Category: Islamabad

Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari has paid rich tribute to renowned humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi on his 10th death anniversary, and eulogized him as the ultimate embodiment of service, compassion and humanity whose legacy continues to inspire generations.

In a message issued on the occasion of Edhi’s 10th death anniversary, to be observed on July 8, the president said the nation was honouring a man who devoted every breath of his life to alleviating the suffering of the poor, the abandoned and the forgotten. He said Edhi’s unparalleled commitment to humanity transcended all boundaries of caste, creed and religion, demonstrating that true greatness lies in selfless service.

President Zardari said that through the Edhi Foundation, Abdul Sattar Edhi established a comprehensive network of social care, including the world’s largest volunteer ambulance service, providing a lifeline to people during times of crisis. He noted that the Foundation’s shelters, orphanages and free meal kitchens became sanctuaries of hope for the homeless, the destitute and other vulnerable segments of society.

The president said Abdul Sattar Edhi was not only a towering humanitarian but also an enduring symbol of national pride. He observed that Edhi’s tireless efforts built institutions that continue to serve millions of people, standing as a lasting testament to his vision and dedication to humanity.

President Zardari said Edhi’s legacy remained a beacon for promoting the values of empathy, charity and dignity for all. He said the people of Pakistan renewed their pledge to honour Edhi’s mission by strengthening the bonds of humanity and ensuring that his torch of compassion continued to illuminate lives.

The president also prayed that Allah Almighty may grant Abdul Sattar Edhi the highest place in Jannah.

Islamabad: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), in collaboration with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), will hold a joint stakeholder webinar on July 8 (Wednesday)to facilitate the conversion of Associations of Persons (AOPs) into companies in the steel sector.

The webinar forms part of the SECP’s ongoing efforts to support business formalization by providing stakeholders with practical guidance on the legal, regulatory, and tax framework governing corporatization, said a press release.

The session will also provide an opportunity for participants to engage directly with officials from the SECP and the FBR and seek clarification on the conversion process.

The SECP encourages businesses operating as AOPs, industry associations and other stakeholders from the steel sector to participate in the webinar and benefit from the information and guidance on the corporatization process and its associated regulatory and tax considerations.

Islamabad: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan hosted a high-level delegation from the School of Biomedical Engineering, Wuhan Textile University (WTU), China, for a meeting aimed at advancing bilateral cooperation in higher education, research, and innovation.

Executive Director HEC Dr. Zia Ul Haq chaired the meeting, attended by senior HEC officers and representatives of National University of Technology (NUTECH), Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Ministry of Science and Technology, and other relevant stakeholders.

Welcoming the delegation, the Executive Director HEC reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to fostering strategic international partnerships that contribute to academic excellence, research advancement, institutional capacity building, and sustainable knowledge exchange. He underscored the significance of strengthening collaborative engagement between Pakistani and Chinese higher education institutions in line with the shared aspirations of both countries.

The delegation from Wuhan Textile University presented an overview of the University’s academic portfolio, highlighting its expertise in textile and fibre technology, sensor technology, and genetic engineering. The delegation also apprised the participants of WTU’s ongoing collaborations with the National University of Technology (NUTECH) and the Institute of Space Technology (IST), while expressing its interest in broadening institutional linkages with additional universities across Pakistan.

During the discussions, both sides deliberated on avenues for expanding academic cooperation through joint research initiatives, faculty and student mobility programmes, joint supervision of postgraduate students, sandwich programmes, and undergraduate-level academic collaboration. The Chinese delegation emphasized the importance of Chinese language proficiency for Pakistani students aspiring to pursue undergraduate studies in China. In this regard, it was proposed that Chinese language programmes be promoted within Pakistani universities to facilitate greater access to higher education opportunities and enhance graduates’ employability in China.

The delegation also conveyed its willingness to support HEC under the Belt and Road Initiative through collaborative academic conferences, curriculum development for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and initiatives aimed at promoting textile and fibre technology as an academic discipline within Pakistani higher education institutions.

Following comprehensive deliberations, both sides agreed to pursue several priority areas of cooperation. HEC will identify interested Pakistani universities to initiate undergraduate academic collaboration with Wuhan Textile University, enabling institutions to subsequently establish formal partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). Opportunities for faculty exchange programmes would also be explored to strengthen academic engagement and collaborative research.

The participants further agreed to examine mechanisms for promoting Chinese language programmes in Pakistani universities, including potential collaboration with the National University of Modern Languages (NUML). In addition, both sides resolved to explore short-term certification and technical training programmes for university technicians in collaboration with Wuhan Textile University to reinforce institutional technical capacity.

The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the visiting delegation and a renewed commitment to further consolidating academic and research cooperation between Pakistan and China through sustained institutional collaboration.

Islamabad: Pakistan and the Kyrgyz Republic have reaffirmed their strong commitment to establishing a strategic partnership, placing a particular emphasis on the critical importance of deepening trade, economic, and investment cooperation between the two nations.

The bilateral ties and cooperation were discussed during the ongoing official visit of President Asif Ali Zardari to the Kyrgyz Republic from July 6-9, 2026, at the invitation of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov.

According to a joint statement encompassing the discussions during the president’s visit to the Kyrgyz Republic, the two heads of state held extensive and fruitful talks in an atmosphere characterized by traditional friendship, mutual trust, and deep understanding, noting with immense satisfaction the steady and positive development of Kyrgyz-Pakistani relations.

The presidents reaffirmed their shared commitment to further deepening bilateral cooperation and underlined the paramount importance of consistent and timely implementation of the agreements previously reached during the state visit of the Kyrgyz President to Pakistan in December last year.

The two sides noted the essential need to sustain an active political dialogue, further expand official contacts at the highest and high levels, and structurally strengthen interactions between the parliaments, governments, and foreign ministries of the two countries.

