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Pakistani gaming startup for special-needs children bags prestigious UNICEF grant

In this undated photo, a woman helps a child play a game designed by WonderTree, a startup that makes augmented reality games for the therapy and education of children with special needs. (Photo courtesy: WonderTree website)
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Updated 11 August 2020
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Pakistani gaming startup for special-needs children bags prestigious UNICEF grant

  • WonderTree says will use the opportunity “as a stepping stone to go global and impact millions of children worldwide”
  • UNICEF Innovation Fund has raised $20 million so far, invests in solutions that impact world’s most vulnerable children 
Updated 11 August 2020
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Tech startup WonderTree has been selected for the UNICEF Innovative Fund 2020 along with 11 other start-ups around the globe, the company said in a statement this week, the only start-up from Pakistan selected for the prestigious grant. 
Wonder Tree makes augmented reality games for the therapy and education of children with special needs.
UNICEF’s Innovation (Venture) Fund is a newly established, non-thematic, pooled fund which has been specifically designed to finance early stage, open-source technology that can benefit children. The Fund has raised $20 million so far.
“The core motivation of the Innovation Fund is to identify ‘clusters’ or portfolios of initiatives around emerging technology — so that UNICEF can both share markets and learn about and guide these technologies to benefit children,” WonderTree said in a statement, saying the company had been chosen from among over 350 submissions from more than 60 countries.
The tech-start-up said it would use the UNICEF grant to enhance its technological infrastructure and scale solutions to populations with limited access to quality learning.
“Our ultimate aim is to use this opportunity with UNICEF as a stepping stone to go global and impact millions of children worldwide,” it said.
In April, WonderTree was nominated by Google for its accelerator program on Sustainable Development Goals. 


 

Balochistan sacks 15 Levies personnel for surrendering to separatists in Khuzdar attack

Updated 11 January 2025
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Balochistan sacks 15 Levies personnel for surrendering to separatists in Khuzdar attack

  • Dozens of armed militants took control of a small town in the district, set government properties on fire
  • Khuzdar’s top administration official says paramilitary personnel showed ‘cowardice’ by not fighting
Updated 11 January 2025
SAADULLAH AKHTER

QUETTA: Authorities in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province sacked 15 paramilitary personnel of Levies, it emerged Saturday, for showing “cowardice” by surrendering to armed militants of a separatist group following an attack on Zehri, a small town in Khuzdar district, on January 8.
Dozens of ethnic Baloch separatists entered the area and took control of Zehri Bazaar for several hours, setting government properties on fire and robbing Rs768,000 ($2,745) from a private bank.
Footage and pictures seen by Arab News showed armed fighters roaming the streets of the town after seizing weapons, vehicles and motorbikes from the paramilitary force.
Security forces later reclaimed the town following skirmishes with the militants, during which one soldier was injured.
“The Levies officials clearly showed cowardice and irresponsibility,” said a notification seen by Arab News. “The undersigned is of the view that there is no need to conduct any formal inquiry.”
Prepared by Khuzdar’s deputy commissioner, Yasir Iqbal Dashti, the notification was issued on January 9, a day after the incident.
Dashti confirmed the development to Arab News, saying the district administration had terminated the services of Levies personnel who did not fight the militants.
An outlawed armed separatist faction, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), claimed responsibility for the attack.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by landmass and rich in mineral resources, has long faced a low-level insurgency led by separatist groups like the BLA, who accuse Islamabad of exploiting the province’s natural resources, such as gold and copper, while neglecting the local population.
Pakistani governments deny these allegations, saying that it has prioritized Balochistan’s development through investments in health, education and infrastructure projects.
The BLA has emerged as a significant security threat in recent years, carrying out major attacks in Balochistan and Sindh provinces while targeting security forces, ethnic Punjabis and Chinese nationals working on development projects.
Violence by Baloch separatist factions, primarily the BLA, killed about 300 people last year, according to official statistics, marking an escalation in the decades-long conflict.

