Category: Islamabad

Islamabad: National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC), is set to deliver high-performance Graphics Processing Unit as a Service (GPUaaS) and Model as a Service (MaaS) across its highly secure, state-managed Data Centers.

Serving as foundation of the country’s e-governance infrastructure, NTC’s new sovereign Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiative is designed to fulfill the state’s expanding computational demands, offering secure, high-speed, and localized alternatives to public clouds while ensuring the required safety of sensitive public sector data.

To bring this vision to life, NTC has signed a landmark three-year contract with DataVault to deploy advanced, enterprise-grade, NVIDIA-licensed GPU hardware including the industry-leading H200, A100, and B200 series. This strategic partnership establishes NTC as Pakistan’s premier local hub for sovereign AI and Machine Learning (ML) services.

The high-performance hardware will power a dedicated platform tailored to host and run state-of-the-art Large Language Models (LLMs) securely within NTC’s managed environment, including top-tier models such as Llama 3.1 (8B, 3.3 70B, and 4 Maverick), GPT-OSS 20B, Qwen3 32B, Kimi K2, and cutting-edge Text-to-Speech (TTS) services.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Managing Director of NTC Major General (R) Ali Farhan, emphasized the critical importance of localized infrastructure: ‘Computing power is the backbone of modern digital infrastructure. By securing high-performance NVIDIA GPUs and hosting advanced AI models locally, NTC is taking a decisive step to protect Pakistan’s digital sovereignty.

This self-hosted, highly secure environment minimizes exposure to public clouds while providing our designated government clients with world-class AI inference and training capabilities’.

The implementation partner, DataVault will work alongside NTC to deliver enterprise-grade performance, targeting an ambitious 99.9% monthly uptime SLA backed by 24/7/365 technical support.

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb on Thursday chaired the inaugural meeting of the Prime Minister’s Committee on Genetically Modified (GM) Corn, directing members to undertake an objective, science-based and evidence-driven review of Pakistan’s policy on the commercialization of genetically modified maize.

The committee, constituted by the prime minister, has been tasked with examining the scientific, economic and policy dimensions of commercializing GM maize and formulating recommendations in Pakistan’s long-term national interest, a news release said.

Opening the meeting, the finance minister said the committee had been entrusted with a focused mandate to objectively assess all available scientific evidence, economic implications and policy considerations.

He stressed that deliberations should remain factual, balanced and evidence-based while ensuring that the views of all relevant stakeholders are fully taken into account before final recommendations are prepared.

The Ministry of National Food Security and Research gave a detailed briefing on the National Agricultural Biotechnology Policy, outlining its formulation process, international regulatory practices, scientific assessments and the committee’s terms of reference.

Participants were informed that the policy had undergone an extensive consultative process involving relevant stakeholders prior to its approval.

The meeting reviewed global scientific evidence on the commercialization of GM maize, including international regulatory frameworks, biosafety evaluations and coexistence mechanisms adopted in countries producing both GM and non-GM maize.

Members also discussed the technology’s potential contribution to higher agricultural productivity, climate resilience, farmer welfare, food security, industrial competitiveness and recent advances in agricultural biotechnology.

The committee further examined the possible economic implications of commercializing GM maize, including domestic demand, requirements of Pakistan’s poultry, livestock and industrial sectors, export prospects and considerations related to non-GM export markets.

Participants also discussed international trade practices, certification systems, supply chain management and measures to facilitate the coexistence of GM and non-GM production systems where appropriate.

Representatives from government institutions, regulatory bodies, the private sector, exporters and industry shared their perspectives on the potential benefits, implementation challenges, regulatory preparedness, export-related issues and international market requirements associated with GM maize commercialization.

Senator Aurangzeb reiterated that the committee’s recommendations must be firmly grounded in scientific evidence, objective analysis and Pakistan’s long-term national interest.

While emphasizing the importance of policy consistency, he said the committee had been constituted to independently review the available evidence and carefully evaluate all relevant viewpoints before submitting its recommendations.

