Author: dailybalochistantimes.com

Islamabad: Pakistan has launched the UN Women Gender-Responsive AI School Pakistan, a nationwide initiative aimed at promoting the ethical, inclusive and gender-responsive use of artificial intelligence (AI).

The initiative was launched by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) in collaboration with UN Women Pakistan, with support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). It is designed to build AI capacity among policymakers, government officials, parliamentarians, UN agencies, academia, civil society organizations, businesses and community leaders.

The AI School combines theoretical knowledge with practical training, offering courses on AI fundamentals, ethical and gender-responsive AI, AI governance, prompt engineering, AI agents, public administration and the application of AI for inclusive development.

Training activities began ahead of the official launch, with tailored sessions for government officials, parliamentarians, UN personnel, academics and civil society representatives to strengthen responsible AI expertise across sectors.

Pakistan has also become the first country in South Asia to host the complete national Training of Trainers (ToT) track under the UN Women AI School.

Since 2024, the regional initiative has trained more than 5, 000 policymakers, UN officials, civil society members and young innovators across Asia and the Pacific.

UN Women Pakistan Country Representative Jamshed M. Kazi said Pakistan is the first country in the region to introduce national AI training pathways spanning the executive, legislative and judicial branches, while also engaging civil society and the private sector.

The initiative seeks to address the limited integration of gender considerations in AI policymaking. According to UN Women, only a small fraction of national AI policies worldwide explicitly address gender issues. The AI School aims to promote gender equality, inclusion and greater participation of women and girls in Pakistan’s digital transformation.

Pakistan’s National AI Policy also emphasizes incorporating a gender perspective into AI development and expanding digital skills programs for marginalized women and persons with disabilities.

During the launch ceremony, MoITT and UN Women Pakistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to institutionalize the AI School and ensure its long-term implementation under national ownership.

Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said AI is reshaping every sector, and Pakistan is committed to ensuring women and girls have equal opportunities to participate and lead in the country’s digital economy.

KOICA Pakistan Deputy Country Director Sodam Baek said the initiative will strengthen digital skills, encourage the responsible use of AI and expand opportunities for women and girls across Pakistan.

Islamabad: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has successfully concluded a series of on-ground scholarship tests across Sri Lanka under Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarship for Sri Lankan nationals.

Held from July 28 to July 31, 2026, the four-day assessment drive reaffirms the Government of Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to providing accessible, transparent, and high-quality higher education opportunities to Sri Lankan students.

To ensure widespread accessibility and convenience for applicants across different regions, HEC established test centres at five major locations across Sri Lanka and one in Pakistan: Anuradhapura, Ampara, Kandy, Matara, Colombo and Islamabad (Pakistan).

His Excellency Maj Gen (R) Dr Nayyar Naseer, High Commissioner of Pakistan to Sri Lanka, visited the University of Colombo test centre to review the arrangements and interact with candidates.

Each test centre witnessed a significant turnout, with enthusiastic participation from students and heartfelt appreciation from parents. Students and their families expressed gratitude for the well-organized local exam venues, describing the effort as a genuine and transparent outreach by the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan.

They acknowledged that this facilitation builds trust in the selection process and reflects the dedication of Government of Pakistan to fostering regional academic cooperation.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting merit, transparency, and equal opportunities for all ethnic communities in Sri Lanka through its scholarship programs, thereby enabling talented Sri Lankan students to pursue quality higher education in Pakistan.

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Under-21 hockey team delivered an impressive performance to defeat Oman’s senior national team 4-3 in the third match of the five-match test series, securing a 3-0 lead and clinching the series with two matches to spare.

PHF President Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani congratulated the national junior team on their outstanding series victory, said a press release.

The match was fiercely contested by both sides. Pakistan Juniors maintained excellent form, applying pressure on the Oman senior team through solid defense and aggressive attacking play.

For Pakistan, Mustafa was outstanding, scoring two field goals. Abdullah converted a penalty stroke while Ahmed added a field goal to play key roles in the team’s victory.

For Oman, Al Burhan scored twice from penalty strokes and Omar bin Hamad netted one field goal.

With their third consecutive win, the Pakistan U-21 team has now won the series. The remaining two matches will provide the junior players with valuable international exposure and serve as important preparation for upcoming events.