Pakistan

Rawalpindi ( WNAM REPORT ): Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff, visited flood affected areas of Punjab including Sialkot Sector, Shakargarh, Narowal and Kartarpur. The visit was aimed to review the flood situation and the ongoing rescue and relief efforts. COAS was given a comprehensive brief on the prevailing situation and the preparations for the next spell of rains. COAS appreciated the troops and the civil administration for their coordinated and untiring efforts in rescuing and providing relief to the masses in affected areas.

COAS also interacted with the affected Sikh community of the area and assured the community that all religious sites affected during floods, including Durbar Sahib Kartarpur, will be completely revived to their original condition at priority. He reiterated that it is the responsibility of the state and its institutions to protect the minorities and their religious sites and the state of Pakistan will leave no stone unturned to uphold its responsibility towards the minorities. The Sikh Community welcomed the arrival of COAS with warmth at the flood affected areas of Sialkot Sector. The Sikh Community thanked the Army Chief for the services being extended by the civil administration and the Army during the calamity. COAS also undertook the aerial flyover of Durbar Sahib Kartarpur.

During interaction with representatives of civil administration, COAS appreciated the proactive response which helped minimise the loss of lives and property.

While interacting with troops, the COAS commended their high morale, operational readiness, and commitment for serving the nation. He appreciated their services for the people during rescue and relief operations under challenging circumstances.

Upon his arrival, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir was received by Corps Commander Gujranwala.

WNAM REPORT: Wajiha Qamar, Minister of State, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, reaffirmed the government’s resolve to scale up school meals programmes nationwide. “When I meet children across Pakistan, I see the difference a simple meal in school can make – it brings children to the classroom, keeps them healthy, and gives their families hope. As we take Pakistan’s voice and commitment to the Global Summit on School Meals in Brazil, we will show the world how investing in school meals is investing in children’s dreams. No child in Pakistan should ever be denied the chance to learn and thrive because of hunger,” she said. “School meals are one of the most powerful investments a country can make in its children, with far-reaching multiplier effects that improve education, nutrition, and health, while also strengthening local economies and benefiting entire communities. A school meals pilot is already underway in Balochistan – and after just one year, it has shown remarkable results: enrolment up by 45 percent and daily attendance by nearly 30 percent. As we prepare to take Pakistan’s voice to the Global School Meals Summit in Brazil, we bring with us a roadmap designed by Pakistan, for Pakistan, to show how school meals can transform the trajectory of millions of children’s lives and secure a brighter future for the nation,” said Coco Ushiyama, WFP Representative and Country Director in Pakistan. The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training convened a strategic event on ‘Advancing National Commitments ahead of the Global School Meals Summit’ in partnership with the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety/Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), the Office of the Senate Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Pakistan, and key development partners. The event brought together senior policymakers, parliamentarians, and development partners to accelerate Pakistan’s progress on school meals and reaffirm commitments ahead of the Second Global School Meals Summit in Brazil on 18–19 September 2025. Pakistan joined the Global School Meals Coalition in 2021 with a pledge that every child will receive a healthy, nutritious meal in school by 2030. Building on this, the Second National Consultation on School Meals in June 2025 saw all provinces and regions commit to expanding school meal programmes. Today’s event focused on consolidating these commitments into a National Action Plan and shaping Pakistan’s joint declaration for the Global Summit, with priority actions including the development of a National School Meal Roadmap, the institutionalization of school meals in national policies and plans, and the establishment of a federal–interprovincial platform to drive coordination and accountability. Pakistan faces an urgent challenge: more than 25 million children remain out of school. In response, the Prime Minister declared an Education Emergency in May 2024 and established a National Taskforce to accelerate solutions. School meals are a key element to this response, improving children’s nutrition and health, boosting attendance, enhancing learning outcomes, and easing the financial burden on low-income families. As part of the National Education Policy Development Framework (NEPDF) 2024, school meals are now firmly embedded within the country’s education priorities, alongside access, quality, and equity in education.

WNAM REPORT: Pakistan Navy has successfully relinquished command of Combined Task Force 151. Commodore Sohail Ahmad Azmie of Pakistan Navy handed over the Command to Rear Admiral Marcelo Lancellotti of Brazilian Navy. The ceremony was presided by Vice Admiral George Wikoff, Commander of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), at HQ CMF, Bahrain.

