Pakistan and China sign agreement to deepen media cooperation at regional broadcast festival
Pakistan and China sign agreement to deepen media cooperation at regional broadcast festival/node/2608251/pakistan
Pakistan and China sign agreement to deepen media cooperation at regional broadcast festival
Pakistan Television's Managing Director, Ambreen Jan (left) in conversation with China’s National Radio and Television Administration Vice Minister, Dong Xin, in Xinjiang, China, in a picture shared by Pakistan Television on July 15, 2025. (@PTVNewsOfficial/X)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have formalized a new agreement to strengthen media collaboration, cultural exchanges and journalist training, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday.
The pact was signed by Pakistan Television Managing Director Ambreen Jan and China’s National Radio and Television Administration Vice Minister Dong Xin and coincides with the second television festival of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries, currently underway in China.
The 2025 Media Cooperation Forum in Urumqi, Xinjiang, brought together over 300 media officials, journalists, and industry executives from across the region.
“Under the agreement, Pakistan and China will exchange information and content, undertake joint media projects, and promote cultural understanding through shared narratives,” Radio Pakistan reported.
“The collaboration will also include training programs, workshops, and journalist exchange initiatives aimed at strengthening professional skills and fostering mutual learning between media personnel of both countries.”
The accord aligns with the broader emphasis on media cooperation demonstrated at the 2025 SCO forum, which aims to institutionalize collaboration through initiatives like an SCO Media Agency.
Pakistan and China have long maintained strong ties, from economic projects like the China Pakistan Economic Forum to military alliances. Media cooperation adds another layer to the partnership, reinforcing shared messaging and countering disinformation
The agreement builds on earlier Pakistan–China joint media efforts, including MoUs for film co-productions and shared outlets. In December, Pakistan’s information secretary highlighted that twelve Pakistani films had aired in China since 1957, and a new co-production premiered in Beijing.
Observers say Beijing’s hosting of SCO events like the television and film festival, along with broader media initiatives, reflects China’s intention to use soft power and regional platforms to solidify cultural influence. Pakistan, for its part, often frames such cooperation within a shared vision of regional stability and development.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan T20 cricket captain Salman Ali Agha dedicated his team’s victory in the tri-nation series in the UAE to flood victims in his country, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Sunday, urging others to come forward and help victims of the calamity.
Floods in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, also known as the country’s breadbasket, have caused devastation for millions since late August. Torrential rains and excess floodwaters released by India have inundated over 4,100 villages in the province, killing at least 56 in Punjab and affecting over four million.
Pakistan stomped Afghanistan in the final of the tri-nation series on Sunday in Sharjah, which also featured hosts UAE. The Green Shirts won the toss and elected to bat first, putting on 141/8 on a pitch that offered turn and bounce to spinners. In response, Afghanistan were bundled out for a paltry 66 runs in 15.5 overs, courtesy of stellar spin bowling by all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz, who returned figures of 5/19 from his four overs.
“We stand with our brothers and sisters in this difficult time of hardship,” Agha was quoted as saying by the PCB. “Everyone should come forward together to help the flood victims.”
Agha and lethal left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi both announced they would dedicate their entire match fees from the tri-nation series to the government’s flood relief fund.
“The soil of our homeland is demanding from us today to help the flood-affected people,” Afridi was quoted as saying by the board. “I appeal to the nation to actively contribute to the flood relief fund.”
The Green Shirts will now prepare for the upcoming Asia Cup tournament, slated to be held in the UAE from Sept. 9-28. Pakistan will begin their campaign to win the title on Sep. 12 against Oman before taking on defending champions India on Sept. 14 in Dubai.
ISLAMABAD: In Pakistan’s federal capital, where public transport options remain limited, Aisha Umar waits at her doorstep with her handbag clutched tightly under her arm. Within minutes, a motorbike with pink and white hues glides to a stop in front of her. The rider — helmet strapped — is not a man but a woman.
For Umer, a 29-year-old working woman, this is more than just a commute. It is relief, safety and a sense of dignity on the road.
