KARACHI: The Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD), a non-profit organization dedicated to welfare projects for Pakistanis in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said on Friday its decision in February to collaborate with a Karachi-based education startup would benefit expatriates who have about 20,000 out-of-school children.
PAD, which has been serving overseas Pakistanis in the UAE since 1963, announced plans to work with Learn School Academy, established about four years ago to provide digital schooling to students worldwide.
The Pakistani diaspora in the UAE is the second largest overseas community and one of the oldest expatriate groups in the Arab state.
According to PAD General Secretary Zahid Hassan, about 20,000 expatriate Pakistani children currently remain out of school despite strict reservations by the UAE authorities.
“This project has the potential to make a significant impact on increasing the literacy rate and improving the lives of these children,” he told Arab News on Friday. “PAD aims to facilitate education for overseas Pakistanis in the UAE by partnering with Learn School Academy to provide online tuition to children who are unable to attend traditional schools,” he continued. “With this partnership, we believe we can add even more value for the expatriate community living in the UAE by leveraging our expertise and resources in education.”
The founding CEO of the Pakistani education startup, Wahaj Kayani, explained the high cost of private schools in the UAE was a significant barrier for many Pakistanis to provide education to their children.
“Through this partnership with PAD, we aim to provide a more affordable and accessible solution,” he told Arab News.
“This collaboration is specifically designed to help Pakistani and all other overseas communities gain access to high-quality education at a price point that works for them along with a user-friendly online school model,” he added. “The MoU [memorandum of understanding with PAD] outlines a framework for offering scholarships for online learning, enabling students to benefit from Learn Academy’s curriculum and engaging the platform.”
According to the MoU signed between the two entities, the Pakistani academy will offer a 50 percent discount to PAD, which will bear the fee on behalf of the eligible families to educate their children. Both organizations plan to operationalize their collaboration from the next month.
“We believe this initiative will make a significant contribution to educational attainment in the UAE,” Kayani said. “It will enable students from diverse backgrounds to access quality education, including modern pedagogical approaches like project-based learning. This combination of affordability and innovative learning methods can have a real impact on literacy rates and overall educational achievement.”
Hassan, on the other hand, acknowledged that one project alone could not fully meet the educational needs of the Pakistani community.
“There is a pressing need for more schools to cater to such demands,” he said. “Therefore, PAD is actively exploring the possibility of launching a dream school project in the future to provide a long-term, sustainable solution. Our volunteer education team is fully committed to working on this initiative.”
The project is also Learn School Academy’s first collaboration outside Pakistan.
In addition to the initial launch with PAD, it envisions a deeper and more expansive partnership in the UAE and beyond.
“Looking ahead, we envision replicating this successful model by collaborating with similar organizations in other countries across the globe,” Kayani said. “Our next aim is Saudi Arabia for schooling, followed by the United Kingdom and Canada for Islamic education, which we hope to execute by the start of 2025.”
“Ultimately, our goal is to empower both Pakistani communities abroad and global communities at large by facilitating access to high-quality, affordable education,” he added.
Karachi education startup to help Dubai-based association provide online tuition to expatriate children
https://arab.news/c7v92
Karachi education startup to help Dubai-based association provide online tuition to expatriate children
- The collaboration is expected to benefit the overseas Pakistani community in Dubai, with nearly 20,000 out-of-school children
- The two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding in February and plan to operationalize it from next month
Pakistan elected to UN narcotics commission with top regional vote share
- Pakistan’s term at the commission will begin in 2026 and run through 2029
- Commission members guide global drug policy and tackle transnational crime
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan was elected as a member of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) for a four-year term on Friday, securing the highest number of votes among member states contesting for seats from their respective regional groups, its UN mission said.
The CND, operating under the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), serves as the main policymaking body for international drug control.
Member states of the commission guide global narcotics regulations, including decisions on how certain substances are categorized and controlled.
