ISLAMABAD
PPRA holds consultative session to finalize public procurement framework
ISLAMABAD, May 30 (APP):In a bid to obtain constructive feedback and recommendations on Draft Public Procurement Rules, 2025, Pakistan’s Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) on Friday organized a consultative meeting, bringing together suppliers and vendors.
The consultation was part of an ongoing effort to ensure inclusivity, transparency, efficiency, and global best practices in Pakistan’s Public Procurement Framework, said a news release.
The Managing Director PPRA, Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi chaired the meeting which was attended by representatives from the Pakistan Council of Architecture and Town Planners, the Construction Association of Pakistan, the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Islamabad Industrial Association, and All Pakistan Security Agencies Association. Senior Officers from PPRA were also present on the occasion.
MD PPRA, Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi provided an in-depth overview of the newly developed procurement rules, highlighting that the rules foster efficiency transparency, and accountability through the establishment of procurement cells in government institutions, the introduction of third-party evaluations and grievance redressal mechanisms, redesigned procurement process flow, innovative procurement methods, integrated contract management, cross-department and national blacklisting system.
He highlighted that the e-Pak Acquisition & Disposal System (EPADS) is fully implemented in federal procuring agencies and provinces of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, catering to the needs of around 10000 procuring entities and more than 30000 registered suppliers.
It is providing end to end solutions, beginning from procurement planning to payment substantially reducing human involvement. “A system without integrity is meaningless,” Qureshi remarked and informed participants that a comprehensive security audit of the modern e-procurement system had been conducted, confirming its operations as secure and fully compliant with regulatory standards.
He informed that PPRA has already launched a full-fledged and robust training program to ensure capacity building of public sector professionals, suppliers, and vendors that would help to enhance efficiency and decrease the ratio of mis-procurements, encouraging the participants to avail the opportunities of training on PPRA regulations and EPADS operation.
During the discussion, the participants provided valuable input on key aspects of the regulatory framework including bid evaluation criteria, e-procurement mechanism and allied challenges, and implementation of EPADS, suggesting that the new regulations must serve the interest of both public sector organizations and private sector suppliers.
MD PPRA encouraged the participants to submit written recommendations that will be duly incorporated in the final draft of the Public Procurement Rules 2025.
CM Maryam announces historic funds of Rs 3b for universities of DG Khan, Layyah
LAHORE, May 30 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced historic funds worth Rs 3 billion for the universities of Dera Ghazi Khan and Layyah.
She made this announcement while addressing a ceremony held to distribute laptops and Honhaar scholarship cheques in Layyah, said a handout issued here.
She announced the establishment of a medical college in Layyah and setting up of Nawaz Sharif Centre of Excellence for ‘Early Childhood Education’ in Dera Ghazi Khan and Layyah.
She also announced the provision of classrooms, toilets and other basic facilities in all schools of Punjab within the completion of one year with a huge fund of Rs 110 billion.
She further announced that now no school in Punjab would remain deprived of essential facilities. She congratulated Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on the success of Operation ‘Bunyan-um-Marsoos’. She also congratulated Air Chief Babar Zaheer Sindhu on behalf of the students and paid tribute to the officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army and other institutions.
The chief minister said, “If the youth become an iron wall, no power in the world can defeat Pakistan.”
Despite being a small country in terms of population and resources, it defeated a country many times larger in proportion, she added.
She highlighted, “On May 28, 1998, Nawaz Sharif made the country a nuclear power, now the enemy does not have the courage to show any aggressive designs towards Pakistan. The one who is not afraid of big powers is a true leader.”
She said, “I congratulate the students, teachers and their parents on their success, I am more happier than everyone over the success of every student. Our students have resources but children who study and earn academic distinctions despite not having enough resources are commendable. I want to put all the government’s resources at the disposal of talented students.”
She said that if parents do not have ample resources, the state should think like a mother, adding that the state should itself reach out to every child who works hard and gets good results.
The ‘Honhaar scholarship’ has been increased from 30,000 to 50,000 and laptops from 40,000 to 100,000 so that children need not to depend on anyone, she added.
