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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday reaffirmed the government&rsquo;s commitment to expanding digital connectivity and transforming Pakistan into a regional information technology hub as the country observed May 17 as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. In separate messages issued on the occasion, both leaders highlighted the role of digital infrastructure, broadband access and emerging technologies in economic growth, public services and national development. PM Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan was moving toward a &ldquo;complete digital revolution&rdquo; through effective initiatives and was strengthening its position as a global information technology hub with the help of IT and software technology parks, improved infrastructure and a young, tech-savvy workforce. Referring to this year&rsquo;s theme, &ldquo;Digital Lifelines: Strengthening Resilience in a Connected World,&rdquo; the prime minister said it was fully aligned with Pakistan&rsquo;s vision of &ldquo;Digital Nation Pakistan,&rdquo; which focuses on digital economy, digital society and digital government. He described the National AI Policy 2025 as a &ldquo;revolutionary initiative&rdquo; aimed at developing Pakistan&rsquo;s artificial intelligence ecosystem and termed the successful 5G spectrum auction a major milestone toward Digital Pakistan. &ldquo;The government is committed to the full and accelerated implementation of 5G in the country, the completion of the national fiberization policy and the promotion of local device manufacturing,&rdquo; he said. The prime minister said Pakistan&rsquo;s digital infrastructure now included more than 234,000 kilometers of fiber-optic backbone, six submarine cables, 58,000 cellular towers, and over 20 modern data centers serving more than 205 million subscribers. He added that Pakistan was rapidly emerging as a regional digital hub in South and Central Asia and was actively participating in the development of the CAREC Digital Corridor. PM Sharif said the country&rsquo;s IT exports had reached $3.8 billion annually due to government policies, skill development initiatives and incubation programs. Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari said the federal and provincial governments remained committed to policies to expand digital access and improve connectivity across the country. He said reliable and accessible digital networks had become essential for education, healthcare, commerce, banking and public services, particularly for people living in remote and underserved areas. In his message, the president said Pakistan&rsquo;s telecommunications sector attracted $838 million in investment during FY2024-25 and generated revenues of Rs1,075 billion. He noted that Pakistan has over 161 million broadband users, supported by expanding fiber-optic networks, submarine cable systems and nationwide mobile coverage. Referring to the IMT/5G spectrum auction in March, the president said the process secured $509.6 million for the national treasury and expanded spectrum availability for mobile operators, paving the way for faster and more reliable next-generation services. He also praised the efforts of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and cellular mobile operators in strengthening the country&rsquo;s digital ecosystem. &ldquo;Reliable and affordable connectivity will remain essential for economic growth, public services and wider access to opportunity for all Pakistanis,&rdquo; the president said.

Education

In separate messages issued on the occasion, both leaders highlight the role of digital infrastructure, broadband access and emerging technologies in economic growth, public services and national development.


Pakistan PM, president reaffirm commitment to digital transformation on world telecom day

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s domestic internet connections have increased sharply from 1.9 million in 2024 to 5.10 million in 2026, a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was informed on Monday. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office in Islamabad, the briefing was given during a review meeting on the affairs of the Federal Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom. The meeting was informed that Pakistan&rsquo;s IT exports are expected to reach 4.5 to 4.6 billion dollars during the current fiscal year. Officials told the Prime Minister that Pakistan recently conducted a 5G spectrum auction, which was described in the briefing as the world&rsquo;s largest auction of its kind since 2016.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 697px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2053724980081562034&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=f27a06db15f0d707d5c37bd01049a4d6788cc47b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> &ldquo;The auction generated revenue of 509 million US dollars for Pakistan,&rdquo; the briefing stated. The meeting was further informed that Indus AI Week was organized in February 2025 across 30 cities of the country, where 88 pavilions were established and more than 100 international delegates participated. Officials said fibre connectivity has also been provided to government schools and health units in Islamabad as part of the government&rsquo;s digital development initiatives. Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said promotion of the IT sector and enhancement of IT-related exports remain among the government&rsquo;s top priorities. The Prime Minister directed authorities to expedite work on establishing Easy Service Centers in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He also instructed officials to accelerate the launch of Easy Service facilities in provinces in collaboration with provincial governments. &ldquo;To reduce the gap between urban and rural areas in the IT sector, cooperation from governments at the provincial and district levels should be obtained,&rdquo; the Prime Minister said. The meeting was informed that the provision of free internet hotspots in Islamabad is in its final stages, while E-learning pods are being installed in Saidpur Model Village and Fatima Jinnah Park.

Pakistan’s internet connections rose from 1.9 million to 5.1 million in 2026, PM Shehbaz Sharif was informed, as IT exports, 5G expansion, and nationwide digital connectivity initiatives accelerated.

Pakistan’s domestic internet connections rise to 5.1 million: PM told

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Kazakhstan has expressed strong readiness to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in science, research, and higher education, as part of broader efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and promote knowledge-driven economic growth. Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek, in an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV, said Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a regional knowledge and research hub for Central Asia, with higher education at the core of its economic transformation.&nbsp; He noted that rapid global technological change, particularly the rise of artificial intelligence, has made investment in education, research, and human capital more critical than ever. He said Kazakhstan is building a knowledge-based economy by training its youth and attracting global expertise. Mr. Nurbek said Kazakhstan is establishing specialized research centers in key areas including mining, agriculture, nuclear research, and social sciences, aimed at supporting industrial growth and informed policymaking.&nbsp; He said Pakistan has strong universities and a large pool of talented youth, and emphasized that collaboration between the two countries could help expand access to quality education. He added that President of Kazakhstan&rsquo;s visit to Pakistan reflects strengthening bilateral relations, including in science and higher education. Highlighting people-to-people connections, the minister said Pakistan and Kazakhstan share historical roots, cultural links, and similarities in language that should bring the two nations closer. He said Kazakhstan is exploring scholarship opportunities for Pakistani students and identifying artificial intelligence and agriculture as priority areas for cooperation. Mr. Nurbek further said Kazakhstan is streamlining its visa system to provide faster processing for Pakistani students.&nbsp; He said hundreds and thousands of Pakistani students could study in Kazakhstan and also explore employment opportunities after completing their education, calling academic mobility a key pillar of future bilateral cooperation.

Kazakhstan has expressed strong readiness to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in science, research, and higher education, as part of broader efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and promote knowledge-driven economic growth

Kazakhstan ready to deepen cooperation with Pakistan in science and higher education

<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;" id="isPasted">ISLAMABAD: The High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Pakistan, Iqbal Hussain Khan, visited the University of Management and Technology (UMT), where he met the university president, Ibrahim Hasan Murad, to discuss bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh, with a focus on education and research partnerships.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;"> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;">During the meeting, both sides held detailed discussions on bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh, cooperation in education and research, and the expansion of higher education partnerships.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;"> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;">Speaking on the occasion, Murad said strengthening regional cooperation, trade relations, and people-to-people contacts is the need of the hour. He said educational and research collaboration between Pakistan and Bangladesh can create new opportunities for the youth of both countries and play a vital role in achieving shared goals of sustainable development.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;"> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;">In a post on X, he wrote, &ldquo;High Commissioner of Bangladesh, H.E. Md. Iqbal Hussain Khan visited Chairman &amp; President UMT, Ibrahim Hasan Murad, at his office today. The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations, expanding educational cooperation, and promoting people-to-people connectivity between Pakistan and Bangladesh.&rdquo;<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 549.991px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2013238323171754270&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ea4ebdacda112f6d173a949b7b088b1f6f6baedb&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;"> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;">The post added that both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, academic exchange, and collaborative initiatives to foster mutual understanding and long-term partnership.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;"> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;">High Commissioner Iqbal Hussain Khan appreciated UMT&rsquo;s academic contributions, quality education system, and research-oriented environment. He said Pakistan and Bangladesh would further strengthen their diplomatic and educational ties to achieve common development objectives.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;"> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;">He described cooperation in higher education as crucial for enhancing bilateral relations and said he was committed to expanding collaboration in education, research, and people-to-people engagement in the future.

