Month: July 2026

Islamabad: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor, Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) had voted for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the Legislative Assembly elections after comparing the party’s development record in Punjab with the governance model of other provinces.

Addressing a press conference alongside Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, the minister said the people of AJK wanted to replicate Punjab’s model of development and prosperity in the region. He said the PML-N and the people of Azad Kashmir shared a longstanding relationship, adding that whenever the party had been in power at the Centre, it had accorded priority to the development of AJK.

“The victory of the PML-N on nine seats of Mirpur Division reflects the confidence of the people in the party’s performance and their desire for progress and development, ” he said, adding, “the electoral outcome represented a clear public mandate”, he remarked.

Rejecting allegations of electoral rigging made by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Ahsan Iqbal termed the claims inappropriate and said they amounted to disrespecting the mandate of the people of AJK.

He said more than 650, 000 voters had exercised their democratic right during the elections, adding that questioning the results after the announcement of outcomes undermined the democratic process and the will of the electorate. The minister said no complaints regarding irregularities or rigging had been reported during polling or counting, and allegations surfaced only after the PPP’s defeat.

Ahsan Iqbal claimed that voters had compared the governance and development record of Punjab under the PML-N with that of Sindh under the PPP before casting their votes. “They chose the PML-N because they wanted the development model implemented in Punjab to be replicated in Azad Kashmir, ” he said.

Drawing a comparison with the Gilgit-Baltistan elections, the minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had congratulated the PPP leadership when it emerged as the single largest party there despite the PML-N being in power at the Centre.

He said the same democratic spirit should be demonstrated by accepting the electoral verdict in Azad Kashmir.

He said that if the elections in Gilgit-Baltistan were accepted as transparent, then the elections in Azad Kashmir should also be accepted, he added.

Ahsan Iqbal urged political parties to strengthen democratic norms and avoid statements that could create unrest, saying all political stakeholders should condemn those promoting violence instead of democratic politics, adding that the people of Kashmir believed in peaceful democratic processes and remained committed to Pakistan.

The minister criticised Bilawal Bhutto’s post-election statements, saying they did not reflect democratic traditions or political maturity. He said the PPP leadership should have congratulated the PML-N on its electoral success in the same manner that Prime Minister had congratulated the PPP after the Gilgit-Baltistan elections.

Expressing confidence over the remaining phases of the electoral process, Ahsan Iqbal said the PML-N would, God willing, secure a clear majority in Muzaffarabad and Poonch divisions and form the next government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed authorities to accelerate the implementation of the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Scheme after being informed that banks had approved housing finance worth Rs204 billion, with Rs27 billion already disbursed to the beneficiaries under the initiative aimed at enabling low- and middle-income families to own homes.

Chairing a review meeting on the progress of the scheme here, the prime minister said providing every citizen with a shelter was among the government’s highest priorities. He said the Apna Ghar Scheme had been launched to facilitate poor and middle-income families in acquiring their own homes through affordable financing, a Prime Minister’s Office news release said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the relevant authorities to accelerate the pace of work and called upon both public and private sector banks to maximise financing under the scheme to ensure its success.

The prime minister also instructed the authorities to formulate a comprehensive strategy for developing both vertical and horizontal model housing projects under the Apna Ghar Scheme to expand affordable housing opportunities across the country.

During the meeting, officials briefed the prime minister that the Ministry of Housing and Works and the State Bank of Pakistan were jointly reviewing progress on a weekly basis to monitor implementation and remove bottlenecks.

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Housing and Works Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, and senior government officials.

Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met a U. S. Congressional delegation, comprising Rep. Ryan Zinke and Rep. Michael Baumgartener, here at the Prime Minister House and felicitated the Congressmen, the American people on the 250th anniversary of U. S. Independence, and conveyed his warm regards and best wishes for President Donald Trump.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch, and U. S. Charg© d’Affaires , Natalie Baker were also present on the occasion, a Prime Minister’s Office news release said.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister welcomed both U. S. Congressmen to Pakistan and said that their visit was a welcome step towards building stronger Pakistan-U. S. ties.

The Prime Minister fondly recalled President Trump’s bold and decisive intervention that led to cessation of hostilities and ceasefire between Pakistan and India in May 2025, and helped saved hundreds of millions of lives.

On bilateral relations, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan was keen to further strengthen its cooperation with the U. S. in trade, investment, agriculture, IT, mines and minerals and the energy sector.

Both Congressmen thanked the Prime Minister for the warm hospitality extended to them during their visit. They noted that President Trump enjoyed excellent relations with the Pakistani leadership, which was also having a positive impact on the bilateral ties. They praised the Prime Minister for Pakistan’s leading role in regional peace efforts.