She outlined, “The first year has just passed, we will bring more improvements for the students in the coming years. No child of Punjab will be deprived of education due to dearth of resources. The Punjab government built Pakistan’s first historic Early Childhood Education Centre in only 6 months. I think for the welfare of people day and night and work till 12 midnight. The one who cares about the price of ‘roti’, vegetables and electricity bills is the real sympathizer and leader of the people of Pakistan. I want to improve the conditions of the people by working day and night.”
She further said that female commissioners and deputy commissioners are doing a great job.
She said “Layyah is a small city but it is very close to my heart.”
She said those who respect their institutions live with pride and high esteem, adding, “Our brave soldiers have sacrificed their precious lives for the sake of security and safety of our dear homeland.”
She said, “I urge the youth to never go against the interests of their country and the nation.” Maryam Nawaz said, “May 9, 10 and 28 have proved as who stands with development and defence of Pakistan and who supports destruction.”
The CM presented gifts to the students who had the privilege of reciting from the Holy Quran and Naat-e-Rasool-e-Maqbool (PBUH).
GAIN advances food systems through academia
ISLAMABAD, May 30 (APP):The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), in collaboration with leading academic institutions, inaugurated a two-day Capacity Building Workshop on Food Systems Courses for university faculty on May 29–30, 2025, at Avari Hotel, Lahore.
The workshop brought together over 40 faculty members from 10 universities across Lahore and Faisalabad, demonstrating a shared commitment to advancing food systems education and strengthening nutrition-sensitive policy development in Pakistan, said a press release.
The primary aim of the training was to equip university faculty with the knowledge, methodologies, and pedagogical tools needed to integrate food systems thinking into academic curricula. The initiative supports both national and global efforts to tackle the triple burden of malnutrition while fostering sustainable, resilient, and equitable food environments.
In her opening remarks, Ms Farah Naz,Country Director of GAIN Pakistan, emphasized the essential role of faculty members in shaping a future-ready food workforce and reaffirmed GAIN’s dedication to supporting transformative change within the education sector.
Faiz Rasool, Head of Policy and Advocacy at GAIN Pakistan, highlighted the pressing issue of malnutrition in the country, particularly as it relates to food insecurity and the growing impact of climate change. He emphasized the importance of equipping youth with relevant food systems knowledge and using that foundation to inform future policy and program development. He further underlined the need to build faculty capacity as a critical enabler of systems transformation—an area this GAIN initiative specifically targets.
During the workshop, participants explored curriculum design for food systems education, effective assessment and evaluation strategies, experiential and participatory learning methods, and the integration of digital tools in classroom instruction. These sessions were designed not only to strengthen pedagogical approaches but also to encourage institutional collaboration, curriculum innovation, and active engagement with local policy contexts.
This workshop marks a pivotal step toward institutionalizing food systems education within Pakistan’s higher education sector. It lays the groundwork for continued academic engagement, capacity strengthening, and knowledge co-creation, ultimately supporting a more nutrition-secure and sustainable future for the country.
Pakistan, SL share South Asia title
ISLAMABAD, May 30 (APP): The Pakistan and Sri Lanka teams were declared joint winners of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) 12 & Under Team Competition – South Asia due to rain, held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Both teams have qualified for the Finals of the ATF 12 & Under Team Competition of Asia, scheduled to be held in Singapore in the last week of August 2025.
In the first singles, Rashid Ali beat Wevita Nuren Jaylen Mendis Wevita 5-4(7-2), 4-0.
In the second singles, Muhammad Shayan Afridi vs Amarasinghe Revaan ended 2-4, 4-2(1-0); rain interrupted the game.
The Pakistan team remained undefeated in the tournament vs India 2-0, vs Maldives 3-0, vs Bangladesh 3-0, vs Nepal 3-0.
The young Pakistani team delivered a dominant and consistent performance throughout the tournament, signaling a bright future for junior tennis in the country.
Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), extended his heartfelt congratulations to the team saying, “Congratulations to all team members on this outstanding achievement. This is a proud moment for Pakistan.
