ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Wednesday announced its decision to allow nearly 100 medical students from Gaza to complete their education in the country, as Israel’s war against the residents of the Palestinian enclave enters its tenth month.
The PMDC, a statutory regulatory authority that oversees medical and dental professions in Pakistan, discussed the issue in a recent meeting following a request by Pakistan’s High Commissioner in London to accommodate these students in medical universities within the country.
Israel besieged the Gaza Strip, launching airstrikes and ground offensive, after a surprise attack was initiated by Hamas on October 7, 2023, in what it said was in response to the deteriorating condition of Palestinian people under Israeli occupation.
So far, nearly 38,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the war, prompting much of the international community to criticize Israel’s “disproportionate response” and accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration of committing “genocide.”
“This Council’s decision enables Gaza students to continue their medical education in Pakistan on humanitarian grounds, ensuring that their studies are not interrupted due to the challenging circumstances in their home country,” the PMDC said in a statement.
“Students will be coming in batches of 20-30, with an expected number of 100 students,” it continued.
The PMDC maintained receiving medical education from Pakistan would provide the Palestinian students numerous benefits which they would take back with them to their country, impacting their communities and the overall health care system in Gaza.
“Exposure to various medical specialties during their education in Pakistan will allow students to pursue specific areas of interest,” the statement said. “They will gain back specialized skills in fields such as cardiology, orthopedics, oncology, pediatrics, or surgery, addressing critical needs in Gaza’s health care system.”
Several international media outlets have reported significant destruction of hospitals and universities in Gaza.
The World Health Organization and other sources have documented severe damage to the area’s health care facilities, including the largest hospital, Al-Shifa, which has been rendered non-functional due to extensive damage in the ongoing conflict.
There have also been widespread reports of substantial damage to educational institutions along with reports of deliberate targeting of Palestinian academics.
Pakistan to host Gaza medical students as Israel’s war enters tenth month
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Pakistan to host Gaza medical students as Israel’s war enters tenth month
- Pakistan Medical and Dental Council says the decision will enable students from Gaza to continue their education ‘on humanitarian grounds’
- It maintains Palestinian students will be able to take back medical expertise to their country and benefit their communities, health care system
UAE team certifies aviation security at Islamabad, Karachi airports meets international standards
- Authorities in Pakistan say the assessment was part of effort made by the two states to enhance aviation security
- The official UAE delegation of experts stayed in the country for about a week to evaluate the two aviation facilities
ISLAMABAD: The United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (UAE-GCAA) team has testified aviation security at Pakistan’s northern and southeastern airports of Islamabad and Karachi meets international standards, an official statement said on Friday, after completing its inspection aimed at improving security protocols in the country.
Pakistan’s aviation protocols faced significant scrutiny in 2020 following a scandal where approximately 262 out of 860 active pilots were said to have obtained fake licenses, leading to the grounding of around 150 pilots from Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other carriers.
This revelation came in the wake of the tragic crash of PIA Flight 8303 in Karachi, resulting in the suspension of PIA’s operations in the EU and other regions and prompting calls for regulatory reforms to improve safety standards and transparency.
The two-member official delegation from the UAE, led by a senior GCAA director, Abdullah Al Kaabi, arrived in Pakistan last month for a week-long assessment of the two aviation facilities in the country. They visited the federal capital before continuing their visit to the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.
“Security protocols are in line with international standards and prevailing best practices,” the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) quoted Al Kaabi as saying. “The visit of the UAE-GCAA team has been completed.”
The statement said the two-member delegation inspected various areas at the airports including passenger and baggage screening apart from the cargo and catering facilities. It added that they also reviewed direct flights coming from the UAE, ground handling and cargo agents of the flight.
The team also examined security access to airports and aircraft security checks. Its members expressed satisfaction with the security protocols and applauded the workings of Airport Security Force, cargo companies and other stakeholders.
The PCAA said the UAE-GCAA visit was the first of its kind, describing it as a continuation of the assessments conducted by the United Kingdom Department of Transport this year.
