Three Foreign Tourists Die in Separate Southern Thailand Water Incidents

Thirty-three Pakistani scholars are set to pursue fully funded postgraduate studies at universities across the United Kingdom under the prestigious Chevening and Commonwealth scholarship programmes. The scholars were selected for their academic performance, leadership abilities and commitment to contributing to society. They will enrol in master’s and other postgraduate programmes in fields considered important for Pakistan’s development. Their areas of study include global health, education, governance, human rights, media and development, climate action, development economics, business, diplomacy, innovation and entrepreneurship, and biological robotics. The scholars will study at universities in several UK cities, including London, Bristol, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The British High Commission in Islamabad hosted a pre-departure reception for the selected scholars. During the event, they were briefed on academic life, living arrangements and other aspects of studying in the UK. British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott said the scholarship programmes were a strong example of cooperation between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. She said the programmes support talented individuals with leadership potential and a desire to contribute to positive change. Marriott expressed hope that the scholars would return to Pakistan with new knowledge, professional networks and ideas that could contribute to the country’s development. The British High Commission said the latest group represents the diversity of Pakistan’s talent. The scholars come from different regions and professional backgrounds. The commission also highlighted the growing participation of Pakistani women in the scholarship programmes. After completing their studies, the scholars will join an expanding alumni community in Pakistan. According to the High Commission, the country has nearly 2,000 Chevening alumni and more than 1,500 Commonwealth alumni. The alumni are working in a wide range of sectors, including education, health, governance, business, climate action and civil society. The British High Commission said it was working with Pakistani partners to create additional scholarship opportunities in areas linked to national priorities. Previous collaborations have helped increase access to UK education in fields such as heritage, climate studies, sports and business.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi confronted a police officer after his security staff were stopped at the Supreme Court gate on Tuesday. The incident occurred when an Islamabad police officer asked members of the chief minister’s security team to have their bags checked before entering the premises. The staff initially attempted to proceed without getting the bags scanned. The police officer stopped them and insisted that the security check be completed. The exchange between the police officer and the chief minister’s staff turned into a verbal argument. The situation caught the attention of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who turned back after noticing the dispute. Afridi then spoke directly to the police officer. During the conversation, the chief minister questioned whether police personnel were taught humanity during their training. The police officer maintained that the security staff were required to have their bags checked. Following the officer’s insistence, the chief minister’s staff eventually complied and had their bags scanned. The incident took place amid heightened security arrangements at the Supreme Court. Security personnel routinely check visitors, staff and belongings before allowing entry into sensitive government premises. The brief confrontation ended after the required security screening was completed.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Barrister Danyal Chaudhry on Sunday said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s victory on all three refugee seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections reflected the confidence of Kashmiri refugees and the people of Rawalpindi in the leadership of former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. Speaking at a press conference, Chaudhry thanked voters, Kashmiri refugees and party workers for what he described as a historic electoral success, saying the results reaffirmed the party’s strong support among the refugee community. He said the outcome of the elections was a clear endorsement of the PML-N’s political narrative and leadership, adding that the party had once again demonstrated its close connection with Kashmiri refugees by securing all three seats. The parliamentary secretary said the election mandate showed that the PML-N remained the principal political representative of Kashmiri refugees. Criticising rival parties, Chaudhry claimed that the Pakistan Peoples Party failed to attract significant voter support during the polls, alleging that its polling camps remained largely deserted throughout election day. He also said the party’s post-election press conference reflected its electoral performance. The PML-N has termed the clean sweep a major political achievement, saying it would further strengthen the party’s position among Kashmiri refugees ahead of future political contests.