Pakistan’s inclusion in the commission will allow it to influence international drug policy, particularly on issues affecting regional trafficking routes, public health and transnational crime.
“Pakistan is gratified by the resounding support received from ECOSOC,” the country’s mission to the United Nations said in a statement. “It reflects the confidence and trust reposed in Pakistan to play its active role in the CND as part of global counter narcotics efforts and multilateral policy discourse on drug related issues.”
“Pakistan has been at the forefront of global counter-narcotics efforts, playing a crucial role in combating illicit drug trafficking, production, and abuse,” the statement added.
Pakistan’s new term at the CND will begin in 2026 and continue through 2029.
The country has previously participated in global drug policy forums and says it looks forward to strengthening the role of the CND in ensuring effective and balanced international drug control in line with the UN conventions.
Pakistan urges UN to recover weapons left in Afghanistan, warns militants gaining access
- Pakistan tells the world body TTP and BLA militants are getting support from its ‘principal adversary’
- It maintains militant groups are using new technologies like cryptocurrency to finance their activities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday voiced concern at the United Nations Security Council over militant groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) acquiring sophisticated weapons, urging the international community to recover stockpiles left behind by foreign forces in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has previously highlighted that US-led international forces abandoned automatic assault rifles and night vision devices in Afghanistan during their hurried withdrawal from Kabul in August 2021.
The pullout was widely criticized as unplanned and chaotic, leading to Congressional inquiries in the US and intense criticism of former US President Joe Biden’s administration.
However, the previous American government denied Pakistan’s claims, saying all military hardware was intended for the Afghan National Army, which collapsed as the Taliban seized power. US officials acknowledged that these weapons subsequently fell into the hands of the Taliban.
“We know that non-state actors do not have many of the capabilities to manufacture advanced illicit arms, thus raising questions of culpability of certain state actors in these nefarious activities,” Syed Atif Raza, Counsellor at Pakistan’s UN Mission, said during a UNSC meeting on small arms and light weapons management.
“Pakistan is concerned at the acquisition and use of modern and sophisticated illicit arms by terrorist groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a UN-listed terrorist organization, which operates with impunity from Afghanistan, as well as the so-called Baloch Liberation Army and Majeed Brigade,” he added.
Raza noted these militant groups possessed lethal weapons left in Afghanistan that were now used against civilians and Pakistan’s armed forces.
“We call upon our international partners to recover the vast stockpile of abandoned weapons, prevent their access to armed groups and take measures to close this thriving black market of illicit arms,” he added.
Pakistan has witnessed a significant uptick in militant violence in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan in recent years.
The Pakistani diplomat asserted that militants receive external support and financing from Pakistan’s “principal adversary,” alluding to India.
He also highlighted that the evolving nature of warfare and new technologies posed challenges in combating the proliferation of increasingly lethal small arms.
“Criminal groups and terrorists are leveraging new technologies such as cryptocurrency for anonymous transactions by using the dark web to evade detection,” Raza said, adding that these technologies also offered more tools to law enforcement to address the situation.
Pakistan forms committee to assess impact of US tariffs, craft policy response
- President Trump announced ‘reciprocal tariffs’ on several countries this week, including a 29 percent levy on Pakistani goods
- The move is expected to hit Pakistan’s textile sector and undermine the country’s efforts to stabilize its fragile economy
KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a high-level steering committee led by the finance chief to assess the impact of a 29 percent tariff imposed by the United States on Pakistani goods and devise a policy response, according to a government notification this week.
The development follows US President Donald Trump’s announcement Wednesday of “reciprocal tariffs” on several countries, a move widely seen as a blow to the global economy still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump defended the decision as necessary to correct trade imbalances and what he described as unfair treatment of American goods abroad.
Pakistan’s inclusion in the list of affected nations is of particular concern as the South Asian nation is seeking to boost its export-led growth. The US remains Pakistan’s top export destination, and the imposition of the 29 percent tariff threatens to undercut Islamabad’s fragile recovery efforts.
