AKU-IED, Sindh Government establish a landmark partnership for inclusive education

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

In a move set to reshape how Pakistan educates children with disabilities, the Sindh Cabinet has approved a five-year partnership between the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD) and the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED). The Memorandum of Understanding was signed recently at the Chief Minister House in Karachi. 

The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, who witnessed the signing, called it “not merely an agreement” but “a solemn commitment to every child with disabilities in Sindh that their dreams matter, their potential is recognized, and their future will no longer be limited by barriers." 

The partnership will establish an Inclusion and Special Educational Needs (SEN) Unit at AKU-IED, for training, research, and innovation that will house sensory rooms, therapy spaces and dedicated resource centres. The initiative aims to train more than 2,000 educators and, through them, reach an estimated half a million school children over the next five years. 

According to UNICEF, an estimated 96% of children with disabilities in Pakistan are out of school, with Sindh bearing a large proportion of this burden due to poverty, gender disparities, and limited functional accessibility. Overall, Sindh has 7.4 million out-of-school children, where disability acts as a major compounding barrier to attendance. 

"For too long, children with disabilities have been invisible in our education system. Today, we are making a promise to every family in Sindh that their children matter,” Tuaha Ahmed Faruqui, Secretary of DEPD, stated.

The initiative's most ambitious commitment is workforce transformation. AKU-IED will deliver modular courses, Training-of-Trainers programmes, and certification pathways to more than 2,000 educators. Its Bachelor of Education degree will offer specialization in inclusive education with monthly stipends. 

Beyond training, the collaboration establishes a province-wide research and advocacy agenda: baseline assessments, implementation evaluations, and annual policy commissions to inform government decisions. Biennial SEN conferences and policy seminars will convene experts and advocates, while public education campaigns will produce multimedia resources, toolkits, and community sensitisation initiatives to shift mindsets about disability inclusion. 

"This is not just an institutional milestone. It is a commitment to every child in Sindh who has been waiting for an education system that sees them, hears them, and empowers them," Professor Farid Panjwani, Dean, AKU-IED, reckoned. 

The Government of Sindh will provide grant funding, while AKU-IED contributes expertise and institutional resources. The SEN Unit will develop a strategic roadmap designed to sustain impact well beyond the five-year term. 

“The true measure of an education system is whether it reaches those who have historically been left furthest behind. By preparing teachers and schools to educate children with special needs, this partnership will help to ensure that all our children have the opportunity to fulfill their potential,” Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin, President, AKU, recognized. 

The partnership envisions a Sindh where every child, regardless of ability, finds belonging, understanding, and empowerment in their classroom, a future now within reach.

AKU launches pediatrics manual to strengthen child healthcare

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Aga Khan University (AKU) has launched the AKU Manual of Pediatrics, a free, locally developed clinical resource created “by clinicians, for clinicians” to support the diagnosis and management of common childhood conditions in Pakistan. 

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Developed in collaboration with the AKU's Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, the manual provides evidence-based guidance for pediatricians, family physicians, medical officers, residents, and other healthcare professionals and is available free through the AKU Manual website and mobile application. 

The manual was unveiled at a ceremony attended by the Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Syed Mustafa Kamal, as chief guest. 

"Strengthening Pakistan's health care system requires practical, actionable, evidence-based solutions that support our health care professionals. The AKU Manual of Pediatrics is an important step towards improving the quality and consistency of child health care, and I commend Aga Khan University on this valuable contribution," the Federal Health Minister noted. 

The ceremony brought together leaders from government, academia, professional bodies, and the healthcare community, including representatives of the Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA), Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), Armed Forces Postgraduate Medical Institute (AFPGMI), Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN), together with pediatric leaders and healthcare professionals. 

Developed by the AKU's Centre for Clinical Best Practices with the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, the manual provides 88 evidence-based clinical practice guidelines across 14 pediatric subspecialties. 

It is designed for pediatricians, family physicians, residents, medical officers, and other health care professionals, offering bedside-ready, point-of-care guidance tailored to Pakistan's context. Its Editor-in-Chief is Dr Adil H Haider, former Dean of AKU Medical College. 

The programme featured keynote addresses and a panel discussion on the role of locally developed guidelines in improving pediatric care and outcomes, before the official digital launch. 

“The AKU Manual of Pediatrics reflects a deeper purpose: to place reliable knowledge in the hands of those who care for children. When clinical decisions are guided by evidence, informed by global science, and rooted in local realities, we move closer to a health system in which every child has a fairer chance at life and health,” the AKU President, Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin, observed. 

