Day: July 18, 2026

Islamabad: Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has emphasized that national unity, political stability, and sustained economic reforms are essential for Pakistan’s progress. Addressing a dinner hosted by Zaheer Mehdi, Head of Jazz World, in honour of Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Chairman Senate Gilani, he reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to strengthening democratic institutions, promoting effective legislation, and addressing public concerns.

The event was attended by prominent figures from the business, financial, and social sectors. Participants exchanged views on Pakistan’s political and economic outlook, investment promotion, the digital economy, agriculture, youth employment, and the country’s development priorities, said a news release.

The Chairman Senate underscored the importance of digital technology and innovation-driven growth while stressing the need to modernize the agricultural sector through advanced technology, affordable financing, and greater support for farmers.

He said improved agricultural productivity would contribute significantly to economic growth and called for farmer-friendly policies to strengthen rural livelihoods.

Participants appreciated Chairman Senate Gilani’s leadership and commitment to democratic values and expressed their best wishes for Pakistan’s peace, progress, and prosperity.

Among those present at the dinner were MNA Asad Alam Niazi, Chairman Habib Group Muhammad Ali Habib, Cluster CEO of Habib Bank AG Zurich Mohsin Nathani, and other leading business leaders, investors, and distinguished guests.

Islamabad: The Government of Pakistan on Friday officially launched the historic two-day Pakistan-China Pharmaceutical and Healthcare B2B Investment Conference.

Conceived as a premium, project-driven facilitation initiative, the conference is organized by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRandC), the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), and the Board of Investment (BOI).

The summit brings together a magnificent assembly of over 450 companies under one roof, including over 300 leading Pakistani firms and 150 elite Chinese industrial groups.

Proving the project-driven nature of the alliance, the launching ceremony culminated in an immediate, landmark Exchange of Official Agreements.

Moving decisively past general trade understandings, the summit finalized nine ground-breaking commercial agreements totaling an extraordinary USD 446 million in immediate investment value.

These partnerships represent concrete operational commitments across critical sub-sectors.

Federal Minister for National Health Services, Syed Mustafa Kamal presented an executive brief on the intensive groundwork that enabled the summit.

Minister Kamal transitioned the bilateral narrative into a bold, operational mandate. He said, “Today is not a day for mere diplomatic rhetoric; it is a day of execution.”

He noted that the Ministry and DRAP worked day and night for two months alongside the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing to run compatibility audits, pre-mapping companies to precisely bridge market gaps.

He detailed the seven core localized tracks optimized for investment, spanning APIs, high-precision medical devices, and advanced biotherapeutics.

Emphasizing China’s unwavering commitment to building an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, delivered a powerful message of solidarity and joint industrial growth.”

He said, “Our All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with Pakistan remains unbreakable, and healthcare is a vital pillar of this enduring bond.”

He said, “China stands ready to fully align technological strengths with Pakistan’s healthcare requirements under CPEC Phase 2.0.”

He said this B2B conference is not just about commercial transactions as it represents a deep strategic commitment to technology transfer and capacity building.

He said by establishing localized joint ventures, we are not only enhancing Pakistan’s healthcare self-reliance but are also building a resilient, high-tech export corridor that will serve the entire region.

He said the Chinese corporate sector enters this alliance with long-term trust, high-end science, and an absolute commitment to joint prosperity.

In a massive boost to localized preventative medicine, OBS partnered with Chinese biotech giant CanSino Biologics to execute an immediate USD 50 million agreement dedicated to the local manufacturing of the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13).

Concurrently, AGP finalized a USD 50 million joint venture with Shanghai United Cell Biotechnology (SUCB), this landmark project will focus on local cell-line development and advanced biotechnology manufacturing for Recombinant Human Growth Hormone (Genheal®), Teriparatide (OstioGen®), and the Oral Cholera Vaccine.

Expanding localized access to critical generic injectables and family planning technologies, OBS Pharma signed a USD 50 million joint venture with Liaoning Ludan Pharmaceutical to establish a domestic manufacturing setup for Levonorgestrel Contraceptive Implants over a 2-year execution timeline.

