Day: July 18, 2026

Mirpur (ajk): The government employees assigned election duties for Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) general elections will cast their ballots on July 20 under special polling arrangements, the election officials said on Friday.

The AJK Election Commission has scheduled general elections for July 27 across the region.

The Election Commission spokesperson said polling for government officials and employees deployed on election duty would take place at the offices of the respective returning officers in all constituencies.

The special voting process is intended to allow election personnel to exercise their right to vote before polling day, when they will be performing official duties.

The election officials said returning officers would supervise the voting, while administrative and logistical preparations are being finalized to ensure the process is conducted smoothly.

The Election Commission has instructed relevant authorities to complete all arrangements in time and ensure the electoral process remains transparent, fair and peaceful ahead of the July 27 vote.

Rawalpindi: Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) has achieved a significant international milestone by joining the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Programme in Quantitative Biodiversity (QuBiD) as an associated partner.

Led by the University of Warsaw, Poland, the prestigious global initiative has been selected under the European Commission’s Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scheme, securing a funding grant of 4.6 million Euros over the next six years, said a press release.

According to the details, the modern QuBiD programme comprises 120 ECTS joint curriculum aimed at training highly skilled specialists in biodiversity, ecology, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, big data analysis and conservation biology. Under this initiative, enrolled students will study across three leading European universities to acquire top-tier research and practical skills.

As an associated partner and key member of the international consortium, FJWU will hold a seat on the advisory board, offer academic support in selected courses, and provide valuable internship opportunities for students.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr. Bushra Mirza (TI), lauded the landmark achievement, stating that FJWU remains dedicated to fostering meaningful academic collaborations with top-tier international institutions.

She said that participating in the QuBiD programme would not only strengthen the university’s global profile but also unlock immense opportunities for faculty and students to engage in collaborative research, global exchanges, joint ventures, and capacity-building initiatives.

The Vice Chancellor further observed that this partnership aligns perfectly with the university’s core vision of promoting scientific research, environmental sustainability, and biodiversity conservation.

She highlighted that the development underscores FJWU’s growing academic stature, reflecting its commitment to quality education and research-driven global partnerships that pave new paths for female scholars in modern scientific disciplines.

Peshawar: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted the 4th four-day International Business Excellence Award and Investment Conference 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The SCCI-sponsored International event was formally inaugurated by H.E Shokhrukh Gulamov, the Deputy Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, said in a press release issued here on Friday.

Notable speakers at the opening session include SCCI’s President Junaid Altaf, the Ambassador of Pakistan to Uzbekistan, Mr. Davron Vakhabov, Chairman Chamber of Commerce and Industry Uzbekistan, the Businessman Forum Leader and former president FPCCI Ghazanfar Bilour, SCCI vice president Sabir Ahmad Bangash, officials from various department of the Uzbekistan, Secretary General Muqtasid Ahsan, senior members and representatives from diverse sectors.

President Junaid Altaf in his opening remarks highlighted the business and trade potentials in diverse sectors and stressed the need for efficient utilization of potentials of the both countries.

He called for the launch of joint ventures to further improve the bilateral trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

Later in his address, Deputy Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, Mr Gulamov appreciated the SCCI efforts for arranging such a mega event, aiming to boost the business and trade relations between the countries.

Mr Gulamov said his country is keen to further strengthen economic cooperation with Pakistan and called for joint initiatives to remove hurdles in way of mutual trade

President Junaid Altaf underlined the importance of Pak-Uzbek economic relationship, stating that vast opportunities are available to improve the bilateral trade between the two countries.

He emphasized exchange of business delegation on a regular basis, taking full advantage of each other’s potentials, experiences, and organizing a single country.

According to organizers, a 75 members’ delegation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Businessmen participated in this mega international event.

During the conference, awards, gold medals and trophies were distributed among recipients of various categories/sectors.

At the sideline of the mega event, the SCCI delegation visited the Embassy of Pakistan, the Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Bio Pharma Park.

Besides, Uzbekistan-Pakistan Trade and Investment Potential Awareness and Business to Business Session also conducted.

A presentation was given by Mr. Zaheer Abbas, Trade and Investment Counsellor-Pakistan Embassy-Tashkent about the potentials to boost the bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Similarly, Ms. Rokhsana Nesor, Director, Investment Promotion Agency of Uzbekistan, Mr. Mirjalol Turaev, Chief Specialist, Pharma Agency of Uzbekistan, Mr. Shakhzod Bakhtiyarov – Chief Specialist of the Investment Department of the Light Industry Development Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers, Uzbekistan also through their multimedia presentations highlighted business and trade opportunities between the two countries.

The SCCI delegation held a meeting with the Deputy Minister, Mr. Shokhrukh Gulamov, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Investment Industry and Trade (At JW Marriott), while members of the delegation also shared experiences, explore avenue of investment and trade and strengthening of mutual trade relations at B2B meetings.

Faisalabad: The education leaders and international experts have said that the universities must fundamentally redesign their teaching, assessment and governance systems to prepare students for the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) rather than treating AI as a standalone technology.

They stressed that the future of higher education depends on equipping teachers and students with AI literacy, ethical awareness and critical thinking while ensuring equitable access to AI tools and safeguarding human accountability.

