ISLAMABAD: In a telephone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan discussed the latest developments in Kashmir and other matters pertaining to the region, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on August 26, 2019.
“Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, received a telephone call today [Monday] from Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan,” the SPA said.
“During the call, they discussed the latest developments in the region and HRH the Crown Prince was briefed by the Pakistani Prime Minister on the latest developments in Kashmir,” it added.
In an earlier phone call with the Saudi royal on August 7, PM Khan had discussed India’s move to scrap Kashmir’s special status following New Delhi’s decision to do away with Article 370 on August 5.
Meanwhile, on Monday night, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi briefed the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Secretary General, Yousef Al-Othaimeen, on the “deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation” in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Qureshi shared a set of proposals with Al-Othaimeen after the two exchanged views on the OIC’s response on the matter.
“The proposals included a renewed call for India to allow the OIC’s fact-finding mission to visit the Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir and convening of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu & Kashmir at the ministerial level,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement released on Monday.
Al-Othaimeen, for his part, reiterated serious concern over the worsening human rights situation in Indian-administered Kashmir “noting that the OIC will continue to play its role in support of and solidarity with the Kashmiri people,” excerpts from the statement read.
PM Khan, Saudi crown prince discuss situation in Kashmir
PM Khan, Saudi crown prince discuss situation in Kashmir
- The two leaders earlier spoke on August 7 after India revoked Kashmir’s special status
- Pakistan foreign minister also briefed OIC Secretary General on the developments in the disputed area
Pakistan minister calls for integrating ocean awareness into education to preserve ecosystems
- Pakistan’s maritime sector posted a record $360 million profit in 2025 following a year of sweeping reforms
- Junaid Anwar Chaudhry says education equips youth to make informed decisions, contribute to blue economy
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has urged integrating ocean awareness into formal education systems and empowering youth as active partners in order to preserve marine ecosystems, his ministry said on Saturday.
Chaudhry said this at a meeting with Minister of State for Education and Professional Training, Wajiha Qamar, who called on him and discussed strategies for enhancing marine education, literacy, and youth engagement in sustainable ocean management.
Pakistan’s maritime sector posted a record Rs100 billion ($360 million) profit in 2025 following a year of sweeping reforms aimed at improving port efficiency, cost-cutting, and safeguarding marine ecosystems to boost the blue economy.
“Understanding our oceans is no longer optional, it is essential for climate resilience, sustainable development, and the long-term health of our maritime resources,” Chaudhry said, highlighting the critical role of marine literacy.
The minister said education equips youth to make informed decisions and actively contribute to marine conservation and the blue economy, urging inclusion of marine ecosystems, conservation and human-ocean interactions into curricula, teacher training and global citizenship programs.
“Initiatives like ‘Ocean Literacy for All’ can mainstream these elements in national policies, school programs, and community workshops to build proactive citizenship on marine challenges,” he added.
Ocean Literacy for All is a UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission–coordinated global initiative under the UN Ocean Decade (2021–2030) that promotes ocean awareness, education, and conservation.
Chaudhry announced reforms in maritime education, including granting degree-awarding status to the Pakistan Marine Academy, and the establishment of the Maritime Educational Endowment Fund (MEEF) to provide scholarships for deserving children from coastal communities.
“The scholarship program promotes inclusive development by enabling access to quality education for youth from over 70 coastal and fishing communities, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan,” he said.
The discussions underscored raising awareness about oceans, coastal ecosystems and marine resources, according to the Pakistani maritime affairs ministry. Both ministers stressed the need to integrate climate and marine education from classrooms
to community programs, addressing risks like rising sea temperatures, coastal erosion, biodiversity loss and pollution.
“Incorporating marine science and ocean literacy into curricula can help students connect local challenges with global trends,” Qamar said, underscoring education’s transformative power in building social resilience.
The meeting explored translating complex marine science into accessible public knowledge through sustained, solution-oriented awareness campaigns, according to the maritime affairs ministry.
With coastline facing pressures from climate change, pollution, and overexploitation, the ministers called for a coordinated approach blending formal education, informal learning and youth-led advocacy.
“A joint effort by the Ministries of Maritime Affairs and Education can cultivate an ocean-literate generation, transforming vulnerability into resilience and ensuring the long-term sustainability of coastal and marine ecosystems,” Chaudhry said.
