Category: Islamabad

Islamabad: Minister of State for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Shezra Mansab Ali Khan on Tuesday called for enhanced climate finance, technology transfer, stronger institutions and international partnerships to accelerate climate action, saying Pakistan requires greater global support to strengthen its resilience against the growing impacts of climate change.

Addressing a high-level policy dialogue titled ‘Climate Finance and International Cooperation for Strengthening Climate Resilience in Pakistan,’ organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), she said climate change had emerged as a defining threat to Pakistan’s economic stability, food and water security, public health and sustainable development, said a press release.

She noted that although Pakistan contributes less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it remains among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. She stressed that international climate finance must be made more accessible, predictable, and responsive to support vulnerable countries.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, President of IRS, underscored the strategic importance of climate finance and international cooperation in strengthening Pakistan’s climate resilience. He said climate finance is not merely about mobilizing resources but about enabling resilient development, strengthening institutions, accelerating innovation, and expanding opportunities for sustainable economic growth.

He expressed hope that the dialogue would generate practical recommendations and contribute to strengthening Pakistan’s engagement with the evolving global climate finance architecture.

Dr. Samuel Rizk, Resident Representative of UNDP Pakistan, said strengthening governance, institutional capacity, and policy coherence is fundamental to building climate resilience. He observed that effective climate finance is measured not only by the volume of resources mobilized but by its accessibility, quality, and ability to deliver tangible benefits to vulnerable communities, calling for stronger institutional coordination, greater investment in resilience-building, and integrated approaches to help Pakistan anticipate, withstand, and recover from climate impacts.

Climate change expert Ali Tauqeer Sheikh emphasized that Pakistan’s key challenge lies not in the availability of climate finance but in the absence of a coherent governance framework for coordinating and mobilizing financial resources. He called for institutional reforms to establish a single coordinating authority for climate finance, greater transparency and accountability through ring-fencing and independent auditing of climate-related funds, and improved access to international climate finance.

He also highlighted the importance of innovative financing instruments, including blended finance, risk-

sharing mechanisms, and contingent financing, to leverage greater public and private investment in climate resilience.

Hamza Haroon, Regional Director for West and South Asia at the Climate Vulnerable Forum-V20 (CVF-V20), highlighted inequities in the global climate finance architecture and the challenges faced by climate-vulnerable countries in accessing affordable finance.

He called for scaled-up concessional finance, greater mobilization of private investment, and stronger country-led climate financing mechanisms. Referring to Pakistan’s Climate Prosperity Plan, he said it offered significant potential for attracting investment in climate-resilient development and stressed the need for a national platform to improve coordination and project implementation.

Amir Khan Goraya, Chief Executive Officer of the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF), underscored the importance of shifting from disaster response to risk-informed investment. He said greater investment in resilient infrastructure, preparedness, and locally driven adaptation measures is essential to building long-term resilience to climate change, and called for integrating climate risk considerations into national development planning and investment decisions to safeguard development gains.

He further stressed that strengthening institutional capacities and fostering collaboration among government, development partners, and local communities are critical to building a climate-resilient Pakistan.

The dialogue was attended by senior government officials, representatives of international organisations, development partners, climate experts, policymakers, academics, and members of the diplomatic community.

Islamabad: Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Mustafa Kamal, on Tuesday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting organizations working for public welfare and the healthcare sector.

“Fully supporting organizations that work for public welfare in the health sector is a priority for the government,” he said.

He made these remarks during a meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of the ChildLife Foundation.

During meeting the minister was briefed regarding ChildLife Foundation’s work in child health, emergency services, and the provision of medical facilities.

Mustafa Kamal appreciated the services rendered by the ChildLife Foundation, describing its contribution to ensure quality and timely medical care for children is commendable.

“We are taking concrete steps to ensure the provision of superior and quality medical facilities to citizens,” he added.

