ISLAMABAD, JAN 1 /DNA/ – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, hosted a reception at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today to mark the beginning of Pakistan’s term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the years 2025-2026. 

The event was attended by the heads of resident Missions of the UN Security Council Member States in Islamabad and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister said that elected for an eighth time, Pakistan brings to the Security Council a rich legacy of experience and an unwavering commitment to the principles and purposes of the UN Charter. He highlighted Pakistan’s contributions to international peace and security, especially through its active role in UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding endeavors around the world.

The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister underlined that Pakistan looked forward to seeking just and peaceful resolution of situations on the agenda of the UN Security Council. As a member of the Council, Pakistan will continue to oppose the unilateral and illegal use or threat of force; combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations; and support effective UN peacekeeping, and peacebuilding efforts. 

Expressing his gratitude to all UN Member States for their resounding support in electing Pakistan to UN Security Council, the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to working constructively with all UNSC members and with the broader UN membership to bridge divides, foster consensus, and uphold UN Security Council’s mandate in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. 

PESHAWAR, JAN 1 (APP/DNA): A provincial stakeholders seminar on child marriages has called on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government to urgently enact the Child Marriage Restraint Bill to address the deep-rooted social and traditional practice that adversely impacts millions of young lives.

Participants stressed that such legislation is essential to safeguard the potential and future of children.

The seminar was jointly organized by Blue Veins, the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), and the Directorate General of Human Rights.

The event featured prominent speakers, including Allama Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naeemi, Chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII); Maulana Tayyab Qureshi, Chief Khateeb of Peshawar District; Ghulam Ali, Director of the Directorate General of Human Rights; Said Rehman, Director of Local Government KP; Imran Takkar, child rights activist; and Muhammad Rizwan, Coordinator of NCHR, among others.

Speakers highlighted that marriages below the age of 18 constitute a grave violation of fundamental human rights.

They urged the provincial government to make 18 years the mandatory minimum age for marriage for both boys and girls.

Participants expressed concern over delays in enacting legislation and emphasized that existing laws, such as the Pakistan Majority Act 1975 and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Act 2010, define individuals under 18 as children. Therefore, any marriage below this age should be considered illegal.

Qamar Naseem, Program Manager of Blue Veins, shared said according to data collected by international organizations around 21 percent of girls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa became married before the age of 18 years.

While three percent of girls in the province tie the marriage bond before the tender age of 15 years, Qamar added.

Quoting figures of Health and Demographic Survey Report of KP, Qamar Naseem said 15 percent girls become mother before the age of 18.

Similarly, he continued, 23 percent girls in the province cannot study till 10th grade because of getting married.

He said the colonial era Child Marriage Restraint Act (CMRA) 1929 is still in vogue in the province which defines a child as a person, if a male, is under 18 years of age, and if a female, is under 16 years of age.

The CMRA 1929 provides punishment of simple imprisonment up to one month or fine of Rs. 1000 or both, for contracting a child marriage by a male above 18 years of age; for performing or conducting a child marriage; and for parent or guardian involved in child marriage.

He said a new law titled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2021, proposing the marriage age for both male and female as 18, was submitted in KP assembly as private member bill but is not made an Act yet.

The Law department after vetting the draft legislation has announced returning it back to Social Welfare department with some recommendations.

Chief Khateeb Peshawar District, Maulana Tayyab Qureshi extended support to the demand and said religious scholars agree with the fact that a proper age be set for marriages of girls and boys.

Maulana Tayyab also proposed making Nikkah registrar accountable for registration of marriages wherein bride is underage.

Director Local Government KP, Said Rehman apprised participants that around 800 Nikkah registrars have been registered in the province.

The LG department, he continued, has decided to conduct training of Nikkah registrar for proper registration of Nikka forms.

While supporting the viewpoints of seminar participants, Chairman CII, Allama Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naeemi suggested making registration of identity cards in Nikkah forms mandatory to ascertain the age of the bride and groom.

He said CII had recommended to the government in 2018 to take measures for creating awareness among the masses about negative impacts of early marriages on the lives of boys and girls.

