ISLAMABAD, AUG 5: Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief and head of the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), on Tuesday called for a national dialogue among all political parties to steer the country out of crisis. Talking to the media, Achakzai urged all political forces to sit at the dialogue table for the “sake of the country”, saying: “The solution to all the problems still lies in dialogue.” The seasoned politician said that everyone should apologise for the wrongs they committed in the past. Responding to aRead More

By Rabab Hussain Few development interventions have attracted as much sustained enthusiasm—or as much scrutiny—as microfinance. Heralded as a catalyst for poverty reduction and women’s empowerment, it became a mainstay of development policy across South Asia. The logic was compelling: provide women with small loans, and they would invest in businesses, gain economic independence, and drive social change within their households and communities. The narrative was powerful, and in many ways, it worked. But decades into the microfinance boom, it’s time to ask a harder question: Has it delivered onRead More

Nazir Siyal /DNAKARACHI: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ordered an anti-corruption inquiry against the Chairman of Mian Sarfaraz Town Municipal Corporation, Hyderabad, over serious allegations of corruption, financial irregularities, and illegal use of public funds. Unauthorized Budget Approval:PAC revealed that the Chairman approved the Rs 1.25 billion budget for fiscal year 2024–2025 without convening a town council meeting, bypassing legal procedures. Misuse of OZT Funds: The Chairman withdrew monthly OZT funds from the bank without the Town Municipal Commissioner’s signature and withheld official records, leaving the town offices locked.Read More

GILGIT, AUG 5 /DNA/ – A significant step towards preserving Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage, Serena Hotels has signed an agreement with the Northern Light Infantry Regiment Centre (NLI) for the restoration and reutilization of the historic Gupis Fort, located in the Ghizer District of Gilgit-Baltistan. The signing ceremony took place at the Islamabad Serena Hotel, where Mr. Aziz Boolani, Global CEO Serena Hotels, and Brigadier Arfan Ahmed, Commandant Northern Light Infantry Regiment Centre, signed the agreement. The initiative is a key component of Serena Hotels  expansion of the Heritage CircuitRead More

ISLAMABAD, AUG 5 /DNA/ – The India Study Centre (ISC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) hosted a seminar, titled “August 5, 2019: Another Turning Point in the Jammu and Kashmir Dispute.” The event was organized to commemorate the struggle, resolve, and sacrifices of the Kashmiri people, and observe Youm-e-Istehsal to condemn India’s unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019, with regard to the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Ambassador Masood Khan, Former President of the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, graced the occasionRead More