Islamabad: Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP)’s Central Spokesman, Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan on Tuesday criticized Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman over his recent remarks concerning Pakistan’s security forces, urging him to apologize to the nation, the families of martyred soldiers and the armed forces.

Addressing a news conference here at the National Press Club, Chohan said questioning the sacrifices of military personnel hurt the sentiments of the Pakistani people. He said members of the armed forces laid down their lives not for salaries but in defense of the country, its people and future generations.

He dedicated the press conference to the memory of Major Adnan Haider and SSG Commando, Tahseen, saying their sacrifices reflected the commitment of Pakistan’s security forces in the fight against terrorism.

Chohan argued that throughout Islamic history, soldiers had received stipends from the public treasury, adding that linking salaries with the value of martyrdom was contrary to historical and religious facts.

He alleged that Fazlur Rehman’s remarks had hurt not only the armed forces but also the families of martyred personnel, and claimed that such statements strengthened narratives promoted by hostile elements against Pakistan.

The IPP spokesman also accused certain political actors of attempting to undermine national unity at a time when the country was continuing operations against militant groups. He maintained that Pakistan’s armed forces were fully capable of defending the country and said there was no need for any parallel or private force.

Calling on Fazlur Rehman to withdraw his remarks, Chohan urged him to apologize to the nation, the families of martyrs and the security forces.

Responding to a question, Chohan said Pakistan’s armed forces were fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities in the fight against terrorism and called for national unity on issues of security. He also urged the media to report responsibly on matters related to terrorism and national security and to avoid amplifying hostile propaganda.

Islamabad: Zong, Pakistan’s leading technology services enterprise, has partnered with WWF-Pakistan to strengthen conservation efforts for the endangered Indus River Dolphin (Platanista minor), one of the world’s rarest freshwater dolphin species and an iconic symbol of Pakistan’s natural heritage.

Through its support for WWF-Pakistan’s ongoing Indus Dolphin Conservation Programme, Zong is contributing to enhanced rescue operations, ecological monitoring, community engagement and environmental awareness to help safeguard the species and its fragile river ecosystem.

The partnership was marked by the inauguration of the Indus Dolphin Rescue and Mobile Awareness Ambulance at the WWF-Pakistan office.

The ceremony was attended by Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik, Zong Chairman and CEO Huo Junli, WWF-Pakistan Director General Hammad Naqi Khan, Yang Guangyuan of the Chinese Embassy, and senior representatives of the partner organizations.

Speaking on the initiative, Zong Chief Regulatory Officer Kamran Ali said, “It is a great honour to be part of this moment. For Zong, the Indus Dolphin Rescue Ambulance is a concrete expression of our commitment to inclusive growth and environmental stewardship-a meaningful initiative rooted in the enduring friendship between China and Pakistan.

“For nearly two decades, Zong has established deep roots in Pakistan, remaining dedicated to bridging the digital divide and serving Pakistani society through cutting-edge technologies. We hope this project marks a new beginning, enabling us to better protect the environment and contribute to building an even closer China-Pakistan community.”

WWF-Pakistan Director General Hammad Naqi Khan said Pakistan is home to an estimated 2,000 Indus River Dolphins, describing it as a remarkable conservation success story.

He said WWF-Pakistan has, since 1992, worked closely with the provincial wildlife departments-particularly those of Sindh and Punjab-alongside other partners and the private sector to rescue and release more than 200 stranded dolphins.

“The addition of this dedicated dolphin ambulance will significantly strengthen our emergency response and monitoring capacity, helping ensure that stranded animals receive timely assistance. This partnership demonstrates how businesses can move beyond conventional corporate philanthropy to invest in practical, measurable conservation solutions,” he added.

Found exclusively in the Indus River system, the Indus River Dolphin has faced decades of habitat fragmentation, shrinking freshwater flows and accidental canal strandings, making it one of the world’s most endangered cetaceans.

The initiative will deploy a specialised mobile rescue and awareness unit covering the largest global population of the Indus River Dolphin between the Guddu and Sukkur barrages in Sindh.