Since assuming the command in January 2025, Pakistan Navy led CTF-151 mission, built and maintained close partnerships with regional and international navies especially European Union Naval Forces’ Operation ATALANTA. The coordination was manifested by coordinated patrols such as the ENDURING RESOLVE and the OCEAN WATCH. Hallmark of the tenure was professional conduct of Focused OPERATION SEA SPIRIT, where CTF-151 marshalled 13 CMF partner nations, naval assets from 6 countries, and 8 Regional Coordination Centres. To strengthen CMF’s objectives, Cdre Sohail Ahmad Azmie conducted a series of Key Leadership Engagements across the region that reinforced the importance of collaboration in promoting maritime security.

Expressing his thoughts on his tenure as Commander CTF 151, Cdre Sohail Ahmad Azmie thanked his staff and international partners especially Republic of Korea and Japan for their consistent commitment. He further added that PN takes pride in its active participation within CMF and its efforts reflect a steadfast commitment to contribute towards regional maritime security.

The incoming Commander CTF 151, Rear Admiral Marcelo Lancellotti expressed his gratitude to Pakistan Navy and remarked that together with CMF nations we will strengthen cooperation and ensure the safety of maritime commons.

CTF 151 was established as a multinational task force in January 2009, and is one of five operational task forces under CMF. In conjunction with the European Union Naval Force and together with independently deployed naval ships, CTF 151 helps to patrol the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor.

The ceremony was attended by various dignitaries including Ambassadors from Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Japan and Federative Republic of Brazil, Deputy Head of Mission from Republic of Korea.

WNAM REPORT: The Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS), Islamabad, convened a
Roundtable Conference on ‘Weaponising Information: Media Strategies in Modern Warfare’ on 27th August 2025. The discussion highlighted the rising significance of information as a weapon conflicts, especially in the wake of the May 2025 India–Pakistan escalation. The event was attended by members of academia and intellectuals. CASS is an independent think tank that continues to arrange academic
events for academia and practitioners interested in National Security in its wider context. The moderator of the conference, Air Marshal Zahid Mehmood (Retd), Senior Directorat CASS Islamabad, set the tone by  underscoring the centrality of media in modern warfare and its decisive impact on public perception and battlefield outcomes. Stressing the need for moving beyond reactive responses, he emphasised the importance of proactive media strategies to strengthen Pakistan’s resilience against future crises.
Mr Amer Zafar Durrani, Founding President of Reenergia and keynote speaker, highlighted the weaponisation of information as a decisive factor in modern conflict, operating across content, distribution, and cognition. He called for a Joint Information Operations Coordination Cell under the National Security Council, supported by AIpowered detection systems tailored to local contexts. Stressing the importance of verification, provenance tagging, and pre-bunking, he urged policies that counter foreign influence operations while safeguarding civil liberties. He concluded by emphasising
digital literacy, regional alliances, and stress-tested protocols as the foundations of
Pakistan’s resilience in the information domain.
The second keynote speaker, Mr Rehman Azhar, journalist and anchor at Express News, traced the role of media in the recent Indo-Pak May 2025 conflict, highlighting the Indian media’s reliance on sensationalism under the patronage of the far-right BJP government.
He observed that Indian media, unlike its Pakistani counterpart, is not war-savvy and thus resorted to exaggerated false claims of victory in the recent conflict. Pointing to the rapid evolution of tools such as bots and deepfakes, he stressed that information warfare is highly dynamic and demands a proactive approach. He concluded by stressing the importance of the media taking an active role in the pre-bunking stage, rather than playing only a reactive role once crises unfold.
In his concluding remarks, Air Marshal Javaid Ahmed (Retd), President CASS, thanked the speakers for their practical and academic insights. He stressed that while India had invested heavily in media preparations to project a narrative of dominance in the May 2025 conflict, it was Pakistan’s tactical performance in the one-hour aerial combat and the professional press briefings by the Pakistan Armed Forces that decisively shifted the information battle. He emphasised that this experience underlines the need for Pakistan to institutionalise media preparedness as a core element of national security strategy

WNAM REPORT: President of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), Usman Shaukat, called on Federal Minister for Commerce, Jam Kamal Khan, at the Ministry of Commerce to discuss strategies for strengthening export-led growth and enhancing regional trade.
The meeting focused on RCCI’s upcoming trade delegation to Bangladesh, aimed at exploring new regional markets and tapping into non-conventional sectors, including pharmaceuticals. With bilateral trade currently below $1 billion, RCCI’s initiative to lead an exporters’ delegation underscores its commitment to deepening trade ties and creating new business avenues.
The planned delegation visit and business opportunities conference will provide a platform for industrial collaborations, joint ventures, technology transfer, business-to-business (B2B) linkages, and chamber-to-chamber partnerships. RCCI President Usman Shaukat briefed the Minister on these initiatives and their potential to boost bilateral economic cooperation.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries, Haroon Akhtar Khan, RCCI Senior Vice President Khalid Faroo Qazi, and senior government officials also attended the meeting.
Federal Minister Jam Kamal Khan and SAPM Haroon Akhtar Khan assured their full support for RCCI’s initiatives. The Minister shared insights from his recent visit to Bangladesh, where he met with senior advisers on industries, food, and commerce, along with prominent business leaders and chambers. He emphasized that these engagements have laid the groundwork for enhanced bilateral trade and new opportunities for collaboration between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

