The event was graced by Zeeshan Tariq, Chairman SIMAP, Waseem Yousaf, a renowned businessman in the surgical instruments industry.

The distinguished guests interacted with the passouts, sharing valuable insights on career development, entrepreneurship, and employment opportunities, they also informed to students to visit RandD Section at SIMAP for getting information regarding starting up business and jobs, while encouraging them to utilize their skills to contribute to the continued growth of Pakistan’s surgical instruments industry.

Certificates were awarded to the successful trainees in the following trades (Surgical Instruments Manufacturing Technician Level-II and Level-III, CAD Level-II and Level-III and Machinist Level-II and Level-III).

Sargodha: Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the National Highways and Motorway Police (Central-I Zone) Imran Shahid visited Sector M-2 South Sial Mor on Tuesday to review operational performance and reiterate the force’s priorities.

According to a spokesperson,He was received by Sector Commander SP Faisal Akram and other officers.

Addressing a meeting at the sector office,the DIG highlighted the organization’s strategic priorities,stressing crime prevention,professional policing,discipline,integrity and the protection of the lives and property of commuters on the national highways and motorways.

Officers and personnel apprised the DIG of professional issues and offered suggestions for improving operations. He directed the relevant authorities to resolve the matters on a priority basis.

During the visit,SP Faisal Akram presented a commemorative shield to the DIG.

The DIG also inspected the sector office,Lines Headquarters,Beat No.09,General Store,Motor Transport,Armory and other operational branches.

He later visited the NHMP FM-95 Relay Station at Sial Mor,where he was briefed on its functioning.

Expressing satisfaction with the sector’s overall performance,the DIG directed officers to further strengthen public service,professionalism and transparency in the discharge of their duties.

United nations: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal met on Tuesday with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Alexander De Croo in New York and discussed Pakistan’s development priorities and ways to further strengthen the longstanding partnership between Pakistan and the UNDP.

Speaking during the meeting, the minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to its partnership with the UNDP and expressed appreciation for the organization’s continued support in advancing the country’s national development agenda, a news release said.

He said Pakistan’s development strategy was anchored in the “Uraan Pakistan” initiative, which focuses on five priority pillars: exports, digitalization, environment, energy and equity.

Ahsan Iqbal acknowledged the UNDP’s longstanding collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, particularly its support for localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through SDG Support Units and its role in convening the 2025 SDGs Policy Dialogue for Action.

The discussion also focused on Pakistan’s SDG Plus Programme, aimed at accelerating implementation of the SDGs through stronger provincial ownership and localized action.

Both sides underscored the importance of bringing the SDGs closer to communities by strengthening implementation at the provincial level.

The minister said Pakistan’s National Economic Council had decided to conduct quarterly reviews of provincial performance on key social indicators, recognizing that many human development responsibilities rest with provincial governments.

De Croo welcomed Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen institutional mechanisms for SDG implementation and reaffirmed the UNDP’s commitment to supporting the country’s sustainable development agenda.

The minister said Pakistan’s development ambitions continue to face challenges because of debt-servicing obligations and limited fiscal space.

He expressed hope that the UNDP would continue supporting Pakistan’s efforts to mobilize development and climate financing, including through SDG-aligned investment initiatives.

Ahsan Iqbal highlighted Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate-induced disasters and praised the UNDP’s contribution to flood response and recovery following the devastating 2022 floods, including its support for the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan and implementation of the Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework (4RF).

He emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation to build long-term climate resilience, including through Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) projects, as well as initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and creating jobs to address Pakistan’s demographic and employment challenges.

The minister also acknowledged the UNDP’s commitment to maintaining its presence in Pakistan despite financial constraints.

At the same time, he expressed concern over the significant decline in the agency’s core funding and said ongoing reforms across the U.N. development system should strengthen, rather than diminish, support for program countries such as Pakistan.

Ahsan Iqbal said the UNDP’s core development mandate should remain strong and that country-level cooperation should continue to align with national priorities.

Welcoming the forthcoming visit to Pakistan by Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon, who previously served as a UNDP goodwill ambassador, the minister expressed confidence that the visit would help draw greater international attention to Pakistan’s development priorities.

He also extended an invitation to De Croo on behalf of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further enhancing cooperation at both the country level and U.N. Headquarters in support of Pakistan’s sustainable development objectives.

Faisalabad: The police have arrested a three-member vehicle lifter gang and recovered 12 stolen motorcycles from their possession.

Police spokesman said that SHO City Jaranwala police station Inspector Muzaffar Ali and his team on a tip-off conducted operation and arrested three vehicle lifters including ringleader Irfan along with his accomplices Rafiq and Ghulam Mustafa.

The accused were involved in organized motorcycle theft and during interrogation, the investigators traced 13 criminal cases linked to the gang.

The police recovered 12 stolen motorcycles worth Rs1.4 million from their possession while further investigation is under progress, he added.

Faisalabad: Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) has introduced a new electricity bill payment facility through the RAAST (Rapid Account-Based Settlement System), enabling consumers to pay their bills instantly, securely and without any additional charges via mobile banking applications.

FESCO spokesman Muhammad Saeed Raza said that this initiative has been launched in line with the Government of Pakistan’s cashless economy policy and the directives of Ministry of Energy (Power Division) to encourage digital financial transactions and provide consumers with a faster and more secure payment mechanism.

He said that all FESCO consumers can now use the RAAST payment option available in their respective banks’ mobile banking applications to scan the Quick Response (QR) code printed on their electricity bills and complete payments instantly.This facility does not involve any service or convenience charges, making it a cost-effective alternative to conventional payment methods, he added.

He said that payments made through RAAST would be reflected immediately in FESCO’s billing system, enabling the company’s concerned officers to verify transactions online in real time. The new mechanism is expected to improve transparency, speed up payment processing and enhance customer service, he added.

He further said that under the directions of Ministry of Energy (Power Division), the electricity distribution companies are implementing the RAAST platform in phases for Person-to-Government (P2G), Government-to-Person (G2P) and Government-to-Government (G2G) financial transactions.

He said that FESCO has introduced QR code and RAAST-based payment options not only for electricity bills but also for demand notices, detection bills and other payments, providing consumers with a unified and secure digital payment platform.

He said that FESCO officers were also directed to create public awareness about the new system and actively promote digital payment methods to support the government’s vision of a cashless economy.

He urged the consumers to take advantage of modern digital facility and give preference to RAAST for electricity bill payments. This initiative would make payment services more efficient, transparent and user-friendly, he added.

Peshawar: Special Assistant to Chief Minister for Tourism, Malik Adeel Iqbal here Tuesday chaired a meeting to discuss establishment of Smart Tourism Command and Monitoring System (STCMS).

The meeting reviewed in detail the proposed system that was aimed at enhancing tourist safety, guidance and delivery of modern digital services across KP’s tourist destinations.

Participants were briefed on key features of the proposed system including GPS tracking, free Wi-Fi at tourist destinations, real-time alerts, weather and traffic updates, emergency notifications, integrated emergency response mechanisms, coordination with Tourism Police, Rescue 1122 and other relevant agencies, live monitoring, digital information systems and data analytic.

Speaking on the occasion, CM aide stated that provincial government is fully committed to transforming KP into a modern, safe and smart tourism destination by leveraging advanced technologies.

He emphasized that proposed system will enable tourists to receive timely information, enjoy safer travel, access immediate assistance during emergencies, benefit from accurate route guidance and experience an overall enhanced travel environment.

He directed the relevant authorities to prepare a comprehensive and practical implementation strategy for the project to ensure provision of best facilities for tourists and further strengthen KP tourism sector through modern, secure and efficient digital solutions.