High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Pakistan, Iqbal Hussain Khan (left), in a meeting with UMT President Ibrahim Hasan Murad at his office on January 19, 2026. (X / @ibrahimhmurad)

The High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Pakistan, Iqbal Hussain Khan, visits the University of Management and Technology, where he meets President UMT Ibrahim Hasan Murad to discuss bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh with a focus on education and research partnerships.

Pakistan's university hosts Bangladesh high commissioner to discuss education cooperation

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s oil and gas regulator has issued clear safety guidance for everyday consumers using liquefied petroleum gas cylinders at home, stressing that basic precautions can significantly reduce the risk of fires, leaks, and explosions. The guidelines, issued by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, focus on safe handling, proper storage, and prompt response to gas leaks, particularly for domestic users. Proper placement and ventilationOGRA advises consumers to always keep gas cylinders in open, well-ventilated areas and away from direct heat. Safety instructions emphasize that cylinders should never be placed in confined or poorly ventilated spaces. &ldquo;Always keep the cylinder in a safe and well-ventilated place,&rdquo; OGRA safety material states, highlighting ventilation as a first line of defense against gas buildup. Safe use during daily cookingHouseholds are advised to close the regulator immediately after use to prevent accidental leaks. OGRA guidance also warns against unsafe actions if a gas odor is detected. &ldquo;If you smell gas, never light a lighter, matchsticks, or turn on electric switches,&rdquo; the safety notice says, noting that even a small spark can trigger a fire. Immediate steps in case of leakageIn the event of a suspected leak, OGRA instructs consumers to act quickly but calmly. The guidance states that windows and doors should be opened immediately to allow gas to disperse. &ldquo;Immediately open windows and doors, and promptly inform the relevant gas or LPG companies,&rdquo; the safety instructions say. Household awareness and child safetyOGRA also emphasizes public awareness as a key safety measure. Consumers are encouraged to educate family members about proper cylinder handling, keep cylinders out of children&rsquo;s reach, and ensure that safety valves and regulators are not tampered with. The authority&rsquo;s safety material highlights &ldquo;proper usage and handling,&rdquo; &ldquo;child safety,&rdquo; and &ldquo;storage precautions&rdquo; as essential steps for households. Routine inspections are strongly encouraged to identify worn-out regulators, damaged pipes, or loose connections. OGRA guidance emphasizes early detection and adherence to leakage protocols, advising consumers to regularly check cylinder contents and fittings. Regulations on LPG useThe use, storage, and distribution of liquefied petroleum gas in Pakistan are governed by detailed safety and licensing regulations aimed at reducing risk and ensuring public safety, according to official regulatory criteria issued in February 2024. Under the rules, any company seeking to set up liquefied petroleum gas storage or filling facilities must obtain prior approval from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority. &ldquo;Any company entitled by its memorandum of association or any other appropriate instrument to engage in LPG business may apply to set up LPG storage and filling facilities,&rdquo; the document says, adding that applications must be submitted on a prescribed form along with a nonrefundable fee of Rs 500,000. The regulations require a separate, site-specific license for construction, which is issued only after verification by a third-party inspector. &ldquo;A separate and site-specific licence for construction of LPG storage and filling facility or plant shall be granted by the Authority, after verification of the site by OGRA&rsquo;s third-party inspector,&rdquo; the criteria state. Location restrictions are a central part of the framework. The rules specify that &ldquo;the LPG storage and filling plant shall not be located in a residential or commercial area,&rdquo; and that no residential or commercial building may exist within a 100-meter radius of the proposed site at the time of inspection. Applicants are also required to demonstrate financial and technical capacity. The criteria mandate submission of a financial competence certificate from a Pakistani bank, confirming that the applicant has sufficient funds to undertake the project.

The Pakistan regulator's safety guidelines for domestic gas cylinder use include proper ventilation, safe handling, leak response, and regular inspections, and it enforces strict regulations on commercial gas cylinder operations.

Safety guidelines for households using gas cylinders 

Muhammad Usman Amin

PESHAWAR: On a quiet weekday afternoon inside the University of Peshawar&rsquo;s business incubation center, Farishta Noor Uthmankhel speaks calmly about elections, community service, and the everyday boundaries faced by women in her hometown of Malakand in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.&nbsp;Her voice is measured, but her journey carries far beyond the walls of the small office where she now runs her startup.&nbsp;Soft-spoken by nature, Noor has emerged as a recognizable advocate for women from Pakistan&rsquo;s tribal regions, taking local concerns to national and international platforms. Raised in Malakand, she is currently pursuing a master&rsquo;s degree in journalism while serving as a member of the Prime Minister&rsquo;s National Youth Council and developing her own business venture.&nbsp;Her work recently earned international recognition when she was named runner-up in the Asian category of the Women Changing the World Awards, bringing renewed attention to grassroots efforts led by young Pakistani women.&nbsp;&ldquo;I was nominated by someone in China,&rdquo; Noor said, recalling the announcement. &ldquo;It was not at all in my subconscious that I would even be a runner-up, because it was a competition between many countries.&rdquo;&nbsp;She remembers watching the virtual ceremony from her office. &ldquo;I was holding my heart, fingers crossed, praying to God,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;When I heard my name, I felt this was a great achievement, not only for the women of Pakistan, but especially for tribal girls.&rdquo;&nbsp;For Noor, the recognition reflects years of community-based work aimed at presenting a fuller picture of life in Pakistan&rsquo;s tribal areas. &ldquo;We are not violent as is portrayed,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;We are actually a very peaceful society, and I want the world to see that.&rdquo;&nbsp;Her advocacy is rooted in Malakand and across KP, where she has focused on issues often left unspoken. Noor was the youngest Pakistani woman to contest local government elections, a step she described as necessary to ensure women&rsquo;s voices were present in decision-making spaces.&nbsp;She has consistently raised awareness about gender-based challenges, writing and speaking against practices that reduce women&rsquo;s agency. &ldquo;A woman cannot be a commodity for anything,&rdquo; she said, explaining the principle guiding her activism.&nbsp;One of her most visible initiatives addresses menstrual health, a subject often treated with silence. Noor visited schools and held discussions with young girls to encourage openness and understanding. &ldquo;If we do not talk about it, the problem remains,&rdquo; she explained.&nbsp;Her commitment also takes practical form. As a peace activist, she organized two medical camps in her hometown of Hariankot, becoming the first woman to do so there. The camps served more than 2,900 patients, many of them women seeking guidance on health concerns that had long gone unaddressed.&nbsp;Noor is preparing to represent Pakistan at the global Women Changing the World Awards ceremony in Paris on April 22 next year. &ldquo;I will be going there as a face of Pakhtun women and as a Pakhtun girl,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;She hopes the platform will allow her to highlight positive contributions from Pakhtun society and to amplify the work of women whose efforts often remain unseen.&nbsp;&ldquo;There are many Pakhtun girls doing remarkable work in their own fields,&rdquo; she noted. &ldquo;They just need a medium.&rdquo;&nbsp;While international recognition has broadened her reach, Noor says her long-term goal remains rooted at home. She envisions entering politics to help shape policies affecting her community. &ldquo;I want to go to the assemblies where I can do policy making, where I can speak about my community,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;Her concern is particularly for girls still outside the education system. &ldquo;My girls are still out of school, whether they are in Khyber or Waziristan or Mohmand,&rdquo; Noor said. &ldquo;I want to open a medium for them as well.&rdquo;&nbsp;Farishta Noor Uthmankhel is not seeking attention for herself alone. Through steady work and quiet resolve, she hopes to set a path for others to follow. &ldquo;I want Pakhtun women to illuminate the name of the country and the nation everywhere in the world,&rdquo; she said. An affirmation that meaningful change can begin with a single, determined voice.