WNAM REPORT : Member of the Senate of Spain, Vicente Azpitarte Pérez, Thursday called on Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and discussed matters of mutual interests.

During the meeting, they discussed the importance of strengthening parliamentary exchanges and enhancing cooperation between Pakistan and Spain in political, economic, and cultural fields.

The deputy PM appreciated Senator Pérez’s efforts in promoting parliamentary linkages.

Senator Pérez also extended an invitation to DPM Ishaq Dar to visit Spain.

WNAM REPORT: The Cabinet Committee on State Owned Enterprises (CCoSOEs) met today under the chairmanship of the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb.

The Committee considered a single-point agenda regarding the reconstitution of the Board of Directors of National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK). On the recommendation of the Board Nomination Committee, made in compliance with the provisions of the State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) Act, 2023, the Committee approved the panel comprising Javaid Aslam, Muhammad Ali, Pir Saad Ahsanuddin, Omar Hassan and Shahana Ahmad Ali, in view of their strong professional credentials and relevant expertise.

The Committee further observed that, given the significance and urgency attached to the constitution of Boards of Directors of State-Owned Enterprises, the selection and scrutiny of nominations must be undertaken in a timely and coordinated manner by the concerned departments and agencies so as to avoid inordinate delays in the process.

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Housing and Works Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Khalid Hussain Magsi, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, along with federal secretaries and senior officials from the concerned ministries, departments and regulatory institutions.