Pakistan and the UAE enjoy decades-old fraternal relations. Several airlines operate multiple flights per day connecting Pakistan’s major cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar to the UAE’s Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai.
Pakistan’s DealCart raises $3 mln in funding round led by prominent Middle East investment fund
- DealCart aims to provide affordable daily essential products to underserved communities in Pakistan through a gamified and interactive platform
- The Pakistani startup helps unlock more value by sourcing products directly from manufacturers and collaborating with locally manufactured brands
ISLAMABAD: DealCart, a Pakistani e-commerce startup focused on transforming the way consumers access essential goods, has successfully raised $3 million in a funding round led by leading Middle East investment fund, Shorooq Partners, the startup said on Friday.
DealCart aims to provide affordable daily essential products to underserved communities in Pakistan through a gamified and interactive platform. The startup helps unlock more value by enabling users to “buy together and save together,” sourcing products directly from manufacturers and collaborating with locally manufactured brands.
Founded in 2017, Shorooq Partners is a leading alternative investment manager across the Middle East and North Africa region, with its venture capital and private credit funds investing in innovative technology companies. The firm has built deep sectoral expertise in fintech, platforms, software, gaming, and Web3.0, and has backed market-leading disruptors.
The funding round also saw participation from Sturgeon Capital, 500 Global, Evolution VC, Rayn Capital and Khyber Venture Partners, and the capital infusion will help DealCart expand its reach and provide affordable essential goods to low- and middle-income consumers across Pakistan, according to the e-commerce startup.
“This investment from Shorooq Partners is a testament to the potential of DealCart to revolutionize the way Pakistani consumers shop for essentials,” DealCart founders Haider Raza and Ammar Naveed said in a statement. “Our goal is to make everyday necessities more affordable and accessible, and this funding will help us get closer to that vision.”
Pakistan’s has for months been facing high inflation, which soared past 30 percent in 2023, putting significant financial strain on a majority of households.
DealCart aims to ease this financial burden by sourcing products directly from manufacturers and targets consumers who spend about 50 to 60 percent of their income on groceries and essentials, helping them save more and invest in a better future. The company also targets a digitally sophisticated younger population that prefers online retail spaces, according to the statement.
Despite rapid e-commerce growth in neighboring India, Pakistan’s e-commerce sector has lagged and to boost digital transactions and stimulate e-commerce, the State Bank of Pakistan introduced RAAST, an online instant payment platform, that has positioned DealCart to address market gaps.
“DealCart has identified a market gap and is developing a distinctive approach to social commerce and providing affordable essentials to most consumers, an approach that aligns with our mission to support market-leading disruptors,” said Omer Zabit, principal at Shorooq Partners.
“We believe this investment will enable DealCart to scale rapidly and significantly impact the lives of millions in Pakistan.”
Pakistan congratulates Labour Party’s Keir Starmer on UK election win
- Jaded electorate handed Labour landslide victory, punishing Conservatives for 14 years of economic and political upheaval
- Conservatives set to have seats in House of Commons cut down to around 130, worst in party’s two-century history
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Pakistani Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday congratulated Labour Party leader Keir Starmer for his historic victory in British elections, emphasizing the “deep-rooted and broad-based” ties between the two nations.
Britain’s Labour Party swept to power after more than a decade in opposition, as a jaded electorate handed the party a landslide victory, punishing the governing Conservatives after 14 years of economic and political upheaval. With almost all the results in, Labour had won 410 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons and the Conservatives 118.
Starmer will officially become prime minister later in the day, leading his party back to government less than five years after it suffered its worst defeat in almost a century. But he won’t become prime minister until a carefully choreographed ceremony during which King Charles III will formally ask him to form a new government.
“I extend my heartfelt felicitations to Keir Starmer, Leader of The Labour Party on the historic victory in the parliamentary election in the United Kingdom,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) quoted Dar as saying in a post on X. “Pakistan and UK share deep-rooted and broad-based ties founded in shared history and people-to-people contacts.”