Farishta Noor Uthmankhel, a young activist from Malakand in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has gained international recognition for amplifying the voices of Pathan women through grassroots activism and global advocacy.

From Malakand to world stage, Farishta Noor amplifies Pathan women

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: Pakistani undergraduate economists delivered a standout performance at the 20th South Asian Economics Students&rsquo; Meet 2025 held in Kathmandu, Nepal. The event, organized by the Nepal Economic Association in partnership with Tribhuvan University and supported by the World Bank, brought together the brightest young minds from across South Asia. The theme of this year&rsquo;s conference was &ldquo;Assessing Risks and Vulnerabilities in South Asia and the Path to Economic Resilience.&rdquo; The delegation from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) emerged as the most successful team, securing the highest number of accolades among participating countries. Leading the charge, the LUMS team, representing the Chaudhry Nazar Muhammad Department of Economics, included Muhammad Hasaan Haroon, Hiba Sajjad, Maria Khalid, Simran, Zainab Asad, Zulekha Shoib, and Amen. The delegation was accompanied by faculty members Dr. Ali Hasanain and Dr. Fahd Ali. Alongside LUMS, participants from the Lahore School of Economics also contributed to Pakistan&rsquo;s remarkable showing. Pakistan&rsquo;s impressive performance included four wins in paper presentations, the most by any nation, along with a victory in the Policy Discussion Round. The team also performed strongly in the flagship Budding Economist Quiz, with all four LUMS participants making it to the top ten. The LUMS delegates made notable contributions with their research. Simran&rsquo;s study on the impact of covariate and idiosyncratic shocks on poverty and welfare, Maria Khalid&rsquo;s exploration of trade disruptions and investment risks, Muhammad Hasaan Haroon&rsquo;s work on energy transition pathways, and Hiba Sajjad&rsquo;s examination of urbanization and infrastructure resilience all won top honors. Other Pakistani delegates also performed strongly, finishing as runner-ups in various categories. The LUMS team&rsquo;s performance was further solidified by its dominance in the Budding Economist Quiz. All four participants advanced to the top ten, with Zulekha Shoib from LUMS reaching the final five after presenting her research on the long-term economic effects of floods in Pakistan. Shoib&rsquo;s paper extended an existing mathematical model, drawing attention to the lasting economic consequences of natural disasters. Reflecting on the experience, Shoib described it as both academically rewarding and culturally enriching. &ldquo;Sharing a room with an Indian participant was a unique learning experience,&rdquo; she said. Muhammad Shahwali Najmi, team leader from LUMS, called the conference &ldquo;unforgettable&rdquo; and highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s exceptional performance. &ldquo;Our team members, Hassan, Simran, Maria, and Hiba won their respective paper presentation categories, and we were runners-up in several others. Pakistan secured four wins in paper themes, India three, with the remaining awards shared among other nations. We also emerged victorious in the policy discussion and had the most students in the top ten of the Budding Economist competition,&rdquo; he told Pakistan TV Digital. The experience left a lasting impression on the participants, many of whom noted the academic depth and regional solidarity fostered during the event. &ldquo;The conference was academically rich, and I particularly appreciated the opportunity to interact with leading specialists from the World Bank,&rdquo; said Aman from LUMS, who presented on carbon and solar taxes. Mobeen Mukhtar, from the Lahore School of Economics, who spoke on education disruption, called the event a &ldquo;major learning leap.&rdquo; Zainab Asad from LUMS noted that engaging with economists from across the region provided her with &ldquo;valuable insights&rdquo; into the shared vulnerabilities facing South Asia. Aliza Waseem, winner of the Policy Discussion Round from the Lahore School of Economics, emphasized that the region&rsquo;s common economic challenges demand collaborative solutions. &ldquo;South Asia&rsquo;s economic future hinges on regional cooperation,&rdquo; she said. Hasaan Haroon, from LUMS, who presented on the &ldquo;utility death spiral&rdquo; in energy tariffs, echoed this sentiment. &ldquo;The conference reinforced the idea of a &lsquo;One South Asia,&rsquo; where the challenges we face are interconnected, and our solutions must be too,&rdquo; he remarked. Upon returning to Pakistan, the delegation was warmly received by Pakistan Ambassador to Nepal Abrar H. Hashmi who praised the students for their &ldquo;outstanding national performance.&rdquo; He commended their achievements at what is regarded as one of the region&rsquo;s most competitive academic forums. The success of the LUMS team further underscored the university&rsquo;s role as a leading institution in nurturing Pakistan&rsquo;s brightest young economists. With 2025 marking one of LUMS&rsquo; most successful years at the regional level, the university&rsquo;s leadership remains committed to fostering academic excellence and international collaboration.

The 20th South Asian Economics Students' Meet 2025 saw Pakistani students, led by LUMS, win multiple awards, excelling in paper presentations, policy discussions, and quizzes.

Pakistani students outshine South Asian counterparts at Nepal Conference

ISLAMABAD: The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) inaugurates a new state-of-the-art headquarters building, an official statement said, a development hailed as a cornerstone for deepening educational and cultural ties between Pakistan and the United States.&nbsp;At the opening ceremony on Tuesday, US Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires Natalie A. Baker called the moment &ldquo;historic,&rdquo; saying: &ldquo;Today &hellip; after almost four years of enormous effort, we are proud to open the new US Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) building.&rdquo;&nbsp;The building will house a public-facing &ldquo;Lincoln Corner,&rdquo; EducationUSA advising services, an auditorium for lectures and events, and serve as a hub for exchange-program support, underlining the &ldquo;shared commitment &hellip; to education, innovation, and building a stronger future together.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;The new USEFP building is more than a building; it is a symbol of the deep commitment both the United States and Pakistan have to education, innovation, and building a stronger future together,&rdquo; Baker added.&nbsp;In 2022&ndash;23, there were 10,164 Pakistani students enrolled in US universities, according to official data. A 16% increase from the previous year.&nbsp;USEFP noted that over 75 years, more than 9,000 Pakistani students and scholars have studied in the United States, while some 900 Americans have come to Pakistan under exchange programs.&nbsp;The new building aims to support and grow these numbers, advancing bilateral educational ties at a time of rising interest in US higher education among Pakistani youth.