“Prime Minister has been pleased to constitute steering committee for in-depth analysis and policy responses to recently announced US Reciprocal Tariffs,” read a notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday.
The committee, chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, will supervise a working group led by the commerce secretary and finalize policy recommendations.
It will also be responsible for engaging with US officials as needed and updating the prime minister on related developments and initiatives.
According to data from Pakistan’s central bank, the country exported $5.44 billion worth of goods to the US last year.
During the current fiscal, exports to the US reached $4 billion from July 2024 to February 2025, up 10 percent from the same period the previous year.
Textiles account for nearly 90 percent of Pakistan’s exports to the US and are expected to be hardest hit by the new tariffs.
Officials fear the increased cost burden could weaken Pakistan’s position in its main overseas markets, especially if competitors like China, Bangladesh and Vietnam begin diverting goods to Europe after facing steeper tariffs in the US.
The tariff decision is also expected to hamper Pakistan’s broader efforts to stabilize its economy with the support of International Monetary Fund programs.
Global financial markets fell sharply on Friday after China vowed to retaliate with 34 percent tariffs on American goods, raising concerns of an escalating trade war and potential global recession.
Pakistan chasing 265 to win shortened third New Zealand ODI
- The match has been reduced to 42 overs each after a wet outfield delayed the start of the play
- New Zealand have an unassailable 2-0 lead after winning the first two matches by 73 and 84 runs
MOUNT MAUGANUI, New Zealand: Rhys Mariu scored a maiden half-century as New Zealand posted 264-8 off 42 overs Saturday in the rain-shortened third one-day international against Pakistan in Mount Maunganui.
Captain Michael Bracewell also surpassed 50 as the home side set a competitive total in their bid to sweep the three-match series.
The contest was reduced to 42 overs each after a wet outfield at Bay Oval delayed the start of play by nearly two hours.
Opener Mariu, playing just his second international match, scored a composed 58 off 61 balls, featuring six fours and two sixes.
A number of New Zealand middle-order batsmen made starts but didn’t press on for big scores until Bracewell produced a flashy 59 at the death.
The skipper struck six sixes in his 40-ball knock before being caught off the last ball of the innings bowled by Akif Javed.
Seamer Javed took 4-62 off his eight overs although Naseem Shah was arguably the best of the Pakistan bowlers, taking 2-54 and bowling with good pace and movement.
Pakistan will attempt to salvage some pride with the bat in the final match of an unsuccessful tour.
They lost the first ODI in Napier by 73 runs and the second in Hamilton by 84 runs, having been defeated 4-1 in the T20 series.
Pakistan says two militants killed in Balochistan amid ongoing separatist violence
- The military says both militants were ‘actively involved in numerous terrorist activities’ in the area
- Shehbaz Sharif applauds the security forces for the operation, vows to eliminate militant violence
KARACHI: Pakistani security forces on Friday killed two militants during an intelligence-based operation in the southwestern Balochistan province, the military said, as the region continues to experience an uptick in separatist attacks.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by landmass and rich in mineral resources, has faced a low-level insurgency for nearly two decades. Baloch separatist groups accuse the central government of exploiting local resources, such as gold and copper, without benefiting the local population.
Islamabad denies the allegations, saying it is committed to improving the lives of local residents in the province through various development projects.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement security forces conducted the operation in Kech District on the reported presence of militants.
“During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location and after an intense fire exchange, two terrorists were sent to hell,” said the statement.
“The killed terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area against the law enforcement agencies as well as the innocent civilians,” it added.
The ISPR said a “sanitization operation” was continuing in the area to eliminate any remaining militants.
It maintained that Pakistani forces were “determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan.”
Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for carrying out the operation.
“The nation is proud of the bravery of our officers and soldiers,” he said in a statement circulated by his office.
“Our war against terrorism will continue until it is completely eradicated from the country,” he added.
