DNA News
Agriculture credit hits PKR 1.329 trillion with 3.5 million borrowers
ISLAMABAD, OCT 28 /DNA/ – Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, chaired the sixth meeting of the Access to Finance (A2F) Steering Committee at the Finance Division today to review progress on expanding affordable and inclusive financing across priority sectors, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), agriculture, exports, housing, and the Prime Minister’s flagship schemes, including Apna Ghar, Zarkhez-e and the Pakistan Accelerated Vehicle Electrification (PAVE) Scheme. The Committee underscored the importance of access to finance in supporting economic inclusion, entrepreneurship, job creation and poverty reduction. ItRead More
Women leaders, commissions, diplomats and lawyers collaborate to advance women’s rights and access to justice
ISLAMABAD, OCT 28 /DNA/ – October 2026: On the second day of PODA’s 19th Annual Rural Women Leadership Training Conference, the Director General, Gender and Social Inclusion, of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), highlighted persistent disparities in voter turnout, noting that some of the largest gaps exist in major urban centres, including Karachi Central and Faisalabad, while Chakwal has one of the smallest gaps. Addressing around 1,000 rural women leaders representing approximately 120 districts, she commended organizations like PODA for their efforts to promote women’s electoral participation. Speakers inRead More
Pakistan, Tajikistan vow to strengthen enduring partnership, expand cooperation
DNA ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with the Foreign Minister of Tajikistan, H.E. Sirojiddin Muhriddin, according to an official statement issued here. During the call, the Deputy Prime Minister thanked Foreign Minister Muhriddin for his gracious hospitality and warm welcome extended during his visit to Dushanbe for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting held on 19–20 October 2026. The two Ministers reaffirmed their resolve to work closely to further strengthen the enduring partnership between PakistanRead More
Death toll in Spain high-speed train crash near Toledo rises to 30
MADRID, OCT 28: A total of 30 deaths have been confirmed so far from the high-speed train crash near Toledo, Spain, on Wednesday, the Castilla-La Mancha regional government said, as emergency crews carried out rescue and recovery operations at the scene. The accident occurred on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed rail line near Urda, where a Renfe AVE train and an Iryo train collided, prompting a major emergency response involving local, regional and national authorities. Footage from regional Castilla-La Mancha Television showed a derailed train with at least one carriage remaining onRead More
Zikria Zia urges data-driven planning to boost Islamabad investment
ISLAMABAD, OCT 28 /DNA/ – President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia, has proposed the development of an Islamabad City Economic Competitiveness Index to assess the federal capital’s economic strengths, investment potential, infrastructure efficiency and overall business environment. Talking to different visiting delegation of business leaders at the Chamber on Wednesday, he said that Islamabad must move beyond conventional urban development and adopt a modern, data-driven economic framework to strengthen its position as a competitive investment destination. He emphasized that the economic success of aRead More
UK backs Pakistani climate businesses in bid for $51 million investment
KARACHI, OCT 28 /DNA/ – Ten Pakistani businesses are seeking a combined US$51 million over the next 12 months to scale up practical climate solutions, following specialist support from the UK Government. The businesses, operating across cleaner energy, transport, construction, farming and waste sectors, strengthened their investment proposals with UK-funded technical and financial advice before presenting them directly to investors, banks and development finance institutions at a two-day roadshow in Karachi on 27 and 28 October. The Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) Pakistan Investor Roadshow connected the ten businesses — spanningRead More