In the biotherapeutic domain, Genix Pharma Pvt Ltd executed a USD 23 million agreement with a high-tech Chinese consortium comprising Intellective Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Nanjing Cellnuo Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Tofflon Science and Technology Group Co., Ltd. to establish Pakistan’s first internationally integrated biopharmaceutical manufacturing platform for monoclonal antibodies, peptide therapeutics, insulin products, and future biological medicines.

The medical devices and diagnostic landscape witnessed a major transformation as Lab Diagnostic Systems (SMC) Pvt. Ltd. (LDS) signed a USD 25 million collaboration agreement with Chongqing LianXin ZhiKang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. for the localization, registration, assembly, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) products in Pakistan and selected export markets.

In the largest individual financial commitment of the day, Lab Diagnostic Systems (SMC) Pvt. Ltd. (LDS) further expanded its portfolio by executing a monumental USD 200 million agreement with Sinovac Holding Group Co., Ltd. to collaborate on product registration, commercialization, and phased localization of selected critical vaccines.

Upstream raw material autonomy was firmly addressed by Citi Pharma Limited, which entered into a USD 10 million strategic collaboration with Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group for technology transfer, knowledge sharing, investment, and localized synthesis of selected Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in Pakistan.

Concurrently, Lucky Core Industries Limited formalized a USD 13 million agreement with HuaHui Health (Hong Kong) Co., Limited aimed at accelerating direct patient access to Libevitug for the treatment of Hepatitis Delta.

Rounding out the historic text, Weatherfolds Pharmaceuticals and Welcome Pakistan Pvt. Ltd. partnered with Tian Yuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd to establish an immediate USD 25 million project.

This landmark initiative will build Pakistan’s very first manufacturing facility utilizing advanced synthetic technology for the production of highly sought-after Semaglutide and Tirzepatide APIs as well as their finished pharmaceutical forms.

The launching ceremony also featured strategic diplomatic and industrial addresses, including speeches by the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, and the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production, Haroon Akhtar Khan.

Following the official exchange of documents, the conference immediately transitioned into the first of three highly anticipated, structured B2B matchmaking sessions.

To sustain this investment velocity, live Information and Facilitation Desks staffed by active directors from DRAP, BOI, and SIFC are operating directly inside the venue boardrooms to assess, facilitate, and clear regulatory inquiries and licensing tracks in real-time.

Day two of the technical sessions will commence with a masterclass led by DRAP, focusing on its global regulatory alignment with WHO and ICH criteria and its seamless integration with the Pakistan Single Window (PSW), before concluding with the finalization of subsequent corporate MoUs.

Islamabad: The Emergency Response Committee, constituted on the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to oversee national preparedness and coordinated response during Monsoon 2026, on Friday directed all federal and provincial stakeholders to maintain a high state of operational readiness as it reviewed monsoon preparedness, emergency response plans and inter agency coordination at the National Emergencies Operation Centre of the National Disaster Management Authority Headquarters in Islamabad.

The Committee’s third meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal and attended by Chairman NDMA Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, HI(M), senior NDMA officials, representatives of federal ministries, departments and other key stakeholders.

The Committee undertook a comprehensive review of preparedness measures put in place across the country.

It assessed contingency plans, deployment of emergency response resources, coordination with district administrations, public awareness initiatives and arrangements for timely response to emerging emergencies during the monsoon season.

The status of relief supplies, emergency communication mechanisms, evacuation plans and inter agency coordination was also reviewed to ensure swift and effective response capabilities.

Chairman NDMA Inam Haider briefed the participants on the round the clock operational activities of the National Emergencies Operation Centre.

Haider informed the Committee that the Centre continues to monitor weather developments through its integrated multi hazard monitoring system and is issuing timely impact based forecasts, advisories and early warnings to all stakeholders.

The Committee directed all concerned departments to remain on high alert throughout the monsoon season.

