National

Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) could return to parliamentary standing committees if a meeting is arranged with the party’s founder, Imran Khan. Speaking to journalists in Islamabad, Raja Nasir Abbas said that if the government wanted Parliament to continue functioning, it should facilitate a meeting between PTI leaders and Imran Khan. He alleged that deliberate ambiguity was being created about Imran Khan’s health, saying the situation was also aimed at creating divisions within the party. Raja Nasir Abbas recalled that before the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, a meeting with Imran Khan had taken place on the orders of the court. He said his party wanted a government that genuinely represented the people. Commenting on Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s remarks about a possible collapse of the system, he said he agreed with the assessment. He added that the problem identified by Naqvi was real, but the proposed “medicine” to address it was illegal. The Senate opposition leader also claimed that he knew why negotiations between the government and PTI had failed. He said a complete plan for negotiations had been taken to Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, adding that the opposition had held a meeting at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House before approaching the PTI founder. “We took several proposals to the founder,” he said, explaining that they did not want to visit the Prime Minister’s House and provide legal legitimacy to the government’s position. He said the same principle was behind their decision not to hold negotiations in the Speaker’s Office, as they did not recognise the arrangements as legally legitimate. Raja Nasir Abbas stressed that he distinguished between Imran Khan and the PTI as a political party, adding that he would stand by the former prime minister “until the last moment.” He reiterated that PTI could return to the standing committees if a meeting with Imran Khan was arranged. “If the government is serious about negotiations, it should come forward and talk,” he said, adding that the opposition was ready to hold talks in the Constitution Room of Parliament House.

British High Commissioner Jane Marriott has assured Pakistan that the issue of delays in student visas will be addressed. Marriott gave the assurance during a meeting with Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar. The meeting was held as concerns grow over delays faced by Pakistani students seeking to travel to the United Kingdom for higher education. During the meeting, Tarar raised the issue of delayed visa processing with the British envoy. He conveyed the government’s concerns over the difficulties being faced by Pakistani students. The minister said hundreds of Pakistani students could lose their academic year because of the delays. Many students require timely visa decisions to join their universities and begin their studies according to the scheduled academic calendar. Tarar stressed the importance of resolving the issue at the earliest. He said unnecessary delays could create serious academic and financial difficulties for students and their families. The British High Commissioner assured the minister that efforts would be made to address the matter. The two sides also discussed broader issues of mutual interest. They exchanged views on strengthening institutional communication and cooperation between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. The meeting highlighted the importance of maintaining effective coordination between the relevant institutions of both countries. Better institutional engagement could help resolve issues affecting students and other Pakistani citizens seeking services in the UK. The assurance comes amid concerns among Pakistani students about securing timely visas for their higher education programmes.

Pakistani student Diya Aneel Bhatia has reportedly achieved a major academic distinction by securing 10 distinctions in the three-year LLB (Honours) programme of the University of London. Bhatia belongs to Jamshoro, Sindh, and is studying at a private law college in Islamabad. She secured the highest marks worldwide in the programme, according to the information shared at a ceremony held in her honour. Her achievement was celebrated at a special ceremony at the Islamabad School of Law. Faculty members from the University of London also attended the event. They congratulated Bhatia and praised her academic performance. The ceremony also recognised other high-performing students. Shields were presented to the students for their outstanding results. Bhatia was among the students honoured for her exceptional performance. Her achievement has brought attention to the academic potential of Pakistani students studying international degree programmes. It has also highlighted the growing participation of Pakistani students in global legal education. Bhatia’s success has been particularly noted because of the number of distinctions she achieved during the LLB programme. Her performance placed her among the top-performing students internationally. Education experts and academics praised her achievement. They described it as a source of pride for Pakistan and an encouragement for other young students. Bhatia has also expressed her desire to use her education for a wider social purpose. She said she wants to work for Pakistani women, particularly women from minority communities. She aims to support women through education, legal awareness and greater access to opportunities. Her goal, she said, is to contribute to the empowerment of women and help them build stronger futures.

MULTAN: Flight operations at Multan International Airport have increased, with the airport recording a new daily high of 37 flights on Wednesday. According to the flight schedule, 449 flights were operated across Pakistan during the past 24 hours, while 68 flights were cancelled and 112 flights faced delays of up to seven hours. Of the 37 flights operated at Multan airport, 18 arrived and 19 departed, marking the highest number of daily flight operations recorded at the airport. The schedule showed that 135 flights were operated from Karachi, 118 from Islamabad, 105 from Lahore, 17 from Peshawar, 15 from Sialkot and 12 from Faisalabad. Flight delays were also reported at several major airports. Karachi recorded delays involving nine flights, while Lahore and Islamabad each reported 33 delayed flights. Multan had eight delayed flights, Peshawar six, Sialkot eight, Faisalabad nine and Quetta six. A number of flights were also cancelled during the same period. Karachi recorded 20 cancellations, Lahore 21, Islamabad 12 and Multan three. Peshawar, Faisalabad and Sialkot each recorded two cancelled flights, while six flights were cancelled at Quetta airport. The latest figures indicate increased flight activity at Multan International Airport, with the 37-flight total setting a new daily record for the southern Punjab city’s airport.

