741 dangerous buildings identified across Sindh

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide held talks on Friday and reviewed bilateral relations, regional security and cooperation against terrorism. The meeting focused particularly on security concerns linked to Afghanistan. Naqvi told the Norwegian minister that militant groups were continuing to use Afghan territory for attacks inside Pakistan. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in counterterrorism and other security-related areas. They also discussed preventing illegal immigration, police training and mutual legal assistance. The Afghan situation was another key issue during the meeting. Pakistani officials briefed the Norwegian side about activities of banned organisations operating from Afghan territory and their alleged involvement in terrorism in Pakistan. Naqvi stressed the need for coordinated international efforts to eliminate terrorism. He said Pakistan was playing an important role in preventing terrorist threats from spreading beyond the region. Eide praised Pakistan’s role in the ongoing US-Iran conflict and described its approach as constructive and active. Illegal migration to Europe was also discussed. Naqvi said Pakistan had introduced strict measures against illegal migration and that these efforts had resulted in a 47 per cent decline in illegal migration from Pakistan to Europe. He said Pakistan had adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards illegal migration. He added that encouraging legal migration was essential to address the issue effectively. According to Pakistani officials, the European Union had also recognised Islamabad’s measures against illegal migration. The two ministers also discussed broader steps to improve relations between Pakistan and Norway. Eide appreciated the contribution of the Pakistani community in Norway, particularly its role in politics, healthcare and other sectors. Naqvi described Eide’s visit as an important opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties and expand cooperation between the two countries. Eide is on a two-day visit to Pakistan. His trip is the first visit by a Norwegian foreign minister to the country in around a decade. During his engagements on Thursday, Eide met senior Pakistani civilian and military officials. Discussions covered trade, investment, technology, climate resilience, maritime cooperation, skilled labour and security. Both sides also exchanged views on developments in the region and explored areas where Pakistan and Norway can further expand cooperation.

QUETTA: A sudden suspension of mobile phone and internet services has disrupted daily activities across Quetta, leaving residents struggling to communicate, conduct business and access essential online services. The connectivity shutdown affected a wide range of people, including students, healthcare professionals, traders, delivery workers and journalists. Many residents were unable to make calls, send messages or use internet-based services. Students were among those facing major difficulties. Those relying on online classes and digital learning platforms could not access study material or communicate with teachers and classmates. The disruption also affected students preparing assignments and completing other academic tasks online. The outage created problems for healthcare workers as well. Doctors, medical staff and patients often depend on mobile phones and internet services for communication. The interruption made it harder to coordinate with colleagues, contact patients and exchange important medical information. Businesses and traders also faced disruptions. Many shops and small businesses now depend on digital payments, online orders and messaging applications. The suspension affected their ability to communicate with customers and manage routine transactions. Delivery riders were particularly affected because they rely heavily on mobile applications and phone calls to receive orders, locate customers and coordinate deliveries. The loss of connectivity made these routine tasks considerably more difficult. The shutdown also created challenges for journalists reporting from Quetta. Reporters faced difficulties contacting sources, verifying information and sending updates from the field. The lack of reliable communication can slow down coverage, particularly when events are developing quickly. For ordinary residents, the disruption meant difficulty staying in touch with family members, friends and colleagues. People who depend on mobile services for work and other essential activities were forced to deal with additional inconvenience.

The Sindh government has approved the introduction of a Facial Recognition Attendance Monitoring and Evaluation System (FRAMES) in public schools as part of a broader effort to improve governance, transparency and accountability in the education sector. The decision was taken during a meeting of the School Education Department chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. The meeting was attended by Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah, the chief secretary and other senior government officials. During the meeting, the education minister gave a detailed briefing on the proposed system and informed participants that all technical preparations for its implementation have been completed. He said the project is designed to introduce data-driven governance and improve monitoring of teachers and non-teaching staff across government schools. According to the briefing, the first phase of the project will begin in six districts, with one district selected from each division of Sindh. Registration of teachers and non-teaching employees in these districts has already been completed, paving the way for the system’s launch. Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced that the new attendance system will become operational in the selected districts from August 17. If the pilot phase is successful, it will be expanded gradually to all districts across the province. Under the FRAMES system, attendance of teachers and school staff will be recorded through facial recognition technology. Officials said the system will automatically record employees’ arrival and departure times, creating a secure, accurate and tamper-proof attendance record. The education department also informed the meeting that geo-tagging of government schools has been completed. Officials said the system has been designed to function effectively even in remote areas with weak internet connectivity, ensuring uninterrupted monitoring throughout the province. Murad Ali Shah said improving teachers’ attendance is essential for raising educational standards and ensuring quality education for students. He said every child has the right to receive quality education, and achieving that goal requires teachers and school staff to perform their duties regularly and responsibly. The chief minister emphasized that the use of modern technology would strengthen accountability and improve discipline within the education system. He said digital monitoring would help eliminate irregularities, increase transparency and provide education authorities with reliable data for decision-making. He directed officials to establish an effective support and monitoring mechanism during the initial implementation phase. He also instructed the education department to provide schools with all necessary technical assistance and training to ensure the smooth operation of the new system. Officials said information collected through the facial recognition platform will help education authorities evaluate attendance patterns, improve administrative oversight and identify areas requiring further reforms. They added that the initiative is expected to enhance institutional discipline, strengthen governance and improve the overall performance of public schools.