Islamabad, Dec 12: To commemorate World Human Rights Day, Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), in collaboration with the French Embassy and Alliance Française, Islamabad, hosted a thought-provoking event featuring the screening of two powerful documentaries, Unfathomable: The Story of Sharafat and Shackled: The Tragic Life of Ghulam Abbas. Held at Alliance Française, Islamabad, the event brought together diplomats, civil society leaders, journalists, and students to shed light on systemic injustices faced by Pakistan’s marginalized prisoners. In his opening remarks, French Ambassador H.E. Nicolas Galey emphasized the universal nature of human rights. “Events like these amplify the voices of the marginalized,” he…
Author: Mawadat Fatima
Islamabad, Dec 11: The Italian government has announced significant changes to visa requirements for international students and individuals applying for long-term visas (D Visa) for stays exceeding 90 days. From January 10, 2025, applicants will need to schedule and attend individual appointments at Italian consulates, where their fingerprints will be collected. This policy change, reported by Schengen.News, removes the batch processing option previously used to speed up visa applications, increasing the administrative load on consulates and complicating the process, especially for students. Concerns About Increased Costs and Delays Jill Allen Murray, Deputy Executive Director of Public Policy at NAFSA, expressed…
Islamabad, Dec 11: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has deferred its plan to set up electric vehicle (EV) charging points at fuel stations in Islamabad until the federal government finalizes its EV policy. During a board meeting led by Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa, the proposal to equip existing fuel stations with at least one EV charger and to require two chargers for new stations was reviewed. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has highlighted the importance of adopting electric vehicles in Pakistan. To advance this initiative, a high-level steering committee has been formed to develop the EV policy, which is still in…
Islamabad, Dec 11: Instagram has rolled out a new feature called “Trial Reels,” allowing creators to test videos outside their followers’ feeds. These experimental Reels are recommended to non-followers, helping creators gauge content performance without affecting their established audience. With the “trial” toggle, creators can post videos that won’t appear on their profile grid or followers’ feeds but may still be discoverable through other means. Performance metrics, such as views and likes, become available after 24 hours, enabling creators to refine their strategies without the pressure of immediate visibility. This feature aims to foster creativity and experimentation while easing creators’…
Islamabad, Dec 11: The School Education Department has announced that teachers with a master’s degree in commerce (M.Com) will now qualify for promotions. A committee has deemed the M.Com degree equivalent to an MBA, as well as to B.Com (Honors) and BS Commerce, recognizing it as a 16-year academic qualification. This policy, effective December 5, 2024, applies to schoolteachers across Punjab, marking a significant step toward acknowledging the academic credentials of commerce graduates in the education sector. The secretary said that they were starting BS Computer Science in commerce colleges and more teachers were also required for 8-semester degree programmes.…
Islamabad, Dec 11; Pakistan is set to regain approval for flight operations to the UK by the first quarter of 2025. Nadir Shafi Dar, Director General of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), confirmed that British aviation authorities will conduct a critical inspection in January 2025. Preparations include an online meeting between the Department for Transport and the UK Civil Aviation Authority with PCAA officials in December 2024. The assessment will align with criteria from a recent EU evaluation, which yielded favorable results. Before the suspension, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) operated 21 weekly UK flights, including routes to London, Manchester,…
Islamabad, Dec 11: Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan assured Century Paper Mills and Bulleh Shah Packaging Ltd of the government’s support in combating challenges posed by dumping and excessive imports, particularly from China. The meeting, held at the Ministry of Commerce, was attended by Special Secretary Shakeel Ahmed, Executive Director General Muhammad Ashraf, and other key officials. Minister Khan emphasized the need to protect the local paperboard industry, noting that increased dumping from China and Indonesia is harming domestic manufacturers. “Countries that overproduce use FTAs and trade policies to protect their industries. We must secure our own by…
Islamabad, Dec 11: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) completed pre-conference workshops held in conjunction to the Second International Islamic Capital Market Conference 2024. These workshops attracted approximately 250 participants, showcasing a diverse assembly of stakeholders from across the Islamic financial sector. The attendees represented a broad spectrum of the industry, including officials from SECP, Capital Market Infrastructure Institutions (CMIIs), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Modarabas, Asset Management Companies (AMCs), Takaful operators, Brokerage houses, Shariah advisors, bankers, and another distinguished professional’s integral to the financial ecosystem. The sessions were conducted by senior officials from the Accounting and Auditing…
Islamabad, Dec 11: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $330 million in additional financing to strengthen Pakistan’s federally administered social protection programs and services. The result-based loan for the ongoing Integrated Social Protection Development Program (ISPDP) will help expand the grassroots-level social protection to alleviate poverty among poor women and their families. The program will enhance the institutional capacity of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Pakistan’s flagship social protection agency, to transition to adaptive and climate-resilient social protection. This will include enhancing access to education pathways for children and youth from poor families and increasing access to health…
Islamabad, Dec 11: In a statement on Wednesday, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the Syrian crisis, claiming there is clear evidence of their involvement. Speaking to a gathering in Tehran, Khamenei also suggested that a neighboring country, likely Turkey, played a role in the conflict. Khamenei strongly rejected claims that the resistance front in the region was weakening, emphasizing that pressure only strengthens it. He predicted that Syria would eventually be liberated by its youth, and that U.S. influence in the region would diminish through the efforts of the resistance.…