The deputy PM expressed confidence in enhancing and strengthening bilateral relations between both countries under Starmer’s leadership, adding that the two countries would work together for global peace, prosperity and development.
As votes came in, British PM Rishi Sunak left the prime minister’s residence and headed to Buckingham Palace to offer his resignation to King Charles III. He said earlier he took responsibility for his party’s loss and that he had called Starmer to congratulate him.
After more than a decade in power under five different prime ministers, Sunak ‘s Conservatives are set to have their seats in the 650-seat House of Commons cut down to around 130. That would be the Tories’ worst result in the party’s two-century history and one that would leave the party in disarray.
Britain has experienced a run of turbulent years — some of it of the Conservatives’ own making and some of it not — that has left many voters pessimistic about their country’s future. The UK’s exit from the European Union followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine battered the economy, while lockdown-breaching parties held by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff caused widespread resentment and anger.
With inputs from AP
Three killed, five injured in roadside blast in northwest Pakistan
- The improvised explosive device targeted an auto-rickshaw in the Mardan district
- No group claimed responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on Pakistani Taliban
PESHAWAR: Three people were killed and five others were injured in a remote-controlled roadside blast in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Friday, police said.
The improvised explosive device (IED) targeted an auto-rickshaw in KP’s Mardan district, according to police and rescue officials.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has claimed dozens of attacks in the region.
“The IED targeted a Tez Raftar rickshaw near Jalala Bridge in Takht Bhai tehsil of Mardan district,” District Police Officer Zahoor Afridi told Arab News. “Three persons died and five others were injured due to the blast.”
Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson for the Rescue 1122 service, said the injured persons were rushed to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Takht Bhai and Mardan Medical Complex. “One person succumbed to injuries during treatment,” he added.
Pakistan has witnessed a renewed surge in militant violence in its two western provinces, KP and Balochistan, since the TTP called off its fragile truce with the government in November 2022.
Earlier this month, a policeman and a paramilitary soldier were killed after militants attacked a check-post in KP’s Khyber district. In June, seven Pakistani soldiers, including an army captain, were killed in a roadside blast in the Lakki Marwat district of the province.
Islamabad has blamed the surge in violence on militants operating out of neighboring Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegation and says rising violence in Pakistan is a domestic issue of Islamabad.
Pakistan’s Punjab seeks social media ban over security concerns during Muharram processions
- The measure is aimed at protecting the Shi’ite minority from sectarian violence, the provincial government said
- Civil and rights groups have criticized the ban as an attack on freedom of speech and access to information
LAHORE: Pakistan’s largest province of Punjab is proposing a ban on all social media platforms for six days due to security concerns during thousands of religious processions which start next week, its information minister Uzma Bukhari said on Friday.
The proposal relates to Muharram’s Ashura processions, 10 days of mourning by minority Shiite Muslims. The event is the holiest in the Shiite calendar and commemorates the 7th century death of political and religious leader Hussain Ibn Ali.
Hussain was grandson of the Muslims’ last Prophet Muhammad.
“It is a recommendation, and no decision has so far been taken,” Bukhari told Reuters, adding that the government had received reports of some sectarian issues on social media which he said could “put the country on fire.”
The measure is aimed at protecting the minority from sectarian violence, the provincial government wrote in a letter to Pakistan’s interior ministry on Thursday.
The letter, which was seen by Reuters, said social media platforms such as “Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Tiktok be suspended across the province of Punjab ... in order to control hate material/misinformation.”
The interior ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Pakistan has blocked access to X since its February election, which the interior ministry said in a court submission in April was due to national security concerns.
Civil and rights groups have criticized the ban as an attack on freedom of speech and access to information in a highly polarized country amid allegations of election fraud.
Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party has said that the suspension of cell phone service on the election day followed by the X ban was an attempt to hurt his supporters, who rely heavily on social media.
A court is due to rule on the last of Khan’s many convictions on July 12, the first day of the latest proposed ban. It was not clear whether the proposal is related to any likely threat of protests by his supporters.