While there is a lack of consolidated data, women in Pakistan have long complained of harassment by captains of mainstream ride-hailing apps, with some documented incidents. The helpline of non-profit Digital Rights Foundation, for instance, received eight complaints related to Careem and inDrive in 2022, while police have occasionally registered complaints against drivers in major cities. But experts say most of these cases go unreported, with UN Women and Aurat Foundation surveys showing up to 90 percent of women face some sort of harassment during commutes, which underscores why women-only services like VSisters are filling the gaps.
Launched in June this year, VSisters is Pakistan’s first women-only ride-hailing service, a bold move aimed at providing safe, comfortable and harassment-free transportation through cars and motorbikes exclusively for women, with both riders and passengers being female.
Currently, the app operates in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore, with active female captains numbering 464 in total: 64 in Islamabad, 44 in Rawalpindi and 356 in Lahore.
“I got to know about VSisters through Instagram,” Umar told Arab News. “I felt very happy that I can now travel with a female rider. I never felt comfortable with male captains, and the best thing is that their rates are much lower than other apps.”
According to Pakistan’s 2023 population census, women comprise 48.51 percent of the country’s roughly 241.5 million people. Thousands of them travel daily for education, work and other commitments.
Women wait for transportation in Islamabad on April 21, 2020. (AFP/File)
Umer said she was satisfied with the service, as they reached the desired pick-up point within five to ten minutes.
“I prefer bike because it is easy to get out in a rush and the best thing about them [female riders] is that they never speed recklessly,” she added.
Pakistan’s ride-hailing market is currently dominated by inDrive, Bykea, and Yango after Uber shut down its app in 2024 and Careem suspended its core ride-hailing service in June this year, citing “worsening economic conditions and stiff market competition.”
Hassan Tariq, the founder of VSisters, said the idea came from a painful memory of an incident at a traffic signal in Islamabad, where a woman jumped off the back of a bike and began beating the rider for his humiliating behavior.
“I could feel that the women are actually not very comfortable driving around with the stranger men,” he told Arab News.
“It made me believe that this is the right time to have a dedicated service exclusively for women, where female drivers operate both cars and motorbikes, and the service caters only to female passengers,” he added.
Tariq said the aim of the platform is for women to feel safe and secure, with services run by women, for women and centered entirely around them.
He said the service has completed over 3,500 rides in this short time in three cities and expansion is already underway.
“In just one week, we will expand to Karachi, Faisalabad and Multan, and in the near future, we aim to grow into a nationwide company,” he added.
Describing the criteria to become part of VSisters, he said that for both motorbikes and cars, the requirement was the same: applicants had to be over 18 years of age, with a valid license and a Computerized National Identity Card.
“That’s it. We don’t require anything else on the ground,” he added.
Tariq said that women have to bring their own cars, while motorbikes are provided by the company, as he neither had sponsors nor wanted to run the platform with heavy commercial interests.
“I only keep a small share of 10 percent, which is very nominal and quite normal,” he added.
Like drivers on other apps, VSisters captains are also considered independent contractors, not formal employees. Pakistan has yet to pass laws guaranteeing benefits for gig workers.
Uzma Ahmed, a VSisters captain, said she found strength behind the wheel.
A 50-year-old divorcee and mother of three, she previously worked as a schoolteacher before deciding to leave her job since her salary could no longer cover her rent and her children’s fees.
“I had no choice,” she said. “I had to run the house.”
Now, as a car captain, she not only earns a respectable livelihood but also gives comfort to other women riding with her.
“When women sit with me, they are happy,” she said, adding sometimes the passengers call their families and tell them they are going with a woman driver.
“We both feel comfortable and talk openly, which is very different from when women ride with men,” Ahmed added.
Today, she drives her own car across Islamabad’s gated communities, confident in her independence.
“It is respectable work,” she added with pride. “With this, I can pay my rent, my children’s fees and stand on my own feet.”
Nadia Shehzad, a bike rider and instructor at VSisters, said she first learned to ride a motorbike through the platform before its launch, and now she trains other young women so they too can start their own work.
“I teach them how to ride the bike, how to use the app, and it is going great,” she said, adding that the whole training was free of cost.
Talking about her experience as a rider, Shehzad said occasionally she faced jeers and abusive remarks, which she ignored.