The United States opens a new USEFP building in Islamabad, strengthening US–Pakistan educational ties, supporting student exchanges, Fulbright programs, and public access to resources and academic advising.

US, Pakistan celebrate new USEFP facility aimed at expanding exchanges

Malik Waqar Ahmed

ISLAMABAD: As dusk settles over the outskirts of Pakistan&rsquo;s capital, the narrow lanes of a low-income settlement come alive with an unusual sight. Children, many still in the clothes they wore while sorting garbage or helping their parents at construction sites, file quietly into a small neighborhood mosque.&nbsp;They leave behind the clatter of donkey carts and the metallic rustle of scrap yards, stepping into a space where the scent of incense mingles with the soft murmur of lessons.&nbsp;Inside, the prayer hall doubles as a classroom. Woven mats become desks. Chalkboards lean against marble pillars. And the mosque, a place of devotion for generations, has become something else entirely: a refuge for children denied a place in Pakistan&rsquo;s formal education system.&nbsp;These students belong to the margins of Pakistani society, overage children, daily wage earners, and garbage collectors whose families cannot navigate the bureaucracy or costs of mainstream schooling. The national picture is stark: 26.2 million out-of-school children, according to government data, giving Pakistan one of the world&rsquo;s highest rates.&nbsp;Against that backdrop, the work of this community-run initiative stands out.&nbsp;&ldquo;We go door to door and tell parents about the importance of education,&rdquo; said Farzana Naveed, a volunteer teacher, speaking to Pakistan TV Digital on Friday. &ldquo;These kids are 8 to 12 years old. I complete their primary education in 2.5 years.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Our organization provides everything. Books, notebooks, pens.&rdquo;&nbsp;Her voice carries across the hall as she guides children through beginner English sentences. Some grip their pencils as if they are tools more unfamiliar than the metal hooks or sorting baskets they use at work.&nbsp;While many mosques across Pakistan host traditional madrasas focused on religious learning, this initiative offers an entirely secular curriculum. Science, mathematics, social studies, and English are taught in an accelerated format designed to prepare students for placement in regular schools.&nbsp;Attendance is remarkably high: 75&ndash;80 children arrive each day, often after finishing morning shifts.&nbsp;The setting may be unconventional for international readers, but its logic is rooted in local realities. Mosques are familiar, trusted, and free, eliminating the barriers that keep impoverished families from sending their children to school buildings they cannot afford to reach.&nbsp;Among the students is Hamza Khan, who spends early mornings picking through waste to supplement his family&rsquo;s income.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/89764863-06e4-4c57-8c7b-e3f771b0d175-WhatsApp Image 2025-12-06 at 20.22.21.jpeg" alt="Hamza-Mosque-School-PTV-Digital" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Hamza, 10, studies inside an improvised classroom in a local mosque in Islamabad on December 5, 2025. (Pakistan TV Digital)</figcaption></figure>&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t afford school before,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Now I collect garbage with my father in the morning, then come to school. So I can study and become an officer one day.&rdquo;&nbsp;His aspiration encapsulates a broader struggle in Pakistan, where 3.3 million children between the ages of 5 and 16 are engaged in child labor, including waste picking, brickmaking, and domestic work.&nbsp;For many, education is not simply a dream; it is a distant luxury.The initiative is run by the Junior Jinnah Trust, whose director, Muhammad Al Khyaam, believes this model can chip away at structural poverty.&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;re breaking the generational poverty cycle by educating children doing child labor,&rdquo; Khyaam said. &ldquo;We open mosque schools within their communities to eliminate access barriers.&rdquo;&nbsp;By reimagining existing community spaces, the model sidesteps the costs and complexities of building formal schools. It also leverages the cultural role of the mosque as a trusted communal anchor, something particularly potent in under-resourced neighborhoods.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s literacy rate stands at about 60.6%, a statistic that reflects decades of inequality and underinvestment. Yet inside this small mosque classroom, the atmosphere feels almost defiant.&nbsp;Children sit cross-legged under ornate calligraphy inscriptions, sounding out multiplication tables and practicing handwriting. Between their morning labor and their evening lessons lies a fragile but profound shift: the realization that they are allowed to dream.&nbsp;They are not only learning to read or count. They are learning to imagine.&nbsp;In this transformed prayer hall, where devotion has expanded into inclusion, education is more than instruction, it is liberation. And for the working children who gather here each day, it is the first step toward futures once written off by circumstance.

A local mosque in Pakistan’s capital has been transformed into a free school, giving working and out-of-school children access to education, breaking cycles of poverty, and fostering hope for their futures.

In Islamabad, mosque school gives working children hope through education

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has officially launched the Insaf Female Education Card, a financial safety net aimed at ensuring higher education is free for female students and orphans in public sector institutions.&nbsp;The initiative, announced last week by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi at Frontier College for Women, Peshawar, is being actively rolled out under his administration.&nbsp;Secretary Higher Education KP Kamran Ahmed Afridi told Pakistan TV Digital that &ldquo;the groundwork for this scheme was laid during the tenure of former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, highlighting a sustained commitment to education reform across political transitions.&rdquo;&nbsp;Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, Muzzammil Aslam, Advisor Finance &amp; Inter-Provincial Coordination to the Chief Minister KP, said the provincial government had declared an &ldquo;education emergency&rdquo; to prioritize female education.&nbsp;&ldquo;Even when girls manage to attend school, many parents still do not allow them to study further. To encourage parents to send their daughters for higher education, an endowment-based scholarship fund has been created,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;The program targets financial barriers that often prevent girls from continuing education in rural areas. &ldquo;In many families, sons are prioritized for college if funds are limited. This scheme will help girls avail higher education along with boys,&rdquo; Afridi said.&nbsp;The scheme specifically targets female students and orphans, aiming to improve retention and ensure state guardianship for vulnerable students.&nbsp;The card functions as a complete tuition waiver. According to the Higher Education Department, it covers all admission, examination, and tuition fees, ensuring financial constraints do not force students to abandon their studies after matriculation.&nbsp;Aslam added that the Chief Minister had approved a two-billion-rupee scholarship endowment fund, from which nearly 14,000 girls, including 1,731 orphaned students, will benefit.&nbsp;&ldquo;Until the endowment fund becomes fully operational, the provincial government will issue Rs325 million [$1.15 million] from the provincial finance department for the first phase,&rdquo; he explained.&nbsp;He said that as of 11 November 2025, Rs118 million ($418,050) have already been released for 54,354 girls, including 1,730 orphans, a figure that also includes 3,442 girls and 207 orphans from the merged districts.&nbsp;&ldquo;In the future, the endowment fund will make the program sustainable. If more girls qualify, the fund will be expanded,&rdquo; he noted, adding that scholarships will eventually be financed through the fund&rsquo;s own income to avoid repeated budget requests.&nbsp;Social activist Spogmay Masood praised the initiative, telling Pakistan TV Digital: &ldquo;This is an excellent initiative by the Government, as long as it&#39;s sustainable and can be scalable in the future so more and more girls and orphans can be incentivised to go for higher education.&rdquo;&nbsp;The rollout will initially benefit 54,085 students across KP, including 52,354 female students and 1,731 orphans. To support the program, the provincial cabinet approved an Endowment Fund of Rs2 billion ($7.09 million) last year.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Finance Department provided an interim allocation of Rs325 million, of which Rs118.367 million ($419,500) has already been reimbursed to institutions as of November 11, 2025.&nbsp;The initiative emphasizes inclusivity, with particular focus on the Merged Districts (formerly FATA) and underprivileged areas with low female literacy. Initial data shows 3,472 female students and 207 orphans from these regions are enrolled.&nbsp;Operationally, the secretary clarified that students must be enrolled in government institutes. Once eligibility is confirmed, the government reimburses the institution directly, &ldquo;bypassing the red tape often associated with cash-transfer scholarships,&rdquo; the department said.&nbsp;According to social activist Rabia Qayyum, &ldquo;The launch of the Insaf Female Education Card by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government marks an important and commendable step toward gender equality and social inclusion.&rdquo;&nbsp;She said by providing free intermediate-level education to nearly 55,000 female students and orphaned children in public colleges, the initiative aims to remove one of the most significant obstacles young women encounter, the financial burden of pursuing further studies.&nbsp;&ldquo;So it&#39;s a marvelous step by the government,&rdquo; she added.&nbsp;The Insaf Female Education Card represents a strategic shift in KP&rsquo;s education policy, moving from infrastructure development to direct student investment, and aims to institutionalize the right to education for the province&rsquo;s daughters.