The ambulance will enhance monitoring of stranded dolphins, support timely rescue and safe translocation efforts, engage more than 1,500 fisherfolk and riverine community members as frontline conservation partners, and deliver 50 awareness sessions across remote settlements.

Aligned with Zong’s sustainability pillars of Green and Low Carbon Operations and Inclusive Growth, the partnership reflects the company’s commitment to biodiversity protection and community empowerment, demonstrating that environmental stewardship and socioeconomic development can advance hand in hand towards a more sustainable future for Pakistan.

Islamabad: Allottees of Sector I-12 have urged the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to complete the provision of basic civic infrastructure alongside the ongoing handover of plot possession, saying the absence of essential utilities would hinder residential construction.

The appeal comes after the CDA began handing over possession of plots in the sector, a long-awaited step welcomed by allottees.

They said the sector still lacked electricity, gas, water supply, sewerage and completed roads, adding that these facilities were necessary before construction activity could gather pace.

The allottees also called on the civic agency to install an underground electricity distribution network across the sector, arguing that I-12, as one of Islamabad’s relatively new residential sectors, should be developed with modern utility infrastructure instead of overhead power lines.

Tahir Mahmood, an allottee, said the handover of possession marked significant progress but should be followed by the completion of development works.

“Possession alone will not enable allottees to start construction. Electricity is essential, and the CDA should prioritise an underground distribution network,” he said.

Another allottee, retired professor Khumar Gul, said the authority should complete the remaining infrastructure on a priority basis to facilitate development in accordance with the capital’s master plan.

He said electricity, gas, water supply, roads and sewerage were all integral to making the sector habitable.

Kashif Iftikhar, who recently took possession of his plot, said construction activities could not proceed without a reliable electricity supply.

He expressed the hope that the CDA would provide power connections at the earliest to enable allottees to begin building their homes.

The CDA has yet to publicly respond to the allottees’ demands.

Islamabad: The Supreme Court has ruled that proceedings under Section 32 of the Customs Act, 1969 cannot be initiated unless the Customs Department establishes deliberate misdeclaration, false documentation or fraud. The Court further held that where a dispute relates merely to the interpretation of law, a show-cause notice issued after the prescribed limitation period is legally ineffective.

According to detailed written judgments, a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb decided two separate customs-related cases.

In the first case, the Directorate of Post Clearance Audit, Customs House Lahore, had challenged a Lahore High Court judgment. The Customs Department alleged that duty and tax had been evaded through the import of silk fabric between 2010 and 2012.

The Supreme Court, however, held that merely establishing that the declared value of imported goods was lower than that of other consignments was insufficient to invoke Section 32 of the Customs Act. The Court observed that the department had failed to prove that the importer had intentionally made a false declaration, submitted false statements or relied on forged documents.

The Court held that the findings of the Customs Appellate Tribunal and the Lahore High Court were based on evidence and were in accordance with law. As no legal or judicial error had been identified in those findings, the Court dismissed the Customs Department’s appeal.

In the second case, Pakistan State Oil (PSO) challenged a judgment of the Sindh High Court relating to customs duty exemption on the supply of high-speed diesel to Pakistan Navy vessels and the limitation period for issuing a show-cause notice.

The Supreme Court observed that the show-cause notice issued to PSO contained no allegation of fraud, forgery, concealment of facts or deliberate misrepresentation. Instead, the dispute related solely to the legal interpretation of Section 106 of the Customs Act and was therefore governed by Section 32(3) of the Act.

The Court held that under the law applicable in 1999, a show-cause notice in such cases had to be issued within six months. However, the notice served on PSO was issued approximately two and a half years later, rendering it time-barred and legally ineffective.

Allowing PSO’s appeal, the Supreme Court set aside the judgments of the Sindh High Court, the Customs Appellate Tribunal and the original adjudication order. It also declared the show-cause notice dated June 26, 2002, to be without legal effect and struck it down.