Topics: militancy in Pakistan Balochistan Attacks Levies Force

Pakistan PM calls for AI integration to strengthen faceless customs system in Karachi

Updated 11 January 2025
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Pakistan PM calls for AI integration to strengthen faceless customs system in Karachi

  • Sharif inaugurated the system Wednesday to increase transparency, minimize human interaction
  • The initiative also aims at digitizing the tax collection system and reduce clearance time at the port
Updated 11 January 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday stressed the importance of utilizing artificial intelligence to further enhance the newly installed Faceless Customs Assessment System at Karachi Port, a move aimed at improving transparency and efficiency in customs operations.
Sharif inaugurated the system, installed by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Pakistan’s tax collection agency, during a daylong visit to the southern metropolis on Wednesday.
Launched as a pilot project in December 2024, the system seeks to streamline customs clearance by minimizing human interaction, reducing clearance times and improving trade facilitation.
The prime minister met with the chief collector of customs in Karachi Zone, Jameel Nasir, praising him and his team for their efforts in implementing the system.
“The Faceless Customs Assessment System has significantly improved transparency, efficiency and service delivery in customs operations,” Sharif was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office following the meeting.
The statement added that he “emphasized the need to incorporate advanced technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, to make the system world-class and foolproof.”
The initiative marks a step in the government’s broader strategy to digitize its tax collection, a key condition set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of its $7 billion loan program.
The government plans to expand the system to other ports and border stations across the country in the coming months.
The prime minister announced a reward of Rs15 million ($54,000) for Nasir and his team, acknowledging their dedication to the project.
“This system is a major milestone and will play a crucial role in Pakistan’s economic development,” he continued, adding that it aligned with the government’s vision of fostering a business- and investor-friendly environment.
Pakistan has been actively working to modernize its port facilities to transform the country into a transit trade hub.
The government has also extended an invitation to landlocked Central Asian nations to use its ports for access to global sea lanes, a move expected to enhance regional trade connectivity.

Topics: Pakistan customs Karachi port Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Islam places no restrictions on girls’ education, MWL chief tells conference in Pakistan

Updated 11 January 2025
Usama Iqbal Khawaja
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Islam places no restrictions on girls’ education, MWL chief tells conference in Pakistan

  • Sheikh Abdul Kareem Al-Issa says anyone opposing girls’ education is deviating from global Muslim community
  • Top Muslim World League official says Muslim women always enjoyed significant presence in all spheres of life
Updated 11 January 2025
Usama Iqbal Khawaja

ISLAMABAD: Islam places no restrictive conditions on girls’ education, and anyone opposing it is deviating from the global Muslim community, Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Kareem Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL), said on Saturday at an international conference in Pakistan focusing on the issue.
Muslim communities have often faced criticism for not providing sufficient opportunities to women in fields like education, though many of their countries have made significant strides in promoting women’s participation across various fields.
The issue of girls’ education has drawn heightened attention recently, particularly after Afghanistan’s interim administration, led by the Taliban, imposed restrictions on girls’ education, including shutting down secondary schools and barring women from attending universities.
The two-day conference, co-hosted by Pakistan and the MWL, comes at a time when global leaders, organizations and activists have urged the Taliban to reverse their policies. The conference aims to address the issue by signing a consensus “Islamabad Declaration,” reaffirming that Islam does not prohibit women’s education in any way.
“Our Islamic faith has always celebrated the education of every Muslim, both male and female, because the message of Islam was to enlighten all, regardless of gender,” Al-Issa told participants. “Therefore, Muslim women in Islam had a significant and active presence in all spheres of life — in religious matters and in the sciences, politics, economics and societal affairs throughout history.”
The MWL chief said any reservations toward girls’ education must be understood as stemming from non-Islamic customs that have no basis in the Muslim faith.
“Those who deviate from this Islamic consensus are deviating from the ummah [community of believers],” he said, adding, “The Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, warned that whoever desires the best place in paradise must stick to the community.”
The global summit, which aims to find ways to advance girls’ education across the Muslim world, has brought together over 150 dignitaries from 44 Muslim and other friendly states, according to the foreign office of Pakistan.
Al-Issa noted all participants of the gathering unanimously agreed on the need for girls’ education.
“They are all here to say with one voice that Islam is innocent of depriving women of education in any field and at any level of education,” he added.
The MWL chief arrived in Pakistan a day earlier and held separate meetings with high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the keynote speaker at the conference’s inaugural session.

