You are here

  • Home
  • Delegation from Pakistan’s top military university in UAE to discuss academic collaboration

Delegation from Pakistan’s top military university in UAE to discuss academic collaboration

Delegation from Pakistan’s top military university in UAE to discuss academic collaboration
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi welcomes a delegation of senior Pakistani military and civil officers in Abu Dhabi, UAE on May 6, 2025. (GoP)
Short Url

https://arab.news/ja29w

Updated 06 May 2025
Follow

Delegation from Pakistan’s top military university in UAE to discuss academic collaboration

Delegation from Pakistan’s top military university in UAE to discuss academic collaboration
  • Delegation members are representatives of National Defense University, Pakistan’s leading military educational institute
  • Pakistani delegation will meet UAE officials, think tanks and other institutions during visit, says Pakistan embassy in Abu Dhabi
Updated 06 May 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR
Follow

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of senior Pakistani military and civil officers has arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to enhance bilateral dialogue, academic cooperation and understanding between the two nations, the Pakistan embassy in Abu Dhabi said on Tuesday. 

The delegation are representatives of the National Defense University, Pakistan’s leading military educational institute situated in Islamabad, the embassy said in a statement. It added that the delegation comprises senior military and civil service officers, including those from friendly countries as well. 

“The Embassy of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi hosted a delegation of National Security and War Course (NSWC) of the National Defense University (NDU), Islamabad, during their foreign study visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE),” the embassy said in its statement.

“The visit aims to enhance bilateral dialogue, academic collaboration, and mutual understanding between Pakistan and the UAE.”

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi welcomed the delegation, stressing the significance of these exchanges in deepening bilateral cooperation. He stated that the visit also reflects our commitment to strengthening the historic Pakistan-UAE partnership, the embassy said. 

“During their visit, the delegation will have high-level interactions with UAE government officials, think tanks, and other institutions of UAE,” the statement said.

The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of foreign investment valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry.

It is also home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.

The two nations have stepped up efforts in recent years to strengthen their business and investment ties. In January 2024, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure.

Topics: National Defense University

Pakistan, China agree to enhance tourism collaboration, promote cultural diplomacy

Pakistan, China agree to enhance tourism collaboration, promote cultural diplomacy
Updated 1 min 43 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan, China agree to enhance tourism collaboration, promote cultural diplomacy

Pakistan, China agree to enhance tourism collaboration, promote cultural diplomacy
  • Islamabad, Beijing agree to launch joint projects to restore, preserve and digitally document their historical landmarks
  • Both sides to strengthen museum development partnerships, organize series of cultural delegations and film festivals
Updated 1 min 43 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Culture Minister Huzaifa Rehman agreed to enhance tourism collaboration and advance cultural diplomacy in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Gao Zheng, in Beijing recently, Pakistani state media reported. 

Pakistan, home to several snow-capped peaks in the Himalayan and Karakorum mountain ranges and ancient archaeological sites such as Mohenjo-Daro and Taxila, has immense potential for tourism.

Islamabad has recently pushed to promote its tourist spots to visitors worldwide by establishing air and land links with Central Asian republics and signing agreements to boost tourism with regional allies. Pakistan hopes tourism will help the country earn valuable foreign exchange whilst it grapples with a prolonged macroeconomic crisis. 

Rehman met his Chinese counterpart Zheng in Beijing on Sunday, during which the two sides discussed advancing collaboration in tourism and other areas, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said. 

“The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to advancing cultural diplomacy, enhancing tourism collaboration, and restoring shared heritage sites between Pakistan and China,” APP said in a report on Sunday. 

Rehman expressed gratitude for China’s friendship and support to Pakistan, the report added.

The two sides discussed and agreed on launching joint projects to restore, preserve and digitally document historical landmarks in both countries. They also agreed to strengthen museum development partnerships and organize a series of cultural delegations, art exhibitions and film festivals.