"Science is universal, but practice is always local. When evidence generated elsewhere needs to be applied in Pakistan, it needs to be understood, adapted and trusted. Our manual is a step towards bridging that gap," Prof Dr Fyezah Jehan, Chair of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at AKU, added. 

The manual is available free of charge through a mobile application and the University’s website.

Which is stronger, fear or guilt?

By Zara Waqas

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Guilt is like a heavy sack on your back. “Just remove the sack”. “Pretend it isn't there”. Guilt is the strongest thing a person can ever feel. It makes people rethink their decisions, it makes breathing in peace feel impossible. It is impossible to not just think about it. 

You get reminded of it every single second you have to yourself. “I could have done better or why did I even do that. May be, I shouldn’t have done it”. 

Guilt can be expressed in many ways, crossing someone, ruining someone's day or even more complex expressions. It's like an endless sea. However much you try to get out, it just swallows you whole and the thing is, there is no way to get out of it. 

You are in the middle of the sea, stranded. No way to go, endless water, waves which make you feel stronger guilt. As you try to get to calm water, the waves just follow you and attack right as you were getting peace. 

There is no way to get out. Stop running. “How do I stop running” and I have to face it. “I can’t face it” you can’t. You keep running away from it, regretting every single second of your life which led you to that moment. The waves hit you stronger every single time. No escape. You try to distract yourself. Go out. 

Hang out with friends. Help your mom in the kitchen. Write in your journal. Watch a vlog. But when you get a moment to rest, you are reminded about that moment again and again. 

Late at night, you can't sleep. You toss and turn, repeatedly. You get hit with stronger waves. You can't find any distractions so all the waves hit you all at once like a wrecking ball. Every single decision you make, you overthink it. “Will I mess up again? Or “Am I making the wrong decision again?” You can't get a moment of peace. This is a shame. 

Although there is healthy guilt. You do something wrong and you get pushed to make it right. Sometimes, that guilt never ever leaves. There are two types of guilt, one makes you grow and the other makes you criticize yourself again and again. 

Guilt makes you replay moments again and again in your brain. It increases stress levels and makes you think like you are the person in the wrong even though sometimes it isn’t your fault at all. 

Guilt is pretty strong and sometimes, people can’t handle it at all. It is better that we start to control it rather than to try and finish it. 

Fear is also a very strong emotion. The real question is: which is stronger? I just told you about guilt. Let's talk about fear now.

Fear is a very important emotion in which you feel some kind of danger, or you get a feeling that this isn’t right. That this is not good. 

Fear is sometimes, rarely useful. It can help you from taking decision, sometimes these decisions are bad ones. You think about them because the idea of it makes you shiver in fear. You feel something wrong and the brain quickly tells you about it and passes the message to the muscles. 

Your blood starts pumping faster, your heart is racing, your mind is overworking itself with the endless possibilities on what will happen. Fear of heights, dark spaces, being alone, fast cars, long words, failure, rejection, judgement, dogs, animals, bugs, open spaces, enclosed space and the list could go on forever. 

Fears can go from the simplest of things to the most complex things. Understanding your fears is very important. Most people say “overcome” your fears. But that's not really possible is it now? 

You fear something, when you come across it, your body immediately gives you signals, your brain starts working rapidly and fear isn’t something you can stop just like guilt. You can’t stop these two emotions. 

A difference between the two is that fear is a future threat. And guilt is something that has happened in the past. Fear is like being scared, nervous and not ready to face things. Guilt is feeling an unhealthy amount of remorse and regret. 

These both combine usually. For example, you lost someone in the past and it might have been because of you and that brings you guilt. But it also brings you fear of ever losing someone again. 

You can think of guilt and fear as twin sisters, some differences included. Then there is their elder sibling. Shame. Shame can pull inwards both of these emotions and turn them into something else entirely. 

It mixes with guilt and makes you criticize your own self. “I did something bad to I am bad or that is a huge problem to I am the problem”. It mixes with fear the same way: “I don’t feel good, I don’t feel safe to maybe I am too weak” or “I feel like throwing up in enclosed spaces to I am just a cry baby”. 

These two emotions mix with shame to trap you in an endless cycle, or a loop. Which one do you find stronger?

Tariq Zakaria urges duty cuts to overcome LABSA shortage

By Gul Nasreen 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Vice Chairman of Pakistan Soap Manufacturers Association (PSMA), Tariq Zakaria, has pointed out that detergent, soaps and allied products manufacturing industry was facing an acute scarcity of Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulphonic Acid (LABSA) HS Code 3402.3100. 