Allama Naeemi was also of the view that a uniform Child Marriages Law should be enforced in the country to reflect the consensus of the nation on this important issue.

The seminar also held a discussion on the Kalash Marriage Bill and participants were informed that the final draft of the legislation has been received by the Law Department which after vetting of the legal document would soon send it to the provincial assembly for discussion and passage.

The seminar participants were also informed that around 27 universities out of 34 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have shown compliance with a two percent admission quota for the minority community.

Sana Ahmad of Blue Veins said that in 2021-22 only eight to nine universities, both public and private, in the province were complying to the decision of allocation of two percent quota for minority communities.

However, due to joint efforts by Blue Veins, NCHR and minority representatives the number of universities have reached to 27 which are showing compliance.

The seminar concluded by emphasizing the urgency of legislative action to curb child marriages and ensure compliance by all the varsities over provision of 2 percent quota to minorities.

Minister Mohsin Naqvi said, “These measures will prevent the misuse of children’s identity information and strengthen our national identification system. I commend NADRA and the Passport Department for their swift action in implementing these reforms

ISLAMABAD, JAN 1 /DNA/ – The ministry of Interior, on directives of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, has announced the introduction of a new B-Form equipped with advanced security features for children aged 10 and above.

This initiative aims to enhance identity verification and curb crimes such as identity theft, human trafficking, and illegal passport acquisition.

The new B-Form will now include mandatory fingerprint impressions and photographs of children in the specified age group.

According to officials, the phased rollout of these enhanced B-Forms will commence on January 15, 2025.

Speaking on the development, Minister Mohsin Naqvi said, “These measures will prevent the misuse of children’s identity information and strengthen our national identification system. I commend NADRA and the Passport Department for their swift action in implementing these reforms.”

In the first phase, children between the ages of 10 and 18 will need to visit NADRA centers, accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, to provide their fingerprints and photographs.

Guardians must also present their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) and the child’s computerized birth certificate issued by the Union Council or Town Committee.

Once the process is completed, NADRA will issue a new B-Form featuring the child’s photograph and biometric details. The updated document will be a prerequisite for obtaining a new passport for children in this age group.

The Ministry of Interior spokesperson confirmed that the old B-Form, which lacks biometric details, will no longer be accepted for children over 10 years old. Additionally, further reforms, such as integrating iris scans and enhancing services through the Pak-ID Mobile App, are planned for future phases.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to integrate NADRA’s systems with provincial civil registration databases and ensure the issuance of Digital IDs to all Pakistani citizens. “These steps will play a crucial role in securing the identity of our citizens and combating crimes effectively,” said the spokesperson.

ISLAMABAD, DEC 31 /DNA/ – Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik while talking to the media persons stated that the matters with saudi Arabia are moving forward positively and will be finalized soon.

He clarified that news items claiming federal cabinet has accorded approval to the sale of a 15 per cent stake in the Reko Diq are not true.

A price negotiation committee is handling the matters to ensure negotiations proceed in timely fashion to seal the deal soon. However, it has not been finalized yet.

ISLAMABAD: /DNA/ – The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar today chaired a meeting of Pakistan’s envoys at key multilateral and bilateral Missions. Foreign Secretary Ms. Amna Baloch and Additional Foreign Secretaries and senior Directors General of the Ministry also attended the meeting.

The Envoys shared their assessment and views on the regional and global developments and inputs for foreign policy priorities for 2025 and beyond. 

In his keynote address, the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister shared the vision of a dynamic foreign policy in its bilateral and multilateral dimensions. He underscored Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its relations with countries around the world and urged the envoys to play their role in enhancing Pakistan’s international profile and developing its international partnerships.

The annual meeting of Pakistan’s envoys is a regular feature at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the various facets of Pakistan’s foreign policy and its coherent implementation.

ISLAMABAD, 31 Dec /DNA/ – Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza visited Naval Headquarters Islamabad and met Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf. Matters of mutual interest, contemporary geo-political situation and emerging maritime security challenges were discussed during the meeting. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza appreciated the role of Pakistan Navy in ensuring maritime security in the region.