ISLAMABAD ( WNAM REPORT ): The China Program at the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), Islamabad, hosted a high-level seminar on “China’s Mediation Diplomacy and the IOMeD Initiative: Global Dispute Resolution in a Multipolar Era.” Experts, mediators, and policymakers discussed the significance of the newly established International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) and its potential role in reshaping global dispute resolution.
Delivering the welcome remarks, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, President of IRS, highlighted China’s efforts to promote a stable and collaborative world through dialogue and mediation. He described IOMed as a key step in strengthening global governance and noted that traditional mechanisms, such as the UN Security Council, have often struggled to resolve conflicts, citing examples like Gaza, South Asia, and Jammu and Kashmir. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting China in initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative, Global Development Initiative, and Global Security Initiative.
Building on this, Mr. Murtaza Solangi, Spokesperson to the President of Pakistan and former Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, underlined that China, as a civilizational power, has long upheld traditions of harmony and conciliation. He observed that both Chinese and South Asian cultures emphasize settlement before judgment. Referring to the launch of IOMed in Hong Kong, joined by 33 founding members including Pakistan, he explained that its mandate covers both state-to-state and international commercial disputes. He stressed that mediation outcomes are built through dialogue and mutual understanding rather than imposed rulings. Moreover, he said Pakistan stands to benefit directly, as mediation lowers costs, shortens timelines, and protects sensitive economic and political relationships. Citing China’s role in facilitating Saudi-Iran rapprochement, he underscored that Pakistan, as China’s “iron brother,” continues to learn from this tradition of win-win solutions.
Adding a diplomatic perspective, Mr. Shi Yuanqiang, Deputy Head of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, said the signing of the IOMed Convention by China and Pakistan marked the establishment of the world’s first intergovernmental body dedicated exclusively to mediation. He stressed that this milestone coincided with the 80th anniversary of the victory in the anti-fascist war and the founding of the United Nations, reinforcing the UN Charter’s call to preserve peace and security. Warning that power politics and coercion are eroding trust among nations, he called for reforms in global governance. He emphasized China’s consistent role as a peacebuilder and defender of international order, and praised Pakistan’s active support as a founding member, reaffirming Beijing’s readiness to work with Pakistan and the Global South to safeguard peace, fairness, and justice.
Further elaborating on the legal dimension, Mr. Ahmer Bilal Soofi, distinguished lawyer and international law expert, noted that no other permanent member of the UN Security Council has engaged in mediation as consistently as China. He said IOMed is unique in being the first institution devoted exclusively to interstate mediation, offering flexibility and informality particularly suitable for technical disputes such as water sharing, transit, and trade. He urged Pakistani policymakers to consider referring regional disputes to IOMed, stressing that mediation resonates with local traditions such as jirgas. He added that China’s vision of a “shared future for humanity” represents a narrative of collective prosperity, endorsing IOMed as a critical opportunity for the Global South.
Echoing this, Ms. Riffat Inam Butt, the first Secretary of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, emphasized that mediation is emerging as the most viable path at a time when litigation and adjudication are increasingly paralyzed by geopolitics. She said IOMed reflects a shift from the Global South being “rule-takers” to “rule-shapers.” She argued that IOMed’s legitimacy should be built pragmatically, beginning with commercial disputes to secure early credibility, while avoiding pitfalls such as weak enforcement and perceptions of bias. Drawing parallels with Pakistan’s Trade Dispute Resolution Commission, she underlined its potential to serve as a national counterpart aligned with IOMed’s vision.
Expanding on the institutional context, Mr. Hamid Sharif, President, Global Think Tank Network, Member, International Expert Committee, Supreme People’s Court, China, said IOMed reflects a global shift from adversarial litigation to consensual mediation. He noted skepticism in the developing world toward arbitration forums often perceived as Western-oriented, expensive, and biased. Unlike litigation, he said, mediation requires the consent of parties and enables win-win outcomes. Situating IOMed within the realities of multipolarity and the weaponization of sanctions, he described it as both complementary to existing mechanisms and an alternative model of dispute resolution.
Analyzing the initiative in international relations perspective, Dr. Bilal Zubair, Director (Research) at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), said the liberal international order is in decline, creating instability worldwide. He noted that China’s initiatives, including the Global Development and Global Security Initiatives, reflect a vision of inclusive growth. He emphasized that IOMed is rooted in China’s cultural traditions of harmony and balance, explaining why many Global South countries, particularly in Africa, have supported it. He identified flexibility, multilevel engagement, and development-oriented approaches as the three core features of China’s mediation strategy, adding that IOMed represents a timely and positive step toward addressing protracted conflicts.
During the Q&A session, participants raised questions on the enforceability of mediation outcomes, the role of regional organizations, and Pakistan’s potential to leverage IOMed for long-standing disputes. Speakers underscored that building trust, ensuring neutrality, and linking mediation with development goals will be crucial for IOMed’s credibility.
In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem thanked the speakers and participants, reiterating IRS’s commitment to fostering informed dialogue on emerging global governance mechanisms. He emphasized that IOMed is not just a Chinese initiative but a global public good, especially relevant for the Global South.

ISLAMABAD: ( WNAM REPORT ): In a significant step towards expanding Pakistan’s economic outreach in Africa, Ambassador Naeem Khan, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Rwanda, Angola and Burundi has underscored the vast potential for trade and investment between the two countries.

Currently undergoing a high-level leadership and management course in Pakistan Administrative Staff College in Lahore, Ambassador Khan shared his vision for stronger bilateral cooperation during a meeting with a delegation of Islamabad-based businessmen. The delegation comprised Chaudhry Mohammad Waseem, Executive Member ICCI, Chaudhry Mohammad Irfan, CEO Hammad Transformer Company, and Chaudhry Shamraiz.

They briefed the Ambassador on their recent visit to Kigali, where they explored avenues for collaboration and identified promising sectors for joint ventures. The delegation highlighted Pakistan’s strong export potential—particularly from Islamabad—in sectors ranging from manufacturing to services, expressing optimism that their engagements in Rwanda would open the door for mutually beneficial partnerships.

Ambassador Naeem Khan assured the delegation of his full support in bridging the business communities of both countries. He emphasized that Rwanda, being one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies, offered a wealth of untapped opportunities for Pakistani investors. He invited the business community to fully utilize the Embassy’s resources, reiterating his passion and commitment to promoting Pakistan’s trade and investment potential not only in Rwanda but across the African region.

The visiting businessmen appreciated the Ambassador’s proactive approach and dedication, acknowledging his efforts to create new pathways for economic cooperation. They expressed confidence that under his leadership, Pakistan’s private sector would be able to access Rwanda’s dynamic market and forge lasting trade linkages.

As Pakistan and Rwanda explore new opportunities for collaboration, this meeting marks an important milestone in unlocking Africa’s emerging markets for Pakistani businesses. With the Ambassador at the forefront, the prospects for a thriving Pakistan–Rwanda economic partnership appear stronger than ever.