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Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Japan President Malik Noor Awan has congratulated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, party leader Nawaz Sharif, the party leadership, and workers on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s victory in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections. In his congratulatory statement, Malik Noor Awan said the people of Azad Kashmir had expressed their confidence in the PML-N’s agenda of development, stability, and public service by electing the party to power. He said the victory was not only a success for a political party but also a guarantee of a brighter future, a stronger economy, and sustainable development for the people of Azad Kashmir. Malik Noor Awan stated that the PML-N has always centered its politics on public service, development, and the promotion of democratic values. He said this was the reason the people had once again placed their trust in the party’s leadership. He expressed hope that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, new development projects would be launched across Azad Kashmir, employment opportunities would be created, and more effective measures would be taken to improve public welfare. He further said that PML-N workers and the Pakistani community residing in Japan were also delighted with the historic victory and extended their heartfelt congratulations to the party leadership. Reaffirming the commitment of overseas Pakistanis, Malik Noor Awan said they would continue to stand firmly with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and play their full role in supporting the country’s progress and development.

Police have uncovered a fake arms licence racket in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, exposing an illegal network that allegedly produced forged weapon licences from a house. Authorities believe the operation had been running through a well-organised system and involved both private individuals and a government employee. According to police, the suspects were preparing counterfeit arms licences using computer equipment and printing materials inside a residential property. Investigators said each fake licence was sold for amounts ranging from Rs80,000 to Rs250,000, depending on the type of licence and the customer’s requirements. Police said an employee of the Home Department’s Licence Branch has also been found involved in the case. His alleged role is being investigated to determine how official records or procedures may have been misused. A case has been registered, and two suspects have been arrested during the operation. Police carried out a raid and seized a large quantity of equipment allegedly used to manufacture the fake licences. The recovered items include a laptop, a printer, ink bottles, around 700 licence cards, and other materials believed to have been used for printing forged documents. Investigators are examining the seized equipment to identify additional suspects and uncover the full scale of the operation. Police have also written to the Home Department, requesting assistance in the investigation. Officials are expected to examine departmental records to determine whether more employees were involved or if official data was misused. Sources in the Home Department said a committee will be formed to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident. The committee will investigate the role of all individuals linked to the case and recommend legal and departmental action where necessary. CCPO Dr Mian Saeed said the investigation is progressing and that authorities are determined to bring everyone involved to justice. He said strict action will be taken against all suspects, including any government officials found responsible. He added that no official involved in the fake arms licence racket would be given any leniency, and the investigation would continue until the entire network is exposed.

Ten electric buses have been delivered to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) from Islamabad as part of a new public transport initiative for the region. The buses have been provided by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The initiative follows an announcement made by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif during a public gathering in Muzaffarabad. Nawaz Sharif had announced that electric buses would be provided to AJK to improve public transport facilities in the region. The arrival of the first 10 buses marks progress towards implementing that announcement. The new buses are expected to provide residents with a modern transport option. They are also aimed at improving the quality of public transportation and making daily travel more convenient for citizens. The electric buses were transported from Islamabad to Azad Kashmir. Their arrival is likely to support efforts to upgrade the region’s existing public transport system. The initiative is also significant because electric buses can help reduce dependence on conventional fuel-powered public transport. Their use can contribute to lower emissions and cleaner urban environments. The provision of the buses reflects cooperation between Punjab and the AJK administration in the transport sector. The initiative is expected to benefit commuters, particularly those who rely on public transport for work, education and other daily activities. The announcement was made during Nawaz Sharif’s address in Muzaffarabad, where he spoke about development and public welfare initiatives for Azad Kashmir. The arrival of the buses is expected to be followed by further steps to put them into service for the public. Authorities will determine their routes and operational arrangements. The initiative is being viewed as part of broader efforts to introduce modern and environmentally friendly transportation facilities in AJK.