Topics: girls education Muslim World League (MWL)

New-look Pakistan squad announced for West Indies Test series

Updated 11 January 2025
AFP
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New-look Pakistan squad announced for West Indies Test series

  • Pakistan will host West Indies for the first time in 19 years, with both Tests held in Multan
  • Shan Masood is retained as skipper despite Pakistan losing both the Tests in South Africa
Updated 11 January 2025
AFP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan selectors Saturday recalled opener Imam-ul-Haq in a new look squad for the two-match Test series against the West Indies starting next week.
The 29-year old Imam has played 24 Tests for Pakistan but was dropped over poor form after a 3-0 defeat in Australia early last year.
The selectors have also named three uncapped players in opener Muhammad Hurraira, wicketkeeper Rohail Nazir and pacer Kashif Ali on the back of their good performances in domestic matches.
Pakistan will host the visitors for the first time in 19 years, with both Tests held in Multan, starting from January 17 and January 25.
Shan Masood is retained as skipper despite Pakistan losing both the Tests in South Africa last week.
Besides Masood, Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan, Noman Ali, and Salman Ali Agha kept their places from the South Africa series.
Off-spinner Sajid Khan and mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed have been recalled to partner with left-arm spinner Noman Ali.
Noman and Sajid took 29 wickets in Pakistan’s 2-1 win over England last year.
Injured opener Saim Ayub is also left out of the Pakistan squad for the West Indies Tests.
Squad: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha.

Topics: Pakistan vs West Indies Pakistan cricket

Efforts underway to free atomic energy workers held by Pakistani Taliban — police

Updated 11 January 2025
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Efforts underway to free atomic energy workers held by Pakistani Taliban — police

  • TTP kidnapped more than a dozen Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission workers from Lakki Marwat this week
  • Police say the militant network has presented demands that are being evaluated by officials and tribal elders
Updated 11 January 2025
REHMAT MEHSUD & NAIMAT KHAN

PESHAWAR/KARCHI: Police in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said on Saturday efforts were being made to secure the safe release of kidnapped workers of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) after a banned militant network released a video featuring some of them while listing demands for their release.
The Pakistani Taliban kidnapped more than a dozen workers of the sensitive government agency responsible for nuclear energy projects from the volatile Lakki Marwat district on Thursday.
Eight of them were later released through joint efforts by tribal elders amid a search operation conducted by police and security forces in the dense forest area where the militants had reportedly taken them.
While the government did not issue a statement on the incident, Shahid Marwat, a police spokesperson in the district, confirmed that a group of nearly 18 “civilians” working on “atomic and mining projects” had been kidnapped by armed gunmen. The militants later shared their credentials on social media, identifying them as PAEC employees.
Speaking to Arab News on Saturday, Marwat said the militants had made demands for the release of the abductees, adding that local elders and officials from security forces and the district administration were holding meetings to ensure their safe release.
“Local elders and police and security officials are evaluating the kidnappers’ demands,” he said. “Efforts are on to secure their safe release at the earliest. So far, officials are busy tackling the issue through negotiations.”
Asked if the video released by the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), featured the kidnapped PAEC workers, he responded affirmatively.
In the video, a man flanked by two others mentions the date, saying: “Today, it is 11th January 2025; this is our third consecutive day in the [Pakistani] Taliban captivity.”
“Day before yesterday, reports emerged that the mujahideen [freedom fighters] had released ‘these people,’ while the reality is that even right now, 10 of us are in their custody.”
He then read out the TTP demands, requesting the government to “immediately” accept them.
The demands included the release of militants arrested in Lakki Marwat, the release of families of militants allegedly in government custody, a commitment not to demolish the homes of militants and their relatives in the future, and compensation for the homes already demolished.
Lakki Marwat is situated on the edge of Pakistan’s northwestern tribal districts bordering Afghanistan, where the TTP has frequently targeted security force convoys and check-posts, in addition to engaging in targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.

Topics: militancy in Pakistan KP militancy

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