Day: July 22, 2026

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Police arrest 4-member gang involved in multiple theft incidents


Rawalpindi: The Mandra Police arrested a four-member gang on Tuesday allegedly involved in multiple thefts and burglaries, recovering a rickshaw and Rs 260,400 in stolen cash. They also recovered weapons used in the crimes.



According to the police, the suspects used a rickshaw to conduct reconnaissance before committing burglaries and other property-related offences.



The arrests were made using a combination of technical surveillance and human intelligence. Investigators stated that the suspects are repeat offenders with criminal records involving numerous cases of robbery, theft, burglary, and illegal weapon possession across the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.



Superintendent of Police Saddar Anum Sher stated that the suspects will be presented before the court with substantial evidence to ensure they face strict legal proceedings in accordance with the law.



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English language proficiency training for teachers begins


Rawalpindi: A month-long English Language Proficiency Training Program for teachers kicks off in Rawalpindi which aims to equip public sector teachers with modern communication skills.



The second batch training initiative is being organized by the Punjab Educational Capacity Building and Training Academy (PECTAA) in collaboration with Berlitz, under the direct supervision of the District Education Authority (DEA) Rawalpindi.



Chief Executive Officer (CEO) District Education Authority Rawalpindi, Yaseen Baloch.



At the opening ceremony of the training, Yaseen Baloch highlighted that the initiative reflected the authority’s commitment to academic excellence and continuous professional empowerment of government school teachers.



He advised the participants to make the most of the professional training program, highlighting that enhancing English language proficiency would directly improve classroom delivery and educational outcomes across public sector institutions in the district.



He further urges the participants of the training to exploit the opportunity to improve their communication skills in English language. The participants expressed satisfaction over the learning opportunity.



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Pakistan’s ambassador calls on Japanese Minister for Justice


Tokyo: Ambassador of Pakistan to Japan, Abdul Hameed, on Tuesday called on Hiroshi Hiraguchi, Japan’s Minister of Justice and discussed avenues for further strengthening Pakistan-Japan cooperation.



The meeting provided an opportunity for a substantive exchange on opportunities for skilled Pakistani professionals and workers in Japan. The two sides also explored ways to enhance institutional collaboration in support of skills development, labour mobility and capacity building, according to a press release issued here.



Recognizing the importance of people-to-people connectivity as a pillar of the bilateral relationship, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing practical cooperation that delivers tangible benefits to the peoples of Pakistan and Japan.



They welcomed the ongoing efforts towards the conclusion of a new Memorandum of Cooperation on Employment for Skill Development, which is expected to provide a stronger institutional framework for facilitating the movement of skilled human resources and further broadening bilateral economic engagement.



The meeting underscored the steady momentum in Pakistan-Japan relations and the shared resolve of both countries to deepen cooperation across a broad range of mutually beneficial sectors.



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10 stone crushing units sealed for violating environment SOPs


Dera ghazi khan: The district administration sealed 10 stone crushing units, fined several others, and issued notices to 20 violators over the past 10 days as part of a crackdown on environmental pollution.



Officials said here on Tuesday that on the direction of Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Usman Khalid, three more units including Shahid Stone Crushing Unit, Owais Stone Crushers, and Qadir Bakhsh Stone Crushing Point, were sealed for violating environmental SOPs. Earlier, on July 11, seven stone crushers were sealed, notices were issued to 20 units and fines totaling Rs 400,000 were imposed.



Deputy Commissioner directed all stone crushers to ensure strict compliance with prescribed SOPs and warned legal action sans any leniency.



Promising continued monitoring of stone crushing units, the EPD official said that protecting public health, safeguarding the environment, and providing citizens with a clean and healthy atmosphere remain the district administration’s top priorities.



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PM launches AI-powered PM Office System to digitally track, monitor directives


Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday launched the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Prime Minister Office System (PMOS), describing it as a transformative digital platform that will modernize governance by recording, communicating, monitoring and tracking every directive issued by the Prime Minister from issuance through implementation, verified completion and post-completion monitoring.



Addressing the launch ceremony at the Prime Minister’s Office, the prime minister directed all relevant authorities to ensure the immediate and full implementation of the new AI-based system, making it clear that traditional paper-based working would be replaced by digital processes.



“From today onwards, I will not expect any of you with a file in your hands. Everything will be discussed through this mechanism,” the prime minister said. He praised Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Secretary IT for their efforts in developing and operationalizing the system.



He urged all ministries and government departments to adopt the platform, saying it would significantly improve the government’s ability to deliver results. “This would make service delivery easier,” he remarked.



The ceremony was attended by Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and other senior officials. During the ceremony, the prime minister was given a comprehensive briefing on the AI-powered platform and its objectives.



The prime minister was informed that PMOS was the first government platform in Pakistan to integrate artificial intelligence as a central component of decision-making and implementation monitoring, calling it a trailblazer for the digital transformation of the federal government.



According to the briefing, PMOS had been developed at the center of government to ensure efficient communication of the prime minister’s directives throughout the government machinery while enabling timely implementation in accordance with defined quality standards. The system also serves as a secure technology-driven decision-support platform by integrating analytics and structured information within a protected IT environment.



During the briefing, it was informed that PMOS would facilitate continuous policy calibration by enabling the government to utilize technological, human and financial resources more effectively to generate better economic outcomes.



By introducing the platform at the Prime Minister’s Office, the government intends to embed governance reforms at the highest level before extending them across the wider administrative structure.



At the heart of the platform is a comprehensive digital repository that records every directive issued by the prime minister together with the complete chain of implementation, making PMOS both an institutional knowledge base and a permanent record of government decision-making.



Unlike conventional government tracking systems, the briefing explained, PMOS incorporates an artificial intelligence layer capable of reading, classifying and analyzing directives rather than merely storing them.



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EDF, Pak EXIM join hands to enhance SME exports through finance, risk protection


Islamabad: The Export Development Fund (EDF) and the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan (Pak EXIM) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen Pakistan’s export ecosystem by improving access to finance and risk protection for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) exporters.



The MoU formalizes collaboration between the two institutions on a range of initiatives aimed at expanding financial support and risk mitigation mechanisms for SME exporters, a news release said.



A key feature of the partnership is the establishment of a Joint Risk Pool to facilitate SME exporters through Pak EXIM’s Export/Trade Credit Insurance (TCI) products.



The initiative is designed to protect exporters against political and commercial risks associated with international trade while improving their access to finance, a major challenge limiting SME export growth.



The two organisations will also explore co-funding arrangements for export financing, develop credit guarantee mechanisms to encourage greater bank lending to the SME export sector, and promote green and sustainable export initiatives aligned with Pakistan’s environmental and trade objectives.



Both institutions reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the agreed initiatives through timely and practical measures, expressing confidence that the partnership would enhance the competitiveness of Pakistani exporters in international markets.



The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Secretary Finance Imdad Ullah Bosal and Secretary Commerce Jawad Paul, reflecting the government’s commitment to promoting exports and supporting the country’s exporting community.



The agreement was signed by Dr Muhammad Saeed, Adviser to the Prime Minister and member of the EDF Board, and Shahbaz H. Syed, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pak EXIM, in the presence of senior government officials, EDF Board members, representatives of trade bodies and members of the exporting community.