Author: Pervaiz Mughal

By Pervaiz Mughal ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), under the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), hosted a welcome ceremony on Thursday for Polish adventure cyclist Sławomir Jan Strzelczyk, marking the beginning of the Pakistan–Poland Friendship Cycle Expedition 2026. The ceremony was held at the IPC Conference Room in Kohsar Block, Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad, and was attended by senior government officials, representatives of the Embassy of Poland, tourism industry members, the Pakistan Cycling Federation, Islamabad Cycling Association, media representatives and other guests. The event celebrated an initiative aimed at strengthening the long-standing friendship between Pakistan and Poland through tourism,…

By Pervaiz Mughal ISLAMABAD: Pakistan condemned continued threats by the Houthi militia against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, saying such actions endangered regional security, freedom of navigation and global trade, Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hussain Andrabi said during the weekly briefing. Opening his remarks with the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region, Andrabi said the Houthis had earlier this week threatened a “maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia’s commercial shipping in the Red Sea”, with reports of attacks on Saudi vessels overnight. He said Pakistan reaffirmed that any hostile act against Pakistani-flagged vessels or…

By Pervaiz Mughal ISLAMABAD: A delegation led by Jack Chen, Chief Executive Officer of Chinese company FAMSUN, met Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, who welcomed the delegation and highlighted the growing economic cooperation between Pakistan and China. The prime minister said Pakistan and China were exemplary friends, with their economic partnerships and longstanding relations continuing to strengthen over time. He said expanding business-to-business cooperation between the two countries would further deepen this friendship. Shehbaz Sharif welcomed FAMSUN’s plan to transform grain storage centers in Pakistan into modern, state-of-the-art facilities, saying the project would introduce advanced technology to the agriculture sector…

Government places digital economy at the heart of growth strategy, aiming to transform Pakistan’s technology sector into a global export powerhouse (Catchline) By Pervaiz Mughal ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting in Islamabad to review progress on the strategic roadmap for Pakistan’s information technology sector, where he praised the country’s achievement of $4.6 billion in annual IT exports, reflecting a 21 per cent increase. The prime minister commended the Minister of Information Technology and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja and the entire team, saying the growth in IT exports was the result of government initiatives and policies aimed…

By Pervaiz Mughal ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar led Pakistan’s delegation to the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting held in Manila, the Philippines, where foreign ministers and senior representatives from across the Asia-Pacific gathered to discuss regional security and cooperation. The high-level meeting brought together delegates from the 27 member states of the ASEAN Regional Forum. The Secretary-General of ASEAN also attended the session, reflecting the forum’s continuing role as one of the region’s leading platforms for dialogue on political and security matters. During the ministerial meeting, Senator Dar participated in detailed…

By Pervaiz Mughal ISLAMABAD: The Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa (CAMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), in collaboration with the Pakistan Africa Institute for Development and Research (PAIDAR), held an event on Monday to commemorate South Africa’s National Day and Nelson Mandela International Day. The ceremony began with the national anthems of Pakistan and South Africa. Among the speakers were ISSI Director General Ambassador Moin Ul Haque, ISSI Board of Governors Chairman Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, PAIDAR President Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to South Africa Muhammad Farooq, and CAMEA Director Dr Amina Khan.…

By Pervaiz Mughal ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar met Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand in Islamabad and held discussions on bilateral relations, regional issues and global developments. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere as both sides reviewed the recent progress in Pakistan-Canada ties and explored ways to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries. The two foreign ministers exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and underlined the importance of maintaining regular engagement to address shared challenges. They reaffirmed their commitment to building a stronger and more productive partnership based…

By Pervaiz Mughal ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Venezuela have agreed to enhance economic cooperation and strengthen people-to-people contacts for the mutual benefit of the two countries. The understanding was reached during a telephonic conversation between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Venezuela’s newly appointed Minister of Foreign Relations and Foreign Trade Félix Plasencia. During the talks, the two ministers exchanged views on the longstanding friendly relations between Pakistan and Venezuela and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral ties. They discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in various sectors, including trade, investment, business, agriculture, information technology and other areas…

By Pervaiz Mughal ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Egypt have agreed to strengthen economic cooperation by expanding trade, investment, joint production and technology partnerships, with a focus on building stronger regional value chains. Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan said Pakistan wanted to transform its longstanding relations with Egypt into a deeper economic partnership based on mutual investment and industrial cooperation. He was speaking at a reception held in Islamabad to mark Egypt’s National Day, where he attended as the chief guest. The event was attended by ambassadors, high commissioners, senior government officials, members of the diplomatic community and other distinguished…

Scholars explored Pakistan’s pressing challenges through research and innovation, seeking practical solutions during a six-week journey of learning and national reflection By Pervaiz Mughal ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called on Pakistani scholars studying at leading international universities to use their knowledge, research and global experience for the country’s progress and prosperity. He made the remarks while meeting participants of the “Uraan Overseas Pakistan Summer Scholars Program” in Islamabad. The meeting brought together young Pakistani researchers who had returned to the country under an initiative of the Ministry of Planning and Development. The scholars were taking part in a…