ISLAMABAD, September 24, 2026: Pakistan and Maldives have underscored the need to strengthen parliamentary exchanges and expand cooperation in trade, investment, education, defence, tourism and climate change.

Acting Chairman Senate Syedaal Khan Nasar met Speaker of the People’s Majlis of Maldives Abdul Raheem Abdullah and his parliamentary delegation at a local hotel in Islamabad, according to a Senate Secretariat statement.

Nasar said relations between the two countries were rooted in mutual trust, respect, shared interests and Islamic brotherhood. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation within SAARC, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations.

Highlighting the role of parliamentary diplomacy, he called for more exchanges between the two legislatures to promote mutual understanding and institutional cooperation.

The Acting Chairman Senate said improved direct air and maritime connectivity, greater market access and private sector participation could help expand bilateral trade. He identified textiles, rice, cement, food products and pharmaceuticals as areas with export potential.

He also advocated greater opportunities for Maldivian students at Pakistani universities, particularly in medicine, engineering, pharmacy and dentistry.

Both countries, he said, could benefit from closer cooperation in climate research, capacity building, defence training and maritime security.

Abdul Raheem Abdullah said Maldives deeply valued its fraternal relationship with Pakistan and wanted to broaden cooperation across key sectors. He thanked Pakistan for its assistance during difficult times and its development support, including its contribution to the Parliament building in Malé.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with existing cooperation and emphasized exploring new avenues to strengthen bilateral relations. Pakistani parliamentarians, members of the Maldivian delegation and senior Senate Secretariat officials attended the meeting.

Written by Tariq Siddiqui

A Commitment Worth Recognising

For a country with considerable maritime potential, bringing the right people together is a meaningful step towards progress. Abdul Lateef Siddiqui, Chairman and Managing Director of Global Radiance Group (GRG), deserves appreciation for supporting such an opportunity at the Pakistan Marine Academy in Karachi. Through GRG’s sponsorship of World Maritime Day 2026, experienced seafarers, regulators, industry leaders and students gathered to consider a shared question: what will it take to build a stronger maritime future for Pakistan?

More Than a Ceremonial Occasion

Held on Thursday, 24 September 2026, the programme gave Pakistan’s maritime community an opportunity to discuss the sector’s practical needs. Government representatives, academics and shipping professionals joined students preparing for their careers. Their presence gave the occasion a sense of continuity. Those who had spent decades at sea or within maritime institutions shared a platform with young people who will eventually carry those responsibilities forward.

Making Policy Work in Everyday Life

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) theme for 2026–2027, “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence,” provided the direction for the discussions. Its meaning is straightforward: a policy succeeds when it improves the way people work. In shipping, that means clearer responsibilities, safer operations, capable institutions and professionals who understand the standards expected of them. For Pakistan, the theme raised an essential question about how good intentions can become consistent results.

An Academy with a Purpose

The proceedings opened with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by the National Anthem and a welcome address by Commander Muhammad Asif Farooq PN, Deputy Commandant of the Pakistan Marine Academy. The setting mattered. An academy prepares students for careers in which judgement, discipline and responsibility have consequences. Hosting this conversation where future maritime professionals are trained brought the discussion closer to the people who will help put its lessons into practice.

Leadership through Participation

In his keynote address, Abdul Lateef Siddiqui spoke about the importance of Pakistan’s maritime sector and the role industry stakeholders can play in strengthening its international position. His contribution was valuable because private businesses have direct experience of the demands of global shipping. The GRG chairman’s support for the programme reflected a constructive commitment to sharing that experience. Such participation can help connect education and regulation with the realities professionals encounter at work.

A Connection with the Wider World

An official video message from IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez placed the gathering within the international maritime conversation. Ships move between countries, but their safe operation depends on shared expectations and dependable standards. Pakistan’s institutions and professionals are part of that larger system. The message reinforced the importance of taking international commitments seriously and making them workable within national organisations, training programmes and commercial operations.

Experience Speaking to Experience

The panel discussion was moderated by Irfan Mehmood Sheikh, whose career spans more than 36 years. A former General Manager of Ship Management at the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), he now serves as Group Technical Head at GRG. Panellists included Salman Raza, former Principal Officer and Registrar of Seagoing Vessels at the Mercantile Marine Department, and Captain Jahangir Mehmood Sheikh, whose 30 years at sea included 15 years commanding Suezmax and Panamax tankers.