They agreed on implementing training programs in museology and professional development for museum staff, while rolling out collaborative tourism campaigns and policy initiatives to boost visitor flows and cultural exploration, the APP report said. 

The Chinese minister formally invited Rehman to attend the upcoming International Museum Conference scheduled to be held in China in September, which the Pakistani official accepted. 

“This landmark meeting paves the way for actionable steps in the near future, setting a strategic roadmap for Pakistan–China cultural partnership and mutual heritage conservation,” the report said. 

Apart from being a regional ally, China is also a major investor in Pakistan. Beijing has invested in a multi-billion-dollar project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), that connects the two countries through a network of highways, railways and pipelines.

Since its initiation in 2013, CPEC has seen tens of billions of dollars funneled into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan. 

Topics: Pakistan China Ties Pakistan China Cultural exchange Pakistan tourism

From Illinois to Upper Dir: American woman travels to Pakistan to wed online friend

From Illinois to Upper Dir: American woman travels to Pakistan to wed online friend
Updated 10 min 53 sec ago
Follow

From Illinois to Upper Dir: American woman travels to Pakistan to wed online friend

From Illinois to Upper Dir: American woman travels to Pakistan to wed online friend
  • Mindy Rasmussen, 47, started talking to Upper Dir’s Sajid Zeb Khan, 31, on Facebook last year
  • Rasmussen says will begin husband’s immigration process for US after returning to America
Updated 10 min 53 sec ago
WASIM SAJJAD

Upper Dir, PAKISTAN: An American woman recently journeyed thousands of miles from Illinois to a remote northwestern Pakistani district to marry a man who befriended her online over a year ago, praising the people here for their hospitable nature and urging other foreigners to ignore the “negative” perceptions about Pakistan. 

Mindy Rasmussen, a 47-year-old procurement specialist at an aviation repair station in Springfield, Illinois, arrived in Pakistan’s mountainous Upper Dir district’s Usheri Darra valley on June 29 to marry Sajid Zeb Khan, a 31-year-old who works at his father’s medical store. 

She’s not the first foreigner who crossed countries to marry a resident of Upper Dir, a district known for its picturesque scenery. An Indian woman, Anju, converted to Islam in July 2023 and changed her name to Fatima before getting married to Nasrullah, a resident of Upper Dir. Anju met Nasrallah on Facebook, with their romance making headlines worldwide at the time. 

Rasmussen, who converted to Islam and adopted the name Zulekha Zeb before marrying Khan on July 2, said he befriended her on Facebook a year ago.

“He (Sajid Khan) sent me a friend request on Facebook and I thought he was very handsome, so I accepted,” Rasmussen told Arab News, laughing. “His first message to me was, ‘I am Sajid Khan from Pakistan.’“

Rasmussen said she responded to Khan and the two got to know each other better as time progressed. 

“He is a really sweet, loving man and I fell in love with him over this past year that we have been talking,” she said. 

Khan is the eldest of nine siblings, who include five sisters and four brothers. The newlywed couple are currently living in Usherai Darra, a famous remote tourist spot in Upper Dir in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. 

Khan told Arab News his conversations with Rasmussen went from messages to video calls as they grew close. Rasmussen eventually spoke to Khan’s family before she proposed marriage. 

“At the end, she proposed to me, saying, ‘Why don’t we get married as we are so close,’” he said. 

Traveling to the US was always difficult for Khan, given that Pakistanis have to undergo extensive background checks for a US visa, sometimes leading to delays and denials. Hence, he invited Rasmussen to come to Pakistan instead. 

And now that she’s here, he plans to take her to famous tourist attractions in KP. 

“We will go around in our own land, like our Swat, Kumrat, Chitral, Usherai Darra, especially Nehag Darra,” he said. 

‘AN OPEN MIND’

Touched by the people’s hospitality in Pakistan, Rasmussen praised the “tightly knit” community for showering her with affection. 