The performance of our team will inspire a new generation of players and contribute significantly to the growth and development of tennis in our country. I am feeling very happy, both as a player and President of the Federation, because our boys played exceptionally well. Hopefully, they will continue to perform well in the future and bring laurels to our country.”
Col. (R) Zia-ud-Din Tufail, Secretary General of PTF, also praised the team’s exceptional performance and said, “The performance of our young athletes has been truly commendable. Congratulations to the players and the entire support staff. We wish them continued success in their future endeavours.”
Gaza is the ‘hungriest place on earth’, as Israel continues stranglehold on aid: UN
UNITED NATIONS, May 30 (APP): Starving Gazans continue to be deprived of aid as international relief efforts are being severely constrained by the Israeli authorities, the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office OCHA said Friday.
“Gaza is the hungriest place on Earth,” OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva, stressing that it is the only defined territory in the world where the entire population is at risk of famine.
“The aid operation that we have ready to roll is being put in an operational straitjacket that makes it one of the most obstructed aid operations, not only in the world today, but in recent history,” he said.
Laerke explained that out of nearly 900 aid trucks that were approved to enter from the Israeli side since the reopening of the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and the war-torn enclave ten days ago, less than 600 have been offloaded on the Gaza side.
An even lower number has been picked up for distribution in Gaza, he said, pointing to the “congested, insecure” routes which humanitarians are assigned to use by the Israeli authorities, as well as “significant delays” in the approvals.
The OCHA spokesperson stressed that the limited number of truckloads coming in is a “trickle”.
“It is drip-feeding food into an area on the verge of catastrophic hunger,” he insisted.
Laerke added that many of the trucks were “swarmed by desperate people” on the way.
“It’s a survival reaction by desperate people who want to feed their families,” he said, adding that the aid on the trucks “had been paid for by the donors to go to those people”.
“I don’t blame them one second for taking the aid that essentially is already theirs, but it’s not distributed in a way we wanted,” he explained.
On Wednesday, hungry crowds overran a UN World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, where limited stocks of wheat flour had been pre-positioned for use by the few bakeries able to resume operations.
The incident reportedly left two people dead. In a statement WFP reiterated warnings over “the risks imposed by limiting humanitarian aid to hungry people in desperate need of assistance”.
OCHA’s Laerke insisted once again on the fact that the UN and partners have “tens of thousands of pallets of food and other life-saving assistance” ready to enter Gaza to relieve the suffering.
“The aid has been paid for by the world’s donors, who expect us on their behalf to deliver it. It is cleared for customs, it is approved and it’s ready to move,” he said.
A new US and Israeli-backed aid distribution scheme run by a private entity called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operating independently of the UN this week in the Strip.
On Tuesday at least 47 Palestinians were reportedly shot and injured trying to collect aid from its distribution facility in the south, according to information received by UN human rights office, OHCHR.
In reaction to the incident OCHA head in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Jonathan Whittall warned on Wednesday that the US-Israeli distribution scheme was “engineered scarcity: four distribution hubs located in central and southern Gaza, secured by private US security contractors, where those Palestinians who can reach them will receive rations.”
Laerke told reporters that this “alternative modality” is “not working” as it does not meet people’s needs.
He added that it constitutes a “violation of basic principle of impartiality”, and that criteria for getting aid have to be based on need, and not the ability to walk for kilometres to a distribution point.
“It creates chaos, and it creates a situation that is extremely dangerous for people,” Laerke said. “Even if you enter one of those distribution points, pick up a package, the minute you’re out of it… Are you a target for looters again? Yes, you are.”
The OCHA spokesperson reiterated calls by the humanitarian community for the reopening of all crossing points into Gaza, to enable delivery from all corridors, including from Jordan and Egypt.
“We need to be able to deliver food directly to families where they are,” as has been the case in the past, he said.
Highlighting the challenges for humanitarian access, Laerke said that over 80 per cent of the Gaza Strip is currently within Israeli militarized zones or under displacement orders. Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed on 18 March nearly 635,000 people in the enclave have been displaced yet again.