The two sides agreed to increase the number and frequency of visits by Congressional delegations to Pakistan as well as visits of parliamentary delegations to the U. S.

After the meeting, the prime minister hosted a reception in honor of the delegation of U. S. corporate sector executives who are visiting Pakistan. The delegation includes representatives of diverse sectors including IT and technology, energy, mining and manufacturing.

Welcoming the delegation, the prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its longstanding partnership with the U. S. , emphasizing that economic cooperation remains a central pillar of bilateral ties. He invited more U. S. companies to invest in Pakistan in mutually beneficial ventures across a wide range of sectors.

During their warm and most cordial exchange, the prime minister underscored that the Pakistani American diaspora, well represented among the visiting U. S. business delegation, constitutes a vital bridge between Pakistan and the United States.

The reception was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers, and senior government officials.

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered a major reshuffle in the Islamabad Judicial Service, transferring four Additional Sessions Judges, two Senior Civil Judges and 14 Civil Judges-cum-Judicial Magistrates, while the services of one Civil Judge have been repatriated to the Lahore High Court.

According to notifications issued by the Registrar of the Islamabad High Court with the approval of Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka’s court has been designated to exclusively hear gender-based violence (GBV) cases.

The GBV court has previously delivered judgments in several high-profile cases, including the Noor Mukadam murder case and the Usman Mirza case.

The notifications further stated that the services of Civil Judge Ahmad Shahzad Gondal have been returned to the Lahore High Court with immediate effect in the public interest.

Under the transfer orders, Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Sohail has been transferred from the West Sessions Division to the East Sessions Division, while Additional Sessions Judge Javed Iqbal Sapra has also been moved from West to East. Additional Sessions Judge Raja Asif Mehmood has been transferred from East to West, along with Additional Sessions Judge Qudratullah.

Among senior civil judges, Muhammad Abbas Shah has been transferred from the West Civil District and Sessions Division to the East Division, while Senior Civil Judge Malik Aman has been moved from the East Division to the West Division.

Separate notifications were also issued regarding the transfer of 14 Civil Judges-cum-Judicial Magistrates as part of the administrative reshuffle in the subordinate judiciary.

Islamabad: Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Tuesday held meeting with former federal minister Jahangir Khan Tareen here and discussed the country’s overall situation, national affairs and matters relating to public welfare.

Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis Awn Chaudhry was also present during the meeting.

Governor Kundi appreciated Jahangir Tareen’s contributions to the development of the Saraiki region, particularly in the fields of education and social welfare.

He lauded the initiatives of the Tareen Education Foundation for promoting quality education, improving public schools, enhancing teachers’ professional capacity and providing better educational opportunities to students in underdeveloped areas.

The Governor said education was the foundation of sustainable development and prosperity, adding that the experience of institutions like the Tareen Education Foundation could benefit other parts of the country.

He expressed the hope that the foundation would expand the scope of its education and social welfare projects, aligned with the requirements of the modern IT era, to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially its remote and underdeveloped districts, enabling youth to access quality education and better opportunities.

Islamabad: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has appointed renowned Dutch coach Richard de Snijjer as the head coach of the Pakistan women’s national hockey team as part of its long-term strategy to revive and strengthen women’s hockey in the country.

According to a PHF press release issued on Tuesday, De Snijjer brings more than two decades of high-level coaching and player development experience in the Netherlands and Belgium.

He has served as Technical Director at KHC Dragons, Rapid Temse and LMHC Laren, while also coaching leading women’s teams, including HC Rotterdam and Laren. He has also worked with the Dutch youth national teams and several international hockey development programmes.

The federation said De Snijjer would work closely with National Coaching Adviser Herman Kruis and the national coaching staff to improve the technical and physical standards of the women’s team. He will also help create international training opportunities for Pakistani players through European hockey clubs to better prepare them for major global competitions.

The PHF noted that women’s hockey in Pakistan had suffered from decades of neglect, with limited attention given to coaching, infrastructure and international exposure. However, the federation is committed to reversing the trend by establishing a sustainable pathway for girls’ hockey from the school level to the national team.

PHF President Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani said the federation was determined to provide the country’s female players with the best possible opportunities.

“Our girls deserve the very best opportunities. With the appointment of Richard de Snijjer and under the guidance of Herman Kruis, we are building a modern, high-performance programme for women’s hockey. The PHF will fully support and encourage our female players, strengthen the talent development pathway from schools to the national team and restore Pakistan’s standing in international women’s hockey, ” he said.