The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) is accelerating plans to establish Pakistan’s first luxury medical tourism model centre in Islamabad, with the aim of capturing a greater share of the rapidly growing global medical tourism market. Pakistan is seeking to benefit from the global medical tourism industry, estimated to be worth around $144 billion, while the country currently accounts for only about 0.5% of the market. The initiative gained momentum after plastic and cosmetic surgeon Dr Muhammad Salman Khan approached the SIFC Secretariat seeking up to 25,000 square feet of land or a built-up facility for a five-star luxury medical centre with room for future expansion. In his proposal, Dr Khan said cosmetic surgery and dentistry together account for around 35% of global medical tourism activity. He argued that Pakistani specialists can provide international-standard services at significantly lower costs than those charged in countries such as Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom. The SIFC subsequently convened a high-level meeting at its secretariat on August 5. Representatives from the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Jinnah Medical Complex and medical professionals participated in the meeting. According to the meeting minutes, Dr Salman presented a phased plan for the project. The initiative would initially introduce premium “Med Suites” in Islamabad, followed by a dedicated medical tourism centre and eventually the development of a comprehensive Islamabad Medical City. Participants identified several advantages that could help Pakistan compete in the international medical tourism sector. These include significantly lower treatment costs, a large pool of qualified medical specialists and a sizeable overseas Pakistani community that could form an initial customer base for the proposed services. The meeting also highlighted the distinction between aesthetic tourism and broader medical tourism. Officials agreed that establishing a dedicated luxury aesthetic tourism centre in the federal capital could help create the foundation for a new high-value industry. The proposed facility could attract thousands of international patients to Pakistan and generate valuable foreign exchange for the country. Islamabad was considered a suitable location because of its relatively secure environment, scenic surroundings and high-quality residential infrastructure. The proposed model would combine specialised medical services with a five-star hospitality experience for patients and their accompanying family members. The meeting concluded with several directives to move the proposal forward. The CDA was asked to arrange a follow-up meeting within a week involving Dr Salman Khan, the CDA chairman and other relevant stakeholders to examine the proposal in detail. Medical experts were also directed to prepare a comprehensive investment, commercial and financial feasibility study for the proposed project at the Jinnah Medical Complex. Separately, the SIFC was asked to arrange meetings between leading medical specialists and representatives of major five-star hotels in Islamabad. The discussions will assess commercial interest and examine the practical feasibility of developing dedicated medical tourism facilities. The project has now entered an initial implementation phase, with several government institutions involved in evaluating the proposal.

ISLAMABAD: Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide arrived in Islamabad on Thursday for an official two-day visit, marking the first visit by a Norwegian foreign minister to Pakistan in a decade and opening a fresh chapter in bilateral engagement. Eide, who is visiting Pakistan on the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, was received at Islamabad International Airport by Additional Foreign Secretary for Europe Ambassador Ayesha Ali. He later held a meeting with Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the two sides are expected to discuss a broad range of issues concerning Pakistan-Norway relations. According to the Foreign Office, Eide’s visit will continue through August 14 and include delegation-level talks between the two countries. The discussions are expected to focus on areas where Islamabad and Oslo see potential for stronger cooperation. Trade and investment will be among the key subjects, while climate change, renewable energy and education are also expected to feature prominently in the talks. The two sides will additionally explore ways to strengthen people-to-people contacts. The visit comes at a time when Pakistan is seeking to deepen economic and diplomatic partnerships with European countries, particularly in areas linked to investment, clean energy and sustainable development. Beyond bilateral matters, the foreign ministers are also expected to exchange views on important regional and international developments. This could give the two sides an opportunity to discuss shared concerns and assess developments affecting the wider region. The Foreign Office said the visit builds on a series of high-level contacts between Pakistan and Norway in recent months. Dar and Eide held telephone conversations in March and April, while Norwegian State Secretary Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik visited Islamabad in May. The two countries have also maintained engagement through diplomatic channels, with both sides showing interest in expanding cooperation beyond traditional areas. Eide’s arrival therefore carries significance not only because of its timing but also because of the gap since the last visit by a Norwegian foreign minister. The trip provides an opportunity to translate recent diplomatic contacts into practical cooperation. For Islamabad, stronger ties with Norway could bring opportunities in trade, investment, renewable energy and education. For Oslo, deeper engagement with Pakistan offers a chance to strengthen relations with an important South Asian partner. The Foreign Office described the visit as an opportunity to further strengthen the “longstanding and cordial relations” between the two countries and identify new areas of mutually beneficial cooperation. With formal talks now underway, attention will turn to whether the two-day visit produces concrete initiatives that can give Pakistan-Norway relations fresh momentum.