“All men are not bad, even some praise and give good comments, but others make offensive remarks we usually ignore,” she added.
She explained that the service is mostly used by female university students and working women, whose parents feel more at ease with women drivers, and many passengers prefer bikes as the more affordable option.
“The income depends on the number of rides but usually if a rider does 12 rides in a day, she earns around Rs2,500 ($8.90),” she added.
At approximately Rs2,500 ($8.81) a day, a VSisters rider can earn more than Pakistan’s minimum wage of Rs37,000–40,000 ($140.8) a month. This is a little less than what many Careem and Bykea captains report taking home at around Rs3500 ($12.46), though incomes vary by number of hours.
Pakistani lawyer and activist Nighat Dad, who runs the not-for-profit Digital Rights Foundation organization, termed VSisters a welcome initiative that responds to the “very real fears” women face in Pakistan’s transport sector.
“It not only offers safer commuting options but also new economic opportunities for women drivers,” she told Arab News.
Dad said for VSisters to truly set a new benchmark, it needs to strengthen privacy protections and app reliability alongside its bold vision of women driving women.
“Genuine safety must also mean digital safety and at present the app’s own disclosures show that sensitive location and contact data is collected without encryption, in a country where we still lack a comprehensive data protection law,” she said.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has ordered a probe into a sensitive data leak concerning thousands of Pakistani nationals, the Pakistani interior ministry said on Sunday.
The statement came after a local broadcaster reported that thousands of Pakistanis, including federal ministers and senior officials, have reportedly been affected by a breach of personal data which was now available for sale online.
The leaked data includes addresses of mobile phone connection owners, call logs, copies of national identity cards and details of foreign travel. The records span a wide range of individuals, extending across government tiers.
Taking notice of the news reports, Naqvi tasked the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) with setting up an investigation team to look into the matter, according to the interior ministry.
“The investigation team will investigate the data leakage issue from every aspect,” the ministry said, adding the probe panel will submit its report within 14 days.
Dozens of sites were offering this sensitive data at low prices; mobile location data for Rs500, detailed mobile records for Rs2,000, and international travel details for Rs5,000, according to the Express News report.
“Legal action will be taken after identifying the elements involved in the data leakage,” the interior ministry said.
This is not the first time that sensitive information about Pakistani nationals has been leaked online, raising fears about misuse of sensitive information that may have far-reaching consequences for affected individuals.
In May this year, the National Cyber Emergency Response Team (PKCERT) issued a warning that login credentials and passwords of more than 180 million Internet users in Pakistan had been stolen in a global data breach, urging people to take immediate protective measures, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported.
“The breach exposed usernames, passwords, emails and associated URLs tied to services from Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Instagram [and] Snapchat, as well as government portals, banking institutions, and health care platforms worldwide,” the advisory read.
It said the leaked database was believed to have been compiled using infostealer malware that extracts sensitive information from compromised systems.
In March 2024, a joint investigation team (JIT), formed to probe a data leak from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), told the interior ministry that credentials of as many as 2.7 million Pakistani had been compromised between 2019 and 2023.
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Sunday warned of urban and coastal flooding in several parts of Pakistan from Sept. 7 till Sept. 10 as monsoon currents continue to penetrate southern parts of the country, with the nationwide death toll from monsoon rains and deluges rising to 910.
Heavy rains and excess water released by India have caused Punjab’s Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers to swell, triggering floods in the province that have killed at least 56 people, affected 4,100 villages and over 4.1 million people since late August, according to Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
The southern Sindh province is bracing for peak floods early next week as floodwaters move downstream to reach the Indus river. Authorities say the floodwaters are likely to affect more than 320,000 people in the province, with nearly 128,000 already evacuated from riverine areas of the region.
In its advisory on Sunday evening, the PMD said a deep depression over northern Gujarat, India is likely to move westwards along adjoining areas of Pakistan in the next 24 to 36 hours, bringing torrential rains to Sindh, south-eastern Balochistan and southern parts of Punjab.
“Torrential rains may cause urban flooding/coastal flooding/water logging in low lying areas of Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tharparker, Khairpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Hyderabad, Dadu and Karachi from today (Night) to 10th September,” it said on Sunday.