They instructed their respective governments, relevant ministries, and agencies to intensify joint efforts to implement all agreements and to take immediate, practical measures aimed at developing robust trade, expanding investment activity, and fostering closer business ties.

Both sides underscored the necessity to further enhance inter-agency cooperation mechanisms, specifically highlighting the need to significantly improve the operational effectiveness of the Kyrgyz-Pakistani Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, as well as its relevant Joint Working Groups.

They reaffirmed their readiness to provide comprehensive state support for the development of direct contacts between the business communities of the two countries.

A major focal point of the bilateral discussions was the considerable potential for expanding cooperation in the energy sector, particularly through the effective and accelerated implementation of the CASA-1000 Project, which serves as a vital infrastructural link connecting Central and South Asia.

Two sides reaffirmed that immense potential exists for expanding bilateral cooperation in the fields of mining, agriculture, textile and light industries, the halal industry, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals. In the pharmaceutical sector, they specifically identified medical education, regulatory harmonization, vaccine and biological product manufacturing, and joint ventures as key areas, agreeing to facilitate smoother market access through closer cooperation between their respective drug regulatory authorities.

They agreed to encourage cooperation between their relevant regulatory and standards authorities, including in the halal sector, to facilitate trade and promote mutual confidence, while also exploring avenues in the digital economy, information and communication technologies, tourism, and the banking sector.

The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the practical implementation of all agreements reached in the fields of transport, logistics, and transit and emphasized the importance of taking additional measures to increase cargo transportation volumes and create highly favorable conditions for the sustainable operation of these transport and logistics routes.

They reaffirmed their mutual interest in further developing cooperation in the socio-cultural fields of education, science, culture, tourism, youth exchanges, and medical and public health exchanges, including specific cooperation in medical education quality assurance and professional regulatory collaboration aimed at strengthening people-to-people contacts between the two countries.

On matters of security, the two countries reaffirmed the importance of further strengthening cooperation between their competent authorities in combating terrorism, extremism, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, organized crime, irregular migration, cybercrime, as well as other contemporary challenges and threats.

Condemning terrorist attacks in the region and beyond, the leaders reaffirmed that peace and stability in the region are absolutely critical for progress and prosperity, agreeing to work closely together at all international forums, including the United Nations (UN), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Touching upon global issues, the leaders noted that the use of unilateral economic and financial sanctions is contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and other norms of international law, adversely affects global food and energy security, and seriously hinders the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

During the exchange, President Sadyr Zhaparov expressed his profound gratitude to the Pakistani side for its crucial support for the candidature of the Kyrgyz Republic in the election of non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 term, and President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated the Kyrgyz Republic on its successful election.

In turn, the Kyrgyz Republic commended Pakistan on its outstanding contributions towards advancing international peace and security as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2025-2026, welcoming the unanimous adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2788 (2025) on “Strengthening Mechanisms for Peaceful Settlement of Disputes” as well as UN Security Council Resolution 2823 (2026) on accountability for crimes against UN Peacekeepers.

The Kyrgyz Republic further commended Pakistan’s active mediation efforts for peace and stability in the Middle East, welcoming the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with both sides expressing hope that the Islamabad MoU will lay a solid foundation for lasting peace and stability in the region and beyond.

The leaders emphasized the urgent need for a prompt and peaceful settlement of all disputes and the resolution of all outstanding conflicts through peaceful means, in line with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, instead of resorting to unilateralism, agreeing that a secure and conducive environment is necessary to realize the enormous potential of cooperation and connectivity between Central Asia and South Asia.

The Kyrgyz Republic invited Pakistan to participate in the VI World Nomad Games, to be held in the Kyrgyz Republic from August 31 to September 7, 2026. Pakistan accepted the invitation and officially confirmed its intention to send a high-level delegation and sports teams to participate in the upcoming Games.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his sincere appreciation to the people of the Kyrgyz Republic and to President Zhaparov for the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation, and invited the Kyrgyz President to pay an official visit to Pakistan, which he accepted, with the dates to be finalized through established diplomatic channels.

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued a detailed written order in petitions alleging that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan (IK) and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were being held in solitary confinement at Adiala Jail, observing that such serious allegations could not be dismissed without prior obtaining a response from prison authorities.

In a 10-page order, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro said the allegations of solitary confinement and unlawful treatment in jail were serious and could neither be ignored nor rejected without issuing notices to the respondents and seeking a factual report from prison authorities.

The court noted that the trial court had sentenced both convicts to rigorous and simple imprisonment in the event of non-payment of fines, but had not awarded solitary confinement as part of the sentence.

The order referred to the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) position that allegations of solitary confinement were false.

The court directed the superintendent of Adiala Jail to submit a comprehensive report stating whether Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were being held in solitary confinement and, if so, under whose authority and under which legal provisions. The report must also specify the duration of any such confinement.

Justice Soomro further ordered prison authorities to provide details of the prisoners’ current conditions, the facilities being extended to them under jail rules, and to produce the complete jail record and all relevant documents through an authorized officer at the next hearing.

The court issued notices to the superintendent of Adiala Jail, the inspector general of prisons and National Accountability Bureau, observing that the question of whether the petitions were maintainable would be decided only after the prison superintendent’s report was received.

The case was adjourned until Aug 6.

Islamabad: Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik on Tuesday urged the leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government to focus on public welfare instead of pursuing what he described as personal interests.

Speaking to a private television channel, the minister said the KP government should prioritize resolving the issues faced by people across the province and improve governance.

He said public representatives have a responsibility to address the challenges confronting citizens rather than seeking personal facilities or advancing individual agendas.

Responding to a question, he said the Centre is taking all possible measures to provide facilities and improve services for the people.