Month: July 2026

Karachi: Pakistan Stock Exchange Limited (PSX), Monday, releasing a Concept Paper on the PSX Sustainability Index (PSI) on Monday, launched public consultation on a proposed benchmark to assess listed companies embedding environmental, social, and governance risks and opportunities.

The PSI is relevant to listed companies seeking recognition and access to responsible capital, asset managers and institutional investors building ESG-aligned products on a credible benchmark, and investors seeking structured exposure to companies with sustainable business models, a PSX statement issued here said.

‘Marking a defining milestone in Pakistan’s journey toward mainstream sustainable finance, the PSI is a proposed benchmark designed to identify and measure the performance of listed companies that embed financially relevant and material environmental, social, and governance risks and opportunities in their business models,’ it stated.

Chief Executive Officer Pakistan Stock Exchange, Farrukh Sabzwari, in his remarks s
tressed on the increasing importance of ESG in capital markets with focus on how companies are valued, how capital is allocated, and how long-term risks are priced.

He termed the PSI as their commitment to giving Pakistan’s capital markets a credible, transparent, and internationally comparable tool to identify companies that are not simply performing today but are building the resilience to perform tomorrow.

The PSI is designed as a total-return performance benchmark, applying a rigorous, materiality-adjusted scoring methodology across Environmental, Social, and Governance pillars. Sector-specific factor weights ensure that companies are assessed against the risks and opportunities that are genuinely financially relevant to their business, not a uniform checklist applied indiscriminately across industries.

PSX, considering the broad market consultation as vital to frame an index that reflects the realities of Pakistan’s corporate landscape, accommodates the current state of sustainability disclosure, and
sets a clear and achievable improvement pathway for companies across all sectors; and invited comments in written from stakeholders up to 17 July 2026. The concept paper and other details are available on the PSX website.

Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Division Director for Pakistan, Simon Andrews, have agreed to explore collaboration in important sectors including digital infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture, healthcare, human capital development, and social protection.

This understanding was reached at a meeting held at CM House, attended by Minister for Planning and Development Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Hyder Shah, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Agha Wasif, Chairman PandD Najam Shah, and Secretary Finance Fayaz Jatoi. The IFC delegation included Ms Naz Khan and Sahar Etezaz.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister highlighted Sindh’s commitment to attracting investment in strategic sectors and discussed the establishment of an international data centre in the province as well as expanding renewable energy generation for the private sector.

‘We are focused on creating an enabling environment for investment in emerging sectors, particularly digital infrastructure and renewable energy, which are critical for economic growth and job creation,’ said the Chief Minister.

The discussion also focused on strengthening agriculture value chains, improving storage and processing facilities, and enhancing farmers’ livelihoods through mechanisation.

Highlighting the challenges faced by small farmers, the Chief Minister said, ‘a large number of our farmers are small landholders owning up to 25 acres. We want to help them mechanise their farming by encouraging neighbouring growers to form groups and jointly benefit from government-subsidised tractors.’

Shah added, ‘When two or three farmers cultivating adjoining lands come together, we can support them with subsidised tractors, enabling them to improve productivity and make better use of their land.’

The IFC Division Director for Pakistan expressed interest in supporting initiatives aimed at improving human capital, particularly in healthcare, nutrition, and skills development.

Discussions included collaboration on Sindh’s stunting reduction programme and efforts to enhance children’s health and educational outcomes.

‘The future of Sindh depends on healthy, educated and skilled young people. We are investing in programmes that improve healthcare, reduce stunting and equip our children with the skills needed for tomorrow’s economy,’ the Chief Minister said.

Simon Andrews appreciated the Sindh government’s reform agenda and reiterated IFC’s commitment to supporting sustainable and inclusive development initiatives in the province.

‘IFC sees significant opportunities to partner with the Government of Sindh in sectors that can generate long-term economic and social impact, including digital infrastructure, renewable energy, agribusiness, healthcare and human capital development,’ said Andrews.

The meeting also discussed addressing workforce shortages in the healthcare sector, particularly nursing. The Chief Minister shared his vision of substantially increasing the annual output of trained nurses in Sindh. ‘We want to produce at least 15,000 nurses every year to meet domestic demand and create opportunities for our skilled professionals internationally.

The government is prepared to seed this initiative, while encouraging private sector participation for its long-term sustainability,’ he said.

Recognising the shortage of trained nursing professionals in Pakistan, both sides agreed to work together on developing a comprehensive model for basic nursing education and specialised training.

