Category: Islamabad

Islamabad: The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and Bedari, with the support of Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Thursday concluded the three-year Empowering Women and Girls (EWG) Project, which reached more than one million women and girls through education, vocational training, awareness campaigns and community engagement initiatives across Pakistan.

The project completion ceremony brought together policymakers, government officials, development partners, civil society organizations, academia, journalists, community leaders and project beneficiaries to celebrate the project’s achievements, reflect on key lessons learned and reaffirm a shared commitment to advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls across the country.

Parliamentary Secretary for Communications Engineer Gul Asghar Khan Baghoor commended the project’s significant achievements, highlighting its tangible and lasting impact in the districts where it was implemented.

He praised the collaborative efforts of the project partners in expanding access to education, strengthening livelihoods and advancing gender equality at the community level.

Reaffirming his support for women’s empowerment, he stressed the importance of sustaining such initiatives to promote inclusive development and create greater opportunities for women and girls across Pakistan.

Member of the National Assembly Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro appreciated the creativity, resilience and entrepreneurial potential demonstrated by women beneficiaries during the exhibition showcase. She expressed her commitment to facilitating a similar exhibition at Parliament House to provide women entrepreneurs with a broader platform to showcase their products, connect with wider audiences and expand their businesses.

She also reaffirmed her support for initiatives promoting women’s economic empowerment and creating sustainable opportunities for their growth and development.

Chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), Ms. Noureen Bano Lehri, appreciated the EWG Project for its holistic and community-driven approach to advancing the rights and empowerment of women and girls.

She emphasized the importance of integrating the project’s successful models and best practices into national policies and institutional frameworks to ensure their sustainability and expand their impact across Pakistan. She also reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Representing Global Affairs Canada, Ms. Sasha Oliveira commended the achievements of the project over the past three years, saying the partnership between Global Affairs Canada, the Commonwealth of Learning, SPARC and Bedari had expanded educational opportunities, strengthened livelihoods, promoted gender equality and advanced the rights of women and girls in Pakistan. She said sustainable development is driven by empowering local organizations to lead community-based solutions and reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to supporting initiatives that create lasting opportunities for women and girls.

Senior Adviser of the Empowering Women and Girls Project at the Commonwealth of Learning, Ms. Frances Ferreira, said the initiative was driven by a shared commitment to advancing the rights, education and economic empowerment of women and girls.

She appreciated the collaboration among the Commonwealth of Learning, Global Affairs Canada, SPARC, Bedari and local stakeholders, noting that the project’s community-centred approach had empowered women and girls while generating lasting positive impacts for families, communities and society.

SPARC Executive Director Ms. Asiya Arif Khan highlighted the transformative impact of the project in creating opportunities for women and girls through education, skills development and community engagement.

She said the project’s success reflected the power of strong partnerships and collective action in addressing barriers to equality and creating sustainable pathways for empowerment.

Bedari Executive Director Ms. Anbreen Ajaib commended the collaboration among the project partners, saying the success of the initiative reflected their shared commitment to advancing opportunities for women and girls. She emphasized that strong community partnerships and locally driven interventions had established a solid foundation for sustainable and long-term change.

SPARC Programme Manager Ms. Sabeen Almas shared that more than 10,000 girls and boys were reintegrated into formal education and open schooling pathways, while over 77,000 women and girls received vocational and labour market skills training to strengthen their economic independence.

She said the project also engaged more than 465,000 women and girls through awareness sessions on human rights and gender equality and reached over one million people through public campaigns promoting women’s rights, education and social inclusion.

Member of the National Assembly Ms. Huma Akhtar Chughtai, District Task Force members, Dr. Zahid Majeed, Director International Collaboration and Academic Planning at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), and Ms. Komal Ijaz, Assistant Director of Shelter Home, Multan, also addressed the ceremony. They highlighted the positive changes witnessed at the grassroots level, particularly in raising awareness, promoting girls’ education and enhancing women’s participation in community development through sustained engagement with local stakeholders.