“Water level may rise in Hub dam. More rains in flood affected areas of Punjab and Sindh may exacerbate the situation during the forecast period.”
Flash floods may hit Punjab’s Dera Ghazi Khan and adjoining parts of Balochistan and the Kirthar mountain range in Sindh’s Dadu on Sept. 8-10, while landslides may cause roads closures in the vulnerable areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat and Kashmir, according to the PMD.
Heavy falls, windstorm and lightning may damage weak structures, electric poles, billboards, vehicles and solar panels during the forecast period.
“Public, travelers and tourists are advised to avoid unusual exposure to vulnerable areas to avoid any untoward situation and keep updated about latest weather conditions,” the PMD said.
In his meeting with Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed special vigilance to ensure uninterrupted supply of petroleum products in view of flood situation in various parts of the country, Sharif’s office said.
President Asif Ali Zardari, whose Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) rules the Sindh province, urged all institutions to make preparations for the possible floods.
“Provincial, district and local government institutions should be on alert to deal with possible flood situation,” he said in a statement issued from his office.
“Preparations should be ensured in urban areas, especially low-lying and coastal areas. Water levels in Hub Dam and other water bodies should be constantly monitored.”
Speaking to reporters in Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said district commissioners have been asking residents of riverine areas to vacate their homes and move to safer locations as the flood in Indus river is likely to reach its peak on Sept. 9, bring flows of up to 800,000 cusecs.
“Our preparations are complete. The rain in Sindh is manageable... But we remain cautious,” he said. “At this time, the real need for support is in Punjab. Our health minister has already offered medical assistance to them.”
Punjab is home to half of the country’s 240 million people and accounts for much of its wheat and rice production, with initial estimates suggesting 1.3 million acres of agricultural land have been inundated in the province amid flooding of the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers.
Punjab PDMA chief Irfan Ali Kathia said there is a “very high flood situation” Chenab and Sutlej river near Multan in southern Punjab.
“All resources should be used for the evacuation of citizens,” he urged local administration. “Inform citizens about the situation through announcements in mosques.”
Over 4.1 million people have been impacted by floods in Punjab since late August and authorities have set up more than 400 temporary relief camps, according to Kathia.
Authorities have rescued a total of over 2,073,048 people, while 1,522,452 animals have been shifted to safer places across the province.
“Around 500 medical camps have served approximately 175,000 individuals,” Kathia said. “Rescue operations in Multan, Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur continue vigorously.”
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) earlier warned a 10th spell of monsoon season is likely to trigger heavy rains in Punjab and other parts of the country till Sept. 9.
“Due to rains in upper regions, there is a risk of unusual increases in river flows,” Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed was quoted as saying by the PDMA.
“By Sept.9, there is a risk of extremely high flooding in rivers Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab.”
ISLAMABAD: Astronomy enthusiasts, students and the general public came together on Sunday to witness a rare lunar eclipse, commonly called the “Blood Moon,” which began in the Pakistani skies at around 0830pm local time.
The phenomenon happens when the Sun, Earth and Moon line up, causing the planet to cast a giant shadow across its satellite. But as the Earth’s shadow creeps across the Moon, it does not entirely blot out its white glow and instead the Moon glows a reddish color.
Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are completely safe to observe with the naked eye, binoculars or telescopes, according to the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO).
The fascinating celestial phenomenon, which began in Pakistan at 0830pm, reached its maximum at 1157pm and concluded at 0155am on Monday, when a portion of the Moon appeared darkened as it passed through Earth’s shadow.
“The eclipse will be visible in Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe, with clear visibility expected in most regions of Pakistan, weather permitting,” SUPARCO said in a statement.
This phenomenon happens because the only sunlight that reaches the Moon is “bent and scattered” as it goes through Earth’s atmosphere, according to experts.
It is similar to how the light can become pink or red during sunrises or sunsets on Earth. The more clouds and dust there are in Earth’s atmosphere, the redder the Moon appears.
“This is a great chance for people, especially students and astronomy enthusiasts, to connect with science and explore the wonders of our Universe,” SUPARCO added.
