Month: July 2026

Islamabad: Pakistan Railways has finalized its inquiry into two major train accidents from March 2026, attributing them to human error and technical failures. Departmental action has been initiated against nine employees: six held responsible for the Shalimar Express collision (including a station master and head train examiner) and three for the Tezgam Express derailment.

According to an official report presented to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways, out of 135 train accidents recorded in a year, 35% occurred at unmanned crossings, while 34 incidents were caused by defective tracks.

The probe revealed that the collision between the Shalimar Express and a container freight train at Mehrabpur was caused by gross driver negligence. The driver overshot a stop signal and failed to brake in time, ramming into a stationary cargo train on the loop line. The crash killed one railway employee and derailed the locomotive, two passenger coaches, and three freight wagons.Authorities directly blamed driver Fayyaz Muhammad, assistant driver Asif Saeed, senior train examiners Asif Hussain and Waliullah Khan, and head train examiner Imran Nisar, while Station Master Asadullah was held indirectly responsible.

The second major accident, involving the Tezgam Express on the Lodhran-Bahawalpur section, resulted from negligent technical monitoring. A technical fault in the dining car’s front trolley caused eight coaches to derail, blocking both tracks and injuring multiple passengers.For fitness-monitoring lapses, disciplinary action has been launched against TXR Lahore Saqib Ghafoor and TXR Multan Minhas Anwar for direct negligence, and Head TXR

Secretary Pakistan Railways Mazhar Ali Shah briefed the committee that while 35,000 to 38,000 trains run annually maintaining a low overall accident rate of 0.02% a critical 35% of mishaps happen at unmanned crossings. He noted that trains operate between 65 to 110 km/h, and the administration is maintaining infrastructure using existing workforce despite limited resources.

Consolidated annual data showed that defective tracks were the leading cause of accidents with 34 incidents, followed closely by staff negligence (32), rolling stock defects (30), sabotage (10), and natural disasters. The committee was assured that emergency measures are underway to curb these occurrences.

Islamabad: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain on Monday said that Pakistan Maroc Phosphore project is of immense strategic importance to Pakistan’s food security.

The minister visited the Pakistan Maroc Phosphore S.A. (PMP) plant in Jorf Lasfar, Morocco, ay strategic joint venture between Morocco’s OCP Group and Pakistan’s Fauji Foundation.

The state-of-the-art facility plays a pivotal role in ensuring a reliable supply of phosphate-based raw materials for Pakistan’s fertilizer industry, said a press release.

During the visit, the minister received a comprehensive briefing on the plant’s operations and toured key sections of the facility. He also met with the management and workforce, appreciating their professionalism, dedication, and commitment to maintaining high operational standards.

Speaking on the occasion, Rana Tanveer Hussain said that the facility ensures a reliable and uninterrupted supply of critical raw materials for Pakistan’s fertilizer sector, helping safeguard the country against global supply chain disruptions and market volatility.

The Mlminister described PMP as more than an industrial project, calling it a symbol of the enduring friendship and strategic partnership between Pakistan and Morocco.

He said the collaboration has created mutual economic value, strengthened bilateral relations, and made a meaningful contribution to regional and global food security.

Describing the joint venture as a major milestone in meeting Pakistan’s agricultural needs, the Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to further expanding cooperation with Morocco in agriculture, industry, trade, and investment.

Rana Tanveer Hussain directed the plant management to ensure an uninterrupted supply of raw materials while maintaining operational excellence to support continuous production.

He also encouraged the exploration of opportunities to expand production capacity in line with Pakistan’s growing fertilizer requirements.

He observed that any surplus production could open new avenues for international trade and economic cooperation, improve the project’s overall efficiency, and further strengthen commercial linkages between the two countries.

Expressing optimism for the future, the Minister said the Pakistan-Morocco partnership in the phosphate and fertilizer sector would continue to deepen bilateral relations and advance shared objectives of agricultural development, industrial growth, and sustainable food security.

Islamabad: Parliamentary Secretary for Information, Barrister Danyal Chaudhry on Monday said the entire nation stands united with the armed forces in the fight against terrorism and in safeguarding the country’s security.

