Month: July 2026

Istanbul: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday left for Pakistan after completing his two-day visit to Turkiye.

During the visit, the Prime Minister held a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish leadership.

He, along with federal ministers, also attended the Pakistan-Trkiye Business Forum held to explore opportunities for Turkish investment in Pakistan.

Istanbul: Pakistan and Turkiye on Saturday resolved to further strengthen their bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors with a special emphasis on trade, investment, energy, petroleum exploration, minerals, and information technology, while reaffirming their commitment to realizing the mutually agreed trade target of USD 5 billion.

The bilateral ties and cooperation were discussed during a “warm and cordial” bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, who is on an official visit to Turkiye, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Vahdettin Palace.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, along with other ministers and senior officials from both sides.

The two leaders reaffirmed the historic and brotherly ties binding Pakistan and Turkiye, and expressed their shared satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral relations.

The two leaders engaged in comprehensive discussions on the entire range of issues and expressed their common resolve to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Turkiye, with special emphasis on trade and investment, energy cooperation, offshore and onshore petroleum exploration, mines and minerals, and information technology.

Both leaders reaffirmed their desire to realize the mutually agreed trade target of USD 5 billion.

Exchanging views on important regional and global developments, President Erdogan appreciated Pakistan’s mediation efforts between Iran and the US that resulted in the signing of the historic Islamabad MoU. Prime Minister Shehbaz thanked President Erdogan for his strong support for Pakistan’s peace efforts.

The two leaders also appreciated the close diplomatic coordination between the two countries during the peace process and underscored the importance of sustained efforts to ensure durable and lasting peace in the region.

They also reaffirmed Pakistan and Turkiye’s steadfast support for each other’s core issues.

While looking forward to the 8th meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council that would be held in Turkiye later this year, the prime minister extended a warm and cordial invitation to President Erdogan to undertake a visit to Pakistan.

Istanbul: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar Saturday met with Prof Dr Murat Yal§intas, General Manager/ CEO and his delegation of OYAK and discussed expanding investment, strengthening industrial cooperation, and exploring new avenues for strategic economic partnership between Pakistan and Trkiye.

During the meeting on the sidelines of the Pakistan-Trkiye Business Conference, Dr Murat and his colleagues appreciated Pakistan’s economic progress and development and showed keen interest in making an investment in Pakistan.

The meeting was also attended by Federal Ministers of Maritime, Power, Petroleum, Privatization, IT and Telecommunications and Pakistan’s ambassador to Trkiye.

Dera ismail khan: Vice Chancellor of Gomal University, Prof. Dr. Niamatullah Babar, clarified that 534 fake degrees were linked to private colleges formerly affiliated with the University, he made the remarks while unveiling a wide-ranging reform agenda aimed at improving the university’s financial stability, governance, transparency and academic standards.

Addressing a press conference alongside Registrar Imranullah Khan and Controller of Examinations Muhammad Talha, the vice chancellor said the university administration was committed to restoring institutional credibility through merit-based governance, financial discipline and strict compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks.

He said all administrative decisions would be made transparently and in accordance with merit and the law, reiterating that no illegal appointments would be made under any circumstances.

Referring to the fake degrees issue, Prof. Dr. Babar said the 534 fraudulent degrees were associated only with private colleges that had previously been affiliated with Gomal University.

The vice chancellor said ensuring timely payment of salaries remained one of the administration’s top priorities, adding that the “No Work, No Salary” policy would be implemented to ensure accountability and improved institutional performance.

He said, under the provincial government’s austerity policy, all official university vehicles had been transferred to a centralized transport pool, while stricter security arrangements had been introduced at the main campus where entry would be permitted only after verification of valid identification cards.

Prof. Dr. Babar thanked Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan Afridi for facilitating the approval of a Rs2.5 billion financial package for the university. He said Rs1.5 billion had already been released, enabling the administration to clear all outstanding pension liabilities, while efforts were continuing for the release of the remaining Rs1 billion.

He said Gomal University currently had six regular deans leading its academic faculties, describing their appointments as a significant step towards strengthening academic quality, research and institutional governance.

The vice chancellor said all major administrative and financial decisions would be taken in consultation with the Higher Education Department and implemented in accordance with the provisions of the Gomal University Act, 2012, including Section 17(A), and other relevant laws.

He also announced the temporary closure of all university hostels to facilitate renovation and rehabilitation work aimed at providing students with improved and safer accommodation facilities.

Discussing the university’s financial strategy, Prof. Dr. Babar said the institution would be able to ensure regular salary payments from its own resources if the provincial government assumed responsibility for pension expenditures. He added that a comprehensive financial plan had already been submitted to the provincial government.

To diversify revenue streams, he said the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences would launch subsidized dental and surgical medical camps for the public, while projects and products developed by the Faculty of Engineering and Technology would be commercialized to generate additional institutional income.

He further said the university was considering the commercial development of the historic Wensam College building while preserving its heritage character, with the objective of creating a sustainable long-term source of revenue.

Prof. Dr. Babar also announced a complete ban on smoking and the use of narcotics on the university campus, warning that strict disciplinary and legal action would be taken against violators.

Concluding the press conference, the vice chancellor reaffirmed his commitment to transforming Gomal University into a financially stable, academically competitive, transparent and well-governed public sector institution through comprehensive reforms and effective utilization of available resources.