They were addressing an international online dialogue on ‘Transformation of Universities for Digital and AI Readiness’ hosted by University of Kamalia (UoK) in collaboration with ISLAH Universities.

The first session focused on preparing teachers and students for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in higher education.

The session was moderated by Prof. Dr. Yasir Nawab, Vice Chancellor, University of Kamalia, and attended by vice chancellors and academic experts from Pakistan, the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Dr. Yasir Nawab said that AI readiness should not be treated as a single course, training workshop or software purchase.

He emphasized that universities need a complete institutional strategy covering curriculum, faculty development, student literacy, assessment, governance, ethics, data protection and digital infrastructure.

The panel included Prof. Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad Chatha, Prof. Dr. Saeed Ahmad Buzdar, Prof. Dr. Aqif Anwar Chaudhry, Prof. Dr. Omar Chaudhry, Dr. John Arthur, Prof. Dr. Ashiq Anjum and Prof. Dr. Tariq Zaman.

The participants agreed that artificial intelligence is already part of academic life. The key challenge, they noted, is to ensure that it supports learning and human judgment rather than replacing critical thinking and intellectual effort.

Prof. Dr. Ashiq Anjum highlighted the use of AI in lecture preparation, student support, feedback, data analysis and administrative communication. He stressed that teachers must verify AI-generated material and remain responsible for the final academic output.

The experts also called for major reforms in student assessment. Traditional assignments, they observed, may no longer provide reliable evidence of learning in the age of generative AI.

Universities were encouraged to introduce process-based assessment, oral examinations, real-life problem-solving, reflective work and tasks requiring students to explain and defend their reasoning.

Prof. Dr. Tariq Zaman emphasized that the debate should not focus only on detecting or restricting AI use.

He said that learning involves uncertainty, effort, mistakes and gradual improvement.

Assessment should therefore be personal, contextual and linked with real situations so that students cannot outsource the learning process, he added.

The dialogue recommended that faculty training should begin with a clear understanding of learning and assessment before moving to AI tools and prompting techniques.

The participants also emphasized transparency, privacy, verification and human accountability. Students should disclose the use of AI, while universities should avoid uploading confidential student, research or institutional data to unapproved platforms.

Equitable access was identified as another major concern. The experts proposed shared licensing, common computing resources, secure institutional tools and collaboration through HEC and university consortia.

They also called for the development of local-language models, Pakistani datasets and AI solutions addressing national educational and social needs.

The dialogue concluded that universities should neither reject AI nor adopt it without proper safeguards.

A coordinated strategy is required to prepare teachers, students and institutional systems for responsible, ethical and locally relevant use of artificial intelligence.

Dera ismail khan: The foundation stone of the expansion project of the Dera Ismail Khan Wildlife Park was laid during a ceremony held with Member of the National Assembly Faisal Amin Khan Gandapur as the chief guest.

Conservator Wildlife, Southern Circle Bannu, Muhammad Niaz, also attended the event, while Project Director Khan Malook Khan briefed participants on the scope and objectives of the development project.

Speaking on the occasion, Faisal Amin Khan Gandapur, said the expansion project would mark a significant step towards the conservation of wildlife, species breeding, eco-tourism, wildlife-based research, environmental awareness and sustainable revenue generation.

He said the project would not only provide modern recreational facilities to visitors but would also contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and strengthen the local economy.

Conservator Wildlife, Muhammad Niaz, termed the project an important milestone for the Wildlife Department and expressed confidence that it would further promote wildlife conservation, eco-tourism, scientific research and public awareness across the region.

Project Director Khan Malook Khan, informed the participants that the Dera Ismail Khan Wildlife Park was established in 2014 over 30 kanals of land through the efforts and vision of the then provincial. He said the park was created to conserve wildlife, promote breeding in a semi-natural environment, encourage eco-tourism, raise environmental awareness and facilitate scientific research.

He said the park had successfully achieved its primary objectives and had become a major centre for recreation, wildlife conservation and research, attracting a large number of visitors throughout the year, particularly during Eid holidays, Independence Day and other public holidays.

He said the growing number of visitors highlighted the need for expansion, as the existing 30-kanal park had become insufficient to accommodate tourists during peak seasons.

He added that on the initiative of the former Chief Minister, the provincial cabinet approved the transfer of an additional 160 kanals of land from the Agriculture Department to the Wildlife Department for the park’s expansion.

He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had also approved the “Expansion of Existing Wildlife Park Dera Ismail Khan” project under the Annual Development Programme (ADP), and construction work was progressing at a rapid pace.

According to the project briefing, the expanded park would feature modern animal enclosures, a walk-through aviary, bird cages, landscaped green areas, walking tracks, a cafeteria, sun and rain shelters, children’s play areas, public amenities, a visitor interpretation centre and other supporting infrastructure.

Upon completion, the expanded wildlife park was expected to accommodate a larger number of visitors while strengthening wildlife conservation, eco-tourism, breeding programmes, environmental education, scientific research, and sustainable economic opportunities, making it one of the leading centres for wildlife conservation and nature-based tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Faisalabad: Tandlianwala city police arrested two accused for preparing a bogus marriage certificate of an underage girl.

Police said here on Friday, the accused were identified as Saleem and Nadeem, who showed a 14-year-girl Swera to be an adult.

Police launched an investigation.