Speaking to a private television channel, he alleged that India was using water as a weapon against Pakistan and warned that Islamabad was fully capable of responding to any violation of the water treaty.

He said Pakistan will use all international and legal forums to expose Indian attempts to block the country’s water supply.

Barrister Danyal Chaudhry said all political parties and the nation were standing shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces to counter any misadventure by the rival country.

Responding to a question, he emphasized that continuous policies are essential to address the country’s challenges.

Islamabad: The Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) and Wuhan Textile University (WTU), China on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance bilateral cooperation in science, technology, research, innovation and higher education.

The MoU signing ceremony was held at the PSF headquarters, where a four-member delegation from Wuhan Textile University, led by Prof. Dr. Zhaowei Zhang, Dean of the School of Biomedical Engineering and Health, participated in the event.

Speaking on the occasion, PSF Chairman Prof. Dr. Mohammad Akmal highlighted the importance of strengthening scientific partnerships between Pakistan and China.

He said the collaboration would create new opportunities for joint research, faculty and student exchanges, academic cooperation and capacity building.

Prof. Dr. Zhaowei Zhang gave a presentation on Wuhan Textile University’s academic and research strengths, international collaborations and areas of mutual interest. Dr. Mirza Habib Ali, Member Science, PSF, also briefed the participants on the Foundation’s mandate, research support programmes and initiatives aimed at promoting international scientific collaboration.

Following detailed discussions, the two sides formally signed the MoU, providing a framework for cooperation in joint research projects, academic exchanges, scholarships, scientific events and other mutually beneficial initiatives.

The ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks by Raja Shahryar, Deputy Scientific Adviser (International), Ministry of Science and Technology and Director (International Linkages), Pakistan Science Foundation.

Later, the Wuhan Textile University delegation called on the Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shahid Iqbal Baloch.

During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to expand scientific and technological cooperation, strengthen institutional partnerships, promote joint research and facilitate academic exchanges between Pakistan and China.

The secretary appreciated the growing collaboration between PSF and Wuhan Textile University and reaffirmed the ministry’s full support for strengthening bilateral cooperation. He also assured the delegation of the Government of Pakistan’s commitment to facilitating future collaborative initiatives in science, technology, innovation and higher education.

The delegation also visited the Pakistan Museum of Natural History at Shakar Parian, Islamabad.

The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of the Pakistan Science Foundation, the Ministry of Science and Technology and Wuhan Textile University to promoting scientific excellence and fostering long-term academic and research partnerships between Pakistan and China.

Islamabad: The prices of gold witnessed a decline in the local market on Monday, with the price of 24-karat gold per tola decreasing by Rs2,400 to settle at Rs437,436, according to rates issued by the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association.

Similarly, the price of 10 grams of 24-karat gold fell by Rs2,058 to Rs375,030, while the price of 10 grams of 22-karat gold declined by Rs1,886 to Rs343,790.

In the international market, the price of gold dropped by $24 to settle at $4,150 per ounce.

Meanwhile, the price of silver per tola decreased by Rs37 to Rs6,679, while the price of 10 grams of silver went down by Rs31 to Rs5,726.

The price of silver in the international market also declined by $0.37 to $62.00 per ounce, the association reported.

Islamabad: The Rupee on Wednesday appreciated by 01 paisa against the US Dollar in interbank trading and closed at Rs 277.75, compared to the previous day’s closing of Rs 277.76.

According to the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the buying and selling rates of the dollar in the open market were recorded at Rs 278.55 and Rs 278.85, respectively.

The price of the Euro against the rupee increased by Rs 0.62 and closed at Rs 320.31 against the previous day’s closing of Rs 319.69, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

The Japanese Yen came down by 01 paisa and closed at Rs 1.75, whereas the exchange rate of the British Pound witnessed an increase of Rs 0.53 and closed at Rs 373.72 compared to the previous day’s Rs 373.19.

The exchange rate of the Emirate Dirham and the Saudi Riyal remained unchanged at Rs 75.62 and Rs 73.95, respectively.