Authorities formally launch Makkah Route initiative at Pakistan’s Karachi airport

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national polio management team on Wednesday reviewed preparations for a nationwide polio vaccination campaign set to be held in April and May as the country reported six new cases in 2025 and 74 last year. 
Polio is a crippling disease with no cure and multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with timely completion of routine immunization for children under five, are essential to building protection against the virus.
The government has planned several nationwide immunization campaigns in 2025 to address immunity gaps after a surge in cases last year. 
“Prime Minister’s focal person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq emphasized making the April and May campaigns more effective to stop the spread of the virus,” the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) said on Wednesday. “She said no child should be left unvaccinated in the upcoming polio campaign.”
Pakistan’s polio eradication program was launched in 1994, but progress has been hindered by persistent vaccine misinformation and resistance from conservative clerics who view immunization as part of a foreign conspiracy. 
Polio vaccinators have also faced targeted violence from militants in many regions of the country.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb has proposed the formation of a global coalition of developing nations to collectively advocate for fair trade and better representation in international financial institutions, while criticizing the global economy as unequal, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.
The finance chief made these remarks during his address at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025, held in China.
The forum, often referred to as the “Asian Davos,” is a high-level platform where leaders from government, business and academia across Asia and other continents gather to discuss pressing global and regional issues, with this year’s conference — titled “Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future” — running from March 25 to 28.
“Developing countries must unite to demand fair trade principles and improved representation in global financial institutions,” Aurangzeb said, according to a finance ministry statement, as they asked them to form a global coalition.
He said globalization’s had led to general progress, but its benefits remained unevenly distributed.
“The global economy has undoubtedly driven economic growth,” Aurangzeb said, according to a statement released by Pakistan’s finance ministry. “However, it remains highly unequal and fragmented.”
“Such an economy primarily benefits developed nations, while countries in the Global South are often overlooked,” he added.
Highlighting the structural challenges faced by developing nations, Aurangzeb pointed to high tariffs, discriminatory trade practices and barriers to market access that limit their ability to participate fully in the global economy.
He also stressed the urgency of reforming the global sovereign debt system, urging multilateral institutions such as the G20 and the IMF to play a more constructive role in debt relief and financial justice.
“The G20 and IMF must reform the sovereign debt system to enable debt forgiveness and ensure financial fairness,” he said.
Calling for inclusive and sustainable growth, Aurangzeb advocated for stronger multilateral cooperation to promote equitable market access, enhance regional connectivity, and build a global economy that works for all.
“An inclusive global economy is not a choice but a necessity,” he said.
He also underscored the role of technology in closing the global equity gap, recommending the creation of international AI and fintech funds to support digital inclusion in developing countries.
“Technology should serve as a tool for equity,” he said.
The finance minister further called for sustainability and environmental justice to be integrated into globalization policies.
He stressed the need for increased climate financing and easier technology transfer to countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.