“LABSA is a key raw material used in the production of detergents, dishwashing liquids, soaps, and other cleaning products. The shortage has significantly disrupted production and increased manufacturing costs, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs),” he observed in a press release. 

“The custom duty of this raw material is 10% besides sales tax 18%, income tax 5.5% and regulatory duty of 4% while for commercial importers an additional sales tax of 3% and income tax is 6% are imposed. The government must consider and accommodate commercial importers to serve the national companies by importing sulphonic acid,” he appealed. 

Tariq Zakaria regretted that the national manufacturers of LABSA were currently unable to produce sufficient quantities to meet the growing demand of the domestic industry due to shortages of the required raw materials, as a result of which many manufacturers were operating below capacity, while others were struggling to continue production. 

“Industry representatives have urged the Government of Pakistan to take immediate measures to address this critical situation by abolishing the anti-dumping duty and regulatory duty on the import of LABSA. Removing these duties would reduce production costs, stabilize the supply chain & help manufacturers continue producing essential household cleaning products at affordable prices,” he reckoned. 

“The industry has also requested the Government to allow commercial importers to import LABSA and supply it to local manufacturers producing detergents, dishwashing products, and other finished cleaning products. This step would help overcome the current shortage and ensure uninterrupted industrial production,” the PSMA Vice President added. 

“Furthermore, industry representatives have emphasized that existing policies and incentives largely benefit multinational companies, while Pakistan's small & medium enterprises receive limited support despite playing a vital role in employment generation and industrial growth,” he concluded.

Pakistan neglected, India invested in Railways: Ashfaq Khattak

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

“Pakistan’s railway system has suffered for decades because of low government investment and poor policy priorities, while India has continued to modernize its network, a former senior Pakistan Railways official said during a televised discussion.” 

This was brought to light by Muhammad Ashfaq Khattak, former General Manager (Operations) of Pakistan Railways in a recent interview. He did not mince words in confessing that the country’s railway infrastructure, locomotives and rolling stock had not received enough investment since the 1970s 

“Pakistan Railways currently earns about 150 billion Pakistani rupees (around $400 million) a year but continues to face a large financial deficit. It was no longer treated as a national priority,” he regretted. 

He felt confident that better investment and management could reduce losses and improve services. 

Ashfaq Khattak pointed out that Pakistan had inherited a much smaller railway network than India after the 1947 partition, adding that while both countries commenced their journeys with similar railway systems, India continued investing in new tracks, signalling, electrification and freight transport, while Pakistan focused more on road transport. 

He also observed that the proposed Main Line-1 (ML-1) modernization project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was the country’s first comprehensive railway upgrade plan but did not move forward as expected. Indian commentator 

Anil Nakra revealed that India has expanded investment in railways, including high-speed rail, hydrogen-powered trains and dedicated freight corridors due to the continued government funding which helped improve safety, efficiency and manufacturing capacity. 

He also referred to discussions held more than a decade ago about possible railway cooperation between India and Pakistan, including the supply of locomotives. He reckoned that the political tensions prevented the proposal from moving ahead. 

Ashfaq Khattak was of the opinion that Pakistan should consider purchasing railway equipment from any country, including India, if it is technically suitable and competitively priced. 

However, he added, that the procurement decisions should be based on overall costs, maintenance requirements and long-term value rather than transport distance alone. 

Both the panellists concurred that improved railway infrastructure could lower transport costs, support economic growth and strengthen regional trade if political conditions improve. 

Ashfaq Khattak, who is a Professor at the Centre of Excellence in Transportation/Railway Engineering at Pak Austria Fachhochschule-Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology, Haripur, further said that the structural reforms were needed in Pakistan Railway by reverting back to five-member Railway Board, comprising of professional railway officials belong to infrastructure, rolling stock, traffic and operations and finance. 

He firmly believed that one factor which contributed the most to the success of Indian Railways was its decision-making process by a five-member Railway Board, fully backed and supported by the governments in accordance with the Railway act. 

The enlightening discussion concluded with the observation that Pakistan’s railway system still possessed significant assets and experienced professionals, but sustained government investment and long-term planning would be needed to modernize the network and restore its competitiveness.

Enthralling experiences at Golra Railway Station

By Zara Waqas

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A visit to the Golra Railway Station was very much in our plans prior to reaching Islamabad for the recent trip with my family. Because, if you are in Islamabad and desire to explore some place which is historic and provides you with great experience, you should definitely visit the Golra Railway Station. 

The station is also called Golra Sharif as it is named after a historic village on the outskirts of Islamabad by the name of Golra Sharif. As you know, the village is very famous and known for the shrine of a Sufi saint which attracts many visitors throughout the year. 