The finance minister observed that agriculture remained central to Pakistan’s economic transformation and sustainable growth. He stressed the need to improve agricultural productivity, strengthen food security and enhance farmers’ incomes through evidence-based policies and the responsible adoption of modern technologies.

He added that implementation capacity, regulatory preparedness, environmental safeguards and market access considerations should remain integral components of the country’s policy framework.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the public and private sectors, including the Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Agriculture and Food Security, the Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan Green Initiative, members of the business and export sectors, as well as technical and scientific experts.

Islamabad: Pakistan’s domestic aviation network received a significant boost on Wednesday as South Air commenced scheduled flight operations from Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, introducing new routes aimed at improving regional connectivity and supporting tourism and economic activity across the country.

The airline launched scheduled services from Karachi to Quetta via Turbat and from Karachi to Islamabad via Bahawalpur, marking its entry into regular passenger operations from Pakistan’s busiest airport. The inaugural flights, Z8911 to Turbat and Z8942 to Bahawalpur, departed from Jinnah International Airport earlier in the day.

The new operations add fresh capacity to the country’s domestic aviation sector, offering passengers more travel options while improving access to key regional destinations. The move is expected to strengthen links between southern Pakistan and other parts of the country, particularly underserved areas where air travel plays an important role in mobility and commerce.

Under its initial schedule, South Air will operate one weekly flight on the Karachi-Turbat route and three weekly flights on the Karachi-Bahawalpur route. The airline has also announced plans to further expand its domestic network with future services connecting Karachi to Peshawar, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Gwadar.

Operating under the Tourism Promotion and Regional Integration (TPRI) Licence, South Air’s expansion is expected to contribute to the promotion of tourism, facilitate trade and business travel, and improve access to regional destinations through enhanced air connectivity.

The launch of the new services reflects continuing efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s domestic aviation infrastructure by expanding route networks and improving connectivity between major urban centres and emerging regional destinations. The addition of new operators and routes at Jinnah International Airport is also expected to provide greater convenience and flexibility for travellers while supporting broader economic and tourism development initiatives.

Islamabad: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has declined a review petition against its earlier findings in Complaint No. 02924/LHR/ST/2026 after holding that no error apparent on the face of the record existed to justify review.

At the same time, the Ombudsman has directed the Inland Revenue authorities to undertake a comprehensive examination of a separate issue of alleged maladministration relating to the taxpayer’s payments that surfaced during the review proceedings.

According to the order, the original findings correctly reflected the factual record available when they were rendered and, therefore, could not be reopened merely because additional material had surfaced subsequently.

During the review proceedings, however, production of the complete official record disclosed a distinct administrative issue relating to the accounting and treatment of payments admittedly received from the taxpayer during investigation proceedings and their subsequent treatment while implementing the order of the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR) and processing the taxpayer’s claim.

The Ombudsman observed that although legal issues arising from the underlying tax dispute are pending before the Lahore High Court, such pendency did not relieve the tax administration of its continuing obligation to correctly account for taxpayers’ payments, faithfully implement appellate orders and ensure that no maladministration occurs in the discharge of its statutory functions.

To address the issue, the FTO directed the Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue concerned to conduct, through an officer not below the rank of Commissioner Inland Revenue, a comprehensive examination of all payments received from the complainant.

The designated officer has been directed to verify the legal character of the payments from the official record, determine whether due effect has been given to each payment and pass a reasoned speaking order after providing the taxpayer a full opportunity of hearing.

The order further stated that where any omission, computational error or other instance of maladministration is found, corrective action should be taken in accordance with law.

The Ombudsman directed that the exercise be completed within 60 days, while compliance was to be reported to the FTO Secretariat within 15 days thereafter.

The order also reiterates that while parties appearing before statutory adjudicatory forums are entitled to advance competing legal arguments, factual assertions must remain accurate, complete and capable of verification from official records. It further observes that professional decorum and measured advocacy strengthen the administration of justice, whereas personalised or intemperate allegations serve no useful purpose.