The Insaf Female Education Card represents a strategic shift in KP’s education policy, moving from infrastructure development to direct student investment, and aims to institutionalize the right to education for the province’s daughters.

Pakistan rolls out free education card for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s young women

BUENOS AIRES: Temperatures in the Antarctic Peninsula have reached a record-breaking high of 15.4C for June, and ice is melting at abnormal rates during the current winter, climate scientists told AFP on Thursday. Esperanza Base, an Argentine research station located in the north of the peninsula, recorded the unprecedented figure on June 6. The previous highest temperature on record for that month -- 13.3C -- dates back to 1998. The current heat also significantly exceeds Esperanza&#39;s June average of -6.2C. Such a figure is &quot;very unusual for this time of year,&quot; Jose Luis Stella, a climatologist at Argentina&#39;s National Meteorological Service, told AFP. Argentine bases Marambio and San Martin also recorded unequalled temperatures between June 5 and 6. Marambio recorded 11.8C, surpassing a previous high of 9.2C and its June average of -10.7C. San Martin meanwhile saw 9.4C compared to its previous 7.8C record and June average of -5.6C. &#39;Confirms a trend&#39;The northern Antarctic heatwave is not an isolated event, University of Groningen professor Raul Cordero told AFP. &quot;It confirms a trend,&quot; he said, warning that &quot;these kinds of events will continue to occur with increasing frequency&quot; if global warming is not derailed. Thomas Caton Harrison, a polar climate scientist at the British Antarctic Survey, believes a combination of factors including climate change resulted in the current heat. &quot;There is credible evidence that climate change is playing a role, but the effect is complex in this region,&quot; he said. &quot;Because Antarctica sees such big swings in temperature, we have to collect lots of data over many years to build a picture of the underlying climate.&quot; Both specialists agree that regional temperatures have been rising for years and are already showing visible effects. &quot;A surprising amount of precipitation has been falling as rain rather than snow,&quot; Caton Harrison said. &quot;This has implications for polar ecosystems such as penguin colonies,&quot; he said, adding that &quot;it poses a challenge to my colleagues working on Antarctic bases because a lot of liquid rain has been falling and creating runoff and ice.&quot; Esperanza Base has been recording above-zero temperatures daily for three consecutive weeks. This trend has caused &quot;large areas in the far north of the white continent to remain free of snow,&quot; according to Cordero, who called it &quot;an unusual scene in the Antarctic landscape during winter.&quot;

Climate

Temperatures in the Antarctic Peninsula reach a record-breaking high of 15.4C for June, as ice melts at abnormal rates during the current winter.

Antarctic Peninsula sees record high June temperatures

MEXICO CITY: Mexico ignited their World Cup party with a dominant 2-0 victory over nine-man South Africa on Thursday as the biggest ever edition of the global footballing showpiece kicked off at the iconic Estadio Azteca. Julian Quinones scored the opening goal of the tournament and veteran striker Raul Jimenez added a second as the co-hosts&#39; bid for qualification from Group A got off to smooth start. South Africa meanwhile never looked like spoiling the opening day fiesta, and finished with only nine men after Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off. The Mexican-colored red, green and white smoke from pre-game fireworks had barely dissipated before Quinones fired the hosts into the lead on nine minutes, drilling a low shot through the legs of South Africa&rsquo;s goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams. A deafening roar cascaded down from the stands of the Azteca, the footballing cathedral that became the only stadium to host games at three different World Cups. South Africa coach Hugo Broos had warned his players to be ready for the intimidating atmosphere created by a capacity 80,824 crowd at the imposing concrete arena. But South Africa&rsquo;s players looked to have a bad case of stage fright as Mexico&#39;s fans &nbsp;greeted each completed pass with a raucous chorus of &quot;Ole!&quot; in the opening minutes Sithole seemed particularly affected, being caught in possession trying to play out of the back for Quinones&#39; opening goal. Sithole&#39;s miserable afternoon ended with a 49th minute dismissal after bundling over Mexico&rsquo;s Brian Gutierrez when clean through on goal. Mexico rammed home their advantage in the 67th minute, with a fine counter attack culminating in Roberto Alvarado crossing for Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Jimenez to nod home at the far post. It got worse for South Africa in the 84th minute when Zwane was dismissed after a VAR review for flinging an arm into the face of Alvarado. There was still time for late drama when Mexican defender Cesar Montes was shown a red card for a clumsy challenge on Khulisa Mudau on the edge of the penalty area.

Football

Mexico launches World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over South Africa at a packed Estadio Azteca, while the visitors finish with nine men after two red cards.

