Category: Islamabad

Islamabad: Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL), Sheikh Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House here on Monday and discussed matters of mutual interest.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Members of the National Assembly Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, Ms. Zeb Jaffar and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch were also present.

The Secretary General was accompanied by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan Nawaf Saeed Al Malky.

The Prime Minister warmly welcomed Dr. Al-Issa and thanked him for his participation in the OIC Ministerial Conference on Women, held in Islamabad on 12-13 July.

The Prime Minister appreciated the invaluable role of the Muslim World League in promoting the true and moderate image of Islam, fostering unity among the Ummah, and advancing the message of tolerance, fraternity, and interfaith harmony across the world. In this regard, he commended the Secretary General’s personal leadership in steering the League’s global outreach and reaffirmed Pakistan’s continued support for its initiatives.

The Prime Minister underscored the critical importance of the MWL’s advocacy on religious dialogue to deal with the issues confronting the Muslim world today, including the ongoing regional situation vis a vis Iran and the brotherly Gulf states, the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, and other challenges facing Muslim communities around the globe.

He recalled Dr. Al-Issa’s earlier visits to Pakistan and his numerous contributions, including the hosting of the International Summit on Girls’ Education held in Islamabad, and expressed satisfaction over the continued collaboration between Pakistan and the MWL on education, interfaith dialogue, and countering extremism and Islamophobia.

The Prime Minister conveyed his respectful regards to The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his warm good wishes for His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Dr. Al-Issa thanked the Prime Minister for the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation and lauded Pakistan’s leadership role within the Muslim world. He reaffirmed the Muslim World League’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Pakistan across religious, educational, and humanitarian domains.

While lauding the Prime Minister for his leading role in the recent regional peace efforts, Dr. Al-Issa also expressed his deep appreciation for the role played by Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for their untiring efforts and invaluable contribution in the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

The Prime Minister thanked the Secretary General for his visit and agreed to continue close coordination on shared priorities, including the early completion of ongoing joint projects and initiatives between Pakistan and the Muslim World League.

Islamabad: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), on the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on Monday reviewed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s preparedness for the ongoing Monsoon 2026 during a high level virtual meeting, assessing contingency plans, resource deployment, emergency coordination and district level response measures to strengthen readiness against floods, landslides, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and other weather related emergencies.

The meeting was convened via video link by Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Musadik Malik and attended by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Aqibullah Khan, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, Director General PDMA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, provincial administrative secretaries, commissioners, deputy commissioners and representatives of relevant departments.

Officials reviewed district wise preparedness across vulnerable areas, with detailed discussions on contingency planning, emergency resource deployment, institutional coordination and response mechanisms to tackle potential monsoon related disasters across the province.

Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa presented a comprehensive briefing on preparedness measures, highlighting the readiness of district administrations, rescue services, emergency communication systems, relief stockpiles and evacuation plans for high risk locations.

Special focus remained on districts vulnerable to flash floods, riverine flooding, urban flooding, landslides, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods and other hydro meteorological hazards that typically intensify during the monsoon season.

Addressing the meeting, Federal Minister Musadik Malik appreciated the preparedness measures undertaken by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and directed all concerned authorities to remain on high alert in view of evolving weather conditions.

He stressed that proactive planning, swift emergency response, close coordination among institutions and effective public awareness were essential to reducing the impact of monsoon related disasters and safeguarding lives and property.

The meeting concluded with directives to hold coordination meetings at the district and Union Council levels to further assess preparedness, strengthen local coordination mechanisms and ensure a rapid and effective response to any emergency during Monsoon 2026.

Islamabad: The prices of gold witnessed a significant decline in the local market on Monday, with the price of 24-karat gold per tola decreasing by Rs3,800 to settle at Rs429,736, according to rates issued by the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association.

Similarly, the price of 10 grams of 24-karat gold fell by Rs3,258 to Rs368,429, whereas the price of 10 grams of 22-karat gold declined by Rs2,987 to Rs337,738.

In the international market, the price of gold decreased by $38 to $4,073 per ounce.

Meanwhile, the price of silver per tola dropped by Rs123 to Rs6,339, while the price of 10 grams of silver decreased by Rs106 to Rs5,434. The price of silver in the international market also declined by $1.23 to $58.60 per ounce, the association reported.

Islamabad: The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), in collaboration with the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRandC) and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), would host the Pakistan-China Pharmaceutical and Healthcare B2B Investment Conference 2026 on July 17-18 in the capital to promote bilateral investment, industrial cooperation and technological collaboration in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors.

The conference was aimed to strengthen Pakistan-China economic cooperation by promoting investment, innovation and strategic partnerships in the pharmaceutical, healthcare and biotechnology industries while providing a dedicated platform for business engagement between the two countries, said a press release here on Monday.

The event would bring together leading Pakistani pharmaceutical, healthcare and biotechnology companies with Chinese investors, manufacturers, technology providers and industry leaders to explore commercial partnerships, investment opportunities and cross-border business collaboration.

Delegates would participate in structured business-to-business (B2B) meetings, networking sessions and investment discussions focusing on joint ventures, technology transfer, contract manufacturing, research collaboration and local production partnerships aimed at modernizing Pakistan’s healthcare ecosystem and strengthening the competitiveness of its pharmaceutical industry.

The press release said SIFC, through its whole-of-government approach, continued to facilitate foreign direct investment, strengthen institutional coordination and connect international investors with Pakistan’s high-potential sectors.

The pharmaceutical and healthcare industries remain among SIFC’s priority sectors due to their strong potential for industrial expansion, export growth, technological advancement and employment generation.

It added that the conference was expected to further reinforce the longstanding strategic partnership between Pakistan and China by encouraging long-term industrial collaboration and unlocking new investment opportunities that contribute to sustainable economic development and shared prosperity.

Islamabad: The participants of the 16th National Media Workshop (NMW), organised by the Institute for Strategic Studies, Research and Analysis (ISSRA), and National Defence University (NDU), visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Monday as part of the workshop programme.

Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi briefed the participants on Pakistan’s foreign policy priorities, the evolving regional and global landscape, and the Ministry’s role in advancing and safeguarding Pakistan’s national interests through diplomacy.

The briefing was followed by an interactive QandA session. The 85-member delegation comprised representatives from the media, civil society, and political parties.

Islamabad: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, arrived in Trkiye on a two-day official visit. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir was warmly received upon his arrival in Trkiye, security sources said.

During the visit, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will hold important meetings with Trkiye’s military and political leadership, security sources added.