“The love that they have shown me, you know, we don’t really have this back in the US,” she said. “This level of community. I mean, everybody is a neighbor, is a friend, is a family,” she added. 

Pakistan’s northwestern KP province, despite being home to several glacial lakes, mountain ranges and picturesque locations that lure tourists in droves, has suffered from a surge in militancy recently.

Pakistani Taliban militants have launched attacks against law enforcers and citizens, especially in the tribal districts bordering Afghanistan, in their bid to impose their strict version of Islamic law. 

Rasmussen, however, said she had experienced neither “terrorism” nor any violence during her stay in the country. She advised foreigners not to harbor preconceived notions about KP. 

“Come with an open mind and you will see for yourself that this is a safe place, a peaceful place and just wonderful people,” she said. 

However, her visa expires on August 14 and she is in Pakistan for only a month. 

“I plan to go back to the US and then we are going to get Sajid’s [immigration] paperwork going and he is going to come to the US with me,” she said. 

Khan, meanwhile, insists he didn’t marry Rasmussen to secure an easy path to American citizenship, saying that she was his “honor” now. 

“She has arrived here by choice and has married me by choice,” he said. “Now, she can live by choice and leave by choice.”

Topics: Upper Dir Facebook friendship American woman in Pakistan

Lion owners arrested after attack on woman, two children in Pakistan

Lion owners arrested after attack on woman, two children in Pakistan
Updated 48 min 36 sec ago
AP
Follow

Lion owners arrested after attack on woman, two children in Pakistan

Lion owners arrested after attack on woman, two children in Pakistan
  • Dramatic video showed lion leaping over wall before attacking victims in Lahore
  • Police say woman, her children sustained injuries to faces and arms when lion escaped
Updated 48 min 36 sec ago
AP

LAHORE: The owners of a pet lion that escaped from a farmhouse and injured a woman and her two children have been arrested in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, authorities said Sunday.

The arrest comes after dramatic video footage surfaced showing the lion leaping over a wall before attacking the victims in a residential area.

The woman and her 5-and 7-year-old children sustained injuries to their faces and arms on Wednesday night when the lion escaped from its cage, police official Faisal Kamran said.

According to a police report, the children’s father told police that the lion’s owners stood by and watched as the animal clawed at his family, making no effort to restrain it. The lion later returned to the owners’ farmhouse and was relocated to a wildlife park, police said.

Keeping exotic animals such as lions is considered a status symbol among some wealthy Pakistanis, despite the legal requirements and high fees associated with ownership.

Topics: lion escaped Lahore

Pakistan eyes $200 million from tuna exports under new fishing quota

Pakistan eyes $200 million from tuna exports under new fishing quota
Updated 06 July 2025
Follow

Pakistan eyes $200 million from tuna exports under new fishing quota

Pakistan eyes $200 million from tuna exports under new fishing quota
  • Pakistan says Indian Ocean Tuna Commission has issued it tuna fishing quota of 25,000 metric tons
  • Pakistan catches 45,000 metric tons of tuna per year but it escapes the formal economy, says minister
Updated 06 July 2025
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said this week that the government is eyeing a $200 million boost for the country’s tuna sector, after securing a new fishing quota from the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).

Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Ministry said in a press release on Saturday that the IOTC has issued Islamabad a new tuna fishing quota of 25,000 metric tons, which comprises 15,000 tons of Yellowfin Tuna and 10,000 tons of Skipjack Tuna. 

The IOTC is an intergovernmental body comprising 30 member states, established under the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Its mandate is to manage tuna and related species in the Indian Ocean by promoting sustainable use through scientific research, quota distribution, and regulatory frameworks.

“This is a landmark achievement that promises significant foreign exchange earnings,” Chaudhry was quoted as saying by the ministry on Saturday. 

“With international prices for these tuna species ranging between $5 and $7 per kilogram, and potentially higher with value-added processing, the economic potential is enormous.”

