فیچرڈ

ISLAMABAD: At least 14 newborns have died after a fire erupted in the nursery of the gynaecology ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on Wednesday, according to rescue officials. Initial information suggests that the blaze broke out after an air-conditioning compressor reportedly exploded inside the nursery, rapidly spreading fire and smoke through the facility. Emergency response teams rushed to the hospital and launched an operation to bring the fire under control. Rescue personnel also worked to evacuate patients and secure the affected area. The incident has caused deep concern at the major public-sector hospital, while authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire and determine whether safety measures and emergency protocols were adequately followed. Further details regarding the victims, the extent of the damage and the official findings are awaited.

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to ensuring merit and transparency in public-sector recruitment, as 19 officers were appointed to the Balochistan Revenue Authority (BRA) through a selection process conducted by the Higher Education Commission. Speaking at an appointment ceremony on Tuesday, Chief Minister Bugti handed over appointment letters to the newly selected officers and congratulated them on their success. He urged them to perform their responsibilities with dedication, integrity and a strong sense of duty toward the state. The chief minister said the BRA could become an important pillar of Balochistan’s economic development by improving revenue collection and helping reduce the province’s dependence on non-developmental spending. He noted that a substantial share of provincial resources was currently being consumed by such expenditures, limiting the government’s ability to invest in public welfare. Bugti expressed hope that stronger revenue generation would provide additional resources for key sectors, including education, healthcare, infrastructure and other development projects. Reiterating a commitment he made after assuming office, the chief minister said government employment would not be treated as a commodity and that appointments would be based solely on merit. He cited the recruitment of more than 14,500 teachers in the Education Department as an example of the policy. He also pointed out that candidates from his own home district, Dera Bugti, were unsuccessful in the latest BRA recruitment, describing this as evidence that the selection process had remained impartial. Bugti appreciated Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani, BRA Chairperson Abdullah Khan Noorzai and their teams for supporting a transparent recruitment process. He said merit-based appointments were essential for rebuilding young people’s trust in public institutions and encouraged the newly appointed officers to serve with sincerity and professionalism.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has received an invitation from the Nobel Sustainability Trust (NST) to take part in its international sustainability initiatives and upcoming global summits, highlighting growing international interest in Punjab’s environmental and climate-related policies. NST Chairman Peter Nobel extended the invitation in a letter dated August 22, expressing the Trust’s interest in welcoming the Punjab chief minister to future international engagements. The organisation said it had closely followed the provincial government’s efforts in climate resilience, environmental protection, wildlife conservation, forestry, ecosystem restoration and air-quality management. The Trust particularly highlighted Punjab’s increasing use of technology in environmental governance. It praised initiatives involving digital monitoring, geospatial analysis, remote sensing, artificial intelligence and environmental data systems, saying such tools could help authorities identify climate risks, manage resources and formulate evidence-based policies. According to the NST, Punjab’s emphasis on technology-driven governance and environmental protection reflects a modern approach to sustainable development. It said Maryam Nawaz’s experience could contribute valuable perspectives to discussions involving international policymakers, scientists, sustainability experts and other global leaders. The Trust also expressed its interest in establishing long-term cooperation with the Punjab government, stressing that stronger collaboration among governments, academia, businesses, financial institutions and civil society is essential to tackling environmental and social challenges. Established in Switzerland in 2007 by members of the Nobel family, the Nobel Sustainability Trust focuses on promoting sustainability, scientific cooperation and progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It organises international summits and sustainability initiatives that bring together leaders and experts from around the world.

