ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Friday that Turkey was willing to support Islamabad’s quest for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
He added that the latest United Nations report had endorsed Pakistan’s perspective on the protracted problem that had driven the two South Asian nuclear nations apart, noting that the UN had meticulously documented Indian brutalities in the occupied region.
Addressing a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, Qureshi said that Turkey had also agreed to attend a conference on Kashmir on the sides of the UN session and shared Pakistan’s vision for a peaceful resolution of the dispute.
Bearing a message from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish foreign minister had arrived in Pakistan on Thursday for a two-day official visit. At the top of his agenda were discussions on the bilateral ties of the two countries, enhanced cooperation and views on regional and international developments.
The Turkish News Agency Anadolu said the bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Pakistan stood at $650 million by the end of 2017 and Ankara intended to increase this to $1 billion.
On August 10, US President Donald Trump had slapped steel and aluminum tariffs on Turkey in an attempt to force it to release US pastor Andrew Brunson.
Pakistan has expressed solidarity with Turkey and its government over the economic crisis and the unilateral sanctions imposed by the US government.
“The solution to any and all issues should lie in dialogue, mutual understanding and goodwill. Any steps or actions to the contrary only undermine peace and stability and make the solution to a problem more difficult and intractable,” said a statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Aug. 13.
On Friday, the foreign ministers of the two countries recognized each other’s support and noted that the relations between Turkey and Pakistan were between not only the two governments but also their people.
Turkey wants peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute
Turkey wants peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute
- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is on a two-day official visit to Islamabad
- The Turkish news agency said the bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Pakistan stood at $650 million by the end of 2017 and Ankara intended to increase this to $1 billion
Pakistan, UK launch £10 million higher education partnership
- Pak-UK Education Gateway second phase expands climate research, scholarships, university exchanges
- First phase was launched in 2018 and delivered 165 partnerships, 2,000 joint studies and £5 million in grants
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the British Council have launched the £10 million second phase of the Pak-UK Education Gateway, the HEC said on Monday, a joint initiative aimed at deepening collaboration between universities in both countries on research, mobility and higher-education reform.
The program, funded equally by the HEC and the British Council, builds on a partnership launched in 2018 and seeks to strengthen institutional ties between Pakistani and British universities, focusing on shared challenges including climate change, skills development and economic growth.
Education cooperation has become an increasingly important pillar of broader Pakistan-UK relations, as both countries look to expand academic mobility, research collaboration and international recognition of qualifications at a time when higher-education systems face pressure to respond to climate risks, labor-market shifts and funding constraints.
“This £10 million partnership is set to deepen collaboration between UK and Pakistani universities on critical issues like Climate Change and Mobility. A true system-to-system commitment,” the HEC said in an X post.
According to the British Council and HEC, the first phase of the Pak-UK Education Gateway supported 165 institutional partnerships, generated around 2,000 joint research papers and awarded £5 million in research grants. Officials say the second phase aims to build on that foundation as part of a longer-term effort to internationalize Pakistan’s higher-education sector.
“Education is the building block of growth and prosperity. Our work on education in Pakistan supports people throughout their lives: from helping reform education policy at the school level, to our strong partnership in higher education,” British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said in a statement.
“This next phase builds on our already strong relationship, and will unlock opportunities to help both our higher education sectors thrive.”
Opportunities under the second phase include increased funding for scholarships, joint research grants and faculty exchanges, alongside a Start-Up Challenge Fund to support Pakistan-UK university collaborations pursuing commercial opportunities and access to new markets.
The program will also focus on leadership and governance reforms within Pakistan’s higher-education system, including quality assurance, improved campus accessibility for people with disabilities, and greater participation of women in senior leadership roles. It further aims to expand opportunities for Pakistani students to study UK-accredited courses without leaving their home cities, alongside a commitment to mutual recognition of qualifications.
Pakistan’s Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the initiative had already delivered concrete results since its launch in 2018, calling education “the bridge that connects people, cultures, and futures.”
Acting HEC Chairperson Nadeem Mahbub described the Gateway as a system-to-system partnership rather than a stand-alone program, noting that it had benefited institutions and students in both countries.