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division) Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari on Thursday said Pakistan and Russia possess immense untapped potential in trade, energy, education and connectivity, stressing that stronger economic cooperation and improved transport links could help bilateral trade surpass the billion-dollar mark in the coming years.

Addressing a webinar titled “Pakistan-Russia: Strengthening Trade, Education and Energy Collaboration,” jointly organized by the University of World Civilizations Moscow (UWCM) and the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), the minister said Pakistan-Russia relations had gained positive momentum over the past two decades, driven by mutual trust, respect and a shared commitment to regional stability.

He said the bilateral relationship had evolved independently and was no longer shaped by geopolitical considerations, adding that both countries attached great importance to the United Nations and international law in promoting peace, security and cooperation.

Leghari said Eurasian connectivity offered significant opportunities for economic growth and common prosperity. He termed the revival of historic land routes through Central Asia and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) vital for enhancing trade between Pakistan and Russia.

The minister noted that bilateral trade stood at $243.412 million during FY2025, significantly below its potential. He said trade had exceeded $1 billion in FY2024 but later declined due to challenges related to payment mechanisms, banking channels, financing arrangements and shipping logistics.

He expressed confidence that the Programme of Economic Cooperation between Pakistan and Russia until 2030 would help strengthen economic ties and create new opportunities for businesses in both countries.

Referring to regional connectivity initiatives, Leghari said Pakistan had signed a memorandum of understanding on the Belarus-Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan multimodal transport corridor and another agreement on railway cooperation with Russia in June 2024.

The establishment of a rail link would be instrumental in expanding bilateral trade and could help realize the upgradation of the Quetta-Taftan railroad, he added.

The minister said there were presently no direct flights between the two countries, both sides are considering the possibilities of early resumption, and our airlines could explore code-sharing and transit route arrangements, particularly for cargo flights.

Discussing energy cooperation, Leghari said Russia, as a major global energy producer, offered significant opportunities for collaboration with Pakistan.

He noted that Russian energy company Zarubezhneft had signed memoranda of understanding with Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) and Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) in February 2025, while its operational presence in Pakistan since August 2025 marked a major step toward deeper cooperation in the oil and gas sector.

He also welcomed NOVATEK’s interest in developing cooperation with Pakistani partners in the gas sector, LNG supplies, and integrated gas projects, as well as the RusHydro Group’s interest in serving as an engineering partner for the modernization of existing hydraulic facilities and the design of new ones in Pakistan.

The minister described the revival of Pakistan Steel Mills as a flagship project reflecting the historic partnership between Pakistan and Russia, saying its successful implementation would symbolize enduring friendship and economic cooperation between the two countries.

On educational cooperation, Leghari said approximately 1,087 Pakistani students were currently studying at Russian universities and educational institutions.

He appreciated Russia’s scholarship programmes for Pakistani students and called for expanding educational opportunities, particularly in science and technology disciplines.

The minister also welcomed the signing of the Readmission Agreement between Pakistan and Russia, describing it as an important step toward strengthening people-to-people contacts. He urged both countries to work toward a more facilitative visa regime, especially for businesspersons, students and tourists.

Concluding his remarks, Leghari said the discussions had reaffirmed the growing scope of Pakistan-Russia cooperation and expressed confidence that continued dialogue would translate into tangible outcomes in trade, energy, education and connectivity.

Islamabad: The federal government on Thursday transferred Raisa Adil, a BS-20 officer of the Information Group, and posted her as the new Principal Information Officer (PIO).

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting here, Raisa Adil, who was currently serving as the Executive Director General of the External Publicity Wing (EPW), has been transferred and posted as Executive Director General/Principal Information Officer, Press Information Department (PID), Islamabad.

The appointment has been made in her own pay and scale with immediate effect and until further orders, the notification added.

Islamabad: Pakistan and Croatia Thursday agreed to further intensify bilateral economic relations, enhance trade and investment, and explore mutually beneficial areas of cooperation.

According to a joint communique, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia Dr. Gordan Grlic Radman during their meeting reiterated the need to greater access to each other’s markets as well as strengthen business-to-business linkages.

At the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Dr. Gordan Grlic Radman, was on an official visit to Pakistan.