Bringing Different Perspectives Together

Rashid Yahya Usmani brought more than five decades of maritime experience, including 16 years leading the Enviro-Maritime Capacity Building Institute and contributions to education at the academy. Captain Mustafa Kizilbash, Executive Director (Commercial) at PNSC, contributed over 24 years of industry experience. Together, the panellists examined enforcement, institutional capacity, professional competence and coordination. Their varied backgrounds helped connect the requirements of regulation with the practical concerns of education and commercial shipping.

Caring for the Sea and Its Responsibilities

Technical presentations added further depth. Captain Adeel Farooq, a master mariner with over 20 years of experience and currently serving Cnergyico Pakistan Limited in oil spill response, contributed operational expertise. Shabib Asghar, Director of Marine Conservation Pakistan, brought attention to environmental concerns. Maritime lawyer Ahsan Ghani contributed nearly two decades of legal experience. Their participation illustrated how maritime progress depends on safety, environmental care and a sound understanding of legal obligations.

Giving the Next Generation a Chance

The students attending the programme were central to its purpose. Their future will depend partly on how well education connects with professional opportunities. Abdul Lateef Siddiqui’s support deserves recognition in this context, alongside GRG’s involvement in maritime education and scholarships. Pakistan has the geographical advantages to develop its maritime sector. What it needs is sustained investment in people and institutions, so that young professionals can turn that promise into useful, lasting work.

Written by Irfan Siddiqui

At a time when international relationships are shaped as much by communities as by governments, young leaders who understand more than one culture have a valuable role to play. Manik Elahi, a rising figure in New York Democratic politics, has built a career around public service, political organizing and bringing people into the conversation. His family ties to Pakistan and Japan give his story another dimension: the possibility that he could help strengthen understanding among Pakistan, Japan and the United States.

Manik serves as president of the Albany County Young Democrats. First elected in 2024, he was unanimously re-elected in 2025 and 2026. He also chairs the New York State Young Democrats’ Council of Presidents, bringing together chapter leaders from across the state. These positions show the confidence fellow young Democrats have placed in his ability to organize and lead.

His experience extends beyond party politics. Manik works in the office of U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko, where his responsibilities include community outreach and special projects. The congressman’s office lists him as a contact for its Congressional Art Competition, which gives young artists a chance to have their work displayed at the U.S. Capitol. He is also a contact for students seeking information about nominations to U.S. service academies. Through such work, he helps connect families and young people with opportunities that might otherwise feel distant.

Before his current congressional role, Manik worked in the New York State Senate, the office of former Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul and the State University of New York system. He has also chaired the Asian American and Pacific Islander caucus within the New York State Young Democrats. Each role has given him a different view of how public institutions can listen to the people they serve.

His circle of shared priorities in New York politics also includes Mayor Zohran Mamdani. According to information shared for this profile, Manik shares in mayor Mamdani’s efforts intended to improve people’s lives through exceptional delivery of services by the government. Their overlapping interest in the pressures facing working families gives that relationship a meaningful public dimension. Manik has spoken openly about how the Democratic party must address the cost of housing, food and daily life, arguing that political leaders must take the concerns of young working people seriously.

In Albany, he was named a co-chair of a youth policy committee on Mayor Dorcey Applyrs’s transition team. That responsibility placed him among community leaders helping to consider how the city could better serve its younger residents. For Manik, public service appears to begin with a simple question: are people’s everyday concerns being heard?

There is an important family story behind his journey. His father, Mansoor Elahi, is of Pakistani origin, holds Japanese citizenship and lives in Japan. A businessman with connections to both Pakistan and Japan, Mansoor Elahi has spent years building relationships across borders. Such work calls for persistence, trust and an understanding of different cultures. His experience offers a meaningful example for a son making his own way in American public life.

Manik’s achievements are his own, but this wider background may prove valuable as his career develops. Pakistan, Japan and the United States each have communities whose lives and interests reach beyond national borders. Pakistani families in Japan, Japanese businesses with international ambitions and Americans connected to both countries can all benefit from people who know how to bring different perspectives together.

A bridge between nations is built through sustained contact among students, entrepreneurs, community organizations and public leaders. With his experience in American politics and his family connections to Pakistan and Japan, Manik is well placed to contribute to that work. He could encourage conversations about education, business, opportunity and the experiences of families who call more than one country home.

Perhaps the most encouraging feature of Manik Elahi’s story is that it is still unfolding. He has earned responsibilities at the local, state and congressional levels, while keeping young people’s needs at the centre of his message. If he continues to pair ambition with service, he has the potential to become a valuable voice connecting communities across the United States, Pakistan and Japan.