The minister described the development as a “turning point” for the country’s tuna sector. He noted that though Pakistan currently catches more than 45,000 metric tons of tuna each year, much of it has been escaping the formal economy due to unregulated operations.

Chaudhry said to realize the potential of tuna fish as an economic resource, the government has undertaken reforms such as introducing the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy.

He said the policy is aimed at unifying fragmented regulatory frameworks while promoting environmentally sound and revenue-generating fishing techniques.

“This policy framework supports Pakistan’s obligations under international climate and marine conservation agreements,” the minister said. 

Chaudhry said destructive fishing methods such as gillnetting and trawling are being phased out, with the government replacing them with more selective and environmentally friendly longlining techniques. 

“This transition reduces bycatch and supports ocean health in the face of climate-driven stressors such as warming waters and changing migration patterns,” he said. 

He said the government has undertaken reforms such as the revision of certification and testing fees for seafood exports, resulting in a revenue increase from Rs48 million [$168,960] to Rs250 million [$880,000].

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has repeatedly spoken of the government’s intentions to put Pakistan on the path to sustainable economic progress through exports. 

The South Asian country hopes to increase its exports to escape a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that decreased its foreign exchange reserves and weakened its national currency, especially in 2023, before the government undertook fiscal reforms. 

Topics: tuna Fishing quota Pakistan

Pakistan issues fresh alert for floods as heavy rains kill 66 since June 26

Pakistan issues fresh alert for floods as heavy rains kill 66 since June 26
Updated 06 July 2025
Follow

Pakistan issues fresh alert for floods as heavy rains kill 66 since June 26

Pakistan issues fresh alert for floods as heavy rains kill 66 since June 26
  • Pakistan warns of floods and high water levels in four provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan till July 10 
  • Pakistan, home to over 240 million people, is consistently ranked among countries most vulnerable to climate change
Updated 06 July 2025
Hasaan Ali Khan

KARACHI: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Sunday issued a fresh alert, warning that heavy downpours are likely to cause flooding in several parts of the country till July 10. 

Monsoon rains in Pakistan have killed at least 66 people and injured 127 in rain-related incidents such as electrocutions, house collapses, landslides and drownings since June 26, according to the NDMA’s latest situation report. 

Pakistan, home to over 240 million people, is consistently ranked among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. In 2022, record-breaking monsoon rains and glacier melt caused catastrophic floods that affected 33 million people and killed more than 1,700.

“There is a risk of heavy rainfall and flooding across the country until July 10,” the NDMA said in its press release, warning that flash flooding and increased water levels are expected in streams and rivers across Pakistan’s four provinces, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan regions. 

It warned of increased water levels and flash floods in the country’s Chenab, Jhelum, Indus, Kabul, and Hunza rivers.

“Additionally, there is a risk of localized flooding in northeastern Punjab, southern Balochistan (including Awaran, Khuzdar, Jhal Magsi), and Azad Kashmir,” the statement said. 

The authority warned the masses against crossing streams and bridges during this period, urging residents in low-lying areas to take protective measures to prevent urban flooding.

The NDMA urged citizens to stay updated on the weather conditions and monitor its mobile application. 

Topics: monsoon flash floods Pakistan

Latest updates

South Korea court to hold July 9 hearing on former leader Yoon’s detention warrant
South Korea court to hold July 9 hearing on former leader Yoon’s detention warrant
Australia mushroom murder jury to deliver verdict today
Australia mushroom murder jury to deliver verdict today
North Korea bars Western influencers from trade fair tour
North Korea bars Western influencers from trade fair tour
UN teams deploy to Syrian coast as wildfires force hundreds to flee
UN teams deploy to Syrian coast as wildfires force hundreds to flee
Trump says alignment with BRICS’ ‘anti-American policies’ to invite additional 10% tariffs
Trump says alignment with BRICS’ ‘anti-American policies’ to invite additional 10% tariffs

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.