Mexico beat South Africa to kick off World Cup

NEW YORK: Taylor Swift on Thursday became the youngest woman ever inducted into the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame, another milestone in the 36-year-old US pop star&#39;s record-breaking career. The female record was previously held by Carole Bayer Sager, who was 43 when she joined in 1987. Stevie Wonder remains the youngest person ever admitted, at age 32 in 1983. Artists become eligible for the Hall of Fame 20 years after the release of their first commercial track. For Swift, that was &quot;Tim McGraw,&quot; released in June 2006. Her success since is undeniable: the American artist has recorded 12 albums spanning country, pop, and folk, earning her 14 Grammy Awards in the United States, including four Album of the Year trophies -- a record. &quot;Swift&#39;s ability to shapeshift as a songwriter, to inhabit different sonic landscapes and write as credibly in the world of one genre as she does another is part of her superpower as a songwriter,&quot; reads her bio on the Hall of Fame website. &quot;It also represents the boldness and bravery of her artistry: to explore new frontiers when the most practical next step would be to keep mining the material that has gotten you the success in the first place.&quot; Swift appeared on the red carpet in New York on Thursday wearing a strapless black dress with floral motifs ahead of the naming ceremony. &#39;Great honor&#39;Also inducted on Thursday were Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, the band behind hits such as &quot;Rock and Roll All Nite&quot; and &quot;Detroit Rock City.&quot; &quot;It doesn&#39;t suck,&quot; Stanley told AFP when asked how it felt to join the prestigious songwriting ranks. &quot;It&#39;s really hard to digest the idea. I certainly don&#39;t consider myself in that rarified air of some of the writers, but if you wanna be in that club, I&#39;m there.&quot; Kenny Loggins, the hitmaker behind movie soundtrack classics like &quot;Footloose&quot; and &quot;Danger Zone&quot; from &quot;Top Gun,&quot; was inducted into the Hall of Fame as well. &quot;It&#39;s a great honor and I appreciate it,&quot; Loggins told AFP. &quot;It&#39;s the culmination of a lifetime writing, and that&#39;s exciting for me.&quot; Canadian singer Alanis Morissette, inescapable in the 1990s, and American record producer Walter Afanasieff were also among the total of nine songwriters joining the Hall of Fame this year. Estimates put Taylor Swift&#39;s worldwide sales at over 250 million album-equivalents. Her most recent tour in 2023 and 2024, titled &quot;The Eras Tour,&quot; brought in a record sum of around two billion dollars. She is also the female artist with the most songs ever to reach the top 10 list compiled by Billboard, the leading US music magazine. Swift is omnipresent in the media. After unveiling a country track for the soundtrack of the film &quot;Toy Story 5,&quot; she was at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday for a game of the NBA Finals.

Entertainment

Taylor Swift becomes the youngest woman ever to be inducted into the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame, another milestone in the 36-year-old US pop star's record-breaking career.

Taylor Swift becomes youngest woman in Songwriters Hall of Fame

This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.<hr>Catch up: Yesterday&rsquo;s top developments<ul style="list-style-type: square;"><li style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Iran has not made a final decision on the deal: FM spokesperson</li><li style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&lsquo;We&#39;ll probably have a signing in Europe,&rsquo; says Trump on Iran war</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Islamabad backs diplomacy, dialogue</li><li style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Three Indian sailors killed aboard ship hit by US off Oman</li><li style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Kremlin calls on US, Iran to &#39;return to negotiating table&#39;</li></ul><hr> Egypt urges US, Iran to seize &#39;available opportunity&#39; for deal after Trump cancels strikesPublished: June 12, 2026 | 03:49 GMT | by AFP Egypt urged the United States and Iran to seize what it called an &quot;available opportunity&quot; for a deal to end the war, after President Donald Trump withdrew his threat to carry out further strikes on Tehran. Cairo&#39;s foreign ministry said in a statement late Thursday it hoped &quot;the available opportunity will be seized to reach a deal on the various outstanding issues and to prepare the atmosphere for reaching an end to the war and beginning a new phase of regional stability&quot;. <hr> Trump says &lsquo;we ended the war with Iran today&rsquo;Published: June 12, 2026 | 02:45 GMT | by Web Desk US President Donald Trump, during a tele-rally in support of Senate candidate Barry Moore, claimed that the war is now over, according to local media outlets. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if you heard, but we ended the war with Iran today, and they have agreed never to have a nuclear weapon, something that we, we insisted on,&rdquo; Trump said in the audio clip. <hr style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; overflow: visible; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Japan, S. Korea markets jump after Trump cancels Iran strikesPublished: June 12, 2026 | 01:59 GMT | by AFP Japan&#39;s Nikkei share index soared more than three percent Friday after US President Donald Trump withdrew his threat of further strikes against Iran and said a deal to end the war could be signed in coming days. At around 0015 GMT the Nikkei 225 was up 3.5 percent, while South Korea&#39;s benchmark Kospi index jumped 7.59 percent. <hr style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; overflow: visible; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Iran&rsquo;s FM spokesman condemns US attacks on Indian vesselsPublished: June 11, 2026 | 23:40 GMT | by Web Desk Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry Spokesman&nbsp;Esmaeil Baqaei&nbsp;condemned the US attacks on Indian commercial vessels, which killed at least three Indian nationals. In a post on X, he said that these attacks &quot;stand as clear evidence of America&rsquo;s ongoing policy of armed robbery and State piracy.&quot; <hr style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; overflow: visible; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Iran has not made a final decision on the deal: FM spokespersonPublished: June 11, 2026 | 21:55 GMT | by Web Desk Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran has not made a final decision about a deal, according to Iran&rsquo;s official news agency&nbsp;IRNA. &quot;Once the relevant authorities reach a conclusion on the details of the draft text of an agreement, Iran&rsquo;s government will make a formal announcement,&quot; he said. <hr style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; overflow: visible; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page;"> &lsquo;We&#39;ll probably have a signing in Europe,&rsquo; says Trump on Iran warPublished: June 11, 2026 | 20:05 GMT | by Web Desk US President Donald Trump on Thursday said a deal to end the Middle East war was nearing completion, describing it as a &ldquo;great settlement&rdquo; and indicating that a formal signing could take place in Europe within days once the remaining documents are finalized. &ldquo;We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran,&rdquo; Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.&nbsp; &ldquo;Subject to finalization of documents, which should get done over the next few days, we&#39;ll probably have a signing, maybe in Europe.&rdquo;&nbsp; He added that the agreement would ensure &ldquo;Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,&rdquo; calling it the central objective of months of negotiations and conflict. Trump also said he believed Iran&#39;s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had approved the proposed arrangement.&nbsp; Asked whether Khamenei had personally given the green light, Trump replied: &ldquo;I understand the answer is yes.&rdquo; He described the agreement as &ldquo;a very strong memorandum of understanding.&rdquo; The US president said he had spoken with leaders from across the region, including Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, as diplomatic efforts intensified ahead of a possible signing ceremony.&nbsp; Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen once the agreement is finalized and argued that the deal had already boosted market confidence, pointing to rising stock markets and falling oil prices. Trump also singled out Pakistan for its role in the diplomatic process, praising both Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir.&nbsp; &ldquo;Pakistan was fantastic,&rdquo; he said. Referring to Munir, Trump added: &ldquo;He&#39;s a great, great general. He&#39;s so great that he&#39;s actually a field marshal.&rdquo;&nbsp; Pakistan has played a central mediation role in recent months, hosting talks and maintaining engagement with Washington, Tehran and regional partners in support of a negotiated settlement. <hr style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; overflow: visible; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Read our June 11 live blog for earlier developments&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/middle-east-june-11-2026" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>

Middle East

Americas

Says a 'great settlement' with Iran has been reached and approved by Iran's Supreme Leader; Trump praises Pakistan for a 'fantastic role' in mediation, calling Field Marshal Asim Munir a 'great general'; Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson denies that any final decision on a deal with the US has been made.