The DPM/FM received Foreign Minister Dr. Gordan Grlic Radman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad. Both the leaders held detailed delegation level talks. Both sides discussed entire range of their friendly bilateral ties. They also exchanged views on important regional and international issues. Both sides underscored their shared commitment to further deepening bilateral cooperation.

Noting that this is the maiden high-level visit at the Foreign Minister level from Croatia to Pakistan, both sides welcomed it as an important opportunity to inject greater momentum to Pakistan-Croatia bilateral relations. They affirmed their desire to maintain regular high-level contacts and develop mutually beneficial partnerships in all areas of bilateral interest including trade, investment, development, climate change, tourism, infrastructure, IT, seaports collaboration, etc.

Both sides agreed to expedite their procedures leading towards an early signing of (a) Pakistan-Croatia Agreement on Visa Abolition for Diplomatic Passport Holders, and (b) MoU on Cooperation between the Diplomatic Training Academies of the two countries, as well as the opening of the Croatian visa processing facility in Pakistan during the upcoming months.

The Pakistan side will, in accordance with its national rules and regulations, permit the external service provider engaged by the Croatian authorities to help it perform its functions freely. These developments are expected to further facilitate visa-related procedures and contribute to enhancing travel and people-to-people exchanges.

Both sides affirmed that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Bilateral Political Consultations (BPCs) between the two Foreign Ministries (signed in Zagreb on 1 June 2007) provides a useful platform to discuss and deliberate upon all issues of interest between the two countries.

They decided to take full benefit of the BPCs mechanism and agreed to maintain regular contact and hold the Consultations on a periodic basis as envisaged by the MoU. The Croatian side agreed to Pakistan’s offer to host the Bilateral Consultations in the last quarter of the year 2026 or the first quarter of the year 2027. Exact dates would be finalized through diplomatic channels.

They acknowledged the growing importance of expanding economic cooperation in sectors such as information technology, digital services, agriculture, defence and maritime cooperation.

Recognizing the strengths of their respective geo-strategic locations, the two sides exchanged views on connectivity and logistics, including exploring collaborative arrangements between the Croatian ports, as entry points to European markets, and Pakistan’s ports, as gateways to China, West Asia, Central Asia and the wider region.

The Pakistan side underscored the importance of the European Union’s GSP+ scheme for Pakistan and underlined that continuity of the GSP+ is beneficial not only in terms of economic value, but also for the far-reaching socio-economic impacts it has brought about. Pakistan expressed its keen interest in continuing engagement under the relevant European Union framework. The Croatian side noted Pakistan’s interest in submitting re-application for the European Union’s new GSP+ regulation.

Both sides appreciated the growing level of engagement on migration and labour mobility. Reaffirming their commitment to promoting safe, orderly and regular migration, they acknowledged the potential for legal pathways for Pakistani skilled workers to Croatia. They noted that they remain open to further dialogue on labour mobility.

The two leaders expressed willingness to expand cooperation in culture, education, science and research, including through educational exchanges and collaboration between universities and research institutions.

Underscoring the role of parliamentary exchanges, the two sides would encourage and facilitate exchanges and cooperation between their respective legislatures.

Both sides commended the support extended by each to the other at the international platforms including the United Nations and agreed to continue advancing their cooperation in the field of each other’s candidatures to various international bodies. Moreover, they decided to engage in consultations on issues of common interest at multilateral forums in future as well.

Pakistan side briefed on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. The Croatian side briefed on the current situation in Ukraine.

Both sides stressed the need to find peaceful solutions, in full respect of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter. The two sides also exchanged views on the situation in Western Balkans. They agreed to maintain close coordination on regional and global issues based on shared interests and common objectives.

Both leaders discussed the situation in Afghanistan. They expressed serious concerns over the continued presence and activities of terrorist entities in Afghanistan and the terrorist attacks perpetrated by them against neighbouring countries.

The two sides reiterated their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and emphasized that Afghan territory must not be used to threaten or attack other countries. They also called on the Afghan Taliban Regime to take concrete and verifiable actions against all terrorist groups, without discrimination, operating in or from Afghanistan.

