Month: July 2026

Islamabad: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking cancellation of the bail granted to Nadeem alias Chino, an accused in a case involving the recovery of 265 grams of hashish, while expressing concern over unnecessary delays in the trial of narcotics cases.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan heard the case.

During the hearing, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan remarked, “It is only 265 grams of hashish. What should we do?” He also questioned why the trial had not yet been completed.

The judge observed that cases investigated by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) usually involve only three to four prosecution witnesses, yet even their testimonies take years to be recorded.

He stressed that trials should be concluded expeditiously so that convictions, where warranted, could be secured on the basis of evidence.

The bench further observed that where the allegation relates to a comparatively small quantity of narcotics and the trial is not completed within a reasonable time, courts are left with no option but to grant bail in accordance with the law.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition seeking cancellation of the bail granted to Nadeem alias Chino and disposed of the case.

Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Wednesday, directed authorities to take immediate and effective measures to make the facilities of the newly established federal government-operated national central data center, Sky 47, available to all federal institutions.

He also directed that a meeting of the National Digital Commission should be convened at the earliest to take all stakeholders, including the provinces, into confidence regarding the policy.

Established under the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025, the commission is headed by the prime minister, while all provincial chief ministers serve as its members.

The prime minister issued these directives while chairing a review meeting on the implementation status of the National Digital Vision, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

The prime minister said that a single, integrated national data center for the public sector would provide a centralized platform for the data of all government institutions, helping eliminate the need for separate data centers and resulting in significant savings of national resources.

He observed that the Pakistan Digital Authority was providing an active, efficient and transformative direction for government services, social systems and, in particular, the delivery of citizen-centric services.

He further emphasized that implementing a national digital vision in line with contemporary requirements was essential for building an integrated society.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal, Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, and senior officials from relevant government institutions.

The prime minister praised progress under the three core pillars of the National Digital Vision-digital economy, digital citizen services and digital government services-and said that effective implementation of the integrated digital policy would strengthen international partnerships and ensure Pakistan’s effective representation at global forums.

He further stated that full implementation of the National Digital Vision, in consultation with all relevant institutions and federal and provincial governments, would align decision-making, institutional performance and transparency with international standards.

Directing authorities to prioritize key sectors, the prime minister stressed that the National Digital Vision must be implemented first in health, agriculture, utilities, housing and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to ensure the timely delivery of improved public services.

He said that upon full implementation of the vision, citizens would be able to access a wide range of public services through a single digital identity, including government document verification, banking facilities, healthcare services, transfers and other essential services through a unified platform.

During a briefing, participants were informed that, in line with the Prime Minister’s directives, the National Digital Vision is currently being implemented in the sectors of agriculture, food, health, energy, housing and SMEs.

Work is also underway in 14 additional priority sectors, which are expected to improve sectoral performance and generate positive impacts on the national economy, industry and commerce, it was added.

The authorities said that implementation of the vision in the housing sector would enable the introduction of a centralized identification number for all public and private properties, while its application in the SME sector would establish a unified system of unique legal business identities, contributing to increased national productivity.

The meeting was informed that all legal, administrative and institutional measures required for the full implementation of the National Digital Vision were being expedited.

While in this context, the opinions of global experts, international institutions and internationally recognized best practices have also been fully utilized during the process.

Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday welcomed Kuwait’s ratification of the Pakistan-Kuwait Defence Cooperation Agreement, signed in June 2023, terming it another important milestone in the longstanding defence partnership between the two brotherly countries.

In a statement issued here, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Tahir Andrabi said the development reflected the shared resolve of both sides to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation and elevate their security partnership, which dates back to the early 1980s.

He said the Agreement provided a comprehensive institutional framework for expanding defence cooperation, encompassing military training and education, joint exercises, exchange of expertise, and other mutually agreed areas of collaboration.

The spokesperson said the pact would further enhance institutional linkages between the Armed Forces of both countries and consolidate the longstanding defence ties between Pakistan and Kuwait.

He said Pakistan and Kuwait would continue to work closely to implement the Agreement in accordance with its provisions, thereby expanding bilateral defence collaboration and strengthening their enduring partnership, underpinned by mutual trust, shared interests and close institutional cooperation.

The spokesperson added that the move would also contribute to regional peace, security and stability.

The Pakistan-Kuwait Defence Cooperation Agreement was originally signed on June 11, 2023.

Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works met today under the Chairmanship of Senator Nasir Mehmood at Parliament Lodges, to conduct a comprehensive oversight review of major ongoing public housing projects, joint ventures, and civil infrastructure directives across Islamabad and some projects in Quetta.

Expressing profound concern over long-standing structural, legal, and administrative bottlenecks that have stalled key development initiatives for years, the Committee reiterated its firm commitment to safeguarding the financial interests and legal rights of public sector allottees.

During the deliberations, the Secretary for Housing and Works presented a detailed briefing on the status of various housing schemes managed by the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) and the PHA Foundation (PHAF).

Committee Directs to call NAB Chairman Briefing on Bara Kahu and Sky Garden Schemes in the next meeting.

Reviewing the Green Enclave-I project in Bara Kahu, Islamabad where land acquisition commenced as far back as 2009 covering 3,375 kanals, the Committee observed with grave concern that despite the signing of a construction agreement in 2019, physical work remains suspended due to ongoing disputes regarding contractual modes, work execution percentages, and performance security revisions.

