88,700 pay first Hajj installment

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in Islamabad on Wednesday. The two officials discussed the evolving situation in the Middle East. They also reviewed Pakistan-Kuwait relations and ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The Kuwaiti foreign minister is visiting Pakistan on an official trip. He arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday at the invitation of Ishaq Dar. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, Dar and Sheikh Jarrah held a warm and productive meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two sides reviewed the full range of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Kuwait. They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the longstanding ties between the two countries. The officials described Pakistan and Kuwait as brotherly nations. Their relations are based on shared history, mutual trust and close cooperation. The meeting also focused on regional and international developments. The Middle East situation was a major part of the discussions. The two officials exchanged views on the rapidly changing regional environment. The visit comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East. Pakistan has continued to engage with regional countries on developments affecting peace and stability. The Kuwaiti minister’s visit is also expected to provide an opportunity for both countries to deepen diplomatic coordination. The Foreign Office said the visit reflects the close and longstanding relationship between Islamabad and Kuwait. The visiting minister was received at Islamabad International Airport after arriving in the capital on Tuesday. Zahid Hussain, an additional secretary at the Foreign Office, welcomed him. The Kuwaiti foreign minister is also expected to meet Pakistan’s senior leadership during his stay. The visit comes amid discussions between Pakistan and Kuwait on expanding cooperation in several areas. Pakistan has reportedly been negotiating a broader defence arrangement with Kuwait. Energy cooperation and investment are also part of the discussions. The proposed cooperation could further expand the strategic and economic relationship between the two countries. Both sides have maintained close ties for decades. Kuwait has also remained an important partner for Pakistan in the Gulf region. The latest meeting between Dar and his Kuwaiti counterpart highlights the importance Islamabad attaches to its relations with Kuwait. It also signals continued diplomatic engagement between the two countries on regional and international issues.

Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has announced that he will begin teaching students in government schools in Lahore from the first week of September as part of an initiative aimed at improving the quality of education in the province. The minister said he has decided to personally enter classrooms and teach students instead of only monitoring the education system from administrative offices. He said the experience would help him better understand the challenges faced by teachers and students while also providing an opportunity to evaluate classroom teaching firsthand. Rana Sikandar Hayat said English and Chemistry are his favourite subjects, and he will start by teaching these courses. He said he plans to teach English in primary schools and Chemistry in high schools before expanding his teaching to other subjects in the future. He added that he will visit a different government school every week without giving prior notice. According to the minister, these surprise visits will allow him to observe the actual learning environment, interact directly with students, and assess the effectiveness of teaching methods being used in classrooms. The education minister said the initiative is not symbolic but a practical effort to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the public education system. He believes that personally teaching students will provide valuable insight into issues affecting classroom learning and help identify areas that require immediate improvement. Rana Sikandar Hayat said he has immense respect for the teaching profession and considers it an honour to serve as a teacher. He added that educators play a vital role in shaping the future of the nation and deserve recognition for their contribution to society. He expressed hope that the initiative would encourage greater accountability within the education system and inspire teachers and school administrators to continue improving academic standards. He also said direct interaction with students would help the education department design better policies based on practical classroom experience rather than relying solely on reports. The minister said the feedback gathered during his teaching visits would be used to identify shortcomings in teaching methods, curriculum delivery, and classroom management. He added that the information would help the government introduce reforms aimed at improving learning outcomes and raising educational standards in government schools across Punjab.

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has criticised Pakistan’s bureaucracy. He described it as the country’s “real and permanent rulers.” Asif said bureaucrats had remained largely beyond effective accountability during Pakistan’s 78-year history. He said politicians had faced accountability on numerous occasions. Other powerful groups had also been held accountable at different times. However, he said it was difficult to find similar examples involving senior bureaucrats. The defence minister made the remarks while sharing a social media post about alleged financial corruption involving a senior bureaucrat. Asif said the bureaucracy had gradually become a powerful and largely untouchable class. He questioned why bureaucrats had not been subjected to the same level of scrutiny as politicians. According to Asif, politicians themselves were partly responsible for the situation. He said political leaders had failed to establish an effective system to hold the bureaucracy accountable. The minister also referred to a former bureaucratic ruler while discussing the influence of senior officials in Pakistan. He said the former official used highly inappropriate and insulting language against politicians. Despite this behaviour, politicians continued to tolerate him, according to Asif. Asif’s comments highlight his criticism of the imbalance in accountability among powerful sections of Pakistani society. His remarks also raise questions about the role of the bureaucracy in governance and decision-making. The minister maintained that stronger accountability was needed for all powerful groups. He suggested that politicians could not blame bureaucrats alone for the existing system because political leaders had also contributed to its continuation.