The FTO clarified that its recommendations neither reopen the earlier findings nor express any opinion on issues pending before the Lahore High Court. It said the directions were confined to examining and resolving the surviving issue of alleged maladministration strictly within the jurisdiction conferred upon the Federal Tax Ombudsman under the law.

Islamabad: The 34th National Men’s Chess Championship and the 10th National Women’s Chess Championship concluded at the Pakistan Sports Complex, with Zaman Sohail and Fariha Siddiq emerging as the national champions after impressive performances.

The championships, organized by the Chess Federation of Pakistan, featured around 250 male and female players from across the country competing in various categories.

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry attended the closing ceremony as chief guest and distributed trophies, medals, certificates and cash prizes among the winners.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said Pakistan’s international standing was steadily improving and its diplomatic stature had strengthened globally. He highlighted the government’s commitment to promoting sports, identifying young talent and providing greater opportunities for athletes.

Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also praised Chess Federation of Pakistan President Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi for his contributions to sports, expressing confidence that the federation would continue to promote chess and enhance Pakistan’s presence in international competitions.

In the men’s championship, Higher Education Commission (HEC) player Zaman Sohail secured the national title with five points. Punjab’s M. Zarwaiz Shabkhaiz finished second with 4.5 points, while HEC’s A.R. Akhtar claimed third place on the basis of a tie-break after also scoring 4.5 points.

In the women’s championship, Punjab’s Fariha Siddiq remained unbeaten throughout the event to win the national title with 10.5 points. Zainobia Wasif finished runner-up with nine points, while Javeria secured third position with eight points.

Federal Secretary for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani congratulated the Chess Federation of Pakistan on successfully organizing the championships and assured continued government support for the promotion of chess.

Member of the National Assembly and Chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar announced a cash award of Rs100,000 for special athlete Saeeba Shah and Rs25,000 for the oldest participant of the championship.

Senator Nuzhat Sadiq and MNA Farah Naz Akbar also appreciated the federation’s efforts in promoting chess and encouraging young talent.

The ceremony concluded with the distribution of awards to the winning players, while Chess Federation of Pakistan President Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi thanked the distinguished guests, participants, officials and media representatives for contributing to the successful staging of the national championships.

Islamabad: Vice Chancellor of Ziauddin University, Karachi, Professor Dr. Muhammad Ali Shaikh visited the office of Freedom Gate Prosperity (FGP) and held detailed discussions on strengthening collaboration in research, climate action, entrepreneurship and sustainable development.

The meeting focused on the importance of forging stronger partnerships between academia and development organizations to equip Pakistan’s youth with future-ready skills, promote women’s economic empowerment, and develop practical solutions to climate change-related challenges.

Dr. Shaikh met with FGP Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Anwar, Board Director Urooj Raza Sayyami, Strategic Policy Advisor Shafqat Aziz, and Head of Economy Dr. Shahbaz Tariq to explore cooperation in higher education, research, policy advocacy, youth entrepreneurship, climate resilience and capacity building.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Shaikh said universities must move beyond their traditional academic role and become active partners in driving innovation. He said stronger collaboration between higher education institutions and the development sector would equip young people with practical skills, promote leadership and innovation, and create greater economic opportunities for youth and women.

Welcoming the visiting vice chancellor, Muhammad Anwar highlighted that FGP is committed to building partnerships that bring together academia, policymakers, civil society and the private sector to generate evidence-based solutions and translate ideas into meaningful community impact.

Urooj Raza Sayyami emphasized the need to strengthen collaboration between universities and development organizations to promote public awareness, climate literacy, research and informed policy dialogue.

Shafqat Aziz said such partnerships are vital for preparing future leaders capable of addressing the issues.

Dr. Shahbaz Tariq underscored the importance of empowering youth and women through entrepreneurship, research, innovation and skills development. He said academia has a pivotal role in preparing graduates not only for employment but also for enterprise creation and sustainable economic growth.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to pursue institutional collaboration in research, policy dialogue, climate action, youth leadership, entrepreneurship and capacity-building initiatives, reaffirming the importance of academia-development partnerships in advancing inclusive and sustainable development agenda.