Istanbul: Pakistan and Turkey on Saturday expressed their commitment to increase bilateral trade volume to five billion US dollars and discussed ways to increase bilateral trade and investment in special economic zones.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the commitment while addressing a joint press conference after their meeting here.

The Prime Minister, in his remarks, appreciated the unprecedented progress of Turkiye in all fields under the leadership of President Erdogan and said that Pakistan was proud of its friendship with Turkiye.

He said important meetings were held with Turkish businessmen in the B2B forum and comprehensive and constructive talks were held with President Erdogan.

“We discussed increasing investment in special economic zones and we are determined to achieve the target of 5 billion dollars in bilateral trade volume.” He mentioned the common stance and cooperation of the two countries on global and regional disputes and said that Pakistan supported Turkiye’s position on the Cyprus issue.

He thanked Turkiye for its unequivocal stance on the Kashmir issue. The Prime Minister, while mentioning the talks aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation, said that Pakistan’s success was Turkiye’s success and Turkiye’s progress was Pakistan’s progress. “We have to give a new dimension to the partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye.”

He thanked President Erdogan for the wonderful welcome and warm hospitality. He described Istanbul as a beautiful city and a beautiful blend of East and West and said that the people of Pakistan and Turkiye have deep love and attachment to each other.

“There is a heartfelt bond between the two,” he said and reminded that in Turkiye’s war of independence, the Muslims of the subcontinent fully supported and mothers and sisters donated their jewellery.

“This unique relationship is based on shared faith, culture, history, mutual brotherhood and sacrifices.”

He said that Pakistan-Turkiye relations have a wonderful history. Both countries always supported each other in every difficulty.

“Be it war or earthquake, natural disasters or floods, Turkiye has always supported Pakistan. Turkiye’s help in Muzaffargarh and other flood-affected areas is part of history,” he mentioned.

He said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself came to flood-hit Muzaffargarh along with his wife and the Turkish President’s wife even donated her necklace for the victims and her act won the hearts of the people of Pakistan.

The Prime Minister also thanked Turkiye for establishing modern hospitals and schools in the areas affected by natural disasters and for its cooperation in social and economic development. The Prime Minister said, “We are proud that Pakistan and Turkiye are one soul, two bodies. The thoughts of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi and Allama Iqbal guide us.”

In his remarks, President of Turkiye Tayyip Erdogan offered his condolences to the Pakistani citizens who lost their lives in the tragic bus accident in Balochistan. He said during talks they exchanged views on regional and global issues with a particular focus on the bilateral relations.

He said the entire world had a sigh of relief thanks to the calm achieved through the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

“Recently, reports in the international media had highlighted the challenges involved in the negotiation process,” he said and congratulated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and people of Pakistan for playing a major role in achieving this outcome.

He said Turkiye supported and would continue to support every step to reduce tensions in the region and resolve issues through diplomatic means. “We are closely monitoring the Israeli administration’s provocations aimed at sabotaging the agreement. The Zionist regime had tied its survival to the continuation of the conflicts in the region.”

He said Israeli forces were also continuing their unlawful and inhumane attacks on the people of Gaza. He said Turkiye sought the establishment of an environment in which all the people of the region, regardless of their faith, can live in peace and security.

“We are also making every effort to create such an environment. We will continue to work in solidarity with the brotherly countries, foremost among them Pakistan, to strengthen peace, stability and prosperity in the region,” he stressed.

He said, “Our solidarity with Pakistan continues in every field. We discussed the steps we can take to further enhance our trade and investment relations in a manner befitting the spirit of solidarity.”

“We have reaffirmed the target of increasing the bilateral trade volume to the previously set level of five billion US dollars. The respective ministries of trade were working on the special economic zone for the businesspeople in Karachi. Similarly, negotiations were ongoing for expanding the scope of our preferential trade agreement,” he disclosed.

He said he believed that the business forum attended by Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif would also contribute to our relations in terms of investment and trade.

“We too encourage our investors to engage in more activities in Pakistan. Our cooperation in the defence industries is one of the cornerstones of our economic relations and it continues to grow stronger with each passing day. We are implementing these projects step by step,” he added.

He said Turkiye wanted to deepen cooperation with Pakistan in the field of energy, transportation, critical minerals and information technology and we reaffirmed the shared commitment to this path.”

Abbottabad: Hundreds of thousands of tourists from across Pakistan have poured into the scenic destinations of Hazara Division to enjoy the pleasant weather, lush green landscapes and cool mountain breeze during the summer season.

The most visited tourist destinations include Galiyat, Thandyani, Naran, Kaghan Valley and Babusar Top, where hotels, guest houses, restaurants and recreational sites are witnessing a significant surge in visitors. The reopening of the Babusar Pass and favorable weather conditions have further boosted tourist arrivals in the region.

Families, adventure seekers and nature lovers were seen enjoying the breathtaking mountain scenery, rivers, waterfalls and alpine meadows. The influx has also provided a major boost to the local economy, with businesses associated with tourism reporting increased commercial activity. Authorities have urged tourists to follow traffic regulations, maintain cleanliness and cooperate with local administration to ensure a safe and pleasant travel experience.