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

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday promised to promote merit in the selection of athletes and institutional discipline across the country’s sports federations, state-run media said, as the world marked the International Day of Sport and Development for Peace (IDSDP). 

The IDSDP is annually celebrated on Apr. 6 to recognize the power of sport in fostering positive change, bridging barriers, and transcending boundaries.

This year, the IDSDP will focus on the theme of ‘Social Inclusion,’ which aims to challenge stereotypes, promote equal opportunities and enable inclusive sport for all.

“The government is introducing reforms to ensure transparency, accountability and professionalism in national sports federations to improve institutional governance, prioritize merit in the selection of athletes and promote ethical values ​​in the field of sports,” Sharif was quoted as saying, according to a statement from his office. 

Pakistan’s sports federations have been heavily criticized for lack of improvements in infrastructure, training programs, or scouting systems for youth. Media reports have alleged that some sports federations are still heavily influenced by political connections due to which they do not select athletes on merit. 

The Pakistani premier noted that sports were an effective way to further national progress, empower youth and highlight Pakistan’s identity at the international level. He said this was the reason that the government had declared sports a central pillar of its development agenda.

Sharif said Pakistan was determined to become the “center of excellence” in sports and tourism in the region by holding countrywide training camps and the 14th South Asian Games in 2026.

He appealed to all the stakeholders, including civil society and development partners to prominently include sports in policies and programs related to education, health, development and peace.

“Let us together strengthen our system of sports and create an all-encompassing, empowered and sustainable society,” Sharif concluded. 

ISLAMABAD: A United States (US) interagency delegation will arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday to participate in the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum, Pakistani state media reported on Saturday.
Pakistan’s landscape is a treasure trove of diverse mineral deposits from huge coal reserves in the southern Sindh province to gold and copper deposits in the southwestern Balochistan province. The northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is home to several gemstone mines, including emerald mines in Swat, Mardan’s pink topaz mines, and peridot mines in Kohistan.
Islamabad has designated mining and minerals as a priority sector for national economic development, aiming to reduce its reliance on imports and enhance exports. The government has launched a series of reforms and events to attract local and international investment in the sector and will be highlighting the country’s mineral wealth at the high-profile Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025 on April 8-9.
The US delegation will be led by Eric Meyer, a senior official of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Mayer will meet with senior Pakistani officials to expand opportunities for American businesses in Pakistan and promote the deepening of economic ties between our two countries,” the report read. “The delegation will hold wide range of talks to advance United States interests in the critical minerals sector at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum.”
Last month, Pakistan Press Information Department (PID) said Copenhagen-based multinational mining company, FLSmidth, will train 100 Pakistani engineers in mining, amid Islamabad’s efforts to utilize the country’s vast mineral resources.
The statement came after Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik’s meeting with Danish Ambassador to Pakistan Jakob Linulf in Islamabad that focused on bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, particularly in mining and technological collaboration.
“FLSmidth will be launching a training program named BRIMM (Bradshaw Research Initiative for Minerals and Mining) under which hundred Pakistani engineers will be provided training,” the PID said, citing the Danish ambassador.
“FLSmidth has already entered into 5 partnership agreements in minerals sector of Pakistan.”
The South Asian country is currently making efforts to utilize these vast mineral resources through foreign investment and collaboration to stabilize its $350 billion economy.
Petroleum Minister Malik expressed Pakistan’s keen interest in leveraging Danish technology and investment to optimize resource extraction and processing, as the South Asian country has significant mineral reserves, according to the PID statement. He extended his full support and offered the government’s good offices to facilitate Danish investment and technology transfer in Pakistan’s growing mining sector.