Members highlighted that aggrieved allottees have been making payments since 2008 without receiving physical possession of their plots. Although the Housing Secretary indicated that development work could resume following formal Board approval once contractual disputes are resolved, the Committee expressed deep dissatisfaction with the persistent delays. Consequently, the Committee decided to summon the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to provide a personal briefing during the next meeting regarding all pending investigations, inquiries, and legal clearances associated with the FGEHA joint venture projects.

The Committee also conducted an in-depth review of the Sky Garden Housing Scheme (Green Enclave-II), involving 7,300 kanals in Mauza Kathar and Mauza Mangal, where over 2,455 consent notices have been issued and over PKR 4.21 billion collected from members across various categories. Acknowledging that land issues in Mauza Kathar stand resolved and Mauza Mangal litigation was successfully concluded in favour of FGEHA by the court in April 2026, the Committee examined the ongoing infrastructure development and the proposed timeline targeting block-wise plot handovers between December 2026 and March 2027.

To ensure seamless administrative alignment and clear procedural bottlenecks, the Committee decided to call the Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi for a comprehensive briefing at the upcoming meeting to reach a definitive conclusion.

Examining the status of the EHFPRO Lifestyle Residency Apartments in Sector G-13, Islamabad, the Committee noted that while approximately 70 percent of physical work on the 10-acre site was completed, progress suffered severe disruption due to post-COVID-19 market escalation, financial constraints, and the subsequent demise of the private contractor.

Following the formal termination of the joint venture agreement due to persistent violations, FGEHA has taken over the project and is actively pursuing its revival through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework utilizing commercial inventory to prevent additional financial burdens on allottees.

With the PC-I approved by the Development Working Party and the Expression of Interest (EOI) process currently underway, the Committee directed the Ministry to maintain continuous, step-by-step reporting to the Senate body throughout the selection and execution phases.

Addressing compliance on prior directives, the Committee evaluated implementation reports concerning the PHA-F Residencia Project on Kuchlak Road, Quetta, and the maintenance of Federal Lodges.

The Ministry reported that work on the Quetta project has reached overall 50 percent physical progress, supported by four formal contracts signed with M/s NLC and FK Builders, with structural works completed on 161 grey-structure houses and 20 apartment blocks, alongside the completion of re-tendering for 216 three-bed units.

Additionally, the Committee reviewed measures taken at Federal Lodge-I Quetta to enforce daily sanitation standards and noted the progress achieved in major civil and electrical repair works across Federal Lodges I, II, and III in Islamabad.

On matters regarding the PHA-F Residencia Project on Kurri Road, Islamabad, the Ministry presented updates on joint consultative mechanisms established between PHAF management and the Officers Residencia Management Committee to resolve water supply, drainage, and amenity infrastructure challenges, while affirming that allottees executing unauthorized structural modifications must seek formal regularization directly from the Capital Development Authority.

The meeting was attended by the Senators Hidayat Ullah khan, Muhammad Aslam Abro, Abdul Shakoor khan, Khalida Ateeb, Husna Bano, Naseema Ehsan, Jan Muhammad, Saifullah Abro along with Secretary Housing and Senior officials.

Islamabad: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM), Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Wednesday welcomed Kuwait’s recent ratification of the Pakistan-Kuwait Defence Cooperation Agreement, signed in June 2023 and noted that the Agreement marks an important milestone in bilateral defence relations that will further strengthen institutional linkages between the Armed Forces of the two countries while enhancing defence cooperation.

The deputy prime minister and foreign minister received Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during his official visit to Pakistan, a DPM’s Office news release said.

During the meeting, the two Foreign Ministers reaffirmed the strong and fraternal ties between Pakistan and Kuwait, rooted in shared history, common values, and mutual respect. They reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and discussed ways to further expand and deepen cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, energy, information technology, agriculture, and economic cooperation.

The DPM/FM underscored the importance of sustained high-level exchanges in further strengthening the longstanding partnership between the two countries.

The two foreign ministers agreed to establish Joint Working Groups in key areas of bilateral cooperation, including energy, trade and investment, agriculture and food security, information technology, education, and health. They further agreed to meet periodically to review the progress of these Working Groups, ensure effective follow-up on their work, and provide guidance for the timely implementation aimed at advancing bilateral cooperation.

They also exchanged views on recent regional and international developments and reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination and cooperation at multilateral forums, including the United Nations.

Foreign Minister Al-Sabah reaffirmed Kuwait’s commitment to further enhancing bilateral cooperation across diverse sectors and appreciated the valuable contributions of the Pakistani community to Kuwait’s continued development and prosperity.

The meeting was held in a warm and cordial atmosphere and concluded with both sides expressing satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening the Pakistan-Kuwait partnership across areas of mutual interest.

Islamabad: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has commended the security forces for executing highly successful, intelligence-based operations against Indian-sponsored terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, neutralizing 32 militants and decisively thwarting their hostile designs.

Praising the exemplary valor and unmatched professional capabilities of the troops, Interior Minister Naqvi emphasized that the remarkable achievements of the security forces in restoring enduring peace to the two provinces are profoundly commendable.

He stated that the entire nation stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its defenders in the unwavering mission to completely eradicate the menace of militant proxy networks.

Reaffirming the state’s resolute stance, the Interior Minister declared that fleeing terrorists associated with these hostile networks will find no place to hide as operations continue to hunt down remaining threats.