Author: Faiza Liaquat

Pakistan’s U18 men’s hockey team has blazed through the group stage of the Asia Cup 2025, securing four consecutive victories, scoring 25 goals, and conceding just four, to finish top of Pool A. With dominant wins over Hong Kong China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and hosts China, the young Greenshirts now face Malaysia in the semi-final on July 11, in what promises to be a thrilling, high-stakes battle. This flawless campaign marks a bold resurgence for Pakistan’s hockey future and rekindles hopes for continental glory at the grassroots level.

Pakistan’s booming tech sector has just marked a major win software exports have crossed the $1 billion mark in just 11 months of the fiscal year 2024–25, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). This represents a 27.4% increase from the $793 million recorded during the same period last year. It’s the first time ever that software exports alone have crossed the billion-dollar mark within a span of less than a year and it signals how fast Pakistan is rising as a global player in the IT space. 📈 A Strong Surge Across IT and ITeS…

The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) is taking bold strides in equipping Pakistan’s workforce for the future. At the closing ceremony of its second Generative AI course, PEC announced plans to train 45,000 engineers over the next three years — an ambitious target that reflects the council’s strategic alignment with Pakistan’s digital transformation goals. From over 4,000 enrollees, 1,180 engineers successfully completed the free 6-week course, earning internationally recognized QR-certified credentials. In collaboration with Aspire Pakistan, Pak Angels (Silicon Valley), and iCodeGuru, the course aimed to embed AI skills into the heart of engineering disciplines. The top 10 engineers and 3…

The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has unveiled a transformative Rs. 364 billion budget for education in fiscal year 2025–26. Announced by Education Minister Faisal Tarakai, the plan targets tech upgrades, school infrastructure, and access to quality learning for all. Key highlights include: The government’s strategy also promises full classroom furniture for every school by year-end, reinforcing its push toward an inclusive, digitally empowered education system. This initiative reflects KP’s ambition to not only modernize public schooling but also raise educational standards across rural and underserved areas.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) has achieved a historic milestone as its CA and CAF qualifications are now globally recognized by Ecctis UK, an international authority for benchmarking educational credentials. This accreditation confirms the rigor and quality of Pakistan’s accountancy education and elevates the Chartered Accountant (CA) designation to the ranks of internationally respected credentials. Students and professionals can now benefit from enhanced global mobility, recognition, and credibility in their careers. ICAP’s progress marks a significant step in aligning Pakistan with global financial and educational standards, and this development is expected to encourage more international opportunities, partnerships,…

In a bold move toward profitability and scale, Bazaar Technologies has acquired Keenu, the digital payments platform used by merchants in 150+ cities across Pakistan. With this acquisition, Bazaar now positions itself as Pakistan’s premier e-commerce and fintech provider. Launched to support small retailers, Bazaar has evolved into a direct-to-consumer platform, backed by $100 million in funding from top investors like Tiger Global and Dragoneer. Keenu brings mobile wallet capabilities, POS systems, and a strong nationwide merchant network. With no further funding needed, Bazaar is focusing on aggressive expansion and user engagement — targeting Pakistan’s youth-heavy digital population, over 60%…

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Takes Digital Lead with QR-Based Identity System ‘Khyber Pass’ In a move that marks a new era for citizen services in Pakistan, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has launched Khyber Pass, the country’s first QR-based digital identity platform. The system will give users a single digital account and scannable ID for real-time access to multiple government services including healthcare, education, property, and licensing. Inaugurated by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, the initiative is designed to eliminate repetitive paperwork and long queues by linking citizen data through a secure NADRA integration. The system already includes three live services and…

In a major global endorsement, Northern Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region has been featured in the Financial Times’ “50 Holidays to Take in 2025” list marking a proud moment for Pakistan’s tourism industry. The recognition celebrates the region’s towering mountain beauty, revived tourism infrastructure, and growing international accessibility, including free online visas for over 120 countries and increasing flight operations to Skardu and Gilgit. Adventure travel operator Wild Frontiers, a UK-based company that began offering tours in Pakistan in 1998, is now offering a 14-day immersive trip through the valleys and peaks of Hunza and Baltistan complete with six days of trekking…

In a major fiscal move, Pakistan has announced the early retirement of PKR 500 billion in sovereign debt owed to the State Bank of Pakistan, originally set to mature in 2029. This comes just months after a historic PKR 1 trillion market debt buyback in December 2024 bringing total early repayments in FY25 to PKR 1.5 trillion. Officials report significant economic gains: Pakistan’s debt-to-GDP ratio has declined to 69%, the average maturity of public debt has increased to 3.75 years, and interest cost savings are estimated at PKR 830 billion this fiscal year. Economic advisor Khurram Schehzad called it “a decisive and disciplined strategy”…

The Pakistan Cricket Board has made a landmark decision to commit Rs 6 billion toward stadium upgrades across its top three venues Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, National Stadium in Karachi, and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium within its overall Rs 18 billion annual budget. According to senior journalist Saleem Khaliq, this investment is aimed at delivering modern seating, enhanced amenities, and up-to-date infrastructure to meet both ICC requirements and rising expectations among matchgoers. Beyond temporary fixes, this marks a shift toward long-term facility resilience, placing Pakistan’s stadiums on par with global standards. As the PCB prepares for a packed schedule involving domestic tournaments, PSL 2025, and…