ISLAMABAD: The number of people receiving Pakistan’s civil awards has increased sharply over the past nine years, but the share of women among the recipients has remained almost unchanged, according to an analysis by economist Zehra Farooq. Farooq, who has analysed civil award lists from 2018 to 2026, said she compiled all 2,209 awards announced during the nine-year period and examined each award by field, gender, level of award and nationality. Her analysis shows that the number of award recipients increased more than three times during the period, rising from 73 people in 2018 to 372 in 2026. However, the share of women receiving the awards did not show a similar increase. Women made up between roughly 10% and 16% of civil award recipients in each year from 2018 to 2026. Ms Farooq said the figures show that while the size of the annual awards lists changed greatly, the share of women remained within almost the same range. The lowest share was around 10% in 2023, while the highest was 16% in 2018 and 2021. The share stood at 15% in 2024 before falling to 12% in 2025 and 11% in 2026. Her analysis also looked at the figures after excluding gallantry awards. Gallantry awards were kept separate because they mainly relate to military and police roles. Even after removing these awards, the overall share of women increased only from around 12% to 14%, according to the analysis. This suggests that the low share of women is not limited to gallantry awards. Farooq said the same pattern can also be seen in civilian awards. Public service awards show a wider gap The Public Service category is the largest civilian category in the dataset and shows a particularly large difference between men and women. Among Pakistani recipients of Public Service awards, 295 were men and only 27 were women. This means men received about 92% of these awards, while women received only around 8%. Farooq noted that in several years, the entire Public Service list included only one or two women. The figures raise questions about how women are represented among people being recognised for public service. The analysis does not, however, establish why the gap exists. Farooq suggested that one possibility worth examining is whether the awards reflect the existing structure of Pakistan’s civil bureaucracy. She noted that the quota for women in the civil bureaucracy is around 10%, while the share of awards going to women remains below or around that level. This raises a question about whether the civil awards are reflecting the existing gender structure in public institutions rather than creating a separate pattern of their own. Major changes in fields The analysis also found major changes in the fields represented in the civil award lists. Science and engineering together accounted for close to one-third of the 2021 list. However, by 2025 and 2026, the two fields together made up less than 2% of the list. At the same time, some new categories appeared. Information technology appeared as a category for the first time in 2021, while climate appeared in 2025. Farooq said these changes raise questions about how the state decides which areas deserve recognition. She asked whether the decline in science and engineering awards reflects fewer major contributions in these fields, fewer people entering these professions, or a change in the areas where the state looks for achievement. The appearance of IT and climate-related awards also raises another question: whether official recognition is beginning to follow changes in the areas where Pakistan’s talent and work are growing. Women receive fewer top-level awards The analysis also examined the civil awards according to their level. The awards are divided into different levels, with Nishan and Hilal at the senior end, followed by Sitara and Tamgha. Ms Farooq found that the share of women becomes smaller as the level of the award becomes higher. At the two highest levels, women account for less than 5% of recipients. At the more common lower levels, the share of women is higher, generally ranging between 11% and 14%. This means that the overall percentage of women receiving civil awards does not tell the full story. Women may represent around 10% to 16% of all recipients in a year, but their representation becomes much smaller when only the highest-level honours are considered. The findings therefore point to two separate issues: the overall number of women receiving civil awards and the level of recognition they receive. Nine years provide a wider picture Ms Farooq said looking at the awards over several years gives a clearer picture than looking at a single annual list. The civil awards are announced every August, and each year’s list can show changes in the number and type of recipients. But when the lists are combined over nine years, longer-term patterns become visible. The biggest pattern in the data is the contrast between the rapidly growing number of awards and the almost unchanged share of women. From 73 recipients in 2018, the annual list reached 372 in 2026. Yet women remained within roughly the same 10% to 16% range throughout the period. The analysis also shows that the composition of the awards has changed in other ways, including the fields being recognised and the introduction of new categories. She said the data does not provide all the answers, but it raises questions that can be examined further.