The Chief Minister directed his team to engage closely with IFC experts to identify collaborative opportunities across healthcare, agriculture, social protection and human capital development. ‘We look forward to working with IFC to translate these ideas into practical projects that improve livelihoods, create jobs and deliver better services to the people of Sindh,’ the Chief Minister concluded.

Andrews reaffirmed IFC’s willingness to deepen engagement with Sindh and explore innovative financing and investment solutions to support the province’s development priorities.

The meeting also reviewed opportunities for collaboration on climate-resilient infrastructure and the integration of climate risk considerations into Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects across Sindh.

The IFC Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory Team proposed providing technical assistance to support the incorporation of climate risk assessment and adaptation measures into the development, appraisal and management of PPP projects. Discussions are currently underway to identify priority areas of cooperation.

The Sindh PPP Unit requested IFC advisory support in three important areas including capacity building for project teams, development of climate resilience guidelines, and the integration of climate risk assessment tools into PPP project planning and structuring processes.

‘We must ensure that our infrastructure and development projects are designed to withstand the growing impacts of climate change. Building resilience into project planning is no longer optional; it is essential for sustainable development,’ Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said.

The Chief Minister emphasised the importance of strengthening institutional capacity to address climate challenges and welcomed IFC’s support in developing climate adaptation frameworks and resilience-based project design standards.

Simon Andrews said IFC was committed to helping Sindh build climate-smart infrastructure and strengthen the resilience of its development investments. ‘Integrating climate risk considerations into project development and management helps protect investments, improve sustainability and ensure that infrastructure delivers long-term benefits to communities,’ he said.

‘Sindh remains on the frontline of climate change. Every new infrastructure project must be designed with resilience and adaptation in mind so that public investments remain sustainable and beneficial for future generations,’ CM Murad Shah said.

‘IFC is keen to support Sindh in mainstreaming climate risk management and adaptation measures into infrastructure and PPP projects, helping build a more resilient and sustainable development model,’ said Andrews, IFC Division Director for Pakistan.

Both sides agreed to continue consultations on establishing a comprehensive framework for climate risk assessment, adaptation planning and resilience-focused PPP project development in Sindh.

Karachi: Commissioner Karachi Syed Hassan Naqvi inaugurated a 7-day anti-polio campaign at the Institute of Child Health on Monday.

The event was attended by Sindh Health Secretary Tahir Hussain Sangi, EOC Coordinator Shaharyar Memon, Deputy Commissioner South Javed Nabi Khoso, Karachi Polio Task Force Coordinator Saud Yaqoob Khoso, Health Department officials, police officers, and others. The Commissioner administered polio drops to children.

Speaking to the media on the occasion, he said that the campaign would continue until July 12, with the aim of administering polio drops to 2.5 million children under the age of five.

He said that special measures have been taken for the security of the campaign for which 7,000 security personnel have been deployed to carry out security duties, while 26,000 polio workers are performing their tasks.

The Commissioner remarked that polio eradication is a national cause, and efforts to eliminate the disease from the country are being pursued with a spirit of national dedication. He hoped that Pakistan will soon become a polio-free nation.

Karachi: Dow University Hospital has become the first public-sector general hospital in Sindh to be awarded a Regular License by the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC), having successfully fulfilled all prescribed standards of quality, patient safety, and regulatory compliance.

The formal license award ceremony was held at the Abdul Qadeer Khan Auditorium, Dow International Medical College, Ojha Campus. The event was attended by Dr Ahsan Qavi, Chief Executive Officer of the Sindh Healthcare Commission; Professor Nazli Hossain, Vice Chancellor, Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS); Pro Vice Chancellors Professor Jehan Ara Hassan, Professor Sajida Qureshi, and Professor Zahid Azam; faculty members, staff of Dow University, and officials of the Sindh Healthcare Commission.

During the ceremony, Dr Ahsan Qavi formally presented the Regular License to Professor Jehan Ara Hasan.

Addressing the audience, Dr Ahsan Qavi stated that obtaining a healthcare license is not the destination but the beginning of a greater responsibility. The real achievement, he said, lies in maintaining and continuously improving quality standards.

He emphasized that licensing is not a process completed overnight; rather, it is a long journey driven by vision, commitment, continuous effort, and an unwavering pursuit of excellence.

Referring to recent reports of HIV transmission allegedly linked to the reuse of syringes at a hospital in Karachi’s SITE area, Dr Qavi remarked that it was difficult to comprehend who was administering used syringes to children. He pointed out that children are generally treated using cannulas, which are designed for single use and cannot be reused.