Month: July 2026

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday described climate change and rapid population growth as the two greatest existential challenges facing Pakistan, stressing that sustainable economic growth depends on effectively addressing both issues through long-term planning and investment.

Speaking during a visit to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) headquarters, the finance minister said the government had launched a US$2 billion programme aimed at strengthening climate resilience and mitigating the impacts of environmental degradation.

He added that approximately US$700 million annually has been allocated to tackle natural disasters, reduce vulnerabilities, and protect both lives and critical infrastructure.

Aurangzeb said Pakistan remains among the countries most vulnerable to climate change despite contributing only a small fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The minister noted that recurring floods, heat waves, droughts, and other extreme weather events continue to place enormous pressure on the country’s economy and development.

Referring to the devastating floods of 2022, the minister described them as the worst natural disaster in Pakistan’s history. The catastrophe claimed the lives of more people, displaced millions, and caused widespread destruction to homes, roads, bridges, crops, and public infrastructure.

Finance Minister said that while the floods experienced in 2025 also resulted in significant infrastructure damage, the loss of human lives was considerably lower due to the government’s improved disaster preparedness and the NDMA’s proactive response strategy.

‘The comprehensive planning, timely warnings and coordinated efforts of the NDMA helped minimise casualties during this year’s floods, ‘ Aurangzeb said. ‘Although infrastructure losses remained substantial, many precious lives were saved through effective preparedness and swift response mechanisms. ‘

The finance minister also highlighted the shift in Pakistan’s disaster financing strategy. He recalled that following the 2022 floods, the country relied heavily on international assistance and commitments made during the Geneva Conference for reconstruction and rehabilitation.

However, he said the government is now increasingly mobilising domestic resources to respond to climate-related disasters and strengthen national resilience.

Aurangzeb said Pakistan’s improving economic indicators have created greater fiscal space for investing in climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction. He expressed confidence that the country is moving towards a sustainable growth phase supported by sound economic policies and comprehensive planning.

He added that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and the federal cabinet have decided to prioritise the use of national resources to develop and implement an effective strategy for reducing the impact of future natural disasters.

The minister underscored the importance of real-time data, early warning systems, and pre-emptive planning in disaster management.

He said accurate and timely information enables authorities to make informed decisions, improve emergency response, and significantly reduce human and economic losses during natural calamities.

Aurangzeb commended the NDMA for adopting modern technologies and data-driven systems that have enhanced Pakistan’s disaster preparedness. He praised the authority’s pre-emptive approach, saying it played a crucial role in protecting communities and reducing the overall impact of floods and other natural disasters.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to building a climate-resilient Pakistan, the finance minister said continued investment in disaster management, environmental protection, and sustainable development would remain essential to safeguarding lives, strengthening infrastructure, and ensuring long-term economic stability.

Islamabad: Indus River System Authority (IRSA) on Tuesday released 336, 600 cusecs of water from various rim stations with an inflow of 430, 100 cusecs.

According to the data released by IRSA, the water level in the River Indus at Tarbela Dam stood at 1533. 00 feet, which was 131. 00 feet higher than the dead level of 1402. 00 feet. Water inflow and outflow in the dam were recorded as 242, 900 cusecs and 189, 300 cusecs, respectively.

The water level in the Jhelum River at Mangla Dam was 1191. 00 feet, which was 141. 00 feet higher than its dead level of 1, 050 feet. The inflow and outflow of water were recorded as 48, 500 cusecs and 8, 600 cusecs, respectively.

The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa, Guddu and Sukkur was recorded as 267, 200, 366, 000, 303, 900, and 168, 700 cusecs, respectively. Similarly, from River Kabul, a total of 49, 100 cusecs of water was released at Nowshera, and 78, 400 cusecs were released from River Chenab at Marala.

Islamabad: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan and Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enable integration of HEC’s degree verification system with PSEB’s upcoming national digital workforce platform.

The initiative aims to facilitate digital verification of academic credentials, strengthen academia-industry linkages, and enhance graduate employability.

Chairman HEC, Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, and Chief Executive Officer PSEB, Mr. Faisal Jeddy, graced the MoU signing ceremony with their presence along with other senior officials from both sides.

The integration will facilitate digital degree verification, enabling authenticated academic credentials of students and professionals while enhancing transparency, credibility, and trust across digital workforce and talent development initiatives.

The platform will establish Pakistan’s first national verified digital talent repository, featuring authenticated digital profiles of students and IT professionals. This will provide employers, both within Pakistan and internationally, with access to a trusted and verified talent pool, strengthening talent matchmaking, recruitment, and global employment opportunities for Pakistan’s digital workforce.

This collaboration marks another significant step towards building an integrated, data-driven ecosystem that supports skills development, employability, and Pakistan’s digital transformation agenda.

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday said the government was intensifying efforts to eliminate hepatitis C through a nationwide collaborative approach, urging all provinces and stakeholders to join the initiative to tackle one of Pakistan’s most pressing public health challenges.

“We have launched the pilot hepatitis C elimination programme, and are now expanding it to Islamabad Capital Territory, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Our goal of achieving Zero Hepatitis C is attainable if the federal and provincial governments, along with all stakeholders, work together, ” he said while addressing an event held in connection with World Hepatitis Day.

The minister said Pakistan ranked among the countries with the highest burden of hepatitis C, with more than 10 million people affected, making the disease a major challenge to the country’s human development and economic productivity.

He said the government had launched a pilot hepatitis C elimination programme this year, which was now being expanded to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), with the objective of achieving a “Zero Hepatitis C” target in these regions.

Ahsan said the initiative demonstrated the government’s commitment to controlling the disease and expressed hope that all provinces would replicate the programme to achieve nationwide elimination.