  Islamabad: Pakistan is facing a growing HIV crisis, with an estimated 369,000 people living with the virus while only about 84,400 cases are formally registered, according to a government Task Force report. Health experts and concerned citizens have warned that the real situation may be much worse because the country still lacks reliable and complete disease data. The warning came during a National Dialogue on HIV and AIDS organised by Lok Sehat, where doctors, public health experts, medical organisations, civil society groups and representatives of communities affected by HIV discussed the growing problem. Lok Sehat Convener Dr Zafar Mirza said the government must stop trying to control the disease by controlling or hiding data. He demanded that reliable information about HIV and other blood-borne diseases should be made available and that the government should take greater financial responsibility for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria instead of depending heavily on international donors. The issue has become more serious because HIV infections are increasingly being reported among children and people outside the groups traditionally considered at higher risk. The Task Force report estimates that 369,000 people are living with HIV in Pakistan, but only around 84,400 cases are formally registered and about 60,789 people are receiving antiretroviral treatment. The report says the recent appearance of HIV among children in low-risk rural communities points to serious weaknesses in infection control, blood safety, healthcare regulation, and medical management. The situation in Taunsa Tehsil of Dera Ghazi Khan has raised particular concern. The Task Force report says 127 children were confirmed to have HIV during a five-month period between December 2024 and April 2025. Around 79 percent of those children were below five years of age, with the median age only three years. Investigations largely ruled out transmission from mothers because nearly all mothers of the infected children tested negative for HIV. The report identified unsafe blood transfusions and contaminated injection practices as major drivers of the Taunsa outbreak. It also found problems involving blood donor screening, unregulated healthcare providers, reuse of disposable syringes, excessive use of injections, poor sterilisation and weak infection prevention systems. Dr Zafar Mirza said repeated use of syringes and needles was a major suspected route of HIV transmission among people receiving healthcare. He called for proper training of healthcare workers and public awareness so patients and families understand the importance of using new syringes and needles. He also urged doctors to avoid unnecessary injections when oral medicines are medically suitable. The problem is not limited to one area. Former National AIDS Control Programme and IHRA chief Dr Quaid Saeed said 13 HIV outbreaks had been reported in Pakistan during the last 18 years, but only two, including the outbreaks in Jalalpur Jattan and Ratodero, had been extensively investigated. He called for proper investigations into every outbreak. The Task Force report also says the Ratodero outbreak in Sindh in 2019 affected more than 1,000 people, most of them children under 12. Investigations linked the outbreak to contaminated syringes, unsafe injections, unregulated blood transfusions, quackery and serious weaknesses in infection prevention and control. Experts also raised concerns about the treatment of people living with HIV. Dr Zafar Mirza said stigma remains a serious problem, including within parts of the medical profession. He said there had been cases where doctors refused to treat patients after learning that they had HIV. He stressed that HIV does not spread through ordinary contact such as shaking hands or being near an infected person. He called for stronger public awareness through television, newspapers and social media to correct false beliefs and reduce discrimination against patients. In Islamabad, infectious diseases expert Dr. Naseem Akhtar said many of the HIV cases seen at her centre involved people who inject drugs, deportees, transgender persons, men who have sex with men, and female sex workers. She said some cases had also been found among children. Dr Asma Naseem said the situation in Karachi was also worrying, particularly because of a rise in HIV cases among children. She said children with HIV were being brought to the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation with kidney failure, describing the trend as highly concerning. The experts said weak regulation of healthcare facilities was another major part of the problem. Dr. Zafar Mirza called for stronger healthcare commissions, blood transfusion authorities, and other regulators, along with better funding, trained staff, and modern technology. The government Task Force has recommended nationwide surveillance of syringes, stronger regulation of medical devices, and a phased move towards auto-disable syringes. It has also proposed tougher action against unsafe medical practices. Another major recommendation is the creation of a national real-time HIV surveillance dashboard. The system would collect information from treatment centres, blood transfusion centres, provincial disease surveillance units and other health facilities so that new cases could be reported quickly at the national level. The Task Force has also proposed stronger testing and care for children, including early infant diagnosis, trained counsellors and paediatric HIV specialists in areas facing outbreaks. It has recommended social protection for children living with HIV, including support for medicines, nutrition, education, transport and psychological care. The proposed reforms also include stronger laws, mandatory reporting of HIV cases and outbreaks, better sharing of health data between provinces and agencies, and accountability for public and private healthcare providers where negligence contributes to disease transmission. The government report says a high-level National HIV Technical Working Group is also proposed, with experts including Maj. Gen. (R) Dr. Azhar Mehmood Kayani, Dr. Zafar Mirza, Dr. Abdul Wali Khan, Dr. Amjad Mahmood, Dr. Adnan Khan, Dr. Huma Qureshi, Dr. Hasan Abbas Zaheer, Brig. Dr. Nuzhat Mushahid, Dr. Saira Afzal, Dr. Fatima Mir, Dr. Saba Jamal, Dr. Rana Jawad Asghar and Dr. Khalid Rehman. Dr Zafar Mirza also raised concern over Pakistan’s dependence on international funding. During the briefing, he said that around 90 percent of spending on HIV, tuberculosis and malaria over the previous five years had come through the Global Fund. He argued that Pakistan should gradually take full