US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Sends Songkran Greetings to Thailand

ISLAMABAD, July 26: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that facilities and development projects built for the public should not be described as gifts. He said these projects are the people’s right. In a video statement, Bilawal said people were being told about promises involving buses, roads and airports. He welcomed every project aimed at improving public facilities. He said he would welcome every new bus service. He would also welcome every road, hospital and airport built for the people. However, Bilawal stressed that such facilities should not be presented as gifts to the public. He said the people have a right to better transport, healthcare, roads and other basic services. The PPP chairman said his party had also taken practical steps instead of making only promises. He claimed that around 3,000 new employment opportunities had been created through PPP initiatives. Bilawal also spoke about Mirpur Airport. He said he had personally worked to secure funds for the airport in the previous budget. He said the allocation was made during the budget process to support the airport project. He presented the initiative as part of efforts to improve facilities for the people of the region. Bilawal also criticised his political opponents while discussing development work in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He said it appeared that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were standing with their minister. The PPP chairman also referred to a stadium where his political opponents had recently addressed a gathering. He said the stadium was constructed during a previous PPP government. Bilawal said his focus was not limited to development projects. He said he wanted the people of Kashmir to receive their fundamental political and economic rights. He specifically mentioned the right to governance, ownership and employment. According to Bilawal, providing these rights to the people would be more important than announcing development projects as gifts. He said people should have ownership over the resources and development of their region. They should also have access to employment opportunities. Bilawal maintained that governments must fulfil their responsibilities towards citizens. Public infrastructure, he said, should be viewed as an entitlement. He added that roads, hospitals, transport services and airports are built using public resources. Therefore, they should not be used as political gifts.

HYDERABAD: Female students have secured several top positions in the Class X annual examinations conducted by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Hyderabad, with the results being announced after a delay of nearly one month. The results for both Science and General groups were released late Thursday, providing students with the long-awaited outcome of their examinations. In the Science Group, Sarah, daughter of Nisar Ahmed, from Foundation Grammar High School, Tando Allahyar, claimed the top position by securing 991 marks. Aswad Amir of Government High School No 1, Matli, stood second with 986 marks, while Mukarrama Abid of St Mary’s Convent Girls Higher Secondary School, Hyderabad, secured third position with 982 marks. A total of 78,935 candidates had registered for the Science Group examinations. Of these, 77,703 students appeared. Among the candidates who took the examination, 10,799 achieved A1 grade, while 40,769 secured A grade. Another 17,248 students obtained B grade, 3,816 received C grade and 239 were placed in D grade. The board declared 4,781 candidates unsuccessful. Results of 32 students were withheld because of reported use of unfair means and other reasons. The General Group also produced strong performances by female students. Wajihullah Khan of Deaf Reach Higher Secondary School secured first position with 873 marks. Habiba from Government Girls High School, Latifabad Unit No 6, Hyderabad, secured second position with 865 marks. Her schoolmate Halima stood third with 861 marks. The General Group had 1,570 registered candidates, of whom 1,488 appeared in the examinations. Three candidates achieved A1 grade, while 332 obtained A grade. A total of 808 students secured B grade, 227 received C grade and 18 were placed in D grade.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has urged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to apologise for its past statements and criticism directed at Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Speaking to journalists in Nowshera, Kundi said PTI’s current political position appeared different from its earlier stance towards Fazlur Rehman. He said the party should acknowledge its previous remarks and offer an apology. The governor also criticised PTI’s approach towards the judiciary, saying the party had celebrated certain court decisions in the past but later faced adverse verdicts from the same judicial system. Kundi said PTI supporters had previously distributed sweets when courts issued decisions they considered favourable. However, he noted that subsequent decisions by courts resulted in PTI founder Imran Khan being sent to jail. He argued that political parties should maintain a consistent position on state institutions and should not support institutions only when their decisions favour them. Turning to the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kundi strongly criticised the provincial government and accused it of failing to address the province’s major governance and security challenges. He alleged that political activities and what he described as political drama surrounding Adiala Jail and D-Chowk had continued for years, while the province faced serious issues related to law and order. The governor claimed that the security situation had deteriorated and alleged that the province was being left vulnerable to militants. He said restoring peace and ensuring effective governance should be the government’s primary responsibilities. Kundi also pointed to what he described as a significant change in PTI’s political relationships. He said the party now regarded Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Mahmood Khan Achakzai as important political allies or figures, despite its previous criticism of them. He said the change in political positioning made it even more important for PTI to address its past statements against Fazlur Rehman. The governor’s comments come amid continued political disagreements between the federal and provincial governments, with security, governance and political alliances remaining major areas of contention.