Trump says Iran deal nearing signing, praises Pakistan's role

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday rejected any attempt to draw a &ldquo;false equivalence&rdquo; between the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and matters relating to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), while also raising concerns over India&rsquo;s expanding strategic capabilities. Speaking at the weekly media briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan was addressing issues in Azad Jammu and Kashmir within a &ldquo;democratic and constitutional framework&rdquo; and rejected recent remarks by the Indian leadership and its foreign affairs office. &ldquo;Any attempt to conflate the two is misleading and does not withstand objective scrutiny,&rdquo; Andrabi said. Responding to questions regarding Indian statements on AJK, the spokesperson said Pakistan rejected India&#39;s remarks &ldquo;in their entirety.&rdquo; &ldquo;It&rsquo;s untenable for a state like India, which has consistently denied the people of Jammu and Kashmir their right to self-determination, to claim concerns over the rights of Kashmiris,&rdquo; he said. The remarks come amid continued tensions between Pakistan and India over the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region, a longstanding issue between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.&nbsp; Pakistan maintains that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir should be determined in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The spokesperson said India&rsquo;s statements appeared aimed at diverting attention from the &ldquo;unresolved status of Jammu and Kashmir&rdquo; and what he described as its &ldquo;abysmal record&rdquo; in IIOJK. &ldquo;We also reject any insinuation of a false equivalence between the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and matters relating to Azad Jammu and Kashmir,&rdquo; Andrabi said. &ldquo;Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is an illegally annexed, internationally recognized disputed territory whose people have suffered systemic abuses under draconian laws and have been denied their rights, including the right to self-determination, as affirmed by the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and as promised by the Indian founding fathers to the Kashmiri people,&rdquo; he added. Concerns over India&#39;s strategic capabilitiesThe Foreign Office also commented on a recent Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report suggesting India may have altered aspects of its traditional nuclear posture by reportedly deploying nuclear warheads during peacetime alongside developments in missile systems. Andrabi said Pakistan did not wish to endorse SIPRI&rsquo;s methodology but noted that the findings were &ldquo;not surprising.&rdquo; &ldquo;We do not wish to endorse or lend credence to SIPRI&rsquo;s methodology. Its findings, nevertheless, are &lsquo;not surprising,&rsquo;&rdquo; he said, adding that Pakistan had consistently raised concerns regarding India&rsquo;s continued &ldquo;vertical proliferation.&rdquo; The spokesperson said open-source assessments might not fully reflect the actual scale of India&rsquo;s nuclear arsenal. &ldquo;We also believe that open-source estimates, such as SIPRI&rsquo;s, may not fully reflect the actual scale of India&rsquo;s nuclear arsenal, which may actually be higher than the existing estimates,&rdquo; he said. According to Andrabi, Pakistan remained &ldquo;cognizant of developments in India&rsquo;s strategic capabilities,&rdquo; including the canisterization of missile systems, the expansion of sea-based nuclear-capable submarines and the pursuit of longer-range missile systems extending beyond India&rsquo;s immediate region. &ldquo;These developments enhance operational readiness, complicate crisis stability, and carry implications that extend beyond South Asia, with grave consequences for international peace and security,&rdquo; he said. Reiterating Pakistan&rsquo;s position, Andrabi said the country did not seek an arms race. &ldquo;Pakistan does not seek an arms race and matching warheads or arms and ammunition by number. However, we remain mindful of the evolving security environment. We will continue to take measures essential for preserving strategic stability and deterring India&rsquo;s aggression,&rdquo; he said. The spokesperson urged the international community to closely monitor developments related to India&rsquo;s strategic capabilities and their potential impact on regional and global security. He also called on countries supplying advanced technologies to India to consider the wider implications of emerging capabilities being incorporated into India&rsquo;s strategic posture. &ldquo;These developments threaten consequences far beyond South Asia into the wider world,&rdquo; Andrabi said.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan also voices concern over India's evolving strategic capabilities, saying recent assessments reinforce longstanding fears about regional stability and urging the international community to closely monitor developments with wider security implications.

‘False equivalence’: Pakistan rejects Indian remarks on Kashmir

PARIS: A leather bag made from Tyrannosaurus rex cells failed to sell on Thursday, the Paris auction house Drouot said, commenting that bids were well below expected. Auctioneers Giquello had touted the &quot;one-of-a-kind&quot; piece to sell for more than $500,000 but bids barely broke the $150,000 mark, said the Drouot house where the sale took place. Unveiled in the spring in Amsterdam, the bag was created from traces of collagen from the femur of a T‑Rex found in the US state of Montana 25 years ago. &quot;In recent years, we&#39;ve developed techniques -- biotechnologies that allow us to instruct a cell culture to produce, so to speak, genuine T‑Rex skin in the laboratory,&quot; Iacopo Briano, a palaeontology expert associated with the sale, recently told AFP. He noted the material differs from vegan leather, which is mostly made from plastic. &quot;In this case, it&#39;s derived from a cell culture, so it&#39;s 100 percent skin. And at the same time, it comes from an animal that went extinct 67 million years ago!&quot; he said. With no precedent to go on, Alexandre Giquello, whose auction house is organising the sale, explained they had to &quot;come up with a price&quot; that would reflect both the amount of investment required to create the bag and its rarity. Giquello estimated the value at between 300,000 and 500,000 euros ($346,000 to $576,000).

Wildlife

A handbag created from lab-grown material derived from Tyrannosaurus rex collagen fails to sell at auction, attracting bids far below expectations despite its rarity and estimated value of up to $576,000.

First leather bag made from T-Rex cells fails to sell at Paris auction

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday held funeral prayers for military personnel martyred in an army helicopter crash near Muzaffarabad, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and senior civilian and military leaders attending the ceremony, according to the military&#39;s media wing. The funeral prayer was offered at Chaklala Garrison in Rawalpindi for the martyrs of the Mi-17 helicopter crash, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. PM Sharif, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, senior civil and military officials, relatives of the martyrs, and members of the public attended the service. The crash occurred Wednesday near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, during takeoff.&nbsp; The military said the helicopter went down because of a technical fault, and all personnel on board were martyred. A board of inquiry has been ordered to determine the exact cause of the accident. Earlier in the day, a separate funeral service for two Christian soldiers martyred in the crash was held at Christ Church in Rawalpindi and attended by political and military leaders. The ceremonies highlighted the participation of Pakistan&#39;s diverse communities in national service and remembrance. Addressing the gathering, PM Sharif said the martyrs&#39; &quot;devotion to duty, professionalism, and commitment to safeguarding the motherland will remain a source of inspiration for future generations.&quot; He said the sacrifices made by Pakistan&#39;s armed forces for &quot;peace, security, and national sovereignty can never be forgotten,&quot; and reaffirmed the nation&#39;s support for the families of the martyrs. The ISPR said the martyrs would be laid to rest in their respective hometowns with full military honors. Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Sharif expressed grief over the crash and offered condolences to the families of the martyrs. &quot;The entire nation pays tribute to the great sacrifice of the martyrs and shares the grief of the families,&quot; Zardari said in a statement. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also expressed condolences, extending sympathies to the families of the personnel martyred in the accident. The military leadership, including Field Marshal Munir and all ranks of the Pakistan Army, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families.

Security

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, senior military commanders and government officials attended funeral prayers in Rawalpindi for army aviation personnel lost in the Mi-17 accident, while separate services were held for two Christian soldiers before burial with full military honors.

