College excluded from PSDP
Leader of the Opposition in Balochistan Assembly Mir Younas Aziz Zehri staged a walkout from the house in a protest over exclusion of Jhalawan Medical College from Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
In an address before leaving the session, Mir Younas berated the provincial government for neglecting a project of educational importance.
"Despite consistently raising this issue, no corrective measures have been taken. The project director remains in-charge, even though he is clearly unqualified," alleged Zehri, citing mismanagement and inefficiency in the college's administration.
Former Chief Minister and National Party leader Dr Malik Baloch echoed these concerns, warning that continued funding lapses and administrative failings could draw the attention of the Pakistan Medical Council (PMC).
"If PMC takes notice, the college's accreditation could be at risk — threatening the future of hundreds of medical students," he cautioned.
In response, Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti assured to review the decision.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Repair of Interior Minister's Enclave: CDA replaces previously issued tender
ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) replaced a previously issued tender for repair and maintenance of House 36, Minister Enclave (residence of Syed Mohsin Naqvi, Minister for Interior), following significant public criticism, and issued a new corrigendum to expand the scope of repair for eight houses on Monday. A tender of Rs 47 million for repair at Syed Mohsin Naqvi's official residence (House 36, Minister Enclave), initially published on August 2, has been withdrawn. The CDA issued a fresh corrigendum on August 4, 2025, expanding the scope to cover repair and maintenance for eight houses in total. The corrigendum was released to national dailies but not uploaded on the website of CDA. The corrigendum does not provide details of the eight houses. On March 18, 2024, House 36 was allotted to Syed Mohsin Naqvi, previously occupied by former spokesperson for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Fahad Hussain. The renovation project is not part of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP); instead, it's being funded by the CDA. On July 30, 2025, CDA approved a budget outlay of Rs 92.215 billion for fiscal year 2025–26, reflecting a renewed focus on fiscal discipline, urban infrastructure, digital governance, and tourism development. Sources in CDA told this scribe that CDA can spend around Rs 700,000 on a single house in the minister's enclave per annum depending on the availability of funds. Since the funds required for the renovation were much higher than the assigned limit, the CDA's usual practice is to prepare a PC-I - a time consuming procedure subject to approval from the competent authorities. In 2024, amendments were made to the CDA Ordinance 1960 which gave considerable financial powers over CDA finances to the ministry including development related affairs of the capital city. These amendments pertain to powers of borrowing, execution of schemes and their finances, creation of funds, besides budget approval, audit, accounts and making rules. Before 2024, all such powers were vested with the federal government. The size of the current federal cabinet has swelled to 51, including 30 federal ministers, nine state ministers, four advisers, and eight SAPMs. In October 2018, when the powers were vested with the federal cabinet, a question was raised as to what was the source of funds for the renovation of official residence of the then state minister for interior, Shehryar Afridi. Shehryar Afridi was assigned his portfolio on Aug 31, 2018. At that time funding was sought from PWD, district administration and CDA. He was allotted house no.3 in the Ministers' Enclave by the PWD which was not in good condition. On Monday, a CDA spokesman reportedly said that this was a routine maintenance tender for eight houses. A typo in the advertisement mistakenly mentioned one house. The error was corrected immediately, and a revised notice was published the next day, he added. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Express Tribune
Poppy cultivation
Listen to article The recent debate in the Balochistan Assembly over the increasing cultivation of poppy in the province has, once again, brought to light an uncomfortable but necessary conversation. Can poppy be harnessed as a legitimate source of revenue? While the knee-jerk reaction is often to denounce poppy due to its association with illicit drugs, it is time to view the issue through a pragmatic and economically informed lens. With Afghanistan's strict ban on opium cultivation under the Taliban, the regional dynamics of poppy production have shifted. Farmers across the Baloch and Pashtun belt of Pakistan - facing poverty and limited state support ùare increasingly turning to poppy as a high-value cash crop. Instead of allowing this trade to operate in the shadows, Pakistan should explore regulated cultivation of poppy for medicinal and pharmaceutical use, thereby generating revenue and curbing illegal trafficking. Globally, countries like India, Turkey and Australia have long-established state-regulated systems for cultivating opium poppies for the production of painkillers such as morphine and codeine. These systems prove that poppy can be grown responsibly and legally under strict government oversight. There is no reason Pakistan, with proper legislation and institutional support, cannot follow a similar path. The potential export market to pharmaceuticals is massive. Moreover, a state-regulated poppy economy could draw people away from trafficking networks, allowing the government to exert more control over borderlands where its writ is already weak. The revenue generated can be redirected into rural development - precisely in the areas most affected by instability. To be clear, this is not a call for reckless liberalisation. Any policy to regulate poppy must be accompanied by ironclad monitoring mechanisms and a clear distinction between legitimate pharmaceutical production and narcotics trafficking. But to ignore the economic potential of poppy is to ignore a potential solution.
Business Recorder
7 days ago
- Business Recorder
Development of first indigenous Large Language Model: Senate body questions selection process of partners
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication has raised serious concerns over the Ministry of IT's collaboration with telecom giant Jazz and NUST University on the development of Pakistan's first indigenous Large Language Model (LLM), questioning the transparency and selection process of project partners. Chairperson Senator Palwasha Khan and members called for greater inclusivity and competitive bidding in national tech initiatives, stressing that such opportunities should be publicly advertised. During the committee's meeting at Parliament House, chaired by Senator Palwasha, the Ministry of IT disclosed that Jazz and NUST were not officially selected but had independently initiated the LLM project without any public funding. Senator Dr Mohammad Humayun Mohmand and other members voiced their dissatisfaction, questioning why other capable institutions and telecom operators were not invited to participate. The IT secretary stated that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) exists between the ministry and Jazz, but confirmed that no formal tender or public announcement was made. In response to these concerns, he acknowledged the need for open invitations and assured that other universities are now being encouraged to express interest in contributing to the AI ecosystem. Jazz representatives highlighted that the LLM project is aimed at preserving Pakistan's native languages, which face the threat of extinction. They cited data collection as a major hurdle and mentioned ongoing meetings with various ministries to support the initiative. The meeting also focused on the broader regulatory landscape for AI in Pakistan, with detailed discussion on the "Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill, 2024," introduced by Senator Dr Afnanullah Khan. The bill aims to create an ethical and legal framework for AI use and innovation. The committee emphasised the urgency of regulating AI technologies in light of rapid global developments. The ministry briefed the committee on the establishment of an Emerging Technology Wing focused on four key areas: Artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cybersecurity, and quantum technologies. It was revealed that Rs16 billion has been allocated under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2024–25 to fund these innovations. In a separate briefing, the director of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) updated the committee on operations against illegal call centres. A total of 54 centres were raided, resulting in 254 arrests, with the majority of cases traced to Islamabad. These centres employed advanced tactics, including fake social media profiles and cryptocurrency laundering, to defraud victims. Committee members called for stronger legal mechanisms to combat cybercrime and reiterated the importance of equitable funding and inclusive participation in national AI and tech development projects. Senator Palwasha concluded the session by reaffirming the committee's commitment to accountability, digital security, and technological advancement driven by merit and fairness. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