They also noted with concern the deteriorating situation of human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls, in Afghanistan.

Pakistan side briefed on its mediation efforts in the US-Iran conflict. The Croatian side appreciated Pakistan’s mediation role and efforts culminating in the historic Islamabad MoU signed between the parties on 17 June 2026 as well as the start of the consequent negotiations.

Both sides discussed the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), and welcomed international efforts to end the war in Gaza. They underscored the necessity of ensuring that all parties adhere to the ceasefire commitments, allow for safe, rapid and unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance and work towards a permanent end to hostilities.

They reaffirmed their support for practical and concrete steps for long term and sustainable peace based on a two-state solution in accordance with international law, the United Nations Charter and relevant United Nations resolutions.

Both sides exchanged views on the evolving global landscape and underscored their shared resolve to strengthen multilateralism, uphold the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter, and promote peace, stability and prosperity. In this context, they underlined the importance of full respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, non-interference, peaceful settlement of international disputes, and non-use or threat of use of force in international relations in a manner inconsistent with the United Nations Charter.

Dr. Gordan Grlic Radman thanked Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and the people of Pakistan for the hospitality extended to him and his delegation.

The two ministers expressed hope that the friendly and productive dialogue between both states will continue to create mutual prosperity for both countries in years ahead.

Islamabad: Federal Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the regional situation and a range of international issues.

During the meeting, Pakistan’s mediation efforts aimed at ending conflicts in West Asia, as well as the United Nations’ peacekeeping initiatives, with particular emphasis on Pakistan’s longstanding and invaluable contributions to UN peacekeeping operations were also also focused. The UN Secretary-General appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to promote peace, said a news release issued here.

Speaking on the occasion, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that despite numerous challenges, Pakistan had acted responsibly to promote regional peace and stability and safeguard human lives under the leadership of the Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

He further stated that realistic mandates and adequate resources were essential for the success of all UN peacekeeping missions.

The UN Secretary-General thanked Pakistan for its longstanding commitment and valuable contributions to United Nations peacekeeping efforts in support of global peace and security.

Islamabad: As the nation observes the 59th death anniversary of Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah today, people from all walks of life have shared heartfelt tributes through the media, remembering her invaluable contributions to Pakistan and her enduring legacy as a champion of women’ s empowerment.

According to media reports, political figures and citizens across the country paid rich tributes to Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, remembering her invaluable contributions, unwavering dedication to Pakistan and her efforts for women’s equal participation in national life.

According to reports, the story of Pakistan’s creation is incomplete without remembering the remarkable journey of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah.

Born in Karachi on July 31, 1893, she emerged as a symbol of strength and sacrifice, playing a vital role in the Freedom Movement and supporting the struggle for an independent homeland.

The nation continues to honor her as Madar-e-Millat, or Mother of the Nation for her historic services.

She breathed her last on this day in 1967 at the age of 73 and was laid to eternal rest beside her brother at Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi.

Political figures appearing on electronic media and shared special messages with paying homage to Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, describing her as a symbol of courage, dedication and national service.

They emphasized her remarkable contribution to the struggle for independence and her efforts to encourage women’s participation in public and national affairs.

Citizens also expressed their admiration through social media posts, remembering Madar-e-Millat as an inspiring personality whose determination, sacrifices and commitment continue to guide generations. Many users highlighted her role as a strong advocate for women’s empowerment and equal opportunities.

Several social media users shared messages of respect and gratitude, stating that her legacy remains a source of inspiration for the nation. They paid tribute to her vision, resilience and the values she represented throughout her life.

The tributes reflected the nation’s continued respect and reverence for Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah and her unforgettable contributions to Pakistan’s history.

Women leaders from the political sphere and representatives in the Senate also paid homage to Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, highlighting her remarkable services and her lasting influence on women’s role in public life. Admirers on social media platforms remembered her legacy with respect and shared messages celebrating her courage, vision, and dedication to Pakistan.

People sharing their views on social media said that Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah’s message of dedication and national unity remains relevant even today.

They emphasized that her struggle and sacrifices represent a lasting example of commitment, resilience and service to Pakistan.