It laid particular emphasis on strengthening institutional coordination, ensuring uninterrupted communication among response agencies, protecting vulnerable communities and critical infrastructure, and maintaining the operational readiness of rescue and relief resources.

Preparedness and contingency plans presented by the Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Power and WAPDA also came under review during the meeting.

Addressing the participants, Professor Ahsan Iqbal underscored the need for seamless coordination among all response agencies to enable timely decision making and rapid mobilization of resources whenever required.

The meeting reaffirmed the Emergency Response Committee’s commitment to strengthening national coordination and ensuring a unified response mechanism to safeguard lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure throughout Monsoon 2026.

Islamabad: The Inter-Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technology (ISNET), in collaboration with the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), has announced a two-day online training course titled “Environmental Monitoring, Dispersion Modeling and Climate Change” to be held on August 11-12, 2026 via Zoom.

According to ISNET, the training aims to provide a comprehensive overview of environmental monitoring and dispersion modeling techniques, while offering participants practical experience in the acquisition and processing of environmental and climate datasets used in scientific research and decision-making.

The course will focus on modeling inputs including satellite imagery, Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), surface roughness data, meteorological information, and Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGL).

Participants will also receive hands-on training in internationally used air dispersion models, including AERMOD and CHARM, enabling them to understand pollutant dispersion, air quality assessment and climate-related environmental analysis.

The programme will further familiarize participants with various climate and environmental datasets and equip them with tools and techniques for climate data handling and environmental monitoring.

The organizers said the course has been designed at an intermediate-to-advanced level for students, researchers and professionals working in the fields of space sciences, remote sensing, geography, geology, environmental sciences and climate change.

The training will be conducted by Shaikh Abdullah, General Manager, SUPARCO, and Akhtar Ali, Manager, SUPARCO, who will share their expertise in environmental modeling and climate applications using geospatial technologies.

The interested candidates can register through the online application portal by August 6, 2026. The course will be delivered virtually through Zoom, enabling participants from across the OIC member states and other regions to attend remotely.

ISNET, a specialized network working to promote cooperation in space sciences and technology among Islamic countries, is organizing the programme in partnership with SUPARCO as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen capacity building in the application of space technology for environmental monitoring, climate change studies and sustainable development.

Islamabad: Indus River System Authority (IRSA) on Friday released 265,800 cusecs of water from various rim stations with an inflow of 288,500 cusecs.

According to the data released by IRSA, the water level in the River Indus at Tarbela Dam stood at 1505.11 feet, which was 103.11 feet higher than the dead level of 1402.00 feet. Water inflow and outflow in the dam were recorded as 182,200 cusecs and 162,100 cusecs, respectively.

The water level in the Jhelum River at Mangla Dam was 1173.30 feet, which was 123.30 feet higher than its dead level of 1,050 feet. The inflow and outflow of water were recorded as 22,600 cusecs and 20,000 cusecs, respectively.

The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa, Guddu and Sukkur was recorded as 203,300, 182,500, 128,700, and 63,200 cusecs, respectively. Similarly, from River Kabul, a total of 31,700 cusecs of water was released at Nowshera, and 22,700 cusecs were released from River Chenab at Marala.

Islamabad: President of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) Abdul Aleem Khan has vehemently condemned the armed attack on the election convoy of IPP Azad Kashmir President, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas.

According to reports, miscreants associated with the Action Committee opened fire on the election convoy at Tain Dalkot in Azad Kashmir, said a press release issued on Friday.

Expressing deep grief and sorrow over the incident, Abdul Aleem Khan extended his heartfelt condolences on the martyrdom of a security guard who lost his life in the line of duty during the firing. He also expressed intense concern for former advisor Sardar Imtiaz Shaheen and another security guard who sustained injuries during the attack.

“This attack by malicious elements is an extremely cowardly act,” stated the IPP President. “There is absolutely no room for violence in democratic politics.”

Abdul Aleem Khan assured the grieving families that the party stands firmly by them in this tragic hour. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of our martyred guard and with those who were injured.