Many people think of Islamabad as a modern city, having been developed not very long ago. But places like Golra Sharif are much older than Islamabad itself and reminds us that the area where the new city has evolved has many rich historical roots. 

 In the start, I kind of had some conflicting thoughts. My head was filled with questions what if it's not a good experience or what would be my reaction if I don't enjoy it? 

Should I skip it and just go back to the hotel? Well, let me just say that I felt glad for not having listened to such notions and opted to visit the railway station. 

We reached the station in the morning, around 10:30 am. There were many galleries. We got the tickets and our guide met us at the first gallery. The first gallery was basically a museum full of information everywhere. 

There were many things which were shown again and again, each time they were updated and had newer structures such as kerosene lamps. There were many people around as well, one man was pulling a cart, one was sitting down next to a table, there were many old vintage types of furniture pieces as well, there were many tables and timelines showing the advancements of stations and railway trains. 

This gallery wasn’t particularly historic if you see it with my point of view, though it was very nicely presented. Honestly speaking, I felt like this one just bored me because there were many writings and things which we could only see. Are you getting me? 

Next, we went outside and saw the guide opening a part of the train on the tracks, we went inside. The guide told us that these cabins dated way back to when important people like Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and many others used it for transportation. They boarded this exact train. 

The guide informed us that everything is from the past and that they only added some curtains and painted it with the same shade. Now, this was way more interesting. I couldn’t believe actually standing in the place where so many eminent politicians, leaders and important people had also stood in the past. 

There were very narrow rows, leading us from one room to another. There were whole sofas, a separate bedroom, a bathroom with all the actual things, the tiles were rusted and looked very old, that piqued my interest. There was also a meeting room, where actual people stayed and talked about important matters. That is so mind blowing, isn’t it? 

Next, we walked next to real railway tracks and got information from the guide that there was a train arriving at 11:20 am and that usually all trains were exactly on time. We thought that maybe we could wait until the train arrives to see it. 

We went to the other gallery, next to it, and found a small snacks and drinks shop from where we purchased some chilled water bottles since the heat rays were piercing our skin harshly. We walked across these huge trees. 

The guide then briefed us that these were the giant Banyan trees which are older than Pakistan itself! They are more than a hundred years old. It felt like this tree knew everything. It experienced such historic times which we read about and learn in school today! Isn’t that crazy? 

We reached the next gallery. It was a bit smaller but packed with crazy facts which had many historical instruments regarded as very important during the period of British rule. 

The two things which I liked more, were a siren and an instrument which was used when there was a need for workers on the train to assist them immediately. It was very loud and the sound was so cool! The siren was used when there was a medical emergency or any other kind of urgency, the train master would ring the siren so that everyone would get news that there is something wrong. It looked so intriguing! 

These things were used because at that time, there were no radios or phones. So, the station masters used different instruments to coordinate trains. 

One detail I noticed, if you stand under the banyan trees very quietly while a train comes zooming past, it feels like you have teleported into the early 1900’s. 

Like you are seeing the past while standing under a very historic tree who has seen it all. We waited for the train. It was a few minutes above arrival time when we felt the ground rumbling as the train came to a stop. Passengers got on and off swiftly. Then the train started moving again. It was beautiful experience to see it in action myself. 

As I overheard, most people come here during the golden hour. The atmosphere becomes ethereal. The gold painted into the sky, the stone buildings, rusty tracks all add up together to create a masterpiece of a landscape. 

I loved this experience and I felt ecstatic having had the chance to see it with my own eyes. If you ever come to Islamabad, please do squeeze time to visit Golra Sharif Railway Station and see history with your own eyes!!

Raisa Adil’s well-deserved appointment as Principal Information Officer

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The well-deserved appointment of Raisa Adil, a versatile bureaucrat, as the Principal Information Officer (PIO) at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to the Government of Pakistan has been hailed by the knowledgeable circles. 

It’s not often when the government moves are so warmly greeted but Raisa’s selection for the coveted post has been welcomed because of her proven track record as well as her eagerness to work proactively. 

Throughout her career, she has been regarded as a capable and energetic officer. She is likely to rise to the occasion again while discharging duties in the new challenging role. 

Her appointment as the PIO at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also sends positive signals and reflects the government's commitment to strengthening communication between the state and the media. 

A firm believer of letter her work to do the talking, the soft-spoken Raisa is all set to deliver once more. Her extensive professional experience, administrative competence and deep understanding of media affairs is expected to further strengthen relations between the Government of Pakistan and the country's media fraternity.