
Pakistan officials in Dubai for two-day exchange on innovation in governance, service delivery
The program, running from July 8–9, includes sessions with various UAE ministries and authorities and focuses on innovative approaches to public service delivery, competitiveness, and institutional reform. The initiative comes as Islamabad seeks to modernize its public sector and strengthen economic cooperation with the Gulf nation.
On the sidelines of the visit, Pakistan's Ambassador to the UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, met on Monday with Abdulla Nasser Lootah, UAE Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration in governance, reform, and digital public services.
'The Ambassador extended appreciation to the UAE Government for hosting a visiting delegation of senior Pakistani government officials,' the embassy said in a statement after Tirmizi's meeting with Lootah.
The envoy also conveyed his gratitude on behalf of the Pakistani delegation 'for the opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue' with UAE colleagues.
He also praised the Emirates for fostering 'a model of inclusive development and harmony that embraces people from across the world, including the large and vibrant Pakistani diaspora.'
The ambassador noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had shown 'strong interest in learning from the UAE's successful tax automation systems to enhance Pakistan's domestic tax collection capacity' and had directed the visiting team to fully benefit from the opportunity for knowledge-sharing.
For his part, Lootah reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to 'seamless cooperation with Pakistan,' particularly in governance and innovation, the embassy statement said. He also stressed Pakistan's potential across multiple sectors and said mutual learning could help both countries develop forward-looking policy solutions.
Pakistan and the UAE share longstanding ties underpinned by strong people-to-people connections.
More than 1.8 million Pakistanis live and work in the Emirates, which is Pakistan's third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and the second-largest source of remittances after Saudi Arabia.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Pakistan requests Saudi Arabia to increase Hajj pilgrims' quota to 230,000
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad has formally requested Saudi Arabia to increase its Hajj pilgrims' quota to 230,000, Pakistan's Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said this week, according to state-run media, as the country hopes more people can perform the annual Islamic pilgrimage. Pakistan received a quota of 179,210 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025, evenly divided between the government and private Hajj operators. For this year's pilgrimage, Islamabad has already concluded the registration process, with state media reporting that the country has received over 450,000 Hajj applications in total. 'He [Yousaf] noted that Pakistan has formally requested the Saudi government to increase the Hajj quota to 230,000, in proportion to the country's population to allow more people to undertake the pilgrimage,' the state-run Pakistan Television News reported on Sunday. The minister was on a visit to Darul Uloom Mansehra where he attended a reception in his honor. Yousaf said the increase in the number of people registering for Hajj 2026, over 450,000, reflects that the trust of the public has been restored in Pakistan's religious affairs ministry. 'Furthermore, the minister said that the Saudi authorities are working on digitizing the Hajj management system, which will ensure easier and more efficient services for pilgrims in the future,' PTV News reported. A major portion of the private quota for Hajj pilgrims for 2025 remained unutilized due to delays by companies in meeting payment and registration deadlines, while the government filled its full allocation of over 88,000 pilgrims. Private operators blamed the situation on technical glitches such as payment issues and communication breakdowns.


Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan to convert Frontier Constabulary into nationwide federal force amid mounting security challenges
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's federal government has decided to convert the Frontier Constabulary (FC) paramilitary force into a nationwide federal unit empowered to operate across the country, state-run media reported this week. According to the FC's website, the paramilitary force's primary function is to police the border between the settled areas of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and its tribal areas against incursions and criminal gangs operating from across the border. The FC is governed under the Frontier Constabulary Act, 1915 and the North-West Frontier Constabulary Rules, 1958. The maintenance, superintendence, administration and control of the force lies with the federal government, which is also empowered to deploy the FC in any part of Pakistan for 'better protection and administration' of those areas, as per its website. 'The federal government has decided to transform the Frontier Constabulary (FC) into a nationwide federal force,' the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) said in a report on Sunday. 'According to reliable sources, the revamped force will operate under the new name 'Federal Constabulary' and will be empowered to function across all provinces, including Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.' The report said that the force will be converted through amendments to the Frontier Constabulary Act of 1915, which are expected to receive approval from the federal cabinet. Following the cabinet's endorsement, a presidential ordinance will be issued to extend the FC's jurisdiction across the entire country. The state media said that as part of the force's reorganization, recruitment for the new Federal Constabulary unit will be carried out nationwide, with offices established across the country. 'The force will be commanded by officers from the Police Service of Pakistan, according to insiders familiar with the restructuring plan,' the report added. The PTV report said security experts view this step as part of broader efforts to centralize and enhance Pakistan's internal security infrastructure. 'The establishment of the Federal Constabulary is expected to play a crucial role in maintaining law and order and strengthening national peace and security mechanisms,' it said. The development takes place as Pakistan faces surging militant attacks in its KP and Balochistan provinces that border Afghanistan and Iran. Islamabad has grappled with a surge in militant attacks in KP since a fragile truce between Pakistan and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke down in November 2022. The TTP's militants have carried out some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistan's security forces and civilians since 2007 in a bid to impose their strict version of Islam across the country. Pakistan blames the Afghan government for not taking action against TTP militants, which it alleges operate from safe havens in Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegations and says it does not allow militants to use its soil to launch attacks against Pakistan.


Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
FM Dar to represent Pakistan at SCO Council of Foreign Ministers today amid regional tensions
ISLAMABAD: Deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, will be leading the Pakistani delegation at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in China today, Monday, the Pakistani foreign ministry said, with member states expected to discuss key regional and global issues at the forum. The meeting comes amid simmering regional tensions, particularly between India and Pakistan, following New Delhi's refusal to sign a recent SCO joint statement over its omission of a deadly April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. The SCO, a trans-regional bloc comprising China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Iran, and Central Asian states, is expected to deliberate on pressing regional and global security, connectivity, and economic issues. Dar is attending the CFM meeting, being held in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin on July 14-16, at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry. 'The deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Pakistan will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the CFM meeting,' it said in a statement on Sunday. The CFM is the third highest forum in the SCO format that focuses on the issues of international relations as well as foreign and security policies of China-backed SCO. Last month, Beijing's bid for enhanced regional leadership suffered a setback when India rejected signing a joint statement put before defense ministers of the SCO, seen by some Western analysts as a regional grouping by China and Russia to counter United States influence in Asia, with New Delhi saying it was pro-Pakistan in not mentioning April's attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for backing the gunmen behind the April 22 killing of 26 people. Islamabad denies the charge. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said the statement diluted India's position on critical issues such as terrorism and regional security, The Associated Press reported, citing a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. Singh alleged the joint statement 'suited Pakistan's narrative' because it did not include that attack but mentioned militant activities in Balochistan. Pakistan has repeatedly accused India of backing separatists in its Balochistan province, allegations that India denies. In May, India and Pakistan exchanged fighter jet, missile, drone and artillery strikes for four days over the Kashmir attack, killing around 70 people on both sides before agreeing to US-brokered ceasefire.