He said hepatitis C was preventable, stressing that strict adherence to safe blood transfusion protocols, proper sterilisation of medical equipment and the safe use of syringes could significantly reduce infections.

The minister said health was directly linked with national development, adding that no country could realise its economic potential without a healthy and productive workforce.

He stressed that investment in health and education was essential for enhancing human capital and ensuring sustainable economic growth.

He said Pakistan continued to face serious health and education challenges, including high rates of hepatitis C, diabetes, polio and child stunting, and called for treating these sectors as a national emergency.

Ahsan said the government had also launched a nationwide diabetes awareness initiative alongside the hepatitis elimination programme to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had constituted the National Population Council to address rapid population growth through coordinated national efforts, while emphasising the need for broader policy reforms and consensus on resource allocation mechanisms to support population planning objectives.

The minister assured that the Ministry of Planning would continue extending full support to the Ministry of National Health Services in implementing the hepatitis elimination programme.

He said the success of the initiative depended on a whole-of-society approach, calling upon provincial governments, the private sector, civil society and religious scholars to actively contribute to raising awareness and preventing the spread of hepatitis C.

Ahsan also appreciated the Ministry of Health and the programme team for advancing the national hepatitis elimination campaign and expressed confidence that collective efforts could enable Pakistan to overcome the disease.

Islamabad: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan on Tuesday, said the government was pursuing a comprehensive industrial policy aimed at enhancing industrial competitiveness, promoting export-led growth and attracting investment from China, Trkiye and the Central Asian Republics (CARs).

He was addressing a press conference at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) regarding the Chamber’s Business Opportunity Conference and Excellence Awards, scheduled to be held in Istanbul on August 13.

Haroon Akhtar said the government was committed to creating a business-friendly environment through reforms focused on improving the ease of doing business, simplifying regulations, rationalizing tariffs and strengthening industrial competitiveness.

He said these measures would help transform Pakistan into a competitive manufacturing and export hub while encouraging greater foreign investment.

He noted that Pakistan has entered a new phase of political and macroeconomic stability, resulting in increased international confidence in the country’s economy. He emphasized that the private sector would remain the driving force behind sustainable economic growth and industrial development.

The SAPM said the government was finalizing a comprehensive industrial policy to attract Chinese investors and other regional partners, particularly the Central Asian Republics, to enhance market competitiveness and expand industrial cooperation.

Highlighting key policy initiatives, he said the government was introducing progressive industrial, automobile and electric vehicle policies while creating investment opportunities in renewable energy, battery manufacturing, electronics and pharmaceuticals.

He added that special attention was being given to supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and exporters through easier access to finance, export refinancing facilities, long-term financing schemes and targeted tax incentives.

Haroon Akhtar described ICCI’s Business Opportunity Conference in Istanbul as a timely initiative that complements the vision of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to increase bilateral trade between Pakistan and Trkiye to US$ 5 billion.

He said Trkiye was Pakistan’s second home and stressed that the strong political and brotherly relations between the two countries should now be translated into stronger economic partnerships through investment, joint ventures, technology transfer and enhanced business-to-business (B2B) collaboration.

He also announced that he would lead the Pakistani business delegation to Trkiye and facilitate productive engagements with Turkish investors and entrepreneurs.

Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Sardar Tahir Mehmood thanked the SAPM for supporting the Chamber’s international outreach initiatives.

He said the Istanbul conference was aimed to showcase Pakistan’s economic potential, facilitate high-level B2B meetings, attract investment, promote joint ventures, encourage technology transfer and generate new export opportunities in sectors including real estate, construction, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, information technology, agriculture, food processing, textiles, tourism, engineering and logistics.

He said ICCI remained committed to projecting Pakistan as a peaceful, reliable and investment-friendly destination while strengthening economic diplomacy through private-sector engagement.

He expressed confidence that the conference would contribute significantly towards achieving the shared Pakistan-Trkiye target of increasing bilateral trade to US$5 billion.

Commercial Counsellor at the Embassy of Trkiye in Islamabad, Enes Malik Cetin, appreciated ICCI’s initiative and expressed confidence that the visit and B2B matchmaking sessions would further strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations between the two countries.

Among those present were ICCI Founder Group Chairman Sheikh Tariq Sadiq, Senior Vice President Tahir Ayub, Vice President Irfan Chaudhry, former presidents Zubair Ahmed Malik, Mohammad Ejaz Abbasi, Khalid Javaid and Sheikh Aamir Waheed, along with executive members, trade leaders and representatives from various business sectors of the capital.

Islamabad: Brigadier (Retd) Riaz ud Deen Kasi has been elected President of the Balochistan Golf Association (BGA) unopposed in its annual elections.

Among other office-bearers elected unopposed are Haji Muhammad Farook Khan as Senior Vice President, Muhammad Zakria Nasir as Vice President, Muhammad Ali as Honorary Secretary, Ramzan Ali as Treasurer, and Lt Col (Retd) Altaf Hussain as Joint Secretary.

According to a press release issued by the Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF), the annual elections of the Balochistan Golf Association were successfully conducted at the Quetta Golf Club. The electoral process took place under the supervision of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Election Commission, with representatives from the Provincial Olympic Association and the PGF in attendance.

The election was conducted in strict accordance with the constitutions of the PGF and BGA, as well as the directives of the PSB, and was officially confirmed following thorough scrutiny and verification by the Election Commission.

Extending its heartfelt congratulations to the newly elected office-bearers, the Pakistan Golf Federation expressed confidence that the new leadership will play a pivotal role in strengthening the sport at the grassroots level, encouraging junior players, and raising the standard of golf across the province. The PGF also extended its appreciation to the Pakistan Sports Board, the Provincial Olympic Association, the Election Commission, Quetta Golf Club, and all relevant stakeholders for ensuring a transparent, fair, and orderly election process.