Pakistan honors helicopter crash martyrs at Rawalpindi funeral service

NEW YORK: Elon Musk&#39;s SpaceX on Thursday confirmed it will begin trading on the Nasdaq exchange Friday in the biggest initial public offering in history, a blockbuster market debut that could propel the entrepreneur to trillionaire status. In a filing with the US markets regulator, the company priced more than 555 million shares at $135 each, placing SpaceX among Wall Street&#39;s most elite companies with a valuation of just under $1.8 trillion. The offering will raise a record $75 billion, easily outranking Saudi Aramco&#39;s $29.4 billion debut in 2019, until now the biggest ever. Underwriters hold an option to buy nearly 83 million additional shares, which would push the total above $86 billion if exercised in full. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America led a syndicate of more than 20 banks on the deal. The space and rocket company, co-founded by Musk in 2002, will trade under the ticker symbol &quot;SPCX,&quot; with a parallel listing on Nasdaq Texas. All eyes will be on how Wall Street absorbs the offering, which could send tremors across global markets. As is traditional for high-profile debuts, executives are expected to ring the opening bell on Friday to mark the start of the session -- in this case at New York&#39;s Times Square, home of the Nasdaq. SpaceX will be the first out of the gates among the tech and AI giants eyeing public markets, with OpenAI and Anthropic expected to follow -- both having recently filed with regulators for their own market debuts. The IPO is Musk&#39;s biggest financial gamble yet, with his xAI company and the X social media platform (formerly Twitter) also included in the offering after the multi-billionaire folded them into the company earlier this year. The offering was more than four times oversubscribed by major banks and financial institutions, according to Bloomberg, with interest from everyday investors reported to also be high. More than 20 percent of the shares will be reserved for these retail investors, a far greater proportion than is typically allocated in IPOs, giving Musk&#39;s legions of fans a chance to buy a slice of the company. Data centers in spaceThe success of the IPO rests squarely on investors&#39; faith in Musk as a visionary entrepreneur. The tech multi-billionaire will serve as chief executive, chief technology officer and board chairman of the newly traded company. The IPO is expected to mint thousands of new millionaires and many billionaires, with former and current employees -- and a long list of investors -- from the company&#39;s near quarter-century history looking to cash in. The financials of the company are giving some on Wall Street pause, as the valuation largely depends on Musk delivering on promises worthy of science fiction, including putting data centers in space as well as people on Mars using as yet unproven technology. While the company is growing fast -- revenue hit $18.7 billion in 2025 -- it is also losing money, producing a net loss of $4.9 billion. In an extraordinary prediction, SpaceX&#39;s filing claims it can pull in over $28.5 trillion in revenue from its various markets. Musk&#39;s fortune on Thursday stood at $782 billion according to the Forbes list of the world&#39;s richest people, nearing three times the wealth of number two, Google co-founder Larry Page. A successful IPO could make him the first trillionaire in history on Friday.

Artificial Intelligence

SpaceX confirms a record $75 billion IPO, valuing the company at nearly $1.8 trillion, as investors back Elon Musk’s space, AI and long-term technology ambitions worldwide for growth.

SpaceX to make historic IPO that could make Musk a trillionaire

LONDON: British Defense Secretary John Healey sensationally quit on Thursday, accusing beleaguered Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the finance ministry of failing to commit enough money to protect the country. His shock resignation weakens Starmer&#39;s authority further at a precarious moment for the embattled Labour leader, a week before a by-election that could prompt a bid to replace him. In stinging criticism, Healey warned that Starmer&#39;s long-awaited Defense Investment Plan (DIP) for funding over the next decade&mdash;which the premier has yet to publish&mdash;risked making Britain &quot;less safe.&quot; &quot;You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats,&quot; Healey wrote in a resignation letter to Starmer posted on his X account. &quot;After explaining to you that I would not be able to accept a DIP settlement that does not give our Forces the resources they need, I am now left with no other option than to submit my resignation.&quot; Healey&#39;s sudden departure comes after months of delays to the defense plan, which Starmer has insisted he will publish before a NATO summit in Turkey beginning on July 7. Starmer&#39;s centre-left government, elected in July 2024 following 14 years of Conservative rule, has pledged to ramp up defense spending, with priority given to NATO commitments. The rise comes amid threats from Russia and as US President Donald Trump repeatedly urges NATO allies to spend more and become less reliant on Washington for security. &#39;Grave moment&#39;Starmer has vowed to raise defense spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product from next year, increasing to three percent if Labour wins the next general election, expected in 2029, before reaching 3.5 percent in 2035. British media has for weeks been reporting on behind-the-scenes battles within the government over the DIP settlement. In his resignation letter, Healey said he was first given full sight of DIP on Monday, and it sees defense spending rise to only 2.68 percent of GDP in 2030. A source close to the former defense secretary told AFP the deal offered by the Treasury did not put a date on the three percent commitment. The plan &quot;falls well short of what is required for defense and the country at this dangerous time,&quot; Healey wrote. &quot;Without a DIP that meets the moment in this way, I am being forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations, and could make the country less safe.&quot; Tan Dhesi, chair of parliament&#39;s defence committee, said the government must take Healey&#39;s warning &quot;with the utmost seriousness&quot;. &quot;That a defence secretary of his integrity and commitment has felt compelled to resign in response to the inadequacy of the proposed defence settlement is a grave moment,&quot; the Labour MP said in a statement. Starmer faces political peril in next Thursday&#39;s contest when Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham stands for the Makerfield parliamentary seat. Both men have said they would participate in any Labour leadership race, although none has yet been triggered. Wes Streeting quit as health secretary last month following disastrous local and regional election results for Labour and has also said he would run in any future contest. Healey, 66, has been previously talked about as another potential contender, but there was no immediate suggestion that his resignation is linked to the leadership speculation. It &quot;underlines that Starmer has become a lame duck prime minister who cannot get decisions through his own government,&quot; Patrick Diamond, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London, told AFP. The investment plan, originally due to be published in late 2025, has repeatedly been pushed back, to the frustration of industry and others. Healey&#39;s resignation &quot;creates a sequence of political headaches in terms of a replacement, and trying to get the defence investment plan published,&quot; said Ed Arnold, senior associate fellow at the RUSI think-tank. A government source insisted that Starmer had made Britain &quot;safer,&quot; adding the defense spending proposals &quot;will deliver the capability our armed forces need.&quot;

Europe

British Defense Secretary John Healey sensationally quit on Thursday, accusing beleaguered Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the finance ministry of failing to commit enough money to protect the country

UK defense minister quits with stinging rebuke of PM Starmer

JERUSALEM: Radio France Internationale (RFI) condemned Thursday Israel&#39;s entry ban on French reporter Alice Froussard, who freelances for the station and other outlets, as &quot;an obstacle to press freedom&quot;. &quot;Israeli authorities have not provided any justification to RFI for this decision,&quot; the broadcaster said in a statement. &quot;RFI&#39;s management offers its full support to Alice Froussard and protests against this expulsion, which constitutes an obstacle to press freedom and comes at a time when journalists are facing increasing difficulties in covering current events in the region,&quot; it added.

Calls it an as "an obstacle to press freedom"