By Irfan Siddiqui

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Chairman Senate Syedaal Khan Nasar has emphasized the importance of national unity, sustained consultation and constructive engagement among all segments of society, while describing Pakistan-China relations as an extraordinary example of mutual trust, respect and steadfast cooperation.

During a series of meetings with former Nazim and former Member of the National Assembly Himayatullah Mayar, retired bureaucrats, representatives of student organizations, lawyers’ bodies, tribal elders and business associations, the Deputy Chairman Senate discussed the country’s overall political and economic situation, public concerns and other matters of national importance.

Syedaal Khan Nasar said that collective efforts were essential to promote national development, strengthen economic stability, ensure continuity of the democratic process and resolve the problems confronting the people. Effective coordination among elected representatives, civil society, the business community, youth, lawyers and other stakeholders, he added, could help Pakistan overcome its current challenges.

He maintained that the government and Parliament were fulfilling their respective responsibilities for public welfare, economic development and institutional stability. Parliamentary forums, he said, were being effectively utilized to highlight public concerns and pursue their resolution on a priority basis.

The Deputy Chairman Senate acknowledged the business community’s vital contribution to the national economy and described lawyers, students, tribal elders and civil society organizations as important stakeholders in strengthening democratic values and social stability. He assured the delegations that their concerns and proposals would be raised at the relevant forums and that every possible assistance would be extended to initiatives aimed at public welfare.

Separately, addressing a ceremony organized by Diplomatic Focus to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, Syedaal Khan Nasar said that bilateral ties represented much more than a 75-year diplomatic journey. They constituted a remarkable story of friendship, mutual respect, trust and unwavering support.

The ceremony was attended by the Chinese Ambassador, diplomats, parliamentarians, intellectuals, media representatives and other prominent personalities.

The Deputy Chairman Senate said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations on May 21, 1951, the partnership between Pakistan and China had developed into a strong, stable and multifaceted relationship. Despite changing regional and global circumstances, he observed, both countries had consistently respected each other’s sovereignty, national interests and right to development while standing together during difficult times.

He highlighted considerable potential for expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, education, agriculture, healthcare, science and technology, energy, infrastructure and people-to-people contacts. Describing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as a major manifestation of this enduring partnership, he said CPEC had opened new avenues for connectivity, industrial development, energy cooperation and infrastructure improvement.

Syedaal Khan Nasar also emphasized the growing significance of parliamentary and public diplomacy. He said exchanges among parliamentarians, media organizations, educational institutions, business communities and ordinary citizens could further strengthen mutual understanding and deepen bilateral relations.

He congratulated the Chinese leadership and people on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations and expressed confidence that Pakistan-China cooperation would continue to contribute to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

The Deputy Chairman Senate appreciated Diplomatic Focus, particularly its Chief Executive Officer Mian Fazal Elahi, for organizing the event and highlighting the enduring friendship between the two countries.

Reiterating his broader national vision, Syedaal Khan Nasar said that unity, mutual respect and continuous consultation were essential for both domestic progress and effective international cooperation. Through collective determination and constructive engagement, he concluded, Pakistan could overcome its challenges and move confidently towards stability and prosperity.

By. Irfan Siddiqui

ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan has appointed renowned healthcare professional Dr Syed Ali Farhan Razi as President of the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PN&MC), with immediate effect.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Dr Razi was serving as a member of the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council before being appointed to its top position. His appointment has been made under the relevant provisions of the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council Act, 2026.

Dr Razi’s appointment is being welcomed as an important development for the advancement of nursing and midwifery in Pakistan. His dedication, professional commitment and valuable efforts in the healthcare sector have earned widespread appreciation. He has played a commendable role in strengthening healthcare services, improving professional standards and supporting the development of healthcare workers.

It is expected that under his leadership, the Council will take further steps to improve the education, training, regulation and professional development of nurses and midwives across the country. A skilled and properly trained nursing workforce is essential for providing quality healthcare, making the role of the Council particularly important.

Dr Razi’s experience and commitment are expected to help strengthen institutional standards and elevate the status of nursing and midwifery professions in Pakistan. His appointment also brings renewed hope for reforms that will benefit healthcare professionals as well as patients.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Dr Syed Ali Farhan Razi on his appointment to this important national position. We wish him every success and hope that he will continue to serve Pakistan’s healthcare sector with dedication, integrity and distinction.